A Very Sweet Thank You!!!

It's still snowing!

We've had a lot of snow this year!  Since the snow began in the Fall, over 29 feet has fallen on our little town.  Despite the occasional rain and warm days, a lot of that snow remains;  some yards have drifts over 17 feet high and their homes are invisible from the street.  In particuliar, Sunday seems to be the "snow day" of choice as we have had heavy snow fall every Sunday for the past month!

The snow is very beautiful, and this week we got to see our little valley town in all its Alpine glory when three days of sweet, welcome sun graced us (with cold temperatures, yes, but we'll take any sun we can get right now!).  The evergreens that cover the mountain inclines were encrusted with glittering snow, and the peaks and precipes were gleaming and glorious with their pure white frosting.  Every evening as the sun descended, the mountains would glow golden and bright for a few moments before a sleepy darkness descended.

It would be an absolute winter wonderland, if but for one thing.

Shovelling.

When snow falls three to seven feet at a time, shovelling is no joke.  You'll remember that I had to shovel my way into the house a few weeks ago after an evening out.  Our dogs (well, the two little ones) need pathways dug so that they can tend to their necessities without becoming lost in the drifts.  Even our rugged Jeep has been pushed to its limits; indeed I heard of a Hummer that became hung up a few weeks ago.  So when one must face this mass armed with a shovel, even the hardiest, winter loving souls quake, at least momentarily.  In moments like these, there is a sight and sounds that makes the heart sing...

A neighbor with a snow blower!

We've been really blessed.  We live on a street with a number of long time Kitimat residents, all of whom own snowblowers.  We had to do very little shovelling the last few storms other than our steps and dog paths , and for this we are very grateful!  So this week, I decided to show my neighbors just how appreciative we are with some tasty treats from my kitchen.

We had been planning to make chocolate truffles for quite some time.  Originally I had planned to make them for Christmas, but the holiday came and went without the chocolates materializing.  January brought with it a resolve to eat better, so we decided to wait until Valentine's day to make our favorite sweet.  I had also seen Sugar Cookie Truffles on a few blogs (such as From the Kitchen of Mrs. Betty Rocker and Ptit Chef.  I loved the look of them and thought they would make a great sweet to serve at an upcoming shower I'm hosting.  I decided this would be the perfect opportunity to test run the recipe in advance.  Finally, I made a batch of Soft Sugar Cookies, both to use in the truffle recipe and to give to the neighbors. 

The cookies and sugar cookie truffles turned out perfect.  Thecookie truffle recipe calls for frozen Pillsbury sugar cookie dough; our local grocery doesn't carry this so I used my own soft sugar cookies and the finished product was delicious, kind of like cheesecake in a delightful, white chocolate covered ball.  I sprinkled the truffles with multicoloured round jimmies, and they looked adorable.  For the shower, I think I will purchase yellow melting wafers and drizzle the truffles with yellow as this is one of the wedding colours.  The cookie recipe is one of those that I've made a million times; it's my go-to recipe for cookie swaps because it always turns out perfect.  The chocolate truffles, on the other hand, were a little more challenging.

I used a recipe from a source that is generally very reliable, so I'm willing to concede that I may have made an error (the wrong kind, or not enough, chocolate perhaps?)  When I finished making the chocolate I let it set in the refridgerator for the suggested time, but when I took it out it was nowhere near set; in fact I could tell that left in its present form it wasn't going to set at all.  I did a little online research and the general consensus was that I should re-heat the mixture in a double boiler and then add more chocolate.  I did this and added more chocolate (in a different form) and let it set for several hours.  This did work although the truffles were softer than I would have liked.  Instead of coating them in cocoa powder I dipped them in dark chocolate coating and drizzled white chocolate over them.  They looked great but did need to be kept in the refridgerator in order not to melt. 

Since I wasn't completely pleased with the chocolate truffles (delicious as they were) I gave the neighbors the cookies and cookie truffles.  They were a big hit!  I'm still a big fan of chocolate truffles, though, and I want to make them again.  I can't find the reliable recipe I used to use, so I'm asking you, friends, to suggest your favorite truffle recipe, as well as any tips you have for getting them to set up to truffle-y perfection.

