Weather Watcher

Before we moved here, I was always a "weather watcher". The weather often played a role in determining how busy the store would be, and we also needed to monitor conditions across the country during the winter to make sure that it wasn’t so cold that items we sent out would freeze and break in transit. But we also walked a fair amount, and it helped to know the temperature and wind direction and strength, before heading out, so we could dress appropriately.

If I thought I would lose the habit of checking the weather forecasts, I was wrong. We use it to plan even more than we did before. If we see a snow storm is due to arrive, we double check our supplies in the cabin, and drive out to pick up anything we think we may need. Even though Rob plows us out with the tractor, we know a heavy snowfall means that the shared road that leads to our laneway probably won’t be done right away, and the municipal road is certain not to be. Although I always make sure we have a good supply of food, candles, batteries etc., I still find that we get low on items such as milk, and fresh vegetables. Although we do keep some powdered milk and canned vegetables just in case, it always seems like a good idea to get out and stock up while we can.

A mild spell means it’s time to take a look around outside and see if anything needs our attention. We keep an eye that the chimney isn’t blocked with creosote at the top of the vent, and this week our drain stack froze up with a chunk of ice so now we know to keep an eye on it too. It’s also a good time if it’s mild for Rob to service the tractor and dry out the shelter around it. Every day, regardless of the weather we fill our wood box outside, but when it is mild Rob also takes advantage of the weather to make sure the kindling box is full, and to split more if needed.

If we have plans to travel a ways we also need to know what to expect in the way of weather and road conditions, so we try to plan our trips for when the weather is reasonable. I also try to go to a Yoga class in Renfrew every Wednesday morning, so keep watch on the weather to see if I will be able to make it or not. It’s a fabulous drop in class at Heartsong Yoga, and if I can’t make it on a Wednesday I sometimes have the option of going on a Friday morning or Monday evening instead. However, because I also do our shopping while I’m out, I prefer to go on Wednesdays and plan my weekly shopping accordingly. We try to minimize the amount of gas we use, and run our errands in the most cost effective manner.

Our recent thaw was followed by a real cold snap. It seemed like one day we were watching the thermometer soar above freezing, with promises of a 10 degree day and record breaking warmth, and a short while later they were promising the coldest day in 8 years.

Rob had decided to try to build a small and temporary enclosure on the porch, to allow us some space to hang wet coats, and to kick off our boots before bringing them inside We thought it would also help block out a bit of the cold air that comes in when we go out the river side door to fetch more firewood. So he rushed during the thaw to get it done. It isn’t perfect, but it works. He used heavy insulation board; Foamular, that we will reuse when we build the new house, and he found an old door up at the top of the property to install on one side. We needed something that would allow us to enter it from the porch side.  He put the insulation on the floor, walls and ceiling so I always feel like I am walking into some kind of a weird pink cooler. (And of course humming that Pink Panther song...) There is OSB (Oriented Strand Board ) on the floor over the Foamular to prevent damage, and a good quality mat from the old store to catch the snow. It’s a good place to store our snowshoes, and there is a shelf so I can put my casseroles or soups out to cool before I freeze them too! It’s nice as it also blocks the wind and helps keep the snow from blowing in on the porch.

As the temperature dropped Rob also finished the new requirement for an extra 4 inches of non-combustible material behind the wood stove. We weren’t thrilled to have to do this as we had built the hearth to the required building code and had worked hard on the original design, but they have since changed the code apparently, so we had to do it. He burnished some pieces of aluminium and attached them at the required distance from the wall. I don’t think it looks too bad, and in a short while we probably won’t even notice it.

(Hmmm, nice photo - it looks a lot better since we moved the welding machine out of the living room, and several of the boxes out of the dining room. I should have taken a photo while they were still all there!)

At the same time we were also required to block in the area around the pre-fab pipe that ran through the bedroom on the second floor so he has done so. The pipe provided a little bit of radiant heat to the room, and now the room seems a bit cooler, so it is unfortunate, but again, it is a new requirement so not much we can do about it. Plus it allows us to now put in a small closet area, so that is probably a good thing as well!

