Week 11 ~ Warm Thoughts

Winter has arrived. It's not much of a snowfall but those first flakes drifting down blanketing the world surrounding us seems to intensify the silence. Not a ripple on the bay nor the slightest movement of branches among the towering hemlocks and cedars, makes it seem as if time is standing still.

 

I won't keep you in suspense much longer about the barge as I'm sure you’re wondering how long that first hot shower was. An email Saturday afternoon informed us that the barge was indeed in Haida Gwaii and up at the “Clubhouse”. We could quite possibly be seeing her sometime Sunday, an update later in the evening will let us know of the captain's plans.

In anticipation of their arrival I put on the baking gloves. I always like to have a “snack” package for the guys since they do a lot of work in the short time they are here. I know they have their own cook aboard but who doesn't like to get a package full of freshly baked goods.

These are butter tarts. Simple ingredients...butter, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla.

So sweet they can make your teeth ache, flaky pastry that crumbles... leaving behind incriminating evidence.

 

This is a bucket, as in bucket showers, as in the barge did not make it in.

Marine weather forecasts were calling for winds of up to 50km and you don't want to be in a vessel travelling down the west coast of Graham Island in that, in fact the whole week is to be one big blow. What now?

The “Christmas plane” as I called it last year because it is the plane that is scheduled to fly in sometime in December will be making the trip a couple of weeks early. Indeed it will be delivering the best present of all....the new parts for the furnace.

Slick wasn't around this week, either were any of our deer. Where has everyone gone?

Ingram (Princess as we call her) is always good for a photo shoot.

Last week I was talking about how some things are different than last year. This is a picture of my library from last year, a result of lugging up half a dozen boxes of books. You can never have too many books because how do you know what you'll feel like reading.

This is my library today.

I bought a Kobo e reader this past summer while we were out and I love it. I did kinda miss going to the used book store sorting through boxes hoping to come across a favourite author or a book I've heard about but now I search on line for books which offers up it's own treasures. There are some fabulous sites that let you download hundreds of books , most of them from recent NYT bestsellers lists. It really is amazing that this one small unit can store up to 1,000 books.

When it came was time to start packing up and getting ready to fly back to the Outpost it was the strangest feeling just to put my Kobo in my purse, knowing that I had more books with me already than I would ever read in the next 9 months.

Just finished a book called “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls, it's a true story of her extremely different and difficult life growing up. What caught my attention was this line in a summary of the book.... “in the beginning they lived as nomads”. Great read.

Gale warnings, snow warnings, 8 metre seas, all were listed on the marine weather forecast. We must be situated in such a protected spot that none of these events happened here, so far. All in all we had not a bad week and we are thinking warm thoughts until the plane arrives.

Till next week,

Heather & Mike

Week 10 ~ Big Blow in the Bay

We're 3 days shy of being here 3 months. Already!

Is it any different than what we experienced the first few months last year? Mostly not but there are a few new twists.

Within the first week last year we suddenly found ourselves without water. You start trouble shooting the obvious, “is there water in the tank?” than move on. A clogged pipe was the culprit....removed, replaced and we're back in business. This year, again within the first week a part on our furnace/boiler decided to bite the dust. Nothing to get excited about, it's still warm enough that we don't need the furnace and I can heat water on the stove. Bucket showers are no stranger to us so we decline Ken's offer to have the part flown it, we can wait till the barge arrives sometime in October. Being a caretaker means dealing with the unexpected. Well who could foreseen that a fuel shortage in western Canada would keep the vessel from making her rounds up the coast. It's become routine to keep a large stockpot of water on the stove, the wood baskets full. I'm a many layered person on a regular bases ( I still don't like the cold) but it's getting to the point of being comical. T-shirt, fleece sweater, fleece jacket, fleece lined sweats,heavy socks, fleece line slippers and to top it all off, a floor lengh housecoat. Now this attire is only for morning coffee since the mornings are the coldest. Steaming cups of coffee warm not only my insides but also my hands as I sit at the computer checking emails, writing emails, checking flights to anywhere warm ( just joking) and seeing what is new at the movies to download. Morning routine.

One more small bit of info on this subject. The barge has left the dock and by the time you read this she should be making here way to us and with any luck we'll be taking a looooong hot shower by Sunday!

Slick is still around. We must be on his route. He'll suddenly be at the kitchen door, sniffing around pawing at the ground, for what I don't know.

