Bothy Bag

Last year there were one or two occasions when we stopped for lunch and a sudden bit of bad weather popped up. We used a tarp which was a great bit of relief and it has become a standard piece of equipment one of us tucks away.
In one of our winter on land discussion/training sessions the Bothy Bag came up as an alternative suggestion. I happened across one online and my son managed to track one down in Glasgow.
Very handy and simple to use. Shake out, pull it over and sit on internal flaps. You can lean back to support the walls and ceiling, without the need for poles. Warms up inside in no time.

Middle Cove

With all the weather action in the last little while I thought a visit to Middle Cove would be in order - I expected there might be some residual heavy seas. It turned out to be just a nice hike. Unfortunately,I expect some communities on the southern shore may have sustained the worst of the storm surge a few days ago.

Merry Christmas

What a year we had.
Kayaking in NL has seen us all over this year - sometimes paddling a lot, hiking and camping. Big event or small, quick dip or a long trip - the kayaking season, which is pretty much year round has been a chance to reconnect with friends, meet new folks and on a few occasions introduce new people to the sport.
As a number of friends have said: any day on the water is a good day.

Lunar eclipse

Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse from William Castleman on Vimeo.

I was up at 0330hrs this morning but the view of the lunar eclipse was blocked by cloud cover. I could see the star on Signal Hill but that was about it.

Thankfully William Castleman was up and around with a good view.

Mariners have always kept an eye to the sky and this event was well known even in the 1600's. Remarkably it last occurred on December 21st in 1638 according to those who follow these things and won't occur again until 2094.

China's Terracotta Warriors - ROM

If you get a chance catch this exhibition hosted by the Royal Ontario Museum(ROM), before it leaves in January.
It was quite extraordinary. I found the exhibit fascinating - the kneeling archer pictured is one of 300 or so found in the original pits. The curator Dr.Chen Shen and staff, provided an extensive background of information regarding the Qin army and Chinese history.
The actual pits were discovered accidentally near the tomb of the warrior emperor.
The photo is from the ROM website; which I acknowledge borrowing. More information is available at: http://www.rom.on.ca/terracottaarmy/en/

Gift for Christmas

This year a few of us at work joined together to purchase a goat, chicken and rooster for someone at Christmas.

You don't have to wait for Christmas - it can be a great thank you.

But Christmas was our choice this year - and one of a number of good ways to divert some holiday spending.

Mummering just outside of St. John's

Mummering is a Newfoundland Christmas tradition that is a great bit of fun especially in smaller communities. Locals disguise themselves in outrageous costumes and go door to door spreading good cheer. The hosts attempt to guess who they are behind the outfits. The whole event usually involves singing a number of tunes.
Part of the fun is that no piece of clothing, sheets or other gear is safe from use -so kayak equipment and good suits are stored if you don't want them used.