Our Message Archive
Sunday January 25
Our lilac bush having trouble coping with the snow
We had a snow storm early last Monday, waking up to about 15 cms of sticky snow that clung to all the trees. There were quite a few power outages but we kept ours. I was just psyching myself up to go out and shovel the drive when our next door neighbour Dave came and did it for us with his snowblower (he claims that he loves using it). Now the polar vortex has descended upon us, as it has over much of the country, bringing a high of −13°C, very cold for these parts. The storm in its wake will be arriving overnight and lasting until Tuesday morning. It is forecast to bring 35 cms of light fluffy snow so we are planning to go skiing on Wednesday.
We were skiing at Wentworth on Friday and at Martock a week ago Tuesday after Ann did her stint at the food bank. The conditions were good both days. We are now gearing up for two weeks of skiing in February: one week at Mont-Comi in Quebec and one week at Poley Mountain near Sussex, New Brunswick.
Ingrid's neighbour Gloria wanted to get Ann's advice on applying for a new job so, last Saturday, we met at Uncommon Grounds, a café in the south end of Halifax. I read the Guardian Weekly while they chatted and then we met Kim, Ingrid and Mike at the Resolutes Club for lunch.
We were at the Resolutes Club again yesterday with our friends Dave and Manon, and Dave and Donna. We are all going on a biking trip around Lac St. Jean in Quebec in August so we got together to discuss the logistics of the trip. Ann and I took the ferry to Halifax and walked up to the Argyle Fine Art Gallery on Barrington St. where we had arranged to meet. They had a show of miniatures including three by one of our biking friends. Ann and I had a quick look around then got a text saying that they were having a coffee at the Bird's Nest Café across the street, so we headed there. After coffee, Ann, Manon and Donna went back to the gallery while the three Daves went across the street to browse in an art supply store (one of the Daves was looking for something to pass the time on an upcoming winter trip). We all then went to the Resolutes Club for lunch after a quick game of pool.
Last Sunday, we went to Vivaldi Meets the Middle East featuring Symphony Nova Scotia baroque ensemble and a now-local Iranian musician on the tar. We both enjoyed it a lot. There was more entertainment for Ann on Tuesday afternoon when she went to see the movie Song Sung Blue with our friend Judy, and then again on Thursday when we went to Neptune to see Mad Madge, a rather strange play about an ambitious woman during the English Reformation in the 17th century.
Sunday January 11
Dave at the top of the Beaver run at Wentworth
Our New Year's celebrations were about as exciting as they have been for the past few years: that is to say, not very. Ann and I watched the celebrations in Auckland, Sydney, Hong Kong, Beijing, Singapore, Dubai and Paris on YouTube (Sydney's were the best), then watched the CBC Cross-Canada Countdown. Then we went to bed. On New Year's Day we went skating on the Oval where we met Kim and Glen who had just returned from PEI where they had gone to pick up a new Siamese kitten. They also came back with pork pies from The Handpie Company close to the bridge. We were invited back to their place to sample them and to meet the kitten.
On New Year's Eve, we had intended to go skiing at Wentworth but, after we had loaded up the car with all our gear, we noticed that the right front tire was nearly flat. I pumped it up while Ann made an appointment to get it fixed. I dropped it off, with no guarantee of it being fixed before Jan. 2, then walked to the Cottage Café to meet Ann for a coffee. I had half-finished mine when I got a call to say that the car was ready (surprise!) so we both walked back to the garage to pick it up.
We did get up to Wentworth on Thursday. The conditions were pretty good, despite the wintry mix that they had overnight, but it was quite foggy at the top of the hill. The seats on the lift were also covered with snow and ice that melted when you sat on it. By the time we were done, my bum and back were soaked.
We skied again on Friday afternoon but at Martock this time since Ann met with Vicki, Cindy and Cathy in the morning. The conditions were not as good — heavy snow that made it hard to turn — but the chairlift was nice and dry. We have also been skating regularly at the RBC Centre on those days when the weather precludes the Oval (most days so far).
On Saturday, Ann went to the annual Epiphany lunch with the Grace ladies which she organizes. Like the previous couple of years, it was at The Palladium in Cole Harbour which does a good job of handling 40 or so women for lunch.
On Tuesday, we met the Roadents in downtown Dartmouth, walked along the waterfront trail to the Woodside ferry terminal, took the ferry to Halifax (free for seniors on Tuesdays), walked along the Halifax waterfront, returned on the Alderney ferry, and walked to Café Marco Polo for coffee and treats. That evening, Ann and I were invited to a cocktail party for the Ramblers Executive put on by the President, Sylvain.