I understand that few things put a person off blogs more than irregular and infrequent updates so if you are still tuning in, many thanks and Happy Christmas 2009!
Winter has returned and so has the season of skiing, skating and tobogganing. It took us a good 15 minutes this morning to shovel the overnight accumulation of 3 inches of snow from the drive, a pretty much daily chore nowadays. If it isn't shovelled regularly, it gets packed down and turns into treacherous ice which is even more difficult to remove. There's something quite theraputic about shovelling snow. It wakes you right up in the morning and gets your heart rate going, something I miss a little since it became too cold and snowy to cycle to work.
I've been reading on the online newspapers about the recent snowfall in the UK, about the stranded vehicles in Berkshire and people having to spend the night at John Lewis. Some people, it seems, are going to great lengths to finish their Christmas shopping. While Britain freezes, I think we're having less snow this year here in Prince George. It's still cold though and temps plummeted to -30 degrees last week on my week off. Thankfully it warmed up a bit by the end of the week so I was able to get out cross-country skiing on a couple of days which was great fun.
On Friday, a friend took me ice-fishing for the first time. We snow-shoed out for half an hour to a frozen lake, drilled a few 5 inch holes in the 8 inch thick ice and dropped a line and baited hook in. Unbelievably we had a fish on the hook within a couple of minutes. We caught 10 brook trout between us that day which will make good eating but the most magical part was was just being out there on a remote and deserted frozen lake surrounded by forest.
Time seems to be flying by at the moment. Another Halloween and Thanksgiving have been and gone. Our second Canadian Christmas is approaching fast. There are many differences between how people celebrate Christmas here and in the UK but we're getting used to some of the former and upholding a few of the latter. People are so friendly and hospitable here that we have found ourselves inundated once again with social invitations. Unfortunately I'm on call this Christmas but I'm hoping it will be quiet and leave some time for family and friends.
To all of you who continue to follow this blog, have a Happy Christmas and an excellent 2010.
