One Bourbon One Scotch One Beer

Cassiar Highway approaching Good Hope Lake, B.C.

Spoken to the music of George Thorogood's song written by John Lee Hooker, Earl Hooker. Before reading go to the bottom of the blog and turn off the music to get "full Thorogood feeling."

Wanna tell you a story, 
About the north-man blues  
I come home one Friday,  
Got a notice in the mail Said it was time to pay the insurance for the Ford I just got,  
Long as I get my money next Friday they said it was cool 
Now next I said I am coming don't get bent, And out the door I went


So I goes to my friend ,  
I said, "You want to come for a ride?" 
I'll have the car now so let's go.... Next I don't know  
So said come on and ride to the insurance people,  
I decided to go that very evening 
She ain't got nothing nice to say to me,  
But for a year she was so nice  
Loh' she was lovy-dovy, But not this one particular evening  
The lady friend said, "You got the gas money yet?",  
I said, "No, can't find no debit card"  
Therefore I ain't got no money to pay the gas  
She said "I don't believe you're tryin' to find no card"  
Said "I seen you today you was standin' on a corner,  
Leaning up against a post" 
I said "But I'm tired, I've been walkin' all day"  
She said "That don't confront me, Long as I don't pay for gas along the highwway"  
Now next day come I and with the debit card ...heaven, And out the door I went.


So I go down the streets,
Down to my good friend's house 
I said "Look man I'm outdoors you know,  
Can you feed the dogs maybe a couple days?"

He said "Let me go and ask my wife"  
He come out of the house,  
I could see it in his face I know that was no  
He said "I don't know man, ah she kinda funny, you know"  
I said "I know, everybody funny, now you funny too"  
So I go back home I tell the insurance lady I got a job, I'm gonna pay the bill  
She said "Yeah?" I said "Oh yeah"  
And then she was so nice, Loh' she was lovy-dovy  
So I go in my room, pack up my things and I go,  
I slip on out the back door and down the streets I go  
She a-howlin' about the front half, she'll be lucky to get any back half,  
She ain't gonna get none of it  
So I stop in the local bar you know people,  
I go to the bar, I ring my coat, I call the bartender  
Said "Look man, come down here", 
he got down there  
So what you want? 

One bourbon, one scotch, one beer  
Well I ain't seen Dease Lake since I don't know when,  
I've been drinking bourbon, whiskey, scotch and gin  
Gonna get high man I'm gonna get loose,  
Need me a triple shot of that juice  
Gonna get drunk don't you have no fear  
I want one bourbon, one scotch and one beer  
One bourbon, one scotch, one beer 

So I drive down the highway 

with my volunteer friend debit card in hand.

She says " What a nice day for a drive 'cept for the forest fire and rain."

I say don't be so funny we have a long way to go.

So we drive through the morning and get into town.

I drive to the lot where Service B.C. business goes down.

I walk up to the counter and stare at the lady building up loud voice.

So I say to that lady I want to put up some insure money for my big red Ford.

She look at me with a smirk on her face...

she said to me "before we enter the database...

I need to see your inspection papers... before we proceed."

I said you gotta be kidding I don't got no papers...

She said "ain't my problem you can get in town ...

just go to this address and get it all done."

So i call this here address and tell them my story...

they tell me no mechanic here we are so sorry...

So i say... where can I get it done?

They say... " better drive back and get done in your hometown..."

So I go to my friend and said let'd go to Mama Z's

Mama Z said "What you want?"

One bourbon, one scotch, one beer  
Well I ain't seen Dease Lake since I don't know when,  
I've been drinking bourbon, whiskey, scotch and gin  
Gonna get high man I'm gonna get loose,  
Need me a triple shot of that juice  
Gonna get drunk don't you have no fear  
I want one bourbon, one scotch and one beer  
One bourbon, one scotch, one beer 

So drive back the highway thinking I am so cool 

driving sober as this is just a song... 

and I think to myself I will get this thing done..

my friend looks at me and says "What have you done?"

I say to my friend I figured it all out I will get paper tomorrow and insurance next week 

so it ain't so bad it ain't really so bleak... 

So I get home and feed the hungry dogs... they give me a look that I wont now forget...

they asked me why I left them so much food... they weren't that hungry... 

So I look at my dogs... and say... What is this in the mail?

I open that mail.. and it is a notice... says come to the bank... 

but the problem up here is there is no bank... so I look at the paper 

and think to myself... better make them call before it turns fall.

