Text 5535, 105 rader
Skriven 2011-01-05 07:54:00 av JIM WELLER (1:123/140)
Ärende: trip log 2
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For the rest of our visit, as the doe was hanging and aging, we
dived into the freezer for other game: elk, moose, and deer
backstrap, steaks, burger, jerky, sausages and stew. We all took
turns cooking, including Neekha who at 12 has become quite an
accomplished cook. (She is becoming famous for her Mexican moose
nacho dip.)

Sheila's daughter Isabelle and her ex-husband dropped by for a day
and a night as they made their way in the opposite direction, from
Fort McMurray to Yellowknife. With all the blended families involved
it took a lot of advanced planning on the logistics, so that
everyone could visit everyone else.

Dec. 23: We moved on to Fort Mac, which is where Raine moved to in
Sept, taking Neekha with us. It was my first time visiting there.
What an amazing place! Thanks to the Athabaska oil sands it grew
from a tiny hamlet of 1200 souls in 1964 to 60,000 last year and
70,000 this year. There are another 5000 or so workers in camps and
hotels as well, whose real homes are elsewhere. Everyone works hard
and plays hard, earning the top wages in Canada and spending all of
it quickly. The housing crunch is incredible with decrepit trailers
going for $229K, modest townhouses for $440K and crappy quality
McMansions for $1.5M. Everyone seems to drive either a Ford 250 4X4
extended cab or a full size SUV which they leave idling all the time
when it gets cold out. There are very few passenger cars except for
some young guys with Mustangs.

Raine, Lexi and Charlee have moved in with Rhonda, an old high
school friend who is recently divorced and has three kids. It's the
only way either of them can afford to have a roof over their heads.
Luckily everyone gets along. Naturally they couldn't put us up in
their cramped quarters so I was expecting to grab a hotel (even the
modest Super 8 there is a whopping $150 per night and they only had
a vacancy because several temp workers had gone home for the
holidays).

But Rhonda's boy friend Wayne offered us his house to use as he was
going to be away. Wayne grew up there and had bought two places
before the boom: adjacent lots, one with an old trailer and the
other with a newer, very nicely renovated double wide. Both places
have oversized double garages, paved yards with 6 parking stalls
each and no grass! Wayne rents out the four bedrooms in the old
trailer at $800 each and converted the garage (illegally, but nobody
cares or checks) into an apartment which rents out for another
$1200! His own place also has four bedrooms, all used by family and
friends who come and go frequently and the second garage is a second
living room with a (very) large screen TV and a bar as well as
housing a 1968 350 CID Camaro convertible he is re-building.

I didn't get to meet him as he had already left. As we arrived late
and there was no food in the fridge we ordered very expensive, very
mediocre Chinese takeout.

Raine has started dating Wayne's younger brother Lyle, who quickly
received Lexi's and Charlee's seal of approval. Lexi and Charlee
spent the night with us, sharing a room with Neekha.

On the 24th we just loafed and visited, with leftover Chinese for
breakfast. Rhonda and Raine both worked until 8 PM Christmas Eve (at
their second jobs, at a liquor store that stayed open late) and
Lyle was doing all his last minute Christmas shopping until 6 when
most stores closed so it was just KFC for supper. Rhonda dropped by
briefly to grab a quick bite but went home to her kids and Raine and
Lyle slipped away shortly thereafter so we got to keep Lexi and
Charlee a second night. All the g'kids had been missing us and each
other so that was a real treat for all of us.

Christmas Day: Rhonda returned to Wayne's house with her kids,
together with Raine and Lyle. Lyle found some store open somewhere
and brought over the makings for a huge and proper bacon and egg
breakfast after the presents were exchanged. For lunch all of us
descended upon Rhonda's ex-husband, hooked up with his visiting
parents and hers and did the traditional turkey and ham dinner with
all the sides. We (Roslind, Neekha, Lexi, Charlee and me) departed
for Athabaska after that as we had an invitation to meet and spend a
day or two with Wayne's and Lyle's parents Bob and Mary. Mary is an
absolutely suburb cook: Ukrainian, country raised and until
recently the owner of a successful catering company. She gardens,
cans and makes all her own breads, jams and pickles. We had a late,
totally delicious supper of leftover ham and turkey, homemade
breads, buns, pickles and relishes (7 sweets and 7 sours!) plus
nalysnyky, perogies and cabbage rolls, also home made, not to
mention pies, cookies and fudge. I had managed to control my
portions and manage my weight until I hit her place where I gained 6
pounds in 3 days!

Boxing Day: Loafing around, visiting, cards, hot tubbing in a snow
flurry, on the deck, looking out over the Athabaska River (they have a
nice home on a small acreage about 10 miles from town right on the
river bank). And continual snacking on leftover leftovers as listed
above. Plus new stuff: pickled eggs, herring and pigs' feet, and a
variety of fruit salads, some jellied, some in a sour cream poppy
seed dressing. Finally got to meet Wayne and thank him for the use
of his home.

Cheers

YK Jim


... In France cooking is a serious art form and a national sport.

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