February Highlights & Astrophotography
Lets hope for some greatly improved weather in February, as the January selection was atrocious. Here’s what February has in store for us. Starting off […]
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Detoxification and Cleansing
I got strep throat 3 times. I began a cleanse, also called a detoxification. The first of many, and finally got rid of my infliction.
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The Reuben: A Nietzschean Analysis
Preceding the last decade of his life — when brilliance gave way to madness — German thinker Friedrich Nietzsche wrote some of the most challenging
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Musher and Dog, Racing as One
It all started with a group of friends at a bar; in the North, it often starts that way. The Iditarod was considered the longest
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Shelley Gellatly prepares for the 430-mile Yukon Arctic Ultra
The goal of the Yukon Arctic Ultra is to be “the world’s best and toughest human-powered winter (ultra)-marathon race.” It’s hard to imagine a tougher
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Guatemala’s greatest asset is its people
Guatemala has so many great elements to it, but the highlight of our trip (if you’ve read my other stories you may notice a common
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Adventures on Mt. Kelvin
As I sit here looking out of my window at Mount Kelvin, a white peak above the treed hills, I dream of summer hikes past
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The Plant That Heals
From minor scrapes and sores, to bug bites and burns, the healing medicinal properties of the aloe vera plant have been known to cure a
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Seniors Who Are Growing and Giving
The Seniors Association, up on College Drive, not only has a fabulous greenhouse going, they have a complete gardening management system all set up and
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An extraordinary way of living with the ‘ordinary’
This isn’t about an extraordinary family—not even about an extraordinary child (because all children are extraordinary). Rather, it’s about living with an “ordinary” disease in
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Dear Mister Ed
You ast why the feller I met on the Stewart and Cassyar calls that skirt of his a Futility kilt. Seems it goes back to
Dear Mister Ed
Next time I get a noshun to drive my own self from White Horse to Vicktoria, I want you to give my head a shake,
Hold your child’s hand … not a cellphone
Does it bother you when you see a parent spank their child in public? I think it bothers most people, but it is legal (to
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Fit ‘n’ Healthy: Flour Power
For about a year now I have been experimenting with different types of flours. Now, I admit it, a few years ago I didn’t even
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Sharing the Tlingit culture
TESLIN Many years ago, when another winter was survived and summer allowed for easier travel, the Inland and Coastal Tlingit people would gather. Members of
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Well on my way to becoming a big ‘loser’ …
Crystal Light has become my new best friend. You see, you can take your mundane water right from the tap and, one powdery package later,
Well on my way to becoming a big ‘loser’ … Read More »
Writing What’s Right About Beer
A month or so ago, the San Francisco Weekly published an article called The 10 Coolest Specialty Food and Drink Magazines. In that list are
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What’s ‘Fun’ in ‘Funky’
It’s full-on summer. Kids are out of school; Canada Day is past and every weekend from now until the end of August will be packed
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If Sun Tzu went to a yard sale
Yard sales are interesting places to observe human nature. The best moment is when you have to look the homeowner in the eyes and negotiate
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She’s Multiplying Results By Dividing Her Time
Graduation is an extremely important time in one’s life. Often the new-found freedom and sudden expansion of available life choices can be overwhelming. However, for
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‘Greening’ Your Greenhouse Garden
Approaching the last six to eight weeks of our active growing season, it’s time to take a critical look at your greenhouse.
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Golfing for Good
On August 7 and 8, Yukoners will have not one, but two opportunities to tee up for great causes. On Friday night, Special Olympics Yukon
Plant a ‘Rainbow’
Gardeners love the burst of colour of daylilies. In a widely available choice of colour, size, texture and blooming period, this adaptable perennial is excellent
Learning to Ride
I had to get my friend to ride my new motorcycle home from the dealership because I didn’t know how to ride. OK, it wasn’t
The Font (Fount?) of Wisdom
Times New Roman, that’s how I roll. In the world of font, I know I’m backing one tired, old horse. But there’s something undeniably comforting
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Knowing Where We’ve Come From
Cleaning out filing cabinets might have been a good idea 30 years ago, but it’s left the Yukon Employee Union (YEU) STEP student with a
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Dear Mister Ed
I done it, Darrol. I found Unkle Walt! Well, to tell it true, he found me. I was down to Genral Delivry, like I been
Fit ‘n’ Healthy: Seek and Ye Shall Find
All right, today I am going to let you off the hook a little bit … just this once – and just a little bit.
