Carpe Diem

"Courage is not the absence of fear , but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. "

~ Ambrose Redmoon

Good Morning Jack Frost

I took Kramer and Buddy for a walk this a.m. HELLO COLD. I left the house looking like a stuffed chicken: down jacket on top of sweatshirt on top of long sleeve, wool socks, wellies, and a touque. I returned home wondering if my nose was still on the end of my face. The sad thing is this isn't even cold in the Yukon. The thermometer reads -1*c right now. I need my cold weather clothing....STAT!

"In the depths of winter I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer"

~ Albert Camus

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

Life goes on! It is October. And it is cold. And it snowed today. A LOT. If my camera's battery hadn't been dead I would have a photo to share with you. I will have to upload one tomorrow.


So I am excited for the next coming weeks. Other than life itself, much is going on. More travels on the horizon. More adventures. But first...I need snow tires.

" The living moment is everything."
~D.H. Lawrence

Home Is Where The Heart Is

Since this is the case, my heart is bi-coastal and international. Having grown up in Canada and the US, my friends and family are everywhere in between. But first and foremost I have found that it is where I am. Where my head lays to rest and my dreams manifest.

You may think that after years away, there would be some sadness in returning to a childhood home that sat relatively unopened. Locked. After much time, harsh cold winters, and divorce....the house is oddly full of life. Of love. I remember being saddened the first time I returned 4 years ago after have been away since high school. But when I cross the threshold this time, there were no tears. Why cry over spilt milk? I am now comforted, calmed by a structure and by property that is priceless in my eyes. Rich with memories, not to mention water front views.

Returning now as an adult, I appreciate all the hard work it took to make that house a home. All the work my Mom and Dad did. I only wish that we could all return together to coo at someting that makes up a huge part of what we were....who we are.

I am so thankful for all that was done by my parents to make my childhood epic. Warm. Safe.

“I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself.”
~ Maya Angelou

Down the Great River

In passing one day, Anne invited me to partake on a river trip she and Harvey were planning for good friend, Ellen Davignon. Long time Yukon resident and author, Ellen had never made the long trek via agua to Dawson City from her once home of Johnson’s Crossing. Among many other sweet and savory delights, Ellen is hands down the best maker of Cinnamon Buns north of 60 (well, anywhere for that matter). I couldn’t turn down what will probably be for me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The four of us embarked on an amazing escapade up the Yukon River from August 13-17.

We put our boat in at Johnson’s Crossing and rode down river to Dawson City. An 8+ day excursion in a canoe, it took us 4 days by motorboat.

The first night we camped at Hootalinqua, the second at Minto, and the last night on Olgivy Island.

There are so many miles of untouched, unremarkable scenery --- sooo much history.

While there were countless moments of whit and wonder to write about….I want to share some info about the amazing waterway that carried us along.

Yukon means "great river" in Gwich'in.

The longest river in Alaska and the Yukon Territory, the Yukon River was one of the principal means of transportation during the 1896–1903 Klondike Gold Rush. The river passes through the communities of Whitehorse (where I am), Carmacks, (just before the Five Finger Rapids) and Dawson City in the Yukon Territory.

The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. Over half of the river lies in the U.S. state of Alaska, with most of the other portion lying in and giving its name to Canada's Yukon Territory, and a small part of the river near the source located in British Columbia. The river is 3,700 km (2,300 mi) long and empties into the Bering Sea at the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.


It was an opportunity of a lifetime, and for that I am forever grateful!

Camp first night at Hootalinqua

Paddlewheel @ Hootalinqua

Ellen, Anne and I :: Big Salmon

Yukon Sunset

Anne, Harvey, and Ellen :: Fort Selkirk

Last Campfire :: Ogilvy Island

M.I.A.

I know I have been M.I.A. in Blog-land (and in general for that matter)...but will return with a re-cap and update of the fun, fabulous, and fearless soon.

PROMISE.

"I believe that one defines oneself by reinvention. To not be like your parents. To not be like your friends. To be yourself. To cut yourself out of stone."

- Henry Rollins

The Way I See It #76

The irony of commitment is that it is
deeply liberating - in work, in play, in love.
The act frees you from the tyranny of your
internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself
up and parade itself around as rational hesitation.
To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life.

Chelsie Marie

:: Happy Birthday CMD ::

It just so happens that two of my best friends birthdays are the day after each other...so in rhythm with yesterday, August 12 is Chelsie's birthday. A PA student in Las Vegas, I am sure Chels didn't take much of a study break. I admire her strength and dedication towards all aspects of her life. Like Erin, I miss Chels greatly and hope her day was just the beginning of an amahh-zing year.

Love you Miss You

xo

Erin Rose

Today is my good friend Erin Rose Campbell's birthday and I was just so inclined to blog about it. It may be because after calling her on the phone , I haven't stopped thinking about what an amazing individual she is and how much I miss her. The weather was quite gloomy today, but as the sun set tonight, brilliant hues of pink crested the horizon. Erin starts her third year of teaching tomorrow and I wish her all the best for the next 12 months ahead.

:: happy birthday erc ::

xo

J.

The Eight Irresistible Principles of Fun

1. Stop hiding who you really are
2. Start being intensely selfish
3. Stop following the rules
4. Start scaring yourself
5. Stop taking it all so damn seriously
6. Start getting rid of the crap
7. Stop being busy
8. Start something

After all the energy spent, when all is said and done, it is sometimes the most simple of things that make the most sense or have the most profound affect on people. The link below is a great illustration of these eight principles.

Enjoy!

http://www.eightprinciples.com

To The Rescue

"Remember, if you ever need a helping hand,
it's at the end of your arm, as you get older,
remember you have another hand:
The first is to help yourself, the second is to help others."

~ Audrey Hepburn