#3007 "Happy Winter Trails"

#3007 "Happy Winter Trails"
8 X 10 (inches).
Started 9:00 am Saturday, March 7th, 2026. 

The red-winged blackbirds returned this morning... (March 7th) along with spring thunderstorms and heavy rain. I had this composition in my back pocket along with the right oils left over from #3006 "Singleton March Morning Maple Shadows". I was waiting for inclement weather to put those ideas on a canvas. A Studio morning was the best choice for a Saturday morning. The tunes on the 1977 vintage stereo and the wood stove provided the ambiance.

This small canvas panel is attached to a larger support, which can be stacked in my canoe box. The canvas does not need to be touched by anything other than a brush until the oils are fully cured.

I was thinking of shows that my brother and I enjoyed as kids in the 1950s. Those were the wholesome early days of television. Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Trigger, Bullet, the Jeep... a host of honest characters for kids. The bad guys always went to jail. 

The title of this painting can be found in a song. 

"Happy trails to you, until we meet again
Happy trails to you
Keep smilin' until then
Who cares about the clouds when we're together?
Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather
Happy trails to you
'Til we meet again."

Some of our Saturday morning heroes are included in the following collage. 

The bad guys were always held accountable back then ... not promoted or given money to go away.

A cowboy is a resourceful, independent thinker always ready to challenge the corruption of those in power as the saviour of the underdog... at least in the westerns on early 1950s black-and-white television. Roy, John Wayne, Gene Autry, Tom Mix, Hopalong Cassidy and the Lone Ranger all bravely came to the rescue. 

But how do you spot the bad guys? And they aren’t all guys! You will certainly know a few psychopaths! A March 2026 article in the New Scientist explains:

"psychopathy is characterised by callousness, a lack of empathy, glib social charm and impulsivity. Checklist screening tools assess for behaviours including pathological lying, sense of grandiosity, manipulative tendencies and a constant need for stimulation."

"while only around 1 percent of people in the general population have psychopathy, roughly 1 in 5 men in prison show signs of it, and research has also found a link between corporate leadership and psychopathic traits."  (my bolding of the actual text)

The research does not specifically address the percentage of political psychopaths, but I suspect it at least matches that of prisons! Probably higher.  Nothing will change until the "bad guys" are held responsible and forced to pay restitution for their crimes. 

I wanted to be a cowboy when I grew up... that didn't work out, so I became a meteorologist instead. That career turned out to be a perfect choice for me. The opportunity to educate the populace and possibly avert the looming climate crisis would have been worthy for any good, ol' cowboy!

During the 1970s and 80s, it was obvious to meteorologists what uncontrolled consumption of fossil fuels was doing to the atmosphere. The science was clear and had been fully developed in the previous century. The impacts of atmospheric carbon on nature and the environment were also equally obvious.

I was up to the challenge and did my very best. Many others did as well, but my generation of cowboy scientists has failed to defeat big oil and the politicians they have purchased. In the 2000s, my Canadian Prime Minister insisted that we stop and desist with all efforts to educate the populace and to spread the truth about the rapidly approaching impacts of the climate crisis. Environment Canada even endured several "program reviews" and "downsizing exercises" during my career, when the efforts to brace for the impacts of climate change should have necessitated quite the opposite. The Earth is currently starting the verification stage of those predictions. 

It will take Herculean efforts on the part of every nation to turn the tide at this late stage of the climate catastrophe. Listen to the wisdom of the Davids like Sir Attenborough and Suzuki. Goliath will fall again, long before every drop of oil has been burnt, even if the cause is an uninhabitable Earth and not democracy, wisdom or cowboys.  

The following summarizes the challenges facing Planet Earth that last experienced the 2025 levels of atmospheric carbon 16 million years ago. That can't be good...  If you have not yet noticed a change in the weather, you have not been paying attention. 

March 2026, daily atmospheric carbon dioxide levels measured at the Mauna Loa Observatory have exceeded 431 parts per million (ppm) - reaching 431.95 ppm on March 28th - higher than the 430.6 ppm of March 2025. 

Surrounding oneself with nature still allows the brand of naivety that we enjoyed in the 1950s. The goal while I painted was to impart those same thoughts to the viewer and maybe lead them into the light, down the snowy path that no one had yet to tread.

Rain and thunder outside... very cozy inside...

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint Collection. Thank you for reading, and stay well!

