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    Eliguk Journal – February 3, 2025.

    Cold Snap of February It's been a hectic week at the Outpost, and we're currently experiencing a cold snap, similar to many places around the globe. We've received five new snow inches, meaning we can travel by snow machine. Driving the Jeep is still an option. We've had two phone calls from the US today. Both are friendly folks who have been following our journey for years and are unrelated/unknown to each other. Both want to apologize to their President following the announcement of tariffs on Canada. We are equally sorry that our Prime Minister retaliated with the same, creating a tariff war that only the citizens will suffer because…

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    Eliguk Journal – January 24, 2025.

    All is quiet along the EIiguk lakeshore, while the cold sets in; and the moon rises over the horizon... The extra-curricular life of school teachers is structured; there’s no cutting work early, which means that when you prepare for a weekend adventure, the earliest you can set off with a trailer full of gear and fourteen enthusiastic sled dogs is around 5 pm. The four-hour journey to the end of the Kluskus, followed by three hours of unpacking the dog teams, harnessing the dogs, clipping them to the gangline, and packing the sleds for the exhilarating twenty-eight-mile mushing to Eliguk, becomes a testament to dedication and passion. We had spent…

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    Eliguk Journal – January 16, 2025.

    A Mild January Winter - Watching the lake ice melt away. Just when I thought I was finally settling into my cozy hibernation—like a bear in a cave, only with plush fuzzy blankets and a streaming service—I received a message that shook me from my slumber: “Wanna go to Vancouver with me?” Nadine from the Fort St. James Hoy clan seemed to have a sixth sense for detecting my all too secluded deeply introverted isolation. I was hoping to get away with over-wintering like the rest of my dormant garden beds, tucked under a layer of mulch awaiting the change of seasons. Nadine wanted me to join her for a…

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    Eliguk Journal – January 4, 2025.

    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…

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    Eliguk Journal – December 30, 2024.

    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…

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    Eliguk Journal – December 23, 2024.

    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.…

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    Eliguk Journal – December 15, 2024.

    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…

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    Eliguk Journal – December 8, 2024.

    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,…

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    Eliguk Journal – November 24th, 2024.

    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…

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    Eliguk Journal – November 18, 2024.

    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…

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