8 sleeps - Where I live

In a little over a week, we will be leaving for a year of travel and I've been thinking about how to introduce my home to the people we will be meeting on our journey.  Chances are, they will never get to see northern Alberta.

We moved here in the 1970's for "a year or two" and fell in love with the land and the opportunities.  Even the long cold dark days of winter have their beauty.  Here are some pictures of my neighborhood.

 The trees in our yard encourage the birds.  They get quite insistent if we forget to fill the feeders.  One year, we even had a family of merlins use our yard to teach the young ones how to fly.

Rabbits hop through the yard

Our squirrel who has learned
NOT to hide the peanuts under the snow
, but to put them in our neighbor's old truck :)

When warmth and sunshine finally arrives,
the plants spring into action! 

and dragonflies too

Some years winter comes early, some of  the leaves still green
and all of the leaves still on the trees

And still lots of snow come April

Spring...

And winter at the park

Winter makes beautiful pictures

Two young deer on the trail

And even a sail boat at the park

Winter sky over the park

Hiking the Peace River hills

A field of mixed geese on their way north

Junction of the Peace and Smoky Rivers -38 degrees

Alberta Wild Rose and friend

Our almost next door Jasper National Park

And Merry Christmas from Northern Alberta
(did I mention that we are skipping winter next year?)

27 Sleeps

A little over two years ago, I chanced on a forum discussing overlanding from the UK to Australia.  The idea was fascinating - slow travel, no airports and get to see places I had only read about.  After a couple of months of reading, dreaming and trying to come up with any reasons why we shouldn't try this, the question came up - where next after we get home from Iceland?

"If I can get a year leave, what about overlanding from London to Australia?"  Why not?  So, in July 2012 we put a deposit down on Odyssey Overland's Istanbul to Singapore six month overland trip.

Over the last 18 months I've discovered that Canadians don't generally do things like this.  It's been an ongoing exploration for the necessary pieces to make this happen.  First was applying for a deferred salary leave at work (it's been in our contract for six years, but apparently I was the first person north of Edmonton to think I wanted to do it) and literally having to convince my employer that they wanted to create the process.  Then it was finding medical and trip cancellation insurance for a year when you are approaching 60. I knew I had found the right insurance agent through the advantages of small town networking, when he didn't even hesitate to say that we could be covered for the journey and did I need terrorism insurance? We don't. Finally it was finding a travel agent willing to help with planning the last six months of our trip because apparently Canadians only travel for three months or less and directly from home :)

What has been fascinating is where and how you pick up knowledge by asking curious questions.  One day I was looking at backpacks and mentioned we were planning to travel for a year, and got a great lesson in what kind of sleeping gear I wanted from a fellow who had just come back from backpacking in Nepal!  Reading all the Lonely Planet books I could borrow from the library led to ideas for things to do in Australia or New Zealand that aren't in the regular tour guides.  Sending emails to places got even better on the spot advice - advice I was given in 2009 when one of our guides asked why we hadn't consulted the area website before coming.

Since January, it's been a bit of a whirlwind as pieces fall into place.  Now, with only 27 sleeps before we head toward the airport, it's down to the tiny details.  Rescue the passports with their visas somehow from the Fedex office in Edmonton.  Pack the backpacks.  Confirm a few more hostels.  Arrange to make the final payment for our last six months travel.  Give house keys to our friends who will be watching the house and take the plants to their temporary home. Pray that the one unconfirmed trip will go as planned.  Catch the plane for Istanbul.

Did I mention that we are missing winter next year?  And that there will be no driving for a year.

Expert advice of the visual sort

I've known for years that the best way to get good advice is to ask someone who is knowledgeable and passionate the right question. It's worked to buy good hiking poles, boots and socks, backpacks, sleeping bags as well as my lovely faithful sewing machine. I've just discovered that the same thing holds true for glasses/contact lenses.

Full disclosure here. I have worn glasses since I was two (my mother said I should have had them years before but my father wouldn't believe I wasn't perfect) and spent a number of years going weekly for therapy (exercises for the eyes) as well as wearing patches over the good eye. Along the way, I've asked a lot of questions about the equipment that was helping me see and function.

• At 16, I asked for contact lenses and my opthomologist who had been there since I was two, gave the answer "You can try them, but I'm not sure if they will work for you". He was wrong and I wore hard lenses almost exclusively for twenty years.
• In 1992, I asked why my contacts weren't as comfortable as they had been and was told that gas permeable lenses would work better and the new way of fitting them would help, too. I was also told that I could expect that bifocals would be the way to go in a few years (actually, I was a year later).
• Over the next few years, bifocals then progressive lenses came into my life and all was well until I got to 50. "Well, you could wear reading glasses with your contact lenses if you can't read the fine print" was one answer. The other question I asked was whether surgery would be the route to go, to which I got the answer "You are old and you are stupid to think that bifocals will work for you, you need to have many pairs of glasses" - Needless to say, I will never go back to that man.

I had a lovely experience this week. I went in for a checkup and to replace my glasses which have literally worn out over the last four years. I specifically asked for the older very experienced optometrist and told him my problems.

• my glasses have worn out, they've never fit very well and I know that the problem is I didn't think I would be wearing them full time when I chose them.
• I've stopped wearing contact lenses because they aren't comfortable because my eyes are so dry and because I couldn't see closeup details and couldn't see distances well.
• I REALLY like the prescription sunglasses I have that someone helped me choose last year.
• I'm going travelling for a year and going to be doing some exciting things and I need to be able to see well.

Here's the thoughtful and helpful answers I got:

• Your eyes are in great shape and very healthy. The best way to keep them healthy is to keep active.
• I will make sure that one of our experienced technicians helps you pick out glasses frames that fit and are sturdy and that are shaped to give the best vision.
• Have you thought about daily wear contact lenses for those activities (like whitewater rafting or snorkelling or swimming or even hiking on uneven ground) where you want to be able to see, but not necessarily close up details, and not risk your very pricey glasses. You could add a pair of inexpensive readers so you could read a map, or see the settings on your phone or camera. You could even add an inexpensive pair of sunglasses. You should find that the soft contact lenses are more comfortable even if they can't give you everything you need, and they don't need solutions because you dispose of them every day. NOW THAT MADE SENSE.

Two and a half hours later, I've picked a very stylish sturdy frame that has the state of the art progressive lenses custom/computer built with sun and night vision clip-ons. For most of the time, they will do everything I need them to do. I've also been given a quick lesson on putting in and taking out daily wear contacts and chosen a pair of readers. They're comfortable, I can see great at the middle to long distance, and with a pair of reading glasses, I can see to sew, read, work on computer. And if I fall out of a boat, I will loose a small bit of mostly water that costs about a dollar.

From time to time, I meet with people who carry a small to medium backpack full of medications, or equipment necessary for managing their health. I used to smile and shake my head at the absurdity of being so dependent, but I have become one of those people - stay tuned for a picture of my new glasses and all the other items that will keep me going.

I believe I will be carrying fewer changes of clothing!

Doing my own travel consult :)

We're going to spend six months travelling overland from Istanbul to Singapore.  There's lots more last minute details to be taken care of, but immunizations are done and I have my prescription for medications to take with me.  Although I can't tell anybody what is best for them, here is a bit of a long winded chat about what I decided.

First off, full disclosure.  I am passionate about immunizations.  I believe strongly that they work and that they are safe.  Maybe that means that I have some immunizations that others might consider optional.  On the other hand, we will be travelling through areas where there are diseases I do not want to get sick from and where there is not likely to be treatment if I do.

• Routine immunizations.  dTap (Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis), MMR (measles, mumps rubella) two doses if you are born after 1970, and influenza immunization.
• Food and water immunizations.  Hepatitis A series (don't go anywhere without it), Polio and Typhoid.  Didn't go for Cholera/E Coli as it isn't very effective. We're travelling through countries where there have been cases of polio in the last three years and near countries where there are cases of polio now.  My mum (who had polio as a two year old) taught me to do whatever necessary to NOT get polio.
• Blood and blood products immunizations.  Hepatitis B series.  If there was an immunization for HIV I would be first in line for it, but there isn't.
• Bugs and beasties immunizations.  My travel program recommended Rabies, JEV, and TBE; which would have cost well over $ 1000.  After consulting with our tour company (Kirsten), I went for rabies vaccine because of the numbers of deaths from the disease combined with the difficulty of finding safe treatment. Planning ahead, I also have Yellow Fever so that I am covered for the next big trip (I hope) to South America.

Then there is the question of what medications to carry.  I'm choosing to bring as much as I can from Canada rather than shopping along the way.  Some years ago, I listened to a presentation about diseases, medications and developing countries which made a lot of sense to me.  The presenter's area of expertise was TB and HIV in Africa and he worked with Medecins Sans Frontieres.  "If you buy medications in a developing country, one of three things will happen", he said:

• The medication you buy will not be what it is supposed to be
• The medication will be from North America or Europe and outdated so likely not effective
• If, by luck, it is what it is supposed to be, you have just taken a very precious and limited product that would be better used by the citizens of the country you are in.

Check out John Le Carre's "The Constant Gardener".

I started with the recommendations that are on the website, then refined my requests with Lonely Planet's "Treking in the Nepal Himalaya".  The chapter on health care and medications is clear, concise and applies to anywhere off the beaten path.

• Anti malarial medication.  North Americans tend to believe in prevention while Europeans lean more toward treatment if you get sick.  The advice I was given is that preventive medication is indicated if you are going to an area where malaria is prevalent for less than a year.  Over that, you are likely to get malaria anyway and the meds might mask the symptoms.  India and South East Asia have the kind of malaria that is deadly (as opposed to the stuff in the Caribbean that is just nasty) So, medication for nine weeks it is.  There's different effective choices, so you need to listen carefully to recommendations and then make up your own mind.  For me, I get nauseated even thinking about antibiotics and I burn easily so doxycycline wasn't even an option.  Weekly dosage with mefloquine wouldn't work for me (even at home I usually don't know what day of the week it is) and I didn't like the chances of night terrors and psychosis.  So, Malarone daily was my choice, even with the cost.
• Diamox for altitude.  Two weeks worth.  We ARE going to get to see Tibet and Nepal.
• Azithromycin for severe diarrhea (not upset stomach) or severe respiratory infections caused by bacteria.  Most severe infections in Asia are resistant to anything else.  Had an interesting discussion with my family doctor about this medication.
• Bactrim for parasites.
• Tinidazole for amoeba and Giardia.  Sadly, this medication isn't available in Canada so I will be bringing the old fashioned alternative Flagyl.
• A host of non prescription medications including imodium, antibacterial eye drops, first aide cream, cortisone cream, pain killers and anti histamines.  I react to strange bug bites so will also carry Benadryl.
• Sunscreen and insect repellent.

And with a lot of hand washing and a bit of luck, most of these medications will not be needed and I will dispose of them responsibly at the end of the trip.

Unswimmingly

I went lane swimming Saturday for the first time in almost four months.  It was great to be back in the water, but I still miss my early bird swims before heading to work.  In September, the Town of Fairview decided to cancel all their morning pool programs – not enough staff was what was said, but the undercurrent was that the pool was losing money (what sports facility doesn’t) and the adults who used the pool during those hours weren’t important.  In this era of “active living” and “life long fitness”, to remove a core fitness program for adults brings to my mind the Nike “If you let me play sports” campaign of the 1990s which stressed fitness for girls.

 

800 free World Masters Games 2009

Would never have made it if not for all those lengths of the
 Fairview Pool

I’d had an annual membership since September 2006 and was one of the core supporters of the early morning swim (I probably swim 120 times a year, always at that time).  This time is ideal for the working adult, particularly those with families and commitments in the evening. With the cancellation of the early swim, there is no place for adults who wish to have swimming as their fitness activity.  Early morning lane swimming is a core program at every pool I am familiar with, not only in Alberta, but elsewhere in Canada as well as in other countries I’ve visited.

