Stuck
In my family we enjoy driving tractors into lakes,
"I don't know what just happened, for goodness sakes".
Being well trained, I'm a pro at getting in and getting out.
Becoming unstuck, it's what life is all about.
;-)
_____________________________
The thing about the roads in Inuvik, is the shoulder, which looks quite solid, is actually four feet of powder. This can be problematic when you have a VERY HEAVY van.





























Later that day.. I'm not the only one.

An excerpt from an article on Pete Seeger sent to me by our new friend Andrea Hoyt who was kind enough to take us to Aklavik Yesterday. Read Forbes' Blog for Aklavik highlights ;-)

"You see, if there's still a world here in 100 years, it's not going to have been saved by One Big Thing. One Big Things can be co-opted and corrupted and turned to mush. . . . All my life I've been aware that there's a whole class of very rich people who control the country and this has been going on a long, long while. . . . But what are they going to do about tens of millions of little things, good things? Like maybe some mothers or teachers and children who start growing a healthy garden in a vacant, ugly inner-city lot. . . ."

- Pete Seeger (Exceprt from Globe & Mail - Why Pete Seeger is one hot octogenarian, by James Adams)

Location: Inuvik – Northwest Territories
N68°21.722’ W133°42.829’
Date: April 27, 2006
Time: 11:34pm
Temp: -12°C
State: Mum will be happy: My heath is now at 89% up from 70% and improving by the hour. The cold didn't enter my chest and I've been eating well, sleeping well and drinking lots of fluids. On the road to being a new man.

Now a quote my friend Shauna Elton in B.C. sent me regarding how she is feeling, which sums up exactly how I am feeling. It's interesting how all our lives often mirror one another.

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.

1. Inuvik home with pup
2. Waiting for the Canada Winter Games torch relay (sick:-( pic taken by Forbes)
3. Martin Landry our host & fearless leader in torch relay (Martin's friends Troy, Danya & Tad from D.C. in background. Emma originally from Ottawa who now works in Inuvik to the right, Mounties & little girl & boy) (pic taken by Forbes)
4. Elder Abel Tingmiak finishing torch relay in Inuvik

I find it amazing how sickness can occur at just the right time. The past few days of laying low and allowing my body to do it's thing have provided me with more time to reflect and gather my thoughts regarding the future. Along with letting go of the illness, I've had to let go of the idea of trying to understand what my final film will be. This is a big challenge for many artists as we often want to envision the end product before the process has even begun. For me, I have my outline and objectives but am unable to fathom where the next year will take me or who and what I will encounter along the way. Therefore all I can do is Trust the Process.

Still a little under the weather and my thoughts are less than clear.. so here are some pictures from the past few days in Inuvik.

peace,
d

Note: You can click on images to blow them up.

1. Lone Crow
2. Inuvik Community Greenhouse (This used to be a hockey arena. Now community greenhouse:-)
3. Self Portrait
4. Inuvik at Midnight

Location: Inuvik – Northwest Territories
N68°21.722’ W133°42.829’
Date: April 24, 2006
Time: 12:07am
Temp: -13°C
State: Clear & Focused Regarding Project Start. Health: 80%.

I say uh oh because I think I've caught a cold... If there's one thing I wanted to avoid, it was getting sick while living in a van in sub-zero temperatures. Should be an interesting next few days :-)

Back to Inuvik. We've located our main contact Martin Landry and he has provided us with the use of his place to shave, shower and do some work during the day while he and his roommates are out at work. We are very grateful. Right now I'm actually in my bed in the van using Martin's household wireless connection. I can only guess that the information is coming from the house and streaming right through my core... maybe that's why I'm sick??.. too much wireless??... or just sleep deprived from 18 hours of daily sunlight.

