Watching The Ice Form

5YAT: Cinnamon Loaf, Frittata & Spaghetti

5YAT: Cinnamon Loaf, Frittata & Spaghetti

9 January, 2005 – Sunny & Warmish Up early and cooking – literally. Used the sweet dough to make 2 cinnamon loaves – one horseshoe shaped and the other snail or turban shaped. Both baked up beautifully. I also chopped up some onions and meat chunks to prep for a frittata. Tossed in a handful of the Bulk Barn’s dehydrated vegetables which perfectly complemented the frittata. Mark called at 0930 to say he & Peggy were headed over, which gave me time to wrap a couple of presents, clean up a bit and set the table (complete with mandarins and…

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5YAT: Hey, Are Those Voices?

5YAT: Hey, Are Those Voices?

8 January, 2005 – Grey & Clear –10º Snapped awake at Midnight. Heard 2 male voices out my bedroom window, and then a low chuckle. It sounded like they were very close, as if they were just down the path at the School House. So I rolled out of bed onto the floor so I couldn’t be seen through the window. Got dressed and went down to see what was happening. Nothing. No dogs barking. No loud skidoos or ATVs. No voices. But it’s pitch black outside, the dogs are agitated and I am completely shot through with adrenaline. I’ve…

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5YAT: 40 – The Garnet B’day

5YAT: 40 – The Garnet B’day

3 January, 2005 – +2º Grey – the day, my hair but not me. [This post is part of the 5 Years Ago Today Series] Woke to a grey day – let me rephrase that – woke to a very grey day.  The weather is again on the flop side of it’s flip-flopping. +2º when I awoke, new snow but a sputtering of rain falling before the sun rose… or more accurately before the grey got backlight. The river looks pretty good from here – though damp. As long as there is no more rain this should only strengthen the…

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5YAT: January 1, 2005

5YAT: January 1, 2005

1 January, 2005 – am=–9º, noon=+8º, pm=0º [This post is part of the 5 Years Ago Today Series] The sun was shining in my face as I got the fire going – felt happier than I had for about a week. The day was beautifully sunny but wet. All this sunshine has turned my mood around – woo hoo Happy 2005! But the warmth and recent rains haven’t done anything good for the ice. The ice on the mainland side has run the gamut from water-covered to looking live velvet with puddles. However at both Ladies Beach and Porcher’s End…

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5YAT: I Blame CBC For My Meltdown

5YAT: I Blame CBC For My Meltdown

26 December, 2004 – Cold & Windy –14º [This post is part of the 5 Years Ago Today Series] Mainland: still wide open in HUGE patches and the gap is gaping. Beautiful ice structures where the ice formed against the rocks and then lifted off them with the tides. Glen-side: Looks like 8-10” thick when I walked out parallel to Long Beach. Big snow and wind tonight and tomorrow up to 20cm snow expected with winds gusting up to 70km.  With the impending BIG wind I won’t be crossing – I might just blow away. Not that I’ve dropped that…

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5YAT: Jingled In A Glass

5YAT: Jingled In A Glass

24 December, 2004 – Warm! Wet! Windy! +7º [This post is part of the 5 Years Ago Today Series] YUCK! Today’s ablutions involved bundling up for the long walk through the wind and rain to the outhouse.  It’s GROSS out there! All the snow is gone, gone, gone! Mainland-side is open with ice flow chunks along the shore. The gap is open. The glen-side is still closed but has a worrisome layer of water on the surface of the ice. The shoreline all is broken up. I was able to climb out onto an ice chunk that was completely surrounded…

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5YAT: 24 Hours Ashore

5YAT: 24 Hours Ashore

20 December, 2004 – Snowy & Blowy & Grey [This post is part of the 5 Years Ago Today Series] Ack!  Dark! Though it is 0530. Happy I found the head light. Breakfast for me and the animals, packing and then strapped on the sled and started trudging (0715). [view of the island from the glen-shore as the sun started peeking up] Crossing was good! The snow on the ice was very slightly crusty and very slightly damp but it was an easy crossing. Then to the store & to town. As I drove through Rothesay more snow and wind…

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5YAT: No Honey For Xmas

5YAT: No Honey For Xmas

15 December, 2004 – Cold & Sunny, -12º [This post is part of the 5 Years Ago Today Series] Up early, fretting because I haven’t heard the rooster crowing – however once I was outside I heard him, the Golden Rooster, crowing from under the bushes and looking fairly sound. Phew! Last nights –14º did get us a little ice – on the mainland side – but there is still a lot of open water. The glen-side is still solid and I walked out parallel to Seadog Rock. With a pike and after testing with stones. Gerry called in the…

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5YAT: Ice, Mexico & Foreplay

5YAT: Ice, Mexico & Foreplay

In the continuation of the 5 Years Ago Today series: 9 December, 2004 – Thursday – Sunny & 0º [This post is part of the 5 Years Ago Today Series] Walked down to the gap to see the division of water & ice – very cool since the glen-side is iced & the Gondola Point side is open. I figure I’ll be obsessing over the state of the ice for a while. Lots of calls today. I’ve started answering the phone “Moose Island Call Centre”. Violet who was worried about me since it was my first time alone on the island…

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5 Years Ago

5 Years Ago

5 years ago today I woke up on an island, unsure of when I’d be able to leave. It was a good day, my father was being let out of the hospital after open-heart surgery. He was going to stay with friends who I knew loved him dearly and would take amazing care of him.  I knew that the entire community was rallying around and signing up for daddy-sitting slots because after major surgery like this people need round the clock care. I knew all I had to do was keep the fires burning, feed the dogs, chickens and rabbits…

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What’s the point of leaving the island?

What’s the point of leaving the island?

Germain St, Saint John, NB 8 Hours after leaving the island and a major snow storm hits Saint John.  Tell me, do I bring the weather with me??

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Ice crystals

Ice crystals

Mather’s Island,NB I couldn’t even stop taking photos my last day on the island.

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