Okalakatiget Society [link at right] has lots of new pictures on their site, plus some bio’s under “respecting our elders”, dame if there is not a shortage of that, but then again you have to earn respect, it is not handed down or given out.

Yesterday was quite nice weather wise, at least that’s what everybody I came across told me. But really it was, cloudy with light snow off and on all day, temperatures between -17 and -15, no wind.

I had several runs down to the air strip, one a dry run expecting some people, only to have a no show. This time the no shows had the where-with-all [much appreciated] to call from GB airport and explain the delay; they arrived on a freight plane just before dusk.

The other run was to pick up a box via UPS sent by Canadian Tire.
I have gone into the high cost of mailing packages large and small before, this one mentioned above is puzzling, in a nice sort of way. I ordered 3 items [not heavy] from Canadian Tire. All items were from an online flyer and reduced in price, one item quite dramatically.
So when I check out the freight charges are just 17 bucks and change, and get this, via UPS [the brown truck]. So cynical me says, “yeah right, won’t see these items any time soon”.
Lo and behold I get an e mail the other day stating that my order had been processed and given a tracking #. Only thing was it only had one of the items listed as being shipped [Cynicism 1].
Then yesterday the nice lady at Air Labrador calls to say I have a UPS package. [Optimism 1]. Down I goes and picks it up. But, the item listed in the e mail is not in the package, it’s the two other items and no sign of the third. [Confusion 100].
So I wait now to see what happens with the third item, hopefully it will arrive in tact and for only the 17 bucks and change for the two packages.

This just adds to the confusion regarding the whole area of freight in and out of remote places. I heard that the issue was raised at the Combined Councils meeting here last week, both by the new leadership of CCL and the MP for Labrador Todd Russell. I do believe that my research on Canada Post was used in the cause.

I must thank Wil down the Pacific for his kind words and link to here.
See Wil at Paradise Driver, bottom middle of page. I check Wil and Man of Lettuce every day. Both give a great account of the human psychic/+ and -. Both also remind me [their stories, not them] of why I can’t go back to whence I came. The pictures Wil puts up are quite the stuff.

$ Day #2 has arrived

The day many have been looking forward to has arrived.
Nunatsiavut Beneficiaries [NB] aged 26 to 50 each will receive $5,000.00. NB 50 and up received their payout last year, the younger group, 26 down to 16 will receive theirs at a future date.
Many business’s will be busy, busy, get it while it lasts.
For the uninitiated, the five grand per NB is a payout [or other] for participating in the democratic process and partaking in the vote for the Nunatsiavut self government deal.

Up date: I dumbucked [made a mistake]. The big payout day is tomorrow [avrio in Greek] not today, all the days a welding into one, hard to keep track with all this excitement, all will turn out OK [endaxi in Greek].
Why the Greek? that’s Greek to me too, or maybe I’m having flashbacks to 1978 and my many months in Paxos.


Further a field: Those who bad mouthed Jack Layton and others for suggesting talks with the bad people may have some eggy faces after this http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=f807ffe7-98bc-4be5-aa4b-ba288e9a26e4&k=73940

Less a field: Thank Yahweh that DS had the foresight to start his tour in St.John’s. The uproar would have been heard all the way to the melting Antarctic if he had started his coast to coast tour in Halifax. http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Science/2007/01/29/3474690-cp.html

Better days yon.

This trap boat was on it's way some place last fall.

The two shots "on the beach" were taken yesterday. There are two skeletons side by side. Sad reminders of what was.

It’s looking like the day draws near when we will be saying; Danny bloody who?
http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/business/story.html?id=f95114a5-ee19-4157-ada8-c192670f856b&k=28171&p=2
“Need to attract overseas workers indeed”.

Who does this deiform think he is?
I know who I think he is, a Brian Tobin with money. Sure boy he is proving that more and more of late. Just like Tobin; the more Danny talks extempore, the more he looks like a ninny hammer.
So howz the Prince of Vim n Vinegar going to explain this one to the seraphic habitancy, won’t be so exoteric after this lot will eh? Given the questions are asked that is.

On the up side; we don’t have [yet and thank you Yahweh] some one like the guy in DC. It’s mind blowing how fatuitous one can be and still end up leading the free world.


Maybe we need more commentary, and comments, like this from down under. http://yobbo.wordpress.com/2007/01/24/shed-drinking-epidemic-worsens/
I know I know, I should go back to whence I came, been told that before so bugger off.