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Unless you’re Santa, I’d say it’s one of those …
Everybody knows beer causes beer bellies, right? Why else would they call it a beer belly? Not so fast: a recent study, by German and
Unless you’re Santa, I’d say it’s one of those … Read More »
Advancing in Years and Grace in the Martial Arts
When you are young, you are invincible. When the challenges placed before you are insignificant to what you want to do and they mean little
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Unwelcome Guests at Butchering Time
It’s chicken-butchering time again … This is a part of farming that is definitely hard work. It starts a day or so before the actual
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The ‘Twisties’
Most of me loves the twisties. There is a small part of me that is disappointed with the fact that I don’t always do them
Time to Reap What You Sow
I have a few heads of cabbage and broccoli amongst my flower beds, and I check their progress almost daily. One day, recently, I noticed
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Home really is where the heart is …
I miss my trailer year. When my wife and I wanted to get a place to call our own, in Whitehorse, a quick perusal of
Home really is where the heart is … Read More »
Trevor is one of us
Since I know, almost as a fact, that Trevor will not be put down by the Bylaw Services Department, I can sit back and enjoy
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Save Those Seeds!
A few years ago I received a delightful gift consisting of an assortment of home-grown, home-dried tomato and pepper seeds. What a delightful gift, I
Eww! Ugh! and Blecch!
As I shove my hands into the remnants of last night’s revelry, dripping what can only be described as garbage juice, I mouth what may
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Dear Mister Ed
I’m startin’ to think its true what they say about rich folks not bein’ like you and me. Not like me anyways, since I ain’t
Dear Mister Ed
Life has sure been some hecktick this past week. I sware, some days I been stirrin’ my stumps when it ain’t even noon yet. Not
Fit ‘n’ Healthy: Keep Track to Keep on Track!
Fall is here, the kids are going back to school and you are going back to the gym. Yes, it’s time. In order to be
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Fit ‘n’ Healthy: What’s on the Inside, Outside
Label-reading can be a tricky business, at best, but when companies try to fool you with promises of healthy choices, then we really are in
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Fit ‘n’ Healthy: Food is Food, right? Well … Not Quite
Not all foods are created equal, not even if it’s the “same” food. You’ve heard me tout the benefits of eating whole foods, unprocessed, untouched
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The Way of Harmonious Movement
It is always enjoyable to write about an activity that is well-represented in the Yukon. However, to do some form of justice to Aikido and
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Another Take on Commuting
I am in awe of bicycle commuters. I feel one-upped by them. So I decided, way back in February, that as soon as the weather
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What do you pair with muskrat?
I, like many wine enthusiasts, love the challenge of finding the right wine to pair with a meal. Many people start with this simple axiom:
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Whitewater and Wedgies
I can’t make this look good. I’ve just stepped out from the Yukon Canoe and Kayak Club’s (YCKC’s) wooden change room wearing neoprene booties, baggy
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A ‘Berry’ Wonderful Time of Year
Well, we are nearing the end of summer and, while no one wants summer to end, there are benefits at this time of year …
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Give Peas a Chance!
This year we have been having record temperatures. With the heat, some plants start start to bolt to seed. My spinach has done this and
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Growing Sweet Trees in the North
After a great deal of research, the University of Saskatchewan has developed cherry trees that are cold tolerant to -45. Ingrid Wilcox describes several of these varieties, the best known and most successful of which is the Evans Cherry Tree.
