I went up North for the long weekend. We left after dinner Friday, and didn't arrive until long after dark. We were greeted with a show of Northern Lights that took up the entire sky. I'm not sure what was more beautiful, the northern lights or the stars of the northern hemisphere unobscured by city lights.
The next day I slept in until 8am the next day. Yes that is sleeping in for me. I suppose I could have milked it until 9-9:30, but the house was starting to come alive with the sounds of running water and the smell of brewing coffee.
I spent the afternoon in the bush with my brother in law locating a birch tree that he wanted to cut. We made our way several miles of cutline toward the lake trying to locate "the one" from his previous expedition. We were accompanied by three dogs, his and two of the neighbors. I thought would turn back after a bit, but they ran with us the entire way.
We had to cut our way past a couple trees that we couldn't climb over in the quad, and that's when the bugs were at their worst- when we
weren't moving. The black flies were out in full force. I should be glad that it was too cool for their misquito brethren to take a blood meal, but I'm originally from northern Ontario and I seriously don't recall being so bothered by black flies. I think I'm turning into a wuss. They were horrible.
I was smoking incessantly because it kept them back a bit. And when I wasn't smoking I was burning birch bark and waving it wildly asking to be delivered in some kind of 1/16 Aboriginal prayer. Then I would be fine for a while until they came back with the reinforcements. The biggest bother are the buzzing noise and the dive bombers that found their way into my mouth, eyes and nose. I spent more than one occassion shielding myself with my toque pulled down low where it met my upturned collar.
I've never watched a tree being cut down, although I have heard one fall. It is really an awesome moment. It starts to creak in a low moan, and when it's ready with momentum it topples over branches crashing to the ground. I want to say that the tree that he chose would have been removed in the next year to prep the land for its' industrial use- I believe a water treatment plant?
Then the work began. I shouldn't have even been on the quad without a kidney belt, but there I was hauling the logs I could carry. That was brief, and Ernie did the majority of the hauling and lifting when it came to the (wide) length of trunk, about 1000 lbs in all.
Getting in was easy, getting out was a little trickier. We did a bit of bush wacking and had to use the winch to so we could bi-pass a deep puddle thick with mud. That took about an hour. It was honest hard work chopping through small fallen trees with hatchet (the chainsaws would be faster, but overkill), and to our surprise we had a reprieve from the flies during this time.
We made it home in good time, the whole adventure lasted about 5 hours. I was stiff and tired from the ride, and after a beautiful dinner of bbq salmon I was ready for bed.
It was a short visit, but that didn't dampen the time we did have. Thanksgiving dinner was wonderful, and it was great to share a meal with such good company.
I often think that it would be great to have my family closer but I'm thankful for the time we do spend togther.
I'm also thankful that I was able to be in the forest with sunlight coming through the trees, and the smell of rotting fauna so earthy and good. Even when it's dying it's alive.
