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Tag Archives: 2017
Lungta Livyers #6: Stay on the Bus
We wanted to go for a hike. To some trees. So we did some research, found a few blog posts, and knew we needed to get near the Zaisan Memorial to get near the hike’s starting point. One blog post … Continue reading
Lungta Livyers #4: This or Something Better
This morning I remarked to Marian, that along with Lojong Slogans, other pithy sayings had been introduced to me and some stick and others don’t. I can’t remember who or where I was introduced to the saying, “This or something … Continue reading
Lungta Livyers #3: He said “Yes”
The doctor took a quick look and said, “You’re all good.” I in disbelief said, “Really? Please take a close look.” He looked at both the wrist and incision and said it looks fine that likely only inflammation remains. I … Continue reading
Lungta Livyers #2: The Bardo of Kindergarten
One of the joys of travel is that it immediately returns you to kindergarten or toddlerhood. Stripped of the comfort cloak of shared language, everyday tasks take on enormous challenge and adventure, requiring intense observational skills, pointing, and willingness to … Continue reading
Summer of Hand(s)
I usually mark each summer by the expedition or expeditions that happened that summer. Last summer was the “Polar Bear” expedition to northern Labrador. The summer before was the “Will the plane ever land?” expedition to the Kanairiktok River in … Continue reading
Posted in Lungta Livyers
Tagged 2017, adventure, climb, hand surgery, let’s do it all over again, Lungta, prayer flags, trek
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Boatbuilding as a Full Contact Sport
Using the linear planer is intense. I’ve adopted the role of board puller which means I’m face and eyes into the sawdust. I think I like it because it reminds me of skiing across Greenland or Sweden when we faced … Continue reading
Posted in Newfoundland
Tagged 2017, boatbuilding, dory, Winterton, Wooden Boat Museum
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Finding Centre and Other Life Lessons from Boatbuilding
Day three of boatbuilding school at the Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador has come to an end and we’ve learned many more skills, ideas, and vocabulary today. We’ve focused on finding centre from almost minute one of the … Continue reading
Posted in Newfoundland
Tagged 2017, boatbuilding, dory, Winterton, Wooden Boat Museum
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From Stem to Stern
Marian, Michael, and I are spending this week at the Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador in Winterton learning how to build a Grandy Dory (pictured above). I’ve been trying to get to a workshop here for a few … Continue reading
I’m Always Climbing A Mountain or “How I climb anything is how I climb everything…”
If I said to you that I was following an exercise program with discipline, eating food of the highest nutritional quality, making sure that I’m getting lots of sleep, doing lots of body care, and seeing progress each day, what … Continue reading
Visual Soliloquy #1280 It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure…
It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure. –Joseph Campbell
Posted in Photography, Visual Soliloquy
Tagged 2017, Nature, photography, Quotes, Travel
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Visual Soliloquy #1279 If you propose to speak, always ask yourself, is it true, is it necessary, is it kind ?”
If you propose to speak, always ask yourself, is it true, is it necessary, is it kind?” –Mary Ann Pietzker
Posted in Photography, Visual Soliloquy
Tagged 2017, Nature, photography, Quotes, Travel
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Visual Soliloquy #1278 Our wounds are often the openings into the best and most beautiful part of us…
Our wounds are often the openings into the best and most beautiful part of us. ― David Richo photo Credit: Megan Frost
Posted in Photography, Visual Soliloquy
Tagged 2017, Nature, photography, Quotes, Travel
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Visual Soliloquy #1277 “It’s like everyone tells a story about themselves inside their own head. Always . All the time. That story makes you what you are. We build ourselves out of that story…
It’s like everyone tells a story about themselves inside their own head. Always. All the time. That story makes you what you are. We build ourselves out of that story. ― Patrick Rothfuss
Posted in Photography, Visual Soliloquy
Tagged 2017, Nature, photography, Quotes, Travel
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Visual Soliloquy #1276 I wanted a perfect ending. Now I’ve learned, the hard way, that some poems don’t rhyme, and some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what’s going to happen next. Delicious Ambiguity…
I wanted a perfect ending. Now I’ve learned, the hard way, that some poems don’t rhyme, and some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making … Continue reading
Posted in Photography, Visual Soliloquy
Tagged 2017, Nature, photography, Quotes, Travel
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Visual Soliloquy #1275 The only real battle in life is between hanging on and letting go…
The only real battle in life is between hanging on and letting go. ― Shannon L. Alder
Posted in Photography, Visual Soliloquy
Tagged 2017, Nature, photography, Quotes, Travel
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Visual Soliloquy # 1274 I grow plants for many reasons: to please my eye or to please my soul, to challenge the elements or to challenge my patience, for novelty or for nostalgia, but mostly for the joy in seeing them grow…
I grow plants for many reasons: to please my eye or to please my soul, to challenge the elements or to challenge my patience, for novelty or for nostalgia, but mostly for the joy in seeing them grow. — David … Continue reading
Posted in Photography, Visual Soliloquy
Tagged 2017, garden, Nature, photography, Quotes, Travel
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Fire and Ice 2107: More Ice than Fire
It was another full day exploring the sights between Vagnsstaðir and Vik. We spent much of the day marvelling at the ice in all of it’s forms. Glacier tongues, lagoons, and crevasses drew our attention over and over again. I … Continue reading
Posted in Fire&Ice17
Tagged 2017, climb, Iceland, Nature, School Curriculum, Sweden, Travel
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Fire & Ice 2017 Day 9: Kiruna to Stockholm
Today after our overnight train ride, we will explore Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. Did You Know? Volvo, a Swedish company invented the 3-point seat belt system, and instead of patenting it to make their own company a lot more … Continue reading
Posted in Fire&Ice17
Tagged 2017, climb, Iceland, Nature, School Curriculum, Sweden, Travel
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Fire & Ice 2017 Day 8: Kebnekaise to Nikkolauda to Kiruna
Today we will head out from Kebnekaise Mountain Station to Nikkolauda. There, we will catch a bus that will take us to Kiruna. There, we will catch a train to Stockholm. Did You Know?
