Season of change

Ok, so it doesn't stay winter forever up here.

Last week we had beautiful above-average temps just like you southerners.  Lots of snow melted and sadly the winter ice road closed but since they are calling for a cold snap, it may re-open for a few days.  At this point however, it is not for the faint of heart nor those without 4X4's as it is unmaintained and rougher than a Saturday night Leafs - Senators game. 


The area around the nurses' houses is (or a at least was, until today's snow storm) bare ground although large snowbanks are reminders that winter hangs on long past the first day of Spring here on the Albany River.  Ice-out is what the locals call "an exciting time" here and it makes me smile and shake my head when they describe it that way when it can bring devastation and result in evacuation of the whole town as it did in April of 2008. See http://news.ontario.ca/mcscs/en/2008/04/first-stage-of-evacuation-of-coastal-communities-completed.html  I am not sorry to miss that "excitment". I have heard a number of stories about the evacuations and moving the elders to nursing homes and hospitals all over the province with nurses and aides accompanying them.  Often the airport floods if the river water happens to find that is the route of least resistance.  The monstrous helicopters that take everyone to safety cannot land on this (the hospital) side of the gully that fills when the river floods and separates the reserve from the crown land the hospital sits on.  People travel by boat to the other side and then on to the higher ground of the school where the helicopters land. Father Allard, the parish priest tells me sometimes they have to spend several nights sleeping in the school while waiting to see if final evacuation is necessary. Oh yeah - exciting. I must admit, the remnants of the thrill-seeker that was, tempts me to hang around and see what kind of Spring break-up 2010 has to offer.  Ah but alas, my flight is booked and it would take a miracle of global warming to see that kind of melt before I leave. Maybe next year...