Gone To Smell the Roses: January 2016

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Weasel

More terrible wildlife pictures!!! Good job I don't make a living at it.
Weasel are so hyper that they make squirrels looks slow. So taking their picture is nearly impossible.
I enjoyed watching him and then decided to take photos because it is usually pointless to spoil the experience and waste the little time you get to see them trying to take pictures and not enjoy the moment.

And just for scale here are the whiskey jacks at the same spot. Obviously the food out there is for the birds, but just the same it was nice to see the weasel.

Thursday, January 14, 2016

The Tree Knot

The tree-knot is obviously not its real name, but this is the way I call it because the first time I was show this knot was when I was being taught how to build a snare and it was used to tie the pole to the tree on the tree side.
I worry that I may forget it ....The old brain is not what it used to be.

It is not just used at the tree but also within the snare, this is the way the yellow string in the picture below is tied to the little stick.

First you make a simple Granny Knot at the end of the rope.

Then you make another one as close to the first one as possible... don't tighten it yet.

Put the other end of the rope around what the tree, or the stick or what ever and pull the end of the rope through the second loose Granny Knot

Tighten that second knot

Kaboom, you're done!
In the picture below, the tree or the stick would be in the loop.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Lost Butterfly

The temperature went up to -3C (26F) one day and I saw a butterfly landing on the snow.

It did die, and there really was nothing I could do to save it since there is still months of very cold weather ahead. I just couldn't believe it.

Ice Fishing

Here are some more pictures of ice fishing. Obviously if you leave the hole open to the air for too long it freezes back over, so you cover it with snow. I have to say that this demonstrated the insulation power of snow to me better than anything else before.

I love the colour of the sky during the long long long sunsets of winter

This is what I was fishing for: loche, or burbot. They are related to cods so the flesh is coarse but the liver and the eggs are a fantastic delicacy.

this is what the liver of ine of the big fish looks like. The texture is finer than butter and just I rich. Delicious!!!

It does get dark early

And to pass the time, and because it is something I've wanted to do for a long time, I started walking across the river. This is something to do with caution. First in this cold you DO NOT want to get wet, second you do not want to fall through into the river and have to get back out.... if you can. I never made it all the way to the other side... not so far... maybe later. It is a lot of work, checking the ice every single step.

Those are my steps. Take a step, check the ice ahead of you. Take another step, etc etc

This is how far I got. It was awesome.... and I have to admit terrifying at the same time. I could totally hear the air bubbles under the ice running with the water the entire time.

Thursday, January 07, 2016

Ice Fishing - a Preview

I has been a very busy time one of the things I have been doing is ice-fishing. I add to this later.... the library is just about closing, but here is a preview.

My 2015 Christmas tree

So I did have a Christmas tree, though clearly a Charlie Brown of a tree. I totally decorated it (apart from the lights) with beaded tree decoration from South Africa.

A very tall tree. It went all the way to the ceiling.