Bob's Yer Uncle

The storm that brought such incredible amounts of snow and high winds to the Eastern USA, fortunately only dumped about 20 cms or more of light snow on us. The day after the storm, we woke up to brilliant sunshine and blue skies. Our friend Bob was out on his snowshoes, enjoying the beautiful day and making some trails, and was kind enough to think of us, and called us up with an invite for a snowshoe hike this week. A quick look at the forecast saw we were due for rain and freezing rain, so we quickly agreed to go out Sunday morning with him. This was our first outing on our new snowshoes!

It was minus 27 when we woke up, although the forecast was for a high of minus one. We put on layers (and layers!) of clothing and headed out to meet up with Bob. At his house we gathered up our snowshoes and walked up his road to the set-off point. He gave us a few tips on how to put the snowshoes on, and told us that we might get a bit warm with all the layers we were wearing, but we figured we could unzip our jackets if we needed to. About 50 steps along I started to remove my hat, gloves and scarf! I was already getting too warm.

Bob’s neighbours are kind enough to allow him to snowshoe through their property – they have about 1200 acres and it’s a mix of bush, open areas, and interesting terrain. We could see their farm in the distance as we were walking along.

 

 
Bob had already set a portion of the trail so it was easy to walk along and enjoy the sunshine, and the views of the land around us. After a slight but easy incline we came to a beautiful view. It was hazy today or we would have been able to see much more. As it was, we had a great view of Lake Clear below us and far in the distance the Ottawa River and Gatineau Hills. If we had brought along our binoculars I bet we could have seen even more.
 

 

The owners of the property use the land for logging, as well as farming, so we got a quick rundown on the types of trees they remove, and the ones that were growing around us. We came to an unusual stand of trees we were told were ironwood trees.

 

As we walked along, we learned a bit of the history of the area. We knew that the early European settlers had been lured to this area with promises of fertile farm land. But the harsh climate, and rocky shallow soils led a number of the new settlers to give up and move elsewhere. You could still see some of the old fences that once divided up the land.

 

There were also apple trees spread throughout the area we were in. Bob tells us the cattle eat most of the apples that are low to the ground, but that he has come out and picked the higher apples over the years and even tied in with another neighbour to produce some apple cider from them. These apple trees were pretty large; very old, very beautiful and very gnarly looking. They have been here for a long, long time. On picking days, the cattle stick close, knowing there will be more apples on the ground when everyone leaves.

Before setting out, I had read a little “snowshoe etiquette” which said to make sure everyone takes turns breaking trail. When we reached the end of the trail that had been set the day before, and had to break new trail, Rob and I made sure to offer our help. I of course ended up offering just when the route was up a hill!

But I set out anyway, and Bob was quick to praise my snowshoe technique with the kind words “you know how to walk”. Because basically, that’s all you have to do with these snowshoes !! Still, by the time we got up to the top, I was pretty happy to have someone else take over. I could feel some new muscles at work.

Other than rabbit trails, we didn’t see too much in the way of wildlife. But it was a beautiful walk, and I loved looking around the area a bit.

 

 

 

We eventually came back to where we had started, and set out on the way back for lunch at Bob’s place. Just before we got there though, he offered us a view of the lake he lives on so we took a short detour. We had to strap our snowshoes back on, and we weren’t really sure we could snowshoe much further but we gave it a go. As he talked about the other people who live in the area, I realized we were on the lake and stopped as I am a little hesitant about being out on ice. But they assured me I was fine!

 

Rob took a photo of me on the lake. I think I was still casting an eye down to make sure I was really o.k. though. I dropped my scarf too, but managed to notice and pick it up. We seem to have a history of leaving things at Bob's place!

 

 

We weren't really all that far out on the lake and were soon at the dock and then at the edge of the shoreline.

A nice leisurely stroll through his woods, and I could see his lovely log home.

The chickadees and finches were all out to greet us, and we kicked off our snowshoes under a warm sun and blue skies. Bob had cooked up a fabulous carrot and sweet potato soup, and we stayed for lunch before heading home.

Jet was glad to see us as we had been gone about 5 hours. I didn’t feel too bad as he had lots of play time in the snow the day before, but we still took him out for a good play and a walk. Walking was interesting, I could really feel my legs had been working hard in the snowshoes. Guess we shall see how we feel tomorrow.

Taking a play day was a great idea. Although we spend a lot of times outdoors every day, Rob has been really busy this week looking at roof designs, calculating snow loads, and going through endless research into heating systems. He needed a break and some nice fresh air. On a bright sunny day like today, I can’t imagine living in a climate that didn’t include winter. It was an absolute treat to be able to go out in it and walk through the areas we did. At the end of our walk our friend Bob summed it up - “it sure makes you feel alive”. 

The title of this entry - well - we use it all the time when we are trying to say "something is easy to do".  But we use it a lot now when we talk to Jet and try to persuade him that our good friend is his friend too. Jet is slow to accept new people. So - Bob has become "Bob's yer uncle". As in - it's easy - just make friends with him. I'm not sure Jet is buying into it just yet- but he will. Bob has been a patient friend at winning over Jet's acceptance.

And speaking of Jet. Here he is. On a beautiful sunny day, when the fresh snow was piled high, Jet came out for a walk with us this weekend and was somehow different. I can't put my finger on it - but he was calmer, and somehow more relaxed than normal. Maybe he's maturing, maybe it was just a really good day, maybe he was just smiling as much as we were on a glorious, sunny winter day.

Maybe he's going to give "Bob's yer Uncle" a nice big welcome someday !

 

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.