Happy New Year!!

I received an e-mail from Claire Quewezence , Assistant Park Superintendent with Woodland Caribou PP.

Hi Chuck,

Just wanted to extend our good holiday wishes to you and your family on behalf of the park staff at Woodland Caribou Prov. Park. Good food, great company, plenty of good laughs and tender moments… may this season be meaningful in every way.

Here attached is the newly released park tabloid (=2010 information guide) for your reading pleasure.

Thanks again for taking the time to share of your canoeing adventures in the park this past summer. We appreciated your detailed blog report. Feel free to share the park newsletter with friends who may have an interest in visiting the park.

Once again, we are slated to attend the Canoecopia show in Madison and the Outdoor Adventure show in Minneapolis this spring. This year, we teamed up with Mr. Martin Kehoe for our presentations.

Perhaps we will see you at one of these shows.

Safe travels, good health, all the good stuff in the New Year. May the daydreaming of your next canoeing / camping trips begin.

Claire Quewezence

Assistant Park Superintendent

Woodland Caribou Prov. Park

Box 5003, 227 Howey Street

Red Lake, ON P0V 2M0

Tel: (807) 727-1388

e-mail: claire.quewezence@ontario.ca

I put the Woodland Caribou Tabloid up on google docs, but the document is too large to post on my blog. I'll try to figure something out.

Other News:

Dave and I were invited by George Luste to come to Toronto to give a presentation on our 21 Day Canoe Trip to the "Little North" at the Wilderness Canoe Symposium

I've turned it down although I thought about doing it. Reality set in when I saw it's just under a 1000 mile drive one way and the fact I didn't think I was prepared. This event is Feb. 5th & 6th. I also will be driving to Florida a couple weeks later. Dave would be in Florida so he wasn't available.

I've been a member of the Wilderness Canoe Association:

Wilderness Canoe Association

Chuck

21 Day Canoe Trip to the "Little North"

I've spent a lot of time in front of the computer the last few days. My narrative is almost finished. I've started another blog where I will post the trip report and the photos.

21 Day Canoe Trip to the "Little North"

Chuck

Ashley...again!

Some more shots of Ashley from a week or so ago.
Ashley and her mother, Shelley. I think Shelley was putting a clip on the back of Ashley's shirt, so I took ashot of the both of them.





Chuck

A few more of Ashley

Chuck Ryan

Ashley

Today, 12-19-09, Chris Gerber and I got together to do some off camera lighting photography in Eden Prairie,MN. I asked Ashley and her mother, Shelley, to come to todays shoot. Ashley invited one of her friends, Petra. I spent the entire time shooting Ashley and Chris spent the time with Petra.

Thanks to everyone today. I will put more photos up when I have time.

Chuck

More of Cecilia & family

Chuck

Cecilia

Cecilia wanted some photos taken of herself, so Chris Gerber and I went over to her mom and dad's place. When we got there Cecilia's grandparents were there. We stopped over before going to the play (see post below).

Chuck

"Born a Virgin"

On Saturday,12-12-09, Chris Gerber was invited to take some photos of the cast of a Christmas play at the Calvary Church in Edina. Chris got the ok to have me come along to shoot, also.

We only had a couple hours to shoot in between the afternoon and evening shows. We both started shooting then Chris stopped shooting and moved the lights around for me to speed the process up.

I had a fun time although we could have spent some more time getting the lights just right. This play was written by Ken Parker. I will post some information after the photos.

Calvary presents new Parker musical

By Jeff Strickler, Star Tribune, Minneapolis

Dec. 5--The Rev. Ken Parker had offers to work on musicals in Hollywood and on Broadway, but he turned them down to come to Minnesota. He served as a pastor for 25 years, creating musical pageants in his spare time.

Now retired as the minister of worship at Grace Church in Eden Prairie, he has time to focus on his avocation: writing and directing musical extravaganzas with a religious focus. His latest, the Christmas-themed "Born a Virgin," is playing this weekend and next at Calvary Church, 5300 France Av. S., Edina.

"It's a big show, an old-fashioned Broadway kind of show," he said. "Think Rodgers and Hammerstein or Lerner and Loewe."

He compares his music to that of the Ray Conniff Singers, Henry Mancini and Nelson Riddle before adding with a chuckle, "It's not the kind of stuff young people listen to today."

Parker, 66, started making spiritual musicals while serving a church in Detroit in the 1980s. Using singers from a professional opera company, he took the shows on the road, including stops in New York and Los Angeles, where he was offered jobs in show business.

He turned them down to come to the Twin Cities -- and there are no regrets. "All of a sudden I was in this wonderful arts city," he said. "I knew right away that I was in the right place."

Since retiring, he has launched Christian Arts Ministries, a nonprofit organization created "to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by utilizing the power of high-quality drama, musical theater and choral music."

Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, next Friday and next Saturday, with an additional 2 p.m. show next Saturday. Tickets are $20; call 952-922-8850

Chuck Ryan