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Adventures in Caffeine Withdrawal

Okay, I admit it. My wife is smarter than I am and she has proven it many times over the years. I have learned to accept it. Recently I was under the weather from a bad caffeine withdrawal induced headache. I insisted that her idea wouldn’t work, how could I possibly function as a photographer with a bed box/platform in the back of the van? No, that just wouldn't work. As the veins in the side of my head popped out from the pain of the coffee-coloured monkey on my back, Lori explained again what she wanted to do.

Finally she said, "Maybe today isn’t the best day to do this."

So I fell into a fitful sleep. The next day, I was a little better. I was still grumpy but able to go out in public. We went to Home Depot with a drawing and a list of what we needed. Lori handed the list to a guy by the big saw at the back of the store. He looked at it once and quickly made all the cuts in the two sheets of plywood. We grabbed some screws and brackets and headed for home.

“You know this will require beer,” I said as we gathered all the tools. She just sighed and got out her drawing. We laid out all the boards and everything looked good.

Van Bed Platform - Click for larger

We screwed the thing together and put the large boards on the top. With a few adjustments we were able to make up a comfy bed and get in. If I move the seat forward a bit I can stretch right out.

The Completed Bed - Click for larger

I felt a bit sick. No not from the caffeine withdrawal. But because I would have to yet again say that dreadful thing that we men have to say all too often,

"Yes dear, you were right. And yes, you were also right about quitting coffee for the summer. Although next time I go through withdrawal, I suggest you stay at your sister's place..."

Planning

It's my favourite part of travelling - looking at maps searching for interesting places to go. I get a calendar out and plot our course and think about where we want to be and when. We start to buy things like a cargo container for the roof of the van and camping stuff. We need a new dining tent and I would like to get some new camera accessories. Nothing major, just some little things. Oh, and I need new hiking boots and maybe another pair of shorts. I have recently replaced my worn out Tilley hat. It was guaranteed for life so the store replaced it for free.

The Worn Out 20-year old hat - Click for larger

We talk endlessly about our trip. I enjoy the planning as much as the trip. It’s kind of like buying a lottery ticket and then planning on how you will spend it except we really get to do this!

I make lists. Lists, it turns out are very important. Without them you forget stuff, you get to remote places and look for something as mundane as black pepper for your morning eggs and can’t find it. We usually do a short trip in the spring. It helps us refine our loading technique for the van and get a sense of what we need and what needs replacing. Lori is the van arranger/rearranger. She just has a way of sorting things out so they are accessible. When you travel as much as we do, things wear out much faster. Most people use a tent for 3 – 4 weeks tops per year. We might use ours 10 – 12 weeks per year.

The Tent - Click for larger

The Dining Tent - Click for larger

We will need guide books on birds, plants, and flowers, with us along with maps and travel brochures, and notebooks and pens for our journals.

We also need to look after things at the house. We have great neighbours and family members who look after our mail and check on the place regularly. As far as worrying about valuables in the house, well, they are all with us in the van. Cameras, lenses, computers, they all get loaded up and make the trip with us. We turn off the water, empty and turn off the fridge.

I have 2 Mac Book Pro laptops, 3 TB of storage, cables, power cords, battery chargers, cleaning supplies, tripods and filters. All have a place, all will be used. It takes three backpacks for camera equipment.

Bear spray. Still need to get some bear spray...

Bear Warning Sign - Click for larger

Make Your Mark

Signpost Forest Yukon - click

What will your mark be? A smudge? A rock carving? Maybe a pictograph? Will your mark make a positive or negative impression? All will be dust some day. We still strive to make a mark, fleeting as it is.

Who goes there? hankering, gross, mystical, nude;
How is it I extract strength from the beef I eat?

What is a man anyhow? what am I? what are you?

All I mark as my own you shall offset it with your own,
Else it were time lost listening to me.

I do not snivel that snivel the world over,
That months are vacuums and the ground but wallow and filth.

Whimpering and truckling fold with powders for invalids, conformity goes to the fourth-remov'd,
I wear my hat as I please indoors or out.

Why should I pray? why should I venerate and be ceremonious?

Having pried through the strata, analyzed to a hair, counsel'd with doctors and calculated close,
I find no sweeter fat than sticks to my own bones.

In all people I see myself, none more and not one a barley-corn less,
And the good or bad I say of myself I say of them.

I know I am solid and sound,
To me the converging objects of the universe perpetually flow,
All are written to me, and I must get what the writing means.

I know I am deathless,
I know this orbit of mine cannot be swept by a carpenter's compass,
I know I shall not pass like a child's carlacue cut with a burnt stick at night.

I know I am august,
I do not trouble my spirit to vindicate itself or be understood,
I see that the elementary laws never apologize,
(I reckon I behave no prouder than the level I plant my house by, after all.)

I exist as I am, that is enough,
If no other in the world be aware I sit content,
And if each and all be aware I sit content.

One world is aware and by far the largest to me, and that is myself,
And whether I come to my own to-day or in ten thousand or ten million years,
I can cheerfully take it now, or with equal cheerfulness I can wait.

My foothold is tenon'd and mortis'd in granite,
I laugh at what you call dissolution,
And I know the amplitude of time.

Walt Whitman (1819-1892) from Song of Myself 20

I wish I were as confident as Walt when it comes to the amplitude of time. Words, images and actions will all fade with time. Ah, that timeless philosophical question, why are we here?

Graffiti Alley Toronto - click

So what will your mark be? Will it last? How long?

Does any of this matter? I guess it matters today. Maybe that's what we are here to learn, that only now matters. So what are you doing now?

Make it matter...

Keeping a Journal

I was going through some stuff from our very crowded closet. I guess the only way to put it is - I’m a pack rat. Most of the stuff was junk but there were a few nuggets kicking around. Not that anyone else would find them interesting. But for various reasons I still value many of the things I have kept. Not the TTC transfer from 2003 or the faded gas receipt from 1999. No, those can go. So can the notebooks from college. But I came across some journal entries from previous years. Reading about what I was doing 20 years ago when I was at the beginning stages of my photography career is interesting to me!

Do you keep a journal? It's a wonderful way to bring back memories. I can smell and taste the place. The sounds, how I felt at the time, it all comes back to me when I read my journals. It's funny how many bug entries I make. Canada is a buggy place!

Journals or diaries can be very personal. Most of my entries are simply a record of where I was, what I encountered that day and a record of the weather. For a nature photographer this can be a great resource from year to year. What time of year did I photograph Orchids in Newfoundland? What was the weather like in Labrador in July? All I have to do is look it up in my journal. Sometimes if I'm alone or if I have had a bad day, writing down my thoughts can be very helpful. Just by writing things down, I seem to be able to deal with issues a whole lot better.

Road south across Reed Lake from Morse- Click

Here is a typical journal entry for me:

"Day 12 May 31st 2006 - Morse, Saskatchewan
Got up at 5a.m. and poked my head out of the tent. It's warm. Great light! Drove south of the Chaplin Lake area and looked for Owls. Found a young Great Horned Owl in a tree near a barn. Walked with the 500 over my shoulder. Tried to not make eye contact. I did the "walk sideways" thing until I could see it get uncomfortable. Got a couple shots before it flew."

Great Horned Owl - Click for larger

"Feel kind of self-conscious walking on private property. The house is abandoned but the barn is still in use. Light is still good so we head back to the lake and look for shore birds. Shot birds for a while and then worked a slough. Yellow Headed Back Birds, Eared Grebes, Ruddy Ducks filled my frame."

Male Ruddy Duck - Click for larger

"We eat some cereal in the van, no eggs. We are still hungry. On the way back to town I spotted a ground squirrel by the side of the road. Shot for a while. A second one showed up and then a third (see post "The Waiting Game"). Got some great shots this morning. The restaurant is closed, not sure why. We eat cheese and crackers. We make backups and pack up. We drive Highway 1 to Swift Current and pick up supplies. We then head up to Sask. Landing Provincial Park. I decided to take the night off but the light didn’t cooperate. I shoot landscapes until the light is gone."

Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park - Click for larger

The above is an example of a good day while on the road. Below is an example of a bad one from the same trip.

Saskatchewan Old Building - click

"Day 85, Aug. 12th 2006 – Grasslands National Park
Raining. We sleep in yet again. 5th day in a row we have woken up in a tent to the sound of rain. We get up, pack up and eat. It has finally cleared so we head into the park to look for (burrowing) owls. We see none. We drive east on Highway 18. I spot a Loggerhead Shrike but I can't get a (good) shot. I try every trick I know. Nothing. After 3 hours I give up."

Best I could get of a Loggerhead Shrike - It's an endangered species!

"I'm so tired and sleep deprived, I feel very depressed. I just want to find a beach by a lake and have some down time. There are only salt pools around here, no lakes or beaches. I need to make backups – it never ends. We drive north to Morse and get a campsite."

Reed Lake Golf Club in Morse - click

"I'm about to loose it. After a couple of beers I start to come around. Pushed it way too hard this time."

Ah, life on the road! Without the bad days, you can't really appreciate the good ones. After you're home for a few weeks, even the bad stuff is filtered. Funny how you only really want to focus on the good stuff... It’s only through my journal entries that I bring it all back to life.

Black-tailed Prairie Dog - Click for larger

Our tent at Muncho Lake - Click for larger

We are in the planning stage for a very big trip this year, maybe the biggest of our lives. Writing has become a very important part of my life. So both Lori and I will be writing on a daily basis during our trip and sharing our experiences with you as we go. More to come on that...

If you do not currently keep a journal, try it for a month. I bet you will be hooked for life!

Last Days at Hudson Bay (Adventure Concludes Day 8-9)

It's our last full day at the Seal River Heritage Lodge. I think we all sense how special this trip has been. There are lots of bears around and we continue to photograph them.

Polar Bear - click for larger

It's difficult to work like I normally do. I see amazing things like the way the light hits the landscape. But I can’t just pick up my gear and react to it like I usually would. To head out of the compound, I need guys with shotguns and must go as part of a big group. It's a difficult way to work but very necessary!

Hudson Bay - click for larger

A bear has been lying down just outside the compound. It's so close! We all take turns photographing it through the fence. I start with a 16-35mm wide angle lens and then switch to a 24-105mm. I have never imagined being this close to a wild Polar Bear. Andy warns me that they can move very fast. So I show him the back of my camera. He smiles. I'm sure he gets it. We can't help but shoot!

Polar Bear - click for larger

Everyone was very accommodating of each other. It was so nice to see people working so well together.

Photographers - click for larger

Photographing Bears - click for larger

Polar Bear - click for larger

Polar Bear - click for larger

I can't tell you how it feels to take these images. It feels privileged. Privileged to be in a place like this and to be so close to such a wonderful species. We spend the rest of the day much the same way we have since we got here - shooting. In the evening, Dennis puts together a selection of our favourite images for a slide show. Later we have dinner and head outside to enjoy a bonfire.

The next morning, I go outside and just kind of soak the place up. There are bears around and I shoot a few frames but the ship is pointed towards home. It's over. Or is it? I'm scheduled to fly out on the first plane. But currently, Churchill is fogged in and the plane can't take off. I hear the cook's father died 2 days ago and she is anxious to get home. I give up my seat to her so she can be on the first plane out if it comes. We sit and wait. I email home and let Lori know that I may not make it out today. I have a flight booked home tomorrow around noon from Winnipeg. It will be complicated if I don't make it out but what a place to be stuck!

The Lodge - click for larger

The plane finally makes it out of Churchill. The first group heads out to the airstrip to meet it. We watch as two polar bears stalk them. Terry and Andy drive the bears off with snowballs and rocks. But the plane just sits there. We head into the dining room for lunch and hear that Churchill is fogged in again. That's why they didn't take off. They come back in for lunch. Riley has to stay and guard the plane with a shotgun because the bears are so curious they could damage it. Everyone wonders if we will make it out today. After lunch, a call comes in that the fog has cleared so off they go. After a quick trip the plane comes back for the next group. We walk out and are on our way. The plane flies low out over Hudson Bay. It's the most direct route and we make it to there without any trouble. We meet up with the rest of the gang, and have dinner in Churchill. Then we get on a plane back to Winnipeg. In Winnipeg John rents a car while I sit and listen to Scott and Robert banter like they've been married for 40 years. I'm laughing so hard I'm crying listening to them. Man we had fun!

The Gang - click for larger

Till next trip…

A Dream Come True: (Adventure Continues Day 5 –7)

We get up at 6:30am even though sunrise isn't until after 9. So we have a leisurely pace in the morning. Breakfast is at 7am. The food is so good! The staff here are all friendly and very good at what they do. They are always smiling! We chat it up over the great food and thoughts of what will come of the day. A polar bear sits just outside the dining room window. After breakfast, Mike informs us that our bags will leave Churchill at first light. That's a relief. It will be nice to have a change of clothes, ski pants, and of course my tripod!

We put on our parkas and go outside. An Arctic fox walks by. Unfortunately, it’s too dark for a good photo.

Arctic Fox in dim light

The light comes up a bit more and I get a good shot of a Ptarmigan.

Willow Ptarmigan - click for larger

Bears are walking by and the light is starting to get nice.

Polar Bear Sitting in Sea Lyme Grass - click for larger

Polar Bear at Hudson Bay

So much is happening so fast and all at once. I'm taking pictures constantly. It's surreal to be this close to polar bears. So far we have been working within the fenced compound. The bears come close. Really close. It feels like we are zoo animals and they are coming up to look at us. They are so beautiful but you know they are deadly. The compound is large and has 2 platforms to shoot images from.

Seal River Heritage Lodge - click for larger

Most of the fence is "Buffalo" fence with large enough openings to line up our camera lenses and shoot through. But we need to be very aware of where the bears are. They can move very fast and the fence openings are large enough for them to get their head or paws through.

Polar Bear with Head through Fence - click for larger

George Duck from Thompson, Manitoba is the night watchman.

George - click for larger

In addition to guarding us at night, George hauls water for lodge use during the day. One time when George headed out for water I heard shotgun fire. I asked Terry what was up. He said that George is out alone. When you are alone out there the bears will stalk you. George was firing his shotgun in the air to scare off the bears. I tried to use a lot less water after that.

George on ATV - click for larger

Our bags finally arrived with my tripod and the rest of my clothes!

Airplane click for larger

After putting on my ski pants and getting my tripod, we venture outside the compound beyond any safety of the fence for the first of many hikes.

Hiking at Seal River - click for larger

We have our constant companions with us - the guides Andy and Terry. They both carry shotguns, pepper spray, bear bangers and even a rock or two.

Guides - click each image for larger

There is a bear out on the ice sleeping, another one to the right on land.

Sleeping Polar Bear - click for larger

One of the guides sees a large bear raise its head from the willows. We are surrounded. It's an eerie feeling! The bears can appear and disappear at will. The land is so flat, and they are so big. How can they disappear like that? Scary!

Hidden Bear - click for larger

In the afternoon, we went back out for another hike. We hike for a while and get a few images but not much is happening so we start heading back to the lodge. As we approach, we spot a bear. The light is sweet but the bear is in shadow. We all line up hoping it will move out of the shadows. And suddenly there it was, in perfect light and coming toward us.

Polar Bear - click for larger

I'm smiling all over as I press the shutter. The bear wanders off toward the ice. But then he turns and I get my shot. It's THE SHOT I have dreamed about. Great light, great scene. You couldn't beat the smile off my face with a stick.

Polar Bear - click for larger

We get a few more images as the bear starts to walk back toward us.

Polar Bear - click for larger

He gets closer and closer, too close to photograph with a 500mm lens. Just when I start to feel really uncomfortable, the guides start to talk to the bear. Then they yell, throw snowballs, and finally launch a bear banger. The bear moves away. I'm grateful the guides are there. I'm also glad that the bear is not harmed. I want photos but not at the expense of the bear.

After that we go back to the compound and finish up the day inside the enclosure.

Polar Bear - click for larger

Rolling Polar Bear - click for larger

Back inside the lodge after a great day of photos, I feel like I can relax a bit now. Any images I get after this will be gravy.

The next day brings more bears. I just love this place. I'm with a great group of people and everyone seems to hit it off. Hard to be unhappy when you’re a photographer in a place like this!

Polar Bear - click for larger

Polar Bear - click for larger

We are shooting from a platform when a Gyrfalcon flies over. I react as quickly as possible and get one shot that's sharp. It's the first time I have ever seen this bird species.

Gyrfalcon - click for larger

As the light starts to get that late afternoon sweetness, I want to walk outside the compound. The landscape is so beautiful here. The ice and boulders, the Sea Lyme Grass and bear prints are so beautiful. We get the guides to take us out for a hike and photograph some bears lying about. We walk right to the shore of Hudson Bay. The group is just interested in bears. But I can’t take it anymore; I have to shoot the landscape. So I stay back from the crowd.

Photographers - click for larger

Thankfully Terry stays back with me and watches my back for approaching bears.

I see images everywhere.

Hudson Bay - click for larger

Tracks - click for larger

Hudson Bay Coastline - click for larger

Ice on Hudson Bay - click for larger

Seal River Heritage Lodge - click for larger

After sunset, we have to walk in near darkness past several bears to get back to the lodge. We stay close to the guides.

Inside the lodge we start our backups. Another great day! We have a glass of wine and chat about our images. After we have had a couple of glasses of wine and some nibbles, a young woman comes into the main lounge and announces that dinner is ready.

She says, "By the way, as you pass the window in the hallway please be careful, there is a bear up at the window with his head and paws hanging through."

Thankfully, there are bars on the window.

Polar Bear looking in Window - click for larger

After another wonderful meal, we head back to the lounge. Dennis Fast gives a wonderful presentation and slide show of his Polar Bear images. Dennis is a good speaker. He must be as tired as we are. But still after many years of doing this, he is just as happy to be here as we are. He has so many images that are so beautiful. If you get a chance, check out his book, Wapusk: White Bear of the North

Wapusk - click to view Publisher's site

I’m off to bed. More to come...