Why oh why did I have so many jaggerbombs? I should have stuck to beer. I blame Heather.
-A.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
Out of the wilderness
August 22
The plane to civilization arrives in about 4 hours to whisk me back to the land of cars and taxes. I am absolutely ecstatic, but a little sad too. The tundra and I have bonded thoroughly over the last six and a half weeks and have become good friends. Though we will not see each other for a while, I think I will keep in touch. Being out here as really cleared out my brain of a lot of crap and I feel like I am fresh for the world. It's hard to focus on nagging little things that would normally bother you back in the world when you are living in such a vast, beautiful place.
Next on my list is a night at the pub tonight- I take no responsibility for my condition tomorrow morning. On Sunday I am off to the farm with my crew partner Heather, to show her around the bustling mecca of High Prairie. A week or so off, and then I will be sent to some other god-forsaken outpost, which will have to be pretty awesome indeed to beat Zip Camp. I'll let you know when I know.
-A.
The plane to civilization arrives in about 4 hours to whisk me back to the land of cars and taxes. I am absolutely ecstatic, but a little sad too. The tundra and I have bonded thoroughly over the last six and a half weeks and have become good friends. Though we will not see each other for a while, I think I will keep in touch. Being out here as really cleared out my brain of a lot of crap and I feel like I am fresh for the world. It's hard to focus on nagging little things that would normally bother you back in the world when you are living in such a vast, beautiful place.
Next on my list is a night at the pub tonight- I take no responsibility for my condition tomorrow morning. On Sunday I am off to the farm with my crew partner Heather, to show her around the bustling mecca of High Prairie. A week or so off, and then I will be sent to some other god-forsaken outpost, which will have to be pretty awesome indeed to beat Zip Camp. I'll let you know when I know.
-A.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Knowledge is power
August 20
T-1 day left in the field!
Things I have learned while at Zip Camp:
1. Blackflies are minions of the Devil.
2. A helicopter is a great way to beat traffic.
3. Be nice to the cook or things become unpleasant.
4. Bring winter clothes. Just because it's summer, it doesn't mean it's going to be warm.
5. Never trust map topography. A little creek may, in fact, turn out to be a deep river.
6. Target areas are generally covered in swamp.
7. "Night" is a relative term when it doesn't actually get dark.
8. Showering is optional.
9. You will never get as much reading done as you think you will.
10. One can never have enough socks or work gloves or movies on their computer.
11. Caribou are not as dumb as they look, just very curious.
12. Always ALWAYS bring toilet paper into the field (I will not name names, but you know who you are!)
-A.
My partner in crime, Heather on her birthday (22 years young)
T-1 day left in the field!
Things I have learned while at Zip Camp:
1. Blackflies are minions of the Devil.
2. A helicopter is a great way to beat traffic.
3. Be nice to the cook or things become unpleasant.
4. Bring winter clothes. Just because it's summer, it doesn't mean it's going to be warm.
5. Never trust map topography. A little creek may, in fact, turn out to be a deep river.
6. Target areas are generally covered in swamp.
7. "Night" is a relative term when it doesn't actually get dark.
8. Showering is optional.
9. You will never get as much reading done as you think you will.
10. One can never have enough socks or work gloves or movies on their computer.
11. Caribou are not as dumb as they look, just very curious.
12. Always ALWAYS bring toilet paper into the field (I will not name names, but you know who you are!)
-A.
Don't I look happy? I believe this was taken after the rain had finally made it through all 3 layers of clothing I was wearing below my rain gear.
My partner in crime, Heather on her birthday (22 years young)
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Layering is the key
August 19
T-2 days left in the field
I know that you guys are probably sick of me talking about the weather, but this, you're going to want to hear. Note the date above this paragraph, now imagine snow. Yeah. Snow. In August.