I'll be back on Wednesday with a post on how I'm tackling organizational problem areas in my home.  Friday it's time for another edition of the Christmas Calmdown; can you believe it's been a month?!!  See you then!!!

 

Ah, summer.  The perfect time to relax on the patio and enjoy a lovely Sunday brunch al fresco....

It just seems like yesterday.  How quickly it can all change...

 

Ah, winter.  The perfect time to huddle indoors under a blanket, sipping soup, while wishing the birds luck finding the entrance to that feeder!

Have a great week!

Sorry for missing Monday!  The snow pictured above knocked out our power for 9 hours, and prevented us from traveling to town, where I was planning to buy the supplies for this week's posts!  Thanks for understanding!  Kim

Time For a Talk...

It's not you, it's me.

I should have done something about this a long time ago, but I thought we could work.

Please don't take it personally, we've had some really great times together, but I'm just not feeling it any more.

I think I need a change.

Dear Winter Jacket....

I think we need to see other people.

Ha!  Had you going there for a minute, didn't I?  Nothing to fear, my friends, just feeling a little stale on the fashion front.  By now we are deeply entrenched in Winter, and with all due respect to the groundhogs of North America, I don't really think we will have an early Spring.  But one thing is for certain...

I will have to spend a lot more time with my winter jacket.

If you live in an area that either doesn't get Winter or doesn't get a cold Winter, you may wonder what the big deal is.  That is probably because you can indulge in the cute, lightweight, "winter" jackets that can be picked up for a song at mass retailers.  Those of us who spend October to May with the risk of snow, cold, and (ugh) freezing rain need to invest a little more in something substantial.  We will spend a lot of time in this garment.  So much so that the decision making process when purchasing it can rival that of buying a car.  When the decision is finally made, if we're lucky, we'll have found something that we absolutely love.  

For a time...

The first day we get to wear our new winter jacket  is soundtracked with "Winter Wonderland" and "White Christmas" (the Bing version).  Each step we take will have imaginary fluffy white bunnies and darling fawns prancing along beside us, and those steps will be prancing because our feet will be warm and dry in cozy winter boots. The air will  smell of candy-canes and hot cocoa.  Life is goooooood!

This little illusion will last, if we're lucky, until just after Christmas.  After that, a Northern gal's view of the world in that jacket...well, it changes....

The soundtrack is gone, replaced instead by the sound of snowplows and squealing brakes.  Forget walking, if you're lucky you'll be able to slip and slide to the car while clinging to the side of your house on account of the inch of ice that's coating everything.  As far as prancing goes?  Well, the damn coat and boots weigh a ton, and seem to be getting heavier, so prancing's out.  All self respecting animals are snug in their dens.  And the air...you don't want to know what the air smells like!

And the jacket....who picked this thing out, anyway?  

Ah, the pity party!  There's really no pleasing us.  A trip to town reveals that the winter jackets have all been packed away and it's all bathing suits, shorts, and flip flops (for those lucky enough to be heading south for a sun vacay).  Online, only the weird colours are left (even if they had our size).  Then we realize that we really don't want to buy a new winter coat anyway because we're sick of winter coats in general.  We want to buy the cute little sundress and sandals that we might be able to wear for, like, two weeks in August.  

Now me, I'm lucky (-ish).  I have other outerwear.  It's just too cold and / or damp and my winter jacket wins out every time because, like it or not, it's warm.  Getting ready to go out, I'll look longingly at my pretty red wool yet unlined military styled coat, my high heeled boots, my cute puffy vest.  And then I'll stick my nose outside, shiver, and reach for my winter jacket.

This is a self-indulgent little rant.  I'm very lucky to be able to afford nice, warm, and yes, actually stylish winter outerwear.  Lots of people can't.  So that's why, when I'm finished with my jacket this year, I'll be giving it to the local thrift store so someone can have a nice, warm, actually stylish winter jacket for a really cheap price.  I hope they enjoy the shiny satin fabric.  I hope they like the fact that it's warm and actually quite light weight.  I hope the snuggly faux fur on the generous detachable hood (I hate a small hood) makes them feel cozy and a bit glamorous.  And I hope they have as much fun and as many adventures in it as I have.

