A Quick Trip to Toronto and Chuckanutt

This past week we enjoyed a quick trip to Toronto. Neil had a 1 day meeting and I had a day of retail therapy. The meeting sponsors hosted us at the CN Tower for a lovely evening. Wow - is it high! The 360 degree revolving restaurant where we spent the evening is at 351 metres (1,151 feet).

CN Tower

 View Down to the City

 That's Lake Ontario the blue mass of water as seen from the CN Tower

Neil on the glass floor at the tower - he didn't look down!

Saturday Neil participated in another 50km event, Chuckanut in Bellingham USA. He finished in about the same time as previous years he has run this event solo. We have done it together a few times as well.

 

 

Fergus and I out for a run at Buntzen Lake. No views in the rain and low cloud on Sunday.

Tonight when out for a run on the dykes we spotted this Eagle in the tree. Fresh snow on the mountains! I'm enjoying the extra hour of daylight despite the temperatures still being cool.



Snow, Spring and the Dirty Duo

 This view of the local Mountains was taken last week from our front garden. The snow was plentiful!

 Which allowed more snow shoeing

 Evenings on the slopes.

Spring is here...the clocks have changed and the snow is receding. We enjoyed the extra hour of light tonight and went for a run on the dykes in Pitt Meadows with Fergus.

This past weekend Neil completed the Dirty Duo 50 km run in wet and muddy conditions. We have both completed this run several times over the years. Its a great prelude to the dawn of a new season of running and outdoor activities in the Lower Mainland.  His time was consistent with last years which he was pleased with.

Good news...Kendall (niece) and Chris (who are living in Baltimore, Maryland) are joining us for a week in Scotland after the Cateran 110 mile run. Neil is signed up in celebration of his 50th year!  I'm on the crew team for this one with Neil's family.  So......mileage and activities are increasing for both of us and it feels good!

 



Olympic Gold for Canada!

The final Olympic men's hockey game started at 4 AM Vancouver time. Many were up and watching the game at local sports bars. We opted to stay home and get up to watch the final period. It was a great game and we won 3-0 against Sweden. We were at the condo downtown Vancouver and shortly after the win we saw the reflection of the Olympic flame on a building. When out for our morning stroll with Fergus we saw the flame in the distance. The Olympic torch which sits in Jack Poole Plaza was lit throughout the games when Canada won gold.

The Olympic Torch in the distance - it snowed all weekend but there was very little accumulation in the city. 

More accumulation in the garden at the house.

Canada won a total of 25 Olympic medals at the Sochi Games. 10 Gold, 10 Silver and 5 Bronze. After all, the majority of the country was brought up in a land of ice and snow!

Well done Team Canada. 



Snow Shoeing at Mt. Seymour

Winter has finally provided the Vancouver area with snow and there is more to come! We were keen to hit our local mountains for some snow fun. Friday night Neil, Dave and I went to Mt. Seymour to snow shoe. The conditions were perfect. Plenty of fresh snow and clear skies with great views of Vancouver below.

We went on the trail to first pump (oops! we thought we were doing the winter route to Dog Mountain - missed the turn) for a new adventure in the dark. Dave and I with the city lights below.

 Heading back down with the city lights below - it is so nice!

 Saturday Neil and I had a good active day. We attended a Yoga class in Coal Harbour, ran on the seawall in the snow and headed back up Mt. Seymour for more snow shoeing once dark, this time to Dog Mountain. It was a winter wonderland - it was snowing heavily and -7 C. There is something magical about going out in the dark. First, no people!, the silence the snow brings and it is stunning to see the trees flocked with snow with the headlamp lighting the way. 

 Plenty of fresh powder - this is Neil's pole!

Thanks Fergus for helping with the blog!

 

Ottawa - Canada's Capital

Neil had a 2 day meeting in Ottawa this past week. We added a few more days to explore the nations capital city - it was a first visit for both of us. We've been to Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Halifax and Charlottetown but never to Ottawa. The weather was cold (for us) at minus 10 for daytime highs and down to minus 25 overnight. This was balmy compared to the minus 30 temps the city had been experiencing prior to our arrival. There was plenty of snow, 180 cm. Winterlude, Ottawa's Winter festival was on while we were there, attracting thousands of locals and visitors alike over its three week duration. Winterlude is a festival of all things winter that centers activities around the Rideau Canal. The Rideau Canal is the worlds largest skating rink. Here are some of the highlights of our visit:

The Parliament Buildings

Skating on the Rideau Canal

 

Winterlude Ice Sculptures

Canadian Flags

Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica, Ottawa. It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1990.

Cold!

Chateau Laurier

Overlooking the Rideau Canal

On the Rideau Canal at night.

24 Sussex Drive - home of the Prime Minister and his family.

 

De-icing of the plane so we could take off from the Ottawa Airport. Looking forward to a return visit to Canada's capital.

Hope you are enjoying the Olympics - Go Canada!

My Running Companion

Fergus (dog) is now over a year old. He joins us regularly during the week for shorter runs. This weekend he joined me for 2 hours on the North Shore on Saturday. Neil and Dave went ahead, Fergus and I did our own route. Sunday we ran for 1.5 hours at Hayward Lake and then another 25 minutes late in the day.  Fergus is a good trail runner - he  tackles the trail with much confidence. He has a good pace and endurance. The biggest challenge is the other dogs who are not under their owners control on the trails. We watch out for them and I do not hesitate to pick him up if the beast approaching is out of control. I think I have a new weekend trail buddy ;-)



Tim Jones Memorial - please donate to North Shore Rescue

Tim Jones, team leader of North Shore Rescue, died suddenly on Sunday evening. Tim helped save hundreds of lives over the 25 years of his volunteer career with NSR. Please help us remember his incredible contribution to our community.

https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/3gPPf/