One year later

Our slow, cold spring has continued now into mid-April. Although we are anxious to get building, we know that we can't do much until the snow is gone and the frost comes out of the ground. So in a way we are thankful that we are not being distracted by any sort of mild spring weather, that would usually draw us outside this time of year. Instead, Rob can continue to be inside, working on house plans, scheduling and timetables. We do, from time to time, wander out into the woods and stand in the snow and contemplate and measure and calculate. Sometimes we just stand at the river's edge and try to imagine the views from the windows, or the placement of the screened in porch. It is hard to believe that in a short while we will be physically working on the new house. It seems like it has been just an idea, or a drawing on a screen, for quite a while.

This month marks the one year anniversary of closing the store and business. What a year it has been! When we look back we can't believe all the changes we have gone through. We celebrated with a nice dinner in the cabin and spent a bit of time reminiscing about some of the things we did in the last year. We took some time to think back and remember the day we closed the store for the last time, Rob taking two timber frame courses, preparing the cabin for our arrival, the day we moved up here, building the upper and lower roads, preparing the shed, selling the dome, and packing up all of our belongings. We talked about some of the adventures we've had here, and some of the places we have visited. It is no wonder we enjoyed our beautiful and quiet winter here in the cabin. It has been a very special time for us, and we both feel very fortunate that we were able to experience it.

 

 

I had promised myself that I would not commit to anything for one year, and for the most part, kept true to my promise. In early March we attended a "Feast of the Farms" event, that allowed us to taste a range of local and organic foods, and to meet some of the local producers, farmers, and restaurant owners. We spent a lovely couple of hours, sampling local herbal teas, soups, wood oven fired pizzas, and a variety of lamb, pork and beef dishes, followed by some lovely dessert dishes. It was organized by a local food co-op, and I was lucky enough to be seated next to one of the co-op volunteers who gave us a little bit of information about it. We were told that once a month members log on to the co-op website to choose from a huge variety of items, from a list of over 30 different producers, and then pick up their order at a convenient location nearby one week later. We signed up a few days later, and because it's a co-op, I also agreed to volunteer some time with them. On pick up day, I found myself at 8 o'clock in the morning, in a rented space in a large church, with a delightful group of volunteers, preparing for a busy morning. We spent the next few hours setting up, checking off all of the items that were being dropped off by the producers, sorting the orders, and preparing items for deliveries or pick-ups. The whole operation was very well organized with tables labelled by destination, and coolers available for any refrigerated or frozen items. Many of the volunteers were also the farmers, and their families, and there were lots of children helping out, and having a good time. Here's my first order ! I will be volunteering again this month, and am looking forward to it, as well as receiving my next package of delicious food.

 

 

Unfortunately, our one year anniversary also marks one year of not bringing in any income, and as Rob always likes to say "the party is about to be over". We both really loved our "down time" these past few months, although I feel like we only truly began to relax a little beginning in January. Before then we were still busy with all of the things I mentioned above. And Rob of course, has still been working long hours every day working on house plans, and all the details that are involved. As Rob will have his hands full here for the next year or more, I have started to send out some resumes, and to think about working again. In the meantime, I had the unexpected pleasure of being asked to work a few hours here and there in a wonderful funky shop attached to where I take yoga, so I put in a few hours there this week. It's a lovely way to gently get back into the swing of working, and I am thoroughly enjoying being there.

Heating with wood has been a bit of a challenge this spring. We ran out of good dry firewood, and had to resort to burning a combination of dry scraps and the wet firewood that we had purchased in the fall. When that ran out we started eyeing the furniture! There are two oak trees that recently died, but are still standing outside the cabin, so reluctantly, we took one down. We kept the larger pieces to possibly use as lumber, but used all the branches for firewood. The house looks bare without the oak tree, and the front garden will look quite different this summer. We will miss that lovely oak. 

 

 

While we were busy taking down the oak tree, our beaver neighbours were further along the river, cleaning up a large tree that blew down in the fall and landed in the river. We weren't sure if we could easily get into that area to remove it ourselves, so it looks like the beaver might take care of it for us.

