Happy Holidays!

Christmas was fantastic! I think if I would have known there were toys inside all those pretty boxes, I would have opened them a lot sooner. Happy Holidays everyone!

2 Days left!

3 More Days!!!!

4 Days 'til Christmas!!

This is pretty exciting! I don't remember last Christmas because I was only 6 months old,..but this year I am very happy to see all the pretty lights and decorations in our house. I have no idea what this is all for, but it feels like it might be building up to something very special!

The Most Frequently Asked Questions About Santa's Reindeer

What Are The Names of The Reindeer That Pull Santa's Sleigh?

Rudolph, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Donder, Blitzen, Cupid and Comet.

Are Santa's Reindeer Male or Female?

Male reindeer generally shed their antlers long before December 25, whereas the females retain theirs until at least January. The reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh are always show as having antlers, so Santa's reindeer must all be females.

A hard look at the evidence suggests that at least some of Santa's reindeer were females (the ones giving the directions, no doubt), some may have been young bulls, and some may have been neutered males.

Santa also has special bulls (males) which are used for breeding purposes. These reindeer are not used for flying the sleigh, only for breeding.



Do Santa's Reindeer Live At The North Pole?

Only part of the year does Santa Claus live at the North Pole. In 1925 it was discovered that there are no reindeer in the North Pole. But there are
lots in Lapland, Finland. So today we know that the
reindeer live around the secret village of Santa Claus
and the elves (their summer home) somewhere on the Korvatunturi mountain in the Savukoski county of Lapland, Finland, which is on the Finnish-Russian border.

What Makes Santa's Reindeer Fly?

Long ago, Santa Claus and the elves discovered the special formula of Magical Reindeer Dust which make them fly. This dust is sprinkled on each of the reindeer shortly before they leave on Christmas eve. It gives them enough magic to fly right around the world. They can fly very fast: at about the speed of a Christmas
light.

The Reindeer driven by Santa Claus are the only known flying Reindeer in existence. Besides the Magic Dust, Santa's reindeer are fed a "special" diet throughout the year which helps give them the power of flight.

This magic corn is given to Santa Claus by a great and
wonderful unknown wizard. Through this magic corn, the strength of the Reindeer is increased threefold, their stamina increased to infinity and their hooves can manipulate the air as though it were solid ground.

What Can I Put Out For Santa's Reindeer To Eat?

Magic Reindeer Food

1/2 c. dry oatmeal
1/3 c. sparkly, colored sugar
1 heartful of Christmas hope


Mix ingredients together. On Christmas Eve sprinkle all over your lawn. The colored sugar will shine in the moonlight and lead Santa to your house before dawn. The smell of the oats will guide the reindeer directly to your rooftop. The Christmas hope in the magic reindeer food guarantees dear Santa will stop.

How Can Santa Deliver Presents to Everybody In One Night

With the reindeer traveling at the speed of Christmas Light, Santa can come and go in the "twinkling of an eye." He doesn't need to fill his sleigh with toys for
every single boy and girl in the world all at once,
it's really easy for him to make several trips back to
his Toyshop to pick up as many loads as necessary.

The Elves have his toy sacks sorted and ready to
pack onto the sleigh when it arrives back, so the
exchange happens within seconds to get Santa back on
his way.

New information recently revealed, leads us to believe
that Santa has "secret" hiding places located at strategic places around the world, so he can instantly pick up a new load of toys easily and quickly.

Perhaps one of those "secret" hiding places is located
very close to your house?

Snowed-in Weekend

It snowed like crazy on Saturday and Sunday. We lost power for 13 hours on Sunday,...it was nice to watch my Dad make a fire and we all kept warm.

Here are some pictures we took Sunday morning when we went out to play...

Highway Cams

Near the Malahat Summit approx. 15 minutes from my house. This is a dangerous highway if you don't know how to drive it. It's speed limit is 90km most of the way and winds between rocks and massive cliffs. Trying to drive it in the snow is silly, unless you have 4 wheel drive.


Goldstream Park, halfway between my house and Victoria. Massive trees, majestic waterfalls, a meandering river that meets the sea, flowers, birds, animals and fascinating fish are a few of the attractions that draw people to Goldstream Provincial Park


Revelstoke B.C. Revelstoke was founded in the 1880s when the Canadian Pacific Railway(CPR) was built through the area; mining was an important early industry. The name was originally Farwell, after a local land owner and surveyor. In yet earlier days, the spot was called the Second Crossing, to differentiate it from the first crossing of the Columbia River by the Canadian Pacific Railway near Golden. The city was named by the Canadian Pacific Railway in appreciation of Lord Revelstoke, the head of Baring & Glyn, a UK banking firm that saved the Canadian Pacific Railway from bankruptcy in the summer of 1885 by buying the company's bonds just as the railway was nearing completion.


Fort St. John, B.C. Since its beginning in 1794 as a trading post, Fort St. John has grown with opportunities like the completion of the Alaska Highway in 1942 that sparked a population boom and the discovery of high-grade oil in 1951 that set the City’s course as British Columbia’s Oil and Gas Capital.

Another Addition to the Kelly Clan!

Grandpa Peterson got us a kitty for Christmas! His name is "Asher" and he's extremely friendly and very curious. He's a little afraid of me still because I am quite loud at times, but I know it won't be long until we are great friends.

Zambonis!

In the early 1940s, Frank Zamboni had an idea. Now, more than 50 years later, his name is synonymous with the machine he invented. In fact, ice resurfacers like the one he developed for his own rink in Southern California have had a tremendous impact on skating and ice sports throughout the world.

Frank Zamboni's belief in ongoing product improvement and innovation lives on today in the company he founded.

Iceland opened in 1940 as one of the largest rinks in the country, with 20,000 sq. ft. of iced surface -- that's enough room for 800 skaters. The original rink was an open-air facility. But the brothers soon learned that, with the intense Southern California sun and dry desert winds, the quality of their ice sheet was less than adequate, so they covered it with a domed roof. The challenge now was to maintain this much-improved indoor surface.

At the time, resurfacing the ice meant pulling a scraper behind a tractor, shaving the surface. Three or four workers would scoop away the shavings, spray water over the surface, squeegee it clean and allow the water to freeze -- a process that took more than an hour. For Frank, it was a puzzle to be solved: how could he make a good sheet of ice in a short period of time? It wasn't long before he began engineering a machine that would make the task of ice-resurfacing fast and efficient. And the concept of the Zamboni ice resurfacer was born...

Here are some interesting evolution of Zamboni pictures today.




THE ZAMBONI


The ZAMBONI is a highly specialized machine that cleans the ice between periods. In its travel across the ice, it scrapes the loose shavings off and lays down a layer of hot water. The water must be hot to melt the upper ice surfaces and weld a smooth sheet. It takes just minutes to freeze.

SHAVING
A blade (A) scrapes the surface of the ice.

COLLECTING
After a horizontal screw (B) gathers the shavings, a vertical screw (C) propels them into the snow tank.(D)

WASHING
Water is fed from a wash-water tank (E) to a squeegee-like conditioner (F), which smoothes the ice. Dirty water is vacuumed, filtered and returned to the tank.

RENEWING
Clean, hot water is spread on the ice by a towel (G) behind the conditioner.

Adopt a Polar Bear

Of all of the wildlife species in the Artic, the polar bear is perhaps the most fitting icon for this ecoregion. Its amazing adaptations to life in the harsh Arctic environment and dependence on sea ice make them so impressive, and yet so vulnerable. An indicator of the health of the ecosystem can be measured by the biodiversity that lives there. There are strong signs of stress on the Artic marine system which are all factors in putting this species at risk.
Already areas once covered by sea ice are melting at an unprecedented rate. Polar bears need sea ice to access their ringed seals, their main source of food, and to move from hunting grounds to their summer resting areas. As the time on the ice becomes shorter, bears can not store up enough energy for summer and autumn when there is little available food.


