Tag: Nature

Dog Sledding

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Yesterday, although Quebec has a lack of snow, my husband and I had an amazing experience. We went dog sledding. Despite it being in jeopardy initially, luck was on our side.  A light snow fall overnight allowed it to happen. Without the snow, the track would have been to icy for us inexperienced sledders to manage.

Our venue was the spectacular Pourvoirie Du-Lac Beaufort only 20 minutes out of Quebec City.  For about 10 minutes in the shop, there were twice as many Australians as Canadians because the other couple booked to dog sled to our surprise were fellow Aussies.

Our first stop was to feed the Huskie puppies. They were so cute and ate from our hands.

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Now we were off to complete our training to be able to drive a dog sled.  Manu, our musher explained that because of the ice they had only given us 4 dogs in our teams. Any more dogs would be too hard for the drivers to control. Then it dawn on us. This wasn’t going to be as easy as we first thought.

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Manu was a very experienced musher and his team lead the expedition.  Our dog sled was the first for the day so the dogs were full of energy. We were given several instructions; the main one being to keep the dog teams apart as they will fight. Soon we got to experience stopping wasn’t as easy as any of us thought and the dogs kept running into each other. When this happened the front team started attacking the team from behind. Manu sorted it quickly and we were off again.

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In the dog sled team, all dogs are trained to a specific position depending on their abilities. The smartest dogs are the lead dogs and there are two of them. They are the ones that sense danger and stop the team if things aren’t right. They also listen to the orders of the sled driver. The middle dog  was the point dog. He is a strong dog to pull the sled. The last dog is the wheel dog and he is the strongest dog giving extra help when needed.

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Initially I sat in the sled and my husband was the driver. It took me 5 minutes to realise I didn’t want to drive as stopping was too tricky. At times we went close to ponds and I was very grateful I  wasn’t driving and that i didn’t end up in the water. When it came to change overtime Manu was very pleased neither of us ladies wanted to drive. His opinion was that the conditions were too hard for us to manage, which made it dangerous. It definitely was a psychical workout for the boys as they were sweating. I agreed, driving yesterday was a boy job and I was not offended. My job was photography and as we were moving quickly this wasn’t easy.  Fortunately we both succeeded at our tasks and we had a great morning.

If you ever get the chance connect with nature and go for a dog sled. It’s amazing.

Purple

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I am often described as the lady in purple. I wear purple at every opportunity—it is my favourite colour.  Up until recently, my hair was also purple, matching my clothes. There are many shades of purple so I don’t get bored and have plenty of variety.

Apparently, I have a purple aura. Who knew? People who have a purple aura are known to be highly psychic, attuned to the emotions of others and very sensitive. They are also known to be healers and teachers. This describes me well. Empowering people to improve their mental health and be the best version of themselves is what I do. This blog complete with its purple trim is based on inspiring people.

I am both grateful and inspired by the colour purple. Every time I need extra support to get through tough times—I wear purple. I use it as a protective armour. It works for me and gives me confidence. Purple helps me be creative and my writing desk has many purple accessories.

The colour purple has a long history associated with royalty, spirituality and significant events. It is a mixture of red (warm) and blue (cool) colours, so it is balanced.

What colour inspires you? Is it you favourite colour or a specific you wear when you need a lift?

 

Lessons From Dogs

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When loved ones come home, run to meet them.

After you’ve been scolded, run right back and be friends.

When someone is having a bad day, sit by and nuzzle a little.

When your happy, dance around, and wag your whole body.

Delight in the healthy pleasures of a good walk.

Avoid snarling when a gentle growl will do.

 

Author unknown

Seen on a sign on Newfoundland waterfront.

 

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Love Me Please

Supplies Aussie Style

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We’ve all been asked what five objects we’d take with us to a desert island. Now it’s your best friend’s (or close relative’s) turn to be stranded: what five objects would you send him/her off with?

The phone rang. It was my mother. She was letting me know that one of our relatives was stranded on a desert island. Being practical, I had been voted the family representative to send supplies. After careful consideration, I sent the following 5 items to help our loved one get through.

1. Large bag of flour – this can be used to make a damper ( flour, salt and water) cooked in a camp fire into a bread. This insures my relative can eat daily.

2. Billy – a metal tin or cooking pot complete with wire handle used to boil water or cook over a campfire. This allows water to be boiled ensuring it is clean and safe to drink.

3. Box of waterproof matches – to make sure a fire can be lit in all conditions.

4. Multi-purpose tool – a portable tool including a hammer, screwdriver, pliers, saw, knife and other associated tools that may come in handy. This tool would allow my loved one to build a shelter for protection.

5. Vegemite – no Australian should be stranded on a desert island without Vegemite, our national spread. It is an Aussie staple and  full of vitamins. Uses for Vegemite include being spread on the damper or dissolved in water as an alternate hot drink.

I hope they get home safely soon.   I would love to know how helpful my items were.

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Bliss

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I loved the Waikite Valley Thermal Pools in New Zealand. I stood mesmorized and watched them for half an hour—I found this force of nature blissful and relaxing. They were something I had never before experienced.

How high would the mud fly into the air? Where would the next bubble pop? Why does the mud change its composition? Did you see that one? These were my questions.

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Nature Chills Challenge

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An event create by amommasview in response to a Blogging 201 assignment.

What in nature makes you chill out the most and why?

My favourite way to chill out is on a mountain covered in snow. Coming from Australia this is a rarity, which is what makes it special. I can go to the beach— my second favourite place—any day I choose, but not play in the snow. I love the serenity of having no-one else around—just me, my partner and nature’s beauty on top of the world. The stark contrast between the crisp white snow, the bright shining sun and the Alpine trees.

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Wherever possible I like to spend my birthday at the snow.  I was last there on my final day being forty —my husband and I were at Whakapapa, New Zealand. It was a great day.

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In less than a month, we travel to Canada to fulfill our dream of a white Christmas. After six weeks living in the snow—I may no longer see snow as my favourite way to chill in nature.

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