So, this is where it all began for me....no making fun of me now, friends.
http://www.gbcamp.com/videos/adventure.html
Local scenery
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Smores - the demise of camping!
What is this world coming to....the demise of true camping adventures - shoved into a box on a store shelf!
Monday, September 13, 2010
A Wordle
http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/2416637/The_Camp_Song
I'm hoping that you can enjoy my new "wordle" created with the words of The Camp Song by Peter Katz.
You can also google him on youtube to enjoy this super end-of-summer song.
I'm hoping that you can enjoy my new "wordle" created with the words of The Camp Song by Peter Katz.
You can also google him on youtube to enjoy this super end-of-summer song.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Learning bits - Crickets
So...each time one ventures into the Park it is difficult to get out without a bit of new knowledge....unless of course you are an ignorant, holier-than-thou human who is under the assumption that humans are at the top of the proverbial food chain on this planet....however, i digress....if you are looking to learn about the environment and nature you are likely able to gain some new insight.
This time i found out about the life of a male cricket! Uh-huh....#$%^* so forever more, while I listen to the chirp of the crickets outside my tent - the following will be coursing through my brain...
It is said that the crickets who "sing" are the guys who have already provided ample proof of their superiority just by virtue of the fact that they sing....the females are pretty indiscriminate in choosing a mate because it really is irrelevant as long as they sing. Loudness or tune are irrelevent. Unlike other species whose females are very choosey in order to ensure survival prospects of their offspring, these females don't care as long as they've passed the ultimate test of singing....
But this post is mainly about the male cricket....so "the guy who gets the girl" dies earlier than the others....the "silent" crickets, who basically gave up on the being "the best"...just hang out around the singers and pick up....the rest of the females....some times they nab them before the singer gets there...it is pretty dark out there you know....these guys are called "satelite males".
The singers appear to have the good deal going on but they are more susceptible to random attacks of violence from the silent guys, they attract predators (cats), they attract female flies (parasites) with their song....
The singer gets to live about 3 weeks on average....doesn't that suck.....but mates about 4 times a night. The silent guy, who inadvertently gets the girl without the workload lives for about 6 weeks, but if the boss finds out his less-than-acceptable-ways....he's done for.
Ultimately, as my teacher quoted, "The way to your lover's heart may lead to someone else's stomach", but not to worry, "if music be the food of love, stridulate on!"
**some information from "The Raven: A Natural and Cultural History Digest", article by Dan Strickland.
This time i found out about the life of a male cricket! Uh-huh....#$%^* so forever more, while I listen to the chirp of the crickets outside my tent - the following will be coursing through my brain...
It is said that the crickets who "sing" are the guys who have already provided ample proof of their superiority just by virtue of the fact that they sing....the females are pretty indiscriminate in choosing a mate because it really is irrelevant as long as they sing. Loudness or tune are irrelevent. Unlike other species whose females are very choosey in order to ensure survival prospects of their offspring, these females don't care as long as they've passed the ultimate test of singing....
But this post is mainly about the male cricket....so "the guy who gets the girl" dies earlier than the others....the "silent" crickets, who basically gave up on the being "the best"...just hang out around the singers and pick up....the rest of the females....some times they nab them before the singer gets there...it is pretty dark out there you know....these guys are called "satelite males".
The singers appear to have the good deal going on but they are more susceptible to random attacks of violence from the silent guys, they attract predators (cats), they attract female flies (parasites) with their song....
The singer gets to live about 3 weeks on average....doesn't that suck.....but mates about 4 times a night. The silent guy, who inadvertently gets the girl without the workload lives for about 6 weeks, but if the boss finds out his less-than-acceptable-ways....he's done for.
Ultimately, as my teacher quoted, "The way to your lover's heart may lead to someone else's stomach", but not to worry, "if music be the food of love, stridulate on!"
**some information from "The Raven: A Natural and Cultural History Digest", article by Dan Strickland.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Algonquin Park - Car camping at its best, to say the least.
So....it appears that my weather luck has run out...and that is being GENEROUS. Four days in Algonquin, the place that in my view would stand up to the heavens, and lots of rain and cold. But this is not new to me, nor my faithful camping team. Rachel, Bev and Evan stood the tests of time while they endured the winds of Earl and the rains that only Algonquin can deliver.
We (Evan and I) discovered that: "interesting mom, here the fire hydrants are red" and " (gag) GG (heather) put mustard on my picnic, ham, sandwich" and "I don't think that i like mustard".
So basically car camping in Algonquin in the rain and cold typically includes a visit to the Algonquin Visitor Centre....each year (ages 1-4) Evan re-experiences this "Visitor Centre" for the first time....as he appears to be deficient in memory>$%^&*....i, and Rachel, on the other hand try to act excited as we tour for the fiftieth time around and around looking at the same displays of stuffed wild critters. Seriously, would it kill them to add an exhibit occasionally....for the veterans without memory.
Car camping in the rain also means buying bagged, wet, molded, wood from the young, underemployed men at the "wood lot". So off I go with my wood and kindling tickets to pickup my goods. I pull into the centre of the circular drive (okay dirt field is more accurate) and park while others zigzag to get by and meet with the wood man. He gives me a bag and suggests I can leave. I challenge him about the fact that i have yet to receive my back of kindling. He asks me for my "ticket" and says with a straight face "Sorry, this is last year's ticket and has expired". I stand in stunned silence (which you all know is a stretch for me)....until he grins, and then I respond "Don't fuck with me, man!!" This triggers a similarly stunned response, the comment, "You never know what you're going to get when you visit the wood lot!" as I walk to my car, carrying my own back of wood. Later in the trip when we required more wood (this time not for cosmetic beauty or natural, camping atmosphere, but out of significant need for actual heat and survival).....Rachel (16) and I re-entered the "woodlot". I gave Rachel some warning of the possible side effects of my earlier interaction (less than professional) with the wood guy. Much to our interest, we dealt with the same guy. I flashed my ticket and he said, "one bag of kindling??!!" and I replied, "yup". He turned to grab the bag and turned to face us with two bags of kindling and a grin, stating "one bag of kindling, have a nice day". We returned to the site wondering who had been had!
Not too much to report in terms of wildlife. We stumbled upon a mama moose and twin calfs as we exited the park but they wandered back in the bush before we could do any excellent photography. Apparently bear were touring around us but no sightings. A racoon sniffed out our tent but was unsuccessful. No chipmunks....
More excellent stories to report such as Rachel learning from Evan how to play "Go Fish" and the SEVERAL trips to the Ontario Parks store....for the stuffed wolf , humourous company, and warmth!
Cheers and happy fall to those fall campers out there. After 5 trips into the park this summer, I have likely retired my gear for the year. Ode to the Park!
s
We (Evan and I) discovered that: "interesting mom, here the fire hydrants are red" and " (gag) GG (heather) put mustard on my picnic, ham, sandwich" and "I don't think that i like mustard".
So basically car camping in Algonquin in the rain and cold typically includes a visit to the Algonquin Visitor Centre....each year (ages 1-4) Evan re-experiences this "Visitor Centre" for the first time....as he appears to be deficient in memory>$%^&*....i, and Rachel, on the other hand try to act excited as we tour for the fiftieth time around and around looking at the same displays of stuffed wild critters. Seriously, would it kill them to add an exhibit occasionally....for the veterans without memory.
Car camping in the rain also means buying bagged, wet, molded, wood from the young, underemployed men at the "wood lot". So off I go with my wood and kindling tickets to pickup my goods. I pull into the centre of the circular drive (okay dirt field is more accurate) and park while others zigzag to get by and meet with the wood man. He gives me a bag and suggests I can leave. I challenge him about the fact that i have yet to receive my back of kindling. He asks me for my "ticket" and says with a straight face "Sorry, this is last year's ticket and has expired". I stand in stunned silence (which you all know is a stretch for me)....until he grins, and then I respond "Don't fuck with me, man!!" This triggers a similarly stunned response, the comment, "You never know what you're going to get when you visit the wood lot!" as I walk to my car, carrying my own back of wood. Later in the trip when we required more wood (this time not for cosmetic beauty or natural, camping atmosphere, but out of significant need for actual heat and survival).....Rachel (16) and I re-entered the "woodlot". I gave Rachel some warning of the possible side effects of my earlier interaction (less than professional) with the wood guy. Much to our interest, we dealt with the same guy. I flashed my ticket and he said, "one bag of kindling??!!" and I replied, "yup". He turned to grab the bag and turned to face us with two bags of kindling and a grin, stating "one bag of kindling, have a nice day". We returned to the site wondering who had been had!
Not too much to report in terms of wildlife. We stumbled upon a mama moose and twin calfs as we exited the park but they wandered back in the bush before we could do any excellent photography. Apparently bear were touring around us but no sightings. A racoon sniffed out our tent but was unsuccessful. No chipmunks....
More excellent stories to report such as Rachel learning from Evan how to play "Go Fish" and the SEVERAL trips to the Ontario Parks store....for the stuffed wolf , humourous company, and warmth!
Cheers and happy fall to those fall campers out there. After 5 trips into the park this summer, I have likely retired my gear for the year. Ode to the Park!
s
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