If you look at the current schedule, you will see the words “lane swim” added on to other types of swim programs, but that doesn’t mean that it is actually possible to swim continuously and for fitness/skill building.

In the present schedule, there are theoretically three times where it might be possible to swim:

·       I attempted to swim during the noon to 2:00 Family/Adult/Lane swim.  There were several families and a number of adults leisurely enjoying the 4 open lanes.  The fifth lane, where we were supposed to swim, had three swimmers in it, of vastly different abilities, which meant you could not swim continuously and certainly could not do drills, starts or turns.  In addition, any adult who works during the day will not be able to attend this session.

·       I attempted to swim during the evening 6:00 to 7:00 Family/Adult/Lane swim.  Again, the 4 open lanes were filled with families and adults enjoying the water, but not swimming in any consistent manner.  For a time, I shared the one lane with a young man who was a great deal faster than I and I have no doubt that it frustrated him.  I was told that I could not do a dive start, even though I was the only one swimming in the lane and it was made very clear that the guards were not happy with me trying to complete my swim right up to 7:00.  Indeed, public swimmers were in the water well before the hour, and the lane rope was removed at 6:50.  When I arrived before 6:00, I was told I could not enter the change room before 6:00 “because the guards are on their break”.  In essence, this means that there is at maximum 45 minutes where it might be possible to swim.  The other problem with this time period is that it conflicts with the college’s group exercise programs that run from 5:30 to 6:30 or from 7:00 to 8:00.  As well for any parent who has children in sports or extra curricular activities, this is not a time where they could be at the pool.

·       The third time, 8:30 to 9:30, is also likely affected by the need to remove lane ropes/replace lane ropes.  Personally, it is too late at night for me to have an effective training swim.

I understand that sometimes hard decisions need to be made for financial reasons.  But removing a core fitness program for adults is wrong.  If lane swimming needs to happen at a different time of day, then it needs to be given a space where adults wishing to swim for fitness can do so – at a minimum a full hour (preferably longer) to swim, with lanes for different abilities (and the expectation that continuous swimming will happen in these lanes) and at a time that will not conflict with working hours of adults.

I’m angry that this decision was made and frustrated that there is nothing I can do about it.  I know it is my responsibility to take charge of my own fitness, but in a country where it is dark before and after work for six months of the year and freezing for much of the same time, swimming was the perfect choice for me.

Can I still call myself a swimmer if I have no place to swim?

I still have the "If you let me play sports" poster hanging where I see it as I sew.  I first brought it home when my daughter was in elementary school and many of her classmates were discouraged from participating in sports at the same time as unlimited amounts of money was available for their brothers to play hockey. 

A message to the big fast truck(s)...

... from the little blue car driving cautiously in front of you.  Please have patience with me.  I'm in good repair, I have front wheel drive and good snow tires, but I know my limitations.  If I stay in the driving lane, I can pretty much make it through anything, if I have to.  But I know that if I get near the snow in the ditch one of two things will happen:

• With luck, I will get far enough off the road so you can get past me and I will then sink up to the top of my tires in the snow and need to wait patiently to be rescued.
• Worst case scenario, I will catch an edge, roll a couple of times and die.

The lady driving me has been driving these roads for almost forty years ( 1.4 million km and counting) and has learned a few things about staying on the road and out of the ditch.

• Ice is the boss.  Always.  You have to sneak up on it so it doesn't toss you into oncoming traffic or, worst case scenario, into the ditch.  Even with snow tires, ice wins any argument.
• Cars coming quickly from a side road might not stop at the stop sign and come straight through.  It is best to be prepared.
• When it is dark, even if you want to, you can't see what is happening beyond the path of the headlights.
• Deer and moose do not wear head or tail lights.  Hitting one at full highway speed is a bad idea.  For everybody.

