Go West (young man)

As the new kid on the block it seems that I automatically draw the short straw and as a result I completely missed out on the Easter long weekend.  It was great to finally have a day off.

I had a little surprise treat today.  One of my regular customers was heading to Hay River for the day and offered to bring me along so I could check out a little more of the scenery of the Northwest Territories.  After a 3 hour drive we arrived in the booming metropolus of Hay River...don't blink or you'll miss it.  This was a potential location that I could have been posted at.  I'm happy that I got Fort Smith!

Hay River is located on, you guessed it, Hay River right where it meets Great Slave Lake.  The flat white surface behind the play structure is the lake...as the 2nd largest lake in Canada it's not surprising that you can't see the other side.

Hay River also boasts a commercial fishing outlet where they have a fisherman's warf in the summer. Clearly it's not the season as you can see from the boats in dry dock.

As I've mentioned before, I love the look of old warn out things (you'd think I would love mirrors!!!). Check out these old bones I came across in my travels.

 

A good portion of the trip goes through Wood Buffalo National Park, home of a huge herd of Buffalo.  These are the warning signs along the way. Unfortunately we didn't see any herds of buffalo.

...only 2 at the side of the road.  They are HUGE!

For the Love of Art

If you know me then you know I love art in just about any form.  My little apartment here only came with this one little piece of artwork.  This is it...

The nice thing about art is that provides visual interest and can be functional as well. While scrubbing my walls I discovered a handy use that I hadn't thought of...

 as a hole cover!

A Clear View

After a half a bottle of windex and 2 rolls of paper towel I have a new and improved view from my windows.  It sucks living in a grungy little basement apartment but at least I'm looking at trees. I can lay on my sofa and see the sky.  This is my New and Improved view.

The other night I thought is was just a weird cloud I was looking at, but when I went out to the end of the driveway I could see it actually was Northern Lights. Finally!!!! I didn't take pictures of those ones since they weren't very bright, but hopefully one day soon I'll be able to take a few pictures.

Spring has Sprung!

It has been a beautiful weekend here in Fort Smith.  Probably not as warm as it is in Ontario but nice none the less.  It is so clear and quiet here and the sun seems to shine almost all the time.

I went for a little walk to check out some of the parts of town I hadn't explored yet and saw some sweet little sights along the way.  Early in the morning it's still quite frosty but as the day wears on is gets nice and mild.  I took this picture on the way to work on Friday morning.

Okay, not everyone would be amused with the ring formation in the ice.
















The residents here aren't too fond of the crows and ravens because they can get pretty bold, but I am always amazed at how big the ravens are.  Check out the top of this big pine tree.  I thought the crows looked like they belonged on a Valentines card...little love birds!

 

After touring around a bit and snapping a few pictures I was asked by these two if would take their picture...it made their day!  I call this "A guy on crutches with his cousin"; okay that was his title but it'll work.



After stopping by the local library for a new book I couldn't resist the smell of freshly brewed coffee at the flower shop. What a pleasant way to spend part of my day.  Sitting in the sun at a lovely little park reading a book and sipping my coffee.

I hope you were enjoying your weather as much as I did mine.  I figured I should enjoy it before all those bugs I've been warned about show up.

Maybe I'm weird

I'm waiting for the comments on that title. I can hear Christine say "maybe???"

There is something very appealing about worn out distressed things.  I love the look of old wood and metal and dilapidated old buildings.  Maybe I can relate; having been a little rough on my body over the years all those aches and pains make me feel a bit like those worn out objects.  Fortunately for me anyway, I find them beautiful in a weird sort of way.

Here are a couple photos of old buildings that caught my eye...I'm sure I'll find more with time.

This appeal does not extend to gross living quarters. That will take some physical changes or a very good imagination.  I do have a pretty vivid imagination but it's a bit of a stretch to get past this.

What I like about Fort Smith

My 2nd day in Fort Smith was much more encouraging than the first.  Heading out for a walk around town I discovered that the people who live here (at least the ones I met) are very friendly and welcoming. I visited many of the shops and met some lovely people.

Here are some of my favorite things so far...

Cute shops that sell books and arts and crafts from local artists.


 Nice, well maintained architecture including chruches, homes and businesses.

A pretty little Grotto...

Cute little touches for added curb appeal.



A Rec Center with a pool, a museum, and a library.

Hiking trails and nice scenery.

 

After a day of walking around on warm spring day I'm feeling sooooo much better.

Welcome to Fort Smith...Or not!

By the time I post this blog it will be old news, but I figured I post my thoughts in order anyway so you can get a feel for what moving here is like.

Boarding the Northwestern airline in Edmonton, for my flight to Fort Smith, I had a huge case of butterflies which were compounded when I stepped onto the plane.  It was a nice little plane; a bit bigger than the Perimeter one, but still it drives home that fact that you are headed to some very isolated location. Then as we descended into Fort Smith I was optimistic and even more so when I saw the airport. The town looked pretty from the air and the airport was new clean and had local artwork displayed which we all know I like. The people getting off the plane looked friendly enough…then there was my reception party as seen below.  In fairness they were only a few minutes late, but the door was locked and they couldn’t get in.

I knew Cindy’s smiling face would be hard to match but this was certainly not what I expected. Note the difference…

The drive into town was interesting to say the least; every positive point I made was met with three negatives.  Clearly the living in the North is not something everyone is thrilled about. The people seem decent enough, but as someone who likes to look at the bright side of things it’s hard when you are faced with constant negativity.

First stop was the store; however I was warned that the staff had no idea I was coming so everything was very hush hush with the exception of a couple introductions. The tour of the town consisted of the things that were pointed out to me as we drove directly to the store then directly to my apartment.  Fortunately I have tomorrow off so I can walk around town myself a bit. By then the staff will have heard about me and will be wondering what they can expect from me.

What I saw of the town, as we whizzed by, was actually quite nice.  Nice buildings other businesses, arenas, a Rec center. Apparently there is a library here though I have no idea where.

This is my new house or actually my apartment or apartment. My windows are the basement ones. Doesn't look too bad from here right...

And then there's the inside...



After entering all I can say is boy do I miss my old apartment.  It may have been noisy at times and had that fun little flood, but at least it was a nice apartment. These ones, as you can see, are not so pleasant. 

Sitting here in these dingy little rooms, after the manager and his wife left, I was filled with trepidation.  Not just towards the accommodations but also for the vibes on what kind of attitude I can expect. I’m hoping that I can work some charm and lighten people up, but I think minds have been made up and cheerfulness will not be accepted willingly.

I’ll close this by saying “WHAT DID I GET MYSELF INTO?”