Today we drove to one of the huge lakes in the area. Totally frozen over with ice Huts all over it. The guys sit in them with a case of beer, drill a hole in the ice and fish. I know, it doesn't sound like much fun to me either, but they seem to get a kick out of it.

Hubs Dawg and I walked on the lake for a bit. Awesome! I felt like an Ice Road Trucker (no I did). Hubs showed me a few stress cracks and honestly the ice is really really thick, so you don't feel scared about walking on it at all.

We found a great book shop too where you can take back the books you have read and get money for them, and buy fresh ones. The guy who owns it is very cool, and serves coffee and likes to chat, and lets us take Dawg in too! It will become a regular haunt for us, I can tell. Hopefully in the summer, he will need help as it gets busy, and if that happens, I will be in like Flinn. I would love to work in a book shop. It sounds like bliss to me.

We passed a garden centre today with a cute sign which read "Closed for the season - reason? Freezin" it tickled me. I love daft stuff like that.

I drove the minivan for the first time. And what do you know. Here we are still alive and the van survived. The roads are so long and so straight, you can't really mess it up (not even me). All the cars are automatic and there are no roundabouts just stop signs, so once you get your left sorted from your right (not always an easy task in my case) then it's all good.

My only problems have been looking over the wrong shoulder when reversing, and poking down the side of my seat looking for a gear stick when I want to slow down! It is a learning curve when I have driven on the left in a standard car for over 30 years, but suddenly going to automatic on the right. But I am getting there and will keep practicing. In a couple of weeks I am sure it will feel as though I have done it forver.

I bought lots of books at the book shop this morning, so that is my evening sorted. I shall tidy up, and then pour a drink and snuggle down on the couch and lose myself in a good read. Bliss.

Take care all and have a great weekend........................