Christmas time!

Sarah and I have finished all our shopping and wrapping about a week ago, and now we're basking in the easy to do last minute stuff like cooking, hiking, and napping. Well, actually, Sarah is watching some insipid interview with our fearless and intrepid prime minister. But the fact remains, we're maxin' and relaxin' around here.
If you didn't receive a Christmas card from us, this is the picture we sent:
If somehow we missed you, well, it was a tragic oversight...








Have a terrific Christmas (or holiday of choice) and all the best in the new year.

Rémi & Sarah

Environmental Destruction!

BC is a terrific place. It prides itself on its stunning scenery and its pristine and inviolate wilderness. But look in virtually any direction and you see government sponsored destruction (it isn't illegal if you have a permit).
Take for instance the loggers: They chop down old growth forests, taking with it important habitat for a number of endangered species. As if that weren't enough, they illegally chop trees down right to the edge of salmon bearing streams and rivers, causing erosion and further habitat destruction.

Figure 1. Clearcuts and burning woodpiles.






Then you might think the damage is done and over with. But no, the logs are then placed in waterways, where bark falls to the bottom and obliterates anything that may have once been alive. They travel like this all along the coast where they're delivered to pulp and paper mills, which are another story altogether.

Figure 2. Log booming on the mighty Fraser River. Salmon swim through here every year.





Figure 3. Sunken boats rotting in the water.






Anyhow, that's my rant. Come visit us in "the most beautiful place on earth", we'll show you some cool stuff. Not all of it will be ugly.

Rémi

Christmas tree!

So this year we couldn't go and cut down our own Christmas tree, but we still got a real one. Remi bought it yesterday at Ikea (it actually came with a gift certificate!) and we decorated last night.

Here are a few pictures. Had a little trouble with our old tree stand. We were unable to MickeyMouse it (the tree trunk was too big), so we had to buy a new stand. From then on though, it was smooth sailing :)

Hikes!

It's been a while since my last post, but I've been busy, and Sarah hogs the computer because of "school". But I'm here, at last. Things are going great out here. We've had one sunny day in the last month & 300+mm of rain (that's a lot... 3x average), the computer is dying, I had to replace the battery in the car, and now the brakes are on the fritz. 'Tis the season.
Despite it all, we're still having fun. We went to Cypress Falls yesterday for a little hike, and it turned out to be a lot of fun. The weather held and we had a good time, despite the fact that Sarah always complains about having to walk uphill (she chose the wrong province I think, perhaps southern Saskatchewan would be more appropriate). We only ran into one other person and it makes me happy that I don't have to run into everyone and their brother when I want a quiet hike.

Sarah just got home, so I'll break the news to her about the ABS... Yay me.

Remi