Wandering in Watson

It’s the simplest things in life that bring us the most joy.

Case in point: flooring.

We’re heading into town today (Watson Lake) to the closest lumber store. The boys have conjured up in their minds a sort of “Ewak Village 3000” scenario. We’ve wondered what to do about floors for a while now and on the way up they toyed with the idea through their radio-walkie-talkies.

What they came up with was an idea to raise the tents a bit off the ground to fair better with the weather, mosquitoes and uneven ground.

We’ve loaded up two tired babies, along with two sick adults and made the short little 2 ½ hour jaunt into Watson Lake. Wouldn’t you know that Watson Lake is home to the largest (and only?) Sign Forest.

The boys have showered (thank goodness for that!), we have lumber and now we’re off. Home to create our floors and for heaven sake put in our tent stoves!

Love, Wandering around in Watson

Sleepless and Sickly

Emily Dickenson once said,

Where thou art - that - is Home.

I wonder if she ever tried to make a “home” out of canvas tents, mosquito infested land and freezing temperatures.

We’ve all got them. Those no good, horrible, terrible, very bad days. Today would be one of those days. Jillian and I and the babies spent the morning being spoiled by the Swensons. Things like warm homes, soft beds, food to eat, and tv to watch were just a few of the precious amenities left open to us.

Around dinner time, the boys came and got us to go “home”. We drove up to one tent set up (no flooring yet but that was no surprise), a trailer completely unpacked- in various piles all over the ground and no stoves set up. All I could think of was, And so it begins…

We worked feverishly into the night with screaming, tired, hungry babies; tired, hungry, mosquito ridden husbands, and us with nothing to eat since lunch time. Spirits were low and the temperature was even lower. Our poor boys had been working so hard all day to make sure everything was ready. Even with extra hours of daylight, there is more to be done than hours to do it in.

We made a mental list of things to do in order of importance and set to work. The first thing was mosquito netting. They’re everywhere and they’re vicious! It’s almost comical to watch as we carry babies from one tent to another swatting at hundreds of bugs and mosquitoes just waiting to find one piece of open area to feast upon.

We finally put the babies down for the night, all the while feverishly loading our supplies right to the front of the tent while the other one quickly unzipped the tent door, collected the items with haste, and zipped the door up once more. I was amazed that night at how my lower back ached horribly just from that chore alone.

It wasn’t long before we realized we couldn’t take it anymore, and our bodies agreed with our minds that no matter what the light may say, it was well past time to turn in. The one thing that didn’t get done that day was of course the stoves for the tent. It was so warm during the last two days that somehow we thought we could muster through it.

Boy were we wrong! I’ve been quite cold a few times in my life. Once was arriving in Toronto Canada on the 21^st of December after living all of my life in the heat of California and Nevada. The other was when Chase and I were first married and my Christmas gift to him was a winter week touring some of the National Parks in Utah. The night we camped out in Canyonlands at -2 degrees still haunts me to this day.

Last night, was just horrible enough to now be categorized with them. I’m sure I’ve never seen my husband so cold. He was visibly shaking and his teeth chattering added to the noise around me. I was so cold and afraid the baby was too, though he was bundled up ready for the North Pole. Around two thirty in the morning, I still hadn’t slept a wink so I got up, opened my suitcase and began the game of How Many Layers Can You Wear. I got to about 8 and felt a tiny bit better.

I grabbed the baby and snuggled him in with me. I’m not sure if it was the success of the layer game, or the heat from his little body, but I finally caught just a few winks before daylight. He was sweating in the sleeping bag next to me so to keep him warm I opened up my sleeping bag more when all I really wanted to do was to close the “lid” and burry myself inside.

There we lay, my teeth chattering and his head sweating. What a sight we were. I’ve never been so happy to see morning come.

So now, everything is in disarray. We have one large tent set up and Chase and I and the baby are borrowing the cook tent as we set into town today to pick up lumber to do our floors. From there, we’ll build floors and properly construct the tents so they will be (as much as possible) mosquito free.

To add to the minimal bit of sleep we all got, Jillian and Dax and Phi all woke up sick this morning. All of the hours on the road, the back breaking work and the nonexistent sleep, it was bound to happen. It’s just too bad it had to happen now with still so much to do.

Even though we’re here, we’re kind of checked out. A trip into town will be good for us. The hopes of floors and tents set up permanently give us hope for a better tomorrow.

So for now, take care and send us good vibes.

Until next time,

Sleepless and Sickly

Sleeping Soundly at Swensons

5 long traveling days, 45 hours in the truck, # miles , 3 states, 2 countries and 2 provinces later…

We. Made. It.

Phew.

The sheer joy of knowing we’ve stopped traveling- even for just a short time is joyous and overwhelming. Each morning we wake up facing a new challenge, living a new life, and stretching ourselves to a new capacity.

After a very short rest in Iskut, we drove just a few miles north to the home of a wonderful family, Mike and Pat Swenson. Their family welcomed us with open arms and we were taken-aback at their generous hospitality. With all of our equipment and supplies, we were dreading the short little drive in our boat across the river. We imagined horrible scenarios of crossing dozens of times for every little necessity-not to mention the question of how the ATV and side-by-side would fair on the little fishing boat.

Imagine our surprise; nay our sheer joy as Mike graciously offered his barge to forge the ENTIRE lot over the river in one fail swoop.

Jillian and the babies and I waited it out in the cabin anxiously awaiting their arrival. It was beginning to feel like we were just inches away from being “home”.

Chauncho even found a friend. Their new puppy, Sada gave Chaunch a run for his money and we were glad he had a distraction so we could worry less about him and the wolves and more about the babies and equipment.

The boys worked into the night to not only forge all of the equipment and supplies across the river, but to begin prepping the clearing on our claim for the tents. What a daunting task! Fortunately (or unfortunately- whichever way you want to look at it), it stays extremely light here for an extended period of time. I loved it as we were driving, no need for a head lamp or book light while driving; driving at 11:00 at night felt easier when your mind was thinking it was only 6:00; the view and the scenery continued to impress as we drove on into the night.

For the boys that meant more work light, though it also meant even though their bodies were tired, their minds convinced them to keep going. It’s an odd feeling when your mind says it’s evening and your body is screaming, But it’s Midnight!

The Swensons once again opened their home to us and allowed us to sleep in their neighboring cabins for the night so the boys could get a good start on clearing land in the morning.

How lucky we are!

How blessed we have been!

We’re alive, we’re well, and we are more than happy to be so close to “home”.

Love, Sleeping Soundly at Swensons’.

Tired of Traveling

Diary of a Mad-Fat-Traveling-Woman

Left Prince George this morning.

On our way farther up north.

Legs need to stretch.

Back needs to rest.

Finished the only book I didn’t pack within the first hour of the drive. Bummer.

Crochet project finished. Need polyfill, but it of course, is packed.

Baby needs to be entertained.

Play peek-a-boo for the bazillionth time.

Stop playing peek-a-boo for two seconds to get a water from the cooler…

By the look of baby’s face, wonder if he needs to be changed.

By the smell, know for sure we need to stop.

Few minutes of peace out of the truck at a beautiful rest area.

Back in the truck; we’ve got more miles than daylight.

On the drive watch out for wildlife.

Honey, don’t hit that bear!

Hold my breath as a little bear cub runs across the road in front of us.

Thanks little guy for stopping and posing long enough for me to take a picture.

Stop once again, this time for Mama.

See the sign and realize how far north we really are.

Change baby into pajamas.

Curse the light outside. Assumed it was 5 and realized it was 8 pm!

Entertain baby once again.

Coax him into closing his eyes, even with the bright daylight shining outside.

Enter Stewart BC and grow more anxious as I read the sign and realize in two days we’ve seen all but 3 of the items listed on the “Watch For” entry.

Look closer at the map and cringe (as the clock reads 10:30 pm) and we see where we are to where we need to be.

Inhale quickly as a Mama bear and two cubs race across the road in front of us.

Almost cause my husband to crash as I shout for him to stop.

Get an amazingly close shot at Mama bear and realize, she’s taller when protecting her cubs.

Think for the first time how I could relate to a bear.

Ooh and Aw at little bear cubs high in the tree.

Resist the urge to run up and pet said baby bear cubs.

Settle instead for simply naming them in my head. Resolve to buy a stuffed animal one day.

Thank husband once again for my camera- and for being able to stop the truck quickly without harm.

Even though clock reads 12am, light outside sings a different tune.

Decide to give in and listen to our bodies as they scream for us to stop.

Realize there is no where to stop.

Stumble upon a small (operative word; small) area known as Iskut.

Guess on the pronunciation until we decide it is simply, “Biscuit minus the ‘B’”.

Praise heaven above when we realize this tiny stretch of land has a hotel.

Ring the bell at 1 in the morning and hope the owner isn’t upset.

Realize we may be his one and only tenants for the year so don’t worry about waking him up.

Sleep for the first time in 15 hours.

Get up in the morning just to do it all over again.

Grateful for the short rest in a little land called Iskut.

Enjoyed playing with the owner’s new husky puppy, Cinnamon.

Remember how much Phi loves Puppies.

Realize how much they like her too.

Play with Cinnamon before heading back on the road.

Sigh as once again we get back in the truck.

Smile as I read the sign that says our destination only 30 killometers away!

Love, Tired of Traveling

Banff

Welcome to Alberta, Canada!

Sorry this'll be short.

To sum up the last few days-
Thank you Grant and Myrna (Grandma and Grandpa) for your wonderful hospitality as we completed last minute things to do- like prepping the fresh veggies for the freezer,

playing with the kiddos,
and visiting while we waited for the dredge motor to be finished.

So glad we got to spend time with everyone! Thanks Susan, Randy, Ryliee, Hannah and Tessa for the great time and yummy dinner! It was so good to finally meet Sharon, Katie and Savannah. We hope the party went well. Shandy, Ron and Ryder- Baby Kurt LOVES the noisy police car. He kind of stole it from Phi. We were also lucky to spend some time with Dylan and Melissa. Thanks Dylan, for the concert (and for letting the baby get in on the fun!)
Thanks again Grandma and Grandpa! What a joy you are to us. Thank you for making us feel at home. We'll see you again on our return home.

We left super early this morning (Saturday) and drove through Banff and Jasper, BC. The drive was beautiful! It was like driving through a wildlife exhibit. We counted 10...yes 10! bears along side the road (and those were just the ones we could count as we wizzed on by).

We learned that big horned sheep like to eat asphalt (as seen out of my window barely 10 feet from my seat).
The scenery was beautiful and made the 7 hour drive fly by quickly.
So, here we are in Prince George, British Columbia catching some quick zzzzz's before getting up early to do it all over again.

I wish there was more to say, but alas the words won't come and the brainpower is gone.

We love you all and hope all is well.

Love, Burned Out in British Columbia

On Our Way!

Well, we’re finally on our way! This week we packed up our meager belongings, stuffed the truck and trailer to its maximum capacity and headed for the Great White North.

I’m in a bit of denial so far but the hours are counting down and with each passing mile, my resolve to compose myself dissolves faster and faster. I apologize to my family and friends who saw me bawl like a baby when we parted. I wish I could still blame it on pregnancy hormones.

We drove all day Friday, and then stopped in Salt Lake for Becky’s wedding. It was a great stress-relief for me to be with my best-est friends and laugh ‘til my belly hurt. There is true therapy in that. We were lucky enough to see some friends and family as our last farewell.
The drive went well. There are a few things in life I’ve decided I never knew I couldn’t live without. Namely: satellite radio (which now just provides over 200 channels for my husband to surf through as opposed to only ten), the extend-a-cab truck (not to mention the cooler at my feet holding LOTS of cold water and snacks), and Chase’s mobile Ham radio. The later has truly been a blessing as he relies less on me to entertain him and keep him awake which leaves me ample time to crochet, read, blog and play with my camera.
It’s even fun for me to listen to the conversations on the radio. Friday we had a three-way conversation with a man in New York, Utah and Australia. Not to mention all the wonderful people you meet. A shout-out to our new friend Peter- We hope you find the blog and keep tabs on each other. Have a good time in California photographing the bikers!

After the wedding, we officially pulled out on Sunday morning. What a nice drive! Idaho was peaceful and quiet. We stopped there to pet the horses. I’m surprised with Chase’s roping and us around horses as much as we are, this was actually the baby’s first interaction with them. It just goes to show how our lives have been all about the expedition for quite some time.
The baby has been a fair driving companion. Recently he’s found his voice in the form of a high-pitched squeal to get my attention. It’s not a pretty noise at all and all I keep thinking about is, I hope this doesn’t sound like a dying rabbit and attract all the woodland creatures into our tent. As long as I keep him entertained, he forgets about the crazy screech he is able to make and instead begins to laugh and be silly.
He still sleeps pretty well and when he gets tired the lul of the engine and the tires of the Dodge keep him content and happy. Poor little guy, little does he know how much traveling he’s in for. He was so tired today that as I was feeding him, I turned my head for but a moment to mix more carrots and cereal for him and this is what I found...
He’s been a trooper so far and I hope it just gets better. It must be frustrating not being able to communicate letting someone know what you want or how you feel. I have to remember that as I want to throw his toy out the window when he squeals real loud and cover my ears. Instead, I reach deep (REAL DEEP) down and tell myself to breathe, tell him, “NO. NO”, both aloud and in sign. Then I take his little hand (with such big man-hands) and help him pat his chest. “We say PLEASE when we want something. No screaming PLEASE.” With that, he just smiles up at me, thinking I’ve just told him this really funny joke and I think, Maybe this time he’ll get it. Wouldn't it be sad if it were MY child who never learned to sign? Oh the irony!

So, day #2? Check! We made it to Helena Montana. Tomorrow we brave the border. Last year the boys had to unload ALL of their equipment for immigration. I'm praying that doesn't happen because unlike last year, my poor husband is stuck with only lil' ol' me to help with all of the packing. I may be a Shillig by name, but I sure do NOT have the Amazing-Shillig-Tetris ability when it comes to packing.

Check back soon for the conclusion of our packing drama...

Alive and well in Montana!
Love you all.

J'me & Chase