Weekend Work

Every morning for the past few days at Nordegg it dawned clear and cold and sunny.  But by mid day, although it warmed up, the clouds rolled in and it became very dull.  I ended up working in the guest cottage all day Saturday and part of Easter Sunday.  

I brought about 40 aspen boards out with me, and got about half of them finished with four coats of lacquer.  I am doing a little heavier finish on the ones that will be used on the lower walls.  I got quite a bit of aspen installed on the walls.

On Easter Sunday, which was also my birthday, I took a stab at getting the furnace running.  With some long distance help from my electrician friend Rob I managed to get the thermostat wired in and working.  So there is now heat in the building.

Back at it on Good Friday

Once again it was cold when I got up in the morning, and there was a skiff of fresh snow.  Good Friday dawned slightly warmer than the day before, at about -13C.  I was lazy and sat around drinking coffee until late morning, when it finally warmed up a little.  Twice during the morning our resident Red Fox wandered through the yard and once came right up near the window.  Later I headed over to the guest cottage and set to work.

I redid the wiring to the furnace.  I mounted an electrical box on the furnace so that the flex cable could be properly attached.  Then I shut off the power, and working with a flashlight, installed the breaker in the panel and connected the cables at that end.  When I turned the power back on, all the other circuits still worked and no breakers popped.

I tried to temporarily wire in the thermostat so that I could have heat, but I didn't have the proper wire and couldn't get it working.  That was yet another frustration and set back, as that was one of my goals for this weekend.  I will have to attempt it again next time, when I have the proper materials.

With the wiring done as far as I could go I switched gears and carried on with some wood work.  I finished installing plywood backing behind the range, the exhaust hood, and the last of the cabinets.  I managed to dump a can of primer on the floor, but salvaged most of it.  Then late in the day I carried on with the drill that has kept be busy all winter.... applying lacquer to yet more aspen paneling.

During the day it warmed up to just above the freezing mark.  The snow began melting off the roof and dripped down in front of the door and all over my step ladder.  This reminded me that I really do need some eavestroughs.

I quit working around 6:00 and went back to the main cottage and started making dinner.  I was making another batch of my Beef Stroganoff.  Margarit and Anna arrived about 7:30, just as I finished up making dinner.  We enjoyed a nice meal together, and visited for a while.  But I was tired from working all day and crashed by around 9:30.

Fifty Nine

Not as in the Model Year... the one with the big Tail Fins... but my model year.  My birthday falls on Easter Sunday this year, and it is my last one before the big Six-O...   A little nervous about this one.

In some ways I don't really feel my age.  But some days my body tells me that I'm living in denial.  I know that when I'm working on the guest cottage, and there is any work that requires me to be on my hands and knees, or lots of up and down ladders.... then I feel like sixty... and then some...!!!!  Same goes for playing hockey with a bunch of guys that could be my kids....!

Challenging Day

Thursday April 14th was a bit of a struggle.  When I got up in the morning at first light, it was -15C.  I went over to the guest cottage around 8:30 and started a fire to take the chill out.  The temperature never got up above -7C all day long, and the sun never really came out.  In the early evening it started snowing.  Sure feels a lot more like winter than the middle of April.

In the morning, while I was waiting for the cottage to warm up, I connected with my electrician friend Rob.  He helped me to go through the wiring information for the furnace and the thermostat.  They are two different products from two different manufacturer's and the information does not totally agree.  Eventually we figured out what has to be done.  

Finally when the cottage warmed up a little, about 11:00AM, I set to work.  I was a little overwhelmed by the electrical stuff so I started on vapor barrier and paneling to the east wall instead.  I worked on this for a few hours and eventually got above the window.  Then I decided to unload the 40 lengths of aspen that I brought out with me, as well as four boxes of ceramic tile.  Once that was done, and everything was put away, I decided to take a stab at the electrical.  I HATE electrical and don't understand it very well.  All the different types of wire and connectors, and fasteners and components are very confusing.  I get help as much as I can, and stumble through the rest of it on my own.  It turned out that I don't have the right wire for the thermostat, or the right connectors for the supply cable.  I stumbled along and made some of the connections, and got as far as I could.  Late in the day I ended up putting a couple of coats of paint on some casing.

I felt rather frustrated about the whole day and didn't accomplish nearly as much as I hoped to.  Hopefully things go a little better tomorrow.  Not sure if I can do anything to get the furnace temporarily hooked up but will give it a try.  If that doesn't work out, then at least I have lots of finishing stuff I can carry on with.  It would be a little easier if it would just warm up....!  

Birds

There sure are a lot of birds around our place at Nordegg.  I have two feeders, that I keep filled all the time, and I suppose that keeps them coming.  Right now, with this late blast of winter, they seem to be staying close.

All winter long I have seen a lot of Chickadees, both Black-Capped and Boreal.  There are also both kinds of Nutchatch, Red-Breasted and the larger White-Breasted.  And both Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers are also regular visitors.

Lately there have been a lot of Dark-Eyed Juncos.  I looked them up in my bird book and there are four varieties.  Two of them are common here.  And most recently I've noticed a couple of birds that are new to me.  I'm virutally certain they are Varied Thrushes as I looked them up in my bird book.

I got a couple of images of them on my digital camera, but they are not very good images.  I attached photos of the images from my bird book, as they provide a better idea of what I have been seeing.

There sure are a lot of bird tracks in the snow around our firepit.  One of my feeders is nearby and they have all been hanging around it a lot.

Winter Returns... Again

These past few days have been unseasonably cold.  The beautiful spring day that we had last Friday, when it got up to +24C, was shortlived.  Over the weekend it got very windy and cold and we got a skiff of snow.  I was intending to go out on a day trip with some friends but the cold weather forced a postponement.

Instead I loaded up more aspen paneling, and a bunch of other construction materials and headed out to Nordegg on the afternoon of April 13th.  By this point the snow that fell in the city had melted.  But, out in the front ranges there had been more accumulation, and it was still on the ground.

When I got up at dawn on the morning of the 14th the thermometer registered -15C.  Pretty damn cold for the middle of April...!  The forecast is not calling for much of a warm up over the next few days.  Good thing I have lots of inside work to keep me busy.

Roll Film Processing

On April 9th I processed a couple of rolls of medium format film.  This was Kodak Tri-X Pan 400, developed in Rodinal 1:50.  Development was for 13:00 minutes at 20C.  One of the rolls was shot by my oldest daughter Hailey, using my Hasselblad Camera.  I think it dated back to late 2020.  The second roll was even older, from December of 2019.  This was a roll that I shot, using my Gaoersi 624 Panoramic camera and a Nikkor 180mm lens.  This format creates a negative that measures approx. 6cm x 24cm [2-1/4" x 9"], and you only get three exposures per roll.

The view finder of the camera is not particularly accurate.  I find it best to compose with the back of the camera open, and a ground glass placed over the film carriers.  Of course this has to be done before you load the film, and once the film is loaded, you can't open it to compose the next two frames on the roll.  So I did three shots of the same thing, slightly bracketing the exposure.  This is not ideal given the present cost of film... currently averaging around $15 per roll, and set to signficantly increase this year.

These large negatives are too long to print in my 4x5 enlarger.  I really need to get busy with that darkroom renovation and set up my 8x10 enlarger.  I've only been procrastinating for a decade and a half or so.  I thought I would get to it in my retirement, but so far that hasn't happened.  For now I have to make due with just scanning the film.

This shot was taken up at Abraham Reservoir west of Nordegg.  It was taken on December 1st 2019, and the lake had obviously not yet frozen over.  As this is very close to Windy Point, the ever present wind is obvious.  The mountain on the right is called Wapta Kista.

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.