office, woohoo!

Inkspot's moving into an outside office!! I put down two months' rent today, and can move in on October 1st. The office space is in a building called The Toronto Carpet Factory (yes, it used to be a carpet factory).

(insert image of Debbie doing the Snoopy dance here)

:) :) :)

headless chickens

Madly rushing about trying to get Inkspot business in shape before I leave as well as getting packed. Packing is tricky because on the one hand I'm trying to pack as light as possible, but on the other hand I don't want to be caught out on the river without something vital (no popping into a nearby store for supplies once we're en route, after all). Just finished another Nahanni book. This one was called NAHANNI: RIVER OF GOLD, RIVER OF DREAMS, by Neil Hartling. Really excellent book, lots of gorgeous photos, and also many references to the R.M. Patterson book. I've also been perusing maps of the area. The place names along our route are a little unnerving: Deadmen Valley, Headless Creek, Funeral Range, Burial Range, Hell's Gate...yikes. :-)

Packworkpackworkpack...

one more day

I've updated our Itinerary to include links to Nahanni-related maps, weather, and a day-to-day report on where we'll be at any given time. Helen has kindly agreed to babysit our apartment while we're away (thanks, Helen!).

Almost finished packing. It's a challenge, trying to pack as efficiently as possible and yet not leaving anything vital behind. Going to Mountain Co-op for one last browse...I need a toque, just in case it gets really cold (apparently it's been known to *snow* in late August up there).

Also, found a great quote in the Nahanni book I mentioned yesterday that summarizes what I was talking about recently so I'll close my pre-trip Blatherings with that. And I'll talk to you all when I get back!

I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn
on a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dryrot. I would rather be a
superb meteor, every atom of me in the magnificent glow, than a sleepy and
permanent planet. The proper function of man is to live, not to exist.
I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.

- Jack London, Tales of Adventure

home from nahanni!

I find it hard to believe I was in Yellowknife this morning. Amazing canoe trip! We paddled nearly 400 km during our ten days on the river. I'll be writing up a detailed report with photos, but here are just a few of my highlights:

• Careening through George's Riffle (also known as the Cache Rapids) with Jeff. Utterly terrified at first (I have utterly no whitewater experience), major adrenalin rush!
• Drifting down the Nahanni on our last night on the river, watching the Northern Lights as we lay our backs on our canoes. The Lights looked different from what I was used to...it was almost as if we were watching the shifting curtains of light from below.
• Hiking up Sunblood Mountain and having a snooze on the multicoloured lichens and mosses at the top, the sun on our faces.
• Eating an entire tub of chocolate icecream while drifting just past Nahanni Butte.
• Hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps.
• Surprise anniversary party for Jeff and me (it was out 8th wedding anniversary on Aug.24th). A tripmate made Cherries Jubilee in the Dutch oven, and people presented us with numerous handmade gifts (heart-shaped rocks, decorated driftwood, etc.), speeches.
• Making new friends (many tearful good-byes at the airport).
• More coming...(sorry, we ordered in for pizza and it just arrived!)
  
  

office

Another nice weekend at the cottage, this time with our friends Harry and Jean from NYC. They brought their cat Mackerel, who has never been outside before (except for once, briefly, in a parking lot at night). Jean (who has actually taken lessons in Camp Cooking, part of an outdoors course) helped me with appetizer and dessert experiments...it was sort of like doing chemistry, but with food, adjusting measurements and doing lots of taste tests. :-) One of the appetizers I'm keen on requires cheese that is eventually melted on top of a cracker...but where to find non-perishable cheese? We eventually settled on the packet of powdered cheese in Kraft Dinner boxes. A wee bit salty, but I don't know of anything else (Parmesan didn't quite do it). Suggestions about where else I could find non-perishable cheese welcome!

Looks like I really am going to be getting some Inkspot office space, probably sharing it with another small company. We're going to check out the space again tomorrow and possibly start lease negotiations. Excited and scared all at the same time! (mostly excited!)

Today's blatherphoto: test of the digital camera my dad gave me (on the dock at the cottage last weekend).