Winter Cold

Winter is upon us and this morning the thermometer in the Smart said it was -16c. My feet have been toasty warm in my old purple gigantic felt packs. My "hand me down" snow pants that I got from Yolanda after she grew out of them years a go (She was bigger than me at 11 years old) along with pants, long johns, thick socks, vest, coat, scarf, hat and mittens all keep me warm out of doors. Only my face gets cold and sometimes my fingers. Mateo has a new jacket, but seams to love the snow, when he gets in it all he wants to do is run. Or his feet are cold and running keeps his feet off the grown. He didn't want to linger outside this morning.

Now that this rock face is covered in ice Mateo refrains from his role as Mountain Goat.

The moon has been amazingly beautiful.

A simple seasonal decoration for the front porch. The cedar boughs filled the house with a wonderful scent as I was making it. 

Today the sun keeps peeking in and out and it feels good on my skin and my soul. Keep warm and safe on these cold dark days.

Remembrance Day In Enderby November 11, 2010

Being new to Enderby I didn't recognize many of the faces in the crowed. A lot were familiar but I had only seen them in passing. I couldn't help but be teary eyed at a few moments. The Prime Ministers letter seemed more like a formality he had to do, so everyone would know he was the leader of the forces.

Many names were called for the wreath Laying.

The crowd watching as the parade leaves proudly holding their flags.

The parade minus the flag bearers, you can see the large equipment in the background on George. Major road changes.



The patricpants were dressed in their finest, (loved the gloves) while some of the crowd, say no more.



Getting ready for the parade

Enderby had a great turn out on this cold November 11th for the Remembrance Day Service.

Getting Things Done

 This is for Phil who has been ill, and is curious about our new place.

The bed room was a pleasant green and white with a heavy stinky forest green blind.

before we moved in

The night we moved in.

 

I spent days painting. The top walls are Cromwell Grey ,and the wainscoting is hemp seed. I just touched up the white. I spent two days hanging the drapery rod and making the drapes. It was so nice to have the drapes finished after having tissue paper taped to the windows. The room is darker and quieter at night. My art work blends in with the walls and the furniture has a warm look aginst the darker color.

The living room looking into the kitchen the night we moved in.

Living room before we bought the house.

Living room now. The bricks look better with the red wall, the lavender didn't do anything for the chimney.

We still have pictures to hang.

Kitchen the night we moved in with the stinky broken blinds.

The dysfunctional closet in the kitchen entrance the night we moved in.

The closet was one of the first things to be done, it's now functional but I couldn't do anything about the narrow depth. I'm contemplating panels to hang in front of the closet.

Eating area with the new top down, bottom up blinds. I love them. They are a double layer for more insulation, from cold and heat.

My collection of tines hides the back of the gas range.

View from the kitchen window.

Back yard gate connected to the hay bale wall.

Gate with the view of the cliffs behind.

The hay bale wall with a face, do you see it?

Just a block up form our house on Stanley Ave. We don't have to go far for a fabulous view, we don't even have to leave the house. But I do, I walk every day with the dog, and I never know who or what I might come across and what adventures we might get into. Now that the weather is getting colder I hope to get more done in the house. On a beautiful day I want to be outside so I have done a lot of work in the large yard, It does look better.

Have a lot of respect for the Salmon

Stepping out onto the porch in the morning I take a deep breath of the crisp air and the scent is of spicy wood and rotting Salmon.

2010 will be a year to remember for the largest Salmon run in years, many years.

Last week the little dog Mateo and I took a drive to the Kingfisher Interpretive Center to see the Salmon on the Shuswap River. In one of my past lifetimes I spent many hours mended gill nets that caught Salmon. Last week was the first time I had seen the Salmon in the rivers at the end of there lives, in such great quantities. The smell is over powering from the river, and I hear so many people exclaiming how they have never seen anything like it, so many dead Salmon. My emotions were confused as to how to feel seeing all these fish dead or soon to be dead.  

This fish has a tag on it

Death is life and I turned my emotions to the beauty of the river and the forest that surrounds it. As we walked the trails the smell of decay was ever present but the trees smelled so good. Mateo loved walking the trails but was spooked by the tents with sleeping bags inside and boots placed by the entrances. He would not walk past them. I was grateful he didn't do a dog roll in any of the rotting fish!

By the way, if you think rotting Salmon smell bad you have never smelled a rotting stare fish. But that is another story.



The tents were protected under this building




A heart rock took my focus away from the death of the fish



Most people have a great deal of respect for the Salmon. You can see all around us, with towns like Salmon Arm, roads called Old Salmon Arm. Salmon adorns our streets in sculpture, on banners, in paintings, as address signs to name a few. Salmon are a large part of the ecosystem and if the Salmon were to disappear what would the bears eat, or all the other creatures that depend on the Salmon returning year after year?

Along with respect there is disrespect. Norwegian companies are farming fish in Canadian waters. These fish farms, are killing all life around them, and the young salmon that pass by are infested with lice. Are these fish farms the reason the Salmon have been in decline for so many years? And why is this year different?

Please check out this web site and sign the petition that will help the salmon. Alexandra Morton is a hero to the fish and to me.

Respect all creatures.

Thank you

 http://www.salmonaresacred.org/about-alexandra-morton

Thanksgiving in an Inukshuk landscape

In my waking state this morning thoughts of a rare trip to the Village Green Mall came to mind. With Thanks Giving still fresh from the day before, thanks was lingered around my head. I purchased a smoothie in the food court and after paying the young man said "Thank you kindly." It struck me that I hadn't heard those words in a long time. Not that people have not been friendly or polite, it was the kindly that he added that gave the thanks and extra value. I felt truly thanked. And I told him so and he became  humble. On Thanksgiving morning I gently kissed my husband on the back of the neck and whispered "Thank you". He whispered back "For what?" I reminded him it was Thanksgiving and the game was on.

"Oh no thank you."

"No no no no no thank you"

"No thank you"

And we continued out doing each other in the thank yous till we laughed, a good start to the day.

After breakfast on Thanksgiving we walked up the steep hill past the new construction and around the sign that reads. "Restricted area no motorcycles or ATVs" We recently discovered this area. The views are amazing but you have to watch out for bears.

We were also impressed with all the Inushuk, someone has been very busy with the placement and balancing of rocks.

A vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner, an orange plate with what Steve called pocket pastry. I made a yeasted bread with spelt and rice flours and stuffed it with a blend of carrots, onions, garlic, pumpkin,sesame and hemp seeds, Rosemary and thyme, a silver bowl of mashed yams, a blue bowl of rice and lentil salad with cilantro and kohlrabi, a pie plate full of spiced cake with oat, amaranth, and rice flours, topped with spiced apples and raspberries, not in the picture was the cashew cream for on top of the apple cake. The last silver bowl is for Mateo, rice, lentils, cilantro, kohlrabi, yams and organic kibble.

Thank you are words that can not be said enough. Thank you kindly.