So I call the bank and say What's Up? they said " it's time to renew!" 

I said... What... time for mortgage.... pass the tissue...

So I go to my friend 

and said I got to got go to Whitehorse and I am singing the blues.

He said what you want?

One bourbon, one scotch, one beer  
Well I ain't seen Whitehorse since I don't know when,  
I've been drinking bourbon, whiskey, scotch and gin  
Gonna get high man I'm gonna get loose,  
Need me a triple shot of that juice  
Gonna get drunk don't you have no fear 
I want one bourbon, one scotch and one beer  
One bourbon, one scotch, one beer 

Hear the original... much better song.

Back To School Shift

Lining  up for school to start.

This week has started my annual mind shift from summer holidays to planning back to school activities, meetings, and year plans. The summer has been a restful one despite the threat of forest fire and the heavy smoke hanging in the air. it is time to start thinking what needs to be done to get the school ready for Sept. 7th. That is our pancake breakfast and registration day but I will be at school next week working on plans and in Dease Lake for principal meetings and professional development the following week. It means less time being a photographer and Flickr enthusiast meaning weekend commenting only and more limited posting of photographs and blog thoughts (maybe).  Some of the planning involves working with elders on trail-building, an after school horse care program, homework club, Saturday movie night, field trip planning, dog-sledding, xc-skiing, downhill skiing, snowshoeing, fishing, harvesting, hunting and outdoor learning activities including daily photography response journals. I am a firm believer of learning "outside of the box" and learning through the use of supportive technology.  I run a one room school and we are a small family of learners who learn as we live... we live life as if it were a story which we are writing ourselves. This year I am expecting 12 students, 8 horses, and 7 dogs. I am posting some of the links we have at the school to help parents and our community keep current with our activities. I hope you will take time to explore them. 

New ways to follow Denetia School on Facebook, Twitter, BlogSpot, WikiSpaces, and Google Calender!

For Facebook users click on this link and press the like button.

To follow on Twitter 

Link to Denetia School on Wikispaces

Follow on Blogspot and get homework helpers on our school blog 

Stay current of Report Card dates,  School Holidays and Special Events on your Denetia School Calendar 

Thanks for the visit!

Mussi Cho (thanks big)

Bruce McKay

Principal

Denetia  School

PO Box 40,

Lower Post, B.C.

V0C 1W0

1-250-779-3381

1-250-779-3316 Fax

1-250-779-3334 Home

Big Dogs

The native americans had no name for the horse when it as reintroduced to this continent and called it "big dog" instead. The horses here are local free range pack horses that are currently unemployed. The owners more interested in drinking than taking care of these good looking horses. They are use to the dogs barking and Buddy is happy to be out of the kennel they often graze by to give them a piece of his mind. The dogs don't attack them but barked the horses down the old forest road towards the river. The dogs came but tired and happy and although I had to wait for them to come back I occupied myself by eating rose-hips. I leashed the dogs as I approached the old Alaska Highway turn off and my patience was rewarded with the sun in a blood red sunset.

How Chipmunk Got Its Stripes

Long ago when animals could talk, a bear was walking along. Now it has always been said that bears think very highly of themselves. Since they are big and strong, they are certain that they are the most important of the animals.

As this bear went along turning over big logs with his paws to look for food to eat, he felt very sure of himself. "There is nothing I cannot do," said this bear.

Image by Yellow Snow Photography via Flickr

"Is that so?" said a small voice. Bear looked down. There was a little chipmunk looking up at Bear from its hole in the ground.
"Yes," Bear said, "that is true indeed." He reached out one huge paw and rolled over a big log. "Look at how easily I can do this. I am the strongest of all the animals. I can do anything. All the other animals fear me."
"Can you stop the sun from rising in the morning?" said the Chipmunk.
Bear thought for a moment. "I have never tried that," he said. "Yes, I am sure I could stop the sun from rising."
"You are sure?" said Chipmunk.
"I am sure," said Bear. "Tomorrow morning the sun will not rise. I, Bear, have said so." Bear sat down facing the east to wait.