Yesterday, the weather called for snow. It’s the first big snowfall we’ve had in a while. We had so much snow at the start of the winter that Rob was sure he was going to have to buy a cab for the tractor in order to stay warm and dry. (And I think he was beginning to feel like he would be plowing snow every day for the rest of the winter!) But the cabs are really expensive, and realistically, if we don’t have to plow more than a dozen times throughout the winter, it may not be so bad. (Easy for me to say of course, as I remain snug and dry back at the cabin) I think we may just sit and see how the winter goes. Rob has looked at plans and thinks he could probably make a cab himself, which might be the best option.

Today we are keeping an eye on the forecast, as they are calling for freezing rain followed by a high of plus 10 on Wednesday! We weren’t sure whether we should plow or not. We were worried that if we plowed and then got heavy freezing rain it would be like a skating rink, but if we don’t plow and we get rain rather than freezing rain, it may get so heavy that it causes other problems. In the end we plowed, and we shall see how that decision works out later on.

Yesterday I was pretty thrilled to see that the average low has just switched direction – we are now moving to warmer temperatures as the night time average! Minus 18 was the average low on Saturday, minus 17 is now the average. Doesn’t sound like much, but it means that we are well on our way through winter. On the other hand, that means that spring isn’t too far away – so we need to buckle down and get these house plans figured out!

I had a lot of ideas for things to do here in the cabin during the winter, and one of them was to learn to bake bread. In my last blog I had picked up the ingredients, and since then I made my first hand made bread! I had planned to make it earlier, but the warm spell meant we didn’t have the wood stove on as much so I decided to wait until the weather was colder again. I wanted to make sure the house was warm enough for the dough to rise properly.

I had picked up the book Bread for all Seasons by Beth Hensperger at the local library and had narrowed my choices down to about 8 different breads. For my first one I chose a Sesame Whole Wheat bread as it was touted as being high in fibre and nutrition, but also easy to make. I had a few moments of anxiety – like when it said to have the water at a certain temperature and I hadn’t even thought about how to do that. But we have an insta-read meat thermometer and it worked perfectly! I also found it hard to stir the flour in by hand, but I moved the bowl of dough to the dining table which is a bit lower and that seemed to make it easier for me to get a good grip on the spoon and bowl. By the time I finished there was the odd bit of flour everywhere, and I felt things were slightly out of control when I couldn’t find anything big enough to put the dough in to allow it to rise. Luckily I found a larger bowl and placed the bowl of dough upstairs in the bedroom where the temperature was warmer and more even, and after a couple of hours of gentle rising, it was ready for the oven!
The aroma of bread cooking was heavenly, and I kept going outside and back in so I could really get the full effect. And Voila – my first bread!

It was good, but both Rob and I like a bread that is a little more dense with a touch more flavour. Still, I was totally happy with it for my first try. And one day for lunch I remarked that we were eating my homemade soup, made with homemade turkey broth, accompanied by homemade bread, and followed up by homemade cookies. If you had told me a year ago we would be doing that, I would have said "no way!"

Yesterday I gave it another go, and made an Oatmeal Buckwheat and Honey bread recipe. This one seems to be a bit more dense and I really like the flavour of the buckwheat. It was a bit trickier, as it seemed stickier, but it seems to have worked out just fine. Once again, the cabin was filled with the delicious aroma of yeast and honey. Mmmmmmmm….. Each recipe made 3 loaves, so I kept 2 loaves out and froze one, so our freezer is going to be full of bread soon!

Our weather watching isn't only done by PC of course. We walk every day, and every day we go down to the river to see the changes that the weather brings. The ice at the river's edge was well out into the river before the thaw, but the thaw melted almost all of the ice. The cold snap brought it all back, and right in front of the cabin it now almost stretches right across the river. We know it is not solid though, so don't venture out very far on it. It is pretty solid right now at the edge, and we know the water is shallow there so we will go out a foot or so but that's about it. With the next thaw tomorrow, we won't even go that far.

 

 

 

 

Even on the coldest day, if the sun is shining, there's a perfect little spot at the edge of the river, where there are some logs piled up, and I love to sit there.  It's a bit sheltered from the wind, and the sun always feels warm, and on a perfect day there is sometimes a slight mist on the river, and some ice floating by.  It is so quiet, all I can hear is the sound of the ice shifting, the river flowing, and the whisper of wind in the trees behind me. It's the perfect spot to weather watch.

 



　

　

　

　

The New Year begins

We ushered in the New Year fairly quietly, and long before the stroke of midnight. If we aren't already tired enough in the evening after our days of fresh air and outdoor activities, Jet seems to have his own time clock, and at 10 p.m. most evenings is pretty adamant that it is his bedtime. We managed to convince him to stay up a tad later, but not by much. I guess he had no interest in “watching the ball drop” if he wasn’t going to get to play with it.

New Year's Eve day found us in Killaloe, a 40 minute drive from here, in search of warm and waterproof boots for Rob. There is a wonderful shoe store in Killaloe, Afelskie's Shoes, and while a woman cheerfully helped Rob find a good fit, the owner Benny Afelskie entertained me with local stories of the past. "You probably noticed I only have one real eye" he said. I had to admit I actually hadn't noticed it at all. He lost sight in one eye apparently at a young age, when an awl went into it. I didn't think to ask how that had happened. He told me that years later he went to a doctor in Ottawa to see about having the eye removed, and while he was waiting, a nurse or assistant came out and sent most of the patients home for the day due to an emergency case. He was allowed to remain as he had come from out of town. As he waited, a man arrived with three very large men with him. One of the men had a grip on the man's chin, another had the man's head pulled up and back and was holding his head in place by pulling on his hair and the third man guided him. “He had a big nail stuck right in his eye” Mr. Afelskie told me gesturing at his own eye. Now some people can tell you a story, and it's just a story, but other people tell you a story and you can see it all vividly unfolding, and unfortunately Mr. Afelskie falls into the latter category, so I have to admit I was feeling a tiny bit queasy by then! Apparently it all turned out well though. A few months later, Mr. Afelskie was back at the doctor for a checkup (after receiving an artificial eye) and the very same man was also there for a checkup. He apparently had been well looked after in the office and was fine. The nail, I was told, went into the white of his eye, thus saving his sight.

While Rob continued to shop, I did a bit of browsing myself, in between some more story telling. A fairly constant stream of customers came in while we were there and everyone seemed to know each other. We have been to this store a couple of times and they have a great selection, good prices, and super helpful staff. Next door is a Natural Food store - Grandma's Pantry and we went in and picked up some granola and peanut butter and had a good look around to see what they carry.

We had read that there was a good diner in town; Dan’s Diner, well known for their home made donuts, so decided to try it for lunch. It was busy, and obviously a popular spot. It's like a real old style diner, complete with stools at the counter. We ordered two of the daily specials, and they were great. The person serving was alone and very busy, but still all smiles and most helpful and she did a wonderful job. What a delightful find, and we will return (and not just because the donuts weren’t available, they are only made on certain days!)

We made our way home enjoying the views of Golden Lake and the hills around us. It was the first time we’d come this route in the winter, and we noticed how different the area looks from the summer, especially with all the cottage rental places closed for the season. There were a few ice fishing huts already well out on the lake, which seemed a bit early as the ice can’t possibly be thick enough yet. Apparently it’s important to grab your spot early though!

New Year’s Day was sunny and cold with a high of around minus 15. Of course Rob had to try out his new boots, and decided to venture out on the edges of the ice along the river.

And of course he immediately went through the ice. Luckily we knew it was shallow at the edge, so no harm done. His boots are indeed waterproof, and warm. They are apparently warm up to minus 100 degrees, although we have no way of checking that claim out. We both ventured out on the ice again further along when we saw little tracks leading into the river and had to check it out. And of course we both then went through the ice.  My boots are definitely not as waterproof. We checked out the area where we want to build, admired the river view, and then set out through the woods to see if we could walk through the area that the beaver sometimes uses in the summer. Sure enough it was under water, and we went through the snow and into water again. We finally gave up and made our way through the woods to where one of the pathways lies. Because of the heavy snow on the trees though, we couldn’t use the pathway, the trees were all bent down low over it. We just have to hope they will all spring back when the snow comes off.

 

Cutting around the pathway was difficult, the snow sometimes up to my thighs, and we agreed it was time to think about some snowshoes. Our friend Bob had recommended a place that sold them as a kit, with a bag and walking poles, and they offered free shipping, so we ordered ourselves some. Bob has some trails near his place too so we have agreed to meet up sometime in the next week or so to try them out. This week I have been in various shops and three times overheard someone talking about the great snowshoeing trails, so I guess we are in snowshoe country! As we love to walk and hike, I think snowshoes will be a great thing to have for future winters here, so I’m glad we splurged on some now.

