My main squeeze turned 38 last week!!
Did you know that we have inherited a budgie? Her name is
Jezabel II.
The real snow out back.
Roxy and the Deodars.
Along the Chukkar.
Inside on snow day!
Roxana's giraffe beetle. These drawings are just a small part of these huge worlds that Roxy is creating with her dear ole dad. She's getting pretty good.
We knew it would get cold, and thankfully we are used to -30 temps for Jan and Feb, in a cooler than usual home in the valley. Here, there is a fuel shortage in the entire state. Since early January there have been propane shortages and power outages all over this area to say the least. The average temp is around 0 these days. Which isn't very cold. But the houses and buildings are made of cement, tin, or plastic. Our house is so stupid. It is nice, but I am almost embarrassed when I go into a locals home and see how small and efficient the rooms are. I'd say most homes are...about the size of our living room. Or even smaller. This place is massive.
Steve summed it up how ridiculous this cold is one day when he came to the school. He was stunned as every room he walked by there was a scene of students and teachers tightly packed around one small heater in any classroom. It is the same sight if you walk down the hall and peek through any window in each door, if they are lucky enough to have a heater! I go to school in my coat, hat, mitts and LJ's underneath my clothes, and do not undress until I get into bed...and even then sometimes I only take off my jacket. There have only been a few days that I have had goose bumps so big that my skin hurt all day long! Otherwise, I actually am warmish. We have a bakari (an iron cylinder that is our stove) that we use . The wood is scarce, but no one has a choice really, unless they want to freeze, since we are advised not to use heaters for most of the day as the generators can't supply the whole school. Ha. Hot water bottles are a dream. Get the picture? Still, it isn't as cold as home. But if you have this picture of us sitting in India sweating our butts off, you are mistaken!
This is finally what we awoke to today! Yay! SNOW. The girls are in heaven. They are making their own snowwomen, and trudging around all over. They do miss the snow, and who wouldn't. It makes no sense for it to be cold without snow. Sadly however, there is no such thing as a snow day, or a "Below zero in the classroom" day. Often we joke that in North America there would be a walk out by now. Staff and students protesting that the teaching and learning conditions are not suitable. Nope. I love it.
So here we are. Toastie beside a fire listening to Sarah Harmer and burning insence. Watching the girls play outside, and thinking of our little Tanya Cole. Somethings never change. Tanya died a year ago now. I think I am happy to say that she is in my heart, and I do not get sad for her not having lived longer. I mean, ya I wish she was still here every second I think of her, but I am more comfortable with the reality that she is gone. I think I know what I have taken from her. For example, I am definately not up for dealing with bullshit. I am sure she will come to me in waves.
In case you were ever curous. here is a topo map of where we are. That's the Aglar River cutting through the map. We are south of that, on top of the ridge of the mountain, east of Mussoorie.
This is a shot of Steve's trip to Auli. This is the first route they tried to get to Bhandarath (sp?). That road proved unstable, so they headed down the alternatie route to Auli.
Where they got stuck in the snow. And rescued by the Indian Eskimo Unit. 
But the views of Nanda Devi were worth it. And then later the tiger they saw in Corbett National Park!