Warmest regards, and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick  

PS: Fossil fuels were given over $7 TRILLION in subsidies in 2025.  That's $19.2 billion per day. How is any of that sustainable?  See buff.ly/s6Nzgw3 ttps://

PSS: A potential "Super El Niño" is projected for later 2026 and could become the most intense El Niño on record. Weather impacts will be felt around the globe! 2026 will likely exceed all previous heat records.

#3006 "Singleton March Morning Maple Shadows"

#3006 "Singleton March Morning Maple Shadows" 
8 X 10 (inches).
Started 8:45 am Thursday, March 5th, 2026.

It was a sunny morning, at least for an hour or two. I decided to head out. The cold outflow from the high-pressure area to the north rustled last year's leaves still clinging to the trees. I hoped that the forest would minimize the wind chill effect. That northeasterly wind would keep the snow to the south of Singleton.

I painted with the sun on my back, but the solar radiation really didn't counter the effect of the wind. In 45 minutes, my hands had a familiar, chilly lack of feeling. I was almost done, but this painting would have to have the final touches applied within the shelter of the Studio. 

The sounds in the forest reminded me of spring, even though winter was still in the air. The creatures followed their everyday routines and were surprised to find me standing in their forest. One grey squirrel was shuffling along but stopped at my feet, clambered up the nearest tree, not my leg, and then stared at me, eyeball to eyeball. It would have made an interesting picture, but I was too slow with the camera as I was holding my brush. The squirrel scolded me with a bold chatter and then made a hasty retreat. 

Nothing but branches overhead...
 The birds were there, somewhere. 

Chickadees visited me and shelled sunflower seeds over my head. Again, I tried for a picture but got nothing but branches. 

Trumpeter swans were coming and going into Jim Day Rapids. There was a lot of trumpeting going on. I was in their space the day before, so this time, I thought I would let them be undisturbed by human interference, even though I try not to be invasive. The male bobcat strolled across the lake under the watchful gaze of the swans. I just caught a glimpse of my feline friend through the trees.

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint Collection. Thank you for reading, and stay well!

Warmest regards, and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick  

#3005 "March at Jim Day Rapids"

#3005 "March at Jim Day Rapids" 
8 X 10  (inches).
Started 10:45 am Wednesday, March 4th, 2026

#3004 "March Morning Light at Jim Day"  was done, and the morning was still young. I went back to the Studio for a replacement panel and some oils that I would need. 

I kept the field easel in exactly the same location but turned my attention upstream to the inflow of Jim Day Rapids. The trumpeter swans were happily feeding in the shallows. Nature was content again with me standing on the edge of the current. 

Some bands of cirrus appeared in the northern sky. A weather system was approaching. 

I had to relearn a lesson about not putting my palette on the snow while going to the Studio for some different tubes of paint. The Springtails were out in large numbers. As their name suggests, they are apt to jump onto any surface. The tiny "snow fleas" got stuck in the oils, and sometimes that is where they stay. There were literally millions of Sprintails all over the soil and the snow. They indicate a healthy environment. We do not use poisons at Singleton. 

The following describes their biology, including some images. 

Sometimes you will also find biting bugs in my oils. A mosquito or black fly that lands on my painting is apt to be ground up into the pigment. Honey bees are carefully extracted so they can return to the hive, where other bees will clean it and finish the rescue. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint Collection. Thank you for reading, and stay well!

Warmest regards, and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick  

#3004 "March Morning Light at Jim Day"

#3004 "March Morning Light at Jim Day" 
8 X 10 (inches).
Started 9:30 am Wednesday, March 4th, 2026

I had some time to paint. The weather was mild, and the winds were light. I set up my field easel on the marble point overlooking the exit of Jim Day Rapids into the Short Reach of Red Horse Lake. 

We sometimes feel like prisoners in our home, not wanting to disturb nature from their normal activities. I thought the trumpeter swans were all feeding at the upstream portion of the rapids. I had not noticed the lone trumpeter paddling around the exit. The swan trumpeted his distress at me being there, but did not leave. The swans and all of the other birds soon adjusted to my strange behaviour as I paced back and forth in front of my easel. 

Some creature had walked along the edge of the ice, leaving a staggering trail of prints. We frequently see mink and otter, but the prints could have even been left by the swans. The ice was not safe on the edge of the current, so I did not check closer. 

The morning light was filtered through the sparse white pine forest of the Short Reach. Shafts of light and shadows snaked through the trees and across the ice, following the ups and downs of the snow drifts. The painting was a careful balance between the size of the brush and the amount of detail required to tell the story. I did not touch the panel again except to scratch my name in the lower right. 

