tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42837209968132093072024-02-19T10:15:34.821-07:00Sojourn NorthA woman, a man and life north of the Arctic circleWomanNorthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00994831972830130744noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4283720996813209307.post-44836888188258074032009-12-16T12:38:00.005-07:002009-12-16T12:51:49.826-07:00Reality beats sci-fi any day<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho2PkjNfkNoohDrQhKjrXeTKm70qKgTVyhPiQTeJy2wc6iVYIBEFQWPBacvHKB0201m-HjqM2aB7p8Wji3QBWTli9E6MUjsIM4Phh1eqYKdjRZLCFxL3ak6Q_4lUXaavSqosyxs4wGZvQ/s1600-h/NGC+6302.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 317px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415921831753548082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho2PkjNfkNoohDrQhKjrXeTKm70qKgTVyhPiQTeJy2wc6iVYIBEFQWPBacvHKB0201m-HjqM2aB7p8Wji3QBWTli9E6MUjsIM4Phh1eqYKdjRZLCFxL3ak6Q_4lUXaavSqosyxs4wGZvQ/s400/NGC+6302.jpg" /></a><br /><div>I just stumbled across the Boston Globe's Advent collection of photos taken from the Hubble Space telescope. This fantastic photo above is of the NGC 6302 nebula, view the others in the Globe's <a href="http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/12/hubble_space_telescope_advent_1.html">advent collection </a>and tour around the <a href="http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2009/25/">Hubble site</a> to see more beautiful and amazing imagery in their galleries and learn more about discoveries they've made and about modern astronomy.<br /></div><div></div>WomanNorthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00994831972830130744noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4283720996813209307.post-67578005612045471022009-12-15T12:23:00.004-07:002009-12-15T12:30:33.599-07:00At long last...but not quiteTo any friends and family who check back in here now and then to see if I'm still posting -I'm working on it and am trying to decide if the blog will continue in the new year. (Obviously this past year hasn't been great for blogging.) It's not that I've not had bloggable events over the year, it's been a matter of making the time for a blog with, perhaps, diminishing returns.<br /><br />At any rate, today I came across a great video of animals doing cool things and wanted to share the video. Also see this<a href="http://scienceblogs.com/notrocketscience/2009/12/octopus_carries_around_coconut_shells_as_suits_of_armour.php"> link</a> (and especially the link in its first paragraph, if you enjoy a bit of Monty Python) for more details.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1DoWdHOtlrk&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1DoWdHOtlrk&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>WomanNorthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00994831972830130744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4283720996813209307.post-25903994938033838842008-10-13T10:53:00.012-06:002008-10-13T11:40:43.079-06:00On the serious side of things.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGlBibt_Fe1c-rykM9mdT2MWhyGtAjLOyH-sQq4DHWXIYunPBgm9oHyQHNVaVfXcGcO_SMn0D4Bm2ENxhdEN6Bj7GamRus71gHO-oyndtB7Anr8KBgQDVe7FlV-XVwg00xERYuMv__dk/s1600-h/Election+instruction.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256694007645125474" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGlBibt_Fe1c-rykM9mdT2MWhyGtAjLOyH-sQq4DHWXIYunPBgm9oHyQHNVaVfXcGcO_SMn0D4Bm2ENxhdEN6Bj7GamRus71gHO-oyndtB7Anr8KBgQDVe7FlV-XVwg00xERYuMv__dk/s320/Election+instruction.JPG" border="0" /></a>To date, I’ve avoided political discussion on my blog. Today however, I am making a minor exception. As most of you should know, Canadians are voting in a federal election tomorrow. In my opinion, other than by paying our taxes or serving in the military, voting is one of the most patriotic things we can do as citizens. To be sure that I’m fully informed before casting my ballot tomorrow, I’ve spent some time comparing party platforms by way of the internet and party websites. This has been helpful and informative, both in assisting me to make my choice and happily, in giving me some light-hearted blog fodder. I bring this up, not to criticise any particular party or out of any partisan bias, but simply out of curiosity and desire for reader feedback on a serious matter in federal politics: <div><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Punctuation and grammar </span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">in a federal election campaign!</span></strong><br /></div><br /><div>Here are some screen shots clipped straight from party websites:</div><br /><div>The <a href="http://www.greenparty.ca/">Green Party of Canada</a> believes in punctuating headlines. And sentence fragments.<br /></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256683388438507714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZVUwDZ-Usz9K8DviS0U6QrhthR4wVZXJ8YxwzjY8Obsmzl4hAHr6FqjNE17d3utJrgmlx0wP_q6kcm0ibNGzhy3viED-LdIa-HqZbxjGQsOsqSfAjxorh0gse__GQtAafBaof-LyoOM8/s400/Green+punctuation.JPG" border="0" /></div><br /><div>The <a href="http://www.conservative.ca/">Conservative Party of Canada</a> agrees (occasionally).<br /></div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256686405372830322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbt5NtrMDxKDJ6RmDps16RvVqsdzbC05guA7y-lW4KdZNN3Z9FeRYTXuxpzNnjtgTpviG8dy_C-yZmQPKLMoNLZwghK5-SU6_NHy45lHcS7QesPA0d0NNTovDIg1NikN3jGzzKvEdLzjM/s400/Conservative+headline.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div><div><div>The <a href="http://www.ndp.ca/">New Democratic Party of Canada</a> does without such punctuation and prefers contractions usually reserved for colloquial speech</div><div><em><span style="font-size:85%;">(who'll??)</span></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRVEtpRlygK0mWwCVArkhf746sHQTO8ZPIxys-6gWrygYtdiZCKPILFgAKrOOcgLJKaQXRcM1J-i4ayIfPWYDWOPuxV8zATIk9PwBd3Fg_GIcTZqYvnbyMK4sK-8aYD49MDprdboXbpjI/s1600-h/ndp+apostrophe+use.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256682948894145554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRVEtpRlygK0mWwCVArkhf746sHQTO8ZPIxys-6gWrygYtdiZCKPILFgAKrOOcgLJKaQXRcM1J-i4ayIfPWYDWOPuxV8zATIk9PwBd3Fg_GIcTZqYvnbyMK4sK-8aYD49MDprdboXbpjI/s400/ndp+apostrophe+use.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />while the Bloc Québécois is thrilled to have you reading their website, en français<strong>! </strong></div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiClDdouC-9A_8N9cnYUafgMpZkvIypHJ_cosWrSoU5QcoISm_7filqRvKUb0IE1RNe0PcRM6KOSZ_F-DfKQwXfCC66VueOOYKLK0uRdIaqskJOYXs5qdc_CG17A6sKqTvSywh4cs8eYBA/s1600-h/Bloc+exclaims.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256682807636026050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiClDdouC-9A_8N9cnYUafgMpZkvIypHJ_cosWrSoU5QcoISm_7filqRvKUb0IE1RNe0PcRM6KOSZ_F-DfKQwXfCC66VueOOYKLK0uRdIaqskJOYXs5qdc_CG17A6sKqTvSywh4cs8eYBA/s400/Bloc+exclaims.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />The Liberal Party of Canada challenges you to comment on these grammatical styles.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256683100141869490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxSx8QWvRD4sOf60v7xIJ8hVwN3BHxnu1sXDmXaY3KPLL86dP064n1O7gYrY2KgEsDqvxwd9aEprnMXcdnA3whHEEcO3hor_kVCsmNis6MM5Omx88xLiws0EwxUpwQgXeFPxDNN3BgHDE/s400/Liberal+grammar.JPG" border="0" /> Please, have at 'er!</div><div>(Or perhaps that should be: <em>Blogger invites comments. Now!</em>)</div></div></div></div></div>WomanNorthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00994831972830130744noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4283720996813209307.post-34834573697610973682008-09-28T09:56:00.011-06:002008-09-28T10:20:31.373-06:00Winter? Yep, it REALLY is alreadyWe now interrupt this irregularly scheduled appearance of vacation photos to bring you....<br /><div><div><div>a photo of our balcony this morning.<br /></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251101967033827154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj98HLW0vAvt7TlBUsP6zmUosNk0jPwa-wvczBQ0Osw86vXgbbNI-mXAmWN2SngtF7CBC6u0HPpXOumWei1U5bgQcypfSpOnb6eUxpmEvVH8JX_U2VpqVTGD0n3lI6nq5bWyIab_q_h6lE/s400/Sept+28.jpg" border="0" /></div><div>Just in case you didn't really believe me when I said that our fall is done and we've begun winter, I've now given you proof in all its glorious fluffy cold whiteness in a 2 dimensional electronic voyeuristic sort of way. So, um, there! </div><br /><div>In other breaking news in Northern Town, ManNorth and I were astonished to have been awarded the Green Thumb award, meaning that of those who voted over at our community greenhouse, most of them thought <a href="http://sojournnorth.blogspot.com/2008/07/welcome-to-our-garden.html">our garden</a> was the best. Now, I've no idea how "best" is defined for although we had a pretty garden, that was quite bushy and green with <a href="http://sojournnorth.blogspot.com/2008/07/garden-denizens.html">willow bird and sweet pea accents</a>, we didn't think it was terribly prolific. However, we are pleased as punch to have the Thumb, replete with its dirty nail and all, to display in our garden next year as next year's garden is going to be even better!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251104938269724146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg58TLoXtSkIY4REp3Ot5f9Fm_-uvqh4HOLguPPDia2lyeXL5A1FcB4rrRxGqnJF1u8r_fd_W06sZeLVEyPxf2C2ZZZQaxcmIbQ1TVeTyOan0Nf9jg6wBpC3LlFB3ZK-3iw8hk6OpE1ur0/s400/Thumb.jpg" border="0" /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251104569757564802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP9WpGh1c2bk22TVdxymKECdvr3u5DZvjSI8bOjsN7XfMqxzhp2wRKbb5Rn0RtDaGXM5uq5vCPrfKW3yoADgHSce2N6UyA4oePTjmgaTgCzNtvO6UqCf-XpOA1BwHbOBt75KNjRx2JmRM/s400/Tomato+harvest.jpg" border="0" />Apparently our tomato harvest was more than most people were able to grow this year. We're just pleased to have fresh tomatoes that don't cost $1 each or more!</div><div></div><div><div></div><div>Now that the mercury has dropped below zero, the temperature inside the greenhouse has likewise fallen and most plants have frozen, died or are in the process of doing so. We spent a few hours yesterday helping to clean up before winter lock-up and to bring home a few of our potted plants that were in need of some attention and/or eating. </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251104450237510306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthB_UrIopNa4OrFIU9G-tktHSA3bQdda5g_3exs4U8KXX-rj3K-s1uh-ucOshYHCZ8azHySsX5vI308cIBJcC6_t1YZk0bnpIsu5YegqHw_AxzWwvDuHjQ5aP3UUlJMMebDa54FY1x_s/s400/green+thumb.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div><br />Some of those potted plants look admittedly scrawny and it was due in part, to my forgetting to water them and then to massively over water them. The huge bouquet is made up of the last of our parsely and the final few blooms from our sweet peas. I'll make some tabouli with the parsley and just enjoy the scent of the sweet pea flowers, more so now that we've moved into winter.WomanNorthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00994831972830130744noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4283720996813209307.post-2862582540709055872008-09-24T20:31:00.011-06:002008-09-28T10:26:57.957-06:00Vacation photos the firstA few weeks ago my folks came waaay up North and West for a visit and we ventured south to meet them. Along the way back, we decided that since we were so close we might as well pop over to Alaska and visit the small town of Chicken (named chicken apparently, as the residents couldn't spell ptarmigan). That there is Alaska (and the wee border crossing over at the green buildings on the right):<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifPZm8vv2KC52dPBYwhF5o-aJROJ07T9nYMy3v4_-XUGKv3kECI3kwClFs7KhxcioPYwfAHlbd_QJYbzUruEEhTqHN-_eKkvMQUYLAKkBLvJRXDTjUVyySxZwzv2a2ryFSIdUawM_xH38/s1600-h/IMG_3085edit.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249781789145484242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifPZm8vv2KC52dPBYwhF5o-aJROJ07T9nYMy3v4_-XUGKv3kECI3kwClFs7KhxcioPYwfAHlbd_QJYbzUruEEhTqHN-_eKkvMQUYLAKkBLvJRXDTjUVyySxZwzv2a2ryFSIdUawM_xH38/s400/IMG_3085edit.jpg" border="0" /></a> Just as we approached the border the engine light of our rental vehicle came on and as ManNorth and I had already been stranded just a few days earlier by our first rental vehicle we decided that we would cross the border but leave Chicken for another visit. The quizzical look on the border guard's face was rather amusing when we answered the question "How long will you be in the United States?" with "About 3 minutes." (To answer your obvious question: We had a problem with our first rental while making the long drive south to meet my folks. That vehicle was replaced 24 hrs later after we'd slept in it 100 kilometers from the nearest service station and about 300 kilometers from the nearest town. The ever so understanding operator of the rental company considered that to be a cheap hotel room. At least the scenery was nice.) </div><div></div><br /><div>Looking back on the return to Canada from Alaska on this highway, one will see this: </div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249781883940470482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2yF92UBpdQ0tfohZBkEZNGMacKrBF3zwfDFa0y0WchsrF96eYcF4j7ZjAnv_H7p5bUpTVFixelbPTAOIAvlIBglJz4NmwIXS0IbLJvGJlaq56eUpG1OqzxEiFaqa9LqqMDuFvhtrY4E/s400/IMG_3078.jpg" border="0" />Do be safe though, if you navigate this particular road. There are some steep parts and some sharp curves. No one was in this vehicle when we stopped to check but it was a sobering reminder to have a ready foot on the brake and a sharp eye on the road.