Expedition Events...and then some!

Tim, myself and another fellow (OSR Member as well) took off to for a weekend trip to good ol’ Parry Sound. Ok, well not actually right in Parry Sound but around that area. The weather was not nice to us but we survived and I think we actually got somewhat crafty with our shelter by using our vehicles as a windbreak and water-barrier.

Water-barrier you ask? Well, sort of. The rain got quite heavy at times and was on occasion driven at an angle which would have made it all the more uncomfortable given the small square footage of our tarp canopy shelter.

We didn’t sleep in tents or trailers. We just used our vehicles which seemed to add a load of convenience given the weather conditions.

I personally found it unusual that there was a noticeable silence and lack of animals in the areas that we visited. I know that the weather had something to do with with it but I still felt that there was something unusual about the surroundings. Now, with that being said, we did see a deer (doe) and a fox, but nothing really more than that. If it wasn’t for Tim on his “lookout” perch which consisted of standing, or should I say leaning against the roll bar of a Kawasaki Mule, we might have driven right by the deer without noticing it.

The fox on the other hand was weird. Now I know that foxes can be crafty and sneaky, that’s part of their nature. The thing is, the first night we were up there Tim & I were talking back and forth and he looked beyond me at something which turned out to be a fox, however, it was approaching me from behind in sort of a stalking mode. It’s head was slung down and it’s tail was straight and parallel to the ground. I immediately got up and scared it off but that only lasted a few seconds. It turned around and came back, same sort of body language…like it was hunting prey. Once again we scared it off and for one final time it came back around and we really tried to scare it away, this time it worked…we had hoped. Thinking about it afterwards, it may have been that someone was feeding this fox so it was somewhat used to humans…or….what I feared to think about yet had to consider, it was rabid and delusional. Who knows?

And here is another thing - it's easy to get lost and even easier to become hidden. The leaves were still on the trees but they were at the metamorphical stage of change; they did a hell of a job hiding things. Take a quick glance here....See how easy Tim blends into the background?

Some good lessons were learned during the course of this trip. One thing that I would like to share is the actual field use of LED lights as opposed to regular incandescent bulbs. These LED lights are really great, especially for battery life and longevity of the actual bulb. At first I recognized these lights as being expensive, at least when they began to appear on the market, but now you can even find these things in the dollar store and they work well. Now, I wouldnt recommend dollar store flashlights when you are looking for reliability and so the term “you get what you pay for” casts some truth about the quality of your equipment. Give me a light that’s waterproof or at least has good water resistance, durable case, long life on/off switch, easy to use, great battery life and you’ve got a light that should be a winner. Personally I had a handheld LED light from “The Source” (AKA Old Radio Shack) located at http://www.thesource.ca plus a couple of other items.

My handheld light was on sale for $5 and it was worth it!!! Bright light for the entire weekend and the batteries are still strong. I used this guy the most.

http://www.thesource.ca/estore/product.aspx?language=en-CA&catalog=Online&category=Flashlights&product=6118825

My trusty backup did not require batteries or have any wearable components…which by luck was also on sale for a mere $10 (regular $30). A solar LED flashlight. How simple is that? Works great!

http://www.thesource.ca/estore/product.aspx?language=en-CA&catalog=Online&category=Flashlights&product=6119241

Now here is the thing. When you are in the field working a night scope or using a knife or just trying to tie a rope, the hardest thing to do is to get your flashlight mounted in such a way that it gives you the light you need when you need it and where you need it. I wanted to get a headband light that would allow me the dexterity that I needed to do other things without being held back by planting a light on the ground or in a tree or having someone hold it, plus when I came across this little gem, I couldn’t pass up the price. $19 for a sports headlight (9 in 1) that worked beyond my expectations. http://www.walmart.ca/Canada-FeaturedPage.jsp?selection=listingDetails&assetId=45807&imageId=63173&departmentId=211&categoryId=1244&tabId=7

Walmart is the place for this gem. It not only has a bright white LED light on it but it also has a rear red light (flashing or steady, for tracking,etc) and a blue, green and red front beam which are all great, in particular the blue light. You can draw eyeshine from many yards away with the blue on. Best of all, the battery life is fantastic!

In closing; while there was nothing that I would consider as being conclusive evidence that a “sasquatch – like” entity exists in this area, we did notice a few things that stood out.

First, on Saturday we were driving back in the Mule to our vehicles when we approached a section of trail that was within some pretty dense bush. The trail was cleared itself and in good condition, as you will note in the video, but moving to either side gets you into some thick forest. As we approached this one area, I heard a loud series of brush snaps and I immediately signaled to stop the mule. It was dead quiet afterwards and we scanned the area pretty intensely. Whatever was moving around had stopped and therefore could have possibly been observing us. I do not believe that this would be typical behavior of a bear or deer. They would run for cover until they felt they were completely out of harm’s way (unless the bear was with its cubs).

Second, on our last day (Sunday) we were on our way to retrieve our trail cameras and as we approached the area, the same thing happened again….loud snaps then silence. We immediately dismounted the vehicle and approached the bush. More snaps were heard, then complete silence. Once again, whatever it was stopped and was observing us, yet we could not see a thing.

In closing, we enjoyed ourselves and had a great time.Looking forward to our next expedition (or “mini-expedition”) taking place in a few weeks. North-bound again!!

Until next time……

Off to the north....

It's been a little while since my last blog but now I have some news that might interest some of you who follow this tiny corner of the web.

Tim Ervick (A.K.A "Squatchers) and myself are heading off to a location of interest this weekend in north-central Ontario and hopefully we might get a glimpse of what is "hiding out" in the area (For lack of a better explanation). We have the vocalization from Naiscoot Lake, the "DonR" recording from roughly the same area and of course, my vocalization experience - all which have occurred in the same geographic area so we are setting out to try and discover just what this thing might be. This is a initial search / recon of one particular area and given the terrain and size of the area we have to cover, we should be able to collect lots of data which we will be presenting later on.

