Great White North

The Great White North

Adrian's Dad calls it God's Country.

Yeah, says Adrian, that's because no one else wanted it.

So, what is Rocky Waters like? Like this:
http://www.gokenora.com/webcam.shtml

Here are eight things you probably don't know about Rocky Waters.

The average daily high in summer is 24 C (78F), although temperatures can soar in the high 30’s. Most people don’t have central air. The normal winter daily high is -15 C (3 F). However, lows of -47 C have been recorded. There is usually one cold snap each winter, where the night time temperature hovers around -40 C (-40 F) for weeks. If you live out in the country, and obtain your water from a lake, your water lines are likely to freeze for weeks at a time. Neighbors get to know each other very well during this period.

Average winter snowfall is 2 metres. (6.56 feet) Once the snow falls, it rarely melts before spring. Isolated patches remain in the deep woods into June.
Army worms can defoliate a forest in a bad year. They sound like popcorn when you drive over them. They stink.
Wood ticks hide in long grass and forested areas. They dig their mouthparts into your skin and suck your blood. They can swell up like grapes, and are hard to remove once they latch on. No one agrees on the best way to kill a wood tick, but burning by fire or drowning in water are popular choices.
Pine beetles bite. So do mosquitoes, deer flies, horse flies, no-see-ums and black flies. In summer, you are a walking buffet.
Black bears are usually more afraid of you than you are of them. However, if they get used to humans, they can be a nuisance. If one approaches, don't run. Stand your ground, yell, throw things, stand on a rock to make yourself look taller.
On June 21, the sun rises at 5:09 a.m. and sets at 9.29 p.m. Twilight lingers, so that you can read a book outside until about 10:30 p.m. Compare this to New York City, with sunrise at 5:42 and sunset at 8:30.
On December 21, sunrise is 8:12 a.m. Sunset is 4.18 p.m. Twilight falls quickly. As the sun drops, so does the temperature.
The Northern Lights don’t look like they do on TV, but they are still spectacular. They are not just a winter thing, but are often visible in the summer. White and green are the most common colors, but pink and blue can sometimes be seen. They make you feel very small and insignificant.
Important detail. The metal in pierced earrings freezes to your earlobes at -35C. It's not pleasant.
It really is God's Country. It's heartbreakingly beautiful in every season, despite the heat, the cold and the bugs. Adrian will come to love it, given time. He'll never want to leave.