CFYT, Dawson's community radio station

Don't forget to listen to CFYT (www.cfyt.ca)online tonight for An Hour On the John and Another Side of the John, followed by an eclectic list of DJs and music adventures. Go to the site, hit listen online and follow the instructions to set up your computer. Streaming doesn't start until John's show begins right at 7 PM Cape Breton time (6 PM Ontario time and 3 PM Yukon time). If you have questions about listening online or comments about John's show you can email him at anhouronthejohn@gmail.com

Carpenter's notes

Firewood

I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do. -- Willa Cather

Care is taken that trees do not grow into the sky. -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

So what do these quotes have to do with firewood? Because one of the things a tree might be resigned to is becoming firewood, and one of the reasons trees might not grow into the sky is because they are cut for firewood.

I love dealing with wood that has been cut and stacked for firewood. I say cut and stacked because Andy and our wood co-op do all of our cutting and chunking and most of the splitting, and Andy stacks the wood in the woodshed. My part: I make kindling. I split pieces that are too big for our stoves. I bring the wood and kindling into the house (using a wheelbarrow until the snow comes, and then by sled) and stack it near our stoves. And I usually build the day's fires because I'm up first. In late fall, through winter and into spring, fire building is a happy part of my morning routine.

Dawson City DJ: An Hour On the John

Our son, John Watt, resident of Dawson City, Yukon, is hosting two radio shows at CFYT, Dawson's community radio station. The first program is called An Hour On the John, and the second, which comes right after, Another Side of the John. You can pick up the shows by clicking on www.cfyt.ca Then click on "listen online" and follow the instructions for setting up your computer. Wait until the show starts and streams online (it can take a few minutes, so be patient) and then sit back and enjoy! The first program will be broadcast on radio and streamed online every Friday from 3 - 4 PM Yukon time, that's 7 - 8 PM Cape Breton time, 6 - 7 PM Ontario time etc, and the second from 4 - 5 PM Yukon time, and you can figure out the rest.

If you listen to the show and have questions about his play list, or want to comment on his program, email him at: anhouronthejohn@gmail.com

Remembrance Day by Rosalind Keyes

Rosalind Keyes is the thirteen year old niece of our son's partner, Noelle England. Rosalind wrote this essay when she was six or seven years old and she gave me permission to post it here. From the pen of an innocent. Click on the essay to enlarge it.

Cabot Trail truckers: Remembrance Day thank you

We have a wreath-laying ceremony at the local cenotaph at Indian Brook every November 11th. The cenotaph is set only slightly back from the road -- the Cabot Trail in this instance. There is major construction and road rebuilding going on north of us and all of the trucks hauling gravel and sand and asphalt have to travel the road past the cenotaph. Just after our two minutes of silence, as the prayer before the laying of wreaths was to start, we could hear the boom and rumble of several trucks approaching. And then they stopped, just in view, but far enough away so as not to disturb the ceremony. Our thanks go to the truckers, who even though on a very tight schedule, took a bit of time to honour both the war dead and this community, and to Clay Carmichael, who was instrumental in helping us to show our respect today without having to compete with the traffic.

Little River beach, November storm

They are calling it a late-fall storm: 60 gusting to 90 km winds, driving rain that turns to driving snow then back to rain again. Here are some shots of our breakwater and the swamped beach at Little River, taken this afternoon. Click on photos to enlarge.

November walk: Marion's ice-angel

While walking this morning with my friends Sarah Beck and Marion Thompson, we decided to explore a new gravel pit in our area, not the loveliest of places, but one in which Marion took this photo. We thought at first the ice-image looked like one angel wing. When Marion downloaded the photo it also appears to be a heron or a stork, almost Chinese in presentation. You decide. Click on the photo to enlarge the image.

Olympic torch comes to Dawson City

The Olympic torch arrived in Dawson City yesterday and John and Mackenzie and Tanja were there to celebrate!