Minimal shopping

The kitchen sink won't drain. This is a sometimes problem when the weather is really cold. The drain is right next to an uninsulated cinder block wall. This is one of many shortcuts the developers of this condo used when they built it. So, with the faucet leaking and the drain not draining, we aren't getting the dishes done. I've done a few in the washroom, but it's not my favourite. I really prefer the dishwasher.

So, in spite of the weather, we went to Réno-Dépôt to try to get the right size of O rings for the kitchen faucet and to get some bits and bobs to make my Eva slicing machine work. We also picked up milk and went to the bank. After 40 minutes at Réno-Dépôt, the car windows were all iced up. I was also worried about starting the car, because I still have summer oil in the engine (gotta get the oil changed early next week) and the battery had been too weak to start the car when we headed out. We drove the car two days ago and it is a new battery. Thank goodness we have that portable car battery charger. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get rid of the Boomerang. I like having a tracking device on the car, but I am getting tired of the danged thing draining my battery.

I'm feeling like a candidate for TLC's What Not to Wear. I'm wearing a pair of old, baggy jeans. They are the only ones that I can wear with long underwear. When the temperature is -22C, I dress for it (long underwear, warm socks and boots, gloves, hat, scarf), even if I'm going by car. I wasn't outside very much, so it didn't even feel outrageously cold.

Winter in La Macaza

All this talk of cold has reminded me of when I lived in La Macaza. La Macaza is about 160 km north of Montréal, up highway 15 in the Laurentians. It's between Labelle and L'Annonciation on a small highway to the east of the 15. I lived there in the early 80s in a log cabin. We had a wood stove and indoor plumbing in summer. Well, we had running water for the first half of the first summer, then the level of the spring well dropped too far. We flushed the toilet with wash water. We could only do that until winter, 'cause the drain froze.

There was an incredibly cold winter. We had many nights with temperartures around -50C. The piddle pot froze (of course we had a piddle pot, you didn't think we were going to the outhouse more than necessary, did you?). We wore long underwear under our jeans, boots, two sweaters, and tuques inside. Well, that made it quicker to get dressed for a visit to the outhouse. You'd be surprised how quickly you can do your business in a frozen outhouse. We used to listen to the radio a lot. We giggled when we heard all the adverts for "regularity" on the U.S. stations. "Those folks just need a good Québec winter and an outhouse."

At Yule, our friends, Button and Axel, gave us a puppy. A mixed breed - mostly labrador and cocker spaniel. He had been born outside in late September or early October and had never spent any time indoors. He was used to outside. Well, the puppy didn't like to be inside. He wanted to stay outside in the old shed. It was outrageously cold (in the -50C range with plenty of wind), so we dragged him into the house. The poor little guy just didn't like the heat (remember, we were dressed in lots of clothes, so it wasn't exactly warm inside). He whined so much to be let out that we did. Amazing what adaptation can do. If it weren't for the fact that the puppy really wanted to be outside, I would have considered it cruelty to an animal.

I cut most of the wood for the woodstove with a bow saw. When you cut a lot of wood with a bow saw, it becomes a form of meditation. I rather miss it. And, it was good exercise for the boobs. Also, work outside in winter isn't nearly so sweaty as when it isn't cold.

And, in spite of the cold, I love La Macaza in winter. It's truly beautiful. If it weren't for the need for firewood, I might not have gotten outside as much. I used to put on my snowshoes and go find a tree to cut down. I only took standing dead wood, because we didn't have the time to wait for it to dry. On my wanders to find a good tree to cut down, I would see the trails of deer and snowshoe hare. On the really cold days, the bunnies would leave lots and lots of crisscrossing tracks. Their fur isn't very good, so they have to bounce around to keep warm. Another funny thing about winter in the country is that the dirt roads are much smoother in winter - no ruts, no dust. Since they sanded all the hills and curves, you could actually drive our dirt road safely faster in winter than in summer.

Peeing while on snowshoes

I wrote a little bit about living in La Macaza. The first time I ever used snowshoes was in La Macaza. I was out looking for a tree to cut down. It is very easy to use snowshoes. You just strap them on and go. They work much better in brush than cross country skis.

After I had been out for a while, I had to pee. ( stuff about peeing outdoors )