downhill skiing

downhill skiing

Good day, you awesome human

Global warming greets us today, on this pleasant, cool winter morning. High snowfall and warmer winter temperatures bring us the delight of long days of winter play. Sunny skies, warm jackets, cool air, snow. It all adds up to a plus in winter sports activities.
Hail bravehearts, strap your skis on. This is a day for snow!

The long dreary winter is one of our finest hours. It brings so much winter pleasure. The slopes, the winter scenery, the winter festivities and the winter fun. No more the cold, icy frost of bitter harsh winds. No more the ice running through your veins. No more the heart stopping blasts of lung chilling air that slow us to a stiff, plodding, gait. For us, this winters past time is the joy of this day.
Downhill skiing as a recreational sport is a relief from the long winter stress of cold days and indoor living. A fresh new snowfall on well groomed slopes entice us to the great outdoors for fresh air, exercise and fun. What would we be, in the great white north, without our awesome snow?
The snow provides more than just stuff for us to play in. It provides a blanket of warmth for winter animals to sleep under. Hibernating bears, scurrying mice and sleeping plants, lie protected under the soft, warm cover that protects them from the winters chill of freezing air and penetrating wind.
A quiet day of deafening calm as the forest dulls the sounds of noises. No wind disturbing our sheltered run. We are alone on this massive mountain. A mid week escape from weekend frenzy. So very few to witness our feats of daring, our new found paths through untracked forest. A mountain so often visited, so frequently accessed, yet still the same old thrill of fresh new snow, of powdery gusts, of flying and gliding. The ease of the sport of downhill skiing, the motion of practiced turns, the roller coaster ride of bowl shaped hills and the pummeling of moguls.
The easy freedom of a day on the mountain, skiing wherever your skills will take you. The ride of a lifetime on two sticks with two poles. The soft whisper of the lift as it passes overhead. A day that was made to make time stand still, when hour after hour is not long enough.
The breathtaking views, the thigh burning exertion, the endless flight over rolling terrain. A gift of play and winter smiles, a joy of the weather, of our harsh climate. The north. With our sub zero temperatures, our high snowfall, our ice covered lakes. Dress for it, we say. Then strap on your skis for in winter we play and play and play.
written by Dr Louise Hayes
January 7, 2014

Barren ground Caribou

Hail brilliant mankind

Cast your eyes upon the wilds of the great land. The wilderness stretches out before you and you are saved. The new land, freshly washed of glacier ice and snow reveals the tundra and the life within. Brave hunters, your lives await you there. Up, way up, above the treeline into the Arctic.
Cast your eyes upon the land and view the newness of the Earth. Your lives await you here, almighty human, the brave explorer, the clever hunter. The wild beasts roam and in your view is the vast herd you’ve been searching for.
Caribou!
Here in the far north is a large migrating herd of caribou. The home of the barren ground caribou as they move across the northern plains of the North West Territories. A way of life for nomadic peoples as they follow the herds for food and clothing. A lifeline, a support, a tradition. Beware, almighty human, the world changes.

Click to access 2011-2015_Barren-ground_Caribou_Management_Strategy.pdf

The barren ground caribou is in decline. It’s once magnificent numbers in the hundreds of thousands of animals is now declining and the great herds are vanishing. A way of life vanishes with them. Gone is the migrating hunter, who’s dependency upon the caribou sustained them in food and clothing. Gone is the sport hunter and with the loss of the wild herds eco- tourism vanishes as well.
Hail bravehearts to the call of the wild.
The exploitation of the far north is a blight upon us. Overharvesting of a national treasure affects our cultural identity. As an environmentalist and a conservationist, the predation of the wild is a long standing concern. Hardship for the people, hardship for the wildlife and loss of culture, a food source, a tourist delight and a way of life.
The sustainability of the land appears consistent. The food source for the animals themselves seems stable. Overhunting is identified as a factor in the rapid decline and the dwindling numbers of caribou are a threat to the sustainability of the wild.
Eager hunters, your bellies are full and hunting of the magnificent wild is no more.
The lands set aside for wildlife habitat is immense in Canada, but still, the plunder increases. The far north, the tundra, uncultivated, unproductive land, whose resource value is low, but for the wildlife that resides there, it sustains them. Specially adapted animals, whose lives have supported the indigenous peoples of northern Canada for centuries. To loose the herds of the wild is to loose our national, cultural identity. The migration of the early peoples, the fur trade, the choice to inhabit the north. The integrity of the wild is essential to us.
Hail mankind. The world is yours, to protect or discard, choose wisely.
written by Dr. Louise Hayes
November 20,2013

The Yukon

The Yukon

Good day you awesome human

As the glaciers receded and the snow melted, the animal life moved southward into the continent. With the travel of the wildlife, the human followed. A new world was being carved from the snow caps. New life to discover, new trails to follow, a new path to a new world.
Come almighty human, into the heart of the continent.
The dutiful call to adventure thrust early man deep into the heart of the far north.
Those who loved the fabulous north live there still. In the remote Arctic Circle with its earthly gifts and awesome star struck wonder. Those who ventured forward encountered more snowfall in this chilly climate. But the usual scene of forest, lakes, rivers, wildlife and vegetation kept them alive.
An adventure!
An adventure for early man and an adventure still you awesome human. Into the land of the midnight sun, of perpetual darkness, of northern lights. A land of remote distance and close fellowship, of hardship and earthly delights, of sporting enthusiasts and cultural integrity. Of domiciles of snow and the endless land to stretch and play in.
Here in the vast forests, the lakes, rivers and snow, live and play the early settlers of this nation and their welcomed guests.
Bold bravehearts, the world calls to you. Come almighty human to the heart of the country. Come to the beginning!

http://travelyukon.com/

To climb the highest mountains, to view the colourful meadows, the rich blues of lakes and the dazzling 24 hours of sunlight. Here is the home of thousands of years of human history, of the birth of culture that is Canadian. The evolution of man brings with it dance, song, artwork, cuisine and joy. A human of energy and skill. The talents needed for survival.
We assume the climate is harsh, perhaps unjustifiably. Life is as life is made. Joy to you, mighty brave hearts. To push the limits of life worth living to the darkest corner of our nation.
The Yukon territory has set aside a vast amount of land to National and Provincial parkland, wildlife reserve, heritage rivers and First Nations land settlements. It boasts thousands of kilometers of pristine wilderness for the sports and nature enthusiast to enjoy.

http://www.env.gov.yk.ca/camping-parks/federal-protected-areas.php

With such a small population and so much country to enjoy, the remote far north is a breathtaking wilderness of forest and mountain.
As their counterparts travelled the unknown trail to track the wild animals and spread themselves across the continent, the aboriginals of the Yukon stayed.
Stay for the awesome splendor of the great land, the wild life to be viewed, the sports to be enjoyed. Still to be seen from the eyes of the adventurer as mainly untouched, undeveloped and unspoilt. The great land, the far north.
written by Dr. Louise Hayes
November 14,2013

Dog sledding

Dog sledding

Good day, you awesome human

Today it has snowed. The chilly wonder of a winter’s delight. Our nations most favourite past times are here.
The dogs whine and climb out of their white, snowy blankets. A new day of mushing and racing is upon them. Friendly, eager playmates in a life of Canadian made fun.
The sun pierces the sky and casts it’s golden warmth upon us. A fabulous, chilly -35C. A perfect day. A day of winter delight, of breakneck speed through the wild land, of wind on your face and warmth in the air. A day of endurance, strength, preparedness, fun! The great planet calls to us from the landscape and we’re off. Off to an adventure, off to another day of grand pursuits.
The eons of time travels quickly with us. Generations of dog sledding flies past our feet. We must. In our minds we know that we must. Carrying on the history of nation building, the travels of voyageurs, the present day sportsman and adventurer, the tourist. In a land of long winters and brilliant dark sky the endless preoccupation with the joys of winter fun is a must.

