Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!

Well, what a dramatic day it's been in Canadia...

First, a Florida Panthers hockey player had his throat slashed by a teammates ice skate last night leaving a trail of gushing blood on the ice as he raced to the sideline for treatment.

After emergency surgery to repair his carotid artery (wow Grey's Anatomy does teach you something after all!) he's now in a stable condition in hospital thank goodness.

I've attached the clip below for those who'd like to see, but I must warn you it's very gory and not for the faint hearted or squeamish, so please don't watch it if that's you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSbvfA8qgI4&feature=related


Secondly, I've learned that winter here can be beautiful and fun and it's not always this cold in Canada. Apparently, this is the COLDEST winter they've had the last THIRTY years!!

They didn't even get any snow last year until January. In fact, we had more snow fall during one weekend in December than they had the entire winter last year! Now that I know that, I feel quite excited... and so priviledged to experience something so unique :)

We've had a constant barrage of snow storms since early December and yet more hit every couple of days, so the snow never melts and just gets deeper and deeper... and deeper!

Here's a video link of what the snow was like in December - then imagine how deep it is now...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LnKbx-OnyE

Now that I know these conditions aren't normal and that they haven't really had snow here in 30 years it's actually quite exciting to be able to experience something so extreme... it's just doing the day to day things that become challenging, but then I guess that's also what makes it such a very, very unique experience :)

Which is cool because I don't think there's too many other places in the world I will ever, EVER experience this again, at least maybe not in another 30 years anyway :) So in a funny way, I actually feel quite lucky to have been here this year... well I mean if we didn't have the drastic weather conditions it might have been very much like New Zealand.

Certainly more liveable, but not half as fun and I'm DEFINITELY not going to forget this winter in a hurry! Like they say after all...

It's the unexpected things that happen on your travels which you remember forever :)

So instead of whinging about the cold from no on I've resolved to make the most of it! I hadn't realised that this is something really unique that I may not get to experience again in a long time and I'm sure glad I have before it's over...

That means this weekend, we'll be bundling ourselves up and heading outdoors to make snow men and throw ourselves in the huge piles of white fluffy stuff - yee haaa! Seriously, there are mounds of it taller than I am - just wait till I get some pics!

And it's a pretty crazy experience driving on the stuff too I tell ya. It's been really deep lately coz we've had sooo much snow that they just can't clear all of the roads in time. In fact, there's been so many accidents that the rental car company almost had no cars left when we got back coz they contract out loan cars to the insurance companies!

Below is a link to a You Tube video showing you just how wrong it can go when you're driving on snow...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npTRXr4Sgxg&feature=related

The video link below is quite good for showing you just how deep the snow is! And what I mean about having to dig the car out....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl99TrSvlwc&feature=related

And this one shows what can happen if you're not too careful to drive in already made tracks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jeozKVQZT8&feature=related


The news tonight just had a report of yet another huge pile up due to conditions involving 68 cars! There was one the other to the north of where we live which involved 100 cars! They were all going along the highway and then a snow squall hit causing white out conditions, so no one can see anything.

I'm kinda nervous about having to go to Toronto tomorrow afternoon knowing there's snow on the way, but it's not due till later in the day, and I always seem to have good luck, so I'm hoping it will be just fine.

One things for sure - it really is turning into quite an ADVENTURE living here though!

Stay warm guys and here's just a few more videos to show you what life's like here for now...

Love HEAPS!

A Frozen, but mesmerized, Fernleaf :)

p.s. sorry if my obsession with the snow is boring anyone, but it's probably the only thing I'll be writing about for awhile :)