</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249948913890640338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp8xqrbal-3xaXvXDTDBfjn1U92LNuykLjufjnQzBCHd9MfEolGTAHwPkm2-6LZQXc4GL_Ek5xFD-aSoAnnDAJDpl-KYckmOKwdLnnd6I0ucZeY05PRd1q6FJ6pbbBiDKOqs1a53AhEQc/s400/car.jpg" border="0" /> <div></div><br /><div>Along the way we also encountered this wonderful sign which I very nearly sent to <a href="http://thegrammarvandal.wordpress.com/">The Grammar Vandal</a> or to the <a href="http://redpeninc.blogspot.com/">Grammarphile</a> but then selfishly kept it here for my blog.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgij4MIoZMAHj_TndrBnqDnBRRds36-LgGXf4a5xiKu-lQN5QcsUlGKXuokkeEhdtXPufd1qqJsjG_TnCXbR1J_x4k2yYn68OY8ddGROaevHgHHEUoK8GqoSlY2KStEERvVKjzYmtmyRq0/s1600-h/IMG_3096.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249781691242107026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgij4MIoZMAHj_TndrBnqDnBRRds36-LgGXf4a5xiKu-lQN5QcsUlGKXuokkeEhdtXPufd1qqJsjG_TnCXbR1J_x4k2yYn68OY8ddGROaevHgHHEUoK8GqoSlY2KStEERvVKjzYmtmyRq0/s400/IMG_3096.jpg" border="0" /></a> Amusingly, someone else had noticed the apostrophe error and decided to write a bit about it. Unfortunately, they made much less sense than the sign did:<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfi-RXQHa_XBp4T3XAsRVO0IL4JKSrr7t2xv5q8YjOJIN6sfzayMvphvl5OeHpzL69cngXnVYBNRQSm9APEdEXdL-M4PvPaAosW27e6qXvcnyY3V0ghLC07rgVxyuZBIIwtaIVn3PWTUU/s1600-h/IMG_3098edit.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249781537254816690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfi-RXQHa_XBp4T3XAsRVO0IL4JKSrr7t2xv5q8YjOJIN6sfzayMvphvl5OeHpzL69cngXnVYBNRQSm9APEdEXdL-M4PvPaAosW27e6qXvcnyY3V0ghLC07rgVxyuZBIIwtaIVn3PWTUU/s400/IMG_3098edit.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Some one must have taken note however, as by the time we actually reached the ferry the next sign looked like this.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqqHzFlKyzjI8YpOin3BJXigbIvjelVP7SfzUdEVGAP60Ztss1aLRVrazPxVgEYMi8buxfx0W8v5LAKPteQ3AgPIlDjAfUSRA2tSfXdDYkV-chVIZ0CQmGgvwmWtxLIADMyrWGCN2TpAA/s1600-h/IMG_3120.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249781349779296962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqqHzFlKyzjI8YpOin3BJXigbIvjelVP7SfzUdEVGAP60Ztss1aLRVrazPxVgEYMi8buxfx0W8v5LAKPteQ3AgPIlDjAfUSRA2tSfXdDYkV-chVIZ0CQmGgvwmWtxLIADMyrWGCN2TpAA/s400/IMG_3120.jpg" border="0" /></a> Below is the ferry we were using to cross the mighty Yukon river. I think this particular passenger is comfortable with a higher level of risk than me.<br /></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK1ULR9Rc4Flm6fwaI5PSdG5mMrt2FWD_-kVSAXkCGw5bKLq4rZ3-6BxwjCQ-BkfzjGC4fZTHOeIUe4sMWkuftfRJYV79d1wNFnO_VAGVM5TTZE_xnYdj1o5y3erzHrzHIENXbh4ZPYBU/s1600-h/risky+ferry.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249781189343115874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK1ULR9Rc4Flm6fwaI5PSdG5mMrt2FWD_-kVSAXkCGw5bKLq4rZ3-6BxwjCQ-BkfzjGC4fZTHOeIUe4sMWkuftfRJYV79d1wNFnO_VAGVM5TTZE_xnYdj1o5y3erzHrzHIENXbh4ZPYBU/s400/risky+ferry.jpg" border="0" /></a> More photos to come...</div></div></div></div></div>WomanNorthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00994831972830130744noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4283720996813209307.post-65048978005727153752008-09-23T08:28:00.003-06:002008-09-23T08:40:53.818-06:00Good-bye fall, hello winterI admit it.<br />I’ve become a terrible blogger, posting one day and not again for months. (Has it been quite that long?)<br />I've no idea how busy people can still find time to keep up a blog in addition to all their activities. I'm not managing this blog particularly well but it's not time to call it quits just yet.<br /><br />For any of you who still bother to check in (and I really don’t know why), life goes on in Northern Town with some happy new developments for yours truly. My job has become permanent and I’m now an ‘ologist in the full sense of the (um, truncated) term. Whoo hoo!<br /><br />Occasional field activities have kept me busy this fall and now that winter is beginning, plans for the spring are already in order. I don’t know yet what all that will entail, as it will as always, be determined by the funds I can raise for the various projects we have in mind.<br /><br />What’s that you say, YESTERDAY was the first day of fall? Heh. Yes, maybe for those of you in the south, but up here in Northern Town the majority of the leaves have fallen and the last day of technical summer was celebrated by an 18hour or so snow fall, which has since melted and been replaced by the occasional snowflake determined to be all it can be among a crowd of raindrops.<br /><br />Other than winging my way through the skies around Northern Town by helicopter (although I’m grounded by all the clouds this week), and watching my to-do list of office activities grow larger than I could fit on my whiteboard, ManNorth and I also took a week off in order to properly celebrate a visit by my parents who ventured north just in time to see a final spectacular display of the north’s fall colours and enjoy the last week of mild temperatures along with the odd caribou and grizzly sighting. (Mom & Dad, it was wonderful to have you visit. Next time, come in February!!)<br /><br />That’s it for today. More stories to come...WomanNorthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00994831972830130744noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4283720996813209307.post-32297126476610869442008-07-29T17:46:00.012-06:002008-07-29T18:18:50.664-06:00He's SSSSSSuper!I think that I may have forgotten to mention ManNorth's superhero status to all of you.<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><div>Hmm. Yes. I think I have, owing to it being secret and all. (Of course, this is no surprise to those of you who have met him, but we don't speak about it much publicly, owing to the superhero secrecy oath he had to take, which is itself secret. SHHHhhhhhhhhh.)</div><div><br /></div><div>I really can't explain further as I'd completely give it all away but I can share this wee little bit about one aspect of his superhero pursuits: they involve fire...and the coordinated putting out of really really big ones. </div><div><br /></div><div>Like this one depicted below by unknown and unnamed hapless citizens who now have the good fortune to have ManNorth (da da da dum) on their side.. or at least between them and the fire. (Er, actually, he has minions to do that for him, but I'm getting a bit sidetracked here.)</div><div> </div><div>I'd give photo credits to the photographers if I knew who they were...but they arrived by secret post along with super secret messages that couldn't be decoded.</div><div><br /></div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228588974099141538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7aaj8WxLtV9Qd0c8_dt6X8TX6zPw2FqYvrHa9eATqiO60379fS4mnyn-cqP584Y9rWPVq0Y1pOgQWAkwot_uXn1ttCK4vj_XdCgRfzHPTrxAuzs8AlKgp_YrTC7hOjq1N2vrLNPI1FOI/s400/IMG_4012_2.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228589218330616674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzkAGHh6J5b8tpi0BGyFwcjelczVPscX16APMA9QfZp87iIJZTuooDFhezhC524Y1JEKyDqhzlk-RRSRtLjMuAC7r4sfx_HsE99BaS_W5nPhkX6VUbU2Cmlr6PTLZEs5_t_vZObXSkW8/s400/five%25205.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228589117856828978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibpSYIyxbNrcOj-fJMVXk4yfqfqS6P9MGkE4VG55B_uy-n7ZWh20cC2rS4OJP585xmAsN1OfMyB6g-noXPTlwTlPWbKVP94HG70UyqWdtkgLUKKHNmunvW-ucTHe4smMXtL0vMT77vxXc/s400/fire%25206.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228589670774962242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlgSc8uXZnkxCp8t_wGCFyIn_IBpG1Ytp2WWBkVol_Hj3WwTdOmqQeuL0xZIwRHMqOhpu9A6OblnzfkTXRewczZgoYas8Wia-Qvv_sIQCXr2ym1YWCUCvmI127o5nhwVrcSrLdVLMuM6A/s400/IMG_3927_2.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228593685300502770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbWaHe9A6aLn-1KpY9TZXI7uU1rOs9tnzdabVRYM-6WgYME4J_ru7jPSH2l0tsbuTlCXMG7lOWnHxVnlHIDBOozXMVv0K8_y5RXLbXqq_NNnrhmE5yL5Rqqcx2kI1FONGhS9tMovbxVU/s400/sportplex.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228589388553327186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSxBF4fsGJ_h4KeDeXrPWsCfegQaojS9f3YVZlnfVvPVLVFTr16KpIGTzcOiRA9M4DCr51YCOYjiecCFIaigQQpu-ywp1DOAgnsRiwhSLdcrZayQvXvB8nS9lt07kcAx5Q4_XWuSPslU/s400/IMG_3939_2.jpg" border="0" /></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228594244574360946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_2cmHxes3jFIg_SqgHToyxT496koIUeLB6PzUIPqhTKxMpo1NYSGWj1PwXXVDYL2fzCZZdhVVVE3ZN_f3XYKJibr8NQGOU5bBcWFSTFpIBKmO5fdnFhdh1yGOvzTQ89a_XfskjQOZwiQ/s400/IMG_3906_2.jpg" border="0" /></div><div>Yep. I'm feeling rather proud of him today and missing him no small amount. I'm also hoping that he's taking lots of photos too before he jets off back to me here in Northern Town (hopefully) next week.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>WomanNorthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00994831972830130744noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4283720996813209307.post-69997489017877517812008-07-28T22:11:00.013-06:002008-07-29T18:21:54.108-06:00The pleasures of summer<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix7Bx2FEeMIO_l1zDwMzdzMc1DfpmXx4v0VOBHr4brfPjyXeY7IIPxLBuAeh96qkh4ST053dDLi6dlR-ssrz4BPyXTmyXm3hvZWgTEVp-A3QGAFEV2Hr6KAFJSUS_nZWGrPPcc7Xk00Fw/s1600-h/berry+picking.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228286326780872354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix7Bx2FEeMIO_l1zDwMzdzMc1DfpmXx4v0VOBHr4brfPjyXeY7IIPxLBuAeh96qkh4ST053dDLi6dlR-ssrz4BPyXTmyXm3hvZWgTEVp-A3QGAFEV2Hr6KAFJSUS_nZWGrPPcc7Xk00Fw/s400/berry+picking.jpg" border="0" /></a>It's berry picking season in the area around Northern Town and I'm determined to stock up on as many as I have time to gather before the berries start to drop. This weekend after ManNorth unexpectedly left on a two week posting to the south (more blogging to follow), I took the opportunity to share the berrypicking time with other friends from NorthernTown and went picking on Saturday and this evening after work. (It's always a good idea to avoid going out alone, even near town and I'd assured ManNorth that I'd stay safe as bear encounters are rare, but possible in the area. That, and spending time with friends is fun!) <div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228285527937266322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTctntfqPGQIqRDVG5miWHFJTxtxXtT94V9NW7KXfaQvLZ0FSiKmBgMrh2qgI2B-ws8wmfi4velbojKEuB-D8i2QJdw1OKJVbTOBTCxVlo8_KYUQu47z-1E6Jfp_d8gz_JwKLRXhYRdZU/s400/painstaking.jpg" border="0" /> <div>I've found that there is a special technique necessary to be speedy and gentle enough to avoid jarring the bush and knocking off all the fruit in pursuit of an individual berry.<br /><div></div></div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228285378699340018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2X1_CgEid_57SMnwNhgKAU73xImqW0ubkMA8bnif8Ub3JgpJqquqfTBA5NuF1hUGErpZCNC_KtKf-yEy0ey9F3oPFG95-jo0Ox8MTVq89Qmleb5wZe3_PMFaGMlX-d7wsXjTrMpKwSI/s400/blueberries+north+of+68.jpg" border="0" /></div><div>Now, when one <span style="font-size:78%;">(womannorth)</span> isn't particularly good at this technique, the berries are each as small as a pea and there is a limited amount of time to do the picking, one may resort to alternate methodology:<br /></div><br /><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228285831819716306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0ZKiDOjYVZV9XzwGN-76OfP1FH2zAiBPE3beAjhKp7SCkSTS36JEIppzT71JZejGzepuhL-lNq7bJUg2Tch7Rxn57xVp5u_XUN89qNR2XpIWwe7GniGa4ntu65YTU7m3hzQeZGMnLI8/s400/berry+bucket.jpg" border="0" />Berry rakes and campfire waterbuckets!<br /></div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228285657366033394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZg0NyX7NZESJSZ6QZRtR9OkFh0EwtUhtPSbaj0SPgZycBKr6UYIe3gvBfBfUOoLooCKYV1_RCdPPAZLvNvIYcatTJUvaCgYOpyXD8NyAAFqn2NiBoQ3Qyrjqe8iNtkTkPRS13UNebaWM/s400/blueberry+rake.jpg" border="0" />Now this is the way to do it! Simply scoop up the berries, raking the teeth of the scoop through the entire plant. Is this cheating? No, I don't think so. This is an efficient way to collect lots of berries quickly. (Of course, after Saturday's excursion, I found I spent almost an equal amount of time indoors cleaning all the twigs and leaves from the berries that the rake had also collected. However, that was time indoors while seated on a comfortable couch and protected from the myriads of black flies and mosquitos determined to render me a dry carcass. This was a fair exchange, I thought.)</div><br /><div>Don't believe me? Here's a horrible 20 second video I took today as an example. (Horrible, because of the poor technique admittedly, but most horrible because of all the bugs. Obviously.) </div><p align="center"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/P79I5E12GvU&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/P79I5E12GvU&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></p><br /><div>Now that I've mentioned of the local wildlife, of which I am certain you were simply fascinated by, you miiiiight just be interested in seeing another animal that had also been enjoying the berries. (Actually, there were at least 6-8 of them, but this was the only one that stuck around after I startled them to cluck at us in annoyance and disapproval from a perch atop a spruce tree. )</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228306425941491730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-eamrroO7jbuVotvzIIO61eZNoAWfUHX8YXRe5Da1rx9TvH2XusN1IjcvBHgpip8AVPWHdkiQvXWOI7NPrhN-Oa7njeqrO01tL-E_DWkYKtVU8NyZxhI4phxcbodNy9oHGT1X7tsXaVA/s400/ptarmigan+2.jpg" border="0" /> <div align="center">It's a ptarmigan! </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Can't see it? Look at one of the tree tops near the right hand side of the photo.)