Mmmmm is for maple!

We always say that food completes an experience for us! I am going to try to record all the different maple foods we come across (and invariably try!) This post will be an ongoing one, I think!

• Maple syrup (light and full)
• Mr Maple cookies (these are Phoebe's favourites!)
• Maple baked beans
• Maple bacon
• Maple syrup pie (Someone please tell me the health benefits of maple so I can justify this one! It's delicious!)
• Maple breakfast sausages
• Maple ham

Mmmmore to come!

NorKam Open Night

Frank and Phoebe in the Graphics rooom



Frank, Phoebe and Liam in the art room with the students' work of the day



Frank's school, NorKam Secondary, had their Open Night last night so Liam, Phoebe and I went along to have a look. The school looked great and there were lots of interesting classroom and extra-curricular displays and friendly staff to talk to. Things that I haven't seen in a school before included a full hairdressing salon/classroom (that seats about 12 clients and is open to the public!!), Automotive Workshop, a drafting studio and a very large cafeteria!

We did well on the cakewalk...see below!



The Automative Workshop



Liam with the cake we won on the cakewalk! (It's a NorKam cake!)





Downtown Kamloops

On Tuesday Liam, Phoebe and I set off downtown in the local bus. The bus stop is out the front of our house, which is great! The trip downtown took about 25 mins, and it was nice to be able to see what was out there. (I'm usually totally focussed on driving and making sure I am on the correct side of the road!)


Crossing the foot bridge.



After another good lunch at Senor Froggy we wandered up to Victoria St. It is a pretty street with specialty shops. So after a wander we walked across the footbridge over the train tracks to Riverside Park. In the warmer weather this will be a great spot to be, with a beach, water play park and grassy areas. There are also a number of playgrounds and we gave them a good go. The local wildlife - geese.



Looking up the river in the direction of our place.



Near Riverside Park there is a Japanese sister city park and the main arena for the town, where the local Blazers (ice hockey) team play, which is called the Interior Savings Centre. We are looking forward to catching a game there soon.



My superhero at Riverside Park.



Tonight Frank's school, NorKam Secondary, is having an Open Night so Liam, Phoebe and I will go over there a bit later on. I'm looking forward to the cake walk!!!

More on our everyday life and surroundings to come!





Geese!

 

Happy Valentine's Day!



Liam with all his Valentine's Day loot from school!

Today is Valentine's Day, and we have enjoyed a different experience to usual.

At school, all the children made cards for the other students in the class. Liam was prepared with his 'Cars' Valentine's Day cards with lollipops, with great messages such as 'I'm head over wheels for you' and 'You make my heart race'. His teacher made the class cupcakes for their snack, and they filled their Valentine's bags with cards, lollies, and little presents they received from their class mates such as pencils, bookmarks, stickers and even a donut!

When I dropped Liam off at school, little kids (not yet school age) were wandering around giving out little Valentine's Day pictures to people they knew.


At home we are having a special dinner and cards all around in our attempt to experience all that is Canadian culture!



Our Valentine's dinner



Yum!







Our cherubs!



Happiness is......a snow-free driveway?




Grandma's socks in action!



We have returned from a lovely weekend away with some of the other exchange teachers at Manning Park Resort, a ski resort about 3 hours from here near the Canada/US border.

It has been another weekend of great snow and snow-related experiences!

Last week Frank and I got ourselves fitted out for snow activity, and with Liam and Phoebe already sorted we headed off after school on Friday. Last weekend's driving experience was still in my head. We had a great run during daylight hours with easy driving. We made a stop at Merritt (the Country music capital of Canada!) for petrol and on we went. It seemed that as soon as the sun set we hit snow, and the fresh snow combined with what was already on the road, large trucks and very poor visibility made for another hair raising adventure! We made it, though, and were happy to calm our nerves with a nice drink with friendly faces!

We set out to Beaver Pond in snow shoes

 

A creek we walked along



Saturday morning we decided to try snow shoeing. This was a huge success for us! We wandered down to a place called Beaver Pond, but the pond was under snow (that was getting deeper as we snow-shoed!) so we couldn't see it. The walk through the magnificent scenery in the snow was great and the pine trees covered in snow were beautiful. Phoebe hitched a ride in a pulk that Frank and I shared the pulling of. It reminded me of our Shiida reindeer and Santa experience!



Stopping for a break



We think Beaver Pond is under here??



We had hoped to go skating but the snow got quite thick and we decided to stay indoors. On Saturday night we had a great meal with a beautiful Okanagan Pinot Gris at the restaurant and caught up with other teachers' experiences.

 

Al and Liam with Phoebe in the pulk



The snow kept falling, and we were thinking of our return drive to Kamloops. We figured it had to be better in the daytime........

and it was! We had a great trip home.

