The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

Not bad for no tripod and a relatively unfancy camera... Well, the full moon is here which made me feel nostalgic for Gabe's mom's full moon circles. An excuse for friends and neighbours to get together, share a bonfire, their thoughts and yummy treats. They are really neat - and good excercises in both communicating and listening. I'm finally at that point where I can stop and breathe for a second and relax a little. I'm thinking about my paints and taking some time to hike in the beautiful fall colours... and finally bake those pumpkin muffins and maybe read a book for fun.

Another one of those cute and crazy moments as I was walking into the Rec Centre - I saw a squirrel dive for an acorn, then do the spilts with its back legs and chow down... and I had to laugh...because obviously they are even teaching the local squirrels yoga. Who knew?

So... off I go... into the sunset and wild blue yonder... look forward to some good fall pictures and maybe some long overdue art work.

Cheers,

Jennith

One day as a field assistant

Spending the day in waders (an unleakly pair that nearly fit me too) - I couldn't help but reminise about the little main Restigouche River. Strangely, the Credit of my childhood, doesn't really compare to even the headwaters of the Restigouche. I don't think I even registered how large a river it was, still the headwaters of the credit still has some pools deeper than my waders (which I discovered via a near miss with becoming very wet and that was before I bumped my head on the sediment sampler).

The north is singing to me and there is frost on the wind
The gypsy in my soul begs to wander, but the farmer in me holds back until harvest season is past
The apples ripen on trees that I will never eat from
Enormous zuchini left ungrated, muffins not baked
But in a few more days freedom will find me and I will soar on the wind
And suck the sweet smell of autumn in the poplar woods deep into my lungs
But first the harvest and then the cherishing of autumn.

And I'm rambling... I've been in the field 10/14 of the last days, in fact it could be 11/14. But soon, I'll be done and done and glad to have that stress and worry past, if I'm not jinxing it by speaking too soon. I have 3 more days in the field this week and probably 2 more after that minimum, possibly 3.

I'll try and keep a somewhat steady stream of photos flowing, but no promises.

Jenn

Chilly Days in the Woods

Gabe (Is he like having a philosophical conversation with his ice-tea or what?) dressed up against the less than 10 C weather helping me survey a surface water profile.

So, I'm working towards the end of my field season at which point - I might actually get to start writing and modelling - at least be in some kind of home stretch

Swim little salmon, swim

Actually, it might be (embarassingly for my attempt at identifying fish) a trout - but they were trying to hop up over a mess of coarse woody debris the other day - but then gave up and went downstream.

So much for longitudinal conectivity...

For those of you who are wondering where I've been on the internet (or why I haven't been here) I've become busier than I was when I thought things were insane.. butbI should be mostly done one site by the end of the week and getting close on the other...

Proof that God is a Water Colour Painter and Possibly a Gardener

Is there any more striking a combination of flowers than purple asters set against a background of goldenroad and the browns and bronze-red of fading Spotted-Joe-Pye Weed? Perhaps the m ix of steel blue Chicory, Queen Ann's Lace and bright gold-yellow birds-foot-trefoil? Tonight I was wishing I had my camera sharply. As I headed home from my 6th Aerobics class in 7 days, the sky was amazing... I just wanted to paint it... I'm not sure I can describe it to give it justice - imagine creamy clouds a colour between pale gold and peach ranging to brighter salmon's, cranberries and purples and then superimpose a rainbow on it and then you have my sky if you have enough imagination to picture its beauty.. but alas I was was 10 min from home and stuck in traffic besides... so it'll have to be one of those skies that you remember in you mind.

I'm off to the Wilmot tomorrow - just Gabe, Me and Woody Debris (or Coarse Woody Material as Stan would have me say - but the older term has a homey forestry ring to it for me - so forgive my nostalgia... anywho... much to do and pack up.. :D

Jennith

Forgotten Photos

I was asked for some pictures for a pamplet for school and while purusing my photos I discovered this one, which I'm sure I didn't post and so I decided to remedy that with this short post (taken at the Eramosa River at Stone Road this June - and I actually don't know what the flower is)

In other news I've killed no less than 3 pairs of sandels including both my water and abuse resistant ones. Fortunately I did in the right of one pair and the left of the other.. so if you see me in the garden with mismatched sandels, it is because I don't see the point of buying a new pair with it nearly being winter. The weather is beautiful today, even though it wasn't supposed to be.

Ah well,

Jennith

A Pale Cord of Alis

So, Its been an interesting week. We are readjusting to new schedules and my field stuff has been put on hold somewhat. The exciting news for me is that I finally bought a gym pass and I've gone to Aerobics every day since Saturday. I'm hoping that I'll get back in shape and stick with it.

Otherwise, I'm battling the software demons and trying to come up with a brilliant and simple solution to my field challanges and eat healthier food. Still, I see fall coming and my soul is longing for campfires and hiking and snuggling up in my big green sleeping bag. But no camping for me... or hiking... well, I might squeeze some hiking in... Anywho, back to work.

Jennith

Government Report on Kashechewan

Above, Gabe smiles after a hard day working in the field.

After seeing the picture of St. Andrew's burnt to the ground I googled the event to see if I could find more specific information. Instead I found this intense government report outlining the deficincies in the living conditions on the reserve and recomended remedial activities. While I was somewhat aware of many of the problems that plauged the community in 2000-2001, when I worked there, I certainly did not have the full cross section, nor details. Here is a link to the report.

None of what I've read has surprised me, Kashechewan's problems are exacerbated by some special issues (largely damage done by flooding and lack of road access). However, I was shocked to find out that funding for Kashechewan is based on a population of 1100 people. Even in 2000, there was most certainly 1500 people and since that time the population has incresed, especially after a bill was enacted extending status to many people who had lost it because their father's were not native. I has also failed to make the leap of thought to realize that the changed post-secondary hours would result in poorer attendance. Sigh. I wish that things could turn around a bit for them. They sound like they could use a good engineer/urban planner and a manager. I foudn Mr. Alan Pope's comments on the process and outcome of the community canvas interesting and in light of the decision to rehabilitate the community at its existing location - a bit surprising. The largest challange of a remote community with limited employment and revenue sources is to take the first steps (especially in terms of securing both start up funding and the building a skilled labour pool able to compete in a market that is remote from outside markets). I wish them sucess and hope that the education and health situations are promptly improved. Its strange how little has happened since the initial evacuation.

Jennith

Solidago: Sunshine on a Stem

Here be the beautiful weather we experienced on the Credit at Cataract this morning.... Its amazing how much the plant life chances between July and Septemeber. The Asters were awesome. Did you know that bees match the yellow in the golden rod, its acutally quite cool.

My other shock today was to discover that St. Andrew's School in Kashechewan had burned down. Its weird... Its like an old friend died. It was the first school where I taught and I can still close my eyes and remember my classroom... I wonder what things of mine went up with the blaze... a stray artwork sample a book I left behind... certainly, I'm sad to hear its good. I knew that they weren't using it because of mould - but I guess it would be the same if any place I'd had a strong connection to burned down. Here is a link to the story: Kashechewan

Where branches jab and headwaters run

Here are 2 of the most important things in my life at this point - Gabe (who is now close enough to be photographed) and one of my field study sites to which I've memorized most of the en route landmarks in the last few weeks. The next few weeks continue to appear insanely busy as I scramble to finish up my fieldwork before it gets too cold and wet. I guess the last few days have been full of the winds of change as Alex headed off to school leaving fightening tidyness in his wake and Gabe returned from out east. Yet, my own schedule hasn't changed much. I had a good week in the field last week, but the weather for this one is worrying me. I was introduced to a new game (Arkham Horror) by S. and R. and even saw not one but 3 movies in the theatre (No Reservations, I now pronouce you Chuck and Larry and The Bourne Ultimatum.) and I caved into the evil that are iPod's (in a bargain second hang way). I've been holding out against buying one for years because I'm probably the only anti-apple person that I know. I not exactly anti-Apple in an active way. You want to spend the premium for a computer that crashes when you try and use ArcView - go right ahead. Likewise, there is no way I would shell out $500 for an iPod when a much cheaper MP3 player would do. But the deal came around and I've been buying most of my music on iTunes for 3 years now, so it sort of made sense in the end.... sigh... but I feel like a conformer and a sell out. So, enjoy my last bit of laughing at myself...

You know you are a Water Resource Engineering Student if....

1. You keep 1 pair of chest waders and 3 pairs of rubber boots in your trunk just in case....
2. You discover 3 cups of sand and gravel under the floor mat of your car and wonder if you should classify it as sandy gravel or gravelly sand.
3. You try to estimate where a rainstorm would fit in on an IDF (intensity, duration, frequency) curve.
4. You think hydraulic jumps are cool.
5. You have a collection of photographs of sewer grates, storm water management ponds and culverts.
6. You point out the weaknesses and finer points inherant in a particular storm water pond design to random passers-by while taking the avobe photographs.
7. You check the real-time hydrograph after a long, intense rainstorm to see if it peaked.
8. You want to run out and take pictures of flooded streams after it rains.
9. You think a dry-hand-wading rod is a brilliant invention and have a favourite pygmy meter
10. You are surprised to discover that most people don't think its normal to have to pick twigs and pine needles out of your hair after a hard days work and that it most people don't have bruises and scrapes from encounters with conifers (I still have scars on the back of my hands from measuring the DBH on over 10000 white spruce trees in 2003).

And back to reading manuals for ArcView for the rest of the afternoon....

Jennith

So a few more thoughts

My first home-grown tomato

It was good! Unfortunately some animal ate half of one of its brothers - but hopefully I'll be able to harvest most of the 17 that remain on the vine.

