Catch Up

Well, I'm a little bit behind the times and need to recap the past two weeks of my life for you, now, don't I? Well, here goes something...

The week before last was spent lounging in a motel, watching crappy TV...naw, we worked hard, promise! We were in a motel though. Terrace was the place to be. It was actually alright. The first two days were in the helicopter, flying with two of the best pilots in the world: Mike and Ian at Quantum, in Terrace. The first day we went down to the Falls River area. I saw a porcupine (aka Mr. Porky), which made me laugh, and it was a beautifully misty day with smatterings of sunshine and rain and clouds that drifted in and out of the valley, hiding and revealing the lovely waterfalls that decorate the steep hillsides. The second day we went over to the Big Wedeene River, near Terrace as well but had to abort our mission within about an hour because the block that we were going to work on wasn't quite ready for us!

After another day's work around Terrace, we hussled out to Prince Rupert for a day's flying into Silver Creek (just next door to PR), traipsing around in the multi-layer cutblocks (see the photos on my Flickr page). In one of the blocks there was a huge section of "culturally modidfied trees". These CMTs were cedars that had had their barked stripped in one section over the years. The bark would be used to make baskets, etc. Anyway, check it out...!

Working in Silver Creek is a bit amusing because it's within cell range of PR. That always throws me for a loop: you think you're in the middle of nowhere, but in all reality...!!! That evening we went and had sushi at the BEST sushi joint I've EVER been to. It's called Opa's Sushi. It's in Cow Bay, in Prince Rupert...if you're ever there, don't miss it. That and their rolls are SO cheap and SO good. Mmm! It's also super cool because it's housed in an old fish net loft so the building's all wooden, and not painted on the inside or finished in any fancy way at all really; the beams are all exposed and it smells like the ocean and wood and sushi all rolled up into one.

After sushi dinner we sauntered across the street to Cowpuccino's! One of the three-way tie winners for the best cafe in Canada, in my humble opinion. It's so funky. And, they make the best baked goods in this eentsy-weensy kitchen. So, if you're a sweetie-o-holic, you'd feel right at home here. Hannah grabbed three treats for the road; I succombed only to a measly chocolate oat bar and could hardly finish it (I'm not very hardcore in the world of sweeties)...but, it was so good.

The next shift of work took place in the buggy Meziadin. This is the campground we stayed at: Meziadin Lake Provincial Park. We even went for a dip, two times! (It was COLD!). The work this past week was good, albeit somewhat buggy. Behind my left ear looks like a chicken-pocked warzone...not very pleasant. And, I suffered a lopsided black-fly collagen injection, a la Goldie Hawn in some movie way-back-when. That was interesting!!! And, I'll include a picture for a little self-mortification effect:

The bug net was my best friend this shift. Hannah's being laying on the deet...I wonder how long that'll last for! That stuff melts plastic...I'm not so sure that it's fit for human use!

Anyway, time to go roll some sushi for myself and the hungry pregnant lady. Mangoes, smoked salmon, short grain brown rice, accompanied by some delicious tofu and eggplant a la ReBar...very high culture, let me tell you!

Hopefully the crew out at the Oilers game tonight comes home satisfied!!! Drop me a line...anytime! -L.

Geranium erianthum

"Northern Geranium"

'The name "geranium" when translated means crane's-bill or stork's-bill and refers to the fruit with its central pointed column of fused styles that resemble the long bills of cranes or storks.' -Plants of Northern British Columbia (p. 210)