We are still waiting for the parts for my snowmobile, and now Tim has had to rob the choke switch from mine - so hopefully everything will be in the mail today so I can drive this thing before 2010! I don't mind staying behind now and then from the mail day trip. It makes for a relaxing day around here, and I can easily go a few more days without seeing people. Last week, Tim took his big mountain snowmobile and I drove his trapping snowmobile, but because there is several miles of road to drive on, his M7 was overheating and we decided not to take it again.
It has been snowing or cloudy here for several days and it is definitely taking a toll on the solar system. The sun shone for a bit yesterday and we gained some, but it doesn't take long to use it up. Thankfully, we have generators going around here often enough if we need back-up power. We noticed watching the sun yesterday that in a few days it will not get up over the mountain across the lake. Oh well, in less than a month the days are already getting longer again. We have also found with the short, cloudy days that there is not enough battery reserve to run the 12V pump to pump water from the tank, so it is used sparingly. I have been melting snow for dishes and bathing in the kettle on the stove. It works well enough - there only the odd spruce needle melted out of the snow to deal with. By spring we should have most of the snow shovelled from the yard - will that make summer come quicker?
I am making plans for Nola's 4th birthday party next Thursday. What kind of cake? What to make for supper? I think I'll do a homemade pizza party. Heather and Paul and the kids will come over for supper and cake. I can't believe she will be 4! Cohen also discovered yesterday that he has two loose teeth. They are the same two teeth that came in first - and, coincidentally, he got them out here when he was 4 months old. He gained them here and he will lose them here. My babies are growing up.
Yesterday while the boys were gone checking traps, Heather and I split just under a cord of wood. We work jointly to keep wood supplied for the shop and it makes for a fun afternoon every few weeks to go with the snowmobiles and skimmers to get some wood. You have to make a lot more trips with skimmers than a truck box though... Cohen even pulled a sleigh behind his little 120cc snowmobile and brought his own load of wood back. I wish I'd had my camera!
We will put the Christmas tree up after Nola's birthday next weekend. I will also dig out the box of solar Christmas lights I splurged on so we could have some color outside the cabin. I only wish now I'd bought more! I did not bring any Christmas tree ornaments either so we will keep busy this week and next making some. I also did not bring any Christmas cards, so I have been occupied with making those as well. I just did not get them written in time for mail day today so they will go out next week. this may be the first year ever that I do a form letter for our cards - or could I just sign each card "Love the Hoffman's, check the blog...?"
We may travel out to Manson Creek instead of Germansen Landing next Wednesday to do some visiting. Heather and Paul may also be getting some company so we will meet them that day too to guide their visitor back into here.
We also are anxious to see the caribou go by here in about a month. The helicopter that was flying over here a few weeks back was out here to count caribou and monitor the herd. We heard they are in a valley behind the mountain across the lake. I will have to ask next time how many we can expect, are there a couple hundred, or a couple thousand? They go by here on their way to the Wolverine Range north of here. I hope we can get pictures! A little over a week ago there was one set of caribou tracks on the road above the cabin. Is he lost, or is he scouting out the route? Once we know they are coming we will have to lock the dogs up so they are not trampled, and so they don't disturb the herd too much.
Well, I can feel my toes getting cold so that means I have let the fire get a little too low so I should go and get it going again...
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