Which leads to our next adventure. Years ago, when our store and warehouse were running smoothly, with capable staff, Rob and I had a dream of taking some time off and getting ourselves some kayaks. Our thought was that we would both like to gently paddle around the edges of lakes or rivers, no white water kayaking or anything! We checked out a few places including Ottawa Valley Canoe and Kayak to see what was available, and decided we would take some try-out lessons to help us decide which style of kayak to get. Of course, that’s as far as things went, the store and warehouse were soon taking up all of our time and energy again, and we laughed to think we had even thought about having time to learn to kayak.

This summer as we drove around the Valley we noted lots of boat launching locations, quiet waterways, and marshy wetlands, and kept thinking we would like to have a kayak to go out and do some waterway exploring.

We looked at some kayaks in Barry’s Bay in the fall, but the prices were still high. This week Rob spotted an ad for Ottawa Valley Canoe and Kayak, and so, on a cold and windy morning with the windchill approaching minus 25, we set out to look at what was available.
Located in a refurbished barn, complete with cats, dog, visiting friends, and a most welcome wood stove, we found ourselves in Beth's capable hands. In no time, we were sitting in a lime green kayak, set up on blocks on the floor, getting instructions. We learned that by law we are required to have a pump or bailer on board, a whistle, and a throw rope. And of course a Personal Flotation Device, which is a no brainer for me as I will not be in a kayak unless I am wearing one. I was glad that we could try on different ones though, as they all fit differently and Beth could help us get them adjusted properly for fit.

So, that’s how we came to be driving home, one cold and windy January day, with kayaks in the back of our truck, and big grins on our faces. It took us a few years, but it looks like another one of our dreams just came true! And I think, like the snowshoes, we will have them to enjoy for a long time, and we will be out enjoying the outdoors even more than we already do.

Today though, there will be no kayaking or snowshoeing, as we are in the midst of a January thaw. The warm temperatures caused the trees to drop their heavy snow load, and the snow on the roof is sliding off constantly as well. Our winter wonderland has disappeared, but I can’t help but think it is a good thing for the health of the trees. Now we have freezing rain, but hopefully the warmer temperatures tomorrow will cause it to melt and it won't become a problem for the trees as well.

With the holiday season behind us, we find ourselves looking ahead and looking forward to the coming year. Rob has been working on some new house plans, and a different design of timber frame, and it’s time to think about building and building schedules. It’s taken a while but we have both noticed a subtle shift in our feeling about being here; we both feel more settled, and comfortable now. It was a rather intense few months last year, closing the business, selling the house and moving, and I feel like we are just beginning to catch our breath.

When we first discussed moving here, and giving up our business and income, we talked about being more self sufficient, and learning to do things a little differently. Not knowing what was available up here, and at what cost, we talked about gardening, canning, freezing, and things like baking our own bread. I love to cook, but baking has never been something I did much of. (O.K. in truth I once baked muffins, and the cats got on the counter and batted them around like hockey pucks, and when they fell on the floor even Josh the dog refused to eat them!)  But at Christmas we made and enjoyed biscochitos, so this week I tried my hand at some healthy oatmeal cranberry orange cookies. They came out pretty good, and the cabin was filled with the delicious smell of cinnamon.

Now I'm pretty keen to try my hand out on some bread. When I first met Rob he used to make bread and it was exquisite. Now it's my turn to give it a go. I went to the library and found a book on bread making and picked a couple of recipes to try. Hopefully by my next post, I'll have something to show for it, other than the ingredients!

My other bit of fun this week was building a snowman. Snowperson. Snowthing....whatever. Rolling up balls of snow and sticking them together. The best part is all the childhood memories it brought back. Trying to haul the pieces up and on top without breaking. Smoothing, filling in, patting the snow in place. Sitting in my snow pants deep in snow in glorious sunshine. Finding things to use for it's eyes, nose, mouth.  Trying to work without mittens to shape the snow better.  I stuck gravel in for it's smile, but it all fell out as the temperature rose, and now it looks badly in need of dental work.  I even added ears and some snow hair. Best of all, it was fun! And Jet of course barked at it, but now won't even glance at it, so it's probably good training for him too.

 

 

As always, every day we walk the land, through the forests, and along the roads. After all the changes in the past year, we really feel like we are finally settling in to our new life here. There have been a few challenges, (did I mention Rob getting his tractor good and stuck - twice ?) but it's all a learning curve. At the end of the day, as we come down our road, we always feel like we are in a good place, and fortunate to be here.