BEAR CREEK MEMORIES AND SOME 2011 THOUGHTS

POST # 10
It certainly hasn't been lonely living here in Bear Creek because most of the time I have five pairs of eyes staring at me wondering, "What's the human going to do now?" Roxie, Breaker, and Skidder the dogs, are always hoping for either a treat or a walk or both, but mostly they just want to be close, and as a consequence I am never short of their company.
Dusty and Trouble the cats on the other hand, are usually just in the market for a lap to lounge upon and purr away until the end of time. And in addition to that, Dusty has taken it upon himself to come in to the bedroom at night and curl up under the covers tucked up against my arm while I read before it's lights out.
And when I awake the next morning he hasn't moved an inch. Purring is the first sound I hear upon awakening each morning which by the way is a very nice way to start the day. (Apologies to all the dog lovers out there)
Each day seems to just fly on by and the animals and I have settled into a comfortable routine. I get out each day to walk the dogs as much as possible, however our planned route out back of the house has been interrupted with the generally mild winter so far. Usually by now the ice out back is solid, and we can roam wherever we like, however this year, what with the mild (for the Yukon) temperatures, and the heavy snow cover, there are holes in the ice, and the thought of breaking through keeps us from venturing very far. Two years ago when I was here I was walking on the ice and all was well and then one step later, I was in up to my waist with the dogs looking at me as if to say, "Hey human, couldn't you smell that the ice was thin in that spot?" As I recall the temperature was probably hovering around minus 30 at the time and fortunately it wasn't too far to walk to get back to the warmth of the wood stove, but by the time I got there my pants were as stiff as a board. It was a lesson learnt that only caused some minor discomfort, but it has helped me to be more aware this time around.
The lucky part was the depth of the water at the spot I fell through. In many other places it would be over my head, and I can't imagine what the struggle would have been like to get out if that would have been the case.
So instead we have walked down the road which the dogs don't like as much, because of the fact that I have them tethered to three leashes that come into one and join around my waist. When one of them stops for a pee, it inevitably causes the leads to tangle up, but it's all part of the fun. It takes a few moments to get everyone sorted out and then we are on our merry way. I find our evening walks the most enjoyable, especially if the stars are out which so far this winter has been a rare treat, what with all the snow we've had. When we return from our walk we head down to the frozen part of the pond behind the house where I have a chair sitting in the snow. This is the time that we all just stop and spend a few minutes to take in our surroundings. Especially on the clear nights it is a magical place to be, with the stars shining down upon us, and the Yukon silence to add the flavour of the moment. I think it is this silence which sets the place apart and one of the things that makes the Yukon such a magical place to be especially in the winter time. PURE SILENCE.
Once we have finished our daily commune with nature it's time to return to the warmth of the wood stove, and give the dogs a treat and settle in for the evening which is spent partly upstairs on the computer. Mr. Grey Cat (Dusty) and Mr. Black Cat (Trouble) now join our group of four, and what with the dogs licking me and cats competing for my lap, it's difficult at times to do any typing. (I guess I can use that as my excuse for not getting out as many emails as I could).
Soon enough it's time to shut up shop for the day and we all head downstairs and settle in for the night.
And speaking of the Yukon night. At this time of year the sun comes up around 11am and sets around 3:30pm, so there is no shortage of night. Of course now that we are past winter solstice the days are now beginning to get longer, and soon enough the valley will be filling up with sunlight.
By the end of this week I will be moving yet again but this time only just down the road into Dawson for my next housesit.
This will be my final blog entry for the year of 2011 and it has been quite a year indeed. I continue to be convinced more each day that this energy intensive life that we have all been born into and become so accustomed to is now beginning to change in ways that will have a profound effect on all of us in the years ahead. We're all going to have to get use to a more simple lifestyle whether we like it or not. However on the bright side, I think that somewhere down the track, that simpler future will bring back some of the things that we seem to have lost over the last century or so, like a sense of community, knowing one's neighbours, and locally grown food. Finding a community that works together to sustain itself quite possibly will be the most important decision many of us make and I think that smaller communities will be more resiliant to the changes ahead than the larger concentrations of people in the various cities around the world.
So with those final thoughts, I will wind this up. Today, I have one more dog to care for named Duece, a sibling of the other three, so it will be a crowded house here the last fews days. Otto the dog will be my next four legged friend starting this coming weekend in Dawson. I may not have regular use of the internet for January, however I will make every effort to get my blog completed on the scheduled days.
So let's bring on 2012 as it is shaping up one way or the other to be a year with plenty of change in the wind, and any way you look at it, I'm sure it will be interesting to say the least.
More thoughts to follow in 2012
Happy New Year


Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer