Yukon Chatter Bug

Voices can be heard
Like the rumble of the train -
Lively, loud, in conversation.
But with barely a word,
The sound subsides
Until only the hissing can be heard.
And finally, it, too, dies.

No more discourse.

Learning stays within the box,
That which is in the agenda
Or on the track
Of the one for whom
The taking of the post
Was in the hopes
Of making a difference.

Instead, it was a hindrance.

A hindrance to whom the voices belonged,
To discourse,
And to freedom of thought.

Being in the middle of winter, reminiscing about summer days helps me to warm up. It’s not just the thought of being on a warm sandy beach, but it’s especially the memories of friends I hold close to my heart. One such friend has a cottage on beautiful Sauble Beach. I can’t begin to tell you how relaxing it is in this little piece of paradise, so I try to spend time there every chance I get. Although the photos tend to show very few people (if any) on the beach, there are hordes of people there during summer weekends.

Here’s a (simple) mini photo essay I created. The formatting is a bit different from the original, as I had to try and convert it into electronic format.

Set on the shores of Lake Huron in Southern Ontario, Sauble Beach occupies a seven-mile (11km) strip of beach just west of the Bruce Peninsula. It is easy to see why this sandy beach is often compared to resort beaches of the Mediterranean. One major difference, however, is the number of people making use of it.
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The beach strip is owned and maintained by the Saugeen (Ojibway) First Nation Band. For a small fee, beachgoers may bring their vehicles onto designated areas of the beach. The money collected helps with efforts to keep the beach clean. Regrettably, allowing vehicles on the beach threatens the very resource that attracts tourists to this sunny destination: its sand dunes and fragile vegetation.

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Some grasses at Sauble Beach are considered rare and are restricted to the shores of Lake Huron. Efforts are currently in place to help reduce the impact of human and vehicle traffic to protect the delicate dunes of this area.

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Aside from soft sand and high waves, the beach is known for its magnificent sunsets. At this time of day, cottage owners, residents, and visitors converge on the beach to view the spectacular scene. No one seems to ever get tired of this daily show.

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Sauble Beach is a great place to be to catch incredible storms over the lake. The calm after the storm at sunset time makes for unique pictures. This photo was taken without any digital enhancement. The fiery red sky is truly awe-inspiring.

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Finally, some wonder what use a beach would be without play…

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Solitude,

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Or a little romance?
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To say that I’m impressed with the service at Whitehorse Public Library is an understatement. About a week ago, I finished reading a young adult novel (The City of Ember) for one of my classes (the goal of the course is to get student-teachers familiarized with children’s literature). I had borrowed the book from a classmate, and it was so good that I decided to see if I could get my hands on the sequel, The People of Sparks. It turned out that the library didn’t have a copy of either, but was awaiting the arrival of Part III. Who would want to read the third part without first reading the others? Anyway, I proceeded to make a purchase suggestion to the library, and within a week, Part II has arrived. Talk about impressive service! Wait ’til you hear about the Yukon College library…for another post.

Yes, I’m finally in the blogosphere! My colleague, Laurie, who’s been encouraging me to start my own blog, will be so proud of me. Admittedly, I’m just trying to get my feet wet, so I don’t expect to be posting daily (maybe not even weekly). It’s just a test, shall we say.

This wordpress thing is soooo easy. In a matter of a few minutes, it is up and running and here I am typing away. I’m amazed that I didn’t even need the help of my techie boyfriend. (Well, he did provide feedback on a variety of names I was playing around with for the blog.)

What will this whole thing be about? Anything and everything. I’m a full-time student, so I’m guessing some of my postings will be about student life. Living in the Yukon will make for some interesting stories, too, and who knows what else. I also enjoy taking photographs, so I’ll try and include many. Wherever my thoughts take me, and if you’re interested enough to read them, then enjoy the ride!