My experience of lifetime

I lost the entire post I had written as a prelude to showing pictures of my recent trip to Tumbler Ridge and I was on the verge of getting really huffy about it.  Then there was a PA broadcast here at work asking Sylvie to pick up line 101.  But it was in French.  (Gabrielle and Sylvie are the only francophones in the office and this was probably the first time one had cause to page the other.  Weird.)  The sheer incongruity of that jarred me out of whatever funk was about to come over me.  So that's good.

To recap:

I was first in the office this morning.  The key wouldn't open the frozen lock so I made it in through an open side door.  I walked the dark hallway to the front, but I couldn't even turn the dead-bolt from the inside -- it was still frozen shut.  I borrowed a small pipe wrench from the maintenance shop, ran back around the side door of my trailer complex and pried the lock open after bashing the ice build-up off the base of the door.  Welcome back.

I drove 1,608 kilometres over the last two days, which equates to almost exactly 999 miles.  That's about 16 hours on the highway.

My east Indian travelling companion described his snow-shoeing experience of yesterday morning as, "My experience of lifetime."  I have no idea what I'm going to do with the four brand new pairs of snow shoes now in my possession.

I had to disabuse that same man from the practice of drinking and driving (in complete ignorance of the law), something he's been inclined to do under domestic prohibition, militantly enforced by his wife.  I was disturbed and amused by this admission.  More amused.

I have many pictures of Tumbler Ridge from the past two days.  'Twas sunny and cold, but without a hint of wind.  Gorgeous.  I also took a brief bit of video while snow-shoeing, only as long as the temperature allowed a naked hand to hold my camera aloft.

Hopefully I'll get the best bits up tomorrow.

Comments

[Moksha Gren]

Thanks for caring enough to write it twice.

We got snow here yesterday...but not enough to justify getting out the ol' snow shoes. And not cold enough to require door chiseling.

Can't wait to see what images you captured.

[marian]

Welcome home. It's been cold here, but not THAT cold. Some frozen car doors is all. Keep the snowshoes. Just 8 to 10 years before the boys can use them. And by then they'll be cool 'old school' snowshoes and worthy of coveting.

[rna]

I'm very glad we didn't have to put the dogs to the test.

[Linda]

Welcome back you seasoned driver/snow shoer/pipe wrench wielding/breaking and entering/video-making man of the world.
(Crikey, is this man well-rounded or what?)
You were only gone a short while but I missed you.

[Mark]

Welcome back, snowman. Glad you didn't freeze any vitals.

The real question is, is the forest still virgin forest?

[Linda]

Mark, undoubtedly ;-)