Sandy's Global Eyes

March 1st–3rd, 2019

After being apart for 7 long weeks while my husband dealt with storm damage which occurred at our Nanaimo home last December, I was eager and thankful as I drove to Prince George to meet him at the airport! Thankfully the highway was clear and not too icy today, so the trip took just under 3 hours. The brilliant blue sky and the white sparkly snow on the fields and frozen lakes contrasted so vividly it was quite breath taking.

After greeting Mark at the airport we drove to my brother’s house. I was surprised to discover there was even more snow piled up on the streets in his Prince George neighborhood than what I had witnessed in Burns lake! I couldn’t resist taking photos of cars nearly submerged by metres of snow.

Next, we drove to Prince George vw dealership to check out the progress of my 2019 vw Jetta that had been towed from Burns Lake to PG when it stopped working on Feb. 12th!  As the vehicle is so new, there were no parts available. To escalate my apprehension, while in the VW dealership, vandals broke in and smashed the back passenger side window of my vehicle — and took nothing! So senseless! I felt so frustrated and sad seeing my 2019 vehicle sitting in their garage looking so pathetic and broken. Only 9 months ago I witnessed the car arriving at Comox dealership still dressed in white protective coverings. 🙁

A weekend of music trivia at Wildwood pub (We won the second game); and fondue with caring and fun neighbors and family really picked up my spirits and reminded me of what is most important in life.

Then it was time to return to Burns Lake for my final week of this teaching assignment as the Teacher-Librarian/Learning Commons Specialist for both WKE and Decker Elementary Schools in Burns Lake.

February 26th-28th, 2019

What a hectic week in Burns Lake! At both WKE and Decker Elementary Schools I have been busy finishing up collaboration projects with various classrooms, introducing S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) challenges in the Learning Commons.

This week was also Anti-bullying Pink Shirt day at both schools. The local Burns Lake Newspaper came to school to photograph the event.

On Wednesday evening after Dance Fitness with Deirdre, we decided to check out the local Burger Cafe in  the Burns Lake Multiplex. We heard the food was fresh but did not expect the huge portions! I had the burger special and Deirdre ordered the club house. It was made with 3 entire layers of pita bread!!! While eating, we were entertained watching adult curling and youth hockey practices.

The climbing wall was not being used, but the weight room and squash court were both active too. In addition to all the outdoor recreation in this area, there are so many indoor activities too. Unfortunately, the closest aquatics centers are at Vanderhoof and Houston.

February 23rd–25th, 2019

There is always lots to do during winter in the Lakes District area–recreational activities like snowshoeing, snowmobile riding and races, ice fishing, x country or downhill skiing, fat tire mountain biking, curling, hockey, etc.

Then there are the constant winter jobs: shoveling snow, cutting wood and kindling, keeping your vehicles running etc. Sometimes it is even interesting to walk through the ‘mall’ and shops displaying historical photos and information about the area. I doubt there are many moose and fish this large left anymore?

Any winter activities I could access, I tried! But, sometimes when the weather is -25 or lower….It’s just more pleasant to stay in your home with friends feeling the warmth of Blaze King wood stove!

I guess that is partially why there are so many talented and creative artisans in this area!

When Brat the cat would finally allow me to get up (She loved to sleep on my lap in the evenings) I enjoyed knitting and working on 1,000 piece puzzles. You can pick up beautiful puzzles for $1.00 or free at the local Thrift shop or the Reuse shop near the local dump. They are both quite popular drop in locations up here.

Feb 20th–24th, 2019

What’s new in Burns Lake? Well…My sinus infection is on the mend. I’m dealing with the loaner vw Jetta Hybrid while my 2019 vw Jetta remains in the Prince George dealership waiting for necessary parts as the vehicle is so new, they don’t have the parts available! Work at both schools is hectic as I try to evolve as much as possible in the limited time left on my Teacher-Librarian/Learning Commons Specialist contract in SD91 ending March 9th, 2019. Snow keeps on falling and it’s below -25 nearly every night and most mornings!  Brrr! This is definitely a place to build your independence capabilities! But…Without a doubt I sure do love the sunshine that twinkles on the snow crystals nearly every day and invites smiles and positive energy from those who feel her welcome warmth.

