Tag Archives: beeswax candles

Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful…

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For the past week in Calgary we have been experiencing the best winter weather has to offer. Snowstorms, blizzards, blustery winds and freezing cold. High snow drifts that take hours and a lot of brawn to shovel. We’ve experienced long commutes to work, traffic jams and slippery road conditions.IMG_2505

Yet in the midst of all this is Christmas. Shopping, festivities and all kinds of family fun activities to go and do. This past weekend especially there was lots of fun things going on and when I heard the weather forecast I was saddened by the things we would likely miss. Yet….

On Friday I decided to bundle the kids up and head out to see the reindeer at the Kingsland Farmers Market, it was only -23. And on Saturday when it was -30 C I decided to bundle them up again and take them out to Christmas at the Hive in Okotoks at the Chinook Honey Company. Then we came home and had lunch and quiet time, and then yes I was likely crazy or simply had brain freeze by this time, bundled up one more time and went to the CP Holiday Train arriving at Anderson station (by now it was only -18 C so really significantly warmer).

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Honey Taffy at Chinook Honey Company

All in all it worked out well. We used buildings and indoor options when we could, mixing up being outside with being inside. It turned out the reindeer were outside but you could wait inside to go and see them. The honey farm you could go in and out of the store as well as the Discovery Center and the sun was out! Which I find can make all the difference.

By the time we got to the train which was all outside, we managed to stay for an hour and a half before it was just too cold and uncomfortable to stay any longer.

Now you might think I am a crazy person for taking my kids out when it was that cold. But when I was growing up I learned that weather is, and you can’t change it; so are you going to miss an opportunity and let the weather dictate what you do or are you going to get out there and enjoy it? Of course it is important to be smart and sometimes it is the right decision to choose not to go. In this case though it was doable and we were able to make it a comfortable and enjoyable experience for everyone.

IMG_2525We dressed warmly, layering from long underwear, wool sweaters and snow pants. We brought warm drinks and snacks to share. In fact to the train we even brought some soup in a thermos. I was surprised by how many people I heard around us saying “Oh they brought soup” and commenting on how good it smelled and how they would like some.

We also knew when to leave, we didn’t try to make the kids last a little longer or do just one more thing. When we started to see signs that the cold was making us unhappy we were thankful for our experience and headed for the car. Even though I would have loved to have stayed longer and listen to Sarah McLachlan.

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Making train craft at CP Christmas Train

Life is what you make it. Now we have pictures and memories and Luke already asking to go back to the Christmas Train. And when we got home we put on the fire, sat on the couch and cuddled, while enjoying snacks and hot apple cider. Everyone happy and chatting away about the evening.

Now I know for some it is really challenging to go out in certain types of weather and of course we all need to do what is best for us. But if you’re prepared and have the right attitude you don’t always have to choose to stay home.

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Post trip snacks

PS Now on Sunday I was quite happy to stay home and not go anywhere….but I was glad we did all those things this weekend. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

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Christmas at the Hive

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On the weekend I took the kids out to the Chinook Honey Company in Okotoks. A local honey farm and winery, they were hosting a Christmas family event with lots of activities for everyone.

When we first got up in the morning and I checked the temperature I debated on whether to go. It was -15 C and I knew most of the activities would be outside; and though we would dress for it, I knew for the little ones it might be cold.

As we putzed around and got breakfast going I slowly started to pack snacks and lunch, having decided that we would go and check it out. Though it was cool, I knew there were some buildings there that we could go into if we got cold; and living in Calgary you really can’t let the weather stop you from doing things. If you did, you’d never go anywhere or do anything. Besides this was the last day the event was on and I thought it would be fun for the kids.

Matthew making beeswax snow candle

And it was! It turned out to be one of those sunny clear blue sky Alberta days with lots of fun to be had. They had a scavenger hunt, apiary tours, and pictures with Christmas Critters. The kids could make their own beeswax snow candle, go on sleigh rides and enter the coloring contest. There was also an observation area where you could check out the bees in their hive, we even spotted the Queen.

Luke really enjoyed standing there and watching the bees. He just stood in front of the glass, head tilted up, watching. Chloe loved the animals, they had a horse and two donkeys that you could have your picture taken with. It took us a few tries getting the animals, and the kids all looking in the same direction, but we finally got a nice shot of everyone. Chloe and Luke insisted that they got to hold the rope of the donkey, just like Matthew did and Chloe cried when the donkey had to go back to his pen after the picture (cause she wanted to pet him some more).

They have a full store out there as well full of various honey products, such as beeswax candles, honey sticks, chocolates and the winery. It was decorated beautifully for Christmas, a rustic sort of look. The staff were extremely friendly as well and it’s a great environment to hang out.

They had a big fire pit outside to hang out and have hot chocolate and snacks and they even had carollers out there at one point. We did the apiary tour, which was interesting as the ‘King Bee’ Art, explained and showed us how they set up the ‘hives’ for the bees and how they extracted honey from them. It was fascinating, and all the kids were very attentive.

We learned many things such as how the bees ‘make’ their queen, how long she lives (4-5 years), what the role of the workerbees and drones are. He also told us how Albert Einstein once said that once the honey bee poplulation of the world was zero that we would have 4-5 years left to live; and that the honey bee populations of the world are dwindling and are down by 30%. Farmers are now working hard to keep healthy bee populations as they are so important to our ecosystem.

It is also highly beneficial for us to consume local honey made by local bees, as local honey provides us with immunity builders to environmental conditions in our area. So buying local is not just beneficial to the local economy but good for our health as well!

All in all it was a great day at the honey farm, we learned a lot, we played and we even left with a treasures, beeswax candles and some wonderful memories!

 

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