Bucket List # 2 - Tenting for one full Year - summer and winter in Canada

[taldesta]

Today's haul for overnight ... some elm to split, already cut in 10 " lengths for tiny wood burner. Ha, friends teased me about its size .... said I could just spit on a paper towel, dip it in the ash and clear the little window. True.

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Finally, finally found the chop saw under the snow (well tarped in advance of the storm) and hauled it to dry shelter .... This I've been using to shorten hardwood for the fire.

Well, the snowstorm collapsed my dome over the wood processing area. Still to dig out are my belt axe, two fixed blades, my small battery, handheld chainsaw ... Other odds and ends.

The first items I actually started digging for out of necessity were the splitting axe and my sweet old 3 lb mallet.

 

[taldesta]

Good morning from meadow camp... -17⁰c overnight ... and that's around the high for today.



Tonight's low range is -24⁰ to -27⁰ c so this is a big test for our comfort here in the tent.

I have some ideas as to keeping deep chill at bay ... none implemented yet ... but yesterday I did stog up on propane, food and logs .. fuel for Daisy and me and the stoves.

Under the PVC tent floor itself I did place foundation insulation r5 inset "8" in from outer edge. The inset keeps precipitation from flowing directly under tent. Plus inside it forms a trough around the interior too. You know, for a river to run through.

Not that I have camped since all tents leaked and no air mattress held air

Yet this canvas tent has not leaked ... not through rain, freezing rain or melting snow ... so far so good.




Last dig for elm pile logs to split was on Thu... almost needed an ice chipper ... so will wait a few days for warmer temps make the snow/ice softer . ... After that I have to get serious about digging out the covered hardwood stash.

 

[taldesta]

Oh yes ... Daisy can travel across the landscape at top speed now ... No need to stick to the path

 

[taldesta]

Summary: we lived and are emboldened

-18.4⁰f. now = -28⁰c .,. Oh yeah, there's a nip in the air and the trees all around are "cracking"; at 3 30 am the outside temp read -25⁰c, inside -4⁰c with propane on low all night and woodburner on but unattended until this hour. Yup ,.. ice in Daisy's water dish .

Within 3/4 hr inside temp read a comfortable 15⁰c. = 59⁰f
with propane on high and woodburner roaring


Good morning from meadow camp

 

[taldesta]

"Oh yeah, I've been dreaming of a white Christmas " says Daisy... with the white stuff melting off her nose and while I plan my afternoon sleigh-haul uphill to camp with more wood!

Well, Daisy ... your dream has come true, and come true, and ... Yikes

 

[taldesta]

Wherever you are, whatever you celebrate. .. from Daisy and me ... Snowfall in Muskoka.

As I look outside our tent ... today's view

 

[Win Heger]

Merry Christmas to you and Daisy, what an adventure. You know I love Daisy and it's terrific to see her seeming to cope very well.

 

[Sharp & Fiery]

Merry Christmas Eve!! Stay warm, my friend.

 

[taldesta]

Merry Christmas to you and Daisy, what an adventure. You know I love Daisy and it's terrific to see her seeming to cope very well.

Merry Christmas to you and yours ... Including Brie of course,

... and as to Daisy's coping ... Bucket list #1 for the summer of 2023 was our trip west to Alberta ..... Wild camping across provinces Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan then finally into Alberta... living in our Subaru Forester! I recall the pic of Brie swimming as we sat under a shade tree in Saskatchewan on one hot afternoon!

 

[taldesta]

Merry Christmas Eve!! Stay warm, my friend.

Hey there again,

Merry Christmas to you and yours ... and keep the fire burning for warmth as well.

 

[taldesta]

High 4 from Daisy and from me ... To all ... and to all of your families including the critters who watch over you

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL.

 

[taldesta]

And into the new year 2025 we all go ...

Wishing to all a wonderful celebration as 2025 unfolds..
and a year ahead of joy, fun, serious accomplishment as you would want there to be ... but with a lot of joy and fun overflowing

As for bucket list #2, January, February and March remain...

Compare earlier clip of daisy on path to meadow camp with today's following a few days of rain and mild temps. Now the path is treacherous for us two footers

And, although main hardwood stash is buried under clumps of ice, snow and ripped up turf, (skid steer appreciated) the soft snow gave way at last today and a small stash was uncovered -yet to be dug out

 

[taldesta]

Skid steer launched its avalanche of ice over hill, dale, ditching and main woodpile



Little shovel works so well in tight spots ... Especially when going straight down to where you just know you have stashed some hardwood -ok, like a squirrel buries nuts!




