Daddy's Girl

Here is a picture of my daughter kissing a Trout. I used to take the kids fishing but they never really got into it. Consequently, we never fished alot together. This year my daughter got a job at a fly in fishing lodge. She got her first fishing license "just in case". Well here she is. This is her first fish and its a beauty Lake trout! She learned how to clean the fish and she put it in the smokehouse. I am  not jealous, but I am envious...teehee. What a trooper!!! Daddy loves his little girl!....kissing a fish...hahaha..precious child.

Peace

There is no way to peace.

Peace itself is the way

I friend posted this on FB and it sparked my thought. We each bear the personal responsibility of peace in our lives. Peace is an action that begins right at home, in our lives and in our very beings. We often talk about peace as some glamorous thing that we should try to attain. Its almost like peace is this great ideal that we should technically have, yet I am not sure we really understand the responsibility we each have to MAKE peace. Peace doesn't happen on its own, and strangely, peace can be achieved in the most unpeaceful situations. Peace begins as a state of being and then shared with the world. We are quick to point out that sometimes there must be war, before there can be peace. The thought is we need to fight for peace. I might suggest that fighting for peace is like fu^&%$ing for virginity, yet it is a little more complicated that. Jesus told me to turn the other cheek, but we are also told to fight for what is right. I think we perhaps jump to the fight much too quickly. I think that if we live and practice peace in our own lives, then we will find, that we found the way. There is no way to peace, other than through peace itself.

Peace is fostered as we see the world through LOVE's eyeglasses. Have you ever noticed how you look at someone you love and the feelings you feel inside and the resulting peace. Now discover that the entire world and ALL people of ALL nationalities and ALL cultures are worthy of LOVE and peace is completely attainable. When we LOVE, there is peace. 

Happy Anniversary!!!

It was our 27th anniversary last night. I went into town and got Sushi and we had a nice meal. After dinner Sue looked at the clock and said....Are you going fishing tonight? I said my goodness NO! Its our anniversary...I wouldnt dare ask! She said...do you wanna go? I said...Only if you do. What a girl!!!!! She said she thought we should go and get ourselves a mess of fish for a big fish fry.

Just as we arrived, it started to rain..and rain. It was a nice rain, but the mosquitos were nasty! We prevailed. Sue caught this beauty Pickerel. We also caught 10 nice barbotte (spring catfish). We cleaned and labelled our catch and plans are underway for our next commubity fish fry.

Actually..this post wasnt supposed to be about fishing. This post is about how great my wife is and how blessed I am. We were destined for one another, pre-elected, pre-chosen, pre-ordained by God. Things are as they were meant to be. All is well and we are one. 27 years is nothing. I still feel like I am on honeymoon. Not a day passes that I dont feel those flutters in my heart. She makes me excited to be alive. She makes me complete. There is no finer woman and in many years from now, we will still be celebrating our love.

Hummingbirds

We noticed a hummingbird fly by, so Sue quickly prepared the feeder and hung it up. Within 30 minutes we had a visitor. Its wings beat so fast you cant see them. This one pershed. They dont seam to want to share. We had three at one time and they took turns.

This morning, the hummingbird was perching on some branches. It let me get right up to the window to take this picture. I know he saw me. It was a thrill to stand within feet of this wonderful little creature.

Jeesh, I should get a better camera. Sue and I have been talking about it. We have been using point and shoot $100.00 digitals. They have worked wonderfully well as they get beaten up and abused a lot. I rekon if we got a good one, we would have to treat it with respect. By the way, I just broke the camera I got at Christmas.....sat on the lens...not good.

NiMH batteries have been performing like a dream and I bought a set of SONY rechargable NiMH and they are the BEST I have ever seen...well worth the price...almost supernatural!

Cheers to Hummingbirds and Point and Shoots 

OPening Day of Fishing Season 2011

Oliver Catches a Pickerel first cast!

We ate him for dinner!

...the pickerel...not Oliver.

