14 October

It was a perfect combination of sunset
red clouds over the snowy peaks
the golden moon rising and
the northern lights
transluscent aura
across these northern skies
last night

and another clear sunny day that will not rise above zero
shaping up this morning

the news is otherwise sparse
since it is a sit at the computer and write a report kind of day,
but at least the office will be quiet as the 3 data entry girls
have the weekend off.

Getting into countdown mode
six more day before I get in the truck
and boogie off

al

12 October 2006 again

Its been a beautiful day
and I made a new friend

So I thought I would share them with you
Before the sun goes down.

12 October 2006

What will it be for breakfast today :
Pancakes, omelette, bacon, sausages, ham, fried potatoes, porridge, fruit salad, yoghurt, cereal, french toast or eggs over easy ?

Now was that with a touch of maple syrup, ketchup or tabasco?

Lets start with a coffee shall we and I will think about it
(notice the clock 6.25am).

Hey one week left of making this big decision of the day
before starting the trek home

keep you posted

7 October 2006

I have learned that a friend has a hankering to add a Yukon Territory number plate to his Bar and Gwil collection. Unfortunately second hand and junk shops are sparse out here in the woods and so, with no free time to otherwise go shopping - I have done the best I can.
Down at the Keno City Bar.
A collection that you can take your digital pick from - to accompany the garden gnomes.
Ha.

5 October 2006

Working late - more bosses coming tomorrow

But I did manage to spent a little time outside and shot my first black and white on digital - just around the mine site - but the files are too big to show you here.

The was sunny and fine with a frost heavy in the air.

Travelled down to Mayo to visit the local doctor to get some stuff for my junky eye - that went OK - but the cost to an out of Province Canadian - thats me - was $85 for the consultation. It would have been over $300 for a foreigner - definitely not me.

Visited the one store in town and bought some magazines and looked over the Stewart River. My Big Day Out.

Now to catch up some, my temporary desk front left.

I'm good - see you later.

Al

2 October 2006

A beautiful clear day after the crispy frost that greeted me at breakfast time. Omlette - wish they didnt insist on using that orange coloured cheese.

As usual there is not a lot to report - my excursion took me to an area near the townshop of Keno Hill where in the past month I am told the locals watched a grizzly cross a lake and take down a moose. Well having that in the back of your mind makes you quite wary when venturing out alone !

I am about done any more serious field work - and now to bury myself in the 100 gigabite database to see what might be useful for my task.

I will let you know progress over the next 3 weeks before I leave the mine site. I will try to get back the Keno Hotel to take some real photos before it gets snowed over. Pity its all closed up or I might want to get inside - but there is an other bar right across the road.

Al

30 October 2006

Saturday night at Keno Hill
Been in the clouds all week - low valley fill that is misty damp and cold - cold enough that higher up on the hillside its been trying to snow
- not much fun in an open pit !

Today it was wonderfully fine, but I had to stay indoors
because the corporates were having a wrap up on the last day of their visit here this week. Now all the team has to work twice as fast to get things done before the winter comes - but it seems like they will keep drilling until the end of November.

Glad I will not be here then.

To put this winter thing in perspective :
The annual mean temperature for the little town about 40km south of here - Mayo
is minus 5 degrees C., and it has an anverage of 11 inches rain a year.
The land here is at about 1200m above sea level and the ground is mostly permanently frozen as permafrost, with this being reported in the old mines down to depths of well over 100m.

So perhaps it is not surprising there was ice on the windshield this morning.

I am told that it is always minus 50 degrees by January - February.

Tonight i dined on a T-bone steak (cooked on the outside BBQ) that was bigger than the plate, giant size prawns, boiled potatoes and asparagus with mushroom and onion sauce, then there was the selection of apple or some kind of berry pie or treacely tarts.

I might have bacon and pancakes for breakfast. The camp food in these parts hasn't changed in 30 years !

Well in off back to the cell block for the night - its a 36 berther - maybe it floats - we could start a tourist venture on the Yukon River.

bye