tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-222169142025-12-12T03:46:54.545-05:00The moonlit meanderings of Nanuk, the white bear.<p> <i>"We are here and it is now. Further than that all human knowledge is moonshine."</i>nanukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383141331492566646noreply@blogger.comBlogger265125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22216914.post-20118071834501657132018-01-09T18:48:00.000-05:002018-01-09T18:53:40.278-05:00

I am a person who gets easily distracted. In the past year, I have been completely engrossed awaiting the next incredibly stupid quote to make its appearance in the news cycle. From Trump to Boris Johnson, Putin to Steve Bannon, Kim Jong-Un to Bashar al-Assad, hardly a moment goes past that the New York Times, CNN, the Manchester Guardian or Al-Jazeera hasn't goaded my senses of logic and

nanukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383141331492566646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22216914.post-55866312313260631372012-05-27T18:23:00.000-04:002012-05-27T18:23:40.505-04:00

As some of you might know, I have the most northernly greenhouse in Quebec, and one of two (to the best of my ken) north of Kuujjuaq. All winter long I have been planning a second greenhouse for warmth-loving plants like tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, etc. &nbsp;To make sure I had seedlings ready to transplant, I began some of my seeds as early as April 8, giving them at least two months in my

nanukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383141331492566646noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22216914.post-34068273674555007482012-05-18T08:41:00.003-04:002012-05-18T08:41:47.376-04:00

Before talking about my plans and results for this year, I feel I should summarize what happened in the greenhouse last summer. Basically, any leaf crop grew really well - lettuce, bok choy, spinach, napa cabbage. &nbsp;Also, they seemed to grown much faster than what I remember from my outdoor gardening in Montreal. Root crops had mixed results. &nbsp;Radishes flourished, but they will do so

nanukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383141331492566646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22216914.post-46295765212324812342012-05-10T12:58:00.002-04:002012-05-10T13:01:32.150-04:00

After the children and dog's ravaged the tubs I planted outdoors in 2010, I realized that I had to build a greenhouse with a lock on it. My design measures 22' x 10', and is made with 2" x 6" pine, 6 mil poly, and 3/8" plywood braces. &nbsp;The general idea was to do away with conventional walls and make the whole thing out of rafters which are attached to the base plate. All I had to work with

nanukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383141331492566646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22216914.post-31712589324154279902012-05-08T23:37:00.000-04:002012-05-08T23:37:13.848-04:00

The Royal Canadian Mint just announced the striking of its last penny. &nbsp;Within the past two decades we got rid of the paper one-dollar and two-dollar bills, and there is some talk of converting our five-dollar bill into a coin (the "gooney"?). &nbsp;Our rag-content bills are being polymerized - I felt one of the new $50-dollar bills and had the urge to fold it in half and blow on the edge

nanukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383141331492566646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22216914.post-10480248969732142132012-05-02T21:31:00.000-04:002012-05-02T21:31:15.420-04:00

I know that for most of you, it is only a radish, one of the most pedestrian of vegetables. For me it is my pride and joy - the first vegetable I have ever produced (my children notwithstanding) up here north of sixty. In my other life I had a large backyard garden which I loved. &nbsp;From March onwards each year I spent many a late night consulting seed catalogues, drafting layouts and

nanukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383141331492566646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22216914.post-4104167114349565602010-10-20T12:10:00.002-04:002010-10-20T12:23:21.259-04:00

This picture, courtesy of the Université de Montréal veterinarian clinic in St-Hyacinthe, shows the snowy owl in rehab mode. Those eyes, beautiful on a computer screen, are absolutely mesmerizing in person.

nanukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383141331492566646noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22216914.post-88889500377041798882010-10-19T11:58:00.001-04:002010-10-20T12:10:36.720-04:00

So I had a dilemma. No one likes to be cruel even if it is with the best of intentions. On the other hand, how could you put an animal down which had gone through such a gruesome ordeal and seems otherwise healthy?I phoned Steven Walker who was the first on the scene at the accident to get his take on it. He too couldn't bear to have the owl euthanized if it was going to be viable, but no one

nanukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383141331492566646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22216914.post-7301511920817573332010-10-16T14:29:00.004-04:002010-10-16T15:02:53.483-04:00

Sorry to leave you guys up in the air about the fate of the snowy owl introduced below, but I have been very busy as of late.So let me pick up where I left off.I drove to St-Hyacinthe and finally located the veterinarian centre of the Université de Montréal after a 90 minute search for its sanctuary, which was closed for the season. Upon finally arriving they took the owl and I over to a clinic

nanukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383141331492566646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22216914.post-48261681940751685852010-10-10T21:55:00.000-04:002010-10-11T10:56:49.186-04:00

Last Tuesday a Dash 8 aircraft was on its final approach to Salluit airport. There was a flock of snowy owls just off the end of the runway, and the noise of the engines' roar caused them to fly off in different directions. Unfortunately for this young owl, it flew up directly into a prop, did two full rotations and was spit out.Air Inuit employee Steven Walker went out to clean up the mess,

nanukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383141331492566646noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22216914.post-81616953583461459732010-07-11T12:49:00.004-04:002010-07-11T13:34:37.605-04:00

Having seen that today is the new moon (supposedly the most optimal for planting root vegetables) and googling many an ancient Druidic fertility incantation I proceeded to sew the seeds of what I hope won't be my frustration. After all, I could have sown almost a month ago, so I have missed a lot of the potential growing season.My choice of seeds was limited to what I bought years ago and never

nanukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383141331492566646noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22216914.post-65776126564908856792010-07-10T12:26:00.000-04:002010-07-11T12:48:19.607-04:00

I had about 10 cubic yards of natural top soil delivered to my side yard, and set out cleaning it of rocks and gravel before transporting it by 10 gallon pail over to the tubs. Even with my best efforts, I had to spend about 20 minutes picking out smaller stones by hand for each pailful I added. This small picture gives you an idea of the stony nature of our very best topsoil.Once the three

nanukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383141331492566646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22216914.post-82464509281336598682010-07-04T12:14:00.001-04:002010-07-11T12:26:01.794-04:00

Before I go any further, you have to understand that I am a cheap SOB. I feel if I have to invest in costly greenhouse equipment, heating, ventilation, etc. I will have only succeeded in indulging in a very expensive hobby. My guiding principle in this project (and in life) is that it is far better to beg, borrow, steal and scrounge than to put much capital into what is basically a pilot

nanukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383141331492566646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22216914.post-52521976176498231652010-07-03T11:58:00.004-04:002010-07-11T12:13:34.269-04:00

Every spring I tell myself, Nanuk, you're going to plant some vegetable seeds this year. I actually did try planting directly into the ground in around 1998, but the soil (such as it is) is too cold to take the plants much beyond the seed leaf stage. Our soil, by the way, can support vegetation, but the species have to be adapted to growing in a very thin layer (less than an inch, usually) of

nanukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383141331492566646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22216914.post-51596506774659329942010-06-06T17:30:00.002-04:002010-06-06T17:34:20.004-04:00

nanukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383141331492566646noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22216914.post-59087804732752428242010-06-02T20:59:00.002-04:002010-06-02T21:04:36.570-04:00

Excellent article, even if it does come from Cracked Magazine (it's still around???). For those of you who are contemplating getting a pooch, I highly recommend this:http://www.cracked.com/article_18551_6-well-intentioned-ways-youre-ruining-your-dog.html

nanukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383141331492566646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22216914.post-178509865339412002010-05-01T09:00:00.006-04:002010-05-01T09:46:32.699-04:00

I am a great fan of trains. So much so that I have been working on a plan to travel around the world by rail at some unspecified time in the future.So you can imagine my inner turmoil when I read an article promoting the construction of a railroad throughout the 500,000 sq. kms of Nunavik, excepting Ivujivik and Salluit, which must have been very naughty to be excluded from this epic scheme.Here

nanukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383141331492566646noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22216914.post-68907161084751951132010-04-27T02:43:00.002-04:002010-04-27T02:52:02.727-04:00

I wonder how the fundies will react to this headline:Satan Goes From Hockey Purgatory To Playoff HeroA fine player, but I wasn't aware that the NHL draft extended down to the underworld.

nanukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383141331492566646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22216914.post-34072064977442593052010-04-23T10:48:00.002-04:002010-04-23T10:53:37.515-04:00

This is pretty damn impressive - the runner should try out for the Cirque du Soleil if he doesn't make the "show".Kownacki leaps over the catcher @ Yahoo! Video

nanukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383141331492566646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22216914.post-50768317229304098582010-02-21T13:42:00.003-05:002010-02-21T14:50:37.885-05:00

Most of us have lost animal companions. This morning was my turn.My dog moved on up to that home in the sky, where the weather is cold and crisp, but never chills you. Where there's an unlimited supply of garbage bags full of meat and bones to forage through, where the humans always smile and pat you, and where the only other dogs are female and frisky.He was parachuted into my life, literally.

nanukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383141331492566646noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22216914.post-617254328374025262010-02-16T20:23:00.004-05:002010-02-16T21:13:13.239-05:00

This has to be the most monumental FAIL of all the team uniforms at the Olympics. All the Norwegian men's curling team is missing is a fool's cap and curling shoes that "curl" up at the toes with bells on them.Now I happen to like curling, both as a participant and a spectator sport. But I know in the sports psyche's of many nations it rates right up there with two-man luge in teh ghey factor.

nanukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383141331492566646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22216914.post-22710543682090531392010-02-03T05:39:00.004-05:002010-02-03T06:21:50.412-05:00

It's been a busy time lately, and it seems the only time I blog is when I have a bee in my bonnet. I have a killer bee of a mad on towards a company, so here goes.I do a lot of flying, but since this is exclusively within the north or to Montreal, I have only experienced the service of two airlines, First Air and Air Inuit. For those of you not familiar with the inner workings of Nunavik

nanukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383141331492566646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22216914.post-10451776296389808942010-01-19T17:43:00.003-05:002010-01-19T18:05:35.026-05:00

Not to take anything away from this stunning 163.3 foot throw in by British phys. ed. instructor Danny Brooks, I wonder if anyone was actually monitoring whether he went over the line when he released the ball.I imagining a scene from the Big Lebowski where John Goodman's character takes extreme umbrage to a minor bowling infraction, uttering these famous words while brandishing a pistol on the

nanukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383141331492566646noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22216914.post-35612388290329251312009-12-24T17:34:00.007-05:002009-12-24T19:12:05.474-05:00

The Torched Gavle Yule GoatGavle lies north of 60 degrees on the Swedish coast of the Gulf of Bothnia. I live only a degree of latitude further north, so I can well appreciate how long and dark the nights are there.Every Christmas season since 1966, the town's Southern Merchant's Association has erected a 43-foot straw-covered goat in a square in the middle of the city. The Yule Goat is a

nanukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383141331492566646noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22216914.post-33323607000845905122009-12-12T11:49:00.007-05:002009-12-12T12:19:25.051-05:00

A Bi-polar Hooker has set up shop on Nanuk's sidewalk. Oh no!A prostitute suddenly appeared in front of Nanuk's house. She is depressed that her girlfriends are working a more upscale beat than her and she needs to make serious money to pay her tuition. Who knew that studying fluid dynamics could be soooo expensive! Can you help her? Fifteen minutes ago via MyNeighbourhood. Comment • Like •

nanukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05383141331492566646noreply@blogger.com3