For more than 20 years I have gone on the road at this time of year with a slide show tour to market my books and the Nuk Tessli Alpine Experience. It is a lot of fun, and hopefully it makes me some money, but it is very gruelling to be 4 – 6 weeks on the road. This year I am having time off!!!! However, I am attending a few “local” events. On 4th and 5th November, I will have a booth at the 100 Mile House winter Arts and Crafts Fair (only 4 and half hours’ drive away.) We sometimes get permanent snow by this time of year so I have been busy putting tools away and stacking lumber where I will be able to find it if I need it during the winter. I hope it doesn’t snow any amount before I get back as I will not be able to find out if I need to have my 4 km of bush road ploughed. Sometimes it doesn’t snow very much until after Christmas so I am keeping my fingers crossed.
Yesterday was gorgeous. A perfect late fall day. I cannot pump water from the pond any more so must drive down to the McClinchy river, walk down a bank, and drop a bucket into the water at the end of a long rope. I filled all my spare buckets – five of them – and did my laundry at the same time! The water is not fit for drinking without being boiled, but it is fine for bathing and dishes. (I haul drinking water from the post office at Nimpo Lake.) The river is now pretty low as the water in the mountains is frozen.
The trees were bare, but a few old leaves still retained a bit of colour among the stones.
Yesterday evening we had a beautiful sunset. The sun now barely clears Middle Mountain.
But the real gem happened this morning. For less than five minutes a red glow in the eastern overcast lit the ice on the pond.
Hi Chris,
I enjoyed scrolling down your page and catching up with your winter life. I was especially impressed with the quality of your photos.
– Jeffrey
Chris,
You are an inspiration! I came across an article written about your rural life last year, in a magazine that cannot seem to recall, but I remember you story and admiring your dedication to a wilderness/ off the grid lifestyle. I am in awe of how you live your life and I have the greatest respect for you. Our life, on this 6 acres is still on the grid, and we are only 15 minutes from the local grocery store. Nonetheless, it our sincere hope to live a life that is as sustainable as possible and we are giving it our best shot. But, it’s people like you, who remind us that it is possible. Thank you for being out there and sharing your work with the world. With the deepest respect.
Nao Sims