Friday, December 21, 2018

Thoughts On The Frank Slide of April 29, 1903

GETTING TO LEARN THAT ICE CAN CRACK AN ENORMOUS MOUNTAIN IS INTERESTING AND SCARY. IT IS THAT REASON FRANK SLIDE HAPPENED. IT HAD TONNES OF ROCK, TONNES OF LIVES LOST, TONNES OF SAD STORIES, TONNES OF TERRIBLE DAMAGE. I AM MOST INTERESTED IN LEARNING THAT A GREAT GREAT GREAT GRAND UNCLE OF MINE WAS IN THE SLIDE. THAT IS TOO BAD BUT VERY NEAT TO BE LINKED TO HISTORY LIKE THAT. THINK I AM THE GREAT GREAT GREAT GRAND NEPHEW OF ROBERT WATT THE FRANK SLIDE VICTIM. I ALSO LOVED LEARNING GEOLOGY, THE COOKIE COAL MINING, THE LANDSLIDES, THE REALLY FUN ROCK ART. IT WAS ALL REALLY INTERESTING TO ME. 
ROCK ART:
HAS LIMESTONE MOUNTAIN
SOME COAL IN MINE
SOME RANDOM MINE ROCKS
TOWER O' ROCKS TO SYMBOLIZE THE TONNE OF ROCK THAT FELL ON FRANK

COOKIE COAL MINING

LANDSLIDE



Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Zoo Life - NANOWRIMO YWP 2018

Can I introduce you to a necessary story, timely happenings and some rare animals? The year was 2018. The place, the Twin Valley Zoo. You may not believe all of this story, that's fair. That is your choice. However understand this, it is a true story. That is a fact.
"I hate hay, maybe today I will get something new for breakfast!" sighed Yovel the camel. 
"That's unlikely to happen." said Ty the painted turtle rudely.
"Call it hope Ty. The time for hay is over!
"Alright Yovel, suit yourself."
"Day of hay is going away! That's what I say! That is, hay may I say, no way!" Yovel sang.
Just then the zookeeper came over in her golf cart. "It's time for breakfast! I have your favourite, it's hay! Sorry that I'm a little late, that cat is getting into guinea pigs again. Are you ready to eat your hay?" Yovel frowned but she didn't notice. Ty smirked but only Yovel saw it. "It is a beautiful day so enjoy it Yovel. See you at dinner!"
Yovel waited for her to leave. "I am sorry Yovel." Yovel said to himself. "I ask for so little. Can't believe it, hay again. I want your sorry!"
Ty interrupted his whining. "Hay so not biggest problem today. I am shocked that the cat got through security. The goats must have fallen asleep. That is the only explanation. I am going to go check on the guinea pigs. "
"Ty, best of luck to you. It's hay day for me, get walking my friend. Stop 7 weeping guinea pigs from getting eaten. " Yovel really cares but he can't leave his cage during the day. 
"I better be careful, cats are dangerous." Ty thought to himself. On his way to see the guinea pigs he called on the leaders of the zoo.
"Is that hard to do?" shouted that fearsome marmoset monkey Tibet. "Take the long rope and take the wall, some big nails and go repair the guinea pig cage. Be alert, that cat is out there somewhere!"
"Can I also help?" interrupted Ty. "I heard that cat made it past the goats again. I am at your service." 
"I feel it is time to have a talk with the goats. It is hard to miss a cat. I can think of many other animals to do their job if they can't handle it." Tibet had had enough. "It is hasty to involve the others, I need more information first. Come with me Ty, maybe you will be useful. " Tibet said rudely.  "Alright Ty, I better not have to tell you to keep up!" Ty made a loud turtle groan but it was too quiet for Tibet to hear. 
A really long walk to the goats later. Marmosets are so much faster than turtles, so Tibet was already yelling at some goats when Ty arrived. "How did this awful cat get passed your guards? Where were they?" Tibet yelled. Tibet was fuming mad. All the goats looked terrified. "I can't have that, I have a zoo to run! Sorry isn't good enough! "
"No sir, that beaver is helping the cat get passed the security. That sir, is why I and the other goats are not to blame. Hard to believe so traitorous an animal is at this zoo but it is true! Wish it wasn't. Story of our lives. Maybe I wear the intruder alarm, however I can't detect animals that live here like that sneaky beaver." Explained Mavis, Head of the Security Goats.  
"So I am to believe that Harry the beaver is a traitor!?!? That is beastly! It is nasty and testing my ability to forgive so dastardly a crime! Of course Harry seems so mild mannered. Why would he do this?" Shouted Tibet. The goats all stared at Tibet. 
Harry is in a bad spot. He's Ty's best friend, however that won't help him. Ty wanted to find him and ask him why he would he would do such a terrible thing. It was totally shocking to Ty. He had to find Harry. 
Mavis has, in the past, had big problems with time management. Landing not far away from everyone, reeking of fish, Telly the seagull rudely intruded on the meeting. 
"It is meeting time Mavis!" Telly announced. Tibet glared at him. Amazing in the glaring department, Tibet was happy to see Telly take off. 
"Apples for the first goat that finds that beastly cat! What are you all waiting for? Goats away!" Shouted Mavis. 
Tibet's worries increased when he witnessed the baby goats get up to leave too. "I hardly think the babies need to search for the cat, Mavis! 
"It is the time honored tradition of Security Goats to have all babies included in all missions. They get human hands on them all day but show no fear. It is time to give them a real mission Tibet. Now we must go, time is of the essence." 
Mavis is hard to argue with so Tibet allowed it. "I am going to go see how the guinea pigs are doing. Ty, stay here so you can share the goats' report with me when they return. You are simply slowing me down."
Ty had had enough of Tibet's rudeness. It is time to really nicely agree so he can get to searching for Harry. Ty really laid it on thick. "Oh incredibly amazing ruler Tibet, you are right of course! I am happy to stay here and wait for the goats. I would hate to leave the guinea pigs waiting. Take care, that cat is still out there."
"Ty is that really Tibet you seem worried about? Tibet the leader at this zoo? Tibet the rightful ruler of all zoo animals? Tibet the marmoset monkey who has the strength of a lion?" Tibet looked Ty in the face and in a loud roar said "Tibet fears nothing! I am Tibet! Tibet!"
"Sorry Tibet." Ty had decades of experience with Tibet's temper tantrums and knew to say sorry simply to stop the tantrum. 
"I am off!" said Tibet.
At last Tibet is gone it is time to find that beaver, Ty thought to himself.  Ty's old friend talked about the woods being the place that he liked to go to to get some time to himself. It is a good tip to start there. That is the best beaver hideout in the zoo. Ty started walking towards the woods. 
Along the way he stopped to see Tibet's tiny marmoset friends. They were ready to make more wall repairs. "It's hay I need. Hay for the insulation. That hay is mint condition over in Yovel's cage. It is the Yovel hay I need." announced Ronnie the third in command marmoset. 
Ty interrupted. "That's so not hard, Yovel hates hay. So Yovel will share. Yovel hay I can get you, tell me how the guinea pigs are doing."
"They are scared, really terrified, talk about getting 100% horrified!"
"That's awful, Ronnie! So they aren't hurt? Last night seemed so tragic! How did they survive?"
"That bad cat was not able to get through the cage. It got damaged, to make tearing the cage tougher we tightened the wires back up. Tight wires will stop that cat, I guarantee it. It is bad timing, timed very close to the museum bringing us an exhibit of the gems of Madagascar. It has sapphires and diamonds that will need a wire cage too. Ty, it is the beaver's fault. The guinea pigs saw the beaver testing his teeth on the wire the other day. He sold the zoo out! Oh awful!" 
"That's hard to believe. I'm going to go find Harry now. I better tell Yovel all this. I'm hiding from Tibet, let's keep this between us."
"Got it, better hurry, Tibet is expected back soon. I really hope it was not Harry, Ty. Harry is a happy beaver, a noteworthy beaver."
Ty made the zoo salute and left Ronnie to his work. Hazy right now, it is going to be a hot day, thought Ty. It is going to be a busy day. Humans will be everywhere. It is going to make this a lot harder. It's time to see Yovel. It is on the way to Harry's woods.