</span></div><br /><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228286160040488834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivkYdDgRjiqW4w2eDIqwzkxebeikKcgA-VFftKZWNybUQzxLSfYJCzWhsvGSNIRn97iLs4i_Q_p-cn7esaiqMQWJ5KOSErOm7Byuj2k3f6atmYPUrMfwQ-j1DEPC6gseNWYcRH24jhbHw/s400/impatient+sneaking.jpg" border="0" /> This is how one sneaks up on it to get its photo.</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228285953687187730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOGGT_13t5I7eCu3JXgEiWQS93REKlzZZ4MaAzHUbBYrUVl3sKWmClsmgbx1KuhJCk6dgErKDS548S_GHZ2VTTc8MbERoNehMxGwYQ9GK8nFooR39Ocuh0Q4wg_iVnPXvpOQaexvy_f4/s400/IMG_2548edit.jpg" border="0" /></div><div align="center">It was on to us.</div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"><em>C'est finite!</em></div></div>WomanNorthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00994831972830130744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4283720996813209307.post-63969845590968681042008-07-23T18:18:00.002-06:002008-07-23T18:25:29.286-06:00Heh, heh. It's kinda cooold.There was ice on a pond next to ManNorth’s workplace this morning and frost on the vehicles in our parking lot. Temperatures dropped overnight (despite the 24hours of daylight) to -1C.<br /><br />This makes me laugh just a wee bit for a few reasons: <br /><br />1. Because it’s just so ridiculous to be seeing ice in July at the same time one is contemplating going out to pick wild blueberries and ward off hoards of mosquitoes.<br /><br />2. Because it’s not really that unusual, given that we live 200 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle<br /><br />3. Because making headlines in the news over the past few days was how darn warm another arctic community that is 320 kilometres south of the arctic circle has been for the past few days and how much has been made of this temporary warming in that community and how everyone is speculating that it is related to climate change and global warming etc etc..<br /><br />Now, I certainly don’t deny that our climate is changing but what often gets forgotten is how variable weather can naturally be. For instance, when cold arctic air blows south to chill Northern Town and create sheets of ice on wee duck ponds, the air has to come from somewhere. The thing to remember is that where it came from isn’t suddenly a vacuum, devoid of air, but is being replaced with air from somewhere else, whose air is also being replaced.<br /><br />So to just speculate a wee bit here, not knowing the actual patterns of air movement that caused this but, as a result of low pressure systems sucking in air from high pressure systems, creating something known as global winds and pressure gradients, could not one tell a simple story of cold air in Northern Town coming from the arctic which sucked up warm air from the south to pass through TemporarilySwelteringOtherArcticTown to replace it?<br /><br />But one is speculated to be evidence of global warming while the other one just has sucky cold weather? Mmmm?<br /><br />Yep, this makes me chuckle, just a tiny bit.WomanNorthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00994831972830130744noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4283720996813209307.post-76710473610595309002008-07-21T20:22:00.006-06:002008-07-21T20:39:21.622-06:00Brrrrrrr!What was that I was saying the other day about it being warm enough for T-shirts and shorts?<br />Yes, well that was a short time ago. (Ahem.)<br /><br />I must not have been paying much attention to the weather these past few days because today's high was a balmy 11 degrees Celsius (53 Fahrenheit), only 3 degrees below the 24-hour high and tomorrow's high is forecast to be a lovely 8 degrees Celsius (46 Fahrenheit).<br /><br />Compared to a typical daily average temperature in January of about <em>minus</em> 27C, don't these warm July temperatures in Northern Town just make you think of piña coladas and Hawaiian lei or something?<br /><br />Hmm mmm, says half the town as they wish they were in Hawaii...<br /><br />Of course, ManNorth and I are faring well and didn't mind needing to pull out a wool sweater or two this evening!<br /><br />(Mom & Dad, don't worry: It will be looooooovvveeely when you come to visit in September.<br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Just remember your sweaters and your gloves and hats, 'kay?)</span>WomanNorthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00994831972830130744noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4283720996813209307.post-1742263154552193182008-07-19T09:11:00.011-06:002008-07-19T09:42:11.497-06:00Garden denizens<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidoBMHL1QAgJstIp5nBqQsJ0hLOcdX0gyO03kiAgkHIkNZbWhdfJQrhDNSAcV2DCWrmip1uj7pVqPvqyRuUfIynsCYmHXHyMxRkLwNcroxi0MFdBTy2Kclbo8is5qk00pfWNvTx_gy2pY/s1600-h/nasturtium.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224746235871179698" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidoBMHL1QAgJstIp5nBqQsJ0hLOcdX0gyO03kiAgkHIkNZbWhdfJQrhDNSAcV2DCWrmip1uj7pVqPvqyRuUfIynsCYmHXHyMxRkLwNcroxi0MFdBTy2Kclbo8is5qk00pfWNvTx_gy2pY/s320/nasturtium.jpg" border="0" /></a>Using willow twigs as plant stakes is fine, but what they are really great for is for making things. Things like baskets or, in the case of my garden, birds!<br /><div><br /><div><div><div><div><div>One day after seeing willow baskets in the greenhouse that had been made by someone to hold their hanging plants, I began thinking about how the pliable twigs could lend themselves to other uses, such as for sculpture. I thought that I probably could create a bird for my garden by winding willow twigs together. So, I had a lovely walk through the woods one evening with a pair of pruning shears and a large bag to collect my twigs and then came home to spend a fun weekend on the couch surrounded by twigs, pliers and thread (which I used sparingly and only for the really ornery twigs that wouldn't stay in place). </div><br /><div>What do you think? Here is bird #1(for which I was happy that it simply looked bird-like):<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224744943155078546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVR_ocnZCuDVxtd6MEbbzE_RZNRMZEi0dZrUqJ3A0ZJXyIWDMcWF-lScsHpCdHVpVEqxRGDQiSYSJu6DHge_NOC1aKCpesdPpuowLQxkd6gc5q_tsH31jNB8SxyJFMuycZuJAcEnp6O4U/s400/bird+flying+through+beans.jpg" border="0" /></div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224745467557737634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4T-pUfG6JBbAcbBQQgB4g8yPQgQSlBIadAXLErwQfgG3nhzLcB0YSRclJrv2XLizD5hZhhO_73-2abl7A7hZf5npVELZq7JYw-EUJNy574O-ydeNnrI8PlinzyAfbgRAKRpHU-T5s88/s400/second+bird.jpg" border="0" />and bird #2 (I love her feet!):<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224745728554332306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSF2J0BiXJppkjB-AGzF_PoUxbQyMI_Y-OM_HyILmOdS4eGGS6kUpDOTHrGiaFCBu9sEF_W8pfFEkUQehWeDncfJftfS8Sxug4823nRtzcO_djPBHu2Cg9f6VvPIdRgeidos6noDVoW3Y/s400/flying+bird.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224745861098335154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ZQAxBFM0IjBQN4mdwZbg3t-T1NfaqIpIy4zTnPjy3HwbNExf17ZcKDcC_h-EXX-e1czWgaQRuh74ahnBRL2D7O9rJtRxsB1dIjTR0R6DCjtklN9NLx4zq-LZkfjZBqtvUr7_64fhrEI/s400/flying+bird+2.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>and bird #3 (He's a bit more difficult to spot when visitors try to find all four birds.):<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224747679605758546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivI2cH_xBzH9TUE5C6XeEBRAmG-vb9Z-jwek7d_npox_3pJLRb41pr-aaKQBWz098QGByqySiVbC56t5GFx17RNfDMpVjhyj8LjKEn7KsaOJts726NjCM_zzXz_Mw99VVY_d5GXX8rUQs/s400/woodpecker.jpg" border="0" />and bird #4 (For some reason, it's this one's belly that I'm most proud of.):</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224746075189148450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd6ZeVDx6Y2-YhkSsDJvN-FeJpzYqcyo-hLeEwjdtIlfVwB5G-5_Zyt4MVV23fNEp44TapoO0whKzpy5ztR6sJtPHrnC_3Z3vuHZD5w3bbw74hzD1rGFK5ql3qkqH7karwRq8ilscfpmI/s400/humming+bird.jpg" border="0" />I ran out of both my willow branches and my weekend after finishing the hummingbird but still intend to get some more branches for a big raven or owl to perch up on the top of the frame and maybe also have a go at creating a squirrel who could run along the edge. We'll see about that (as I created these birds more than a month ago and have yet to make more) but for now, I like the unique contribution they make to our garden. I've also been asked to do a workshop on making willow birds and may do so, but secretly, I like the idea that only my plot has them in it. </div></div></div></div></div>WomanNorthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00994831972830130744noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4283720996813209307.post-72459377528345908722008-07-17T21:43:00.016-06:002008-07-18T09:29:17.534-06:00Welcome to our garden!<a href="http://www.kidsandnature.blogspot.com/">Naturegirl</a> (who truly takes amazing photos) recently posted about the trials and tribulations of gardening in small spaces (i.e. a small shady backyard) and I realized that I've not shown any photos of our garden space here in the far north. With 24 hours of sunlight each day for almost two months straight, plants grow wonderfully, so long as they are watered and warm -conditions which an attentive gardener and the shelter of a greenhouse can provide.<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><div>I'll save the photos of our sad, sad looking balcony plants for our home archives and take you all on a tour of our community greenhouse where ManNorth and I were fortunate enough to have rented a small plot for our own garden this spring and summer. These plots are a hot commodity in NorthernTown and we missed getting a plot last summer by only a week after our arrival last year. Although we were on a waiting list, no spaces opened up for us until this spring.</div><div></div><div></div><br /><div>We began working our plot at the end of May and had planted our seeds and seedlings that we had started indoors (in small flats and empty <a href="http://sojournnorth.blogspot.com/2007/10/got-milk.html">buttermilk</a> <a href="http://sojournnorth.blogspot.com/2007/10/friday-news-brief.html">cartons</a>, <a href="http://sojournnorth.blogspot.com/2007/10/addendum.html">of all things</a>) by the beginning of June. Working the plot initially meant breaking up the somewhat frozen soil, mixing in lots of compost and watering, watering and watering again. </div><div></div><br /><div>Here's what our plot looked like then:</div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224363593628728770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAifC0syvOfOotC7HPpaiLUhPCE9bsje3ijMDgdqXRXpM6KmLLPPOnyPu7sPFueV44WWllYB35Jf7xbj1UfnniU9lu9xRShTqV0lQIdqn2SY4lXHAhzT_MGp4OFftblBEDYaJqGwvgn-Q/s400/May+garden.jpg" border="0" />The tall bushy plant on the left is actually a tomato plant we had started indoors almost a year ago. Since it started producing flowers and <a href="http://sojournnorth.blogspot.com/2008/03/monday-update.html">fruit in the winter</a>, we figured it had earned the right to join the garden, irregardless of its tall, leggy twisted shape. The plants in the foreground to its right are some of the pepper plants that we had also planted the summer before. These had begun flowering and fruiting under our grow lights in the winter and were still producing new flowers. About halfway back and in this order from the front to the rear of the plot are the tomato, bean and cucumber plants we had started in milk cartons full of soil. The twigs poking up all over the place to stake and support all the plants are willow switches that we gathered up from piles cut and discarded by road crews, clearing the snow from roadsides all winter. (Unfortunately, the twigs were all still alive and not only put down roots, but flowered and grew leaves. To avoid a garden full solely of willow bushes next year, we've pulled out most of the twigs and have stripped the leaves from the few that remain.)</div><div></div><br /><div>As you can see from the photo of the greenhouse below, we'd gotten a bit of a jump on all the other gardens.<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224364855833247058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcp1sIhpT_hIPPOf7ai2kZhe7LboQycGltzvZJ6aXPMNAFfl6xX9Qbo5dFDEgFxZiLe_YbxKEiCukfNVHJ9JlL7fSjjZ0ppvsuStjdbnrG6jEaY-lWOnE_9roSLFDV0aicoWiyMEDVlu8/s400/May+Greenhouse.jpg" border="0" /><br />This is what the greenhouse looks like now, only six or seven weeks later:<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9FcHU4fWvxsASiO6xyZNUCi1dQSepAnx9lfuHcCa2OZ7SzdsfJGEjxNPdZWyCnRsZO3aDupP-KYciKv90K95NkIHZqXVxpBpWLCpGF-DMSyMIrhmaagedx4iOozCbDnW1AxEFuCIpYvw/s1600-h/greenhouse+plots.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224197647715671218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9FcHU4fWvxsASiO6xyZNUCi1dQSepAnx9lfuHcCa2OZ7SzdsfJGEjxNPdZWyCnRsZO3aDupP-KYciKv90K95NkIHZqXVxpBpWLCpGF-DMSyMIrhmaagedx4iOozCbDnW1AxEFuCIpYvw/s400/greenhouse+plots.