MUNGO EATS Latin America

We are certainly getting our skiing in, here in Kelowna. We have been up to the Telemark ski area twice in the last two days and the skiing is wonderful. There is a lot of snow. It always amazes me to have no snow on the streets of Westbank and drive just a few minutes uphill and find more and more and more snow. There is enough snow that the trails can be groomed almost every day. What this means for us is that there are nice fresh “tracks” to follow in the snow, and they are not icy.

Yesterday we just skiied some of the shorter loops around the ski lodge. We are not really familiar with the trails and we did not have a map with us, so it was easier just to ski in circles close to the lodge…can’t get lost that way. Today we got a map printed off that we could refer to if we needed to and away we went. We skiied just about 10 km. I know that is not much for “real” skiers, but that was just perfect for me, thank you very much.

It is a very nice area to ski in, because there are many trails and the trails snake through the trees. The kids love it when we just ski for fun, especially when I ski along. I am not particularly fast, certainly nowhere as fast as them, so they ski ahead, then play until I catch up. How do you play on skis? Well if they go off the groomed trails, the snow is soft and deep and they sink 6 or 8 inches into the powder. There is not very much float on skinny race sticks. They also ski backwards down the hills, or come down the hills at full speed, stopping with a hockey stop just in front of me. They also like to go down hills on their hands and knees on their skis. It is nice to see them having so much fun. Good to know that they still enjoy the sport, even if they do not get the chance to goof around like this often.

Tomorrow is our last day in the Okanagan and we plan to ski one more time. Then it will be back off to Calgary for us…yippee.

Day 64: I am grateful for good snow and kids having fun!! Happy New Year!

Yesterday was a long day. We had a race in Canmore to attend. What else is new? This was a pretty casual race, part of a casual racing series staged in the Bow Corridor. It was a relay race. The kids were split into teams of two and each kid had to race a given distance three times. The coaches made up the teams and for the most part, they tried to pair a faster skier with a slower one, to make it more fun and less competetive. The course was kind of crazy though. I am not really sure what the problem with the course was, but I have never seen so many crashes and injuries at a cross country event, as I did yesterday. One fellow was taken off the course in a stretcher. Lots of kids in Sara’s race fell down. One did not finish the race. She was fine, but she hit her face with her pole and now she has a large bruise over the eye.

Once the race was over, we hurried back to the car and headed west. We were off to Kelowna to visit Kevin’s folks. No matter how you slice it, it is a long way to Kelowna. Thankfully the roads were not bad. The worst roads we encountered were from Calgary to Canmore.

When we got to Kelowna, the kids were all wound up, ready for action, as was the dog. Kevin and I were ready to hit the sheets. Mungo had been in the car the whole day (with the exception of a few pee breaks), so he just wanted to run and play. Unfortunately, it was already dark and late, and all he got was an on leash walk around a few blocks. Today we will get him out.

Not really sure what is in store for today. Maybe we will get a ski in this afternoon, for now I am just happy to sit around.

Day 63: I am thankful for a safe journey across the mountains and that I have a few days before I have to repeat this drive!

The Christmas holidays chug along.  Neither Kevin or I are working in this week between Christmas and New Years, but we have been keeping ourselves busy.  Yesterday we were in Canmore, for a family ski.  It doesn’t happen often enough, that we just get to ski along as a family.  I really enjoy it when we do.  I was hoping to skin in Kananaskis instead of Canmore, but lack of snow in Kananaskis made this impossible.  The trails are not as perfect in there, but there are nice trails in the trees and it has a different feel than Canmore.  Oh well, hopefully we will get a chance to ski there sometime this winter. 

Today was spent getting ready for two things.  Tomorrow the kids have a race in, where else?, Canmore.  As soon as the race is over we plan to pile back in the vehicle and head west towards Kelowna.  We are going to spend a few days with Kevin’s parents, in Westbank.  It will be very interesting in the vehicle tomorrow.  We will have luggage for a week, all our ski gear, and a hound, with all his necessities for the week (thankfully he requires very little).  It could make for a very squishy ride!!  Mungo will have to wait in the car while the kids race, but we should only be in Canmore for a few hours, so I think he will do ok. 

I am looking forward to our time in Westbank.  There is a great little ski area just up in the hills above my in-laws’ place, and it literally takes about 15 minutes to drive to it.  A nice short ride and you hit some pretty good snow.  At least I hope there will be good snow.  We will have to wait and see.  We plan to be in BC for 4 or 5 days, and we will return in time for the kids to get back to school. 

