Fall is coming

Good morning from our cozy home in Telkwa.

There's a big rain forecasted for today so we're getting ready by baking some muffins, cleaning the house a bit, and relaxing with some knitting, movies and cat-cuddles.

We've been doing lots of exploring lately! Last weekend (the long weekend) Tom and I went for a drive and found ourselves at the Telkwa River, at the base of the Telkwa Range of mountains.  We got out and walked along a little trail through the woods, popping out to the river to check for bears every so often - no bears, phew!  We found some creepy abandoned vehicles in the bush - one van that looked like it had been washed down the river in the 80's, and an equally old bus.  We were wondering if it was the bus from Into the Wild...

The water looked cool and textured in this pic!

Tom and his Magic School Bus

Next up was the Hankin Plateau hike.  Tom wanted to hike to the very top of the plateau, but we only made it half way thanks to me... I'd been to the gym for the first time in months, the day before, and honestly thought my legs were going to give out if I tried to go any further.  Sadly, we may not get the chance to hike to the top again this year; the area is in a Caribou Recovery Area, which mean that the backcountry in this area is closed to people from mid-Sept 'til the following summer.  This is in an effort to protect the dwindling Caribou population that uses the area to over-winter.  That being said... there are only 14 Caribou in the herd! So a big closure for a small herd. Oh well, the hike will be there waiting for us next summer.

View from the lookout - that second ridge on the left is where Tom had wanted to go... oops, sorry Tom.  And that's my finger up top haha

Nice view of the glacier and peaks.  Goat habitat!  We looked by didn't spot any.

I built a little Inuksuk for the Caribou.  I wonder if it will be there next year.

I went on a Canfor team-building event to the Sibola Mountains!  So these mountains are waaay down south of Houston, along logging roads.  About a two hour drive or 115km on bumpy logging roads - totally worth it!  We had the chance to explore part of the area that not many others do.  Almost everyone from the office drove down with quads and we took off into the bush, crossed rivers (which was terrifying - I kept floating down stream) and had a BBQ on a river bank.

My quad and the mountain mist.

Some of the other quads during one of our stops to check out the scenery.

A nice spot to stop and take a break

 So, I'm STILL waiting to hear about that permitting job.  I had an interview about a month ago and was told they would get back to me either way in a week... It is still open and I was told it would be open until filled... so using my common sense on this one and I figure I wasn't picked.  Which is disappointing but, oh well, it kind of makes sense.  They probably want to have someone in that position who will stick around for a long time.

I've been stressing out over what to do now... Tom is enjoying his job and it pays well and we are happy staying here for a bit longer.  As Tom said, he'd like one more summer to hike all of the hikes and camp some more! Which is great - let's soak up the mountain life while we can!  That being said, I don't want to continue at Canfor in my current position.  It's a field position, which I don't want to put my back through any longer, and I come home and complain to Tom all night long about the dweeb that I work with.  Not what I want Tom to have to hear.  And not what I want to spend my time doing.  I would love to continue working at Canfor, but if they don't have a position that I can do and that keeps me out of the field, I think I should be going elsewhere.  My contract is up at the end of the year, so at least I won't be leaving in the middle of a contract - I can wait until it's up and then move on... BUT TO WHERE? ** and there goes my blood pressure haha

So that's become a constant worry of mine.  I'm trying not to obsess over it and let things happen.  I'm continuing to keep an eye out for any job (here and at home, just incase) and have started going back to the gym and doing yoga to burn off steam and keep my head on straight!

And I've also been knitting up a storm!  To the point that I've had to take a break because my hands hurt! haha! Here's the completed body of my sweater - I'm almost done the first arm, as well : )

It will be sooo warm and snuggly!

Bruce and the back of the sweater.  He loves sleeping on it

Tom made a table from old barn board Jill had, and he used a wood burner to do this awesome drawing on top!  He used transfer paper to trace the design from a print-out and then 'coloured' it in.

 The cats are doing well and are outside galavanting at the moment... I'm expecting them to come flying back inside as soon as the rain starts.  I'm worried they will be lonely when we come home for a visit.  We will be home from Sept 20-Oct 1st.  Jill and Tom's work-buddy Kevin are going to come and feed the cats but I hope they spend some time with the cats as well. They are used to Tom coming home at lunch, and us spending lots of time cuddling and playing with them.  They are also used to going outside, now... the house is going to be destroyed when we come back! It'll make for an interesting blog post at least : )

I am SO looking forward to our visit home, and will be topping it off with a visit to KnitCity in Vancouver on my birthday!! I can't wait!  It's a festival for everything knitting and I will definitely be filling up any empty space in my carry-on with YARN!!!