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwrz4Je2e7aElyeQIcMRmWOI7RWFix5vpAGHy5rGafMtV4D_ZJg3E3FVsWrVptFwXIVzvY5skGM2ne5SP6JcW3VPaNt_K56fSkUMl2lU8GeBF_PT6R8_WPg-xLTZToBk254GNyYOd5yY4/s1600-h/greenhouse+water+barrels.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224194896269935202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwrz4Je2e7aElyeQIcMRmWOI7RWFix5vpAGHy5rGafMtV4D_ZJg3E3FVsWrVptFwXIVzvY5skGM2ne5SP6JcW3VPaNt_K56fSkUMl2lU8GeBF_PT6R8_WPg-xLTZToBk254GNyYOd5yY4/s400/greenhouse+water+barrels.jpg" border="0" /></a> The blue barrels, which act as water reservoirs, are filled in the spring when the pipes are still frozen by a greenhouse member who is also a volunteer firefighter (as all the town firefighters are). He'd arrive with the fire truck and hose and pump water from the truck to fill all the water barrels for us. Since the pipes have thawed, garden hoses are used to fill the barrels and gardeners use small green watering cans to then move the water from the reservoirs to their gardens. This is an organic greenhouse, so all members agree to leave the Miracle Grow (TM) at home and fertilize only with organic compost or organic fertilizers. The same goes for pesticides, although I've yet to see more than the occasional spider or fly in the greenhouse so pesticides aren't at all necessary.<br /></div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224369722527815954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhukgrgZ9UM7J0qe3ekxVvJFBFSytLm4Bw_lsceUtjCARwu11ETgxzF6d16iQzjYqg1xF3CwrsihCZ5yvYhwsdA_AHxtAu__Ngu8WuqQU3_QfC6pmZiogJXO07EJwmRdID8qC-WPKH1Aj0/s400/greenhouse+scarecrow.jpg" border="0" />This scarecrow above, planted in a communal garden and next to a disfunctional fountain hidden in some rocks, is not only pointing directly at our plot (now sporting a dark brown wooden frame), it is wearing a face I sewed for it, an old purple shirt I no longer needed and my old field hat (Hey now, no comments are needed from the peanut gallery: it was hot, sunny and for my field work I was literally bending over plants in cow pastures for 14 hours a day. The hat was wonderful). The pants were already a part of the scarecrow which had been created by someone else and then sadly neglected since last year. I'd grown tired of stepping over it as it lay on a walkway in the spring, sans head, and decided that I'd spruce it up a bit.<br /><br /><div>Here's our plot as it looks now, complete with a frame that ManNorth and I built and stained.<br /></div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224198094825850258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlNoL1u05PFSDwKwSBLykqKog3_BMvhuWcN6ym5jk24S5jIa43UPN3caeiP8yTb3y0KZprroPyawYSUkq6xh9Ja4cW1kFhnjiG22kCNt_y_AkN4mhrzWFEVdpfNqIpfnIfNViTlc866tM/s400/our+garden2.jpg" border="0" />And from another angle:<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224197945307556674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT-jgK8AKGNsYEQT4024Pf-8UIV3EWXwTCsxHq4oHoRBPQeO7BswCv73hLDbeeO2l0eI4xjOAaPl9eB3P1F9P3nEgdiwOI54VA2xwhhZuLRX5oCh39581zUnZeVgJ1Ko23u6f5Wj1H2LA/s400/Our+garden.jpg" border="0" /> The lettuce and swiss chard are in the front (I've had to cut back the swiss chard after they began bolting and so they are slightly hidden by the lettuce) and our enthusiastically growing zucchini plants are hiding the peppers that are still flowering and fruiting behind and under them. The tomato plants have grown almost as tall as the frame.</div><div></div><br /><div>Here are our greens close up: <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224371961017957138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwB5E9Bnhx0M_1I-Ewux0EQZUhOOtVyAodoCYX2OGmLhOevfKNTomFdO7CxfWPpDvsF1QVxiT3Tf6GXqHUjraHXlDn1LL55u7a2gQSvL-4CV4LYKi9gaVHogkXQYj2oPBbvPOcCBx_zsA/s400/leafy+greens.jpg" border="0" /></div><div>(On the left is a row of parsley, basil, thyme and onions)<br /></div><br /><div></div>And from the back, here are our cucumber plants (which have yet to produce more than one 2cm long cucumber):</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224371348506657218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNwUZoOPQEMrqNjw20RrbvrxNf55u0tCJ-h_N2sxzBaQKodVVVNhrOkCSXDsAFRnWByc3ne9lfBcthpoeCGg8A7Wb55G2xUrFgfC8VGq9T0hp-BwRNCewEut1FDK4IJ0sTMmL0Wi3k2dc/s400/cucumber+plants.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224198489779776146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPysxB2Cq5qZdMAEAezRMCBvqeDDl_wBYVY_m_C215HulAVt2LtlNBMUBat39PjaSGsCsWa0MgwlkvgqJYjh77-Bl33lsZTrXT3gu0X2mPlrAXmIef2aTQHrraafIM-0zOYavzMQReCHE/s400/sweet+peas.jpg" border="0" /></div><div>I planted sweet peas at the edges of the frame near the middle of the plot simply for the visual pleasure of them and for their gorgeous smell!<br /></div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224198870804942418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEe-SFPxYVWBLzmxBv9gFxohSX3n5c2RzihQJDwMwPHJ78isw8k41caDULzL7KZuZCA1we8ts8zpubZjJhSoJTN_bckW1Ji1caNzIadDDs4Yhwk_fIlubYeFvmYnGmsVMiKR2ooJ0aqdI/s400/volunteer+peas.jpg" border="0" /> </div><div>Above are our volunteer peas which must have grown from seed dropped from the garden in our plot the year previous. We didn't weed them out and they now tower above our beans and cucumbers. I don't think that they are snow peas but if one catches them before they get too big, the husks are also edible and somewhat sweet.</div><div></div><div>I've many garden photos and will post a few more soon, especially of some unique decorations that now populate our garden...</div></div></div></div>WomanNorthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00994831972830130744noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4283720996813209307.post-34783580018003675542008-07-16T06:52:00.007-06:002008-07-16T07:07:33.204-06:00Weather in our neck of the woodsA few days ago <a href="http://redpeninc.blogspot.com/">Grammarphile</a> left me a comment asking about the weather up here.<br /><div><br /><div></div><div>In short, yes, we get to wear shorts, but only shortly. ;)</div><div></div><br /><div>It is currently about 11 degrees celsius outside and given the cloud cover, today's high is likely not going to reach above about 22 C, at around 6pm or so.</div><div></div><br /><div>Last night when I rode my bike home from the greenhouse, it was cool enough that my jeans and jean jacket were comfortable but I could have done just fine with just the jeans and my T-shirt.</div><div></div><br /><div>A few weeks ago for about 4 or 5 days, we had temperatures in the high 20s which felt sweltering compared to the usual refreshingly cool temperatures the rest of the summer.</div><div></div><div></div><br /><div>Incidentally, the sun will set over Northern Town for the first time in four days, although only for a few minutes! With some increase in the amount of dimness and darkness at night, the temperatures will continue to drop further and further each night so that my morning walk to work is likely to continue involving a light jacket. (We had our first snowfall in the third week of September last year so summer is rather short. Fall celebrations start happening in August!)</div><div></div><div></div><br /><div>So that was the (relative) short of it. Here's the long of it:<br /></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223596548468098866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPEdAOOnYULUO_oGyyfciC62Mr7LKFQL9ka8TXREDzAa4_xI7TdIKVKQZF49Mf35sd6H9AhC5wG3_uNPRYjNJdvtjmL6qCazjGXTeyLQPKaWwgm6EHakff6UtwMQGHwtiqFR1Au-Bo_X0/s400/Northern+Town+temps.jpg" border="0" /> For comparison, here are the annual temperatures in Windsor, Ontario where I grew up:</div></div><div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223596810416313778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6BuGQj4sJXVVwGCb0-Y6my5wY3yxELcNW4_OFrcUyWforCQ0iS8P5esH4ovkKr6eiUk97CRE8LLYJTDhWhxm5SbmEST3NV5Qh-tD3wVKebW-CU1f91bQyOscA742dHd5L7WpcgU6Ozkg/s400/Windsor+temps.jpg" border="0" /> </div>WomanNorthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00994831972830130744noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4283720996813209307.post-76093961393274310272008-07-09T06:10:00.004-06:002008-07-09T06:13:29.728-06:00A May PostNo time this morning for a story so here are two photos I took in the middle of May.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220986050472480050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLDgurOpvjoj6mPOEqUPcvnHzTR39sxn6_tfux4gH9LpFvdprsG8z1GIaQPz8k4WzHMBP16uLqFqJi6Y4LP9OBlFJvScslwcL_3nGuB8uovYEl-DiQxD82Z0Ivn0vFW32ILAR3OpU3BH8/s400/May+18+river+ice.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220985782948064754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8uU9FP8vPhF8hofXVf9ytwL6H__npf6vQtNiK1lfUBaw3ojyv-heKCyEz6PrP0LLFPRy2u5MtcZNdj9AhnukF4h5_RtSSGcA_kc7CKGi0mclzG9PVmo-4rsKsqmTTBCjX-jmsw-gTJhA/s400/May+willows.jpg" border="0" />WomanNorthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00994831972830130744noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4283720996813209307.post-65422241500915349562008-07-01T20:44:00.008-06:002008-07-01T21:09:58.108-06:00A belated spring postAs I've missed writing about the arrival (and departure) of spring here in Northern Town, I've some catching up to do. The next few posts will try to remedy that as well as throw in some current news now and again. <div><div><div><div><div><br /><div>So, without further adieu, waaaaaay back in April, when the landscape looked like this photo below (taken by ManNorth on one of his regular super-hero flights to check out the changing landscape) <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218244632202943634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixy8LmRp-CRF9KC34T_NEU4VU8vPMgNaYSQdQr0r6Bz-xroWbJmPToJNjDZRA78t3KO_ZpTzXykwytpxgO1fBv73i-0Btg-cnfygBvwBt4Ot2SQk61IsHUyAjV6YR88pnjtXbKo1ElMjk/s400/April+29+2008.jpg" border="0" />and community members were still building quinzees </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218244973766407666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN55ZR9Pta0zafj-7Fex4cwabrss7kBpNfDce9akls-9y529KV8yiacGwM8uRln78YDCFSKthcjsmqNrb0-uJMS8Mkx4I_nS6MGPOlB0nine5vZrjAeQohk2TzaMhgenF-IuZQDwZ1XMo/s400/snow+quinzees.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218245117548943442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ8V9faUNvKNSmtDXnJgK0gdN3HndbnCLj6W2M-VunB5zYHxrGtVWr0xA0G_4pI8qoTPjyE5l7Ca-u5qo1TzTE6WMkmC4hyqCttRbnK7lw2IfcizIcy8L7Eyfoe8t_AejcqDy540sr4g4/s400/spruce+bough+shelter.jpg" border="0" />and spruce bough shelters during ice fishing excursions, we were busy preparing...</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218245412838350450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBX3-G2ENNKjMQAeWWE-SZax_F4cheZ_WpwqlhyphenhyphenD2CwWUJbSKLxEXtYbo6_M8y7loqzITdIYnD5rCDIgRUngrqdsj2AeiIqru638iRlQ4Qs5KVvdzqwmnLeH7XSWGswWHuU-zrDTLgzXQ/s400/sprouts.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>...for our garden in the community greenhouse. We purchased a few small plastic flats to start our seedlings. The beans got off to a roaring start while the lettuce, tomatoes, swiss chard and various herbs took their time. Meanwhile, the peppers that we started last summer and which had begun producing fruit finally began to ripen. We realized that we had mistaken hot pepper seeds for bell peppers eeds (we saved both from fresh peppers we'd purchased at the grocery store) but were, and are, happy to have such festive looking and tasty hot fruit.</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218246991547534466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-aqEQxOHW6_HBSLMCoIs2tFYPpqkDdXlQ3cGVllMG4ZmDABEcpKk6Jt056t41dsQMS1eKmhhxcKmLWHrKUgVDQcQRGtxMxVOCpmI5KzoALLyNTySg5DbEvF4o4Mq5VlYA08naRZlxo4/s400/hot+peppers.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>Daylength at the end of April was noticeably longer and already longer than most days much further south. (Of course, relative to a month of no direct sunlight in the winter, this may not mean much to any of you.) The photo of the peppers and tray of seedlings was taken at 11pm and illuminated by outdoor light. This is what the sky looked like outside at the same time as the sun slowly set.</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218247341615318818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCJP10yYFivdBN_tyQpzCMG_PFnO2qbpZTWVCU9nfbbDK93TGzGaVtgcUmRkAGik_WqXFqxhKD4MMpYiClarYF3N_kj3PK_Wwe5Y1f0NX-S761ZH4IEy4KzXxgsdYDzO7mioTlPT1MeQ/s400/April+sky+11pm+2008.jpg" border="0" /> <div>Next post(s), stories from May.</div></div></div></div></div></div>WomanNorthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00994831972830130744noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4283720996813209307.post-53445219299999528932008-06-30T20:27:00.003-06:002008-06-30T20:33:38.039-06:00Summer Ruminations -A word from ManNorth<div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX22Wtu2rYc6cmsPGb2o1tIxL0ftnC3WONzykbadhwyjpz3PlFKVSu-tA_MdiWAF8TLP-xv7tL4WAnRDULFk-jLa2NAigpVyqQWSw5SOn7aSqKv99YpD5ao9Sl7TW6AdChnLqcC8Puo0I/s1600-h/035.jpg"></a>I have often said that the North is a fine place to live but I wouldn’t want to work there, for when one works the mind is focused on work and little else. Seldom do we ever take time to step back from our personal grindstone and, according to Keats, “<em>look into the fair and open face of Heaven</em>”. In the cities far to the south I have met people who have never left their place of birth, who find no need to step outside their safety zones, who have built for themselves a wall so high that even if they had the inclination to do so, could not climb over; who look but do not see. Many people look, but few ever see; there is a subtle difference here. For seeing is akin to experiencing, and when you experience something, you understand it more fully and completely. If one spends all of life in a city, then the full extent of one’s experience is limited to that city. In a city, any city, one sees houses with televisions and central heating, grocery stores and hospitals, cars and trains. There is nothing at all wrong with that, of course, other than the fact that one’s experiences will be extremely limited. One’s worldview, one’s belief system will be skewed. But then believing is seeing.