Of interest to some is the live "from the field" episode of Simply Sasquatch radio that we are going to be doing this Saturday, October 3rd @ 9:30AM EST so be sure to tune in and join us!

Maybe it's been there all along....

I heard a snippet of something a few days ago that made me think for a moment about the way we perceive things. "The deer could be standing right there in front of you and you wouldn't notice it".

The Ticking Mind started ticking again and I really thought about it. Absolutely right. Same goes with a squirrel that pauses like a statue, not even flinching one bit. and possible many other animals. They just blend right in. And by all means, deer can get to be pretty large creatures, yet I can guarantee that we walk by them every day without noticing them. Chances are, and I believe I am quite sure about this, that then have noticed us long before we even are within a visual range.

Squatchers (Tim Ervick) pointed out something on the last episode of Simply Sasquatch that kinda made sense with regards to finding things. You don't have to go right back to the exact spot where someone heard something or saw something. Especially when it was many months or years ago. Being in the general area is more than likely adequate but the real science might simply be in observation. Parking yourself in a opportunistic spot (well, doing your best to get a great view of everything around you) and just waiting - observing everything. Maybe have a couple recorders going, camera and video on a tripod. Mic's in the surrounding trees. Whatever you feel works for you, but really, try to "observe"

Legend of Boggy Creek brought forth the discovery that that dogs did not want to track whatever it was in there. I am not sure how much to read into the movie, after all, they say it was based on true events yet they call it "The legend". Nonetheless, these folks went out in "packs". Why would a squatch sit around with these people and dogs hot on the trail? Maybe it's because they know they won't be noticed, I mean, the dogs were spooked and wouldn't track. How does it have that much control and power over hounds that were essentially "born" to follow their noses?

Then you have those theories that go way off on a tangent saying that they might be in another dimension, that's why we cannot see or detect them. If that is the case, then why am I even here talking about this. I mean, are vocalizations left out of this theory that they are on another plane that we cannot and do not interact with?

Creepy coincidence

I took a mini-hiatus from blogging in order to catch up on other aspects of my life but I just had to post this.

A long time ago I was up at a campsite - well, actually it was just a nice "clearing" on the north end of a beautiful lake surrounded by some pretty dense bush. I had been travelling up to this area for many years and so in some respects, I was very comfortable with my surroundings and I considered this place to be "my second home" away from home.

So, like I mentioned, it was a long time ago - say around 2003. I was up at the campsite and I was sitting in my lawnchair going over a map and I heard a soft roar which got louder; binoculars were deployed and scanning the area I came across a lonely boater heading up the lake towards my location. After a few moments I could assemble enough clarity through the binoculars to determine that it was a middle aged man who had a fishing rod hanging off the back of the boat, most likely trolling. I think the fellow noticed me when I had stood up to get the binoculars but it didn't really seem to phase him. As he approached closer I was the first to call out "Been a lucky fishing day for yah"?

He chuckled and said "If it's luck you need to catch them, then I have none"

I laughed, said that was strange, the lake is usually a good producer.

He nodded his head and continued on. A few moments later he asked "Were are you from"? Now my normal response would be just to say "The Toronto area" but I told him the actual name of the town of where I lived - at the time it was Acton and I don't really think it meant anything to him. He paused and then said St. Thomas. I nodded back; I knew the place he was talking about. That's a good 5 hour trip,if not more.

"Camping"? He said....and I replied "a little bit of everything. Yeah camping too!"

He laughed and onwards he went.

I never saw the fellow again during my trip. Nor any other trip.

Not until a week ago. This is where it gets creepy. I was at a gas station in Oakville. As I was filling up I noticed a person pull in, towing a boat behind their truck. The guy got out and began filling his truck. I looked at the boat over and over then I looked back at him. I had this feeling that I knew this guy but he was the first to jump on it. "Acton, right?" He said......

I paused for a moment then replied "St. Thomas, right?". He immediately smirked and replied "you got it!"

What are the odds.....what are the chances? Well, I felt lucky that day, and as I was inside the gas station making a coffee, he came in to pay for his gas. After doing so, he came over and extended his hand. "Hi I'm Nick". I immediately returned the gesture and extended my hand - "Hi, Jason. Nice to meet you!". He immediately replied "what are the odds"...

We chatted for a bit out in front of the pumps and I was surprised how fast the time flew; it was really a coincidental thing. This chap had no previous connection to the lake with the exception of him being introduced to it a year prior by a friend. He mentioned that it was quite enjoyable and he had been up a few times. As for me asking him about sasquatch activity? Well, I held back. He was a newbie. I feel horrible for using that term but at this point what else can I use or describe it with?

My friend, if you are reading this, you might very well know what may await you on your next trip.

Don't let it be a deterrent. We are just visiting it's vast backyard.

J.

Some Updates….

Wanted to pass along some recent news; Simply Sasquatch is doing well (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/SimplySasquatch) and I am happy to announce that Tim Ervick (http://squatchers.blogspot.com) has agreed to “co-host” the show with me when he is available and I think that’s great. This past show on Saturday (August 8th) we went for a little more than an hour and it was terrific. The conversation flowed quite nicely and I think the topics of discussion were of much interest to some.

I’m hoping to increase the listenership interaction, whether it be in the chatroom or calling into the show (646-716-6374) and maybe we might even see some more OSR members join us in the future ???