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Understanding the value of a road
How many memories are created by a simple family vacation … Depending on how you look in the rear-view mirror, the road behind can seem
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For the love of Mexico
Keith and Betty Dye describe the face of need in Lagunitas, Mexico. The couple, Yukoners for 31 years, are coordinating fundraisers through a Whitehorse-based organization
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The Dempster adventure
In 2002, I embarked, with the love of my life, on a Yukon adventure I never experienced in the 29 years I lived here. Here,
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You Say Goodbye, I say Hello
This Christmas I had the great fortune of visiting Guatemala. I really enjoyed answering the question, “Why did you decide to come to Guatemala?” which
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Migration Path of the Cross-Country Skier
A skier is like a caribou, always on the move. Take the Porcupine caribou herd: each year they embark on an epic trek. They fight
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Warm Memories of Fruit Trees
As the temperature on my outside gauge hovers perilously close to the -30°C mark and my heating bill hovers perilously close to the ridiculous mark,
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Dressing for the Cold
Wearing high quality brands certainly helps, but the real key to staying warm in winter is dressing in layers with the ability to vent off
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Fit ‘n’ Healthy: Pass the water, please!
One of the first questions I ask every client, be it the first time I see them or the hundreth, is this, “How much water
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Fit ‘n’ Healthy: Time to Tweak Your Goals
Fall is here, 2009 is almost over and I’d like to know if you’ve reached your goals for this year. It’s time to look back
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Get out of your comfort zone (but try not to look stupid).
Yoga, Part I Expand your consciousness by becoming aware and accepting of your body and state of mind. Improve your physical health and mental stability
Get out of your comfort zone (but try not to look stupid). Read More »
Geraniums to enjoy … and then keep
With frost nipping at our gardens, if it hasn’t already nipped in your area, I’ve been asked numerous times on the proper way to overwinter
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Enriching the Yukon with Martial Arts
?Quite a few years ago, a couple from New York arrived in the North. Lured by the mystic and splendour of this great territory, they
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Unearthing Harvest Treasure
It’s fall. I know that no one wants it to be fall, but it is hard to deny. With every season, there are vegetables that
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Enjoying Flowers in and out of Season
The growing season is winding down, but that does not mean that gardeners need to be deprived of the pleasure of gardening. Fall flower bulbs
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The day I have dreaded for 18-1/2 years
It is a cruel trick of time that has punched me in the stomach and now I cannot breathe. I could have sworn that it
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Herbal Flavour Well-Preserved
With harvest in full swing, I am often asked for suggested uses of herbs other than drying or freezing. To enjoy your herbal harvest year-round,
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Love, Loss, and the Fighting Irish
One of the things I like about local man-about-town Ben Mahony is that I have managed to construct a solid friendship with him despite scant
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Here’s to a Svelte 2013
One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to lose weight, but only about 10% of people on a diet succeed in attaining their goals.
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It’s About the Hail !?!
