Confined to quarters in a Canadian Covid-19 quarantine

Calgary airport. a log fire.

 

Welcome to Canada!

A fake log fire and view of Moraine lake at Calgary airport. 

When I saw this I felt I had arrived. Flying to Vancouver via Calgary to see my family for the first time in many months. 

But first there must be quarantine. 14 days. No going out. No shopping. No visitors.

So I set myself up in an air bnb beside the sea, in the belief that being able to see the sea would keep me sane. Which it has. Almost.

All flights to Vancouver had been cancelled. So I immigrated through Calgary. I had a tense discussion with the immigration officer as I justified my visit.

She told I must stay put. 

I told her I knew that I must, and would...... 

She advised me that people would check up on me. Others also advised that officials would check up on me. Twelve days into the endurance test I am still waiting to be checked up upon. Not a peep.

So while I wait I am being obedient. And not having to wear a mask for 14 days is a treat in itself after wearing it for almost 24 hours on the journey over. 

The airport was eerily empty.

Cafes and shops closed.

Calgary airport . a mountain

When I finally arrived in Vancouver on a hot sunny evening it too was deserted.

Luggage carousel

I arrived to an early September evening in full sun. 

The view from my balcony blue and calm.

The view from my balcony

The quarantine had begun.

And the smoke from the wildfires had yet to arrive. Two days later everything was grey, visibility poor, and so it has remained for the last 10 days. Apparently the air quality is such that I am smoking the equivalent of three cigarettes daily. Luckily it is not permanent... all we need is some wind and rain, which will come soon enough.

So how does one occupy oneself for 14 days when not allowed to go for walks, shopping, talking to friends or visiting the forest that lies tantalisingly around the next bend in the road.

I can only say that somehow the days seem to pass.

Opportunities for photography are very limited. I have never been that interested in photographing indoor scenes.

I photographed my novel. only because it was brilliant. 

Lanny; by Max Porter

And the light at the window.

Before the sun disappeared.....

But my heart was not in it.

I decided to make a daily sculpture.

That plan lasted 2 days, as I had no access to materials, and didn't want to use garbage ( when in Canada.....).

berry and driftwood quarantine calendar

So I resorted to making small books with paint and ink on paper.

I have with me a supply of paper, a few tubes of paint and a couple of bottles of ink.

They have sustained me through a selection of dodgy creations, all looking remarkably similar; lines, dots, grey and red..... I am stuck in a rut.

And when not making books I am keeping fit . Thanks to Youtube I can take classes in ballet, yoga, meditation, cardio work outs and for a mad 10 minutes some good old fashioned line dancing.

My food delivery turned up, and I am now eeking out my rations for the last three days. Breakfast is taken on the cutting mat, surrounded by paper and glue.

Lunch is a picnic on the balcony with my book, and dinner a Netflix TV affair. 

I have learned that some things on my 'to do' list are never going to get done. 

And if they don't get done here, they will NEVER GET DONE. 

I have photographed some prints from book pages and worked them into imagined landscapes.

It all seems quite dark.... the pandemic lurking behind every corner. 

Horizon book

Imagined landscape  1

Imagined landscape 2

I have tried to write a daily Haiku, without much success. 

I have drawn a picture of a cave with pack rats for my grandson.

I made a video on how to make a book..... but couldn't sum up the energy for episode 2.

You can view it here..

View this post on Instagram

how to fold a sheet of paper into a small book #bookart #paperfolding #bookmaking #quarantinelife #papercrafts #bookish #bookstagram #isolationartschool

A post shared by abstract landscapes & bookart (@carolinefraserphotography) on Sep 13, 2020 at 6:29pm PDT

I have also created a video for yesterday's book "You are the Sky".

I came across these words by Pema Chodron on a yoga video, and  they resonated strongly with my isolation situation and changing moods. 

"You are the sky. Everything else- it's just the weather"

View this post on Instagram

“You are the sky -everything else - it’s just the weather”. an artist book made during quarantine in Vancouver. The last 7 days have been grey and hazy due to the smoke from wildfires. I heard the quote by @anipemachodron while doing some yoga... it resonated strongly with my current situation and so I made this book. Hand printed on Arches Vellin paper, with a simple sewn binding.

A post shared by abstract landscapes & bookart (@carolinefraserphotography) on Sep 18, 2020 at 10:32am PDT

Anyway, the time is passing and I am still well. If I were quarantining in some other other countries I would have been allowed out for a walk, or even to buy food. 

But I am in Canada so I am not.

14 days it is, even though the incubation period of covid-19 is much less than this.

And don't get me started on the need to quarantine when I return home....

Next time you hear from me I will be having an all Canadian Covid pandemic adventure. 

I can't wait!!

Back in the land of the beaver with some sled dogs in the Yukon

 trees felled by beavers

My other half (OH) tells me that I haven't written my blog for 4 weeks.

I blame it on winter viruses, Christmas, travel, lack of good wifi and the weather.

Mostly the weather.

Too nice to sit indoors and write. Outside the sun has been shining and the snow thick on the ground.

I am back in Canada to visit family, with a short trip to the Yukon thrown in for good measure.

Why the Yukon?


Because other half ( OH) wanted to go on a sled dog ride.

I was more than happy to go along with this plan, for nothing makes me happier than a cold wilderness environment and the chance for some photography.

The only problem here right now is that they are having a heat wave. It is up to 5C by day, which melts all the snow on the trees and makes for icy conditions. The winter wonderland is less wonderful without the icing on the trees, but spectacular all the same.

