Life Off the Grid 29 - July 12, 2012

Life Off the Grid 29 – July 12, 2012

6:30 AM

Half an hour ago Seamus decided we should all be up. It is breezy and just over 20C, which feels quite cool. Must give Guinness his first round of pills for the day and then I suppose we should go up to the truck and get stuff. I feel there is a nap in my future.

6:45 Am

Guinness has been medicated – it is such a mercy that he likes peanut butter! And I am beginning to pull myself together. Seamus keeps going off like an alarm. Aroo-roo-roo-roo! I don't know if he's just excited by the wind moving the tree branches or if there is something out there to be wary of. I would prefer not to run across a bear while going up to the truck. We shall wait a bit.

8:00 AM

Did a bit of cleaning up. Filled the kettle. Had a cuddle with the dogs. I know, my life is so exciting. Torn between going up to the truck now and getting something to eat. I am very hungry suddenly. But I need to do the truck run before it gets really hot. I will bring down at least one can of paint and the painting equipment, along with whatever else I can carry. I am both excited and nervous about this painting job. I mean, there is the horror of going up ladders, that's part of it. But mostly I am worried about my colour choice. It will be a radical change.

8:45 AM

Did the run up to the truck. Well, slow trudge, to be more precise. It is already getting hot out. The bugs are intense. Glad to be back and have that behind me. Now, breakfast!

Breakfast, as it turns out, is going to be Shirataki angel hair tofu noodles tossed with a saute of red onion, garlic, chili peppers and mushrooms. Mmmmmmm!

1:15 PM

Breakfast made and eaten. Dishes washed. Floor swept.

I installed my Rosetta Stone software and did the first lesson. It's pretty cool. But it keeps encouraging me to go online to register. I will have to do that next time I'm in town. I am determined I will speak Spanish. Before we next go to Mexico, hopefully sooner.

I also managed to clip two of Seamus' paws. Now he's even more funny looking than ever. He's had enough for now. I'll have to pin him down and do the other two later.

And I have brushed the webs and dirt and dust off two sides of the cabin. There's a limit to how long I can stand spider webs and their inhabitants raining down on my head. Just like there's a limit to how long Seamus can tolerate having his fur clipped. And it's really hot now. Over 30C.

2:15 PM

I have clipped Seamus' tail. I think he is utterly appalled. But he is starting to look a bit like a poodle instead of a fluff-ball. He has escaped, retreating to one of the couches with a raw-hide chew to comfort himself.

Annie Chun's Seaweed Snacks are good. I had a package of sesame seed flavour earlier, now I'm trying the wasabi. I will have to cook the kale, or some of it anyway, for dinner. Can't let it get all wilted. But what to do with it? Maybe saute it with some garlic and mushrooms. And I have millet and Kamut kernels and hulled barley and mung beans. Lots of veggies. No idea how to cook kamut kernels. They look sort of like barley, so maybe you cook them the same way...

3:15 PM

Now I have really offended Seamus. I started to try to do his muzzle with the electric clippers. He just looks traumatized. Sigh. I don't think he believes I won't hurt him, and I don't think he can imagine why I am doing these weird things to him. As far as he's concerned Mama's gone crazy and keeps coming at him with scissors and buzzy things. But I can sort of see his eyes now. I gave him a Denta-Stix to try to make peace. For awhile he just sat there, wild-eyed and stiff-backed, but eventually he lay down and started worrying at it.

It's gotten windy out. And a bit cloudy. We may get some rain. Maybe that will cool things down a bit.

At $80 a pop to have a professional do it, I am not giving up hope that I can groom Seamus effectively. It's just a long journey we will take together. Eventually, if I keep at it (gently), we will both gain confidence. Meanwhile, the cottage is, once again, festooned with poodle hair. Sigh (again). I would do it outside, but it's much harder to contain him out there.

4:30 PM

I suppose I should take the boys out and throw something for them. It's maybe cooled off a tiny bit... I suppose it's too early for bed.

