Favourite winter boots!

Vans winter boots

My Vans close-up

Since I've been a child growing up in Quebec, I've always dragged my feet in Winter because boots area always much bigger than feet so I end up dragging my feet. I bought these Sk8-Hi MTE last year thinking I'd only wear them in spring and fall when there was no snow. HA! I've been wearing them most days unless it's snowing heavily.  Otherwise I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Vans. I can walk faster on snow with these than any other boot I've ever had! 

Nice Weather driving in Eastern Canada

Highway 102 earlier in the day we left

We left Beaver Bank around 8PM on the 29th.  The weather news had a snowstorm calling for up to 30 cm of snow for Montreal. We also had calls for 15cm of snow in Halifax and in Fredericton. We figured if we gave ourselves 24 hours, my bf could make it back in time for his hospital shift over night between 30 & 31st.

All you could see was snow, more snow and lots of snow

The drive home took 15 hours and it snowed heavily through Nova Scotia and most of New Brunswick. In fact only place it didn't snow hard was in Quebec, but there was a bit of snowfall around Quebec City. However snow or no snow falling, the roads were full of snow and ice because of the storm.

Quebec City at dusk as seen from the 20

We were really lucky. We never saw one moose, not even a small one on the side of the road.

My SuperFit boots

I got my winter boots on sale at the Rubino warehouse at Galeries des Sources back in late October or early November. I remember wearing the first time when I went to Toronto in mid November, with no regrets as it was incredibly cold two of the days we were there.

The brand is Superfit, never heard of them before but I liked the boot, the price and the colour. From what I gather they are a Canadian brand and they specialize in making footwear for cold temperatures.

I can't say I wore any other pair of boots most of the winter. Never once were my feet cold.  This is the boots after being worn all December, January and February, some of November and some of March. I'm very pleased with them.

The amusing thing is that when I went to Rubino with my friend when she was looking for winter boots, the salesgirl who helped her out, had the nerve to dis my boots, saying they were the worst piece of crap they sold and they wouldn't last the winter. Talk about stupid. You don't dis merchandise you sell! Especially not to someone who bought them from your store just a week or two earlier.

Coldest February on Record for Quebec, and Montreal

I normally like winter, but this winter has been harsh. It wasn't just snowy, it was cold. Very cold. Coldest  on record, and also it was one of the coldest places globally this year so far.

We're all sick of the cold. it's sad when -10 C appears to be warm

Cold wind blowing on....

Some might recognize a song by the Tragically Hip in that title. 

-27C plus the wind. So cold it was all hazy out this morning

TGIF

I'm glad this week is over. IT's been a really clumsy week. On the plus side, it makes my friend laugh :P

I sent flying a bucket load  of empty  water bottles the other night, and after putting them all back on the counter managed to send them flying a second time.  Last night, I dropped a large bag on sunflower seed, and well the bag split and there was sunflower seeds by the butt load all over the floor.  This morning, I took out a container of blueberries from the fridge and wee, all the blueberries went all over the floor. 

At least I laugh at myself when this happens.  

This year, I definitely won't be wearing a sundress and open-toed sandals for the first day of spring, which is 7 days away.  I'm sure I'm going to look like Nanook of the north that day.

It's March, when will it thaw out?

Everyone I've talked to says we've had a hard winter.  Even the UPS delivery guy who brought my Monoprice order, complained that he has had it with Montreal winters. He's from Trinidad and he would rather move back to the islands where it's warm most of the year.

Seriously though, it's fucking MARCH.  I was telling someone in chat just the other day that 2 years ago on March 21st, I was wearing a sundress and open-toed sandals.  This year on March 21st, I bet I look like Nanook of the North.

It's been in the -20's overnight and even during the day if you had the windshield factor.  Maybe -18 but feels like -28C BRRRR.

I'm really starting to have serious cabin fever that even a trip to Ottawa this week-end didn't resolve. I mean it was freezing in Ottawa too. When will we ever have spring?

Cabin fever

Canoe waiting for someone to buy it

You  can tell people are having cabin fever as suddenly I'm getting tons of responses about my Genuine Indian Brand canoe that I have put for sale on Kijiji.  It's been on sale there since October I think. I put it up too late in the season for anyone to pick it up even for hunting.

Last used in May 2013 at Les Hautes Gorges de la riviere Malbaie

I love this canoe. It reminded me of the first canoes I ever used  in my teens when I went canoe-camping down the Riviere du Diable in the Laurentians. We went down some rapids and also portaged. The most fun though was going down rapids with just a life jacket. The thrill. I did it 2 or 3 times.

The biggest issue I have with my canoe is that it's too heavy for me to portage or even to put on my Grand Vitara alone. I'm strong for my size [Barely 5ft, 110lbs] but this is just more then I can handle.  I would guess it's about 70 lbs.  So it's a great canoe if you aren't going to portage it.      It's also a solid canoe, that can take a beating. In the time I've had it, I've never had a leak, never had to fix it. 

Before it was painted green, 3 people in it.

It's also the best canoe you can use if you're a beginner. It's forgiving and extremely stable in the water.  We've never come close to having it tip and we've used it in bad weather on a large lake with high winds.  We've used it both empty, and filled with gear, and I don't travel light, and it does really well. I should also mention that you sit on the seats of this canoe, you don't kneel. Something that was awesome as I have bursitis in my right knee and kneeling for extended periods is really not recommended.

Someone enquired if they could use it with 2 children under age 5 and 2 adults. I don't see why not. They can sit either one in front of the middle bar, one in back or both side by side.  Or alternatively the bigger child near the middle bar, and the smaller child in the front  tip.

Ah the grey days of January

I've been wanting to cry the past week. Excess emotion I guess.  It's also one of my biggest fears after months without sex, that if I have some I will burst into tears, during or after sex.   This fear is not as bad as when I went celibate for 2 years, between October 2003 till late 2005.  I could not be intimate with anyone because of how raw my emotions were.

It seems my emotions are still raw. But at least I haven't burst into tears at the wrong moment. I've been watching NCIS again from the beginning and many episodes make me cry and this is a good thing.  I miss my weekly chick shows this fall.  I was watching Private practice and Army wives and that got out my crying most weeks.  But both shows are off the air.

It sucks when my emotions are so raw that it ruins any possible intimacy with anyone,  and makes me run away screaming. Thankfully this is not currently the case.

It's been interesting too, I've been in therapy for 3 years. I don't see therapist that often, about every 4 weeks. Not much point in seeing him more often because it takes a long time for me to process my emotions despite emotions just bubbling out and being so incredibly moody.

I seem to be doing better at identifying how I'm feeling, and overall feeling less frustrated, less anxious and less depressed, but I still get moments where I feel so incredibly depressed.  I know winter is hard on me, not enough time spent outside in nature and not enough sunlight.  Its not helpful either, when you wake up it's dark and you leave work it's dark. 

I need to start doing my daily walks in the forest. I went Thursday for 30 minutes, and it was very peaceful. I always feel better after being in the woods. 

Bois de Liesse - path along Ruisseau Bertrand