Getting in the Festive Spirit

With all the hype and promotions that we are running at the store it's hard not to get caught up in the spirit of it all.  This past week has been a busy one.  We had our Staff Night, which included a potluck dinner, games and discounted shopping.  We ran a competition for Gingerbread house entries and for the food dishes we brought.  Everyone who was there got to vote and although I think my Gingerbread house may have come dead last I did tie for first place for the broccoli & cauliflower salad I brought.  I've included the recipes for the salad (which is actually Jean-Marc's recipe) and a dessert dish I brought that will definately bring memories back for my sister.

The games were fun, in this picture Tyler has wrapped up his fiance and for some reason he covered up her mouth even though I said the head didn't need to be covered. 

This past Saturday Santa paid us a visit and although I told him I'd been a very good girl he still wouldn't give me what I asked for.  I wanted tall dark and handsome, but he said he'd already given them all away.

Full Moon Ceremony

Tonight I was able to attend my first Full Moon Ceremony.  This is a traditional ceremony for women held outside around a campfire and under the full moon.  Without getting into details it is a time of prayer and healing and was a very comfortable ceremony for me.

I don't think of myself as a very spiritual person, but in a natural setting and thinking about the people and things that are most important to me, I feel very moved and connected.  Maybe I was a Native person in a past life.  The traditions, legends, and ceremonies have always facinated me.

I look forward to the next full moon ceremony.  Anything that involves the great out doors and a campfire has to be good for the soul!

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

After such an unseasonably warm fall, this past week was quite a rude awakening.  Wednesday we woke up here to -17C weather with a windchill of -30C. A bit of an adjustment after the +10 or higher temperatures the week before.

On these crisp mornings the sun glistens off the snow covered path and the frost on the long grass is almost magical. After so much mud during the fall the clean blanket of snow is a welcome sight.  Thank goodness for warm winter clothing!

Welcome to Northmart

In a recent conversation with my sister she asked what the store I'm working in looks like.  I hadn't thought about posting any interior shots but I know some of you are wondering where the heck I'm spending my time.

I'm very lucky with location I'm at right now; its a  fairly new store and very large for a store this far North.  I think I'm a bit spoiled since in four months time, when I'm finished my training, I will likely be in a much smaller and older store. 

Here are a few interior shots to give you a taste for where I am...no pun intended!

Random Encounter

Even though the path from my house to the store is only the length of a football field at the most and it is in the middle of town, I often expect to see dogs, ravens, eagles, maybe even a bear (since I have to pass the garbage trailer at the back of the store).  I did not however, expect this morning's encounter.  I was half way along the path and watching the ground for slippery/muddy spots when I looked up and was confronted with two horses.  They were just sauntering along the path, eating the grass. 

I thought if I just continued along the way I was going they would move away...not so, I patted the face of the first horse and considered walking between him and the fence but quickly reconsidered.  The second horse was right behind the first and being at the rear end of a horse (in case he got startled) was probably not the wisest place to be.  Needless to say it was me who trudged through the grass.

I was surprised that my coworkers thought I was rather brave to get that close to a horse let alone pet it.  I guess I can thank my Sunshine Coast horse sitting experience last year for my new found bravery with these big animals.

On a side note, for my more nervous friends, they have never seen a bear in town let alone behind the store.

Go With the Flow

Part of living in the North, or so I've been told, is being able to go with the flow.  "Stuff" happens...Yesterday I got to experience that first hand. 

I live across the street from the Band Hall, where they hold many "Socials". The night before last there was a wedding in town and thus a Social afterwards.  Just like back home, the washrooms see a lot of action during these events.  Unfortunately the sewer system has a few issues and even more unfortunate is my location on the line...the low point and a basement apartment. 

I discovered yesterday that the combination of these four components do not end well for me.  I woke up to plumbing issues, which quickly escalated to back up in my bathtub and toilet (the low points in my apartment).

As Richard, my Store Manager, frantically located someone to pump out the sewer line, I was my own "One woman Bucket brigade".  After several hours and roughly 40 or 50 buckloads I managed to save my apartment from a very huge mess and in the process guaranteed a lovely green lawn come spring.  I'm just sorry I won't be around at that point to reap the rewards.

Hmmm, I guess what they say about business is true for accomodations too.
Location, location, location!

Norway House/Rossville

I recently had the opportunity to go to Norway House and Rossville which are basically the same community and about 2 hours away from Cross Lake.  Situated on a river the it is quite a picturesque little community.  The shoreline is rounded rock boulders with blackspruce trees and lots of greenery.  It reminds me a bit of a cross between Lanark County and Sudbury.  I foolishly forgot to take a picture of the shoreline but I did get one of the ferry crossing on the way there.  In winter months, once the ice has frozen over they switch to a "winter road" which basically means you drive across the ice.  As someone who is nervous walking on foot thick ice, I'm not sure how I will feel about this.

There are two Northern Stores in this community, one on the Rossville side and one on the Norway House side.  In Norway House the store is on the site of an old Hudson's Bay fort.  Some of the old buildings are still in existence like the "Archway" building here, where people had to enter the fort as it was totally enclosed by fencing.  The small stone jail was built in 1855 and is still on the site as you can see from the other photo.

Spectacular Sunsets

I've been anxiously awaiting my first sighting of the Northern Lights, which I've been told will be spectacular during the upcoming winter, but this sunset will be hard to beat.

I took this photo from the waterfront just across the street from my house; tucked in behind a little church the view across the lake made a wonderful silhouette in the photo.  Look at the reflection in the water...and no photoshop, this is the real deal!

Pow Wow

I was hoping to get to see a Pow Wow while I was in Cross Lake but I didn’t expect it to be within the first week of being here.

I was pleasantly surprised to have the opportunity to spend the day at the local arena watching the dancers in full regalia competing in the various dance categories. Sure it would have been nicer outdoors where the scenery would have enhanced the colourful outfits but it was certainly warmer inside.

                        

An Older local gentleman who was sitting nearby was kind enough to explain some of the different dances. My favorites were the Chicken dance and the Rock Dance which are both fast moving dances performed by men.  The dances the women and girls perform are much slower moving and tend to demonstrate their poise and grace.  One of the dances the women do is where they make the fringes on their dresses move as much as possible while moving their bodies as little as possible. Jingle Dancers like the little girl here are covered in bells and the Shawl dancers swirl around in a colourful blur.

Many of the men’s dances are intended to impress the women with one that even has them sneaking up on the women to check them out.

The little guy in the picture here is the same one in a blur of action shown in then next picture.  He was amazing!

I took several hundred pictures during the day but unfortunately many are a total blur.  I’ve posted a few here, but I’ll have many more to show when I return from my adventure.

Pisew Falls

Beautiful Pisew Falls is fairly close to Cross Lake on the way to Thompson.  My first weekend here I made a trip up to Thompson and got to stop in to check out the view. We hiked over to the top of the falls where you could feel the vibration from the water thundering over the falls.  In contrast to the roar of the water on the bottom side of the falls the upper side is peaceful and tranquil.  I can only imagine how beautiful this spot must be when the leaves have changed in the fall. 

Home Away From Home

Welcome to my home away from home…for the next six months or so anyway. 

I was greeted at the airport by the smiling face of Cindy, the Department Manager I will be training with.  It was the just the reassurance I needed and I am happy to report that everyone else I have met has been just as friendly and welcoming. 

Cross Lake is situated in a picturesque location 500km North of Winnipeg.  There are plenty of trees which are beginning to change colours now that the weather is getting cooler.  There are approximately 5000 people who live here but the community is quite spread out. 

Houses are modest and as in the rest of the Country some are nicer than others.  I’m living in the bottom half of the house shown here.  My apartment is quite nice having just been renovated but I do miss my art work.

The other two pictures are of the Store where I’ll be working and the view of the lake from the front of the store.


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It looks nicer inside!



Flying In

Nothing says “you’re own your own” like hoping on a plane for a destination you’ve never seen before and not knowing a soul who lives there. Telling yourself that an exciting experience awaits is one thing but the reality of leaving behind the people you care about most is not easy.  Knowing that some of those people are facing difficult situations makes it even harder. I really wish I could be there to offer support but rest assured you are on my mind.

The plane in this picture is not actually the one I flew out on…mine was smaller. You know you are off to a remote location when the plane holds 12 passengers and you can see the pilots sitting in the cockpit.  The aisle was only about a foot wide and the tallest part was roughly four feet high. I’m not that tall but even I had to sit with my knees pointed out to the sides of the seat in front of me.  Cozy for sure.  I’m not really sure how really tall or big people manage on these flights.  I was also warned ahead of time to graciously accept the earplugs they hand you as you board the plane.   The flight was pretty noisy but I did pull out the ear plugs for part of the time just to get the full effect, something about the warning buzzers and alarms made me put them back in though.

I wish it had been clearer but there was a lot of cloud cover the day I flew in, but at least it cleared up as we were coming in to Cross Lake.  It amazes me how much of Manitoba is water.  I always thought Ontario had a lot of lakes but Manitoba seems to be as much water as land.

Travel Prep; getting ready to head North

On the brink of moving North I am excited about all the experiences I have in front of me.  The tuff part is figuring out how to pack 40+ years worth of "stuff" into a 5x15' storage unit.

Top on my brother-in-law Jerome's list was making sure I set up a blog to record my experiences while I live in the North...thus the name of this blog Northern Experience.

Check in regularly to see how I'm settling in.  Departure date is September 1st!