Snow Day!

Well, not actually a snow day. The school didn't actually shut down today (or this weekend) but we have a LOT of snow here on the mountain. It started Friday night, and is still currently snowing (as of 1800 Monday PST). I guess that we have a snowfall warning in effect here? I don't know. I don't think its that bad, really, but I think that has more to do with being from Ontario than with anything else.

I think its super pretty, but a lot more soggy than I'm used to. Its cold enough to snow, but not really cold enough for it not to melt a bit, you know? I just hope it doesn't last TOO long. I have a friend from Korea coming to visit, and she deserves to see more than just snow.

Ontario playground

Hey guys, this SHOULD be my last post about the holidays in Ontario, but there may be a photo post sometime later, if I decide to throw in some filler when I get swamped with school work (which I'm actively fighting against).

I'll start with some of the fun things I got either from shopping trips around Ontario and Toronto, and some of the stuff I got from Christmas. I should also mention, again, that I am a pretty big nerd, and I am not ashamed at all. And, for any internet trolls who feel the need to refer to me as some 'fake gamer girl', I freely admit that I don't game anymore. So, sure. Bring it.

I also got a fun Tardis mug, that I have a really hard time drinking out of ( is there a trick to drinking out of something square?) as well as a lightsaber that was hella fun to get on the plane. The flight guy that checked us in loved it though.

So, clearly, I got some pretty badass stuff while I was there. I got a bunch more stuff, including a camera, clothing, The Last Unicorn DVD (which I'm sure stoked about) and a charitable donation to a child in Africa. Apparently, the hubs and I got her a piglet, which is really cool. When I finally make it to Africa, my mom wants us to see if we can find the girl they "adopted", but I think it might be hard, since World Vision only gives an approximate area in which to find her village. We'll see though. It would be hella cool to find my so called adopted sister. Or, that's what my mom calls her.

Speaking of my mom...she has a tendency to collect random knick-nacks. And, sometimes, I like looking at them. Actually, they are all pretty neat. My family has some pretty weird things they like, and then blend them together into some weird Buddhist-African-pop culture thing. It's just as weird as it sounds, but it works.

Okay, so I'm looking through my pictures, and, yea, there will be another Ontario post, but it will be mostly selfies, and pictures of my parents dog. So, still awesome?

New area

way way WAY back in the day, I mentioned that I was moving into the apartments at my school, yea? I'm sure I did. Anyways, I'm all moved and stuff, and, I gotta tell you, living on a mountain is great! It is also super convenient for school and classes and stuff. Not so much for work though. It takes almost an hour to get to work on the weekends, which sucks, but is alright.

So, I got some pictures of my "backyard" for you guys. Now, I don't actually have a backyard-I live in an apartment, that would just be silly. BUT, my building is hella close to the bike/walking paths, where we go jogging quite often. Its really pretty, but, I'll just show you.

These are from the late summer, early fall:

Pretty, right? I have a great view of the Coast mountains, and the Inlet that separates Vancouver from North Vancouver (clever names, right?). One of those mountains is Grouse, which we climbed earlier this year as well! This area is part of a conservation area, and there are bears and deer and all sorts of other wild animals that roam the woods. I haven't seen a bear yet, and I'll have to wait for the spring, when they come out of hibernation. I have seen deer and raccoon, and TONNES of birds.

And we also get some of the greatest views of the city proper. Especially sunset, which dips like red fire across the horizon.

These are from mid-late autumn, early winter(ish)

Photos from school

I promised you guys some photos from my awesome on a mountain school. I finally bothered to connect my phone to my laptop, so here's a bunch of photos that are school related. Mostly.

More Hiking! Or, at least, the Seawall

Yea yea, I know. What's with all the damn hiking, right? Well, I like it. That, and I had some free time before the new semester started to do some. So, why the fuck not, right?

This time, i went around the Seawall in downtown Vancouver. It is also a really popular place to do tourist stuff, what with Stanley Park, and the ocean, and all the cool shopping and stuff. Oh, and the almost excessive number of coffee shops. Thanks to the proximity to Seattle, Vancouver has a reputation for coffee,  and shops, many of which are independent. And awesome.
So, yes. It is a fairly popular area of Vancouver. And just beautiful. It's awesome because there is a lot of nature, and animals and beauty, while still being in the city, close enough to smell the coffee, but far enough to feel secluded in the natural beauty of Canada.
Lets just cut to the awesome pictures, shall we?

Capilano Canyon Hike

I don't think that I've hidden the fact that I like to go hiking. Its part of the reason that I decided on a school major that allowed me to get outside and see the amazingness that is Earth.
I now-thanks to my mom-have an awesome pair of hiking boots, and I decided to break them in on New Years day with a hike to Capilano in North BC.

Most people have heard of Capilano because it has a pretty big, fancy suspension bridge, which is a huge hit with tourists. I haven't been because I am a broke-ass student who can't afford the exuberant admission fee. There is also another suspension bridge, like, 10 minutes away which is just as awesome. And free.

Where I went did not have a suspension bridge, but it did have a pretty big dam, as well as a GREAT view of the mountains.

There are also some pretty big trees there. Not as big as the sequoia in California, but damn close. Especially for still being in the city. There is also a salmon farm, and we got to see some little salmon, waiting to be released for migration. I like that Vancouver takes some responsibiliy for all these fish eating assholes who seem determined to eat the oceans dead.

And here are some other pictures of the AMAZING scenery in Vancouver. This spot was only a 20 minute drive from the harbor, so there is no excuse not to check it out on a trip to the Vancity.

*These pictures are all available as prints, if you're interested! Just send me an email at maliceorchid@gmail.com*