May 6, 2015 - 久しぶり！I haven't been travelling this year, so not much to write.. With construction of the basement in progress (and still in progress...) plus working in the busiest emergency department in the city, 2015 travel plan has to be put on hold. Yes... I have to endure Saskatchewan winter ...... the seemingly neverending winter... that finally ended! This winter was quite pleasant I should say..... maybe a sign that I finally gotten used to Saskatchewan winter.... I guess it took over a decade to get used to :D.
Saskatchewan considered one of the places in Canada to have harsh winter. Winter started early in Saskatchewan and ALWAYS ended late. Average temperature in the winter time in Saskatchewan is -20 C to -30 C, most times not taking into account the windchill which could make the weather considerably colder than it should be, for example, when it's windy, actual temperature is -20 but the wind chill made it felt like -35 C.
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| This picture was taken on Christmas morning, looks really beautiful with all the frost on the tree but oh myyy..... it was a numbing almost -50C with the windchill (-_-) .... but pretty...... |
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| We also have frequent snow.... not too much at a time ... but frequent. The first snow fall is my favorite. Especially when it was not too cold yet for the water in the pond to freeze. It really reminded me of my trip to Nikkou, a place just outside of Tokyo. |
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| Another thing that I love the most in the winter is when we get the winter frost. Usually happened when there's quite a bit of humidity in the air and the sun is not shining (which is my favorite weather.... gloomy :D). When the weather is cloudy and gloomy, and everything covered in frost, winter looks so beautiful (did not feel beautiful though :D.... just dress warm!) |
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| When your parents said 'If you gonna do something do it right from the first place so you don't have to do it again' is very true .... if you never experience snow :D . |
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| So after getting your snowblower out (which snowblower should be a subsidized item in any wintery place :D) and did a splendid job of clearing snow from your driveway (and hopefully kind enough to do the neighbor's too just like what this guy always do) just as your parents taught you, the next day you could wake up to...... |
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| This...... |
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| Or this..... |
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| Despite the pain of superfreezing long winter I think winter in Saskatchewan is beautiful. As the prairie is flat, all you can see is white...... as far as your eyes can see. And nothing more beautiful than winter sunset..... I think (^^) |
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| I did went for a small trip with a friend to Waskesiu, just 2 hours north of Saskatoon, pass the town of Prince Albert, towards Prince Albert National Park. The scenery on the way there was beautiful, everything was frosty that morning, and the slightest fog all along the way.... the weather was gloomy.... ohh... my favorite kind of weather (^^).... |
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| Until the sun started to peek out...... (-_-) (I hate the sun) |
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| ... and there goes the sparkly frost.... still looks beautiful though |
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| We went to Waskesiu for dog sledding. To my surprise, these dogs are way stronger and way smaller than I expected them to be. The company we chose for this excursion was Sundog. Its a small business run by the owner himself and two mushers. This is picture of one of the dog that retired already.... and he's fixed..... so he gets to hang out with the ladies :D |
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| From now on just pictures of cute dogs (^^). One of the musher told me that these are Alaskan huskies, they're not pure bred but still selected breeding. She prefers Alaskan huskies for their speed and endurance, compared to Siberian huskies. Oh yess...... these guys proved that for sure! Pulling the three of us (well.... we're not the heaviest people but still... :D) they were running like there's nothing to pull! And endurance.... even after one run they still wants to pull us some more...... what a good way to go to places I think, save some gas, decrease pollution (other than the occasional doggy poo which is environmentally friendly so that's okay) and the dogs gets to do what they love the most... running! |
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| I am so amazed of their strength... considering their sizes... definitely not the biggest dog around |
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| This is the look we get when we stop them....... especially by the leader.... always gave us dirty look when we stop (-_-). |
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| So, The 15 years I've been living in Saskatchewan, I learn one valuable lesson, is never to take things for granted... really... not even the weather. The thing is, in April, one day you could get the most gorgeous weather, spring had sprung, the birds are chirping, the ducks are back and saying hello to everyone from the sky, the bulbs you planted last year had sprouted and emerged from the ground gracefully, then by evening of the same day.... |
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| ..... somehow you are surrounded by that annoying white stuff again.... |
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| ..... and woke up to this the next morning........ and being thankful if you don't have to go to work..... or cursing and swearing as you shovel the heavy wet snow because you are ten minutes late to work.... |
Then 2 days later as if nothing ever happened....... back to spring again... :D
Saskatchewan winter is crispy, and to those who lives in places where winter is equal to our summer, saskatchewan seems like a terrible place to be in the winter. No one (including myself who grew up in the tropical) could ever imagine how -40 C feels until they actually here to enjoy it. It took me ... well, I guess around a decade to really appreciate the beauty of winter in Saskatchewan, and learn not to take anything for granted, as just like the weather, things could turn around unexpectedly.... a valuable lesson I learn halfway across the world from my home.
