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<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" media="screen" href="/~d/styles/rss2full.xsl"?><?xml-stylesheet type="text/css" media="screen" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~d/styles/itemcontent.css"?><rss xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:openSearch="http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/" xmlns:georss="http://www.georss.org/georss" xmlns:feedburner="http://rssnamespace.org/feedburner/ext/1.0" version="2.0"><channel><atom:id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756642</atom:id><lastBuildDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:11:44 +0000</lastBuildDate><title>Out of Canuckistan</title><description>The travel blog of an apprentice traveler...</description><link>http://bigtubofgoo.blogspot.com/</link><managingEditor>noreply@blogger.com (bubba)</managingEditor><generator>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>500</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>25</openSearch:itemsPerPage><atom10:link xmlns:atom10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" rel="self" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/OutOfCanuckistan" type="application/rss+xml" /><feedburner:emailServiceId>OutOfCanuckistan</feedburner:emailServiceId><feedburner:feedburnerHostname>http://feedburner.google.com</feedburner:feedburnerHostname><atom10:link xmlns:atom10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" rel="hub" href="http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com" /><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756642.post-2794312077674956174</guid><pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:05:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-11-11T00:11:44.543-07:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">flora</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Fish Creek Provincial Park</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Weather</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">autumn</category><title>Autumn On The Canadian Tundra...</title><atom:summary type="text">Stand of poplars in Fish Creek Park...Well, I think autumn this year in Calgary lasted about five days...One day in September we were basking in 30 Celsius temperatures.  The next day we were huddled around the kitchen stove, drawing on its life-giving heat, as arctic winds blasted across the tundra.The autumnal photography took a hit as a result.The extreme cold killed off a lot of the foliage </atom:summary><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~3/nBBeHzxAp1s/autumn-on-canadian-tundra.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (bubba)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BPkYVbk7Jeg/Svpfk9wsR5I/AAAAAAAACiw/BW_T4IG6nzk/s72-c/autumn2009-1.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0">0</thr:total><description>&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~4/nBBeHzxAp1s" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description><feedburner:origLink>http://bigtubofgoo.blogspot.com/2009/11/autumn-on-canadian-tundra.html</feedburner:origLink></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756642.post-1119142186140327759</guid><pubDate>Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:52:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-10-22T23:12:27.547-06:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">trekking</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Kootenay National Park</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Travel Tip</category><title>Hiking the Rockwall Trail, Kootenay National Park - Day 5 - Judgement Day Or Final Recall...</title><atom:summary type="text">On the fifth and final day of the trek we woke up to beholden this brilliant view of Helmet Falls.The final segment from Helmet Falls to the Paint Pots at Highway 93 was pretty much straightforward. Absent were the dramatic ascents and descents of the previous days.  Instead, we trekked along a relatively flat trail, through an dense rainforest, along Helmet Creek.Bunchberry or Dwarf Dogwood (</atom:summary><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~3/9gSB5exIFZs/hiking-rockwall-trail-kootenay-national_21.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (bubba)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BPkYVbk7Jeg/SuDpmXbwQJI/AAAAAAAACig/uAPlwsEgL-Q/s72-c/helmet-falls-final-day.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0">0</thr:total><description>&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~4/9gSB5exIFZs" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description><feedburner:origLink>http://bigtubofgoo.blogspot.com/2009/10/hiking-rockwall-trail-kootenay-national_21.html</feedburner:origLink></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756642.post-395184447269516066</guid><pubDate>Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:11:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-10-14T00:19:43.485-06:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">flora</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Kootenay National Park</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Flowers</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Wildlife</category><title>Hiking The Rockwall Trail, Kootenay National Park (British Columbia) - Helmet Creek Patrol Cabin.</title><atom:summary type="text">The butt end of the massive limestone wall we followed from Wolverine Pass to Helmet Creek looms over the cabin on an early morning...One of Bambi's relatives (Mule Deer or Odocoileus hemionus) makes an appearance outside the kitchen window.  This is better than Planet Animal TV!!Who needs a mirror to shave when you're after the Grizzly Adams look?I'm really not into card games but I did manage </atom:summary><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~3/r-j9o3P2As4/hiking-rockwall-trail-kootenay-national_13.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (bubba)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BPkYVbk7Jeg/StUbk0x6EyI/AAAAAAAACgQ/nQzHTLGvg68/s72-c/helmet-creek-cabin1.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0">1</thr:total><description>&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~4/r-j9o3P2As4" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description><feedburner:origLink>http://bigtubofgoo.blogspot.com/2009/10/hiking-rockwall-trail-kootenay-national_13.html</feedburner:origLink></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756642.post-7132675223344447227</guid><pubDate>Fri, 09 Oct 2009 04:25:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-10-09T00:39:32.955-06:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">trekking</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Kootenay National Park</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Travel Tip</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Wildlife</category><title>Hiking The Rockwall Trail, Kootenay National Park (British Columbia) - Day 4 - Bubba's Day Off At Helmet Falls...</title><atom:summary type="text">Day 4 on the Rockwall Trail was a well deserved day off.  Not much planned other than sleeping, eating, drinking, playing card games... and visiting the nearby fantastic Helmet Falls.Early morning at the Helmet Creek Patrol Cabin... Flora was extra lush because of torrential rains the night before.  I felt bad for the backpackers hunkered down in their tents in the adjacent campground...  BTW, </atom:summary><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~3/_m_CqcmW1xs/hiking-rockwall-trail-kootenay-national.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (bubba)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BPkYVbk7Jeg/Ss7FlPFja8I/AAAAAAAACes/Vr1mP34wQnI/s72-c/helmet-creek-cabin1.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0">3</thr:total><description>&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~4/_m_CqcmW1xs" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description><feedburner:origLink>http://bigtubofgoo.blogspot.com/2009/10/hiking-rockwall-trail-kootenay-national.html</feedburner:origLink></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756642.post-7250266166089481913</guid><pubDate>Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:56:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-09-29T20:35:48.112-06:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">trekking</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Kootenay National Park</category><title>Hiking The Rockwall Trail, Kootenay National Park (British Columbia) - Day 3 - From Heaven to Hell and Back Again...</title><atom:summary type="text">I saw the Milky Way the previous night.  It was brilliant.It was lights out early on that 2nd night.  I had no problem getting to sleep as I fell into a deep deep slumber (accompanied by purportedly loud breathing) exhausted by the rigors earlier that day.We awoke to this splendid scenery the next morning.  Little did I know there was a glacier hanging around the neighbourhood.   Did you catch </atom:summary><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~3/MbtjUe0LSuI/hiking-rockwall-trail-kootenay-national_28.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (bubba)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BPkYVbk7Jeg/SsEyT5Fj3NI/AAAAAAAACaI/nlL6fbn04HI/s72-c/Rockwall-Pass-4.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0">1</thr:total><description>&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~4/MbtjUe0LSuI" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description><feedburner:origLink>http://bigtubofgoo.blogspot.com/2009/09/hiking-rockwall-trail-kootenay-national_28.html</feedburner:origLink></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756642.post-6044256524886733765</guid><pubDate>Sun, 20 Sep 2009 05:10:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-09-20T00:27:28.281-06:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">trekking</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Kootenay National Park</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Wildlife</category><title>Hiking The Rockwall Trail, Kootenay National Park (British Columbia) - Cabin on the Meadows</title><atom:summary type="text">We got here so late last night, at first, we couldn't find the loo in the dark. I had to dig a hole...  Ok, I'll spare you further details.The outhouse turned out to be a pre-formed seat made of green plastic over a hole in the ground.  No walls, or roof.  Rudimentary loo, but the view out the "front door" was of the spooky Devil's Thumb-like mountain in the background.  Not bad a view, eh?  Sit </atom:summary><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~3/7_C-9bAHATc/hiking-rockwall-trail-kootenay-national_19.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (bubba)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BPkYVbk7Jeg/SrW7f7PMlhI/AAAAAAAACZM/pD0dNw4u4-U/s72-c/wolverine-patrol-cabin.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0">1</thr:total><description>&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~4/7_C-9bAHATc" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description><feedburner:origLink>http://bigtubofgoo.blogspot.com/2009/09/hiking-rockwall-trail-kootenay-national_19.html</feedburner:origLink></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756642.post-1700797277712666262</guid><pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 03:43:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-09-15T00:42:24.454-06:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">flora</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">trekking</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Kootenay National Park</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Flowers</category><title>Hiking The Rockwall Trail, Kootenay National Park (British Columbia) - Day 2</title><atom:summary type="text">We knew Day 2 was going to be a marathon.  After a rather leisurely breakfast at Floe Lake, we set off at 0930.3 mountain pass summits, 1320 m total elevation climbed, 1150 m descended, 20 km of trail, and 12 hrs. later, we reached the warden cabin at Wolverine Pass.From Floe Lake, the trail turned to the north, taking us through an old growth forest.  Once in a while we'd be rewarded with </atom:summary><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~3/7qbkPUdX3sY/hiking-rockwall-trail-kootenay-national.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (bubba)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BPkYVbk7Jeg/Sq28Wp5OBoI/AAAAAAAACUM/7sWa9CEEqnA/s72-c/floe-lake.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0">1</thr:total><description>&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~4/7qbkPUdX3sY" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description><feedburner:origLink>http://bigtubofgoo.blogspot.com/2009/09/hiking-rockwall-trail-kootenay-national.html</feedburner:origLink></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756642.post-3804722870535766388</guid><pubDate>Wed, 26 Aug 2009 05:10:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-09-01T00:09:13.394-06:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">flora</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">trekking</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Kootenay National Park</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Flowers</category><title>Hiking The Rockwall Trail, Kootenay National Park (British Columbia) - Days 1-1.5.</title><atom:summary type="text">I hope that you, the loyal readers of BTOG, are having a fine summer.Every summer, it seems, I embark on some kind of big adventurous trek in the Rocky Mountains.I just came back from Kootenay National Park, British Columbia where I completed, along with my pals Ahmed and Larry, the spectacular Rockwall Circuit.Larry (left) and Ahmed at the Floe Creek trail head ready for five days of wahoo fun </atom:summary><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~3/lta8FjgZrG4/rockwall-circuit-kootenay-national-park.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (bubba)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BPkYVbk7Jeg/SpTEfkCf_gI/AAAAAAAACRk/ueu8KJLc3BQ/s72-c/floelaketrailhead.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0">3</thr:total><description>&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~4/lta8FjgZrG4" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description><feedburner:origLink>http://bigtubofgoo.blogspot.com/2009/08/rockwall-circuit-kootenay-national-park.html</feedburner:origLink></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756642.post-2642313077049271242</guid><pubDate>Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:51:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-07-16T20:39:41.674-06:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Namib Desert</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Etosha</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Outer Space</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Birds</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Wildlife</category><title>The Eagle, Er, Blue Crane Has Landed -  Etosha National Park, Namibia</title><atom:summary type="text">The Blue Crane (Anthropoides paradisea), Etosha.Birds R cool.  Yes, you heard it here.  In terms of biodiversity, they wack the number of mammalian species in the Park.There are approximately 280 species of birds found in Etosha.  Few are more majestic or graceful than the Blue Crane.  Adults grow to a height of 100 to 120 cm and up to 6.2 kg in mass.I like that crane's bulbous head...</atom:summary><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~3/w0bjwZFsMKQ/eagle-er-blue-crane-has-landed-etosha.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (bubba)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BPkYVbk7Jeg/Sl-o52fnzLI/AAAAAAAACRU/CcKhJzNJSgo/s72-c/blue-crane-etosha.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0">0</thr:total><description>&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~4/w0bjwZFsMKQ" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description><feedburner:origLink>http://bigtubofgoo.blogspot.com/2009/07/eagle-er-blue-crane-has-landed-etosha.html</feedburner:origLink></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756642.post-281432512834948205</guid><pubDate>Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:09:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-07-10T22:56:15.427-06:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Etosha</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Namibia</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Wildlife</category><title>I Want a Rhinoceros for Christmas...Throw in a Leopard While You're At It - Etosha National Park, Namibia.</title><atom:summary type="text">The plains of Etosha were vast and at times appeared to be void of animals (large mammals in particular).Our patience and persistence on the safari beat eventually paid off in finding the animals we wanted to see.After a long, hot, dusty day of pounding Etosha gravel roads, me and Ahmed were driving back to Halali Camp.  The sun was setting below the endless horizon, bathing the landscape of the </atom:summary><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~3/wbTQF0NSY-I/i-want-rhinoceros-for-christmasthrow-in.