dealing with the kill.

top) what we got to work with.

middle) starting to quarter it. the temperature makes it super hard to clean outside. breaking it down so you can get the meat inside to clean makes the process far more manageable.

bottom) party time.

my 1st caibou.

chasing caribou. only in the north.
sorry about the lack of focus, these images were taken going full speed, riding on the back a a ski-doo with no gloves on. my fingers were burning with cold. next time i'll take out a digital camera and just shoot multiple photos hoping one turns out. forget winding film and focusing a pentax at 80 km in -20 weather. no fun, but maybe the blur comments on the rush of action that consumes you when hunting caribou in this fashion.

middle) there is a ski-doo up ahead of us in this photo, incase there is any question about it.

top) the start of god's river, january 15th.

bottom) jeffery's moose antlers.

more pictures of snow... there will most likely be more pictures of more snow.

mervin is probably the coolest. he has really been a big help in showing me around the land and taking me through the bush. i get a little bit of a hard time from him for not knowing as much as he does about certain things, but i appreciate every bit of kindness. last week he taught me some cree, but it meant something different from what i was lead to believe. it turns out i have been swearing at people without knowing it.

previously i posted some digital versions of these (film) images. if you look back to earlier photos posted you can check it out. essentially these are images of a 'sketch' for an art project i am planning. sasquatch/big-foot themed stuff, but real, vs. urban-trendy-folk-art. we'll see where it goes.

top) we had a theatrical group come and put on a play about treaty rights, and native history.

middle) kids got to put on the masks; great idea. huge hit.

bottom) bertie's birthday cake. once a month we have a raffle. everbody who has had their birthday that month has their name put into a hat. the name pulled has a cake made for them that they get to share it with their classmates. bertie's friends were super pumped, because they, like the rest of the world, love cake.

c'est lalloween.

pics from the traditional grounds on the other side of town. on other days this site is host to large cookouts with moose and fish, bannock and goose, all sorts of delicious traditional food. the quiet remains of an event always pretty interesting to me. distant clues left behind for you to base your imagination.

goofing around.

top) water treatment and poppy/wall-lure.

2nd from top) christmas ptarmigan

2nd from bottom) cross and poppy/wall-lure x2.

bottom) god's river ice fishing w/ net.

i went on a field trip with the grade 4/5 class to check out the rock pit. it was fun we examined the rocks, explored the pit. ethan and i fell back a bit so i took a picture of him with the sweet hiking stick he found. ethan is awesome, and likes imagining he is a code-cracker/computer-hacker when we do math together.

top) mr. martin and the grade 4/5s.

bottom) ethan.

top) wayne setting up a rabbit snare.

middle) detail.

bottom) rabbit snare. simple, delicate, unfortunately empty. no stew tonight.

in the evenings i often like to go for a ride in the school truck (black ford top photo, the front bumper isn't doing so good). i tune into NCI, native communications inc., and catch some country songs. it feels pretty honky, but i like it and it gives me time to think about how far from the sound of the city. the only thing that would make it a little better would be if the roads here actually took me somewhere.

weddings are a big thing. the set-up of the school gym takes days to prepare, and is ripped down and put back to it's previous state within minutes of the party being over. everybody is welcome, and wedding parties seem to be a time where the 'dry' rule seems to be unofficially called off. this all results in a really good time.

pictures from in and around god's river lodge on a cold (-25) january day.