Winter

The worst and the best

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I’ve experienced the worst and the best of Alberta winter in less than 24 hours!

😦  The Worst

Winter travel in this part of the world is always unpredictable and yes, whether we like it or not, March is still winter here in Alberta! This year we’ve had so little snow that we haven’t had to worry about the roads the way we usually do but last night made up for that.

Richard had a medical appointment in Edmonton yesterday. The drive up to the city in the morning was uneventful and after his appointment, we spent the afternoon shopping at West Edmonton Mall. We were totally oblivious to what was happening outside. It wasn’t until we left the mall to meet Nathan for supper that we realized that the weather had become, to use Nathan’s word, stinky!

The trip home, which would normally take two hours, took over three and it was white knuckles all the way! I’m so glad that Richard was driving, not me. I don’t think he ever went more than 70 km/hour (for my American friend’s, that’s about 44 miles/hour) and much of the time we were going slower than that. The highway was a sheet of ice and for the last 50 km we were also driving through blowing snow. I’m amazed that we didn’t see any vehicles in the ditch along the way. I guess everyone else was being just as careful as we were. When we finally made it home, the driveway was full of drifts but we were never happier to be here!

🙂  The Best

Back in November when I blogged about the things I like best about winter, one of the things I mentioned was cross country skiing. This year, because of the lack of snow, my skis hadn’t been out of the shed all season. It was beginning to look like it they weren’t going to make it out at all but the snow kept falling after we went to bed last night and when I woke up this morning I knew that this was the day! I wasn’t sure how my still recovering toe would feel about being stuffed into a ski boot and put to work but it didn’t complain at all! That bodes well for hiking when spring finally comes.

As long as I can remember, I’ve loved being the first one to leave my footprints on fresh fallen snow. Imagine my delight at having an entire golf course of new snow laid out before me this afternoon! With the bright sun shining overhead as I set out to break a trail, the snow sparkled before me like a million diamonds. The temperature was just a few degrees below zero (celsius); cold enough to keep the snow crisp and dry but very comfortable for skiing. I’d love to get out on my skis a few more times before the snow melts away but if I don’t, at least I’ve had this one perfect afternoon!

Before

and after!

First snow

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Winter’s first snow fell this morning; tiny flakes sifting down and gathering on the streets and between the grass. I’m not a fan of winter. Here in Alberta, it’s long and bone chilling cold with temperatures that drop well below -30 Celsius (-22 Fahrenheit). This year’s snow came late. It’s often here before Halloween and it doesn’t melt away again until sometime in April. Roads are often icy and travel can be treacherous. I almost did a full circle in an intersection this afternoon and that’s with good winter tires on!

It’s easy to dwell on the negatives but this year, as winter approached, I began thinking about the things that I like about winter. It’s not a very long list but here are a few.

Winter sunrises

I’m sure that there are beautiful sunrises at other times of the year but that’s another thing about Alberta, long hours of daylight in the summer and equally long hours of darkness in the winter. I’m never up early enough to see the sun come up in the summer but, as difficult as it is to crawl out of bed in the dark of winter, I’m often rewarded with a glorious sunrise.

Cross country skiing

Winter can be pretty depressing but when the weather allows, getting outdoors and getting active is invigorating. There’s nothing better than the swish of my skis under a crystal blue sky with snow sparkling all around me to lift my spirits.

Drama

Drama is my other favourite winter activity. This winter’s play will be The Black Bonspiel of Wullie MacCrimmon, a story about curling, the quintessential Canadian winter sport. More than a few curling fanatics would consider selling their souls to the devil for a chance to compete in the national championship known as the Brier. Set in small town Alberta in the 1930s, W.O. Mitchell’s hilarious story tells what happens when main character, Wullie MacCrimmon, has the opportunity to do just that! Auditions were held on Wednesday evening and now I wait to find out whether or not I get the role I really want.