At school, we are always learning and practicing new methods. As Professionals, we meet collaboratively and take turns leading new assessment ideas and strategies then sharing ways to adapt and engage all learners. This week as the school’s Learning Commons Specialist, it was my turn to lead.

In addition to working collaboratively with my dedicated colleagues, I have been thrilled with the dedication and determination of my keen Learning Commons Leaders. They are eager, creative student leaders in grades 5-7 who assist me with the Library collection and add student touches and ideas for the Learning Commons spaces.

Outside in the snow covered fields, popular activities (when it is warmer than -20 degrees) are sledding down the hills, building structures, snowshoeing, and cross country skiing. I discovered this interesting machine parked at different times in both school grounds and was informed it created x country ski grooves for the children to ski within in big ovals around the fields! Pretty cool!

It is wonderful to see the students out practicing their skills with their teachers during gym times in the school fields! Being a Vancouver Island girl…I think of these fields mainly for use playing soccer! Guess soccer happens here around May???? It will be a while before all this snow melts unless their soccer shoes have extra long ice cleats. I’ll need to find out about that?

Catching up on snow shoveling often happens during the weekend. There is certainly no limit to physical exercise possibilities up here during the winter. However, when the temperatures are below -20 and there is an extra wind chill factor, I discovered I could only shovel the driveway in sections of about 15 minutes each as my nose, cheeks, and fingers got bitterly cold and red. I have learned that my heavy duty Sorel snow boots for up to -40 are quite cozy and sure do keep my feet toasty. I also have discovered that these really cold temperatures in conjunction with sunny/warmer periods during the days, seem to create amazing ice formations on roofs, shovel handles, garbage cans, doors, etc.

I am now experienced opening front doors and garbage can lids that are frozen shut! I must admit though….The first time I was locked inside by a frozen solid front door it was rather alarming! No square tires yet…But I am learning about Canadian winters beyond Vancouver Island!

 

February 11th –18th, 2019

Was it the severe low temperatures (most days between -12 for a high and -30+ for the low)? The visit to the hospital to get a Tetanus/diphtheria booster prior to our Asian trip? The inability to use the wood stove as it’s not drawing air properly? Or the extra stress of trying to finish up so many projects prior to the end of my Teacher-Librarian/Learning Commons Specialist contract on March 9th? Some how I managed to contract a heavy cold which ended up in acute sinusitis! I was driven home from work Tuesday at lunch, stayed home on Wednesday, and although I worked Thursday and Friday I spent most of the long weekend resting up and sleeping.

Meanwhile….On February 12th, my 2019 vw Jetta had its second major break down in the WKE parking lot! The car started fine but the dashboard was completely black except for 2 emergency flashing lights and lots of binging sounds. I checked the manual book. It was NOT good news!

After phoning roadside assistance, I was informed that a tow truck would be arriving to transfer my “reliable”2019 vw jetta to the nearest vw dealership–this time that happened to be in Prince George! I burst into tears as I was really sick, it was -20 degrees, and I had no way to get around the community and to my other school. When I was told to take a taxi or a bus….I sobbed! There are no taxis, rental cars or daily bus services here. Mark took over the situation!  The Prince George vw dealership would offer a loaner….if I picked it up!!!! Interesting….It’s 228 km away and takes 2 hours and 45 minutes to drive each way–when the conditions are good! Plus…How would I get there!!!!! The tow truck driver suggested they would bring the loaner car back to Burns Lake for a fee of $100. It was my only reasonable choice!

