The Off Season

We have been kept quite busy through this so called "off" season-down time at camp. Pretty much every single weekend has been booked and a few mid-week groups too. When you live and work at camp everyday is different. You learn to prioritize quickly when the maintenance list keeps getting longer.
We've had what seems like non-stop snow and often a half day at least has been spent clearing the road ways for our guests. The winds and windchill over the past week have also been bitter cold....crazy! Maybe you too have been encountering this?... well, they do say that Spring is coming.............. hmmm

Snow, snow and more snow!

Great to be back home in AB. We realized over the holidays that we have become "westerners" and do enjoy our simple life out here. The time in Ontario was great! Seeing family and many friends was just what we needed.

Since our return, the heavens have opened and blessed us with snow. Much snow!! More snow than the area has seen this early in many years. Needless to say our best friends now are the plow and snowblower. We have spent many days keeping roads and parking lots clear and removing snow from rooftops on many of the camp buildings.

Groups are now using the facilities again and we are quite busy, both mid week and weekends. The off-season is getting shorter every year as a variety of guests from students to crafters are frequenting the camp more and more. There are also many projects to keep us busy over and above the general maintenance. Installing kitchen cupboards in two of our rental buildings, and building a new walk-in freezer in the dining hall as well as broken equipment to repair. The other maintenance man is good at mechanical stuff which is a godsend for us.

The large amount of snow has turned our world into a winter wonderland. We love the sound of the crunch of snow. We are expecting some milder temperatures next week but believe we will still be seeing lots of white.

Snow, Snow and More Snow

Great to be back home in AB. We realized over the holidays that we have become "westerners" and do enjoy our simple life out here.

The time in Ontario was great! Seeing family and many friends was just what we needed. Since our return, the heavens have opened and blessed us with snow. Much snow!! More snow than the area has seen this early in many years. Needless to say our best friends now are the plow and snowblower. We have spent many days keeping roads and parking lots clear and removing snow from rooftops on many of the camp buildings.
Groups are now using the facilities again and we are quite busy, both mid week and weekends. The off-season is getting shorter every year as a variety of guests from students to crafters are frequenting the camp more and more. There are also many projects to keep us busy over and above the general maintenance. Installing kitchen cupboards in two of our rental buildings, and building a new walk-in freezer in the dining hall as well as broken equipment to repair. The other maintenance man is good at mechanical stuff which is a godsend for us.

The large amount of snow has turned our world into a winter wonderland as the pictures show.
p.s. Even though I had a hair appointment with my neice I'm glad scissors were not involved!

Home in the Ontario Snow

Well we safely arrived home in Ontario this past Sunday and boy oh boy does Ontario ever have snow! We definately notice it in the city subdivisions where the snow banks are higher than the vehicles, but we love seeing all the snow on the trees. What a beatutiful sight,

We have now spent a few days with family and the fun we are having with our neices and nephews can't be cherished enough. Christmas day will definately be full of excitement. We did some city mall shopping today and it was abit crazy but our 3 yr old neice kept us entertained the whole time. It's hard to "hide" gifts from her and not look like shop lifters :)

This weekend we will be trying to catch up on visits with friends...and we hope the weather cooperates.

Crispy Crunch

No, we are not talking about the chocolate bar, but crispy crunch is the clear sound as we are walking around the camp property these days.
Tonight before the sunset we decided to go for a brief walk. Brief was the outcome because the temperatures here were about -17 degrees, but it was amazing to experience the stillness. (This past week we had talked with some friends and loved ones who are in the midst of job and holiday stress already...making us realize that we do enjoy where we live.) No one else around the 140 acre property, just us. So, we didn't talk we just enjoyed the sound of the crispy crunchy snow.

It is now less than a week before we will be returning to Ontario to visit those we love and we can't wait!!

BBBBRRRRRRRRRRR

Oh it is winter!! The temperatures here in AB have been almost unbearable. All week we have watched it (and felt it) get colder and colder. -18,-26, -38 and then you have to add the windchill all I can say is NOT fun.
I, Sonya have also been sick. Yes, a full blown winter cold and have spent 3 days in bed...wishing I had financial shares in a kleenex company.
Well if we don't freeze we will be back to post again in a day or two.

What a Difference 2 Days Can Make

Well, we knew that winter was bound to arrive in Alberta whether we wanted it to or not, and it is now here! For two days straight we have had flurries and definately everything is covered in snow, which is a wonderful thing when you don't have to move it, but the roads do need to cleared as we have another group of 100 coming this weekend. As you can see in the pictures, two days ago our temperatures were much warmer.
The one thing about being in the country is when you look out the front door you see a huge blanket of snow everywhere...no dirt, sand or salt residue only a few tracks from the little critters that run the property. It is beautiful.

The past week here has been full of activity. David and one of the camp board members gave oversite to a small work crew who were upgrading our outdoor zipline and building a whole new indoor climbing wall. They were long workdays but worth it. Wow, it is exciting to see this change come about here.