Books, Technology

Yay! Found the Udderly Smooth Cream

Yes, this really is udder cream, but it’s great for dry, cracking human skin, too. I knew we had a jar around, but had not seen it in a year or two. Cracking, bleeding skin on both thumbs and forefingers (partly due to my recent PT job unboxing and shelving books) led us on a cream search through the bathrooms and first-aid kits… Success!

Udderly Smooth cream

Nature, Photography

Connecting With My Animal Mind

Holly in the snowThere’s a story behind this photo that I posted in an album a few days ago — perception, memory, awareness, and ???

If we watch nature shows, we are often astounded at the abilities of all sorts of animals with brains much smaller than ours to remember food locations, routes and way points, etc.

I took this photo in heavy snowfall/sleet conditions. I was doing a Byrne Creek Ravine loop, my camera swathed in a plastic sleeve, me bundled in fleece and Gore-Tex, my head down as I slogged back up the hill.

I remember suddenly having the thought, “that bush with red berries would make a nice shot covered with snow, and it should be right about here.”

I stopped, raised my hooded head into the wind and snowy rain, and yes, the berries were right there, a few meters to my left.

Wow. We have abilities we are often not aware of. My subliminal mind knew exactly where I was.

Photography

First Snow in Burnaby, BC

I have several errands to run, but I think I’ll postpone them. The first snow of the year is always crazy around here, because snow at all is rare. So why drive if I don’t have to? I need to drive to work tomorrow anyway, so I can cross items off the to-do list on the way home.

burnaby snow

Camping, Canoeing, Fishing, Hiking, Photography, Technology

Ode to a Knife

OK, let’s get one thing clear off the top. I love this knife, but I’m not homicidal. I just have a long history with this sturdy implement, and I admire its durability.

It’s a US Boy Scouts sheath knife circa 1970. I bought it when I was living in New York City, and was active with the local troop in my ‘hood, so it’s at least 45 years old.

It’s all original, including the leather sheath.

It has been much used, and, for a knife, abused. As you can surmise in the scars in the detailed photos below, it’s pounded nails, stripped 14/2  wiring, split kindling when an axe was not available and a rock was used to pound the blade into the wood. . . In addition to more “knifely” duties such as cleaning fish.

And it’s still solid, still takes a good edge, and will long outlive me. I may ask to have it buried with me when I depart, just in case there are zombies on the other side :-).

If you check the BSA online store, it appears nothing like this is available anymore.

I still take it hiking and camping, though I’ve retired it from streamkeeping — I have an excellent, inexpensive, plastic-handled stainless-steel knife from MEC for that duty now.

Beauty, eh?

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1960s US Boy Scouts Sheath Knife

Streamkeeping, sustainability, community, business, photography, books, and animals, with occasional forays into social commentary. Text and Photos © Paul Cipywnyk