Now We're Talking!

At last, the ball busting, brain freezing - Oh I forgot how painfully cold this can be - winter has arrived in earnest. We haven't seen temperatures pop much above minus 10 in the past couple weeks. It's generally been highs of minus 14 or so (with wind chills way up into the minus 20s). Due to this, all cycling activity has been kept to a very basement level - our basement infact - although it's not too much warmer down there which is why the nightly wind trainer session requires dressing up in this warm garb....

Now for those of you unfamiliar with the rigours of the indoor bike trainer, let it be known that it is one of the hottest tasks known to man - somewhat akin to sumo wrestling in the desert wearing nothing but a garbage bag, and a big hat. However, even the heat of the trainer is lost in this cold snap we're having (nothing to do with the fact that the cheap Williams' don't put their thermostat much above the 'can just detect a pulse' level).

Fortunately, with the cold has come the snow - and lots of it! Despite it having sent the avalanche risk reports through the roof, it has made for the planning of many a fine snowy adventure to come. Brina and I headed out into K country to kick around the skinny skis and it was a treat to be out again (although not having waxed the skis yet this season, last season's rather aged wax had less glide than a one winged 747). The trails were sparse, the views were good and Brina's eyelashes froze up as usual when the temps are really chilly. It's always nice to be swanning around the mountains not having to worry about the 'bear aware' issues of the Great Outdoors (although some poor old feller got eaten by a Grizzly at the start of the week - some bears clearly aren't quite ready to go to sleep yet and still need a bedtime snack).

So apart from that, things are cruising. I'm very much ready for a holiday from work (still sorely miss the October half term) and am winding down lessons already (bring out the classroom videos - I have Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade lined up for class the next few days, on the lame pretence that seeing as though we're starting a Renaissance Europe unit, you can get a glimpse of Renaissance architecture when Indy passes briefly through Venice - but we may as well watch the whole movie now that I've dug it out from the closet - that's a feet up on the desk lesson for Mr.W anyway). Cable t.v. is still wreaking havoc to my early to bed sleeping regimen. But hopefully, we'll be back out in the hills this weekend for avalanche avoiding fun.
Hope you're all cheery as binbag clad sumo wrestlers,
Look behind you - not everyone's gone to sleep yet,
S&S.
p.s. Here's another glimpse of Mrs wife cruising along Elk Pass (or should that be Wapti Pass?).