| Author |
Message |
burtjames
Member
Post Number: 20
Registered: 01-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 10:06 am: | 
|
On the National last night there was a feature piece about the 7 wonders of Canada and, lo and behold, a short piece about the importance of the canoe to the history, landscape and identity of Canada.
Personally, I sent in a nomination for the open canoe a couple of weeks ago as I feel it is the one true way to explore the vast wilderness of this country. The canoe was so important to the exploration and settling of this country. I strongly encourage people (and particularly those like-minded folk on this forum) to send in their vote for the canoe if it makes the final cut. |
sundown
Member
Post Number: 57
Registered: 04-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 10:15 am: |
|
Burt
Great Thread... I saw it too... and I highly commend and recommend the advisory you provided.
And, it reminds me, to Canoe People, a few books
i'd suggest as great, almost required, reading:
#1 The Canoe, John Jennings, Firefly books
#2 Canada's Best Canoe Routes, Alister Thomas
#3 Canada's Best Canoe Routes, Volume 2
Hap's in there... and others...
(Ed's workin'-on-it!!! )
(As we speak)
"The Canoe" has everything you'd ever want in a book.
Thanks Burt!
Sundown |
burtjames
Member
Post Number: 21
Registered: 01-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 10:47 am: |
|
An update .... the Seven Wonders short list has been published, and the canoe made it! You can find the list here:
http://www.cbc.ca/sevenwonders/
|
burtjames
Member
Post Number: 22
Registered: 01-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 10:04 pm: |
|
Sundown asked me to post this photo (the first), and I've added one of my own. Perhaps as a reminder of why you should vote. Go canoe!
 |
shutter_speed
Member
Post Number: 11
Registered: 02-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 11:31 pm: |
|
I too nominated the canoe awhile ago, and was glad to see it make the list of 50. Vote early! Vote often!
My emailed nomination:
THE CANOE
The canoe represents Canada and Canadian history like nothing else. It has been in use for thousands of years by our aboriginal peoples, and was an essential tool in the early exploration of our country. Up the St. Lawrence to the Great Lakes, through untold thousands of lakes and rivers in the Precambrian Shield, all the way to the west coast and the arctic, our earliest citizens opened up this country with the help of the canoe. The world’s first canoe factory was in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec. The canoe museum in Peterborough, Ontario is a unique testament to our entire history. Canada’s greatest natural resource is its fresh water, its vast network of lakes and rivers, and the canoe represents our history and country like nothing else. |
canoebear
Member
Post Number: 404
Registered: 05-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 16, 2007 - 3:16 pm: |
|
Tha freedom of men & minds 'tis nothen but fantacy to be in tha NE Wilds.
They be right.
It 'tis tha North American dream to explore new
lands linked by lakes.
& ed is liven his dream-out, as we speak,
all chance + direction, which he can't see.
Be a carry & lone move of his solo canoe,
while we all watch in wonder, Heya! |
sundown
Member
Post Number: 61
Registered: 04-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 16, 2007 - 3:41 pm: |
|
Canoebear
On Ed... dont ya reckon , this fits:
He was older then,
Yet younger now,
For not worrryin' why,
Yet knowin' How...
He's takin' it stroke by stroke,
and as she comes
He's chasin' his stars
and fightin' his nights
awakin' on beaches
under mornin' lights
and remembrin' the North is Ours,
and Hours, alone..
While here we sit in our empty rooms
Wondrin' where he is
and hopin' soon
he'll spin us a tale or two
to take us there.
For Life ain't made like a history book
We all go 'round but once, we best take our look
it's up to us to grasp life while we can.
We're short on time,
and long on hope...
Too much noise and dirt
for us to cope...
Its time for us to paddle his path again.
I was older then
I'm younger now
I don't wonder why
But I just now how...
and its time for me to paddle once again.
Sundown
(Wishing I was out there like Ed, right now)
|
canoebear
Member
Post Number: 405
Registered: 05-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, May 17, 2007 - 3:57 pm: |
|
"Sun-Cured"
Yer older canoe guys dream dreams,
wher ther path emerges fer a while,
then closes within a dream.
Yer novis splash paddlers see liquid visions
come sun-up, which in fact, sheds much light upon ther waken hours, that carry-moves ther
put-in towards tha sun, so bright.
ed's sun-dial be on a sunny-side course
showen much sun-burst left thru tha
tha breaken clouds. he's like an agen sun-fish that still lusters along with tha sun's reflection.
ed's take-out return be round sun-set, out-fitted
in his sun-suit, all sun-tanned & much sun-wised.
All talken brother Otterheads put-on a blazen "Sun-Dance" fer his joyous safe return.
Sundown, hall of a poem!
Some-1 needs to read it at tha
"Change of Seasons Autum Fall Gatheren".
Still alot of sun-glow left on yer western horizon.
Maybe, Tha Turtle wood add sum fresh light too it, Heya!
|
sundown
Member
Post Number: 62
Registered: 04-2007
| | Posted on Friday, May 18, 2007 - 7:43 am: |
|
Canoebear
Simply mystical... and thank you, kind Sir.
(tis a vintage poem I wrote in 1977 for an
Elk Lake Oldtimer... )
What say ye, of Blackflies & Mosquitos?
Share a verse or two, with us?
My Dad always said if it weren't for the "Blackflies and mosquitos and 40 degrees below", the bush would have been over-run by
the cities long ago.
Paddle On.
Sundown |
ed
Moderator
Post Number: 433
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Friday, May 18, 2007 - 3:16 pm: |
|
And thank you for your your kind thoughts gentlemen.
I am back at home ... driven out of the bush by an early onslaught of little black creatures, who have arrived early this year. |
paul_hammersten
Member
Post Number: 274
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Friday, May 18, 2007 - 6:18 pm: |
|
" Maybe, Tha Turtle wood add sum fresh light too it, Heya! "
Well good buddy...as you write " Yer older canoe guys dream dreams ".Yes...60 years old on Sunday! But as the old camp standard goes " I'll not grow to old to dream for I'll remember Keewaydin! "
THE CAMPFIRE TALES
- Book Three -
FORWARD KEEWAYDIN: To The Regions of the Home-wind
The light of other days has faded. All that remains of the campfires that roared during the twilight of the era of the wood and canvas canoe are the burning embers of the memories that live in the minds and hearts of those who sat in their fire-glow.
Perhaps there is a way we can foregather one more time at the flaring campfire and once again our eyes may hold the light of the past.
Perhaps, before the embers flames completely diminish...before all that is left is cold dead ashes, my writing of FORWARD KEEWAYDIN can fan the embers just enough to cause them to glow once again so brightly that, along with your reading of my book, we may share the light and warmth of the campfire of another day and night.
Here is one about blackfiies and mosquitos and...for you Sundown -
BEHIND BIG BERTHA
The portage between the lake and the river was too long to carry your canoes and gear over by yourselves. We always arranged ahead of time for a truck carry with Old Man Rollingrock.
Rollingrock was one of the most colorful old timers I crossed paths with when canoeing the Adirondacks in the early ‘ 60's. He was also one of the most reliable. If we called to ask his help with a carry for such and such a day at such and such a time he would be sure to be waiting for us with his truck.
The old man’s truck was...well...it is said, “ one picture is worth a thousand words “.
One truck carry with Old Man Rollingrock I will never forget. We spotted him by his truck waiting for us at the waters edge as we paddled across the lake. After are canoes were securely roped down to the trailer behind his truck, this was before the advent of bundge cords, Rollingrock would give any first time clients a few words of assurance. He could read the questioning look their faces as they sized up the old truck and assessed the unpaved road.
“ Will we be safe? “ the boys silently asked themselves.
Rollingrock would always surprise the boys with a booming “ You betcha! ” in answer to their voiceless question.
“ Don’t you worry. I’ve been carrying trippers and their canoes and supplies over the portage trail with Big Bertha for years. I know every pot hole, bump and bend in the road just as my Papa did in his day when he ran the carry with his wagon and team of horses.
“ Go ahead and get in. You had better keep your hands and arms inside. I got to go fast and get there and back to have time to haul over the second load. “
With that said, Rollingrock sped off down the dirt road like a race car driver.
Sure enough, we had a remarkably smooth ride until, all at once, Rollingrock shouted out, “ goshamighty! “, spat a chew of tobacco through the open window, took one hand off the steering wheel and groped for something between his legs and under his seat, covered with tobacco juice stained patched overalls, and the truck seat, covered with worn burlap sacks.
“ Goshamighty! “ Rollingrock hollered again.
