MARTEN IN THE BIRD FEEDER

 Sitting at the table having coffee this morning.....and noticed something strange at the bird feeder. 

Walked out of the cabin and there was a young Marten... 

Sitting back at the table the Marten came down off the tree and started across the ground.  Bee (our Japanese Bobtail cat) was right after it..... away they both went.

Frustrating Satellite Phones

If anyone knows how to get messages off a Satellite phone other than standing on the end of the wharf for 4 hours each day for a week let me know.  I have 22 new messages on this phone from the last time I checked it 2 months ago and it is as frustrating as it gets. First you have to wait for the signal which is about every 20 minutes for a satellite overhead.... then when you finally get thru to your message box it does not receive the button selection to go on to next message and erase last message.

Finally the voice will come on the sat phone saying try again later. 
If there is someway to access messages ..... like by Skype or Internet let me know.

Bud's Getting Ready for Spring

 End of October and it looks like spring.  All the plants and trees here are budding out.  Because the growing season is short here they start now.  Then the heavy snow protects them over the long winter and then in two days after the snow is gone everything has come to life again. 

Vikki's Favorite Cookbooks for Remote Living

 Lazy Man's Cabbage Rolls is from Company's Coming Ground Beef Recipes... but it has moose meat instead.

Whole Wheat Bread is from Blueberries and Polar Bears... now this is a great cookbook.  

Cottage Pudding is from From The Pioneer Kitchens  100th Anniversary.


When the oven is heated it makes Bread, Dinner and Dessert..... so that propane is not wasted.  Oven is only used about every 10 days when it is bread making day.

SBX RADIO WINTER "ON SCHED" STARTS NOV 1 AT 4PM

If you are a Trapper, or a remote winter dweller and have SBX Radio tune in to channel 4441.0 from Nov. 1 on ...... at 4 pm. Changed Nov 5 to 5 pm Don Taylor has been providing this free check in service for 30 or more years.  It gives a time when everyone is listening and if you have a problem Don can contact RCMP, relatives etc.  Don can make a phone call for you also.  There is also a chat time after.

A GOOD DAY TRAPPING

 The 1 km trek into the bush each way is full of shouting and telling those bears we are coming.  Fresh scat says they are still here catching the fall COHO Salmon that are spawning here late this year.  (but this scat is full of vegetation)

 Two old male Otters....  The first 3 years here we didn't go after Otter.  But we saw the numbers jump and this lake can not support 15 Otter.  In the winter we would come across 50 to 100 small fish laying on the shore with one bite out of each.  Otter are also great predators of baby beaver.

 This is a 60 lb Male Beaver. 

 Beard Moss is one of the best fire starters out in the bush.  The blacker the better.  Also never use wood off the ground for starting fire.  Go to standing trees and pick the small dead branches off the tree.  Coffee Matte is also a good fire starter.

 Vikki thinks this is Kinnikinnick   Inside is pulpy and white and not sweet.

 Winter Monkey Grip Gloves are the best for water work, when it's still not too cold.

 Late fall Coho Salmon spawning.  They are blackish with a white strip down their fines.

On the 2 1/2 km trip back to the cabin we travel close to the shore.  The boat is heavy with all the packs.

CHECKING BEAVER SETS....BRING A BACKBOARD

 Vikki is bring the I SPOT plus the bear spray this time.  Bryan has the gun.  
These Beaver that we are after damn up the Salmon Creek and have to be removed each year.  This helps the Department of Fisheries.  A lot of people don't realize how many trappers are employed by towns and cities  for animal control..   There are some funny stories we've heard about trappers out in city parks down in the creeks and stream and people not being aware they are there.  Beavers can bare a park in no time at all.

Wolf scat full of moose hair on the trail.  Also fresh bear sign. 

A NICE 40 LB MALE BEAVER

Juniper berries that Vikki is collecting while waiting for Bryan to check the traps.
She is interested in trying some of the Juniper recipes from The BOREAL GOURMET.   

 A 40 lb Beaver is like carrying two large bags of white flour, so we bring a backpack.  It is 1 km each way.  
Today we are going to check the sets again and will both bring pack boards.
The Trumpeter Swans have been on the lake for a week feeding up before they head further south.  We see lots of Canvas Back, Old Squaw, etc traveling south now.

SATELLITE COMPUTER.... NOT EASY

WE HAVE HAD SATELLITE COMPUTER NOW SINCE 2008.  IT COSTS US 115. CDN A MONTH.  THIS LAST YEAR IT HAS BEEN HARDER TO DOWNLOAD PICTURES ON THE BLOG.  WHEN WE WERE OUT THIS SUMMER WE TALKED TO THE DEALER ABOUT BETTER SERVICE.  SEEMS LIKE THEY WANT 325. CDN A MONTH FOR HIGHER SPEED SATELLITE SERVICE.  THEY TOLD US THAT THERE ARE SO MANY REMOTE PEOPLE OUT IN THE BUSH NOW A DAYS THAT THE SERVICE IS OVER WORKED.  WE HAVE TO STAY WITH THE 115. A MONTH.  SO BE PATIENT IF WE DON'T GET BACK TO YOUR COMMENTS QUICKLY.  IT TAKES 30 MIN. TO DOWNLOAD A POST AND WE CAN'T HAVE THE GENERATOR ON VERY MUCH.  TODAY VIKKI IS PAYING BILLS ETC ON THE COMPUTER.  THERE ARE DAYS WHEN THE COMPUTER IS TOTALLY FORGOTTEN.  WE REALLY ENJOY YOUR COMMENTS SO DON'T STOP.... BUT IT IS HARD TO RESPOND SOMETIMES WITHOUT IT TAKING TIME WE DON'T HAVE. BRYAN IS OUT TRAILING BY HIMSELF.
TODAYS TRAPPERS HAVE IT A LOT EASIER THAN IN OLDEN DAYS.  WE HAVE LOTS OF OLD BOOKS WRITTEN FROM YEARS AGO AND THEY HAD IS REAL HARD.  THEY WERE AS TOUGH AS IT GETS.   TODAY WE HAVE SKIDOOS, GENERATORS, PROPANE STOVES, CHAINSAWS, QUADS AND SATELLITE PHONES ETC..  PUT IT IS STILL HARD COMPARED TO WHAT MOST PEOPLE WANT TO DO TODAY. 
SIDE NOTE..... LOST SATELLITE RADIO AND ISPOT WERE FOUND LAST WINTER BY VIKKI IN ANOTHER WATERPROOF BAG.  SO BRYAN HAD NEVER LOST THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE.  VIKKI APOLOGISE FOR BLAMING HIM.

LAKE BEAVERS

"ON SCHED" STARTS NOV 1, 4 PM

DON TAYLOR'S (OUT OF WATSON LAKE AREA)WINTER "ON SCHED" STARTS NOV. 1 AT 4 PM PRECISELY. HE'S BEEN PROVIDING THIS SERVICE FOR 30 YEARS. IF YOU ARE UP NORTH AND OUT ON THE LAND GET HOLD OF AN SBX RADIO AND TUNE IN to channel 4441.0.  THIS SERVICE IS TO HAVE A PERIOD OF TIME THAT ALL REMOTE RESIDENTS ARE LISTENING AND IF SOMEONE HAS A PROBLEM IT CAN BE ADDRESSED.  DON WILL GIVE THE EXACT TIME, DATE AND COMING WEATHER.  FOR ALOT OF REMOTE PEOPLE THIS IS IMPORTANT.  DON CALLS EACH BASE BY NAME AND GIVES A MOMENT FOR THAT BASE TO REPLY AND SAY HELLO ALL IS WELL HERE.  THEN ON TO THE NEXT.  IF YOU ARE NEW JUST WAIT UNTIL THE END OF THE ROLL CALL AND DON WILL ASK IF THERE IS ANYONE NEW OUT THERE.  AFTER "ON SCHED"  (SHORT FOR ON SCHEDULE) REMOTE BASES TALK TO EACH OTHER.  TIME LIMIT IS ABOUT 10 MIN. THEN LET SOMEONE ELSE TALK.  WHEN YOU HAVEN'T TALKED TO OTHER PEOPLE FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME IT IS GREAT FUN.