I'm also fairly insistant at this point regarding sleeping in the van, since, for me, everything else is a distraction right now. This project is meant to be about silence and solitude, and as much as I love people and socializing, I'm shifting towards becoming a slight recluse. I'm not fully there yet, but will be once the first frame of film is shot up on Victoria Island. The other reason for sleeping in the van is that I'd like to leave a small footprint. I'm not so sure how long we'll be up here and although Martin and his roommates are extremely welcoming, I'd rather remain invisible within their daily routines.

SFD Film Project
Today I mapped out shot lists and did some preliminary organization for the first month of filming. It's nice to have spent some time gathering my thoughts regarding the project. Every once and a while I get flashes of fear or anxiety and have to step back and regain my sense of purpose and direction.

SIDE NOTE: I'm a total workaholic! I like to work and create. If I'm not working to create something tangible and seeing the results of my labour, I tend to get anxious and go a little mad.

All this to say that I'm itching to start shooting. This is the calm before the storm. Once the cameras begin to roll, they'll be rolling on a daily basis for the next year. YES! Everything is now in place for the start date. Everything except for me. I need to quickly balance myself (mind, body & spirit) and get a healthy foothold for the jumping off point. Once I jump off things will be different.

12:56am the Inuvialuit kids up the street just ended their hockey game as the sun has now set.

peace,
d

Location: Inuvik – Northwest Territories
N68’21.266’ W133’42.332’
Date: April 21, 2006
Time: 11:50pm
Temp: -9C
State: Tired. In Need of Quiet Time to Focus on Project.

The drive here was breathtaking.

I’m in need of some time to just sit and draft all the project ideas from the past few days. It’s been non-stop busy traveling across the country. We’ve spent a lot of time setting up the van as living quarters, we’ve spent a lot of time talking to the amazing people who have taken us in, we’ve spent a lot of time at film festivals making amazing contacts for the project, we’ve spent a lot of time driving, we’ve spent a lot of time being overwhelmed by the landscape, and we’ve spent a lot of time, spending our time.

Now arriving in Inuvik we’re literally at the end of the road… for me it’s time to stop. Stop everything and work on the project vision. It’s important that I do this now, before heading to Holman on Victoria Island where the project will officially begin.

Laundry List (aka. Things to get done before flying North to start location.)
- Enter remaining receipts for April.
- Organize new project concepts.
- Create and organize shot lists for first month of journey.
- Outline different project themes in relation to shot lists.
- Outline which cameras are planned for which locations.
- Choose film stocks for shooting Holman & Victoria Island.
- Contact Martin Landry & Paul Dixon (Inuvik contacts)
- Shower.
- Shave.
- Visit Paul Dixon at work to learn about traditional trap lines and hunting grounds.
- Volunteer at Inuvik greenhouse and lay foundation for filming when back from Holman.
- Contact: Ak’lak Air for flight to Holman
- Fly to Holman
- Breath.
- Breath.
- Breath.
- Unknown….
- .
- .
- .
- Start Searching for Dragons Film Project.

It’s getting cold in the van… once the engine is shut off, the frigid air starts to find its way inward. At –9c it usually takes about twenty minutes for it to become uncomfortable. Instead of turning the engine back on, I’ve chosen to retreat inward into my sleeping bag.

Goodnight Inuvik.
d.

Location: Rachel's Cabin just outside Dawson City
N64' o3.478 W139'05.488
Temp: -1'C
Date: April 20, 2006
State: Anxious to get moving again! Sad to leave. Love it here.

Ever have that dream of getting away from it all and heading to a small cabin in the woods? Welcome to Rachel's!

1. Rachel's Cabin
2. Kitchen
3. Dylans House
4. Dylan
5. Sugar Bear

We've been held up here waiting for the Dempster Hwy to be clear of snow. For the most part it's just us and the dogs... Rachel was here Tuesday and Wednesday morning... it was great to spend some quality time with her and kick back and relax post festival. Rachel's been working at Peggy's & Dawson City Film Fest all weekend, so this girl needed to kick back for some downtime. Then off again, back to town.. and we're here with two lovely pooches and the only noise coming from the quiet hum of the refrigerator.






























We're heading up the Dempster today as the roads are now clear with only some small sections of single lane highway. I'm excited to reach our starting point and start shooting film up on Victoria Island in Holman. Enough of this getting there!... ahh but again, the journey is the destination.. and although we haven't been shooting much.. we're definitely working.

So what have we accomplished by a week in and around Dawson? We've made some great friends and some unbelievable contacts for the project. It feels as though the entire Yukon has opened up it's doors to us. I'm very excited to contact many of the elders and individuals on our newly formed lists. On this note, the route South is also continuing to form itself, as we must drive or hike out to meet many of these people. While in Dawson we also met a man named Paul Dixon from Inuvik who is working to document Native trap lines and hunting grounds. Paul has invited us to chat with him when we arrive North. A man named Nick is also opening some doors to contacts in Pelly Crossing. It just keeps going and going and going... :-)

On of the keys to all of the above, is time. It takes time to encounter a subject in a respectful manner. It takes time to allow the universe to work it's magic. It takes time to form human connections. Everything takes time. This is key to my project since I'm not interested in grabbing images and heading off to a new location.. for me the film process is secondary and the people and relationships come first. I feel it's the only way to capture what I'm out here to capture... I feel the "dragons" need time to emerge and time to guage our intentions. Also there may be lessons, spiritual teachings or pieces of wisdom that are not meant for film. Some things are meant to be left where they are and where they've always been.

Now to our plan of action. We're heading North towards Dempster today. We'll scout some locations on the way up then arrive at Martin Landry's in Inuvik. Curry dinner at Martin's on the 25th then flying to Holman to start filming. Once back in Inuvik we'll contact all our new contacts that we've made in Dawson City and plan the road South. Then, open road.

Talk to you from Inuvik.

Peace,
d

Location: Dawson City
N64' o3.642 W139'26.097
Temp: -8'C
Date: April 17, 2006
State: Tired from an excellent weekend of films, filmmakers & good friends.

It’s 4 am.. the festival wrapped up tonight and the ater party was kickin'. There’s never enough time to talk to everyone. So many great people. I’m now settling into bed in the van.. Forbes is sleeping inside on our new friend Kyla's couch while I’m out here brushing my teeth with ice cubes. It’s become significantly colder now.. the freezing of water and food is going to quickly become an issue as we travel North. We'll have to start sleeping with some of our water and food supplies at the bottom of our sleeping bags to keep them warm.

While talking all weekend with Filmmakers John Walker (http://www.nfb.ca/portraits/fiche.php?id=433&v=h&lg=en) and Dan Sokolowski (http://www.sokcinema.ca/dan.htm) I've repeatedly heard the same counsel. Keep it simple and be sure to give your project the time and attention it deserves.

I have a tendency to fire up multiple burners and work on a few projects simultaneously. Traveling across Canada over the past month I've also started thinking about the project less as a feature film and more as an art project of mass documentation. With so many potential direction to head in creatively, I think the focus can become confusing. Therefore I'm now taking a look at the total project in layers. Keep in mind that the following is a little loose as I'm simply sharing my current process of creating clarity and focus.

Overall Art Project
- Letting Go. Life as Art. Serendipity. The Spiritual Journey.
Searching for Dragons
- Finding Wisdom. Traditional Knowledge. Connection to Nature. The Power of Language to Shape the World. Media as Language.
(This project is the center of the wheel with all other processes being secondary.)
Documentation Side Projects
- Van Life.
- Human Connections & Hospitality.
- Alternative Sustainable Lifestyles/Downshifters.
- Film: Making Of/The Creative Process.
- Trucking/Truck Stop Culture/Oil & Gas.
- Oral/Traditional Knowledge - Small Farmers, Native Elders, Scientists, Enviromentalists.

So the above is how I see things at this point in time... everything being interconnected with Searching for Dragons at the center of the upcoming spiritual journey and documentation process.

We leave for Inuvik on Wednesday morning.

Happy Easter,
d

1. House
2. Mary's (notice the boards. much of town boarded up all winter.)
3. Black Sand & Gold sign
4. Bunk House (again boards)

Sorry for the sideways pics.. but no time to fix.
d

1. The Westminster Hotel (aka The Pit)
2. Bumper Sitcker
3. Dawson City at dusk

1. Self Portrait
2. Peggys
3. Klondike Institute of Art and Culture (KIAC)

I'm a firm believer in the gifting process. I believe when you give freely to the world, without expectations of a return, you often quickly find yourself being gifted to. This is the idea behind the gifting cycle. If everyone were to give rather than take, we would all somehow find ourselves with more than we could ever need... And, in having more than we could ever need we would then gift to others, allowing the cycle to continue.

Dawson City has been a place of tremendous gifts. In the past 48hrs we have met people who have made us feel at home, have offered us cabins to stay in, have fed us, have asked us if they can do interviews for their newspapers, have provided us with contact information for Yukon elders, have told us how much they are enjoying our energy, have expressed a keen interest in SFD along with a deep desire to support our filmmaking efforts. I'm completely overwhelmed.

There's something else going on here to. This place has a hold on me. I'm sitting in screenings watching films about the North and finding myself flooded with emotion. There have been a few times when I've had to wipe tears from my eyes and breath. A part of this emotion comes from a deep realization of the beauty that will present itself through the people and landscapes on the road ahead. The other part of my emotion comes from an overwhelming sense of gratitude. I'm so thankful. Thankful for everything. There is nothing I could possibly say to express this overwhelming sense of gratitude... and where words fail, tears take over. Life is magical and I'm so grateful to be out here and to have the universe putting us in touch with guides who are blowing open doors and helping to show us the way.

I have so much to talk about.. but dinner calls.

I'll get some pics of Dawson City and Dawson folks up tomorrow.

Peace,
d

1. Five Finger Rapids.
2. Crow at Five Fingers :-)
3. Northern lights on Front St. - Dawson City

Location: Dawson City
N64' o3.642 W139'26.097
Temp: 3'C
Date: April 12, 2006
State: Content

If you've ever been to Black Rock City, Nevada (also known as Burning Man - www.burningman.com) you'll know that when you first arrive you're greeted by the greeters. It's the job of the greeters to welcome you home. "Welcome Home!" they shout as you enter the gates of this magical city that only exists for 7 days. Welcome home because going to Burning Man feels so much like coming home... to that place where your insides glow and everything seems to fit you perfectly. For me.. this is the feeling of Dawson City. When we arrived last night at 7pm we walked into a small pub named Bombay Peggy's and within a few moments we were relaxing and soaking up the comfortable vibes with locals Kyla, Rachel and Dennis. Dan Sok one of my filmmaking mentors from Ottawa was ar Peggy's as expected so we had a chance to catch up and reflect on the journey thus far. Dan has a film in Dawson City Short Film Festival, one of the reasons we're here.

Dawson is on of those places that I could imagine building a life.. I'm filled with an overwhelming sense that a part of me has a future here. There's something about the North. As Shelagh Rogers of CBC said in an interview I heard awhile back, "Everyone should go to the North, it's part of our soul, part of our unconscious being!" I couldn't agree more.. for me, my soul feels like it's somehow arrived home and I'm not so sure it wants to leave...

peace,
d

Tonight Forbes and I went to see John Walker’s film Men of the Deeps presented by the Yukon Film Society - http://www.yukonfilmsociety.com/index.html. It’s was a beautiful film about Cape Breton coal miners, I highly recommend you try to see it.

The question and answer period with John after the film triggered a few ideas I’ve been thinking about in terms of my own filmmaking process.

