What's with the weather?

OK we took the long drive back from Whistler today leaving the snow behind us - or so we thought! Turns out there was snow everywhere from Vancouver to Seattle..... This has been one strange year.

We got home fine despite the strange weather. Stopped in Vancouver at several bookstores and picked up a couple more batches of paperbacks to add to the collection.

The birds and fish are all fine of course and I found that the Discus have free swimming fry! I had taken out all the rams from that tank and put some slate in and I noticed they laid eggs before we left for the ski trip. They seem to be holding their own even though there are a number of corrys and bristle nose plecos in there with them. I took out the third discus to give them a little more chance at making it. So far the parents are doing a great job. They sure have come a ways since their emaciated discus days.

Looking out at Whistler Snow

Sitting here in the local free wireless coffee place at Whistler futzing with the blog and reading email. Thanks to the folks at Blenz for letting us sit here snarfing wireless and electricity and not coincidentally drink coffee and eat carrot cake.... Outside it has been snowing off and on and the webcam up top shows lots of new snow. Sinan and I are way to knackered to go out again today though. Jocelyn and Nick should have a great time in the new snow tomorrow.

Swoosh Swoosh

Second day at Whistler and we headed up Blackcomb mountain today. Conditions are decidedly spring skiing. There are sections of ice, sections of slush, the whole range....

Sinan had  a short day yesterday on Whistler mountain and had to go down to the village before us since he was having problems with altitude and breathing. I caught up with him back at the hotel after a couple more runs in the clouds. Whistler mountaintop was really whiteout conditions. It freaked me out several times since I could not see more than 10 feet in front of me. Luckily we were in areas where there where orange markers for the edge of the ski area so we just followed them down out of the clouds.

Anyway today we headed up Blackcomb and the weather was clearer we even got sunshine. Unfortunately the run down from the top started on a section of really bad ice and Sinan wore himself out fighting it. I was not too happy with it either and my butt is really unhappy with the hardness of the snow up here! After we made it down that bit we realized that Sinan was going to need rest and possibly a helicopter to get down! I finally sent off Nick and Jocelyn and got Sinan to get up and walk a bit. He started walking down so I kicked off my board and carried skies and board down behind him. Pretty soon Nick and Jocelyn came by again with Nick's friend who kindly put Sinan's skis on his pack and head off to where Sinan was. He got him to ski down some more and pretty soon we got down to a chair where we could head on down a cat track while the rest of them went up the chair. That began an epic cat track run/hike. We had to stop a lot and let Sinan's legs stop shaking and we alternated walking and riding/skiing. I did manage to perfect my goofy foot forward riding since my normal turns where towards the cliff and trees. I also managed to learn how to turn 360s on the snow..... Pretty cool. My legs at this point are pretty much worthless though. 

We did eventually make it down to a chair lift which could take us down to the bottom. We got off walked across the street and sat down in the bar and had water beer and veggie burgers. That helped a lot! Walking back tot the hotel was a bit of a trial but getting there and hitting the shower was heaven! 

"Minky" the Axolotl

This was the weekend of the GSAS auction - I was uncharacteristically restrained this year but I did well in my mission to revamp the boxes of water at the house. I got rid of all the Bolivian Rams I have raised up over the last few years - They are great fish and I highly recommend them! But I wanted to delve in to different species and I especially wanted to set up a tank for a mudskipper. I saw them a few weeks ago at a shop in West Seattle. I want to set up a species tank for one! One thing I could not resist though was a very cute little axolotl. He has been dubbed "Minky" by a friend who had pointed the species out to me some time back....