I’ve been trying to make the most out of winter now that we’re getting into the last months of it.  Or so I hope!  So this past weekend part of my family, nine of us to be exact, headed out to our cottage for what was a long weekend.

I love going to the cottage as this is where I recharge.  It’s been in my family for thirty-three years now and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.  The winter can be a bit of a challenge though since there is no running water.  It’s winterized so we have heat but we get by without running water by filling up water jugs in town.  My hubby has rigged up a makeshift shower so we can stay for more than three days without stinking each other out.

The scenery is just gorgeous and continues to take my breath away each and every year.

My sister-in-law, my niece, their dog Oreo and our dog Maggie went for a walk on the lake and I captured them frolicking around when I came home from my run.  The dogs were running so hard you would have thought they were puppies again.  They are sisters and love being together.

Even though the weather was on the stormy side it wasn’t too cold so we took advantage of it all weekend.  Sunday afternoon we hit the ski slope (if you can call it that since it’s on the small side but great for the kids).

My son and hubby went snowboarding while my brother-in-law, sister-in-law, nephew and niece went tubing.  It was the perfect opportunity for my mother-in-law and I to go cross-country skiing.

The snow was coming down in big, white, fluffy flakes but we were having a great time.  It felt so good to get out and be active.  Plus, I really like cross-country skiing and have been doing it since I was a little girl.  Except now I have awesome skate skis and I love to challenge myself on the trails.

While we were out getting lost having fun on the trails everyone else was back at the ski hill.  We got back just in time to see them tubing.  If you haven’t been tubing before and get the chance do not pass it up.  It’s more fun than a barrel of monkeys!!  You’ll be giggling like a little school girl all the way down the hill (even if you’re not a girl).

Everyone slept well on Sunday night after all that fresh air.  I couldn’t even keep my eyes open to watch TV once the kids were in bed.  Hubby kept nudging me to get me to stop snoring.  I won in the long run!

On Monday the weather had taken a turn for the worst with the wind gusting up to 70 km/hr but we still managed to get out to the skating rink for a little while.  It’s positioned behind the curling rink and surrounded by trees on the other sides so it’s sheltered really well.  Plus, if you got cold the heated skating shack was a great place to warm up.

My hubby just started skating again last winter but you wouldn’t know it.  He’s a natural and by the looks of things I think he enjoys it.

And of course hubby’s parents love spending time with their three grand kids.

Once we were thoroughly frozen we headed back to the cottage to pack and eat a warm lunch of homemade beet borscht.

It was such a great weekend none of us really wanted to pack up and head home.  My nephew even had tears in his eyes when he found out that it was time to go.  Awww..poor guy.  But we knew we had to get a move on before it was dark because the weather was not letting up and the drive would be a dicey one.

Last year there was an ice storm in the area that snapped tree tops off as if they were candy canes.  You can still see the aftermath as you’re driving down the highway.  All the spots where you see lighter wood are where the trees broke from the weight of the ice and snow.

And don’t hit a snow bank!  It’s liable to win.

As predicted the highway was a sheet of ice.  Don’t let the pretty scenery fool you.  One wrong move and you’ll be a part of the scenery.

Just before the city there was a white out of blowing snow and you couldn’t see ten feet in front of you.  I tried to keep as quiet as a mouse so as not to make my hubby tense but I was sitting on egg shells the whole ride.  Which is saying something, since I travel the same stretch of highway over and over throughout the year and I’m not a nervous driver.

Mother Nature sure has a way of turning things around though because just as we were approaching the city the sunset was magnificent!  It was a reminder of how quickly the weather can change and how something beautiful can be found in something bad.  It was a nice way to end the weekend and a rough ride home.

 

What did you do this past weekend?  Did you get outside?