I'm making a change for the better... I think.
Lets just call it an attempt at breaking a very bad habit. When I used to work at the CBC bureau in Prince George, I used to drink 2-3 cups of Tim Horton's coffee a day. We shared a building with the Canadian icon, and I love coffee. It was a terrible equation, that led to my increased appetite for java.
Anyway two years ago, we had an intern at the office where I worked in Prince George. Her name was Adrian Mrdeza. During that whole summer, she would accompany me to the Tim Horton's but would always bring her OWN mug, while I continued to get my coffee's to go. Although she attempted to get all of us to change our wasteful habits, I resisted.
Nowadays I live in Prince Rupert. I've reduced the amount of coffee I drink (about 1-2 cups now), but have continued to use paper cups. As the so-called Green Traveller, I see the error in my ways. I've decided I'm going to make a real effort in following Adrian's advice, and BMOM (Bring My Own Mug). It's a minor incovenience, in that I hate washing dishes, but it is for the better. At least I'll be saving the landfill from hundreds of paper cups and plastic lids.
PS Before I wrote this I had a coffee NOT using my to-go mug... so the mission staaaaaaarrrrrrrrrttttttssssssss......................................NOW!!!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
From Summer to Fall to Winter
So things have slowed down considerably. It's been a BUSY few months. The shoot is already a month old, but my return to the real world has been filled with plenty to do. At my CBC gig, we just orchestrated the best live show, in conjunction with Hockeyville. Organizing the morning show and national radio sports coverage was daunting but completely worth it. In addition to that, being a full-time dad. That was one thing I hated about being on the road. I hated being away from my newborn daughter. Now, I'm working on an article for "Spirit of the North," magazine.
I submitted an article in its inaugural edition. My Green Traveller adventures will not be featured til next Spring. In the meantime I've been wracking my brain about what I'll write about for the upcoming winter edition. Again I'm not green expert, but I thought a list of some fun "green" things to do this Winter sounded like a fun thing to do. Nonetheless, because I'm not an outdoor enthusiast, this has been a challenge.
Already I've written about ice fishing at Stuart Lake in Fort St. James (despite my laughable fishing ability), cross country skiing near Prince George, and taking in the parade of lights in Vanderhoof. I'm not sure what else I have in me, but will likely do something about Skiing at Shames and Powder King... perhaps a snowshoeing excursion in the peace region? Who knows.
Anyway, editing continues. Marc is still logging tape. I think the real editing will not start until November/December. We'll see.
I submitted an article in its inaugural edition. My Green Traveller adventures will not be featured til next Spring. In the meantime I've been wracking my brain about what I'll write about for the upcoming winter edition. Again I'm not green expert, but I thought a list of some fun "green" things to do this Winter sounded like a fun thing to do. Nonetheless, because I'm not an outdoor enthusiast, this has been a challenge.
Already I've written about ice fishing at Stuart Lake in Fort St. James (despite my laughable fishing ability), cross country skiing near Prince George, and taking in the parade of lights in Vanderhoof. I'm not sure what else I have in me, but will likely do something about Skiing at Shames and Powder King... perhaps a snowshoeing excursion in the peace region? Who knows.
Anyway, editing continues. Marc is still logging tape. I think the real editing will not start until November/December. We'll see.
Monday, September 21, 2009
MORE PICS!!!!
I Heart Haida Gwaii!!! EVEN MORE PICS!!!
Biking was my favorite. Except for that part where it rained everyday, and I was super drenched, and I realized my water-resistant jacket is not.
Edge of the World music festival - amazing!!! My hula-hoopin' mad skillz... not so much.
Talking, thinking, reflecting... man-bonding
I sailed us across... whew we made it. That was some party. Now how to get back?
They're posing.. I'm thinking.. where is my food already. By the way this is at the Trouthouse. Some of the best food on the island.
EVEN MORE PHOTOS!!!
Remember a week ago, when I told you about my journey to find the Golden Spruce? That's not a naked Sasquatch... nope... that's my old man body. Don't let your kids see this...
We sat at the beach and thought about what we did. Marc's having a hard time. He's sad that after today, its back to 'real' life... boooo
Pretty cool eh!!! My bike is a cyborg sent back from the future. It's been re-programmed to film... and love.
This is what you call high-tech filming. The budget for this shoot was a 1.95. It took 4 hours to set up. Dafne is dry... and although smiling... wants to bury me in the sand.
Meal fit for a king. The meal was crafted for the Green Traveller. Stomach (Marc) ate in between shots. You can't see his face, but he's smiling.Random pics of the final leg!!!
It's been awhile. And although I was going to start narrating the next leg of our journey... I realized my last post did NOT include photo's. Since I don't think that's fair. Today's special post harkens back to a sunnier time on Haida Gwaii!!! Enjoy. My newest update is coming shortly. I'll be sharing my latest works, and also enlightening ya'll with my neato green travel finds!!!!
Hi, I'm Marc Buzzell. I'm the guy that's going to make magic happen. I film, edit, and love poutine. My wife looks like Rob's wife, because their twins. Although Rob's wife is hotter than mine...
For 4 weeks, we went without Tim Horton's. I managed to find a coffee cup... and play pretend. Inside...? boat coffee :(
THIS LOVELY LADY!!! The third part of our zany team. DAFNE ROMERO extroardinaire. Funny, lively, and a great cook (and filmmaker).
After many weeks, we could still give each other man-hugs. Notice the small space between us. That's because of the 4 weeks of 'man-stink'
Dude this bike is AMAZING... Dafne hired a fella to weld this arm on. It created the most amazing shots known to man. My fat face closeup... while biking in the rain. I like the rain, because no one could tell I was crying.Sunday, September 6, 2009
Final leg + a Dafne!!!
After four days of kayaking through Gwaii Haanas. Many more adventures lie ahead. 120+ kilometers of highway, a golden spruce and a spectacular beach. Read on my friends, read on...
It's safe to say, Marc and I were getting tired. We'd been shooting for 3 weeks at this point, and still had plenty of adventures ahead of us. I remember feeling mentally, emotionally and physically tired... and was getting pretty homesick... but I knew I had to keep the momentum going.
We arrived back at Skidegate landing on September 8th. The plan was to hop on a bike and head to Tlell for the "Edge of the World Music Festival." We hopped off the Ferry at 7 PM. We had only a few hours to get back on the road to make it 40 KM to Tlell. First though, we were to meet up with the third portion of our team. Dafne Romero.
Dafne is pretty amazing. She's a well trained filmographer with a resume background 3 pages long. She's originally from Mexico, went to film school in Canada, and eventually made her way here to Haida Gwaii. Not only is she the driving force behind many film projects on the island, she also is an avid seaweed harvester and makes kelp soap. She had heard about the Green Traveller, and called me up at my home a few months back and asked how she could become a part of the project. Being that she had years of film experience, and amazing insight into Haida Gwaii, we quickly agreed to bring her onboard. Man was she ever a god-send. Not only would her wealth of knowledge help us along the way, but her contacts on the island were/are impressive. On more than one occasion, we'd escape the torrential rain by her simply calling up a friend along the way. Impressed? You bet!!!
That evening we burned to Dafne's house. Marc and I had days of "Man-stink" to wash off, so we took the time to shower up and repack. Our newest partner left us for a spell to pick up a little surprise. Unbeknownst to us, she had been working on something special for our shoot. She equipped a mountain bike with the most amazing piece of equipment. Basically, it is a metal arm to hold a camera. It's mounted on the handlebars, this innovation we'd quickly learn would give us some of the best shots of the trip.
After packing our things, loading the bikes, we later made our way to Tlell. We decided to stay at our friend Jo's (Green Coast Kayaking) cabin. Not only did Jo guide us through Gwaii Haanas, she also let us stay at her home while she was away. We first unpacked our gear at the cabin, and made our way to the "Edge of the World" music festival just up the highway.
I had NO clue what to expect. I've been to many music festivals in northern British Columbia before. I assumed that this would be just like any other, but was I ever wrong.
When I first arrived at the festival grounds, I walked through an arch. Suspended above the arch was a handmade sign, and colourful lights. Facing inward were a number of food and arts vendors. Directly in front to my right was a massive stage for the performers. Hundreds of people were huddled about at the various vendors and in front of the stage. As I walked around, I noticed a sign directing me to the "Workshop" tent. It is here I would later learn some basic folk dance moves, and about hula hoop making. In the center of the grounds, various stations were set up. I tried my hand at making large bubbles... but I'm a rather impatient fellow and quickly moved on. Not far from there, I noticed a bunch of kids hula-hoopin.' I walked up, grabbed a hula hoop and gave it a whirl. I quickly learned that Hula Hooping isn't for everybody... actually I learned Hula Hooping isn't for me.
As the day turned to night, coloured lights strewn around the open grounds illuminated the festivities. I noticed people congregating at a corner building. Each person was holding a pole with a different paper lantern. They then marched in single file throughout the writhing bodies in front of the stage, and around the entire festivities. The sight is both surreal, and astonishing.
At one point, Marc leaves to look for the beer vendor, but to no avail. The neatest thing about the "Edge of the World Festival?" It is a pure family event. That would explain why we would still see kids out with their parents til the midnight hour.
The next day, Marc and I had a nice sleep in. We awoke, though, to what was inevitable. Although we had been blessed by sunny skies for virtually our whole shoot... the reality of the weather was about to set in. Haida Gwaii and the Northcoast are essentially rainforests. As I peered out the cabin windows at Jo's place, I saw the rain return, and thanked my lucky stars that I packed extra rain gear.
We were on our way to Port Clements, but not before heading to the Pesuta. Basically the Pesuta is an old log barge that grounded on East Beach in the early 1900's. A cable towing the barge snapped during a winter storm while on the Hecate Strait. It takes us two hours to walk to the remote beach, but we are in for a treat. The weather conditions, although torrential, paint the perfect scene when we arrive. Waves crash into the beach... white ocean foam can be seen on the sandy edge. A fine mist falls from the grey puffy clouds. The wind rips into us uncontrollably. The wind is so loud, I have trouble hearing my co-workers. It's perfect.
After a four hour ordeal (and some wicked shots), Dafne, Marc and I head on down the highway. We make way for Port Clements before camping inside a gazebo overnight to keep dry and warm.
The next morning we make the short trek to another nearby location. The site of the Golden Spruce. The story behind the spruce is well known. The sacred tree was cut down in the mid-nineties, by a disgruntled logger. Needless to say the world got pissed off, the guy was charged, and he mysteriously disappeared shortly after. When we arrived at the site, we wondered just what I would say to the camera. Do I give the history of the golden spruce? Do I speak about its cultural significance? I was not sure... that is until we got there.
When you walk up the trail, there is a sign that directs you to look across the creek to where the Golden Spruce once stood. The only problem? We couldn't see it, nor the stump. We looked and looked and looked. Passerby's tell us, they couldn't figure out where it was either. So what does a Green Traveller do? He rips off all his clothes down to his skivvies and makes the brave voyage across the murky tepid slow moving waters. It sounds amazing, but it isn't. My body is soft, farmer tanned, and as I step into the water I slip and fall. Eventually I would heave my semi-naked body onto the opposite shore... find the spruce... but lose my dignity in the process...
After we finished up there, we headed to Massett, and thereafter Towhill.
The bike ride to Massett is pretty cool. There is not a lot of traffic, but for the few cars I see, the lot of deer makes up for it. Along the quiet highway, all I can think about is the black bear. what happens if I see one? Do I turn around? Do I make a lot of noise? Do I stop and wait for it to go? For the love of Haida Gwaii, I don't see one. The ride to Massett is pretty flat... along the way I sing to myself, and enjoy the serene ride to the northern tip. For this portion of my trek, not a single raindrop falls.
