Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

and child protection...if things work out, I may be leaving my intake job at the agency and jumping ship to move to youth probation...different stress and hopefully less of it. And I would get to remain in the Yukon. As well, it was I originally wanted to do when I first graduated uni in 1999. I even wrote the Public Service Commission's GCT Level 1 test and scored 81%, just couldn't break my way in with the feds...my first degree is in sociology/criminology and legal studies, and I had volunteered at the youth probation office in Kitchener, however it wasn't easy to get into the workforce fresh out of uni with no real paid experience, and alas, the dream was gone...and I jumped into another degree (or two) and found myself working in child protection. I had initially only planned on a couple of years, but once I got into it, I kind of liked the thrill of the investigation on some levels, although I didn't particularly like the whole apprehension part, although necessary, it was one of the most stressful parts of the job, for all concerned, including the child.

I've been feeling quite stressed again lately and before I actually crash and burn, I WANT OUT. So after some meetings and discussion, I am looking at making a move...not sure when, and how it will all play out, but the more I think about it, the more I am looking forward to the change. I had known for a few years I wasn't going to stay in child protection and was looking for a chance to get out, but thought I was tied to my term here, however I've been informed that it is very possible to make moves with the gov here, so lets get busy and move!

Of course, work is not my only stress...when is it ever anyone's total stress? There are health issues to consider, both mine and that of others. One of my ex-husband's sisters is in the final stage of breast cancer, which is just rotten for everyone involved. She is just a young woman and although she has put up a hell of a fight and remained so positive throughout, that dreadful killer has taken it's toll on her. I'm going to miss her.

and then there is money...while my financial situation is definitely improved up here, and the bills are getting paid, I just feel like I will never be out from under the mountain of student loan debt...sigh...

My own health has become a concern lately...the fibromyalgia is ever present, nagging me with fibro fog, constant fatigue, and occasional pain. Now I have to worry about my blood pressure. I have never had any difficulty with it, and it's been at a good level most of my life - 110/72 usually. Now it has been rising steadily over the past 3 months, and both my doc and I are concerned. I don't want to have to take meds, so we are trying to reduce stress, get plenty of rest, exercise and improve my crappy diet over the next few weeks. So I'm off for a couple of weeks sick leave to see what I can do about that.

In the meantime, I am working with folks to see what can happen with my job situation. I'll be sure to keep y'all posted. (yee haw, hayseed)

Hiding From The Bears

there are more accompanying photos, however blogger is being a dick tonight and won't post them all properly...some will post, others fail...will insert when they get their shit together...

Highlights from our week-long camping trip into Northern British Columbia…

- got rained on in the tent during the first night. Amber was tucked into the car, so was oblivious…I chucked everything into the car and we took off in search of sun
- stopped at Jade City and bought Jade Trees…quite pretty
- Ate lunch at Mama Z’s in Dease Lake…good food, restaurant is Swiss owned
- Saw some caribou on the Alaska Highway before we turned south on the Stewart-Cassiar Highway
- The landscape became progressively greener as we travelled south
- Bears aren’t that scary from the car…
- At Carp Lake, the park attendant never showed up, so we camped for free…free is good
- There was hardly ANYONE at most of the campsites, and on our final night of camping, we stopped at 5 before settling on one that had people in it. All of the others had NO ONE at them, which made it a little creepy…one was 12 kms back in the bush too, with no other campers.
- My little Echo didn’t let me down on this trip…we put on 3660kms and she barely broke a sweat…lol
- None of the campgrounds had showers…Nova Scotia has much more well services sites, however the campgrounds were generally very nice overall, clean and tidy. The quality of firewood varied, and at one of the sites, where the park attendant was absent, we just shopped at other campsites that didn’t burn all their wood, since we weren’t able to buy any there with no one around
- We stayed at Boya Lake Campground, Meziadin Lake Campground, Carp Lake Campground, and Tetsa Lake Campground…
- We saw the arse end of a camper throughout much of the trip…dammit, I never saw so many campers filled with old farts who don’t know how to drive them, and more often than not, they were Americans from all over the USA
- The Liard Hot Springs were amazing…nearly too hot! They also tarnished my silver rings…get out the toothpaste. There was also a bear roaming through their campground that later had to be trapped…I didn’t ask what that meant, but could imagine…
- Watching a movie on the laptop in my tent was cool – Cold Mountain

- we saw a bunch of bison aka buffalo in both the wild and enclosures.
- Our new campstove worked like a charm…much easier to cook on than a table top barbecue and we aren’t forced to grill everything. Many thanks to my sis and her husband for giving us some spare tanks they had…and then I left my big tank there, AGAIN (rummaged from the neighbour’s that moved out when I visited in March)
- We never went on one hike, or put paddle to water…perhaps if it didn’t rain nearly every day…
- Amber carried the bear spray wherever she went…it was kinda cute…and reassuring…
- I think I tanned a little…we forgot the sunscreen. Maybe that was the curse…
- Amber drove part of the way, although I had to take over a few times during the first few days when she began to nod off…déjà vu…
- We met some very interesting people along the way…
- Watson Lake Signpost Forest was cool and we posted our own sign – Republic of Newfoundland, painted by my sister’s FIL
- My nephews remembered me! The oldest ran up to me when I arrived and jumped into my arms…awwww…see the benefit of moving closer?
- When we returned, the animals were safe and sound and minimal damages in the home…blankets askew, litter and food scattered a bit…that’s it. I had visions of plants overturned, one of them injured, the aquarium upset and all the fish eaten…you know, the usual…
- The drive from Prince George to Fort St. John was pretty boring…nothing but trees and hills…then we got into some real mountains again in the Foothills of the Rockies
- The roof rack howled the entire way…sigh…
- The patio umbrella nearly got left behind in the rain. It had been travelling in the car until it got soaked one night…then I tied it too the roof. I was taking it to my sister in BC as I never used it.

- I got a written warning for speeding about 2 hours from home...phew...no ticket...

So those are the highlights…enjoy the photos…our next trek will be shorter…just some 1-2 night camps before our trek to Dawson City and Inuvik in July.

Animals Everywhere!

We've landed home again, a day or so early, which was fine with both of us. We missed our beds, and the weather had not been that great. We did however enjoy the abundant wildlife, viewed from the roadside. Here's our final tally for the trip travelling from Whitehorse on the Klondike Highway to the Alaska Highway to the Stewart Cassiar Highway to the Yellowhead Highway, to the Alaska Highway again, to home on the Klondike Highway, for an approximate total of 3570kms since last Saturday. See future post for highlights...here is the tally for our wildlife viewing...

11 caribou

8 black bears

1 silver fox

7 deer

2 moose (cow and calf)

1 elk

5 buffalo

4 mountain goats

2 mountain sheep

and countless squirrels, and one chipmunk. We didn't get to see a grizzly, which was the one animal I haven't seen before...and I would only like to see it from the car as it sped by...I didn't get photos of them all, as I was often caught off guard, or was driving and didn't have the camera ready, however we have the memories burned in our minds...wring that one out will ya...

On The Road Again

We left Whitehorse about 10am on Saturday with the car packed full (and I mean full) heading south in search of adventure, sun, and warmer temperatures! We found it all so far, and more besides. Our first day on the road, we drove east on the Alaska Highway until the Hwy 37 turnoff, and then headed south. We saw 6 caribou along the Alaska Highway, and that was it for wildlife (except for suicide birds and squirrels) We were planning on camping at French Creek campsite, a free one, but couldn’t find it. I saw a road that looked like it went to the campsite just after the actual creek, but my travel partner disagreed, and off we went in search of another…we found out when we got to Boya Lake Provincial Park that it was never marked and that the Forestry Service no longer maintains them. I get the feeling that we may have been there alone as well, which would have probably freaked us both out a little…after all, there are bears out there!

So we pitched our tent at Boya Lake, after scoping out the campground for the best site. They had a sand platform bordered by logs for putting your tent on, which was good as the pegs were going to have trouble getting into the gravel they spread over the rest of the site. We wanted a site near the lake, however there were few left as most chose those sites, so we went up into the woods instead. Amber cooked up some spaghetti and meatballs for our supper, yumm! We hung out for the rest of the night by the fire, played a game of scrabble (which I won, of course ( ). A few drunken hikes to the outhouse and we were ready for bed. I dragged my laptop into the tent to watch a movie in there, while Amber sacked out, snoring lightly. I finally got drowsy enough for sleep, and before long was sawing my own logs…so much so apparently, that Amber got up and slept in the car…we had ear plugs, but couldn’t think where they were at 2am…