As Canadians, these traditions fill us with joy and wonder. The long race of dog sledding, a time of daring adventure, a feat of a thrilling pursuit. An age of discovery, when dog sledding helped to open the country and helped to transport goods, food and people across the land. A method of transportation for early explorers. Across the great white, snow covered plains of the Arctic. Dog sledding carrying us, as Canadians, all across the land.
Mile upon mile the dogs will run, day after day. The race. Such a thrilling adventure for dog and man.
The dogs stretch their limbs and howl. Run! they cry and off we go.
The winter!
The transportation corridors change and sometimes are easier with ice and snow. A frozen lake is a short cut, the marshes and bogs are easily crossed. Better to travel in winter with ice and snow and the howl of dogs in your ears. Faster and less dangerous than running rapids with canoes and the winter forest shines with snow.
Culture!
What we do to save ourselves, to explore, to open trade routes, to fulfill our negotiated contracts.
The dog team is an integral part of our culture. It’s a need fulfilled. Across the great land to explore, to reach communities with goods for trade. To fulfill business contracts and to live.
Here, almighty human in the great white north is the destiny of a lifetime of adventure. It called to the early explorer. Come to Canada! Live the adventure! And so they did.
Criss crossing the nation from trading post to trading post with sleighs laden with supplies. A life of business enterprise. Dog and man, racing across the great plains of the provinces, dog and man, racing east to west and back again. Dog and man racing to the north, racing to the south.
Culture and tradition whistling in our ears.
The dogs, our coveted friends.
Praises to you brilliant mankind, for the peace of trade and for the joy adventure. The negotiated peace that saves our lives.
written by Dr. Louise Hayes
November 12,2013

Above the Arctic Circle

Praises mankind
To your thousands of years of history in the making. To the vast land of the high Arctic, where a small group of people came to inhabit this great land. Approximately 50,000 square miles of remote Arctic wilderness, where the shallow lakes of yesteryear remain an ecological and human delight of today. The proven history of pre history mankind.
Dance, you dazzling northern lights. Fill the skies with the beauty of the night. Dance and play with your dazzling colours, your mesmerizing movements of light and your own sound.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCqX_aIHQ0I Northern lights and tranquility music.

The vast night sky, with its thousands of twinkling stars, stretches the imagination. What lies beyond this great planet Earth? Into the vastness of the galaxy, our minds roam for answers. Are we alone?
Pre history man, with his small colony in the far north was alone. A group of people who found that perfect place. A land of richness and abundance, of beauty and tranquility. The peace of the great land welcomed them, saved them and they dwelled in relative prosperity.
Hear us, sighs the great planet, as another contract is signed for environmental protection. An oasis, almighty human. Since the dawn of time, this land has been intact, full of the precious life forms and the majestic land of ancient Earth.
The evolutionary path is a trail of archeological treasure. It tells a story of early Canada, of a migration of aboriginal peoples who followed their prey as it moved across the globe. Animals of the great plains of Africa, hyenas, camels and sloth, plus wooley mammoth, tigers, giant beavers and reindeer.
In their own migratory path, the people have come from Africa. So did the wildlife, to the great plains of the far north.
The Earth, the ever changing planet.
Stay, almighty human, in the land of the far north. The animals die out as the planet changes and cools. Other animals arrived to take their place. As the glaciers recede and the rest of Canada warms, the high Arctic cools.
But the land is a massive oasis of life and living, of sport and hunting of play and daring. The adventure of your lives!
For the early human had an aptitude for survival. He was the fittest, he was the strongest and he was the bravest.

Click to access FN_Com_Profile_VGFN_LH_ed.pdf

Come, you bravehearts, come to the land of prehistory mankind. Come into the land of the mighty Yukon territory and explore with us the great secrets of our ancestry.
Hail, you almighty human, for the adventure of your lives.
written by Dr. Louise Hayes
November 8, 2013

Old Crow Flats

Old Crow Flats

Good morning Bravehearts!