He's a pretty relaxed bear, I open the door to get a better picture.....he looks at me, I look at him than he'll wander off but not far.

Food time. Pork, apples, sausage, prunes, sauerkraut and red wine sounds, like a list of ingredients for a Top Chef challenge.

What will it be..... “bigos stew”.

When I'm looking for something different for dinner it starts with what's in the pantry. There no running out to the store here and a lot of recipes get reinvented but when I came across this stew and had everything for it, I had to give it a try. While the combination of foods didn't make a bad tasting dish it lacked eye appeal .....but luckily there was a walnut sour cream coffee cake for dessert that was photogenic.

I love a good storm be it rain or wind or snow. I love to curl up in a warm cozy chair and watch the elements rage outside. This past weekend I had ample opportunity to do just that. Boy oh boy did the wind blow. It wasn't rattling the windows like some storms last year but than again it's only November, it was the duration and constant strength that was a new twist.

I haven't seen the other herons yet this year and by the looks of it he's also wondering where the heck they are.

Till next week,

Heather & Mike

Week 9 ~ Bear Walk

This past week, can't remember exactly what day, hey sometimes I don't even remember what month it is but anyways, the day was almost balmy. A warmness was in the wind and a jaunt along the beach would be just the thing. Looks like Slick had the same thought.

He shows a bit of interest when I first show up but as long as I don't go his way he just rambles along.

Interesting pieces of driftwood, shells and sea glass are what I am hunting for while Slick's snout is searching out things to eat or so I assume.

Whatever is down there sure must be good.

We must have spent an hour on the beach, searching for our own treasures although I was more interested in what he was up too. Turning over rocks and pawing through the seaweed washed up along the shoreline must be harder work than it appears or so this picture would indicate.

One more picture of the wildlife.....

November has arrived and along with it big seas.

No calorie counting tonight. Thick crust and lotza mozza...Yum.

Waking up it looked like it was going to be a beautiful day, big puffy white clouds drifting in a sea of blue but by my second cup of coffee the squalls started to race in. Now we've seen and been in many a squall especially when sailing across the equator but I have never seen them move so fast. Jokingly we say here in B.C “ give the weather 5 minutes and it'll change”, well not so much of a joke this morning. Inside, the lodge gets noticeably darker, the water in the bay becomes lively and a spattering of raindrops quickly turns into a downpour. Don't worry within 5 minutes it will change...and it does leaving behind in it's wake white puffy clouds drifting along in a sea of blue.

Till next week,

Heather & Mike

Outpost ~ BOO!

Our weather this week has been anything but boo-tiful. How appropriate that Friday delivered us an ominous looking sky. I say appropriate since I have deemed it the

“Halloween Weekend” at the Outpost. What can we do way out here where there won't be any trick or treaters or a costume party to go to..... well there's always food, drink and movies. I had given the scary movie line-up a thought while we were out for the summer and I think I came up with a good mix. We're more into the classic horror movies, so I'll be curled up in the corner of the couch hiding behind my hands to be scared by Psycho, Scream 4 (not old but I like the series), The Exorcist, Halloween, Carrie and ending the weekend  marathon with a movie made for caretakers.......“The Shining”.

                                 Mike got in the spirit of things and made a devilish fire.

While my brain was thinking about movies I totally overlooked searching for any decorations I could find in the middle of summer with a scary Halloween theme. With a little searching and imagination the OP took on a spooky appearance.

                                                   A twist on the jack-o'-lantern.

                                    Time to get the party started...with a Black Widow.

One of our favourite types of meals is a variety of finger foods. Chicken wings, cheese & crackers, a couple of dips and spreads, some devilled eggs, pickled eggs and for something just a little sweet, lady's fingers.

Was this Saturday, Sunday or Monday? Each day has been looking much like the other.

                           All weekend I had the feeling that someone was watching us.

Mike's been after me to make him some pickled eggs......maybe Halloween was a bad time to ask.

                                                            Anyone care for a finger?

Nothing like sitting around with a friend sharing a glass of wine, some finger food and watching a good scary movie.

                                         Couldn't resist getting in on the action.

What a great weekend, but I think we are ready to watch a chick flick or anything with a bit of humour. Still can't shake that feeling that we aren't alone. Stange.

Till next week,

Heather & Mike