Wednesday, January 11, 2006
"Road-Kill", "Otters", and "Running Water"
Jan. 10 AM I headed for the hangar as I had to haul some freight up to Pauingassi, using Walter Turbine Otter C-GBTU, outfitted with de Havilland wheel-skis. As I "beetled" down the highway, something caught my eye, and I deemed it as needing a closer look.
"Hey, you 2 dumb hounds, what are you up to?"
Looks like those 2 "soup-hounds" are lunching on "road-kill".
It was a deer.
Slightly "grisly", but nonetheless "amazing", as other animals and birds have had a meal and will continue to survive during the winter. Nature reclaims her own, while providing for others. Then, I was "on the road again"........
As I drove to Silver Falls, I couldn't believe how warm it has been for January. The intense low pressure systems in the Pacific are keeping the warmer Maritime air over the prairies. I saw a "Robin Red-Breast" Jan. 7 eating "shriveled" crab apples still on the tree in my yard, and I have seen numerous "coveys" of grouse awake and scurrying around on top of the snow this past week. The "weasel" that lives in my yard has been active also lately, lunching on whatever "meal" he can find. Anyways, I "snapped back" to the present and pulled into the yard at Silver Falls, and BTU greeted me.
BTU!
Engine tent keeping her warm..........
Head Engineer Ken Tsuji checking ski pressure and hydraulic fluid reservoir level.....
The wheel "lifts" off the ground as the skis are "deployed" and checked........
I had a few minutes before my flight, so I took a quick walk, camera in hand.
What a funny-looking "contraption".........
Surprise! It is Lac Seul Airways' Otter HXY ready for paint, and temporarily "sunning" herself outside...........
Then I went in the hangar.
"Hmmm, Otter C-FYLZ. What is up with her?"
"Ah-Hah! The "hangar boys" are converting her to the Walter Turbine engine!"
Nose cowl........
Pre-conversion parts, now unnecessary...........
Then, it was departure time. I "lit the stove and turned on the fan", and I was airborne for Pauingassi, with a load of groceries.
Northbound!
Sasaginnigak Lake, frozen solid, though there is thin, "brown" ice covering a shallow spot we know as "shear-pin chute". In January it should be solidly frozen, but it isn't.
North end of Sas, and the cloud cover moves in.
I landed on frozen Fishing Lake at Pauingassi, and as I pulled off the ice runway, Doug "McLeod" Burton landed after me in Wamair's Caravan, C-FLXY.
Unloaded!
The boys fire up their ski-doos to move closer.........
Re-positioned and loading up the ski-doo trailers. There are a "few" trips with freight for the boys........
Doug and I chatted and "laughed our asses off" for awhile, and then we both took-off, and headed for our respective Bases.
"Flogging" back to Base, and detouring a ways to the east........
Yes, quite the weather this winter. The "placidly-flowing" Manigotagan River is still wide open, and just about every creek I checked out on the way back from Pauingassi was open or wet.........
......and finally, back at Base. This is Silver Falls, on the Winnipeg River. It always stays open, but on other areas of the river there is more open water than usual. Time for a whisky!!!!!!!!!
"Hey, you 2 dumb hounds, what are you up to?"
Looks like those 2 "soup-hounds" are lunching on "road-kill".
It was a deer.
Slightly "grisly", but nonetheless "amazing", as other animals and birds have had a meal and will continue to survive during the winter. Nature reclaims her own, while providing for others. Then, I was "on the road again"........
As I drove to Silver Falls, I couldn't believe how warm it has been for January. The intense low pressure systems in the Pacific are keeping the warmer Maritime air over the prairies. I saw a "Robin Red-Breast" Jan. 7 eating "shriveled" crab apples still on the tree in my yard, and I have seen numerous "coveys" of grouse awake and scurrying around on top of the snow this past week. The "weasel" that lives in my yard has been active also lately, lunching on whatever "meal" he can find. Anyways, I "snapped back" to the present and pulled into the yard at Silver Falls, and BTU greeted me.
BTU!
Engine tent keeping her warm..........
Head Engineer Ken Tsuji checking ski pressure and hydraulic fluid reservoir level.....
The wheel "lifts" off the ground as the skis are "deployed" and checked........
I had a few minutes before my flight, so I took a quick walk, camera in hand.
What a funny-looking "contraption".........
Surprise! It is Lac Seul Airways' Otter HXY ready for paint, and temporarily "sunning" herself outside...........
Then I went in the hangar.
"Hmmm, Otter C-FYLZ. What is up with her?"
"Ah-Hah! The "hangar boys" are converting her to the Walter Turbine engine!"
Nose cowl........
Pre-conversion parts, now unnecessary...........
Then, it was departure time. I "lit the stove and turned on the fan", and I was airborne for Pauingassi, with a load of groceries.
Northbound!
Sasaginnigak Lake, frozen solid, though there is thin, "brown" ice covering a shallow spot we know as "shear-pin chute". In January it should be solidly frozen, but it isn't.
North end of Sas, and the cloud cover moves in.
I landed on frozen Fishing Lake at Pauingassi, and as I pulled off the ice runway, Doug "McLeod" Burton landed after me in Wamair's Caravan, C-FLXY.
Unloaded!
The boys fire up their ski-doos to move closer.........
Re-positioned and loading up the ski-doo trailers. There are a "few" trips with freight for the boys........
Doug and I chatted and "laughed our asses off" for awhile, and then we both took-off, and headed for our respective Bases.
"Flogging" back to Base, and detouring a ways to the east........
Yes, quite the weather this winter. The "placidly-flowing" Manigotagan River is still wide open, and just about every creek I checked out on the way back from Pauingassi was open or wet.........
......and finally, back at Base. This is Silver Falls, on the Winnipeg River. It always stays open, but on other areas of the river there is more open water than usual. Time for a whisky!!!!!!!!!
