GADS! Stephen, you have just caused me to have a hard chill reading all that..have to go home and roll up in a heavy quilt now! <shiver>... R the Cryogenically Adverse Agree about the brown outer wear in hunting country,,,you could end up hanging in somebody's freezer that way. -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of stephen davie Sent: Sunday, September 09, 2007 10:25 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [ORCADIA] orkney winters... badstu time...slow and easy We have found over the years, that taking the initiative to walk in the cold winter winds, snow and all the worst weather mother nature can muster up in the winter, simply demands a little "mind adjusting" to be totally enjoyable. Often it is in these conditions that I would encounter a bold owl or hawk, a giant deer or moose, or an overstuffed grouse beneath a shrub or a white snowshoe rabbit , knawing the bark of fruitwood brush, or a chickadee stranded in a shimmering windy cedar tree. If this little twist in thinking is applied, the winter becomes indeed totally enjoyable and the health of the convert is dramatically rewarded and improved. Adding seed to a bird feeder deep on your trail, is a rewarding part of this daily ritual. I still have my Norwegian special order cross country skis, which the shopkeeper asked if he could keep in his store till I needed them, as they are ten feet long and 80 mm wide and look like something Sasquatch would wear and every customer entering there gave them the once over. Many countless miles have slid beneath those old hardwood boards. The one chief factor is to abandon the idea of fashion, and acquire functional outer garments that keep you comfortable in any condition, while not binding you up to the extent that your mobility is impaired. In the shoulder seasons here ( much like Orkney winters) I wear Outback gear from Australia, which is just a superiour version of the Barbour wear that Brits wear. ( I do wish however that those Auzzies could understand that the dark brown colour they ship here, is just too much the colour of a twilight moose or deer, and thus somewhat dangerous outwear in some places here where folks are hungry in the wintertime.) Bludstone boots are great too, simply the best for spring and fall, and they have even created one with a maple leaf on it for we grateful Canuks. The Auzzies make great outdoor kit, but not for the frigid extreme weather we get mid winter. Then there is that marvelous creation...the flask. In truly horrible weather, it is a nice thing to tote along...but mindya just a tiny one...like the 4 oz highland park model. (When I visited Orkney I took the outshell of my browning duck shooting garb...light, waterproof and breathable complete with gortex hood.The realtree hardwoods camo pattern drew a lot of stares and comments....but I was dry) The real trauma that besets people in winter is the challenge of warming up when you return to a coolish or drafty farmhouse. So many modern homes do not have the necessary features to get warm again after a stomp in the wild winter winds. First off there used to be a woodstove in the old kitchens of bygone years, and after an outdoor ordeal in a harsh freezing blizzard, you'd simply take a seat very close to that pulsing iron friend that cooked, heated and provided a meeting place for so much of the year, usually with a coffee pot or tea kettle at the go and within easy reach. You could open the fire door and watch the flames flicker, or add wood to get even hotter. The old oak rocker could be placed at the desired distance and temperature, and a snooze in the heat would be the reward. My friend Mabel in Orkney has a neat old red stove that belches away all winter, but it is oil fired. Bruce and Maureen had a nice big stove and a cozy kitchen on Stronsay. Did you ever get your new stove Bruce? hmmm. For the more determined all-weather winter hiker, our Norwegian forbears and friends engage their badstu. In the early 1900's the Norwegian government, after scientific study, installed these things publicly, and I read online that there is indeed one beneath the Norwegian parliament.(Maybe that's why their politicians are so effective, and their economy so brisk) The place I like to stay in Orkney has one, and the lady there claims that their decision to invest in one had everything to do with health in the cold months. Here, in our north, they are commonplace, but more usually referred to by their other Scandinavian name. (google "badstu" and practice your norwegian) The other outdoor item which is nice in the winter, is the hot tub. A smaller rain barrel version with a good insulated encasement and lid, is an easy thing to manage, and delightful to sit in in a snowstorm, or a clear starry cold night. A propane unit would be a good Orkney choice. The combination of the badstu and a shower with the added feature of a hot tub, seem to make the body immune from the negative impacts of dreadful winter weather, and the entire season becomes indeed enjoyable. Our farmhouse featured such facilities in a complete room lined with local white cedar, which kept us healthy and positive when the winter winds howled, and the sun overslept, out of sight and tucked behind the edges of the cold earth. A little adjusting in Orkney, back to those proven historic Scandinavian methods of our forbears, could make any Orkney winters a joy. Someone told me most Orcadian kids were born in the early fall. hmmm. Stephen in Canada ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message