I followed up with this sucker....and put him back in the water 

Oliver caught a Mudpuppy...wierd salamander

It fell of the hook and is living under the floor board of my boat...jeesh

Sue caught this wonderful Bass but it was out of season

and had to go back...By the way..Sue doesnt touch fish

First Time for Everything!

Pete caught this beauty and again..out of season so back it went!

Pete and I decided to try our old ice fishing spot. We sat there and caught a dozen "Bullhead" Catfish. The locals call them Barbot and every spring they are great to eat. We had a big feast of "Cajun Catfish". It was every bit as good as the Pickerel!

"Tag" Art? Graffitti? ART nonetheless

Washroom at Mount McKay

Old Womans Bay - Lake Superior

This is a view from the beach at Old Womans Bay...Is that snow on the far bank?

Yup...There were still pockets of snow all over Northern Ontario

Beach and Cold Cold water!

Walk on the beach

self portrait

Photo Op Thanks to timers on cameras

Old Womans Bay is in Lake Superior Park. It is about 40 minutes east of Wawa. We stop here every time we pass. My buddy Dan's ashes rest here. We pay our respects to him, to life and to the one with all knowledge and power. That makes this spot sacred to me. It was said that Gitchie Manido actually lives here in this lake. I see why this is beleived. This Lake is the center of a great circle of life. So much depends on this lake. It is the biggest and most awesome and untamed of all the great lakes. This is a place of great abundance, great beauty and a place of rest for the soul.

Lord God, Magnificent Creator,

Great Spirit, Very God, Very Man,

Source of all,

Your magnificence is ever present

I can feel it in Your creations

I can see it in Your people

I can touch it with my hands,

Yet Yours is a power of which I have no control

I therefore journey in faith

that Your magnificent hand will guide Your creation

just as You will and desire

just as you envisioned and just as you dreamt

Thank You Lord God

for this very day

and Your very presence.

Niijii - Fearless Cat Hunter

I keep telling him he is going to get eaten but all he says is pretty birdy birdy. Then he says jkhjk;hsd sjhdf3pf3 kscb. The cat puts up with it but I suspect it kinda pisses him off. I try to keep thenm seperated, but neither bird nor cat want to cooperate. One lives dangerously while the other lives gracefully. I dare you to try that outside!

I think Edgar Alan Poe wrote a story about budgies didnt he?

Northern Ontario Trek - Wild life

We crossed the watershed line a few times on our journey 

We saw Bald Eagles, a Golden Eagle, several species of hawk or bird of prey as my wife calls them. We saw a Piliated Woodpecker, Cormorants, Wood Ducks, Mallards, Grebes, Mergansers and several unknowns...next time we will bring our field books and binocs! 

We found and saw every type of rock....every shape and every color. From Red Rock to Granite to quartz, and all sorts of combinations and permutations. We saw the red ochre and blue, purple, yellow, white black and others. Big rocks, small rocks...rocks everywhere!

We saw 10 bear. Twice we saw momma and two cubs. All they way across our journey from Red Lake to Temagami...bears in the bush and on the sides of the road. These two cubs were not very fast getting off the road. Momma was in the ditch and she said something which caused then to snap to attention. 

Here is a closer shot. They seamed pretty leisurely until momma spoke!

Trees...trees..Jack Pines, red pine, white pine, black spruce, red spruce, cedar, tamaracks, birch, alder poplar, and a few maples, and oaks. These are the logs brought downstream from spring thaw. They rotated in this big pool endlessly, like a giant toilet that never flushes

We saw about 8 moose, 8 or so deer, a red fox, a grey fox

What an incedible blessing it is to live in such a beautiful place. We truly live in paradise!

Panorama Amethyst Mine - Thunder Bay

My wife Sue is a Rock hound. It is just one of the things she gathers. We have come to this mine before, but it was closed. We tried again on the way in and it was closed. On the way back however, the closed sign was gone so we took the trek. My wife was in her glory! |We picked amethyst for our new gardens. All the way across Northern Ontario, we would stop for me to fish and Sue to collect rocks. Yesterday, they were lovingly placed in her gardens. Quite an adventure!