Dafne and Marc are ahead of me working out a place to stay. There was no doubt it would rain again, and so they feverishly looked for a few of Dafne's contacts in the North. We would stay that night at a wonderful lady's house, named Kelli.
Not only does Kelli live near Towhill, she runs one of the best restaurants on the island (if not northern BC). The next day, I get up, and we plan to have her restaurant in the shoot. The reason being? Her business was built with her own two hands. The building is made up of recycled material, and Kelli uses her own grown produce from her garden and nearby rhubarb bed. Its everything we are looking for on the Green Traveller.
The meal is an amazing 4 course meal. For starters I have the most amazing hummus and homemade pita bread. The next course is herring eggs on kelp with salad. After that, a crab melt followed by a scrumptious rhubarb/raspberry pie. DELIGHTFUL. In between filming, Marc and Dafne test the goods. We all agree.. its amazing.
After eating up, we head down the road to another bakery. Moon over Naikoon is a neat little eatery on the way to North beach. Its tucked against the dirt road, amidst large standing trees. At its entrance, are massive whale bones. There is no power inside. The property uses wind energy as its primary source of power. The chocolate cake is to die for.
Afterwards, we head to Towhill. I wasn't looking forward to this, not knowing what to expect. After a short (but steep) hike, I'm treated to the best view on the island. Following that, we climb down the other side to the "Blowhole." The blowhole is a natural formation along the ocean edge in a layer of rock. Basically, over the years, the water created a hole in the underside of the rock. Underneath is a kind of cave that exits at our feet. On this day though, the blowhole is not doing a lot of blowing. It's kind of disappointing.
On our last day we head to North Beach. Cloud covers most of the sky. IT looks like we may be rained out on our last shoot. We decide to set up anyway. We put up tarps to protect the equipment. for this final shoot, Marc and I decide to just have a long discussion about our whole journey and the things we learned along the way. One topic comes up though. What will be the final image of this pilot? What image will we leave the viewers with? We pondered on that for awhile... then something amazing happened. As we were talking, the clouds near towhill opened up. Opposite that, down the beach... the most amazing rainbow arched down onto the beach below. We knew then what our final shot would be. With the camera's rolling, i walk into the horizon towards the rainbow. Trailing behind me is Marc. He catches up and we walk off into the distance. Beautiful.
On the way back we notice a number of dead sea life littering the beach. I wasn't sure what they were. I find out they are dead Humboldt squid. I count 28 within 100 meters. I would later learn that the squid are not native to Haida Gwaii. In fact they live normally off the coast of California and Mexico. A strange El Nino phenomenon has seen them come up as far as Haida Gwaii... where they've washed up in the hundreds. I'm thinking Calamari. The hundreds of flies though change my way of thinking.
As we wrap up our gear... The only question we have is... where to next?
***Coming up next.... What happens with our Green Traveller shoot from here on in? Some insight into what Marc/Dafne/I have planned in the months ahead.
It's safe to say, Marc and I were getting tired. We'd been shooting for 3 weeks at this point, and still had plenty of adventures ahead of us. I remember feeling mentally, emotionally and physically tired... and was getting pretty homesick... but I knew I had to keep the momentum going.
We arrived back at Skidegate landing on September 8th. The plan was to hop on a bike and head to Tlell for the "Edge of the World Music Festival." We hopped off the Ferry at 7 PM. We had only a few hours to get back on the road to make it 40 KM to Tlell. First though, we were to meet up with the third portion of our team. Dafne Romero.
Dafne is pretty amazing. She's a well trained filmographer with a resume background 3 pages long. She's originally from Mexico, went to film school in Canada, and eventually made her way here to Haida Gwaii. Not only is she the driving force behind many film projects on the island, she also is an avid seaweed harvester and makes kelp soap. She had heard about the Green Traveller, and called me up at my home a few months back and asked how she could become a part of the project. Being that she had years of film experience, and amazing insight into Haida Gwaii, we quickly agreed to bring her onboard. Man was she ever a god-send. Not only would her wealth of knowledge help us along the way, but her contacts on the island were/are impressive. On more than one occasion, we'd escape the torrential rain by her simply calling up a friend along the way. Impressed? You bet!!!
That evening we burned to Dafne's house. Marc and I had days of "Man-stink" to wash off, so we took the time to shower up and repack. Our newest partner left us for a spell to pick up a little surprise. Unbeknownst to us, she had been working on something special for our shoot. She equipped a mountain bike with the most amazing piece of equipment. Basically, it is a metal arm to hold a camera. It's mounted on the handlebars, this innovation we'd quickly learn would give us some of the best shots of the trip.
After packing our things, loading the bikes, we later made our way to Tlell. We decided to stay at our friend Jo's (Green Coast Kayaking) cabin. Not only did Jo guide us through Gwaii Haanas, she also let us stay at her home while she was away. We first unpacked our gear at the cabin, and made our way to the "Edge of the World" music festival just up the highway.
I had NO clue what to expect. I've been to many music festivals in northern British Columbia before. I assumed that this would be just like any other, but was I ever wrong.
When I first arrived at the festival grounds, I walked through an arch. Suspended above the arch was a handmade sign, and colourful lights. Facing inward were a number of food and arts vendors. Directly in front to my right was a massive stage for the performers. Hundreds of people were huddled about at the various vendors and in front of the stage. As I walked around, I noticed a sign directing me to the "Workshop" tent. It is here I would later learn some basic folk dance moves, and about hula hoop making. In the center of the grounds, various stations were set up. I tried my hand at making large bubbles... but I'm a rather impatient fellow and quickly moved on. Not far from there, I noticed a bunch of kids hula-hoopin.' I walked up, grabbed a hula hoop and gave it a whirl. I quickly learned that Hula Hooping isn't for everybody... actually I learned Hula Hooping isn't for me.
As the day turned to night, coloured lights strewn around the open grounds illuminated the festivities. I noticed people congregating at a corner building. Each person was holding a pole with a different paper lantern. They then marched in single file throughout the writhing bodies in front of the stage, and around the entire festivities. The sight is both surreal, and astonishing.
At one point, Marc leaves to look for the beer vendor, but to no avail. The neatest thing about the "Edge of the World Festival?" It is a pure family event. That would explain why we would still see kids out with their parents til the midnight hour.
The next day, Marc and I had a nice sleep in. We awoke, though, to what was inevitable. Although we had been blessed by sunny skies for virtually our whole shoot... the reality of the weather was about to set in. Haida Gwaii and the Northcoast are essentially rainforests. As I peered out the cabin windows at Jo's place, I saw the rain return, and thanked my lucky stars that I packed extra rain gear.
We were on our way to Port Clements, but not before heading to the Pesuta. Basically the Pesuta is an old log barge that grounded on East Beach in the early 1900's. A cable towing the barge snapped during a winter storm while on the Hecate Strait. It takes us two hours to walk to the remote beach, but we are in for a treat. The weather conditions, although torrential, paint the perfect scene when we arrive. Waves crash into the beach... white ocean foam can be seen on the sandy edge. A fine mist falls from the grey puffy clouds. The wind rips into us uncontrollably. The wind is so loud, I have trouble hearing my co-workers. It's perfect.
After a four hour ordeal (and some wicked shots), Dafne, Marc and I head on down the highway. We make way for Port Clements before camping inside a gazebo overnight to keep dry and warm.
The next morning we make the short trek to another nearby location. The site of the Golden Spruce. The story behind the spruce is well known. The sacred tree was cut down in the mid-nineties, by a disgruntled logger. Needless to say the world got pissed off, the guy was charged, and he mysteriously disappeared shortly after. When we arrived at the site, we wondered just what I would say to the camera. Do I give the history of the golden spruce? Do I speak about its cultural significance? I was not sure... that is until we got there.
When you walk up the trail, there is a sign that directs you to look across the creek to where the Golden Spruce once stood. The only problem? We couldn't see it, nor the stump. We looked and looked and looked. Passerby's tell us, they couldn't figure out where it was either. So what does a Green Traveller do? He rips off all his clothes down to his skivvies and makes the brave voyage across the murky tepid slow moving waters. It sounds amazing, but it isn't. My body is soft, farmer tanned, and as I step into the water I slip and fall. Eventually I would heave my semi-naked body onto the opposite shore... find the spruce... but lose my dignity in the process...
After we finished up there, we headed to Massett, and thereafter Towhill.
The bike ride to Massett is pretty cool. There is not a lot of traffic, but for the few cars I see, the lot of deer makes up for it. Along the quiet highway, all I can think about is the black bear. what happens if I see one? Do I turn around? Do I make a lot of noise? Do I stop and wait for it to go? For the love of Haida Gwaii, I don't see one. The ride to Massett is pretty flat... along the way I sing to myself, and enjoy the serene ride to the northern tip. For this portion of my trek, not a single raindrop falls.
Dafne and Marc are ahead of me working out a place to stay. There was no doubt it would rain again, and so they feverishly looked for a few of Dafne's contacts in the North. We would stay that night at a wonderful lady's house, named Kelli.
Not only does Kelli live near Towhill, she runs one of the best restaurants on the island (if not northern BC). The next day, I get up, and we plan to have her restaurant in the shoot. The reason being? Her business was built with her own two hands. The building is made up of recycled material, and Kelli uses her own grown produce from her garden and nearby rhubarb bed. Its everything we are looking for on the Green Traveller.
The meal is an amazing 4 course meal. For starters I have the most amazing hummus and homemade pita bread. The next course is herring eggs on kelp with salad. After that, a crab melt followed by a scrumptious rhubarb/raspberry pie. DELIGHTFUL. In between filming, Marc and Dafne test the goods. We all agree.. its amazing.
After eating up, we head down the road to another bakery. Moon over Naikoon is a neat little eatery on the way to North beach. Its tucked against the dirt road, amidst large standing trees. At its entrance, are massive whale bones. There is no power inside. The property uses wind energy as its primary source of power. The chocolate cake is to die for.
Afterwards, we head to Towhill. I wasn't looking forward to this, not knowing what to expect. After a short (but steep) hike, I'm treated to the best view on the island. Following that, we climb down the other side to the "Blowhole." The blowhole is a natural formation along the ocean edge in a layer of rock. Basically, over the years, the water created a hole in the underside of the rock. Underneath is a kind of cave that exits at our feet. On this day though, the blowhole is not doing a lot of blowing. It's kind of disappointing.
On our last day we head to North Beach. Cloud covers most of the sky. IT looks like we may be rained out on our last shoot. We decide to set up anyway. We put up tarps to protect the equipment. for this final shoot, Marc and I decide to just have a long discussion about our whole journey and the things we learned along the way. One topic comes up though. What will be the final image of this pilot? What image will we leave the viewers with? We pondered on that for awhile... then something amazing happened. As we were talking, the clouds near towhill opened up. Opposite that, down the beach... the most amazing rainbow arched down onto the beach below. We knew then what our final shot would be. With the camera's rolling, i walk into the horizon towards the rainbow. Trailing behind me is Marc. He catches up and we walk off into the distance. Beautiful.
On the way back we notice a number of dead sea life littering the beach. I wasn't sure what they were. I find out they are dead Humboldt squid. I count 28 within 100 meters. I would later learn that the squid are not native to Haida Gwaii. In fact they live normally off the coast of California and Mexico. A strange El Nino phenomenon has seen them come up as far as Haida Gwaii... where they've washed up in the hundreds. I'm thinking Calamari. The hundreds of flies though change my way of thinking.
As we wrap up our gear... The only question we have is... where to next?
***Coming up next.... What happens with our Green Traveller shoot from here on in? Some insight into what Marc/Dafne/I have planned in the months ahead.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