So, please have patience with me and my driver.  Sitting right behind me with your bright lights on won't make me go any faster and won't get you better passing conditions.  Cutting too quickly in front of me won't "teach me a lesson".   Passing when it isn't safe will get us all killed.  Including the guy coming toward us in the other lane.

Oh, and when I slow down just east of Brownvale just as the road ice disappears, its because of the deer family that is hanging out there.  Dad sends mum and the kids out onto the road to see if it is safe and then saunters across when the cars have stopped.  While I don't approve of his parenting choices, I like to think that the kids will make better choices if they survive til next year.

Thoughts of Christmas

Here's a wee quilt I just finished. The final push of details before we leave on our year of travel are around the corner, so I've spent the last few days playing with an Advent calendarish Christmas tree that I hope to pack and take with me.

It's been a time for reflection, because the family traditions we've built will NOT be happening next year.  Not a bad thing, but it starts you thinking about what other changes will happen for 2015.

The White house (ours) is decorated in a mixture of old and new.  There are "rules" about what goes where and when.  I still remember smiling when Kati explained the lengths she had to go to when she was living in residence to get her ornaments on the Advent Calendar put up "right" because everybody was getting into the process.  Or Kyle's first Christmas away where there was a debate of what should be counted down - to Christmas or to first day of leave.

I remember making this Advent Calendar in 1984.  Through out December, I was actually finishing the ornaments in time to put them up that night.  It's been fixed on numerous occasions and is much the worse for wear.  I remember that the three children took turns putting up the ornaments - so Kier put up Santa on December 1 (to watch for who was naughty and who was nice) and Kyle put up the star on December 24.  It took a few years for me to understand that the reason why Kati insisted on putting the ornaments away was so she could make sure that she got the Angel.  The mouse at the top is also part of the tradition.

The tree skirt is actually older.  I started it one Christmas and it sat out all year getting sequins attached to be ready for the next.  Left over sequins were used in the Advent Calendar and many other projects over the years.

Here's the snowmen that decorate our front lawn from Advent one (another rule) to New Year's day.

Then there's the assorted scenes that have their place around the living room.

Nativity scene I found in Manning
 (with a few added visitors to see Baby Jesus)

Log cabin school house from Fort Vermilion (1976) and cabin,
complete with outhouse and assorted residents

Santa and Rudolf hang from the mantel with care

Then there's the tree.  It has to be real and almost always it is cut at the gravel pit.  I can't imagine getting all the ornaments on a store bought tree.  It's great fun sitting and checking out the ornaments and remembering their stories.

 

This beautiful porcelain angel is from our first Christmas.  Bought on sale a few days before with a damaged box.  This year she stood straight and tall at the top of the tree, although often there is no room and she surveys the Nativity Scene instead.

The first year Kier helped with decorating the tree, he spent ages carefully putting all these little guys on the same branch while his older siblings worked to decorate the rest of the tree.  I make a point of repeating this every year.

 Santa is riding in just about every known type of vehicle on our tree.  Including a tricycle and an ice cream truck.

 This was for Stout.  I didn't realize until Kier read the card this year, how punful this is.

 A gold plated maple leaf gives a bit of elegance to the tree.  Many of our ornaments came from Jasper in November trips.

 One of our newest (the hand made laufbraud from Iceland) and our oldest ornament.

 Hockey players, figure skaters, basketball players, a turtle, some dogs and a cat.

The spirit of the tree tucks into the branches and watches over us.

 This Fair Isle sweater is egg cozy size and makes a perfect tree ornament.  It came from a knitting shop in Lerwick (Shetland Island)

And our newest ornamants.  Elk?  or reindeer? You can also see the donkeys from Mexico, and a pack of Root Bears.

 Our tree outside the front door on New Year's day, still looking quite festive.

 I started out this post with a picture of next year's tree/quilt/advent calendar that marks the end of this Christmas season.  So, here's the quilt I made to start the season off.  It's title is "Holy Mackerel" and I love puffins.  It was totally a fun time creating it earlier this year.