Tim is up in the Sudbury area and I am in Oakville. The Blogtalk number is long distance for both of us but I Primus VOIP some my long distance in North America is free. All i do is call into the show to host it and just before the show starts, I call Tim via conference call, then join him into the show. Pretty simple. Doesn’t cost him a dime in long distance, nor does it cost me anything. If you are interested in calling into the show by using this method to save on long distance, please let me know.

If your an Ipod user, Simply Sasquatch is now available on Itunes under podcasts.

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This is the most active time of the year for people to be using trail cameras and collecting images from them. Unfortunately many people arrive to the location of the camera to find that it has either disappeared or has been knocked out of the tree. The culprit? Typically a bear. They seem to be attracted to the resins used in the body of the camera and they sometime get a little too curious. If you have an opportunity to get yourself a bear-proof box, by all means do so.

__________________________________________________________

Not too much has been coming out of Ontario lately with regards to Sasquatch sightings. A couple recon’s have been planned yet there has been nothing much beyond that. We have a report, such as that from Squatchers – which details the Naiscoot lake vocalization.

(http://squatchersfieldnotes.blogspot.com/)

See yah!

Sasquatch speaks?

Yeah, It’s a vague title and it will probably draw some criticism but after the flaming I have endured in the past regarding other “subjects” (Sasquatch related) I figured that my 2 cents are worth about 5 cents now. The extra 3 cents are earned from the satisfaction of knowing that someone took the time to read, absorb and then give me a mouthful (or email full) of disagreement. Now that’s healthy feedback, don’t you think???

The Michigan Recordings – if you haven't done so you should really take a trip over to the site and explore it. Be sure to read the text rather than just jumping to the recordings because a wealth of information is provided and I have to tell you, it was a job well done.

Personally I haven't been able to pull anything really mind-blowing out of the project but I had no expectation of doing so. I should clarify what I mean – all too often people seem eager to present material to the public which in itself draws skepticism because you would think that one is looking for big press, the media and the spotlight. Not so with this project, and it seems to be for good reason – aside from setting your own conclusions – which, by the way, this site lets you do with ease (they don’t co-herse you into believing their thoughts and suggestions), they leave it wide open for any interpretation. Believe or don’t believe. Here is the research material as we have collected it.

That is why, when I learned of this project -as most rational people will (or should) do, you approach it with skepticism and little or no bias. And that’s exactly what I did.

On my first visit to the site, well, I was pleasantly surprised that a banner didn't jump out and say “congratulations, your the 150,000 visitor to this site. Click here to claim your prize. No, that might be a little harsh, but I’m sure you know what I mean. It is a well laid out site, simple in design yet powerful in it’s presentation of the subject and therefore I found it very comforting and easy to absorb.

What you will certainly notice is a consistent undertone of professionalism by individuals who are not immediately jumping to a conclusion and spreading the word SASQUATCH or BIGFOOT like its going to draw hits every time they do so. No, these people were on a planned and seemingly well executed mission to work with the situation that they agreed to study and this is the result of that tenure. A refreshing and interesting look into the way that a sasquatch may communicate and then some. Listen to the recordings, listen to everything. Picture yourself being there. You might even creep yourself out after hearing some of the sounds!

Track 5 of July 5/6th gave me the kick in the ass that I needed to set the title of this blog. Listen to it. Over and over. Notwithstanding the fact that it is a very “unique” recording, it seems that “it” is almost “speaking” to something – someone – anyone. Who knows? A lazy camper might have dropped a can of beans out of their pack while hiking and now the “mighty fur ball” is trying to figure out a way to open the mystifying silvery tube of slop. I chuckle each time I think of that – a wrestling match with a can of beans.

All jokes aside, this is a really important and interesting development from a group of credible and respectable individuals who are to be applauded for releasing this new and refreshing material. It will certainly renew the questions of conclusions by those who shut the door on this subject in the past. This is unique. This is part of the hunt. This is Sasquatch as the mystery unfolds.

(Please extinguish flames here……:)

Jason

Why do I believe?

Had a short and somewhat cold conversation with an individual a few hours ago who reminded me that when he came across my blog he felt that I was going to be looking the devil in the eye and walking down a path of destruction -  for that nobody would believe and take seriously the “folklore” and rantings of those who claim that a “being” exists among us that we cannot explain.

Logic speaks volumes. And people forget about logic to the point that “narrow” conclusions are drawn in cases where they should not be.

I make reference to my vocalization experience. I heard a sound – and I did not know what it was.

Think about my last sentence. Seriously. I will repeat it. Put yourself in my shoes, close your eyes and think. “I heard a sound and I did not know what it was”. Now, think about it happening to you.

In no way did I say “Sasquatch”. No, of course not. It did not even register at the time, but you see, the sensitivity of the actual event “as it occurred” startled the $#!**” out of me. I was terrified and I made it top priority to break down camp and leave the area. The memories were etched in my brain and soon thereafter I found myself on a mission.

When I finally felt that I had associated the sounds that I heard to sounds that I found on the net and finding out that they were related to Sasquatch, I certainly did not become too enamored with the fact that I had a new responsibility to deal with. Ridicule, people thinking I was nuts. Think what you want, I know what I heard and I knew that I was in this for the long run, but wait just a moment - those bone chilling sounds I heard did remind me of my encounter but I certainly did not draw a conclusion as to what it was, I only accepted the information presented as a possibility. 

Honestly, I still haven’t come to a solid conclusion and I am not sure if I will. Let alone my own experience, how can I review and disseminate others who offer data if we have no real baseline? What are you looking for? How did sasquatch come to mind? You see, at the time, it did not and that’s the point that I am trying to get across.

Like I said, I didn’t know what it was at the time. And I wanted to. I’ve been in those woods before and they owed me an explanation. Big time. So, I looked for it.

And so let me close this post of mine by saying…if you were in the middle of nowhere and your heard a scream –and you did not know what it was…You never heard anything like it before. You rationalize, but it just doesn’t work.