<br />People in Winnipeg believe that they live in the coldest city in Canada; this claim has been supported by the news networks too, hence the nickname “Winterpeg”. Yet all it would take is for one to do a little research before they see that this isn’t true. (For those who don’t have the time for this, Yellowknife is the city with the coldest winters, with an average nighttime temperature during December, January and February of -29.9 degrees Celsius. It is also the coldest city with a mean annual temperature of -5.4 degrees Celsius. Winnipeg, in fact has the sunniest winters and a mean annual temperature of +2.6.) But, even if this myth were true, the full extent of most people’s outdoor experience is standing at the bus stop for 20 minutes while rushing from one heated building to another.<br />It saddens me to see how urbanized we have become, and Canada is one of the most urbanized nations in the world. In our pursuit of happiness, our quest for the good life, we have left something behind, some essential part of us, our ability to see. And to fill this gap we have surrounded ourselves with icons of our own creation.<br />But, lest the reader think that I am being overly critical of the urban dweller, allow me to really stick my neck out and say that no more is this lack of seeing apparent than in the north. Case in point, years ago while I was preparing to leave on a six month winter expedition along the west coast of Hudson Bay, a young teacher stopped me in Churchill, Manitoba, offering me her insight and expertise. I listened kindly for a moment to her words of wisdom, but when I had asked about her experience outdoors, she said rather emphatically, “Well I live here!” Yes, I thought, you live here, in this house with a television, central heating, a grocery store and a hospital next door. You have a train to bring in supplies and daily jet service should you need it. You have all the amenities of the south. You also have a mortgage, 3 children to raise, car payments and utilities and in order to pay for all this you work. I have witnessed this same scenario unfold numerous times during my travels in the north, the most recent of which was just the other day. A colleague of mine was talking about the weather and summed up by saying to me, “You haven’t lived here long enough to know the weather like I do. I live here. I know.” While it is true that he has lived here longer than I have, what he failed to see is that weather is a global phenomenon, that the weather in Northern Town is not unique, that I am older than him and therefore I have seen more “weather” than he has. He could not see this. He lives in a house with a television, central heating, a grocery store and a hospital next door. He has two monster trucks and a dog, a hefty mortgage and bills to pay. In order to afford this he has to work. His house may be located in the north but he is really living in the south, with all the accoutrements of modern life.<br />The north of course is changing, has changed. It is no longer the Old North of my youth where a man could truly disappear for a year or more. The advent of modern transportation and telecommunications has shrunk the north. These days one wouldn’t think of traveling on the land without a GPS and Satellite phone. The north of today is filled with big screen televisions and satellite dishes, cell phones and the World Wide Web, cultural centres with weight rooms, swimming pools and saunas, hockey rinks and racket ball courts. In the stores you can find cans of pop and bags of chips as well as the latest fashions, and teens can walk the streets with their hats on backwards and iPods in their ears oblivious to the sounds of Nature. Just like in the cities.<br />We humans are cultural animals and we bring our culture with us where ever we go. This give and take of cultural diffusion is the common thread that binds us all together. But, I wonder how few will ever step back; leave their modern influences, their cultural idolatry, cut the umbilical cord of society’s infrastructure, and if only for a moment, wander free and unfettered. How can we ever see the true immensity of the natural world, or be humbled by that sweet solitude when we know in the back of our minds that society is just a phone call away?This weekend my wife and I are going canoeing, not far but far enough, to some distant hills across the lake. We will find ourselves “<em>some pleasant lair of wavy grass</em>” and just sit for a while and look out over the delta. I wonder what we will see. </div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><em><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217866821127643826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX22Wtu2rYc6cmsPGb2o1tIxL0ftnC3WONzykbadhwyjpz3PlFKVSu-tA_MdiWAF8TLP-xv7tL4WAnRDULFk-jLa2NAigpVyqQWSw5SOn7aSqKv99YpD5ao9Sl7TW6AdChnLqcC8Puo0I/s400/035.jpg" border="0" /></em></div><div align="center"><em>© <span style="font-size:85%;">ManNorth, Summer, 2000</span><br /></div></em><div align="center"></div>WomanNorthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00994831972830130744noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4283720996813209307.post-39078518319366841262008-06-30T19:49:00.004-06:002008-06-30T20:05:12.698-06:00Yes, yes, we're alright!<p align="center"><div align="left">Whew!</div><div align="left">I can't believe that I've not posted since April.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">No, I take that back. I know full well that I've not. </div><div align="left">I've felt guilty.</div><div align="left">I've missed you all.</div><div align="left">I've missed sharing stories with you.</div><div align="left">I've been busy.</div><div align="left">I've finally been all of the first three and a little bit of the last all at once and so here we are,</div><div align="left">kicking off year two off this blog.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">I've many stories to share from the past TWO months (good grief, and apologies all around) so my thanks to those of you who have ventured back here to check up on me.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">I've also discovered that I had a whack (A whack, I tell you!) of "sent" emails that never got sent and darned if I can't figure out why they won't send and how to send more. This isn't with gmail of course, but an apparent problem with my computer/email account that I paid/pay for. </div><div align="left">Keep sending email as I can read 'em -I just can't reply as of yet.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">ManNorth has been itching to post on the blog for a while and he's gone and written a post, complete with a photo illustration so momentarily, I'll put up his article.</div><div align="left">(Hurray, two posts in one day!)</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">I'll leave you with this tidbit that might keep you guessing. Kudos to those of you who guess correctly.</div><div align="left">Last month ManNorth and I saw FOUR of these fly past our apartment balcony. We heard their loud calls (hint, hint) long before they flew past and so we dashed out onto the balcony in our robes as they went by. (ManNorth of course, pointed out that this is the first time since we moved here that I've thrown caution to the wind and ventured out without being, ahem, properly attired. And it was worth it:</div><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217860247340413058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9qOeLu_tnAQwURBSpFfKWSJySVL0XV9uDaG50HwzeJHZwT2sAqbPkOqGhpFdutgCc3OkDQRiu0tHxYKOOzCCvnVtDx6ytyjbhzNQB4pQZisZyzonufFoMdfdQrk6YS6vPe08N896JNQ0/s320/endangered.jpg" border="0" /> <div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">photo copyright TPWD</span></div><div align="center"><a href="http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/</span></a></div><p></p>I just wish we'd had time to grab our camera!WomanNorthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00994831972830130744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4283720996813209307.post-44506148321633362832008-04-16T21:09:00.015-06:002008-04-18T09:36:44.339-06:00Northern Groceries Part II<div align="left">Subtitled: Other foods that may gross you out but really are rather good (mostly).<br /></div><div align="left">A few weekends ago, ManNorth and I (or is it ManNorth and me? -Grammarphile, you're making me nervous!) checked out a spring carnival that was happening in Northern Town and was entirely located on the frozen river. Spring, of course, being essentially the same as winter here, only with carnivals and a wee bit more sunshine.</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190050852879560146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsc6CKFxNH-PmGbCKVD3k3sjM4CItOH3c7ST7-v2mLQMkICDiILqzlN3C6N8eymNTSWK5zHY-I6_sORwP7V_z6lLGfso3PoScjldyTJdR1GzES4BrAvnDPUGaLxTYk8HfL-vEOeZv-0nI/s400/carnival+1.jpg" border="0" /> <div align="center"> Check out the wooly fringe on the hood of the woman in mauve!<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(I was hesitant to snap a photo of her from the front without her permission and was too shy to ask.)</span><br /></div><div align="left"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190050981728579042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNS_ig5j5pmeeU-exGGhz2_IBWauBgARwZHOOsDxdfw-c5znL0fz47Zi6c6x1K97efjS8z2mBbuCXo1nAqNUGvC57B5IXCoJLbOrfNOdNRhKg14onPEOikXxpW4uGsyDXnm2sbQTza7XM/s400/carnival+2.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"> I love the winter clothes for kids here in Northen Town.<br /><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190051845017005554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfWO1PXrTNMl1g6Pm3X2UgeznfrMp4VsvqNl3DZ70zaD6ntJkBWoLKEVRvASEG08OZ1fPzfxwaEInADjsZuOleMfuCUur3WBlJkIO7cx7c03BRprBbm8hEDW4LFDlA8PJSHndjwUQnHC8/s400/log+sawing+competition.jpg" border="0" />A competitor in the log sawing competition. The man with the microphone broadcast the event to the onlookers (when he wasn't singing songs by Johnny Cash).<br /><br />Sadly, we missed the sled dog races, which for some reason were held farther down the river. Bystanders who witnessed the races had to drive down the ice road to the race start and then follow along behind the dogs. I've no idea why they couldn't start and finish at the main event site as for all of the rest of us on foot, we couldn't see a thing that was going on and of course, found ourselves spending time until other events started by eating unusual foods. <p align="left">We checked out some of the tents that were set up on the ice, replete with warm wood stoves, and found that some of them were selling more than just hot dogs and candy floss. How about eating some of these loveable (and edible) animals:<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190055908056067634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKR9kDKJZmVdVYKODLv3HfneLxSoRFzz5YdWBNOXtcV5bbligDXHI1cjWR0AjAMTSml5ZwbuzAzNWZH5u-n1VsfjMHsnKJgsSzcedGASa4QR3S9ONn8GDFa3NyNj_PbRgBiac6GSB8Oc/s400/caribou2.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190056230178614850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05TEAyhAQ_R4b2zNreBOCKDq7Cl_Pidk-z4dZNe9_Uxne3XJVf3u2uhmG-dG1WBYXssoh2Ht7krtC6MKT4nrmNovmk65pejED2StlMdGrb8OhvrZvbgYBAUkLKXXvGCNO7qxKuwsUbNE/s400/moose.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190609082663923330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgENlWLuLAPxFoh2vT9ImvUn1_M17olv5Rid9AaF9utJdS7YVbE6lX0jAsvJ6YoP-kgUfsNWp_TuTdgtSAWai72Px7DCIV9cfjjjFTtRWyWx9hxkalCoDcaPs2dKZ47x8PqNKs9MxRzIJg/s400/1.JPG" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190063879515369074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCRA9g709xPns2uq6Y4b3vBt5I1al4e0L5JNICFSW4ZyzGz8FIbGYNGIl4DScfZxKqWe1ZdJkwgRqjbpDPH5k9pVgtByWhyphenhyphenYc1VfxhpkPZCP56Fwpk6xjZUUE8hBdXNXeue986VnmhqB0/s400/carnival+fare.jpg" border="0" />I've tried caribou soup before as it is served for free at a band office near my workplace every Wednesday. (It's wonderful!) I note that the advertisement is for reindeer soup, which may be legally sold as it is probably from farmed reindeer. Currently caribou hunting is tightly regulated and the meat cannot be sold. I've eaten moose and elk before; they were prepared in a fantastic marinade and then roasted medium rare. MMMMmmmm. (This, from me and I was once an ardent vegetarian!!) Until this carnival weekend however, I'd never had muktuk, nor expected that I'd ever willingly eat part of a beluga whale, especially the skin and some of the fat under it.<br /><br />I drew the line at Eskimo ice cream, which is much different than Indian ice cream in the south.