Deb and I on top of Mount McKay - Notice smoke at top right

Forest fire as seen from Mount McKay



When we arrived at Mount McKay we could see a small forest fire. Within 15 minutes, we could see emergency vehicles. When we climbed to the top of Mount McKay, we could see the fire spreading. Within 30 minutes, an arial spot plane arrived and then shortly after, the water bomber arrived. We watched as he "dipped" into Lake Superior and then flew over and dropped it on the fire. This was repeated a number of times until only a luittle smoke and steam was left. What an amazing thing to watch!!!

Ontario Old Growth Pine

This sign is at the Panorama Amythyst Mine in Thunder Bay

Here is the rest of the "scene"

And here is the beauty Pine that they want to protect

Here are two beauty Temagami Red Pine just down the road from me.

We stopped here for one last stretch before returning home.

We drove across Northern Ontario and took many back routes and side routes. We saw so much beauty. We also saw our forestry industry in full swing. Its hard to look at the clear cuts, yet we also saw lots of new growth. We saw a "farming" process in action. Swaths of land from one end of Northern Ontario to the other.

There is not much industry in the North. Towns and regions are reliant on forestry and mining and tourism. As a tourist, what I saw was sad and somehwat sickening, YET, I do understand that forestry is essential. After seeing 1000's of miles of full swing forestry it leaves me baffled as to why we now need to take our last remaining old growth. It is poor stewardship to take it all.

A smart investor and a wise steward would always say to save some for future. While I think that 10% is a pretty fair amount to save, our leaders and industry do not. We are down to our last few percent of remaining old growth forest. We should be ashamed of ourselves.

Go ahead and tell me all the reasons why forestry is required and I will agree. Tell me about the necessity of protection and I will also agree.  Tell me that we have already taken from the last 10 percent and I will tell you that we are idiotts. Plain and simple fools. We are stealing our childrens inheritance and we should be ashamed of ourselves.

Do yourself a favour and go hug a tree. Go hug an old growth tree and you too will understand why we have to protect. Really...come on.... Do you think that 3% is an acceptable figure?...I dont. 



Honouring Our Ojibwa Elders - Spirit of Turtle Island

"Spirit of Turtle Island" Copyright Randy Thomas 2011

http://www.ahnisnabae-art.com/Randy-Thomas/View-all-products.html

I dropped by my favourite Woodland Art Gallery while I was in Thunder Bay. My wife and daughter and I had just climbed Mount McKay and spent time honouring the Ojibwa elders. We met Randy Thomas, son of Roy Thomas. Randy and I chatted about our learning experiences. We were moved by this painting as it perfectly reflected our visit. We were very honoured to meet Randy. Here is a bio over at the Ahnisnabae Art site.

Randy Thomas is an Ojibwe/Cree. His roots stem from Sucker Cree First Nation, Alberta to Long Lac First Nation in Northern Ontario. Born in March of 1988 in St. Albert, Alberta. Randy was educated in Thunder Bay, Ontario. His artistic roots come from his father who was a renowned Woodland painter Roy Thomas.


Randy has always practiced his talent through the years with the encouragement from his mother and father. Randy states, “My dad made sure there was always art material available for me and my brother” Randy would watch his father paint, sometimes even painting alongside him. Randy cherishes the teachings and time spent with his father.


“For the past few years it’s been on my mind to get back into my art. I felt a need to be closer to my father and to honor him through my art” Randy now spends his time painting and drawing in the traditional styles; following in the Footsteps of his late father.

Cheers to Woodland Art and much blessings to Randy as he lets his light shine!

In Honour Of Our Ojibwa Elders

The Sleeping Giant - Sleepy G

In Honour of our Ojibwa Elders 

In Honour of our Ojibwa Elders Monument at Mount McKay, Thunder Bay

Sue and Deb Honouring

   

Stitched Birch Bark used on a Teepee

Learning the root stitch

Poles for the Teepee

This Mountain is Sacred - Respect it - Pickup your garbage

Sacred Site Flags