Rain Rain Rain

One minute it is -17 celsius, the next it is above freezing and pouring outside. The highways in the area this morning were an absolute glassy nightmare made worse by a layer of snowy slop on top. A good day to stay inside. This bought of ugly weather is supposed to stick with us for at least a few days so any snow we have will no doubt be gone. The high country is getting dumped on though so if you ski or snowmobile, you can be sure the snowpack is building.

Winter has set in

A calm morning at -17 C.

 Well it is a bitterly cold morning here at Columbia Ridge. The sun is shining, the ice crystals are sparkling and the temperature is biting. It is a very pretty morning mind you and the lake looks calm and peaceful. Peaceful except for the grumbling and groans that the ice is making. I thought at first it was a jet overhead but there was nothing in the sky.

Terrified of falling through ice I only stepped out onto it a few steps but it feels very solid along the shoreline. Still, I like to wait until I see vehicles out there before I go out too far.

Every year at this time I start looking at different ways to get out and play on the lake. This looks like fun don't you think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH7PH9ktkLY

Maybe this will be the year to give it a try.

Autumn

Well it has been quite some time since I last posted. Holidays, the end of Summer and other things all got in the way. Now that fall has settled nicely into the valley I thought a quick blurb on some up and coming internet changes was due. First, a shot of fall colours to brighten what is a dreary, rainy day outside.

Aspen Trees

There we go. Some sunshine and yellow leaves while I type.

If you haven't heard, there is going to be a new web page for Columbia Ridge Estates. It is currently being developed and should be up and running......sometime soon. It promises to be a bit more than a blog with more information about the community and things to do and see. Plus, all the political ongoings with the board should be available at our fingertips when everything is in place. I am looking forward to working on it with the rest of the crew and hopefully you find it useful and a go to spot for all things Columbia Ridge (realistically, where else are you going to go?). 

The Thanksgiving long weekend is just around the corner and the weather is looking okay for it. Okay in the sense that there is sunshine in the forecast with temps in the teens. Low teens but teens none the less.

It has been very quiet out here lately but I imagine people will be out this weekend to get their houses ready for what will hopefully be a really nice, white winter.

May your turkeys be juicy and tender.

Devil's Club

What is wrong with this picture?

 Or should it be...what is right with this picture?

Or is it just the dog days of summer showing their true colours. Here we are, heading into the last week of August and the place is deserted. It has been very relaxing to head down to the beach after work and literally share it with almost no one. It almost seems a shame to see the landscape void of human activity yet at the same time, pretty darned nice.

I am guessing that is going to change for the next few weekends with awesome weather continuing for the next week at the very least. Get out and enjoy. May the lake be glassy in the morning for all of the boaters and breezy in the afternoon for the sailors.

Watermelon vs Beans

I mean really, if you had to choose, which would you choose first? Watermelon of course. Nothing quite beats biting into a big chunk of watermelon on a hot summer's evening. Beans? They are kind of chewy with a weird texture and of course we all know what happens when they go through your system.

This train of thought is brought to you by the battle of the most awesome salads at the BBQ this past weekend. Apparently, my describing of the awesome watermelon salad I was planning to bring spurred Sandy to come in with her even more awesome bean salad. Who was the ultimate winner?

I think everyone was. It was quite a feast with a huge smorgasbord of salads and desserts that kept people coming back for more.  As far as bean vs watermelon, there was a fair bit of watermelon salad left over. I can only attribute that to it having been placed so far down the table that plates were full by the time people reached it. Undoubtedly an evil ploy, cleverly crafted by Sandy herself. Of course the picture below tells the true tale as Sandy prepares for a flavour sensation.

Mmm. Yummy Watermelon

Special thanks to all of the cooks who slaved away making the burgers while we all filled our faces.

Craig monitors the burgers

Russ and Donna getting ready to cook.

The big bouncy dragon castle was a big hit with the kids. I know I sure wanted to go in and bounce around.  Of course the bigger kids made it look more like a slam dancing mosh pit. All it was missing was a bit of punk rock music to make the slam fest complete. Fortunately, alternating big kids and small kept the carnage to a minimum.

Big bouncy fun.

And what BBQ wouldn't be complete without a bunch of cute kids dancing around and looking adorable.

The next Dancing with the Stars stars.

Older and taller, the girl of my dreams!

Special thanks to everyone who made this BBQ a success. There was a great turnout from everyone in the community and I think everyone really enjoyed themselves. Cheers.

Lions, Tigers and Bears Oh No!

Just a note that a cougar was spotted north of Columbia Ridge traveling through the corridor between Spirits Reach and here. So if it isn't bears its cats. It was no doubt just down getting a drink from the lake and is back in the boonies once again. Just be careful out there.

Big BBQ Weekend

Where does the time go? Here it is, already Thursday with another weekend just around the corner. It looks like the weather is going to hold with nothing but sunshine in the forecast and warm temperatures. It has been clouding over here in the afternoon (coinciding with when I get off work it seems) but the winds haven't been as nasty (or awesome depending on your point of view) as they were this past weekend.

The BBQ Bash is on course for Saturday night. I am making a frigging awesome watermelon salad that is so darned yummy I could eat it all myself. Of course, now that I hyped it up, it won't live up to expectations! Hope you enjoy it anyways.

See you on Saturday!