We've been listening to the trees coming down on Womack Road for the last month. They are clearing a large area for development. Doesn't seem like the year to be doing it but what do I know.

It has changed the vista for all of us (2) on King Road. We see more of the hills and we actually have a lake view now. It has opened up the whole view from King looking North. The people on Womack are going to be gobsmacked when they come up in the summer. But they'll be busy taking down their own beetle killed trees.

The beetle kill and it's consequent tree removal has changed the Cariboo. There is so much cleared area now; the Spruce also has a worm and the Aspen tends to have a "black heart". A neighbour has encouraged me to plant fir and we may do this. But, I enjoy my beautiful Spruce and Aspen nonetheless.

I took a few pics of Womack for my neighbours to see.

It's a brilliant day today, the ice is melting but the nights are cold and the ice forms again. It looks like April will have snow and May will be the same as last year. Bill began our adventure on May 4, 2008 in the snow and it was cold for May and June especially living in the camper. People are predicting the same this year. Costa Rica is looking good.

Roast Pork with veg
Hockey/Masterpiece Classics "Little Dorrit"
Young's Double Chocolate Stout

On Sunday we began our road trip to Vancouver! I had not realized how much the whiteness was beginning to get to me. It wasn't hard for the two of us to rationalize going to Vancouver for a shopping blitz rather than go to Kamloops. It also allowed us a visit with our daughter who came in for two nights and to visit with my sister and her family! My sister and brother-in-law are extremely generous with their home and their time so we all had a great visit. It was great to catch up with my niece and nephew as they are very active in education and music. Two thumbs up for relatives.

And having our daughter there was icing on the cake; it could have been longer!

We started the road trip with a visit to the Interlakes store for coffee and Breakfast sandwiches (the Deli there is superb!)then over to wash the outside of the car---poor girl was so dirty. A couple of dollars later she was sparkling.

We took the 24 out to the 97. It was a brilliant day. I'm always looking for wildlife and photo ops; Bill on the other hand doesn't understand stopping the car every 3 seconds to take a picture. So I thought, I'll just click through the window in a moving car. When you start doing that you see so many wonderful sights that you just normally take for granted. Bill and I have travelled the Canyon route all our lives. We know it so well and enjoy every minute of it.

The journey down the 97 to the 1 and through the canyons is not to be missed. I understand taking the Coquihalla for timely reasons but for no other. The Thompson and the Fraser Canyons are superlative. So, after filling my memory card twice and deleting many, I was left with a mere 60 odd photos and they're not too bad. Not great but what the heck, the car was moving.

This set of pictures comes with a warning. There are a lot and some are very "arty"---but I love the Canyons and am posting them


We make very few stops along the way but like the Clinton Hotel (especially breakfast), the Blue Moose in Hope and the Hope Cafe for food. Otherwise, it's fast food. Or, a packed lunch and sit at the Goldpan Provincial Park right beside the Thompson!

On our return trip we stopped at 100 Mile to pick up groceries and I had also promised my grand daughter I would buy Twilight for her/us. Somehow Quantum of Solace also got in the grocery bag. From there, a short ride home. As we travelled on the Horse Lake Road we discussed the total lack of wildlife welcoming parties. I still had my camera ready and was getting ready to put it away....Bill braked and said to get ready; he backed up and two beautiful moose were standing there as the welcoming committee. I got pretty good pics; they are extremely camouflaged and it's hard to get good pics with my camera but click away I did.

We arrived home safe and sound with many packages of tiles, dressers, mirrors, lights and sundry deco items that makes you feel you are actually going to have a home one day. We also made it to VV---sooooo nice---so I had a few items from there. The major shopping was for tiles, lighting and drawer slides with metal sides. We accomplished everything. It's not Bill's cup of tea but he managed brilliantly. And for anyone who loves to shop: Lee Valley!!!!!

At my sister's we had a wonderful curry from B and then C cooked up a storm every night except the last night when we had Chinese takeout from a Main Street restaurant to die for. They have this Peppering Chicken that is so wonderful. There was also sweets and breads from Breka on Fraser---great sourdough and Pumpernickel. S kept us in wine and I have to advertise the Red Rooster Merlot as a very fine wine. I wonder if I could get a box of it for advertising? I wouldn't say no.

