Be Careful

Living in an isolated community, there are a lot of things that we have to be mindful of that we never would have thought about at home. Not to say we were wasteful or extravagant in our habits, but there are just certain things you take for granted living in the South that you have to really think about here.


It seems like we are constantly being told to be mindful of our water consumption because the trucks are down, or the sewer trucks aren't running, etc. In the nearly 3 months that we have been here, we've been out of water a couple of times (either due to the water tanks not being filled or the sewage not being pumped out). When we were traveling on our respective trips, one of the things we enjoyed was taking a really long shower without having to think about whether or not the water truck had come by that day! It will be a luxury to go home to Ontario and take lingering showers, do laundry, wash dishes, etc. at our leisure without thinking about what day of the week it is and whether the trucks were coming...

We also have to be mindful of our fuel tank to make sure that there's enough in it to run our furnace. I can't imagine going through a cold winter day without having fuel - water we can at least get from the store, melt snow, etc. .... no heat in the dead of winter? Forget about it!

Then there are the warnings about always being properly dressed/having all your winter gear with you in case the weather turns bad (as it is wont to do in the blink of an eye). We've been lucky that the weather is still considered pretty mild for now, but once winter really hits we hear it can be a beautiful clear day one minute and the next, it could be blinding snowstorms. So...I think we're each going to keep an emergency kit with us at work/in the car at all times that will include all the winter accessories we'll need and some other essentials.

It's also really slippery on the roads because the hamlet doesn't use sand or salt after it ices over - eventually it will become a road of ice and snow to maneuver through. Couple that with drivers who don't usually signal, and pedestrians who may or may not walk into the middle of the road...driving here, even though there's no "traffic" in the usual sense, is pretty darn terrifying. So you're always super careful anytime you step out of the house - on foot or in a car!

Funny, lots of things to be mindful of and I find that we're actually more cautious while we're here. Ah well, a bit of caution never hurt anyone. I do look forward to the days where I can take endless bubble baths any day of the week, though! :)

-L