Snow ploughs

After each big snow fall, the council clears the streets of up to a metre of snow piled where the cars park. Its quite an amazing thing to watch - with large snow ploughs pushing the snow into piles, then something like a combine harvester (snow harvester) sucking up the snow and squirting it onto large trucks that drive along beside it. Every child's dream to watch except that it happens often late into the night.
We managed to capture a couple of photos on the machines down our street. They are not great photos but you get the idea!
 
 

Its hard to see but in this picture you can see the spout squirting snow into the truck (the lights at the snow plough behind the truck)  

Cross country skiing

Greg and I have both hired skis for the season and are cutting our teeth on the mountain 5 minutes from our house. Cross country is very different to downhill skiing and we're both getting used to new technique and equipment. Its pretty fun though, and beautiful to be skiing through the forest. Though we are unlikely to be challenging for a medal at the Sochi Olympics (or even the next ones really).

 The cross on top of Mont Royal

 Fading light through the trees

 Top of the mountain - people skiing, skating, tubing and generally enjoying themselves.