Christmas 2016

Winter in Canada

Well.. I tell ya.. I don’t want to do this again. 

Seriously

Canadians are tough.  They have to be.. they are constantly being tested.  I have been out of the country for the better part of a decade.. I am not this tough anymore!  I don't think I am passing the test. 

It is that no-man's time.. those days between Christmas and New Years.. those travel days.  I am sitting on the highway between Creston and Cranbrook..in a nowhere land.. pondering, yet again, what I am doing on a Canadian highway in winter!?

Someone has not been so lucky as I.  They aren't in their warm car.. watching the stars come out, listening to old CD's.  There has been yet another highway fatality.  We are tough.. but not invincible.  Sometimes we forget that.

It is the small stuff that make us strong.  Simple things.. like putting out the rubbish. 

Most Canadians have to watch where we put out our garbage because if we don’t.. ‘The bear’ will get in it.  Seriously.. If it's not the bear, it's the dogs, the raccoons, the rats.. the snow plow or the neighbors..Garbage cans (I know.. should be rubbish bins, comes off the tongue a little easier)  collect rain and snow and freeze along with the garbage scum..  you always have some weird science experiment happening in the bottom of the tins.  It is a sort of deadly sludge that is impossible to clean out until spring and sometimes jumps out and gets on your pants.  

And while most of us make a good wage, it costs a fortune to live in Canada. The very environment means you need shitload of clothes. A ton of stuff for every season.. and there are sooooo many seasons in Canada.. but we won't go there just yet.  Lets look at Winter clothes.. boots..not just ‘winter boots,, but dress up winter boots, slushy weather ones.. cute ones, practical ones.. boots for really cold days, dry weather boots, wet weather boots.. and you need ones to go out in the deep snow with.. everyone owns at least one pair of felt packs.   And you need to keep your hands warm.. Mitts.. driving mitts,  warm gloves work better.. or ski gloves… It is nice to have wool ones, but the snow clings to these so they are only good for driving or going shopping.. and for that they are not actually very practical, but someone you love usually made them, so..  Leather is good..but they aren't warm enough.. so you need lined ones.   Hats.. warm ones.. warm ones that don't mess your hair.  Watm ones that cover your ears.. a couple that cover your nose and mouth for those really cold days.. and another that fits over top.  Cute hats.. warm hats.. and of course, Coats.. don’t get me started.. you need your heavy down coat for the really cold weather, but also a long dress coat.. and a few shorter lighter ones.  Dry weather coats, wet weather coats.. coats that cover your back when you drive.  You need a sport jacket, a rain jacket,  And Pants of course.  Jeans don't cut it in winter, at least by themselves.  You have a few pairs of long under wear.. pant liners, lined pants.  I looked at Marks in Nelson, but they were sold out.  And socks.. Canadians actually have a whole drawer JUST FOR SOCKS! 

Tires for the car?  I have been dealing with this yet again as these too change with the season.  Yes, they make All Weather tires but these don’t include all Canadian weather.  They aren’t ok in heavy snow.. for driving over the passes.. or getting out of the driveway. No.. in winter you actually need winter tires.  And you can’t drive on those in the summer.. so you need to change over tires to summers in the spring.. but summers don’t really work because in most places, it snows every month of the year.. so you really need to put the all seasons on.  If you live in Vancouver, you need special water tires.. Seriously. Canadians spend serious money and time on tires! 

They cost me over $1000!  That is more than I spent in Mexico in three months (not including rent).

And speaking of money.. Canadians spend a fortune on heat!  Not just in the car.. (I am cold sitting here on the highway.. I have to turn the car back on) Many people have converted their old wood stoves to Natural gas.  When my kids were small I actually burned the furniture in my old wood stove to stay warm.  That too was rather expensive.  There was too much snow to go outside.. no..Wood isn't always all that easy to come by, even in Canada.  We don't all live in those lovely post cards!  Natural gas isn’t available everywhere either.. some people use oil.. or electric baseboard heaters.. whoa.. now that costs ya!

Hold on .. traffic is moving.  

Yes.. I am sitting in the middle of the highway behind like a thousand other cars.. I have already spent over two hours here.. it is the middle of winter, Christmas time.. and I am  on the highway waiting to get by a traffic accident.  This one is serious.. not that the one closer to Nelson wasn’t serious.. the one with the rolled over vehicle close by the black ice where I lost control for a bit..  you can't even touch your brakes in places today.  And I am concerned now thinking about driving in the dark and wobbly lug nuts.  I did this once before and almost lost a tire on a winter stretch of road between Red Deer and Calgary.  I stopped for fuel and there it was.. a tire on such an angle it screamed at me "What are you thinking?  We could have been killed!" 

They just hand tighten them for the first 50k.. I have no idea why.. but you need to go back and get them seriously tightened before you drive 50 k.. I have already driven 200.. winter milies.. and it is dark now.. and cold.. and   crap

I spent Christmas by myself this year.  A first for that.  I have always loved and celebrated Christmas.  But this year I wanted my daughter in law to be able to celebrate with her extended family.. So.. I offered to house sit.  I thought I could stay in Nelson for a bit and the just 'pop' over Kootenay Pass and spend the day with Chris, Paula.. my grand kids.. you know.. family!  My being alone was not by choice..   But of course it snowed.. and snowed and snowed and I had a headache.. a migraine.. I get those when the weather changes.. and I am allergic to cats.. and dust and this is an old house.. I don't get migraines often, but now that I am 60.. well who the heck knows what to expect! 

Mostly I get them .. you guessed it..  in Canada.  We went from 30 below to 0 and full-on snow.  Those sort of changes are a migraine trigger for sure.  And with that, of course, came all that snow.. like a couple of feet of the fluffy white stuff isn’t bad enough.. I could shovel that! ... but then it snowed more.. and the snow plows come by and dumped the ice and mud they scraped off the road and dumped that on the driveway.. newly shoveled or not.  This affects life in a number of ways… can’t go shopping for last minute gifts or groceries.. and there was no way I was heading over a mountain pass in this stuff… I could maybe find a ‘window’ (that is what Canadians call those hours of snow not coming down full on) on one side of the special day, but who knows if you would ever get home before spring? 

I was house sitting..   Now the cat I could lock in the porch with food and water.. but the dog?  So I would have to travel with a neurotic dog and talk the rellies into being welcoming to me AND a dog?! I have a headache.. 

 I don’t think so..

 Instead I spent Christmas letting the dog out.. and in and out.. and wiping up the snow he brought in.. and trying to stay out of the way of the cat hair.. I had hot dogs.. and beer.  I had to take down the tree and decorations that my daughter-in-law had so lovingly put out.. the cat discovered it.. and yes.. I did try the water bottle.. but that too becomes a game with a kitten.  I really did give it a solid go.. but that kitten is OUT OF CONTROL..

I watched netflics

I went for walks

I shoveled the walk.. again.. and again.. It's like the lord himself was giving me things to do!  And I am thankful. 

Sidebar.. : We moved… ever so slightly.  IT is totally dark now and I don’t drive in the dark.. fuel getting low.. a dead area for the phone..  Remember.. I am sitting on the highway as I write this.. There has been a terrible accident.. I have turned on the radio but hear nothing, (we have moved out of the dead spot)  I called Paula and she has heard.. it's a serious fatality.. the road was closed but should be open by 4 

(It is now almost 7 and I am still on the highway..)

Anyway.. what am I thankful for?  A few things for sure

Friends and family, for sure, and the fact that they are only a WIFI connection and Facebook away

Netflicks, worked the whole time!

These little almost gloves and toque that Paula made me.. they were perfect for sitting in the car for five hours.. car on.. car off.. heat on.. heat off…

I am thankful I left Nelson with lots of fuel

I am thankful that mom bought me some driving boots.. and that Vas mailed them from Oz and should I run out of fuel,  Mary’s felt packs are in the passenger seat along with her thermal mitts and down jacket.

I am thankful that I stopped to eat in Creston.. Adam boiled baby potatoes in vinegar and water, garlic and a bay leaf!  Amazing. 

I am thankful for Adam!

I am thankful that the guy behind me finally figured out his lights were on bright.

Yes.. it is dark already.

I am thankful that we are moving again.

I am thankful I am waiting in traffic instead of being the reason I am waiting in traffic.

I am thankful I was raised in Canada

And that I have the choice of not retiring here…   

I am thankful that in my hurry to leave I threw the bottle of tequila in with my pajamas, tooth brush and computer.. I could never have been that organized if I had actually thought about it!

I am thankful I have a motel room for the night and that the lug nuts didn’t come loose out on the highway.. in the dark.. in the cold.. in the traffic..

Damn I hate Canadian winters.  I am thankful I have been reminded of that.  

Winter here tests you and tests you!  Who needs it.  I am tough.. I have already proved that..  I have had enough.. pass or fail, enough with the tests! 

I actually don't think I passed the test.  I have lost a lot of my 'Canadianisms'  So, I am mostly thankful to be heading back to Mexico as soon. ..  this time I may even stay a while!

As much as I love Canada.. I Seriously  don’t want to do this ever again!

I am thankful I can honestly say

Happy New Year!  I can't wait for 2017!  Bring her on!!!