Behind him the sun set for the night and still he sat there. The chipmunk went into its hole and curled up in its snug little nest, chuckling about how foolish Bear was. All through the night Bear sat. Finally the first birds started their songs and the east glowed with the light which comes before the sun.
"The sun will not rise today," said Bear. He stared hard at the glowing light. "The sun will not rise today."
However, the sun rose, just as it always had. Bear was very upset, but Chipmunk was delighted. He laughed and laughed.
"Sun is stronger than Bear," said the chipmunk, twittering with laughter. Chipmunk was so amused that he came out of his hole and began running around in circles, singing this song:
"The sun came up, The sun came up. Bear is angry, But the sun came up."
While Bear sat there looking very unhappy, Chipmunk ran around and around, singing and laughing until he was so weak that he rolled over on his back. Then, quicker than the leap of a fish from a stream, Bear shot out one big paw and pinned him to the ground.

Image by Yellow Snow Photography via Flickr

"Perhaps I cannot stop the sun from rising," said Bear, "but you will never see another sunrise."
'Oh, Bear," said the chipmunk. "oh, oh, oh, you are the strongest, you are the quickest, you are the best of all of the animals. I was only joking." But Bear did not move his paw. "Oh, Bear," Chipmunk said, "you are right to kill me, I deserve to die. Just please let me say one last prayer to Creator before you eat me."
"Say your prayer quickly," said Bear. "Your time to walk the Sky Road has come!"
"Oh, Bear," said Chipmunk, "I would like to die. But you are pressing down on me so hard I cannot breathe. I can hardly squeak. I do not have enough breath to say a prayer. If you would just lift your paw a little, just a little bit, then I could breathe. And I could say my last prayer to the Maker of all, to the one who made great, wise, powerful Bear and the foolish, weak, little Chipmunk.
"Bear lifted up his paw. He lifted it just a little bit. That little bit, though, was enough. Chipmunk squirmed free and ran for his hole as quickly as the blinking of an eye. Bear swung his paw at the little chipmunk as it darted away. He was not quick enough to catch him, but the very tips of his long claws scraped along Chipmunk's back leaving three pale scars.
To this day, all chipmunks wear those scars as a reminder to them of what happens when one animal makes fun to another.

Image by Yellow Snow Photography via Flickr

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Fireweed Dreams

Fireweed Flower

I have insomnia right now and am up early in the morning. I put on the kettle and made some fireweed petal tea. It relaxes me and I am almost ready for sleep. Two handfuls of petals boiled for five minutes and steeped for another five. I thought I would share a picture run off to bed!  Good night or good morning where ever you are in the world.

The Walk... An Epiphany Of How And Why I Teach

The last few days the winds have been blowing the forest fire smoke away from Lower Post making the air enjoyable to breathe again.  To celebrate I took the dogs on a 3.5 hr walk along the river and then through an overgrown path along a ridge overlooking the river.  We were following game trails, climbing over and under fallen trees... weaving around crumbling embankments, charging through prickly rose bushes with camera in hand. My watch was left at home;  my clock was the setting sun.

The old growth forest right now is tinder dry and the smoke is starting drift back towards us but this night was a long enjoyable scramble thinking about the last few weeks of summer and how the plants like fireweed confirm its end. Geese were honking their way south as if they knew to make the summer's end even more dramatic.


I love to think as I walk and as we scratched our way along I realized that the re-establishment of this old overgrown trail would be a perfect project for my school. During the school year we have Fun Fridays when the students focus on experiential learning through games and outdoor skills. We play scrabble... have shopping games... play monopoly... dogsled... ski.... anything that allows us to have fun as we learn with our family. Well walking along the trail I realized we would have the Denetia  Trailblazers, taking time each Friday to work with  a local elder to reclaim this trail and other trails around Lower Post learning more about the plants, trees and animals as we do.  We are truly blessed here with our natural world and to have elders that are willing to help us learn about it, preserve it, and honour it.


So I  felt great and the dogs were tired and were relaxed as I leashed them to walk back along the old Alaska Highway that Lower Post uses as a main road now. The forest fire smoke came back and as I resigned myself to coughing a few more days and then shook my head at neighbors partying around an open fire knowing full well we have a fire ban in the province with fines starting at $375.00. The partying there continued and I grew angry  until I realized... my students would know better... a matter of picking your battles I guess... that's why I teach on Lower Post reserve... because I believe in the next generation.

I Scream for Ice Cream!

Image by Yellow Snow Photography via Flickr

Cranberries of any variety are my favorite snack. Locally we have low-bush  and high-bush varieties.  I have had them as jams, jellies and katsups.   This morning I had them in pancakes. Mmm I love them. The high-bush cranberry is a little bitter but a great treat.