Eureka! See white tarp just to right of shovel ... There are either nuts or hardwood logs under it

 

[taldesta]

Good afternoon from meadow camp



Yup .,. Daisy is still sleeping in and it's after 1 pm! She snores too. She hears the winds which rock the tent a little and which bring down globs of snow onto the tent from the evergreen branches on our eastern flank. Snow squall warning has not yet materialized but snow is expected this afternoon.

This morning's temp outside was -12⁰c, inside 0⁰c with propane on low and woodstove burned out but warm to touch . But we were toasty once the wood fire took off and it was quick

Yesterday we loaded up on propane and have a decent supply of wood down below as well as some elm recently dug up here at camp. Some elm is split inside tent.

The beautiful path into meadow camp is a mess with knee deep trippers and two massive washouts from recent rains .,. grass and mud patches ,.. so hauling up filled propane, wood and water is a slow process for me. But heck ... it is in the challenge.

And boy do we eat! Here is pineapple chicken combo and hash browns.

 

[taldesta]

Ok ... New name for camp ... Now "Sleepy Dog Camp" for the obvious reason




Good morning from Sleepy Dog Camp, then ..

Latest storm brought yet another deep but light & fluffy snowfall ,.. so Daisy sleeps while I shovel

Tent sheds well ... and is cleared now ... Some cold temps will follow current mild ones. Up and down ...



Little dollar store shovel stays inside to clear away snow from falling into tent in mornings

Path is shovelled down to vehicle once again but needed packing ... weight of wood, water and propane on red sleigh do the job but it is heavy work !

There is no way I can access natural wood from forest with this depth of snow, not even on shoes . Too old for balance needed for shoeing, probably for this item on my bucket list too ... But I am in for the duration



Some fun pics of Sleepy Dog Camp in 2 short shorts

 

[taldesta]

Snow will be ending soon ... Sigh ... then a cold snap begins. What a bucket list!



The Saint Bernard genes are showing ... The enjoyment Daisy takes in the snow just makes her chase her own tail in happiness

 

[taldesta]

Daisy and I are still here! At Sleepy Dog Camp, well, there is so much to update ... but two things remain unchanged:

1. Sleepy dog

2. Snow
And the backhoe is scheduled for this weekend (after the $kid $teer plus countless plow$) ... So I am digging out the snowblower with plans to manage the upper park area ... Now that the sunshine seems to be on my side
and
.. with a little help from my friend ...

 

[taldesta]

Good morning from Sleepy Dog Camp .... If you could see the photo gallery on this phone, you would get why the camp name is no longer Meadow Camp . ... And you would also understand why, in a tent in a snowbank, I have an area for electronics including my laptop for frequently freeing up storage on phone ... by transfering pics of my dog

To all the shutter-bugs here, not to mention those of you who just love dogs, here's my morning pick of 32 images so far (you guessed it ... ) Daisy




More on snow removal, temps inside the tent, wood and propane and other non-dog stuff shortly. ... Or soon, depending on how the snow removal goes

 

[Sharp & Fiery]

Glad to see you are getting through the winter months! And Daisy too!

 

[taldesta]

Glad to see you are getting through the winter months! And Daisy too!

Thanks there, Sharp & Fiery ...

End March will see us having lived for one full year in a tent ... not the least of this bucket list challenge having been to manage through such a delightful (buried deep) winter.

Now, I did not tackle this to suffer, torture myself ...just not me . So with some work-arounds we have been snug and we'll occupied ... yet it has turned out to be quite a different experience than I had thought.

Gone is the woodburner! Great at first ... But creosote build up even with seasoned wood and best of kindling in that tiny hot tent stove 2.36" pipe ... once temps were staying mid -20⁰c s to -30⁰c overnight ... well the spark arrester was removed first ... then a couple more sections .... and with having to clear the ash box and the chimney constantly plus hauling wood uphill on the sleigh ...

Outcome .. I picked up a second propane heater on sale - two on low keep the tent snug even overnight

I did not try chemical treatments to clear chimney nor do I conclude that these small wood burners are intended to be banked for longer burn times ... Likely why all the clips I've seen show campers up every two hours at night to feed the stove BUT I HAD TO TRY LOL

More shovel time than dog grooming .. hence Daisy's St. Bernard fur met her Poodle curl and went all to heck in mats. Her good clippers have not been found since December 3rd ... first 3 ft snowfall ... I know where everything is just still can't access a lot of tools.

This morning's pic of 'Dog in a Bag' just in time for spring nests.




Visual chaos inside was driving me nuts ... Imagine living in a mudroom with a doodle, not a small one , and although you have everything organized in clear boxes... The item you want is on the bottom. Always.

Your life is inside one room. It is winter. A clear solution.
..
Edited this video for better thumbnail and

So sorry for wall of words.


Susan