With only one hand on the steering wheel and the other under his behind, with himself squirming up and down and left and right and his feet doing some, unknown to me, backwoods
dance on the gas, brake and clutch pedals, Old Man Rollingrock’s smooth canoe carry had turned into a wild monster truck derby.
Just when I thought we would surely side swipe a tree, go off the road, break an axle or worse, Rollingrock turned to me, bouncing beside him in the cab, and with a big grin exclaimed, “ Got it! “. He held up a big bumble bee for me to examine. With a flick of his calloused thumb, the dead bee flee out the open truck window. The old man put his hand back on the steering wheel as his wild foot dance ceased.
We all gave a sigh of relief before we joined Rollingrock in a good belly laugh.
The comical encounter with the bee in Big Bertha was only one of many troubles we had that trip with bees and their two winged relations - black flies, mosquitoes, moose flies, horseflies, deer flies and no-see-ums. Fortunately for Old Man Rollingrock and us, he caught the bee. And fortunately for us we had enough medicine to treat the insect bites, and proper clothing and partially bug proof tents [ We used Baker tents with netting but no floors back then ]. The smudge pot didn’t catch the kitchen fly on fire and the speed boat didn’t hit or swamp our canoes the night we had to spend on the lake after clouds if mosquitoes forced us off the point.
We did run out of bug spray which made it quite uncomfortable to, as my Cheyenne friends would say, “ water the horse “.
Ah Ho
The Turtle
|
paul_hammersten
Member
Post Number: 275
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Friday, May 18, 2007 - 6:21 pm: |
|
Wish you otterheads could see this truck. I just can't figure out how to post photos even though our Dell comes complete with all the stops and whistles.
Best
Paul |
ed
Moderator
Post Number: 434
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Friday, May 18, 2007 - 7:25 pm: |
|
Paul: Bring up the digital photo, then highlight it(select it) by running the mouse over it, then copy it and paste it in your open ottertooth post.
Should work for you. |
sundown
Member
Post Number: 64
Registered: 04-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, May 19, 2007 - 6:18 am: |
|
Paul
Great story, and thank you...
and, for some reason, it reminds me of a childhood memory... of other critters.
I was the youngest of 3 brothers, and though we were spaced over 4 years... I'd be 7, my brothers
9+11. or thereabouts... I was uncommonly small for their being uncommonly large for their age.
My parents were careful with the budget spent for
three growing boys and a younger sister, so when we got our new knee high Rubber Boots, my folks would buy each pair a size-or-two bigger than necessary, so we "could grow into them".
I remember the four us us alone wandering "back-in-the-bush" behind our house and my oldest brother complaining he was Wearing someone elses boots, by mistake... so we all sat down and took off our boots to examine the problem... like Goldilocks and the three Bears.
My oldest brother decided the next oldest brothers boots must be his, "because they fit just right", and the 2nd oldest decided my boots must be his, "because they fit just right", and my sister reckoned correctly, I imagine, that the
shiny pink rubbers were hers, "so, Larry, that last pair must obviously be yours".
They weren't, of course... they were the Huge Ones Two Sizes too Big for my Oldest brother... which musta made them six sizes too big for me...
and trusting-in-democracy, I called for a vote.
I never much cared for democracy after that.
Anyway, thru creek and bog, over tree and log, off we went on our daily adventure... me tripping and falling, and losing my boots stuck in the gumbo, about every 7 seconds... and I fell behind, and sat down crying, like only a 7yr old can, when he's frustrated he's too small to keep up...
So, my brothers came back for me, eventually, and
calmed me down, telling me they'd figured out how
to fix my boots, "but, you'll have to close your eyes" while we do it. (I shoulda smelled a rat).
Well, it wasn't a rat they stuffed in my boots,
but a pair of the biggest, slitheriest garter snakes I ever saw. (Or maybe it just seems like
they're big, when they're slithering around your
ankles, and wedged in there by forces of both
compression and gravity!!!)
After 5 minutes of screechin' and hollerin' and dancing around like chicken-on-a-hotplate, I eventually managed to kick the boots free and
walked home barefoot.
My brothers, now fearing the wrath-of-Dad, used
the age-old psychology of "if you tell Dad, he wont let you come with us next time".
Worked like a charm, too...
But, this event, and hundreds like it, perhaps explain why I soloed at Age 10...
It was easier to struggle under one's own abilities, than it was to overcome "all that help" my older brothers afforded me!!!!
Paddle On
Sundown |
tess
Member
Post Number: 58
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, May 19, 2007 - 12:02 pm: |
|
I've missed you canoebear!
You too Paul!!
And I really enjoyed your boot story sundown... you are also a wonderful writer!!!
|
sundown
Member
Post Number: 68
Registered: 04-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, May 19, 2007 - 12:17 pm: |
|
Tess
Well, Thank you Perty Lady...
ah getz mah wurds mixed-up frum tahm-ta-tahm
but bush-fokes doan seems ta'mahnd...
ah've got one-ah-them-ther' j-stroke defishinshees, donchaknow?
Seriously, Tess... saw a few of your threads
and Roula & I were just saying the other day, that... as much as we like our solitaire campsites, there sure are a lot of folks here on
Ottertooth that we wouldn't ever mind paddlin'-in at Sundown. If all we ever have is a tent,
we'll share, with those who touch a chord.
(Like you, I feel Canoebear has a certain uniqueness... "he paddles new/old water for all of us..." and "brings much meaning to memories needing to be reminded about". Never met him, but
its like i've known him... you know?)
Have a great water season
Sundown & Lillydipper
|
sundown
Member
Post Number: 71
Registered: 04-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, May 19, 2007 - 2:08 pm: |
|
To tha turtle:
Happy 60 Paddles, mon chum...
Yer gittin' neer ol' enuff ta listen too, doncha reckin? (I reckin)
Thanks again fer the story... if'n ya gotz any othurs....???
Sundown
|
paul_hammersten
Member
Post Number: 276
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, May 20, 2007 - 10:50 am: |
|
Thanks Sundown!
I have lots of other Campfire Tales and have splattered some around on this message board and will share some more now I know some one is reading them.
I really want to add images.
We can copy old photos to our Kodak Easy Share but to get them from that program to the board still is a no go.
We will keep working on it.
Hi Tess and thanks for your advice Ed but it still didn't work.
Best
Paul |
shutter_speed
Member
Post Number: 13
Registered: 02-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 6, 2007 - 10:46 am: |
|
The Canoe has made the short list-the final 12 of the original 52 nominees. The Seven Wonders will be announced thursday night on CBC's The National. I must assume the canoe will be on that list, as I will be in mine! Have a great summer everyone. |
sundown
Member
Post Number: 132
Registered: 04-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, June 7, 2007 - 9:23 am: |
|
Who Won????
Sundown |
burtjames
Member
Post Number: 25
Registered: 01-2007
| | Posted on Friday, June 8, 2007 - 8:48 am: |
|
Hello all,
The Canoe made it! Remarkably it was on the list of 7 for all 3 judges, along with the Rockies, Prairie Skies, Old Quebec City, Pier 21 in Halifax, the Igloo and Niagara Falls.
For anyone who has ever been out in a boat for the right-and-proper experience, solo or tandem, flat or fast water, the canoe is the ultimate way to experience this country. By the time Europeans arrived here First Nations peoples had already built an incredible set of highways, side streets and detours to navigate the wilderness.
Kudos to everyone who threw a vote (or many) into the hat for the canoe.
Burt |
tess
Member
Post Number: 67
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, June 9, 2007 - 7:54 am: |
|
I cannot be happier with the canoe selection! I also love the Igloo and Prairie Skies. As naturally wonderous as Niagara Falls is, one really has to work hard to shut out the consumerism and over-objectification (disneyism)in order to see the history of the landscape.
I would argue strongly that the Sleeping Giant should have been there instead ...
However, as an afterthought, perhaps Sleeping Giant did not want to be boxed in as one of Canada's 7 wonders for CBCers and so transcended the judges decisions...who knows, eh? |
tess
Member
Post Number: 68
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, June 9, 2007 - 8:23 am: |
|
The other thing about Sleeping Giant the judges must not have grasped are the deep powerful and wondrous interconnections he also has with earth, water, sky and spirit.
And they did not ask; Nanabijou, why did you turn to stone?
Edited to add...how many here have had the privilege and maybe a tale of paddling the great waters of superior and experiencing the roar of his presence?
I was forever changed.
(Message edited by tess on June 9, 2007) |
tess
Member
Post Number: 69
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, June 9, 2007 - 8:36 am: |
|
 |
ed
Moderator
Post Number: 461
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, June 9, 2007 - 8:58 am: |
|
Tess:
Did you climb up on top of Nanabijou?
|
|
Temagami general