So I've managed to barely dress today and am having a great day of looking at photos, facebooking, talking to our daughter and blogging. No drywall and no sanding. It can wait. I really am not laughing at the weather forecast for the next two weeks. It's April for heaven's sakes!!!!

Shrimp Stir Fry
Not sure: Twilight? Not quite what I would choose. Maybe some Foyle's War.

We had an adventure today helping our neighbours. They have a trailer on the site beside us and their porch roof collapsed. We were asked to check to see if there was any damage and yes, there was so we struggled over to the camper through 3 feet of snow. I did the scouting in the intrepid snowshoes and Bill came later using my trail but still falling in about 2 feet. It was exhausting. But we did it and taped up their windows for them. It would have been awful for them to arrive in May to see broken windows and maybe, squirrels making their home inside.

I do admit I took far too many pictures.

Neighbourly business

There is some satisfaction in looking outside and seeing water dripping off the roof! The wind is almost warm; I've found the deck chairs; there are buds on our Cottonwood; the snowmobiles are getting stuck on the roads; it must be Spring-ish.

We are still in for some cold weather coming up but I'm positive that there will be a Spring-like essence from now on. Whew!

The bathroom and kitchen are now being discussed as to what/how we will finish them. We both agree on using beadboard in both rooms and then paint. My paint colours have the most delicious names: Bamboo, Dorset Gold, , Winter Wheat, Nettle, Allspice, Fragrant Cloves, Belgian Waffle, Caramel Apple, Moccasin....I would like a job naming colours.

'Course this all depends on me doing the drywall. Hmmmm.

I spent most of the morning wanderingon the road, around the house....looking at branches, loving the wind, watching the water drop from the roof, falling in a thigh high snowbank, picking up spruce cones, listening to the trees falling on Womack....loving it.

Just a great day to enjoy life....on our return trip from the building supplies store at Interlakes I stopped to take pictures of Deka Creek de-icing It had been frozen since December and is now turning out some lovely ice floes.

Parmesan Chicken and Coleslaw
Hockey

Is it Spring?

Probably not but I was in heaven for a short period of time. When Bill left Victoria in May 2008, I was car-less and was forced (it's the only way with me)to walk everywhere. So, I walked at least 2 miles a day for 6 months. It was a new experience for me and put me in great shape. Moving here---------oops, no walking. So, today was wonderful. Bill dropped me off on our way home from the Sunday newspaper pickup near Jody's street (not that far, but baby steps) and I walked home. It felt great. Still a little chilly but a sweatshirt and Miss Puffy (thank you good friends) kept me toasty. But, I did have to jump out of the way of a few rabid snowmobilers still out on the road heading to Windy Mountain. Far too fast as usual and especially on a road that loses the snow every once in a while now.

Bill has been sealing the space between the skimcoat and the foundation in the crawlspace. Another @#$! job in the crawlspace. At least his shoulder is almost normal again. Poor guy. But we are as sealed as we will ever be. And, the crawlspace is now an excellent storage area after all the cleaning he did down there.

The kitchen/living room, hall and bedroom ceilings are finished! They are mudded, taped and sanded. Yay! I am so much more relaxed knowing that I have corners and walls to do not ceilings and ceiling corners. I have found it very hard to do the bathroom ceiling and am not looking forward to the study and airlock! But my work is cut waaaaayyy down now. It was worth the money. I'm almost out of the bathroom. Just need to do some fix-up (ceiling) and sand. Then I'm going to tackle the kitchen. Woohoo!

Jen is in heaven after being offered a government job just last week. It was quite a week for her as she was very ill and still crawled in to meet her potential supervisor. It's a contract job and potentially lasts a year. It will allow her to work at her schooling if she wants, too. We were really chuffed for her. It's not easy finding a job these days.

By the way, a second picture of mine was shown on CBC Weather. Cool, huh?

Mac N'Cheese Soup, Buffalo Chicken "Fries"

David Copperfield (PBS, young Daniel Radcliffe, Bob Hoskins and Maggie Smith!)