The next day I had two beautiful St. Valentine’s Day flower baskets delivered to “home base” from my loving husband and mother. Cheery flowers and messages helped to brighten my day. That night at 8:45 p.m. the local tow truck arrived with my 2012 Hybrid jetta loaner. It had no engine plug in, so I was concerned about its effectiveness in this severe cold snap. But…The hybrid starts up quickly and doesn’t require a lengthy engine warm up!

On Friday I was so run down I finally went to the hospital to get checked by a doctor. That’s when it was determined that I had acute sinusitis. I started Meds. on Friday afternoon, rested with “Brat” all weekend, and within a week I felt back to my normal self! Although it is impossible to find a doctor or nurse practitioner in the Nanaimo area, doctors are accepting patients up here.

It definitely was a roller coaster type of week up here!

February 9th, 2019

Time for another new Canadian snow country winter experience! The sun and snow look so appealing and welcoming up here, yet are so deceiving . Even Brat, the cat, decided she wanted to step outside and check out the snow.  It was her longest adventure to date lasting nearly 2 minutes before she raced back inside! Lol

My friend Deirdre and I set off to discover the location of these famed Burns Lake snowmobile races. We heard they were towards Babine Lake Road past the garbage dump. So…With that knowledge, we headed off! Luckily we discovered a couple of signs marking the route. The road was rather slippery after we passed the garbage dump, but soon we saw evidence of snowmobile tracks running through the woods and surrounding area. It cost $10 per person to enter; however, apparently the races started about 10 a.m. and as we missed the morning we were only charged $5 each. Deirdre and I joined others sitting on the wooden bleachers for a couple of races but then departed. The freezing cold, shade, and icy wind drew us back down to stand in the sun. In each race, two snowmobiles raced against each other down a straight run way. Then the next 2 racers would line up and race. etc. The “King” category hosted the biggest and fastest snowmobiles. The top speed of the day was 105 mph. I’m not sure why the speed was measured in mph rather than km?

Deirdre and I watched several races, took several photos, then rushed into the snack shack (with woodstove) to get hot chocolates and warm up. It was freezing!!! I can’t even imagine how bitterly cold it would be while racing those machines down the runway over and over again! Snowmobile racing is now officially ticked off my bucket list!

We returned back to our home bases….I returned to Brat’s cuddles and my newest puzzle!

Feb 4th — Feb. 8th, 2019

On Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland schools get closed when they can’t handle snowfall.  Up here….They laugh at that! There have been no school closures due to snowfall or low temperatures. For the first time this winter the school buses were unable to run when the temperature dropped below -35 degrees Celsius. However, the schools were still open. We just had smaller classes that day.  I donned by -40 Sorel winter boots, warmest mitts, warmest head and neck covering, and lots of layers! Long Johns under your pants keep you warm, but are pretty bulky!

When students arrive at school they come straight inside when it is lower than -20 degrees. I had the Learning Commons open. The gym, computer labs, art room, and multi-purpose rooms were also open for students. Snow boots, ice cleats, jackets, and backpacks are all removed at the front entrance area and picked up when the morning bell goes! Students stay inside during recess and lunch breaks when the temperature is dangerously low.

Wood stoves burn constantly around the community and sometimes there are poor air quality warnings. The sun is nearly always shining and the snow sparkles…but it’s damn cold outside! I have noticed that my skin is drying out and I am getting splits at the ends of some fingers. When I asked the doctors and pharmacists about this, I discovered it is very normal up here during the intense cold times of the year. Glysomed lotion was recommended to use on a regular basis. At school my students were talking about the ‘big’ events of the coming weekend and encouraging me to come and watch or participate. They were: hockey tournaments, x country skiing, and snowmobile racing. Hmmm…I’ve been attending/participating in the first two, but I’ve never attended snowmobile racing. So….Guess what my next blog post will be about?

February 1st–3rd 2019

The locals had been teasing me that it was a mild winter so far…. I was quite content using my up to -20 degree snow boots but had bought a second heavy duty pair (just in case!). Well….It happened! Suddenly temperatures dropped to below -30 before windchill!

