Winter Wonderland

Yet another cold snap.... it has me reminiscing of my real winter experience.  When Colin and I were falling head over heals in love with each other, I moved to Canada for a year.  What an experience!  I wouldn't trade it for the world.  It was a leap of faith that showed my love, it was a way to understand Colin's Canadian background, to experience the world he lived in, it was an experience of living in a different country and making lots of new friends.  Although we've ended up down south, I can completely relate to him and where he comes from because I've experienced it and met the people behind the stories.  We really lived it up that year and packed in so much fun in such and amazing place and such a short time.  
Taking a walk around his parent's land. It was a beautiful day and we trekked for about 2 to 3 hours.

Skating (with my own ice skates... who would have thunk it.... this little southern girl has her very own ice skates) on a pond at the ski resort after a day on the slopes.

At the top of the hill. This was the coldest I've ever experienced. It was -45 at the top that day. The snow was up to our hips... you sure didn't want to step out of your skiis. The next day they closed the hill because it was -61!!!

Colin and I after a wonderful Scandinavian spa treatment. We actually jumped into a river that evening as part of the treatment. Our friend who went with us had to break a layer of ice that had formed on top of the river. Now remember, rivers run... do you know how cold it has to be to freeze running water!?! I guess that makes us kin to the Polar Bear Club.

Skating on the Ottawa Canal, the longest outdoor skating in the world. I had never skated on natural, ungroomed ice before. It certainly has its own challenges. This is what I would do for exercise some days when Colin went to work.