Singing in the Rain

Well, I'm getting down to the wire... I did go puddle jumping and I'm hoping the sore throat I have is temporary and doesn't turn an innocent bit of puddle jumping into strep throat because I don't have time to be sick in the next month, never mind the next week. That said, there really are not too many activities that make you feel as alive as getting rained on... so, as long as I don't end up sick - it was worth it.

Its starting to set in that not only am I moving to a remote place, I'm about to go from temperature I normally associate with midsummer to temperatures I normally associate with early fall - well maybe a touch warmer - but anything much below 20 C and I'm wearing at least a long sleeved t-shirt - maybe even a sweater. So I guess I should enjoy my last few days of wearing shorts and sandals because come September - temperatures above 10 C are going to become rare and that is jacket and hat territory - and well, its winter by October.

I can relate to this a bit. When I did my education year - I did each of my placements in a different location and I was living in Thunder Bay to begin with - so in November I moved south for my first placement near here and went from early winter to late fall then back to full winter when I got to Thunder Bay. In March, the day I left for my last placement, in Nunavut, I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt and feeling uncomfortable warm carting an armload of boxes to be mailed home from the post office - the next day well - it was Parkas and seeing my first parking lot full of Skidoos in Rankin. I think the toughest was when we headed back south in early May and it was 30 C in Winnepeg and the bunch of us were all standing there in the airport dying with our parkas over our arms in our winter boots (and probably looking foolish too.) So, according to the weather network, the day before I leave the temperature is supposed to be between 11 C (low) and 23 C (high) which isn't all that different from this week here - but that is fairly unusual I gather since the average max temp for this time of year is only 16 C and the average min temp is a chilly 5 C. Note to self... move mittens and hat into carry on bag.

Packing has been an adventure - It looks like it should work out okay, but I've been given a few different versions of what I can actually get on calm air. It sounds to me that your total weight includes your carry-on luggage (but not your camera, purse, or coat or reasonable reading material.) If anyone has recent experience about whether the 70 lbs limit applies to 2 pieces of checked luggage + carry on bag or if the 70 lbs is just the checked luggage and there is another 20 lbs allowed for the carry on - I'd love to know. But, I am going to give them a call anyways.

The photograph was taken on the Credit River near Cataract late last fall.... well on the up side I won't have to wait too long before ski season starts...or worry about if the snow is going to melt or if it is going to rain in January. I think it won't. Now... panicky thought... did I pack my glide wax...where would it be if I didn't - does anyone carry glide wax in August? Sigh. There still isn't anyone with the boots I want in stock either. Ah well, I'm sure I'll have a few more of these moments in the next few days. Its kind of scary moving somewhere where even if you were willing to put out obscene amounts of money - there are simply things that are not available to buy and I suspect that glide wax is probably on the list...

Winter Road and Adventures in Detours

On a field mission to drop of equipment at Cataract and see if all the spring weather and rain had resulted in an interesting flow at Monora, I set out on my usual route north up Mississauga Rd. - which I had hoped would be open through Belfountain as its had been months since I'd been up there. Of course, there was still a detour for whatever grave emergency road work they have going - so I consulted my map and the lines seemed to join between Old Base Line and McLaren via Creditview and Grange - and the map didn't lie, but it omitted some facts like the large section of the Grange Sideroad that isn't plowed through the winter and is still looking wintery, even though the snow everywhere else is melted. This resulted in a somewhat wild drive down a hill that I wasn't sure I could get back up if I ever found a spot wide enough to turn around on if the road got any worse or was actually closed at some point. In fact, the hill was the worst part of it and there was a little parking lot midway down - where I stopped, took this picture and then scouted the next bit of road on foot to see if I should try to go back up hill or continue. So, after a pleasant hike, I confirmed that the worst was over and the road was open all the way to McLaren - went back for the car and continued cautiously down the stretch shown above. Since, most of this detour involved wet, dirt roads - my car was a lovely shade of clay brown by the time I pulled into the Cataract parking lot. Next time... no short cuts.

Truthfully, I've definately driven on sketchier - just usually not in my car. The worst of the roads I've driven, we had a wonderful F150 with 4WD (and a chain saw for cutting trees that had fallen across the road). The road to Martin's Head was also a brutal water covered affair, but I wasn't driving and again - we had a truck. Then of course there was the road to Nasadawahank (spelling not garenteed) in Baxter State - its pretty washed out in places - but we just went slow - particularly because there were moose everywhere!!

So, in the end, the road really wasn't that bad, but my heart was certainly pounding on the way down the hill as I was mentally trying to decide how likely it was that I had cell coverage here and whether a tow truck could make it down to haul me out... Ah adventures...

I guess it was good that the drive was exciting, since the stream was only slightly higher than normal.

Oi!

Jennith

Monora Moments

Following a rain-on-snow event and warmish weather, I decided to see if I could record some high flows up at my field site. It made for a pleasent change from fighting with software that likes crashing more than cooperating - and in spite of being practically in the middle of a subdivision, its a pretty spot.

Snowy River Banks

Ahh... beautiful winter

Gabe taking notes at Wilmot

I don't know what I would have done with Gabe - he kindly gave up about 6 weekends to help me complete my fieldwork this fall including taking some great Coarse Woody Debris Pics

Periscope Up

Here is a nice little mushroom viewing the world from a log (CWD) suspended over one of my field sites. Measuring the characteristics of coarse woody debris was one of the major things I did in the field this year. So I thought I'd catch you all up by posting some field pictures over the next few days. Hopefully, I'll have some nice skiing ones to post by Monday.

In the meantime, it is snowing, but the weather is threatening to turn wet sooner than hoped - so join me in begging the artic air mass to get its but down here in time to make gobbs of beautiful fluffy snow. Then it should hang around for a while so we can keep the snow in question!

Snow Falling on Cedars

Which is also the name of a great movie

Winter Whispers

Calm and Quiet on the Credit

There really isn't much to match the silent beauty of the first snow fall when the natural world hasn't quite gone to sleep. The last time I took pictures of this event I was in Fredericton and I got some neat pictures with the snow falling on Sumac leaves. I was actually doing a bit of field work (which involved me putting my hands into this chilly water - I don't think I've ever appreciated Tim Horton's Hot Chocolate so much in my life - or dry clothes. I even forgave them for forgetting to put milk in it (albiet with a scalded tounge).

Of course it was raining by the time I got back home - so there is no snow here, but a pretty afternoon indeed.

One day as a field assistant

Spending the day in waders (an unleakly pair that nearly fit me too) - I couldn't help but reminise about the little main Restigouche River. Strangely, the Credit of my childhood, doesn't really compare to even the headwaters of the Restigouche. I don't think I even registered how large a river it was, still the headwaters of the credit still has some pools deeper than my waders (which I discovered via a near miss with becoming very wet and that was before I bumped my head on the sediment sampler).

The north is singing to me and there is frost on the wind
The gypsy in my soul begs to wander, but the farmer in me holds back until harvest season is past
The apples ripen on trees that I will never eat from
Enormous zuchini left ungrated, muffins not baked
But in a few more days freedom will find me and I will soar on the wind
And suck the sweet smell of autumn in the poplar woods deep into my lungs
But first the harvest and then the cherishing of autumn.

And I'm rambling... I've been in the field 10/14 of the last days, in fact it could be 11/14. But soon, I'll be done and done and glad to have that stress and worry past, if I'm not jinxing it by speaking too soon. I have 3 more days in the field this week and probably 2 more after that minimum, possibly 3.

I'll try and keep a somewhat steady stream of photos flowing, but no promises.

Jenn

Chilly Days in the Woods

Gabe (Is he like having a philosophical conversation with his ice-tea or what?) dressed up against the less than 10 C weather helping me survey a surface water profile.

So, I'm working towards the end of my field season at which point - I might actually get to start writing and modelling - at least be in some kind of home stretch

Swim little salmon, swim

Actually, it might be (embarassingly for my attempt at identifying fish) a trout - but they were trying to hop up over a mess of coarse woody debris the other day - but then gave up and went downstream.

So much for longitudinal conectivity...

For those of you who are wondering where I've been on the internet (or why I haven't been here) I've become busier than I was when I thought things were insane.. butbI should be mostly done one site by the end of the week and getting close on the other...

