Saturday, January 17, 2015
Sunny and very, very, cold.
Sunny and very, very, cold.
64 Days Until Spring!
Winter is fine when you're a kid. I'm still a kid (in my mind) at 66, but I don;t like the cold! My wife and I enter through the garage when we park our cars on the driveway. Since the garage is full of "stuff", the cars stay outside. Ever get into a car when it's -22 degrees Celsius or -2 degrees Fahrenheit? Brrrr! Of course, the first time that I visited my brother when he moved to Calgary, Alberta (Canada), it was colder. It was -37 degrees Celsius or - 32.8 degrees Fahrenheit. At the time , everyone kept their cars and trucks running as they filled up their vehicles with gas or entered the convenience store for "supplies". When it gets that cold you need "supplies". Yet everyone braved the cold in stride, and when I said it's terribly cold, they simply answered that it was a "dry cold" (low humidity), as if that made it warmer outdoors.
Getting back to Montreal, every time I enter the garage, I see my bicycle. It's stays there waiting another 64 days (as of today) until I bring it in to be tuned up. Of course, if you live in a cold climate, there's still another 90 days after the Spring Equinox ( from March 22, 2015) till it gets warmer (I exaggerate slightly). And if you live more north in Quebec, in Kuujjuag, Quebec, (formally called Fort Chimo), you will be able to go fishing at an excellent fishing club called Arctic Adventures from mid-July to the first of August. Before and after, there is ice all over the Arctic ocean and rivers! I guess, living in Montreal, I'm lucky!
Arctic Adventures
I got permission from Arctic Adventures (Aventures Arctique in French) to add some photos of theirs. I was very fortunate to be able to go fishing "way up North" when I was 27 years old,and I selected Arctic Adventures. At the time, I had no idea what the fishing place was like. It turned out to be fantastic. If you're a fisherman you won't mind that it's not a 6-star hotel,
but it definitely is a 6-star fishing place and resort.
The people at the camp were mostly native Inuit, who were the most friendly and nice people that I have met. They cooked and guided us on the ocean and where we fished (at the mouth of the Tunulik River). I caught mostly Arctic Char ( a distant cousin to the salmon). The sun hardly ever set,and there was skylight 24 hour a day. I'm sure you could fish 24 hours a day,but I wonder if the fish sleep as well?
The fishing schedule is very short (as I mentioned above) for a variety of reasons (ice only melts in late June,spawning occurs soon after the last days of fishing, the hunting season begins for various animals).
It's truly very remote and outdoors, and if you like nature and fishing or hunting this is a fantastic place.*
* I don't get any compensation from anybody that I write about
and my writing is either my thoughts or my experiences.
These toys were produced in the 1920's. There are small v-shaped grooves in the wheels,and the toy can balance on a tight string. When you angle the string downwards, the cyclist will slide down the string and cycle, counterbalanced by the round black weight. My next post will illustrate this.
Just looking at these toys makes me want to get on my bicycle.
Of course, I did mention that it was a mere -22 degrees Celsius or -2 degrees Fahrenheit! There are a few people that I see when I walk Buddy, our dog. They travel by bicycle in Winter to and from work! It's hard enough to walk Buddy at these temperatures.Even he knows where it's warm, and we don't stay outside much!
Thanks for dropping by and as always
have a great part of the day or night,
wherever you may be,
Stacey
toysearcher@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment