Spring Stroll

I've been really busy the past few days, helping my Mom out with some appointments, and selling her car for her.  Now that all of this is behind me, I've got back to work on catching up on some of my own chores.  Paying bills, doing some paperwork, getting ready for tax time...

Around lunch time on Friday April 8th the sun busted out, and the temperature spiked right up.  It was forecast to get up to +19C, but my truck thermometer indicated +24C.  Perhaps it was parked in the sun...?  

I took a quick drive over to Blackmud Ravine, about 15 minutes away from my house.  I spent a couple of hours wandering around down in the ravine.  I brought my view camera along and made a point of taking a few photographs.  I don't think I nailed anything spectacular, but I wanted to get back into the groove of seeing compositions and re-familiarize myself with working with the camera.  Now that winter is behind us and the weather is improving, I intend to become a lot more active taking photographs.

I used to live within walking distance of the ravine about 25 years ago and that's where I first started working with my medium format Hasselblad system.  There are now houses built up on either side of the ravine and it is now an off leash area for dogs.  So the trails are pretty beaten down, and the natural area is not all that pristine any more.  But it was really nice to take a break and make a few photographs for a couple of hours.

Working Sunday Too...!

Originally it was my intention to work about half the day on Sunday, and then go out for a drive in the afternoon with my camera.  It stayed overcast and dull most of the day.  By mid-afternoon the sun started to break out and eventually the light was pretty nice.  But, it was very windy all afternoon and felt a lot colder than the temperature on the thermometer.  It got up to about +9C at the warmest point but the wind made it feel a lot colder than that.  So I just kept working all day and put in about 7 hours.

I finished up the aspen paneling on the north wall of the west bedroom.  Then I cut up the casing that I painted yesterday, and installed it around the window.  After that was done I moved over to the west bedroom and installed the casing around that window as well.

My short term goal is to finish up the paneling around all of the windows, and get the casing installed.  Once that is done I can get the rollshutters installed.  After that I can continue with finishing all the rest of the interior walls.

After the casing was completed in the two bedrooms I worked on the plywood backing in the kitchen.  This is the 3/4" plywood that was delivered out on Friday.  I cut four of the five panels for the kitchen to final size, and also cut all the openings for electrical outlets and switches.  Then I sealed the panels with primer, and screwed them into place.  There is one more to go on the west wall, behind and beyond where the range will be installed.  I need to buy the range receptacle before I install this one, so that I can cut the proper size opening.  I also need to extend the plywood higher beside the plumbing vent, as I will be building a tall pantry here.  And there is an extra panel to go in above the range, up to where the range hood will go.

Next time I come out I will need to bring more aspen as there are now only about 30 boards left.

Working Saturday

I generally lose track of what day of the week it is, now that I'm retired.  I just do whatever I feel like doing, and the only thing that reminds me that there is any sort of routine are the school days for the girls.

On the morning of Saturday April 2nd, Shawn and Lisa left Nordegg and hit the road for Edmonton.  I was out at the cottage by myself, and planned to stay for a couple more days.

Shortly after they left it started to snow.  I thought that when March went out like a lion that might be the end of it.  But, I should know better as here in the mountains it can snow any month of the year.  The day started out sunny and clear and held a lot of promise, but the snow took that away.  Originally I thought I might work partway into the afternoon and then head out with my cameras for a while.  Although the skies eventually cleared by early evening, it didn't get very warm, and was only a few degrees above freezing.

I worked all day in the guest cottage and actually had to light a fire to take the chill out.

I applied primer to one of the pieces of plywood that I had previously cut for backing in the shower.  I was only able to install the one panel, as I don't have my shower valve yet.  I need that in order to properly place it, and cut the proper size opening in the other panel.

Once that was done I went to work in the west bedroom.  I finished installing the aspen paneling to the ceiling, and then started on the paneling to the north wall.  Once I had finished around two of the electrical boxes I wired those in, and also the light fixture on the ceiling.

Still later I experimented and installed a piece of ceiling trim in the east bedroom.  This is balsam poplar and it is darker in color than the aspen paneling.  I can't put up any more of this right now, as I need to finish the fourth wall in order to carry on.

Finally, I applied some paint to some of the casing that had recently been delivered.  I finished enough material to install around two of the windows.  The paint we are using is "Robin's Egg Blue" and will also be used on the kitchen cupboards.  The interior doors and some of the trim will eventually be painted "buttercup yellow" to match our appliances and the dinette chairs.

I finally quit working around 6:30PM and my back and leg muscles were getting pretty tired.  But it was a good kind of soreness... the kind that comes with a sense of accomplishment.

April Calendar Image

This is the image that I selected for the April page of my 2022 calendar.  It was taken a year ago when my friend Arturo and I were out on a day trip.  This is an abandoned community hall northeast of Edmonton.

Siffleur Trailhead

After we passed that herd of Bighorn Sheep, we continued west on the David Thompson Highway.  Eventually we got beyond the upper reaches of Abraham Lake and onto the Kootenay Plains.  We made a stop at the Siffleur Falls Trailhead.  

We walked down the trail to the North Saskatchewan River and continued on to the suspension bridge.  This is a pedestrian bridge that spans the river after which the trail continues up to the falls.  I have never actually hiked as far as the falls before.  We tried to once, many years ago, when some relatives were visiting from Austria.  But a severe thunderstorm hit and the hike had to be called off before we got as far as the falls.

On another occasion several years later I set out on the trail again, but got sidetracked over to some hoodoos in the opposite direction of the falls.  I managed to hike up to the top of those but once again never made it to the falls.

This time it was cool and breezy and muddy, and even icy in places.  We enjoyed the walk, but didn't bother to carry on beyond the bridge.  Definitely a hike that I want to do sooner than later.

Bighorn Sheep

As we made our way along Abraham Lake we came upon a herd of Bighorn Sheep.  They are commonly seen in this area, and this was not an unusual sighting by any means.  There are mineral licks in the area, and the sheep frequent it.  There were several big rams in this herd, and they were right beside the road.  Shawn and Lisa were amazed, as they hadn't been this close to them before.

Abraham Lake

On Friday April 1st... April Fool's Day... Margarit and Helena headed back to the city.  I had a load of building materials delivered out from the Co-op in Rocky Mountain House.  This included some 3/4" plywood and some baseboards.  The delivery truck showed up around 11:00AM and was able to set the lift of material right beside my door.

I temporarily stored the baseboard up on the small loft.  I set up my sawhorses and got out my circular saw and cut up all the plywood.  I am using this on the walls behind the kitchen cabinets and for backing behind the shower.  I used 3/4" material so that it matches the thickness of the aspen paneling that will butt up to it.  It might have been cheaper just to use aspen as the plywood is now running almost $100 per sheet.

Once everything was cut up I put my tools away and the took the afternoon off.  It was sunny and warm, but a little breezy.  Shawn and his girlfriend Lisa and I took a drive up to Abraham Lake.  As per usual, the light breeze became almost gale force winds by the time we got up to Windy Point.  Clouds were socked down into the valley and the light was very flat.  I never bothered to take out the big camera, but we had a great afternoon drive and did a little walking around.

Busy Day

The last day of March was a really busy day.  When we got up in the morning out at Nordegg it was clear and sunny, but cold.  There was about 3/4 of an inch of fresh snow on the ground.  During the day it only got up to about +4 and although it stayed sunny most of the day, the snow didn't completely melt away.  Most of it was gone by the end of the day though.

In the morning the vacuum truck showed up and emptied our septic tank.  It was getting close to full and the alarm had gone off a couple of days prior.  Right after that the water truck showed up with 2000 gallons of water to refill our cistern.  With the high fuel prices the cost of these deliveries has gone way up.  But, the last time I had to deal with this was just before Thanksgiving.  So it seems a load of water and a septic service is lasting about 5-1/2 months, even with as much time as I spend out at the cottage.

Shortly after that was done the plumbing inspector showed up to have a look at all the work that Leonard had done.  Everything was approved and I'm good to carry on.

Then shortly after that my brother-in-law Shawn arrived with his girlfriend.

I spent a little time in the afternoon working in the cottage.  I carried on with application of lacquer to more of the paneling and trim that I brought out.  And I got more paneling installed on the ceiling of the west bedroom.

In the evening we prepared a big meal of roast chicken with all the fixings.  We sat around for a while having a few drinks, visiting, and listening to music.

Out Like a Lion

The old saying is not accurate this year.  I don't think it was accurate last year either.  Maybe its just a Nordegg thing...?  If March comes in like a Lion, its supposed to go out like a Lamb.  This year it was in and out like a Lion.  We had some cold weather and snow at the beginning of March, and now at the end we had a storm roll through on March 30 and dump about 3/4 of an inch of fresh snow.  Before that there was no snow, and we had been experiencing some really mild temperatures.
Leonard was back out on March 30th and it only took him and his helper about half a day to finish up the rough in.  They ran all the furnace ducts and got everything with the heating system roughed in and ready to be energized.  They also finished up the plumbing rough in, including a couple of outside water taps.
Margarit came out in the morning and joined Helena and I.  We had a nice dinner together in the evening and spent a cozy evening in the cottage, listening to the wind howl and watching the snow fall.  The next morning dawned clear and sunny... but cold.  We shall see what April Fool's Day brings...

Plumbing Rough In

On March 29th my mechanical contractor... Leonards Plumbing, based out of Leslieville, came out to Nordegg.  I've known Leonard for a few years as he is very close friends with my cousin Vic.  He also did the mechanical work on our other cottage.

Leonard and his helper showed up around 10:00 and worked until mid-afternoon.  They roughed in all the water supply lines, both hot and cold, as well as most of the drains.  We positioned the shower base, and connected the drain.  I had to cut out one stud and install two new ones to replace it, in order to have adequate space for the shower valve.  After they left I continued working on a few other little odd jobs around the cottage.  I applied lacquer to most of the aspen paneling that I brought out, and installed the exterior light fixture above the door.

They also brought out the new forced air electric furnace and confirmed a bunch of dimensions necessary to prepare all the duct work.  They also marked out and cut in all the openings for heat registers.  They plan on coming back out on March 30th to carry on......

Feeling Better

I felt a lot better by Monday morning and went through the day without taking any additional meds, with the exception of one Ibuprofen in the morning.  My phone indicated that I walked over 5500 steps during the day, equivalent to almost 2-1/2 miles.  My knee still felt a little swollen, but most of the pain is gone.  Perhaps the cherry juice I started drinking is also helping.

I re-organized all the materials in the cottage and then stacked all the scaffold parts outside, and covered them with a tarp.  Then I unloaded the 40 aspen boards that I brought out.  These are mostly 12 feet long, so although the quantity is down from previous loads, the area it will cover is more than it seems.  Previous batches were mostly 8 and 10 foot boards.  I set up and put the first couple of coats of lacquer on about a quarter of them.

It was cool during the day and only got up to a degree or two above freezing.  And it snowed lightly in the afternoon... getting heavier towards evening.  But the ground is now quite warm and the snow was mostly melting as it came down.  Seems spring is just around the corner, and I even saw the chipmunks... now out of hibernation.  The deer were hanging around right outside our window... looking for handouts as usual.

It is much easier to work over in the guest cottage now...!  The days are much longer and the light lasts until well into the evening.  And, I now have power in the building and some of the lights are connected, so I can work after dark if I want to.  Now that spring is just around the corner its not as cold and its much more comfortable to work inside, even without the fire going.

A Tough Week

I'm finally beginning to feel a little better after a rather difficult week.  It kind of appears like I may continue to experience Covid-Like symptoms, despite the negative tests.

My knee became really inflamed and sore on Tuesday evening.  It got significantly worse on Wednesday and Thursday, to the point that I could not play in the first two playoff hockey games for the Renegades.

I'm not aware of anything that I did that could have injured my knee and have come to believe that it is probably gout.  The pain is in my knee cap, not the joint.  I experience gout from time to time and have a prescription for some anti-inflammatory medication.  In the past it has always occurred in my feet, and this is the first time my knee has been affected.

On Friday Margarit and I attended another performance at the New Moon Folk Club.  It was supposed to be a blues singer named Kat Danser, but her band came down with Covid and she had to cancel at the last minute.  The club was able to book local performer Martin Kerr as a last minute fill in.  He was fantastic and performed despite recently breaking his femur.

During that performance a dull headache that had been lingering with me for the previous day became a full blown migraine.  That was accompanied by an upset stomach.  I'm not really sure if this is ongoing cold/Covid symptoms, or a reaction to the meds I have been taking.

I spent most of Saturday in bed before my headache finally let up in the late afternoon.  This delayed my plans to travel to Nordegg.  On Sunday I loaded up some aspen panelling, picked up some groceries and headed out to Nordegg with my youngest daughter Helena.  The girls are off from school this week for Spring Break.

I still didn't feel great on Sunday evening.  By Monday morning my knee was beginning to feel a little better, and so was the rest of me.  Hopefully this is now behind me and I can look forward to enjoying the week out at the cottage.

Wildlife

I finally got around to downloading a bunch of photographs from my digital camera.  I have a rather expensive Nikon D810, which I really don't use much any more.  All of my "real" photography is done with film.  And... I take quite a few snapshots with my phone.  

I did take a whole bunch of pictures of the interior of the guest cottage when all the wiring rough in was done, and before the insulation was put in.  This can be used for future reference to see where studs are and how the wires were routed.  I did this in the first cottage and found it useful on more than one occasion.

I also found two pretty good wildlife shots.  Both were taken just outside the window.  In the mornings and evenings I always sit at the stool by the lunch counter.  I enjoy my morning coffee, check e-mails on my laptop, and watch the birds and wildlife out in the yard.

In late September I got a good shot of one of the White Tail Deer that come around all the time.  And then, more recently, in early March, I got another good shot of our resident Red Fox.

Covid Negative

Last week I was out at a local pub with a half dozen other members of the Monochrome Guild.  This was one of our first meetings since the Covid restrictions were lifted in Alberta.  A couple of days later I found out that one of my friends tested positive for Covid.  Exactly five days after that pub night,  the evening that I returned home from Nordegg, I came down with some mild cold symptoms.  The timing suggested that I also had caught the virus.  This was rather unfortunate as shortly before I learned the news of my exposure, I attended a meeting with my brothers, my Mom and a home care worker.

So I gave myself a rapid Covid test... and it yielded a negative result.  Suspicious of the timing of everything, and the accuracy of rapid tests, I gave myself another test earlier today.  That one was also negative, and my cold symptoms seem to be easing off a little.  I guess it is just a cold after all...

Out Shooting

On Monday morning I did a few chores in the morning.  I organized some of my construction materials, tidied up the cottage, did the dishes and brought in some firewood.  Then I took a small load of garbage to the dump.  It was about lunchtime when I left the cottage and hit the road for home.

For the past three or four months I have been religiously hauling my view camera back and forth to the cottage, but never actually did anything with it.  The last time I shot any film was in very early December.  I was determined that on this trip out to Nordegg I would take my first photographs of 2022. 

I stopped along Shunda Creek and walked around for a bit.  It was partly sunny and a little breezy, but quite warm.  The snow was melting and it is obvious that winter is in the rear view mirror.  As I walked along the road I found what I think were Lynx tracks in the snow.  The tracks were a day old... from the fresh snow of the day before, and with the warm temperature they were significantly melted.  But I'm fairly certain of my identification.  

I set up the camera twice over by the creek and exposed five sheets of film.  My first shots of the year... and it felt really good...!  Hopefully this kick starts me to get back to shooting.  I'll make excuses and say that it was mostly too cold this winter, or I was too busy working... but mostly I was not motivated and was pre-occupied.  I'm hoping now that will change.

Here are a couple of phone snap shots from my brief outing...