Today we spent a lovely few hours with our friends who live on a lake to the north of the city. We went ice fishing under blue skies, amidst fresh snow and in -10C degree temperatures. S & B also invited an English family who are in PG for a year on a teacher exchange. 
Last night we took our "traditional" pre-Christmas tour of the Candy Cane Lane section of town. This is where all the houses on three adjacent streets are overdressed with Christmas decorations. We saw lots of Santas, a few Grinches, many Disney characters and many, many garden reindeer. After this we drove up to Connaught Hill where every year, a more formal series of displays are illuminated. We had a hilarious time trying to work out what some of the displays were depicting. We decided the one above was a group of elves, frogs and/or smurfs playing hockey with a spectator either smoking a pipe or playing a violin. Can you suggest a more plausible scenario?
After a promising amount of snow early last week, it rained on Friday and Saturday. The result was thick, horrible, sticky and heavy snow which was a bear to ski on. The kids bravely soldiered on but it was hard work. I was trying out new skis and my third turn of the day had me in a snow bank flat on my face. After a few more runs, we'd had enough, called it quits and came in early for a hot drink and snack.
Shovelled 10cm off the drive this morning. This is after the 5cm I shovelled yesterday. Another 10cm is forecast today. We had 15cm 2 weeks ago so the total this last month is about 30cm with more to come. I'm going to try and keep a tally this year. The positive skiing karma still outweighs the negative shovelling karma so I'm happy. This may change through the season though. And to snow of a different kind, here's this years gingerbread house effort by V and D. I think the snowman is sledding off the roof in case you were wondering.
It's been a busy week. On Sunday we were out with V's friends for her bowling and pizza 12th Birthday party (photo below). On Monday, D and I went carol singing with the cubs around the neighbourhood. Tuesday evening was spent with my Church housegroup volunteering at the local Salvation Army Food warehouse. Last night, my bowling team enjoyed a night off competitive bowling at the league's Christmas "Fun-bowl" (photo above). We go into the holiday top of the league and clear by 8 points. Tonight I get a night off as K is at her Book Club Christmas party. Friday I am on call, Saturday skiing etc.etc...
D's latest craze is the Angry Birds game. He's slowly building up a plush toy collection of said birds and associated pigs. A friend gave him a catapault (called a slingshot here) earlier in the summer and he is now re-enacting the game in real life around the house. He can even play the theme tune on the piano.
It's turned distinctly chilly of late but the fresh snow does make things look beautiful. Here are a couple of pics taken whilst I was out cross-country skiing yesterday.
This weekend we went to the Festival of Trees, our 4th year in a row. It's a nice way to kick off the festive season. The Conservatory of Music usually gets a slot in the entertainment program and V played a solo on her violin this year.
November is one of those funny transition months here when the seasons are changing. The snow has arrived but there isn't quite enough of it yet to ski on. The lakes are beginning to freeze over but the ice is not yet thick enough to walk on for ice fishing. Halloween has been and gone. The winter clothes are out and daytime temperatures are mostly below zero with the odd thaw day here and there. Outdoor Christmas lights are appearing across the neighbourhood. Bring on December!
The cubs recently had their Autumn camp at Camp Ispah 45 minutes out of town. There was snow on the ground and on the way in, the trail was blocked by a fallen tree but one resourceful parent-helper happened to bring along his chain saw so it was bucked up and removed pretty quickly. The camp is in a lovely spot by Lake Ispah and we had a clear weather. The photos above show cub leader Baloo and the fallen tree, the campfire area and some of the cubs practising their campfire lighting.
The last word I have to say on my trip to California is how terrible Los Angeles International Airport is for flight transfers. I don't often whinge but my two and a half hour lay-over at LAX was almost completely used up by shuttle transfers between terminals and security checks. I can say with almost certainty that if I had checked luggage, it would not have made it to San Diego with me that evening. I have since discovered that LAX rates as the worst US airport for transfers in a recent US-wide passenger survey (Denver was top in case you wondered). To top it off, I didn't even see any movie stars while I was there.
Lectures finished early on the last day in Coronado so I took the opportunity to go sailing. We took out a 22ft Capri from Coronado Harbour. There is a large US Navy presence in San Diego with a large Navy SEAL training facility. While sailing we were continually "buzzed" by SEALs on their watercraft to and from exercises but also got to see pelicans, dolphins and sea lions around and about the harbour. The wind, at 18 gusting to 20 knots, made for quite spirited sailing (I think I broached to starboard at one point).
The Hotel where I stayed was originally built in the Victorian era and at that time was the largest hotel in the world. It was famously used as the set and backdrop for the classic film "Some Like it Hot" starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemon.
Just got back from a radiology course in Coronado, San Diego, Southern California. The course hotel and venue were right on the beach. It was warm and we had glorious weather, a far cry from cold and wintery Prince George.
D not content with outfishing me this season with bait and lures has decided to take me on at my own game. Over the summer he saved up his pocket money and gift money from relatives and recently bought his own fly rod. With the spare change he also bought himself a tackle box. He's even started tying his own flies. Here we are practising fly casting in the garden and below this the new tackle box and it's proud owner.
Last Saturday I was drafted in to help with a cub scout fundraiser, Apple Day, which involves standing outside our local supermarket offering folks apples in return for a donation. As my official uniform hadn't arrived, I wore K's old Beaverscout leader uniform (minus the name badge). We raised a fair few pennies and I kept this apple which, being "shaped like someone's butt", was a continuous source of amusement for the cubs that afternoon.
On Friday D and I spent a couple of hours at a PG Ski club fundraiser chopping lumbar for firewood. A donor offers the club several trees each year (you can see these behind D) which we then "buck"(cut into rounds), "split" into firewood and sell for $100 per pick-up truckload. Thankfully the club has a woodsplitting machine but it's still hard work. The whole thing happens at one of the lumbar yards so full safety gear is a must.
More big news this year is that I've joined a 10 pin bowling team. How hilarious is that! Split Happens is our team name and we play in a Wednesday night league. Our team captain R (above and another ex-pat) is a pretty accomplished bowler. I'm sort of middle ranking but a handicap system means our team is faring well this season. We're currently 2nd in the league which runs to April I think. I've even bought my own shoes but have yet to go the extra step and invest in my own ball. That would signal serious intent. There are some quite spectacular bowlers playing in the league mind you, who are simply a pleasure to watch.
I went to a meeting for Grade 7 student parents at school last night in preparation for next years 4 day hiking and camping field trip to Mount Robson. Next summer will see V and her classmates tackle the 21km trail to Berg Lake at the base of Mount Robson carrying 50L packs and gear. The trip sounded so good, I've applied to go as a parent volunteer. Think we'll need some serious training beforehand mind you. I'll keep you informed of progress.
PG may only have 81,000 residents but big acts occasionally come through. Last year we had Elton John, Sarah Maclachlan and Brooks and Dunn visit. This year I couldn't pass up the chance to see Avril Lavigne live (I quite like her music in any case). V and I had to wait a while for her to come on (she had 3 support acts) but when she finally did, her show was fantastic. The set included several off her recent album and a sprinkling of favourites from her previous three albums including Sk8ter Boi and Complicated. She played a five song encore which included a fabulous acoustic version of Everybody Hurts, one of my personal faves. The photos don't do the event justice (we were much closer to the stage) and after last night, Avril will keep her PG fanbase happy for quite a while longer.
2011 has seen varying degrees of success fishing my own self-tied flies. Number 3 has been the Foam Beetle, number 2 the Simple Nymph, in a variety of colours (the pink has fished very well this season) but the number 1 spot goes to the Soldier Palmer sealed by its recent popularity with the Brookies at Eskers. I've also had fish with Chronomids, the Olive Blue Dun, the Parachute Adams and the Mayfly Cripple. Unfortunately D has outfished me all season by lure and baitfishing but that's not the point is it? The greater fun is in the art of fly-fishing itself, tying your own patterns and just getting out to the water.
The weather during my week off last week was generally poor but the skies broke and the sun came out on the Wednesday. My friend B and I seized the chance and went out fishing for the day at one of our favourites, Eskers Provincial Park. We decided on remote Kathie lake as our venue but to get there involved canoeing across and portaging the canoe between four other lakes. It was well worth it and when we finally got there, the sun was shining and we had the lake to ourselves. I caught four lovely brook trout on the fly and B had a couple of nice rainbows. The star of the show though was definitely Eskers with its beautiful autumn foliage set against blue skies and the crystal clear lakewater.
I agreed to spend some time over the last two weekends filling and making sandbags with the Prince George Ski Club. This is an annual fundraiser as well as good dry-land pre-season core conditioning. Over two weekends the twenty or so volunteers filled 11,000 sandbags which, when sold, will raise $15,000 for the club and their racing teams this winter. How my arms ached the following days afterwards though!
It's starting to cool down and the leaves are beginning to turn orange and red. Last night was our first night below zero since spring. Fall is here and the snow can't be far behind. Here's a couple of photos of our last family canoeing and fishing trip of the summer at West Lake 3 weeks ago.
We had the first meeting of our local cub scout pack last night. Our new uniforms have yet to arrive but as a parent-leader I've already received my pack name. Can you guess what it is yet? 
We managed to spend some quality time with my family during our visit. My Uncle, the noodle magnate, took us out for Dim Sum and afterwards we walked off some of the calories at the 3 Hills Park in Northholt. The 3 (there are actually 3 and a half) man-made mounds mainly consist of rubble and debris from the demolished old Wembley Stadium. The new stadium can be seen from the top of the tallest second hill. The photo of V and D is taken from hill 1 looking over to the hill 2. Above this, in case you were wondering, I am just tucking into some (cold) thai style boneless chickens feet. Hmmmm.