Tomorrow I get to try out the new parka, AND I bought a new pair of boots (this time with Christmas money from my mom and dad…thanks guys) which should keep my feet nice and toasty.  I am also thinking of bringing along my battery powered gloves.  Wow…I might be the warmest spectator there tomorrow….I certainly HOPE so!!

So I will try to catch up with you all in a few days, once we are in BC. 

Day 62:  I am thankful for a chance to spend time with the other half of the family, although I wish they weren’t such a far drive away!

Merry Christmas…a day late.  I hope that everyone had a nice holiday.  Ours was pretty good, so I thought I would tell you about it. 

We spent Christmas Eve at our ex-nanny’s home (the Horna home).  We had a Peruvian Christmas meal with roasted chicken and pork.  Very yummy.  We all had difficulty sleeping Christmas night.  I am not sure if we were all thinking of Santa, or what the issue was, but we were far from well rested come Christmas morning.  Christmas morning started at 8 am.  We had prearranged this time because the Hornas were coming over to open their gifts with us at our house.  So we all gathered around the tree and opened our various treasures.  I did very well, and I like all the gifts that I was given.  I especially like the gift I got from Kevin.  He bought me gloves to use when riding my scooter.  They are heated by battery packs…no more cold hands while riding!!  It was funny though, most of the gifts that were opened had something to do with surviving and enjoying winter.  People received down jackets, mittens, hats, anti-slip things for shoes, boots.  I had to laugh, because Giulliana’s mom is spending her first Christmas in Canada, and she has never seen such gifts exchanged in Peru!

It was also Giulliana’s daughter’s first Christmas.  Olivia was the star of the show. She is such a well behaved baby that it was difficult to get her to tear the paper on her gifts.  She knows that she is not to tear paper, so she seemed quite confused to be allowed to do so on this occasion. 

Eventually she got the idea although she was still easily distracted by the shiny things in the room!!

After gift opening and some breakfast, it was time to have a little skate.  We shoveled off the rink and everyone, minus Betty (Giulliana’s mom) tried out the ice.  Lucho and Giulliana are just learning to skate.  This was only Lucho’s third time on skates and I think he was doing great!  The kids zoomed around him like annoying little gnats, enough to break anyone’s concentration.   

The girls took a minute to show off their new Canada mittens.

Olivia got to try out the ice from the seat of a toboggan.

With that, the Hornas were off on their way to their other Christmas engagements.  The McLeans rested and played with new toys and such for the afternoon.  We were having Christmas dinner at my aunt’s house.  My Aunt Josephine is my mother’s younger sister.  She and her daughters spent the day preparing for the invasion by the Italian clan.  The food was yummy and the company was enjoyable.  Here are some photos from the night. My sisters, myself and my mom.

My nieces.

The kitchen crew aka my cousins.

My mommy and my aunt.

Merry Christmas to everyone.  I hope your day was as great as mine. 

Day 61:  I am thankful for a wonderful Christmas, and also (especially?) for my battery operated gloves!!!

Happy Birthday Mungo!  He is a whopping three years old today, although you would swear he wasn’t a day over one!  We got Mungo after the death of our last Ridgeback, Arlo, but there have never been two more different hounds.  Arlo was the most quiet, shy dog we have ever owned, and quiet and shy are not even in the list of descriptors of Mungo Hound.  He is a crazy, boisterous, in-your-face kind of dog.  But in a loveable way.

Mungo is not the best trained beast, I must admit.  However he is the most snuggly dog we have ever owned.  You can rarely sit down on the couch without the beast laying in your lap.  Not just his head, but his ENTIRE 80 lb body has to be on you.  He LOVES to play and is the best playmate for the kids.  Even with all his craziness, he can play quite gently, and is always up for a game of chase, or tug of war.  He is also sure to bring a smile to your face when he is around.  He is a natural comic and brings so much joy and laughter to our house!!  I thought I would post some pictures of some of his “finer” moments (finer being in the eye of the beholder!) 

Yep, he won’t be winning any obedience awards, but we will keep him!!!  Happy birthday you big goofy hound.  We are looking forward to many, many, many more years of your insanity!!

Day 60:  I am thankful for this bundle of fun…most times!