I woke up this morning at about 5am because the walls of the tent were being blown around so much that it actually bumped my head. There was a raging gale of a storm outside, complete with icy rain and frigid north winds. On the bright side we didn't have to go out in the field right away, and thank god for that because just after breakfast it started snowing for about 10 minutes. The temperature was sitting at a cozy 3 degrees Celsius, which I am sure was below zero with the wind chill. We got out in the field by about 11, after the rain had blown off, but the winds were still pretty nasty and it didn't warm up very much. My wardrobe consisted of longjohns, work pants, rain pants, tank top, t-shirt, long shirt, puffy vest, fleece coat, rain coat, two pairs of socks, two pairs of gloves, a balaclava, and toque... and I was just warm enough to function. I definitely did not pack winter gear for this job, since it's, you know, AUGUST! I just have to keep saying my warming mantra: "Auuuuu-sTRAlia, Auuuuu-sTRAlia, Auuuuu-sTRAlia".
It was also Heather's birthday today- 22 and counting. Due to the lack of retail outlets in the vicinity, I made her one of my patented mix cds, lovingly wrapped with flagging tape, along with a guarantee of a free drink when we get to the Black Knight Pub on Friday. Mmmm beer. I kept threatening to throw her in the lake all day, but she one-upped me and jumped in herself for a (VERY) brief birthday swim. Crazy girl! I would have gone but I had just had a deliciously hot shower that had warmed my cold bones and had no intention of getting chilled again. I do plan to go for one last tundra dip on the morning of my departure (assuming the damn thing isn't frozen over by then).
Frigidly yours,
-A.
T-2 days left in the field
I know that you guys are probably sick of me talking about the weather, but this, you're going to want to hear. Note the date above this paragraph, now imagine snow. Yeah. Snow. In August.
I woke up this morning at about 5am because the walls of the tent were being blown around so much that it actually bumped my head. There was a raging gale of a storm outside, complete with icy rain and frigid north winds. On the bright side we didn't have to go out in the field right away, and thank god for that because just after breakfast it started snowing for about 10 minutes. The temperature was sitting at a cozy 3 degrees Celsius, which I am sure was below zero with the wind chill. We got out in the field by about 11, after the rain had blown off, but the winds were still pretty nasty and it didn't warm up very much. My wardrobe consisted of longjohns, work pants, rain pants, tank top, t-shirt, long shirt, puffy vest, fleece coat, rain coat, two pairs of socks, two pairs of gloves, a balaclava, and toque... and I was just warm enough to function. I definitely did not pack winter gear for this job, since it's, you know, AUGUST! I just have to keep saying my warming mantra: "Auuuuu-sTRAlia, Auuuuu-sTRAlia, Auuuuu-sTRAlia".
It was also Heather's birthday today- 22 and counting. Due to the lack of retail outlets in the vicinity, I made her one of my patented mix cds, lovingly wrapped with flagging tape, along with a guarantee of a free drink when we get to the Black Knight Pub on Friday. Mmmm beer. I kept threatening to throw her in the lake all day, but she one-upped me and jumped in herself for a (VERY) brief birthday swim. Crazy girl! I would have gone but I had just had a deliciously hot shower that had warmed my cold bones and had no intention of getting chilled again. I do plan to go for one last tundra dip on the morning of my departure (assuming the damn thing isn't frozen over by then).
Frigidly yours,
-A.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Damp.
August 18
T-3 days left in the field
It started raining at about noon today. It didn't stop until the helicopter picked us up at 3:50. It may not seem like a long time to be outside, but with the wind and the wet, my fingers were losing feeling by 2. Of course it didn't help that my gloves are so worn out that three fingers have very large holes in them. I also managed to smash my fist into a very sharp rock and break skin after slipping on a rock while hammering an outcrop. All in all, not quite as good of a day as yesterday.
The summer is definitely coming to an end up here in the tundra- all of the shrubs and plants are a tired green with the occasional burst of red or yellow and all the berries are starting to become overripe (except those stubborn cranberries). I am going to miss my daily blueberry fix.
-A.
T-3 days left in the field
It started raining at about noon today. It didn't stop until the helicopter picked us up at 3:50. It may not seem like a long time to be outside, but with the wind and the wet, my fingers were losing feeling by 2. Of course it didn't help that my gloves are so worn out that three fingers have very large holes in them. I also managed to smash my fist into a very sharp rock and break skin after slipping on a rock while hammering an outcrop. All in all, not quite as good of a day as yesterday.