Then it rained…a lot. Poured down on the new tent that we didn’t tarp, or treat…dammit. I figured it would leak a little, but hoped the damn rain would stop…it didn’t. And then it started leaking on my face…dammit. So I got up, woke the child, it was nearly 9am anyhow, and packed up the rest of the campsite, flinging stuff wherever it would fit, and jumped into the car, heading for the sun. It was a long drive…

We stopped at Jade City where they mine jade and bought a jade tree each. We splurged and had lunch at Dease Lake, Mama Z’s. The food was pretty good but somewhat overpriced. We both looked like we slept outside, so didn’t stay long, and hit the road again. We headed for Meziadin Lake Provincial Park, and I saw one bear in the ditch along the way. The campground was amazing…so very clean and pristine, overlooking a beautiful lake, surrounded by snow capped mountains. And we were able to get a site overlooking it all, away from the others (we like our privacy!). Then came the task of drying things out, which didn’t take long as the sun was hot and the wind was warm. This time I put the tarp over the tent!!! We hung out yet again by the fire, roasting sausages for supper.

Day three dawned sunny, and we cooked a hearty breakfast for ourselves, bacon, eggs, English muffins (toasted on a crappy toaster over the stove). Our bellies full, we headed south once again, with the goal in mind of reaching my sister’s house in Houston. We saw a momma bear with two cubs at about kilometre 140 of the Stewart-Cassiar Highway, and stopped to take photos. I didn’t get that close…not that stupid, but it was amazing to see the momma bear lumber along, two cubs toddling after her. Black bears of course…the car would keep moving if it were grizzlies.

We stopped along the way at a little road going down to a lake and Amber discovered a swing that hung from a tree and swung out over the lake’s rocky shore. It was both thrilling and scary she reports, and we captured the moment on video. Both of us were waiting for the branch or the rope to snap…

Lunch was had at Moonlit Creek, where the water was icy and the sun was hot. We went for a little wade in the creek, but the pain of the frigid waters was too much!! It amazes me how the trees in BC can be in full bloom (barely buds on them in the Yukon) and the water so icy!

Then we were off again, and stopped only for gas, landing at my sister’s by suppertime. The reception was warm and fuzzy, as Amber had not seen her auntie in nearly 5 years, and had only seen her auntie's oldest child at 10 weeks, having not met the younger two.

Today we spend hanging out with the fambly, and will leave early (not too early) morning tomorrow, heading east once again, and plan to stop in Prince George to find the Cotton Ginny…heh heh…and then we will be heading north for home, taking our time along the way.

It Never Fails

Well, I've been waiting all winter for my landlady to put the clothesline back up and it still haven't happened(she's a busy gal!), so today, with too much clothes to dry inside on the rack/rails, and the weather too warm to get a good hot fire going to dry it, I THOUGHT I would put the clothes outside on a piece of line rigged up. So off I went, brilliant yellow nylon line in hand, and with an abundance of trees, I had a plethora of choices for hanging my line. Picked out a spot, tied it up, and promptly strung up all of Amber's clothing. No the line didn't break. That would be my first guess too. No, the birds didn't shit on it either. Nor did the squirrels get into it. It rained. WTF? It was brilliant sun one minute and I was swinging in my hammock, watching the fluffy white clouds go by. I came inside to get some lunch and the next thing I know, it's dark and cloudy and the rains pour down...on my clothes. dammit.

However, knowing the weather here now, I knew it wouldn't last long, and it didn't. So now I'm determined the damned clothes is going to dry out there...even though it's wetter now than it was before...it never fails...

Vacation, Day 1

Okay. The first day on my vacation, what I did on my summer vacation, the first day on my vacation, I woke up. Then, I went downtown to a look for a job. Then I hung out in front of the drugstore. The second day on my summer vacation, I woke up, then I went downtown to look for a job. Then I hung out in front of the drugstore. The third day on my summer vacation, I woke up...(from Cheech and Chong's Sister Mary Elephant)

So I am off today, and will spend it getting the car ready to go on vacation tomorrow...it's filthy, and full of junk, and I need to put the roof rack back on for the summer. We hope to head out in the morning, bound for BC's Stewart Cassiar highway, and hoping to see some wildlife up close (but not too close). I'm not sure when I'll get to post, possibly along the way. I'm not due back to work until the 29th, so we might be gone a week. I'm bringing my laptop with me (dejavu) but intend on taking better care of it this time!

