No, this is not a movie. It’s real life. I’ve to move to make way for some major renovations in our house. For a month or so, Arti the urbanite is living in the country. My summer abode is a log home amidst acres of farmland, at the foot of the Rockie Mountains in Alberta, Canada. I have fresh air, big blue sky, quiet neighbors, and magnificent views. The following are some pictures of my summer indulgence.
The little big house on the Prairie:
My view:
My quiet neighbors:
My other quiet neighbor:
My visitors:
There’s no water for me to make ripples. I’ll have to create sketches in the wind. I’m gratified by the views and the solitude I’m granted here in the open country. But there are costs: no TV, no Internet, the commuting to the City (about an hour’s drive), unwanted house guests: mice and other rodents. As much as I yearn to embrace nature, I confess I’m no Thoreau or Dillard…I just can’t live without modern conveniences, nor can I survive without the Internet. How can I be a recluse and stay away from the blogging community for a whole month!?
So here’s my list of survival gears:
Electronic gadgets: A 7″ portable DVD player, a couple of cameras, my laptop, and of course, my BlackBerry. I’ll have to drive to the nearest town to find Internet access.
DVD’s I brought with me: Sketches of Frank Gehry, Paris, Je T’Aime, Life As A House, Fargo, The Hours, Wordplay, The Namesake…plus some titles I need to preview for a Film Festival.
Books: My current reading list includes The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, Persuasion by Jane Austen, and two books by Robert K. Johnston, Reframing Theology and Film, and Reel Spirituality: theology and film in dialogue.
Also, I intend to visit the nearest town and explore some arts and crafts stores and yes, they have a public library there…I won’t feel so alienated after all.
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Ripple Effects 
Arti, that view is to die for. It’s gorgeous! How lucky are you to get a month-long retreat — and with such nice neighbors! I hope you’ll enjoy the time away from all the demands of urban life.
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nikkipolani: Thanks for visiting my humble abode. Yes, it’s a retreat alright…and I do enjoy the view. But maybe one month is ok…it’s tiring fighting mice, a new experience for me!
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Yikes that looks like a beautiful spot you find yourself in. I can understand you being uncomfortable about the mice. Too bad you can’t borrow two micer cats!! We really do get attached to our electronic devices…
Enjoy your month.
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Ellen: I can’t have cats because of my phobia of them…also, we’ve tried the sonic devices but they didn’t work for us. We just stick to the glued paper traps, and so far we’ve caught a couple of them. Just trying not to let rodents distract us from the beautiful Rockies. Thanks for stopping by.
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This is one gorgeous log home Arti. How I wish to embrace the nature like you do! There are poeple dying to live out there, even for a weekend you know.
Crisp, fresh morning air, big Alberta blue sky and the cattle…..how nice!
Over here in Hong Kong, with all the skyscrapers & pollution, we can hardly see the sky.
Enjoy your summer retreat….indugle yourself. Heaven on earth indeed.
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Enjoy the peacefulness. Many people think the country is quieter, and while it is more peaceful, there always seems to be noises going on at all hours of the day and night. The noises are just very different than city noises.
I’m an urbanite too. Grew up in the country. I love to visit, but am always eager to get home.
Just picked up The Glass Castle from the library. 🙂
amanda
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Molly Mavis: Yes I know I’m blessed…just the fresh air itself is luxury, and I get more than just that.
amanda: You’re right. I got waken up by birds every morning and at night, the sounds are almost eerie. It’s certainly is a new experience for me.
As for The Glass Castle, it’s just amazing…I’ll write about it one of these days. Enjoy your ride!
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Hey Arti…Now that’s a vacation place if I see one. (Are you having one of Diane Lane’s “Under the Tuscan Sun” moment yet?)
Well the selections of movies are fantastic…and I’d say, everything from Sketches of Frank Gehry (respects to Dir. Sydney Pollack) to The Hours (hey, you will always need additional drama)…is amazing. I hope you’re having a good time in the country…(Should you need anything I can help with…say how to churn butter by hand…do let me know!)
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Ah, man. I’m jealous. I love sky! There’s no friggin’ sky in claustrophobic New England. Too many trees.
Enjoy what you got, Arti. It’ll go by SOOOO fast!
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Foodiewil: I’m afraid I’m not one of those versatile personalities you see on The Food Channel, or Martha Stewart Living. I’m the type to drive around and explore new places to eat in the nearest small town….so, there goes my opportunity to have a real taste of homesteading.
writinggb: Yes, I do like the sky and the mountains…this is one of the reasons I stay here in Alberta. Although I long to visit New England, love the trees turning red in the fall and all those scenes I see in movies.
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New England’s lovely and all that, but I was raised in the west. So it still feels claustrophobic here, especially in the summer with all the leaves on all those darned trees everywhere, blocking out the beautiful sky. In the fall the color is great, and the thinning trees mean more sky, too. New England is a nice place to visit at that time.
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Dear Arti,
What a nice house in the prairie! May I come for a visit next summer? 🙂 I love your neighbours and we can send the rats to rat heaven together!
Peace out,
D
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