First, although shooting film for the Searching for Dragons film project is my main focus throughout the next year, I am also simultaneously shooting quite a bit of digital footage. This digital footage is for the sake of mass documentation and for a potential tv series and a traditional talking heads doc down the road. The reason I’m mentioning all this is to share the fact that I’m currently organizing multiple shooting schedule in my head while creating outlines of what shots will be used for what projects. Searching for Dragons is already well planned and the process is now mostly one of execution and waiting for the right moments, whereas these other side projects are still very much in the planning stages. And, although the idea of shooting first and piecing things together later is awefully tempting, it’s NOT the way to approach any film project. I personally like to plan all my shots, structure, general aesthtic, audio before I even pick up a camera. Then from this framework I can allow the chaos to play its part. Controlled chaos, if there is such a thing.

Second, tonight John Walker was speaking about his film and how it looks at a single community over a one hour period. An hour isn’t really that much screen time and therefore a filmmaker has to have focused themes, subjects, etc. For me this presents a major challenge since my subject spans over 15,000km and 8 countries. Tonight, listening to John, I began to think about this aspect to the journey and how I’m interested in both the MACRO and the MIRCO. I’m interested in exploring how as humans, when everything comes down to it, we’re actually pretty insignificant, while at the same time exploring how we can make very significant changes that can have a huge effect on everything around us.

Third,... Actually there is no third point at this time.. but I want to say that I’m not very interested anymore in writing blogs about the weather, where I am, or, what I ate for breakfast. I’m only realizing this now as I've done a few of these and am now shifting gears as I’m getting closer to shooting the first frames of the film up on Holman Island, North of Inuvik. It’s time to get into my process and the daily grind is becoming less significant. So... Instead I’m going to try starting each blog from now on with the following info basics,

LOCATION: Whitehorse - N 44°00.276' W 71°04.976'
TEMP: 0’C
DATE: April 11, 2006
TIME: 11:19pm
STATE: Tired.

Also, I will be creating more blog entries while out on the road versus only writing when I have internet access. At times there will be a delay, and although things will not always be so current they will all contain the above info so you will be able to place things physically and temporally. Theoretically you could even use a GPS to go to the exact locations of my photographs in the future. And, most importantly you will be reading content from out in the field so to speak.

I encourage anyone reading the blogs to feel free to email me at sfdwindpath@gmail.com and ask me anything, comment on the content, suggest places to visit, offer a hot shower ;-) I may take some time to get back to you depending on where I am, but I WILL get back to you. Communication is key... talking to elders we often hear that human relationships are what comes to matter most amidst all life’s other experiences.

peace,
d

PS. a pic of the famous signpost forest in Watson Lake, Yukon.

1. Bison on the side of the road.
2. Katie our new friend from Watson Lake.
3. Deer on side of the road.
4. Mountains just South of Whitehorse

1. Sunset heading into the mountains.
2. Our Van.. Veronica Grey Wind :-)
3. Landscape North of Dawson Creek
4. Old Truck in Field

Ok... where was I...

Yesterday I was writing about metaphysics and our ability to create the world through our intentions. If we look back we see these ideas reflected in many ancient belief systems around the world. I always go back to the Shamanic belief that the world is created out of language and the idea that we speak the world into being. A major part of my project is this idea of speaking the world into being. My concerns arise from the question of what exactly is it that we are saying these days? With mainstream media as an extension of language we seem to be working to create a world of war and fear with the only relief in sight being mass consumption and a severe preoccupation with being young and beautiful. Where is the Love? Where is the Peace? Where is the Silence? Where is the Wabi-Sabi (http://phpwiki.sourceforge.net/phpwiki/WabiSabi)? Where is the Community? Where is the Vision for a Sustainable Future?

I say all this because I feel we're headed towards a major reality check. I think many people's concerns over access to energy, clean air and clean water are about to become very mainstream. I think the general population has no real idea regarding what's coming down the pipeline. Meanwhile most of the information fed to us these days does very little to address these important issues. But, times are changing. Necessity after all is the mother of invention.