The summer is definitely coming to an end up here in the tundra- all of the shrubs and plants are a tired green with the occasional burst of red or yellow and all the berries are starting to become overripe (except those stubborn cranberries). I am going to miss my daily blueberry fix.
-A.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Esker Runner, Lake Jumper
August 17
T-4 days left in the field.
I didn't exactly go out into the field yesterday, due to a tailbone injury and a very ungraceful fall down the stairs to the cookhouse on the way to the helicopter. I spent the whole day on my back to make sure nothing got strained, just to be safe. I think my back hurt more from laying on my crappy bed all day than from the initial injury.
A plane was supposed to show up yesterday afternoon carrying the drillers, but apparently they didn't show up on time so the plane was 5 hours late. This was not so good for Carolyn, who intended to leave on the flight to catch her 7am plane back to Halifax for school. It showed up eventually, and now camp is a much more crowded and potentially interesting place. The drillers kind of remind me of people in High Prairie- a little less academic and a little more blue-collar- kind of refreshing to be honest.
Sometimes I feel a little out of my element with all the PhD and MSc folks kicking around, though they do like my farm stories. It's funny that I come across as having a rather mysterious background, just being a farm girl. The majority of folks out here are from Vancouver or somewhere urban in BC, since that is where the company Aurora is contracted to is based out of. I tell them about rodeos and cutting hay and they all think it's really exotic or something. Who knew I was exotic?
Today I went for a run to try and stretch out my back, along an esker that runs north of camp. For those who don't know, an esker is a long snaking hill that is created as gravel and sediment are deposited by a retreating glacier. As the ice melts this trail of rocks and dirt is left behind that can stretch for many kilometers. It is probably the least trecherous terrain on the tundra, if one wants to get somewhere quickly. The lowlands are covered in humocky bumps from frost boils and frost heave and knee-high shrubs called dwarf birch, not to mention swamps and lakes.
It was really fun running on the esker- it felt like an old abandoned road or something, and I was constantly dodging rocks and having to cross streams and running uphill in gravel. True cross-country running to say the least- it was a very arctic experience. After the run a bunch of us (in other words, the more crazy folks in camp), jumped in the lake, despite the 12 degree temperature and mid-level wind. Shortest swim of my life! It was a good day.
-A.
T-4 days left in the field.
I didn't exactly go out into the field yesterday, due to a tailbone injury and a very ungraceful fall down the stairs to the cookhouse on the way to the helicopter. I spent the whole day on my back to make sure nothing got strained, just to be safe. I think my back hurt more from laying on my crappy bed all day than from the initial injury.
A plane was supposed to show up yesterday afternoon carrying the drillers, but apparently they didn't show up on time so the plane was 5 hours late. This was not so good for Carolyn, who intended to leave on the flight to catch her 7am plane back to Halifax for school. It showed up eventually, and now camp is a much more crowded and potentially interesting place. The drillers kind of remind me of people in High Prairie- a little less academic and a little more blue-collar- kind of refreshing to be honest.
Sometimes I feel a little out of my element with all the PhD and MSc folks kicking around, though they do like my farm stories. It's funny that I come across as having a rather mysterious background, just being a farm girl. The majority of folks out here are from Vancouver or somewhere urban in BC, since that is where the company Aurora is contracted to is based out of. I tell them about rodeos and cutting hay and they all think it's really exotic or something. Who knew I was exotic?
Today I went for a run to try and stretch out my back, along an esker that runs north of camp. For those who don't know, an esker is a long snaking hill that is created as gravel and sediment are deposited by a retreating glacier. As the ice melts this trail of rocks and dirt is left behind that can stretch for many kilometers. It is probably the least trecherous terrain on the tundra, if one wants to get somewhere quickly. The lowlands are covered in humocky bumps from frost boils and frost heave and knee-high shrubs called dwarf birch, not to mention swamps and lakes.
It was really fun running on the esker- it felt like an old abandoned road or something, and I was constantly dodging rocks and having to cross streams and running uphill in gravel. True cross-country running to say the least- it was a very arctic experience. After the run a bunch of us (in other words, the more crazy folks in camp), jumped in the lake, despite the 12 degree temperature and mid-level wind. Shortest swim of my life! It was a good day.
-A.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Shovel and Bucket Geology
August 14
There was a bit of a shake-up today, in terms of crews. Heather spent today with Fred, from the GGL crew and I spent the day with John (whom I refer to as the Professor in my head). They did prospecting, but I got to try out till sampling, which basically involves walking to a pre-chosen waypoint and digging out 2 large buckets of dirt, describing it, and then putting it in a big sack to be picked up later by helicopter. I was the shovel (wo)man.
Lots of walking then shoveling then walking again. The weight of the samples ranged from 26 t0 35kg (57-77lbs) depending on water content, so lifting those sacks was quite the workout on top of all the shoveling. The weather cleared up finally and I don't have to walk around with five layers on, but I don't trust it anymore- I have this sneaking suspicioun that it will snow before I leave (8 days to go!), but we'll see. Nothing much else to report, but I'll keep you posted.
-A.
There was a bit of a shake-up today, in terms of crews. Heather spent today with Fred, from the GGL crew and I spent the day with John (whom I refer to as the Professor in my head). They did prospecting, but I got to try out till sampling, which basically involves walking to a pre-chosen waypoint and digging out 2 large buckets of dirt, describing it, and then putting it in a big sack to be picked up later by helicopter. I was the shovel (wo)man.
Lots of walking then shoveling then walking again. The weight of the samples ranged from 26 t0 35kg (57-77lbs) depending on water content, so lifting those sacks was quite the workout on top of all the shoveling. The weather cleared up finally and I don't have to walk around with five layers on, but I don't trust it anymore- I have this sneaking suspicioun that it will snow before I leave (8 days to go!), but we'll see. Nothing much else to report, but I'll keep you posted.
-A.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Summer?
August 13
After a brief period of raging heat, the summer has ended and moved right on into late autumn. I practically had to peel the icicles off my nose this morning as I very hurriedly did the quick-change from sleeping bag to massive layers of clothing.
According to nearby meteorological data, it got very close to freezing, and then didn't get much past 12 degrees today with a gale force wind to boot. My work gloves with the fingertips worn out were not nearly as warm as I had hoped and as a result, the tundra was a very unpleasant place to be. My crew partner Heather was very stoic in her tolerance of my whining today and I give her big props for putting up with me.
I think I am finally starting to get a bit burned out- 8 days in the field left, plus one for travel back to civilization... not that I'm counting. I developed a little mantra that I said to my self all day to help me ignore the cold: "Auuuuu-sTRAlia, Auuuuu-sTRAlia, Auuuuu-sTRAlia". It worked wonderfully. I am much better at dealing with being too hot than too cold. I HATE cold (I realize the irony of saying this from the arctic tundra). Maybe it's just that I hate cold in freaking August. My mom said it's going to be 30 degrees in High Prairie this week. Alas! On the bright side I have stopped craving cold beer... now all I want is a hot toddy and a heating pad.
I think I may ceremonially burn my longjohns before leaving Canada.
-A.
After a brief period of raging heat, the summer has ended and moved right on into late autumn. I practically had to peel the icicles off my nose this morning as I very hurriedly did the quick-change from sleeping bag to massive layers of clothing.
According to nearby meteorological data, it got very close to freezing, and then didn't get much past 12 degrees today with a gale force wind to boot. My work gloves with the fingertips worn out were not nearly as warm as I had hoped and as a result, the tundra was a very unpleasant place to be. My crew partner Heather was very stoic in her tolerance of my whining today and I give her big props for putting up with me.
I think I am finally starting to get a bit burned out- 8 days in the field left, plus one for travel back to civilization... not that I'm counting. I developed a little mantra that I said to my self all day to help me ignore the cold: "Auuuuu-sTRAlia, Auuuuu-sTRAlia, Auuuuu-sTRAlia". It worked wonderfully. I am much better at dealing with being too hot than too cold. I HATE cold (I realize the irony of saying this from the arctic tundra). Maybe it's just that I hate cold in freaking August. My mom said it's going to be 30 degrees in High Prairie this week. Alas! On the bright side I have stopped craving cold beer... now all I want is a hot toddy and a heating pad.
I think I may ceremonially burn my longjohns before leaving Canada.
-A.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Too lazy to write so it's picture time!
Reeling 'er in
Only about a pound less than my nephew when he was born, though much less cute.
... he wasn't very good eating, but at least I have bragging rights.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Luck be a lady
August 10
I have no idea what stars have aligned today or whether I have some banked karma or something, because it has been an incredible day. I started off with a delicious breakfast of blueberry pancakes courtesy of our wonderful cook Megan, maybe that was it?
Anyway, while out in the field I found a huge mineralization zone (very good) and the weather was excellent- hot and breezy. I got back to camp at lunch and then it was off in the helicopter for our little fishing excursion, just me Heather and Carolyn. We went up to the Coppermine river about 20km north of camp where there are a great set of rapids and fished in front of the outwash. I caught a 7lb, 23 inch trout, and in the process broke my fishing rod. With the broken fishing rod I got two more fish, both of which broke away as I got them near shore, but I still consider it a feat to have hooked anything with a 3 ft rod with only one eyelet left. Five of diamonds spoon and 10lb line. We filleted it in the field and the cook kindly fried it up for us for supper.
After the fish feast pretty much the entire camp went for a swim, which is quite rare. Usually it's just us few crazies who dare brave the frigid depths. After the swim, I checked my email, and the working holiday visa that I applied for yesterday was already approved! I thought that I would have to show them a bank statement to prove my financial status, but apparently they only ask for that sometimes. My theory is that because I have an in-demand degree, that they may have fast-tracked me. Can you believe that? I don't think I have ever been fast tracked in my life. It feels good. November 1, it's off to the land down under!
-A.
I have no idea what stars have aligned today or whether I have some banked karma or something, because it has been an incredible day. I started off with a delicious breakfast of blueberry pancakes courtesy of our wonderful cook Megan, maybe that was it?
Anyway, while out in the field I found a huge mineralization zone (very good) and the weather was excellent- hot and breezy. I got back to camp at lunch and then it was off in the helicopter for our little fishing excursion, just me Heather and Carolyn. We went up to the Coppermine river about 20km north of camp where there are a great set of rapids and fished in front of the outwash. I caught a 7lb, 23 inch trout, and in the process broke my fishing rod. With the broken fishing rod I got two more fish, both of which broke away as I got them near shore, but I still consider it a feat to have hooked anything with a 3 ft rod with only one eyelet left. Five of diamonds spoon and 10lb line. We filleted it in the field and the cook kindly fried it up for us for supper.
After the fish feast pretty much the entire camp went for a swim, which is quite rare. Usually it's just us few crazies who dare brave the frigid depths. After the swim, I checked my email, and the working holiday visa that I applied for yesterday was already approved! I thought that I would have to show them a bank statement to prove my financial status, but apparently they only ask for that sometimes. My theory is that because I have an in-demand degree, that they may have fast-tracked me. Can you believe that? I don't think I have ever been fast tracked in my life. It feels good. November 1, it's off to the land down under!
-A.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Hot hot hot
August 9
I think today it finally felt like summer. I know that it is already August, so that is kind of sad, really. It was great because the bugs were tolerable enough that I shed my layers and strutted the tundra in my tank-top! And on top of that, there were even trees! I was about 30km south of camp and right near the edge of the tree line. I walked along a lake shore which was strewn with some very determined black spruce that were actually taller than me. Most of the trees I encounter are lucky to break 5 feet. I didn't realize until then how much I had missed the smell of trees. The tundra just kind of smells like moss and dirt, but mostly dirt. Walking along the lake in the heat, with unusually large trees and even a few large cliffs in the background, I almost felt like I was in Kananaskis country. Probably one of my best days so far, even if I didn't find any rocks other than basalt and granite.
The countdown has begun, less than two weeks to go up here. In some ways it feels like it went very fast but sometimes I also feel like I have been here for years. I am really looking forward to sleeping in a bed that does not consist of plywood, a piece of foam and a sleeping bag. Woooh blankets!
Nothing much else to report today, but tomorrow we might go heli-fishing, so I will let you know how that goes.
-A.
I think today it finally felt like summer. I know that it is already August, so that is kind of sad, really. It was great because the bugs were tolerable enough that I shed my layers and strutted the tundra in my tank-top! And on top of that, there were even trees! I was about 30km south of camp and right near the edge of the tree line. I walked along a lake shore which was strewn with some very determined black spruce that were actually taller than me. Most of the trees I encounter are lucky to break 5 feet. I didn't realize until then how much I had missed the smell of trees. The tundra just kind of smells like moss and dirt, but mostly dirt. Walking along the lake in the heat, with unusually large trees and even a few large cliffs in the background, I almost felt like I was in Kananaskis country. Probably one of my best days so far, even if I didn't find any rocks other than basalt and granite.
The countdown has begun, less than two weeks to go up here. In some ways it feels like it went very fast but sometimes I also feel like I have been here for years. I am really looking forward to sleeping in a bed that does not consist of plywood, a piece of foam and a sleeping bag. Woooh blankets!
Nothing much else to report today, but tomorrow we might go heli-fishing, so I will let you know how that goes.
-A.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
... And now for something completely different!
August 7, Part 2
This is the caribou I mentioned earlier who had a strange fondness for Johnny Cash tunes.
This is the caribou I mentioned earlier who had a strange fondness for Johnny Cash tunes.
This little fella circled around us a couple times this morning as we were getting our maps out. In this shot he is only about 10m away.
Heather and I taking a quick (and VERY COLD) dip in the lake beside Zip Camp
Queen of the Tundra! Don't laugh at my hat.
Heather got bored waiting for the helicopter, so decided the chopper flag would make an excellent cape.
Yeah, those black dots are all blackflies. Nasty, eh?
This is from a couple weeks ago, note that the water is above the bottom of my bag. Luckily I had removed my pants prior to entering the frigid liquid. Of course the camera does not capture the final moments of my crossing, at which point I sunk to upper chest level just before reaching the other shore.-A.
All about the Bordens
August 7
For those of you who don't make prime ministerial trivia a priority in your life, the Borden I am referring to is Sir Robert Borden, Prime Minister of Canada during WWI, though I can't remember the specific years of office. He is also featured on our $100 bill, which is why I mention him.
I pay particular attention to my paystubs out here, as it is one of few events I can look forward to with some regularity. It is also nice to watch the accumulation- my accommodations and food are covered out here and there is no way to spend my money so it all just sits in my bank account, happily hibernating until I return to civilization. Anyway, my last cheque, according to my calculations, was about 20% short. I emailed the powers that be about this little oversite and it turns out that I was right! This means the next cheque will be extra big (hello new tires for the Jeep!).
Sometimes I forget that I actually get a decent amount of money to do this stuff. Back in university, our field schools would be just as gruelling, (though not as long!) and we would have to PAY to be there. This reversal of fortunes is taking some getting used to. I have been acruing debt since I turned 18- it's nice to be headed in the other direction for once.
For those of you who don't make prime ministerial trivia a priority in your life, the Borden I am referring to is Sir Robert Borden, Prime Minister of Canada during WWI, though I can't remember the specific years of office. He is also featured on our $100 bill, which is why I mention him.
I pay particular attention to my paystubs out here, as it is one of few events I can look forward to with some regularity. It is also nice to watch the accumulation- my accommodations and food are covered out here and there is no way to spend my money so it all just sits in my bank account, happily hibernating until I return to civilization. Anyway, my last cheque, according to my calculations, was about 20% short. I emailed the powers that be about this little oversite and it turns out that I was right! This means the next cheque will be extra big (hello new tires for the Jeep!).
Sometimes I forget that I actually get a decent amount of money to do this stuff. Back in university, our field schools would be just as gruelling, (though not as long!) and we would have to PAY to be there. This reversal of fortunes is taking some getting used to. I have been acruing debt since I turned 18- it's nice to be headed in the other direction for once.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Walk the Line
August 4
Like the Germans' fascination with the great David Hasselhoff, I have found another group of fans that transcend borders, and even species in their dedication to their idol. I speak, of course of the Caribou's love of Johnny Cash. I have confirmed this through careful field study today- there I was walking along an outcrop, singing along to "Jackson" by Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, and when I stopped and looked up, there was a very large male Caribou not 15m away. Now, the tundra is a very quiet place; considering the volume at which I was singing (I know, not a pretty picture), he should have been able to hear me coming for at least 10 minutes before I got that close. My only explanation is that he must have liked what he heard (the music, not me!). Who knew that caribou had such good taste?
-A.
PS: I tried to upload a photo of the curious fellow but the internet is rather shoddy today. Alas!
Like the Germans' fascination with the great David Hasselhoff, I have found another group of fans that transcend borders, and even species in their dedication to their idol. I speak, of course of the Caribou's love of Johnny Cash. I have confirmed this through careful field study today- there I was walking along an outcrop, singing along to "Jackson" by Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, and when I stopped and looked up, there was a very large male Caribou not 15m away. Now, the tundra is a very quiet place; considering the volume at which I was singing (I know, not a pretty picture), he should have been able to hear me coming for at least 10 minutes before I got that close. My only explanation is that he must have liked what he heard (the music, not me!). Who knew that caribou had such good taste?
-A.
PS: I tried to upload a photo of the curious fellow but the internet is rather shoddy today. Alas!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Bug-free bliss
August 3
It seems as if the tundra has suddenly come alive in the last two weeks. The caribou herds have started moving through the area; this means that the wolves have also been poking around. Yesterday we saw a pack of 8 white wolves sauntering along about 250m away. Later in the day we came across a very nervous-looking caribou with a huge set of antlers- I think the wolves were stalking him. Very cool!
This morning was not quite as cool, since I managed to sink to my knees in mud and started the day with a contentious argument about my bedtime with someone who really had no business commenting on it. What does it matter to anyone else whether I go to sleep at 10 pm or 11 pm? I still get up and go to work in the morning- if I am grumpy, I have learned to keep it to myself and I am bright-eyed and bushy-tailed by the time I get to the meeting at 7:30. Arrgh! I like vast majority of the people I am working with, but boy will it be nice to see some new faces when I get back.
When I got back to camp this afternoon I had a nice little lay-down in the sun... it is the first day that it has been warm, calm, and un-buggy. It's a tundra miracle! This, followed by a nap and an icy dip in the lake cured me of my cantankerous mood (Sunday is only a half-day in the field and I am mostly caught up on my mapping so had nothing pressing to do). I know I had other things to write about today but absolutely can't remember what they were, so it must not have been too important.
-A.
It seems as if the tundra has suddenly come alive in the last two weeks. The caribou herds have started moving through the area; this means that the wolves have also been poking around. Yesterday we saw a pack of 8 white wolves sauntering along about 250m away. Later in the day we came across a very nervous-looking caribou with a huge set of antlers- I think the wolves were stalking him. Very cool!
This morning was not quite as cool, since I managed to sink to my knees in mud and started the day with a contentious argument about my bedtime with someone who really had no business commenting on it. What does it matter to anyone else whether I go to sleep at 10 pm or 11 pm? I still get up and go to work in the morning- if I am grumpy, I have learned to keep it to myself and I am bright-eyed and bushy-tailed by the time I get to the meeting at 7:30. Arrgh! I like vast majority of the people I am working with, but boy will it be nice to see some new faces when I get back.
