Changes

Part Four ... Changes

COMMENTARY BY ELENA OF SARATOV, RUSSIA, FEB. 16 2005.

RE: MICHAEL LEAVING THOMPSON LAKE ........

" ... THERE IS NO ROMANTICISM ... JUST MAGNIFICENCE. A WILD POWER THAT YOU CAN TRY COMPETE WITH --GOOD LUCK !!!"

"BEAUTIFUL, TERRIBLE, AND RUTHLESS -ITS BEEN ALL AROUND YOU FOR TWENTY YEARS. YOU CAN TRY AND LEAVE - BUT REMEMBER, YOU NEVER WILL FOR NOW YOU ARE ENCLOSED IN FORCES THAT YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT AND FEW PEOPLE DO. LASTLY ... LET'S NOT FORGET THE LOVE ... ELENA

One wise, wise woman . So what am I supposed to do ? Yes, it would be nice to have a cabin accessible by road - a "drive-in". You know like all city dwellers salivate for; and then I too can say I live in cottage country. Where do I live now ? In the friggin bush – a cave –a monastery – like Brother Mike or how about Mike the Monk? See what twenty years of bush life does to your head !! OOPS...

Am I supposed to be writing of changes? OK, how about we are all getting friggin old ! Done – Good-bye-See you-Over and out. In accordance with the prophecies ! See, I am losing it ! (now that is funny).

Seriously – no more foolishness ... changes , changes , changes ... and I am sad. Nothing's the same ... I can not even go into town anymore. Yes, you heard right... no more - no longer allowed to smoke in local restaurants and the like! After one year of bush I really used to look forward to a coffee and several cigarettes; my only social contact - GONE !!!

Changes ... We lose approximately three real bushman per year now. Who is next ?(keep on smoking Mike !). Our two local airlines combined into one ... cool ? I dont know. Some local (white man) businesses are expanding; some are closing their doors. There appears to be some minor exploration happening re: mining, but mostly it is the clean up of old mines. The tourist industry has slowed down to a crawl, contrary to what Sask. Tourism reports.

Changes, changes, changes ...Want to hear something positive ? How about our good native brothers are in full rock and roll !! Yeah !! It's all happening - businesses: casinos, trucking firms, hotels/motels, retail stores. Available education producing lawyers doctors, nurses, electricians - did I forget, judges, cops, artists and writers - the list is endless . Like it's finally happening (after 100 years of imprisonment on the friggin reserves ) FLY GOOD PEOPLE, FLY!

Want to hear something hilarious ? In the 50's/60's the Indians wanted to be white (or French) ... now the white man wants to be Indian ! You bet, anyone with a trace of native in them is going after their Treaty Card .

"Ask, and He will give. His angels charge of you, to guard you in all your ways. On their wings they will bear you up."

Now can I talk about music and someone special I have had my eye on for several years ? She is a young Metis woman from Sask. and WOW !!

WHAT A VOICE! Andrea Menard, what a voice. Last time I got so excited was when I heard Celine Dion on a talent show in Quebec about twenty years ago. She will have some problems until she finds her niche ...blues, jazz, gospel, musicals, acting ... she is doing it all. (and she will find her niche!)

Changes, changes, changes - Environment... oh must we ? EVERYONE already knows we've screwed our home up and will soon start fighting for our lives.

Here ? Unpredictable weather patterns. Endless days of minus 40c - with no ice ! No songbirds and the frogs have disappeared. Let's have the biologists figure out why.

Have I learned anything from this winter's ordeal? – NO !! I now have spring fever – can not concentrate - my Russian lady penpals are doing it to me !! Can't write anymore ... have I said anything substantial in the last ten minutes ? No...

This will be my last "chapter". I believe I have brought you up to date on all that's happened after the book, both with Jared and myself. I will continue to post diaries/journals ... so please follow the saga of " Trapped in a Cruel Paradise".

Michael Chursinoff
Feb.17 2005

Northern Trapper Syndrome

Proposed Life at Thompson Lake ... summer only!

Latest Journal Entries

– perhaps I will take Jared's/Honey's offer on their dog Rufus ... if he says in town he will get shot.
bear

- met a cool guy –Gunnar @ Armco re: bear handguns – yes, he works on them ...YEAH !

- HEY Debbie L. where are you ? I miss you stalking me !! (please remember our date in about eight years time).

- Jan. 24, minus 10 and I'm alive, will work on power plant that uses a cup of oil per hour.

- reading and re-reading Gunnar's projects ... tried my " Chrony "... works excellent ... some inaccuracies at sub-sonic speeds.

- there ain't going to be much forest behind me ...thank you Pine trees. You saved my life by providing firewood.

-a message to all the good Canadian Gunnutz members ...THANK YOU for the funnies –seeing I kinda just help myself to yours, feel free to help yourself to mine.

- now that Heidi isn't around, all food scraps now go to the Whiskey Jacks ... fat, fat birds !

- Bad, Bad news. Good-bye Rufus ... he got shot yesterday for a bottle of booze ... enjoy !

- there is so much sadness around me ...

- I keep seeing "Side-Show Bob" (from The Simpsons) or is it "Side - Show Me"?.

- something to consider: A trapper experiences more violence in one month then a NYPD cop does in five years ... I mean blood is blood - it feels/smells the same either from animal or human.

- met a cool lady from St. Petersburg with a great sense of humor... Alena asked me if I drink vodka with the bears! She also wanted to know what I did with my last wife ... told her she was at the bottom of the lake !
lovestruck

Alena's quote:

" Don’t move Mike ... you see and feel the real spring/summer/fall.

You are also with the stars."

Note: She did not mention winter !!

- temperatures now in the "plus" range!!

- a telephone upgrade that went wrong ... Jared fixed it in 30 seconds! California and I had been at it for two days.

- Signs of getting old (another Thompson Lake "homemade"):

                    - feeding birds !

                    - I talk about the weather for more then 30 seconds !

- Hilarious ... Sask. got a private company that has " sniffer dogs "! One guy called CBC radio: " like man, seeing that pot causes short term memory loss, that dude dog can make a fortune at my place ".

- JIMMY, BILLY and PAT I've got a message for you: " You bastards are going to all fry... I will stake all I own and all I love on it !! ( I'm more sure then Google stocks).

-now that I have CONDEMNED Americas top three evangelists to Hell, what other shit can I get into ?

- one bush plane a month and about ten of Bush's jets per day fly over.   I can't believe there are people who actually believe what comes out of his so called crooked Christian mouth ... Hey Georgie, how many Moslem civilians did you kill today ?

-wouldn't you be my Valentine ?

- can I clarify my political stand ... seeing as how everyone thinks I'm down on the good ole U.S.of A. and the Republicans! WRONG! I am a far cry from a bleeding liberal; how about "YES" on the NRA, capital punishment, long prison sentences, etc. BUT I also believe in super social programs, big government, medi-care, and free education (It could be done !). So what am I? (I also though Reagan was cool !)

- I have a great idea for our new Co-op store ... section off one corner and make it into a Quiky-Mart (for all their out-dated/expired goods) – no I'm not dark enough to obtain employment as Apoo.

- May I clear something up ? Thank you ... no, I'm not affiliated with any organized religion. I guess I'm just super spiritual, that is all ... and yes I do love quoting biblical scriptures etc. In accordance with the prophecies!

- Dave your cane has now a notch in it ... it destroyed a weasel in the porch.

A marten pelt... hanging alongside Dave's fishing hat from 1996!

Looks likeMike's short on groceries! Oh well...spring's coming!

Over and out good people ... see you soon ...

Mike @ Thompson Lake

Feb. 20, 2005.

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