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