HAPPY HANUKKAH
From Hiawatha House
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Snow Houses:Igloos
Since I'm on the "cold" topic I might as well make it three in a row: Polar Bears and Cold Snap and Snow Houses. Since I have been thinking about my polar bear experience it brought back watching the Inuit build snow houses.
As I said in my last post I spent two years in a remote arctic community. The community had only been established as a settlement for Inuit six years before I arrived in the late sixties. Inuit had lived and hunted in this area for thousands of years. An air radio station had been established in the late 1920's when cross ocean flying first began. Flights from North America went to Wakeham Bay and then across Hudson Strait to Frobisher Bay, across to Greenland , over to Iceland and I'm not sure where after that.They had to use this route so that they could refuel.
But I got off the topic. When I arrived in this community the people were still actively hunting. One dog team was still in use but all the others had begun using skidoos. These people still were using and familiar with traditional hunting patterns. When they went out on the ice for several days they used snow houses rather than tents. Snow houses were warmer than tents and you didn't have to carry a tent.
The first time I saw a snow house built was an unforgettable experience. I was not prepared for what I saw. First, the main tool was an ordinary hand wood saw. A large knife (machete) was used in the trimming of the blocks. They first look around for the right amount of snow which has the proper consistency. The snow has to be fairly hard. Then they start cutting blocks out of the snow with the saw. After half a dozen blocks or so they begin setting them up. The bottom of the block is slightly beveled so that it tilts inward. They continue this pattern in a spiral . When the second course is laid they make sure that the blocks overlap the bottom joints and again the blocks are slightly bevelled. The layers continue until one piece of snow can be cut to fill in the last hole in the top. All this is done from inside so you see the blocks of snow do not get that high. Any spaces between the blocks are filled with little chunks of snow. They cut the door out from inside. The test for success of your house is to be able to stand on it! My fellow teacher tried his hand at building snow houses and was very successful.
Again I have pictures which are still slides and not changed to digital. I have a project ahead of me.
These houses are surprisingly comfortable. You have to be careful not to warm them up too much or the inside walls ice up and then they are not comfortable. I once had a soapstone mining project where they went out for a week to mine soap stone . At the end of the week the inside of the snow houses were iced up. They used Colemann stoves which would throw off too much heat.
These were wonderful houses and I'm glad I got to see them even though I didn't spend a night in one.
As I said in my last post I spent two years in a remote arctic community. The community had only been established as a settlement for Inuit six years before I arrived in the late sixties. Inuit had lived and hunted in this area for thousands of years. An air radio station had been established in the late 1920's when cross ocean flying first began. Flights from North America went to Wakeham Bay and then across Hudson Strait to Frobisher Bay, across to Greenland , over to Iceland and I'm not sure where after that.They had to use this route so that they could refuel.
But I got off the topic. When I arrived in this community the people were still actively hunting. One dog team was still in use but all the others had begun using skidoos. These people still were using and familiar with traditional hunting patterns. When they went out on the ice for several days they used snow houses rather than tents. Snow houses were warmer than tents and you didn't have to carry a tent.
The first time I saw a snow house built was an unforgettable experience. I was not prepared for what I saw. First, the main tool was an ordinary hand wood saw. A large knife (machete) was used in the trimming of the blocks. They first look around for the right amount of snow which has the proper consistency. The snow has to be fairly hard. Then they start cutting blocks out of the snow with the saw. After half a dozen blocks or so they begin setting them up. The bottom of the block is slightly beveled so that it tilts inward. They continue this pattern in a spiral . When the second course is laid they make sure that the blocks overlap the bottom joints and again the blocks are slightly bevelled. The layers continue until one piece of snow can be cut to fill in the last hole in the top. All this is done from inside so you see the blocks of snow do not get that high. Any spaces between the blocks are filled with little chunks of snow. They cut the door out from inside. The test for success of your house is to be able to stand on it! My fellow teacher tried his hand at building snow houses and was very successful.
Again I have pictures which are still slides and not changed to digital. I have a project ahead of me.
These houses are surprisingly comfortable. You have to be careful not to warm them up too much or the inside walls ice up and then they are not comfortable. I once had a soapstone mining project where they went out for a week to mine soap stone . At the end of the week the inside of the snow houses were iced up. They used Colemann stoves which would throw off too much heat.
These were wonderful houses and I'm glad I got to see them even though I didn't spend a night in one.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Early Winter Cold Snap
I recently posted on Nov. 15 about winter hitting Red Deer with a good dump of snow. In fact it snowed for six days. We accumulated about 10cm of snow which isn't that much.
When the snow stopped a mass of arctic cold air slipped into our area. The cold was unpleasant but not unbearable. Up until the 15th we had daytime highs above zero and not very cold over night. I had ridden bike a few times in November and could have ridden more times if I wasn't busy.
It really hit me how cold it was when the paper reported that we had broken an old low temperature record. On Nov. 23 we had a low of minus 36 which was two degrees colder than our previous record low. So after I read this I realized why it had been so uncomfortable.
On Nov. 25 a chinook blew in and we suddenly warmed up and had a high above freezing again. So we have to get used to the temperature extremes and live with them.
Hiawatha House did not expect to post about weather again in Nov. but since it was out of the ordinary a post was made.
When the snow stopped a mass of arctic cold air slipped into our area. The cold was unpleasant but not unbearable. Up until the 15th we had daytime highs above zero and not very cold over night. I had ridden bike a few times in November and could have ridden more times if I wasn't busy.
It really hit me how cold it was when the paper reported that we had broken an old low temperature record. On Nov. 23 we had a low of minus 36 which was two degrees colder than our previous record low. So after I read this I realized why it had been so uncomfortable.
On Nov. 25 a chinook blew in and we suddenly warmed up and had a high above freezing again. So we have to get used to the temperature extremes and live with them.
Hiawatha House did not expect to post about weather again in Nov. but since it was out of the ordinary a post was made.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
There Once Was Polar Bear in my House
Yes, that's right I had a real live polar bear in my house. Not only one polar bear but two at the same time. Me, being such a brave person, stayed in my house until they both left.
Now I have to start at the beginning of this story to explain how this really happened. In the mid 60's I was a teacher, principal and administrator in a remote arctic community. The school had only been opened for five years. The inuit were still very independent and good hunters. The area was also a productive game area with lots of seals, fish, birds and caribou. These were wonderful proud people. They supported me and looked after my welfare. For some reason I learned to depend on them and fully trust them as they were the masters in this land.
One winter a few hunters were out on the sea ice hunting for seals. As happens on occasion they found a polar bear and killed it. Once they got to the bear they realized it had cubs. They searched and were able to find the den and the two young cubs. They were sharp enough to realize that they could probably get some money if they brought the cubs in. They immediately brought the cubs to my house and half expected I would give them money on the spot as I was the federal administrator. The little bears were active and not in a very good humor. They were probably very hungry and looking for their mother. We could hold them and pet them but you had to watch as they would nip you. We were not about to take a chance to become polar bear food. My house not only had the two polar bears but many of the people from the community as they all wanted to see the bears.
The issue was quickly taken out of my hands as game was under provincial jurisdiction. So they went off to the provincial office and administrator. The Quebec Provincial Police were radioed and instructions were given to keep the little bears and they would fly in the next morning to pick them up.
It was one of the more exciting evening during my two year stay. These hunters came in many hours after dark and were cold and excited. Usually the female bears with cubs were not out on the ice. I don't they they captured cubs very often so they were excited. I was excited as I knew this was a once in a lifetime experience. I have pictures of this event but they are on slides and I have not changed my 35 mm pictures to digital. Now maybe I will have to get serious about changing them as I have many slides of my Arctic adventures,
I don't remember if the inuit got any cash for these little cubs. I know that one of them went to the Calgary zoo and lived a long life there and was a very popular animal. I do not know what happened to the other animal.
Now I have to start at the beginning of this story to explain how this really happened. In the mid 60's I was a teacher, principal and administrator in a remote arctic community. The school had only been opened for five years. The inuit were still very independent and good hunters. The area was also a productive game area with lots of seals, fish, birds and caribou. These were wonderful proud people. They supported me and looked after my welfare. For some reason I learned to depend on them and fully trust them as they were the masters in this land.
One winter a few hunters were out on the sea ice hunting for seals. As happens on occasion they found a polar bear and killed it. Once they got to the bear they realized it had cubs. They searched and were able to find the den and the two young cubs. They were sharp enough to realize that they could probably get some money if they brought the cubs in. They immediately brought the cubs to my house and half expected I would give them money on the spot as I was the federal administrator. The little bears were active and not in a very good humor. They were probably very hungry and looking for their mother. We could hold them and pet them but you had to watch as they would nip you. We were not about to take a chance to become polar bear food. My house not only had the two polar bears but many of the people from the community as they all wanted to see the bears.
