Days of wind and snow, with day and night being equally gusty. The snow was falling in the biggest snowflakes I'd ever seen - I called it snow balling. Accumulation of snow came fast. The wind howled and the trees swayed - as the snow fell, the wind blew it to any edge it could be swept against. Sleep was hard to find, we got an hour of sleep here and there, spread over days. And those days of wind and white blended into each other. We became zombies. Then one night it warmed up to 5C through the night turning snow to rain. It shrank the new foot of…

It’s been really mild. The last week we’ve had above zero temperatures, even overnight. Making it hard to keep my second outdoor freezer (a cooler on my deck) from thawing. With the warm weather came a few days of 50km/hr winds, so another trek down the back trail to see the damage and clear trail once again - is imminent. The Winter comfort food has been just that, added comfort. I’ve been trying to use up all the wrinkling, sprouting potatoes I’ve had stored for 4 months. Low on greens the options have been limited. I had a small hunk of smoked Gruyere cheese biding it’s time in the fridge,…

Dog cuddles The early morning sunshine had me humming around the cabin, preparing everything I would need for my lunch guests. Chopping onions & celery for my soup, simmering my broth...and setting my cinnamon bun dough to rise. I had plenty of time to clean up after myself as this kitchen is small and clutters with dishes fast! I was in my nightgown, as I handed Mountain Man a coffee - while he lounged in bed with the dogs curled up around him. I mentioned that he may want to consider getting up and dressed, as 2 snow machine travelers were set to arrive mid-morning for coffee. I no sooner…

The mornings are socked in, dark and gloomy. Great for writing, until my laptop battery drains and then I find myself waiting for the sun to break through the clouds and light up my solar panels. Only then can I charge my battery and continue to write, upload pictures and post our life to this blog. All to avoid using precious resources like gasoline to run a generator. So if my stories are late to load, blame the heavy banks of fog! Mild days above zero, and sunshine = outdoor activities! We have a new roof to put on the Hudson cabin this Spring, so wood is needed. We have…

It sure has been an eventful few days of weather. Even as I try to write today’s blog, the freezing rain/snow combo sounds like rain hitting the roof. The wood stove is crackling behind me and the wind is whistling from the West. Last I looked it was forecast to be sunny with a 10% chance of precipitation – guess we are the 10% chance. Wish I had those kind of odds for everything! Last Thursday we had challenged the editor for the write up in the 'Williams Lake Tribune', saying a local community to the East had been the coldest in BC with -48.5C. We asked them why Environment…

Not sure why they stopped printing the numbers...but looks like -50 to me! Being born and raised in Northern Ontario must be a big factor in how we have handled the lowest cold snap in memory. I remember -40 we had it for a month straight or more during a Winter, but -50C or more, I don’t recall. None of our thermometers read past -40C, but our neighbors (the Phillips) recorded -51C. We had 3 extremely cold nights of it before the clear night turned overcast and the temperature rose to -28C last night. We’re just hoping this doesn’t mean more snow! It makes me think of all the books…

The cold air mass that had been predicted for days, moved from the Arctic spreading into Alaska and Canada…working its way into the States. Power outages reported from town to cities as the frozen snap settles over North America. Being prepared isn’t just for off gridders. Everyone should have a back up heating source & generator. The cold hit fast when it came, going from our zero degree day to only a high of -23C the following day, then a drop last night that brought us to -40C. It’s a must to start your day with calories, to get you through all the work of trudging through deep snow. Hauling…

Mountain Man waited until 1:30pm to leave by snow machine, headed to his Jeep - making his way into the small community of Anahim Lake. Refilling a few gas cans and picking up mail, and a few parcels. There was no hurry to get in or out. Many people stopped him along his route, chatting and wishing him a Happy New Year. After 4 years, every face is familiar, and everyone knows who he is no matter what vehicle he has. He picked up the few things that he could find on my list, head lettuce, cucumber, onions, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli & carrots - other than that the shelves were…

A trip to the town of Anahim is in the works. There are still some packages that didn’t quite make it out here for the holidays, so a mail run is necessary. I’m down on a few items and fresh vegetables, but it’s doubtful that they will have the basic items on my list. I will shoot for the vegetables I know may last on their shelves a bit longer and not sell out, like onions, cabbage, potatoes & carrots. They will have to be inspected as they literally remain on the shelves in refrigeration units until they decay. The lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes are only available whenever the ‘once…

In the satellite photo, we are in the bands of pink representing a Winter Storm watch. After our New Years it took a day to pack down the new snow. Almost all of BC was under a Winter Storm watch, however in-between squall systems – we had visitors. A notification on social media of friends arriving for coffee, in 45 minutes from Vanderhoof. Our runway wasn’t packed, as we just had a night of rain, and a snow machine would sink, creating slushy ruts, so we were waiting for cold weather to freeze it up. I think I’ve mastered the art of whipping up anything from scratch in under an…