Getting Started....sort of

Shot of my good side on the George River, Nunivik. This is the runout of Helen Falls where we will end the 2006 expedition (we continued another 45 miles to Kangiqsualujjuaq on the recon trip). Helen Falls is over a mile long RV rapid (whitewater is graded RI - RVI) that requires a long portage. It is hard to follow at many points because of interweaving caribou trails. Taking a wrong turn with an 80 lbs canoe on your shoulders is irritating. The funniest part was one boat crew (who shall remain nameless) who lost their bright red canoe while looking for the trail.

I made my first posting last night and went on about how I had another blog on this site, but had lost it and ……… well, it was very witty writing (take my word for it, because I forgot it all). My only fleeting regret was that it was that my initial entry would be the last day of February and not March 1. Growing up in northern Vermont, I have a prejudice against both January and February. Winter was still somewhat novel in December, big quiet snowfalls, not too cold (usually) and of course there was Christmas; Santa, festive lights, carolers, community good cheer and all that. Then … January 1st. Calling it New Year’s Day didn’t help. I wasn’t a big drinker as a kid, so being hung over has nothing to do with this antipathy of mine. Just the mention of the word “January” makes my toes cold. It instantly conjures the image of hard blue sky, deep sub-zero temps, squeaky snow, the pain of the air hitting your face, chimney smoke going pencil straight into the cold clear sky and the depressing thought that it has only started; and we had to go back to school. February is admittedly somewhat better. Usually not as much horrific cold and more snow (I do love snowstorms), but everyone is getting a bit full of winter by the end of February. March, even though very much a winter month in the Vermont of my childhood, was a friendlier one, bringing with it some hints of the end. Some warm(ish – I’ve discovered since leaving the State that 25 degrees F is not generally considered warm in most parts of the country) weather, typically lots of snow and April was next.

Anyway all that is to say I would have preferred my first post to have waited two minutes until March 1st, but I’d hit the Post button precipitously and it was done.

Well, if you care to, you can possibly imagine my surprise this morning, when curious to see how many hundreds of people had read over my entry I logged on and found two surprising things…..three actually.

First: I found the missing blog that I’d written about losing.

Second: I found another “missing” blog I’d forgotten I set up.

Third: It took three tries and help from a friend to find my new blogsite and then I discovered that my “1st Post” hadn’t posted at all (sort of squeezed two in there, but I thought four surprises would be a bit much for one morning).

Fourth: Well, OK four; no one had logged on to see my literary spewings.

So now I’m back to the beginning again. So far this blogging seems a pretty fun waste of time, but then so was Minesweeper, but I just deleted it from my computer (103 at expert..sorry to boast…had one far sub 100 score literally stepped on by the cat and ruined with 27 bombs left after 47 seconds….but I digress).

On to more interesting things or at least stuff with more substance. Actually I have a lot of work to do today and being self-employed, I actually have to do it all, so very briefly; this blog will chiefly deal with wilderness art adventure and conservation issues (believe it or not). Currently I have an expedition going to the George River in far northern Quebec; Nunavik, which is Quebec north of 52 degrees Latitude and is administered by First Nation Innu and Inuit. I went up there with a recon crew this past September and we had a grand time. We’re going back with the full crew this September. Now I’m deep in the really fun part; fund raising……right. Hey, it’s fun when it works. For now I’ll stick in a few shots from the trips (do one every year) and get to work.

Northern Lights above camp on the George River August 31, 2005. The Aurora was one of the key highlights of the trip, with stunning shows on probably 9 of our 14 nights in the bush.








Mama bear on the George River. She had two cubs with her and posed until we left. Very curious with no aggression. She had likely never seen people before. We saw bears every day, though this was the closest and most cooperative bear of the trip.

One of the most fun parts of the trip and why I have to do fundraising. One of two DeHavillands we used into the bush. This is a single Otter; the other was a DeHavilland Beaver.