Step 11- Participate in local rituals.

I am having a great time up here. I have a job that is diverse and rewarding. I live with great people. I get to learn all sorts of new stuff about living somewhere so cold. And to make sure I am doing all I can to fit in, I am taking part in local rituals.

As part of the Northerners way of life, the locals look for opportunities to sit outside in well below freezing weather. I hypothesize that this is to ensure they truly appreciate the somewhat warmer temperatures inside. Thousands of people will gather to sit on metal benches, wrapped in parkas and blankets, to participate in drinking Tim Horton's boxed coffee and watching a rubber puck being shot over ice. And when a McMurray native asked if I would care to participate in this ritual, I, of course, said yes. Who passes up an opportunity to sit in subzero temperature for 3 hours?!? And hey, the ticket was free...

This is at the Junior AA Mens Hockey tournament (or some other combination of words). There were almost 6000 people there! It is the first time this tournament has ever been held outside- a fact that EVERY announcer had to yell through the microphone. “We are making history!!!” The game night was a balmy -12. Tiffany and I arrived an hour early to get good seats, put our cushions down, and get riled up for the McMurray Oil Barons. The snowed stopped just long enough to watch the game. So here it is.

Getting settled:

Pre-game Zamboni:

Waiting for the game to start with a giant foamy finger, a digital camera, and Tiffany, who came up with a ticket for me:

The stage with live entertainment! That's how you know it's a REAL sporting event:

The game. I started out cheering for the other team, the Drayton Valley Thunder, till people started actually turning around and sneering at me. When the Thunder got a goal, half the crowd would boo:

My dog sledding outfit. Some people were wearing jeans and windbreakers! I was nice and warm with my blanket and down filled layers. I believe it is best to be prepared to compete in the Ididarod at all times. During the game, a cycle of "the wave" went around no less than 10 times. I think people were doing it to get moving and warm up. During intermissions, everyone stands up and walks on the spot to get the blood back into the toes:

Tiffany getting cold (bet you wish you did the wave now...):

The bus ride back tot he parking lots:

My first outdoor hockey game. Awesome.

Step 10- Shop elsewhere.

Picture this- you are trapped in a modern day wasteland. All that you can see are tiled floors and chain stores. You scramble to find an exit but are continually sucked back in by the sale racks. It's terrifying, it's foreign, it's shopping ANYWHERE but Fort Mac.

I do not like shopping for clothes. It is one of my least favorite things. But when the mercury drops to -25 and all you own are cotton sweaters, the experience of shopping becomes more of a necessity of survival than anything else. I had to get real clothes. Clothes made of wool and fleece and poly pro. It was time to shop big or go home.

It is hard to go shopping here in Fort because of the limited access. In October I went to the Mark's Work Wear House to buy wool socks and they didn't have any. The most recent shipment just hadn't come in. And that was it- there was no other place to go to buy good wool socks. Today I want to the store to buy a sewing pattern for some new pants, only to discover that the WalMart doesn't sell patterns here. In fact, NO ONE DOES. You can't purchase them in Fort. You just cannot get them! Every once in a while you run into a road block like that which reminds you that you live in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.

Now, I know what you are thinking. “Kate, stop exagerating, we know you have a Zellers- how bad could it be?” You are partially right. We here in Fort are blessed with a Zellers, Walmart, and a Superstore in which to buy your clothes. We even have our own take on up-scale shopping: Suzy Shier. Here, take a look at the shoe rack at the local Suzy Shier:

And even groceries can get sparse. Smart people shop at the Superstore on Friday because the fresh stock comes in on Thursday nights. Here is the beef counter on a Tuesday, 3 days away from being restocked:

Note the LACK OF BEEF. Knowing that my options are limited and I am running out of time to buy warm clothes, I made the most of the week of meetings I just attended between Toronto and Edmonton. I got to see a bunch of friends in each city, and made each of them struggle with me through the arduous task that is shopping. But first, a picture of my airport dinners. Nothing like poutine and Battlestar Galactica to get you through your 2 hour delay:

Tanya met up with me in Toronto. She is my shopping guru. She is the only person I know who understands that I find shopping really personally challenging, and she times herself accordingly. Here we are enjoying the ONE photo we got together while in Toronto. Note the new hat she encouraged me to buy:

In Edmonton, I left the conference early both days to hit up the malls with my friend Brittany. We put in a good 3 hours on the first day, and then another 3 the following day at West Edmonton Mall. This was, perhaps, my most productive shopping. More sweaters, sports wear, and a bikini (it was on sale!). Here we are taking a break at West Ed:

And this is the teddy bear I ALMOST bought at Winners. Unfortunately, it didn't quite fit into my carry on luggage. But hey, check out the bag- I actually bought something! This is a new personal high for me!

Things are getting cold enough that I have to wear snow pants and boots when I drive out of town- that way, if I skid off the road and it takes a while for someone to find my unconscious body, I will last more than 15 minutes without heat. It is regularly -20. It doesn't seem bad when you have all your layers. The snow drifts in waves across the roads. And the moon is so bright and clear in the sky. It is actually quite beautiful.

Ha! As if Fort Mac looks like this. It is so Edmonton. I would have posted pictures of all my beautiful sweaters, but I really didn't think that would be of universal interest...

Step 9- Gather provisions.

25 and still alive! Who would have imagined? With an affinity towards guns, motorcycles, and climbing things, I was uncertain I would make it this long. And to celebrate the occasion, I got to go into the woods and do just what I wanted: go of road, play with guns, and laugh with family. And hey, putting delicious, premium quality meat on the table certainly doesn't hurt. It was Tara's birthday too! Double the celebration! (I have no idea what my hand is doing, or what that hat is about. Let's just go with it.)

For the last 2 weeks I have been living in camp outside of Kelowna. It is hunting season and I got a moose draw in the region with my Uncle Mike. The trip started with a 17 hour non-stop drive to Kelowna. The only time I put on the brake, apart from gassing up, was where the mountains and sun were so beautiful I had to take it in.

Now, when I say camp, what I should say is 'the settlement,' because camp is more than a tent. Camp was made up of two log framed tent houses and three trailers. There were 12 of us there, including 4 children under the age of 5. And then there was the fire pit. The fire pit is to the camp what the television is to the living room. We actually even spent time spreading wood chips on the path some of them cleared through the bush to get to 'our' meadow. Here is what half the camp looked like:

Most all daylight hours were spent driving the back roads hunting. And here is what I got!

This is my first kill. Sure I have popped a few grouse, but this is my first animal on the table. My dad spotted it and I shot it. It took an hour to track and four to pack out of the woods. I 'whacked' it on the first day of the hunt. The meat is fantastic. I made some up last night and it tastes great! I now have 250lbs of antibiotic, growth hormone free super lean meat in the freezer. I won't have to purchase meat till well into next hunting season. I have ground, stewing meat, sirloin tip steaks, roasts, and even heart! We all celebrated that night.

The next day was just as exciting, though, as Mike's grandson almost succeeded in chopping Mike's finger off with an ax. I took him down to the hospital and they were able to close it up and reset the bone. And here is the kicker; because of my job, I keep condoms in my purse for when I meet up with commercial sex workers. It just so happens that a condom is about the best cover you can get for a finger bandage. We were all too willing to put one on Mike's finger for the rest of the week. Sexual health education comes to the rescue again!

Note the black condom- chocolate flavored.

Tara whacked a sweet mule deer right in the skull, cracking the head bone and flipping it right over on it's back. And Brooke shot her cow moose, a tender immature one, right in the jugular! It was a fantastic shot! Through the trees and everything. We are some serious hunters. I wish I had the photos of all of us in front of our skinned and hanging meat- it was awesome.

As it turns out, only the women got meat this trip. And that's what this trip was about- getting all of us ladies out into the woods and comfortable with the whole hunting process. My cousin Hailey was elbow deep in moose guts when she field dressed Brooke's moose. And having the kids there was a treat- it is amazing how much fun kids make for themselves when they are away from everything! That goes for all of us- somebody was up to something just about all the time. We all just love gettin' er done.

I am off in Toronto now for a bit then Edmonton for more meetings. By the end of the month I will have spent a total of 9 days in Fort! Just as well; starting December, I won't drive on the highway out of here. This was one great way to kick off the long season.