Saturday, January 20, 2007

Snow Fun!

The Vancouver area has been getting tons of snow this year, so have taken advantage of that and gotten out for some fun in the snow...

Beth and I snowshoed to the top of Black Mountain (part of the Cypress Mountain ski area) today! It was an absolutely gorgeous sunny day and the conditions couldn't have been better. The peak of Black Mountain provided a fabulous 360 degree view of the city (which was mostly under fog) and the surrounding mountains and ocean. It was gorgeous. We took our time going up but really blazed a trail on our way down. All told, we were on the mountain for about 3.5 hours for the 7km round trip trail. I think it's safe to say that we'll be back again! Must post some photos...

I had on my fabulous boots...they actually match my ski poles...so, you don't need to tell me how great they are. I already know...I'm a waking fashion statement.

We also went snow tubing this year. It was great fun. I'd never been before, so it was a new adventure. Rescan, my new employer, organized a work social function at the Mount Seymour Snow Tubing hill, so Ginny, Beth and I joined in. I've never thrown myself face first down a steep hill (cliff...?) on an innertube on purpose, but it was tons of fun. Ginny took some little videos of the hill...which I'm hoping to post soon...so check back. The first video is Beth and then me being towed up the hill...mind the stumbling...it was a bit slippery...really... It was also quite foggy, which made photography tricky, but I have a good one of Beth and I which I must post...

Beth and I also went cross-country skiing just before Christmas at Cypress Mountain. It was just following a huge snowfall. The weather was gorgeous and it felt like we were skiing through a winter wonderland. Photos to come....

New Year New Job

So it's been ages since I last posted. Things in the life of Kay have been ridiculously busy. In December I accepted a new job which started Jan. 2/07. The decision to leave my job with In-SHUCK-ch was so difficult. I have strong ties to In-SHUCK-ch and a long history with them. Now that I've started the new job I miss them, but change is never easy. As a result of taking the new job, I moved from Mission and am now renting a room from my sister in New Westminster. It's been an adjustment for both of us, but we're working through things. I had to put some of my stuff back into storage for a while, which was kind of sad but such is life. December was very busy trying to tie up loose ends with my In-SHUCK-ch job and pack up my apartment. I also went home for Christmas, which was nice (although we all caught a terrible flu so the lot of us were out sick for a few days of the holiday). But I got some cross-country skiing in on my parents big field, which is always fun.

In any case, let me give you some details about the new job...I'm now working as an Archaeologist for an environmental consulting company called Rescan. The office life has been an interesting adjustment for me. The office I work in is in downtown Vancouver, so am commuting into town on the SkyTrain. Also, the dress code at the office is significantly different than at In-SHUCK-ch. Business suits for me these days...a far cry from my jeans! The new job has been exciting and challenging. I've already received enough work to keep my abundantly busy and I've only just completed week three. It's exciting to be working directly within my field of study again. Have been doing a ton of research and writing which has been so interesting. Also, we have a ton of field work lined up for this coming field season. So, we'll be in the field from early summer until late autumn. I'm so excited about the field work! Most of the work will be in northern BC. I've never been that far north, so while the field time will be long days and all weather conditions, I'm looking forward to travelling up there. The scenery is breathe taking! Several project we're working on are near the Stikine River, Mount Edziza Provincial Park and around Dease Lake, mostly up in the mountains and on the large plateaus that are in the area.

So, that's my big news these days! Life is an adjustment!