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (bubba)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BPkYVbk7Jeg/Slbc-h4o8UI/AAAAAAAACRM/ArrWSNEFtVQ/s72-c/blurry-leopard.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0">0</thr:total><description>&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~4/wbTQF0NSY-I" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description><feedburner:origLink>http://bigtubofgoo.blogspot.com/2009/07/i-want-rhinoceros-for-christmasthrow-in.html</feedburner:origLink></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756642.post-9013883824605426000</guid><pubDate>Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:41:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-07-10T00:47:49.827-06:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Etosha</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Namibia</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Wildlife</category><title>African Elephant Sighting - Fire in the Hole! Fire in the Hole!  - Etosha National Park, Namibia</title><atom:summary type="text">Another example how close my friend Ahmed can get us to some of these animals.  We spotted this mud covered elephant bull about 200 m off the road.  We stopped to watch.  The elephant was walking towards the road.  Ahmed gauged the situation.  He moved the car about 50 m ahead.  The elephant crossed the road about 10 to 15 m behind us.  Not bad tracking, eh?  Made for a good set of photos...One </atom:summary><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~3/pqefLR63MZc/african-elephant-sighting-fire-in-hole.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (bubba)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BPkYVbk7Jeg/SlGLSnFFGzI/AAAAAAAACQ0/VT9R6_D_eIM/s72-c/etosha-elephant5.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0">0</thr:total><description>&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~4/pqefLR63MZc" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description><feedburner:origLink>http://bigtubofgoo.blogspot.com/2009/07/african-elephant-sighting-fire-in-hole.html</feedburner:origLink></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756642.post-4500899410701382430</guid><pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:34:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-07-02T13:25:08.702-06:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Etosha</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Namibia</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Birds</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Wildlife</category><title>Who let the birds out? Part One... The Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris), Etosha National Park, Namibia</title><atom:summary type="text">Recite "ker-bek-ker-bek-ker-bek-krrrrr..." repeatedly and you'll likely attract flocks of the Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris).The above is one of my all time favourite wildlife pix.Described as "very common" in sub-Saharan Africa by Newman's Birds of Southern Africa, I love these birds.  Their plummage is so psychodelic. Just gaze at their bodies. It's mesmerizing.  Their heads are crazy, </atom:summary><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~3/hfs8OoHxt7o/who-let-birds-out-part-one-helmeted.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (bubba)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BPkYVbk7Jeg/Skl56xJVszI/AAAAAAAACQU/gcGUJ7qd-bE/s72-c/helmetedguineafowl1.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0">0</thr:total><description>&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~4/hfs8OoHxt7o" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description><feedburner:origLink>http://bigtubofgoo.blogspot.com/2009/06/who-let-birds-out-part-one-helmeted.html</feedburner:origLink></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756642.post-3029831302990179369</guid><pubDate>Fri, 26 Jun 2009 06:41:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-06-26T23:26:16.200-06:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Etosha</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Namibia</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Wildlife</category><title>Who's scared of the big bad lion (Panthera leo)? Me!! - Etosha National Park, Namibia</title><atom:summary type="text">My, Mr. Lion, what big eyes you have...and that sweet, sweet breath... Look for the reflection of a little iddy biddy, trembling Chinese dude in his eyes.My safari mate and good friend Ahmed has this knack of getting us really close to wildlife. On this occasion, he drove right up close to a small group (3 or 4) of bachelor lions.How close? I, in the passenger front seat, was less than 2 metres </atom:summary><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~3/pdJlOKuKn-w/whos-scared-of-big-bad-lion-panthera.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (bubba)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BPkYVbk7Jeg/SkWY6x4SbdI/AAAAAAAACPk/TX2EZFG3oHk/s72-c/etosha-lion1.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0">2</thr:total><description>&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~4/pdJlOKuKn-w" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description><feedburner:origLink>http://bigtubofgoo.blogspot.com/2009/06/whos-scared-of-big-bad-lion-panthera.html</feedburner:origLink></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756642.post-6919559217394817224</guid><pubDate>Mon, 22 Jun 2009 06:03:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-06-22T01:00:15.620-06:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Etosha</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Namibia</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Wildlife</category><title>Gnu Kid On The Savannah (GKOTS) - Etosha National Park,  Namibia</title><atom:summary type="text">Connochaetes taurinus aka the Gnu (pronounced "G-new" or just "new"), aka the Blue Wildebeest (for the bluish/grey sheen of it's hide), aka the Brindled Gnu.  