Nestled deep in the wilderness and blanketed by snow, nature's quiet proves that even in stillness, life endures. Every few days, a chorus of wolves howls around the frozen lake, a reminder of strength and resilience. While the occasional squirrel chatters high up in the timber, a great horned owl hoots in the dark of night beneath a canopy of stars. These predominantly audible cries seem to be all that linger out here after migration and hibernation which rattle my dogs slightly more than usual. The haunting howls of the wolves pierce the night air, wrapping the atmosphere in a palpable sense of urgency. In response, my dogs begin to…

Keeping each other 'In-check'... Here comes a New Year, whether you're ready or not! I'm not one for resolutions, but we always take the time to self-reflect when the new calendar gets hung on the wall. It allows us to take a step back, engage in introspection, and gain perspective on what really matters. Re-focus on accomplishments (or lack of), over the last year and set new targets/schedules for the following year - instead of getting over-whelmed with life. It also gives one some time to self-assess your cognitive, emotional, and behavioral processes. When you spend more time in self-reflection you create a greater sense of self-awareness - in turn…

Good ol' fashioned sponge bathing. This scene is set in a modest working class home, with a stove and traditional furnishings that reflect the living conditions of miners during this era. This photograph by Bill Brandt, taken in 1937, captures an intimate and stark moment in a coal miner's life in Chester-Le_Street, Durham, England. It depicts a young woman, simply dressed in an apron, tenderly bathing the miner as he crouches in a large basin, his body covered in the grime of his labor-intensive work in the coal mines. The image powerfully conveys both the physical toll of coal mining and the importance of cleanliness and care within the household.…

Brushing the snow off the panels in the morning. With just a week to go before the solstice heralds the year's darkest day, it's been surprisingly quick to arrive. I was bracing myself for a longer stretch of dim daylight, but lo and behold, the shortest days are nearly behind us, and the promise of lengthening light looms. Our solar panels, however, have been languishing under a blanket of persistent clouds several times a week, stubbornly refusing to charge our battery bank past the 90% threshold. That's the sweet spot for my husband, the vigilant guardian of voltage, who insists on this level to prolong battery life. I'm not disputing…

December sunrises The December dawn is an event not to be missed in the daily agenda, particularly when it graciously unfolds at 9am for those of us who snub the absurdity of winter time changes. It's a reason to rise before the sun does, ensuring a front-row seat to the day's opening act. Will it be a canvas of clouds, or a clear azure sky? The suspense can be as thick as the morning fog. And let's not forget the palette of colors—from fiery reds to warm oranges and mellow yellows—it's like Mother Nature's pyrotechnics. While it may get old to see more photo's of yet another sunrise or sunset,…

The 'Feels" of the flickering light. It's apparent that our conduct changes on a bright sunny day or when all the lights are on in a cabin. It is well-documented that light therapy significantly influences our cognitive behavior. Light, that sneaky beam of energy, has a ninja-like ability to influence our feelings, get us going, and even mess with our health – and the kicker is, we usually don't know it's even happening! It's like a mood ring for our environment; the brighter the light is, we tend to get productive - we think about projects, deadlines, demands, and all things that need to be done. Meanwhile, dusk or dawn…

Will's journey to Eliguk ended early afternoon on a Friday, as he pulled up as close as one can get to the southern shores of our lake, six hours from 108 Mile Ranch. Mountain Man and the fur-pack awaited our friends arrival, and then they all crossed the one kilometer ride on the lake with the barge. After settling in back at the resort, the remaining afternoon was spent acquainting Will with the ins and outs of life at Eliguk, from feeding the dogs and chickens to monitoring the solar system and connecting to Wi-Fi. It had been a few years since Will's last visit, so there was a few…

Denouement - Leaving Clarity; Back Into The Abyss.       0130, pitch black dark on the bottom bunk of the Hudson cabin, lying awake. A wind event has been roaring overhead, moaning through the surrounding treetops, and rattling the cabin windows. Who wants to sleep? Especially on my last night here in the middle of raw Nature? Cozy in my sleeping bag cocoon, I mentally snuggle deeper, sighing in contentment as I savour the moment.       ‘Cra-a-a-a-cck!’       No thud. A ‘hanger’. Somewhere close by. There’s gonna’ be a lot of blowdown today. We’ve had three days of daytime big winds, up to 20 knots…

Day 6 - The Sense of Small      It’s still Day 5, but the idea came to me, as ideas do, unsought, unexpected, and in a lot of cases, unnoticed. Perhaps, because I write, I usually ‘do’ notice, most especially when alone and not distracted by people. Alone in the truck, alone in my Study, or alone in my head, but, not interacting with people. Crazy eh? Maybe I am. But the beauty for me, is I don’t care. I just go on being me, and let the criticism fall on deaf ears…which isn’t that difficult, lol, since I’m pretty deaf already.      So, what’s the idea? Well,…

Day 5 Alone - Into A Routine - And Contrast       Today’s theme is the incremental adjustment that has taken/ is taking place over the course of the past 4 days. I did anticipate this process, having gone through it many times in the past. After my divorce eons ago, I spent 10 years single, slowly transforming from a lost Soul to One who valued and protected his  solitude.      Similarly, as a single Soul living aboard my sailboat in the heart of a big City, when the Christmas holidays rolled around, and Families gathered, I would sail off to get lost visiting all my favourite anchorages…