4:50 PM

Ok. We chased balls and sqeakers. It is not that cool out. 28C, which is cooler, but the dogs were still panting hard pretty soon after we started. Plus, the bugs are terrible. They find you and they will not leave you alone. I think I better have some asparagus with dinner. It's supposed to repel biting insects. I really don't know the science behind that, but it seems to work a bit. Goodness knows, Muskol is useless out here, never mind all the types of Off!

5:30 PM

This is going to be good. Kale, mushrooms, green onions, asparagus, tomatoes... With some garlic and maybe some crushed chilies. Going to be a sauce. Should I do pasta or mung beans? Mung beans would be better for me... But I really feel like pasta today. At least it's flax omega 3 spaghettini: 0 cholesterol, 0 sodium, 8 grams of fibre and 11 grams of protein. So not too shabby. Plus all those veggies!

5:45 PM

So, I put a pot of water on to boil and the big frying pan on to heat up a bit. Olive oil into the pan, followed by mushrooms.

After they start to get a bit cooked, add some garlic and jalapeno pepper chopped very fine. 

Before too long, add the asparagus. After each addition, toss the ingredients to combine and make sure the oil gets on everything.

Then green onion.

Then kale, cut quite small.

I chopped up a couple of tomatoes. 

Then added them. 

Followed by some oregano and little basil.

Now everything is covered with foil to keep the steam in and cook down the kale. 

Meanwhile, my pot of water has boiled. I turned it off to conserve propane and water. It will boil again really fast.

It's 50 years since the Stones played their first concert. How cool (and weird) is that?

The food is smelling AMAZING!

Gave it a stir to make sure nothing was sticking.

And covered it again.

6:10 PM

And stirred it again, and covered it. It's simmering down nicely. Not sure if I'm hungry yet, but maybe I will be by the time it's ready. I sure am tired. It was after 1 AM when I went to sleep, and 6 AM when Seamus decided we needed to get up. Must not stay up late....

Oooooh! Distant rumbling! Didn't sound like a quarry blast. Sounded like thunder. From where I sit, the sky is mostly blue. But there it is again – thunder!

I stirred the sauce again and added a bit of water to the pan to add to the steam and keep anything from sticking. There is definitely a bunch of thunder going on. It's weird with the sky looking so calm. But that's what it's like here sometimes. We may or may not get a big storm. And it will come suddenly if it comes.

6:30 PM

The sun is shining. The sky is blue with some fluffy white clouds. There is a lot of thunder. No idea which direction the sound is coming from. With my eyes closed I would say there is a big thunderstorm going on here. But, no.

It's a balancing act with this sauce. I do not like mushy vegetables. But I do not like hard, woody, spiky kale either. I am keeping a close eye on the pan. As soon as I deem the kale all edible, I will take it off the heat and toss a little parmigiano in and then cook the pasta.

I guess a thunderstorm would be an exciting event. But maybe life is better boring. When you live in a wood house, surrounded by trees, thunder and lightning are more than entertainment. A bit of rain wouldn't be a bad thing though. It's pretty dry out there.

6:45 PM

Added parmigiano, tossed, and covered again. Put the pot of water on for the pasta. Emptied the slops bucket off the deck to make space for pasta draining.

Still thundering. Still sunny.

This cooking in the cabin thing sucks. Tomorrow I am grilling outside. It's just too damn hot. I think I have all the ingredients to make my amazing marinaded prawns. A rare seafood indulgence!

Oh. It is maybe getting a bit gloomy out. It is subtle, but I think it is more overcast than a little while ago.

6:50 PM

Pasta is on. Done in 6 minutes. It seems to be getting darker in here.

6:57 PM

Pasta drained.

And served! And there's enough sauce left for another dinner. I love leftovers. The work is done and the food is ready fast.

7:15 PM

That was yummy. And the leftovers are packed away. It takes so much less time to eat a meal than it does to make it. 2 hours to prepare, 15 minutes to eat.

The thunder continues unabated. I see bed on the horizon. I will try to hold on to 8 PM. This heat and humidity are exhausting. Not to mention the dog-initiated early morning. Must medicate the big guy. 

Ok, dog dosed. It is so great that Guinness loves peanut butter and Seamus wants nothing to do with the stuff. I hope the pills are fixing the “hot spot” It looked so awful when the vet shaved it. Not that he's letting me look too closely. Quite protective, he is.