A brilliant new day, for brilliant new minds.
Clever bravehearts, the adventure continues, deep into the depths of prehistory man. Deep into the brilliant life of life above the tundra, life in the great Arctic, above the Arctic circle.
A vast and exquisite land of migrating wildlife and of the peoples who have inhabited this place for thousands of years.
The unspoilt far north. A rugged and dangerous land filled with snowcaps and frigid waters, rough tundra and alpine flora. The mighty animal life of the far north, polar bear, caribou, walrus, whale and the people who still live in this remote and harsh part of the world.
Our sense of reality assumes the worst. Freezing cold, barren landscape, months of endless darkness, but thousands of years ago, the earth was a much different place. Here, up above the Arctic Circle was a land of warmer climate. As the rest of Canada lay covered under a sheet of glacial ice and snow, the high Arctic was home to many species of wildlife. Way up in the high Arctic, a vast preservation of lakes, ponds, marshes and land is now occupied by throngs of migrating birds, to the point that it is protected as a bird refuge. Here is the home of prehistory man as he enters the continent of North America and settles in Canada. A protected land that is now a vast land settlement area which includes government land, Vuntut National Park and the ancestral lands of the Vuntut Gwitchen people.

Click to access ice_age_old_crow.pdf

How long ago, for the great human, the almighty man, who conquers all. The carbon dating of the tools indicates thousands of years ago. The migration of people into continental America is earlier than what was once believed. An area called Old Crow flats and the fossil finds in the Blue Fish caves tell a story of this ancient world.

http://www.taiga.net/wetlands/oldcrow/oc_gen.html

The pre history shows a collection of unusual animals. Fossils galore, but not of this world, not of this continent. Hyenas. A scavenger who follows predators and injured animals, waiting for cast offs, or an easy kill. Camels, sloth. A far different world, in the far north. A land of lush vegetation, abundance of wildlife, safe habitation for dwellings, an easier life than now.

http://www.civilization.ca/research-and-collections/research/resources-for-scholars/essays-1/archaeology-1/jacques-cinq-mars/significance-of-the-bluefish-caves-in-beringian-prehistory3/

The brilliant bravehearts of that world inhabited a beautiful landscape of plenty. The people stayed.
The Old Crow flats and Blue Fish Caves are areas of significant archeological treasure and environmental protection. This protected area boasts some of the worlds most significant archeological findings. Discoveries that prove pre history man was a man of skills and that the planet is an ever changing world. The migration of man, at the dawn of our nations history is revealed in the unparalleled beauty of the majestic far north. In a collection of lakes, high in the mountains, where the summer days are continual daylight and the temperature is a warm 15C.
High above the Arctic Circle where no one dreams to believe, that here is the dawning of Canada. Here is the brave new world of ancient man.
Daring human, we hear your words. Come to the far north. Come to the adventure of your lives.
written by Dr. Louise Hayes
November 5,2013

The Dawn of Time

Good morning Bravehearts.
In the beginning, the world was lush with vegetation and wildlife. In the beginning, the far north was the place to be. In the beginning, above the Arctic Circle, was a paradise of habitat for plant and animal and human. In the beginning, before the last glaciers receded, while Canada was under a layer of ice and snow, the far north was home to many residents. It still is.
Come to the beginning, to Vuntut National Park, Yukon Territory, to the dawn of mankind in the Canada.

http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/yt/vuntut/index.aspx

Here, in this vast and remote wilderness lies the key to prehistory mankind. An unusual ecosystem, high up in the Arctic, with relatively warm climate, berries, birds, animals, fish. Food in abundance and weather temperate enough for survival. Low annual snowfall lightly covers the winter ground, sub zero temperatures to -35C. An oasis of lakes, marsh, pond, vegetation. This large protected area is where the story begins. Here in the mighty north.
Praises mankind, to your thousands of years of human habitation in the far north. Your story will be told.

http://www.taiga.net/wetlands/oldcrow/oc_gen.html

The peoples are the Vuntut Gwitchen, the settlers and survivors of a world of constant change. They came to a land of plenty and stayed for the life that the land provides. A life of hunting and gathering, trapping, boating. A life of relative ease with food in abundance. Sports, fishing. The endless beauty of the Earth, the endless beauty of the sky.
With so much provided there’s time to think and time to play, time to imagine and time to work. Time to investigate and explore. Time to build a nation, a culture, a language, dwellings a home. With glaciers receding there’s an opportunity to travel south, but they stayed. Stay in your own vast oasis of relative warmth and adventure. Of food and prosperity.
The great Earth provided an immense land of abundance and opportunity. The land of and the lands surrounding Vuntut National Park.
written by Dr. Louise Hayes
November 3, 2013

