Wild Whaleback Winter Hoedown!!!!!

.......and the winner is......BESSIE JESSO......Congratulations Bessie on your entry....great name....will sure to be a great time........of course a lot went on before this all came about and I am sure you have all read the email from Graham about the goings on with Aldonna. Now this story was written will such convivial and frolicsome language that it needed to be kept here for future moments when there is a lull in the tales by Graham.
......Now when you work with someone with the organizing ability of Aldonna O'Keefe you'd better be ready to strap yourself into the saddle and hold on for dear life because the pace of development is fast, furious and efficient.   So you don't believe me, do ya?  Well about a half-hour ago I got a call from "Pride of Moonshine Valley" now relocated to the Coast of Kippens and she said that she was organizing a Whaleback Nordic Variety Show for Friday, January 23.   I said Aldonna, my honey  ... January 23 is just a little over a week away and some of the crowd in the ski club are fast on their feet, but time is of the essence and we would have to organize a venue, entertainment, ticket sales, sound system, etc. etc. I know that I said earlier that some of the ski crowd are fleet of foot, but then there are others that take a week and half to decide which wax they'll apply.  I saw one unnamed skier spend 47 minutes at the Snowy owl intersection wondering which way to go.   How will we get that crowd up to speed? 
 
So when I was finished administering my wet blanket, her flames failed to diminish. In fact she said, "And that's not all Graham. I thought we'd have a ski social of sorts at one of the local pubs afterwards."  So much information passing through my hammer, anvil and stirrup bones .... I just could not cope. How could we do this, just too fast ... like I'm retired ... slow down ....  how do we sell 210 tickets, get performers, make a program, get Doug Fowlow to appoint someone to make tickets. Immediately I thought back to those hot sweaty August haymaking days near Graham's River (true ... you'll find the river when you visit my ancestral home of Judique)  when I would steal, yes steal, Hughy R.'so favorite stallion and jump on his back for a joy ride.  Once the old boy was free of the mowing machine "traces" (for the citified in the audience "traces" refer to the chains that connect the sleigh, or wagon, or hay mower to the horse  "and now you know") he would rear up on his hind  legs and take off due north, in the exact opposite direction of the barn and straight to an outback field of oats. Oh how he loved the sweet oats. We did grow oats in Cape Breton ya know.   Yee crowd over here in Newwwwwfounnnnndllllllannnnd grew clover, didn't ya!  We were much more sophisticated over in CB.  Yes back to the story ... It was five rifle shots to the field and riding Hughie R.s equine was like shimming the earth on one of Sadam's scub missiles.  Ya get the picture ... we were flyin' low .. ears back ..... and my little buttocks bouncing up and down like a jeep climbing the road to Joey's Lookout.  No time to wonder what to do.  Preservation of life was foremost on the frontal lobe, or is it the rear lobe ... I don't know ... somewhere in the cranium.
 
But I have digressed and I must stay on topic.  So the line up for tickets will soon be starting for the Whaleback Ski Social on Friday, January 23rd.   But hold it ... we need a name for the show because this may be an annual event.   And Sean O'Keefe suggested that the members give it a name ... like the time I had the party in Marble Mountain, Cape Breton ad called  it the First Triennial Marble Mountain Bizarre, Beer Garden, Sale of Work and Afternoon Tea.   What a Time it was?   Oh back on topic.  Yes we need name so please send me a name ... like "The Wicked Whaleback Whop Up at the Waldorf" ... doesn't make sense, does it?  ... we're having it at Stephenville High, not the Waldorf  ...  hhmmmm like "Whaleback's 90 Minute Musical Magical Show" ... hey the juices are starting to flow ... surely you can do better than me.    Yes,  and when that old horse reached the oat field he would settle into grazing and and like my scud missile, I am sure that by tomorrow Missy Aldonna will have contacted me with all kinds of details.
 
Now we need more than a name form you folks ... we need ticket sales ... and the cost looks like $5.00 a head, maybe more, and maybe $15.00 a family ... but if you have 10 kids, ya can't come because we'll not make enough money.  Now the social afterwards is still somewhere on the back of Hughy R.'s horse ... hasn't been figured out yet for sure ...well none of it has been figured out yet really ...except Aldonna knows it all and if you ever worked with Aldonna ... THE SHOW MUST GO ON! (written by GO in one of his moments :) )

"MISSING EQUIPMENT"......not again

Looking Out for Missing Equipment
 
Melinda and Linda are missing baskets off a set of aluminum rental poles that were just put out the other day ... unsure of colour but I think they were red ... and so we start another year of cat and mouse.  The poles were hung up on a hook one afternoon before the large crowds started coming into the chalet and the next time they looked (within hours), the baskets were gone.  Hmmmmmm  ....   Please advise me if you are missing something because we do have a file on missing items and if you do not bring it to our attention it will go unnoticed.  Like the GPS that went missing last year out of a gym bag and went unreported  .... the person who lost it did not want to be identified and I respect this, but it is good to file it as missing from the chalet becasue it is all part of the puzzle. (written by GO)
 
 

JACK RABBIT BEGINS!!!!