I shall return...hopefully with all my appendages...

Sunset In May

Here is a shot from my backyard tonight at 11pm. It gets a little darker than this and it won't get black anymore for a few months, but more like dusk.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr, That Water Is Cold

I don't know how I did it, but I completed the course! It was one of the hardest and most challenging physical tasks I've done in a while...I'm not exactly the athletic type...an occasional drunken hike on a camping trip doesn't even come near what I did this weekend! We began on a lake on Friday night, learning basic strokes such as the draw, pry, sweep, forward, brace, and just getting used to the water. The lake was actually a run off part of the Yukon River, so had some moving water too, but little current. On day two we were on the Yukon River, near the dam, so some fast moving water, and we learned how to use our strokes to do certain things, such as ferry across the river, and turn the boat into an eddy, and going through chutes. Today we went on the Takhini River and got into some rapids, mostly class 1 and 2, but one was class 3.

It was in a class 2 rapid that me and another gal rolled it...we got jammed between two rocks...one on the left bow and one at the right stern, and a canoe slammed into us on top of that...the boat rolled to the right, dumping me and the gal jumped out and up onto a rock. I had been paddling with an experienced gal all morning and switched off again with another gal, and the first thing we did was the Rock Garden, and dumped us out! I stayed with the canoe though, as it was full of water, and guided it to shore. The water was icy of course, and up to my armpits, but we all had water pants on with a rubber waist to keep the water out, and so I only got wet mostly on top. Some spilled into my ass, but I couldn't be bothered changing my pants as it isn't easy there on the edge of the river, stripping down, and taking off neoprene booties, water pants, my socks, and pants, and underwear...I wasn't that wet to go through that in the cold. But I was drenched up top, so got Amber to shield me a little so I could change my t-shirt and sweatshirt, however I didn't have an extra jacket so had to wring out my jacket and fleece vest to put back on again...I couldn't just put my life jacket on and go...it was cold, wet and rainy.

But I didn't get a chill...I just kept on paddling and away we went. Another canoe rolled in rapids again, dumping her and her husband, and trapping her under the canoe, with no air pocket...she got out in a few moments, but it was scary until someone got the canoe off her! I didn't see it as I was on my way down through the rapids at the time.

The scenery when the fog and rain lifted was beautiful...mountains everywhere and ice along the river made for wonderful scenery. I didn't take my camera, but there were a few there and I'll get some of theirs for sharing later. We had more lazy river paddling today too, so a nice combination. We had lunch by the river today, with a blazing fire, and the steam flew off me!

And now I sit here, in muscular agony, mostly in the forearms, and one shoulder. I haven't really slept since Thursday, so I need to work on either medicating or drinking enough to pass out tonight...

I have to say though, I am right proud of myself though for completing such a physical adventure. I wanted to give up a number of times, but was determined to finish the course, and I DID!

Ok, NOW I am tired

Well, the first full day of the canoe course is over and I am official TIRED. Our instrutors Bob and Kevin said it was going to be the hardest and most tedious...and it was. Nearly tipped the boat once during a crossing from one side of the Yukon River to the other, but we managed work it out and get across...damn, some of that paddling was hard frigging work. My arms are so tired...and last night they were so SORE, they kept me awake most of the night.

Amber ended up in the canoe most of the day with the cutie young instructor...which made her happy enough...and me...we had a major blow out this morning...cursing and screaming at each other on the river...put on quite a show...but then we also worked it out and did okay on the river. The problem was we both knew the strokes but didn't know which one to use where...I later switched boats and got in with my friend R. We had some close calls, and some straying, but overall we did ok. There should be a photo or two soon...I didn't take my camera but the cutie did and took some photos, so will get him to email them out and I'll post them.

Tomorrow is supposed be an easier day, and we're on the Takhini River. The paddle ends up at some optional rapids...and I've decided to do them...that is until I get a look at them tomorrow...might change my mind after that!!!

Of course, the weather wasn't that nice...it snowed, rained, and blew cold arctic wind on us, but as long as we were paddling, we were able to keep warm. It was when we stopped that we got a little chilly. We had special pants and booties on to keep us warm and dry, so that was really good. I would have sucked to be wetter than I was today in that cold wind.

Now I have to go lie down...

Pain...lots of pain...

