The House & other Arctic musings

Practice makes...

So, its been frustrating trying to get decent photos of the fish, mostly due to focus issues, with lighting being the other challenge. I just use the built in flash, so reflection would be a problem. Now, to deal with any glass reflection from the aquarium, I hold the lens against the glass. And for a couple of reasons, I found that holding the camera upside down produces better results. The images are easily flipped in Aperture.

And that leaves focus. Because there is little distance involved, the only lens I can really use is my 10-22, but on auto focus it wants to focus on the backdrop of the aquarium.  So I set the focus on manual, find a distance and try to judge when a fish is the right distance from the camera. Needless to say it is a less than perfect set up.  Here are a couple of my better results.

These are the bad boys of the tank.  The dominant male is the fish in the centre. He matured first and rules the tank. The blurred pale male is the main problem in the tank, I believe.  It is by far the most aggressive of the tank, both towards the females and the less dominant males. I think this is the fish responsible for the tank mortalities.

My female with the interesting behaviour is the large in focus female in this photo.

This young, but large male, has a very interesting, subtle, almost iridescent colouring, that unfortunately this photo fails to do justice to. It is also very meek, and has been run roughshod over by the paler male.

And another shot of the dominant male in the tank.

Guppy photo

Tonight I tried to take some photos of the fish, for the most part without success.  Ah, who am I kidding, completely without success. 

As it happens, the best shot includes the female I just wrote about.  Here she is with two males, and she's in female mode.  Although you can see a bit of her colours the photo somewhat mutes them. 

A guppy in disquise

A few months ago, we acquired about a dozen and a half of guppies. They were fry, or immature at the time we got them, and one of the issues we have, now that they are grown, is that we have too many males for the tank.  As a result of this the female guppies are forever harassed, as are the less dominant male guppies.  We also now have a number of fry in the tank, which will either further complicate, or perhaps alleviate part of the problem.

Anyone familiar with guppies know just how prolific of breeders they are. I commented on facebook, half in jest (I know mortality rates in the wild are high) that I wondered how streams with natural guppy populations don't quickly become plugged with them.

I was taking a long look at the tank just now and I think one of the females may have developed a strategy to avoid some of the harassment from the boys in the tank.  In general guppy females are larger than the males, but I've got one male who is the largest fish in the community. I thought I had two large males, but I now believe that one is a female disguising herself as a male.

This female is more colourful than other females, but not as colourful as the males. She doesn't seem to be bothered much by the males (although there has been some bothering as she appears "pregnant" to me - guppies are livebearers and the females when gravid get boxy and large).  She displays like a male from time to time.  Most interesting is what she does with her anal fin when there are males near by.

In male guppies the anal fin is modified into what is called the gonopodium. Its structure allows it to transfer sperm to the females vent. Unlike most fish fertilization takes place internally, and the eggs develop inside the female. The gonopodium generally lays along the fish's body, but the fish can swing it around in order to fertilize the female.  It doesn't look like a typical anal fin (although it did before the fish matured) and you can think of it as being somewhat analogous to a penis.

Now the very interesting thing about this female is that she will collapse her anal fin up against her body when there are males around, further looking like a male guppy, completing her disguise. I have no idea if this is a common strategy, or that if given her colouring and behaviour she has characteristics of both sexes. But is certainly a fascinating bit of natural history, all in the warm confines of our dining room.

Malaise

I've entered into some sort of unsettled mood of late.  It isn't a depression (I know the photos are "darker" but really I'm just playing in Aperture and this seemed as good of a post as any to put them up in) for I'm happy and joking. But I don't seem to do anything. I've gotten lazy.  Okay those of you with your hands in the air to say "lazier" can just put them down.

I find myself these days endlessly refreshing the Facebook pages and my stats or playing a game on Leah's iPod Touch, knowing that I could be using the time much more productively, but not even trying. My unfinished projects are no closer to being finished.

I'm assuming this has been brought about not working, and really I know I've got things to fill in my days. A lot of things. So this is my public kick in the pants. Its time to get at things that have been too long on the back burner, a booklet on the war dead from my home town; two or three screenplays; magazine articles that have been floating around; correspondence left uncorresponded, its time. My early New Year's resolution is to turn off the internet for at least a couple of hours a day, and get back to work.