I only used the oils that had been on my palette, left over from #3003 "Latimer Rapids Inflow". It was a fun challenge and story. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint Collection. Thank you for reading, and stay well!

Warmest regards, and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick  

#3003 "Latimer Rapids Inflow"

#3003 "Latimer Rapids Inflow" 
36 X 12 inches oils of canvas

This is the third and final painting gleaned from a long walk on a sunny, winter afternoon. #3001 "Red Horse Snowy Trails"  was the first from 15:40 just north of Roddick Lane.  #3002 "Trail into a Red Horse Sunset" was the second, overlooking the old dump site on Red Horse Lake Road at 15:50 pm. This view is looking westward from just north of Latimer Rapids at 16:10 pm. 

I was inspired by conversations with my friend Duncan to make sure that I got more activity than just sitting and painting at my easel. Duncan was very involved in the AVOID Frailty Program developed in partnership with Queen's University (specifically researchers like Dr. Catherine Donnelly and Dr. Vincent DePaul).

As a result, I went for a long walk on Tuesday, February 17th, knowing that my wife was going to be returning from Kingston. It was possible that this would be a long one-way stroll. One-way trips can be more fun than return journeys, especially if the return trip is chauffeured. As it turned out, she was very delayed, and I was actually halfway home again after walking the 4-kilometre length of Red Horse Lake Road. I was actually getting a bit tired of walking. The stroll was a good workout, and I stumbled across several paintings. This was the third of those inspirations to be interpreted in oils. 

AVOID is a healthy aging initiative to help older adults (60+) maintain independence and reduce the risk of becoming frail. It is designed to shift the focus from reactive, hospital-based care to proactive, community-based support, enabling seniors to "age in place". Sounds very good to me, as I have no intention of leaving Singleton Lake. I would not have known about the AVOID Program if it had not been for Duncan... and I am not forty anymore...

If you followed the above link, (https://healthyagingcentres.ca/), you will notice that there is no "S" in the AVOID program. Duncan petitioned for the importance of "Sleep", but that innovation was not accepted. I certainly concur with Duncan and have included it here in this AVOID summary. Sleep is important!

Some of the steps in #3003 "Latimer Rapids Inflow" 

The altostratus of the approaching winter storm filtered the late afternoon sunlight. A break in the overcast cloud provided just the light I needed to illuminate the scene. Water drains through Covey's pasture, melting the snow cover above as it flows. That water and subtle valley were the features of this tall and narrow canvas. 

I only used the oils that had been on my palette, left over from #3002 "Trail into a Red Horse Sunset". It was a fun challenge and entertaining story. 

I wanted to tell the story of drainage from the pasture through a culvert under Red Horse Lake Road, into Lyndhurst Creek. There is always something downstream from our actions. What we do will ultimately flow and influence someone else. It is important to make those positive influences as best as we can. 

Latimer Rapids is the current that defines the start of Singleton Lake, which ends downstream at Jim Day Rapids and our home. 

Almost finished in front of the Studio Pacific Energy wood stove. 

No one is an island, but being a hermit by nature might come pretty close. I rarely leave the Singleton Sanctuary.

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint Collection. Thank you for reading, and stay well!

Warmest regards, and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick  

#3002 "Trail into a Red Horse Sunset"

#3002 "Trail into a Red Horse Sunset"
36 X 12 inches, oils on canvas

Ten minutes after observing the inspiration for #3001 "Red Horse Snowy Trails", I encountered another series of tracks leading westward and up toward the edge of a high cliff. These tracks were also very old. Tracks lose their shape and actually spread outward with age. I suspect these were deer and turkey tracks as well. 

The afternoon sun was attempting to shine through the layer of altostratus cloud. Another winter weather system was on the way. That meant more snow and more tracks to observe. 

The cliff was actually where residents used to throw their garbage away - an "Out of Sight and Out of Mind Garbage Dump Site". 

Apparently, the Red Horse Lake Road Site is a historical landfill located in the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands that was closed in 2023 following an inspection by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks (MECP). I do not ever recall it being open, but I had heard tales of people launching appliances and trash from the top of the cliff. 

In 2024–2025, the Township undertook studies regarding the potential reclamation or further capping/maintenance of the Red Horse Lake Road Waste Disposal Site (WDS). The cost to reclaim and cap the dump was $135K! MECP has placed orders on the Municipality to comply with the Environmental Compliance Approvals (ECA). As a result, staff intend to include the required funds in the proposed 2026 Capital Budget to proceed with the required reclamation. See "Feasibility Study For Landfill Reclamation at the Historical Big Hill Road and Red Horse Lake Road Waste Disposal Sites.pdf" on the Web.

Even more important, I attempt to fix everything which is way better than recycling. As well, may I suggest a 2024 book, "Power Metal" by Canadian Vince Beiser. 

It describes the "race for resources" that will shape the future. It is an important read in the current consumerist, throw-away society, which is the polar opposite of a sustainable future. I quite enjoyed this eye-opening book that describes the challenges facing life on earth and how it relates to the climate crisis. 

"Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" are the three essential components of an environmentally responsible and sustainable future. Natural resources are conserved while minimizing waste sent to "landfills" where stuff is essentially thrown over the cliff and forgotten. This classic mantra of my youth originated with the first Earth Day held on April 22, 1970 in the United States. Earth Day in Canada did not arrive until 1990.

Reducing consumption is the most important step! Reusing and passing functional items along to others is also "green". Recycling can be very challenging, as exposed in "Power Metal". 

The environmental movement also addresses the climate crisis, but faces hypocritical opposition from powerful corporate and political leaders. The economy is based on consumption, the extraction of natural resources and a "throw-away" society, the polar opposites of "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle".

"Greenwashing" has become a deceitful big business, complete with shallow, glad-handing politicians and smiling CEOs. Examples abound around the world. "Power Metal" explains the problem in Chapter 10 entitled "New Lives for Old Things". Check out "ifixit" which offers solutions. This initiative has thrived in the face of strong opposition. 

The "Alto | Shaping Canada's Future With a High-Speed Train" project is a timely Canadian example of a very flawed idea promoted as something "green" for the environment. I touched on this potential ecological disaster in early March 2026 with the "High-Speed Rail" blog. A thorough investigation into the extreme corporate and political corruption revealed in this project will require books and the efforts of a team of diligent investigative journalists. Follow the money! The perpetrators need to go to jail. There is nothing environmentally sound about this destructive, unwarranted, unwanted and unneeded project. I wanted to repeat that fact in time for Earth Day 2026 on April 22nd. 

The Google Earth image above shows my location on Red Horse Lake Road, as well as the deep valley just west of the cliff. At one time, people simply threw their "garbage" over the cliff at the tip of the "View" arrow. I have been told that some residents have since "mined" that trash for metals, recyclables and other historic and valuable items. 

Some of the steps in #3002 "Trail into a Red Horse Sunset"... all fun!

#3002 "Trail into a Red Horse Sunset" nearing completion on a cold winter day.

Art can be more than oils on a canvas... there can be much deeper meanings. Sometimes those truths need to be explained. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint Collection. Thank you for reading, and stay well!

Warmest regards, and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick  

#3001 "Red Horse Snowy Trails"

#3001 "Red Horse Snowy Trails" 36 X 12 (inches). Started at 9:30 am Monday, February 23rd, 2026.

It was a beautiful, sunny winter afternoon, and I decided to go for a long stroll along Long Reach Lane and Red Horse Lake Road. 

The spoor was days old, just north of Roddick Lane. Several snowfalls and the effects of the sun and the wind had eroded the defining marks which would have uniquely identified the travellers. I was pretty sure that deer and turkeys had used this same path. "Spoor" is a seldom-used word, which is why I employed it to mean "the track or scent of an animal." Unique titles are needed for the paintings, even though the chronological number is as individual as it gets. 

The shadows of trees snaked eastward across the undulating slope that led upward to the crest of the granite ridge that overlooks Red Horse Lake to the east. 

Red Horse Lake spans 746-acres in Leeds and the Thousand Islands Township. The two basins are deep, up to 122 feet. Red Horse is renowned for its lake trout, although bass and pike are common as well. Such lakes are rare in southern Ontario. 

The lake trout is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Lake trout are the largest of the freshwater char. They have been reported to live up to 70 years in some Canadian lakes. Lake trout are also a slow-growing, late-maturing species with generally low reproductive potential. Though potentially long-lived, both males and females, on average, do not reach sexual maturity until six to eight years of age.

Red Horse Lake is actually stocked with lake trout, which is why the fishing season for them is open all year round. Happily, the trout have also been determined to be naturally spawning and reproducing, something they do in autumn each year. 

