Bored, bored, bored

OP

4 weeks ago we drove to Williams Lake to the hospital as there was a surgical procedure that I needed. We left at 5am to be there at 8am; we were very fortunate to have good weather. It was an overnight stay and we were back on the road after lunch the next day. B had stayed at an absolutely foul (to him) motel the one night but he did have some semblance of quiet. That is one thing a hospital does not have...quiet. Even at night. Something or someone is always clanging or banging, snoring, cleaning, turning lights on or moving around...not for the faint of heart, hospitals. I promised the anaesthetist that I would highly recommend a spinal as a substitute (when possible) for surgery; then they give you Atavin (anti-anxiety drug) to help you through the procedure. Her statement was: "You don't want to miss out on the Monday morning chatter do you?"; she was right. It was perfect. As I was a cheap drunk I needed very little Atavin. There was talk of bee-keeping, canning, gardening, reading, you name it. Lovely.

I should be truthful and admit that I was scared out of my wits. When I got out of the car, my lower lip was trembling, I was sniffling and more than willing B to say, come on get back in the car and we'll go home....instead, B said : Put on your brave face, honey. I sobbed: "I don't have a brave face!" With that I turned and walked in to Reception; she took one look at my face and immediately had one finger on the Security alarm...I could tell by her expression. So~I behaved.

Anyways, enough of that.....unfortunately, it also meant that I become one with my chair for the next six weeks. Excellent...right through Christmas. Well done Jaye! What a mistake that was. I had thought oh, well, not to worry, I'll still be able to bake, etc. 'parently not. So this Christmas which I was anticipating as the house was close to normal and my kitchen was perfect for cooking and baking is once again a no go. Bother. So, J2 will be cooking and B will take care of the Turkey. Both of them under close supervision as I am the Control Freak Diva!

HOME

Before the op we did manage to do as much as possible. The living room wall is now a beautiful white primer and it goes around into the entrance to the bedroom. It is really nice to sit in the room and pretend it's actually completed. It's especially nice at night. You can't see the floor isn't done yet. I was hoping to get the kitchen/dining room done but that just didn't work out. When I asked when I could start sanding my doctor sat me down and explained in words of one syllable what she would do to me if I even looked at drywall. Finally got the point.

Bill is working on the shower because we had a lapse in judgement and promised J2 she would be able to have a shower when she came up for Christmas. It may be a serial killer's shower (all in plastic) but we'll do our best to get it done. It's such a new experience for Bill working with the wonder board or whatever the horrible material is called that goes on the walls. It's been a little frustrating. We'll tackle the shower floor soon. We want to put in a concrete floor and put in some river rocks (smooth of course). That's the plan anyways.

UPDATE: So much for plans....we have a leak~somewhere. Where, we aren't sure. It will take a few visits from our well and pump expert to figure it out. This has weighed heavily on B but the expert has put some sort of valve in to let us keep the water at pressure which makes B happy; he says it can last til spring and on but I really want it fixed N O W. The idea of water leaking in the yard somewhere gives me nightmares. Thankfully it's a very short pipe to the house, although, we really think it's at the hydrant. So we will be working on this over the next few weeks. And it set the shower back a bit. J2 may be muttering when she arrives. Used to that.

W I N T E R

There are two months of the year that I love: October and December. And December is just wonder-ful right now. Don't talk to me in March.

We have had a few really cold nights and there is another cold front rushing through this coming week but so far it has not been anything near to last year! There are about 10 inches of powder on the ground; the Spruce are dark green against slate skies with icing on their boughs; the fox is coming through every morning and leaving fox paw indentations in the snow; Cuddles, the rodent with a bushy tail, is scampering less and less but we still see her from time to time; the full moon on the snow was so brilliant; hoar frost on the tops of trees as we drove to town; diamonds on the snow when the temperature drops and there is a clear sky; fur lined parkas, big snow boots, scarves, mittens, hats have all come out of storage. The air is fresh and the silence~~I can't explain how silent it is.

And then there's Christmas! Oh, how I love the lead up and the actual day itself. There are so many great memories at Christmas for me....I grew up in an extended family that kept Christmas well. The Moravians knew how to celebrate with food, worship and fellowship. Then there were the Granparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, friends~suppers, carol singing, presents, hugs, kisses, desserts, horrible cottage cheese filled jellos, oranges, chocolate, hard candy, trees, poinsettas, lights, lights and more lights....the Moravian star, sister singing Morning Star , forgetting your lines in the Church play, Candlelight service, Christmas programs at school, presents on Christmas Eve at Grandma's, the lights at night throughout Vancouver, and sometimes: S N O W! But always a sense of comfort. You understand I'm repressing all the negative energy that swirled around Christmas. Repression is sometimes healthy.

Although I can't do too much cooking or baking or shopping I have managed to get out some decorations and lights. Very festive indeed. It will all come together as usual. It's always a challenge living where we do and trying to shop but I think it's worked out. The prices in town are appalling. J2 has helped so much as she can shop for me and will bring the goodies up with her. So, bring it on, Santa.

Does everyone watch Christmas movies?

We have so many movies that we love for Christmas. It doesn't change much over the years as there aren't that many good movies made for the Christmas season.

Christmas Vacation
Christmas Carol (Alastair Sim)
Love Actually
Polar Express
Scrooged (well, only J2 and I like this one)
Christmas Story
Prancer
The Snowman (David Bowie intro only, please)
Angel Square
How the Grinch stole Christmas (both)
Nightmare before Christmas (yes)
Holiday Inn (NOT White Christmas)
One Magic Christmas
and our Christmas Eve movie......A Child's Christmas in Wales

Rather a large list but December is a long month. Each one for a different reason than the previous or the next. From visuals to slapstick to crazy to cartoons to magic.

Keeping Warm

B has been working constantly over the last six weeks with falling, bucking, stacking, chopping and splitting. When you move to a place that has long winter months you need to know that half your time is spent making sure you are warm. With our wonderful stove we have been more than warm. But stoves need to be fed and that has always been up to B. He has really worked his tushie off this year as we want to use what has been felled already but that meant getting out the chain saw and buck, buck, bucking. J1 came over to help a few days and the grandson worked for pizza a couple of days to bring the wood from below to the side of the house. We are also still using dump wood which amazes us. Hopefully next year there will be just as much there as usual. It has really come in handy and has meant that we haven't had to buy a cord yet. We will next year but it has helped.

How bored am I?

Bill's doing all the cooking and cleaning and chopping and shopping and everything! I'm putting his name in for Sainthood. Couldn't hurt. I'm one with my chair and am venturing outside more and more and for longer periods. Getting there. But I'm B O R E D.

So what's a couple of months or more???

It's amazing that I have not been on this blog for at least 10 weeks! You'd think I was busy doing other things. Not true. I've been a slacker.

HOUSE

I was lieing...we have worked so hard these past two and a half months; our bathroom and bedroom were painted ; the hall has been mudded and primed; the living room is mudded and will be sanded and primed this coming week; the pantry is finished! Love my pantry; the kitchen cabinets are a work in progress and they look so good; the floor is down in the pantry and bedroom; the shower has its pan down and the backer board up...waiting for fixtures, J2 will be soooo happy this Christmas; the ceiling is primed; the property is winterized and we now wait for the first continuous snowfall which is supposed to be this coming week!

FRIENDS

You're probably wondering...admit it, you are...how did those two ol' farts get all that done? Well, we didn't...there appeared on our doorstep 4 wonderful friends who came for a few days and worked, worked, worked (there may have been some wine drunk, some songs sung) but they were here to help and we accomplished so much. Mainly because they have ever so much energy! Honestly, I needed a holiday afterwards.

We have know our friends for 37 years; friends who can walk in the door and start talking as if we hadn't been apart. D put down the floors, Bill cut the wood, L painted, painted, painted, B offered to do the shower pan as a present for Bill's birthday (wow!, Bill had been dreading that), J (not me) mastered the saw! And we laid the floor in the pantry and bedroom, primed and painted the pantry, primed the ceiling in the whole living area (arrggh), put up part of the beadboard in the bathroom and on top of it all: we sang, ate the best meals because L must be the best cook (we had S A L M O N); told stories; reminisced and drank our little hearts out. We did. Absolutely. Can't get enough of them...just like sugar crisps.

WEATHER AT DEKA

Last year I arrived on November 1, our first snowfall of note was December 1. Bill had enjoyed a really colourful fall and I was looking forward to seeing the colours this year. Hah! It started out beautifully...bright sunny days, lovely moody ones, trees turning and then.....scream, say Hi to the poor little surfer girl and bye to the garden kitsch. A shot for our wonderful neighbours , see what you're missing?

It snowed 6 inches that day...really wet stuff. Most of it melted away but there is still a skiff around the property. If you drive for a few miles out to Horse Lake Road the snow is, poof, gone. I really believe Deka has it's own weather. This coming week is supposed to be the "dump"---a little early but what the heck, maybe it will go early too! Ha Ha. And of course, we need to go to Williams Lake and it should be a blizzard by then. Well done, Mother Nature!

Coming back after I get the supper going....

Supper got going and got eaten....Roast Chicken, Potatoes, Carrots, Acorn Squash, Parsnips, Pickled Beets...no movie as tv is in storage until the sander sands the living room. Bother.
And I've watched all the way up to and including Season 12 of Midsomer Murders. What to do, what to do....

FACEBOOK

I am an avid user of FB; I love it to bits. This is my link to the outside world; a lot of my ex-colleagues and the majority of my friends are on it and it is the best therapy for me. I love it, love it, love it. It consumes me some days but so far I like to think that I'm not addicted, sort of, maybe, well, we'll see.

FOREST ROADS

We are going to use river rock in our shower floor so J1 and C took us for a great ride up forest roads and into Jim Creek. There we chose some wonderful stones to put into the floor; I'm hoping that wasn't too illegal. We stopped at a few lakes along the road~~Cougar, Coldscaur~~it was a brilliant day and we really enjoyed the backcountry. We headed past Hathaway and the past the turnoff to what was once Camp Deka and the 3M Simmenthal Ranch (such wonderful beef, highly recommended!) and further into the bush. It was great, a lovely time with son and grandson . I'm not sure my kidneys want to do it again any time soon.

THERE AND BACK AGAIN OR, FALSE THANKSGIVING

We needed a holiday; so many days working without a break from work or from each other...it does take it's toll. Our family was going to get together for Thanksgiving and we were all so excited but floods overtook the sister's home and we had to cancel. Something about Airport size fans in their house...go figure. That was okay but the cousins decided that it wasn't okay and that we should re-group. So we did. We chose a weekend where J2 had a flex day and the sister was up for it as the fans had been removed and a semblance of normality was in the house. Bill and I drove down on the thursday, J2 came over on Friday, we had False Thanksgiving on Saturday and came home Monday. Whirlwind but worth every minute of it. Although I'm not so sure about J2 and the BC Ferries from Hell. A normal weekend, she was there at 10:20 and the ferry was FULL! Luckily there was a 12. But bother...then when she went home we started checking hours before she was to leave and FULL, FULL, FULL...We finally got a reservation on the 9pm; then she heard on the ferry that the Pat Bay was closed due to a major accident. Not a happy camper to say the least. But she did have the chance to eat UB's Curry dinner....to die for.

False Thanksgiving dinner was great! We ordered in from the best Chinese restaurant; we must have had 9 dishes and we made quick work of it. Sooooo good. Our friends also came for dinner and there was music in the air. It's been a long time since we have sat down with family and friends and had a musical evening. And it was great to have all the cousins there too. They are so busy it's hard to get them in one room for an evening.

I edited these but there are still a number of "scenery" shots, I just adore the canyons and clouds and weather....what can I say. Just don't look.

ALL HALLOW'S EVE

I wondered what happened on my favourite pagan holiday and phoned my neighbour to find out what i should expect. It seems that there are very few kids that come out but there would be a few. I carved my pumpkin, bought the treats and waited. It is so dark out here I put lanterns out so they could see their way down the driveway up to the pumpkin where I had the candy. J1 and C came over around 5:30 to hang out before going out on their adventure. The DLVFD members and friends were going to have a bonfire, treats and hot dogs, plus fireworks that evening after the trick or treating. Parents take their kids out in their trucks and go house to house. We only had about 8 kids come to the property but we are at the end of the cul de sac and there is only one other house on the road. Our neighbours made sure that people knew to go further down the road. The first child down the driveway slid on the frost and landed on his tushie, he jumped up and hearing my concern said: I always do that! Okay...well, he was Superman. Next year I hope to head out to the bonfires. There is one at the Interlakes or Bridge Lake rodeo grounds that has a scary stall competition and a haunted house; plus a huge bonfire and treats, chili dogs and fireworks.

The evening was magical...beautiful white moon, wispy fog, frost and crisp, crisp, crisp! Beautiful.


RAINBOW

Just wanted to share some photos of a most beautiful evening.....

and do I ever love the new Blog site~~~~~so easy!

Signing off ....

Holy Hannah, has it been that long??

HOUSE
So much has been accomplished! During the hottest weeks of summer we decided to put up the siding. We could only work for about 4 hours at a time and as early as possible in the morning...of course, with us this meant 9am or a little later. Well, you don't want to wake up the wildlife. We had absolutely no idea how to install siding so we spoke to a fellow who had just done his shed with channel siding, got some great tips and he also loaned us his staple air gun. Woo hoo! As we thought we'd be using palm hammers (remember Bill's wrist is still painful) this was a great blessing. That air gun just does it in no time. Our first attempts on the road side of the house had the line just a little off so we did it again and finally went with the flow. As two Libras working on anything that requires symmetry it can get really frustrating. Once we decided that perfection was just foolish and "looks good" was the better option, we had a much better time of it. Although, it was stated many times that triple windows were a killer. The belly boards were done plus the flashing/drip caps. It's so easy to type about all the work we did but was it ever hard! We did an amazing job for two ol' farts and are very proud of ourselves.
Final pics of siding and belly boards
Then there is the staining and the shingles for the gable ends.....

The gutters are up, the rain chain (oh, I love my rain chain), the entry way tiles are in!, and the bedroom has been mudded and taped. And the bathroom has just had it's first coat of paint on it! Alcove with primerThere will be beadboard to put up and the shower to do but we will be putting the floor in before the beadboard which is just so exciting.

With Bill's injury we were set back about 6 weeks and dealing with local suppliers has been a bit of a nightmare (!) but I think we still accomplished a heck of a lot. It would have been nice to do the deck but we still have a couple of months yet. Fingers crossed. The biggie is to get the holes dug for the deck needs 4 foot holes with 16 inch anchors or whatever you call them. It's finding someone with time to do such a small job. We absolutely cannot dig those holes ourselves. So, maybe in October....

COMPANY

Summer was a riot of visitors. Family and friends galore. My daughter started it all off with a wonderful visit at the beginning of July...she drove the Canyons in no time at all, had no problems in her zippy, fuel efficient car and only got lost when she was one block away (well, not lost but a little turned around). It was a great visit with a day off from the house and we took that zippy little car and gave ourselves a treat to Kamloops. The big city. We did a lot of shopping and J2 helped with the picking of the tiles which really did save my little brain. It was a deliciously hot day in town (heat is what J2 lives on)and we had a great lunch at Boston Pizza as usual. I've still to find a good, diner style restaurant there. There were ice creams, visits to view the puppies and visit with the grandchildren aka niece/nephew. The camper was given the Princess Seal of Approval. It was the perfect nest for her! We thought it would give her a sense of privacy and where she could throw all her belongings without getting covered in dust! Hard to say good bye but she promised to come up again at the end of August with the Deka Lake Convoy.

Next was a colleague of mine from the Library. He stopped in for a couple of nights on his way to PG and even further north for a well deserved holiday. S is an avid amateur naturalist and while he was here I learned many of the names of plants in our plot. On his way back down he stopped for another evening. It was great to see him and to hear of his adventures and to treat him to a little Inspector Lewis. We both love our English mystery shows.

Then came C, my lovely sister. Just can't get enough of her. She arrived mid June and stayed for about 5 days at our favourite lake. It works perfectly; she gets her morning swim, walk and coffee on the deck and then visits with us or we go there for bbqs or coffee. The kids and J1 came over one night and we had a great time. C and I really enjoy our time together and see more of each other now that I'm on the mainland. This is C's favourite area in BC and travels here often.

A and L were to stay a night with us but on their way home they developed car troubles and had to cancel. Hopefully, next year.

Then, glory be~~~the sister is here again. This time she's at her annual family pilgrimage lake...the family has been going there for 15 years! It's a working ranch and therefore there is lots of riding, riding, riding! My nephew also drove up with two of his friends. The gchildren aka gniece and gnephew are always treated to a ride. On the day of the ride C and I waited at the halfway point for the riders, met them for a snack and then I went home leaving the kids for the afternoon. Then on the Saturday we had the boys and C over for supper. Although I had meticulously drawn a detailed map on how to get from one lake to another it seems the boys decided that going all the way to 100 Mile was the best way here. Hmmm. Once here it was a great dinner party. D and his friends are talented young men and it was an evening of great converstation and lots of laughs. Hope D makes it up again. There were two in the family missing in action---one with contracts up the ying yang and the other working her tushy off in Costa Rica. We hope to see them this fall, though. Missed them lots. But it is wonderful to have this opportunity to see them so often.

And then----the Deka Lake Convoy rolled into town. D and S arrived a day early and spent the evening with us and then the day exploring 100 Mile House. We met everyone on the Friday night and prepared supper for the troupe as the drive was long for them. It was the first time driving the Canyons and they really enjoyed the journey. The Lake and weather were perfect . We spent so much time with them, J2 and R joining us on the Saturday. Laughs, swims, chatter, chatter, wine, Guinness, food, ice cream and again with the chatter, chatter. It was great! They spoiled us rotten with their company and wine and many wonderful British mystery dvds as a gift. Miss them awfully. J2 and R stayed in the Princess suite and we really enjoyed being with them. J2's friend, R, helped me enormously with my mudding techniques. He was very kind with his comments and had some excellent hints for future mudding. It was hard to say goodbye to J2, ever so hard.

And now we await the next contingent of friends in September/October. Can't wait~

FIRE AND SMOKE

Everyone in BC knows the horrible fires that have been and are still burning throughout most of the province. At Deka we have been extremely lucky and the Interlakes area has not had any major fires. Those that did start up were quickly put out by the DKVFD. But there were also a few summer "residents" who blatantly ignored the signs and the newscasts saying the whole of BC was an Extreme Fire hazard. We had to actually ask a camper if they knew there was a fire ban! They had a campfire burning away; the camper then demanded what we would do if he didn't put out the fire. We just left and reported it. The camper then started another fire two nights later. Honestly! No respect for people, animals or their homes.

Smoke lay over the Interlakes area for about two weeks. Mostly it was from the Kelly Creek fire and Lava Canyon. You would wake up in the morning, a beautiful, gorgeous morning and smell smoke. It made for amazing sunrises and sunsets but so many people were evacuated from their homes; livestock needed to be found and accomodated. Quite a nightmare. We normally can see hills to the West, North and East....you couldn't see anything. It was very eery. This is the East side where you would normally see hills East of our home

WILD AND NOT SO WILD LIFE

Where to start?? The latest sighting was a mother black bear and her cubs. Three cubs...1, 2, 3! I was so gobsmacked I forgot that I had the camera and poof they were gone. It was on Horse Lake road; we saw mama on the side of the road and by the time we screeched to a stop it was too dangerous to reverse. So we watched her cross the road and wow, then one cub, then two more. They were all sleek and very healthy looking which was good to see. The mom had the most beautiful cinnamon nose. She seemed small but maybe just young. But THREE cubs!

Many deer, moose, cattle, frogs, moths, foxes, marmots, you name it...we've seen it. It's been a wonderful summer for wildlife and not so wild-life

Can I keep this blog going? Let's see....

Catching up

So, I've been busy.

First of all one of us fell when in town and severely damaged their wrist ligament. Both my wrists are fine so I leave it up to you to decide who fell.

It absolutely devastated Bill; he is the main builder on this worksite and without him all comes to a veritable standstill. The air has been blue in the house with many words said about tripping on one's sandals whilst strolling through town. All the months spent climbing up and down ladders with heavy pieces of sheathing, standing on a steep roof and nailing same sheeting on....not a blister!

So we sucked it up and moved on. Bill found he could still manage his two fingered typing so he could work on volume 3 of his Wild Jack series; and it's amazing how you can manage with one hand. He stained the fascia and we managed to get one side of the fascia up....WCB would have been very upset to see us but what the hell, we did it. I was using a rake to hold up the fascia, Bill could use the drill as long as his wrist was straight, then we worked tandem with me standing on the workmate. As long as I didn't move an inch to either side, I lived. Not bad for two old farts. And today we just put up the kitchen screen door without any damage to either of us.

Our siding hasn't been delivered yet which I think would have put us over the edge. Bill would have been looking at the piled siding and getting frustrated. But, we are going to try to put it up once it comes; it will be so much slower but we will do it. Then the deck. So exciting.

I abandoned Bill for a week to visit my wonderful daughter on the Coast. It was her first time hosting one of the parents and she did a great job. The apartment was cleaned from top to bottom. Her roomie was away and we just lazed around, did some window shopping, lunched with friends, had dinner prepared by her boyfriend, sat in the sun, went for a drive, drank some wine, watched movies and generally behaved well. While I was with J I also had a chance to visit the library staff and hug a few friends. There was a wonderful Garden Party that I was invited to and I could catch up with my colleagues from work. Lots of sun, food and good people. Then there was "girls' night" with close friends. It was sooooo good to see them; we started to meet evenings for wine, supper and movies and I miss that so much. And I spent a glorious Sunday morning at VV with D. D also joined J and I when we did some shopping; it was a great time.

Getting to the Coast was an adventure....travelling is always an adventure for me. It's not the travelling that makes me anxious, it's the leaving. Never have been good at that. When Bill delivered me to the bus station and I started to get a little sniffly as I walked across the tarmac to my doom, Bill called out: "Remember, this isn't a punishment, it's a holiday." Well, I had to laugh then. It sort of broke the ice. Onto the bus I got and somehow I survived. It was a great journey as I love the Canyons and took some great shots of the Thompson! C, my sister was there to meet at 9pm (7 hours! although there were only 8 people on the bus all the way to Langley then all heck broke loose) and I stayed with my sister and brother-in-law for two nights then over the pond to J. I returned to my sister's on the way back and spent another 2 nights. It broke the travelling up and allowed me some great times with my family.

B, my brother in law treated me to the Vancouver Art Gallery to see the Dutch Masters; it was wonderful. We learned so much about the Golden Age of the Netherlands and saw some absolutely spectacular art. Highly recommend it to everyone. Then we had lunch at the Gallery Cafe! B is the best host. We had a great time. It's not often I get to spend time with him.

It was so hot in Vancouver! I overheat easily so I have to find ways to cope with the heat. And a wet washcloth does the trick! Although, people thought I was a little strange I'm sure as I would stop in mid stride to whip out the cloth and wipe my arms, neck, face and legs with a cold wet cloth. It was soooo cooling.

On my way back to Deka I spent two nights with C as B was on his own adventure. We went to Steveston and Richmond and relived memories of growing up in that area. Supper at PaJo's (yummy) and then a late evening walk down the Boardwalk. It was gobsmacking how much growth there is in Richmond and Steveston now but they've done a spectacular job with the Boardwalk and the history of the Canneries. All I can say is "do it", it's a great treat. Especially at sunset. We walked a little along the dyke, too, and if you ignore the humongous houses it still is the same beautiful river. A great evening!

Our neighbours came up for some fishing this week and presented us with two beautiful hanging baskets which I will desperately try not to kill. The colours are fantastic and they look great on our home! It was in appreciation of taking care of their poor trailer when the snow collapsed their porch cover and broke two of their windows. All in a day's work as neighbours but I am very grateful for the hanging baskets, I've been craving colour for ages. Thank you A and S!! Not only for the baskets but for being thoughtful, considerate neighbours.

It's been Thunder country for a few days now. It's a love/hate relationship as no one wants the lightning strikes but I love the sound, although the shaking of the house could be a little less. Such noise.

You can tell it's summer as now when you drive you not only have to watch for suicidal deer and potholes that could swallow the largest of honkin' big trucks but we now have to keep a close eye on cattle who stand and chew their cud whilst standing in the middle of the road. Do all cattle chew cud or only cows...I have no idea. Also, I've loaded up on DEET and Raid spirals. Yes, I know, not very environmentally sound but I do NOT like mozzies! In fact, I don't like anything that skitters! This is a skitter free zone!

There have been deer in the front yard in the early morning...not that I've seen them but Bill did while I was on the lam. He also heard an owl during the late evening....is it me?

I've been scavenging again and came home today with a marvellous sign "The Blue Barn"; I left the OPEN sign in the dump as I had visions of people stopping at the house to see what I was selling. J is now rolling her eyes. When she comes up I'll take her for a little scavenge, I'm sure she'll love it.

We are waiting til the end of August for the Deka Lake Convoy...many friends and J and R may also come up. C will of course be at Watch Lake so I'll see her lots.

Looking forward to the Bridge Lake Stampede on June 27th. It should be lots of fun.

And, of course, I have many pictures. Liquor helps if you dare to look at them all.
You may ask why I use initials instead of names; I could make them up but I'd forget who was who. One of my family encouraged me to use initials and I have done so. I forget that this is so open to the public!

