March – busy month with the snow all gone at the house but lots still in the mountains around us. Finished the closet in the guest bedroom and knocked down loose rock at the switchback – 20 Bobcat buckets – and removed the river rock beside the basement entrance wall to get ready for paving this summer. Lots of yard clean up and M has been fully occupied with getting the gardens ready.

I found the skis I wanted in Vancouver and Coop was kind enough to bring them back and I love them. Skied 15 times so far this year. Almost had a true Kelowna Double but I skied and golfed on two consecutive days not the same day. Picked up 5kgs of spek that had been drying for month and sold my old chop saw, a dresser and an old coffee table. Also enjoyed 3 concerts, two movies , a play and a contemporary dance, and a St Pats party, and discovered a ramen shop run by Japanese that is so good we ate there 3 times this month.

Although there were no specials on pork shoulder this year, we again made several hundred sausage (Italian and smoked) and several kilos of speck and for the first time some back bacon. As we finally had some decent snow and good ski weather, we skied Big White 8 times this month, including 3 days staying with our friends at their chalet. Mizuho replaced her 20 years old skis with all-mountain Black Pearls and loves them. The ones I liked were sold out everywhere so shall have to wait until next year.

Having become a board member of the local Chamber Music Society (which puts on 5 performance a year and nearly sells out a 300 seat theatre) and a member of the Regional Planning Advisory Board (6 citizens providing views to the Regional Board on planning and zoning issues) I have additional demands on my time and hence, some house projects are going even slower than usual.

Below are photos of the nearly finished shoji door closet in the mother-in-law suite – 6 drawers and a hanging closet. Should be all finished in another few weeks.

We were invited by friends who are members of Martin’s Lane winery for a tour and tasting that usually costs $100 per. Their pinots sell for $100 to $200 a bottle and they make only 2,000 cases a year. Vanity project by Von Mandl, owner of Mission Hill, Cedar Creek, Liquidity and many other wineries. He made his $ from the drinks of choice of many young adults – Mike’s Hard Lemonade and White Claw. The winery is spectacular, the wines are not worth $100.

March will see us on the ski hill, doing yard work and getting the garden ready.