On the way to coffee this morning, I went by the toboggan hill and did not see any kids sliding, even though it is a Saturday and the tail end of the school Christmas break. I do not  understand this!
Kids these days must be getting soft.

On the way home, my tires were squarish, but I managed to get back OK.

The Real Reason for the Getaway 3 of 3

The last two posts of Elk and Sheep were the bonus part of the trip. The real reason was to enjoy my oldest son and family for the brief time that they were back in Canada.

There are many reasons for the trip, the first is the chance to get a family portrait in the "wilds" of the Shuswap.

The second is to get more photos  of the family. It may be a while before we get the chance again as they head back to the States on Tuesday.

It is a great chance to see kids playing in the snow.

It is a great spot to see fabulous scenery and watch the grand kids sliding.

It is also a chance to celebrate an early Christmas with them and to continue  the tradition of bringing home the tree.

It is an opportunity to see more scenery.

How's this for cute!

Family: What Christmas is all about, and celebrating God's gifts to us!

A Great Saturday!

How Better?

Kids, dogs, sliding, and a B.I.G. bonfire, that's how!

Once the fire got going, everybody backed off. The heat was tremendous!

The crazy dogs kept stealing branches and chewing them up. You'd think that they were a couple of beavers!

The fire really got going with no smoke because  the pile had dried most of the summer. I forgot it was Saturday so I had a lot of neighbours going in and out of the branch road all rubbernecking to see what the crazy guy was burning up now.

Once it got going, the flames were at the top of the trees in the background. Not bad for a wannabe pyromaniac. Yep, I like things that burn bright and go boom! Best that I could do out of this pile was bright with a lot of crackling.

Only 4 more piles to go, then I can start on next winter's burn pile.

This is the sort of thing that us crazy Canadians do when its cold outside. Bears hibernate, but 6 months is too long for us. Shift gears and enjoy what God gives us.

With the last cold spell, actually, we are still in it, the ice should be thick enough on the local lakes to start thinking about ice fishing. All I need is 4 inches of ice to walk on. Two feet is my limit for driving a truck on the lakes. Even then, it is smart to drive with the door and window open so that you can get out should the vehicle break through.

The areas that I fish now are all within easy walking distance from the road, so why take the risk?

Yep, I think that I will dig out the ice auger and pail ( for sitting on) and check it out. I never got out last year even though I don't have to pay for an angling licence any more. That is one of the (few) joys of getting older. It's payback time! Whoo hoo, the government lets me fish for free!