It cannot be denied that Edmonton has a long — and often harsh — winter. It can drag on well into April, and there are the days — and sometimes weeks — where it dips to the mid minus 30s, and it makes you question why anyone in their right mind would willingly live in such a city. But, every day is not like that, and in fact, winter in Edmonton is many people’s favourite season.
To embrace the winter wonderland, Ashley and I wanted to take this event outside, and travel back in time to the Edmonton of yesteryears by taking a horse drawn sleigh ride through Fort Edmonton Park.
Unfortunately for us, Old Man Winter had plans of his own, as he has for many of our other past events. Instead of a brisk and refreshing chill, it dropped down to the dreaded minus 30s, and for fear of lost of limbs to frostbite, the sleigh ride is not operated in those extreme conditions.
Rather than being outside in conditions that would freeze a human being solid in mere seconds, we took our party inside, stayed warm, and enjoyed some food and conversation. It turned out that after the busy holiday season, that is exactly what it seems everyone needed, a chance to just sit back and catch up.
Appies were enjoyed, and round after round of bottomless pop were consumed. Perhaps it was the fear of going back outside into the deep freeze, but the afternoon lingered on into the evening and updates of everyone’s lives were given, holiday stories shared, and plans for the New Year described. While it may not have been what we planned, I think it was what we all needed.
Being Edmontonians, it got added to a long list of weather altered plans, and being young adult cancer peeps, it also got added to a growing list of great memories with our expanding local network.
