Brief Bio...

I consider myself to be very, very lucky.  Not that I haven’t experienced heartache and loss over the years, but I'm lucky to now live in an unusually beautiful spot, in the Northern Canadian bush, with my exceptional and talented "MacGyver-esque" husband. 

I am a retired American public school teacher and taught in both inner city and affluent school settings in Wisconsin.  My Canadian husband and I made the decision in 2020 to begin the process of living on his summer property, year 'round, due to the uncertainties of the pandemic and border crossing restrictions.  I had been spending well over a decade worth of summers living here, off-the-grid.  I loved it!  I couldn't wait to immigrate!  It was my dream to live here year 'round, but nothing prepared me for my first winter here in 2022-2023.

 

They say to be careful for what you wish for! 

 

I nearly froze solid, that first winter, due to lack of proper cabin insulation and an under producing wood stove.  Every single day was just another day of just barely getting by.  During the course of five frigid months, I had only two weeks worth of showers, all of which were away from home. 

 

We had no running water.  Trips to the outhouse were well thought out events.  I washed clothes in a squeegee mop bucket with a toilet plunger, cleaned plates with paper towels, avoided cooking meals and lost weight.  Eventually, I took eight loads of dirty laundry back to the United States to be washed at a very sympathetic friend's house.  In the bush, human contact was scarce, and our snowy two hour winter trip to the nearest small town was a toboggan packing ordeal!  To my shock and horror, we were sucked into giant snow banks and sunk our snow machine on several occasions.

 

During that time, the teenage girl in me reared her ugly head, both literally and figuratively.  My husband will tell you, quite frankly, that it was impossible for me to suffer in silence! 
 

So, why did I put up with it?  Why did I continue to do it?  I have a pension!  I will tell you!  It was FOR LOVE, and  also because of the profound beauty right outside my front and back doors. 
 

And now, dear reader, due to the new cabin upgrades in heating, running water, hot showers, reliable internet, enhanced transportation and thawed-out fingers, I am able to share with you my out-of-this-world life in the Northern Ontario bush.  

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Sincerely,  

The Bush Wife