Carrie’s Ramblings

Elk bugling0
Carrie posted in What's happening on September 29th, 2009

Last Thursday for my first official work field trip we took a bunch of people Elk bugling.  Having never actually bugled for an elk I did a lot of Googling, before my bugling. (Ha I crack myself up).  Turns out bow-hunters in particular use commercially made Elk bugles to call curious male Elk in closer so that they can get a good shot.  Who knew there were commercially made elk-bugles?  I spent most of Thursday trying to make a bunch from bugles from metal electrical cable coverings…if you saw them you would know what I’m talking about.

During the rut, male Elk bugle (almost sounds like whistling really loud) and grunt to attract mates, tell other dudes to get lost, tell other dudes that they’re bigger and better, etc.  Anyway it’s a pretty cool sound because this huge deer (second largest only to the moose) tenses up all its muscles and looks like it’s getting ready to roar, and then lets out this high pitched squeal that sounds like it should be coming from a bird or something.  Male Elk keep harems of females during the rut and defend them from other males.  If he hears another bugle nearby he’ll get super curious and will wander in closer to see who’s checking out his ladies.  This way, when you go out Elk bugling, you can see them up close.

We were fortunate enough to just have to drive up the highway to Takhini River Valley until we saw a HUGE 9-point bull Elk.  For pictures of the night you can check out Janet Webster’s album, who was a guest on the walk with us.  We also used the radio telemetry from a couple of collared animals in the region to help narrow down the search.  In total we have about 60 people there and we all walked into the bush and stopped to listen to the Elk all around us calling back.

In trying to describe the Elk bugling event for the CBC radio interview, I drew a parrallel between the spring swan migration, the Faro crane and sheep viewing festival, wolf howls, and the elk bugling.  It’s like in every season there is a big event; something that really indicates the changes and is characteristic of that time/place.  Elk bugling is for the fall.  Hopefully it will become “The thing to do”.  Everyone goes to see the swans in the spring, and they should hear the Elk in the fall.  The major difference is, you’re not allowed to shoot the swans the next day.

Taking my time0
Carrie posted in What's happening on September 25th, 2009

Perhaps now that I have as somewhat desk job I will be more diligent at writing blog posts.  And by diligent I mean, present.

But blogging is a funny thing that.  It’s almost like, if you have time to blog about what you’re doing, you’re not doing enough.  I suppose that’s what keeps my guilt at bay. I’m out and about and when I’m in, I’m sleeping.

I thought that ‘active’ was the best way to be but recently I’ve discovered that perhaps having something called “down time” isn’t the worst in thing in the world.  It’s genetic you know, having to go, go, go all the time.  I’ve inherited it from…well you can guess.  My parents are just as involved in committees and groups and activities as I am.  Perhaps now that I’ve done a big cull of my extra-curriculars they have even more activities running than I do.  Yes, this Fall as skating, curling, hockey, Guides, Bands (x2), French, Ultimate, Braeburn, etc etc etc etc etc started up, I drew upon a new skill I have been working on and said, “No, thank you.”  Not only that, I actually was able to quit some things I had already started.  I mean, it’s one thing to say no to a new activity but a completely different thing to withdraw from something where people give you puppy-dog eyes and say, “We’ll miss you.”  Especially in a town such as Whitehorse where there are only so many people who play the trombone. This season I cut out both bands, hockey, and French classes, Braeburn’s on the way out as soon as I can finish these reports, and I’ve abstained from organising the Friday night curling.  However, I have made up for it by becoming more involved in Guides (well, actually doing my job really) and skating as much as possible.  2 main activities, that’s it.

It’s small for me but it means I can come home and sit down and enjoy a glass of wine with Ryan.  I can get through my stack of books, I can learn new songs on the guitar, I can fix stuff in my house, I can blog.  So while being active and alive in the community is all well and good, I think that those same people are the ones who burn themselves out trying to do everything.  Easier said than done I realise - I LIKE doing those things…it’s hard to decide what to right-click “Send to trash”.

I’ve heard of people doing a rotational activity plan.  They say “This year I will do X and Y.” And the next year they say, “X was great, but I’d like to try Y and Z now.  Perhaps in a couple of years I’ll come back to X.”  Which is what I’m feeling.  I decided that all I can think about all day at work, is how much I want to skate that night and what I might practice.  Therefore, it was an easy decision to keep skating.  That is not to say that I didn’t enjoy band, so perhaps in the future I’ll come back to it.  If returning to skating after 7 year sabbatical has taught me anything, is that you can always come back to it.