Thank you for the wonderful time I had as a visitor to your town. And thank you for coming to this page! In case you haven't heard:
Any individual or organization in Churchill will be given, by email, on request, the "key" for FULL use, no time limits, etc, for any of the Windows software I have listed as freeware and shareware on my site. (You can TRY any of it for free, just as anyone on the internet can. But YOU don't have to pay for the registration codes which unlocks the full features of the shareware.) (If a Churchill friend has shown you something you like, by all means just collect a copy from your friend... But it would be nice to hear what you think of it, eventually.)
It would be good to hear from you, hear which programs you like, etc... but that is not a "requirement" for you to have the free keys.
While I hope this site has enough to be worth its place on the internet, it is still just a start. Sorry. Come back later? I will try to keep expanding this until it gets closer to conveying some of the wondrous time I had in Churchill. If you think it paints a picture of a great place to visit already, "you ain't seen nothin' yet"! I'm sorry I can't build the site more quickly.
Please don't miss the links in the "See also..." section, below.
Before I go further, I want to say what a treat it was to be with the people I was with, and how much I enjoyed the town and people of Churchill. More on that later.
(For my US readers: Put PBS, 10 October, 2012, in your calendars: A stunning film about Siberian tigers, and conservation, by one of the driving forces behind, and narrating, the film I watched being created.)
Continue with this page, for some highlights, and pictures. Or (now or later) go to any (or all!) of the following subsidiary pages. Each opens in a new window or tab. Just close that to get back here.
The chronology page... a "diary" account of the trip.
Newly available 25 Sept: A page with maps relating to the trip.
Newly available 26 Sept: Photos telling the story of the taking of one shot for BearTrek. A story of "life in Churchill"... BearWatch!
On 20 August, 2012, I was peaceably going about my usual routine. And then an email arrived. Would I like to go to Churchill, Manitoba, Canada? With some film-makers, who are creating a feature film about bears? (For details of the BearTrek campaign, and the film being made by WildlifeMedia.org, you can click the link, and it could open in a new window or tab.)
Going to Churchill, the polar bear capital of the world... and a fabulous place for birds, beluga whales, etc, etc, too... has been something I've wanted to do for many, many years. Even on the "usual" terms that are the only option, unless, like me, you get very, very lucky.
After a frantic round of arranging flights, buying suitable clothes, re-arranging other things in my life, etc, I was on a plane September 3rd.
Yep. That's my Swiss Army knife, giving scale again. Still 19cm (3.5") long...
Remember... I honestly feel that even without bears the trip would have been wonderful... however, with bears... Fabulous!
That's my shoe... with my foot in it, and the foot still attached to the rest of me... on the right.
The paw on the left was attached to a live bear. Happily, the tranquilizer did not wear off too soon.
Hanging out with some sleepy bears. Photo (c) Chris Morgan, WildlifeMedia.org
(More photos to come...)
From here, go to the chronology page, if you have an appetite for more.
This page © TK Boyd 5/12. Click here to contact him.
You are also invited to Tom Boyd's homepage, including Windows software for schools, kids, and others.
I have done a "menu" for you of links to reports with photos on trips to other destinations. (It will open in a new window or tab.)
Page tested for compliance with INDUSTRY (not MS-only) standards, using the free, publicly accessible validator at validator.w3.org. Mostly passes. There were two "unknown attributes" in Google+ button code. Sigh.
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