Greetings from a Snowy Whistler

Merry Christmas

Christmas 2023

A week after the pleasure of babysitting my sickly grandson I had the pleasure of my first experience of Covid.  I have managed to avoid it for four years.  I was feeling very smug in the summer when eight of the ten college reunion party went down with it, only me and the husband of the college mate who lives 30 minutes up the Coast in Half Moon Bay escaping the lurgy then.  The smug grin has gone, along with my voice and energy!  Little more than a bad cold, but it sure is hanging around.

A local mystery was solved last week after several days of the hummingbird feeder being drained overnight. Some nights it dropped to half full, other nights completely emptied.  Locals suggested it could be bats, which are known to drink from hummingbird feeders, or possibly racoons.  We have both in abundance locally.

Camera set up and culprit caught on the first night.  A racoon.  Climbing on to the top of a plant pot the racoon tipped the feeder and drank.  Dissatisfied with the slow trickle of sugar syrup, the second night it systematically removed the yellow 'flower buds' parts which attract the hummingbirds, but which restrict the flow.  They were scattered around the base.

The feeder has now been raised a further 3ft off the ground, so the racoon will now either needs stilts,  steps or a drone to get to the feeder.  

The former Wiltshire Cronk Clan have now assembled in Whistler for Christmas.  The first time we have all been together in something like six - eight years, and of course the lovely Lizzie and young Sebby.  The weather has been a tad on the warm side unlike any other winter trip we have made here.  Snow machines are working full tilt when the weather is cold enough.  At the alpine level there is snow, but it's reported to be a bit icy.  The runs to the village are not skiable and 'downloading' is mandated (getting lift down from the mid-station.

Christmas Day the resort managers, must have been bursting into song as it snowed properly all day.   Though by 3.00pm it had climbed to 2c and the snow was turning to sleet and then rain.  Tuesday morning and the pristine snow was slushy and icy.

I don't plan to be rushing up the hill this trip unless energy levels return and with our season passes (rather than daily or weekly tickets) there is no pressure to go 'whatever the weather' so as not waste the ticket cost.  This year a day pass is $284 CAD and a six day ticket $1674.  It can be around 15% cheaper if it's bundled with accommodation. We paid only $850 for a year-long unrestricted 'seniors' season pass which we had to book last April and pay for in September.  So we'll ski when we want to.  

Whistler was purchased by the US Vail Resorts Inc a few years back and prices have risen steadily ever since.  We're back up at the end of January and will probably do a couple more trips before the season ends.

The snow made Christmas Day feel, well, rather Christmassy!  

Of course we are celebrating Christmas because of events that are said to have taken place 2023 years or so ago, close to where the events in Gaza are currently unfolding and which can't have been far from many people's minds over this festive period.  

Just prior to Christmas, I was in touch with a former BBC colleague whose reporter husband had just returned from a three week stint reporting from Gaza, where people the family knew had been killed. 

News reports seem to suggest the attack on Israeli settlements, brutality metered out to local settlers, was horrific.  

I think many people are wondering how history will judge Israel's response and whether it was or is proportionate.   It's difficult to see how  peace is going to be brokered when anybody appearing to criticise Israel is quickly labelled anti-semitic.

More pics below.  

A Happy New Year to all.

Seb on mince pie prep

Sunset over Van Island
(I know I do a lot of these but they are all different!)

Life and soul of the party!

Nick, Seb and Lizzie on the Alta Lake dock

Racoon Full frontal

Guilty as charged even without the bandit mask

The 'no' TV family sofa surfing!

Fred braving the cold - in the hot tub!