Thank God for scientific names.Often described as an "ungainly" ungulate, wildebeests grow to 1.7m at the shoulder, and weigh up to 380kg.The front-heavy wildebeest reminds me of the Orcs in the Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.  They look </atom:summary><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~3/FT2p-Oeo8bw/gnu-kid-on-savannah-gkots-etosha.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (bubba)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BPkYVbk7Jeg/Sj8hSLnV20I/AAAAAAAACOE/f4oVlry5xck/s72-c/wildebeest1.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0">0</thr:total><description>&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~4/FT2p-Oeo8bw" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description><feedburner:origLink>http://bigtubofgoo.blogspot.com/2009/06/gnu-kid-on-savannah-gkots-etosha.html</feedburner:origLink></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756642.post-7676233199672075277</guid><pubDate>Wed, 17 Jun 2009 01:14:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-06-16T21:34:57.939-06:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Etosha</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Namibia</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Wildlife</category><title>Definitely Not An Adidas Running Shoe - Springbok (Gazelle), Etosha, Namibia...</title><atom:summary type="text">There's one in every crowd...  At least someone's paying attention to the nutty photogs...Daytime temperatures while we were in Etosha rose into the upper thirties.  Crazy tourists sat in their hot furnace-like vehicles while the wiser Springboks (Antidorcas marsupialis) took refuge from the blazing sun under the shade of leafy green trees.Springbok (Afrikaans) = Spring (jump) + bok (antelope)</atom:summary><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~3/DyFF9xudaU0/definitely-not-adidas-running-shoe.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (bubba)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BPkYVbk7Jeg/SjhFRL--NRI/AAAAAAAACN0/YdvLrGc3Q64/s72-c/springbok1.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0">0</thr:total><description>&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~4/DyFF9xudaU0" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description><feedburner:origLink>http://bigtubofgoo.blogspot.com/2009/06/definitely-not-adidas-running-shoe.html</feedburner:origLink></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756642.post-7509166742310866134</guid><pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2009 06:24:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-06-16T21:35:58.647-06:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Etosha</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Namibia</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Wildlife</category><title>Definitely not a Chevrolet - The Black Faced Impala, Etosha National Park, Namibia...</title><atom:summary type="text">This no bambi.  It's Aepyceros melampus petersi (common names:  Black-Faced Impala (English) or Rooibok (Afrikaans))!This sub-species seems to be endemic to Namibia.  The Black-faced Impala is listed as vulnerable to extinction.  According to the ICUN listing, there are approximately 1000 animals left in Namibia.Gotta keep up fighting skills for rutting season...  Described as the quintessential </atom:summary><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~3/QsCQ4wMvoZ8/definitely-not-chevrolet-black-faced.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (bubba)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BPkYVbk7Jeg/SjXplX5ajNI/AAAAAAAACNk/iqsGPs-8rVA/s72-c/blackfacedimpala.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0">0</thr:total><description>&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~4/QsCQ4wMvoZ8" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description><feedburner:origLink>http://bigtubofgoo.blogspot.com/2009/06/definitely-not-chevrolet-black-faced.html</feedburner:origLink></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756642.post-8985959073945016614</guid><pubDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:01:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-06-07T21:22:07.115-06:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Etosha</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Namibia</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Wildlife</category><title>Sunday Driving - Etosha National Park, Namibia</title><atom:summary type="text">Be prepared to share the road while driving in Etosha.Very wide load... (Loxodonta africana)Very narrow load...(Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa).Etosha Factoids of the day.Etosha National Park was established by German occupiers in 1907.  Originally the size of the park was 100,000 sq. km.  Due to "political pressure", the park was reduced to its current size of 22,270 sq. km."The Park is home to </atom:summary><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~3/KmmIHfNQHhg/sunday-drivers-etosha-national-park.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (bubba)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BPkYVbk7Jeg/SixaE0ZuwjI/AAAAAAAACMU/SovMYSurIgg/s72-c/etosha-elephants.