And on that note, I'm going to relax with Tom and plan out our tour of the big city!

Hope all is well wherever this blog finds you!

xoxo

Staying Safe and Cool

Hello hello from the North.  I am very happy to report that we are staying safe and fire-free lately, and the weather has been seasonal to cool.  I can't believe the fires down south and the crazy heat that other parts of the province and country are experiencing!!  And Trump says global warming isn't happening?! I think he's been sniffing glue... for a long time.

In any case, it's been a great few weeks here for Tom and I.  For starters, it's Tom's birthday today (hooray!) and yesterday I took him out kayaking on Lake Kathlyn, just on the edge of Smithers.  I rented a paddleboard for myself which was fun too but I found it hard to navigate... or keep up with Tom as he raced around the lake.  We saw a pair of loons with a baby and they let us get within feet of them!  Tom also had an otter that followed him for a bit, popping up here and there.  And I had fish jumping all around me for some reason! Everyone was celebrating Tom's special day : )

Hudson Bay Mountain, Lake Kathlyn and Tom

Today we hiked up the ski hill to Crater Lake.  We went up right after breakfast and were driving back down the mountain by 11 so we missed the crowds - usually a popular hike but we didn't see anyone else until close to the parking lot.

"You belong among the wildflowers..."

Hi Mom!

The birthday boy

Marmot! 

Last weekend we hiked the Seaton Ridge, just outside of Moricetown.  The views are supposed to be spectacular but it was one of those trips when the clouds move in and we didn't see everything... however, I was happy because we did get to see a rainbow in the valley below.  And being inside of a misty cloud just added to the wild BC mountain life.

Wildflowers : )

A magical rainbow in the clouds

Tom trying to stay warm (it was only 6 degrees!)

I need to stop posing into the sun... always squinting!

Tom is still really enjoying his job, and I'm jealous that he gets to come home to the cats at lunch and finishes early enough to hit the gym... I'm still waiting to hear about a possible interview for the Permitting job I applied to with Canfor.  If I get that, I'll try to hit the gym at lunch a few times a week.  My back feels so much better when I can work in the office, but then everything else (including the waistline) complains.  So a nice blast of blood pumping work mid-day would do the trick.

We are both very excited about my dad and little bro coming to visit next weekend!!!  I can't wait!  Dad arrives Friday afternoon and Stefan's arrival will depend on his work schedule this coming week.  I'm hoping he can make it up on Friday night, but if not it sounds like he may take the following week off and stay here and bike the mountain.

Jill has offered to host a party at her place next weekend - wohooo!!  All we have to bring is dad's margaritas and his cheesecake.  YESssss.  Should be a wild night. I can't wait to see Jill let loose hee hee
She is excited to meet dad and Stefan after all of the stories she's heard about them.  Next I'll have to convince Jill to come back to Ontario to visit mom - they both share a love of scotch which I think could cause trouble.

My cabled sweater has taken the back burner for a bit, as I've started a mystery knit along for a shawl (sections of the pattern or "clues" are released every week and you have no idea what he finished project will look like until you're done), and have been feeling a bit guilty that I haven't started any potential Christmas presents yet.  I always say I'll start them early and never do, and then it gets too close to Christmas to finish anything... one year - I'll get it one year.

I've also taken on a spinning and knitting challenge with the spinner's group from back home.  Spin sock yarn and knit a pair of socks with it by the end of the year.  I just got the fiber in the mail and will start spinning very soon.  I have to first finish some other fiber on the wheel... I wanted to make sure I was all practiced up for sock yarn.  I've never spun for socks before, and the yarn will be more fine than I'm used to.  A good challenge for sure.

Soon-to-be-socks.

Speaking of spinning, this will sound extremely nerdy to some but I really do find it so entertaining - there is a show on Netflix and probably available elsewhere, called SLOW.  It's supposed to be all the rage in Norway and features hours of mundane things, like the view out of a train window as it ges cross-country, and apparently this is supposed to be very relaxing.  Well... they have one on spinning.  There's a group pf women and one man who shears a sheep and immediately the wool is spun by six different spinner, right there.  Then as the yarn is made, other ladies begin knitting it, and the challenge is to knit a men's sweater out of it.  They talk all about speed knitting and the culture and history of spinning, and all the while are trying to set a world's record!  It's all being timed.  I'm only about an hour in to the 8 hr program (which Tom can only take so much of watching at one time - fair enough!), so I think I'll spin with it in the background.

