I was talking to my general foreman and apparently when this job starts to wind down there will be the option to transfer to another job closer to Edmonton. It is part of two projects being done by Shell that combined have a value of somewhere between $25-$30 billion. Yes billion. Anyway that project is still good for years to come. So I can imagine that my life in Alberta has just started. Although it is really not much of a life. I am starting to think that the best thing I could do is buy a house out here and call it a day. This may be difficult to deal with for me and the children, but unfortunately I have to worry about myself at some point. No one else is going to do it for me.

I did end up going for a hike yesterday. It wasn't much of a hike it was more like a walk as I had to walk on the side of the road. There was too much snow to go out on trails. Either way I went about 10km. The picture is where I turned around and went back. It was a pretty good day. I think I may head out again today. Maybe I can see something interesting. Or just fill the giant void a bit.

Off weekend

This weekend is my off weekend. I guess I could use some rest. I don't think I will go into town this time. I don't have any money to spend, and there is nothing that I realistically need to spend money on. Plus Fort McMurray sucks. So I think I will get out and about for a hike, it is supposed to warm up to a scorching 10 C today. Hopefully I can get out and get some pictures. Otherwise I will just hang out and drink coffee until my brain starts to vibrate!

They sent us back to camp today after we took the death defying bus trip in to the job. They decided it would be safer for us to take two death defying trips in one morning. Actually most of the upper management could not make it in from Fort McMurray. The highway was really bad. It has been snowing for about three days now. Hopefully it will have stopped by tomorrow. While we were waiting for our bus to show up we saw one of the big dump trucks go by our job with its box up. After it went through the intersection it hit the highline (a pipeline above the roadway). I think the driver was hurt, as you could see him get thrown out of his seat like a ragdoll. Either way the truck is broken, there is damage to the highline and I am pretty sure the driver will get fired.

So the weather has taken a bit of a turn for the worse here in the great white north. We recorded temperatures on the jobsite today of -30 C. They have canceled all flights because of the whiteout conditions. Environment Canada has issued a winter storm warning for the area. I am pasting in two pictures of the contrast between last Sunday and this Sunday. There is a noticeable difference. Locals are saying that we are going to get 3 feet of snow over the next couple days. Yay!

-20 Spring is officially here!

As everyone back home enjoys a warm spring with temperatures of 24C, spring here in northern Alberta seems to mean snow and temperatures of -20. It was quite a shock after last weekend was 15C to see snow again and have the thermometer dip that much. I guess this is the life of an Albertan!

mmmm...........chicken!

Someone recently asked me what the food was like here. Luckily for the time being I am in one of the better camps. So today for lunch I had a chicken stir fry, breaded chicken breast stuffed with broccoli and cheese, plus breaded pork chunks with rice and green beans. Of course I also had a pastry and oreo cookies. For dinner we had a choice of quarter chicken, fettuccine Alfredo, meatloaf, a variety of potatoes and vegetables, rice, and a fresh cream vegetable and cheese soup. Of course there are fresh rolls, and ice cream, plus the dessert fridge. Every Tuesday is New York Steak and shrimp night. So I guess in the end you could say that I am eating just fine. I definitely will not starve to death here.

Camp

I just thought that I would put up a few pictures of the camp that I am staying in. I cannot remember how many people this camp holds but someone once told me that it was 4000. I don't think it is quite that, but it sure would be 2000 or more.