There are an estimated 22,000 polar bears living in 20 discreet populations worldwide. Illegal hunting or over-harvesting does not affect all polar bear populations, but can be a major threat to smaller populations and in areas without established regulation or enforcement. Although actual harvest levels are unknown in some areas, an estimated 250-300 polar bears were illegally taken on Russia's Chukotka Peninsula in 2002, twice the level experienced in previous years. This increase is likely a result in changes in climate, causing early ice retreat and stranding large number of bears on land. A recent population study indicated that, even at a harvest level of 180 bears per year, there would likely be a 50 percent reduction in this population size in less than 20 years.

WWF is using its global reach and scientific expertise in the field to examine the effects of climate change and advocate for solutions that will help preserve the polar bears, and wild Arctic places for future generations. Listing the polar bear as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act will provide additional tools and a level of protection for this icon of the north.
Click on the TITLE "Adopt a Polar Bear" to link to WWF

Help save these beautiful, majestic creatures of the North.

Cold Season

My Mom and I have a cold right now,..and my Daddy feels like he might be coming down with one too. So I asked my Mom to look up some traditional cold remedies on the internet, and here's what we found!





Chicken soup.
Research published in the journal Chest revealed that this traditional cure-all is the most effective remedy to help you recover from a cold. Heat is the key, so any soup will work to a degree, as it promotes airway secretions and has a calming action on inflamed throats. But chicken soup's combination of fats, spices, and water seems to work best when it comes to breaking up mucus.

No treatment of colds would be complete without Garlic. This pungent herb was highly esteemed by the ancient Egyptians, who ensured that the slaves building the Great Pyramids at Cheops were given a daily supply. The Romans also acknowledged garlic's strengthening powers and fed it to their soldiers before battle. Garlic has anti-bacterial properties that help the immune system to fight infection, it is an excellent boost to the immune system. The reason for this is garlic contains several helpful compounds, including allicin, one of the plant kingdom's most potent antibiotics. Garlic combines well with echinacea and together make a strong fighting force against infections.

Sage is a traditional remedy of long standing for soothing sore throats as it has antiseptic and anti-bacterial properties. For an inflamed throat and hoarseness use a hot sage infusion or gargle with a sage, apple cider vinegar and honey mix. In feverish conditions, sage is very cooling. Take as a tea or tincture.

Peppermint is a valuable expectorant* in the treatment of bronchitis, colds and flu. It reduces fevers by inducing sweating and cooling the body. It is also a painkiller for headaches and some migraines. It is a soothing decongestant and makes an effective inhalation for clearing blocked sinuses.

Other herbs which will assist in combating and relieving colds are:

Lemon Balm: Lemon Balm tea promotes sweating. This is good for feverish colds as it helps to eliminate the toxins from the body.

Blackberry: More commonly know as Bramble. The fruit is rich in vitamin C. The leaves can be used to make a cleansing tea, or make a poultice from fresh, lightly boiled leaves.

Borage: A versatile herb, borage promotes sweating and has expectorant* properties, both of which are beneficial for feverish, chesty colds.

Catnip: Catnip or Catmint, promotes perspiration and a hot infusion is good for feverish colds and flu's. Catnip is also a muscle relaxant and mild sedative so will help to induce sleep.

Cinnamon: Will stop vomiting and relieve feelings of nausea. Take as a tea. Cinnamon oil also had anti-bacterial properties.

Fenugreek: Has expectorant qualities. It is anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and soothing. It can ease coughs and sore throats.

Feet Don't Fail Me Now!

Just after I finally learned how to walk, I found out I can dance! This is my favorite song right now. It's called "1234" by Feist. You may have heard it on the iphone commercials.

(This is a video, you must click the "play" button to watch)
Don't forget to turn up your speakers!

Happy Birthday Grandpa Kelly!

Kitty!

This is our new kitty "Bubbles". We named him after Mom's favorite character on a TV show. I can't hold him yet because he's scared of people, but he's becoming more use to us every day.