What happens in Edmonton....

....stays in Edmonton?  Apparently as I have shared nothing from the past 6 months! The great blogging schedule that I had going while I lived in Joensuu has been abandoned.  Partly because I'm busy and partly because life in Canada just seems...not that interesting. But I guess that not everyone who was reading this lives in Canada, let alone Edmonton...so here a few highlights!

The beautiful countryside in the wintertime.  I was pleased to find that unlike in Finland, the sun gets above the treeline...wait...what treeline?

It's cold...and flat...and windy. really.  and dry. But, here are a few basic facts:
 - Edmonton, not Calgary, is the capital of Alberta
 - Alberta has the lowest tax rate in Canada and the cheapest gas
 - home of the Athabasca oil sands (hooray?)
 - Alberta does NOT have the most guns per capita in Canada, that honour goes to the Newfies and the Northerners
 - has the Albertosaurus named after it
  - provincial symbols: wild rose (flower), great horned owl (bird), big horned sheep (animal), lodgepole pine (tree) and petrified wood (mineral)
 - Politically I live in the only area in the whole province with a center-left representative...everywhere is is right-winged conservatives
 - The western border is a fringe of the Rocky mountains, mostly in National parks.  The north has boreal forestry and the south has flatland farmers.
...that should just about cover it!  If anyone is looking for a model of how NOT to spend oil revenues, look into the provincial budget.

oil refineries and a full moon...sorry it's terribly blurry and noisy! but you get the idea

I don't actually know much about the city of Edmonton itself. The city is divided in half by the North Saskatchewan river; the North has the government and downtown while the South has the university and strip malls.  I don't really venture North of the river except to deal with city parking permits occasionally. The South also has some really cute neighbourhoods, namely Old Strathcona, and houses some very fine establishments that offer refreshments and music.  I have been known to enjoy these on occasion ;-)  My daily life usually does not stray beyond the 20-minute walk to and from school...a bit sad really.

The beautifully scenic drive from Edmonton to Calgary

homemade pulla!! olivat niin herkullisia :-P I do miss Finnish coffee time!

However, I do manage to sneak in some adventures!!  I went downhill skiing at Mt. Revelstoke in the mountains of BC almost 4 weeks ago...and I'm still sore!!  The powder was somewhat lacking, but a handful of us pitched in and rented a small cabin, which was absolutely fantastic! Combine that with some local friends, a hottub and a few beers and we had an excellent time...so much for reading during "reading week" :-)  I do spend a bit of time every week on cross-country skis and giving rifles to small children....

we skied off a little cliff. Once by accident (ooops!) and once on purpose (wheee!)

biathlon in Edmonton

...don't be rediculous...I coach biathlon!  It's all safe and fun and it is an excellent opportunity for me to get out of the academic world and interact with a totally different group of people.  I have managed to travel to Canmore, Camrose and Hinton for races as well as one in Edmonton.  I have not competed...but my kids do well!  and have lots of fun too!  Unfortunately the biathlon season is over on Saturday. I will miss coaching, but I certainly won't miss trying to fix rifles with bare hands in the freezing cold!!  9/10 times I wish I had more clothing layers on! Upcoming ski adventures include a cabin in Wells Gray Provincial PArk (BC) for a few days next week in the backcountry with lots of family!  Looking forward to getting away from my data analyses!!

Biathlon in Canmore

Speaking of which...school is a bit of a drag in Canada compared to the lovely Finnish system that I got used to sooo easily!  Soo much pressure, soo much work, and for what....?  My educational experience is not improved.  Anyways, I'm still learning and still working.  I never would've dreamed in my entire life that I would take this many courses in statistics and still be getting nowhere!!

Camrose sunrise with a group of pathetic prairie aspen...they're never very big!

Well...I'm sure you would rather be looking at some pictures, so I had better find a few to put in. sorry about the quality...I haven't had my proper camera out in ages, so it's just what comes off my phone! Perhaps I will start doing this blogging thing a bit more regularly as spring gets going and my thesis projects (yes...2!!) draw to a close. Until next time!! 

skating in the river valley

Hanging out on the ice sofa during the Silver Skate festival at the local park!

You can always find a little Finland no matter where you look B-)

The biggest snowmobile I have ever seen...why don't they just buy a groomer??

a very Albertan snow sculpture! 

They got a little snow in Rogers Pass...1 or 2 metres!  but my trusty Subaru keeps on going!

Ice sculptures on Lake Louise in the Rockies...looking fantastically Canadian! I was soo glad to be back in the mountains. I think it feels cozier, the prairies are just soo exposed!