Kwadacha

So after my last post I got on a little airplane and headed north.   My original destination was Fort Ware or Kwadacha (the names are used interchangeably) Fort Ware being the name of the town and Kwadacha being the name of the band who lives here.   Unfortunately some people had ignored the large sign at the airport and had been doing donuts on the runway so the plane could not land.  It instead dropped me off in Tsay Keh a town 70km south of Fort Ware. 
The Fort Ware Airport signage

 

Tsay Keh is a town whose health care is also provided for by the nurses of Fort Ware... we split our week in half as well as are expected to come to either community in case of an emergency. 

 The only airport buildings in Tsay Keh lol

 



One of the contractors gave me a ride up the "Russel" logging road to Fort Ware.  Once there I settled in to my new house and got orientated to the clinic. These houses were built with the hope that nurses would move here with their families full time.. so the houses are big.  I have a three bedroom two bath house just for me. 

 Fort Ware is built right beside the river and in a valley and when the sun shines it is gorgeous.  The health center is brand new built in 2013 it is half health care and half band administration.  Here I am starting to fully understand the scope of Community Health Nursing.  The population we serve here is bigger and has higher needs.  As nurses we are the nurse, the ER, walkin clinic, family doctor, homecare nurse, ambulatory daycare, public health clinic, lab, pharmacy, dentist, and the vet.  Its daunting at times but I am also learning a lot.  So much depends on through assessment of the patient and relationships that you build. 

 A Medivac plane out of Fort Nelson to bring a patient to Prince George.  One of the challenges of this health station is its remoteness. In any kind of real emergency any air support is minimum 2 hours away and only in day light hours which is from 8-330.

 Kwadacha Life... lots of wood piles,  Bannock on Fridays mmmmm, and the wolf

 I am kinda obsessed with the ice in the river

 We spend last week Thursday and Friday and then again this week Mon-Wed in Tsay Keh.  Chris and I getting gas in our trusty truck and checking our the selection at their store... we scored with the bean and rice chips!!!!

 Weekends give the best chance for longer walks in daylight hours!! We are on call 24/7 but for this hour or two we put a note on our door. People always know where you are anyway =)

 The satellite RCMP office.. they have a detachment in TsayKeh and just come if they get a call. and the store... surprisingly good selection!!!

 

 Down by the lake in TsayKeh... very cold and windy.  When I flew in two weeks ago it was still open but now quickly freezing over. 

Home next week hopefully if the weather cooperates.  See you all then.

PS if you have been texting me.. I'm not ignoring you. There is no cell service here and internet is spotty at best.  

My week in Hartley Bay was lovely... interspersed torrential downpour and winds with breaks with warm sun.  The people were kind and generous. 

My walk to work in the rain.  My office and the clinic

 Some Sunshine at the lake

 Lunch down by the water.  And W. generously gave me some Halibut!!

 Scrubs?? what are those..

 Lunch down on the Floatplane dock

 Doing house visits in the golf cart

 Don't Speed!!!

 So stormy weather on my out day cancelled the flight.  I was in community for on extra day and then on Saturday a charter float plane came and brought my replacement and I flew out.  My first time in float plan was AMAZING!!! so smooth and the view was stunning.  We stopped off at another community and then made our way to Prince Rupert.   The plane was 71 years old!!!

 Dinosaur!!

 One of my best friends family lives in Prince Rupert so I spent the afternoon with them... walking around town and watching the sunset at the port and then nummy indian food!!

Because of my delay getting out of Hartley Bay all of my flights were messed up so I ended up taking the train from Prince Rupert to Prince George.  It was gorgeous ride in the sunshine but what would have been a quick flight was a 12 hour journey
Old docks on the inlet

 Sunrise on the tidal shores of the Skeena River

Now just sitting in Prince George waiting for my flight north!!!  Just heard that the airstrip in Fort Ware is not accessible so going to fly to a nearby town and drive in.  The adventure continues!!!

I know you are surprised... me to.. thought perhaps I didn't know how to use this website anymore =)

With me traveling more and more  the requests for pictures and blogging have started.. and so here it is.  Its not that I didn't want to this past year but just kind of fell out of the routine now I  have the time!!  (all the pics are iphone as I don't have space for my camera and lenses)

I have taken a 6 month leave of absence from my regular job to do some travel nursing. I have been hired by a agency who contracts out to hard to fill positions around the province.  Its a change and a challenge professionally which I am excited for.

  In the beginning of the month I spent 2 weeks in Clearwater- a small town north of Kamloops.  It was a good first experience and I took full advantage of Well's Gray Park while I was there.  It was a  gorgeous park full of waterfalls and alpine. I had one full day to explore and one morning before nights
Dutch Lake- About a 2 km walk from my apartment it was where I sat and read and ate dinner before my nights when I couldn't sleep

 Helmeckan Falls- the pride and joy of the park.  This is the view from the drive in view point

Walked in 5 km along the river to the drop point for this shot

 On my waterfall day I also went to Spats Falls

 Dawson Falls

 And Moul Falls

 Behind the falls- going in or behind falls always takes my breath away.. not sure if it is the vacuum from the water or what causes it

The day after the falls I hiked up into the alpine meadows

 

Currently I am in Hartley Bay- It is a small First Nations Community of about 160 people and I am one of two nurses in the community. There is a clinic run by the First Nations Health Authority.  It is a ER/PublicHealth/FamilyDoctor type of situation.  There are no other health care resources or professionals in the community.
I got to the community via boat from Prince Rupert. 
This is where it is located- right on the coast at the head of Douglas Channel

 

 Hartley Bay is built up on stilts- so there are no roads. The roadways are board walks.  As there are no roads there are no cars. Just golf carts or quads.  This is the golf cart that belongs to the nurses

 Housing is provided by the FNHA- I have my own half of a duplex

 The Ambulance- mini golf cart style - also the community has a fire truck and a police golf cart

 My radio friend for when I am on call but out of my house.

 Walked up the boardwalk to the lake today

 Boardwalk through the forest