Well, I have to say that I thought I wasn't going to be able to get up this morning to head out on day two of our canoe course, as I was struck with shoulder and arm pain throughout the night...I could hardly bring my arm up to brush the hair out of my face...WHHHHHHHIIIIIIIINNNNNNEEEEEE. Man, haven't had that amount of muscle pain in years...but this morning it isn't as bad, but fatigued...so I popped some Tylenol and we'll see that goes for today...more when we return.

Canoeing The Canyon

well, I didn't drown tonight...managed to canoe at Lake Schwatka, and through Miles Canyon tonight, and I'm not even that sore...yet...I have to get some ibuprofen going now though as we were only out for 3 hours tonight...we have 6-7 hours tomorrow, if I can move...I didn't get any pics today, but will tomorrow for sure...stay tuned...I'll blog if I can lift my arms tomorrow...

Shameful Blogger

I've been on-call since Monday and it has been busy! All I can say is there must be something in the water affecting only our charming 15 year olds...I've been flooded with calls from pouting teens that do not wish to play ball at home. I have long since run out of sympathy for them...most are youth who have a good home situation but are choosing not to follow the rules and want to party, party, party...it makes me wonder if labour camps for adolescents should be mandatory at 15...

So needless to say, I haven't had much time to blog, and have generally been too cranky to write anyhow...(calls have disturbed my bitch sleep - if I don't get enough, I turn into a bitch) But I am off now, and hope to enjoy a nice relaxing night at home with my lovely daughter, watching my favorite shows...Thursday night after all! I have to work late though, which sucks, but expect to be out of here by 6pm if the child interview goes well. Then the mental dump comes...empty my mind of work stuff and leave it all at the office...it's a self-preservation thing.

The resident teen has been working all week at an organic farm about 5 kms from here, and loving every minute of it, which is encouraging. We managed to put my bike back together and tune it up for her to begin using tomorrow to get to work. I reckon she'll be in good shape by the end of the summer! We're both in rough shape these days...too lazy to get out of our own way, and so out of shape, walking to the end of the driveway nearly causes us to black out...heh heh. I have even taken the bike for a ride last night, and think I shall attempt to get into it more regularly, now that I live in a place where the roads permit bicycling. Where I used to live, the road was crumbling and shoulders were pretty much non-existent...kind of extreme biking you might say, playing dodgeball with transport trucks...Amber is also blogging now too, awww...takes after her mother...

Bitch sleep is in order tonight as Amber and I embark on our first course for the summer - Introduction to Moving Water/Canoeing in Class 2 rapids. It's 7-9pm tomorrow night, and 9-5 on both Saturday and Sunday...there is still ice in the two rivers we will be on...that should be interesting...expect a full report by Sunday night.

Now I am off to work...is it Friday yet?

Organic Farming Captures Youth

Looks like the resident teen has managed to find a local job already...just down the road from me about 3 kms at an organic farm. She'll be seeding and transplanting and starts tomorrow at 1:30pm (the owner has a few chores in town tomorrow morning). No word on the pay yet, but its bound to me more than she's used to as wages are proportionally higher here in the Yukon for just about any job....and better than none!

Stay tuned for more tales of organic farming...(or at least a funny story or two about the resident teen!)

Life is Good

Well, the resident teen has settled in nicely, and has taken to cooking for us both, which is nice. She was unimpressed with my lack of spices and seasonings (apparently salt, pepper and ketchup are not enough). We had baked chicken with herbed red potatoes and baby carrots on Friday night.

Yesterday after we came back from town where we'd had dinner at Ricky's and a movie (RV with Robin Williams) we went for a drive on Takhini River Road...where the photo of us was taken using my new tripod. It was a little chilly (she was frozen) so we took just the one.

The felines have settled nicely, and the tomcats are playing well together. Via is still psychobitch to them both, so they keep their distance, but McGee sometimes pushes the envelope with her, not understanding why she is such a bitch to him. He is shown below in his new perch, on the stairwell...let's see how long it takes before I trip/step on him and one or both of us gets HURT. He's a big boy though and Stormy has finally bowed to another...

Invaded by Tyrants

the pic is from earlier this year...the squirrel would get up on a box and eat where Stormy could see him through the window...such a tease!

