6 Months Already:

I can't believe I have been here for six months already. I miss Rob and Ripley terribly, and of course I really miss my friends, family and everything about B.C.. I am happy that I have satellite TV so that I can watch my beloved Canucks. I am watching the Vancouver/Colorado game right now!! I am finding that North Bay is not such a bad place to live. I guess when you have to make these kinds of sacrifices, the only thing you can do is find the positives and make the best of your situation. Bentley and I are making some good friends and finding fun things to do. I am going out of my way to try to experience all the great things Northern Ontario can offer. I guess it is a good thing that I like to do outdoor activities.

Having experienced spring, summer, and now fall in Northern Ontario, I am preparing myself for the bitter cold winter ahead. My car is scheduled to go in for winterization in a couple of weeks including new winter tires and undercoating to protect against the yucky salted roads. I am now outfitted with warm winter boots, a parka, thermal underwear and more warm winter clothes than I needed before. After a suggestion by a fellow dog owner, I am even investigating getting some muttlucks (dog boots) for Bentley. I expect he should grow a good warm winter coat to keep him warm. In a way I am dreading the winter, but in some ways I am looking forward to it. There will be lots of snow here, so I am looking forward to doing some snowshoeing, cross country skiing and some snowmobiling. I do plan on checking out the local ski "hill", if only to get my legs ready for snowboarding on my visit home to BC.

My job will become more challenging with the winter weather and cold temperatures, but should provide great experience. Visions of flying in a snowstorm, securing the aircraft at some small Northern Ontario airstrip in the the blowing snow with sub zero temperatures, give me shivers....but it is all part of the experience. I am looking forward to the new winter flying adventures ahead. After updating my log book recently, I realized that I have already been to so many different places, from small gravel strips to major International Airports. I thought I would share with you a list of all the airports I have been to so far:

North Bay, Ontario (CYYB)
Sudbury, Ontario (CYSB)
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario (CYAM)
Thunder Bay, Ontario (CYQT)
Buttonville, Ontario (CYKZ)
Toronto (Pearson), Ontario (CYYZ)
Toronto (City Centre), Ontario (CYTZ)
Wiarton, Ontario (CYVV)
Sioux Lookout, Ontario (CYXL)
Brantford, Ontario (CYFD)
Kingston, Ontario (CYGK)
Ottawa, Ontario (CYOW)
St. Catherines, Ontario (CYSN)
Gore Bay, Ontario (CYZE)
Dryden, Ontario (CYHD)
Geraldton, Ontario (CYGQ)
Sachigo Lake, Ontario (CZP8)
Keewaywin, Ontario (CPV8)
Pickle Lake, Ontario (CYPL)
Kitchener/Waterloo, Ontario (CYKF)
Pembroke, Ontario (CYTA)
Earlton, Ontario (CYXR)
Goderich, Ontario (CYGD)
London, Ontario (CYXU)
Timmins, Ontario (CYTS)
Red Lake, Ontario (CYRL)
Sandy Lake, Ontario (CZSJ)
Deer Lake, Ontario (CYVZ)
Muskoka, Ontario (CYQA)
Moosonee, Ontario (CYMO)
Barrie/Orillia (Simcoe Regional), Ontario (CNB9)
Sherbrooke, Quebec (CYSC)
Moncton, New Brunswick (CYQM)
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan (KANJ)
Mackinack Island, Michigan (KMCD)
Duluth, Minnesota (KDLH)
Port Huron, Michigan (KPHN)
Detroit, Michigan (KDET)
Toledo, Ohio (KTDZ)
Cleveland, Ohio (KCLE)
Erie, Pennsylvania (KERI)

What a list!! Well, hopefully the next six months will bring many more adventures and new experiences.