July 10, 2008

PUT UP A FENCE AND PAVE PARADISE

What, I ask, are they doing to my trails?

I think I shall call the mayor ….

July 9, 2008

LEAD ME DOWN THE DAISY PATH …

My path today. About one hour, in SUNSHINE. Yes, sun! I promise to be good if you come back tomorrow.

Posted by Loreth @ 7:48 pm | THE RUNNING LIFE,THE WHISTLER LIFE,THE WRITING LIFE | Comments

July 8, 2008

WILDERNESS GEEK

That would be me — a wilderness geek. Or would that be freak? I mean, I really *do* carry a ruler with me when I go running. Just in case, you know? I might run across a good print, or something. Like these perfect Black Bear paw marks above. Then I might want to size and document them. And of course, for that I need my camera …

My equivalent of a pocket protector would probably be the small ziplock bags that protect the bear banger cartridge I carry with me. I live in irrational fear that it will get wet and fizzle when I finally aim it at the jowls of a hungry cougar. Either that, or detonate prematurely in my pack. (Can just see the headlines)

I also carry an MP3. And dog spray. Think I need to lighten up some? Seriously, I’d have a much better run if I did. But then … I’d miss capturing prints like those.

It’s all the fault of MANHUNTER, I tell you — I should never have started the tracking research needed for that book. It set me down an interesting path … and I think I might have missed my calling. Then again … I can always put my growing body of tracking skills into stalking editors. See? I really *should* have gone to Thrillerfest … I could have put in some practice!!!

Posted by Loreth @ 8:57 pm | MANHUNTER,THE NORDIC LIFE,THE RUNNING LIFE,THE WHISTLER LIFE,THE WRITING LIFE | 2 Comments

July 5, 2008

PUNCHING THE DONKEY

For those who asked on the Harlequin site about the Donkey Puncher trail sign (my blog is posted there as well as on Facebook, and less-frequently on MySpace), nope, it has nothing to do with punching poor donkeys …. This area of Whistler where I run (Lost Lake) used to be an old logging cutblock back in the day, and apparently Donkey Puncher is an old logging term.

When logging was first mechanized, a small steam boiler – called a ‘steam donkey’ — was introduced to power the winching-up of heavy logs mounted on a ‘donkey sled’. The operator of the steam donkey was called the donkey puncher … and that’s one donkey puncher pictured above, with his steam boiler.

Posted by Loreth @ 3:18 pm | THE WHISTLER LIFE,THE WRITING LIFE | Comments