White Stuff - It Snowed and Left Edition

Hubby left for a five day business trip on Monday.  On Tuesday morning we got our first snow of the winter, all 3/4 of a foot of it!  These were taken about 5 hours after it started.  Many people don't shovel snow here thinking it will just melt but after last winter when our snow stayed for weeks and those who didn't shovel had it set up like cement that was unshovelable we made a commitment that every time it snows we are shoveling.  Of course, it would have been a lot easier with two of us but I can manage.  If we still lived in Alberta it would have taken about half an hour to shovel our wsidewalks and driveway.  The snow there is way lighter as has less water content as the climate is so much drier in winter.  The snow here weighs a ton.  It took me an hour and a half. By the time I finished there were two more inches on the driveway which I shoveled off quickly again.  Two snow plows came by in that time - both leaving big piles at the end of the driveway which I then had to shovel out. I appreciate their hard work but seriously, once would have been enough.  

I took these pictures and sent them to hubby...he felt bad I had to deal with it by myself.  The next morning it was windy, started to rain like crazy and heated up to plus 9 degrees.  By the time hubby got home Friday afternoon 99% of it was gone, only the occasional bit where snow plows had piled it up remained. 

Today it is lovely and green outside, my hummingbird is much relieved that the snow is gone (we have them year round here, some don't migrate) as I had to move his feeder during the storm and he doesn't like change.  There is even some sun out - a true miracle in the Pacific Northwest in our winter. 

Today is Mom's 76th Birthday.  We are taking her out to Brunch in an hour.  I am very happy to be able to do that, I really see her living to 100 if we can keep her as healthy as she is now.  Her only issue is failing eyesight.   She has two cataracts and can no longer read for prolonged periods of time, sad because reading is her favorite thing to do.  We gave her our old big screen TV when we got a smart tv a few years ago (she still had a mammoth tube TV that was failing) and that is good because she watches more tv now that she can't read as much. 

We are waiting on her surgery, all they say is both eyes will be done in 2019.  She doesn't pay for the surgery but our wait times are long and since her first Dr went off the deep end and quit his practice she had to start over on the wait list so now she is 2.5 years into this. 

While I am gone my best friend will take her shopping part way through the week and can be called upon if Mom needs anything, which is a big relief to me.  They know each other so I know that Mom will call her if she really needs something.  The grocery store is only 2 blocks away as well as the pharmacy so she could easily walk there if necessary as well. 

I am mostly packed, actually there is a huge mound of items I think I will take to Mexico in the corner of my bedroom.  This afternoon I will cut that down as just want to take "enough" clothes.  We never do formal evenings on holiday - run screaming from those so casual it is.  Shorts, cropped pants, light tops and swimsuit. 

Hubby on the other hand has barely finished unpacking from his business trip so today I will "encourage" him to do so as we have a super busy 4 business days and he won't have much time to do it later in the week.  Friday morning we fly to Calgary and then on to Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo.  They are 2 towns within 10 minutes of each other, Ixtapa being specifically created as a tourist town in the 1970s due to nice beaches.  Zihuatanejo is the original fishing village.  We are spending 4 nights in each and have never been there so are looking forward to exploring.  We might go fishing there if we can negotiate a decent price but I have booked nothing other than hotels.  We are bringing our own snorkel equipment, even though it is the Pacific side it can be a bit murky but there is an area or two that has clear protected water that is good for it.  I am also bringing my underwater camera.  I am sure we will love Zihuatanejo more but wanted to explore each town. 

There is hardly anything in our fridge, I cleaned it out when hubby was gone and didn't want to buy a bunch of groceries that would just spoil or I would have to give away so meals this week are "creative".  Last night I made chicken salsa soup - used the last half of a salsa jar, the last 3 chicken breasts in the freezer, some frozen corn and tomatoes (mine from last summer), red pepper, potato, cauliflower, green onion, and carrot.  It was yummy and there is enough left over for soup tonight or tomorrow for lunch.  The freezer is slowly emptying - I did buy some smoked sausage and meatballs but both packages are small and will be eaten quickly.  I have been transferring items from the big freezer to the little one.  My goal is to defrost the big one mid February.  That will require a blackberry jam making session or two as there are frozen berries still in there.

So yes, we get snow.  Some winters a lot like last year where we had 5-7 snows and it stayed.  This winter looks like we are having a light one.  We do have Vancouver Island's only ski hill a half an hour away called Mt Washington.  They have 186 cm base of snow - yes, every time it rains here it snows there.  It is pretty, our mountains around our Valley are snowy but we are nice and green down in the Valley. 

I am not sure if I will have time to post or not before we go but if I don't see you in February!