There is No Plural for Moose (and other tidbits from my day)

We had a lovely start to our Christmas holidays with a dinner at the home of our school counselor who lives in Kenora. She is a gracious lady of Mennonite background who has been involved with Grassy for over a decade on and off. She originally came to teach in the Christian School back when there was a Christian school here in Grassy. Now she is teaching some of the practical high school courses and also serving as the school counselor.

This was very encouraging after watching the rest of the staff leave yesterday to go home to their families. It was nice to have family right here, but hard to watch them go and know that we are not going home to ours this year. We were a bit mopey this afternoon. But our visit with D lifted our spirits a lot.

Last Friday night I was driving with all my antennae up for moose- no moose, but a trip into the ditch. Tonight we drove home in top defensive driving mode (ie. slow- 60 kmph the whole way) worried about a trip into the ditch- and saw two moose! It was a good thing that we were driving so slow, or we would definitely have had damage to the car. BIG creatures.

They were right in the middle of the road, out for an evening stroll. And our lights didn't exactly put them in a hurry to move off the road. One was very polite, moving to the side immediately (consideration embodied), but the other walked up the road, stopped and looked at our flashers, then walked a little farther. After carefully looking us over she decided to move on. They were slow enough that Fi even got a good look from the back seat.

That means my wildlife list is complete! Hooray!!

However, about 12km from home our lights picked up an ambulance in the ditch (so I am not the only one who finds these roads a bit treacherous). There was no one there, so we continued on home. It must have happened earlier in the day and be waiting for a tow truck in the morning.

Eight Sleeps...

We picked up Christmas packages at the post office today. The boxes from family and friends filled the back of the car. That doesn't even count the package that is waiting to be picked up in Kenora (Purolator doesn't deliver out this far). Fiona was so excited. "I can wait to Christmas, there are only eight more sleeps." she chirped from the backseat.

I am excited because there are only two more sleeps to the Christmas break. Tomorrow is our Christmas Concert and Friday is clean-up day. Here, the Christmas Concert is at 1:00 and is followed by a community feast. The students don't come in on Friday, and staff make sure that the celebratory mess is cleaned up and daybooks are ready for the 5th. I don't even have to teach tomorrow morning, as students will arrive at school at 11:30, just in time for lunch. It's a rough life.

LK is looking for a service for us to attend on Christmas Eve together. There is an afternoon service at the cemetery with thousands of candles lit. We are thinking that would be a uniquely Kenoran way to celebrate. We are also really looking forward to our first Christmas Day in twelve years that we can get up and open presents in our jammies, rather than meet LK at church (he always was there super early Christmas Day to prepare for the brass players). I don't remember that last time I wasn't in church on Christmas Day morning.

In other news, the big news item LK brought home from town today was... (drum roll for my sister)... an IKEA is being built in Winnipeg!!!!! Right now the closest IKEA is Calgary- too far even for me. But Winnipeg! My goodness, that's practically on our doorstep. Woohoo!! My cup runneth over.

Off Roading Adventure

My goal this winter was to get through the whole winter without going off the road. I say 'was' because I did tonight.

Fi and I went into town for a girls afternoon and to shop for Christmas presents for the boys. We had a lovely time, and were successful in our mission. We dined chez Ronald (McDonald), Fi's first choice for dining in Kenora and she proudly bore her My Little Pony treat to join her collection of Ronald treats in the car.

We were about 25km from Kenora on a nice straight stretch (rare on the Grassy road), listening to Christmas carols and occasionally singing along. I was carefully scanning ahead for signs of moose, I really didn't want to hit one of those. I hear they can really dent your car. They are also occasionally cranky and will charge cars. Any, we were being cautious.

We hit a little bump and started a minor skid. I forgot Bill Cosby's advice to turn in the direction of the skid, and tried to correct. I over-corrected. So I calmly said to Fi, "Fiona I think we are going off the road."

"Oh no Mama!"

BUMP!

"Were you driving too fast?"

"No, I was being really careful."

"Are we going to be stuck in here forever?"

"No, someone will come along and help us. I need to turn the music off and think for a moment."

"Ma-ma, I'm scared!" in a wail from the backseat.

"Honey, don't cry. Let's pray."

The blessings immediately apparent; no injuries (except to my pride), we were on solid ground rather than in one of the thousand lakes along that road, the car was undamaged, and it looked to me like we might be able to get ourselves out with a little pushing power. The down-side was that winter has hardly begun and my goal is trashed, and LK will worry because we are going to be late.

So I climbed out of the car after making sure that Fi was tucked in under the cozy car blankets and had some quiet music to listen to. Outside there was a lovely light snow falling. Thankfully all the snow that fell this week has been the light fluffy stuff; terrible for snowmen and snowballs, but wonderful to shovel.

So I started shovelling. First to make sure the tailpipe was clear, and then to try and clear a path back up to the road. Ten minutes later a car pulls up with two ladies from Grassy inside. Their first question, "Is everybody okay?" They can't really help, one being pregnant, and no cell phone reception north of Kenora, but they promise to let LK know we will be late and are okay. They offer to take Fi home, but she was already stressed enough without being sent off with two people she didn't know.

It is payday Friday. There will be lots of traffic along the road going home with people heading home from town after doing their errands. I also realized that it is Small Group night in town for some of the staff; they will be driving home within a few hours also. We have a full tank of gas, warm blankets and it is only -8 outside. We are going to be fine.

Ten more minutes of shovelling go by. The next vehicle,a pickup, stops. Down rolls the window, "Is everybody okay?" Out climb three adults and one of Fi's classmates. Its Vicki. She works at the school. I am so thankful at this point because I realized I have no clue what I am doing and my dad's words echo in my head- kitty litter for traction. Although perhaps traction wasn't going to be enough to get us back on the road.

Two pickups and a police cruiser later, we were turned around 180 degrees in the ditch and drove back up on the road. Hallelujah!

I drove home the rest of the way at 60km/h. At 9:40 we pulled into the driveway and LK opened the door.

"Are you okay?"

"We are fine. Nobody hurt. Just two scared girls."

Then I started shaking. My stomach is still a bit knotted and it will be tomorrow before the kinks in my neck from hunching over the steering wheel the rest of the way home work themselves out. But we are safe and have discovered what wonderful neighbours live in Grassy.

I might need a refresher course in winter driving though.

Ho-Hum Days

Some days are up days and some days are down days and some days are ho-hum days. Although it was sunny and beautiful (and cold), it was a ho-hum day. We finished Christmas shopping in town. I like Saturdays at home better than ones filled with errands in town. I am looking forward to January when we can settle into our 'cabin in the woods' and only go into town every other weekend. I anticipate long afternoons of crafting, sledding, skating, and snowman building. Much nicer than hours in the car.