Week 7

Worked with Grade 8's in Photohsop with their photographs they had taken the previous week. They all worked really quickly and grasped what to do which meant they played around quite a lot which was great to see. For next week I hope to have their work online.

Prepared some story boards and firmed up some ideas - more lists and more lists of things to do ....Arranged interviews with miners from the area that will happen tomorrow.

Did three different interviews with miners and geologists from Dawson. After weeks of chasing and not really getting much had some really productive and interesting interviews which have brought new angles and insights to the project here. Read interviews with Mr Smith UK, an entrepreneur who used to live in Dawson, David McBurney who is from New Zealand and still mines in the area and Ann Ledwidge who is a geologist working with miners.

It seems that some of the miners choose a solitary existence outside of town living on their claims even in winter so it has been difficult to get hold of them. This solitary lifestyle is probably only happily accepted by a few and the others probably go a bit stir crazy. I was told a story that is tragic but is classic Dawson madness. There were a couple of miners out on Eldorado, Kieran Dent and 2by4 Bob (2by4 Bob had been given this name because he had knocked a man out with a piece of 2by4 a few years earlier and had a history of mental illness.) Threats exchanged between the two and 2by4 Bob had threatened he would take his Dent's claim and kill him. To make matters worse 2by4 Bob had befriended Dent's father who Dent junior did not get along with. One day when 2by4 Bob was sat on the edge of his claim with a shot gun Dent shot 2by4 Bob several times from his house. It transpired later in the trial that 2by4 Bob had not threatened his neighbour on that occassion. Dent aslo had a history of violence. Dent was released on bail before the trial and has since been prosecuted for manslaughter. I don't think this is an example of what all the miners that live on their claims are like but living on your own for a while can probably send you a bit off the scales.

CBC came in the late afternoon to do their story on me - pretty painless but I am not sure how it will turn out we couldn't do much filming outdoors because it had gone pretty dark so everything had to be done in the studio with a squeaky chair! I may never get to see the piece as it might not be out for another few weeks yet.

It has started to finally get warmer so it means getting outside isn't as painful as when it has been really cold. Me and Lulu decided to go across and see Cave Man Bill at home across the frozen river. Instead of freezing flat across the water it has buckled and parts of the ice had risen up and cracked as it retracts and freezes and moves a little. A dog team came across the river as we got half way and they howled and fidgeted when the musher stopped to talk to us.

Click on the pictures to hear what Bill is talking about ....

Bill met us halfway because he was off to get some gas and saw somebody on his trail. We followed him back to his cave where he showed us his chickens, his electrical generator and his house. He told us all sorts of tales about living here. There is a short sample of some of the things he talked about included below. The witches in the cavern cackling in the background are Lulu and me of course!!!