Oh the weather outside is frightful...

As you can see, Vancouver has been getting some pretty freakish weather of late. It snows on the North Shore mountains from November until March, but downtown very rarely gets a snowfall and even when it does it's a flurry that has normally completely vanished within a few hours.

You can only imagine the effect, then, of 25cms of snow within 48 hours - if England goes into panic mode when the temperature drops below freezing, Vancouver in a snowstorm goes totally postal. Noone can get to work because the buses aren't running and the roads aren't gritted people are falling over left right and centre because the sidewalks are the same. It's minor chaos.

Except, of course, for people like me who aren't affected by such annoyances as work and get to enjoy the snow on a whole other level. I've spent the last two days bundled up and trekking all over Stanley Park - lapping up the beauty, building retarded snowmen and exchanging smug pleasantries with all the other lucky sods for whom the snow is a pleasure rather than a chore (i.e. retirees, non-working parents and tourists). I have spent a big part of the last few months whinging about not working but the last couple of days has reminded me to enjoy it whilst I still can...

The photo with the mountain is the view from our balcony; the ariel shot is of Lost Lagoon from the roof of our building. If all it ever did in Vancouver was snow in the winter and sunshine in the summer this truly would be the ultimate paradise. Unfortunately there's the rain, which makes the UK seem like the Gobi desert... Still, I wouldn't trade it for anything. Not even a bungee-jumping date with Madonna :-)