It should be around -24Cc or lower. Cold enough to need serious winter clothing. We had to put our gloves on for photos on the first day in order to look authentically cold.

Yukon scenery

Yukon pond

Yukon colours in winter

bumguts cache beside Annie lake

drilling through the ice on Annie Lake

ice hole for fishing 

The quiet is impressive here.... still enough to hear your own heart beat.

 stepping out on Annie Lake

Having seen some spectacular scenery, tested the thickness of the ice on the lake by drilling a hole, and eaten some delicious bison sausages cooked over a camp fire beside the river (thanks to the incredibly hospitable Werner from taste of yukon) we got to the serious business of the dog sled ride.

We were taken to Alayuk Adventures ; a dog sled centre near Whitehorse.

First impressions were not good..... there appeared to be blood on the ground, which later revealed itself  to be dog broth.

Before we could ride the dogs all needed to be harnessed up.

coaxing the dogs from their kennels

Some of the dogs needed a little coaxing out of their kennels.

Wilma waiting patiently

sled dog

sled dog with shoes

learning how to control the sled with foot controls

the kennels

The ride was exhilarating.

Through the woods where it was cold enough to see snow on all the branches, and across a small lake.

We were wearing so many clothes that photography was practically impossible during the ride.

I should have had a go-pro attached to my hat, but I don't possess one.

What they don't tell you before you start is that the dogs relieve themselves whilst running. The passenger in the sled gets a delightful odour and a full view of this activity, and the snow is littered with brown and yellow stains.

I made a really bad video with no sound, which gives a passenger's eye view of the ride. OH is in front of me; you can see his rear end.

We stopped for a brief rest, and the dogs played momentarily.

Some of the dogs have sensitive feet and wear socks to protect them against the cold and burns.

dog socks...waiting to go

dog socks after the run

After the run the dogs are given nutritious red broth.

time for dog broth

The owners of Alayuk train their dogs for the 1000 mile Iditarod race across Alaska. It takes 9 to 12 days to race a sled with up to 14 dogs under incredibly harsh conditions. A ton of dog food is shipped to the checkpoints in advance of the race.

Alayuk

This is a very different way of life for people passionate about animals and nature.

I have nothing but admiration for their determination and dedication to this harsh way of life.

We're going on a bear hunt......hiking in the rocky mountains

Moraine Lake, Canada

My other half  (OH) and I have been on vacation.

Learning how to speak Canadian. It is important as our children now live in Canada, so we need to be able to communicate with them.

So we took a vacation ( not a holiday)

and used lots of washrooms ( not toilet/loo), and definitely not restroom or bathroom ( that is for folks south of the border).

We went on a hiking trip in the Rockies with a bunch of really lovely people from around the world.

We used the parking lots when they were not full, ( which they mostly were, for this year the national parks are all free thanks to the 150th anniversary of confederation),

We walked miles, mostly uphill and were rewarded with the most spectacular views. The going was challenging, but 'manageable' according to our lovely 23 year old guide.

We climbed to the top of the mountains and sang songs from musicals at the top (from The Sound of Music, of course).

Lake Louise from the upper trail

my daily activity summaries looked like this....

I managed.

But I had to leave my camera behind, as carrying 2 litres of water, my lunch and an anorak took up all my energy.

Most people use phones as cameras these days anyway.

selfie time at Lake Louise

OH and I had joined a group trip due to the presence of grizzly bears in the rockies. Many trails require a minimum of four people to hike together for safety.

Even with worried bear we were only a party of three. Safety in numbers.

We learned more new words;

a toque ( pronounced took) ( beanie hat) was essential on the alpine passes, and we spent many loonies ( one dollar coins)  and toonies ( two dollar coins) on coffee at Timmies ( Tim Hortons), or ideally somewhere with better coffee and a nicer colour scheme than khaki brown. 

worried bear at icefield parkway..... his right leg took a turn for the worse

I was told to leave my bear bell behind. Apparently they don't work.

I googled to check and was interested to see what questions others ask about bears....

Anyway, it seems they don't work, and making a noise and singing is much better.

Of course everyone really wanted to see a bear.

It's bear season.

Signs warn of the dangers everywhere in the mountains.

We knew they were around, for we saw the evidence.

bear scat ( poo)

As we hiked higher and higher at Lake Louise, the group split near the top of a very steep path.

OH decided to descend with a companion hiker.

I decided to keep going to the top where, surprisingly, a cup of tea awaited in a very high altitude tea house.. 

We passed a bear with a bell.

bear in the mountains

At the top we saw a butterfly and a chipmunk, but no bears.

The view was worth the effort, and the wild flowers were yellow and plentiful.

On the way down we met a marmot siting on a rock. He was much more worried than we were.

marmot

We met up with OH and his companion at the bottom.

"Did you see my hat" he asked.

"No" I replied.

It seems that he left it on a bench half way up the mountain. He and his companion were taking a banana break.

Why did he leave his hat on a bench?

BECAUSE A GRIZZLY BEAR HAD BEEN FOLLOWING THEM DOWN THE PATH, AND THEY APPARENTLY DIDN'T WANT TO HANG AROUND.

In the excitement he left his hat behind.

Did they take a photo of the bear? 

No. 

They were 'too busy packing away the banana'.

rocky mountains

up above the trees at lake Louise

Peyto Lake ( by OH..... it seems he can take photos too)

wild lupins in an alpine meadow

Personally, I have never been so glad that I kept on up the mountain. 

I prefer dogs.

dog