"Hazy day, hazy hay, it is May, it's all I can say, that is the zoo way! Ty, take it away!" Yovel sang. 
"Yovel." Ty needed a serious Yovel. "I'm going into the woods to fend for Harry."
"That's too dangerous, it's full of those creepy gnomes!" Yovel was getting seriously worried. "They eat turtles, I'm sure of it! I, Yovel, must insist I go too." 
"Have it your way, talk to Nathalie the bear about getting you out of your cage." Ty said.
"Getting out is impossible during the day, the humans will be here soon." Yovel bleated. 
"That's true, it is getting close to opening time. I am going to the woods, I will tell you what I find. Is Tellie around?"
"You'll insist on going alone?!?! It is too dangerous! Ty, have you lost your mind?"
"I'm alright however, Harry is in trouble and I need to find him. Tell Tellie to bring some of your hay over to the marmosets. They need it for repairing the guinea pig cage. Yovel, you worry too much. It will be fine. Yovelling too much is tiring"
"Yovelling is my way, Yovelling and eating hay. May your zoo rescue go well, take it away." Yovel tapped sadly on his cage. 
"Yovel I will be alright, I will be back soon." Said Ty.
So air is as thick as it gets, so hot and muggy. Ty stopped to see Nathalie. "Tatters are left of that log, you attacked it a lot! Very Yovelly of you. Yovel is in a bad mood too." Ty said. 
"Ty, I'm happy to see you, you are just very late. You should have been here watching the woods with me this morning." Roared Nathalie.
"You are very right Nathalie, Yovel distracted me. Yovel is awfully distracting." Ty explained.
"Yovel, Yovel, Yovel" whined Nathalie.  "Yovel, Yovel, Yovel." (Nathalie the bear was in love with Ty she was always irritated that he spent so much time with that camel.) 
Ty had enough of the whining. "Just tell me what happened."
"Ty, it was strange. You won't believe it! There was a yellow beast walking with Harry. They went into the woods together, Ty only the yellow beast came out. It's been a really really peaceful, nice day otherwise." Said Nathalie. 
"Do you think the beast ate Harry?!?!? Yelled Ty. Ty was angry that Nathalie was not worried about Harry. "That you can be so calm at a time like this is unbelievable! Yovel is only a cage away, why didn't you tell me?" Ty was yelling so loud his turtle shell shook. 
"Ty, calm yourself. We've always watched the woods together, has anyone ever been eaten? Ty, you are Yovelling out right now."  
Ty gave Nathalie a look. "Are you saying that Harry is ok?"
"Harry is ok I can feel it, Harry is a resourceful beaver." Nathalie said.
Ty interrupted. "You just keep a lookout. I'm going in." 
Ty headed across the bridge. He thought he heard a rustling sound from down the path. "Alright, Yovel is so afraid of the gnomes, it is creeping me out. There's nothing to be afraid of, there are no slaying things here. Yovel talks too much. Then suddenly it happened, tall hungry-looking gnomes appeared. They scurried in his direction. "Eek it is all true! They are going to eat me! Yovel is always right. After I escape I will have to apologize."
"Fear not turtle, we are not going to eat you." Said a high-pitched, trembling voice. 
"Hey, one minute. It is getting too hot in here, I thought I heard the gnomes talk to me." Ty said to himself. 
"Hats off to the turtle, he can hear!" Said tiny voices. 
"I have a name, it is Ty. And to whom am I speaking?"
"Ty, it is us."
"It is us who?"
"You know us as the Tiny Woods Warriors. The TWW is really famous around here I'm sure."
Ty looked awkwardly towards the gnomes. "TWW, you really scared the life out of me. It is hazardous in these parts. I Ty, am looking for my friend the beaver. I arrived at the conclusion he is here. TWW, I would greatly appreciate you telling me where he is."
"Your friend the beaver made a lot of noise when he ate a tree until it fell. Tall one too. A washed beaver is rare around here. Your friend woke us up this morning when the tree fell on our hill."
Ty was confused. "You said washed, you said hill, I'm not sure I'm following."
"Your friend is a very clean beaver. It is strange to see such a clean beaver. You haven't noticed that about him?"
Ty wasn't sure what to say. Ty always thought all beavers were always covered in mud, dam building is messy.  As you build dams you are standing in the mud. "That is weird. You live in a hill?"
"It is an ant hill because we are ants. The gnomes are really only to scare people so they leave the woods alone. That was the beaver's idea. Your friend is over there."
Ty couldn't believe how many secrets Harry was keeping. Ty started Yovelling out a little. "That's hard to believe! I'm Harry's best friend. You're ants secretly moving gnomes around the woods and nobody knows about it?!?!?" Ty felt shocked. 
"Turtle, you don't have to rage, you simply didn't need to know. That's a security risk. You're from the pond, not the woods. That's eyes on the prize. Attacks can happen at any time. I'm the one responsible for the protection of these woods. You are really a wetland animal so I don't expect you to understand. You are a visitor here and I expect you to respect the rules of the woods."
Ty just arrived at the conclusion that Gilly the fish (the protector of the pond) is really like these ants. You don't argue with Gilly so Ty wasn't going to argue here. Ty asked for directions and went to find Harry. 
"Ty, aye aye, you are at last here!" Said Harry excitedly. 
"Alright, happy to see you too Harry. Tell me you didn't bring a cat into the zoo to break the guinea pig cage so you could later steal gems!" Ty got straight to the point. 
"Ty, are you Yovelling out right now? That cat led me, tears in his eyes, to an already broken cage. You are not thinking I'm the traitor? Talk about betrayal!" 
"Alright Harry, that calms me down. That is a relief. I am beastly to believe that you could have betrayed the zoo. Just tell me what's happening."
"The cat was again talking to the guinea pigs. They talk all the time. They are really good friends. The Tibet marmosets are bad about finding cats at the zoo, so they hide their friendship."
"They told Tibet that you were testing the strength of their cage the other day. Tibet thinks that you are a traitor." Ty was sad to say. 
"I told them to say that. Bearing in mind that Tibet would likely freak out if he knew that cat is friends with the guinea pigs. Are you going to keep our secret?"
"You are my best friend, of course I will. Harry, who broke the cage and what does it have to do with the gems?" Ty had enough of this mystery.
"Get Yovel and look in the parking lot. Find the lime green car. It has all the answers." Harry wouldn't say more.  
Ty annoyingly had to wait until night. 
At last night fell. Ty and Yovel sneak into the parking lot.  It is dark. "This isn't allowed, Tibet is going to be so mad." Ty whispered to Yovel.
"I, Yovel, hate the dark. It is time to be brave, dark or no dark. You search the car, I will keep a look-out."
"So are you going to open the door for me?" Ty looked at Yovel.
"Give me a second. Yovel is so big and I, Yovel, can break the window. Ty, it is time to stand back!"  
Ty searched the car. He finally understood what was happening. 
The end.