Fox In My Front Yard

Our Future Neighbours

Goodbye to the North

Soon we will be saying goodbye to the great white North, and packing our bags once again.  Destination this time: Montreal, Quebec.  Janier is transferring to Concordia University in Montreal to continue pre-medicine.

Our time in Northern Canada was definitely a learning experience.  We expected to see wild animals, brave the elements, see Northern Lights.  And we did.  We expected to uncover some realities of the North; to understand aboriginal issues, for instance, or rural living.  And we did. 

Red neck culture: we've been there!  In some ways, it was a culture shock for both of us.  I mean aside from the big trucks, machismo, underlying racism and homophobia.  We were prepared for that.  While we found a little of that, it turns out there's much more. 

What we found was traditional ways of doing things. Old families. Independence and self-reliance, bred from oil patch discoveries, extraction, and a pioneering spirit. Little regard or appreciation for the environment.  Not service-focused.  Up here, you hear things like:

"We’ve always done things this way, it works, don’t question it."

"Don’t expect any empathy."

"You’re on your own."

"Creativity is not encouraged."

"We like living this way."

As you can imagine, coming from the South, especially from Vancouver/Vancouver Island, this was a culture shock for both of us.  We found a certain pride from folks here who self-identify as "red neck".

Make no mistake: our experiences in the North were by no means all negative or unpleasant.  I'd say it has helped us to clarify for ourselves what kind of community both of us are searching for.  Some place where people are open-minded, personable, and passionate.  Where there is a strong value placed on culture and the arts.  Welcoming, inclusive, and friendly.  Alive!

As this chapter comes to a close, new adventures are waiting for us in Montreal.  Stay tuned.     

Chopping Wood in Charlie Lake

A Year in the North

It occurred to me the other day that we have now spent just over a year in Northern Canada - 13 months to be exact.  It's been a year of challenges, amazing memories, and lots of personal growth.

Looking back, I don't think either of us could have predicted the experiences we would have. 

I remember...

Walking together at 1:00am by frozen Frame Lake and the government buildings in Yellowknife, while watching curtains of green and blue auroral lights dancing and pulsing across the sky.

Winterizing our sports car (including chains at one point), and the many laughs we received from locals.

Being referred to as a "Southerner".

Cooking Colombian food in our thermal underwear, while it's -45C outside.  Using a hairdryer to melt the 2-inch thick layer of ice that formed on the inside of our windows.

Traveling 6 degrees above the arctic circle and finding an igloo church.

Braving the ice bridges of the north and visiting First Nations communities.  We now know that it's safer to drive the ice bridges without wearing seat belts, just in case you have to bail.

Learning how to knit (scarves, socks, and most recently a sweater).

Discovering that Northern Canada is a true wilderness.  Seeing moose, bison, bear or beavers firsthand is now not such an unusual thing.

Snow in June.

Soaking in the hidden hot springs of Northern BC.

Prepping myself to appear in local newspapers, radio stations, and even TV.

Welcoming a new puppy, and later a new kitten into our family.

And finally, I remember feeling so proud of Janier when he was accepted into the pre-med program in Fort St John, starting this fall.  One more step on the way to becoming a doctor.

One year has passed of memories, laughter, and growth.  I couldn't have asked for anything greater.

Beaver Wars, The Saga

This is what a beaver lodge looks like.

Some people have to deal with termites, others with mice, ants or cockroaches.  We have beavers.

When we first moved to rural Charlie Lake, BC and noticed signs of beavers in the creek in our backyard, we thought it was sort of quaint and cute.  A nice touch to country living.

We rarely saw them at first, and it seemed like they only really became active in the evenings, when you'd hear the smack of their tail on the water if you startled them.  Downstream from us, our neighbour had a large beaver dam on her property.  We assumed that's where the beavers lived, although we had no idea how many beavers there could be.

Early one morning, around 2:00am or so, we heard a SPLASH! from our bedroom.  The next morning, we took our puppy out to investigate.  This is what we found: 

Attack!

They had chopped down an entire tree from our backyard, overnight!  "Busy as a beaver", it turns out, is pretty accurate. 

Counter-attack! Notice the dog's wet feet, from beaver hunting.

 After the first tree was chopped down, they stripped all of the bark, leaves, and twigs in under a day.  These guys are serious.

What to do about those beavers?

When my parents came to visit, my dad put on his fishing waders, and took apart what looked like another dam/lodge in the creek near our house.  The beavers did not like this one bit.  We burned the wood from their lodge to send them a clear message. 

The elusive yet destructive North American Beaver, or Castor Canadensis

The beavers retaliated by targeting other trees in our backyard, including some trees which are located uncomfortably close to the house.  Chicken wire and duct tape were our answer to stop any more carnage.

We learned from our vet that beavers actually eat wood.  We thought they just used it to build their homes.  This explains why they are in a mad rush to chop down a bunch of trees soon, as winter is fast approaching, and this is their main food supply over the winter months.  Dams created by beavers also create a habitat for water reeds and shrubs which beavers like to eat.

 

4 very confused beavers out of water

The latest episode in our battle came by chance yesterday.  Coming back from vacation, our neighbour downstream from us dislodged the massive dam by her house.  The effect?  The water level in our creek dropped about 6 feet.  No water, no beavers!  At least we hope... 

Winter's coming! Beaver fur jackets, anyone?

Sikh Wedding

This weekend we attended our first traditional Sikh wedding.  I know the bride through work, and Janier and I have hung out with them a couple times.  Actually their puppy is a litter-mate of Hermoso's.  Also, the groom lent us some traditional clothes to wear for the ceremony.

Apparently this was also the first traditional Sikh wedding in Fort St. John in over twenty years.  Kind of a big deal!

 Before going into the temple, everyone had to have their heads covered.

Bride's mom and sister

Waiting to enter

Part of the ceremony

The horse that the groom rode in on