Chicken, Noodles and F's Peanut Sauce.
Movie tonight: Spirit

Look out...Pictures!
First big Thunder storm
Bridge Lake and Fascia
An evening on the Lake
Jaye's Adventure
Nature
Our screen door and a little outside

Four weeks from Summer Solstice

We are gobsmacked but I presume we shouldn't be. We woke up this morning to about an inch of snow!!! For heaven's sakes. Well, that puts staining the fascia boards on hold for a few days. And they are still forecasting 10 degrees today. The freezing level must be really low for it to snow. Costa Rica looks mighty fine today.

I made it through the first long weekend without any major harm to myself or others. That's all I'm going to say except that I'm very grateful for our neighbours.

We had our fascia boards delivered and began to stain them. They should be up next week and then the gutters. It's on hold right now as the weather became a little damp and colder. Our channel siding will come next week and we can start on that; we bought our cedar shakes from a local business and are very pleased with the quality. The shakes will go on the gable ends.

The mudding of course continues; Bill is also working on the third volume of his Wild Jack trilogy. He's had the new cover of the re-issue of The Journey sent to him and it's great! So all is well for him in the publishing world. The Interlakes store and the Country Peddlar sell his books. The Country Peddlar also sells Bill's cds along with his books and this weekend was good for sales!


On Saturday we went to the first Tailgate Flea Market at the Rodeo Grounds. It wasn't too bad, it just needed more people selling but they'll do it again in the Fall. It was also Bake Sale time for the Ladies Auxiliary for the Deka Lake FD; we picked up the most wonderful cinnamon buns and a Pineapple loaf that we have waiting for us in the freezer. We did try to go to the local store but one look inside sent me away. Too many people.

Well, it stopped snowing! That had better be the end of it.

May10, 2009

Finally, we woke up this morning to find that the little bit of ice and snow has GONE.

Yes, it is a turning point for Deka Lake. The ice left the lake earlier this year, too. Last year there were still large areas of snow on the property when they began to dig the foundation.

Did you know that the ice sinks? I didn't. I just assumed it 'melted' but nope---it sinks. You can drive to the store with the ice still on the lake and when you return, poof-gone. It breaks away from the land, cracks in all sorts of places and sinks. So neat. Nice to see the water again. It's such a wonderful turquoise when the ice is just beneath the surface.

Voting tomorrow! Everybody get out and vote. It's good exercise in all sorts of ways. And I don't mean 'futility'.

Canucks? I wonder.

Dig-Dig-Digger is back home and loving every minute of it. G brought him over in a carrier late afternoon on April 30. I met G out on the road; we talked a bit about Digger. It seems something clicked in that small brain of Digger's when he saw us and he spent the night sleeping with G, something he never did. We are forever grateful to G for the care and love he gave to Digger!

The furball needed a major grooming; he smelled of diesel and his coat was soooo thick. He is part Norwegian Forest Cat and his coat probably saved his life. It's like spun silk, doesn't matt and is water repellent. At this moment, he smells better and looks like he actually has a home now. It's been two weeks and he's ventured outside (after much sniffing of the air) maybe two, three times and after less than five minutes is frantically trying to get back in. Digger is quite happy to be a house cat for the time being.

The roads, lordy, the roads! We've already put many dollars into our poor car due to the horrendous condition of the secondary and tertiary roads here. It seems the Horse Lake and Mahood Lake roads will be re-surfaced this summer! Until then it looks like you just drive down the road like a drunk trying to miss the craters. So many pot holes, so few struts and axles.

It was Mother's Day today and I was treated royally; long, lovely phone calls from J2 and J1 came bearing gifts and for a visit; I adore both of them, they are so different but such great, loving adults. Bill of course, treated me as always, with breakfast, lunch and dinner. And he slept through the movie I chose. And, to top it off, a visit to the dump.

We are becoming quite the scavengers; there is so much good wood that people throw out and we use for kindling. I guess the time to cut it up is daunting or they are construction crews getting rid of ends. Whatever, we make use of it. I also (J2 is now getting the commitment papers ready) picked up a kitschy wrought iron cat that someone fell out of love with. It's in the trees looking very whimsical. Well, I think so. It goes with the lime green wrought iron garden chair.

The house is progressing inside and we just made the order for the siding, sills, trim--inside and out. Bill thinks it should take a week to do the siding and I look forward to putting aside the mudding to help out. It will look so nice; we had the colours picked out for the exterior paint---when I showed them again to Bill he said "those are the colours?"....Okay, maybe it will take more time

The mudding goes. It's so tedious; I can't stand it; it gives me heart palpitations; I swear A LOT; bother. I'm in the kitchen right now and there are two more coats to do. Did I mention I hate mudding?

Bill moved his desk and computer into his study/second bedroom; so that shows the master bedroom to be huuuuuuge now. He's going to rough in the closet soon. We went to Kamloops recently to choose tiles for the shower and other random things that 100 Mile cannot provide. It was a one day affair as I didn't want to waste money on a motel. We even got a visit in to VV; oh, how I miss my Sunday morning church of VV!!! One of the shocks of driving to Kamloops was the overwhelming greenness once you drove into Little Fort!!! It was shocking; lime green, olive green, dark green, light green...and on it goes. So much green. And there were flowers growing on the hills. It was another world; obviously, I needed a break.

There are sooo many deer around now. They are beautiful and serene and totally careless of traffic. Not only are you trying to miss craters on the road but also need to keep your eye on suicidal deer. Then soon enough we'll have to keep a lookout for cattle. They aren't suicidal just slow and large and stubborn. It does keep you doing the speed limit. Well, some keep it.

This coming weekend marks the beginning of the tourist crowd coming up to Deka. It becomes very busy (how many ATVs can there be in the world?) and it makes a major change in the dynamics here. It's the old Townies/Gownies scenario. Ourselves, we are expecting friends to join us at the end of summer plus J2 and my sister (Yay)! We look forward to that very much. Lots of laughter, food and wine coming up.

It's been a year since Bill came up and with good friends and relatives built one solid home. The house is my design and it seems to be working well so far. There are minor things that I would change but nothing serious. I cannot believe what a few "old" farts have put together. Take a bow, everyone.

I give the snow one last day! and then I'm taking out the hair dryer. The mud hasn't been too bad either but then the rains haven't begun. I think that happens in June; plus the bugs. Must get a supply of DEET.

Mother's Day

Bill's Burgers (Ohhhh, so good)
Inspector Lewis

The last two weeks

The last two weeks have been wonderful.

The thaw started and we were outside taking down the skirt around the house (see: Evil Frost), listening to the melting snow on the roof, seeing the colour brown, meeting many deer, woodpeckers, chopping wood, taking the tarp and roof off the camper and leaving only one tarp on, muttering about gumbo, and my ultimate favourite activity: scavenging! Yay!

The pictures say it all but we enjoyed our excursion to the Cariboo Mall to scavenge for some lumber. We wanted to create a temp path over the gumbo so that we could safely navigate from the front door to the van without losing our boots in the mud. It does happen. It was a sunny day as usual. When we entered the dump there was someone burning the very, very old wood products in a large container. The heat was intense. We skirted round the fire and made our way to the back. And there was our answer! Someone had kindly removed their old deck and put it in the dump. Excellent. We loaded up as much as the old girl could handle on the roof racks (that's me and the car) and brought it home. On the way home we passed my son and his friend; I believe they were laughing a lot. Then we had to unload! We decided to go back for another few pieces. It made a deck from the front door and up the side.

When we were in the dump we drove past some wonderful 4x10s with massive spikes in them and commented on them. After a cup of tea or two we decided to check the next day to see if they were still there (so much competition). And they were. So, another shoulder breaking load was lifted on the van (poor thing) and we brought it all home. We now have a good walkway (albeit a little tippy) to the car. Lovely. Recycling at its best.

We have quite a bit of spruce and pine in large burls at the front of the property and Bill has spent a lot of time and sweat splitting them. The spruce is wonderful; it burns fast but creates a lovely heat.

One of his other many projects was to build a shelving unit over the stove; the fan pipe needed to be covered and I wanted a particular design for the shelves. They are only for decorative bowls, etc. Another job was to create an outdoor workshop so that he could move his tools outside and start building shelves, counters, cupboards, etc. We put up the tarp between 4 trees and we think it will serve him well.

During this time I also marked out the property a little better (never perfect but it gives one an idea) so that when we build the wood shed on the east side we aren't on our neighbour's property....always good not to cross boundaries. It was a little frustrating going through bush and lining posts up but I did it. I still have nightmares that someone is going to come and say we are on the wrong lot. Bill and my son just roll their eyes. Well, it's happened! A few times. Anyways, nothing wrong in double checking everything.

And then it SNOWED! Can you freakin' believe it? My Aunt in Saskatoon always, always said that there is one last snowfall after Easter...no matter when Easter is. I am gobsmacked. But, thankfully it is melting immediately on the roads and car but the whole property is white again, no brown...and my poor Mungo!

