Fort Albany, Sunday January 22, 2012

Belinda and I woke up just past 6 today and were quickly joined by Squatter and Crazy Dog on our morning jaunt. They most often sleep in the yard next to ours curled up in gigantic frosted fur balls.

A few of us went for another short road trip to Moosonee as well as Moose Factory today and despite it being the same road leading to the same and similar places, it couldn’t have been more different. It having snowed almost the entire way changed not only the treeline and landscape, but the driving conditions as well. Stopping for a washroom break and to stretch our legs, we couldn't help but notice this 'frosted' bush at a spot they've been using as a watering hole for the trucks.

The trucks were still working hard at keeping the roads in order though and could be seen filling up constantly along the way.

Instead of multiple bird sightings, two foxes were spotted along the road on the way back. One was a very dark brown-black colour, and the other was so pefectly classic, he could have been Fantastic Mr.Fox’s twin brother (minus the overcoat and pants of course).
Unfortunately for me and you both, the foxes were rather quick on their feet and this is the best, and only, picture I was able to capture of them; it's the dark one. They were already gone by the time the shutter clicked for any other attempts.

Alas, the same cannot be said for the moose we spotted on the drive back. Two lucky hunters are having fresh meat this week!
The people I was with were saying that this was a small moose, though I've only seen bits and pieces being dragged around by the neighbourhood dogs since I arrived here so I can't really say for sure. I haven't seen a live moose in several years and the chances are looking pretty slim lately.




It was another perfect weekend overall; a mixture of relaxation and productivity. I’ve discovered that adding another half cup of bananas as well as cutting the time in the oven down by a quarter makes banana bread muffins mouth wateringly moist and slightly addictive.
Ready for another week!

Fort Albany, Saturday January 21, 2012

A few of us left Albany just before 8am for the two and a half hour drive over the winter roads to Moosonee. We were perfectly timed to watch a unique orange and gold sun rise over the muskeg. The skies were clear all day leaving plenty of oportunity to see a couple partridge, and owl, sparrows and even an owl. The tree line was the most enjoyable aspect of the scenery though; peaceful and relaxing.

Any signs they had posted were nailed to trees and although most of them depicted curvy roads or told us to go SLOW there were a couple warning us of nocturnal moose crossings and to 'Drive Defensively'.

We saw much more traffic than I thought we would, including several road workers. They go back and forth constantly scraping, spraying and plowing. In the picture to the left, the truck's filling up with water at one of the streams. It was almost entirely covered in a thick layer of ice itself, I'm not sure the trucks get much down time.

Any time there was a waterway crossing the road, they've built a snow bridge. It's exactly what it sounds like. They just pile the snow on, pack it down, pour wate on top and keep doing that until it's frozen as solid as the rest of the road. They usually have signs prior to one of these crossings as well as bright orange tape tied on the brush either side of the bridge. It was a little freaker driving over them once I knew how they'd been made. haha.


Once in Moosonee we stopped by the Sky Ranch resaurant for breakfast and a chance to warm up our toes (the needle was sitting at about -35C when I got up and the truck just didn't want to warm up quickly). After that we joined a huge que to fill up on gas. I've heard that it's over three dollars a liter in Albany so I guess everyone had the same idea.

Cree, English, French -
The only sign I've ever seen with all three languages -
what else brings us all together so easily?

The Northern Stores in the other communities aparently hike their prices once the winter roads open so it was still a bit more expensive than I was hoping for but really the day was more about getting out of Albany for a bit rather than stocking up so in that light, it was well worth the entertainment value.

Fort Albany, Sunday January 15, 2012

The Winter Carnival was a defining success for the high school class running it. Every single kid in my class enjoyed it immensely and participated throughout without having to be nudged one direction or another. We started the day off in the deeper snow behind the school learning to build a blind; used for shelter and camoflaging when in the bush hunting. Fairly certain that I was the only once present who hadn't seen one before, but they all had fun helping put it together and take it apart before throwing themselves and each other in the snow.

Next we played tug of war out front followed by a few games of Kookum and Mooshum as we did at Teepee days. It was a little trickier in the snow and took a lot more energy.
As it was below -30C we took some breaks to warm up and didn't quite last the full half hour of each activity outside. Thankfully most kids dressed for the weather though we had a few wearing running shoes or no mittens. No frost bite was reported!
Luckily our hour outside was followed by dodgeball and basketball in the gym for the next two sessions before returning outdoors to play an awesome game of lacrosse. They've had a couple of phys. ed. classes working on lacrosse skills so that came in handy and made it noticeably more fun!
Cross country skiing was probably the most amusing activity to witness. For the majority of the kids, it was their first time but I could certainly sympathize as my downhill experience over the Christmas holidays was still fresh in my mind. During this time, there was also the option of snow shoing so a few students chose that more familiar route. There were several examples of snow-shoers being very sweet and helping the skiiers up when they got stuck with their limbs sticking out in every direction.
The last planned activity was a school-wide game of Bull Dog; running back and forth across a field trying not to get tagged each time they call 'bull dog'. This was again made into a form of entertainment for onlookers due to the deeper snow at the back of the school.
This fun-filled day was rounded off with delicious hot dogs and steaming hot chocolate served to all in the cafeteria. A wonderful day.

Fort Albany, Thursday January 12, 2012

It's only been one week but it's been one of the most topsy-turvy weeks to date.
There was a massive storm up here a couple days before we returned so there's noticeably more snow on the ground and the drifts area  little out of hand in some sections. Poor Belinda jumps in without knowing the depth before realizing she's immobile and has to squirm and squiggle her way free.

There have been so many perfectly clear nights leading up to the full moon, each more stunning than the last. Keeping an eye open for the Lights.



At the school, we've already had two half-days this week due to wakes and funerals. The gym is the only place large enough in Albany to hold them.
Attendance is all over the place as well; one day showing a total of 7 students, all boys. The next day totaled 14 including some students I hadn't seen since before the holidays.

Tomorrow is another odd-ball day but should be lots of fun. One of the high school classes has organized the Winter Carnival for all Primary classes running from 9am-3pm. Right now it's showing temperatures anywhere from -36C to -42C with the windchill for tomorrow so we'll see if it's a go. The typical limit for keeping the students outside is -25C and I think we're all getting a little bit tired of indoor recess as it is. Luckily today was warm enough by one degree so we had a bit of a break :)

Fort Albany, Friday January 6, 2012

The Christmas holidays started on Friday December 16^th after lunch: a tantalizing turkey feast provided and served by the school community.
The charter flight I had booked a seat on was scheduled to leave at 11:30am but was ‘officially’ delayed by an hour, which turned out to be about 2 ½ hours. This arrived in Timmins in plenty of time to catch my 7pm flight to Toronto where I stayed the night in a hotel, enjoying the luxuries of scant responsibility.

The following day found me wandering aimlessly around Pearson Airport until my evening flight to Regina, Saskatchewan which left and arrived quite punctually. My parents greeted me with plenty of smiles and hugs and we drove to their home in Moose Jaw where we stayed the night before hitting the open road.

I drank in the surrounding countryside and thrilled at each new view, from hundreds of hay bales laid out in a prairie field, to the mountaintops brushing the skies. We saw thousands of cows, hundreds of horses and even a few dozen buffalo. The huge grain elevators, countless oil wells, and kilometre-long trains served as mental snap-shots of all the drives we did when I lived out there in high school. Talk about nostalgia; literally a trip down memory lane.

We stayed a few nights in Canmore, Alberta, touring the town and visiting the ski slopes. Dad skied every day he could while I attempted once; an afternoon at Lake Louise where the weather was almost warm and it snowed constantly. Spectacular.

From there we journeyed to my brother’s family’s house in Calgary, quickly making ourselves at home for the week by filling each day playing with their two amazing kids and celebrating a very beautiful Christmas together.

On my last day with my parents we decided to try for another visit to the West Edmonton Mall where they’d taken me several years ago in grade 12. Years later it's still just as fun to see all the wonders of modern engineering and childhood imagination meeting in perfectly immense sizes; water slides, an indoor wave pool, a pirate ship and submarines, a live seal show, roller coasters, skating rinks, exotic aquariums, and a climbing centre. Only two disappointments marred my remembrance of the mall, one being the absence of the brightly coloured flamingos and the second, discovering that the store Forever 21 had moved on. Not to worry though, Smart Set was there in full force and appreciated to the fullest by yours truly.

After a one night stop-over in Red Deer, my parents bid me adieu at the Calgary airport and I headed back to Toronto once more, to be met by my eldest sister and her family. I stayed with them for several nights, was treated like a princess and had a perfectly lovely time of it. My sister tried teaching me some basics of ballet one day and the next found us enjoying a very Anne of Green Gables-esk tea party. We spent an afternoon braving the Pacific Mall, were treated to Dim Sum for lunch, and of course spent countless hours taking it in turns to entertain and be entertained by their 11 month old son.

I met up with several friends in and around the area, enjoying a spring-like rainy day on the train to and from Oshawa one day. It was incredibly relaxing and the perfect way to complete my whirlwind of a holiday.

The trip was concluded with a long but very enjoyable train ride from Toronto to Matheson, a short bus from Matheson to Timmins, where I stayed the night, and finally a timely flight back to Fort Albany where it began.

Throughout all journeys, and despite misgivings created by past experiences, none of my baggage was lost, broken or even charged for extra weight. In fact, due to my bag’s sheer size and weight I had several opportunities to meet some very friendly and helpful people all across the country offering to lift, carry and move it with a smile and no small amount of straining.

All in all, I managed approximately 11 hours of flight time, 12 hours by train, 25 completing incredibly scenic drives, 3 hours of buses, and just over one hour in various cabs. It’s good to be home, relying on my very own ‘foot express’.

Thank you everyone for treating me so royally and welcoming me so warmly. It was a perfect trip, full to the brim of memories to be stored and pulled out in tired times.  Looking very forward to seeing you all again this summer.

Happy New Year.