Winter Arrives

At Last

Fri Jan 19th

Owning a Land Rover is no guarantee
you know how to drive it

On my Tuesday (Jan 16th) morning dog walk along Bonniebrook, I said to a fellow walker whose view was that we were about to be buried in snow, 'I'll believe it when I see it'.  

Driveway cleared

The next morning we awoke to 200mm of snow and by the time I'd finished clearing the drive down to the road it was nearer 300mm (1ft in old money).  

Of course the good news in all this, is that Whistler, which has had an abysmal start to the season, now has a decent amount of snow.   We hope it lasts until the end of the month when we head back up there for five days and it is not as soggy as our Christmas excursion.  Although conditions were 'moist', Fred did manage to get some skiing in with Nick.  The new hip passed the test with flying colors, even if they did come back soaked!

Back from the Whistler Christmas expedition, I'd still not shaken off the post Covid cold.  It took a dose of antibiotics to shift what the vet decided had become non-viral.  It's getting called the month-long-cold over here, unpleasant but now gone and forgotten.   

Just as well as rehearsals have started for the Spring concerts and the Pirates of Penzance, where, apparently I am the very model of a modern major general, or very English and have been blagged into taking on this role.  I've already decided I prefer singing from a score than having to remember a part, which is much more difficult!

Drenched skiers

This time last week a Polar Vortex arrived in BC bringing temperatures down to -16c and only -10c during the day.  

One of the features of many homes in BC is the use of frost free outside taps (faucets).  They are a clever design where the actual valve is buried at the end of a pipe six inches (or more) in the wall, so it is closer to indoor rather than outdoor temperatures.  Good in theory, until it gets too cold.  One of ours froze and spewed out water as soon as the temp got close to freezing. 

Jack loves the snow, even when it's half way up his sides.  He will regularly bury his head in search of

Fast Lane frozen in the iced-up marina

imaginary scents, snorting as the snow goes up his nose. 

 

This morning we woke to 3c and drizzle so this dump of snow is not going to be around much longer.  Just as well as we've not yet seen a snowplough on our local roads.  At least the warmer temperatures will stop it from becoming icy.

Sailing has continued since Christmas despite the weather, apart from last weekend (Sun Jan 14th) because the marina had frozen over.  When Fast Lane was checked, it didn't move as she was boarded, so solid was the ice.  It's not been cold enough to freeze sea water, but the marina has a number of creeks flowing into it and therefore has a high fresh water element to it, so it freezes.

Mixed emotions amongst the Fast Lane team over the cancellation as we have won all of the last four races.  That said, it was bloody cold!

It has also been quite windy and one of the yachts moored outside the marina, was torn from its moorings, ran in to the dock and sunk.  Sadly it was long overdue some  TLC and had been sitting lower in the water over the last few months; so was an accident waiting to happen.

The federal government has just announced $1.6m to recover 34 abandoned or sunk boats, eight of which are on the Sunshine Coast.  Quite why the tax-payer is going to end up footing the bill rather than the owners or ex-owners is beyond me.  

Abandoned boats is an increasing problem, not just in BC.  Owners allow older boats to fall into disrepair, do not check them regularly and they sink or break their moorings and end up washed up on the shore.  There are probably half a dozen boats in Gibsons Marina that are past their sell-by date and owners are still paying marina fees!

After the wet few days in Whistler at Christmas the Cronk clan reassembled in Gibsons before Ros headed back to NZ early Jan.  New Year's Eve it was warm enough to enjoy the afternoon around a campfire on the beach.  Needless to say Seb and Jack had great fun and were all over each other.

Racetrack Jack

Jack is amazingly patient while he is sat on, cuddled, used as a car track and if nothing is going on will go and get a ball to get Seb back into the game. 

The recent snow has been Seb's first real experience and some of the photos and videos of his first tentative steps and him enjoying his first sled rides have been a delight.  Pics below.

The freezing temperatures have also produced some lovely images of ice alongside the creeks on the foreshore.

  

Bobsleigh next!

First snowman

Pretty Cool!

Iced up logs on the Bonniebrook foreshore

New Year's Eve beach party

Winning Fast Lane Team with yours truly on the helm

It's there somewhere!