In between all this, we had to replace the axle on the poor little car and we now have found out the wheel bearings need help. The roads out here have done their damage. Thankfully, the Horse Lake and Mahood roads are going to be upgraded this summer. Woohoo!

So, I sit waiting for Digger. I'm not sure if G will be able to get him in a crate. When I picked him up he had muscle power he never had before and it was hard then to get him in a crate. We shall see. C'mon home you silly pussycat!


Pictures of course; consider yourself let off lightly...I weeded them like a good librarian.

Omelettes with red peppers, green onions and cheese/Asparagus on the side.
Video: Australia

Dig-Dig-Digger

Digger is a cat. A smoke. Independent, scrappy, ex-street fighter, loved and adored by two Js.

We started to build in the Cariboo May 4 and I stayed in Victoria until November 1. Our home was in a wonderful Co-Op; I stayed there until June 30 and then went to live with a close friend.

On July 1 Bill came down and moved our belongings including one cat up to the Cariboo. Digger was the absolute best cat all the way up to his new home. He was in his cage between Bill and myself. Although I knew Digger was upset I also was glad he wasn't howling all the way.

We got to Deka and Digger was the first I took from the truck; I brought him into his new home and opened his cage. It never, ever occurred to me that he would head out the door. For heaven's sake, why would anyone do that? I thought he would hide under the bed, behind doors, etc.

He headed for the door. Even so, I thought he would just hide in the bush. Digger was never seen again. I was devastated. Although he wasn't a lap cat and used me mercilessly, I loved him to bits and felt very responsible for him.

I spent three weeks at Deka, looking, seeking, checking; we found him one day way up the hill in a tree. He escaped us. All I could do was go home and hope he came back to Bill.

Digger never appeared. We assumed he was picked up by visitors to Deka and had a new home with lots of food and parties.

When I moved up to Deka in November I never gave up looking for him although I knew the longer it took the more it became obvious he was lost to us. One of our close neighbours (about two city blocks away) was taking care of 9 cats. When we asked if he might be taking care of Digger and described him, he said "yes, a brown cat". No, not brown. So, I thought Digger wasn't part of the brood.

Every day, we slowed down by the property....just in case, never to see our Digger. He's very distinctive as he's a Smoke. Not a peep, lots of white, grey, you name it. No smokes.

Today, we passed the property and there he was. Sitting on top of a pile of scrap. I got out of the car, every other cat ran for it, Digger listened and came to me. He even said hello and rubbed against me. I picked him up; he must have gained 5 pounds! G came towards me and so did Bill. Digger went insane and lept from my arms leaving his calling card--a long scracth---on me.

Wow.

G said he came to his cabin in December, frozen and covered with snow. He didn't think he'd survive. Digger has been there ever since. G was gobsmacked that he was our cat. He promised to cage him and bring him over. I wish him luck.

I wait for the return of Digger after 10 months away. I don't know if he'll stay but I know where he will be if he doesn't hang around.

Cats.

Go figure.

Here I am, the invalid. After so many months of not hurting myself, I turn over in bed one night and something went pop. It actually went "pop". I'm not sure what but I am now in pain. It's been 8 days and if it doesn't become a little better by Monday I'll have to go in to see the doctor. It is so frustrating! The dining room only needs a little more work and it would be done. Bother.

It is a variable weather day. A little of everything. I've been craving a loud rain storm but nope. There is so much sunshine up here. After living my life in Vancouver and Victoria, it's so brilliant. There is the extra of not having the pollution, too.

Bill is building a shelving unit over the stove vent as we speak. It's our design and I think it will be perfect. He used Beetle Pine for the pipe surround and the blue is beautiful.

The thaw is going along at a slow pace but fast enough for us. We have no water in our crawlspace and are knocking on wood that we can get through the melt without it. Bill did such a good job with the drains I have complete faith. There are others right now who are living with water in their basements and crawlspaces. I can't stand the thought of water in the house!

The skirt was removed from the house (it helped tremendously with the evil frost), the tarp tent was removed from the camper; trees have been marked for removal (Beetle kill)...little things that make the place ready for Spring/Summer. It's so nice to see my little pine poking his head out and new growth on the Spruce and Aspen. The lonely Cottonwood has buds, too. The mud is such gumbo. It will suck your boots off if you're not careful.

The weather has finally broken out of it's below normal status and it is quite beautiful. Such an understatement! The sky is a brilliant blue; the snow is actually melting, especially off the roof; I think I see my little Cariboo Zen garden peeking out; the hat on the Johnny Depp is getting smaller every day; there are no icicles on the house. Well, it must be Spring (for this week anyways, I've seen the forecast for the next week and PPPPP)

We spent one day removing ice and snow from the front three feet of the roof on either side of the house. It was so much fun, exhausting but fun. Bill thought of using the downspout to make caves in the two feet of snow and undermine the pack. We then cracked the ice formations off. Bill needed to see that it wasn't damming and it wasn't so another crisis averted. It's been good to have a slow melt.

Sometimes it's fun to just be creative

On one of our walks we strolled and squelched down to the property on Womack that is being de-forested. There is a road leading to the lake and we ventured down to the private property that is on the lake. As there is no other access, this cottage must be accessed by foot only historically. On the muddy, squelchy, slurpy road down you can see where there will be larger plots of land on either side of the road. It's very beautiful and so quiet. But it has opened up so much with the tree removal; the wildlife must all be looking for new accommodation. At the bottom of the hill we saw where all the trees ended up. What a lot of firewood! Very tempting but of course, private. The cabin on the lake was boarded up for winter and we speculated whether they owned all the property or are now wide open to the world without their knowledge.

A walk down to the lake on a very Spring-like day

Today as I said, it was so warm. Almost 15 degrees! I spent the morning mudding and taping the dining room. It's great to be doing this out of the pantry and bathroom. I get to see the progress more. But, I do have to learn how to do the corners yet. All is done in the bathroom except the one corner. Blah! And for my good work, I went out to bathe in the glorious sun. Woot, woot.

Mudding and Sunbathing all in one day

Spice rubbed pork, Coleslaw and Baked Potatoes
Who knows what movie

We've been listening to the trees coming down on Womack Road for the last month. They are clearing a large area for development. Doesn't seem like the year to be doing it but what do I know.

It has changed the vista for all of us (2) on King Road. We see more of the hills and we actually have a lake view now. It has opened up the whole view from King looking North. The people on Womack are going to be gobsmacked when they come up in the summer. But they'll be busy taking down their own beetle killed trees.

The beetle kill and it's consequent tree removal has changed the Cariboo. There is so much cleared area now; the Spruce also has a worm and the Aspen tends to have a "black heart". A neighbour has encouraged me to plant fir and we may do this. But, I enjoy my beautiful Spruce and Aspen nonetheless.

I took a few pics of Womack for my neighbours to see.

It's a brilliant day today, the ice is melting but the nights are cold and the ice forms again. It looks like April will have snow and May will be the same as last year. Bill began our adventure on May 4, 2008 in the snow and it was cold for May and June especially living in the camper. People are predicting the same this year. Costa Rica is looking good.

Roast Pork with veg
Hockey/Masterpiece Classics "Little Dorrit"
Young's Double Chocolate Stout

On Sunday we began our road trip to Vancouver! I had not realized how much the whiteness was beginning to get to me. It wasn't hard for the two of us to rationalize going to Vancouver for a shopping blitz rather than go to Kamloops. It also allowed us a visit with our daughter who came in for two nights and to visit with my sister and her family! My sister and brother-in-law are extremely generous with their home and their time so we all had a great visit. It was great to catch up with my niece and nephew as they are very active in education and music. Two thumbs up for relatives.

And having our daughter there was icing on the cake; it could have been longer!

We started the road trip with a visit to the Interlakes store for coffee and Breakfast sandwiches (the Deli there is superb!)then over to wash the outside of the car---poor girl was so dirty. A couple of dollars later she was sparkling.

We took the 24 out to the 97. It was a brilliant day. I'm always looking for wildlife and photo ops; Bill on the other hand doesn't understand stopping the car every 3 seconds to take a picture. So I thought, I'll just click through the window in a moving car. When you start doing that you see so many wonderful sights that you just normally take for granted. Bill and I have travelled the Canyon route all our lives. We know it so well and enjoy every minute of it.

The journey down the 97 to the 1 and through the canyons is not to be missed. I understand taking the Coquihalla for timely reasons but for no other. The Thompson and the Fraser Canyons are superlative. So, after filling my memory card twice and deleting many, I was left with a mere 60 odd photos and they're not too bad. Not great but what the heck, the car was moving.

