Save a horse (Ride a Cowboy)

Save a horse (ride a cowboy) is a favourite at the clubs here. So much so that Jen, David and I had a bet as to when they would play the song and how many times it would be played on Saturday night. It was played before 11:00pm and again at about 1:15am. I am not much for country music, but its a catchy song and I think I could live with it if it wasn't so overplayed. I am also a bit confused as to why it is so popular here (as soon as it starts playing the shit kickers come out, the dance floor fills, and people start kickin' their heals up)- this is Yellowknife not Calgary. There are very few horses. There are no cowboys, believe me I've been looking for one to take for a spin.
Due to technical difficulties/ my technical inabilities I am unable to post the song as of yet. Below you will find the lyrics.

"Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)"- Big and Rick

[Intro]
DUM-DE-DE-DUM, DE-DE-DUM-DE-DE-DUM, DE-DAA-DAAAAA
DUM-DE-DE-DUM, DE-DE-DUM-DE-DE-DUM, DE-DAA-DAA-DAA-DAA-DAAAA!

Well, I walk into the room
Passing out hundred dollar bills
And it kills and it thrills like the horns on my Silverado grill
And I buy the bar a double round of crown
And everybody's getting down
An' this town ain't never gonna be the same.

[Chorus:]
Cause I saddle up my horse
and I ride into the city
I make a lot of noise
Cause the girls
They are so pretty
Riding up and down Broadway
on my old stud Leroy
And the girls say
Save a horse, ride a cowboy.
Everybody says
Save a horse, Ride a cowboy

Well I don't give a dang about nothing
I'm singing and Bling-Blinging
While the girls are drinking
Long necks down!
And I wouldn't trade ol' Leroy
or my Chevrolet for your Escalade
Or your freak parade
I'm the only John Wayne left in this town

And I saddle up my horse
and I ride into the city
I make a lot of noise
Cause the girls
They are so pretty
Riding up and down Broadway
on my old stud Leroy
And the girls say
Save a horse, ride a cowboy.
Everybody says
Save a horse, Ride a cowboy

[Spoken:]
I'm a thourough-bred
that's what she said
in the back of my truck bed
As I was gettin' buzzed on suds
Out on some back country road.
We where flying high
Fine as wine, having ourselves a big and rich time
And I was going, just about as far as she'd let me go.
But her evaluation
of my cowboy reputation
Had me begging for salvation
all night long
So I took her out giggin frogs
Introduced her to my old bird dog
And sang her every Wilie Nelson song I could think of

And we made love
And I saddled up my horse
and I ride into the city
I make a lot of noise
Cause the girls
They are so pretty
Riding up and down Broadway
on my old stud Leroy
And the girls say
Save a horse, ride a cowboy.
Everybody says
Save a horse, Ride a cowboy

What? What?
Save A Horse Ride A Cowboy
Everybody says
Save a Horse Ride a cowboy.

Shake, Shake, Shake...Shake Shake Shake... Shake your Booty

On Saturday Jennifer, David and I met up at Javaroma at 9:30 (after I got home from paddling, biked to jen's house, ate pizza, biked home, showered and got dressed) for coffee to get our caffeine level up. We then proceeded on to the White Fox and were the first patrons to enter the bar when we arrived shortly after 10:00. David will point out that arriving so early is not cool but Jen and I didn't want to wait in line and were not too concerned about looking cool. We had a couple of drinks and then Jen and I were the first people out on the dance floor making all the girls jealous and all the guys want us (ok, this might not be exactly the truth but its my story and I can tell it like I want). We then made David join us. Despite not hearing any Latin music (even though we asked for it)- the night went well, lots of dancing, hips gyrating and all around good times. I will admit when it came to dancing to the early '90s mix I was no match for David and Jen.
We met up with Kali and her crew who were there celebrating Kali's last weekend in YK before she heads off to med school in Grenada. Lots more dancing persisted.
Allison, Heather and some others arrived near closing and persisted to drop ice cudes on us from the second floor- they were not dressed for dancing and could not keep up with Jen, David and I though.

SIDEBAR: David is my new friend who my friend Mark introduced me to via email. David is also a friend of Mark's and Mark figured that his two friends who happened both to be in YK at the same time should get together.

Paddling with the Anderson's

So, as per usual I was out paddling on Saturday. Allison's parents were up visiting her and Heather so a group of us went out for the afternoon. Once again we paddled Great Slave Lake from Back Bay to the Yellowknife River Day Use Area (which is at the mouth of the Yellowknife River). The paddle took approximately 1.5 hours on the way out and 2 hours on the way back (there was a decent head wind on our return trip). The temperture was predicted to reach 17C, unfortunately it was more like 12C all day. However, with my wetsuit I was plenty warm while paddling. Plus, I stayed pretty dry throughout the trip. There were lots of birds to be seen, including a stunning bald eagle who sat pristinely atop a tree while we photographed it (I will have to post pics later because, Jen got the best one's with her camera). We also saw lots of terns, a family of ducks, a couple of loons and some boring old seagulls. To learn more about the local bird life check out Great Slave Lake: A Bird's Eye View.
Even with the wind, the trip is suitable for beginners.