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0">0</thr:total><description>&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~4/KmmIHfNQHhg" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description><feedburner:origLink>http://bigtubofgoo.blogspot.com/2009/06/sunday-drivers-etosha-national-park.html</feedburner:origLink></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756642.post-4567578729477893431</guid><pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2009 05:07:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-06-03T23:06:00.935-06:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Lions</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Etosha</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Namibia</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Wildlife</category><title>Early morn chillaxin' on the Etosha Highveld...</title><atom:summary type="text">It's an early morning start for safari-goers in Etosha. Once the rest camp gates swing open at 6 AM, you have 12 hours of light to track down as many critters as you can.  Trust me. There won't be a shortage of animals to see and miles of dirt track to drive.Look what the cat dragged in...  Early bird on the trail catches this pride of groggy lions (Panthera leo) chillaxin' on the grasslands of </atom:summary><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~3/YYOlK4ivEBU/early-morn-chillaxin-on-etosha-highveld.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (bubba)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BPkYVbk7Jeg/SidSANhdCDI/AAAAAAAACLc/PVG61T58NB8/s72-c/Etoshasunrise.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0">0</thr:total><description>&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~4/YYOlK4ivEBU" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description><feedburner:origLink>http://bigtubofgoo.blogspot.com/2009/05/early-morn-chillaxin-on-etosha-highveld.html</feedburner:origLink></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756642.post-950039526151448265</guid><pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2009 05:28:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-05-27T00:48:47.467-06:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Etosha</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Namibia</category><title>Etosha Bound - Northern Namibia...</title><atom:summary type="text">I loved Namibia.  So far, we've traveled amongst the monstrous red dunes of the Namib Desert, been perplexed by the surreal trees of Dead vlei, watched the birds of Walvis Bay, and surveyed the seal covered coast of Cape Cross.  Next on the itinerary, we drove to the crown jewel of Namibia, Etosha National Park, perhaps the best wildlife preserve in all of Africa.Here is an excerpt from my </atom:summary><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~3/-NP2zHHzrss/etosha-bound-northern-namibia.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (bubba)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BPkYVbk7Jeg/ShzgEK5yjNI/AAAAAAAACLU/UxuaOIemMS8/s72-c/warthoghighwaysign.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0">0</thr:total><description>&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~4/-NP2zHHzrss" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description><feedburner:origLink>http://bigtubofgoo.blogspot.com/2009/05/etosha-bound-northern-namibia.html</feedburner:origLink></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756642.post-1160190899622248275</guid><pubDate>Sun, 17 May 2009 16:22:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-05-17T21:39:51.994-06:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Hockey</category><title>2009 National Hockey League Semifinal Prognostications.</title><atom:summary type="text">Well, it's come down to the Final Four hockey teams in the NHL playoffs.Last round was not good for my reputation as an expert hackie analyst. I finished, haphazardly,   with a .500 record of success. Suffice to say, the act of flipping a coin in the prognostication process may have yielded a similar or better result.Hence, for the following semifinal predictions, I will complement my words of </atom:summary><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~3/5GuuLyQFl8g/2009-national-hockey-league-semifinal.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (bubba)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BPkYVbk7Jeg/ShBYSqgB2EI/AAAAAAAACK0/nE1ULV-HyqA/s72-c/airhockey.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0">0</thr:total><description>&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~4/5GuuLyQFl8g" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description><feedburner:origLink>http://bigtubofgoo.blogspot.com/2009/05/2009-national-hockey-league-semifinal.html</feedburner:origLink></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756642.post-3580721198231020743</guid><pubDate>Thu, 30 Apr 2009 23:45:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-04-30T18:14:56.691-06:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Hockey</category><title>NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs 2009: Quarter Finals Prognostications.</title><atom:summary type="text">Old school wooden hockey stick...Apologies to my loyal BTOG overseas readers but please permit me to indulge once again in that great Canadian pastime of NHL Stanley Cup playoff prognostication.  [Ed. note:  remember, what ice hockey is to Canadians,  ping pong is to Chinese.]Eastern ConferenceCarolina Hurricanes vs. Boston Bruins.Ok, what the hell happened in Game 7 of the Devils/Hurricanes </atom:summary><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~3/TT7aDw5JKGU/nhl-stanley-cup-playoffs-2009-quarter.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (bubba)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_BPkYVbk7Jeg/SSZWLmgLTTI/AAAAAAAAB4M/FwLtYhZfPkY/s72-c/sherwood.