This set of pictures comes with a warning. There are a lot and some are very "arty"---but I love the Canyons and am posting them


We make very few stops along the way but like the Clinton Hotel (especially breakfast), the Blue Moose in Hope and the Hope Cafe for food. Otherwise, it's fast food. Or, a packed lunch and sit at the Goldpan Provincial Park right beside the Thompson!

On our return trip we stopped at 100 Mile to pick up groceries and I had also promised my grand daughter I would buy Twilight for her/us. Somehow Quantum of Solace also got in the grocery bag. From there, a short ride home. As we travelled on the Horse Lake Road we discussed the total lack of wildlife welcoming parties. I still had my camera ready and was getting ready to put it away....Bill braked and said to get ready; he backed up and two beautiful moose were standing there as the welcoming committee. I got pretty good pics; they are extremely camouflaged and it's hard to get good pics with my camera but click away I did.

We arrived home safe and sound with many packages of tiles, dressers, mirrors, lights and sundry deco items that makes you feel you are actually going to have a home one day. We also made it to VV---sooooo nice---so I had a few items from there. The major shopping was for tiles, lighting and drawer slides with metal sides. We accomplished everything. It's not Bill's cup of tea but he managed brilliantly. And for anyone who loves to shop: Lee Valley!!!!!

At my sister's we had a wonderful curry from B and then C cooked up a storm every night except the last night when we had Chinese takeout from a Main Street restaurant to die for. They have this Peppering Chicken that is so wonderful. There was also sweets and breads from Breka on Fraser---great sourdough and Pumpernickel. S kept us in wine and I have to advertise the Red Rooster Merlot as a very fine wine. I wonder if I could get a box of it for advertising? I wouldn't say no.

So I've managed to barely dress today and am having a great day of looking at photos, facebooking, talking to our daughter and blogging. No drywall and no sanding. It can wait. I really am not laughing at the weather forecast for the next two weeks. It's April for heaven's sakes!!!!

Shrimp Stir Fry
Not sure: Twilight? Not quite what I would choose. Maybe some Foyle's War.

We had an adventure today helping our neighbours. They have a trailer on the site beside us and their porch roof collapsed. We were asked to check to see if there was any damage and yes, there was so we struggled over to the camper through 3 feet of snow. I did the scouting in the intrepid snowshoes and Bill came later using my trail but still falling in about 2 feet. It was exhausting. But we did it and taped up their windows for them. It would have been awful for them to arrive in May to see broken windows and maybe, squirrels making their home inside.

I do admit I took far too many pictures.

Neighbourly business

There is some satisfaction in looking outside and seeing water dripping off the roof! The wind is almost warm; I've found the deck chairs; there are buds on our Cottonwood; the snowmobiles are getting stuck on the roads; it must be Spring-ish.

We are still in for some cold weather coming up but I'm positive that there will be a Spring-like essence from now on. Whew!

The bathroom and kitchen are now being discussed as to what/how we will finish them. We both agree on using beadboard in both rooms and then paint. My paint colours have the most delicious names: Bamboo, Dorset Gold, , Winter Wheat, Nettle, Allspice, Fragrant Cloves, Belgian Waffle, Caramel Apple, Moccasin....I would like a job naming colours.

'Course this all depends on me doing the drywall. Hmmmm.

I spent most of the morning wanderingon the road, around the house....looking at branches, loving the wind, watching the water drop from the roof, falling in a thigh high snowbank, picking up spruce cones, listening to the trees falling on Womack....loving it.

Just a great day to enjoy life....on our return trip from the building supplies store at Interlakes I stopped to take pictures of Deka Creek de-icing It had been frozen since December and is now turning out some lovely ice floes.

Parmesan Chicken and Coleslaw
Hockey

Is it Spring?

Probably not but I was in heaven for a short period of time. When Bill left Victoria in May 2008, I was car-less and was forced (it's the only way with me)to walk everywhere. So, I walked at least 2 miles a day for 6 months. It was a new experience for me and put me in great shape. Moving here---------oops, no walking. So, today was wonderful. Bill dropped me off on our way home from the Sunday newspaper pickup near Jody's street (not that far, but baby steps) and I walked home. It felt great. Still a little chilly but a sweatshirt and Miss Puffy (thank you good friends) kept me toasty. But, I did have to jump out of the way of a few rabid snowmobilers still out on the road heading to Windy Mountain. Far too fast as usual and especially on a road that loses the snow every once in a while now.

Bill has been sealing the space between the skimcoat and the foundation in the crawlspace. Another @#$! job in the crawlspace. At least his shoulder is almost normal again. Poor guy. But we are as sealed as we will ever be. And, the crawlspace is now an excellent storage area after all the cleaning he did down there.

The kitchen/living room, hall and bedroom ceilings are finished! They are mudded, taped and sanded. Yay! I am so much more relaxed knowing that I have corners and walls to do not ceilings and ceiling corners. I have found it very hard to do the bathroom ceiling and am not looking forward to the study and airlock! But my work is cut waaaaayyy down now. It was worth the money. I'm almost out of the bathroom. Just need to do some fix-up (ceiling) and sand. Then I'm going to tackle the kitchen. Woohoo!

Jen is in heaven after being offered a government job just last week. It was quite a week for her as she was very ill and still crawled in to meet her potential supervisor. It's a contract job and potentially lasts a year. It will allow her to work at her schooling if she wants, too. We were really chuffed for her. It's not easy finding a job these days.

By the way, a second picture of mine was shown on CBC Weather. Cool, huh?

Mac N'Cheese Soup, Buffalo Chicken "Fries"

David Copperfield (PBS, young Daniel Radcliffe, Bob Hoskins and Maggie Smith!)

This weather is starting to piss me off. Who in their right mind thought that -25 degrees was a good temperature for March? And the truckers are saying they're hitting -36 on the highway. Excuse me? I am totally for Global Warming if it means Spring in the near future.

Bill has completed cleaning the crawlspace so I thought I'd celebrate with some pictures. It's the least I can do. He now has a sprained shoulder from the work. And he isn't a happy camper!

My son comes over in the mornings which we truly enjoy. When he leaves from the house to come over along come his trusty sidekicks Sadie and Puppies. Sadie is his main squeeze though; she's been with him for about 9 years now and they're very close. She's the perfect dog. Puppies is still that, a puppy. She's about 2 years old and knows that Sadie is alpha girl. She has tons of energy compared to Sadie who is a tad overweight (who isn't?) and has a little arthritis (who doesn't?). When they leave, my son drives the truck with Sadie and Puppies running after him. Well, Sadie kind of trundles after him. Puppies is home and back three times before Sadie gets there but it's always with dignity.

I'm going for a short walk as it's another tiresomely gorgeous day albeit effing freezing! Tonight is Full Moon----I wish my camera was better so I could take the evening shots; too indescribable.


Clean crawlspace and visit from Pooches

Pork stir fry and noodles

We've been watching on dvd: Michael Palin's New Europe (excellent)

There are a lot of happy wolves tonight.

The moon is beautiful, high and bright, shining through our living room window. It makes up for the last few days of snowfall and cold weather!

There were a couple of 4 inch snowfalls that happened last week and this week it's decided that -25 is good March weather. What? We've come to the conclusion that 3.5 months of white stuff is our limit. This year is abnormal (I believe they said that last year) with the cold weather and the snow pack still pretty deep. It was thawing for a week and every body was thinking of parking the parkas. The roads were clear or slush. Absolute heaven and then kaboom. Mother Nature plays tricks.

Thankfully, it's the sun that saves us. Clear, pristine skies.

They are subdividing acreage just behind us and across the road. If they continue as they are we will have a lake view! And then the property behind us needs to down their beetle pines. The hills are very visible now. Amazing changes. It must have repercussions with the wildlife! It seems that acreage can only be 5 acre plots now; no more half acres like ourselves.

The Canucks are losing to LA 3-2. Honestly.

Some moonrise shots (very grainy as I have a cheap camera) and the last snow shovelling. It was a cold day and the grader had left us a few more inches than we wanted. And Twilight, mmmmmmm.

A wolf! We were driving along Mahood and there on the right hand side just standing up to his belly was a big, beautiful, fluffy wolf. He was grey with black on his back. I am so excited. And so is Bill. It seems when I call out Wolf, Wolf, Wolf....it's not as shrill as Moose, Moose, Moose!
Oh, I'm so chuffed!

Although it still doesn't beat my son leaving our place one morning, driving into his property and staring at a moose standing by the Bronco. Just hanging around.

There are more birds singing lately. Even with another snowfall last night! There are Pine Grosbeak, Grey Jays and Black capped Chickadees so far. In the area we also have the Great Horned Owl so I'm hoping they decide to live around here.

