what?! We have been in Victoria now for some time. Vince has been studying non-stop but took a much needed study break. and I have been living a life of leisure. I took a gardening course and a weaving course and then I took a self employment course - all excellent choices. I also make really good granola.

Are we still North?

Can we still count? We moved to Victoria, BC. We are now living in farmland.

We sold most of our belongings at our garage sale held on our deck and left Prince Rupert on September 10 by ferry.

Can we still tell stories from the North? Why do I (sometimes we) blog? Is it to jar my memory of where we have gone and where we will yet go...?

Good hiking and did I say GOOD FOOD?

We ate gourmet meals on our trip in the back country from the book - "Fork in the Trail". With our dehydrator anything was possible.

Train to Civilization

Though we feel that it was more civilized in the woods - needless to say we came back to Skagway by train after emerging from the forest at the end of our trail. We had just enough rations left for our train ride back!

BULL-O-RAMA - Kitimat, June 12

Drive to a neighboring town called Kitimat and buy your ticket for BULL-O-RAMA (the name alone had me sold) taking place in the Tamitik (Kitimat spelled backwards) Arena. Watch real cowboys try for an 8 second ride to fame on bulls such as Van Helsing weighing in at 1800 lbs. No one could ride him for long. YEE-HAW! See the videos fer yerself:

A Weekend Getaway to our Neighbour Towns

Walks in the forest, a farmer's market, a canyon and more. Okay of course I was most impressed with BULL-O-RAMA but who wouldn't be!

A Weekend Adventure

Take the train from Prince Rupert to Smithers through forests and tunnels, and rivers and old settlements....meet up with some girls who befriended me at the civic centre. Go to a cabin in the woods and snowshoe to a lake! Or GT race at 9pm and it is still day light! Oh yeah, and eat copious amounts of sugar and decadent food the whole weekend!

THE NEW ROOF

It has finally happened - we are getting a new roof! After a very long wait - because it is hard to get someone to come and do your roof and the waitlists are soooo long - the new roof is happening! Check it out! Friends Dave and Shawn stop long enough for a flex pose and Aaron continues to smoke his pipe even while on the roof!

the lime green bike

Okay, I have the coolest bike now in the whole world! Vince remade this bike for me as an early one year wedding anniversary gift! I picked the colour for the bike. In 2007 we were on our way to a Van Tongeren family reunion in 100 mile house and as we whizzed by Clinton I saw the bike and bought it for $40.00! It was in a wretched state of disrepair and painted over with black paint.....and now - well see for yourself!!

The Lizard Costume

Yeah, yeah yeah, I know you have heard me going on about the lizard costume that I was making every waking moment outside of work. I didn't just make one by the way, but two for Harbour Theatre's production of Edward Albee's Seascape. It was too nice outside to be stuck indoors every weekend making the costumes so I solved that problem!!