Butt to expand on that subject; I was thinking the same response to smoking bans in local hostelry has taken a different tack.
Maybe the ban has contributed to more bootlegging. In the absence of warm sheds, and taking into account the closeness of the community, just maybe more people are choosing to have a few in the comfort and warmth of homes. Nothing wrong with that, butt in the absence of a liquor store, just maybe enterprising souls [read bottom feeders and law breakers] are taking advantage of the situation.
It is possible that the smoking ban has also increased the consumption [in the warmth of homes] of other inhalants, ones not readily available on store shelves.

Foodie Trekker.

Here I go again, shameless promotion of my culinary skills. But I have an accomplice, and the food; multi grain breads, cookies, three types of pizza were appreciated.
These shots [P Fenton] are again inside Cod Island, north of Nain. The scenery is to die for, I have been up that way in the past, and it is one of the reasons I returned for a second look at Labrador.

I cropped for esoteric reasons.

26th

Happy Birthday to Stephanie.

Australia day is winding down down under, and just getting started up over.

http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/2007/01/26/1169788683632.html?page=3


I won’t be waving flags or going for a dip. I’m a bit nostalgic but mainly I feel disappointed in my birth country at the moment, one of the reasons is this

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/officer-will-be-charged-over-death/2007/01/26/1169594471368.html

Justice sure seems slow at times, hopefully this bloke will get what is coming to him, if found guilty. But it is mainly the attitudes of too many that disturb me, not that Australia is alone with those intolerant and parochial views.
The good news is that the jolly old English are getting their come upence AGAIN at cricket.

Up here it is Family Literacy Day; Fran will be reading a book [in Inuktitut] to some children at the school. The book she chose is Borrowed Black by Ellen Obed. Also will be reading one of the stories from The People by F W Peacock.

Wood anyone?

For the uninitiated, this is how people get wood up here.

You haul your komatik [sled] behind your snowmobile, some times far sometimes not so far. Dry wood is the preferred which can be a long way and up in the hills. Once a stand is found you have to make a trail [and hope others don’t come across it], cut, trim, haul, load up your komatik. Then it’s all fingers crossed that you get out without getting stuck or over turning the load.
All good fun and hard work.
This load would sell for about $60.00 I would think, not a great return IMO. It has been cut for awhile, but still quite green, not sure where it’s from.

It was an incredibly nice day yesterday, clear, frosty, no wind. Took a run out on the ice, not a good idea considering my back, but what the heck. It was very rough, looked and felt like a white wind swept ocean, which it is, only a frozen one. It must be hard on people and machines hauling wood, and a lot are doing it.

Had a couple of trips to the airstrip; supposedly to pick up some one, had a no show.
No shortage of other folks arriving, the town filled up in the afternoon with the delegates etc for the Combined Councils Meeting. They got in just in time according to the forecast, the Kannik [snow] forecast for last night did not eventuate, but Kannivuk [it is snowing] now. Wind picking up too, I’m sure we will not make a bloody big deal out of some snow and wind like they do down the Avalon.

This is another tragedy on the Torngats of a recent era.

http://alavigne.net/newHomePage/Outdoors/TripReports/Torngats2004/index.jsp

It may look like I’m trying to frighten people away; hopefully I’m making people aware of the dangers and the need for top notch planning and back ups, do that and all should be copasetic.

World round up.

Here are a couple of good reasons not to give the Conservatives a majority in Ottawa. Scary is not used enough to describe Harper and his gang. http://www.thestar.com/artsentertainment/article/174152

I usually check out my old stamping grounds by going to www.smh.com.au most days. In summer you always get the hype about snake/spider/shark attaches.
This one via BBC is out of the ordinary for sure http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6289489.stm
Wont link the Oz papers as things have gotten out of control with the Americanization of the whole thing.
I know the area of the attach well, we used to go to that area and surf but mainly to fish. In one local there was a popular spot that attracted people who fished for sharks off a rocky point [poor mans big game fishing,] but not my cup of tea. Some huge sharks were reeled in there. Paradoxically, a popular swimming beach was only about half a mile away on the other side of the point.

Slithering back to snakes; snake bites are becoming more common. The worst drought in 100 years is forcing many animals into the built up and suburban areas looking for moister. In the last little while a number of people have been bitten by eastern brown snakes, with one death and the rest in very serious condition. Eastern browns are one of the deadliest in the world, they are also very numerous, though most don’t know this as they are shy and keep out of peoples way, unless thirsty it would seem. Another example of man reaping what he sows, eh?

