An unusal experience

Yesterday was a pretty low key day. We are still waiting for our skis to arrive on the Greyhound. The operator did tell me it would take 7 to 10 days (weather dependent) to get from Ottawa to Pemberton. With a little better planning I could have got them to the depot earlier. All that to say that we are missing some ski days.

We did have a breakthrough yesterday that brought a smile to everyone’s face. It was the sun and it managed to shine through the broken clouds for short periods of the day. There still was some significant fog in the valleys but from time to time a brightness appeared in the ski. The dampness lessened and the +5 temperatures did not feel cold.

During that time Freddi and I drove to Whistler to visit Gray at his worksite. They are working furiously to get the house finished for delivery to the owner in the next week. It is a large bungalow style house with a finished basement that is as large as the first floor and contains usual needs of a 4 person family – a 1500 sq ft family room with 110” screen TV, pool table, workout room, 2 bedrooms, sauna, wine cellar, bathroom and a huge engineering room. The upstairs has a large living/family room that overlooks Whistler/Blackcomb with a huge fireplace and beautiful wood ceilings. The kitchen is out of Umberto’s and comes complete with lots of marble and storage and working space with a smaller family room beside it. Also on the first floor there are 2 bedrooms with one being part of a master suite complete with a walk-in closet, office space and bathroom that has floor to ceiling windows to the outside world. The piece de résistance is the garage on the main floor that is entirely finished in wood and is a space that i would be happy to live in. There must have been 25 people milling around doing jobs that had to be done to get the place ready. This home will provide the owners with a unique lifestyle. The workmanship in the house is superior and we were proud to see that Gray and his team had a part in its completion.

In the afternoon Mary, Larry and Katie arrived from Vancouver. The 2nd was the day that all of the clan (western extended family) were to get together to attend a unique experience in the evening. Tara-Lee and Paul Hempel hatched this plan before Christmas and it became a Christmas present to every member. The idea was to gather for a outdoor play in the Lost lake park area. It was the first Olympic event for our family. We gathered at the Kaltbrunner home (Jamie’s wife Tanja’s family) for cocktails and appies at about 5 PM before taking the public transportation into town for the play. We all bundled up for the evening outside not really knowing what to expect. The group of 16 of us boarded the bus in Alpine and it would its way into town. There was some confusion about where buses are to go in the new routes and eventually we walked to the Gondola station to catch the bus to Lost Lake. Once there we walked into the venue and registered at the ice desk. We had a little time so we enjoyed a warm beverage (hot chocolate, crème de cocoa, cinnamon and cayenne pepper) and cider, coffee etc. Then the announcement of the start of the play came and we were herded into the igloo like theatre. Inside there was a snow stage and the setting for the play. Each seat had a sheepskin cover on it and a white blanket to cover ones legs. It was a 75 minute event with no intermission. Here is how it is described on their website:

Bundle up and enter Canada's first theatre of snow and ice. This theatrical adventure, a BC première, follows two survivors and an arsonist through the fireworks at the end of the world. NiX is a frozen fantasy, complete with a flaming tuba, a snowman death scene and an explosive love story that will melt the coldest of hearts.

The play itself was a bit off the wall but very entertaining there were three actors who held the show together very well. The story was fun and the closeness of the action made it very intimate. It was an enjoyable experience and special because all of the western family was together for the event. WE found our way back to Kaltbrunner home and drove back to Pemberton. It was a good day and everyone enjoyed the evening entertainment and our individual Christmas presents from Paul and Tara-Lee.