Fall is an absolutely stellar time to go mountain biking in the Yukon. It was a Sunday slated for chores when my guy gives me
It’s About the Hail !?! Read More »
Baja – the Road to Gonzaga
What happened to the road? It was the second challenge of our trip. The first was the sand of the central mountains. This second one
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We can be heroes
I almost met Terry Fox once. I was working on the Napanee Beaver, in 1980, when the editor came into the newsroom and asked who
Road Trip of Envy
It is really annoying being on a road trip, not on a motorcycle. I am on a multipurpose trip; however, none of those purposes are
Dear Mister Ed
Dont know that I ever told you Darrol, but theres part of The Widdows island that still belongs to the govamint of Brutish Columbya. Its
Walking to make a difference
What difference can 20 minutes make? Patricia Bacon, executive director of Blood Ties Four Directions (which hosts the Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Life) says, “It’s
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Dear Mister Ed
So much fer the peace and qwiet of livin’ on a private island. Come Monday in the ayem, The Widdow was still in recovry mode
Goal for Terry Fox Run: lots of participants
This is one event that doesn’t spend a lot of time looking for volunteers. George Maratos, Whitehorse organizer of the Terry Fox Run, says most
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Dear Mister Ed
By jingo Darrol, like the song goes, “was’nt that a party!” I told you last week The Widdow was havin’ a few folks drop by
The Cry of a ‘Betty Guy’
The hue and cry was heard across the world. It was the proposal that reached into the foundations of many a childhood and gave it
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Fit ‘n’ Healthy: Spice up Your Cardio Workouts
Don’t get in the same old ruts … we try it all: reading a magazine, watching TV, playlist after playlist, but the true way to
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Testing a Legendary Art under a Legend
I had fallen asleep while waiting for my test to begin. There were over 400 black belts at the week-long camp. Many had travelled thousands
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A Good Summer, Starts in the Fall
From all reports, this year has been one of the better growing seasons. However, if your green thumb is still itching to do some gardening,
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Transcendence for Newbies
Yoga, Part 2 Sabu Chaitanya has something that I want. I’m not really sure what it is: it’s that gleam in his eye; it’s the
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How to Beat ‘Jack’ at His Frosty Game
It was cold this morning, zero according to the thermometer. In most places there have been frosts already, but we haven’t really had any until
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Reds for a Gathering
It’s always fun to be on the lookout for new wines to try, and this past weekend gave me the opportunity to explore two tasty
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Caramel Cliffs on the Yukon River
I had anticipated the kayak trip for a full year. The four days I had spent the previous year on the Yukon River, with my
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Dear Mister Ed
Well we finely got some peace and qwiet back on the island. The big toys that was rippin’ up evrythink in site fer the past
Celebrate the Best of Fall with Ghoulish Fun
What could be more fun this fall than hosting a Halloween party to remember? Celebrate this holiday by gathering together family and friends for an
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Fit ‘n’ Healthy: You – on a Scale of 1 to 10
A lot of times I will get asked this: What level should I be working on, on the machine? Or this: How do I know
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Breathe
There is a story told that Confucius once attended a court function in which he was part of the rituals performed. He conducted himself beautifully
Celebrate the Season
Thanksgiving celebrates the best of qualities in a holiday: family, festivities and great food. This holiday season, take time to decorate your home using a
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Films That Make You Thirsty
Julia Child, the late, great American cookbook writer and chef, was profoundly moved by her first French meal when she and her husband arrived by
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Dear Mister Ed
I was tellin’ you last time how a bunch of Constabbulary lads dropped in, with nary so much as a fone call first to see
It’s Cheechako’s first winter
This is a column for Cheechakos. Sourdough, you know this stuff. …February, March & April are your reward for November, December & January…
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Dear Mister Ed
Even at yer age Darrol, I reckon you heard the old sayin’ about be carefull what you wish, unlest you wanta live in interrestin’ times?
Welcome to Whitehorse
I arrived in Whitehorse, from Toronto, about a month ago, to visit sisters that have already made homes for themselves here. I come to the
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I’m rather fond of my clothes …
I know I get attached to my clothes. Sometimes it can be quite literal, as like most dudes, I would wear my favourite clothing until
I’m rather fond of my clothes … Read More »
Que será, será … (but the internet has a test for that)
Back in Grade 12 I decided that my previously ordained career of choice would not be in the military. I was in the Reserves and
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Théâtre en Francais, S’il Vous Plaît
Bonjour! Si t’était pas au courant, je suis le régissuer pour la production de Bonneau et la Bellehumeur pour La Troupe Du Jour, une compagnie
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Cycle Oregon; A Cycling Tour for the Rest of Us
I like cycling. Each year when the Tour de France comes on television, I watch in awe and imagine what it would be like to
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Dear Mister Ed
I useta think there was’nt much I never seen at least the once, but boys-a-boys did I come in fer some surprize this week. It
The Martians Are Coming
As the month of October closes and frosty November begins, the window of opportunity for observing Mars begins. This little red planet has captured everyone’s
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