Despite overcast skies and frigid temperatures we braved the elements and paddled the afternoon away  

Our picnic lunch (please note from the cars in the background that you can get to the YK Day use area by water or by road. 

Mr. and Mrs. Anderson sporting the bug hat. I believe I will purchase one to don quickly as I approach a portage. 

Bug jackets not only protect you from bugs but also provide endless hours of entertainment 

This is a good look to protect yourself from insects but is also successful in attracting fine male homo sapian specimens native to the Yellowknife area . 

Jen at the stern, Bonnie in the bow. 

We may live in Yellowknife, close to the wilderness and wild animals and we may have been in the middle of the lake but Jennifer still got reception on her cell. 

I was very happy in my skinny touring boat. I had not used a touring boat (coming with storage- the black rectangle in the front) or a boat this skinny previously. One of my fav. lake boats. 

Getting Wild at the Wildcat (again).

Jennifer and I went to the Wildcat last Friday where we were joined by Allison, Heather, their parents and a couple of Heather's friends. Jen and I arrived a bit early to try to get a table (things get a bit squishy as the night progresses) and experienced a very RUDE girl who wanted the table we were sitting at. In Toronto you are prepared for rude people but in YK I was caught so off guard that I didn't know how to react. So, Jen and I moved tables and joined a very cute teenage brother sister duo who were having dinner together (my brother should take note of this)- the sister came to support her brother who wanted to play at the jam session. The four of us bound together to have strength in numbers and secure a better table- only to have another rude person weasle her way in. Despite the over abundance of rude craky people (which are rare in Yellowknife, and even rarer in the granola filled Wildcat atmosphere) we had a good night chilling.
Of other note- they ran out of vanilla ice cream so I had to have my rhubarb-berry crumble with strawberry instead.

The owner and head of the jam givin'er 

The evening ended with the equivalent of a bedroom dance party. For those of you who have never had the pleasure of seeing me dance around my bedroom/ house in my study clothes or underwear with my roommates you will not fully appreciate the joy being able to sing out loud to 'Shout' and 'Hot Hot Hot' while dancing around the Wildcat. Alyssa and Vanessa you were sadly missed. The three of us together would have cause quite the stir. 

As the night progressed things started getting more and more out of control 

This may describe Yellowknife in July...

For those of you who are unaware- fall arrived in Yellowknife Last Tuesday. We have been averaging about 12C during the day and somewhere below 10C during the night. One night last week I nearly froze because I don't know where the heat is in the place where I am currently staying. I had to sleep in longunderwear, socks, hoodie, sleeping bag and comforter. BRrrr. I think that I might die of the heat upon my return to the South next week because my body has had to acclimatize itself to the tundra.
That country is so cold for seven or eight Months of the year, that the Sea freezes Ten foot deep, the Trees and the very Stones split, the Snow is ten or twelve Foot deep upon the Ground, for above six Months of the year, and during that season, no body can stir out of Doors, without running the risque of having their Nose, Ears and feet mortified by the Cold.
- Baron de la Hontan, French traveller, New Voyages to North-America from 1683 to 1694

Sex in the Outdoors...

''Do bears poop in the woods? You bet. But that's not all they do!"
—Smokey the Bear

I came across this interesting article while I was looking up instruction on how to do a roll (in a kayak not in the hay). It is highly probably that the person who wrote the article and the author of the original book have never visited yellowknife. It is either too cold (with high risk of frostbite) or too buggy (I have learned to pee very quickly as a result of my fear of the attacking bugs- I cannot imagine voluntarily removing my clothes and exposing my entire body to the vampire mosquitoes.) This being said, tents and boats offer a certain appeal.
(Disclaimer: This post has nothing to do with my actual life, I thought that it was interesting and funny when I came across the article- please do not read more into it than that).

The following is an exert from the artice which can be read in full on the GORP website:
New Dimension

For many city folk, there's something mysterious and fascinating about those people who go wandering into the wild places. Those of you who are among the wanderers-in-wild-places, and who also could use an additional dimension to your dull and in-desperate-need-of-an-improved-image sex life, consider this: There are possibly millions of would-be partners in the cities, fascinated by the mystique surrounding you (even though you know better), who just might be snookered into a foray into the wild. This very same person, who rolls his or her eyes behind your back when you make those tired, predictable, city-fied come-on's in the office may thrill to the suggestion of a moonlight hike up Pike's Peak. Somehow, it triggers a different response than your offer of a midnight stroll through Central Park . . . unarmed. Opening Line to Remember:"How 'bout we go down on, er, I mean, to the Wildlife Preserve this weekend, Doris?"

The corollary to the above idea is this: Sex in the outdoors can also bring an added dimension to your otherwise wild but increasing-difficult-to-maintain-the-image-of sex life. For those who expend lots of energy creating and maintaining a grandiose public image of their sex life, there's always the danger of running out of material. You can only relate so many variations on your urban/suburban sexual experiences to fellow travelers on the subway before the crowd starts to yawn. Outdoor sexual scenarios, on the other hand, are virtually limitless and offer, additionally, the aura of the exotic and/or primitive. Even a mediocre story-teller can get great mileage out of the wilderness milieu. After all, how many people actually know how far it is up Pike's Peak?

So I really do live North of 60

I just thought I should let everyone know, including those living in sunny southern Ontario, that fall has arrived in Yellowknife. You could really feel a change in the wind temperature yesterday, last night was cold and today was chilly. The temperature on the Panda Mall clock read 4C (this thermometer is usually pessimistic; however, the weathernetwork does say that the temperature is 7C with a wind of 20km/hour).
Count down to home time has commenced.
Some of the stores that you can find in the Panda II Mall include:
Shopper's Drugmart
Video Rental
Ice Cream
Ryan's (chinese buffet)
Yellowknife Bookcellar
Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority
Chrissy's Closet
Department of Employment and Training
Gourmet Cup
NorthWin
Discovery North Service Directory
Extra Foods
Transport Canada

Successful Completion of River Kayak Level I

Yesterday I finished up my River course with NARWAL. We put our boats in at Cassidy Point and paddled across Prosperous Lake to Tartan Rapids. I have made this paddle previously but found it much more difficult in the highly responsive river boat (river boats are designed for the rapids not for straight paddling across the lake... my conclusion is that I need at least two boats and someone in a powerboat to be my caddy and cart the one I'm not using). Once we arrived at Tartan Rapids we scouted the rapids to get an overall idea of the river features and the hazards we might come across. That being done, we portaged the boats to the bottom of the rapids to get our 'river legs'. Cathy made us ferry back and forth acrosss the current and gradually work our way closer to the drop (where the waves are bigger). As we got more comfortable we started learning more skills (S-turns, slide-outs, etc). As the day progressed and I went swimming (aka tipping over my boat) more times, I learned to brace sooner and tilt the boat more. To avoid being tipped over you have to lean downstream and present the bottom of your boat to the current (this is very counter-intuitive). After many hours spent practicing at the bottom of the rapids we portaged our boats up the rapids and shot down them. Believe it or not it is far easier going down the rapids than it is maneuvering back and forth across them. All in all it was a very good day (despite the partying teenagers who arrived mid-day and generally caused a loud raucous throughout the afternoon) and I slept very soundly last night.
Important statistics for the day...
Number of bugs: 5 billion and 1
Average Number of bugs killed in one swat: 8.5
Number of bugs eatten per person: 10
Number of times my boat tipped over: 6
Number of kilometers paddled: 6 km on the lake; undetermined length in the rapids

The river kayak is shorter, and much more manueverable than a touring kayak. 

Leah and Sheena 

Angus and I eatting lunch... sitting in the smoke from the fire is the best way of avoiding the bugs 

My boat is the yellow and red one in behind... 

Look how pro I look with all my gear 

Tiffany and Brad 

Two of the instructors (Kaley and Leah) 

Coming back to shore at the end of the, banged up, tired and happy. 

On our way back from Cassidy Point we stopped at the Yellowknife River Day Use Area so that we could all take a flying leap off the bridge. 

Taking the plunge 

Bugs Build Character

I went for a hike tonight after work with Megan and Kali. We drove down the Ingram trail (which is really the highway that leads nowhere) a little bit and then set out towards Martin Lake and Rannie Hill. We made it to the top of the hill (which is the highest point in the Yellowknife area) and then decided to turn back because it looked like it might storm and the bugs were TERRIBLE.
Megan and Kali were tough and didn’t have bug jackets so I thought, I’m tough I don’t need a bug jacket. Half way to Rannie Hill I changed my mind and had to whip out the bug jacket. Let me tell you it made a huge difference in my enjoyment level. Once I was encased in my bug armour I could really enjoy the evening. The hill was beautiful, with lots of pink rock (I love the colour pink) and green moss. After our hike we decided to go swimming at Long Lake on our way home and it was so warm and so nice that I went in the water without a wetsuit. Yes, I think summer has finally arrived in Yellowknife.
While we were swimming, three guys in a jet ski boat thought Megan, Kali and I were pretty hot so they kept doing buzz bys and showing off how fast they could go and how many donuts they could do. They finally got up the courage to go by slowly and then they decided to come back and got close, started talking to us and we weren’t exactly friendly so then they said “opps, sorry I thought you were someone else” and drove away. Yeah, they were pretty smooth.
All and all an excellent summer evening in da ‘knife. Couldn’t be happier.

Let the hike (run to avoid the bugs) begin 

. 

Marshy (mosquitoe haven) area 

Lake enroute to Martin Lake