 

 

One night this week we heard some odd noises when we were in the living room, but Rob thought it was just the cats upstairs. I wasn't convinced, so out he went with a flashlight to see if he could see anything. He didn't find anything amiss, but a few days later we discovered the tracks of a beaver next to the cottage, and a telltale gully track through the snow that indicated some tree or branch had been pulled down towards the river. Sure enough, we discovered the beaver had been taking a small tree down that night, and pulled the branches over Jet's plastic kiddie pool and down to the river - and that's the sound we kept hearing! The beaver tracks were really interesting. They look like giant handprints in the snow.

 

 

I have no idea where the flip flop came from, or what the beaver plans on doing with it!

 

Rob released some preliminary house plans to my brother, my brother-in-law and some friends, and is almost ready to hand over the finished plans to the building inspector. What a lot of work that has been! It looks good though, and I am hoping to post a photo of the plans soon. As much as I have loved living in the log cabin for the winter, I must admit I long for just a tiny bit more space, a closet or two, and some of my familiar "stuff" that has been in storage the last several months. With most of our clothes in storage, even finding something decent to wear when I work in the store for a few hours has been a bit of a challenge! We are both looking forward to being in the new house, even though we know we are a long way away from that point.

This week I was very excited to learn that there is a Therapeutic Riding Program just 12 kms. away from us. It is a new riding program, and is looking for volunteers. I have contacted them and hope to be able to attend a training workshop in May. I volunteered at a similar program for 10 years, (although it was many, many years ago) and it was an amazing experience. This may give me an opportunity to donate some time to our new community, meet some new people, and spend some time with some lovely horses. I know that once Rob starts building I will have a lot to do here as well, but I am hoping I can fit in a little bit of volunteer work with this program this summer. Rob has been busy himself as he volunteers time with ACCESO International, and if he can manage to fit some volunteer time in during this building process, then I am sure that I certainly can too.

This afternoon the skies cleared and the sun finally came out. The temperature nudged up a bit, and may have actually hit the 10 degrees C mark! For a few minutes I cranked open one of the windows and let a little bit of that fresh spring air in. When Rob was outside last night the sound of the spring peepers was loud and clear, although when I stepped outside to listen, they immediately fell silent. We saw our first leopard frog yesterday so it appears the frogs are out and about.  I love the sound of the peepers so hope I hear them soon.

 

 

 

The skies these days are filled with geese flying overhead and the busy flapping of duck wings. Two sandhill cranes flew right over our heads and above the trees this week. I have seen the return of a Great Blue Heron, and can hear the Red Wing Blackbirds in the trees across the river. The Grouse are drumming their spring love songs, and the Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers have returned and are busy posturing out in the woods. The river is fully open, and it's flowing fast. The daffodils I planted at the entrance to our laneway have pushed up through the snow, and are just barely visible now above the soil. It has indeed been a long cold spring, but things are beginning to stir.  

 

 

It's time for us to stir as well, venture out of the cabin, re-engage somewhat with the world, and get that house built.

Spring Arrives...Sort Of

If I have been reluctant to give up on winter, so too has the winter been somewhat reluctant to give way to spring. Yesterday was the first official day of spring, yet it came on the heels of a winter storm, and morning temperatures that were still in the minus 20's. On my weekly shopping trip, everyone was commenting on last year's spring, that saw the temperatures fly into the high 20's - that's PLUS high 20's. This year is quite different.

I feel like I don't quite know this spring. I am eager to see the changes that will come, but don't quite know what is coming. Back at the dome I knew where to look for the earliest shoots, which areas would flood, and which areas would dry the quickest. Where to walk to hear the sounds of the first returning red wing blackbirds, and where the early robins would most likely be. We knew where the red tail hawk was nesting, and where the raven's would be gathering sticks for their new nest.

When I was outside of the post office this week, I was excited to hear my first sounds of red wing blackbirds in the fields below, and I heard them again on the other side of the river later in the week. Some geese have been flying high overhead as well. Slowly this new spring will reveal itself to me. We had a brief thaw that already showed us where to expect some muddy navigation with our truck. We were pleased though to see that the new road appears to be dry and draining well.

There is a sweet spot along the river, sheltered from the wind by the trees, and in the early afternoon if the sun is shining I can sit, cozy and warm and listen to the river. As the river opens up, it slaps against the ice at the shore, and sounds like drums. I could sit and listen all afternoon, but as the sun slowly changes position in the sky, it gets chilly.

This is where I sit, perched on some logs. Maybe this summer we can get some kind of a bench or seat built there.

Although this is a nice spot too....

This week as I came back into the cabin I happened to look up the roof line and saw all sorts of colours in the clouds above. I will guess it was a sundog, as the sun was hidden behind the peak of the roof. It only lasted a few seconds, and it was gone before I could go find Rob so he could see it, but I did manage to get a quick photo.

As the snow around the cabin slowly sinks lower, we notice there are a lot more animal tracks around. One afternoon I caught sight of something out the window - possibly the mink, and went out to find an incredible line of tracks that ran around the base of the trees and all along the river's edge. There are wild turkey tracks along the shoreline, and sometimes it looks like we are living along a rabbit highway. I finally caught a glimpse of one of the snowshoe hares, still cleverly disguised in it's coat of white, but getting a clear photo of it before it hopped away was impossible.

This afternoon I was puzzled by some new shoreline tracks, but as I followed them along, I discovered they belonged to the two Canada geese standing at the edge of the ice.

 

They didn't allow me to get very close before they flew away further up river. I was glad I followed them though, as I also spotted a duck further up, and when I came home to try to identify it, discovered I had seen my first male breeding common merganser. I hope I see him again, and get a photo!

We have been teased with a few warms days, but mostly this March, we've had cloudy and snowy days, and our brief glimpses of bare earth have been quickly covered by snow again. We have however, had a few snow squalls when the skies are blue and the sun is shining. I've heard of sun showers when the rain falls on a sunny day, so not sure what to call this - maybe sun flakes?

While I am out looking for signs of spring, Rob continues to work upstairs on the house plans. As well, the off grid/on grid discussion continues. I think we would both really like to be off grid, but we have to be realistic about the up front cost. If we were just a tad bit younger, say, in our twenties, (o.k. maybe 40's ....) then going off grid would be a good choice, as over the long term, it would be cheaper. The estimated costs for going solar not only include the Solar Photovoltaic Panels, batteries, inverters, charge controllers, and wiring etc., but we have to look at the costs of some of the things we would have to buy to make proper use of the system. We would likely need a propane system, propane stove, propane dryer, and possibly a DC fridge and or freezer.  We would also need a different method than an electric hot water tank to heat our hot water.

We are getting estimates on running hydro poles and lines this week, and that may make this decision a bit easier. It's hard to make a decision when we don't know all the costs.

Rob has been busy redoing the house design this week after deciding that some of the timbers needed more width. He's been working on our bathroom design, and the kitchen design as well. I keep hoping he will have time to post details on the blog, but I can fill in with some of the basic details in the meantime. We decided our living areas should be all on the main floor (again with that age thing...we apparently aren't getting any younger, and we need to plan for not being able to always climb stairs) With that in mind, the living room, dining room, kitchen, guest room, guest bathroom, our bedroom and bathroom are all on the main floor along with - yes - my mudroom !! We did go with a small second floor area that will provide some storage, and hopefully, despite our declining (or is that accelerating) age, we will be able to use that upstairs space for some time to come. It sounds like a lot of space, but the square footage is still less than 1400 square feet. He has also been working on the screened in porch plans, and of course the placement of the adjacent workshop. And researching, researching, researching.....Plumbing, wiring, concrete finishes... There's a lot to think about!

There is also the matter of interior decorating. When my super sis commented lately on one of my outdoor photos and asked whether I shot it in black and white, (I hadn't!) we realized that we do live in a beautiful, but somewhat colourless world this time of year.

Rob and I both love warm and vibrant colours, so will have to work some into the new house for sure.