I had to break out the Sorel -40 degree snowboots, heavy duty mitts, and my warmest head covering with ear protectors. Still my nose and cheeks burned! According to the local newspaper, we hit -40 before windchill twice! Brrrrr!

Omineca X Country Ski club was scheduled to host a competitive x country ski race on Feb. 3rd and I was scheduled to assist being in charge of “pinnies” and Gatorade sport drinks as competitors crossed the finish line. Well…The helpers sat by the phones watching the temperature on Feb. 3rd because it had to be warmer than -20 to host the event. In spite of a delay…the temperature and windchill were closer to -30 so the event was cancelled. I was sorry to miss the opportunity to be part of this new experience, but quite happy to stay inside the warm house. After going outside to shovel the driveway for only about 15 mins. (I gave up), my cheeks and nose were red and burning.

So…After heating up my vw Jetta engine 2x, I decided to take a drive around town to view this -30 + day.  As long as the seat warmer was running and the windows were up….It was stunningly beautiful.  Brat was happy to cuddle when I got back!

 

End of January 2019

In spite of constant temperatures below 0 (usually below -15!) life up here continues to be hectic indoors and outdoors. The temps are crazy low, but you dress for it. Also, between snowfalls the grounds are usually white and frozen and the sun welcomes the world more than I have ever experienced during a Canadian winter on Vancouver Island. As a newcomer to this ever present cold and snow, I still find it quite enchanting.

Each morning I get up at 6:30 a.m. so I have time to look after the cat’s list of jobs (morning bath and brush, feed, radio, etc). my morning jobs, pre-start the vehicle 2x when it’s below -15 and unplug the engine prior to departure. One of my schools is 7 minutes drive towards Topley and I’m on 8:05 a.m. duty each day! I supervise the children who arrive off the first 2 of the 5 buses that transport our students from outlying areas. The policy is they all stay outside unless the temperature drops below -20 Celsius. They are delightful! They read to each other on the mini picnic tables. They play games. They love to shovel snow and build forts in the surrounding forest areas. Some just chill and eat their breakfast. I am learning lots about farming and ranching jobs from some of them.

Once our day starts inside the school the focus at the moment is definitely Science Fair preparation at both of my schools. Students are busy with experiments, typing up their information, and creation of their backboards. I am busy assisting classes. 🙂

After school hours, life is busy with Teacher Professional Development, Dance lessons with Deirdre, exploring around Burns Lake, and keeping the wood stove going when it is below -15. I had my first burn this week! Ouch! Statistics from my blog are very interesting….I wonder who is reading my blog in Italy and France? Arggg! The forecast is for -40 degrees next week!

 

 

January 27th

Growing up on Northern Vancouver Island, I can only recall one year when Misty Lake froze solid and dozens of us went skating on the lake. What a difference up here! Living in Lakes District Bulkley-Nechako area a lake which is not frozen over appears to be a rarity. Unless…It is an area of a lake which remains unfrozen due to forced bubbles under water enabling ferries to continue to travel. Today my adventure was to transverse one of those “bubble” lines crossing Francois Lake to the “Southside” to visit a friend and colleague. This free ferry service runs year round from 5:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. every 50 to 60 minutes. It’s so easy and convenient to use–and it’s free!

I have travelled over to the southside several times now. There is much to explore in this beautiful area leading to Tweedsmuir National Park. Today I was visiting my friend Christine. Their lovely home is lakefront and has beautiful semi panoramic views.

I have met more and more people who have sold their homes in the lower mainland or cities, such as, Calgary and Edmonton and moved to the Lakes District area. For outdoor enthusiasts, who enjoy snow and a more peaceful lifestyle, you can buy lovely homes and acreages with lake front access for a fraction of the price you would pay in urban areas. But be prepared to wear ice cleats, shovel your driveway often, and have a filthy vehicle for months on end! Choices. Choices 🙂

I snapped some photos of more frozen lakes during my trip back to my home base. I’m so fascinated with the beauty of the white winters up here.