Wild Life

A couple of mornings ago i was awoken to what sounded like Dodo Rouge tap-dancing on the yurt.  Somehow the squirrel had managed to locate the precise position above where our sleepy heads where & commenced his routine.  It sounded like he was also gnawing his way through the rope he'd climbed up (perhaps he wanted to free fall or bungee back down?).  We called out "Dodo Rouge, it's too early for breakfast...let us sleep".  But he continued, until Antoine gently punched repeatedly at the soft, insulated roof.  It probably felt like a minor earthquake in the squirrel's world and he vacated the premises.

Side note ~ On the subject of earthquakes, one friend suggested that a tiny earthquake may have caused our water container to jump off its shelf in the middle of the night last week.  (More plausible that most of your suggestions, Peter! ~see that post's comments)

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Park Forillon

En route to the end of the world...

We've done lots of fantastic stuff this week, to celebrate Antoine's short holiday before he starts working on Monday.

An excursion with the local walking group to Park Forillon (where Antoine will be working). The weather was thoroughly Scottish (i.e. rain) but we had the right clothes.  We saw lots of wildlife...a small army (dispersed throughout the trail) of Porcupines ("Porkypigs"/porc-épic en français!), who kind of shuffle around slowly.  In response to photographs they often throw up their quills, reminiscent of a punky peacock. 

There was also lots of evidence

Porcupine - new playmate for Dodo Rouge?

of moose (the Grandma friendly way of saying Moose Ca-ca).  We also saw bear caca.  Lots and lots of bear caca.  Old bear caca.  Medium old bear caca.  And fresh bear caca.  Then we saw a bear.  To be honest i didn't want to see a bear.  i wanted to see whales (we were walking along the coast where there are whales).  However, not to be ungrateful to nature for its gifts, because it was pretty wild to see a bear.  Especially because it was at a safe distance & just chowing down on some foliage.  He looked up at us, but didn't seem to care about our presence.  After about 5 minutes we moved on.

This bear is larger than he looks in the pic

Even dogs are happy at the end of the world!

Edible seaweed!

We arrived at 'the end of the world' around 3pm, with suitably apocalyptic weather.  Indulge me in playing tour guide for a moment...Gaspé (where This Canadian Yurt is situated) takes its name from Cespeg which means 'Land's end' in the traditional language of the indigenous Mi'kmaq people.  The cliffs where we were standing were the end (or the beginning) of the Appalachian Mountains before they dive under water & resurface in New Foundland...or so wikipedia tells me.  In the other direction they apparently stretch all the way down to Georgia.


On the walk back i was talking about my first Reiki initiation, when i saw my first whale!  It silently surfaced, curved & slipped, diving beneath the water.  A dream discovered.

~~~The photos from Parc Forilion were taken by Christine Aspiros (thank you!)~~~

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Whale Watching

The beach

We returned to a beach in this national park with the intention of seeing more whales.  We brought coffee in thermos, baklava & a picnic.  There was a lot of waiting, which was wonderful - the warm sun, lapping easy sea.  We watched as Northern Gannet birds dive bombed the water:  each splash drawing my eyes & heart, which lept wondering if it was a whale blowing water! 

Part of Antoine's whale dance

In order to encourage the whales to make an appearance, we did whale dances.  This didn't work.  i tried chanting as though at an american football, ice hockey or shinty match but apparently these whales weren't sports fans. i also used EFT/Tapping (to get over my expectations & desire to see a whale), but Antoine suggested perhaps the whales were also beneath the water tapping on their fear of seeing us.

Whale watching

After 3 hours when we spotted a whale, i whooped for lack of better expression.  It may've
been the playing of my kalimba (African Harp/Piano) which finally enticed the whale to surface & breathe.  It wasn't quite like seeing the killer whale Shamu at SeaWorld when i was 8, but the feeling of awe was similar.


Mount Pudding Stone

Bubbles at Mount Pudding Stone

Yesterday we walked up Mount Pudding Stone (400m apx!).  Incredibly beautiful views from the top.  i'm so in love with the nature here.  i got to drive down the bumpy, dirt tracks, dodging stones & ditches - rally style except at 15km an hour!


This Canadian Yurt Neighbours
We went to visit a neighbour.  His wife's just opened up a Vet practice & Antoine wanted to give her some photos for her practice.  The neighbour gave us some honey from his bees and a car.  We baked him some bread, but it still feels like the balance is slightly off.  It's going to be wonderful to have a 'new' car.  The one we've been driving, we start with a screwdriver & its sounding more like a jet engine each day.  i can hear Antoine about a kilometre before he arrives.

Sunshine Shoot

i'll make you a star, baby!

This past week, we skipped right over Spring & landed feet first in Summer.  Today marks one week of continuous sunshine from sunrise to sunset.  i am deLIGHTed.

We used the sunshine well...we were making a short-film.  Antoine's part of a college film collective & i got involved.  After realising that playing the lead in fluent French, is really asking a bit too much of me...i was happy to take on the role of organiser. It felt really crazy to take the Project Manager part of me off the dusty shelf & go fully into that clipboard, schedules, logistics, people management world.

filming outside the museum

Gaspé is a dream place to shoot films.  The community here are so supportive of all projects.  Tim Hortons (Canadian dunkin donuts) gave us free stuff for breakfast, the Museum let us shoot inside for 4 hours, a local junk yard stopped their machinery & we filmed inside a scrapped yellow school bus.  The locations were so perfect.

One of the 'sets' i dressed, inside a scrapped school bus for a crazy scientist. 
photo credit: Jean-Sébastien Pelletier

What i realised was how great it is to work as part of a team.  Being one who genuinely loves spending time alone, i can forget how fantastic it is
to be "involved".  i also observed how far i push myself when working on a common goal, compared to solo-projects.  it also seems part of a whole winter-spring-summer thang.

Antoine in his Director's hat ;)

 

Rolling around in the dirt, getting the costumes all apocalyptic!  Which was great because we ended up having enough extras, so i wasn't even needed!

i loved also that we were a really mixed cast - Lebanese,  Colombian, French, Quebecois, Belgium & Scottish!

i did take a small role, just so i could wear a fancy dress & make faces like a soap-opera actress!

There are photos of the shoot on facebook (& i'll post them below)
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152746655425136.1073741827.877510135&type=1&l=aecad668c2 

We were so lucky to be working with a pro from Montréal, who guided us, without taking over.  He's now devoting this week to editing the whole thing for us.  Not sure when it will make a vimeo appearance, but you guys will find out!  (UPDATE: watch the trailer here!)

Last night was Beltane...

meditation was better than photo!

...so i held a meditation circle in the yurt.  13 of us piled in, which was incredible.  it was quite a few people's first time meditating & i feel so honoured to introduce folks to meditation, especially in an environment like This Canadian Yurt.  The yurt's buzzin' today with all those great vibrations!  It will become a weekly meditation circle at least until the college year finishes in a few weeks.

Squirrel News...
We haven't seen Dodo-Rouge since before the shoot.  We were gone for so long & didn't put scraps out for him.  i'm concerned that he may've taken it personally.  Antoine thinks he's out searchin' for da ladies.  i can just imagine him trying to describe his pad (& neighbours) to all the squirrel-lasses!  i hope he comes back soon.  However, there are now an orchestra of birds surrounding the yurt & a cacophony of frogs in a tiny pond next to the house.  i thought it was some kind of weird siren last night, but they are frogs.  i hope antoine doesn't start eating them...what with being French and all...  

There is also another crazy noise.  It honestly sounds like someone starting up a lawnmower, or trying unsuccessfully to get a car engine running.  i listened to it for an entire Sunday admiring their diligence to get the thing going.  But when i heard it at 2.30am i asked Antoine.  Apparently it's a bird, which is stomping its feet to create vibrations which attract the ladies.  i love nature!  

i feel so unbelievably grateful to be here.  and also a huge thank you for all the positive feedback & comments from those of you who read this; each message is really touching.

Here's some more photos from the shoot: