February... March.... bring on Spring!

February is known for it's unsettled weather, with extreme lows, and occasional thaws. We certainly had the lows, but there was no sign of any thawing for the entire month! We had several "extreme cold warnings", wicked wind chills of minus 35 to minus 40, and bitterly cold nights.  But, as we watched the snowy weather patterns on the east coast of Canada and the US, we decided that we were feeling pretty lucky overall! We did get a bit of snow, but nothing major for the entire month.

For us, February is also "the month of love". We celebrate the anniversary of our first date, Valentine's Day, and the anniversary of our moving in together.  (Don't do the math  - we did indeed move in together after knowing each other for a pretty short time.) We met 37 years ago - so far it seems to have worked out pretty well....

So while some people say February is their least favourite month of the year - we are rather fond of it.  We spent most of it cozied up next to the wood stove, or heavily bundled up and walking with Jet outside. Rob kindly made sure the truck would start every morning that I had to go to work, and I would fill the passenger seat with extra mitts, hat, and scarves, in case of any problems with the truck during my commute. I discovered that the beautiful Alpaca wool wrap that was a gift from my friend Elizabeth was perfect for wrapping around my knees, or draping over my shoulders, keeping me warm each day until the truck really warmed up.

I experienced some of the most stunningly beautiful views on my ride into work; cold winter sun barely glowing through the early morning ice crystals, drifts of snow blowing over the farm fields, and shaggy, frosty cattle grazing on their morning bundles of hay.  One morning I passed one of the Mennonite men, in an open buggy, well bundled but still looking awfully cold, and the horse pulling the buggy all covered in ice. One evening I looked in my rear view mirror and caught the sight of a lovely big grey horse pulling a buggy up a dark and snow covered lane way - the horse perfectly lit by the lights that were mounted on the wagon. Of course I have no photos of these moments, but the images are firmly in my memory!

In fact, I have few photos from this month at all.  And many are ones I took from inside the warmth of the cabin!

Each time there is a fresh snowfall, I like to go out and look for new animal tracks. There are snowshoe hare tracks all over the property, but I rarely see the actual rabbit. One day as I sat inside at my computer though, I caught some movement outside the window, and there was a lovely hare, browsing on some cedar. Thanks to the German Shepherd who seems to have put nose prints on the inside window - possibly not my clearest shot - but it was lovely to sit and watch the hare eat for a while.

The number of animal tracks crossing the river increased in February as well. The river appeared to be frozen, but when we stood at the edge of the river there were sections where we could still hear the river flowing beneath the ice. In an area one afternoon, it sounded exactly like lovely steel drums.  We always walk cautiously along the edge, and don't venture out too far.  The coyotes, deer and fox seem to have so such qualms. One thing I haven't seen this year, is the tracks of the wild turkeys. They usually show up along the river edge, and all around the cabin but this year there have been none.

We like to follow the deer tracks, as they seem to have a bit of a highway running in front of the cabin, along the edge of the river, and over to the new house where they cross in front of the living room windows.

It was also nice to be able to walk along the frozen river edge and look to see how much of the house is visible from the river. (Not much!)  I couldn't do it in the fall when the house first went up, as the river was too high, too cold and running too fast!  Funny to think that was just a few short months ago.

With the cold wind chills we didn't manage to get out for any snow shoe hikes this year. We did don some snowshoes briefly one afternoon when we went to help our friend Bob take down a dead tamarack tree.  We needed the snow shoes to get through the snow and down to where the tree was. It's a bit of a slope down to the lake where Bob lives, and Rob took a few minutes to show us some excellent techniques for getting up when you fall over! Here he demonstrated the roll method, and the use of a pole.

Later on he demonstrated the tree hugging method.  I am sorry I laughed - but I did manage to ask if he was all right...!  We still wonder if Bob didn't wax those snowshoes!

In terms of the house building, obviously not much has been going on in the house. But Rob has been extremely busy working on the plans, and sourcing items. He twice had to cancel travel plans for picking up the off grid system due to the weather and poor road conditions.  But he was pleased to be able to finally pick up the panels, inverters, and controllers, one cold bright sunny day.  I think I pictured some sort of major celebration when he arrived home with them, but it was cold and dark when he arrived home, and we simply carried in what we could, admired the boxes, and decided to celebrate when they system is actually installed!

The reality of going off grid did however, become a bit more "real" with the arrival of the panels. Rob has been working on the lighting plans for the house, and had to think carefully about putting in multiple switches to ensure that we could turn on a light when we entered a room, but also turn it off as we exited into the next room.  We've been practising here to turn unnecessary lights off more often, but I think we will find ourselves improving on that! I picked up a good indoor drying rack for drying clothes and have been using it for the last couple of weeks to see how it does. (It's great!) Although the clothes dryer would have to be on propane, we are seriously considering not bothering with one at all.

Rob has been researching bath tubs - (acrylic vs. cast iron vs steel - I think marble is out!) and here's the problem.  I LOVE the bath tub here - there is something about it that is just really comfortable. But I don't know what it is!  I'm told the best thing to do is to go to the store and get into the tub you want - and check it out for fit. Well - most stores have them on display stacked above each other on a rack, way up high. I don't think you can ask them to please just bring it down so you can get into it!  I guess we will have to look into it a bit more.

Other items on the list - low flush toilets, bathroom fans, wiring, (Rob is reading the entire newest version of the Electrical Code book!) wood stove installation, interior wall designs. Final design for the kitchen (the peninsula is now an island!) Rob's been trying to simplify the workshop design. The solar panels will be mounted on the roof of the workshop, so the sooner they are on the better. The workshop is not yet built however!

February was a great month to spend time planning and researching. But I think our brains are getting full, and both of us just want to get on with the actual building. I know though, that when Rob is in the thick of it - he'll be glad that he took the time to think things out first.

Unfortunately March arrived with a forecast for below normal temperatures, and we woke up one morning to a thermometer reading of minus 33 ! Rob had expected that he would be able to get back to building by the beginning of March, but has been frustrated by the continuing cold. Suddenly though, in mid-March, we were teased with a brief spell of above normal temperatures, blue skies, and glorious warm sunshine.

The concrete pad inside the house began to warm up a bit, and Rob even opened some windows in the house during the day to allow the warmer air from outside to come into the house.

The river began to show some signs of thawing, and we were hoping that the warm trend would continue.

Rob decided it was time to remove some of the snow from around the house, in hopes that he would soon have some bare ground, and access to the east and south sides of the house at least.

Of course, March being March, another storm blew in, and the promised rain arrived as snow instead.  On the plus side, it was very beautiful!

We will get building soon. This week the jays and the chickadees moved into a different song, the song of spring. The deer have been more active in the woods and on our roads.

There was a bit more warmth in the sun, and it is beginning to set a little later in the day. We've been able to go for a walk most evenings when I get home from work.

 Despite the cold, spring is surely on it's way.

And with the imminent arrival of spring, our "winter hibernation" period is about to end. We are enjoying our last few days of relaxation before the work on the house begins again.

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 !

 

"S" is for Sheds, Snakes, and Sunshine

This week saw big changes up at the top shed.The stone base has all been laid, the plastic sheeting is on top, and the rebar and wire mesh are all in place and tied down. I finally got to help - by tamping down the gravel with a nifty tamper that you pick up and drop 6 billion times, while trying not to hit your feet. There is a particular sound that it makes when you get the angle right, and I didn't hear it very often.  I couldn't complain too much though, as Rob had to first move and place all the gravel (mostly with a tractor, mind!) and then was busy putting in the wood forms, rebar, mesh etc. Actually, he had to do a lot by hand as well. Plus he had tamped it down first with a compactor that had we rented, that basically shakes you and the stone all over. But after he used it, he realized that the level of the stone needed to be adjusted in some areas after measuring the levels, so he had to rake some up and do it again.  He's building up some pretty good arm muscles! Of course this was all done just as the temperatures went back into the thirties, so it was hot work as well. The concrete should be poured sometime this week. We will be getting someone in to do that part. It was a rough week for LCD displays though, and this is what happened to his level after it fell over.

 

 

The shed is looking pretty good! The form outside of the shed will also be filled with concrete so that Rob has somewhere clean, dry and sturdy to put the timbers as he slides them into the shed.