SETTING OTTER AND BEAVER SETS

TIME TO TRY TO GET SOME OTTER AND MAYBE A BEAVER.  BRYAN IS WEARING HIS MASTER GUIDE SERIES HIP WADERS AND VIKKI HER XTRATUF.  THESE ARE BOTH THE BEST OF THE BEST.  THE AREA WE ARE GOING TO IS DOWN A CREEK AND LOTS OF FRESH GRIZZLY SIGN.  THEY ARE HERE FISHING OF COHO SALMON.  WE SHOUTED AND BANGED THE PAIL.  HERE WE COME!!!!!!!  YOU CAN ONLY SEE 30 FEET AHEAD AND IT IS SCARY.  THEY CAN RUN AT 40 KM AN 

 HOUR.  BE IN YOUR FACE BEFORE YOU CAN BLINK.  BYRAN HAS THE 45-70 BUT HIS RIGHT HAND IS CARRYING THE TRAP POLE. 

 TRAP PLIERS, MACHETE, LONG RUBBER GLOVES, WIRE, CUTTERS, RIBBON.

YOU CAN SEE THE FRESH BEAR TRACKS ON THE LOG THAT IS CROSSING THE CREEK  .... ALSO ON THE SAND ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE.

FRESH VEGGIES, FRUITS, MAIL, COMPANY, CHICKENS

 WE RECEIVED AN EMAIL AT 10 AM THIS MORNING SAYING "WILL YOU BE HOME AT NOON..... WE ARE COMING".   WE WERE SO GLAD WE HAD CHECKED THE COMPUTER BEFORE HEADING OUT TO WORK ON TRAIL OR WE WOULD HAVE MISSED OUR COMPANY.  WHEN THE PLANE ARRIVED IT HAD HARRO , HELGA, HENRI AND OF COURSE CHRIS THE PILOT.  HENRI CARRIED OUR NEW CHICKENS IN A CARDBOARD BOX.  THESE WERE FROM THE TRAPPERS WHO CAME TO VISIT US TWO WEEKS AGO.  VIKKI HAD URGENTLY CALLED HEIKE ON SKYPE ASKING IF THEY COULD SPARE TWO MORE CHICKENS..  SHE JUST GOT TO THE FLOAT PLANE WITH THE BOX AS IT WAS GETTING READY TO LEAVE.

 HELGA HAD FEINHERB NUSS GERMAN CHOCOLATE AND HARIBO GOLD LICORIS AS A GIFT.  HENRI BROUGHT SWISS FREY BRANCHE AND SMOKED SALMON...  CHRIS HAD GONE AND GOT TWO BOXES OF  FRESH VEGGIES AND FRUIT.  HARRO DID SOME MUCH NEEDED CLEANING UP OF VIKKI'S COMPUTER   LIKE DEFRAG AND VIRUS STUFF.  THEY WERE ABLE TO STAY FOR 3 HOURS AND THEN HAD TO LEAVE.   IT WAS A GREAT VISIT.

 CHRIS GAVE US A FLY BY AND OFF THEY ALL WENT.  WE WERE OUT ON THE WHARF WAVING AND WAVING..  

OUR NEW TWO CHICKENS....  A SPECIAL THANKS TO FRITZ AND HEIKE!!!!!  IT WOULD BE A LONG WINTER WITHOUT EGGS.  WE DID IT THE FIRST YEAR AND BAKING IS NO FUN AT ALL WITHOUT EGGS.  ALSO ALL OUR SCRAPS ARE EATEN BY THEN AND IN RETURN WE GET THE BEST FERTILIZER.