This next link has potential for NL sheep growers http://www.votelamb.com.au/index.html I’d hitch my wagon to this movement if I was them. Killing lambs is not as vilified as killing seals, tastes better too imo. Thank you Baz for the link, Baz likes Resches beer, so do I.
It would be a great way to grow the industry; there are big markets in the Mediterranean countries, the antipodes, England. One would have to wean the English off mutton, but that just makes one work harder at promotion.
I can attest to the quality and taste of “local” sin john’s grown lamb, I order two every year with my freezer order.
I would now like to offer up my name as a “handler” for the first Lamb trade mission down under.

News updates.

The charge of three VBNC strikers seems frivolous and unnecessary. Most likely the big bad multi national flexing it’s puny muscles, or thinks it is. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2007/01/23/voiseys-blockade.html
From what was reported at the time of the blockade, the three individuals ceased their blockade as soon as they received official notification from their union HQ.

The nice little bit of history and a view into the future by Mike Johansen is right on. The powers that be do not want to look at what is a best combination, they just want to run the service into the ground, then say, “looky looky, it’s not working, we are subsidizing you, oh lordy lordy we can’t do that”.
http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=1078&sc=5
I took a few trips on the mv Taverner; it ran in tandem with the mv Bonavista at the time. They ran out of Lewisport on a two week rotation to Nain. The Taverner was smaller but quite comfortable. Those were the days of good service, maybe it could have been improved, but compared to what the NL government supplies today it was the bee’s knees.

No link, but the power outage in Hopedale I wrote on has finely received some air time on CBC radio. The emergency back up generator is Goose Bay waiting to be flown in. A local business person is complaining about the outage, Hydros handling of the issue, as well as the community governments handling of the issue. The regional manager for Hydro is due in to Hopedale today for talks with community.

Oh yeah; I have most of the snow cleared, just waiting for the next dump on Thursday or, before.

Clear day not.

The mostly clear day forecast for yesterday did not eventuate. Instead we had snow then wind all day. Goes to prove you can never out guess Mother Nature no matter if the weather office is in Gander of Halifax. I’m up for more shoveling; many people have been shoveling snow off the roofs of houses, so that’s a sign of accumulation.

Fran brought this story to my attention.

http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:AivRLPOE1jgJ:www.theworld.org/%3Fq%3Dnode/6875+a+long+journey+north+to+say+goodbye&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1

It’s sad, also a reminder to people for care and good planning when venturing to areas remote. Advice I neglected to heed when I first came here, guess the spirits were on my side.
One other thing that niggles me with the story, claiming to “discover” the quarry. Seems to me if it is referred to as a quarry, then some one must have discovered it before hand. But it is a common mistake, so no big deal.

Clean and pristine.

After a busy morning it looks like this now at from of the house. I made a path to the back with snow shoes, and then shoveled a track out from the door to the green house/shed. More snow on the way mid week it’s said, so no use getting too tidy.
I love the freshness and working with the snow on a sunny day after a big snow storm, one life’s great enjoyments, long as the back hold out.
Must say the clear day was a surprise; forecast called for similar today as yesterday, but we will take it.



The back of the house can stay like this.

Nice coverage.

Yesterday our temperatures increased from -18 to -.08 in 12 hours. Had a good drop of snow all day, from light and fluffy to wet and wind blown. It is sure nice to get it though, that cold and wind without good snow coverage gets one down after awhile.
Officially we had 4.8 mm of precept. I do not know why Enviro Canada is measuring snow in mm, but they are.
I took the photos about 06 hours.
The temperature scale is in reverse now, but that’s AOK.

Addendum:
It has been brought to my attention I originally said the temperature fell from -18 to .08, my bad, so I corrected it.
The why of measuring snow fall in mm was also explained? Before posting my comments on that I did check out the official weather site, well I like the old way.

Resolution.

Have heard that one of the resolutions to be presented at the CCofL AGM next week is one concerning the absurdly high cost of mailing packages to and from remote communities [see my post of Jan 03, "same old bug-a-bear"].
So I will continue on with some information as to what can be done to limit costs in some instances, but it does take some effort and know how.
If one has a Sears Canada catalogue [and who does not], a credit card, a contact in HV-GB, a phone and time on your hands what one can do is; make your order with Sears either by phone or on the internet, have the order shipped to the Sears catalogue store in HV-GB. If I ordered something like the item in my Jan 03 post it would cost about $5.00 to get it delivered there. You will be given an ETA in HV-GB.Once it arrives at the HV-GB store one would receive an automated message from Sears, stating that your order had arrived and you have 10 days to pick it up. Too bad if your not home, only one chance is given. So if you have not forgotten about your order, and you wonder why it is taking so long, you make a call to the HV-GB store and ask if your order has arrived. Once it’s established that the order has arrived in HV-GB one has to make arrangements to get it to the remote community. One can ask a friend or family member [if available] to pick it up and give it some one who may be coming your way. That’s the cheapest way.Baring that you can call one of the two airlines and ask them to pick it up and deliver it to your community. Air Lab is slightly cheaper than Innu Mikun, both charge a $5.00 pick up fee. That is the second cheapest way.Baring that you can ask your friend or family member [if available] to pick it up, take it to the post office and mail it to you. That my friends is the most expensive way.
So given all the hassle, the fact that a lot of people do not have credit cards, plus many would not know of the service, no wonder the post office is doing a killing, especially over Christmas, but all year really.
We have used the above service at times so can save a bit, many others do use it too. Alas Sears does not always carry what you are looking for; there cloths are not of that high a quality.

