Welcome back to the blog, Camille and whoever! Inspired by my recent spate of perusing the blogs of other folk around the world, I thought I'd add again to mine. It seems such a fun way to keep people posted as to happenings with me (and not of the bowel kind - I promise I've moved on from that fascination...or at least I'm less public about it now).
Now, to catch you all up to date. In a nutshell, I met a fella in Canada, moved back to Australia for a few months and then returned to the frosty climes of Canada to be with aforementioned fella. Interestingly enough, we'd only known each other a couple of weeks before I flew across the world to move in with him, but it just seemed like a good idea. That was two years ago and we're still together and so far it really is so very good. We lived in Dawson City (Yukon, Canada) for six months together and then moved to Australia for a year of work in Berry (two hours south of Sydney). We've now become engaged, moved back to the Yukon (right on the border with Alaska) and live in Whitehorse. We both teach and have active extra-curricular lives and I'm learning to ski (much to Shea - the aforementioned fella's - delight!). We're both appalling at making plans so there are no plans for any wedding yet; we're just enjoying the Yukon and each other.
It's an "unseasonably" warm winter here, much to MY delight and I have to admit I am finding that when it warms up to -8 celsius I feel that it is a warm day. I was taken aback on my afternoon ski today, however, when a friend I ran into commented that it was "quite a hot day"...it's been -2 celsius...not quite HOT, really. Definitely warm enough for me to enjoy layering down of the jumpers and jackets and gloves and mitts and beanie's etc.
Anyway, enough said, here are some pictures of the last few months. I'm going to try to post after each weekend to keep you abreast of what we get up to here in the chilly arctic (and no, Dad, we don't just have lots of sex...we get outside sometimes too...)
Now, to catch you all up to date. In a nutshell, I met a fella in Canada, moved back to Australia for a few months and then returned to the frosty climes of Canada to be with aforementioned fella. Interestingly enough, we'd only known each other a couple of weeks before I flew across the world to move in with him, but it just seemed like a good idea. That was two years ago and we're still together and so far it really is so very good. We lived in Dawson City (Yukon, Canada) for six months together and then moved to Australia for a year of work in Berry (two hours south of Sydney). We've now become engaged, moved back to the Yukon (right on the border with Alaska) and live in Whitehorse. We both teach and have active extra-curricular lives and I'm learning to ski (much to Shea - the aforementioned fella's - delight!). We're both appalling at making plans so there are no plans for any wedding yet; we're just enjoying the Yukon and each other.
It's an "unseasonably" warm winter here, much to MY delight and I have to admit I am finding that when it warms up to -8 celsius I feel that it is a warm day. I was taken aback on my afternoon ski today, however, when a friend I ran into commented that it was "quite a hot day"...it's been -2 celsius...not quite HOT, really. Definitely warm enough for me to enjoy layering down of the jumpers and jackets and gloves and mitts and beanie's etc.
Anyway, enough said, here are some pictures of the last few months. I'm going to try to post after each weekend to keep you abreast of what we get up to here in the chilly arctic (and no, Dad, we don't just have lots of sex...we get outside sometimes too...)
Cutting down my first Canadian Christmas Tree!
The most awesome snowsuit ever - even if it does make me look like I have a gut! Shea found this for me at the local dump - it was free and it just made his day! I seem to get a lot of laughs when I wear it - needless to say, unless you're two or three years old, no-one really wears suits like this anymore!!
New Years Eve at a cabin in the Alaskan mountains with Shea and his sister Skye. We watched the full moon rise in a cloudless night sky over a glacier across the lake that this cabin was situated on....amazing...
Driving back to the Yukon from Alaska going over "the Pass." This is the mountains that divide the ocean from us in the interior. It's mountainous, spectacular and just white everywhere you look. Shea goes here to kite ski....I stay at home and ski with mates on more tame trails.
Our wall tent on the block of land we need to build a house on in Haines Junction, Yukon. Shea hasn't visited the site since December and needed to scrape the snow off the roof so it wouldn't collapse. This is what Mum and Dad will live in while they help us build our house! We're planning on flying the tent into some remote lake when the house is done and using the wall tent as a holiday cabin. There are countless un-named lakes to choose from.
Me skiing on Saturday. We skied 15km into a public cabin on Granite Lake. I look hot, I know. I think I'm a natural at this skiing shit. Note how much I am carrying and we'll see later what Shea had to tow...he's such a mountain man!