7:25 PM

The wind has suddenly picked up. It is much darker now. I will be very surprised if it doesn't storm.

Apparently it is different coloured eyes day. Heterochromatic is the term to describe a person with eyes of two different colours. David Bowie, for instance. And my niece, Tara, who has one blue eye and one green eye. That is a look you don't quickly forget.

7:35 PM

And, it has started to rain.

7:40 PM

HOLY CRAP! That was lightening and the loudest, sharpest crack of thunder you can imagine. And pretty much at the same time. Scary. The dogs are cowering. Guinness is half behind, half under a couch, mostly because he can't fit all the way under. Seamus is under the table and breathing hard.

7:55 PM

The rain has stopped. The wind is dying down. The thunder is retreating into the distance. Sounds like it's going east. Patches of blue sky are opening up. Perhaps its over.

8:00 PM

It has cooled down a bit. It's 26C in the cabin and only 22C outside. I have all the windows open. It isn't really cooling off in here as much.

Look! I made it to 8:00!

8:15 PM

Had some pistachios for dessert. Seriously thinking about bed. It has calmed down quite a bit outside.

8:30 PM

I am going to take the plunge. I am shutting all my technologies down and going up to read Game of Thrones, And probably to fall asleep about 1 page in...

8:40 PM

Well, the thunder and lightening are back. Loud and close. And the rain is starting again too. Yup. Looking like a monsoon out there now. Well, that's good, I guess. My plants all need water and the rain will reduce the forest fire hazard. Everything has been so dry. Then again, there is the issue of no indoor plumbing. Blech.

Alright then. I am so turning everything off and going to bed.

Life Off the Grid 28 -July 11, 2012

Life off the Grid 28 - July 11, 2012

7:15 AM

Windy. But the sky is clear. Getting ready to head to town.

5:00 PM

Got back from town about an hour ago. Everything takes so bloody long! Internet in McDonald's parking lot sucked and I totally failed to upload most of my blogs.

Went to Home Hardware and bought stain for the cabin. We are departing from the Parks Canada Red/Brown that the cabin has always been. The new stain is closer to the colour of the dock, sort of a sand colour. We shall see. I guess, if we hate it, it can be redone. Couple of hundred dollars for stain...

Went to Canadian Tire and got dog toys and big plastic buckets to store the camping gear in. More and more I am thinking I need to build a shed in the parking place. I could store camping gear, lock in the quad... Also bought an electric clipper so I can give Seamus a haircut. Poor guy can hardly see and he must be sweltering. And now I have electricity from the sun!

Went to the vet. It was really busy and we had to wait a long time. Guinness was good as gold. Seamus was great with the people, but when a girl dog came in he went bonkers, barking and barking. How embarrassing. Finally they put us into an examining room and again we waited. But at least it was an enclosed space with no one around, so I could relax a bit. When the vet came in I let her know right off that Guinness finds vets really nerve-wracking so she went away and came back with a muzzle and two helpers. Once Guinness was muzzled and held down by one assistant and me, and Seamus was controlled by the other assistant, the vet shaved the nasty thing on Guinness' neck. He cried. We both were having a very bad time. She said it was a “hot spot” which is a kind of excema that dogs get. It's a horrible looking thing. Like a huge boil, bleeding and oozing pus. She said if he swims he should have his collar off because it is the wet fabric in contact with his hot skin that causes it. She gave him a prescription for Prednisone and another for Cephalexin. He gets a bunch of pills twice a day. And he has to stay out of the lake for a week or more, until it is healed up. It's going to be above 30C all week, so this is grim news indeed.

Just before we left, while I was paying for the pills and the exam, Seamus further distinguished himself by pooping on the floor. Oh, joy. He never poops inside. I guess he was just disturbed by the whole thing. Or he was being a brat. Who knows?

After a stop at Canadian Tire for gas and propane, a chat with Jeff and a stressful conversation with irate youngest daughter, we headed out on the road. I set the trip odometer as we left town to see if we would be inside the 50km radius for satellite internet free installation. We are. But just barely.

While I was trying to upload blogs I spoke to a roofer who knew where we are and seemed to think there would be no problem getting supplies in and doing the roof. He lives out here and knows people on the lake. Beauty! An estimator is coming out next week to size up the job. This, if it works out, will just solve a multitude of problems.

Once we got home the dogs drank bowl after bowl of water. Then I gave the new clippers a go. Pursuing Seamus around the cabin, clipping away. It's a start. Took almost as long to sweep up the poodle hair as it did to clip it off. I'm giving him a break now, but we will have another go in awhile. It's got to help make him cooler.

5:40 PM

Still 33C. Only supposed to go down to 20C overnight. About the same expected for tomorrow as well. And the next day, and the next day, and the next day... I should get up and do something. It's only 28C in the cabin. But I just feel like sitting here... So hot. I have such a long to do list. I am going to have to start getting up at the crack of dawn to get anything done. By 11AM it just seems best to sit very still and quietly. Or else be in the lake. But since Guinness is supposed to stay dry, it looks like we will all be staying dry for awhile. I will have to go get water soon. The dogs drank half a bucket when we got in. I think it's going to be Kale chips for dinner again.

OMG! According to the radio it's free small slurpee day today. The 80-somethingth birthday of 7-11. Somehow, I don't think a small would be adequate today. And there's no 7-11 in Kenora. And that's 45 minutes away anyway.

Blasting at the quarry. Boo! They're cutting it fine. They are only supposed to blast between 6AM and 6PM and only on weekdays. They don't always abide by that.

The dogs are hot and sleepy. Both flat out on the floor, eyes closed, panting. Poor Guinness has had all kinds of trauma today. He is really freaked out by vets.

6:00 PM

Days with trips into town are really lost days. First, it's a 45 minute drive each way. And Kenora is not a navigation-friendly town. It's just hard to get from here to there. Wherever you want to go. Parking sucks, especially when you are trying to park a big truck. Everything takes so long. Even if you only have a few things to do and leave early in the morning, it is late afternoon when you get back to the cabin. And tired out. The stress of driving so much (especially in town where the traffic is erratic, pedestrians are unpredictable, familiar roads are closed for construction and suddenly you are in uncharted territory trying to get somewhere but no idea how to go about it...), waiting in line-ups, dealing with worrisome issues back home via cell phone (teleparenting I call it)... I am always just drained when I get back.

The cabin needs a good cleaning. Blah. I think back to those old tv shows like “I Dream of Jeanie” and “Bewitched” where the women had the power to zap their house clean and chose, instead, to do it the non-magical way. Why? Why on earth? I would love to be able to bob my head or wiggle my nose and have everything fly into place. Send the broom out to do the floor. Send the buckets out to get water. How glorious would that be? Of course, it was the men in their lives that wanted them to do everything the hard way. They were embarrassed by their partners' special powers and suppressed them. The more I think about it, the more I think those shows were analogies for male insecurity in the face of powerful women.

According to the news, some poor woman in Afghanistan has been executed for suspicion of adultery. Suspicion of adultery. And adultery there does not necessarily mean either partner was married to someone else, only that they were not married to each other. Now, cheating on your partner is a horrible, awful, hurtful thing to do. But not warranting execution. Maybe a couple of years of extreme penance... Loads of gifts for the injured party, a lot of apologizing and grovelling, dinners in fancy restaurants, breakfasts in bed, exotic vacations... But, really. They shot her repeatedly while a crowd of of men watched and cheered. It is disgusting. And no indication that anything happened to the guy. He probably got slapped on the back and applauded. And, as I said, it was “suspicion” and no word that either was actually married to anyone else. So, how do you get rid of an awkward one-night stand in Afghanistan? Accuse her of having sex with you. Makes me want to scream. Capital punishment for murderers is something I have severe reservations about. This is just...just... I really have no words. Atrocity maybe comes close.

When I was in town I had a look at my blog stats. Someone is reading my stuff! That amazes me. That people in Russia, Germany, the UK and South Korea are reading my stuff amazes me even more. Hey, there's a comments thing on here. Let me know something about you. Where are you reading this? How did you find my little blog? What do you think of it? I crave feedback! Talk to me! Please?

11:00PM

Must go to bed now. Must get up early. Peace.

Life Off Tthe Grid 27 - July 10, 2012

Life Off the Grid 27 – July 10, 2012

9:30 AM

Beautiful morning. Sunshine and already over 20C. Last night I found Guinness has a big sore on his neck. It is swollen and seeping. I have to take him to the vet tomorrow morning. I was going to go today, but I realized I am not nearly ready to go into town. I have to take photos of the cabin and measurements of the exterior walls so I can hire a roofer. I have to figure out dates for Katherine and Ty to come and visit. And I didn't get up early enough. I think we have to leave here about 7AM to get everything done and get back here before the real heat of the day starts. The forecast is for 34C ... He doesn't seem bothered by the sore, but I am. How did he get it and how did his caregiver not notice or tell me about it?

Tomorrow I will have to get paint for the dock and paint for the cabin. Hire a roofer. Take Guinness to the vet. Update blog. Get more dog toys to replace the floaty ones that have disappeared. Today I will measure the cabin walls. Take photos of the cabin and roof. Go up to the truck and bring some stuff down – clothes, my boots (which I am already missing), beer, dog toys, maybe tool boxes it I have capacity to do two trips. That is a bit doubtful. I am still very tired. Very, very tired. I am not thinking there is going to be much high energy activity today. I did set my alarm for 6 so we could go into town today, but when it went off I couldn't function. I was in a fog.

11:30 AM

32C outside. Must go up to the truck soon.

2:00 PM

Still 32C outside. Went up to the truck and brought some stuff down. The dogs came with me, of course. The biting bugs up at the parking place were intolerable. I felt like that arm in the old Off! commercials stuck in a case full of mosquitoes. I am clearly taking a recovery day. I am keeping my expectations for accomplishments low for today. Soon I will psych myself up to go out and measure the walls and take photos of the cabin and roof. Soon.

6:20 PM

Did the measurements of the cabin. Took photos of the structure. Played with the dogs and had a good swim. The water is lovely. No need for a wet suit today!

I am beginning to feel a bit more purposeful. Beginning to feel more like accomplishing things rather than empty and drained. I think it is really important to recognize when you get to the point when you are just going through the motions. That is the point to step back. Give yourself a moment (or a day) when you don't expect too much. Recover. For me, a lazy day can get me energized and anxious to get things done.

Right now Seamus is having a case of the barks. He is just standing, barking at me. I guess I have not been exciting enough for him today. I'm sorry, Sweetie. Mommy is tired out. Tomorrow will be better. A good night's sleep, then up early and going to town. Get things done as fast as possible, and back for an afternoon of sploshing in the lake and throwing balls and squeakers and frisbees.

8:40 PM

The dogs got all worked up and I let them out and followed them down to the dock. There was a fishing boat just at the point to the right of our bay. I waved in what I thought was a friendly manner. They revved their motor and booted it out of our bay. Apparently I have the reputation of wicked witch on the lake. Ok, then. Actually, I can deal with that.

9:00 PM

The boys are worked up again. This time they are concentrating their attention on the side door, toward the path leading to the truck. Where the bear scat is. Low growls instead of barking. I think I will keep them in.

Nibbles of kale chips are about as much as I can manage tonight for dinner. Just too tired and uninspired to cook something. Soon to bed. Must be up early.

Wow! This solar thing is awesome. I have a table light on and I'm powering my laptop. Solar works. And after the investment in equipment, it's free. Clean energy from the sun. I like it. I like it a lot. I really do think we should convert the house in Alberta to solar power as well. I am a believer. The guys we bought the equipment from actually sell power back to the grid in Alberta. They make money off solar power instead of paying for their electricity. What an awesome concept! I was shocked when I learned a lot of the electricity in Alberta is derived from coal. Seriously? Coal? It just seems so industrial revolution. How can this still be going on? Coal. Time to go solar. Definitely.

9:40 PM

I think I will go up to bed. Maybe read Game of Thrones for a bit. Alarm set for 6 AM. Up and out in the morning. If I am too early for the vet or home hardware or Canadian Tire, we can sit in the parking lot at McDonalds and use the free Wi-fi to upload blogs and communicate with my family... I am an honest person. I will make some kind of purchase before using their internet. Juice, perhaps...