Posted in Fire&Ice17
Tagged 2017, climb, Iceland, Nature, School Curriculum, Sweden, Travel
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Fire & Ice 2017 Day 7: Kebnekaise Climb
. Today is the big day. We will try to make our way to the highest point in Sweden, the summit of Kebnekaise (2099 m.). Did You Know? Haparanda in Sweden, and Tornio in Finland, are so close in proximity … Continue reading
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Tagged 2017, climb, Iceland, Nature, School Curriculum, Sweden, Travel
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Fire & Ice 2017 Day 6: Kebnekaise Mountain Station
Today we say good-bye to our ski teammates and meet our climbing ones. We’ll do some preparation for our climb of Kebnekaise (2099 m.) as well as rest and make everything ready for the climb. Did You Know? Something that … Continue reading
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Tagged 2017, climb, Iceland, Nature, School Curriculum, Sweden, Travel
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Fire & Ice 2017 Day 5: Salka-Kebnekaise
This will be an exciting day as we will see Kebnekaise (2099 m.), Sweden’s highest peak, for the first time. We will be trying to spot the route up that we will use when climbing the peak. Today we ski … Continue reading
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Tagged 2017, climb, Iceland, Nature, School Curriculum, Sweden, Travel
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Fire & Ice 2017 Day 4: Tjakta-Salka
Today the rhythms of our ski days should be set as we make way from Tjakta mountain hut to Salka mountain hut. Did You Know? In Sweden, the traditional Christmas visitor is the “nisse” or “gnome”, a short, good-humoured sprite … Continue reading
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Tagged 2017, climb, Iceland, Nature, School Curriculum, Sweden, Travel
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Fire & Ice 2017 Day 3: Alesjaure-Tjakta
Today we ski from Alesjaure mountain hut to Tjakta mountain hut. The huts were are using are maintained by the Swedish Tourism Association and help make the Swedish outdoors more accessible to everyone. Did You Know? “Lagom” is an important … Continue reading
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Tagged 2017, climb, Iceland, Nature, School Curriculum, Sweden, Travel
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Fire & Ice 2017 Day 2: Abiskojaure-Alesjaure
Today’s plan is to ski from Abisko.jaure-Alesjaure. We are learning all about the Letter “A” Did You Know? Between 300,000 and 400,000 moose (“Alces alces”) roam the Swedish woods. The moose is also considered the most dangerous animal in Sweden. … Continue reading
Posted in Fire&Ice17
Tagged 2017, climb, Iceland, Nature, School Curriculum, Sweden, Travel
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Fire & Ice 2017 Day 1: Abisko Mountain Station-Abiskojaure
Today’s plan is to ski from Abisko Mountain Station to Abiskojaure mountain hut. It will be our first day out so we must take very good care of our feet since they will be adapting to the large volume of … Continue reading
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Tagged 2017, climb, Iceland, Nature, School Curriculum, Sweden, Travel
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Fire and Ice 2017: Our Ski Route…
This map shows our entire ski route from Abisko to Kebnekaise and then finishing in Nikkaluokta. We will be carrying some of our food supplies in our backpacks and acquiring some items along the way. Out backpacks will weight between … Continue reading
Posted in Fire&Ice17
Tagged 2017, climb, Iceland, Nature, School Curriculum, Sweden, Travel
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A Invitation to Fire & Ice 2017
Marian and I are off on another adventure and we’d like to invite you to come along. We are calling the expedition, “Fire and ice 2017” and we’re off to points north of here in Sweden and Iceland. The name … Continue reading
Posted in Fire&Ice17
Tagged 2017, climb, Iceland, Nature, School Curriculum, Sweden, Travel
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Visual Soliloquy # 1273 The river has taught me to listen; you will learn from it, too. The river knows everything; one can learn everything from it. You have already learned from the river that it is good to strive downwards…
The river has taught me to listen; you will learn from it, too. The river knows everything; one can learn everything from it. You have already learned from the river that it is good to strive downwards, to sink, to … Continue reading
Posted in Photography, Visual Soliloquy
Tagged 2017, Nature, photography, Quotes, Travel
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In Honour of Michael Beecher Smith 4/27/2007
With today being Bell’s Let’s Talk day, I’m thinking of Michael and his family. He is dearly missed by so many. I thought I would re-post this blog entry that I did from Everest basecamp on April 27, 2007. Location: … Continue reading
Posted in Everest 3.0, Everest-007
Tagged 2017, Bell Let’s Talk, climb, Seven Summits, train
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Visual Soliloquy #1272 They who marvel at the beauty of the world in summer will find equal cause for wonder and admiration in winter…
They who marvel at the beauty of the world in summer will find equal cause for wonder and admiration in winter. –John Burroughs He who marvels at the beauty of the world in summer will find equal cause for wonder … Continue reading
Posted in Photography, Visual Soliloquy
Tagged 2017, Nature, photography, Quotes, Travel
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Of Hands and Helicopters
That’s my left hand holding Climber Smurf as we are traveling to Hebron, Labrador last August to begin our Paddle2Peaks expedition. It’s been a rough year for my hands. I hadn’t realized how rough until just before Christmas when I … Continue reading
In 2017, what ‘mountain’ will you climb?
Reading this article, by Ashley Fitzpatrick of The Telegram, entitled In 2017, what ‘mountain’ will you climb? brought back many fine memories of my preparation for and climbing of Mount Kilimanjaro. I also enjoyed reflecting on the many folks I’ve … Continue reading