The wind has picked up and it's snowing. We shovelled about 3 inches this morning in brilliant sunshine but could see that a storm was coming from the North. Big fat clouds full of precipitation. I'm glad we went for a drive earlier. It's blowing snow right now and looking very stormy. Hmmmm. Head for the crawlspace?

Speaking of crawlspaces: Bill cleaned out the whole damn space of debris, vacuuming, sweeping and now has a lovely sinus pain (even wearing a mask). We may be flooded (happens to most people up here) and we wanted the debris to be gone so it wouldn't turn into a slushy and be difficult to drain. Nor did we want the drain to plug. We may be allright as Bill really worked hard at the drainage system. Fingers crossed. As we are on clay we're hoping the water will just run off not down. It also depends on the thaw: too quick and it means trouble.

Before and after the storm and an almost picture of a beautiful, gorgeous, fluffy WOLF

Chicken Curry with Lemon Potatoes
The Girl in the Cafe. (Bill Nighy)

It was such a beautiful day today that we went walking and looking for the momma moose and her chicks. We didn't see them as it was a bit late in the day but the day was glorious.

Jody saw a coyote running along side him as he drove down Horse Lake Road. Is he some sort of magnet and I'm not? We have a coyote visiting us but I only see his/her footprints. Oh, well.

Looking for moose

Miss my friends and family ever so much. We're looking forward to the Deka Lake Convoy that is coming up at the end of August! And my sister who will join us in the summer. If Jen can she'll be up too but we're hoping she will have a brand new ever so special job by then.

February 6th was the last time I blogged? What have I been doing?

Wednesday is town day and it was also the day that we were having the ceilings sanded. So although it was a mini blizzard we left the warm house and ventured into blowing snow. The main roads are graded so there is usually not a problem driving; but our road was about 6 inches of powder. We had already shovelled our driveway out the day before so you just take a run at the driveway and turn onto powder. Lots of fun. But once on Womack the roads were fine; just low clouds, blowing snow and a car that was taking it's time warming up. Brrrr. It was the first time in weeks that we had on our downies and Hellies. Last week we were wearing sweatshirts and basking in the warmth of the sunshine. Arctic outflows...you can have them. I took some pictures in town as I thought people would want to see what a real wintery day is like without the sunshine.

There were very few people on the road but as we drove home there was a car behind us all the way. I mention this as it is required of the driver to slam his brakes on when I see something I want to photo. With the car behind us that wasn't going to happen so I knew I would miss out on photo ops. And yes, one gorgeous moose was about 20 feet from the road, standing up to her "knees" in a grove of Aspen with her nose fully in the snow and blowing into it so that snow was flying all around her head! What a perfect shot and could we stop? Nope. There wasn't anywhere to turn around either without having a fast moving jeep up our rear end. So I've imprinted the image in my mind. She had a beautiful chocolate coat with palomino on the backs of her "knees"....it may also have been a young male but I didn't have time to really look and the only thing I could go on was no rack. Lovely, Lovely!

Sunshine is out again and it is brilliant in the house. There is a wind outside and snow is being blown off the trees. It is such a soft powder. Although, again yesterday we had to shovel out another 8 inches of snow!! The grader had come down the road though and King was nice and clear.

Speaking of moose, which I'm afraid I do often, there is a cow and her two calves just two city blocks from us. I haven't seen them but our neighbour takes her dog out early in the morning and has seen them a few times. They are camped out on a road that has no permanent residents and runs through a "holler" so it's quiet and as there are gullies on each side of the road it's hard to see them. I'm waiting until they decide to take a walk down King into Crown Land.

Work continues at the homestead. The daily activities to keep warm and fed take up quite a bit of time and on top of that there are doors being hung, mud being applied with much creative swearing...our drywaller (for the main ceilings) became ill with the Cariboo flu and had to cancel at the last minute. Unfortunately, we had already covered everything in plastic and moved as much as we could into the rooms with doors. It took a week before he could get out of bed; the flu hit the area very hard although I think the GVPL was hit harder than I've ever experienced in my time there. It was a terrible flu up here and we are very grateful we missed out on it; we assume the flu shot contained this particular flu or maybe as we are older, we've already had this strain. What was I talking about?

Right, work...the French doors look gorgeous! Brent and Judy gave them to us and we had at first wanted to use them as outside doors in the kitchen. But, due to space in the door area of the kitchen (these are the mother of all French doors) we decided to use them as interior doors much to Bill's utter amazement. What do I know about hanging heavy, double paned, real wood doors on inside door frames. But he did it!!! and they are such a wonderful addition.

Work inside

Our beautiful doors

More work inside, more light and a trip to town

Pork chops stuffed with Cranberries, Apples and Onions.
Curling, Golf

Not much to say but I thought I would post some pictures of Hathaway Lake in the winter especially for my sister and the Deka Lake Convoy. We are also doing quite a bit lately inside the house. Bill has worked at creating the vanity...it's cedar lathe on plywood and is stained a combo of half cherry and half mahogany. It is going to look very impressive. It reminded us of when we built a table for the Sid Sirocca for our good friend Brent. Although, we were able to buy mahogany then and we must have oiled that damn table a hundred times. It was soooo beautiful and fit wonderfully in Brent's boat. Now---forget buying mahogany lathe! The bedroom door is hung, the young man came and mudded and taped our ceilings in the open area and bedroom, and I've moved into the bathroom, cursing and swinging my mudding knives.

I digress: pictures for friends and family

Time to sign in. It will keep my mind off Jen and her interview at UVic for a job. Best of luck to you, HB.

I am out of the Pantry. About bloody time. All the mudding, taping and sanding is finished. I've learned lots and hope I can take what I've learned into the bathroom which is next on the list. We've asked a local (sort of ) guy to give us an estimate on doing the open area ceiling and the bedroom. He hasn't phoned us back yet so I'm still hoping we may be able to afford it. I can whine my way through the walls but doing even the smallest of ceilings just about killed me....physically. So off to buy some primer tomorrow and then some paint on Wednesday. Wahoo! Now to choose the colours....erp. How about "Fragrant Cloves" for the wall and "Allspice" for the shelves.

We had just a little bit of snow two days ago. Our shovelling skills are getting stale. The colours have changed here as the trees have lost their snow and ice. More sun is predicted for the next week. I think the seasons are all mixed up. In summer we'll probably have rain and the gumbo that comes with it.

The roads were finally graded so that the washboard goes parallel to the road and not at right angles. The Mahood Lake road was hell. It was taking us 3 times longer to drive it because we wanted to protect the car from shaking apart. I would rather not be strutless again.

There's a little mouse that is skittering around the house and down the paths; you can tell it's a mouse as you can see his little tail marks in the snow. More deer and fox around. Jody has seen a couple of white tails and more Moose plus a mink! He's up much earlier taking Sandi to work so he sees more animals.

A neighbour is feeding 9 cats and we are going to check to see if one of them is Digger. Highly unlikely but Gib seems to think he's feeding a smoke cat. We shall see. If not, Gib seems up for letting us have a cat.

It's another brilliant day with bright sunshine, clean, clear blue sky! The snow is melting as the temperature is at and above 0 these days. It's nice to be able to open the bedroom window and not have ice build on it so that I can't shut it again in the morning. I'm so particular about fresh air at night. It's so claustrophobic without it.

Bill is working on the vanity this week. He is using cedar strips on plywood and then will stain it mahogany. Today he started on the door jamb for the bedroom. The wood was so warped! It's such a frustrating job to do in the first place without having to use such inferior wood. We will also be ordering the wood for our window trim inside and also the siding! The other major project will be the deck. I'm not sure I'll get what I wanted; it may have to be a watered down version but as long as I have a spot for a chair I'll be happy. We need to get the gutters up too.

Friends are arranging a road trip up here in the summer and we're so excited. We'll be able to show off our home and have lots of hugs, laughs, giggles and gossip. There may be wine involved, hard to tell. Looking forward to the many visits. I know Coral will be up for a while and I really enjoy having her up here with us. We both love this area very, very much.

A colleague wrote to say that everyone was enjoying doing their Performance Plans!! Obviously I was doing something wrong. PPs are not my cup of tea.

We didn't get out snowshoeing this week but we hope for next week. It will be Spring before we know it although the thaw didn't come til mid-May!!!! last year.

Bill is going to enter the ice fishing derby at Deka. It's a fund raiser for the Deka Lake Volunteer FD so it's worth a cold tushy and maybe a fish or two. If it's windy I think he'll pass but if it's a day like today---wow. I shall take pictures and bring tea.

