Winter City

Today I walked downtown in the snow to do some writing at a coffee shop.  Here are the scenes I caught along the way.  Just gorgeous...

In the evening I went to church:

They said a few months ago that the winter would be long and cold.  So far it hasn't been that cold, and I'm hoping that won't change!

Snow And That Magical Feeling

A few pictures of winter, both on the west coast...

...and in the prairies.

I've lived in Canada for close to 35 years, and I never get sick of the white stuff floating downward from the ski.  It's still magical - it makes me feel like a young boy, free from all trouble, full of joy and laughter.

Winter Gear

I went to a ski swap today, but sadly, I just didn't know enough about cross country skiing to know what kind of equipment I need, never mind discerning what's a good deal and what isn't.

After the disappointment of walking out empty-handed, I went to a local sporting goods store, and bought myself some snowshoes.  They look great.

I also asked a ton of questions regarding ski equipment, and ordered some skis.

No more excuses for remaining indoors on a cold day in the prairies.  Let  it snow...

Snowshoweing With Vero And Patri

What a wonderful day Patri, Vero and I had at Cypress today snowshoeing!

After attending the usual early morning liturgy, I went home and got ready for our day on the mountain.  At about 10, Patri came with her friend's Explorer, and off we went.  On the way we picked up Vero.  We'd rented snowshoes yesterday, we were all prepped.

Upon arrival at the mountain we paid our $10, and off we went into the woods.  Snow.  Trees.  Fresh, cool, crisp air.  It was actually a typical Vancouver day: partly cloudy, with patches of sun and episodes of light snowfall.  When the sun peaked through the trees, the surroundings were brilliant.  And when it snowed (sometimes while it was sunny not far from us), the whole scenery turned into a winter wonderland.  Just amazing. 

One of the great things about snowshoeing at Cypress is that there are many many trails to choose from.  I think we explored less than half of the available snowshoe trails during the 4-5 hours we spent there.  And there was a peace and serenity that we got while walking in the woods, that someone who rips down the mountain with skis or snowboards probably doesn't get.

So I'm a big snowshoe fan.  If this enthusiasm keeps up, I may get myself some snowshoes.

Here are a few pics, starging with Patri and I, getting ready for our trek:
 

Here you can see that it was both, sunny (brightspots) and snowing (white spots on the tree trunks):

Being silly: