Author: markvanisland

January 20th 2019

What an action packed Sunday in Burns Lake, B.C! I opened my eyes to a beautiful sunny morning once again. It was Rookie Day at Omineca Cross Country Ski Club. The ski club is about 6.5 km, about 10 minutes out of Burns Lake towards Francois Lake. Once you leave highway 35 S it’s only 800 m up a well groomed road to the Lodge and wax/rental shop area. The club is run like a coop by many volunteers and is very friendly and easy to access. There are multiple trails to explore and even lit until 10 p.m.  groomed trails for evening skiing.

The group of 8 new Rookies started the day up in the lodge where 3 experienced instructors guided us in learning about different skis, boots, bindings, etc. I discovered my rentals are: classic waxless fishscale skis; classic boots, and SNS bindings. We got a bonus is we knew what NNN stood for… I suggested “Not ‘Nuf Newbies” but apparently it wasn’t the answer they were looking for lol! We also learned about the many trails available and how snowshoeing was not allowed on the x Country ski trails. Also, when you see a Red Flag in a certain area, that means they are practicing shooting target for the biathlon group. Could be interesting to observe one day?

Then we were off to the stadium to don our equipment, stretch, and learn skills (without poles). The long skinny skis still seem awkward to me, but my balance is very slowly improving. We divided into 2 groups and heading off on different tails to practice skills which matched our ability levels with very patient and encouraging instructors. It was a great day and I highly recommend anybody new to Cross Country skiing, try a Rookie day! I even bought a new Omineca ski club beanie.

Next, it was off to experiment making crafts with my friend, Sara. She taught me how to make the wax/resin reusable cloths that are so popular right now. It was fun creating together and I ended up with 7 new reusable cloths of very cool patterns. I’m finding they keep food much fresher than saran and ziplock bags and are a huge improvement on my environmental footprint! I have 3 in use in the fridge atm.

As I left the moon was starting its eclipse.   My camera did not do justice to the amazing slight that I witnessed for over an hour. I included a photo of the Super Wolf Blood Moon taken by my friend Jackie Hildering. I was thrilled to discover that many of the students I teach had also been witnessing this phenomenal event! What a stimulating and exciting day!

January 19th, 2019

Winter in Burns Lake! After the snow falls, the sun often peeks out and the world becomes a sparkling inviting wonderland. Like the Premack principle…First shovel the driveway, then a snowshoeing adventure around Kager lake with one of my young colleages:-) So bring on the snowshovel! It’s not too deep this time!

After Deirdre picked me up at my Home Base, we headed off to one of the favorite recreational areas for locals, Kager lake. It’s less than 10 minutes out of town and in addition to the lovely trail around the lake there are endless mountain biking and “fat tire” trails through the trees. For those of you who don’t know what “fat tire” riding is…I just learned too. Basically, it’s mountain bike trail riding using really “fat” or wide tires so you can ride in snow. Not on my bucket list…. Today We’re trying snowshoeing. The schools  have sets of snowshoes and cross country skis for students and staff to use. So, we borrowed a couple of pairs and decided to get familiar with this mode of snow transport. After we figured out how to attach the snowshoes (similar to snowboarding) and I admired the saw shaped metal ‘claws’ at the bottom, we were off.

The metal snowshoes felt large but were pretty easy to maneuver. The lake has been frozen solid for several months now. I had heard that people were skating, playing hockey, and riding “fat bikes” on it. But it was a quiet day and we only saw 5 other people during our hike. As you walk the snow squeaks somewhat and we both noticed that snow tended to build up under the snowshoe making them quiet heavy at times. Perhaps the snow conditions?

I felt great for the first hour….but I could really feel the top front of my thighs near the end and I really had to push myself to finish the last section of the trail. This is good exercise! It was beautiful walking through the forest and a fun sensation walking on the frozen lake too. Thanks Deirdre!

January 2019

January is a time to promote and extend questions and curiosity at both schools! January is a busy time of the year

as older (grade 3 and up) prepare for the upcoming Science Fairs

while the younger students study snow/ice/snowflakes/changes of matter/penguins/and Arctic animals and accompanying biomes. Our hydroponic Garden Tower is flourishing and students and staff are enjoying the fresh veggies and herbs it provides. Meanwhile, I continue evolving the 2 libraries into Learning Commons and enjoy the camaraderie of both staffs in this friendly location. 🙂

While at Home Base, Brat (the cat) experiments with new locations and just plain looking darn cute!

January 12 & 13, 2019

With temperatures between -10 and -15 most days, I really missed Mark’s kindling supply. However, I was too scared to use the ax and hatchet to create my own pile. This was a skill I had never needed to learn in the past. I asked at both schools if there was somewhere I could go to purchase kindling, but nobody had any suggestions. When I arrived back at home base on Friday after school, I noticed 2 cardboard boxes by the carport door. A Burns Lake fairy godmother/godfather had left me a much appreciated gift of potential heat!

I was exuberant making the first fire of 2019 in the woodstove that night! I felt quite successful and independent when the fire caught and warmed up the house:-) I asked many people if they were the secret santa, but I did not discover the answer for nearly a week. It was a gift from our friendly retired teacher and TTOC Paula, who is also the talented force behind the Burns Lake pottery at the Artisan center.  Thank you Paula! You are an angel in my eyes!

On Saturday I had my first Cross Country ski lesson at Omineca ski club. Doug was my instructor and was so patient and encouraging!

I had incredibly skinny classic no wax fish scale 190 cm skis, and really long classic 135cm poles. I was wobbly and probably looked pretty funny…but I only fell twice. Both times were going down hill!  I’ll tell you though, I won’t be winning any ski races for a long, long time–if ever!  It was a great start, but I have a long way to go 🙁

On Sunday, my friend Sara invited me to learn how to make kindling at her place. It was so icy, we needed to wear ice cleats.

Turns out I really am pathetic at making the thin kindling, but I got the hang of using her log splitter! Thanks Sara for your patience, encouragement, and spare wood. 🙂 “I’m a Lumber Jill and I’m okay!” It was a weekend filled with new experiences. Brat adores the heat from the wood stove!

January 7th–11th

The first week back at school after the Christmas break was intense with full on teaching and returning to life in snowy winter conditions. Although the snow and ice covered the grounds and required shoveling (again!), the days were often sunny and winter recreational sports were calling my name! It was exciting to see the days lengthening after the winter solstice . I was so excited to arrive and depart from my schools in some light (instead of dawn/dusk or darkness). Students were all getting measured for the correct sizes in both snowshoes and x country skis! School newsletters home included information about the evolution of my 2 libraries into Learning Commons and my photo was sent home to parents 🙂

Students enjoyed creating snow forts and sliding down the slopes at both schools. Decker has 4 snow shovels that children enjoy using in the mornings to clear the stairs and sidewalks. One morning while working in the Learning Commons I heard this strange scraping sound outside my windows. Of course, I had to find the answer to this mystery.

A miniature tracker like vehicle with a front scoop was zooming around scrapping snow and then expelling the snow (like a snow blower) over the edge of the garden area.  It was fascinating and I was entranced! With low temperatures, new powder, and a weekend by myself…It was time to step out and explore more adventures in this area. Check out the next blog post!

January 6th and 7th, 2019

The plan was to drive back up north together in our truck (with studded tires), and explore winter recreation during my final 2 months and 9 days of this District Teacher-Librarian/Learning Commons Specialist position in Burns Lake. However, due to all the storm damage on our home and property, plans changed.

The flight from Nanaimo to Vancouver was uneventful. While waiting in the Vancouver airport, though, I was fascinated by the FN sculptures covered in plastic. I had to investigate. Believe it or not….there is a crow in the terminal which is roosting and leaving excrement on artwork! The airport has accepted and embraced the crow, but covered artwork with plastic!

As we all sat waiting for the next flight the crow’s incessant cawing was incredibly irritating. Personally, I hope he finds the exit door before my next trip!

A fellow teacher working in Burns Lake also was returning north from the Nanaimo area. Thankfully, My brother was there to meet us when we arrived in Prince George. We had returned back north to the snow, dig out your car, engine heaters, pre-heat your vehicles, shovel driveways, wear ice cleats, gloves, toques, type of winter!

It was an exceptionally slow drive back to Burns Lake as there was fog in addition to ice and snow. When we returned, Brat (the cat I am house sitting) was anxiously waiting for my arrival. Once I had emptied my bags, Brat jumped in and wouldn’t get out for hours! lol

December 30th and Jan 3rd, 2019

December 30th, 2018. The sun is shining. There is NO snow. There is a brisk wind by the ocean. We must be on Vancouver Island! Let’s go explore the trails beside our glorious ocean! We drove to one of our favorite spots in Nanaimo–Piper’s lagoon!

Apparently, quite a few people had the same idea. There were even 2 guys in wetsuits who were kite-boarding in the brisk wind. I vicariously felt chilled each time they dipped into the chilly waters! Brrr! But it was certainly entertaining. I must admit, the snow piles of Burns Lake were melting away in my mind as I explored the rocks with my husband on Dec. 30th in Nanaimo.

On January 3rd we set out to visit friends in Lake Cowichan, normally about 50 minutes south of Nanaimo. However, due to high winds and torrential rains, the detour and reduced speeds, resulted in a slow trip and memories of Vancouver Island winter weather came “flooding” back!

However, when we eventually arrived we had a lovely visit. Their property is on a riparian zone and is about double the size when the waters subside. It is a fascinating river area supporting much plant and bird habitat.

On the return trip we stopped in to explore Ladysmith park by the water.

It’s lovely! As we approached Nanaimo the sun returned and we were blessed with some brilliant rainbows!

Late December 2018

Based on the previous blog post, you now understand why I am late posting this. But I’ll work hard to catch up again 🙂 Leaving all the snow, -19 degree temperatures, and definite winter conditions of Burns Lake and Prince George to arrive to rain and wind storms of Vancouver Island was initially a bit of a shock. But we settled into stopping leaks, piling branches and preparing for Christmas.

Mom arrived on the bus from Port Hardy the day after we returned to Nanaimo. It was a lovely reunion for us all. We even saw Port Hardy friends and ex students when we went out for dinner one night.

Christmas day was quiet with only 3 of us this year.

After Christmas we enjoyed visiting friends–from Assisted Living situations to celebrations of tiny new babies.

Joy is connecting! Congrats to one of my young colleagues, Amanda. Leif is so handsome and cuddly!

When the rains ceased…It was so lovely to explore the trails and spend much needed time with mom and then alone with my hubby, by the ocean, once again. I always miss my son (in Thailand),  my brother (in Prince George), nieces and nephews all over in Ontario, and cousins and family all in Australia! Mark’s family is also in the lower mainland and throughout Alberta. It’s a time of the year when it sure hits home that our loved ones are all around the globe. Happy holidays and Happy New Year 2019 with love to you all!

January 2019

Before I ever heard of Tiger Woods…the only famous athlete I knew named “Tiger” was my Uncle Harold in Tasmania! He was a sports icon down under (under) in Tasmania for Cycling and Aussie Rules Footie…I haven’t been able to write this blog post for a month…I’m ready now.

My Uncle Harold brought smiles, love and laughter to so many. He always made us feel important and he cherished family. He listened, loved, played hard, and worked even harder. His expectations were extremely high….but we all worked so hard to meet them and make him proud. 🙂

He adored footie and was so proud of his son and grandsons who excelled in this sport. He also loved golf (ironically!). Uncle Harold was mom’s only sibling (and younger brother). She phoned and connected with him regularly. They always had a special, loving kinship. We even traveled over to Tasmania to surprise him on his 80th birthday on Halloween, 2017. I’ll never forget his reaction when he saw mom in the elevator that night!

As an uncle….Tiger couldn’t be beat! He made me laugh and always made me feel important to him. He was warm, welcoming, and always an imp! Never a dull moment with Harold.

This Christmas was quiet (just my husband, mom and I) and challenging as mom lost her only brother, and I lost my last remaining (and oh so special uncle), on Dec. 21st, 2018.  Uncle Harold, or Tiger Dowling, as he was known in the Australian Sports circles–particularly in Tasmania–sadly lost his battle with cancer. RIP Uncle Harold…You will be deeply missed… but your sparkling eyes, quick smile and wit, and heavy punch in the arm accompanied by “little matie” will always be near and dear to my heart.

Love you Uncle Harold forever and always xoxo

Bonding and connecting is crucially important to me in life…it really is the blood that pulses through my veins.

December 22nd, 2018

It’s been nearly 4 months since I was last at home in Nanaimo and I was really looking forward to relaxing and spending time with Mark and mom. Burns Lake is over a 1,000 km away and we were exhausted after the long trip home. (Although Mark was pretty pumped sitting in the front with the pilot on the final flight over to Vancouver Island).

What what we discovered when the taxi pulled into our driveway was shocking! We had heard of the Hurricane force winds that hit Nanaimo 2 days before we arrived home, but we were lucky…we had power! However, as the insurance appraiser stated when he arrived…”Catastrophic!”

Well…Actually we were grateful that we did not sustain even more damage and we were still able to stay in our house after Mark temporarily plugged the roof holes in the house and the cabana. Our property is surrounded by many very tall evergreens on adjacent properties. One large branch speared through the roof until it hit a 2×4. It’s still stuck in there! Our 130 foot trees were still standing. Mark’s truck hood was dented, but still ran fine. Massive tree branches and broken brush could be hauled out and removed. However, our plans for January and February were changed completely now.  Ah well….2 days until Christmas. There was much to be done. We started immediately!