The issue was quickly taken out of my hands as game was under provincial jurisdiction. So they went off to the provincial office and administrator. The Quebec Provincial Police were radioed and instructions were given to keep the little bears and they would fly in the next morning to pick them up.
It was one of the more exciting evening during my two year stay. These hunters came in many hours after dark and were cold and excited. Usually the female bears with cubs were not out on the ice. I don't they they captured cubs very often so they were excited. I was excited as I knew this was a once in a lifetime experience. I have pictures of this event but they are on slides and I have not changed my 35 mm pictures to digital. Now maybe I will have to get serious about changing them as I have many slides of my Arctic adventures,
I don't remember if the inuit got any cash for these little cubs. I know that one of them went to the Calgary zoo and lived a long life there and was a very popular animal. I do not know what happened to the other animal.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Are We Becoming Too Self-centered?
Okay, self-centered is a very broad topic. However, some of the behaviour I have been watching lately has got me thinking about being self-centered and maybe it has something to do with the poor conduct we see around us.
The behaviour which has tipped me over the edge recently is the performance of our members of Parliament. Parliament is supposed to be a forum where issues are debated and decisions made for the good of the people in the country. Lately very little if any debate has been taking place. Clever debate is fascinating to watch. Lately the extreme partisanship which has been taking place is disgusting. The Conservative party plays fast and loose with the truth. Shelly Glover accused Michael Iggnatief of planning to sell pot to children because he has been considering decriminalizing marijuana. To stretch things this far is the lowest deceit possible. John Baird stood up in the house and stated that 10 000 jobs would have been lost in Canada if the United Arab Emirates had been allowed more landing rights in Canada. Baird had not one shred of evidence to make this claim. Why is such behaviour happening? They want to maintain power. They are too self-centered to look at what is good for the country.
If we watch some people drive we have to say, "Where are they coming from?" Cutting in and out of lanes when it is not safe to do so, speeding, tail gating, throwing garbage on the road...all of these things show a total lack of consideration for other drivers and the environment. Constantly talking on cell phones and other distracting behaviours take place because people are only considering them selves rather than the safety and good of others.
I'm not about to make a complete list of self centered behaviours . You probably have your own list. This should give you some idea of what should be unacceptable behaviour.
Where is this coming from? What are we doing that is promoting or causing behaviour which shows limited consideration of others? Here are some of my ideas and you may well disagree with me.
Organized recreation no doubt is very beneficial for our youth. Volunteers spend a tremendous amount of time and have expertise in coaching. However, you don't have to watch a practice session very long and you see a tremendous emphasis on winning. No emphasis on fun. Just do your best to outdo the other guy so that you can win. Tremendous pressure is put on kids by peers, parents and coaches to win. So after such extreme indoctrination, do our young people take this attitude out on the street? So if the most important thing is to win and if you have to push someone around well that's okay.
We have developed many programs to improve the self-esteem of young people. Good, strong self esteem is necessary. But is there collateral damage in stressing self esteem. Do some people who do not need self esteem coaching take advantage of it and then emphasize them selves much more than is necessary. Self esteem is used in some ways as an excuse for in appropriate behaviour when it could be other reasons for it. Again very kind and caring people work with youth who need coaching in self esteem to live a more productive life.
I have to look at the posts in my blog. They are usually 100% about me and my experiences. Could I not pick the good things which are being done out there and support them? Am I also self centered and fail to recognise it?
So I have to ask myself, am I just becoming a crotchety old man and being overly sensitive of some behaviours and single out things that bug me? Am I blaming some of the wrong things for causing self centeredness? How do we get things back on the rails so that we are far more considerate of others? Or is my question not relevant?
The behaviour which has tipped me over the edge recently is the performance of our members of Parliament. Parliament is supposed to be a forum where issues are debated and decisions made for the good of the people in the country. Lately very little if any debate has been taking place. Clever debate is fascinating to watch. Lately the extreme partisanship which has been taking place is disgusting. The Conservative party plays fast and loose with the truth. Shelly Glover accused Michael Iggnatief of planning to sell pot to children because he has been considering decriminalizing marijuana. To stretch things this far is the lowest deceit possible. John Baird stood up in the house and stated that 10 000 jobs would have been lost in Canada if the United Arab Emirates had been allowed more landing rights in Canada. Baird had not one shred of evidence to make this claim. Why is such behaviour happening? They want to maintain power. They are too self-centered to look at what is good for the country.
