Some Redundancy

Yes, a bit of a repeat post - but the same ole same ole has been going on around here.  We had another few days off with inclement weather.  We posed for another few pictures to show and give a bit of perspective.  Keep in mind it hasn't actually snowed that much, it has just been incredibly windy.

The pictures are quite small, but you'll  get the idea:

The fluorescent yellow school sign is a few hundred metres from the school.  We stopped back over at Glen's Hill Road to take a few pictures of the snowbank there.

Today Was the Quad

Went out to work today - although it was another school bus cancellation day so that means the students weren't there....  Not all the staff were there, but there was blue bird skies and dry pavement the whole way for the most part.   County workers have definitely had their work cut out for them over the past 96 hours.  Undoubtedly there is still poor weather to come being that it is only the first of January.

So keep in mind my two friends here are standing on a 3 or 4 foot high snow bank, not the road, and the face behind them is another, or nearly another one of them - So that would be over 13 feet high easily.  This was at the corner of County Road 1 and Glen's Hill Road - on the west side of the highway.  The faces/sides have definately been machined with a significant, majorly significant snow blower to cut them back off the road.

 

 

Without any luck I have been trying to add a 15 second video I took as well...  However it doesn't seem to be working.  I am sure you get the idea though.  But as for how it towered over me:

 

 

 I am about 6 feet tall with my thicker soled winter boots on...

 



Snow Days

We haven't hit a consecutive record, I believe that it is 5 days in a row, but we just hit the trip today.  The major problem on the highways is the drifting snow and getting things cleaned up from the high winds and moderate snow fall.  I guess the drifts were getting to be well over six feet high.  There are hundreds of cars that are abandoned or stuck.  All the roads in Huron County were also closed. 

But I have been keeping busy for the most part.  I have found the town's library to be a great spot to work away at a few things that need to get done.  It is close, quiet, the computers work well.  It isn't home...  Molly still goes to daycare on days like these.  It is open and staffed.  She likes going... 

Shelly has found a project inbetween the work she is getting done for school and such. 

Hockey got cancelled tonight.  There are still a few roads closed....  Lots of shovelling happening... 

Sock'd In

We are really snow'd in around here....  Each day over the last week we've got 20 cm here, 15 another day, and another couple 20 cm snowings.  It is all fine in Rossland, BC, but it does create a bit of a hassle around here.  Basically we've have 50 or 60 cm over the past few days, plus it has been fairly windy so there are drifts close to a metre in height.  Needless to say things are pretty quite.

On the weekend we got out snowmobiling.  Reg has a reliable sled that is just right for pulling a wooden toboggan around the field.  It was really quite fun.  The kind of fun that would have made me shell out two grand for such a ride myself.  However, it was just that the day was just right for that kind of activity.  Usually snowmobiling isn't as pleasurable; too cold, too windy, not enough snow, they break down quite often, and such.  That wasn't the case on the weekend.  Shelly did try to cross county ski around the field, but the snow was much too sticky and it made gliding near impossible....

The cover got blown off, and this was the result in about 24hrs...

At any rate, there was a tonne of cancellations and road closures.  Brookside was, of course, closed.  That was the third inclement weather day of this school year.  We did snag two before the seasonal break.  I did a lot of shoveling, went for a quick little run, and just poked away on some school stuff throughout the day as well.

Backing Up

Yes.  Going way back to 2013.  Going back to the first of December...

Sighting in my gun proved less than necessary; I missed a few; well three.  The first one was on the Wednesday night on the first week of the hunt and I thought I was on it without any problems.  I wasn't nervous or shaking or anything like that.  It was within 50 yards I'd say and I had its full side to shoot at.  There really is no sense going on - I shot once, missed, I shot again, and missed.  It ran off.  Then immediately I was shooting at the doe that walked out behind it and wasn't so bold as to go quite in my direct line of fire (not that it would have made any difference....).  But the other good thing is that I missed one in my truck 40 minutes later driving into town.

There was a car a hundred/one hundred fifty yards in front of me and all of the sudden I start driving over its headlight, blinker lights, then parts of its bumper and such.  The damaged car pulled over.  I did too.  Incidentally I knew the driver.  At any rate we walked back to the the sight of the collision and sure enough there was the doe, dead & ditched.  So 3 misses on the Wednesday....

Fast forward to the goods - Larry ended up shooting a mid sized doe on the Saturday afternoon.  No photo evidence - but he got it and we butchered it up a couple days later with the help of Jeff.  I continued to hunt on the Saturday afternoon and had a doe walk somewhat, but not really out to where I was sitting.  There was no shooting as it wasn't very close....  It was somewhat close but it kept walking away from me. 

Anyway, we got a few steaks and roasts in the freezer to enjoy.