When I got back to camp this afternoon I had a nice little lay-down in the sun... it is the first day that it has been warm, calm, and un-buggy. It's a tundra miracle! This, followed by a nap and an icy dip in the lake cured me of my cantankerous mood (Sunday is only a half-day in the field and I am mostly caught up on my mapping so had nothing pressing to do). I know I had other things to write about today but absolutely can't remember what they were, so it must not have been too important.
-A.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Lazy days
August 1
It seems like the last week since I got back from my wax removal in Yellowknife has been uncommonly slack. Other than the spa night, each crew got a full day in camp to catch up on their mapping and sample data entry. And the day before that we ended up finishing our traverse at around 1pm and because the radio antenna was being moved, we couldn't reach camp for a pick up. This meant that Heather and I spent the afternoon on a gravelly beach beside a lake napping and gossiping- not exactly roughing it in the tundra, eh? The same thing happened today, but luckily we were able to reach camp and got back around noon and had our maps plotted by late afternoon. Since we are temporarily without a camp cook, we volunteered to help with supper (frozen pizza and salad, so not exactly labour-intensive). Tomorrow will be the only full day until Sunday, which is always a half day. Total slackness! I think I if I ever went back to a 5 day a week job, 9 to 5, I would feel like quite the lazy bugger, indeed. Weekends? Who needs 'em!
In other news, I have started poking around for jobs in Australia. I saw one that offered 90k per year plus an 8k signing bonus. Yikes! Oz is looking mighty tempting after I calculated my student loan costs tonight. For the price of my degree I could have gotten a fully loaded 4x4 Toyota Tundra, plus a full tank of gas. A mighty expensive piece of paper if I do say so myself. Hopefully the work visa won't be too complicated to figure out- I am hoping to get a job where the employer will sponsor me for a temporary work visa so I don't have to jump through all the hoops on my own.
I will miss the caribou when I go though. A whole herd showed up about 200m from camp and a bunch of us went and checked it out. Those fellas aren't very scared of anything. A little calf came within 50m of me without blinking an eye.
I know I said I would load some pictures tonight but I can't find the relevant cable so I promise I will do so as soon as technically possible. Hope everyone enjoys their August long weekend while I slave away on the tundra :P. Have a beer for me!
-A.
It seems like the last week since I got back from my wax removal in Yellowknife has been uncommonly slack. Other than the spa night, each crew got a full day in camp to catch up on their mapping and sample data entry. And the day before that we ended up finishing our traverse at around 1pm and because the radio antenna was being moved, we couldn't reach camp for a pick up. This meant that Heather and I spent the afternoon on a gravelly beach beside a lake napping and gossiping- not exactly roughing it in the tundra, eh? The same thing happened today, but luckily we were able to reach camp and got back around noon and had our maps plotted by late afternoon. Since we are temporarily without a camp cook, we volunteered to help with supper (frozen pizza and salad, so not exactly labour-intensive). Tomorrow will be the only full day until Sunday, which is always a half day. Total slackness! I think I if I ever went back to a 5 day a week job, 9 to 5, I would feel like quite the lazy bugger, indeed. Weekends? Who needs 'em!
In other news, I have started poking around for jobs in Australia. I saw one that offered 90k per year plus an 8k signing bonus. Yikes! Oz is looking mighty tempting after I calculated my student loan costs tonight. For the price of my degree I could have gotten a fully loaded 4x4 Toyota Tundra, plus a full tank of gas. A mighty expensive piece of paper if I do say so myself. Hopefully the work visa won't be too complicated to figure out- I am hoping to get a job where the employer will sponsor me for a temporary work visa so I don't have to jump through all the hoops on my own.
I will miss the caribou when I go though. A whole herd showed up about 200m from camp and a bunch of us went and checked it out. Those fellas aren't very scared of anything. A little calf came within 50m of me without blinking an eye.
I know I said I would load some pictures tonight but I can't find the relevant cable so I promise I will do so as soon as technically possible. Hope everyone enjoys their August long weekend while I slave away on the tundra :P. Have a beer for me!
-A.
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