<br />Indian ice cream is made with sugared whipped buffalo berries (also known as soap berries or soupallilie) <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190059773526634082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7uxxhnZLY9rwV6n4k1_OCekul2UWchWVJbyWQ5CrtA2hu-vlbq_Qwras8UGMW4sh1qIxBTB-TRMXeGrlHYoh80o3oMHBRBvI-3GAxeSntGCUViGwYRY9elwPoKbop_h8dCfZxC0crWto/s400/1.jpg" border="0" /> which whip up into an egg white like frothy mixture. With the addition of sugar, this is a nice treat, but without the sugar, is rather like eating whipped soap, replete with a soapy aftertase. Eskimo ice cream is whipped whale fat with berries added for colour and flavour. Somehow the idea of simply eating spoonfuls of lard, no matter how prettily coloured, just wasn't appealing to me. I did try the muktuk, which was boiled and not served raw as is traditional.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190058845813698130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvxZNPoLVtd01yjhV6Emx4TK1QBHesMUdF_gRYVANCpj-64dcOZ2S554icXIimAOrrGgE6qdRargxdgvjbNuXNF6byWaLGbpLW3lbmJ_vl0zrBvlT1Z9AiEo_4M25aXDX20cA_QY-MQo/s400/beluga+anyone.jpg" border="0" /> This was not so Mmmmmm as the caribou soup, but not disagreeable either. It was sort of fishy tasting, which I hadn't expected and it was okay salted. I had a few cubes from a container purchased by a friend. I think that fulfilled my calorie allotment for the entire week! I admit having some reservations about eating all these animal products and not because I'm squeamish. I'll try most kinds of food, but where I draw the line is eating animals whose populations or species are endangered. This isn't the direction I really wanted this blog post to go, so I'll leave off a discussion of the ethics of consuming wildlife or animals in general for another time.<br /><br />For now, I'll just say to most of you, "Ew, you eat <em>chickens</em>?"<br /><br />;)</p>WomanNorthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00994831972830130744noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4283720996813209307.post-74348196081374096022008-04-12T15:57:00.000-06:002008-04-12T15:58:33.310-06:00Northern Groceries Part I<div align="left">I've been intending to write about northern groceries for a while now and this post will be the first of (hopefully) many. ManNorth and I aren't vegetarians (although I was once for a few years) and occasionally include meat in our diet usually in the form of chicken or turkey, although we get most of our protein from eggs, legumes and TVP (textured vegetable protein). Northern Town occasionally offers unique opportunities to include other sources of protein in our diet.</div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWjym8AP0Xo-dtVrXa8v18BI5yuiIUW_KX3k0779iac8VQacJE66UIsUC6IR4my3LseOp1QUIiReqk_xP4WXGDHdsPKg7Nb24iLa2bKhJj2J3AW-8PzW0XGuKzMpWcfSCpfs2RLFqIUHY/s1600-h/muskox%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188473560499842498" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWjym8AP0Xo-dtVrXa8v18BI5yuiIUW_KX3k0779iac8VQacJE66UIsUC6IR4my3LseOp1QUIiReqk_xP4WXGDHdsPKg7Nb24iLa2bKhJj2J3AW-8PzW0XGuKzMpWcfSCpfs2RLFqIUHY/s320/muskox%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a>Like these loveable animals: </div><div align="left">(image blatantly taken from <a href="http://mercury.bio.uaf.edu/courses/wlf201/"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://mercury.bio.uaf.edu/courses/wlf201/</span></a>)<br /><br />In February I was invited to lend a hand with a harvest from a Muskox herd that lives on Banks Island. I'm not sure just how I would have helped but I was certainly willing to volunteer in any capacity that I could in order to see the event. Harvest, in this case of course and as is commonly used in the north, refers generally to the managed killing and use (for meat and/or hides) of local wildlife. Aboriginal peoples have constitutionally guaranteed harvesting rights for certain species in areas to which they have land claim agreements, and this harvest of muskox is part of the management of this particular herd and provides and employment to the local community. I wasn't able to participate after all though, much to my disappointment, because of certain guidelines that dictated that only local people were to be employed for the harvest and I would have had to have been flown in (along with a few other approved participants from Northern Town). </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">The harvest has long since finished and the meat has been finding its way to other communities, including ours. We were fortunate to recently get about 6lbs of frozen ground meat for free from a friend and will be purchasing more while it is still available in local stores. Efforts are being made by DIAND (Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development) to market the meat and qiviut (muskox wool) in stores to the south. (Here's a suggestion for your local grocer!)</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188454340521192850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEy-B8L3BwIiMeq6iZz6Q7MjGM-h3-I0-_yHEpJkCQZ3bOKY2Jc29Ew8ufJiKFI8bIe_7Vd5Fg8NyY1uKo_ixgNqljMRmpzZtroAljpzFK25DNhxr1lMAymV9X3y0FbXHTAM_UGZKHsKw/s400/northern+meat.jpg" border="0" /></div><div align="left">A local grocery store is selling it for $$3.25 per 2 lb bag, which is about one half to one third the price that (frozen) ground beef sells for here, and I believe, is even less than the cost of beef much farther south. The meat is extremely lean and when we fry it up, not a drop of fat needs to be drained from the pan and if anything, we need to watch it closely to ensure it doesn't dry out and over cook. The taste is just slightly gamey but isn't at all disagreeable. We've been told that if we let it thaw and drain in a collander before cooking, that the gamey taste goes away.<br /></div><div align="left">Interestingly, various aboriginal people in the area of Northern Town may view muskox meat quite differently than ManNorth and me. Some people (like those that have harvesting rights for the Banks Island herd) may consume muskox and regard the animals as a good source of meat, although caribou is much preferred. Others may regard muskox that they encounter on the mainland as invasive (they aren't) and distain muskox meat, except in emergencies. There is also often a shared concern about effects of competition by muskox on caribou in areas of overlapping range.</div><div align="left"><br /></div><p align="left">Muskox are endemic to this area but because of overhunting in the 1800s, numbers declined dramatically across Canada, causing local extinctions of particular herds by 1900. Declines were so serious that in 1917 the Canadian federal government restricted hunting of muskox, prohibited trading of their hides and put them under complete protection. Slowly, the herds have recovered in number and have again begun to occupy historic parts of their range. With the recovery of the various herds, hunting restrictions have been relaxed and quotas increased.</p><div align="left">The population on Banks Island has recovered so well that the population size is approximately 60-70,000 animals. Although an annual quota of 10,000 animals exists, current harvest and subsistence use rates (ranging from only 200-2,000 animals annually) are not nearly high enough to slow the current rate of growth. There are concerns that the population may begin to suffer from effects of overcrowding. In spite of this and the large size of the herd, resource managers have elected not to cull the herd due not only to substantial financial costs and logistical difficulties of such an endeavor but primarily because of an unwillingness to waste the culled animals since processing the meat and hides from the number of animals necessary in this type of cull would be all but impossible. </div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left">Although the various populations are described as herds, muskoxen don't form large groups like caribou do and tend to associate in small groups of about 15 animals, led by a dominant bull or cow. Herd size and composition vary with season, range conditions and the number of bulls in the population. When harassed by wolves, the small herd usually runs to higher ground or an area of shallow snow, led by the dominant animal where they will stop and group together behind the dominant bull into a defensive circle formation with the calves protected in the centre and the adults facing out towards the threat. This defensive tactic works well against wolves, but makes herds vulnerable to human hunters with guns and easily herded for harvest elsewhere. </div><div align="left"> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188471060828876194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAyClyCVeCY2h_U7z3OQIWX1zdyOZNRHQ89Pxeycas6F7sD0tFIEW1B_Wg243ShmbqEO6kaL-Xh9tVRLlD-3L6gZJ8sCyLRDA30bFHPqpCPPtgxH6SJVtRcVcV6YeZDbvw__4b0NASsMM/s400/muskoxen.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"> <span style="font-size:78%;">(Image also taken from the internet. I've lost the link to provide appropriate credit)</span></p>In the case of the Banks Island harvest, small herds are rounded up by people on snow mobiles and herded into a series of circular corrals, shaped rather like a snowman. New animals are herded into the base of the largest corral and as animals are selected for harvest, based on age and sex, are moved successively through increasingly smaller corrals until individual animals are examined. Wildlife biologists collect needed biological information about each animal as well as ensuring, along with other observers, that only healthy bulls in the age category targeted (2-3 years of age) are killed. Selected animals are dispatched with a single gunshot to the head. The carcasses are immediately processed in a facility on site and the ground meat is frozen and ready for shipping within hours of processing.<br /><br />This may be distasteful to some of you, but for many local people, a muskox harvest is important to their economic well being, and may be of some benefit to a herd that may suffer from overcrowding... Your thoughts?WomanNorthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00994831972830130744noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4283720996813209307.post-35513277926556966742008-03-20T13:50:00.001-06:002008-03-20T13:52:23.986-06:00Happy Vernal Equinox!Today in Northern Town marks a day, like everywhere else in the world, in which day length is equal to the length of night. (This is actually not quite true: day is longer by about 14 minutes. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equinox#Myths.2C_fables_and_facts">wikipedia entry I linked to</a> has a good explanation for this.)<br /><br />Today the sun is up and doing its best to shine through an ice fog that settled over our town during the night. The fog creates a lovely bright hazy effect, causing the sunlight to scatter and refract more than usual on an otherwise cloudless day. Combined with the normal reflection of light from our ever-present snow, sun glasses are needed even if one is facing away from the sun.<br /><br />Although our calendars mark today as the first day of spring, all you bright readers out there surely realize that the timing of spring will vary according to latitude, as well as altitude. This means that although the fruit trees are in full bloom down on Vancouver Island, up here in Northern Town, it is winter as usual; our spring won’t come for a few more months. Break-up probably won’t happen on the rivers until the end of May and the beginning of June will see the first flowers begin to bloom, pushing through occasional clumps of snow left melting in the shadows.<br /><br />This morning it was -39C without a bit of wind to blow away the ice fog. Our forecast predicts a warmer weekend, with highs of about -20C. Community members are glad as there is a carnival happening in one of the nearby hamlets (in celebration of the spring equinox, as best I can determine) and participants won’t be nearly as cold as they might have been as they enjoy the weekend’s events.<br /><br />ManNorth and I won’t be heading to Western Hamlet to watch the sled dog races, snow mobile races nor to join in a potluck or dance a jig at the community dance. We’ll wait for Northern Town’s own celebration to come in a few weeks’ time when we’ll likely watch some of the sled dog races down on the river.<br /><br />Yesterday I had a meeting in this nearby hamlet and after the meeting was done, joined a co-worker who wanted to visit a relative who lived there. We were treated to freshly cooked whitefish (luk zheii) and I ate baked fish eggs, or ik’in, for the first time. Unlike caviar, they weren’t “fishy” tasting at all and were so rich that only a few fork-fulls filled me up for the rest of the evening. (Of course, the homemade donut I was also served helped too!)<br /><br />I had a rather embarrassing experience just before the meeting when I used the women’s washroom facility after our long drive along an ice road to Western Hamlet. I didn’t think to look before it was too late and when I needed it, I couldn’t find the toilet paper, and so made use of a box of tissues that was sitting on the tank of the toilet. Unfortunately, a handful of tissues emerged with the pull of a single tissue and having inadvertently handled them all, I wasn’t about to try to put any back. All of them were added to the toilet whereupon I discovered that the toilet wouldn’t flush. I took the back off the tank, thinking that perhaps the handle had disconnected from something and discovered that the tank was almost completely empty.<br />I moved to the sink to wash up and realized that not only was there no water for the toilet, there was also none running from the faucet. As there were no warning signs up on the door to the washroom, I thought that the facility manager should be advised of the problem and so although embarrassed about leaving behind obvious evidence of use and not being able to wash my hands, I sought out the manager (who is also a council member) I had just met for the first time minutes before. I explained the problem and then was mortified to discover that the building “has no water”, and that this was known to the general public and it was expected that I knew this too. I also learned later that even if the water had been on, no one in Western Hamlet flushes toilet paper or tissues and that the wastebasket next to the toilet should be an obvious clue to this. (There was no wastebasket in the washroom I used.)<br /><br />Sigh.<br /><br />The reason I attended this meeting was simply to introduce myself to the council members. Although not for the reasons I’d intended, at least now I know that they’ll remember me.WomanNorthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00994831972830130744noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4283720996813209307.post-11545092174455630562008-03-18T07:28:00.015-06:002008-03-18T09:36:30.934-06:00Sunday StrollOn Sunday, ManNorth & I went snowshoeing for a few hours. I don't have time to tell the entire story so here are some pictures to do some of the job for me. We began by travelling along the length of a lake used in the summer as an airstrip for float planes. At the end of the lake we turned off onto a snow mobile trail that took us through forests of Dr. Seuss-like knobby spruce trees along a high ridge, down into a protected valley (where the trees were bigger and less misshapen) where we hopscotched between smallish pond sized lakes and the trail until we got out to an enormous lake framed by forested rocky outcrops on one side and almost barren rocky slopes on the other. We ventured out across the snow covered ice until we could see most of the lake and then turned around to rejoin our track for a short while until we found another track to take us part of the way back to our starting point at the float plane lake.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179074350124389954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgefVOhblJkhjEnKS04PpBV-q0D2oBuWmLVDkk__hx2HymYCmZA3y6mTmyq7sQASU10fRydFfZnJF7FrylGH2YX_L0o_GjJEnyvY7n5cq8Zu7-yAw2phXNAil7_AQj6L4FO_f2ysL6SB7c/s400/sunday+stroll.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center">Travel was easiest along snow mobile trails, although we did slog across country, breaking trail through 2 feet of snow for part of our route, as my sore legs today can attest to. The balaclava I wore was designed to be used by someone riding a snow mobile, not by someone engaged in aerobic exercise, as I was on my snowshoes. Although it protected my nose from the biting wind nicely, I found myself needing to adjust it to get more air than I could intake through its screen over my mouth during the more strenuous parts of the trail.</div><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179075943557256834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUel6Vnnhg98r8xx6f5AYysEYL9gPKDBK_SumN9fLRH97ZSlqh4iRvIRaz314NZyhcX9chZDftazQbBmZXzMNwS4y4oaueuXOsnPNFW_Wbh6G_6fuJKukC_Kxg6YIjmubYg61Bn4CNE_o/s400/fox+tracks.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center">A curious fox walking a circuitous route left a zig-zagging track as it explored unusual lumps of snow that could hide carcasses that could be scavenged. </div><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179075763168630386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoB_HKKvE4r_kelPKqgRK4Rr6TWJhYR0OsL6o0W3hwnUwm4R2j-j9iShsP5umlXDYHVdTnelXEfppry8qrxKQ5RgJan7YtpfVtiDp1PiYlwzrYZnAx95nE12XZfeRpcSHuF0N046mrrU/s400/march+snowshoe.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center">ManNorth kept up quite a pace and was glad for his breathable wool clothing which showed off the frost he generated in the cold air.</div><br /><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179075617139742306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsrLliISFDJ3YJgDRmA2l_y5gMgJEuz-sBEEF4-VXS1unxIzmNcmRM9R3_dCA9mb19ufHkuKYZeKOSI6_xHr3p_IXUxUdyhWfEmB1tPRTfx3WFUfvObJIDv3ylS8GturtVUogg1HRGjS0/s400/breaktime.jpg" border="0" />We stopped for a break and had hot coffee, cheese & crackers at the edge of a narrow creek.</p><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUtBlvAiun1VMEUX-_aCqwjkV1v-YTydvcni80ilm7QGvYIeIqZjHwXPBC4dZrbu890lqx9A2HmIx5oQd71cpOkkL6H2gCJRlA6p3L3a1SNqX7gd16zun_71uA9UQ98SW622MyIMnXTyM/s1600-h/snowshoes.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179074487563343442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUtBlvAiun1VMEUX-_aCqwjkV1v-YTydvcni80ilm7QGvYIeIqZjHwXPBC4dZrbu890lqx9A2HmIx5oQd71cpOkkL6H2gCJRlA6p3L3a1SNqX7gd16zun_71uA9UQ98SW622MyIMnXTyM/s400/snowshoes.jpg" border="0" /></a> My snowshoes cast pretty shadows on the snow during our snack break.</div><br /><div><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7b6qzKHjpIJs7XspFIJv9sALf3hq9RV3xA31JZlew7GbTpeKeYhxcQzeu093mTkGcnRfmLSOLZE1GITAYXB6HmWarYd_JhRjlXRKxYHzSdIRYySLXEkTUdThtIjR3lFFa5HFF_zQzdY/s1600-h/northernlake2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179074174030730802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7b6qzKHjpIJs7XspFIJv9sALf3hq9RV3xA31JZlew7GbTpeKeYhxcQzeu093mTkGcnRfmLSOLZE1GITAYXB6HmWarYd_JhRjlXRKxYHzSdIRYySLXEkTUdThtIjR3lFFa5HFF_zQzdY/s400/northernlake2.jpg" border="0" /></a> With a better camera and lens, I might have been able to capture the many tiny cabins that line this lake. Most are shut up for the winter, although tell-tale snow mobile tracks suggest that some are visited occasionally, perhaps as winter camps during hunting or ice fishing excursions.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5EY0b2IqvcHBTheV9EVlDbTJPP_MfNAbb3gNCEHrPnBicdXx3HqcbaHI8oKj3lwYHVdGRpny_5NRd32u_pVLQF2rv1TFDPt1YxaugL1-TgZwQPIt_gOKQMMfKkckRZCFhDpFbEhvBb8w/s1600-h/redpoll.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179073735944066578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5EY0b2IqvcHBTheV9EVlDbTJPP_MfNAbb3gNCEHrPnBicdXx3HqcbaHI8oKj3lwYHVdGRpny_5NRd32u_pVLQF2rv1TFDPt1YxaugL1-TgZwQPIt_gOKQMMfKkckRZCFhDpFbEhvBb8w/s400/redpoll.jpg" border="0" /></a> Flocks of redpolls flitted through the trees as we snow-shoed (sp?) along the trails. A group alighted in some alders and willows near us, giving us a chance to see them up close. The birds are unusually skittish, compared to birds in the south, and refuse to be called in, although I’ve tried “<a href="http://gorp.away.com/gorp/activity/wildlife/skills/whistle.htm">spishing</a>” for them repeatedly. Of ten photos we took as the flock moved through the scrub, only one frame successfully captured on of the birds peering briefly at us before flying off with the rest of the flock.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG2DrVXWbKMX-MCf8ucCTA9oWeLeUT6zKMxtVdInRwANL1hlINJ2ekKBH3sErqfmuq-6Eu2K3uzDnU7KAZVmcgtygBNsPeYy7SWPfh7j_C7garnEcQdX1xGxT0Nclgk7fIEebaY4ghf3M/s1600-h/wingtip+in+snow+March+2008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179073602800080386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG2DrVXWbKMX-MCf8ucCTA9oWeLeUT6zKMxtVdInRwANL1hlINJ2ekKBH3sErqfmuq-6Eu2K3uzDnU7KAZVmcgtygBNsPeYy7SWPfh7j_C7garnEcQdX1xGxT0Nclgk7fIEebaY4ghf3M/s400/wingtip+in+snow+March+2008.jpg" border="0" /></a>Scattered occasionally under alder bushes was evidence that windblown alder seeds also provide food for redpolls. Look for the marks a wing made as a bird alighted (or flew away).<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibssMZjksp9X7KLViJjsonM4N20maSFt36Y0pMPQGyCltK9WZJNa0omIYVxWn272yQpa9MYsOGn73nhPVvG36GVOG6g1RNca8gejCGjPMSMO3vgoomEEvb3akCx2YnkgXZaU26N3wWt-Q/s1600-h/tracks.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179073340807075314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibssMZjksp9X7KLViJjsonM4N20maSFt36Y0pMPQGyCltK9WZJNa0omIYVxWn272yQpa9MYsOGn73nhPVvG36GVOG6g1RNca8gejCGjPMSMO3vgoomEEvb3akCx2YnkgXZaU26N3wWt-Q/s400/tracks.jpg" border="0" /></a> Foxes, birds and snow machines weren’t the only passers-by to leave trails in the snow. Our tracks cut across tiny <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sastrugi">sastrugi</a> formed by the wind into pretty ridges and wave-like patterns in the snow covering the lakes.<br /></div></div></div></div>WomanNorthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00994831972830130744noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4283720996813209307.post-15868155518170680092008-03-12T20:11:00.002-06:002008-03-12T20:26:11.956-06:00Halllooo out there!Hopefully a few of you are still venturing back to check in here now and then in spite of my infrequent posting of late. I’m not sure why, but I seem to have hit a blogging wall where I really don’t feel that I have much to say or anything to write about. If there are things that any of you are curious about related to my life up here in Northern Town (or ManNorth’s), please feel free to ask. You could give me some ideas for future blog posts!<br /><br />Some of you have been wondering about my new job. I’ve been enjoying it but am not sure just how much I’m ready to blog about it. For now, here’s an introduction to one aspect of it: what do I call it?<br /><br />My position is an interesting one, in that it is a casual interim position with full time hours filling in for someone who is away and will be so for many months to come...and may or may not come back. No one seems to really know. My predecessor may come back this summer, but if she does, they also know that she has plans to go away again in September, which doesn’t really facilitate her filling a full time job here particularly well. There’s a long story which explains why she can be away and then leave again and still keep her position, but I won’t be telling it now.<br /><br /> I’d love to have this position officially and permanently but until I do, my name is not the one on the door, my files not the ones in the full to bursting enormous office file cabinets and my notes and books not the ones on the office shelves. All of this has meant that I’m not quite sure at times how I really fit in and when it’s appropriate to claim the job as mine. For instance, should I put my position title in my email signature or not? Will people (who know) wonder at my presumption when they know that I’m not the official –ologist on staff? I’ve even felt that I was doing something underhanded when on Monday and with my supervisor’s full approval, I replaced absent -ologist's (AO's) phone message and voice mail with my own message and name. <br /><br />We been doing an end of the year inventory this week and I’ve needed to determine what equipment is stored in my office. The funny thing is that I don’t even know how to refer to my office. Do I call it mine? Do I call it AO’s? Do I call it by the name of the position we both fill? It’s strange. I’ve been calling it by all three names and feeling either like an imposter or simply awkward and silly as a result. While I debate such inanities with myself however, all the tasks that AO would be doing if AO were here have been given to me and we share the same job title in our job descriptions.<br /><br />You might advise to just use the title and not worry about it but I've actually found it necessary when I introduce myself and my position, to qualify my stated position by saying that I’m “standing in for” or “here until” or “filling in for” AO until she returns. And yes, this is actually sometimes necessary, given the unusual politics in my workplace. (I’ll explain that later. Maybe.)<br /><br />In the interest of brevity, which I seem to sorely lack, I’m going to finish with this: I enjoy my job and am thrilled to have it. I just don’t know what to call myself when I’m in it!WomanNorthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00994831972830130744noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4283720996813209307.post-42042562757739437322008-03-03T19:39:00.013-07:002008-03-04T07:01:58.367-07:00That stuff doesn't work up hereGuest Blogger: ManNorth<br /><br />I must say that I enter into this “Blog” with a bit of trepidation, as when one begins to voice one’s opinions there often follows a host of counter opinions, and certainly I, over the last two score years and a bit, have made certain observations that have left me not only questioning the opinions of others but their sanity as well, particularly concerning the natural world, which is universal - although, that is just my opinion. But, as Darwin said, “Nature breeds awful doubt”, and I have doubted. So when seemingly reasonable people tell me, with an air of authority, things the like of which could not possibly be true I have to take a step back and question whether it is best to keep my fool mouth shut or wade into the thick of things, offering up my humble opinion for sacrifice. These days I prefer the former to the latter; we choose our battles after all, and nature in the end will win.<br /><br />None the less, with the coaxing of my wonderful wife, who is perhaps a little tired of me coming home and bemoaning yet another offence to reason which I have encountered, here is my first blog entry.<br /><br />There are two kinds of people: those who talk and those who know. Those who talk, talk and those who know… well you get the idea. It takes time to really get to know something and longer still before that something can stand up to scientific scrutiny. Some people, on the other hand, are rather impatient and seldom have the time or the inclination to bother with such things as facts, so they prefer to talk instead, and as any salesmen can tell you, it’s not so much what you say as how you say it that counts. People up north tend to be gifted talkers, but I myself can do with a little less talking. And herein begins my rant.