Life Off the Grid 26 - July 9, 2012

Life Off the Grid 26 - July 9, 2012

9:49 PM

Up early, finished my laundry, and went for breakfast with Heather at Stella's, and packed up my stuff. Grocery shopped. Got beer. Got dogfood. Picked up the dogs from Anola at noon. Of course they went mad with joy when they saw me.

Drove to the lake. So tired. So hard to stay awake. Made it.

Everything looks wonderful. Solar panels are still up. Tomatoes are doing well.

 Herbs, less so, but I will try to revive them. We played in the lake (the water is wonderfully warm), and I did some writing on my computer – my solar powered computer!

There are some large and creepy bugs out here...

It's so good to be back.

 

This is a land of painfully beautiful sunsets. I need to go to bed.

Life Off the Grid 16 - June 29, 2012

June 29, 2012

 Panels on a temporary stand on the deck.

As Jeff said, "the cabin looks like the freakin' Starship Enterprise now".

 The panels do cut the view more than a little bit.

But it's not too bad.  Well worth the trade off.

 Gratuitous shot of the ladder to the loft. I believe I mentioned this ladder earlier a few times in earlier posts. This is the ladder one must get down if nature calls in the middle of the night...

 My incredibly handsome and dedicated guy wiring up the panels.

Light switches in the kitchen!!!! I would never have imagined I would see such a thing.

Power outlet in the dining room. That weird-looking thing in front is one of the many museum pieces that are still in service in out cabin. Do you know what that is? It is a fire extinguisher. You fill it with water. If there is a fire, you pump the handle on top and water is supposed to spray out the hose.  Hasn't been tried in awhile...

The inverter that helps to turn all that beautiful sunshine into useful electricity.
 

Roughed in wiring for sconces on the balcony/loft front overlooking the livingroom and dining room.

5:30 PM

WOO Fuckin' HOO! We have lights in the kitchen! The solar panels are up (temporarily on the deck) and we have lights AND a plug in!

E-lec-tricity! We have fuckin' E-lec-tricity! Clean energy from the sun!

This must be how people in the early 20^th Century felt when electricity forst came to their homes.

I can't begin to say how freakin' happy I am. The kitchen is dark.

 Press a switch. The kitchen is bright!

Glorious! Glorious!!!!!

8:45 PM

Went quadding. Amazing! 

 Fabulous wild paths!

Gorgeous lakes!

 Your humble hostess on this journey into the backwoods. I do not always look like an extra from the cantina scene in Star Wars.

 The beautiful machine...

The beautiful man beside the beautiful machine...

Ruts and wet bits. (sorry about the blur - travelling fairly quickly)

 

Then there is this “bridge” we encountered. 

Well. You just know all the best partying is going to be happening the other side of a bridge like this.

There were exciting moments on the quad ride. Being a pagan and born and raised in Canada, I am surprised by how theological my cussing is when scared, and also that it comes out with an Irish accent.

“Jaysus Murphy!”

“Christ on a crutch!”

“Jaysus, Mary and Joseph!”

“Fuckin' shepherd of Judea!”

et cetera.

As I mentioned, there were a few tense moments. Crossing the bridge, for instance...

Now we're back home. Jeff's got the stereo going. Plugged in. Not running on AA batteries. Got some curried lentils cooking. Fuck Yeah! Life is awesome!

Jeff just told me he pulled off another tick. So, ok, life would be more awesome without ticks. But still. Quad! Motor boat! Tunes! And light! Not a headlight. I can work in the kitchen without feeling like a miner going below. A real electric light.

I can plug in my computer. This is awesome. My phone is charging right now. And we may have found a spot on the lake where I can get text access. In Winnipeg I am going to try to get a lead on satellite internet. That is an amazing thought.

10:00 PM

We went for a boat ride after eating. Gorgeous sunset.

 Serious face

Goofy face

Moon on the water

Moon in the sky

Contemplative...

Heading home.

Then Jeff did the final hook-ups of the panels (they had to go live in the dark for some reason). No big battery acid explosions. All good so far. We're going to play cards by lamplight (electric light, doncha know?)