Winter

How to enjoy winter!This is me!

Boots with gripons so I don't fall on the ice. Parka with hood, toque, scarf, and mitts. The scene on the right, sun shining , casting shadows of the poplar trees, path which the deer have made on their way to check out bird feeders and the hay and grain which neighbors have left out for them to enjoy. We see them in early evening , but they are very skittish. Today is a holiday, Louis Reil Day in Manitoba, who was Louis Reil? He started a rebellion, and was hung as a traitor! Today he is recognized as the Father of our province. Google his name for his story. It is only a provincial holiday, so federal employees have to work! Pity! Festival du Voyageur is on in Winnipeg, celebrating French Canadian culture. Snow sculptures, fiddle music, pea soup, sugar maple on a stick, ice bar serving drinks and beer in ice cups hmmmm! A group of tourists from Australia and southern states have come to Winnipeg , to check out what winters are like here. They arrived here on a rather warm day (snow was melting) which suddenly turned to wind, snow and 20 and 30 below! They found it fun, had to dress in layers, but didn't like the walk from the car to the arena, to watch a hockey game, IN BLOWING SNOW. What did they like about our winter, The bright SUN, and White Snow. This is my last blurb on winter, unless we have a real big snowstorm, like the one we had in 1966! Cheers!

Granville Market, Vancouver

I love going to this market, even if you don't buy anything except a cappuccino! The vegetable and fruit stalls, you name it they got it, dragon fruit, blacberries, strawberries, every kind of lettuce, and they all are fresh. The meat counter, well if you desire rack of lamb, quail, phesant, pork and beef in every conceivable type of cut, they have got it. I noticed they had lamb shanks, at $7.95 per pound, I remember 50 years ago you

could buy them for .19 cents a pound! Fresh bread, cheese's , fish, candy

my grandson had to buy a 'jawbreaker' for his son. Remembering his own childhood when we would treat him with one. Outside is a fish stand here they sell fresh lobster (from the east coast, no lobster in these waters) shell fish, oysters . As we walked through the area, a busker with his guitar case open, seranaded us with his songs. The market is located under the Granville Street Bridge, on a marina with many boats moored here. I recall some 30 years ago we spent a night in this marina, on my brothers boat at that time we were the only one in the harbor. Today the sun is shining, yesterday was very cold, snow and wind, wind chill was somewhere around 40 below. Highways were closed,due to blowing snow and icy patches. Walking can be treacherous, I have slip on rubber treads on my boots and they keep me from falling. Why do we live here? We don't have hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados, tsunamis, and we are smart don't travel but stay home and communicate by mail andthis blog!

Mount Baker, Back Yard

The birds and snow in my back yard, The groundhog didn't see his shadow so 6 more weeks of winter. We have deer who come by every evening the other night there were six of them staring at me through my window, they spook so easy. Somebody must be feeding them!

I am back home in Manitoba where we have winter.Getting caught up with mail, and magazines. The sun is shining today and it is 10deg above.

Mount Baker is in the USA and a landmark in Canada.

February 8

Tomorrow I fly home to Manitoba, where I hear it is COLD! Here the sun is shining, no snow, oh well, such is life. Picture is the GREEN GRASS at

brother Ted's house, with him waving. He has been diagnosed with

throat cancer and is now taking radiation treatment. Please keep him in your prayers.