<br /><br />Upon landing a job in the far north one would think that the subject of the weather would eventually enter one’s mind, what with the north’s mythical cold and unendurable darkness, and that any new-comer would be overly concerned with how to deal with such meteorological problems. Indeed, as I write this, it is -30 C with a wind-chill of -43 C (more on this wind-chill stuff later). But then I rode my bike the 5km home from work on Friday, across the lake ice, through the bush and finally down the river, all while facing a stiff wind and still find myself capable of mashing the key pad into legible words. The weather, in fact, was the furthest thing from my mind, and there was no pre-requisite shopping spree at the local sporting goods store for the latest in cold weather haute couture. I have been north before and was well prepared to face what ever the weather threw our way. I don’t mean to sound flippant here; only to state fact: I have been on 6 major self-supported Arctic expeditions, 3 of which were on the sea ice and all were solo. I have covered thousands of km on foot and canoe without seeing another human being. This, I feel, gives me a rather unique set of qualifications, but still I’m no expert. Leave that to the talkers.<br /><br />During the winter months my job demands that I patrol by snow machine the largest river delta in Canada, and before doing so, I was ordered to buy some “proper” winter gear. When I told my supervisors that I had indeed my own gear which I have been using for 25 years and therefore trusted, their rebuttal was to shake their heads and say “that stuff doesn’t work here”. Of course no one ever elaborated as to why it did not “work here” and I was left rather perplexed thinking that perhaps here the laws of physics were somehow different and that maybe everything I knew about thermodynamics was wrong. So, after lengthy deliberations with said supervisors, I broke down and purchased, (read was told to buy) among other things, a Canada Goose Parka (ask anyone who knows), and a <a href="http://www.sleepingbagstore.com/extreme-exploration-sleeping-bags.html">Woods 5 Star sleeping bag</a> (blue in photos below).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9CE0Bf9SU9uWppwThMIzJTJ0G2ToC1dpGZlLEdn9cvEfP2ReR6mVhPP5JbAXNviMsVYiRXrXSbsVGpmK5Cvfv0IEwUt04uaCuYRTdKj8N-6CWik6k1st0NOcWQFATwmVNxqd4TGQSok/s1600-h/IMG_0046.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173711636849589506" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="185" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9CE0Bf9SU9uWppwThMIzJTJ0G2ToC1dpGZlLEdn9cvEfP2ReR6mVhPP5JbAXNviMsVYiRXrXSbsVGpmK5Cvfv0IEwUt04uaCuYRTdKj8N-6CWik6k1st0NOcWQFATwmVNxqd4TGQSok/s400/IMG_0046.JPG" width="243" border="0" /></a>Now, Woods has been around for over a century and has made some half decent gear in the form of heavy canvas tents and packs designed for prospectors and other stalwarts of the old school. I even own some of their equipment myself. My Uncle used a 5 Star sleeping bag over 30 years ago. Back then it didn’t even have a zipper; instead it was festooned with snaps to close its rather cumbersome canvas fabric and wool blend blanket liner. Then, as now, it had no hood. When I was in Boy Scouts, the Scout Leaders all had 5 Star sleeping bags too, but like my Uncle their winter camping excursions were limited to heated cabins. In fact, the venerable 5 Star sleeping bag has followed me throughout my life and I will admit that there is a certain rustic charm at rolling out a 25 lb bag and crawling in; the same kind of impractical charm as a chuck wagon or a Commodore 64. So, although I have never owned one myself I have used them on various occasions.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVo-aPSDNP2uufeaidiyNezrLenpOkdHjOzd5tiMPy9StkZDdZIbnERAE_vmmUIRVVEec-EMotH-syR1vznBfyrVKPPvXv4DnIIuYzO9nzjxtxLebbBo2Wi8pXGOS2LuABzNhoyKESqVQ/s1600-h/IMG_0050.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173711503705603314" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="192" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVo-aPSDNP2uufeaidiyNezrLenpOkdHjOzd5tiMPy9StkZDdZIbnERAE_vmmUIRVVEec-EMotH-syR1vznBfyrVKPPvXv4DnIIuYzO9nzjxtxLebbBo2Wi8pXGOS2LuABzNhoyKESqVQ/s400/IMG_0050.JPG" width="247" border="0" /></a>The Woods 5 Star has a temperature rating of -40 C, which at first glance should mean something, but without a hood or drawstring this claim is highly suspect. My sleeping bag (red one in photos) also has a -40 C rating; the same one which I was told does not work here. It was made by <a href="http://www.everestnews.com/gear/thenorthfaceinferno11292004.htm">The North Face</a> 25 years ago and yet aside from some stains here and there, still retains its 12 inches of loft. It weighs roughly 5 lbs in total; 3.2 lbs of which is 700 fill goose down. I have used it on every one of my winter expeditions (outside, in the Arctic, not in a heated cabin), any one of which lasted 6 months or more with temperatures plummeting to -50 C and below. Therefore I trust it.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Xcude-Pkl1biNAteYqwn51hUyR1LekQIy8MjA1XPlKA2PVxFErOLTRaUCz0KFLTIs1Zi92l1I0OUvmU6zosHu7yjAteVBeTHAXu1mcv2fgPOpmPgOXKXbaVSTlHle8OKi0O6dRc1zbs/s1600-h/IMG_0052.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173711366266649826" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 259px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 209px" height="209" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Xcude-Pkl1biNAteYqwn51hUyR1LekQIy8MjA1XPlKA2PVxFErOLTRaUCz0KFLTIs1Zi92l1I0OUvmU6zosHu7yjAteVBeTHAXu1mcv2fgPOpmPgOXKXbaVSTlHle8OKi0O6dRc1zbs/s400/IMG_0052.JPG" width="246" border="0" /></a>My new 5 Star, on the other hand, weighs about 20 lbs, has a reported 3.5 lbs of duck down (fill power conveniently unspecified). It has 5 inches of loft. Minus 40 C? I think not. The only caveat is that I did not have to pay for this with my own money and we wound up with a new quilt for the bed, which is all it seems to be good for. But, then that’s my opinion.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8HoacvLhUXFm-nrRJEiVoTQkosH_xB-mwkIQQNHt1W0iydsKvAw1mQjSoGelJr8IYcblZ3uAHLUJCAB5kV9LBVDrqbNGcSeM4z7N6fjNRqZEN3l4zliwMXzci6SLTWT6j8ODUmnRKhc/s1600-h/IMG_0054.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173710936769920194" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="188" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8HoacvLhUXFm-nrRJEiVoTQkosH_xB-mwkIQQNHt1W0iydsKvAw1mQjSoGelJr8IYcblZ3uAHLUJCAB5kV9LBVDrqbNGcSeM4z7N6fjNRqZEN3l4zliwMXzci6SLTWT6j8ODUmnRKhc/s400/IMG_0054.JPG" width="241" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />The North Face Inferno<br /><br /><br /><br />Woods Arctic 5 Star<br /><br /><br />A final note: since the purchase of my first North Face sleeping bag reviewed here, the company has recently changed hands so many times that it no longer resembles its original incarnation. So, although I have high praise for my old North Face gear, I cannot say the same for the current brand as a whole.WomanNorthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00994831972830130744noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4283720996813209307.post-83136303772214483482008-03-03T19:02:00.005-07:002008-03-03T19:39:53.399-07:00Monday Update<div>It's been a busy week and a half since I began my new job. There were days of meetings, a few deadlines to meet and reports to begin and finish and despite my rookie status, I think that I managed admirably and have a few compliments from my supervisor in support of this. The pace should slow down a bit for me this next week although I'll be working overtime a few hours each day to bank time so that I can devote them to completing my Prairie Project without too large a pinch on my pocketbook. There'll be more to say as I familiarize myself with my new position and many new adventures to report on as my schedule unfolds this spring and summer.<br /><div></div><br /><div>In other news, ManNorth is working on his own blog entry as I write this and we hope to have his inaugural post up by tomorrow night or Wednesday. You wouldn't believe how hard it's been to get him to finally post but he's in a fine mood to rant, er, I mean, to write. I'll let his post speak for itself and only add that it's been fun being with him as he writes and chuckles to himself now and then. Check back in soon and look for it. </div><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ1KYjh3ZtWGOib0a0MFQXCI9SNQ7m_BGjovLZ1T0nMK6Vc87LwMTDPxAQ1EpaR5Mkq8VVHK900a4NkLmo4cM_Adx478iYZW4iIyEBbJ4uHx6wN3QzTpaZZ07AQRgpVZGdWnqGcQc8grs/s1600-h/002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173708840825879730" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ1KYjh3ZtWGOib0a0MFQXCI9SNQ7m_BGjovLZ1T0nMK6Vc87LwMTDPxAQ1EpaR5Mkq8VVHK900a4NkLmo4cM_Adx478iYZW4iIyEBbJ4uHx6wN3QzTpaZZ07AQRgpVZGdWnqGcQc8grs/s400/002.jpg" border="0" /></a>Finally, and I admit, this isn't terribly newsworthy but it's better than reporting what I ate for lunch (a can of peas eaten out of the can with a spoon), the tomato plants that I started from seed last summer have decided that they'd better attempt to reproduce before they wither entirely away and I have a single ripe cherry tomato ready to harvest. We'll try to share it between ManNorth and me but there's not much to go around. Thankfully there are 7 more tiny tomatoes still green and ripening and some new blossoms just opening.</div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTega4ZLH6HjUcndoNIagDnTDJkTq07WyAKZHjqBTv_EWKGmqbjIzsWDg5JiFkWYqlMYH3LpBQAGT_QaUGBQRiuxWuycihAepjHoxxdg26sM63WyB9qOqadsYp2Qh9uNJOlBSg0CmFsw/s1600-h/001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173708497228496034" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTega4ZLH6HjUcndoNIagDnTDJkTq07WyAKZHjqBTv_EWKGmqbjIzsWDg5JiFkWYqlMYH3LpBQAGT_QaUGBQRiuxWuycihAepjHoxxdg26sM63WyB9qOqadsYp2Qh9uNJOlBSg0CmFsw/s400/001.jpg" border="0" /></a>Our bell pepper plants have also finally begun to produce fruit and have stopped dropping all their blossoms. Curiously, all of the new peppers are long and thin instead of big and round, but we're not complaining as we're just glad they're producing.</div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>In a month or so, we'll plant a flat of new vegetables and hope that they'll be ready for transplanting to our garden plot at the greenhouse in May. We're confident that with all the summer sun, we'll get a much better harvest than from our wee apartment veggies under their small grow lights.</div></div>WomanNorthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00994831972830130744noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4283720996813209307.post-35119644325672049492008-02-26T20:58:00.004-07:002008-02-26T21:03:26.155-07:00On Ignorance<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKnSDEiZj1D8DiuOeRGaJq8rb9_SLefC29PZw5-EICXInCoKKNANxATXbUWWfJGz4qQoG0RllK0ft259kDTCQvSu5dCPCh2cE-cz_8tOL-knbvBOMGsWsPdvoL4GlEZdWMAM7AbbH4Nk/s1600-h/ca+hob.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171504845547561538" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKnSDEiZj1D8DiuOeRGaJq8rb9_SLefC29PZw5-EICXInCoKKNANxATXbUWWfJGz4qQoG0RllK0ft259kDTCQvSu5dCPCh2cE-cz_8tOL-knbvBOMGsWsPdvoL4GlEZdWMAM7AbbH4Nk/s400/ca+hob.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><div></div><br /><div>I was party to an interesting conversation the other day and it centered on a theme that I’ve heard before in various places and by many people. It goes something like this according to the proponent: </div><div><br /><em>If I don’t understand how something works, then nobody does and nobody can. Anyone who says they do understand this can’t be right and is therefore not to be trusted. </em></div><em><br /><div></em></div>-A corollary of the above statement may also often be this: -<em>And although I’ve nothing but hearsay and </em>(wild) <em>speculation to back up my position, I won’t try to find out if I’m wrong or if they’re right.</em><br /><div>This sort of perspective can relate to any number of topics and in my experience, is extremely difficult to change. Adopting a different perspective would necessarily entail acknowledging ignorance in that area and accepting that someone else may know a great deal more about the topic of interest and that that’s okay. </div><br /><div>For some people this different approach is a wonderful perspective to have as it allows one to challenge oneself to learn more. How else can one expect to learn and grow unless one recognizes that they don’t know everything and that they don’t need to be personally threatened by someone who knows more than they do? </div><div><br />As in the conversation I listened to, this can present serious challenges for the knowledgeable party who must inform (for various reasons) a less knowledgeable person about the relevant topic. If this occurs in an academic situation, usually no one bats an eye, as this is the typical state of affairs between an instructor and a student, but out in the public sphere authority isn’t so easily granted and may be challenged even when it is deserved. How to answer that challenge without making a bad situation worse may take no small amount of finesse or the challenge may be dismissed or avoided altogether. Sometimes, it’s just not worth it.</div>WomanNorthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00994831972830130744noreply@blogger.com3