After winter, trout move to warmer, shallower areas where sunlight increases insect activity. Baitfish follow the insects, and both are enjoyed as a lake trout "smorgasbord". We sometimes see large trout swim upstream through Jim Day Rapids in the spring. The turbulence in the strong current even helps to oxygenate the water. Some trout make it as far as the dam at Lyndhurst (Furnace Falls), but there they are stopped. On occasion, these trout will get stuck in the pools just downstream from Furnace Falls when the spring floods subside. Those trout end up on someone's dinner table. 

As cold-blooded creatures, the lake trout return to the deeper water of Red Horse in the summer, where they can still find their preferred temperature range of 13°C to 16°C (about 58°F). Large schools of trout are often seen on the fish finder, enjoying that layer of temperatures in the deep water of Red Horse Lake. 

#3001 "Red Horse Snowy Trails" nearing completion on a very cold winter day...

I thought of this information as I painted. It is included to help explain why I believe this area is so very unique and special. Why the Frontenac Arch Biosphere was recognized as a UNESCO Biosphere in 2002. 

It seems that everywhere we have lived has been threatened by "development" - simply turning the environment into cash. As if the land is not perfect to start with... Land is viewed as a commodity and something to manipulate. Actually, the exploitation of nature is happening everywhere, ever faster around the globe. By 2030, our current consumption patterns will demand the resources of approximately two Earths to sustain global demand. Clearly, the plundering of nature is not sustainable and urgent action is long overdue. 

Immediate action includes:

• Transition to Renewable Energy: Shifting away from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydro power is crucial for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change.
• Promote Sustainable Agriculture: Adopting sustainable farming practices that minimize soil erosion, reduce water consumption, and avoid the use of harmful pesticides is essential for preserving food security.
• Improve Resource Efficiency: Reducing waste in production and consumption, promoting recycling and reuse, and designing products for durability and repair can significantly lower our resource footprint.
• Encourage Sustainable Consumption: Promoting responsible consumption patterns, such as reducing meat consumption, buying local products, and minimizing waste, can help lower our individual ecological footprints.
• Invest in Education and Awareness: Raising awareness about the importance of sustainability and empowering individuals to make informed choices is critical for driving change.

ALTO, also known as the Toronto–Quebec City High-Speed Rail Network, threatens most of the above under the misguided guise of reducing carbon emissions. The estimated cost of up to $120 billion (about $3k for every citizen of Canada) is certainly underestimated to build the high-speed rail system that would effectively slice and block the essential north-south Algonquin-to-Adirondack (A2A) Nature corridor. That cost does not even include the trains or maintenance. Maintaining existing infrastructure is something that has been sorely overlooked. 

The goal of many of those who oppose ALTO is to simply fund and maintain the rails we already have, transforming that system into an affordable High Performance Train system. Transport 2000 had the answers for rail travel back in the 1970s. Rail can indeed be sustainable. There is no need for high speed, especially given the impacts on vital nature corridors (See The A2A Collaborative). The rail system should be twinned, with fares kept economically affordable. There is an urgent need to reduce the number of transports on the highways. We much prefer to travel by train and just relax, enjoying the ride. 

 

The high-speed rail is not expected to be finished until at least 2043, by which time the climate might be 3 degrees Celsius or more warmer than pre-industrial levels. Global warming is accelerating, with the planet heating at a rate of approximately 0.35°C per decade over the past 10 years, nearly double the 0.2°C per decade rate observed between 1970 and 2015. The impacts of those temperatures are beyond human comprehension, as they have never been experienced in this epoch. Please see my blog on the ALTO Project. 

The unsustainable and hypocritical nature of humans cannot be overstated. Humans are simply a naked ape and just another mammal. Not the owner and arrogant bully of all of Earth. The current Sixth mass extinction will effectively end the Holocene Epoch. 

Some of the steps in #3001 "Red Horse Snowy Trails"

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint Collection. Thank you for reading, and stay well!

Warmest regards, and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick  

#3000 "Barred Owl Forest"

#3000 "Barred Owl Forest" 
16 X 24 (inches).
Started 10:30 am Monday, February 16th, 2026

This is another image taken by my friend, John Verburg, a naturalist and terrific photographer. John provides a tremendous source of inspiration that encourages me to paint within the Singleton Studio when conditions outside are not conducive to plein air. 

Barred owls are favourite companions within the Singleton Sanctuary. I hear them communicate almost every time I head into the woods. This particular composition caught my eye with the interwoven tree branches of the forest and the calm expression displayed by the owl's eyes. John knew this particular owl well. Apparently, the owl also knew John. 