Image by Yellow Snow Photography via Flick

Cranberry Ice Cream


Into a small ziploc bag, add 1/2 cup of cold milk, 4 teaspoons of sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla. 1-2 handfuls of cranberries. Zip the bag making sure it is tightly closed.


Place the small ziploc bag into the larger ziploc bag and add 2 cups of crushed ice. Sprinkle 6-8 Tablespoons of rock salt over the ice. Zip the bag making sure it is tightly closed

Shake until the ice cream forms.(This takes approximately 15 minutes). Remove the small ziploc bag and eat it right out of the bag and enjoy.


Another idea...
In place of a ziploc bag, you can put the ingredients in a 1 lb. coffee can with a plastic lid. Place the 1b. can inside a 3 lb. can and add the ice and salt. Cover and close the large can with the plastic lid. You can shake or roll the can until the ice cream forms.
This recipe and other cool things found here.

A Raven Legend

Image by Yellow Snow Photography via Flickr

There are many legends of raven, the trickster. This is one of them.
According to a Haida story, in the beginning the world was in total darkness.
      The Raven, who had existed from the beginning of time, was tired of groping about and bumping into things in the dark.
      Eventually the Raven came upon the home of an old man who lived alone with his daughter. Through his slyness, the Raven learned that the old man had a great treasure. This was all the light in the universe, contained in a tiny box concealed within many boxes.
      At once the Raven vowed to steal the light. He thought and thought, and finally came up with a plan. He waited until the old man's daughter came to the river to gather water. Then the Raven changed himself into a single hemlock needle and dropped himself into the river, just as the girl was dipping her water-basket into the river.
      As she drank from the basket, she swallowed the needle. It slipped and slithered down into her warm belly, where the Raven transformed himself again, this time into a tiny human. After sleeping and growing there for a very long time, at last the Raven emerged into the world once more, this time as a human infant.
      Even though he had a rather strange appearance, the Raven's grandfather loved him. But the old man threatened dire punishment if he ever touched the precious treasure box. Nonetheless the Ravenchild begged and begged to be allowed to hold the light just for a moment.
      In time the old man yielded, and lifted from the box a warm and glowing sphere, which he threw to his grandson.
    As the light was moving toward him, the human child transformed into a gigantic black shadowy bird-form, wings spread ready for flight, and beak open in anticipation. As the beautiful ball of light reached him, the Raven captured it in his beak!
      Moving his powerful wings, he burst through the smokehole in the roof of the house, and escaped into the darkness with his stolen treasure.
And that is how light came into the universe.



Raven Facts:
Ravens form bonding pairs that mate for life. They are excellent parents, both equally responsible for the rearing of their offspring.
Ravens perform aerobatic maneuvers, often with their mate, friends or in groups. It is believed that they often fly just for fun.
Highly intelligent and adaptive, they have been known to use tools and strategic maneuvers for gathering and accessing food - something typically found only in higher primate forms and of course, humans.
They are great vocal mimics with the broadest vocal range of any mammal other than humans.
The Raven is highly regarded by the native peoples of the Pacific Northwest. It is told that Raven coaxed the first men out onto the earth from a giant clam shell. If you are interested in learning more visit www.eldrbarry.net/rabb/rvn/first.htm

High contrast photograph.

Legs Like Jelly

     I had another good walk with the dogs and saw the fireweed is fast approaching its zenith signalling the end of summer. The heat that has come with this summer has made it hard to believe that it will soon be leaving us for the southern locales. The wind was blowing the forest fire smoke away from Lower Post and the dogs wanted a long walk today. I took them out for a two and a half hour walk. I take them through a series of old logging roads and trails after leaving the reserve.


     There are two water stops along the way a creek and the Liard River to get refreshed. The pups love to swim, sit and cool off in the water. After the rest it is play time for them as they chase each other in a game of tag.

     I love to watch them play and when they start walking through the moss covered trail that winds through the forest back to the reserve they love to chase the grouse and squirrels and occasional bears.

 

     The dogs are great eyes and ears on the trails and when chasing a bear they have a distinctive bark. Usually they chase off the bear or scent up the trail so much the bear doesn't come there as often. A bear was on our trail a day ago and last nights rain flattened out the scat in this picture.



The walk left my legs tired but not quite feeling like jelly...maybe something left over from my
 athletic days still resides in me, but my pups were happy and that is what is most important.




Do something good and karma may even given you something back like the clouds opening up in an epiphany of light... kind of like this from today's walk.



I have good karma I guess...


Thanks for the walk.

Rosehip Honey

     The best thing of summer walks for me is trying new recipes from trail edibles. I am a firm believer in life long learning. Take photographs of plants and researching their edibility is one of the ways I enjoy learning. The thought that I might be able to sustain myself is attractive but due to my laziness I will use the knowledge in brief moments of inspiration...to impress myself or someone else in a teachable moment. Always the teacher... always the student... the way it was meant to be.

Thanks for listening.

And the party goes on...

I did another wedding shoot in Watson Lake on Saturday. I wasn't feeling well and I was struggling later in the afternoon. I know it might be from all the smoke from the fires or something else but I still feel like crap. JJ and Ellen are parents of two students of mine and sure know how to throw a bash. The party is still going on. Hopefully by the time it ends I will be feeling better. I need to open up the school for a forest fire management meeting then I will take the dogs out for a long walk... that always makes me feel good.

Have a great day!

Watson area fire doubles �|� Yukon News

Watson area fire doubles �|� Yukon News



The smoke from the forest fire is making us all smoke the equivalent to several packs of cigarettes a day. The sunsets are spectacular and mother nature is shown to always have the upper hand and we can only adjust to her whims and try to cope with the challenges. In the meantime I will keep the camera ready and walk the dogs despite the smoke.

Smokey The Bear

A black bear wanders into Watson Lake, Yukon.

Yesterday while doing errands in Watson Lake I saw this black bear deciding if he would cross the Alaska Highway and go into the town center. The atv came by and the bear decided to head back into the woods. I waited and he had had enough and went deeper into the woods.  The bear is probably agitated by the forest fire smoke in the air that is coming from the Cassiar fire burning just south of the border. The fire is burning uncontrollable and is over 11,000 hectares and growing fast. I came back and took a cool sun photo and  I submitted three of my pictures of the smoky air and sun to CBC B.C. Wildfires and they were accepted under name bc.yellowsnow.


The temperature came back down a little ( 24 C) so the smoke filled air is a little more bearable. (pun intended)

A Star Is Born

I took the my five dogs and Noah my foster dog for a three hour walk through the forest today. It was very smoky from the 11,000 hectare fire raging not to far off on the other side of the river. So there I was...an asthmatic hiking in a tinder dry forest with no water or inhaler... thinking how fast this forest would ignite if an ember came floating down with the ash that has been falling over us. I kind of, sort of, knew where I was walking for parts of the walk. I like to bushwhack through the forest or explore old clear cuts so at times it is easy to get confused of your direction if you don't pick a landmark and keep it in your sight... hard to do in think forest or bush. Next idea then is to look for game trails and let dogs sniff their way through the woods. That was what I was doing when I took this picture of the bog-star flower... one of my favorite flowers. Next I looked down further and there sunk into the ground was my Olympus Lens Hood that I lost last September on a similar hike. I pulled it out of the ground a bit took a picture of it then pulled it out and cleaned it up.


My re-discovered lens hood after I pulled it out of the ground a little.


The walk continued on and we wend over rotting logs and dry moss forest beds.




 The dogs were hot and the river came to us like a reward for our effort. The sky was thick with smoke and as the dogs cooled off in the river I took a few pictures and then cooled of with a river swim.




The dog swam out with me into the river and we floated down a ways before kicking to shore and a walk back along the rocky beach to dry off and put some clothes on. I looked up and saw a couple of my dogs looking at the smoke in the distance and grabbed my camera. In all a good walk despite the smoke filled air.



Thanks for the walk and talk!

Melisa, Gary and Family

I had a great day yesterday in Watson Lake, Yukon shooting a wedding. The young couple's wedding was beautiful and a lot of fun. The ceremony was held outside in Wye Park with warm weather and a breeze blowing in smoke from forest fires to make a dramatic sky for the group photos. The bride and bridesmaids looked beautiful as the groom and groomsmen looked handsome. One of the highlights was it was a dog and child friendly wedding with both playing on the grassy hills before and after the ceremony. The dinner had moose meat, another northern treat, and was delicious. 1900 photos later and I have work to do to make a movie, and photo album for them on a flash drive and digital frame. I will be putting some portraits on my store site so parents can get a framed print if they want more than my free digital copy. I don't charge much for the wedding shoots and the money goes to my school's outdoor education and travel fund so it is a win win situation and I even get to be sociable in a community building event.




Have a great Sunday!