Arrived at last!
The interior of the cabin.
Shea, in a bout of uncharacteristic organistation, had sent in a box of food stuffs with mates who ski-dooed (like a jet ski for the snow) into this cabin before Christmas. We'd planned to go right after them, but as the temperatures had dropped to -38 celsius and we were unsure of my ski fortitude , we abandoned the attempt. Our box stayed at the cabin for over a month until this last weekend when we could rescue it. The huge stock of beer was frozen solid so, while Shea set our sauna going and I got dinner ready, I attempted to thaw out the beer in a pot of boiling water. Funnily enough I ended up boiling the beer and we had to sit it outside for the night. By morning we had unfrozen but not scalding hot beer, hence Shea chugging one before our ski out on Sunday morning. He says boiling beer changes the taste....I, defensively, disagree.
Packed up and ready to ski out. The "pulk" is the sled to Shea's right (left in the picture). He clips it round his waist and tows it like a cart-horse. It was heavy because of all the excess food stuffs and frozen beer that we had to tow out! I helped pull it, but only on the flats!
Me (on the flat) pulling the pulk across Rainbow Lake. In the distance is "Kings Throne." Spectacular isn't it? This day was AMAZINGLY warm, maybe +2 celsius. Crazy temperatures for a time of year that averages -40 celsius.
Finished at last! The ski in and out took us about six hours each time. Half was across two connecting lakes and half was through undulating forest. It wasn't too hard but I sure was knackered by the end of it. I'm not sure how I would have gone if my Mountain Man hadn't towed all our stuff leaving me with just a light day pack...bless 'im.
New Years Eve at a cabin in the Alaskan mountains with Shea and his sister Skye. We watched the full moon rise in a cloudless night sky over a glacier across the lake that this cabin was situated on....amazing...
Driving back to the Yukon from Alaska going over "the Pass." This is the mountains that divide the ocean from us in the interior. It's mountainous, spectacular and just white everywhere you look. Shea goes here to kite ski....I stay at home and ski with mates on more tame trails.THIS LAST WEEKEND (6th January).......
Our wall tent on the block of land we need to build a house on in Haines Junction, Yukon. Shea hasn't visited the site since December and needed to scrape the snow off the roof so it wouldn't collapse. This is what Mum and Dad will live in while they help us build our house! We're planning on flying the tent into some remote lake when the house is done and using the wall tent as a holiday cabin. There are countless un-named lakes to choose from.
Me skiing on Saturday. We skied 15km into a public cabin on Granite Lake. I look hot, I know. I think I'm a natural at this skiing shit. Note how much I am carrying and we'll see later what Shea had to tow...he's such a mountain man!
Arrived at last!
The interior of the cabin.
Shea, in a bout of uncharacteristic organistation, had sent in a box of food stuffs with mates who ski-dooed (like a jet ski for the snow) into this cabin before Christmas. We'd planned to go right after them, but as the temperatures had dropped to -38 celsius and we were unsure of my ski fortitude , we abandoned the attempt. Our box stayed at the cabin for over a month until this last weekend when we could rescue it. The huge stock of beer was frozen solid so, while Shea set our sauna going and I got dinner ready, I attempted to thaw out the beer in a pot of boiling water. Funnily enough I ended up boiling the beer and we had to sit it outside for the night. By morning we had unfrozen but not scalding hot beer, hence Shea chugging one before our ski out on Sunday morning. He says boiling beer changes the taste....I, defensively, disagree.
Packed up and ready to ski out. The "pulk" is the sled to Shea's right (left in the picture). He clips it round his waist and tows it like a cart-horse. It was heavy because of all the excess food stuffs and frozen beer that we had to tow out! I helped pull it, but only on the flats!
Me (on the flat) pulling the pulk across Rainbow Lake. In the distance is "Kings Throne." Spectacular isn't it? This day was AMAZINGLY warm, maybe +2 celsius. Crazy temperatures for a time of year that averages -40 celsius.
Finished at last! The ski in and out took us about six hours each time. Half was across two connecting lakes and half was through undulating forest. It wasn't too hard but I sure was knackered by the end of it. I'm not sure how I would have gone if my Mountain Man hadn't towed all our stuff leaving me with just a light day pack...bless 'im.
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