The sun, when it shines, does make a difference this time of year, bringing warmth, light and colour back into our world. It comes in through the windows differently, casts different shadows on the walls, and definitely perks us up when we are outdoors. One day last week we watched two ravens playing in the sunshine, under glorious blue skies and white clouds, talking all the time. It was lovely to watch them.

I came home and threw a load of washing out on the line. They didn't dry completely, but I thought it was lovely to be able to hang them out, and it was a good reminder of the warmer and sunnier days to come. And with the snow on the ground, I could reach the entire line with no problem!

 

Hints of spring

It's perhaps a little early to think about spring, but with the sun now rising just before 7 a.m. and setting shortly after 5:45 p.m., our day light hours are slowly getting longer. In the evenings, because of the snow on the ground, it is still quite light outside even after sunset. We are often out playing with Jet, or getting our last walk in for the day long after 6 p.m. When the moon is out, we can stay outside even longer!

We've been getting up a touch earlier now as well, so that Rob can get a bit more time during the day to work on house plans. We were both feeling that our days were a bit too fragmented by our other daily activities. The earlier start seems to be working well for us both.

The house plans are going well, and Rob has spent so much time on the design that he can imagine himself in every room now. But I think we both get somewhat overwhelmed by the huge number of choices that need to be investigated. Rob has spent a lot of time researching off-grid options, and the amount of information out there can be pretty daunting at times.  We need to think about things like back up systems in case one system fails, and whether what we are installing will be easy to use now, as well as in the years to come. Every choice we make seems to affect another option. If we go off grid, then the best choice is a propane stove in the kitchen, so we then need to research which kind we should get, and where to purchase propane and propane tanks. The same decisions go for other appliances, like the clothes dryer. Front load washers are more efficient than top load, but which kind is the best? Do we need a gas generator or a propane one? Can we really go solar, or will we find there are too many trees blocking the sun? Should we install a wood stove, what kind, and where should it go? Will we use hydronic heating in the floor? Should we then leave the floor as concrete, or put tiles or something else on top? And how do we balance our desire to leave a smaller ecological footprint, with the budget that we realistically have?

Rob has programs that help calculate the possible sun power we can expect in this climate. He has formulas for the size of windows, and which side of the house they should be on. But he is also trying to consider the design and our future living space. There will be a beautiful view out the west window towards the river, but he has to weigh in on the advice that a west window will allow too much sun in during the summer. The north view looks over a pretty clearing, but north windows allow too much heat out during the winter. Somewhere, he has to find a balance.

Almost daily this week we have stood among the trees trying to imagine the house there. Neither of us wants to remove any more trees than we have too. The spruce bud worm decimated our spruce trees, and we will have to take all the dead spruce down in the area, as they are slowly snapping off one by one. There are a lot of dead spruce on the house site, so that will create quite a bit of open space where we need it. Still, it's hard to imagine the house, when we are standing in amongst the snow and trees. As soon as the snow level is down a bit, we will go out and mark off the site. This is roughly looking east from where the house will be located.

And of course there is still the option of being on grid. So we need to calculate the pros and cons, and that includes the costs. We already have hydro running to the cabin, so we could tap into that line and extend it over. But that means we would have to take down yet more trees, so we need to figure out what is the best route possible. Rob did a budget and estimate before we began all this, but now we need to get some detailed information, and start making our choices.

When we think that we can't possibly discuss the new house anymore, we switch gears to thinking about "easier" things - like paint colours, or choice of tiles. Bathroom layouts, or kitchen ideas. When that seems to be too much - we simply go for a walk. It always seems to settle us down.

While Rob is busy upstairs working diligently on the house design, and all the possible combinations and permutations, he still gets pulled aside for the never ending business paperwork that continues to haunt him. This week it's T-4's, tax filing, and today a bill for a long forgotten phone line!

I continue to try to structure some time into my days to pursue some of the things I've wanted to do over the winter months. It's hard to believe that we closed the company down almost 10 months ago now. I had imagined that I would be back doing some clothes embellishing long before now, but I guess I've been busy with other things. Like learning to make bread! Sorry - I can't resist posing more photos - this was my latest attempt at a rye bread. It was delicious but a tad light for me, I would prefer something a bit denser.