 

 

 

 

I try to go down to the edge of the river every day and look for fish, frogs, birds etc. When I could see something coming up the river, with a small wake behind it, I never once thought of a snake. I don't know why not - I know they are in the river, but I'm just a tad nervous of snakes, so perhaps chose to not really put that idea in my head. At the same time, something large was flying overhead, so I was torn between shots. I went with this one. (Kind of wishing I went with the bird instead!) I went on to some web sites to try to identify the snake, but couldn't decide if it was a Milk snake or Northern Water snake. I'm a member of a google group called the Naturelist, so I asked them for help. This sparked a great discussion, as the members had different opinions. In the meantime I learned it would have been far more useful if I had picked up the snake and taken several photos from different angles. Like that was going to happen..... Anyway, the consensus is that it was a Northern Water snake. Totally harmless, but fond of checking out people in the water in case they are food. Great. I will have to learn not to be so nervous around them!

I visited the farmers market on Friday and found the selection to be much better, as of course the vegetables are now ripe for picking in the farmer's gardens. I have learned not to hover in a 10 foot buffer zone around the vendors - but to plunge in and go talk to everyone, and not feel like I then have to purchase something from every table. I know that next week I will buy from someone else. I do however, have some favourites, and this week I picked up some great organic onions, and yellow beans. Picked up fresh basil and roma tomatoes from another vendor, some mustard base pickled beans from another, and then lingered at the wood oven pizza vendor. We already had a good dinner planned, and I couldn't see eating pizza mid-afternoon no matter how delicious it looked, but discovered they sell their own Italian sausages, made from pork from their farm, so bought some of them. We ate them last night (and the remainder on Sunday!) and they were absolutely delicious. I can't wait to go get more this week. As we have not yet found a local butcher, buying direct from the farms may be the way to go.

On Saturday after dropping off the garbage/recycle, I visited the local library's fundraising event. There I came across a person who was weaving lily leaves, and we struck up an amazing conversation. He scours the land for various plants that he uses - sweetgrass, spruce roots, etc. and weaves beautiful baskets from them. I would have liked to have bought one of his baskets, but our space here is at a premium, so instead chose one of the painted cards his wife makes. We chatted some more, and I was hoping he offered courses, and it turns out that it's something he is thinking about, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed! I would love to take one. Then, just before I left, after telling him that we had just moved here, and a little bit about us, he reached over and handed me a lovely candle holder that his wife had painted. "I want to give you a gift" he said. I was so moved I almost couldn't speak, but did manage to thank him, and we shook hands, and I left to visit the rest of the vendors. I have his card, and I did email him later to thank him again, and I just know we will connect again sometime in the future.

On Sunday it was sunny and in the 30's, so we decided to do a few things in the morning and then head for the beach again. I don't think we will have too many more days like this! We walked through the woods for about 2 hours in the morning, trying to mark some walking trails. We also want to create a path for Rob's tractor so that he can go up our new road and up into the sheds without marking up any of the common road. It was really good to walk the land and see just how much there is around us. 

 

 

 

We used Rob's GPS to help us find our way, and to keep track of where the property lines are so that we aren't making trails on the neighbour's land. Sprayed a bit of paint on the trees that we will have to remove, but we will try to mostly remove the dead ones. Spruce bud worm has taken out a lot of our spruce trees, so they will be the ones we remove the most of, in order to make some trails.

 

The woods vary a great deal throughout. Sometimes the forest floor is rich in vegetation, and sometimes it's not. There are grouse in some areas, but it's hard to get a photo of them as they head off into the brush and seem to disappear. Rob found a feather though!

 

 

No signs of any fresh bear poop so I guess there is no bear around this year. We could see lots of deer tracks and we've been seeing and hearing the deer a lot, especially around the sheds.

In the afternoon we drove back up to Round Lake. It was surprisingly quiet for a Sunday in August - this really is a secret location I think! It was lovely, the lake a bit choppier due to the wind, but we swam, sat in our chairs on the sandy beach and watched the few people that were there, and then swam some more.  It was sunny and 31 degrees, so a perfect day to be at the beach.

Back home in the early evening, where there was a cool breeze but the air still quite warm. Cooked up some burgers on the grill, and made a nice big salad. Two hours of hiking in the woods and two hours at the lake, and several walks with Jet. A good night's sleep on it's way.