Boots

Last but not least, one of the best things about winter is boots. I’m not sure why but I really like wearing boots! My absolute favourites are my old well-worn brown leather ankle boots. I loved them the moment I first saw them and was thrilled when Richard gave them to me for Christmas many years ago. They’ve been reheeled and resoled and fit like a glove. Then there’s my brand new pair of tall black fashion boots. The slouched look and the strap detail around the heel give them an edgy look that I really like. Of course, when the temperature plunges neither of these pairs would keep my feet from freezing for long so I also have my trusty Cougars. With warm insulated lining and deeply treaded rubber soles, they’ll easily take me through the long snowy winter that lies ahead.

      

 

Winter pays another visit

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Just when we dared to think that spring had finally come, winter decided to pay us another visit. Patches of snow were gradually melting away but today our world is white again! A storm blew in this morning bringing a blanket of sloppy wet snow.

The gophers have been out for the past couple of weeks and the geese are back. I’d heard tell of robins too but I didn’t see my first one until today. The poor thing looked completely bewildered! I’ve seen pussy willows on my recent walks and my friend Kim found crocuses blooming in her yard. No wonder we thought it was finally spring!

Fortunately, my walking videos arrived in yesterday’s mail as the forecast is calling for more of the white stuff and I’ll probably be back on the treadmill for the next little while.

Though we’re surrounded by snow again, I seem to be experiencing a thawing of a different sort. I’m still waiting to see a physiotherapist about my frozen shoulders but the stretching that I’ve been doing on my own seems to be paying off. They’re not as sore as they were awhile ago and I’m definitely able to sleep more comfortably. I’m pretty sure that my range of motion has increased a bit too.

Here in Alberta, a storm like today’s isn’t really unusual in mid April. In fact, we’ve seen them as late as early May. The winter’s snow is usually long gone before these spring storms hit though. This year we’re beginning to wonder if we’ll ever see the end of it! I do know that Richard and I won’t be cold forever though. We purchased plane tickets today and will leave for Saipan on the 20th of June! At just 15 degrees north of the equator, it enjoys warm tropical weather all year round. I can hardly wait!

Always winter but never Christmas

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Like the children in C.S. Lewis’ children’s classic The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, we seem to be trapped in Narnia, the land where it’s always winter but never Christmas. Our snow is usually mostly gone by the end of March but this year the melting has barely begun and spring seems a long way off.  One really has to wonder if we’re entering another ice age!

We did have Christmas, of course, but it seems a long time ago now. We always have a real Christmas tree and when we take it down, we toss it into the firepit in the back yard. When spring comes, we cut it up and burn it in the first fire of the year. It looks like that’s a long way off though. There it is barely peeking out of the snow!

As far as I know, Aslan, the lion, hasn’t been seen in town but the sidewalk on our street is covered with deer droppings. Hunger has driven the poor creatures into town in search of food and many shrubs have been completely decimated.

I do hope the White Witch’s spell is broken soon and we finally emerge from this blanket of white. I know I’m not the only one who has had enough of winter!

the birdbath

and the front porch!

Oh Odaiba!

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Yesterday was Valentine’s Day here in Japan as well as at home. The day is celebrated differently here, however. It’s a day on which women give gifts of chocolate or other sweets to men, coworkers as well as husbands. A month later on March 14th, which is known as White Day, the men reciprocate.

Our Valentine’s celebration began with a marriage dinner at the church on Friday evening. The sanctuary was transformed into a beautiful dining room where approximately 45 couples gathered for a catered dinner. It was a wonderful evening.

Yesterday, we spent the day exploring Odaiba, an area in Tokyo that we hadn’t been to before. Odaiba was formed when massive amounts of landfill were used to join several small islands together. A spectacular development project aimed at turning the area into a futuristic residential and business district was started during the extravagant 1980s but the downturn in the economy in the early 90s significantly slowed its development. Despite setbacks, several lavish developments have materialized in recent years giving the area a very modern look. We accessed the island via monorail across the double decked Rainbow Bridge.

Our first stop was Tokyo’s very own Statue of Liberty, a smaller replica of the one that stands in New York! Next we enjoyed a walk along the harbour side where we were fortunate not to be accosted by any walking cigarettes!

Oh, how I love the Japanese use of English!

After enjoying lunch in the food court in one of the area malls, we visited the futuristic Fuji TV building, home of one of Japan’s national television stations.