The Full Glare of Reality

Ha... in spite of the title - this is another quick and not too deep ramble on my life. Gabe is coming back soon - which makes me incredibly excited, he's been gone so long now that it'll be weird when he's back. My field work is in full swing and coming along quite well. Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers who are letting me abuse them with hard work on their days off.

Funny stories about me being a total flake. Yesterday, I was out in the field and I put on my boots and then let the cuffs of my jeans stylishly fall outside of the uppers, rather than tucking them in. I hopped in the stream to measure the height of the recently recorded peak flow, and checking to see if I had enough freeboard on my boots to wade deeper, I realized that their cuffs were now soaking wet. Ah well... my feet stayed dry :P.

The other morning I woke up to see a squirrel literally hanging upside down by its hind feet from the Russian Olive tree outside my window. He was eating olives. Crazy squirrel... At least he isn't killing plants I love this week.

Otherwise, I'm hoping to have a bit more normal life once I've got the bulk of my field work done. Then I'll be able to start at the gym and swim and return to step aerobics.

Anywho... If I know you well, I probably can say I miss you and hope to see you soon to just about everyone save those I live with... and maybe even them.

Back to work for me..

Jennith

Aster post stormus

Observations:

1. Bone meal does seem to keep the squirrels at bay. I haven't had anymore digging where I applied it.
2. Social time is important
3. The reverberations of the internet can be seen in weird places (like mourning - see globe article from Saturday)
4. Friends are worth the drive pretty much everywhere.

I've actually attended a few social events and begun to catch up a bit on the people I've been neglecting. Of course, I didn't get as much stuff done as I'd hoped, but I feel a lot better. I visited with my gradeschool friend Simone - and its funny that even though both of our lives have changed so much we still totally get along. The weekend before I went to a movie and dinner with my friend Kendra for her birthday and met some of her other friend. That was fun even if I did get totally lost in KW. Saturday I went to a barbeque in Burlington and finally met the last of my highschool friend's kids. It was fun and we had a bunch of the kind of conversation that I haven't had since highschool - and I totally reused my gruesome tales of raccoon procreation to impress people (amazing the uses of knowledge gleaned from highschool science reports). Finally, I finnally caught up with my best friend which was good - because nobody else ever gets you as well as they do without a bunch of awkward explaining.... So, I'm bound and determined to eek some balance into my life in spite of an insane month at hand trying to get in 12-20 field days in well... 26 real days including weekends.. meanwhile I have a bunch of other stuff to keep up with too.

Here's to healthy balances.....

Cheers,

Jennith

Before and After the Rain

These two shots were taken about 2 days apart with the second shortly after an intense rainfall. Its amazing the impact an hour of rain can have.

What wood you do?

A mess of coarse woody debris provides habitat for all sorts of aquatic critter... we even saw a large speckled something or other (we think a trout or a salmon) This picture was take shortly after a strong rain storm pelted the area for an hour... somewhat altering our plans.

Daylillies Revealed

Here is that same daylily sometime later. I decided I needed a hike after my first photo shot and so I bounced off to Mount Nemo for a nice hike. Tomorrow is going to be busy and next week busier....

Violets in the Midst

These poor tiny violets have been largely shown up by the larger plants near by (you try competing with impatiens and a zonal geranium!) Still, they are still managing to flower!

Trumpets of the Mini-Petunias

I just love the colour of this one!

Vegetables in Strange Places

Much to my mothers chagrin I randomly planted 2 red cabages to fill in gaps in the front garden along the walk. They've done well (and frankly I find them quite attractive), but my mom thinks that it was perhaps a bit unkosher.

The Flower of the Tomato

Here is one of our 6 regular tomato plants in flower. There are about 8 tomatos developing, but I expect more in the future as the plants are all still flowering.

Mini-Matoes

I have 7 tomato plants... 6 normal ones and this one that I rescued from the bargain rack. Strangely, it hasn't grown much, but it continues to develop these 3 hearty tomatos, while being less than 1 foot tall.

Oregano flowers

My herbs have surprised me with their vigor. This oregano, nearly dead when I bought it, is not a massive sprawling behemoth with shockingly delicate adn beautiful hued flowers

Daylily opening

My current gardening feat that I'm most proud of is my Daylily Garden where I planted about 10 different varieties of daylillies and promtly forgot their names. This might be the Catherine Wood-something-or-other. In a later post, I'll put up a shot taken later in the day when they are fully open

Geranium Triad

So... I finally got the batteries charged on my camera, rushed outside and tried to take a bunch of garden photos in the early morning shade.

There is a bug in my lollipop

YUCK!! I discovered uneaten candy on my desk, figured it was safe to eat and as you can see was working on the lollipop. There is this nut thing embeded in it... at least that is what I thought when I started but a closer look made me wonder if it was a bug. I did check the label before starting to munch on it... It said it was made in montreal, figured that made it safe to eat... However, when I went back and read the label again.. I discovered that a meal worm larva was the final ingredient... should I keep eating it....? I haven't decided yet... I hope it wasn't something special that belonged to Gabe...