Do you have a garment that you have a love / hate relationship with?  If so, I'd love to hear about it!

Have a great week!

And Now, The Weather! - Understanding Winter Weather Warnings

I always love writing my Nesty posts, and I rarely struggle to find subject matter.  Sometimes, however, my subject matter literally falls from the sky...

It was a wild and wonderful weekend in the Pacific Northwest as a multi-day snowstorm descended on our area.  Almost 7 feet fell over approximately 3 days, and this snowfall coupled with low temperatures and high winds made for quite the aftermath.  I knew this was no normal storm when I came home Saturday night, in the middle of the storm, and had to dig my way into my house.

Ten minutes later I was inside, furnace blaring and the kettle whistling, pondering this weather system.  Snow is not a rarity in Northern British Columbia.  Indeed, Kitimat means "People of the Snow," and we'd heard the stories of snowfalls so deep people had to shovel their roofs before their steps.  That being said, even the locals agreed there was something extra wild and wooly about this storm.

Curious, I conducted a few Google searches and discovered that our current storm was the result of an Arctic Outflow.  What's that, you say?  Well, it was new to me, too, so I searched a little further, and on Wikipedia, I found the following definition:

An Arctic Outflow Warning is based on a combination of wind speed and temperatures which produce wind chills of at least -20 for at least six hours during the winter when very cold Arctic air breaks from the interior mainland of British Columbia and spills out through mountain gaps and fjords.

-Wikipedia

 

Ah.  Mountain gaps and fjords.  Well, that pretty much describes Kitimat!

 

 

This mystery solved, I got to thinking about regional weather warnings and how they vary across North America (and indeed the world).  I often hear from my readers how interesting they find life in Northern British Columbia and Canada in general, so I decided today to share with you some of the winter weather warnings we hear and experience throughout the colder months.  I'm going to insert actual passages from Environment Canada, and then add my two cents.  

Heavy Snowfall - What do most people think of when they think of Canada?  Snow!  And while, contrary to popular belief, we don't have it year round, most parts of Canada do receive a fair amount of snow.  

 

 

Heavy Snow can greatly reduce visibility, create hazardous road conditions, and knock down trees and power lines.

- Environment Canada

 

Nesty Notes - Prior to the cold weather setting in, make sure your home and car are ready for the worst.  Remember to check your 72 Hour Emergency Kit and stock your car with food, water, blankets and a winter emergency kit.  Keep your shovel where you can get to it; ours was inside our porch, a good thing it was considering our sheds were buried under the snow.  And speaking of shoveling, keep an eye on your driveway; sometimes it's easier to stay on top of it throughout the snowfall than to try and remove seven feet of snow all at once.  If this happens, try to befriend someone with a snow blower.  Cookies help.

Winter Storm - This is what we experienced this past weekend and, while it's pretty to look at, it's not all curling up by the fire and sipping hot cocoa...

Winter storms are large-scale weather systems, hundreds of kilometres across, that are called extratropical cyclones because they form and develop outside of the Tropics. These storms gather their energy from the temperature and moisture differences across the boundary where different air masses meet or collide. The larger the differences in the temperature and moisture  levels across this boundary, called a front, the more energy there is available for the storms to develop. This is why some are stronger, or more intense, than others.

Winter storms tend to move from west to east and can produce strong winds, heavy snowfall, freezing rain and bitterly cold temperatures as they impact any given area.

-Environment Canada

Nesty Notes - In addition to ensuring your emergency supplies are in place well in advance of the cold weather season, when a winter storm in in effect, please listen to the road reports and do what the police are advising you to do!!  I will never understand why people feel the need to go careening around in their cars in the middle of storms. Stay out of the way of snow removal crews (a popular commercial in Nova Scotia notes "This isn't a feather duster I'm driving!") Also, remember your pets!  They should NEVER be left outside during the cold or inclement weather of any kind.  End of story!!!

