Showing posts with label Winter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Winter. Show all posts

18 March 2016

Five Minute Friday ~ Surprise


A few weeks back, the entire elementary half of the school my crew attends had a "Winter Outing." The fifth and sixth grades had the option of skiing; 4th grade on down went tubing. And of course, they was need of parents to accompany. 

You'd better believe I signed up, ASAP! I love winter, I love being outside and I love hanging out with my kids and this would be a two for one field trip.

Boy, was I surprised when we walked out to the tubing "hill."

Because back in Oklahoma, where I grew up, a hill that size was called a mountain.

In Michigan, where I'd most recently lived and have done pretty much the only skiing I'd ever done, a hill like that was for skiing, not tubing.

In Niger, where I've probably spent the most recent bulk of my "adult-ish" life, well... we had sand dunes, not mountains... and certainly no snow.

This tubing hill even had its own "tube" lift!


That's M&M in the tube right above me.

Only pictures from the bottom and on the ride up... I deemed it "risky behavior" to pull my phone aka camera out anywhere near the top of that tubing hill. :-)

This was one of the better photos that actually gives
a bit of perspective as to the size and slope of these hills!

We had so much fun and believe me, as soon as we get the opportunity, we will go back with the fam!

So it isn't bare toes on a lawn chair on the beach or beside a pool
(like so many friends have been posting).
But hey, when you live in Quebec and its time for Spring Break,
you do the best with what you've got.
THIS was surprisingly AWESOME!

12 January 2014

~ celebrating 19 years ~

Nearly a week away, just the two of us...

Taking off in a little white pickup truck and heading north...

Where we visited one of our most favorite cities... 

and undoubtedly one of the most drastically different environments from Niger...

We walked slipped and slid...

We enjoyed the Christmas lights...

We shopped ducked into stores to warm up...

We caught up with friends we've not seen in several years...

We drank hot chocolate at an indoor café...

We ate traditional fare at a super yummy restaurant...

We had lots of time to talk and visit...

Delightful!


Any
guesses?

31 August 2010

"Lost" Photos ~ SIXTEEN ~ My Fave Kitchen Project throughout our Whole Furlough Year

Mini gingerbread houses that perch right on the edge of your coffee mug!
SO.MUCH.WORK...

...but SO.MUCH.FUN!

I'll definitely do it again... maybe even this Christmas, but divide it into two sessions... and start much earlier, like in the afternoon!

17 February 2010

HIP HIPPO-RAY

Staring out the window, looking at all that snow on the ground, tired of coats and a little bored with sledding, scraping the car and shoveling the driveway (and the snow volume hasn't been nearly as high here this winter as it was last year when I was without hubby and very pregnant, but that's an aside to which I will add that I do think it has been colder this year)... Well, it makes us remember warmly the advantages of living on the backside of the desert: short sleeves year round... a sandbox anytime you desire digging... regular pilgrammages to the pool, lots of sunshine through harmattan skies... no real concerns regarding activity cancellation due to weather incooperation... lots of lizards and other incredible critters... So, in reaction to a nudge of nostalgia, we thought we'd repost this glimpse of our "other" earthly home! Hope you enjoy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hippos are huge, fascinating, sometimes scary and dangerous animals. ...[Here are] some photos from a boat trip we took [back in June, 2007] to see the Niamey "locals" - a pod of hippos that are generally found in the vicinity. Thanks to our colleagues, Bob & Lois Gillespie for graciously sharing these photos with us ... as you can see, Tim & I had our hands full ... without a camera and Elsie hadn't yet made her official debut!

DEPARTING

SILHOUETTED BOATMAN AS WE SEARCH FOR HIPPOS

FRIENDS OF OURS WHO JOINED US ON OUR EXPEDITION

WE ARE LOOKING OFF TO OUR RIGHT, LOOKING AT THE POD OF HIPPOS
JUST RECENTLY SPOTTED!

LONG VIEW

AND A LITTLE CLOSER

THESE CREATURES HAVE BIG MOUTHS

REALLY, REALLY BIG MOUTHS WITH BIG "TEETH"

OOOOH- WE DIDN'T REALIZE THE WATER WAS THAT SHALLOW

HUGE AND IMPOSING ANIMALS

I THINK THEY ARE WISHING US A "BON VOYAGE..."
...OR GOOD RIDDANCE?

ARRIVAL BACK AT SHORE, SAFE AND SOUND

ENJOYING THE BEAUTIFUL SUNSET -
EVEN THOUGH IT WAS TERRIBLY HOT
AND WE'D BEEN IN THE BOATS FOR OVER 2 HOURS.

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