Early Man

Hail Bravehearts

Today is the day that dreams are made of. New life, new hope, new adventure, a daring new world of hope and promise. The bravest and the most daring venture forth to share the land with peoples of diligence and fortitude. A habituated land of congenial peoples who cleverly negotiated a peace amongst themselves for their own survival and mutual prosperity.
Hail, bravehearts, to come to this great land, this continent of the Americas, to build dreams, fortunes, life, liberty. A land worth fighting for, a freedom worth their daring lives. Come to the Americas! Venture forth to colonise!
The aboriginal peoples of the land accepted the new immigrants, generally with the quiet acceptance of negotiation and peaceful interchange.
Who were these early peoples? They saved so many lives with their skills and knowledge?
Where do you come from, you daring brave souls of the almighty human?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aboriginal_peoples_in_Canada

The historical evidence indicates a migration from Asia across the short straight which is now separating Russia from Alaska. Nomadic peoples following migrating animals crossed the land mass which joined Russia to Alaska, into the far north of continental North America.
12000 years of history of human habitation in Alaska. The receding glaciers allowed for human occupancy in a snow free Alaska. As the glaciers receded the early people migrated further south into a land now known as Canada. The aboriginal peoples have resided in this land for so long, thousands of years, that their cultural identity is with North America.
Today, they identify themselves as First Nations, the first peoples of Canada.

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/yt/kluane/index.aspx

Into the land they came, through a new landscape carved from retreating glaciers. The land was immense, the obstacles difficult, the terrain sometimes impassable. Yet, the early settlers persisted in the wild north of unconquered land and pursued their fate to lands unknown. What was the call, oh brave heart? To satisfy the longing of curiosity, of adventure, of ambition? Nomadic peoples following game, in search of tribal lands, looking for peaceful relief from war faring neighbours? Survival in a land of mountains, ice and forest, with wit and cunning minds for survival. To overcome the climate, the landscape the wildlife and to live.
Bravo, brave hunter, to travel so far, to make this place your home. Through the massive tracts of northern wilderness to occupy territories of more habitable climate, the pressure to move on and to explore on continued. The human. The adventurer. The quest for exploration. Did they really come here merely to survive or was the daunting quest of pre history, the same quest of the human spirit as the driving force within us now? They could see that land, the continents were attached. It compels us. What lies beyond?
Oh great human, nothing goes unexplored. To travel across the land bridge out of necessity, out of curiosity, out of free will? To meet the challenge of adventure?
Gifted almighty human, with your strength and perseverance. Into the great land mass, to survive.
written by Dr. Louise Hayes
October 31, 2013

The Pilgrims

Good day, you brilliant ones.
The feasting of Thanksgiving is passing, but as with all traditions and their historical significance, the celebration is only a reminder of the truth of its existence. To give thanks for life itself is the meaning of the day. The joy of sharing, the happiness of celebration and the relief of a bountiful harvest. Food. No hunger, no starvation, no more worry for the winter.
Traditions arise from many sources, but a holiday to give thanks for the bountiful harvest, which will provide for all during the long winter, was a holiday of feasting and sharing, a holiday of community and a time to end all suffering. No disputes amongst us on these special days. The days when the earth is praised for the abundance that it provides, the days when the Almighty is praised for salvation and the days when community is praised for peace amongst us and all of the benefits that peace brings to our lives.
Historically, the first Thanksgiving took place with the pilgrims in the 1600’s. The joy and relief of a season of toil, was gifted with a plentiful harvest which would last throughout the winter. The negotiated peace was honoured and a lasting peace was accomplished.
Relief. The joy of such a simple achievement. Food. A garden. A party. Prayers, praises, blessings and thanks. The joy of such a simple accomplishment. Food.
With this first Thanksgiving came the hope and dreams of years to come. Aspirations to build a community, a colony, perhaps a country. A home of freedom. The constant call of beleagured peoples. Freedom!
The natives were friendly. There was peace amongst us.

http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving

Now, from the first season of toil, comes the wealth of the land. Prosperity! With relief and gladness they sang their songs of praises, of worship, of joy. No more the suffering of distant disputes, the hardships of unrequieted trust. The loss of honour and dignity. No more the distant call of a distant drummer, to beat the path to their own self worth. Now, for this small group of people, in their own chosen world is a haven of safety for themselves.
The natives are friendly. They signed the contract. There will be peace amongst us. So much to give thanks for, so much to have joy for , so much to live for. Paths of their own choosing, a destiny of their own calling, an all encompassing grace.
Joy to you, almighty man, for the achievement of a great landing. Joy to you, you great negotiators, you great peacekeepers. Praises to you for the harvest and the crops and the food and for plenty. Plenty, for your survival, plenty for your daily bread, plenty to share and to plenty to give thanks for. With solemn prayers and joyful hearts, we hear you from your brilliant past.
Hail to you, almighty human, for the songs in your hearts, for the brilliance of your minds and for the skills of negotiation. The negotiated peace is prosperity, humanity and your heartfelt joy.
Praises for the ancient landing, praises for peace amongst us, praises for Thanksgiving and to all of you.
Happy Thanksgiving.
written by Dr. Louise Hayes
October 14, 2013
http://www.bbcanada.com/10895.html
http”//www.empowernetwork.com/almostasecret.php?id=louisehayes

Thanksgiving

Good day you awesome human

This weekend is the celebration of all of our harvest. A happy time, a prosperous time and a time of thanksgiving. Thank you for the gifts of food, for the sharing and for the discovery of the new world. Thank you for peace amongst us, for family and for friends. Thank you for the harvest, for the good earth and for the land to call home.
This is a time of joy in our land, a time of feasting, to overcome the shadow of dark starvation, of poverty and of loss. The toil of the land produces plenty and the harvest yields another season of healthy wealth. Another season of joy as our larders fill with the crops, put down from this years bountiful growth. We are the lucky ones to live our lives in a land so abundant.
The catch of the day lies just off shore. The fishing vessels from far off places come to our coastlines to cast their nets. The hungry from their own nations call to be appeased. Their fishermen travel long distances to find a place where they can catch fish. The times are the 1600’s and the new world is attracting settlers, merchants and fishermen from Europe.
The pilgrims have landed on Plymouth Rock and are settling in America. The natives were congenial. They shared in the harvest and helped the new pilgrims to survive.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilgrims_(Plymouth_Colony)

The newly found earth sighs as it gives up its harvest to the grateful pilgrims. They have escaped to a life of prosperity and health. The soil is nutritious the yield is high enough. No more the starving plight of impoverished families. Famine or pestilence has been left behind. The new world is a blessing to them and the friendly natives do them no harm.
A community of sharing unfolds as the blessing of food is gratefully accepted and peace amongst us is the order of the day. Peace to all of us, who have been so fortunate as to travel to this great land. To meet the people who now live close by, who share the land, the wealth of the land and the bountiful harvest.
Praises to the great Earth for the plentiful food. Praises to the almighty human for compassion and sharing. No starvation in this land and the food itself gives time for other pursuits. America becomes the land of plenty. The land of dreams, of opportunity. The land of prosperity. From an ancient landing a reputation is born. Come to America! You will live well here!
Come they did. Across the Atlantic in nervous anticipation of a new life with new meaning. The joy of freedom flows in their veins. The pride of achievement swells in their breasts. The joy of living is their daily bread. They sing the glad tidings of gratefulness and pray their prayers of joy and hope. Starvation is banished. Poverty recedes. The merciful almighty hears their prayers and blesses them with abundance.
Joy to you, oh fortunate human and praises to the peacekeepers. The start of a new world, a new nation, new lives, arising from the good fortune of the congenial gift of mutual sharing.
written by Dr. Louise Hayes
October 9, 2013
http://www.bbcanada.com/10895.html
http”//www.empowernetwork.com/almostasecret.php?id=louisehayes