Snowy Sunday

Since our first snow last weekend it has snowed on and off during the week and we have several more snowfalls forecast for the next couple of weeks. Even Downtown is geared up for a 'White Christmas' this year.

Infact, they are predicting that the entire country could have a white christmas this year - a white christmas being defined as having at least 2cms of snow on the ground for the whole 24 hr period. The last time the whole of Canada had one was 1971.

We were due to visit some friends Sig & Helen in Burnaby this afternoon but decided to postpone the visit so as not to make extra journeys. We therefore have just enjoyed a lazy, snowy Sunday,

This photo of the front of the house was actually taken a day or two ago. We have had at least another 20cms of snow on top of this now.

View out of the living room window

The back garden is getting quite deep for Charlie to race around in.

Back of the house

David clearing the driveway

We took a walk in our park.

The creek


More views of the park


The creek from the bridge above the waterfalls

Looking down the waterfalls - not that they're very impressive this time of year with the cold temperatures

Finally, the perfect way to warm up after a morning in the snow.......French Onion soup and a stew in the slow-cooker getting ready for dinner !

Brrrrrrgh !

It's been a busy run up to Christmas for us, David in particular having had lots of working shifts in the past couple weeks.

Also, while Winter was slow to start with no snow or freezing temperatures in November it has more than made up for it in December !

We have had some exceptionally low temperatures, the photo below taken at -10 while out in the car and nighttime low's in the minus mid teens. The plus side has been lots of lovely sunny days, blue sky and so long as you wrap up well before going out the cold hasn't been a significant problem.

While we planned as well as we could, unfortunately we still had to make a quick trip to a mall yesterday - which was the last Saturday before Christmas. Actually, we had to get to a store in Port Coquitlam and the mall there was generally OK but we also needed to get to Walmart in the Lougheed Mall in Coquitlam and this was the typical level of bedlam you see this time of year.......

Saturday evening we visited Caroline & Geoff in Richmond as they were having a pre-Christmas party. It had not been snowing on our way over there but had started while we were there. The usual 30-40 minute journey became over an hour driving home as traffic had to take it very carefully on the slippery roads, particularly up & down the numerous hills.

This view taken on SW Marine Drive near the airport

And on Highway 1 as we're getting closer to home

We were grateful of the extra traction of the 4x4 in places, particularly up the hill towards home.

Demise of Linens & Things

Like the collapse of Woolworths in the UK, the closure of Linens & Things here in Canada is going to leave an empty big-box store in most Malls around Canada and the US.

This week we visited the store at Park Royal in its last few days. Absolutely everything was for sale including the furniture and equipment. Indeed the shopping carts & baskets had already been sold but you didn't really need them since there was hardly anything else to buy.......just a handful of odd items.

Oh well, it's a shame for the staff & the malls that it affects, however we do still have Home Sense and Home Outfitters which are lets face it, absolutely identical !

Winter Walk in Bridgeman Park

Earlier this month Charlie and I took a walk at Bridgeman Park. We hadn't been there for about 18 months but I remembered it was flat and easy walking and perfectly meets the new needs of Charlie.

The day started with our neighbourhood deep in cloud.

The red berries on the bushes in the front garden added a festive touch

Once parked, you have to walk under two (very scary in Charlies opinion) bridges. The first takes you under Keith Road

And the second adjacent bridge is even noisier (read scarier) and takes you under Highway 1.

We were prepared to meets lots of people as this park is close to the urban areas of North Vancouver and is also a 'Commericial Dog Walking Park'.

However, the trails were surprisingly quiet, perhaps because of the weather.

Charlie enjoying his easy walk

The trail takes you initially up the West side of Lynn Creek and then crosses the river and continues on the Eastern side. These are the views up and down the river from the bridge where you cross.


Charlie quite happy to cross this bridge as you can't see through it and it doesn't sway

The trail beyond the bridge. Still it continues flat and easy to walk on.


Ultimately the trails connect up with Lynn Canyon and then Lynn Headwaters but we turned around after about a 20 minute walk, giving us about 40 minutes in total. Finally a photo of Charlie taken from my Blackberry just after we turned around and headed back to the car.

Feelin' a little more like Christmas

Last night saw our first load of snow for the season. It has been somewhat long-awaited as the ski-hills were all expected to be fully open by now but they too have only just received their first snow.

We didn't receive a huge amount but enough to make everything white and with temperatures forecast well below freezing for the next few days it should stick around.

So it makes us feel a little more like Christmas must be on its way (kind of crept up on us this year), so here are a few festive pics of things we have done so far.

The house with a dusting of snow, enough to cover most of the Christmas lights !

Enough white stuff for Charlie to be delighted with though

And stick his head in to......

Andrea and I putting up the tree

The finished product

The living room looking more festive and our newly purchased rug which Charlie is kindly demonstrating a great use for

Finally, another pic of Charlie lounging in front of the fire (keeping his bare belly warm) on the comfy rug

First Snow

The first real snowfall of the season arrived last night, much to the delight to local ski hills and Charlie alike.

Lynn Headwaters at the end of October

This was a walk I did back at the end of October. I recently realised that after the sudden developments with Charlie I had forgotten to post the photos, so here they are.

It is a walk we have done many many times before, but this was such a beautiful, clear blue sky fall day that I decided to take the camera. It was one of those days that in the shade was chilly, but sit for a few minutes in the sun and you're toasty warm.

The views from the bridge just beyond the main parking lot at Lynn Headwaters. As I write this post (Dec 1st 08) this river is now raging having had several days of heavy rain. However, back in October it was moderate.

Views around the park

The moon was visible

Mr C awaiting instructions - run ? swim ? drink ?

More views around the park

Charlie, again

Important stick retrieval

Then I was able to use stepping stones to get across to a big rock in the middle of the creek and sit in the sun. From there I took a few photos of the creek itself. This one looking upstream.

The water was just so beautiful, crystal clear


However, after a few minutes Charlie started 'singing' - anybody who knows Charlies knows what I mean by this - he was bored and wanted the stick throwing or SOMETHING. Sitting in the lovely warm sun is no fun at all when you're a dog.


Finally, a few more views around the park, before we headed home.

End of Autumn

A couple of weeks ago we marked the end of autumn with the annual leaf collection in the garden. While the majority of the trees around our property are varietys of fir we have enough decidious ones to keep us busy in November.

Last year we bought a leaf blower/mulcher to help with the job.

We are going to severly cut back the tree in our front garden this year to let more sunlight into our living room, so perhaps this will be the last year of heavy leaf-falls from it.

David trying to organise all the leaves off the tree in our front garden into a big heap, to make them easier to suck up & mulch.


Then I use the sucker/mulcher to collect them all and drop them in the yard trimmings bin.