February 7, 2008: Quebec City – Winter Carnival

  First off, my thoughts are with everyone back home.  I have not been able to view all of the coverage but I have been following my emails and the reports of the damage in Tennessee and Kentucky.  I know it is terrible.  There are few events that compare to this outbreak.  They do happen every so many years though.  The 2003 outbreaks were rough.  We all remember those.  Let’s just hope this is not an indication of what spring is going to be like.  What we saw two days ago is what a HIGH RISK event can bring.  Anytime I say there is a high risk from the SPC then it is a serious situation.

  It could have been much worse for our few counties.  Thankfully, for the most part, we were spared this round of tornadoes.  Carlisle County has damage, Calloway County was hit by at least one or two tornadoes, Trigg County and counties to the north and east of there were hit very hard.  The latest death toll is up to 55 – I have heard it could be as high as 70.  Different reports from Tennessee. 

  Tony Crouch – yes the famouns Tony Crouch from Mayfield – sent me this photo of some of the damage.  This was the K&N Restaurant in downtown Mayfield.

  We made it to Quebec City – City of ice and snow!  The Winter Carnival will be held this week and into the following week.  Lot of people will be coming and going.  We are heading to the Ice Hotel tonight.  Should be an experience.  Probably something you do once in life.  🙂

  It is a hazy sunny morning.  You can jussssttttt make out the sun through the clouds.  A few flurries are falling from time to time as well.  We are staying at the Fairmont – Le Chateau Frontenac on the St Lawrence Seaway.  I can see lots of drifting fog outside the window…large chunks of ice are floating down the river.  You can almost walk across!  Plenty of breaks in the ice though and you can also see the water.  Occasionally a large ship (sea vessel) passes by.  The snow covered roof tops can be seen from my bay windows.  Looking southward or southeastward I do believe…row after row of houses.  I would say the snow is piled up as deep as three to four feet in most people yards.  Coming into the city there were piles much higher than that.  Winter in Quebec!

If all of our furniture were made of ice this is what it would look like.

Some of the Old Town area (near where we are staying)

There are plenty of snowmen around.

This is the hotel we are staying in (see link at the top of the page/post)

 
That would be us 🙂  the hotel in the background. 

 
That is our hotel room up there on the corner – last night 🙂

 
Phone home 🙂