Winter is back. -20 degrees C today, but alas with the cold temperatures comes the beautiful light. Our days are much shorter now. Sunrise is at 9:39 AM, sunset at 3:59 PM. Getting ready for Christmas. All away parcels have been mailed so just intown to do. Only two more classes at college, then I'm done for now. If you're reading this Michele, thanks for your postcard. New Zealand sounds wonderful. If anyone else is travelling, please be aware I would much rather receive a postcard than an invoice in the mail. 

Yes, I was there too, but difficult to take the picture and be in it as well. 

Book club was here on the weekend. Two couldn't make it for various reasons, but those that were there did the Christmas ornament exchange and ate the best appies. Funnily, our conversation fell once again to the Life of Pi, a book we read many many moons ago and still talk about. 

...but did hit that international trade fair (forget it's name) downstairs in the CYO Hall. Here I found real Peruvians (who will be staying in town for 3 weeks and playing music at Zola's Coffee House in a couple of weeks) (I should have asked them if they knew Rusbel the little World Vision boy I supported for many years - but alas I forgot). Now that I was in the Christmas spirit, came home and (as there were no movies playing in town that I wanted to see except for the new Harry Potter movie, but wouldn't stand in LINE with the young ones) I made some Christmas cookies, which I will serve at book club next week at my house.

Spruce Bog was once again at F.H. Collins High School. It was more crafts than art, although I did purchase one Christmas gift there. It still is a great place to meet all the people you know in town though. So a trip through this venue, then off to Midnight Sun & General Store, as they were having their open house (with nibblies), Westmark Hotel as they were having the home business fair, (missed the Java Connection with the quilting fair, but did hit ...

First stop, Bakkerei (sp?) Kaffee Haus- you know the one in Horwood's Mall that no one can spell - to meet Brenda and start the excursion with some sustenance - a most delicious scone in the whole world and a cup of fair trade coffee.

Did have my camera with me this time, and as all the now melted, thought I'd show you the aftermath of the fire at Midnight Sun Coffee House. Standing by it, you can still smell the burnt timber.

November 19th -- Spruce Bog day! It must be the Christmas season, as this is THE day for arts & craft sales. Up early (relatively speaking) and drove downtown. Our winter weather has turned to spring. From -15 degrees celcius to +4! It rained last night, then froze, now it is warm again. The streets and sidewalks are shiny ice. But it is Spruce Bog day, so we plug on. All the cars are so dirty you cannot tell what colour they are. Here I am on my drive downtown.

Semi-arid you say??? It hasn't stopped snowing all month. I shovel every day. I have already levelled the tops of the flower boxes in this picture and again the snow has piled up. I think we are in for a winter like last year. And we have already had lower than normal temperatures. So winter is here and the snow makes it look like Christmas - very helpful to me as I try to assemble gifts to send south. Spruce Bog is next Saturday, and soon I will start baking the Christmas cookies. "Oooo, the weather outside is frightful....."  

In the wee hours of Nov 9, this was the scene downtown. Midnight Sun Coffee Roasters & The Nest (used furniture store) went up in flames. I drove past that afternoon (on the way to the dentist - yuck) and wished I had my camera. Both buildings were completely demolished by the fire - only black charred rubble on the ground. I drove by the next day WITH my camera, but enough snow fell that it looked like a little hill, so I didn't bother snapping a pic. (For you "old timers" reading this, this was the sight of the Pepsi bottling plant.)