2009 Guardian Dojo Karate Camp...

This past weekend I attended the 2009 Guardian Dojo Karate Camp (and belt testing) held in Arnes (north of Gimli), Manitoba.



Guardian Dojo students partook in 'lake-training', practiced Goshin Jitsu (self-defense) techniques, throws, kata, kihon (even some bo-kihon)...

If you're interested, I've uploaded the photos I took during the camp to my Flickr, here - enjoy!


The bugs were pretty wicked at times. ;P

Congratulations to all the students who tested... IMO, I think you all did very well. Once again, many thanks to Shihan Beltrán, Sempai(s) Rhea and Sean for organizing and facilitating the 2009 Guardian Dojo Karate Camp! Osu!

Recommended Viewing | Dinosaur Dynasty...

This past weekend I had the opportunity to visit the Manitoba Museum to check out the Dinosaur Dynasty exhibit. Excerpt from the Manitoba Museum website:

Get ready for a Jurassic experience when Dinosaur Dynasty: Discoveries from China opens on November 20th. This immense, large-scale exhibit from China features over 20 full size dinosaur skeletons, fossil dinosaur eggs that are millions of years old, and a dino dig pit for kids. Dinosaur Dynasty is open during regular Museum hours.

I found the exhibit to be quite interesting... the scale of some of the dinosaur skeletons was rather surprising...


...ranging from poodle size...


...to the size of a small building.


The velociraptor was quite a bit smaller than I expected... though I still wouldn't want to be chained to a bunkbed with one. ;)

It's great to be able to see such a diverse range of dinosaur skeletons/fossils on display in the city and I applaud the Manitoba Museum for doing so! I highly recommend that you check it out while you can... visit the Manitoba Museum online to learn more, here - cheers!


Images from my visit to Dinosaur Dynasty can be found on my Flickr account in my Zoos, Museums, Aquariums, more... set, here - enjoy!

Recommended | What? Clay Art & Curios...

Evelin Richter is a talented Winnipeg Beach based ceramist, I've blogged about her previously on MUHSASHUM, here. Anyhow, Ev's website/blog is now live (design by Circle and powered by Wordpress)! You can learn more about Ev, as well as see some examples of her work, visit her website/blog at http://www.whatclayart.com - enjoy!

COOL! Anna Garforth / ABE...

I highly recommend you check out Anna Garforth's work... I totally dig her Mossenger - 'moss graffiti', as well as her Head Gardner projects. Anna graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2007 with a BA in Graphic Design and has since worked on a variety of commissioned pieces for a diverse range of clients.


Her self-initiated Head Gardner project involves re-purposing plastic milk bottles into plant heads. From her description on her website: 'It takes on the guerilla gardening concept of beautifying neglected or unwelcoming public space through gardening and growing plants, making it a more inviting environment to be in, as well as attracting a healthier biodiversity.' Tres cool IMO.

Visit Anna's website to see additional pics, along with more cool stuff at http://www.crosshatchling.co.uk/ - enjoy! Thanks to my friend, and local Winnipeg designer Mark Simpson for sending me the link. Cheers!

Images © Anna Garforth, All rights reserved.

A Trip to Winnipeg Beach...

This past Saturday during the Canadian Labour Day long-weekend, I took a trip out to Winnipeg Beach with some friends to partake in the second half of the seventh annual, self-guided, Wave Artists' Studio Tour. Specifically, to pay a visit to ceramist, Evelin Richter's studio (What? Clay Art and Curios, pictured above).


Right beside the doorway to Ev's studio, hung this awesome metal sign... ;)




The studio interior was full of items on display for the Wave Tour, sadly I didn't photograph them as I was too busy admiring them with my own eyes... I did manage to snap some pics of the artist's work station(s) though. ;)


Pictured above is a collaborative birdhouse / bird-condo project constructed by Rob and Ev using found materials.


Due to scheduling conflicts, we unfortunately weren't able to visit any additional artists... instead we opted to wade around for a while in the surf along the beach (regular visitors to Winnipeg Beach are sure to recognize the iconic water tower seen in the background).


This macro/detail shot by Raelene, is of the interior of a ceramic bowl that Raelene bought during our studio visit... while it doesn't do the piece justice, it does give one an idea of the amazing texture, colour and finish one could expect to encounter from Ev's ceramics.

If you're interested in seeing more of Ev's work you should take a visit out to the Fishfly Gallery in Winnipeg Beach where she has some of her work on display.

Well, it was an enjoyable Labour Day long-weekend (with a few unexpected twists ;P), I hope you all had a nice one! Cheers!

The Manitoba Museum...

I've uploaded a collection of images to my Zoos, Museums, Aquariums, more... set on my Flickr account, here. These photos were taken during various trips to the Manitoba Museum (or if you're old enough, you might recall it as the Manitoba Museum of Man & Nature). Anyone who has been to the museum will recognize the iconic buffalo hunt diorama that greets you upon entry (as far as I know, it hasn't changed since I first visited the museum ages ago).



Once you've started into the museum and made it past the orientation gallery, you'll soon encounter the early history gallery , which contains some neat fossils, bones, models and dioramas (I've always been a big fan of models and dioramas)...


... from their you'll likely cross paths with a polar bear (albeit stuffed ;P) in the arctic/sub-arctic gallery.



Once you've made it past the polar bear, you'll find yourself in the second section of the arctic/sub-arctic gallery, where once again you'll encounter some neat displays, models and dioramas.



As you continue touring the museum, the next gallery you'll likely come across should be the boreal forest gallery...



A visit to the museum wouldn't be complete without checking out the Nonsuch and Hudson's Bay galleries (above image: a ram's head snuff container amongst the many items on display within the Hudson's Bay Company gallery).

I've always loved visiting museums, and have always felt that the Manitoba Museum is highly underrated (I'd definitely consider it to be 'gem' in our fair, little, city). Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed the pics... I didn't even mention (or show you) the additional galleries which include, the parklands/mixed woods gallery, the grasslands gallery and the urban gallery! You can see my collection of images from all the galleries, taken during my various visits to the Manitoba Museum on my Flickr account, here.

I'd encourage you to visit the museum, if you ever decide to visit Winnipeg or if you've never been to it before. Visit the Manitoba Museum online to learn more, or you can take a virtual tour of the galleries. Cheers!

A Trip to the Assiniboine Zoo...

It's been at least a year since I last visited the Assiniboine Park Zoo. This weekend, my brother and I decided to take advantage of the mild weather and pay the ol' Zoo a visit... ;) We entered the Zoo from the Assiniboine Park entrance (I think that is the most commonly used one), and proceeded to walk around, first we saw the bears, it was the Grizzly's snack/feeding time... it was being fed bagels(?) from what we could tell.


From there we continued to walk around, we saw owls and birds, some raccoons,


...and of course we stopped for a while to check out the always popular monkeys, who were quite active, making it difficult to take any decent photos... ;(


We also stopped for a while to check out the Prairie Dogs (which seem to be everywhere you look on the Zoo grounds)...


I'd swear, this little dude must have been wired on caffeine or, sugar or something (it just kept spinning, or running around the inside of this log like a hamster wheel).


Anyone who has been to the Assiniboine Zoo before will know that we have quite a healthy Peacock population, which for the most part are free to roam about the grounds...


which makes for many nice photo ops! ;) This was one occasion, where I actually got to see a Peacock with their feathers on full display,


although this guy kept facing the wall for some reason (perhaps to take advantage of the acoustics, and to bounce his call off the walls?)...


eventually he turned himself around. What beautiful feathers these birds have!


Inside of the Tropical House was a pond filled with Koi fish, which made for some really neat photos...


Of course, we made sure to check out the sacred(?) White Bison... after all, we are living in the Province of Manitoba (the Bison is part of this Province's identity). Anyhow, in case you're interested I've started a new Flickr set called Zoos, Museums, Aquariums, more... where I will be compiling my photos of the described, as well as whatever I feel fits, check it out here - enjoy!

A Close Encounter of the Moth Kind...

This past Saturday, after watching the Netherlands, disappointing loss to Russia (3-1, Euro2008) over at Raelene's (one of my good friends and a fellow GDC Manitoba Board Member; Raelene is the current GDC Manitoba Education Chair), I came outside to find this large moth just hanging out on the wall...


It was just begging to be photographed... ;) Now, this by far, is not the largest moth I've seen before (I've seen some that are the width of my palm, but this has always been out in the woods camping), but it's likely the largest I've seen this year.


I apologize for some of the blurry pics... do you see a face in the pattern on the moth's head (it's upside down)?


Anybody know what kind of moth this is? Anybody? Bueller? ;P


Anyhow, hope everybody had a nice weekend!