Bush Tales

The Olympic Swimmer Dog

You never really know how strong a dog is until you see it try to swim a whole river just to join a canoe party.

It all started on a beautiful sunny day, my colleagues and I decided it was the perfect time to go out canoeing as the waters were fairly calm. My dog followed us on the walk towards the water where he recruited a pack to join on the excursion. Well... not exactly... it was more like my dog was in their territory and they felt the need to chase him and investigate.

By the time my colleagues and I reached the water, we had a pretty strong following of about seven dogs. the more the merrier I guess?

Now, my dog hates water- baths, rain, puddles, you name it. But he also couldn't quite understand that I was in a boat floating further away from him. So, like any loyal fluffy pet, he jumped into the water and horribly executed the infamous doggy paddle.

"Come back! Come back! Why are you floating away! Why is water so wet? I hate this!" - some thoughts my dog was probably thinking while trying not to drown.

Luckily my dog decided to swim back to shore and realized he wasn't going to be a deep-sea diver any time soon. But do you remember that dog pack that accompanied us earlier? Well, one very skinny and very courageous (questionable) dog decided he was going to keep chasing us.

So in he went! And this skinny son of a bitch (literally), decided to swim the damn river. I swear, I don't even know where he was hiding those muscles when he looked as boney as he did, but he did not stop. He swam for his life after our canoes, and he was fast! And very in the middle of a river...

At a certain point we could see that he was running (swimming?) low on energy and luckily we managed to haul his dumb skinny ass into a canoe and row him back to shore.

But I tell ya, if the Olympics ever let in dogs, we're signing him up paws down!

Pizza Plane

We don't have drive-thru, we have fly-thru!

*Pilot to Wooden Dock do you copy? Pilot to Wooden Dock do you copy?*

While I don't think the wooden dock can respond, the community definitely will when it is dinner time and the fast food literally about to land.

That fast food landing comes in all shapes, sizes, and smells, though usually just in a rectangular box. From popcorn chicken and KFC buckets, to cinnamon buns and Subway sandwiches, the variety is generally doughy and greasy. Which, if you don't have the luxury of going out for a pizza all year round, sounds pretty damn good. Sometimes, when you just don't feel like cooking and dealing with dishes, some fried chicken gets the job done.

Along with the chicken, come the extra large flying saucers of Pizza Hut. If you're quick enough to arrive at the seller's house, then you can still catch it while it's hot. But be prepared to pay the price! $40 aren't just paying for the ingredients, but also for the freight, weight, and gas! That's one pampered pizza.

But hey, sometimes you forget how take-out in the city is really a luxury that many can't always afford or access. When you live in a fly-in community and the one store in town is low on supplies, a KFC bucket and some cinnamon buns can cover a family for dinner. Just remember not to leave any of the food outside, cause the dogs will be sure to get at it!

Some Side Dish Jokes:

"What’s the difference between a good pizza joke and a bad one?"

"The delivery."

"I fell asleep with a pizza in the oven today. Burned about 2000 calories."

The Ice Road

Somewhere underneath all that snow blanketing the river, is a thick-ton of ice.

Around February or so, the rivers and lakes finally freeze deep enough for what we call the "Ice Road" to open. These ice roads open up access to other communities and resources, including the sister community of Pikangikum.

Now when you live in little Poplar Hill with its one store, and the ice road is open... it means ROAD TRIP to get Timmies! Who would have thought that Tim Horton's would be seen as a luxury?

A very bumpy hour long drive and you reach Pikangikum with its bigger grocery store, Tim Horton's, and hot food bar. When I walked in there I almost cried tears of joy! Finding food items like jalapenos, soy milk, and even fresh(er) not-frozen meat, was a pure delight.

While my friends went to grab some steeped tea and timbits, I stocked up on ingredients I knew I would probably never see in my own community's store.

But that is not what the picture above is about! Besides the thrill of visiting other communities, the ice road offers another thing: serenity.

The inner peace that I felt when I went for a walk out on the ice is unexplainable. Just walking for the sake of walking, enjoying the journey without thoughts of a destination, it was so healing. There is so much Earth out there, and we are just a mere speck on the surface.

After about an hour walk out on the ice, when I finally turned back, the town looked so small. I wondered what could happen if I just kept walking...

Like every journey though, you reach your destination at some point, and hope that by the end you are wiser.

I hope you enjoyed these mini tales and tails about my year's adventures.