One of our friends is in Dublin right now and posts pictures on FB that just make my heart soar. We had a wonderful time in Ireland. Coral, Bill, Jody, Jen and myself had a great adventure there for a few months. We all loved Dublin and spent many days strolling the streets and sipping "the drink"; so many wonderful memories. And Sheri's photos bring it all back again. Christmas was especially great for us all; it was a brave venture for Jody as he was the one that had to go to school and everything was so different for him....and Coral refused to say goodbye to us at the airport and bravely got on the plane with us.

I am terrified of flying so Coral and Carol would bundle everyone up---4 kids: Kassan, Hayley, Jen and the Jodester, three adults (Bill was already in Ireland searching for a home for us) and we would go to the Vancouver Airport with a picnic and throw a blanket down near the runway (those who were teens in Richmond knew where to go; you probably couldn't get away with it now), cheer when planes would take off and land. We did this for a week and I have to say it worked! Although 8 hours on a plane with an anxious 10 year old and a very active 17 month old child is not recommended. Sigh. We made it but only just! It was a toss-up as to whether the other passengers or myself would throttle one of the kids or both. And the poor young man who sat beside us is probably still telling stories of the baby who insisted on seeing everyone's belly button.

Signing off. A few pics

Note: Jen's interview went well. She was a little stressed as there was a test at the end; something she wasn't aware was going to happen. Seems to be the norm these days with interviews.

Fish in batter and homemade fries. A little wine and a movie---Baker

Just had a wonderful talk with Mad Margaret of the Lunatic. She makes my soul sing.

The Cariboo is covered in white crystals these last few days. Every morning we have woken to hoar frost on the snow, trees, bushes...probably even the resident fox. There are these beautiful bushes that are everywhere (hopefully lots in my back yard once I have one) and they are covered in frost. I don't think the pictures capture how magical they are. Enjoy them.

The pantry is starting to look "finished". I have the ceiling joints to do and some sanding and then I can say "I'm done" and move on to the bathroom. It's been hard work on my hands---one of my fingers on my right hand actually stays in a fist shape and then pops out. That can't be good. Thank god for Arthritis Tylenol. I'm looking forward to sewing once I have some free time and if the mudding kills my hands I'll be mighty ticked off.

Mamma Mia and Shrimp with Noodles (Bill loves this so it's on the menu once a week)

Today was Snowshoe day! Yay! I am going to be so sore~

Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry and many glasses of wine!
Hollywoodland

We love driving along the Horse Lake Road through the Valley into 100 Mile House. The scenery and Light are wonderful.

There have been sightings of Moose along the Road and I always have my antennae up for them. Number one I don't ever want to hit one and number two I'm determined to get a picture.

I was fiddle-farting around when Bill shouted "Moose", slammed on the brakes and reversed...too late, all I saw was a retreating Moose behind. Sigh.

We were on our way into 100 Mile to have the Van-Go's rear struts re-strutted. It took longer than we anticipated, something about a nut....I don't know. Anyways three hours and many dollars later we started on our way home. We were vigilant coming up to where we saw the moose but Bill and I assumed we wouldn't see it. Then the shriek (I don't know who shrieks in that car) "Moose, Moose, Moose!". Bill slammed on the brakes again (he was going the Cariboo speed limit totally not expecting to see her again) and he got three pictures. I stepped out of the car as she was being so co-operative and moved closer; as I did so, Bill pulled over onto very crunchy icy road and I've never seen such a large animal move so fast. So we only got the three gorgeous beautiful photos but we are so proud of ourselves.

We now belong to the Cariboo.

Oven roasted Pork and Apple Sausages to die for (from John the Butcher).
Not sure what the movie is tonight. As we didn't watch Day after Tomorrow I may beg for that. Not Bill's cup of tea.

On our way from Sheridan Lake to Interlakes store I spotted two beautiful huge chocolate-coloured magnificent marvellous perfect Moose(s). It was a cow and her teenager.

Bill has requested that when I see such a sight that screeching Moose, Moose, Moose into his ear whilst he drives is probably not the best way to get him to stop safely. I don't believe I screech.

We watched them for about five minutes meandering slowly across the snow covered bog. Mom finally looked us in the eye and we left. And do you think I had my camera? Do you? Well, do you? Crap. Never, ever again will I leave the house without the picture taking machine.

The snow has settled down a little but I do believe that you should never follow a weather report. It is rarely right. Yesterday was supposed to be an accumulation of 1cm....there was at least 3 inches when we went out to shovel. Last week was supposed to be "light snow"....we shovelled close to 5 inches of snow. But, it gets us out, we do it slowly with lots of time for pictures and talk a lot. I use the West Coast shovel so I don't do as much but it is quite the workout.

Last night we were invited out to dinner with friends of my sister. The couple are retiring up here soon but have been at their lakefront home for over 20 years. There was also a neighbour who has moved up here permanently, they also have been here for about the same amount of time. So we heard lots of stories and had a lovely evening. They were great hosts and there was always lively chat. Their home is a yellow cedar log house (the logs are massive and were all hand picked down at the Coast by Jack), 3 floors and beautifully located on the water. I look forward to more evenings with them as it's nice to be in a home with an actual kitchen. Although my words about card playing may not have me back again. I hope I wasn't too rude. I hate cards...ask my sister.

Van-go, our surfer girl van, is not well. We took her in to see the mechanic and listened whilst figures danced in our heads. Van-Go has been rattling in the right rear since around Christmas and after eliminating everything we could we had to see about repairs. Let's just say we need the car therefore you pay the bucks. Poor girl. The roads are soooooo washboard here it's not surprising that the "struts" go. The one strut is "gone" so both rear struts need to be replaced. The mechanic says it's age; I don't think he was happy to deal with a Japanese make; they drive mainly American hogs up here...we think it's a combination of both: age and wear. The mechanic and his wife are from Germany and were very helpful. The only thing that bothered me was they spoke to each other in German; my Grandmother always spoke German to my mother, Uncle or Aunts when she didn't want the kids to know what the gossip was. I was thinking the same was happening here. Now I really do need to take Van-Go to the Coast to see surf this spring.

Shrimp, Garlic, Red Pepper, Udon Noodles
Movie: Day after tomorrow

The light at Deka is magical. Tonight there was a sunset that made the sky look like it was on fire. It was wonderful. I was in the pantry just minding my own business and wondering how to get one of my daughter's friends up here to do the drywalling when Bill yelled from his office...check out the light. Holy Hannah! I dropped the mud and located the camera. My first venture outside involved flip-flops but after one slip I decided steel toed gumboots were a better choice. No coat, no gloves, no hat. A brave soul determined to get the pictures. Did I mention that I missed out in taking pictures of two magnificent moose? Have I?

Two fat juicy Indian spiced pork chops on a bed of onions and apples.

We had Cam's birthday at our place on Sunday evening. He turned a very respectable 11 years. As he asked for Spaghetti for his dinner that's what I made. In the morning I made the sauce and the garlic bread so that I could have a more relaxed evening. Everyone came over around 6pm and we opened presents....a few model airplanes and a mini-dig with Stegosaurus. As I was cooking the Spaghettini the lights flickered about 6 times. And the power was off! Oh, Bother! Out come the emergency candles and onto the woodstove goes the dinner. Everything turned out pretty well considering.

Sandi had made a wonderful chocolate cake with cream cheese icing and Sour Babies for decoration....oh, my. And I had finally put together Les' Mackenzie Buns just in case Sandi did not have time to do a cake. So on sugar highs we spent the evening telling tales and watching Cam try to put models together by candlelight. Not an easy task it seems.

It has snowed on and off over the last few days, nothing serious, just teasers. We went for a cabin fever drive yesterday as it was brilliant! I love driving around in this light. Of course there are lots of pictures as I am still bedazzled by the snow and the light. Have I mentioned the light?

Cam's Birthday and a day outside

Bill is almost finished the basement, thank goodness, what a miserable chore that has been for him and I am on to mudding and taping again although today's shovelling put that on a back burner. According to the weather forecast this am it was predicting 1-3cm of light snow. And we must have shovelled 10 cm and as we were shovelling another 3cm fell! We decided that we were not going to win this battle. The next check of the network showed Heavy Snow today. I think they just wait to see what is going to happen and then post what they see outside the window. So we are probably in for a very long shovelling session tomorrow. Hopefully Andy comes around and digs us out with his Quad. If not, we just wait till the grader comes and start digging.

Was that not the best Canada Juniors ever! Well, maybe not ever, but it was enjoyable. We rigged up the computer to the 42 inch monster to watch the games. Have I mentioned that I haven't missed cable? At all. But I am a tad addicted to the Internet. Hmmm? One vice for another.

Roasted Vegetables, Wine and Long, Hot Summer