We learnt two more things about driving in the snow.


Phoebe hard at it!



One is that you need to get the snow off your roof before you take off. We had a good 3 or 4 inches on the top of ours, and when it started to melt and we braked, it all came down onto the windscreen! We got a fright!

The other is that cars get really dirty driving on slushy roads. When I say dirty, I mean that we could only see out through part of the windscreen, the rest of the car and windows being covered! Unfortunately our special anti-freeze windscreen washer liquid ran out half way home, so we had to rely on picking up water splashed up from other cars, and quickly using the wipers to clear a space for us to see. It was crazy.

So we returned safely to Todd Rd. I was delighted and relieved to find the driveway clear, clean and ready for the coming week!



 

Frank, Liam and Phoebe sneaking past the bear!



A close-up of the ice in the banks of the creek





An icy weekend



The fold out ice fishing tent

It is Sunday night and we have had a great weekend, with plenty of snow activity!

    

checking for a lost fishing rod.....

 

Yesterday Frank was taken ice fishing by his colleague, Mike, and his brother, Gary. They drove out of town some way to set up for the long haul. Gary has a special sled which converts into a tent with seats so the fishers can keep warm and also see down into their holes (ice holes, that is). Frank was able to cut his own ice hole, but none of them had any luck. Frank came home with some spoils from one of Mike's previous fishing and hunting expeditions. We are having roast venison for tea tomorrow night!

 

Frank's (glowing!)  ice hole



Gary and Mike cutting their ice holes



Valentine's Day is coming up and at school the children all give each other cards. In preparation for this we bought a class set of cards (with teacher card included) for this very purpose. They are bilingual, and Liam chose the set based on the characters from 'Cars'. This week they will be making a box at school in which to collect their cards on the 14th.





 

We had a great day outdoors today sledding and playing in the snow. There is a playground and park just a few doors from our house, and we met one of Frank's colleagues, Joel, and his son, Cameron, there for sledding. It was great! I think I was the one who got the biggest kick out of it! (Unbelievable, I know.)

The race is almost on.....we lost.....



I did it!



Then we went back out to the dairy for some more play and to see the cows being milked. They milk 60 cows twice a day. Liam really enjoyed checking the temperature of the milk and helping Laura, Reid's mum, drain the bottles into the tank.

Frank and the little thrill seeker



 



It snowed all day today and the drive home from the dairy at about 3.30 was our worst so far. It was very slippery and very difficult to control the car. Frank did a great job. I would have parked the car and had the family walk home in the snow!!! This evening I heard our driveway being shovelled, and on investigation we found Tom and his son, Ian, shovelling it for us! We had thought we would do it tomorrow, but apparently it would have been very heavy by tomorrow, so they came around to do it. It was so kind of them. We still have a lot to learn about this winter business!!



Liam in the milking pit



 



The view from the passenger's seat on the way home





Snow, skates, slips and cider!

Phoebe ready for the cold.


It is Friday afternoon of our first full week. We are enjoying our winter wonderland and the kindness of everyone we meet! The people in Kamloops are very relaxed, friendly and helpful!

Frank has been enjoying his new workplace, colleagues and students and is, as I write, enjoying an end of the week drink with his colleague, Mike. (Good to see some things never change!)



Liam in his groundhog headdress!



Liam has had a FULL week at school, with library time, indoor golf lessons, groundhog day and skating! He is enjoying his class, his lovely teacher, Mrs Machuk, and doing homework. Skating was a little daunting, but he is willing to try again, so we will see how we go!!



Liam taking a break from his skating.





Liam starts his first homework.



 

Blackwell Dairy with skating area dug out from the snow.



 

Liam enjoyed a playdate at his friend Adam's house on Wednesday, and they spent a lot of time playing outdoors in the snow. This afternoon Liam was invited to skate at another friend's house. Reid has a pond that is frozen and good for skating. When we arrived we discovered Reid's family runs the local dairy, Blackwell Dairy, and we were in a fantastic location for all things outdoors! Liam did some sledding and enjoyed playing in the snow, and Phoebe enjoyed being taken around to see the cows in a toboggan with Reid's little sister, Emily. We enjoyed cooking hotdogs over the open fire for lunch. It really was a great day and the weather was clear and mild. It was such a beautiful location and the company was great.



Liam heads off!

 

Liam arrives at the bottom

 

Princess Phoebe in her chariot.

 



Hot dogs!



This weekend we plan to explore the city centre a little more, check out the gallery and get a few more winter provisions before we head to Manning Park next weekend for a ski weekend with the other exchange teachers in BC.

 

I am about to crack open a local Okanagan Valley White Cranberry and Peach Cider. Cheers!