Last Day of September

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go ... once again - for a month only this time. In the meantime winter is approaching quickly. Nights usually below 0 degrees C. now, mornings I need headlights to drive to work and if I'm out past 7 PM need them to drive home (no lights needed in the summer!!!) The mountain tops are capped white and I'm sure by next week, so will the ground be white. Time to get the car tuned up for winter and the snow tires on.

The 2nd performance of the Art Series was last night with Mike Daisy - a monologist. He told a story for 1-1/2 hours. Luckily he is a good story-teller. He is also performing at the Arts Centre tonight, but I think one night of Mike is sufficient.

Also saw the new Matt Daemon movie Informant. I liked it and thought he was perfect for the part, but just sat with someone last night who didn't like it at all and walked out after an hour. Different strokes I guess.

Still at the cabin, right beside the dike, the beavers have built their home. They have been very busy dragging logs across the dike and creating grooves in it.

Above is one tree they chewed down, but I guess his wife told him they had enough as he left the tree just lying there.

And finally, above is a picture of my old driveway. It still looks about the same, less a few dogs staked at the edge and less a chicken coop, now completed gone.

Apparently SR is now the proud owner of the ol' cabin. Was invited out today for a visit - he wasn't there! But did take a stroll around to see what the old place looks like now, after I vacated it 20ish years ago (!! - wow does time pass quickly...it seems like only a couple of years ago I called it home). The road to the cabin - all 15 kilometers of it is rough and curvy and at times steep. The cabin sits 1,000 feet above Whitehorse. I can just imagine what my parents thought when they first came to visit me in the Yukon and I drove them "home" on that road. Now, since I don't drive it every day, I can hardly believe I thought it normal.

The inside has changed considerably. The old cook stove (which was stolen, then recovered thanks to Debbie, even though she didn't reap the "reward" that was offered) is now sitting in what was once my bedroom. The flooring has all changed, there is no kitchen table and there is a propane stove now, but no fridge. Interesting.

The poor sauna has seen better days. Must have been some windstorm to blow that tree on its roof!


The lake seems to be the only constant. Still looks like it did 30 years ago. Beautiful.

The Art series has started with Orpheus and Eurydice as the first performance. It was a 65 minute ballet in one act and premiered in Rome Italy in 2008. As the title suggests, it is the story of Orpheus and Eurydice done in dance (and very little clothing). As the program says "we are talking to you here about creation, transgression, derision-veneration, confusion - fusion, the manufacturing of meaning, the emergence of consciousness." That sort of says it all. Some loved it, some liked it and some hated it. It was very interesting .

The next night was once again Book Club. Just a small gathering this month but many books to choose from and lots of food and gossip to catch up on.

An Edmonton Weekend

Didn't have much to do this weekend, so flew to Edmonton, thanks to my share in Air North. I hit record breaking highs temperature wise - luckily I took a pair of shorts with me. One day of shopping - one day of visiting my niece and her family. Dawson is now in grade 4 - his current favourite thing is Corner Gas - he laughs so much at the episodes.


Hot, hot, hot and sunny - 30 degrees C and here we go to play hockey. Must be Canadians, eh?
Actually, it was power skating camp.



Took a drive to Beaumont with its large park and small lake which is stocked with trout. It was lovely to be by nature in this weather.


Dawson just learnt to tie his shoe laces. Above I caught him tying up in the bushes.

Back at home, Tia was busy with work, golfing and a stagette but I did spend one evening with her when her lifestyle caught up to her and she had to stay home to recuperate. The apartment looks great - thanks Tia! - I really do like living in it and love the area it's in.

The flight home was one of the best I've taken. Over the Yukon there were no clouds and with the trees turning the view was amazing. I would have taken a picture but the old lady...sorry, the elderly woman (I'm heading that way quickly, so I must remember to be respectful) got so nervous when I had to pass her once, she couldn't get her seat belt undone her hands were shaking so badly, I couldn't ask her to do that once again just so I could get my camera. So you just have to believe me that we followed the highway in and the view was great! So good trip from beginning to end.

The Hike

Our last day we took a hike up the Grizzly Lake Trail. I didn't look too closely at the details and later found that is was rated Difficult Level. I thought it would just follow the Grizzly Creek - wrong! It was a climb up the mountain at the top of which we ate lunch. In the photo above, you can just see our car park (in a t-shaped light yellow area). Below our group atop Grizzly Ridge eating lunch.
When you're in bear country, it is important to be aware of your surroundings. The trail was littered with tree roots and rock and slate so my eyes were always down to see where my next step would be. I did see bear scat once on the way up, twice on the way down. You know what that means.

At the top, there was another view of the tombstone mountains although Mount Monolith, the highest peak was clouded. It was hot and sunny at the bottom of the trail, and cold and raining at the top.

I did see a grizzly though... on the way home on the Mayo Road. Unfortunately I wasn't driving, so didn't stop to view it.

Two Moose Lake

Love the name of this lake - at km 102 on the highway. And behold, we spotted two moose, although to see them well, you needed binoculars.

Can you spot the two moose in the photo above?

Demptster Highway

Our destination was the Tombstone Campground up the Dempster Highway. I've often seen photos of the Demptster area in the autumn and they were breathtaking. Hoping the our timing was right, we chose the Labour Day weekend to visit the area. We were not disappointed. The colours were vivid. In the photo above you can see the ribbon of a road in the centre of the picture.







The road was good and dry. The campground was 71 km up the Highway and each kilometer was breathtaking. Our eyes weren't big enough to take in all the beauty. I took photos knowing that none would replace actually being here - not only seeing, but smelling and viewing the vastness and as a German touring the north told me, the emotion one feels when in the midst of all of this splendor.
This is grizzly country. I was a bit sceptic as even my son wanted me to call him on my return. At the campground there is a whiteboard with grizzly sightings - Aug 29, grizzly with caribou carcass - Aug 27, grizzly with wolf carcass, - Aug 38 grizzly in campground. But, while we were there we didn't see one grizzly (whew!). That's not to say they didn't see us.

Moose Creek

On my way to the Dempster, we stopped at Moose Creek for a cuppa. It's such a cute little place and reminded me a lot of my home way back when.

The wood stove was hot and to the eyes of someone who cooked on a wood cook stove for 10 years was beautiful. So, if you're on your way to Dawson City, make a stop here, about 25 km north of Stewart Crossing. I think it's worth it.

New Driver

If interested in golf, here's a video on the TaylorMade Burner Driver. It gives a good comparison with other drivers. I don't understand the choice of music though ...

Oh what a night!

The rain has stopped and my foursome was once again all together (after holidays and illness). And what a beautiful evening to be on the golf course. And the course is in good shape as well.

Thanks to SR we had a new driver to try - the new Taylormade Burner - a big honker of a driver that is as light as a feather and makes the most wonderful "ping" when hit. As it turns out, this driver is made for Debbie.

I never tire of gazing down on the Yukon River from the many viewpoints offered along the course. We can all imagine ourselves in a canoe drifting north to Dawson City. It is so peaceful.



The pictures tell it all - what more can I say...