Photowalk: A Snowy Day Photowalk
If I have to list my passions outside of routine life, reading books would be the first habit I developed as a teenager, and it continued into my college days and early career years before taking a back seat. My passion for writing evolved as I drew inspiration from many favourite authors. However, writing, like reading, also fell by the wayside. While reading and writing became less significant in my life, photography emerged as a new way of expressing my thoughts. It has been my passion for nearly a decade now. I must confess that I have not been consistent with photography. But whenever I took a break from it, I always returned.
Today, I returned after a hiatus of I am not sure how many months.
Last night, I was surprised to see some heavy snow. These days, I don’t check the weather app. I just get pleasantly surprised by snowfalls and crisp, cold, windless yet sunny mornings. I love a good snowfall, unlike many around here, and I was pleasantly surprised to see my neighbourhood covered in a white blanket. When it snows, the temperatures don’t feel as cold as the thermometer shows. The air feels fresher somehow, and there’s a lingering sense of romance in the air too. It just lifts me up.
This whole winter, we have had many days of good snow, but I have not had the chance to enjoy it as I used to. Quality snow days have also been rare in the past few years. I blame climate change, unlike many. Regardless of whether climate science is a hoax or not, in the past, a good snowy day would see me packing my cameras, bundling up in all the appropriate winter gear, and stepping out, sometimes into the snowstorm. This winter, I didn’t do that. Much of the blame lies with Mr. O, I think. Thank goodness he can’t read this.
So yesterday, when I saw the snow, I decided to check the weather app. It indicated we were getting about 15-20 cm of snow overnight. I felt excited and thought I should go out and have some ‘me’ time. I did, and I’m so glad I did.
One of my favourite places to visit during winter, spring, summer, and autumn is Brickworks Park. It’s a former quarry and brick-making factory. The site supplied bricks for many of the historical buildings in the city’s downtown. Today, the quarry is transformed into a nature park, the brick factory into a multipurpose public space, and the historical buildings made of those bricks have been replaced by unattractive condo developments. Of the three transformations, I care for the first two.
The path to the park is a park in itself. It is a nature trail that runs through the city and connects many neighbourhoods. Perhaps I can write about the city parks someday. They represent the city’s best offerings, yet the city, unfortunately, does not consider it worthwhile to promote its prized green spaces to the few tourists who visit. Before I could get onto the trail, I had to walk through Rosedale, an affluent neighbourhood and obviously a pretty one. I thoroughly enjoy my walk through Rosedale, admiring the gorgeous houses and wishing I could own one. Mr. O would be delighted to have a backyard to romp around in. Perhaps in the future.
The trail entry continues from one of the side streets in the neighbourhood. As I entered the trail, I felt as though I was in Narnia, despite the absence of whimsical characters around me. The trees were covered in last night’s snow, with their brown bark peeking through the small gaps of snow that shrouded them. The ground resembled a white carpet stretching for miles. The beauty of a good snowfall is that it makes walking slow, though as the snow melts and refreezes into ice, it can become treacherous.
Today, the snow was both crisp and fluffy at the same time. The slowness of walking on it was a blessing in disguise, allowing me to take in the white beauty surrounding me. I realized that the act of standing still and being present in the moment had been missing for several weeks now, and it felt good to be in the moment.
The walk on the trail usually takes 10-15 minutes, but the snow made it 20+, but I wasn’t complaining. When I reached the park, I gasped, for it, too, looked beautiful. The various little ponds were frozen and covered in snow, as were the trees and the small hill flanking the park. The barren branches peeking out of the snow covering them were the only non-white colour that you could see. Of course there was the red brick building that used to be the factory. It never looks as pretty as it does when everything around it covered up in snow, allowing it to stand out.
I walked around the park and took my heart’s fill of pictures. I didn’t go up the hill, though I think I should have had. The park looks great from the top. The view of a second trail from there is also nice. There’s a lookout point from where we could see the CN Tower, but the ugly condos that replaced the historical buildings I mentioned earlier now block the view of the CN Tower. I am sad that a hidden gem in the city has lost its value.
It was a rejuvenating couple of hours of walking today. On return, I felt the sweet pain in my body, usually followed by a walk in the cold. This calls for something hot and delicious, followed by a very relaxing afternoon nap. And that’s what I did.