Fuji Television Broadcast Center

Next, we walked over to Palette Town where riding the 115 meter high ferris wheel was the highlight of my day! Though several have now surpassed it in height, it was the world’s tallest when it was built in the late 1990s.

Telecom Center and Tokyo Big Sight from the ferris wheel

A walk through Venus Fort, a gorgeous shopping mall in the style of an 18th century European town brought our visit to Odaiba to an end. Rather than leaving the island the way we arrived, we took a 20 minute ride on a sightseeing boat that took us under Rainbow Bridge as darkness settled and the city lights began to shine.

We returned to our home area of Kita Narashino for Valentine’s dinner at our favourite sushi restaurant. From there, we headed ‘home’ for the night, walking from the train station to Steve and Shelley’s house in slippery slushy snow! I have given Richard official notice that my next visit to Japan will not be during the winter!

Walking in snow

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I’ve always loved walking in fresh fallen snow but these days, with four wheel drive and good winter tires, it’s actually easier and safer to drive. With the latest deposit of loose snow underfoot, walking can be quite treacherous and in those areas of town where there are no sidewalks and the snow has piled up along the roadsides, it’s difficult to get out of the way of vehicles.

A couple of weeks ago while trudging through several inches of loose snow, I twisted or wrenched something in my right hip. I didn’t realize that I’d actually done any damage until later in the day when the muscles in my thigh began to spasm. OUCH! That was nasty! Fortunately, heat and ibuprofen settled things down but the experience definitely slowed me down for awhile and has kept me from attempting any more walking in snow. It seems silly to start the vehicle to make a quick trip to the library or the post office or to go to the church which is only a quarter mile away but these legs have got to be in good shape when we arrive in Japan next week so I’m not taking any chances!

After challenging myself to walk 100 miles and accomplishing that goal a little over a month ago, my body has become accustomed to doing a lot of walking! My usual pace on the treadmill is 3.7 mph but for awhile after hurting my hip I could only manage short stints at about 3.0 mph. Total rest might have been a better idea but my body wanted to walk and as long as I didn’t make any twisting motions, it seemed to be okay. Happily, I’m back to pain free and full speed but the snow is still falling so, as pretty as it is outdoors these days, all my walking will be on the treadmill.

For those who might be wondering, I’m up to 141 miles now (227 km) and I’ll be wearing a pedometer in Japan so I can continue to keep track!

Digging out

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There’s something about weathering a winter snowstorm together that brings an enhanced sense of camaraderie to our small town. Yesterday, we had one of the biggest dumps of snow that we’ve seen in a long time. For twenty-four hours, the wind blew and the snow fell; some 30 centimetres or more of it.

Views from our back door:

The town owns three pieces of snow removal equipment. Ordinarily, the grader ploughs the snow into the centre of the street where it’s picked up by a giant snow blowing machine that loads it into the back of a truck that carries it away and dumps it in one of several designated locations. It’s an efficient process and our streets are often in better winter driving condition than those in the larger cities. Unfortunately, however, this time the town foreman, who is also the only grader operator, is away in Saskatchewan and the truck that usually hauls the snow away broke down! One of the town employees was out with the snow blowing machine earlier today doing his best to make the main streets passable but without four wheel drive or good winter tires, getting around town is pretty difficult. Everyone seems to be taking that in stride, however. In fact, there’s a real sense of adventure out there. A man against the elements feeling seems to prevail and everyone is pulling together to dig out. We even saw one guy trying to clear a street with his snow blower!

The street in front

Richard has done a lot of shovelling both here at home and over at the church but he hasn’t been alone. Yesterday, while we volunteered at the local thrift store (yes, amazingly, people did show up to shop!) a friend with a brand new snow blower cleared our driveway. By this morning, it had filled in again and so after church, Richard was out with the shovel again. Before long, our next door neighbour showed up with his snow blower and helped him finish the job.

Those who live out in the country are completely snowed in and according to the latest road reports, the highway is in poor driving condition. There’s every likelihood that school busses won’t run tomorrow but here in town, we’re digging out!