What I'd like to see is a popular culture shift, where it's no longer about Paris Hilton or Jessica Simpson's latest shoe purchase, but instead about interesting projects involving urban rooftop gardens or local people banding together to build sustainable inner city agricultural systems. I personally don't think we've even broken the surface of the vast potential and power of our mass media. I look forward to the future.

Out of time again... never enough time for ramblings.

Back at Zola's Cafe.

Last night we slept out at Schwatka Lake on the outskirts of Whitehorse. Sleeping lakeside out under the stars fits me perfectly. In Watson Lake our new friend Katie set us up with a similar spot out by the old airport. Simply breathtaking is what they would say.. if 'they' were in our shoes.

Ok.. I'm having issues. Not having full FREE access to internet is affecting my blog entries. I'm feeling rushed and I'm not taking the time that I need to let my thoughts flow... so things may get a little crazy in here and my spelling and grammar may get a little sloppy... but it's all part of the process. My blogs are reflecting my access to technology and my somewhat rushed attempt to express my thoughts. The latter is funny since up here I feel anything but rushed. I'm now running on Yukon time.. and the fast pace of the cities to the South feels ever so far away.

To the Project...

Although everything is going according to plan.. and everything is in place for the future.. I'm having some slight anxiety. In the past twenty-four hours I've been catching myself trying to take control. This is NOT the idea behind Searching for Dragons! If anything SFD is about letting go.. going with the flow and being open to the wonder of nature and the universe. Yet.. here I am falling back into old patterns of fear and worry. Fear that the right people will not present themselves at the right time.. fear that I have WAY TOO MANY formats to shoot on!!! Fear that things will not fall into place. Now I have to say that this fear isn't really warrented since everything IS falling into place and the right people ARE presenting themselves at the right time.. AND I am somehow in control. Ha.. well not really, but that word "somehow" is key.

I've spent a lot of time reading about quantum physics over the past few years and what many of the leading physicists out there are concluding that WE DO have the power to create our world through our intentions we can increase the probability of what will come into being... gotta go again.. just got into a lengthy discussion with a woman who works up in Inuvik.. see.. the right people appear as you stay open and move through life. we just had a great talk about everything from land use, to oil and gas, to cultures around the world, to everything else that is going on... I'll be back tomorrow but will post this raggle taggle blog entry as it is.

peace
d

We kind of disappeared out of Edmonton.. but here we are.. now in Whitehorse dropping a blog entry at Zola's Cafe. The road North has been extremely beautiful and we've taken many pics of spectacular mountain ranges... But... we're at a cafe and don't have the technology right now to toss them online. Maybe tomorrow we'll find somewhere that we can upload from. We have a hunch that the local library might be the place.

I'm pressed for time as we're about to hit the Banff Mountain Film Festival that's on tonight here at the Yukon Arts Centre. Should be a good time! It will be nice to sit in a theatre and watch some films. This festival is basically part of the original Banff Mountain Film Festival but has been scaled down for touring and exhibition in Whitehorse.

So much to say and so little time.. I'll write a larger blog demain.

We've crashed out in the van the past two nights and it's been great. Our sleep stops were Pink Mountain and Watson Lake. At Watson we met a great woman named Katie who works at the Watson Lake Rec Centre. Katie hooked us up with all kinds of info and the Rec Centre provided a weight room, hot showers and a suana for the low low price of $3.00. Perfectly in line with our budget.

More on Pink Mountain and Watson Lake to come....

peace,
d

Time keeps on ticking and we're stuck here in Edmonton waiting for a special delivery. It's funny how everything always takes longer than you expect it to. Whether it's a special delivery, a film, a true love, a paycheck, or a healing process. The universe continues to cause things to happen in their own time and at their own speed... and although we shouldn't allow ourselves to become too passive in life.. we also have to remember that only so much is under our control and we might as well sit back, breath, and relax.