Proof that God is a Water Colour Painter and Possibly a Gardener

Is there any more striking a combination of flowers than purple asters set against a background of goldenroad and the browns and bronze-red of fading Spotted-Joe-Pye Weed? Perhaps the m ix of steel blue Chicory, Queen Ann's Lace and bright gold-yellow birds-foot-trefoil? Tonight I was wishing I had my camera sharply. As I headed home from my 6th Aerobics class in 7 days, the sky was amazing... I just wanted to paint it... I'm not sure I can describe it to give it justice - imagine creamy clouds a colour between pale gold and peach ranging to brighter salmon's, cranberries and purples and then superimpose a rainbow on it and then you have my sky if you have enough imagination to picture its beauty.. but alas I was was 10 min from home and stuck in traffic besides... so it'll have to be one of those skies that you remember in you mind.

I'm off to the Wilmot tomorrow - just Gabe, Me and Woody Debris (or Coarse Woody Material as Stan would have me say - but the older term has a homey forestry ring to it for me - so forgive my nostalgia... anywho... much to do and pack up.. :D

Jennith

Forgotten Photos

I was asked for some pictures for a pamplet for school and while purusing my photos I discovered this one, which I'm sure I didn't post and so I decided to remedy that with this short post (taken at the Eramosa River at Stone Road this June - and I actually don't know what the flower is)

In other news I've killed no less than 3 pairs of sandels including both my water and abuse resistant ones. Fortunately I did in the right of one pair and the left of the other.. so if you see me in the garden with mismatched sandels, it is because I don't see the point of buying a new pair with it nearly being winter. The weather is beautiful today, even though it wasn't supposed to be.

Ah well,

Jennith

Solidago: Sunshine on a Stem

Here be the beautiful weather we experienced on the Credit at Cataract this morning.... Its amazing how much the plant life chances between July and Septemeber. The Asters were awesome. Did you know that bees match the yellow in the golden rod, its acutally quite cool.

My other shock today was to discover that St. Andrew's School in Kashechewan had burned down. Its weird... Its like an old friend died. It was the first school where I taught and I can still close my eyes and remember my classroom... I wonder what things of mine went up with the blaze... a stray artwork sample a book I left behind... certainly, I'm sad to hear its good. I knew that they weren't using it because of mould - but I guess it would be the same if any place I'd had a strong connection to burned down. Here is a link to the story: Kashechewan

Where branches jab and headwaters run

Here are 2 of the most important things in my life at this point - Gabe (who is now close enough to be photographed) and one of my field study sites to which I've memorized most of the en route landmarks in the last few weeks. The next few weeks continue to appear insanely busy as I scramble to finish up my fieldwork before it gets too cold and wet. I guess the last few days have been full of the winds of change as Alex headed off to school leaving fightening tidyness in his wake and Gabe returned from out east. Yet, my own schedule hasn't changed much. I had a good week in the field last week, but the weather for this one is worrying me. I was introduced to a new game (Arkham Horror) by S. and R. and even saw not one but 3 movies in the theatre (No Reservations, I now pronouce you Chuck and Larry and The Bourne Ultimatum.) and I caved into the evil that are iPod's (in a bargain second hang way). I've been holding out against buying one for years because I'm probably the only anti-apple person that I know. I not exactly anti-Apple in an active way. You want to spend the premium for a computer that crashes when you try and use ArcView - go right ahead. Likewise, there is no way I would shell out $500 for an iPod when a much cheaper MP3 player would do. But the deal came around and I've been buying most of my music on iTunes for 3 years now, so it sort of made sense in the end.... sigh... but I feel like a conformer and a sell out. So, enjoy my last bit of laughing at myself...

You know you are a Water Resource Engineering Student if....

1. You keep 1 pair of chest waders and 3 pairs of rubber boots in your trunk just in case....
2. You discover 3 cups of sand and gravel under the floor mat of your car and wonder if you should classify it as sandy gravel or gravelly sand.
3. You try to estimate where a rainstorm would fit in on an IDF (intensity, duration, frequency) curve.
4. You think hydraulic jumps are cool.
5. You have a collection of photographs of sewer grates, storm water management ponds and culverts.
6. You point out the weaknesses and finer points inherant in a particular storm water pond design to random passers-by while taking the avobe photographs.
7. You check the real-time hydrograph after a long, intense rainstorm to see if it peaked.
8. You want to run out and take pictures of flooded streams after it rains.
9. You think a dry-hand-wading rod is a brilliant invention and have a favourite pygmy meter
10. You are surprised to discover that most people don't think its normal to have to pick twigs and pine needles out of your hair after a hard days work and that it most people don't have bruises and scrapes from encounters with conifers (I still have scars on the back of my hands from measuring the DBH on over 10000 white spruce trees in 2003).

