The New Year brought more snow, warmer weather and new hope. 2021 was the driest year on record with precipitation about 1/2 of average (206mm vs 380mm) but we are off to a roaring start this year with a couple of good snowfalls and not warm enough to melt any. Had to fire up the Bobcat to clear away some snow in the parking area. And we both got our booster shots!

Although our concerts were cancelled/postponed, we had 4 dinners out with friends, including another spectacular 3 hour dinner at Quaaut Lodge near Salmon Arm.

We again made sausages with 600 smoked and Italians shared 4 ways. These are some of the smoked sausages drying in the downstairs shower and some of the Italians.

On the home front, the drawer fronts for the cabinet in the closet are done but am awaiting handles before I install them (explanation and photos next month).

And after some 30+ years, the long-suffering M finally has a dining table to replace the hand-me-down we used on and off all this time. I cut one of the doors I got from MEC shorter and narrower (7’5″ x 3′), routed out the edges and inserted walnut bands, and finished with 3 coats of polymerized linseed oil rubbed down with 0000 steel wool. Legs are from Rusty Design in Ontario. Although the top is scalloped rather than flat, it works fine so we decided to use it as is rather than flood coat it with epoxy or put on a glass top. It transforms the dining room.

And as all work and no play makes Dave a dull boy, I have a new hollow body guitar from Godin, luthiers in Quebec. Love it.

While green and 15 above at the start, December also had twice (45cm) the usual snowfall (light and fluffy) and was much colder, with 5 days of -20, and the daily highs were usually lower than the historical daily lows. Hopefully that cold will have killed off many of the pine bark beetles. We managed to get out skiing twice before Christmas – 50 minutes from our house.

The door-into-table is coming along with 2 sides done and 2 to go. Am now looking at getting a glass top rather than a flood coat of epoxy as the local shop wants $2,000 for the job. Will be talking to the glass people next week.

We now have another bench (an offcut from the MEC door being made into a table) in the entry and a coat rack. The bench will be seasonal (only needed in the winter) while the coat rack has 4 hooks that disappear when not needed.

Like everyone, 2021 was another strange year for us. Fires and floods caused great damage in the Province but mostly spared us in the valley. I finally completed the stair railings and made two light standards for the driveway (which now has a hard surface of recycled asphalt) Our travels were limited to exploring more of BC.

Next year should see a couple of more doors, some more cabinets, a tea house/Japanese ofuro, and hopefully some travel further afield.