Fort Albany, Tuesday October 9, 2012

School’s back on track. I was out for a week with my first, and last, case of laryngitis. If you’ve never had the pleasure, it leaves you literally speechless. Although my class’ behaviour has improved beyond measure compared to a year ago, they can hardly be expected to enjoy engaging learning experiences through weak sign language and over-exaggerated facial expressions.

The community’s NAPS station was moved to the island where the majority of the population lives. As part of the construction they needed to dig up a good section of the main road and, in the process, turn off our water supplies again. As of last Wednesday we’ve been put on yet another ‘boil water advisory’. I think everyone’s a tad on the side of being dehydrated as a direct result.

Thanksgiving was wonderful again this year. The teachers down the road who usually host the potlucks organized another doozy of a feast, leaving everyone to waddle home in a less than graceful fashion. I managed to make my first pumpkin pie which turned out better than expected, though nowhere near comparable to Mom’s; experience or genius?

The feast also included the classic turkey, stuffing, and gravy, as well as an assortment of yam soup, lasagna, bannock, scallop potatoes, stuffed zucchini, apple crisp, cookies, and brownies, to name a few of the sides.

Obviously the outside of the house was surrounded by the dogs. They all had a great weekend too and enjoyed more than their usual share of treats, moose carcass included.

 

Fort Albany, Saturday October 6, 2012

My eyes cracked open this morning to the very sudden realization that it was too bright! I flew to the window to draw the blinds, revealing this year’s first snow fall. It was a good couple of centimeters and clearly beginning to melt but it was beautiful. Everything was bright side up!  

It may be Oji's first time experiencing the change between fall and winter,  but he doesn’t seem the least impressed by the change in decor.  He and Bel accompanied me for the late morning walk and had a great deal of fun in the usual, and by now quite expected, guarding and exploring.

 It sat just above zero for most of the day so the ditches are all full and there’s hardly a patch of snow to be found. Fingers crossed it stays on the cooler side so that the roads and paths don’t return to their usual muskeg.

Fort Albany, Saturday September 29, 2012

For me, autumn can easily be described as the most breathtakingly beautiful and refreshingly inspiring of seasons. Every sense is reset before winter draws a muffled blank over colours, scents, sounds, and textures. The exception being taste I suppose, nothing can quite stifle a good appetite.

I’ve been for more walks lately, usually accompanied by at least two dogs. I’m not positive, but I think I spotted a seal off a ways from the shore similar to last year’s location.

 The water level’s down from where it sat a year ago so the river’s hardly more than a stream in some spots once the tide has lowered.

Fort Albany, Monday September 17, 2012

There was a wedding in Timmins this past weekend which we happily attended and where I got the chance to meet the bride and groom for the first time. It was in a beautiful church down town with close to 200 people attending the ceremony and only slightly fewer for the reception afterwards. We met a very nice couple at our table and enjoyed the evening of witty speeches, delicious food, and what can only be described as unique dancing!

Because of various cancellations and switches in schedules we were made to take a small charter to Moosonee where we waited around for a few hours before catching the Northlander train down to Cochrane. Luckily someone else from the community was going out the same weekend and we were able to hitch a ride with them from Cochrane to Timmins.

It was a long and unexpected trip but a very pleasant one.

Unfortunately my new camera battery died once we hit the reception so the only pictures we got were those from the window of the train.

Fort Albany, Thursday September 13, 2012

The weather's had it's
ups and downs, but today was a perfect up! The sun was smiling, the air singing, and the leaves set to laughing! We went for a walk on the lower dyke road with the dogs along for company.












We made a pass by the new Northern store, due to open a few months ago. It's been built on the island side so we should at least have more ready access to food during the spring break up.






Along the return walk we were treated to another double rainbow. There have been more rainbows this year than any other. Maybe they're just more prominent this year. 

Fort Albany, Friday September 7, 2012

The kids returned on Tuesday and it's all of the old gang; I've been moved onto the next grade with the same students. This makes setting up the classroom easier and as I already have a benchmark of where each one is academically there should be less of a struggle to set realistic expectations for each. It's been fun setting up the classroom, but I'm glad the basic furniture moving is complete. I'm still sore from pushing and shoving some of the larger book shelves around!

With this first week complete, I'm very happy with where I am and how the year's going to be, but can admit to being more than slightly overwhelmed with the planning of all new units with different sets of curriculum expectations - save everything!

 

 

Fort Albany, Tuesday August 28, 2012

Back in Albany safe and snug. The school year is off to a smooth start with this week’s focus being on classroom preparation and Professional Development.

This year's ruling is that there are no pets allowed in the teacher housing, so the dogs are free but no longer wild. They both tend to stick close to home, sleep on the porch, and provide a very playful guard to and from school.









The return to Albany seems to have lifted their spirits by inspiring pure joy in their complete freedom, readily accessible friends to play with, and quite considerably improved Bel’s dwindling appetite.

 

They are however slightly worse for wear with Oji’s right eye almost completely swollen shut (I have to assume gleaned from his overenthusiastic, albeit characteristic playing) and Bel’s got a strong limp from a cut on the pad of one of her front paws.  Neither seems too concerned, so life goes on.

Albany itself has a lot less mud than when we left in June and considerably more green. The air is fresh and the waters, from what I hear of the more avid anglers, are simply teaming with fish.

I'm looking forward to the this year with a spirit of optimism that seems akin to the anticipation of the Christmas holidays. The kids will be back to school following Labour Day, hopefully with similarly bright outlooks.