At last, the first snow has fallen. The days are short, the nights are long, and the temperatures are hovering right around freezing. Despite the winter darkness and the colder weather, somehow everything feels lighter and warmer now that the forest is covered in a white blanket of snow. It’s quite magical really, watching the lakes turn to ice and the stars twinkle brighter in the night sky. Now that most of my renovation projects are wrapped up for the season, it’s a very different experience to get up and do as I wish each morning, knowing that nothing needs to be done by nightfall. Moreover, seeing as I’ve touched nearly every surface of this place with my own two hands, getting to enjoy the fruits of my labour is very rewarding. And, of course, getting to share these moments with Cody makes it that much more special – to the both of us, I think.
From sunup just after 9am to sundown around 3pm, there are endless roads and trails for Cody and I to explore. We wake up with the sun and eat a hearty breakfast, then spend most of the daylight hours outdoors. When the darkness creeps in, we cozy up indoors – a roaring fire in the wood-burning stove and a mug of hot chocolate in hand. As twilight turns to night, I light a dozen candles and switch on half a dozen battery-powered lights, creating a permanent feeling of dusk within the walls of the cottage. Shortly thereafter, afternoon becomes evening and the nighttime activities commence – reading, writing, building puzzles, colouring, learning guitar, crocheting, doing yoga, and more of the sort. I have a solar power bank to charge small electronics as well, but with the limited sunlight these days, I use it very sparingly – mainly to stay connected through social media.
As far as day-to-day responsibilities go, off-grid living in the wintertime feels more manageable and less inconvenient than I thought it would. I melt snow to wash dishes, fetch water from a nearby stream to take sink showers, restock firewood to keep the wood stove burning, and defrost jugs of drinking water that I stockpiled before the snow came. My cottage is perched on a small hill, the road to which is closed during the winter months, so I knew I’d have to lug my stuff up and down on foot at this time of year. Water is heavy, which is why I stocked up beforehand, along with propane tanks for the fridge and stove, fuel containers for the generator, bags of dog food for Cody, and various other household goods. And with my family home located just over an hour away, I don’t have to worry about doing laundry or purifying water while here.
Off-grid living has a way of looking and sounding very dreamy, and in my experience it has been thus far. Maybe it’s because I went into this season craving adventure – fully prepared to embrace the dark days, the cold nights, and the snowy weather – or perhaps the novelty of owning a cottage in the woods has yet to wear off. Whatever the case may be, I’m forever thankful for this endless nature retreat with Cody. Seeing him so happy just warms my heart, and I know that the memories we’re creating will last a lifetime.
With ♡, Julia Elizabeth