Bruce the adventurer took off for almost 24hrs last week.  Tom and I were worried sick.  He's back and in one piece.  No clue where he went to but I wonder if he was stuck in a garage.. or off climbing a mountain. We've only let the cats out once since then and will keep a better eye on them.

I can't believe the end of summer is lurking around the corner.  Still a month left, but I feel like time is literally flashing before my eyes - it goes SO FAST.  Good when you're talking about the workweek, but in general I'm just trying not to let life slip by! There's so much to see and do and so much to check off the bucket list.  Especially since we know we will eventually make our way back to Ontario, Tom and I want to soak up as many experiences as we can in the mountains while we have the chance.

And on that note, I'm off to relax with Tom and get into some fiber.  Hope you all have a great rest of your weekend!

xoxox

It's been a while

I'm back!  It's been awhile since the last post!  Lots to share.

Since posting last, Tom and I took a day-trip hike to the Blue Lakes Trail in Hazelton.  The hike climbs up the inside of a valley, crosses several avalanche paths, and at the end looks down on a beautiful blue lake.... however... the day we did the hike, the Weather Network told us it would be 22 degrees and sunny.  It was 13 and we never got out of the fog/clouds.  So we never saw the lake.... or the view...  BUT we will just have to do the hike again another time - and it will be like doing a brand new hike if there's a view!  It was still great to get out and moving and we enjoyed the adventure.

The Blue Lakes Trail

Weee! Waterfall

Ohhh Ahhhh... There's a big blue lake view in there somewhere...

Then last weekend we hit up the Silver King Basin.  One of my favourite hikes.  The hike itself isn't super interesting, although it does follow a river bank for a while and has little waterfalls along the way.  It's near the end of the hike when you come out of the trees and are greeted by the MASSIVE valley and GORGEOUS peaks of orange and red rock.  The valley opens up into meandering streams and wetlands, and there's a big log cabin at the end of the trail.  Anyone can stay there for $5/night, and it is HUGE.  Full of bunk beds and a wood stove, it would be a great place for a family getaway. 

Tom and I decided to pitch the tent, though, which I like better than a bunk bed.  We set up the tent right under some trees that were FULL of Whiskey Jacks!  We shared some trail mix with them and had a steady line-up of birds coming to eat out of our hands.  
We ventured past the campsite a bit to check out some old mine shafts and mine cars, and got super excited when we spotted what we thought was a big white mountain goat, in the distance.  As we stood there in awe, squinting up at the mountain side, a group of people approached it and it started running around... and wagging it's... tail?  A dog.  Yep, a dog.  It was a sneaky dog all along.  We did get so see a big chubby marmot, though! I love those things.

Tom just as the valley opened up before us

Tom and the Basin

And me too!

Room with a view

Tom has really been enjoying work, and that makes me so happy.  He's got his finger on the pulse of Telkwa (hahahahha makes it sound like a city) and knows all the ins and outs of the village now.  He's been discovering parts of the town I never knew about!  Water treatment plants and hidden old settlements.  He's outside in the driveway at the moment, working away on his truck.  He's repairing the rust patches that are growing under his fenders.

My work has been alright -- I'm felling a bit restless.  I don't love the job as much as I thought I would, but don't really know what my 'dream job' is anymore.  If I wasn't doing this, what would I want to do? What's the next step?  We know we want to lay roots back in Ontario eventually, so what the heck will I do for work then?  Something to ponder.  I've been thinking about taking some online tree pests and diseases courses to refresh my memory on that front, and maybe make it easier to get a consulting arborist job back home, or work for a town...I think I'd like to try diagnostic work with trees.  I think... sometimes I wish I could see into the future.  I know it will all work out in the end, but have a hard time convincing myself of that!!

Also, not sure if I shared this before, but it has come to my attention, with the help of an amazing physiotherapist and my family doctor, that I have (a mild case of) scoliosis!!  No wonder my back has hurt all of these years!  It honestly has been a pain in the butt -er, back - since I was about 14.  And my doc explained that that is usually when scoliosis starts.  It progressively can get worse through childhood (teenage) years, but once you get as archaically old as I am, it won't get any worse.  Which is good!  However, to avoid pain it's best to stay away from load-bearing work, and in my experience, field work.  Which sucks!  That's what I've basically done my whole life!  Some form of field work.  So that's also something to consider when I eventually start job hunting back home.  Doing tree diagnostic work would be so back-friendly.  Still moving around, but not all day, and not bearing extra weight.

