A Day in the Country Again

I took Heather out to the country to see the horses. We picked the perfect day. The temperature was pleasant and the sky was crystal clear. The horses were waiting for us at the fence and eagerly approached as there is always the chance that a cookie can be found and they are ever optimistic.

We played and nuzzled them and they took us to their afternoon nap place. A sunny spotsheltered in the trees. They were quite dozy when we left them.

A raggedy chinook. It brought the temperatures up to 0 and then dissolved and cleared the skies and then the thermometer sank to crispy

The eagle waits patiently on her perch for a meal. She takes birds now at this time of year, she will swoop down and pluck a duck off the ice or grab a seagull out of the air. The deep snow has covered the ground and hidden her regular diet of voles and mice. The rodents are living out their winter in peace and relative security under a very thick blanket of snow over their roofs. They are unseen by the eagle, their other enemies the coyotes, can be heard approaching and a cautious mouse will hold its breath and wait until the hungry predator passes by.

Christmas at Our House

Christmas Day was a new experience for us. Usually it begins as Christmas middle of the night and everyone is exhausted by noon. This year as in the past couple of years Erin has closed the pub at 3 am and she and Walter have over at 12:00. So a leisurely start, with enough time to bung the turkey in the oven we enjoyed a late brunch and mimosas and gift opening.

Doesn't Ginger look delighted to wear her princess tiara? Thanks Erin. Ginger will be in therapy in January
The groaning board

Some elves.

The Boxing Day

Lots of grub again and lots of laughs. We played Cranium but it was difficult to get everyone to concentrate!!

Byan, Chris, Sarah, Ashley, Ellen, Wayne, Nick, Heather, Wendy,Melissa.

Winter is stuck here

We woke to dire warnings from the weatherman on the radio that if we venture outside, we could be faced with -38 degree windchill.

It was the same yesterday. So we don't really venture. Ginger pokes her nose out and dives into the chest high (for her) snow and does her abulutions and then bounds right back to the door. She leaves her breath in clouds behind her as she comes back inside.

I filled the bird feeder but I haven't seen any little birds. I can't fathom how a chickadee makes it through the winter, because they don't migrate and we hear them in the trees when the weather warms up and we go for a winter walk. We hold our hands out with seeds on our palms. They land with a little flutter like a sigh, choose a seed and flitter off to eat it or bury it in a crack in the bark of a nearby tree.

Yesterday I saw 3 eagles. One was flying over the school yard probably 20 feet in the air. She barely cleared the roof tops as she crossed the road on her low flight path. I have never seen one so low or so close to population. I wonder if she had a house pet snack on her mind. Strange though because there are still lots of smaller water birds which would be easy picking on the river.

Then I saw two more flying beside the road as we drove over the river on our way back to town.

They are bald eagles and two were probably nestlings from last year. Their heads were not as white and regal as their parent's.

And there we were in Mexico

Not bad pictures eh? I like my camera, when I take the time to use it right and the batteries are fresh!

Hi Dean and Leah! We were thinking of you when we were in PV. How's it going in Igloolik? Scroll to the bottom of page for a good laugh!

Off we went to Mexico, north of Puerto Vallarta actually. We stayed in an all inclusive resort half way between Bucerias and Punta de Mita. It was in a beautiful location, looking south across Banderas Bay with views (through the haze) of PV to the east and Marieta Islands to the west.

The beaches at the resort were small but the sand was good and although there were rocks, I didn't really swim, just bobbed around and enjoyed the water temp and the high salinity. The pools were usually full but in the early morning we used the infinity pool. Our room was on the 3rd floor of a 3 story walk up type of villa. There were 100 steps to the beach. If you forgot something it was a work out. We have calves like apples and we didn't gain an ounce over 2 weeks.

Here are some PV pics for those who have been there and those that haven't

There is something really wrong with this picture of a climbing wall...see it on the top of the back of this big ship. A cruise for type triple A personalities. Wow!!! I won't be on that cruise!

I love this pic below....saftey codes? All we need is an open flame from a tourist smoking a big stogie. Ah yes...there he is coming around the corner

The bus to Sayulita, the crucifix was there for protection and not as we first suspected to obscure the screen. We heard of lots of overturned buses and trucks and we saw lots of white crosses along the road side but we made it safely. Must be the religious paraphenalia.

Sayuilta, quaint town but just another surfer dude hangout.

Whales, yes, but everytime I got the camera up she went below the surface.

And then the other whales... as I waited to get squeezed into to my wet suit and then don the tank and jacket etc.

But what a wonderful dive. Bryan and I had our own dive master and we spent 45 minutes or more under. We saw Stingray, jewelled Moray eel, sargent major fish, angel fish, puffer fish, urchins, heard dolpins very close by. Now, I am hooked and I can't wait to go again.

And this is what we came home to. A record breaking snow fall for December. ARGH!!! reality!