So I will skip a whole bunch of other stuff and just post some pictures with some brief descriptions.  This first one is of Molly of course.  She just wanted cheese for Christmas.  We never buy the Kraft (processed) singles; but she'll snag one from a grandparent's house or just being elsewhere.  We put two of them in her stocking and I'll tell you she was really, really excited to get them.

Not much with this picture - just Christmas morning I suppose...

Thuss and I got out for a number of runs out on the holidays.  I also got out for a good one in Guelph with Richy and a few of his buddies.

Don't adjust your eyes - This is an out of focus picture from Christmas Eve over at the Coup's house.  It is the only picture that was taken of the three of us - mostly because we lost the camera for 8 days or so after Christmas morning...

There is all kinds of snow around here.  While Molly and I walked the perimetre of the farm, Shelly skied it for an hour or so one afternoon.  It was not a great walk as I constantly stepped through the crust and into the ground past my ankle, but on skis it was extremely smooth and manageable.  Molly and I went sledding at the golf course too on New Year's day.

That is about it for the pictures and stories.  They aren't nearly as good when I post a bit more regularly.  But like I said the camera was misplaced for over a week, and we hit the highway for a mid-western Ontario road trip.  That was great because we stayed a few nights in a hotel with a pool, did a bit of post Christmas window shopping, as compared to full blown consuming, I think I bought a shirt actually, and crossed paths with Scott Cook, whom I haven't seen in about 3 years, I was with Drew Barisdale which is always fun, and the Tremain's were extremely gracious hosts too for a day and night.....  And it isn't over yet because it is only Wednesday night and I don't have to work until Monday. 

Just a quick, funny picture.  The quick story is that I hurt my head here shooting my shotgun...  But obviously it isn't that serious and it wasn't like I was shot or anything.   No.  I was out at my buddy's house shooting my shotgun and getting it ready for the deer hunt this week.  Why?  I don't know.  It isn't like I usually see any deer, or anything with 4 legs for that matter during this week.  But, one best be prepared.  So I changed the barrel on my shotgun to the "rifled" version (? - I don't really know too much about guns all in all....) and put my scope on it.  Because - yes, the scope is really going to make a difference for a hunter such as myself....  I went out to Drew's because not only is he very knowledgeable in the set up and mechanics of firearms, and I mean really, really, knowledgeable, he has the space to shot safely which is of course the most important aspect of all this business.  Anyway - first shot I took = I obviously wasn't holding the gun properly and the recoil was quite significant, and I got smashed right on my forehead.  It bled for a good hour and made a pretty good mark.  Hey - it could have been a worse.

All is really good around here.  Shelly was very busy in a local X-Mas music concert which wrapped up last night with a grand concert and collection of performances.

Work is busy too of course for the both of us.  Nothing in particular.  But the daily preparation, and seasonal concerts are starting - it is just always something.  I have been busy doing some health and safety work, and other federation business.  I like it for the most part.  It is interesting and new.

There is lots of snow around here.  It is good because it gives Molly and extra job or chore.  She has been soooo excited to clean the kitchen and do the dishes as of late.  So the snow is good because she likes to go outside and shovel and move it around.  She quite enjoys any job actually; sweeping, some laundry, general clean up, sweeping - swatting flies.  That is our go-to job for her - swatting flies.  It keeps her extra busy this time of year because there are no flies in the house.  But since she is so young and doesn't have the intelligence to know any better - the joke is on her for now.

Birthday

Molly's second birthday came with a bit more fan fare and substance than last year's weak showing.  Hey - Shelly and I were busy!  We actually did some activities, a few folks came over, and she had a cake. (None of which happened last year.)  All in all she has changed and grown so much.

So two years ago exactly as I write this, Nov. 5, 2011, Molly looked pretty much like:

And now:

We have our own little dish washer.  She also loves to sweep, vacuum, and swat flies.  Laundry.  Yes.  She's onto laundry too these days.  Just a great little helper.

The cake was quite impressive that Shelly made.  She used this template of a horse.  We used a marsh mellow and chocolate chip for an eye, and some licorice for its hair and head gear...  whatever that is called.  It looked pretty darn real if you ask me.  NEIGH!  Watch out Buddy Valesto.

That is about it.  I got out deer hunting on Monday.  I saw the rear end of a four legged ungulate only 20 yards in front of me whilst walking to a tree stand.  It was another 20 yards further by the time I spun around and raised my rifle.  But that was it.  I heard plenty of shooting.  But nothing crossed my path.  Oh well.  I will get out again this week/weekend at some point.

Shelly is great.  She is just busy with some extra music stuff in the community.  She is playing co-ed volleyball in the local fun league, and of course is busy with work and all of those things.

Around here - Goderich, lots of rain actually in the past 10 days.  The river is absolutely busting with water and it is quite wet in the fields. I have been meaning just to put and keep the canoe on the top of my truck and put in, but there just doesn't seem to be the time.  The days are a bit shorter....  That's okay though....