If we watch some people drive we have to say, "Where are they coming from?" Cutting in and out of lanes when it is not safe to do so, speeding, tail gating, throwing garbage on the road...all of these things show a total lack of consideration for other drivers and the environment. Constantly talking on cell phones and other distracting behaviours take place because people are only considering them selves rather than the safety and good of others.
I'm not about to make a complete list of self centered behaviours . You probably have your own list. This should give you some idea of what should be unacceptable behaviour.
Where is this coming from? What are we doing that is promoting or causing behaviour which shows limited consideration of others? Here are some of my ideas and you may well disagree with me.
Organized recreation no doubt is very beneficial for our youth. Volunteers spend a tremendous amount of time and have expertise in coaching. However, you don't have to watch a practice session very long and you see a tremendous emphasis on winning. No emphasis on fun. Just do your best to outdo the other guy so that you can win. Tremendous pressure is put on kids by peers, parents and coaches to win. So after such extreme indoctrination, do our young people take this attitude out on the street? So if the most important thing is to win and if you have to push someone around well that's okay.
We have developed many programs to improve the self-esteem of young people. Good, strong self esteem is necessary. But is there collateral damage in stressing self esteem. Do some people who do not need self esteem coaching take advantage of it and then emphasize them selves much more than is necessary. Self esteem is used in some ways as an excuse for in appropriate behaviour when it could be other reasons for it. Again very kind and caring people work with youth who need coaching in self esteem to live a more productive life.
I have to look at the posts in my blog. They are usually 100% about me and my experiences. Could I not pick the good things which are being done out there and support them? Am I also self centered and fail to recognise it?
So I have to ask myself, am I just becoming a crotchety old man and being overly sensitive of some behaviours and single out things that bug me? Am I blaming some of the wrong things for causing self centeredness? How do we get things back on the rails so that we are far more considerate of others? Or is my question not relevant?
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Winter Slams into Red Deer
That's right folks winter paid us our first visit on Mon. Nov. 15 and it caught our attention sharply.
Mon. Nov. 15 was a very nice day. It was sunny, calm and warm...high of 6 or 7 C(42-44F). Forecasts were saying, "winter storm watch." About 2:00PM it started to cloud over but the temperature remained the same. Around 7:00PM I looked out and guess what? The air was full of snow and a high gusty wind was blowing. It stayed mild for a few more hours and then the temperature gradually dropped. By morning we had 5 - 8 cm of snow and it had drifted around.
When winter comes suddenly it's always a bit of surprise even though we've been warned.
I like it when winter makes it's entry with a flare. All the suspense of waiting is over. Now we can hang on for 4 months of frigid weather. Our mind and attitude has to be adjusted and that is the secret of enjoying and surviving a prairie winter. A fellow blogger from Florida was doing the big whine last week when his temperature was 5C(42 F). Right now 5C here would be a heat wave . So it's all relative. It depends where you are in location and mind. We can find activities to enjoy. I like cross country skiing so give me snow. I ski very hard and do not need gloves, hat or any heavy clothing at all. I have a pack with heavy clothing in case I stop.
I enjoy following weather descriptions and explanations of why certain weather occurs. There are certainly some excellent and interesting blogs to follow.
So I'm set for the next few months to enjoy my winter. I think I can even survive Home Farm Girl's constant complaining about winter.
Let me know how you're coping with winter where ever you may be.
Mon. Nov. 15 was a very nice day. It was sunny, calm and warm...high of 6 or 7 C(42-44F). Forecasts were saying, "winter storm watch." About 2:00PM it started to cloud over but the temperature remained the same. Around 7:00PM I looked out and guess what? The air was full of snow and a high gusty wind was blowing. It stayed mild for a few more hours and then the temperature gradually dropped. By morning we had 5 - 8 cm of snow and it had drifted around.
When winter comes suddenly it's always a bit of surprise even though we've been warned.
So I'm set for the next few months to enjoy my winter. I think I can even survive Home Farm Girl's constant complaining about winter.
Let me know how you're coping with winter where ever you may be.
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