Was that winter?

A quick update on Canadian winter for those of you living in another country (or in BC, where you mostly just get rain, right? ;-) ) It was certainly a mild one, but a good first winter as a family.

Highlights:

• sledding, or sliding, whatever you call it, with some Saudi friends. They loved it! Said they're more used to sliding down sand dunes in 4x4s!
• hot chocolate after cross-country skiing
• saying 'It's warm today' when it's -10C or above... makes a change from -20.
• getting lost while skiing on a frozen lake with my wife, coming back the 'scenic route'
• snowball fights with our sons - this was their first white winter
• snow shoveling - it's good exercise and about the only way I meet the neighbours!
• skating along the river in Winnipeg (see first pic below)
• day trips to camp. (second pic) Undisturbed snow and lots of animal tracks. Walking on the lake ice with international students and seeing them get nervous at the ice groaning

Lowlights:
Now we're getting into the big thaw already, and the streets are filling up with slush and melted snow;
meltwater from the roof drips onto the drive and freezes at night