Wind Chill - If you've ever found yourself walking into the wind on a cold winter's day, you've experienced wind chill:

Wind chill is when the wind makes cold temperatures feel even colder. Environment Canada’s wind chill index will tell you the combined cooling effect of these factors on the human body. It uses temperature-like units to liken the current conditions to how cold your skin would feel on a calm day.

Days with an extreme wind chill value can cause exposed skin to freeze very rapidly, leading to frostbite. Wind chill can also play a major role in hypothermia, because it speeds up the rate at which your body loses heat. Protect yourself by taking appropriate steps to stay warm when you are outdoors.

-Environment Canada

Nesty Notes - In my experience, when there is a wind chill warning in effect, unless you absolutely have go out, these are days to stay inside.  If you must go out, make sure you bundle up; thermal underwear, hats, mittens, and a warm coat and boots are a must.  Essentially, cover all skin and cover it well.  Now is not the time to worry about fashion.  If you don't have a car and need to go somewhere, take a cab or the bus; it's worth it.  Keep kids inside.  And again, bring your pets in.

There are other winter weather conditions, like blizzards, blowing snow, and snowsqualls, but for today I'm focusing on the ones that particularly effect my area.  This link will take you to Environment Canada's web page of Winter Hazards which is where I got the excerpts listed above.

Stay safe and warm!  I'll be back on Friday with a vegetarian family favorite, Spiced Bean Tagine.  See you then!!!

A Very Nesty Christmas - A Marshmallow World!

"It's a marshmallow world in the winter,
When the snow comes to cover the ground.
It's the time for play, it's a whipped cream day,
I wait for it the whole year round!"

- Carl Sigman

It's hard to deny the Christmas spirit when this is what you see when you look out the window!

 

Regular followers of Nesty will recall my mentioning that in Kitimat, we guage when the snow will finally land  in the valley our town is nestled in by watching the squirrel on Squirrel Mountain.  Well, our favorite rodent is well covered now, and so are our yards!  Can you pick him out in the picture?

 Did you find him?  If not, here's some help...

 

There he is!  I'm so happy that I'm finally able to show you a good picture of our squirrel! 

It's been brought to my attention that people were having difficulty commenting on Nesty last week.  If this happened to you, I'm so sorry!  I just love your comments and I truly appreciate that you take time to type up your thoughts on my little blog.  I believe the issue has been resolved, but if it happens to you and you feel so inclined, please drop me a line at nestyblog@gmail.com.  Thanks!

 

Happy Thanksgiving, Again!

Hey there American friends!  You have a very big week coming up!  If you're anything like me, you'll be spending a lot of this weekend planning for next week's festivities.  To help you along, today I'm listing my Thanksgiving posts from a few weeks ago:

• Apple Turkeys make a fun craft and are a traditional Thanksgiving centerpiece in my family.  I've included an easy to follow tutorial, complete with pictures!

• Need to bring dessert to a Thanksgiving potluck?   Turtle Pumpkin Pie is sinfully delicious and beyond simple to make.  But shhhh!  Let them think you laboured in the kitchen all day!

• Turkey time doesn't end with the feast!  Hang on to that frame and make Homemade Turkey Soup!

• A few hours of "me-time" is always something to be thankful for!  Why not do some scrapbooking?  Check out this adorable Bo Bunny Pickin' Pumpkins album kit I found at our local scrap-book store.

• Sweet Potato and Pumpkin and Maple, oh my!  Fall has the very best flavours, so why not serve them all up at An Autumn Coffee Party!

• Curious why I celebrated Thanksgiving last month?  Click here for an explanation AND a recipe for Apple Pie with Cheddar Crust.

• And of course, in the midst of all the fun, don't forget to reflect on what you have and what you love, and give thanks.

Have a fun, wonderful week!  Safe and happy travels to all of you who are on the road this holiday season!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thank you for Family, friends, turkey dinners, shorter days, crisp nights, home, time to breathe, kitty cats, funny hats, puppy dogs, new pens, crisp leaves, the smell of woodsmoke, Prayer, hot coffee, a single rose, a full moon, flannel jammies, ink smears, a day with no plans, farm markets, the unexpected, a letter from a friend, paper weights, a feeling of calm, the sound of laughter, remembering your favorite song, good dreams, last minute adventures, a sale rack, long drives, honey bees, the sound of waves, first snow, green plants, a new dress, warm cookies, funny movies, knowing that you can, the first step of a new journey, scented candles, solving a mystery, knowing you are loved, reading a great quote,   notebooks, new foods, naps, each new day...

Retro Recipe with a Twist - Apple Pie With Cheddar Crust

Fall is now in full swing, and its kick-off party is almost here: it's one week 'til Thanksgiving!

(Let's just give the American readers a second to go check their calendars...no, you're right, it's still only October!)

In Canada, we do things a little bit different. We spell things differently (I'm not a bad speller, "colour" is how we spell "color.")  We're a constitutional monarchy, which means we're a democracy with a Prime Minister (not a President) but technically, the Queen is in charge (her representative in Canada is the Governor General; our new GG, David Johnston, was sworn in  on Friday.  Apparently we talk funny.  And, we celebrate Thanksgiving in October!

So, next weekend, we will be up to our eyeballs in turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie.  Can't wait!  However, that's a whole week away, and this weekend we wanted a little something fall-ish for a treat.  It didn't take me long to decide which recipe we were going to try; Cheddar Crusted Apple Pie.


I own a lot of cookbooks, so many in fact that they had to move from the kitchen to a shelf in my craft room.  However, three cookbooks remain in the kitchen by my stove.  The first is the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (starting to wear, and covered in flour), the second is a Betty Crocker Cookbook (wonderfully stained and tattered), and the third, (and in best condition), is The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook - The New Classics.


I turn to the Betty Crocker and Better Homes and Gardens books constantly.  Cooking times, basic recipes, substitutions and equivalents; these two volumes never steer me wrong.  I know that if I follow their instructions, I will end up with a tasty, well-cooked dish.  If I am trying a new recipe or cooking technique, I will try the version from one of these books first, before moving on to a more complicated or "gourmet" version.


I turn to the Martha book frequently, too, and I do cook from it.  It is definitely a cook book that I like to read and gather inspiration from, particularly from the menus.  There is an entire section of menus at the beginning of the book, divided into seasons. For example, Winter would indeed be the the ideal time for a Chili Buffet, and your friends would be dazzled if you hosted a Festive Holiday Cocktail Party! In Spring, you could enjoy a lovely Easter Lunch or Passover Seder, and then as it warms up a Backyard Picnic.  Come summer, you could invite the neighbors over for a Grilled Pizza Party, or meet your family at a Cookout At The Shore. The Autumn menus are especially delightful; clearly I'm long overdue to host an Elegant Sit Down Dinner for Ten or a Steakhouse Dinner.  All joking aside, it was among the Autumn menus that I found the menu that, to me, epitomized the perfect Fall gathering - An Autumn Pie Party.


I was so taken with this particular menu that I just had to read it aloud to my husband.  Pecan Pumpkin, Pear-Fig-Walnut, Plum Galette...they all sounded wonderful, but the pastry that made me pause was the Apple Pie with Cheddar Crust.  As soon as I read the name aloud we both went "mmmm" and I knew that before long I'd be making it!


Friday was the day!  Now, I come from a long line of excellent pie crust makers, however, despite my many culinary achievements including most baked goods, perfect crusts have eluded me.  I've stuck with pies, and my pastry is coming along, but to me (and I'm admittedly my worst critic) they just aren't quite right.  I started in on this recipe and followed the steps fairly faithfully.  I didn't have the exact apples that the recipe called for, and I'm pretty sure I didn't chill everything in the order that Martha detailed, but I did make sure the pastry itself was well chilled before rolling, and I chilled the entire unbaked pie for the recommended half hour before baking.  And, well, I'm not sure if it was the chilling, the cheese, or if I'm finally getting the hang of it, but this crust was just about perfect. (let's just say it was Martha!) It looks a little dark (I didn't have tin foil to tent the crust during the last 45 minutes) and my crimping isn't perfect because of the cheese, but I like to thing it looks homespun.  And it tasted fabulous....

Next time, I'm tempted to try grating some cheddar right onto the top of the pie, maybe during the last bit of baking.  I saw this done on "Pushing Daisies" and thought it looked so yummy.  All in all, I was really pleased with how this pie turned out, and I will definitely be making it again soon, maybe even for Thanksgiving!


If you'd like to try a similar pie (hee hee, that rhymes!) here is a link to Martha Stewart's Cheddar Crusted Apple Pie.  Enjoy!

Window to My World - A View from the Shore...

Write Here, Write Now!

One day not so long ago, we were enjoying a quiet weekday afternoon at home when, unexpectedly, a courier truck pulled up in front of our home.   Could it be...?  When you live clear across the country from your family, visits from couriers become more frequent, and are a cause for excitement.  Alas, the driver was simply taking advantage of the available parking spot in front of our house, and another family on our street was the lucky recipient of the parcel.

This experience led us to a chat about mail, and how it has evolved in recent years.  While email and social networking sites have certainly shrunk the miles and opened communications (I send Facebook birthday greetings to people I haven't seen in years, never mind knew when their birthday was), it has caused actual paper greetings to slow to a trickle.  Even between people who are close, such as family members and good friends, "I wrote on her wall" has become the modern equivalent of "I sent her a card."  And while any greeting is better than no greeting (don't get me wrong, I love that wall o' love on my birthday!) there is nothing like the excitement that comes with receiving actual mail.  Not bills, or statements, or junk mail, but a letter or a card or (insert squeal here) a parcel!!!

My cousin Ainsley of Pattycake Manners is a wonderful correspondent.  Her handmade seasonal greetings are eagerly anticipated in our family.  Seeing those hand-stamped envelopes in my mailbox gave me a little lift during a sometimes lonely first year away from home.  Indeed, the first pieces of mail I received in British Columbia were a BC Hydro bill, and a card from Ains.  I was looking at my collection of cards the other day, and it occurred to me that I should perhaps be returning the gesture at other times of the year besides Christmas.  

Well, this train of thought led to the fact that there are lots of folks out there that would enjoy a greeting, something to add a bit of excitement to checking the mailbox.  It was then that I decided I was going to reclaim snail mail and spread some joy, one stamp at a time! Furthermore, I am going to share my pursuit with you!  And if this little exercise inspires you to put pen to paper and spread the love, snaps to you!

First up is probably the simplest way to ease into note writing.  Postcards.  Postcards are nifty and retro!  The real beauty of them is that they can only hold a few words.  How many times have you sat down to write a letter and couldn't decide what to say?  Oh, we have no problem dashing off witty comments on our friend's status updates or tweets; basically, we're good to go with 140 characters or less. A blank sheet of paper, however, leaves us floundering.  If this sounds familiar, try a postcard. You'll make someone's day without the stress of writing a doctoral thesis on "how you're doing."


So, where can you find postcards?  Once you start looking, you'll see them everywhere.  In Canada, Canada Post sells a good line of cards with prepaid postage; I like to pick these up and keep them on hand for quick "thinking of you" notes to the folks back home.  Dollar stores often sell postcards.  Tourist attractions and souvenir shops are great sources; if you have a cool attraction in your area, pick up a bunch of cards featuring it and send them to friends who live far away.  Anything featuring the Giant Fiddle of my hometown, Sydney NS, gets a huge response.


So have fun with it!  Yes, it costs more than a digital greeting, but really, you can't put a price on happy!  And a postcard is about the most cost-effective happy-maker I can think of.  


Have a great week!  See you on Friday!

Window to My World - "If You Go Into The Woods Today..."

Shortly after we arrived in Kitimat, we were enjoying a Saturday afternoon drive when we rounded a corner and saw this fine fellow on the road ahead.  We kept a safe distance away (this photo is taken with a zoom) until this Grizzly Bear retreated back into the woods, leaving the road free for us to pass.  However, after we had driven by, we paused for a moment and looked back.  Guess who was back in the road, watching us drive away?

Although fascinating, bears are wild animals with the potential to be very dangerous, and should always be treated as such.  For some information on bear safety, here is a link to a page of information prepared by BC Parks.

Have a wonderful week!

Window to my World - Canada Is...

As many of you know, my husband, myself, and our three (at the time) furbabies came to Kitimat from the Canadian East Coast.  To get here, we drove across the entire country, hitting every province except Newfoundland, PEI, and the Territories (hey, there's time!).  It was a fabulous journey, one which I often say every Canadian should do at least once.  

If you aren't Canadian, our country is wonderful and welcoming and you should come and see it!  As you pass from one province to the next, you will be amazed at how very different our various regions are.  In the East, you can see whales and icebergs in Newfoundland and Labrador, and continue on to gentle mountains, breathtaking coasts, and gorgeous farmland in the Maritime provinces of Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.  In Quebec you can enjoy amazing culture, beautiful countryside, and spectacular city life in Montreal and Quebec City.  Ontario, a huge province, has a bit of everything, from the metropolis of Toronto to the remote Canadian Sheild.  Passing into Manitoba you will feel a real change as the prairies begin.  Saskatchewan is a true prairie province with wheat fields, grain elevators, views that go on forever.  Alberta is another province with a bit of everything; it begins with wide open prairies and then ends in the majestically beautiful Rocky Mountains.  "Super, Natural British Columbia" is almost indescribable in it's sheer natural awesomeness.  We entered from the North, through the Rockies, and followed the mountains to our new home.  To the south, there is the Okanagan Valley, Whistler, and, of course, Vancouver!  So come and visit us!

One thing you will find of interest is our uniquely Canadian fascination with GIANT OBJECTS!!!!  Hey, we never said we weren't quirky!

 We set out on our journey determined to see as many of these objects as possible.  However, we, with assistance from our trusty GPS, planned too efficient a trip, and we missed out on a lot of these unique landmarks.  You can check out this great slideshow of Canadian Giant Objects.  For several years I lived across the street from Sydney's Giant Fiddle, and I have visited the Giant Glooscap on several occasions. Sadly, we did not think to get a picture of ourselves at the Giant Fiddle before we left home, and the only Giant objects we managed to find were these less well known ones.  How we missed the giant Canada Goose in Wawa, Ontario I will never know.  Anyone who's been to Wawa knows that it's a very small town, and that goose was probably impossible to miss.  

Above, you can see Molly and I posing with the Giant Blueberry in Oxford, Nova Scotia.  We are only about 5 hours into our journey here, so we look relatively fresh, if not a little sad (giant sunglasses are a homesick girl's best friend!)  Below, I am striking a pose with a giant sheep somewhere in the farm country of Ontario.  I can assure you I was heartily sick of that hoodie by the time we reached British Columbia.

 What a trip!  When we were children, Roger Whitaker was popular, and one of his 8 Tracks (remember those?) always seemed to be in the car, ready to play our favorite, "Canada Is..."  We sang that song in our grandparent's backyard in Cape Breton, and on a playground in Swift Current, Saskatchewan where you slid out of a clay buffalo's mouth!  And as an adult traveling West to an unknown new home, I hummed it to myself many times.  I did a search to see if I could find this song to share with you, and I found this wonderful slideshow prepared by the Vendramin family after their 2007 cross Canada trip.  I don't know them, but I thank them for posting this wonderful gift of a video to YouTube.  In it, you will see many of the giant objects that pepper our wonderfully diverse country.  I will admit to getting misty when the Nova Scotia pictures started playing, especially the Cape Breton pictures of the lobster and Baddeck.  And of course, any pictures of Mounties or their training facility in Regina fills me with pride.  So enjoy, and we hope you visit our beloved country.  We're a little proud of her!!

Have a wonderful week!

Window to My World - Tinky Loves a Barbecue!