Reverse surge.

Wow, we have something very unusual and bothering going on in this province at the moment.

As of today there have been three by-elections already called, two more resignations, one from government, one from NDP, with all likely hood of more resignations to come.
Very big expenses for these by-elections, with a general election scheduled for October, no wonder we can’t get the dept down. Then again.

In a completely unrelated story, it seems there is a huge rat infestation in many homes behind the Confederation Building is the capital city. More on this on ‘here and now’ on CBC tonight.

Round up of some regional happenings this week.

Nain Hill was active earlier in the week. Several mini avalanches occurred after the latest snow and wind storms, plus one larger one. The larger one ran down about 129 meters and contained some large chunks of snow that could have done damage if anything in the way. The whole break away was about 1500 tons. No building were threatened, but it did cover a snowmobile track, most likely high markers, you just never know when you push the envelope, wish some people would think about that more.
The ‘big school’ continues to have heating problems, though there is school today.

In Hopedale people had a bit of a scare this past Tuesday. Two of the three diesel generators broke down at the same time. With only one generator power was only available to a small part of the town for a number of hours. With a low of -27 a good supply of wood was handy.
There is conflicting information, but it seems most of the town was without power from five to six hours. One of the downed generators was repaired and up and running, the third is still down and people from the manufacturer have to have a look at it. NL Hydro says that a replacement generator will be taken in ASAP.

The NDP candidate for Labrador West has announced his intention to leave politics in about a month. Randy Collins has been the member there for about eight years. Mr. Collins was on of the five former and present MHA’s mentioned in the over spending of constituency allowance scandal that is still being investigated. That makes tow of the four sitting implicated members who have left politics since the scandal broke.

A Virgin Atlantic flight from London to Orlando Florida spent about 22 hours in Goose Bay. It was diverted for a passenger medical emergency. Then a mechanical problem popped up. The 300 odd passengers spent their time in local hotels and at the Military base.
No reports of negative comments like there was about St.John’s recently. Most did complain about the cold. Like you have to dress for it, next time bring a parka on your way to Florida.

The good news is, no news is good news ;-}

Inside Cod Island, Northern Labrador.

Sorry about the bread in the way.

Taken this summer by P. Fenton.

Exact location top secrete, have to find it yourselves.















Actually the bread and cookies was the point of the photo's. It's my famous 12 grain, very good for high activity people. The double double choc chip cookies are fought over I'm told.

CCof L and schools.

The Combined Councils of Labrador will be holding the 35th AGM in Nain next week, see link on right side bar.
As stated there, the CCofL was originated by the northern Labrador councils. It has since grown and the smaller northern communities have been some what marginalized by the lager ones in the organization. Some may even say the organization has been high jacked.
Why not that long ago there was rumblings of the original communities pulling out and going it alone. Things seem to have quieted down on that front, at least publicly.
With the formation of Nunatsiavut, and the taking over of the 5 Inuit community councils by Nunatsiavut Government, it remains to be seen how things will work out at CCofL now. I for one am curious, be nice to hear some information on that from those that may know.
The 5 are now called [put name of town here] Inuit Community Governments.

The Nain School, grades 5 to 12 has been closed all week. Understandable early in week with the low wind chills. But CBC keeps announcing that the school remains closed for all grades, it can’t be the weather now. I have heard rumors, and CKOK had a story on what was going on but I missed it. CBC HV-GB does not seem curios as there has been nothing on the subject in a story sense. Plenty of coverage of a school closing with heating problems on the south coast. In golfing parlance, it’s par for the course.

Tooling around indoors on a cold day.

Some guy up in Iqaluit said this was hard to do, well if I can do it, know what I'm saying.

Lousy resolution, but there are over 1300 people down there. The water at the bottom of the white is the dam. The white is the town and roads. The point with the white has the airstrip to the right, chopper pad at tip of point and the road to the dump around to the left and into the other bay. The surrounding hills are 600 to 800 feet. And yes, the green stuff is trees.