And back to reading manuals for ArcView for the rest of the afternoon....

Jennith

So a few more thoughts

Three is a Crowd

I pity the mosquito that flies past this leaf.

Perched

More dragonflies - I couldn't decide if I liked the close up or the other one better. - now one last pic and back to work for me

Prepare for Launch - Launch for Lunch

Dragonfly photography seems to have been a more sucessful replacement for my ill fated attempts at photographing mushrooms at twilight. Let's just say that it didn't work well.

JP

Wings over water

Wings over water
Stalking silent from leaf's perch
Deadly beauty waits

Damselfly on a blade of grass

Jewelwing Jamboree

Today the jewelwings adorned the riverside bushes like sparkling berries - flocks of them galvanting in the grass and weeds - chasing each other relentlessly. I'll post a couple more pictures too... I also think I saw a flying squirrel, but it was well up a tree so I couldn't see it well and the pictures were painfully blurry.

Strange and Mysterious Leaf

Its been suggested that this is wild rhubarb, but that doesn't jive with what I expect wild rhubard to look like. Does anyone have another suggestion?

This one's for Erin W.

I thought you'd be one of the few people to fully appreciate this mutant aster.

Bugs and Plants Living together

I love being outdoors. Today I took a fairly long hike on the Bruce Trail at Kelso. It was threatening to rain, so I pretty much had the place to myself, save the odd cyclist dressed in spandex. I saw a red fox intently hunting and managed to leave before getting drenched. I marvel at the wild garden of overgrown farmers fields - there was a magnificent abundance of Bee Balm and Queen Ann's Lace. My Bee Balm has been horribly savaged by beasties and the beastie-repellant hasn't made it better or happy. I wasn't really in a picture mood today - just felt like just hiking without having to worry about my camera bouncing around in my hand or choking me. I also saw some truely magnificent Jack-in-the-Pulpits. I didn't know that they could get that tall. I'm coming up with plans for next years garden's.

Anywho.. I should go help with supper... up, up and away - okay more like down, down and yummy!

Jennith

Bird's Foot Trefoil

Mississuaga does not spray for weeds, and after a month of near drought - this brave little plant forms small patches of green in the brown grass. There are so many more exciting ground cover plants than grass. I'm trying to figure out if I can cordon off a section of our not especially health lawn and turn it into a mini-meadow of wildflowers.

Viper's bugloss

I'm not entirely sure of the origin for the name of this plant. A member of the borage family - it has some historical medicinal uses and can even result in blue hued honey when bees visit it. According to "Wildflower's of Algonquin" it has seeds which look like a viper's head (which was apparently intrepreted by our ancestors as a sign that the plant could treat snake bites) Bugloss - has nothing to do with bugs, but is the name for an oxtoung - which again the flowers were thought to resemble. Thus, Viper's Bugloss.. a neat plant to be sure.

Perfect sunny day

Blue skies, fluffy clouds, warm and breezy - who could ask for better?

Cataract Collage

A tough day of work for sure - just hang out somewhere beautiful, be helpful and take great pictures. Actually - I think my camera sustained minor injuries, but I've got a work around for the problem so we are still in business. The Credit is a beautiful and today was one of those days that is so perfect it hurts. It was warm, but not too hot or humid and with a nice breeze and the colours were amazing. Lots of insects - especially butterflies and dragonflies -and lots of wildflowers and interesting grasses. Its raining now - which the garden below (not to mention our poor burnt grass) will appreciate it for sure. Tommorrow is a fight the computer software day - so back inside the freezing computer lab - but today will keep all that computer time worthwhile.

Striped Leaf-stripper

My last post for today - honest, I'm going to save some for tommorrow - is a monarch caterpiller on Milkweed again. As to how I came to possess so many awesome pictures, well I had a day in the field where I got stuck babysitting our antena for more of the day (hopefully I'm not too burnt). All in all it was an awesome, if not necessarily productive for me personally day. Anywho, I'm off to water the flowers in the garden.

Cheers,

Jennith

Ladybug Bouquet

Milkweed seems to be a well populated plant today - offering many photographic oportunities

The Battle of the Beetles

On top of old Milkweed, the flower now fade
2 Mighty beetles duel without aid
I don't know who will win, I hope no one dies
Unless they are those nasty blood-sucking, black flies