Its all Relative

Yesterday was a day of service.  We drove to a town about 25 minutes from here to pick up our friend Gisele and bring her to the church so she could work in the library.  She is perhaps the most dedicated ward librarian on the planet. She likes to come in at least once a week (this was her 2nd time this week) to organize and inventory the books, etc. in the library.  She got the approval to purchase some office supplies but since she doesn't have a car, we volunteered to purchase them for her, and then the branch will reimburse us.   Later in the day we drove her to Trois Rivieres (Three Rivers), a city about an hour north east of here for a dentist appointment.  On the way home I noticed the temperature on the car's gauge said it was 3 degrees fahrenheit.  Wow, I thought, it is cold outside!  We were happy to return to our warm apartment.  Luckily I reminded Paul to plug in the heater for the car engine.  This morning I realized that everything truly is relative:  this morning the temperature was -25;  that is negative 25 degrees fahrenheit!  I have never experienced anything like this.  We had an activity with the leadership of the branch and the stake presidency today where we went to visit individuals who haven't been to church in a long time.n's morning, and I was amazed at how everyone, although they mentioned the cold, acted like it is normal.  I bundled up in several layers and I wasn't too cold, except for my face.  I am so grateful for my lined boots and a long wool coat, worth every dollar. Tonight the temperatures will rise (it will be a warmer minus 4) but then the snow arrives.  We are expecting 10-12 inches by tomorrow evening.  I know the schools were closed in Virginia for two days because of the 3-4 inches of snow they received, but church and school will continue as usual here.  Paul is absolutely giddy about the challenge of driving around in the snow tomorrow to pick people up for church; me,, not so much.

Winter is coming

With highs for the day in the low teens, one might consider us in full-out winter.  Not so. We have been told by the locals that, come January, we will relish a day with a high of 17 degrees.  Am I smiling?  No, I am not. We have had a couple of snow storms but not much more than a few inches.  With the cold temps, however, the snow doesn't melt.  The beautiful reservoir near us is frozen over, as is the river that runs through town. We spent a little time the other day taking some pictures of how the Quebecois prepare for winter's onslaught:

These green tarps are apparently placed on the grass to protect from the huge amounts of snow that will be dumped/pushed onto yards from the snow plows.  We suppose that they must really work because we have seen them everywhere.

These lovely plastic structures are erected early in November in anticipation of the snow.  Do they do this in the Northeastern parts of the U.S.?  I don't know.  While hardly attractive, one has to admit they are less expensive than a permanent garage, which isn't needed in the summer months.   And, shoveling one's driveway is eliminated. We have seen blocks of cement laid at the base to hold these in place during the frequent winds we have (Oh, so lovely to be outside at 2 degrees F with a stiff wind!).  The plastic at the entrances to the front doors supposedly cut down on wet junk getting into your home.  We have even see a few really serious residents connect their "garage" to a door covering, making it possible to walk from car to home without going into the snow. And here is a "double" garage:

These Quebecois are serious about being as comfortable as possible in the winter.  I guess they need to be since we have been told that winter lasts until sometime in April.