This was a rosemary raisin bread that was fabulous, well at least one loaf was. The recipe made two loaves, and the second one had a pocket of sweet yeasty something that wasn't so good. I am not sure if I didn't bake it long enough, or this portion wasn't mixed properly. Still, the rest of it was fine, so not a big deal. This week I hope to try a recipe for an olive bread.

As for clothes embellishing - well I had convinced myself that there was simply not enough space here to work on my clothing projects . But I was inspired recently by some photos our friend Ross had posted. He seems to be able to set up his paints no matter where he is, whether on a dock, or on a beach, and he produces unbelievably beautiful artwork. So, I dragged out my boxes of brushes and paints and stamps and the second hand tshirts I had purchased last spring, and got to work, in the dining room. It felt really good to be back at it, and it just showed that I really don't need much space to do it. I'm looking forward to doing some more.

I am also determined to learn more about my new camera, and photography in general, so on Mondays I try to set aside time to read a small section of my camera manual, clean up my photos, and learn at least one new tool in Photoshop. I also try to go out everyday with my camera, and I always start by walking along the river's edge. When I spotted some unusual tracks and markings in the snow on the river's edge, I thought it might be the mink I had seen in the fall. But Rob and I were out one day and saw what we thought was a river otter further up the river. Sure enough, later on in the week, the otter was at the bend in the river, near to where I was walking and I managed to get a shot. I had to blow up my photo quite a bit, as the otter was pretty far away still, but I was so excited to have a chance to watch it that I didn't mind that I wasn't able to get a clear shot.

Earlier this week I sat at the river's edge and listened to the sounds of the ice breaking up. Where I sat, the shoreline was exposed right down to the bare earth, and the sun was lovely and warm. It was the first time in months that I was out without my hat, scarf, mitts and winter coat!

There are stretches of open water along the river, followed by iced over sections. I watched as the ice would break up with a rushing sound, flow along the open water, and then disappear into a whirling hole under the frozen sections of the river. Then I could hear the sound of the broken pieces travelling along under the ice. It sounded like thunder in the river and was amazing to listen to.

Thoughts of spring soon changed though with the arrival of a winter storm, and about 25 cms of heavy wet snow. We woke up to the gorgeous sight of snow covered trees this week and everyone was eager to get out for a good walk and some play time. O.k. - actually only Jet was eager. We had plowed and shovelled enough the day before that we were happy to at least have another cup of coffee before we went out. But it was stunningly beautiful.

 

 

When I commented this week at the store check out that it had been a pretty easy winter so far, the sales people looked at me like I was insane. They all replied that they felt that this was a bad winter, and one person said it was the worst he's experienced in the 3 years he's been here. Our neighbour had said it was the worst December he'd seen in 8 years. I guess maybe I was expecting worse, or maybe it just seemed easier as we didn't have to commute on snowy roads every day. Maybe we just like winter a lot. Even on the snowiest days we are outside with Jet 3 or 4 times a day, and we dress in lots of layers so that we stay warm and dry.

Which is probably a good thing, as some days we have to stand around in the cold for a long time waiting for him to give up his toys! At the end of play time, it's a race to see if he can gather up all his "wubbas" (toys) and then he doesn't want to give them back as it means his play time is over.

As we head into March, I am a little bit reluctant to give up on winter. I have loved the crisp air, the crunch of the snow, and the pristine white that coats the trees around us. I've enjoyed looking for tracks, and watching the changes in the ice along the river.  I have spent lots of time sitting at my PC with the warmth of the woodstove at my back, and the view of the wintery forest out the windows.  Every evening we sit in front of the woodstove and reflect on the day, and take time to read and relax. Spring will bring new joys I know, but it will also bring some busier times as we begin to build. And I can't help but think that next winter we will be busier, both with the new house, and the possibility that I will have found employment somewhere. So I can't help but want this magical time to linger on just a little bit longer....

　

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 !