Spring?

Or winter? These two photographs were taken just minutes apart - one in the front yard and one in the back... 

The snow was irresistible - abundant and sticky, perfect for building! Jim, Diane, Gus, and I set to work, rolling giant snow boulders down the driveway. These became the building blocks for a lovely snowwoman... 

Adding the finishing touches...

Me with Gus on the long driveway from Paradise Valley Road up to Sono Nis Press. Note the toasty warm knitted hat from Iceland. It was great fun to be a kid again for a while, building snowmen and throwing snowballs. Somehow, the mud and slop back in the endless rain of home don't have quite the same appeal.

Made it home after a detour via Calgary (that's what happens when the clouds roll in and fill the bowl where Castlegar sits...). What was I reading on the plane?



Rita Moir works part time at Sono Nis and was kind enough to sign a copy of her new book, The Windshift Line. Strangely enough, I saw Rita on her last day of work before leaving for a month-long writing retreat a copule of days before I was to head home after finishing my own retreat. The book is excellent - a memoir exploring, among other things, stories recorded on tape by her father. Warm, funny, and sad, this is a sensitive and honest piece of writing. Very much looking forward to reading whatever it is Rita is creating right now while she is holed up in the snow laden Kootenays!