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| View of Gatineau from our hotel room |
Marie and I left Montreal Monday afternoon in a blowing snowstorm and headed west to Ottawa/Gatineau for the week. (We are attending a retirement course until Friday and then will be returning home to help celebrate Phil's 26th birthday.) The weather cleared as soon as we crossed the Lac de Les Deux Montagnes and half an hour later the sky was blue and nary a cloud on the horizon. Reports in from Sherbrooke and points east (read our property) were coming in fast and furious as the "storm of the century" hit our place and dumped... are you ready?...over 3 feet of snow Monday! Obviously we are both concerned about the weight of all that snow on our two sheds so we have decided to go back out there this coming Sunday and check things out. I should have some fantastic pictures to post if the snow hasn't melted by then. Forecast is for rain later this week but at our elevation on the mountain this usually means more white stuff! Meanwhile here in Gatineau we are enjoying the course. It is being held at of all places the old sprawling school in Hull where Marie attended classes in Grade 8 and 12! Naturally she was excited to show me around and point out how little things have changed in 40 years! For me this is the first time back in the Capital region since we moved to Montreal, over a year ago!
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| Marie and Icicle, Asitcou Centre, Gatineau, PQ
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The complex is now a Government of Canada training center for Federal Public Servants, called the Asticou Centre, and a 10 minute drive from our hotel. The course we are attending is designed for executives and spouses who will eventually retire and have to face certain inevitable challenges after a long career - the prospects of being able to adapt to change, aging, security, pensions, will and estate planning and the psychological aspects of retirement. For Marie it will be a much greater challenge, having been in the Public Service for almost 35 years. But with my help and alot of encouragement from me and family - which I always had - the transition should be a smooth one.We are staying at the local Holiday Inn for the week, an old 1970's throwback, but fairly clean and comfortable, exploring the local cuisine and enjoying the hot tub in the hotel afterwards. Friday we pick up Christina who will be staying in Montreal for a week and drive back to the city. More snow on the way but, hey, we can handle it - we're Canadians! gws