And this time. I mean it. You can put down your hands.

Do I miss the Sun?

Not really.  Here's the sky from about 12:40 this afternoon. 

Sigh, photos

I guess I should start posting some photos on here, people who have found me via the Canadian Blog Awards for Best Photo/Art Blog will probably expect it.

Here's the the thing, its dark out up here. And I'm up against the like of Dave Brosha. Photography in the dark and near dark can be overcome, it just takes work (something I haven't been putting in to my photography for a little while). Competing against very good photographers is another thing altogether. The other thing is, well, I'm lazy. Since the move from the House I don't have quite the view I did. Well its still a great view its just cluttered with things other than a view.

So photos need to be taken from elsewhere, for the most part. Astute visitors will notice a lot of similarity in many of my photos. Its because many were taken from the deck of the House. So, the last scenics I took were way back in mid November. I have to work on that.

So, in the mean time I've been getting my photography kicks by playing with Aperture, learning the program and learning what works for various shots. Lets see... what can I share...

Here is a photo that has appeared before on the blog. I've played with it a bit in Aperture, deepening the colour saturation of the tent and lightening up the iceberg, which was a little understated in the past.

I've also been desperately trying to find a photo that just works with one of the Nik Software filters that I really like, but can't seem to find a photo with the right fit for. Its the Bleach Bypass filter.

Here is a scenic with it that I like, but I suspect won't thrill people as much as the traditional rendering that's below it. Okay, thrill might not be right word, but I think you know what I mean.

More Canadian Blog Awards

Amended....

The last two categories, Personal Blogs and Best Blog Overall, have opened up for voting now at the Canadian Blog Awards.

I, along with Michael's Meanderings; Reflections in the Snow-covered Hills; and Dispatches from the Failed Mommies Club (all worthy blogs) , have been nominated in the Personal Blog category.  Feel free to vote for me (and the others) if the feeling overtakes you.

In the overall category, two three blogs that I'm familiar with, Townie Bastard (which I consider one of the best blogs out there, period), my friend Tina's blog Just Below 63, and Madness and Beauty have been nominated.  Go now, cast your vote.

And while I'm madly throwing links about like so many beads at New Orlean's Mardi Gras, here is an extremely well written blog from a Canadian ex-pat who left a comment here today.  I'm going to be making it a regular stop, so should you... Letters Home

Canadian Blog Awards 2009

The first round of voting for this years incantation of the Canadian Blog Awards is up.  I'm not sure what to make of the mechanics of the voting this year.  I have no problems with ranking of the blogs, but what troubles me is that, with the exception of a couple of categories, there are no links to the nominated blogs. It seems to defeat much of the purpose of the awards if you can't check out who is nominated, without having to google the lot of them. Quite frankly I don't want to expend the energy and the time searching for the blogs to vote for.  All that this encourages is voting for people you already know, and one of the things I like about these contests is discovering new blogs.

That said, there are several northern blogs and friends nominated in different categories.

In Best Blog Post (one of the categories with actual links) both Reflections in the Snow-covered Hills (X2) and Kent of the North have been nominated

In Best Blog Post Series (links again) Townie Bastard has a nomination.

In Best Blog written by a Journalist Advocatus Diabli (excellent and well worth visiting for northern perspectives) and Reflections in the Snow-covered Hills have nominations.

Crafts, Cooking & Other Activities, has a friend of mine from northern Saskatchewan nominated, Terri's Knitblog.

Culture and Literature sees The Book Mine Set up for a nomination.

Family has a bunch of northern blogs nominated, Michael's Meanderings, Fawnahereo's Place, Reflection in the Snow-covered Hills, and Babies and Bulldogs all get nods.

GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bi-, Transgender) has a couple of Northern or north related blogs nominated: Gay White North and Ferry Tales.

New Blogs, which does include Links, includes In The Net (which must have the youngest author nominated) from the north and a great travel blog (although she's back home now) that I found in my quest to Blog Antarctica - Madness and Beauty

Photo/Art Blogs, is a category I'd dearly love to see links for but alas there are none. Dave Brosha Photography and Kluglanoch Corner are both nominated for this category.  I am also, but I don't hold out much hope, there isn't a lot of photographs on my blog this time of year. Thanks to whoever nominated me.

I think Podcaster/Vlogger has a couple of NWT blogs in it  YK Online and Kyle With.

While not a northern blogger, Scientific Chick, nominated in Science and Technology, is a blog I link to and enjoy.

Grant's Tomb, an NWT blog, is nominated in Sports Blogs.  Which just leave the over all Best Blog category and Personal, neither of which are open for voting as of right now.

So there you have it, check on the nominated blogs (although it will involve searching) see what you like and vote in this first round of voting (to narrow the field down to five). I encourage you to visit all the blogs in the northern blogosphere. There are many gems up here.

Silhouettes

Even though we have four vehicles (a truck, ATV, and two snowmobiles) none of them are working right now. The truck has serious braking issues (as in no brakes), the ATV probably could start but has been sitting in the cold for the fall winter and I don't want to spend the time required pulling it started (plus probably shouldn't with my back in the shape it is right now).  My four stroke just needs a boost, but is at my in-laws and I don't want to beg for someone with a vehicle for a boost right now, figuring I've used up enough favours for the next little while.

That leaves Leah's four stroke, and the other day it just wouldn't start. In the course of trying to figure out what was wrong I checked the oil and discovered the oil level was way too high. Having gone through this once before I smelled the oil and sure enough it smelled of gas. With my four stroke I discovered early on (the hard way) that if you leave the key on, and just shut the machine off with the kill switch the fuel pump continues to run and eventually all that gas ends up in the oil pan. Leah's machine apparently does the same, but hers doesn't have a key so I have to figure out why it's doing that. I also have to drain/change the oil.

All of this is just a long-winded way of saying I'm walking these days. No biggie, and better for me I know. Yesterday it was better for my soul too. I had a meeting in the afternoon, but first I had to walk in the opposite direction with Hilary, to drop her off at Leah's folks. The moon hung in the dark side of the sky behind us, and we walked towards the lighter southern horizon.

The horizon was banded by orange and pink that lightened to a light blue that deepened all the way across the sky, until it met the moon. Much of the land surrounding us was in silhouette, dark and not very detailed.  And then the Ravens came.

Three Ravens played and chased each other, simply dark birds against the lighter sky.  Their silhouettes danced, hung in the air, dipped and dived. Stark living shapes against a gorgeous painted background. One by one they dropped down, foraging near the shore, still visible, just not as dramatic.  I looked down at my little girl, and saw that she was looking up at me, smiling.

Requiem

On Monday we were no longer at the House. In truth, it was midnight Tuesday before we cleared the last of our stuff out and finished cleaning, the people following us giving us the time we needed. We actually started staying at the apartment Saturday night, and are adjusting to (much) smaller quarters.

Monday evening I found myself alone in the House, Leah and the others had gone down to her parents for her little sisters birthday celebration. I was taking a bit of a break, sitting in the darkened client's Dining Room, when I started looking around, admiring the details of the House's finish, and thinking about the good memories.

I got up, and wandered throughout the House, starting at the attic, touching walls, trim, window sills and what not. I was trying to soak up the essence of it all, the tactile memory of the place. I went to every room, every nook, of the near empty building. And it was good.

At the end of my tour I returned to the stairs and sat on them in the dark, remembering the times that I'd come back to the House after supper to find Gary sitting on the stairs, silently, in the dark House, watching the moon through the windows of the Great Room. I couldn't see the moon now, it was low on the southern horizon out of view from the East facing room. But I had already been outside admiring it, a thin crescent, orange in the sky just above the hills, and it was easy to sit back in the silence and contemplate all that happened there.

The loss of the House, emotionally, has been surprisingly easy for the most part. Probably that has much to do with how long the process has taken, how long this has hung over our head. Not that it has been without its stresses and dangers, there are many times they've bubbled to the surface of our family, our patience shorter and tempers quicker than they should be.

For me, the most emotional moment happened last week. Travis has taken to playing with our MacBook, having discovered the remote for it, listening to music mostly. I came in and laid down beside him as he was on our bed with the laptop. He had started a slide show from one of the photo folders, one of pictures taken during construction. As I sat there, watching the transformation from empty lot, to piling, to a floor and on and on, I cried, memories washing over me.

That done, I dried my eyes, hugged my son and went back to the boxes. There was still plenty of work to be done.

There still is.

House Construction med from Clare Kines on Vimeo.