Festive Travails, er, Travels

Some random pics of our recent holiday travels, including some good old fashioned winter-type stuff in parts North. Brought back many a memory of childhood in the snowy hills. Very hectic schedule but great to see friends and family for the holidays!

This year, Santa also brought UFC 168 for Coxmas, streamed direct from the Norht Pole to John and Julie's 106" big screen. Maybe Anderson Silva will get a new leg next year if he's good, and Miesha Tate will likely once again ask for a Defence Against Dark Armbars textbook.

Arrived home after ten days away to mild temperatures, green-ish grass, and most importantly, eleven furry people accounted for.

UP NORTH

COXMAS

DOWN SOUTH

Winter Comes to Wheatley

Got home yesterday from Guelph, where I had spent several days in the grip of Winter. Luckily the drive home was merciful, and arrived to relatively spring-like conditions of no snow and temperatures just below zero. Today however, winter arrived here in earnest, as it did in most of Ontario.

Not a ton of accumulation, but certainly lots of drifting given the usual Winds of Wheatley. Had to shovel out Pennywise in his outdoor cage, and actually heaped the snow around him to insulate and also to cut the wind and drifting....a little trick I learned in my many years Up North. Also hooked him up with a new heated water bowl (thanks Cindy!), which will hopefully keep his water in liquid form throughout the winter.

Also parked the Juke out at the road so that we can leave tomorrow without shovelling out a LONG driveway.

Heaping snow for insulation

Mmmmmm, heated water bowl!

Pennywise the Content

One happy boy

Out with the old....

...and in with the NEW!

Hot water heater started leaking recently. More concerning than usual when it's in your UPSTAIRS bedroom closet.

Thought of going with tankless in-line replacement, then realized the considerable cost and poor timing of having to shut off and upgrade hydro in mid-December to install. Maybe later. For now, just replaced with smaller and newer version.