I typically start these portraits with the eyes and the beak. This time, I started with the background. My palette had gotten rather messy with a hodgepodge of oils. Those colours were just what I needed for the tangle of tree branches and the blur of the distant forest. I did tackle the eyes after those colours had been suitably used up and I had scraped my palette clean. 

The eyes of the very calm barred owl simply flowed. They were literally done in minutes, and I never touched them again. The owl stared very patiently back at me as I spent the next couple of weeks putting feathers on it and completing the tangle of branches. 

Owls have more feathers per square inch than most other birds for insulation. I did not count those strokes, but apparently, a Barred Owl has approximately 9,600 feathers. Those feathers provide dense, insulating plumage required for their non-migratory lifestyle and nocturnal hunting. Almost half of those feathers are concentrated on the head and neck. There are no feathers on the underside of their feet.

Done like dinner... time to step away from the easel and leave the owl alone. 

I have painted Barred Owls before and probably will again. Here are some earlier efforts. #2837 "January Barred Owl", #2920 "Barred Owl Friend" #2965 "Barred Owl Forest Canopy".

The lichen on the tree is a symbiotic blend of fungus and algae. It is a natural part of the forest and grows very slowly. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint Collection. Thank you for reading, and stay well!

Warmest regards, and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick  

#2999 "Singleton Sunrise with an Alberta Clipper on the Horizon"

#2999 "Singleton Sunrise with an Alberta Clipper on the Horizon" 
11 X 14 (inches).
Started at 9:00 am, Monday, February 9th, 2026.

Monday, February 9th, 2026, was very chilly. It was the last day of a cold Arctic outbreak. The cold was very much appreciated to combat some of the less tolerant invasive species. The spongy moth succumbs to temperatures below minus 29 Celsius. Sadly, ticks survive winter by entering a dormant state (diapause) and hiding in sheltered spots like leaf litter, soil, and brush, which insulates them from the extreme cold. Predictably, I will have tick encounters of the third-kind after the snow melts, but I am cautious and always hoping for a human vaccine to be developed. Until then we encourage the turkeys to forage nearby all year long. They eat ticks. There is no possum population at Singleton Lake yet, but they are on their way with climate change. 

Monday sunrise was at 7:16 am, exactly the time I took the inspirational picture. It was much too cold to paint outside, so I took a few photos in anticipation that I would make some time to paint. The sun had not yet reached the tips of the trees on the western shore of Singleton Lake. I was painting in the Studio before 9 am, working on the sunrise pictures that I had taken just a couple of hours before.   

The line of clouds on the western horizon at sunrise foretold milder weather. That band of altocumulus cloud was a deformation zone stretching perpendicular to the direction that the Alberta Clipper-type storm was moving. The surface winds were still light northerly as the ridge of high pressure had not yet reached Singleton. The smoke from Dale's chimney confirmed that wind direction. Thankfully, the smoke just flowed from the paintbrush with maybe two or three strokes.  

Interesting Nature can always be found... 

The Alberta Clipper is a fast-moving system and typically does not result in "warning criteria"  snow accumulations (15 cm within 12 hours), but the impacts on driving are comparable. Those impacts linger for the following day, especially where snowsqualls in the colder northwest flow behind the system blow onshore. The Great Lakes were partially frozen, so snowsqualls were not as serious as earlier in the winter. 

The water vapour image (above, lower left) was a classic example of a multi-layered deformation zone leading the warm conveyor belt and producing the cloud that I painted. 

I promoted the "Alberta Schooner" type system, which is slower than a clipper and quite likely to deliver more significant, warning-criteria snowfalls. That conceptual model, like others, did not catch on within the meteorological community. 

Appropriately, a Special weather statement was issued at 4:38 pm on Monday afternoon for "Period of snow expected Tuesday."

• What: Snowfall amounts of 5 to 10 cm; Reduced visibility at times in heavy snow.
• When: Beginning Tuesday morning and lasting through the afternoon. Possibly lasting into the evening for regions farther east.
• Additional information: An area of moderate to heavy snow will pass through portions of northeastern and southern Ontario on Tuesday.
• Response: Prepare for quickly changing and deteriorating travel conditions. Allow extra time for travel.

Apparently, the thinking was that this weather system was not a slower Alberta Schooner.

Tuesday was a snow day, and I was able to finish the Monday sunrise in the Studio. There was 20 centimetres of fresh snow on the ground. School buses were cancelled locally. Meteorology may not be as precise a science as nuclear physics... 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint Collection. Thank you for reading, and stay well!

Warmest regards, and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick