Spring my a…

What is this?

And this?

And this…

AND THIS.

I’ll tell you. It’s a compilation of photos that I’ve taken over the last week. Just one week. It hasn’t stopped snowing. It started on my birthday and it just keeps falling. The only days it was nice was when I was in North Bay for my cousins wedding this weekend.

Day light savings has fooled me. It stays beautiful and light out into the 7 O’clock hour but there are no signs that spring is coming.

Winter is coming.
(And I say that literally and as a Game of Thrones fan).

I was really enjoying the winter season here in Cochrane until my biological seasonal clock said “Hurrah springs almost here, your birthday just passed, it’s almost April and Easter…this is when spring comes.”

LIES.

All I know is I’m shoveling everyday, I still wake up cold, I’m wearing wool socks and flip flops are not in my near future.

I could handle the snow if only the sun would make an appearance in my life onetime this week…preferably Saturday.

I’m ok for now but if it’s still snowing at the end if April I may break down.

End rant.

In the field with the Canadian Forces

From Feb. 8- Feb. 26 there were over 1,500 military personnel in Cochrane and the surrounding area participating in a training exercise called TRILLIUM RESPONSE 13. 

On Feb. 20 I spent a day in the field with two members of the Public Affairs team, Lt. Crystal Meyers, and Sgt. Veronica Arsenault. It was a cold, snowy day and at this point it had already been snowing for two days straight. I had the chance to visit two separate headquarters, the field hospital and a platoon in the field. 

You can read about my experience here: http://www.cochranetimespost.ca/2013/03/01/in-the-field-with-the-canadian-forces

An idea of the weather. 
Here’s the holding tent for the field hospital. 
At the headquarters in Fraserdale.

In the field. 

Torchlight parade

This week is Cochrane’s Annual Winter Carnival. I’m on the carnival committee so I’ve been helping plan events for the past few months. I’m also helping volunteer PLUS the paper is covering practically every event there is on the schedule. And when I say the paper I of course mean me, as I am the paper … so it’s been a busy week.

Last night was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen though. It really shows how much a community can come together. It’s called a torchlight parade and the volunteer firemen run the event every year. They make hundreds, possibly thousands, of homemade torches and they hand them out at two locations in town. One location is at 5th Street and 1st Ave and other one is at 5th street and 14th Ave. I live on 13th Ave between 4th and 5th so it was basically outside my door.

They light all the torches and the whole town walks towards each other to the centre of town at 7th Ave where the Lake Commando Peninsula joins both sides of the lake. From there the firemen retrieve the torches and throw them into the largest bonfire you have ever seen in your life and everyone gathers round to warm up and practically burn their eyebrows off from the heat.

The evening closes with fireworks over the lake. An incredibly stunning sight.

See for yourself. 

Cross country skiing

I just went cross country skiing for the first time and loved it. And here’s why:

1. While southern Ontario is experiencing “the biggest storm they’ve seen in five years” we in northern Ontario are experiencing a cool, crisp, sunny skies day.

2. When I came off that 6km trail I was drenched in more sweat than possibly ever…so it was probably a great work out.

3. I feel like I’m finally settling in and living the way all northerners should…outside.

I went with a girl I met through a story I was doing at work. She cross country skies, skate skies, snowshoes, enjoys canoeing, camping…pretty well everything I’d like to do up here.

She said I did well for my first time. I only fell three times and it was never going down hill it was actually trying to get up hill.

We’re going to go again at night…I’ll probably do a lot worst but hey..
.it’s a learning experience.

Cold, cold, cold

I’d like to share with you a little experience I had this week.

Wednesday night I’m out at a meeting and an interview when I receive a text from my roommate that says “just a heads up we have no hot water right now.”

She tried unplugging the tank and plugging it back in with hopes that this would rejig whatever the problem was.

Unfortunately for me, who was desperately in need of a shower by Thursday morning, this was not the case.

I wake up Thursday morning and I’m psyching myself out for what is undoubtedly going to be the coldest shower I’ve ever had. I turn the water on, step in the shower and as soon as the I feel the temperature on my feet I know this is going to be a problem. I back into the water and immediately jump out of the shower.

HELL NO. I am not trying that again.

Now let me remind you of the weather we’ve experienced over the last week up here in Cochrane. For about a week straight we experienced: -40 in the mornings, -25 in the afternoons, -35 in the evenings and overnight we hit the unbelievably chilling temperature of -50.

Regardless of how cold the water from the outside watermains was … my hair needed to be washed.

I decide to do it the old camping style… back when mom and dad used to sit us in a laundry basket and pour water over our heads with a cup. I grabbed a cup, tipped my head upside down in the tub and started washing my hair.

The water was so cold that I experienced symptoms of brain freeze, as if I’d just chugged a slushie. Extreme pulsing and pain shot through my forehead like my brain was shivering. I took me a good ten minutes and when I was done my teeth were chattering.

Thank God I put on an anticipatory pot of coffee.

Next step: wash my body.

I was done with the cold water so I took the kettle from my kitchen to my downstairs two piece bathroom, boiled water, placed towels all over the floor and began to sponge bath … creating pools of water all over my floor.

Needless to say, when I told Chantal what I had gone through at work she said  “you could have just showered at my house,” which is exactly what I ended up doing Friday morning.

We also had our hot water tank replaced on Friday afternoon so with any luck I’ll never have to do that again. At least, hopefully not in the winter with with the cold water reflecting the -40 temperatures outside.

Wildlife tour in Timmins

This past weekend I visited Cedar Meadows in Timmins where they run a wildlife tour everyday. You sit in a wagon that’s being pulled by a tractor (very country like) and you get to feed and pet elk, moose and bison…actually you don’t pet the bison.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is Katrina the moose. Her mother is with her too and her name is Savannah.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The bison were enormous and slightly intimidating.

This white elk was a pig. He followed the wagon the whole time waiting to be hand fed and stealing food from the smaller females.

It was an awesome experience but I nearly lost my toes with -30 temperatures.

. . .

My last photo didn’t attach for some reason but this is happy Brady.

Told you he cheered up.

Christmas break continued . . .

There’s honestly nothing more exciting than watching a child be excited. I’m learning this the more that I cover children’s events here in Cochrane … but while I was home I had the opportunity to watch my favourite little man play hockey on the Copps Coliseum rink. 

After the Timbits played they got to sit on the bench and watch the Bulldogs warm up … I think he must have been tired because he wasn’t too impressed with me banging on the glass trying to get a photo …

… but he quickly cheered up.

Christmas with the Lewis’

 

Ugly Christmas Sweaters for the Lewis clan. Gotta love the sound of jinglin’ bells everywhere you go.

  

Love my ladies.

  

Baby Gavin came to visit.  

Our white Christmas …   

Brandon and Richard playing at the kids table. 

Happy New Year!

Hello readers … I’m sorry. 

I know … I’m a slacker … a major, incredibly huge slacker. 

The two weeks prior to Christmas were crazy busy at work. I had to write enough stories for three papers in just one week but I got it all done and I was able to come home for 10 wonderful days over the Christmas break.

I’m starting to realize that updating my blog everyday is definitely not something I can commit to. What I think I can commit to is updating it as often as I can or at least once a week … I should have named the blog Cochrane52.

I’m going to upload some photos from over the Christmas holiday for the next few days and then I’ll start doing weekly updates … plus a few extras when I can! 

I’d like to thank everyone who’s mentioned my procrastination, it means you’ve been following along and I appreciate it! 

Love from the True North.