This weather is starting to piss me off. Who in their right mind thought that -25 degrees was a good temperature for March? And the truckers are saying they're hitting -36 on the highway. Excuse me? I am totally for Global Warming if it means Spring in the near future.

Bill has completed cleaning the crawlspace so I thought I'd celebrate with some pictures. It's the least I can do. He now has a sprained shoulder from the work. And he isn't a happy camper!

My son comes over in the mornings which we truly enjoy. When he leaves from the house to come over along come his trusty sidekicks Sadie and Puppies. Sadie is his main squeeze though; she's been with him for about 9 years now and they're very close. She's the perfect dog. Puppies is still that, a puppy. She's about 2 years old and knows that Sadie is alpha girl. She has tons of energy compared to Sadie who is a tad overweight (who isn't?) and has a little arthritis (who doesn't?). When they leave, my son drives the truck with Sadie and Puppies running after him. Well, Sadie kind of trundles after him. Puppies is home and back three times before Sadie gets there but it's always with dignity.

I'm going for a short walk as it's another tiresomely gorgeous day albeit effing freezing! Tonight is Full Moon----I wish my camera was better so I could take the evening shots; too indescribable.


Clean crawlspace and visit from Pooches

Pork stir fry and noodles

We've been watching on dvd: Michael Palin's New Europe (excellent)

There are a lot of happy wolves tonight.

The moon is beautiful, high and bright, shining through our living room window. It makes up for the last few days of snowfall and cold weather!

There were a couple of 4 inch snowfalls that happened last week and this week it's decided that -25 is good March weather. What? We've come to the conclusion that 3.5 months of white stuff is our limit. This year is abnormal (I believe they said that last year) with the cold weather and the snow pack still pretty deep. It was thawing for a week and every body was thinking of parking the parkas. The roads were clear or slush. Absolute heaven and then kaboom. Mother Nature plays tricks.

Thankfully, it's the sun that saves us. Clear, pristine skies.

They are subdividing acreage just behind us and across the road. If they continue as they are we will have a lake view! And then the property behind us needs to down their beetle pines. The hills are very visible now. Amazing changes. It must have repercussions with the wildlife! It seems that acreage can only be 5 acre plots now; no more half acres like ourselves.

The Canucks are losing to LA 3-2. Honestly.

Some moonrise shots (very grainy as I have a cheap camera) and the last snow shovelling. It was a cold day and the grader had left us a few more inches than we wanted. And Twilight, mmmmmmm.

A wolf! We were driving along Mahood and there on the right hand side just standing up to his belly was a big, beautiful, fluffy wolf. He was grey with black on his back. I am so excited. And so is Bill. It seems when I call out Wolf, Wolf, Wolf....it's not as shrill as Moose, Moose, Moose!
Oh, I'm so chuffed!

Although it still doesn't beat my son leaving our place one morning, driving into his property and staring at a moose standing by the Bronco. Just hanging around.

There are more birds singing lately. Even with another snowfall last night! There are Pine Grosbeak, Grey Jays and Black capped Chickadees so far. In the area we also have the Great Horned Owl so I'm hoping they decide to live around here.

The wind has picked up and it's snowing. We shovelled about 3 inches this morning in brilliant sunshine but could see that a storm was coming from the North. Big fat clouds full of precipitation. I'm glad we went for a drive earlier. It's blowing snow right now and looking very stormy. Hmmmm. Head for the crawlspace?

Speaking of crawlspaces: Bill cleaned out the whole damn space of debris, vacuuming, sweeping and now has a lovely sinus pain (even wearing a mask). We may be flooded (happens to most people up here) and we wanted the debris to be gone so it wouldn't turn into a slushy and be difficult to drain. Nor did we want the drain to plug. We may be allright as Bill really worked hard at the drainage system. Fingers crossed. As we are on clay we're hoping the water will just run off not down. It also depends on the thaw: too quick and it means trouble.

Before and after the storm and an almost picture of a beautiful, gorgeous, fluffy WOLF

Chicken Curry with Lemon Potatoes
The Girl in the Cafe. (Bill Nighy)