I bought a birdhouse last month and although some birds have been feeding out of it, there was one pesky squirrel who kept driving them away, even though he had his own food bowl out there. And so in my infinite wisdom, I decided to rig something up and ran a line between two trees and hung the birdfeeder there, thinking they couldn't manage the tiny line I ran...apparently they are quite acrobatic. I came home from work today (only hung it last night) and it was on the ground with the rope hanger on the birdfeeder chewed through...little bastards.

I think it's time to fight back...look out squirrels...they are lucky I don't own a gun, and that it is too damn much trouble to get one legally in Canada...this course, that course, this certificate, money money money to the goverment to throw away on a useless gun registry...but I digress...

so what to do about these squirrels. All winter there has been just the one, but now that little bastard brought his mates with him this week I see...I shall outsmart them yet.

One More Sleep

and my girl will be here! She arrives just after midnight tomorrow, and I am rather excited. Everything is ready and I even made up some of her favorite layered nacho dip for late night munchies as I expect she will be tired, hungry and wound up all at the same time. It's quite a distance of course, it's is nearly 7500kms (over 4600 miles)...so a bit of distance to cover.

The house is tidy, the moving of furniture is complete, the mountain of laundry is folded and put away, and the felines have been cautioned, lol. I will be interesting, for sure when MacGee hits the scene. East coast invasion, I tell ya. I get pegged all the time myself still, and I didn't think I had much of an accent though I do catch myself sometimes, as does my daughter (who enjoys pointing it out), but apparently I do. These northerners have their own accent, but don't see it...

Anyhow...too wound up myself now to say more...might ramble later...am chatting with my nephew R. right now.

What A GD Ordeal...

Well, in preparation for my daughter coming to live with me on Wednesday next week, I am making a big fucking mess shifting things around so accomodate her, and in the process, I am liking the changes and adding a few more. Today's challenge was to move the modem and wireless router upstairs to where she will network in with her desktop, which she is bringing. It doesn't matter to me where that stuff is anyhow as I use my wireless laptop. So now she will be able to be on her own computer, high speed and do what she pleases, and I maintain sole use of mine, heh heh. Just the way we both like it, I reckon.

And in moving things around, I moved my comfy chair from the sitting area to my bedroom area, and put the little tv on my trunk. I had the tv up here since I moved in, on my dresser, and hooked up to nothing. Then when I got sick, I moved it over onto a little foldup table next to my bed. Now with the kid coming, I need to be able to get around to both sides of the closet (which is next to the little foldup table). And I always wanted sattelite but couldn't be bothered trying to figure out how to run the cable through the walls, or whatever, so it wouldn't be draped all over. Instead, I moved the tv to just above my downstairs one, making it a very short route for the cable from the sattelite to my upstairs tv. blah, blah, blah...ok, so sounds simple, right?

I sweat more doing that than if I had taken my bicicyle out of retirement. Not a lot of physical exertions though, more frustration at not having enough room, and too damn many cables!!! So there I am, crawling around the floor reaching through book shelves to get at all the cables and cords I had tucked and shoved everywhere, and Stormy aka little bastard is in my way each and every way he can be. So I chuck him into the bathroom and proceeded. Got the whole modem/router mess unplugged and onto the dining room table to untangle and dust off...let LB out of the bathroom and proceeded, crawling under the little table upstairs to set it all up again, and this time, taking the time to spool the cords and twist tie them up, lessening the tangles. LB is once again in my way, but the screech I let out of me deterred him for some time...wimp.

Then it was time to run the cable upstairs. Doing things alone can sometimes present a challenge. Anyone who has ever moved their cable about the house knows you just need someone to help pull the cord up through. Damn cat isn't smart enough for that...only enough to get in my damn way, so into the bathroom he went again. I have this HUGE fern I call Sideshow Bob upstairs now that my friend/coworker gave me to kill. So I was crawling under that to grab the little end of the cable I had managed to poke through the railing...eventually I got it and worked it across the railing to where it was to end up, and connected it to the tv. Nearly cleared what was on the tv stand, the aquarium and some pictures from the wall...nearly.

Oh, and did I mention that in order to get to the cables I needed for the whole operation, I had to clear out my storage room to get at the hatch in the floor. What an effing mess. However I was able to sort through it, finding yet another bag of recycling...how I miss these things I don't know. It was one of those huge recycling bags half full, you know, the lawn size bags, like those big orange ones. So now I have two half full bags.

However, it is now finished, everything in its place and functioning just peachy keen, ready for the child and I. I still have some cleaning to do, but the all of the reshuffling has finished. I even cleared out half of my closet...

And now I am off to outside the house to see what parts of the remaining moving boxes I can cut up for the fire, before hauling the rest to the dump. Again, thanks so much Matco for the stellar job in abandoning my boxes outside my doorstep to rot. I stopped calling/emailing you after about 10 attempts.

Snow Day

No, we didn't get a snow storm, they just don't happen out here. Apparently the last snow day anyone remembers was in the 60's...but it did snow today. April 26th and the snow is coming down out there. I don't think it will last though as the sun is out in another part of the sky. Phew. I am done shovelling. HAHAHAHAHAHA. Oh wait, I only shoveled off the steps once or twice. That was all of my shovelling - YAHOO! I will gladly put up with a bit of late snow as long as there is never enough to shovel...

I've been rearranging the house today to fit the soon to be resident teen again. She is bringing her computer and I have a router so she can easily hook in. I like that idea...we can each have our own private computer, no waiting, no sharing (and downloading crap onto mine, lol). I have to pick up an air mattress this weekend and set up her bed. Now where did I put my air pump...

Ok, time to watch the Amazing Race...

The Chick Comes Home To Roost

Well, in a wonderful turn of events, my daughter, the non-resident teenager, is coming to live with me in the Yukon. Perhaps for a few months, perhaps more. She has had a lot going on in her life these past many months including the end of a nearly 3 year relationship and is searching for a new opportunity and a chance to regroup...so what else could a good mama say but come home, darlin'! Your mama is here for you, come home!

So before I regress into the trailer park (yes, I did actually live in one during the early years) let's move on. She has really got it together for someone suddenly deciding to move. She has managed to sell nearly everything she can't pack (furniture) in just one afternoon. She has contacted her various utilities and sorted them out and tomorrow is going to see the landlord. They hadn't yet signed a lease, so there shouldn't be any problem. She is bringing one of her kitties, McGee...the kitty you see pictured here.

Now, many of you have seen the pics of my little cabin in the woods...where will a teenager (nearly 20) fit? I am clearing out the sitting area upstairs...I haven't really used it much anyhow as it's too hot for me, but she will love it as she is always cold! I'll get an air mattress for now until I'm able to locate a single bed, as I need an air mattress for camping with her anyhow. It will be interesting, that's for sure. We generally get along and now that she is too old to place any real restrictions on, she should settle in much better and we won't have to fight about that, lol. She also isn't coming totally broke (which would probably be how I would have shown up at my parent's doorstep, which I did when I was 24) which will allow her to buy her own toiletries and spending money for movies, magazines, whatever! She said she is looking forward to some real veg time. I know she hasn't had much of that, having worked regularly since she was about 14 years old. She even worked through her year at university, as did I.

Great news, any way you slice it. I was feeling a little lonesome and missing her, and she was needing her ma (which is what she really calls me). I knew I wasn't finished with parenting (not that you ever really are finished) but the mothering part, with my gal at home. I was really missing not living nearby where I could stop by after work, or meet her for lunch. I hadn't planned on that when I pictured our futures...so having her back with me for a while, even if for just a short while if that's what she wants, will be just what we both need. Stay tuned.

Do Well Or Drown

Ok, the months of sloth are over...I am determined to sign up for a course with Tatshenshini Expediting LTD and my friend R. and I have decided to sign up for the Introduction to Canoeing: Moving Water— Level I in mid May. I've never really taken any kind of course, although I did learn basic canoeing in Girl Guides/Pathfinders. And of course, bought my own kayak last summer so I could learn to drown on my own. I grew up around canoes though, and my dad had a beautiful wooden canoe he had built in northern Ontario when I was just little. I still remember going to pick it up the day it was ready. All those brand new canoes and the smell of fresh wood. My father and I went canoeing often, every summer and I loved it! Now I am anxious to get my kayak out there in the local lakes this summer...the water looks to be somewhat chillier than Nova Scotia lakes I've been on, but can't possibly be colder than the ocean in Newfoundland where I was last summer as well...can it? We shall see...

I am still disappointed in myself for not getting out mushing this winter...now I have to stay another winter just so I can get to do that, lol.

the kayak in the photo is mine...taken at Cinq Cerf Barasway in Newfoundland last summer.