It continued through the night to leave several inches on the ground today, perfect for exploring.
And what better way than a little xc skiing. That's one of the things I look forward to the most of getting back home for the winter.
Snow fleas were everywhere. I've been curious how they hang out in snow without bursting, and Wikipedia has some pretty cool information:
Research at Queen's University (Canada) have sequenced and synthesised the anti-freeze-like protein that allows snow fleas to operate in sub-zero environments, and found its sequence to be glycine-rich, and unlike any previously known protein. There are hopes that similar proteins may be useful for storing transplant organs and for producing better ice cream. By preventing the formation of ice crystals in tissues, organs could be stored at lower temperatures, increasing their lifespan outside a living body. Unlike proteins with similar functions in other species, the protein found in snow fleas breaks down easily at higher temperatures.
Could be used to freeze organs and make better ice cream? Score one for humans.
I probably should actually do a series on fungus and lichen.
So, it was a great day for it. It's a good thing that I went when I did, because the temperature was reaching the upper 30s and there was noticeably less snow on the trees on my way back. Hopefully a decent layer will persist tomorrow for another jaunt and for Christmas as well. We're supposed to get more on Sunday and Monday, so at least I can look forward to another coating when we get back from Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Afterward, we got the ornaments up on the tree to the beat of our traditional ornamenting album, the just-hokey-enough Caribbean Christmas. The kitties don't quite know what to do with the tree, but the ornaments they're allowed to play with are at their level and the tree is anchored with some kite string, given their proclivity to explore both actively and recklessly.
People from my dad's fiddle group were playing music at the indoor farmers' market at Fort Andross for a few hours, so we went over to lend our help. By a last-minute suggestion I brought up from DC my charango and I'll hesitantly say that one may never have been used to play Cape Breton folk before. We had a couple fiddles, banjos, a mandolin, a guitar, a clarinet, and the charango attracted some attention, especially from the woodworkers. Thankfully most of the songs were in variations of either A or D, pretty easy for the instrument. I haven't played it with people before, and both of my hands got a good workout forming rapid and still unfamiliar chords for a couple hours. If I could always be paid in freshly-shucked-that-day garlic popcorn and a bunch of cookies from the cookie lady, I'd be happy.
Jay gets in tomorrow late, and then it's Christmas. I'm hoping to hear some organ music at church.
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