One sentence keeps playing itself over and over in your head.

“What was it?”

Logic always ends up ruling in situations where nature cannot speak for itself. My logic points me in the direction of another being existing among us. I’m not fully convinced, but then again, I heard those sounds. They still haunt me to this day. I looked for them. I listened to them, I listened again and again. It’s the closest thing that I could find and people call it a Sasquatch.

(Author’s side note: – The Michigan Recording Project website was recently released to the general public. Plug in your headphones and go have a look and a listen. Fascinating)

Sasquatch distracting people?

I've read with interest that many reported sasquatch sightings seem to offer a little more than what people bargain for, that is, the possibility that you are being distracted for a reason. What I mean is that there are several cases of people saying that they have been witness to small pebbles, rocks, sticks being thrown at them, apparently from the big hairy guy himself, but in any case, if sasquatch does have a pitching arm and is responsible for some of these events, it may stand to reason that it is doing this to attract your attention for the purpose of distracting you.

Why you ask? It could be a number of reasons. Preservation and safety come to mind as an initial thought. If there is an infant in the area or a sick or elderly creature who might not be quite up to the task of being agile and quick on it's feet, a younger squatch may start throwing interference your way to keep you busy and mesmerized with the situation while the others move to safety.

Wood knocks might accomplish the same thing but I believe that the act of actually throwing something at someone carries an inherent representation of aggression and so it is more cautiously observed and pursued, something that sasquatch is counting on.

Wood-knocks are inconclusive in some respects because you don't actually know what is creating the sound. I think they know that, so we become more curious and start to look into it. It could just be the wind....But having a stone hurled at you - more than once within a few moments - I can guarantee your gonna be a little cautious, epsecially when your in those spooky woods in the middle of nowhere. Dusk. Or midnight. Wolves howling....Ok big guy, you've got my attention. I certainly ain't going nowhere and I'm not going to hurt you. You can travel in peace.

If they have the intelligence to know how run interference in this manner, I would certainly respect the warning.

A lesson in Sound - Landmarks speak out.

Go for a ride a few km's off the shore of Lake Ontario then shut down your sail or motor and just sit there for a moment drifting. Relaxing? More than likely.

So you are a sitting - drifting - looking at the city line in front of you - buildings, skyscrapers, chimney stacks, etc. All of a sudden things start to dissapear. a cold front moves in, creating a fog that obscurs everything. You are a few km's out and all that you have around you is thick fog. You are blind.

Your running radar? Cool, might help you out a little, let you know where the land and those big ships are. Autohelm - thats cool, if your moving, but you have shut down and you are just sitting there.

Moments later you hear the sound from the local lighthouse. That good 'ol foghorn. Wait a moment, what direction did that sound come from?

It's there. The sound is familiar....As long as you can hear it you are safe. Kinda. Or maybe not. But there is the comfort factor. "You can hear it"....

That speaks VOLUMES. Excuse the pun, but even though you can't tell where that ol' foghorn is coming from, a quick glance at the compass or the GPS will put things into perspective - after all, that lighthouse never moves, right? Right.

Yes, as far as I am concerned - Right. We hear the lighthouse foghorn. We look at the GPS or compass. We can relate from the readings the estimated position of that lighthouse - and all is well. We are good to go.

Now, take that sound you heard in the bush and link a GPS or compass to it. You cant. You dont know where it origintated from. You heard it but there is no definitive point of creation. The sound might have echoed and come from all over the place. It's confusing and possibly overwhelming. You just dont know.

So when it comes to landmarks that you are familiar with, whether it be sound, light, or anything that gives it a unique identity, remember that. The simplest things that we "bypass"in our day to day lives can provide us with the information we need to get through a tough situation.

I've been through it. 1km off shore in Lake Ontario. Fog, thick fog. Nothing to be seen 5 feet in any direction. Radar is scattered. Then the foghorn sounds. Grab that waypoint out of the GPS an set your focus on it. It's your local harbour. Wait for the fog to subside then you are home-free. (Watch those shipping lanes!!! :)

Yeah, um, ok it's a 2 stroke. What does that mean?

Recent posts for low cost 110v generators averaging anywhere between $89 to $199 seem to have captured the eye of a lot of people; Sasquatch researchers are no exception! And while these pint-sized units are readily available to do the job of serving up kilowatts of power during your trip, it only takes a tiny misunderstanding to throw everything to hell.

"Damn...the lights are strobing on and off - guess the generator is running out of gas. Mind filling it?" Moments later the beast is up and running, you continue about your business. Then it happens. You hear the motor slow down. The lights dim. Within seconds the generator dies. That pull-start cord is as solid as a rock. The engine is dead - locked up - seized. Wrecked. Destroyed. Whatever you call it, it is a write-off. Why?

Oil. maybe even only a half cup or less - depends on the mix ratio, but that "cheap" generator you bought is cheap because it has a 2 stroke engine that needs to consume oil mixed into the gas in order to remain cool and lubricated. 2 stroke engines are the simplest and cheapest forms of power plants out there, yet because they burn the oil that lubricates them, they have become under increasing scrutiny with regards to pollution (EPA) initiatives. And this is why we see so many old Johnson and Mercury 2-stroke boat motors still kicking because they are cheap to operate and easy to work on.

That unforgettable smell of burning gas and oil will always bring back memories. Even if it wasn’t the boat, it might have even been a weed wacker or lawnmower, maybe even a chainsaw, but they were 2 stroke engines and the minor pain in the ass that they caused with the mixing ratios was (and still is) by far a miniscule task when you consider the reliability and longevity of such devices. I know that there are people out there grumbling about this. 2 strokes are dirty, filthy things. They are not as efficient as 4-strokes. They are destroying the earth. Ok, you've said your peace.

Now, let's look at all the environmentally inconsiderate things that you do. Take a bit of time, but you shouldn't need much. Now look at a field researcher. Someone who doesn't get out often but when we do we want to make the most of it and have the tools we need to operate efficiently, even if it is only for the weekend. Yeah, I could buy that $1200 4-stroke "clean" generator, but who am I kidding? Only myself. You see, given what I have mentioned, I really don’t spend that much time to the point where I require a generator. So my $1200 investment is going to be a beast that might take a bit of time to pay off. Not too mention that the portability is limited given the size. Was it arc-welding you wanted to do? :) Nope, my $99 2-stroke generator that may see 3 hours a month is a worthwhile investment. Just have to remember to ADD OIL to the gas!!!!!

Cogeco QAM channels

First, my apologies for not posting with more regularity, but I have my reasons - mostly TIME! I promise to blog with more frequency very soon - I miss it! This is nothing new but I thought I would take the liberty of bringing this to the attention of those who might benefit from this finding. Recent frustration with my PVR (Polaroid DRM-2001G) led me to try to upgrade the firmware on it which, I am sad to say, turned it into a useless piece of junk. Ok I shouldn't be that harsh - It will still play DVD's and the hard drive is still good - but it has a real hard time burning DVD's and the hard drive is getting full. Having to hookup the IDE drive (which, by the way is a older style PATA interface) to a USB dongle to pull the data off it is a bit cumbersome. On the slight chance that I may run across a proper copy of firmware for the north american version of this device - which is a generic type of PVR that is sold under different brand names, I may be able to resurrect this beast. If you are out there and you have access to such firmware, Drop me a line and let me know! So, my search for firmware ended up taking me to a lot of audio / video based websites such as this one and I was intrigued by this device. It would appear that the FCC has done some good with regards to the regulations surround the distribution of TV signals in an unencrypted format; Specifically QAM as described in this wiki. They (the cable companies) certainly do not advertise this feature from what I have seen, but then again, I live in Canada and subscribe to Cogeco cable, and of course, we are not governed by the FCC - but the point is, tv equipment that is manufactured for sale in the US after a certain date must have a ATSC tuner built into it (in addition to NTSC which has been phased out for over the air broadcasts in the US), and so, in the case of the Philips DVDR3575, manufactured for the US market - has both NTSC and ATSC tuners built into it and the ATSC tuner is capable of receiving QAM transmissions (Digital TV). So what's the big deal? Well, a couple of things. First, when this PVR came out, it retailed for close to $800 but rapidly dropped. It is one of only a few PVR's that have a built in tuner, dvd recorder, 160 GB hard disk drive, firewire and USB inputs. And, at the local clearance center on Dixie Road in Mississauga, I picked up a refurbished unit with a 6 month warranty for only $199! Now here is the big news - Like I said, I subscribe to regular analog basic cable. No variety packs or options. Just regular cable. I plugged this thing in, then went into the menu and did the initial setup "auto-channel" scan to pre-program the unit. It ran through all the regular cable channels from 2 - 125, then it started scanning for ATSC (Digital TV) channels. It took a little bit of time - about 15 minutes, but once complete - Voila!! I had a bunch of DTV channels and music channel that I could receive from Cogeco. At this point I have not spent the time to actually tally the channels I am getting because I have only just hooked up this unit very recently, but things are looking bright! I will post my channel list after compiling it and share it with you. Until next time.....

Things are “Ticking”….

My temporary lapse in blog efforts is in no way indicative of my interest in doing so; I’ve been VERY busy.

Just did another episode of Simply Sasquatch on Blogtalk radio and I was happy to see OSR member “Squatchers” (Tim Ervick) join in to the show via chatroom. Tim has a great blog on Blogspot that you can take a peek at. Thanks for the support Tim!

Simply Sasquatch episode coming your way.....

It sucks that blogtalk does not offer local Ontario (GTA or whatever) call in numbers for the show; I have had a few people inquire and I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place because I really do wish that they would get some Canadian numbers but as it stands there is nothing that I can do. I'm doing VOIP right now with Primus for my home line so long distance across North America doesnt really concern me since it is free, but I know that many still pay by the second or minute to their providers. I'm sorry folks - maybe call my home line and I will conference you int o the show? Seriously, I can do that and if it works for you and a call into a Hamilton (Line 1) or Toronto (Line 2) number is local to you, let me know!!! 

Simply sasquatch will feature an episode this weekend that reviews the NewCon Optik Pygmy monocular ( This is a neat review, we put this to a battery of weird tests) and of course, the main subject of our broadcast, what we have learned during our field trips.....life lessons.....

Looks like Simply Sasquatch will continue to broadcast at 11:30am every Saturday for the time being. I've gotten some great feedback from some of you who are there listening each weekend, thanks very much for that.  I might not be cut out to be an "on air" type of guy but I am trying to accomodate and work with the program so if you are patient I am sure you will be well rewarded. (No Purchase necessary, Prohibited in some states, some restrictions apply...) How is that for being on the ball? Or did it just remind you of the sales pitch for K-Tel spray hair.

Seriously, Just trying to throw a line or three out there to get people motivated. The OSR, a wonderful group of people (Http://www.ontariosasquatch.com), Tim over at Squatchers (Http://squatchers.blogspot.com) and of my own piece of the internet located at http://www.blogtalkradio/simplysasquatch make up for only a tiny yet "formidable" dabbling into the life of Sasquatch. Onwards.... Get involved. Get connected!

Recording in the field

Depending on what and where you are recording in the field, correct microphone placement can mean the difference between a mediocre low volume "whoop" and a highly defined, well formed "whoop".

Of course, that’s if you are in an area where you have potential activity. Many days have come and gone with nothing being recorded. Well, nothing except dead air. Not to worry, patience sometimes pays off.

Here are some tips that I will share to help optimize your recording strategies.

Take a moment to observe the topography of the area where you intend to record. Topography is important because of the potential introduction of echo's & reverberations, not to mention the possibility (yet less likely) introduction of Doppler Effect artifacts from something that is moving at a high rate of speed.

Steep inclinations that surround your microphone setup can distort your recordings because of the echo and reverberation that may be present. "Multipath" echo can also cause a loss in audio quality because whatever it is that you are recording is moving, thus projecting the sound in various directions.

Hard surfaces such as rock faces and cliffs are far more likely to reflect sounds than surfaces that are matted with sound absorbing material such as moss, thick grass, dead & decaying leaves. However, hard surfaces can also carry sounds much further. This brings up a good point; Use the local surroundings as a reflector or concentrator if you wish to pickup weak sounds. Parabolic and shotgun mic's work very well as a directional setup but it would be sad to have a sound come from the opposite direction of your collector and of course, not be able to record it.  So picture this setup; This is ultimately how you get the best of both worlds; Having a highly sensitive parabolic or shotgun mic assembly recording the sounds in from of it, but at the end is a rock face or some sort of structure that could potentially reflect the sounds made behind the dish into the collector, therefore, although it would be lower in volume you would still have a chance to record the sound, plus you have the chance to record whatever is between the rock face and your collector.

  Sometimes the stupidest things occur and when you find out what you did, it's too late to correct the problem. I remember I left a recorder out one evening and when I retrieved it a few hours later, I kept hearing this soft thump. For the life of me I couldn’t figure out what it was until I put 2 +2 together and realized that it was the cord of the mic banging against the tripod that I was using at the time. The wind was blowing just enough to occasionally lift the cord and bang it against the leg. I use Velcro straps now and it works quite well.

 That brings up another point - the tripod. Don't trust that thing to sit still if you have a parabolic of any considerable weight or size on there while there is a breeze. It will topple. There are some good tripods that will sit still but if you are like me and on a budget, take some twine and some tent pegs, fasten the twine half way up the tripod legs, above one of the collapsing leg knuckles so that the twine does not slide down, then fasten the other end to the tent peg that you have driven into the ground on an angle facing away from the tripod. This will ensure that the tripod sits still. You can also consider using a sand bag; Tie one end of the twine to the bottom of the middle of the tripod and tie the other end to the sandbag which is placed on the ground in the centre of the tripod.

 Here is something else that you should consider; Microphones are sensitive pieces of equipment. Like an ear drum, the fine pieces of material that make up a typical microphone element such as a condenser mike can be damaged by shock but also by a little know problem – Moisture.

 If you make that 3+ hour trip up north in the middle of summer and you have the air conditioner blasting away to keep your interior cool, that’s great, but taking that mic out of that cool cabin and you might introduce condensation. The easiest ways around this – put the stuff in your trunk or keep the equipment in an insulated case.

 Moisture can also be introduced as the sun set’s and dew starts to form. This is why it’s important not to have your microphone exposed to the hot sun for any substantial period of time. The heat can also affect the frequency response characteristics of the microphone because expansion and contraction will cause variations of size of the actual element.

 Believe it or not, insects might find the time to visit your mic setup and leave you with some baffling recordings.  Such was the case of a friend of mine who thought that someone had visited his mic and played with it, rubbing the actual microphone with a finger or something similar but in fact, it was a caterpillar that took a stroll across the surface. There are several ways to prevent this, suspended screening, etc. I thought it would be worthy to mention.

 Experimentation is the key when it comes to recording the great outdoors. And don’t be discouraged if you come away with several hours of dead air.  It’s all part of the process.

J.

 

"Simply Sasquatch" radio show

Just started my own Blog Talk radio show called "Simply Sasquatch". You can find it here http://www.blogtalkradio.com/SimplySasquatch/ or use the link at the top right corner of your screen. 

I think Ontario seems to be very "lacking" with shows like this so it is my hope that we can spread the word about Sasquatch research, field guide "how to's", tips and tricks, etc.

I am also hoping to do equipment reviews and have interviews with fellow researchers.

I just finished my first episode today, so excuse my broadcasting etiquette and skills if it sucks. I will learn in time. Have a listen, maybe you might like it. My first show is only 15 min long and I will be creating a calendar of future shows soon. I am not sure about what the show broadcast times and dates are going to be but Saturdays seem to be the most convenient, obviously since I have the time, being off work and all. We will see. If you have any show suggestions or your thoughts on a show schedule, drop me a line!

Cheers and enjoy the show!

 

Nothing to report? That's hard to believe.....

One of the things that I question when it comes to field research is coming home with no news. No data. Nothing. This is really quite a shame because even on the most uneventful outing, hoards of information can still be collected.

 Have you ever come across a professional “researcher” or “scientist” who came and went without taking any notes, samples or making a phone call relating to what they were doing in the field?  It never happens. Habitual processes kick in and even if you don’t sit there with a pen and paper that crazy little thing called a “memory” starts taking notes for you.

 Hang on a second here – people who make trips into the field and say “nothing to report”, no sightings, nothing of relevance……”

 Are you implying that just because you did not have a Bigfoot encounter that you were unsuccessful, therefore you have nothing to report? Perhaps it was just another “uneventful field trip”?

Ok, great. Thanks for sharing that. By the way, what was the ambient air temperature during your trip? What was the dew point? Were there any prevailing winds? Cloudy? Clear? Ambient noise such as a construction crew that echoed down the lake? Drunken partiers at a fire pit yelling obscenities all through the night? How about the water temperature at the local lake? Were flowers and berry bushes in bloom? Unusual odors in the area?

 I guess you get the point. Even with no “perceivable” Bigfoot activity, many other factors are still prevalent. It adds to research, theory and potentially a better way to understand what might be living on our planet with us.

 A creepy yet sobering close to this – As elusive as Bigfoot seems to be, the whole time you were in the field looking for “It”, “It” could have been there the looking right at you. Observing you. Learning from you.

 If that was the case…. sure, you could say you came home empty handed – but in one respect, you were a teacher. You just taught it once again how to be even more elusive.

The cost of connecting.

Just took a peek at the VISA bill and saw the Rogers internet charge. Interesting. It's more than last month. Perhaps they jumped on that fair access policy and are dinging me for those few additional megabytes that I might have downloaded which would of course put me over the allocated cap and make more income for the conglomerate.

"Bundle and Save!!"

What a bunch of bullshit directed to people who will buy the idea and subscribe to the services. Hook, line and sinker.

How about doing your homework and building a platform that works with your lifestyle. Trust me, if you do the research, you can save a good chunk of $$$ without sacrificing much, if anything. If you say you don't have time to do so, then most likely you have the finances to take it up the rump and pay whatever is owed to connect and communicate with the those outside of your home. And when you do give a &$#% about your recent internet, phone or cable bill and call for clarification.....more than likely that phone call is going to take an amount of time that will further increase you irritation.

It's ok Jason, calm down. Ok, Fine, I vented.....but I am still ticked with these companies making excuses for the poor customer service, performance and prices.

Internet - Rogers Portable Internet. Basic. $27.99

Phone - Primus Talkbroadband  Unlimited $25.95 /mth plus $5.00 for an additional number

Cable - Cogeco basic (Classic) cable $27.99 

What am I at here? Basic math, come on brain work.........

Ok say $87 bucks for your home entertainment and connectivity. Dear god, internet is a necessity now? Yup, appears to be. Holy Smokes, remember when Bell charged for RENTING home phones? Yes, renting!!! It was almost $5 a month for a piece of crap touch tone phone that did not even have the call display that we are all accustomed to now and we wont pick up that call if it someone we dont know or says PRIVATE CALLER. How disciminate we have become. Is this because we are permitted to be more selective about the type of calls we get? It just makes for new methods to be developed to get us to answer that call and the only reason why is because of that "all-mighty" dollar. "If I could just wiz through these 500 cold call numbers in my database im sure one of them will buy the Willi Wonder 6000 Vacuum Cleaner with free delivery." Think again you mindless rubberhead. The more connected we get, the more selective we get. The more privacy we yearn. The harder your job becomes. The more crap you throw at us, well, it's gonna come right back at you at slighter faster speed, maybe just enough to make you go "Huh? Wow, I gotta do something about this".

$87 bucks a month to watch 30 minutes of TV a day, have a home phone that might be used 5 times a month and internet which is used to bitch about my internet costs. I just chuckled about that one. Neat. Now what I am describing may be to some referred to as a  "LITE" version. How about all of you who subscribe to "Digital TV", maybe you also have that sports package, and for a "few dollars more" (more BS) get that internet package from the same provider, there is another $~45-50 bucks a month. Oh, by the way, you can also get phone service....great! Now we are past $100 a month. For what? Consolodation? Is that the reason you did it? You are paying the extra $$$ because it's all with the same company? 

I ask and offer you this. Don't burn yourself. Go shopping. Make these larger companies realize that they are dealing with an educated individual. Do your homework. With the money you save, well, congrats!!! You not only saved but you sent a message to the industry. 

Shop around. Give the little guys a chance. They are offering wonderful deals to gain leadership and many of the deals are too good to pass up. I know - I have learned and now I am wise - at least until tomorrow when another vendor throws out an offer  "too good to be passed up". I'm going to look at that with an amount of skepticism that would make all but the most "Herb Tarlec" type of sales rep cringe and all for good reason.

Until my next late night rant......If I wasted the 7 minutes of your time reading this, sorry, no refunds. Use as directed. :)

Cheers,

Jason

 

Wise to operate in Stealth Mode?

This seems to be a topic of some debate when conducting field research. Just how far do you go to conceal your activities and your presence? It would seem that most sasquatch encounters happen to those who were not looking for it, they were just minding their own business going about their routine when the sighting occured. 

The merit in these types of sightings lies in the consistency of the report and the typical granularity that comes along with it.

As an example, there is a video that has recently surfaced, referred to as "The Monster of Gum Creek". There is absolutely nothing conclusive about this video. Nothing. You can look at it hundreds of times and you cannot tell if the "thing"that is walking in the far background is a human or a sasquatch. Skeptics would leave it at that, and I am a healthy skeptic - but if something were made more compelling in this video, perhaps a clearer face shot - you might have my interest.

The point is, these people were out using an ATV, certainly not being "stealth".  As the fellow worked his way upstream the sighting occured. Sightings always seem to happen like this, and it is for this reason that I take no special steps to cover my tracks when I am doing field research. Just being yourself and acting in your usual manner will bring no sense of harm or fear to those who observe you - and don't think your not being watched.....many of us do not realize the amount of life that is peering upon us without our knowledge. Forest creatures have this down to a fine art. We do not. 

Get the balance right....Preventing blobsquatches

There is a little known feature found most high-end digital cameras and even some budget models commonly referred to as a Histogram. Without going into the super technical details it is simply a graph that represents complete black (left side) and complete white (right side).

 

When you take a picture of varying tones, shades and colours the histogram looks kind of like a "mountain" and when correctly exposed will appear to "peak" in the middle of the graph. You know instantly if your picture is going to be underexposed (peaks to the left) or overexposed (peaks to the right) and so you can adjust your exposure accordingly to balance things out. You need to learn how to look at the scene and understand where the exposure should be to create that perfect picture. To get the best dynamic range from a picture, you must expose it as bright as possible without over exposing it.  I use to always stay on the lower end of things because I thought it would be safe and I found myself having to take my pics into photoshop because they were always underexposed. Ever since I learned to use the histogram feature to my advantage, I have been shooting better quality pics that rarely need to be post-processed. 

This brings up a very important point - something we have seen far too much of - blobsquatches. Those grainy under-exposed photos that we are all too familiar with. It's really disturbing to find that these pictures were taken with cameras that were more than capable of taking sharp, clear pictures. So why the blobsquatches? 

1. Underexposed and too much shadow - not enough dynamic range and brightness to bring out the definition and detail of the scene. 
2. Not a high enough depth of field (Shooting with too low of an f-stop (large aperture) which keeps the object you are focusing on "in-focus" while the surroundings appear out of focus. It is these type of pictures where the blobsquatches frequently appear - in the unfocused sides of the intended target. Crank that f-stop up and get the whole picture in focus! 
3. Too high of an ISO setting can introduce noise in your picture. When possible, try to keep your ISO setting as low as possible, however, do not take that for granted. In fast-moving situations you may want to crank up that ISO to capture action shots - keep in mind that you need more light to work with that higher ISO setting. 
4. Last but not least, do not rely on AUTO. Experiment with your camera because sometimes it doesn't always calculate and select the best settings automatically. If in doubt, consider this - if your camera is capable of shooting RAW, do it, because that one "pristine shot" that you took may not have been so perfect after you get the picture home and view it on your computer - with RAW you can fix all that. JPEG's are already processed by your camera so you are limited to the amount of editing that you can perform. This is one reason why I love my camera - I can shoot RAW & JPEG at the same time so I have a copy of each. Yeah it takes more space on the memory card, but gigabytes are cheap nowadays. Happy shooting!
   

Hearing a Sasquatch - The sixth sense.

Every so often I download a few podcasts to listen to while I am commuting to work. One such podcast is Sasquatch Watch Radio which is hosted by Billy Willard and DB Donlon, AKA "The Blogsquatcher". Both of these fellows are members of the group Sasquatch Watch of Virginia. Billy and his son Josh started this group in 2005 while DB has his own blog.

Recently, one such podcast of Billy's touched on the subject of Infra sound.

It was an interesting show and it reminded me of some reports of people feeling like they are not alone, perhaps better described as feeling "uneasy" or "queasy". Some go as far to say that they felt a form of paralysis for a period of time and they could do nothing except lie in a semi-fetal position. Maybe this is the way that the body and brain react to trauma, perhaps even along the lines of those who fall into a coma after being traumatized, some say it's the body's way of beginning the defence and repair process by shutting down certain things that are not necessary to survive - movement, consciousness, sensory inputs. 

What's more interesting is that if infra sound is actually used as a form of defense, what is it that humans are doing to elicit such a response? Many people are simply minding their own business, camping, fishing, hiking - by all means not showing any signs of aggression. This is why I think that perhaps infra sound is not a defense mechanism, instead, it's a way of warning humans of impending danger. How many people stick around after having an apparent "infra sound" experience? I'd probably be leaving the area pretty quickly. 

Mind you, I do not believe that I have ever experienced Infra sound or any events as some of those described so I cannot really tell you what I would or would not do or how I would feel. 

Now let's look at this slightly differently. If you were an avid hiker or field researcher, you would be accustomed to your surroundings including all the sounds around you. Crickets, Birds, Frogs, Wolves, Owls. All of these animals generate unique sounds and we can almost immediately picture what the animal is as soon as their call is heard. 

Now imagine one day all of that changed. You were hiking along a trail and with tremendous volume and strength you heard a blood curdling scream. It seems very close to you, but you don't know where it's coming from. Your mind races to think of what it might be - Part of your initial terror is that you cannot associate the sound with anything so the fear of the unknown is steadily increasing. Now imagine if you heard the call again, this time it seems louder and closer, but again, you cannot associate the sound with anything you have ever heard before.

At this point your heart is probably racing, the hair on the back of your neck is standing up and goosebumps cover your entire body. You feel helpless, alone and scared. 

Audible perception of sound that we cannot identify has the ability to trigger a defensive response in cases where we feel vulnerable.

Non- audible infra sound can apparently still be perceived by the human body, thus causing it to take a similar course of action.

Notice the similarities? Not being able to identify and relate to the sound. The fear of the unknown. Your body is reacting according to it's sensory inputs, and since we cannot "hear" infra sound, who's to say that your ears are part of this perception? Maybe we all have a sixth sense. Who knows....

We haven't even begun to fully understand "audible" Bigfoot vocalizations and now we are exploring something much more intriguing. Perceiving sounds without hearing a thing. Fascinating.

Humble Beginnings?

I’m probably one of the few people left who has a technology oriented job (IT) yet doesn’t have their own blog. The reason why? Honestly I have no reason except that everything comes with a price. In the case of blogging, the price is TIME. I kept procrastinating and saying “YES”, I will make a blog, then days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months, well, you get the picture.

 

So why did I start blogging now? Well first of all its so that I can prove to myself that I can only procrastinate for so long then eventually stuff will get done. Yeah, that’s it. Makes me feel better. Good boy Jason, you’ve done well….

 

 

Honestly, my mind speaks more than my mouth. Volumes more. There is stuff that I think about almost every day that I say to myself “You know, I should write that down”.

Never ends up happening, well, at least until now. So here we are. My first blog entry.

Chances are I will say “Ok, I’ve done it!!!” and I wont be back making my second entry for weeks.

 

Let’s hope not. I mean, I can’t be that lazy can I?

 

Cheers to all!

Jason