Jackrabbit Up and Running

Jackrabbit got off to a fine start today and as you can see from James Burt all laid out on the sofa at the chalet at 1:15 p.m today he was certainly all ready for Jackrabbit ... he just thought he'd charge his baterries before it commenced. It's wonderful grand to see all the new families engaging in jack Rabbit and touring down the trail. Today when I arrived back to the chalet at 4:30 families were sitting around eating timbits, drinking hot chocolate and chatting ... brought back memories of those post Jackrabbit session moments of leisure and the satisfaction of yet another session completed, but those times are long astern, but one can still drink up the ambience of the moment and flashback to the joys and travailles of "them days". According to daddy Mark, James was fully awake on the trail once Mark hit the START button. (written by GO)

WHALEBACK WILD WINTER HOEDOWN

Whaleback Wild Winter Hoedown
Friday, January 23, 2009 7:30 pm
Stephenville High School Theatre

Tickets $5.00 ($15 /family)
Available at Debbie’s Video and Whaleback Ski Club

Whaleback has slews of talented skiers! And it’s a family affair!! Come hear the likes of the St. Croix family, The Kippers, Sarah and Nelson and sons, Don Dunphy, Cal McNiven, Diane Doyle, Dave Joseph, The Mike and Jill Benoit family, Lisa Alexander, Hannah Blundon, SeaWind, Teddo and Sean, Albert Stewart…

We promise you’ll go away tapping toes and humming tunes!

Well, I must get on with the blogging......my first entry will soon be history and archived until someone decides to click on that area and read from the beginning. Graham is firing them at me fast and furious and they are too good to be just left floating in cyberspace.......THEY need to be saved....just in case anyone would like to write a BIOGRAPHY of our Wild Whaleback Writer!!!!
This is an old email I received on January 4th....lovely words here and not to worry I edit as I type (unlike some others).....


What a day on he trails ... sure there were more people up here than a craft fair at LA Bown....talkin' of such ... Rozanne Ploughman and Anne Marie White have plans to work on a quilt at the chalet this winter while they are slated to be volunteer attendants.  This can't be... like,  when I was teaching I couldn't do craft work on the job ... and here they are planning to make quilts ... the next thing you know Roy Bungay will be playing the violin ... shockin' these retirees .. ya can't find good workers anymore.   I saw two bunnies atop Racer's Edge today and were they ever havin' a grand chat ... sure they had traffic stopped for a half hour ... lies not true  ... now I did compliment them  but rather than move along they just stayed there lookin' right wholesome like ... no names here for fear of repercussions.   Boy Howard Skinner can't wait to get back from Ottawa .. I dare say there wouldn't be a stick of wood along the trails at Whaleback that will be safe ... there'll be bridges built, weeds cut ... and date squares eaten ... not to mention .. he's gotta get in shape with the rest of us ... so for the first few days just let him run ... ya know ,like letting your dog run after he's been pent up in the car on the Caribou crossing the Gulf and ya stop at the Seal Island brigde to give him a run ... Howard needs some space to ski, cut and  boilup after that long spell in owwwwwwtttaaw  ... welcome back folks.   I see Wallace and Tina back on the trails after a sojourn in Ottawa ... and Bruce was also up in Otatwa for a ski and visit ... hmmm Danny Gallant must be recruiting ..... speaking of "Danny Boy" he must be skied to death with all the snow they got in the Nation's Capital ...  Danny drop us a note sometime and tell us what's happening.   Gotta run Desparate Housewives is coming on ..... who will connect with who ... will Sally meet Harry ... will Bob Ted Carol and Alice get togetehr ... sorry folks .. I'm fakin' it ... I really don't have a clue about the show ... but it is about to come on and I am getting foolish and must call earl Hunt about tomorrow's work party ... GO

Humble Hut for Jackrabbits and Friends

Here is another series of photos representing the excellent hard workers that we have here at Whaleback......Great Work.....although Mike WAS looking forward to catching those trout..............I had to add this email....as GO wrote it as it was just like a fairy tale...........

Humble Hut for Jackrabbits and Friends Completed!

With blue sky overhead and a crisp chill in the air, Don Cormier pounded
home the final nail on the roof of our humble wilderness hut affectionately
known as the pentagon. As prescribed, the day commenced at 8:00 a.m. and
with the exception of a 20 minute break for a mugup it was seven bodies flat
out for nine and a half hours until the project was completed. Well, to be
truthful there are still a few outstanding little details to look after, but
other than that, the pentagon is ready for a new stove pipe and a good
sweeping and then it's moose stew for all the gang around the wood stove.
The pentagon, although humble and minute in appointment and stature, has
served us well over the years and with the new multi-coloured shingle
facelift, it should last for some time.

The first star of the day goes to Donald B. Cormier who has his degree in
stove pipe installation as well as chimeny demolition. Don also won the
door prize of the day which was trip for two to Toronto for a week and he
and his honey promptly departed for the Big Smoke the next morning. True
story ... ask Debbie at Debbie's Video. Carter Powers walked away with a
blue ribbon for tarring shingles in precise 5 cm strokes and he was also
given a smokey award for chief fireman, while Earl Hunt once again earned
the Teamster of the Day Award for carrying great big loads of materials to
and from the site. Jack Lamond won the Craftsman Skill Saw Award of
Excellence for cutting a four foot rip of OSB board as straight as a laser
beam without using a square, or a straight edge. Jack White showed
diligence in the line of duty for taking over the lead shingler position as
dusk fell upon the gathering. Dan Rumbolt chipped in with the John
Mansfield De-insulation Award for stripping the insulation out of the
ceiling in the time it takes for a grey jay to steal your lunch. Big thanks
to all the gang ... without their help we would have lost the pentagon roof
this season as it was obvious when we took off the roof that it was almost
ready to collapse due to rot in the centre rafters. And get this, the
project was estimated at $650. and came in at $300. +/- ... a full $300. +
under budget. When times are tough resourcefulness steps up to the plate.
And yes Jacko, thanks for scrounging some damaged OSB board for the project
and thanks to everyone else who donated supplies and their time.

Some more preseason workers!

3 PROS and a WaxHut!

I came upon this email that I received from none other than GO himself entitled "3 pros and a waxhut"......misreading this I thought it said..."3 pros and a waxnut".......so when I saw the busy squirrels working in these pics....it did make some sense......as you can see by these pics we have very dedicated volunteers at Whaleback Nordic! Thank you for all your hard work and dedication on these projects as needed (of course, what else is there to do when you are retired). Here is a part of the email that I received and did not read at the time.

"............ As I mentioned
in a previous email there are a number of projects that we have on the
agenda before the snow flies and seeing as we are a club with a limited
budget we are trying to solict assistance from the membership to get the job
done. Saturday, Earl Hunt led the charge to put a new roof on the wax hut
which was very badly in need of repair. Within the next week we hope to get
a fine day to put a new roof on the old officials hut which is in deplorable
condition. Once repaired, this building will become our new woodshed and
will be located at the rear of the ski chalet near the back door and the old
woodshed will then become a new rental storage area. We will also have a
few TRAIL MAINTENANCE DAYS coming up so if you have time on your hands and
wish to volunteer drop me a note. Some of the work parties may be on the
weekend, while others may be held suring the week. Word has it that Howard
Skinner has skinned off to labrador, so we'll have to leave some work for
him to do when he returns. Howard will not be pleased if we finish all the
work while he is absent form the scene.

Big thank you to Earl for providing the leadership on Saturday's project.

SEA TO SEA UPDATES

On Friday, November 7th, I received this email from a certain someone from the TOM CODS (not mentioning any names)......I know it is outdated but quite entertaining.
Its time to stir it up once again...
With December approaching, it seems that particular members of the
Whaleback Nordic Sea To Sea Team - The Tomcods are starting to cause
tremors on the ocean floor or ripples on the surface. Team Captain Greg
Noonan was quoted..." it all started last week when I ran into Shawn
Tilley who said that he skied 4kms. thus far." When quizzed about where he
skied and was it classic or skate technique, Tilley replied that he
strapped on his classics and skied the soccer pitch. WOW. Thats
dedication...something that the tomcods have lots of!
However, not to Noonans surprise he has learned that 2 members of the
Tomcods are members of the local Curling Club and have been curling on a
regular basis for the past 2 weeks. Alex Parr and Debbie Noonan have
joined the curling community and have silently been using Klister on their
shoes in an attempt to learn more on the dynamics of this grip wax on the
ice of the curling club. Alex was quoted as saying this year with the ice
that's available at the club, he hopes to be on even Parr when he hits the
snow. "I don't think I will be at an advantage...but sliding on the ice
does remind me of the glitter that's known to hit Port Hope Simpson from
time to time." Debbie Noonan just grinned in response to using klister on
the ice at the curling rink. "I wish we had this(klister) years ago when
we walked to school during freezing rain. I used to be the first at the
school door."
Noonan reminded team members that it's nice to support wellness but don't
expect these extra kms to be entered in the CCC website. "It don't start
till Dec. 1st" he warned.
Noonan hoped that this news don't cause to much fuss and rail road the AGM
scheduled on Nov. 15th. "Participation is the key, it looks like a fun
filled winter ahead, don't get upset if some Sea To Sea Teams are far out
ahead already."

"THE SEASON HAS BEGUN"

Well, folks I guess the time has come to start telling tales again about the trails, about the people, about the place.....yes,,,,,it's time once again for Oliver's (and others) twisted tales and from looking through my various outdated emails I see I have a lot of work ahead of me. I am trying to play catch up while my torn ligaments heal themselves as I probably won't be passing anyone on the ski trails just yet, only 'kickin and a glidin' for me. So I guess the place to start is here.