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0">1</thr:total><description>&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~4/TT7aDw5JKGU" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description><feedburner:origLink>http://bigtubofgoo.blogspot.com/2009/04/nhl-stanley-cup-playoffs-2009-quarter.html</feedburner:origLink></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756642.post-4868123678771319783</guid><pubDate>Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:42:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-04-27T12:44:34.361-06:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Fish Creek Provincial Park</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">bicycling</category><title>Murphy's Law of Biking?</title><atom:summary type="text">Murphy's Law of Biking?The great flood of 2005 (the sunshine's so bright it's hurtin' my eyes...)I managed to fit in a bike ride this weekend.  I was so glad the weather was so nice.  So warm, I could feel the rays of sun splashing my face.Spring was finally here, I thought [ed. note:  an overnight storm brought 5 cm of snow.]I was feeling really well.  The long winter break allowed my right </atom:summary><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~3/_dlNz_l8Hco/murphys-law-of-biking.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (bubba)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BPkYVbk7Jeg/Se62cK01XoI/AAAAAAAACI0/OBQNagYHRH0/s72-c/fishcreekflood.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0">4</thr:total><description>&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~4/_dlNz_l8Hco" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description><feedburner:origLink>http://bigtubofgoo.blogspot.com/2009/04/murphys-law-of-biking.html</feedburner:origLink></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756642.post-8731628550502903863</guid><pubDate>Fri, 17 Apr 2009 03:42:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-04-25T22:02:41.481-06:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">video of the day</category><title>Susan Boyle Please Stand Aside...</title><atom:summary type="text">Susan Boyle Please Stand Aside...A lot has been said about new British singing sensation Susan Boyle, but the BTOG has discovered a diamond in the rough as well.C'mon Westjet.  Hire this guy!He's frumpy dude, but give him a chance.Dude can really rap, eh...I luv that guy smoking a butt in the front row.</atom:summary><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~3/ODKokRhalwE/susan-boyle-please-stand-aside.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (bubba)</author><thr:total xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0">2</thr:total><description>&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~4/ODKokRhalwE" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description><feedburner:origLink>http://bigtubofgoo.blogspot.com/2009/04/susan-boyle-please-stand-aside.html</feedburner:origLink></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756642.post-3237180793527478068</guid><pubDate>Wed, 15 Apr 2009 22:28:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-04-15T19:34:30.867-06:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Hockey</category><title>NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs 2009</title><atom:summary type="text">photo courtesy of goigIt's that time of year again.  I don't mean it's spring time either (a whole separate posting in itself).After nearly a season of more than 2400 mostly mundane National Hockey League games, it's the playoffs:  the road to the Stanley Cup.I used to follow the league much more closely in the past.  But, for the record, I'll give it a shot.BTOG's prognostications for the first </atom:summary><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~3/J2kDUsp7Ie0/nhl-stanley-cup-playoffs-2009.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (bubba)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BPkYVbk7Jeg/SeaJD9E3nJI/AAAAAAAACH0/W75f7fz_x7M/s72-c/calgarysaddledome.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0">2</thr:total><description>&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~4/J2kDUsp7Ie0" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description><feedburner:origLink>http://bigtubofgoo.blogspot.com/2009/04/nhl-stanley-cup-playoffs-2009.html</feedburner:origLink></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756642.post-8643034834227764307</guid><pubDate>Thu, 09 Apr 2009 06:06:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-04-09T01:45:26.259-06:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">video of the day</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Namibia</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Wildlife</category><title>Yogi the Bear, Boo Boo, Picnic Baskets and Chinese Tourists.</title><atom:summary type="text">Be careful!  The first step's a doozy!  Nice to see so many Chinese ladies traipsing around Africa these days.Hey, Would You Please Stop Shaking the Cabin!!!  I'm Trying to Sleep in Here!!!When I was a university student back in the day, I worked for a summer as a research assistant in Glacier National Park.  It was such a beautiful park.  It was our task to construct what is called a stand </atom:summary><link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~3/8jQr0Fwkxk0/yogi-bear-boo-boo-picnic-baskets-and.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (bubba)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BPkYVbk7Jeg/Sd2hyew06BI/AAAAAAAACHQ/oY0FvJV0Mrw/s72-c/capecross18.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0">0</thr:total><description>&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/OutOfCanuckistan/~4/8jQr0Fwkxk0" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description><feedburner:origLink>http://bigtubofgoo.blogspot.com/2009/04/yogi-bear-boo-boo-picnic-baskets-and.html</feedburner:origLink></item></channel></rss>