So, it's Canada Day long weekend!  What is everyone up to?  The weather here is pretty dismal, so we've been spending our time just taking it easy at home.  We have a family of crows in the backyard, and the babies are just about to start flying.  We've spent some time watching them, fixing Tom's truck, I've been knitting (finally started the second sock in a pair) and the cats have been out roaming the neighborhood.  They love it.  We keep their harnesses on, which have their address on them, and they don't seem to go much further than our neighbor's yard.  They are pooped when they come back home, too. Good, because otherwise they cry at the door allllll night.

Zzzzzzz.....zzzzzzzz.....

My dad and hopefully Stefan are planning to visit on the August long weekend!! We can't wait! Parrrtyyyyy!! The margaritas will be flowing, for sure.  Hoping to get in some cool sight seeing and fingers are crossed for good weather! And of course, we will have to get dad to the German bakery in Telkwa before he goes.  Stefan will likely do some mountain biking on the trails around the area on his drive up!  Good for him - downhill riding scares the poop out of me.  I'll stick with road biking, thanks.  Somehow sharing the road with logging trucks isn't as scary to me.

Well, off to Crappy Tire.  Tom needs some stuff for the truck, and I want to look at a second pot for yarn dyeing.  I've been dyeing again this weekend!  It is so much fun.  I get to be an artist again! They should incorporate yarn dyeing into the curriculum at my old high school, where I was an art major. Although somehow I don't think it would be as exciting for those who don't knit...

Okay, I'll sign off.  I hope this long weekend is a chance to recharge everyone's batteries, get out with friends, or relax in peace : )  Have a great Canada Day weekend!!

Love, Danielle xoxox

Out and About in the North

Good morning from Telkwa, where spring has finally sprung. We were beginning to think that it never would.

In one week the weather went from rain for days (to the point that our basement sump pump was going non-stop), to 25 degrees and sunny! None of us know what to do with ourselves! 

What is that bright orb in the sky? The cats scream to go outside and then roll around on the ground purring.  Tom and I have been out to the mountains to see some waterfalls, have washed both vehicles in the driveway, done yard work... and can't wait to get back out there today.

Yesterday's waterfalls were courtesy of Twin Falls, at the base of the glacier on Hudson Bay Mountain.

Just a short walk up the mountain brings you to the base of the waterfalls.  There is also a very challenging trail that takes you to the top of the waterfalls, but it may still have some snow and ice in some sections, and snow on rock is dangerous.  So we will wait to to tackle that another day.

Twin Falls! One waterfall to the left is hiding in the shade but you can see its gorge

Check out all of the the smaller waterfalls around!

Last weekend was the long weekend and Tom and I drove up north of Terrace to see the Nisga'a Lava Beds! 

The Seven Sisters!  Our view on the way to Terrace

 It was soooo cool.  Here is some info I found on the web:

"Canada’s last volcanic eruption occurred in the Nass Valley approximately 263 years ago. The lava destroyed everything in its path, sparked fires in the surrounding forests, and covered two Nisga’a villages. More than 2,000 people perished. Today, the vast lava beds still dominate the Nass Valley. They serve as a memorial to those who lost their lives and as a reminder of the importance of respect — for both the natural world and the wisdom of the elders."

We stayed in the provincial campground and headed back the next day.  The weather was absolutely perfect and we had the most amazing views.

Try and pronounce this five times fast!

Lava!

It was pretty sweet to see the most recent volcanic activity in Canada!! There was lava for as far as the eye could see.  We saw where lava had surrounded a tree and then burnt it, leaving an empty cone behind!  There was also a "sunken forest" where the water was running over the roots and bases of trees.  And then there were multiple waterfalls!

Waterfall into the "Sunken Forest"

Sunken Forest

Rocks, moss and Oak Fern

More moss... prepare yourselves for more of these shots.  I'm obsessed.

Tom in his natural habitat.

Reindeer Lichen

Coral-like, poofy lichen

The trail to Vetter Falls.  There was a "bear in area" sign at the trail head... and we saw one on the way back out!

Tom and moss

Vetter Falls

Two waterfalls in one shot!

Baby fern

Tom on a sketchy bridge built in 1969

Yikes

Knitting socks around the campfire.  This is my own hand dyed yarn!

A perfect trip!

You may have noticed in some of the shots that Tom has something white coming out from under his shorts... unfortunately just before our trip Tom spilt boiling water down his thigh and has been bandaged up ever since.  Poor guy.  Second degree burns but he has been taking good care of the area and is on the road to recovery! No longer hobbling around and the gross blisters have all disappeared. 

In knitting news, I have started knitting with my own hand dyed yarn and LOVE it.  I will have to dye a bunch more.  It's going to be super cost-effective if I can dye sweater quantities of wool every time I want to start a new project!

I am still working away on that sweater that I started in the new year... I've become stuck on one part but found the designer of the pattern online and am waiting to hear back from a frantic email I sent her, asking for help haha.

It's almost 10am here and I think I might get out on the roadbike today, to soak up some sun.  I hope you are all doing well where you are and enjoying your weekend!  Talk to you again soon xoxo

The view from Telkwa.  Taken while indulging in some ice cream....

Exhausted!

Good morning from a dreary, rainy spring morning in Telkwa.
I have a doctor's appointment this morning so I have a few minutes to put together an update before heading out the door.

Work has completely exhausted Tom and I!  The spring is bringing wet weather but has not killed off all of the snow in the bush yet... we are without snowshoes, but still tumbling and tripping everywhere.  This past week I could have fallen asleep in the car on the way home every night....not good when I'm driving!!!  My legs are absolutely covered in bruises, welts and cuts.  I think I'll start telling people I'm a professional wrestler or something haha

A wet balsam and spruce patch in the block I'm currently laying out

So, going into this week, I've found some exercises/stretches to do to keep my back, hips and knees happier.  Tom (thank goodness) has prepped a bunch of food for dinners and lunches so that we don't have to worry about what to pack every day.  And I told Jill about my sore back, so she's told me to go to physio asap to get things sorted.  I feel like an old woman.

Tom is experimenting with fermentation!  Unfortunately this round of pickles turned mushy... but he sauerkraut is good!

In other news, the Farmer's Market has started! Hooray!  Not much produce to speak of yet, but there is fresh bread, preserves ad arty stuff to look at every weekend.  This past Saturday Tom and I hit the market and then went out for coffees with some of the crew he works with.  It was nice to get out and relax with some fresh faces.  Everyone seems so tired this time of year though... thank goodness for strong coffee : )

I've got my spinning mojo back!  I haven't spun yarn in a LOOONGGGG time.  Not really sure why, since I have lots of beautiful fibre to get into.  I spun up some SweetGeorgia fibre (from Vancouver) in the Spring Garden colour-way.  Pretty fitting for this time of year, I would say!

Spring Garden

I've finished the biggest and longest socks I have ever knit in my life, for Tom.  One ball of yarn per foot!  Hopefully they last as I noticed the last pair is starting to get tiny holes in the toes.... uh oh.

Stripes for days! 

Note: Tom's maple syrup always seems to be close at hand

Still working away on my sweater.  The yarn is heavy so it hurts my wrists if I work on it for too long.  I'm so happy with the way the cables are coming out and how thick and warm it will be (by the time I get to wear it next time winter rolls around haha).

Tom and I have become dreamers; we would both love to start our own businesses one day and can't stop coming up with daydreams.  I'd love to be dyeing yarn and fibre and Tom wants to build furniture and turn bowls.  In our daydream we go to markets and events and sell our goodies to loving clients haha We work from home workshops and love what we do.  In our heads, it wouldn't feel like work.

I've been reading up on all things hand dyeing and would love to start practicing in my spare time and on weekends.  Tom had been borrowing Jill's woodworking equipment and has a coffee table in the works!

The cats are absolutely psycho.  They are terrorizing one another as I type this.  Oden has discovered his voice and SCREAMS at all hours of the day.  Bruce inevitably gets fed up and will hiss and then the games begin - running laps through the house, knocking things over for extra points in their game, and always ending with a long wrestle before falling asleep cuddling one another. Nuts.  Absolutely nuts.  There are tufts of fur all over the living room floor...

Finally time for some rest

We haven't had many adventures out hiking lately on account of the wet weather and us being completely drained by the end of the week - but it's coming!  With the warm sun in the future I'm sure we will be getting out more often and I'll be able to share our adventures and pictures soon enough.

In the meantime, I'm thankful for an office day inside today, and Tom being at home in the evenings (he's working from town for the month!).

Hope all is well where you are and that spring is bringing the promise of May flowers to your garden : )

Take care and I'll talk to you later - xoxox