Hello Winter My Old Friend.

This morning when my eyes fluttered open, laying snoozing under the warm covers and reality began to come into focus for another day I remembered a few things.  First of all today is Remembrance Day in Canada where at 11 am we stop everything, and give thanks for those who gave their lives and futures so that we in the free world could remain free.

A good 8 or 9 inches of snow overnight before drifting!

Also we were to get a huge dump of snow over night, yesterday as we enjoyed our evening there already was a light dusting on the ground.  Enough to paralyze a southern American city but hardly enough to make a Winnipegger blink twice.

Today however is a slightly different story,  although not debilitating to any Canadian versed in winter, but a pain in the ass none the less.  Over night we got a good solid dump of around 9-10 inches of wintry goodness.   Enough to make our trucks in the backyard look like they were tucked in for a good winters nap complete with sleeping caps à la The Night Before Christmas.

Truck and jeep cleaned off but still with a little toque of snow on top.

It’s not like we were not expecting it, but it still sucks to know that you have to put on the Sorrels and shovel everything out before going out.  It makes you want to just stay in bed and cuddle the day away with your special someone.

I guess that’s it for fires this year. Our fire pit is full of snow.

It also makes me very glad that Darlene and I have 4 wheel drive, thus allowing us to brave the higher snowbanks and forgo shoveling out the driveway until we get our snow blower back in action this week.

The path to our composter is clear thanks to Dominick.

I guess the most important thing about being Canadian is loving each one of our four seasons and making the most out of each of them.  As we say in St Boniface C’est si bon! It’s so good!!

Lest We Forget

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Winter? What’s that?

Ok, people I am officially freaked out. Here we are in Winnipeg in middle of winter and the snow is melting.  Nikki I have been a big fan of the whole global warming thing but come on this is unreal.

For the record the normal temperature in Winnipeg, Manitoba for this time of year is somewhere around -15 C.  Not too bad for us hardened Canucks but generally this time of year dips to -30 are more than normal.

The temperature in Winnipeg today +7C.  Freaking unheard of, folks are golfing just south of us in North Dakota.  In January people!!!

If it keeps up like this Santa and his band of Elves are going to be melted out of a job.  Not to mention the Polar Bears who are being starved out of existence by the shrinking sea ice.

Yes I’m all for a nice mild winter in Winnipeg where by now we are normally up to our ball sacks in snow and frozen solid like those little Russian stacking dolls but this is freaking me out.

Ok. Santa if you’re listening give us a bit of snow, and turn down the heat a touch.

Thanks much

Bob

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Countdown to Super Bowl XLV

As game weekend approaches hype surrounding Super Bowl 45 continues to build.  Wagers are being placed on everything from the outcome of the big game to how fast the first points are scored and by whom.

Dallas Cowboys Stadium Home of Super Bowl XLV

Let there be no mistake big dollars are in play here and everyone wants a piece of the action.  Take for example Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones who has gambled and apparently won big with his massive new stadium in Arlington, Texas.  Costing over a billion dollars to build the space houses much more than just a football team.  It also is residence to a massive art installation featuring the latest in contemporary modern artistic vision.   With a capacity of over 100,000 the eager football fans are going to be blown away by size and functionality of this brand new structure.

I Hate Winter!

There I said it; I am expecting the RCMP to come pounding on my door minutes after this is posted for the entire world to see. As I stand on my doorstep, shovel in my hand, white from doing battle with Jack Frost.  I scream into the morning light, “I hate you winter!  Go away and leave me alone!”

Buried Axle deep in Snow

But you say Bob you’re Canadian.  You’re supposed to like the snow and the cold and the Frosty the Snowman thing. To you I reply, enough already I give up. Take me away and lock me up somewhere warm, preferably Aruba.

40 years in this frozen hell is enough, if I had killed a man just to watch him die surely I would be granted parole by now. I’ve done my time; I deserve sandy beaches and fruity drinks delivered by girls in bikinis. Don’t I?

Enough Already!

What did I do to deserve this?  I go to work, pay my taxes.  I don’t kick puppies or shove old ladies into oncoming traffic.  It’s only November after all, and by my calendar that means I am locked in this icy wasteland until at least march.  5 months in the hole, 5 months of shovelling the driveway and plugging in my jeep.  5 long months of going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark.

Typical Winter Driving Conditions for Manitoba

Almost 6 weeks of enduring happy shoppers and smiling children waiting for Santa.  Humbug!  Ship me out in a box if that’s what it takes, just as long as it’s somewhere warm.

Beautiful But Deadly

Thanks for listening.  The nice man in the white coat says the shot is going to calm me down and make me sleepy.  “Hello puppies, hello rainbows.  I’m coming Elizabeth, I’m coming.”

But it’s a Dry Cold.

Winnipeg always seems to get a bad rap for being such a cold and desolate place, even among other Canadians who should really know better.  Tourists who come here in the summer time often comment wow you guys have “paved” roads, “Where are all the Igloos and Snowmobiles??”.

Yes it is true that Winnipeg does have its share of down right frigid  conditions during the winter months, but if you are equipped with even a small portion of grey matter the weather is nothing to be feared at all.