Monts d'Arr�e walk - Tuesday 9th August

We have a new and very interesting walk in the Monts d'Arr�e on Tuesday, August 9th. This involves a little used track along the heights with fabulous views to the peaks above Le Relec, and then a site of WWII significance.
Meet at the Col de Tredudon on the D36 short-cut over the shoulder of the hills before the TV mast off the main Carhaix/Morlaix route D764 (do not go as far as the roundabout). On the top of the rise there is parking on either side of the road.
Let's hope for a sunny day! The walk starts at 2pm.

Tiverton Canal

I ventured slightly out the way for this one. Tiverton is not actually in North Devon. It's at the other end of the A361 (known locally as the North Devon Link Road), and by car takes about 45 minutes. But this is something I've been thinking about doing for a long while and as we are having one of those new-fangled staycations this summer it was a good oportunity to do it.

The Tiverton Canal offers all sorts of entertainment including various kinds of boat hire. The woman in the queue in front of me was hiring some sort of motorboat and had forked out the massive amount of �315. I went to do the Horse-Drawn Barge trip. They offer trips which vary in length from 1 hour to 2 1/2 hours long. It is advisable to check the timetable on the website and reserve your ticket. Today we did a 1 1/2 hour trip which cost �8.50 for adults and �6 for children. And here comes another little tip: adult prices start from 14 years old - this is not mentioned on any of their literature. I found out when I phoned to reserve tickets and was told my 14 year old was an adult - too late to say she was 13 - damn.

There is a crew of 3 on board. One chap does the introduction as you settle into your seats. He comes back on board at the half way point to talk a bit more and do a question and answer session. He is very good at his job and is very entertaining. For the journey you are left in peace to enjoy the experience, although you don't get to enjoy the silence and the clip of the horses hooves, as promised in their leaflet, for the chat of other customers.

Getting seated is a free-for-all, so I recommend trying to get as close to the front of the queue as possible when you see them starting to get the boat ready. We were lucky and got seats in the middle of the boat, good for seeing both ways, as for half of the journey you will be going backwards. We travelled 45 minutes along the Great Western Canal, then, after a rest for the horse, came back again, turning around as we approached the mooring. Some of the time we were out in the country, some of it we travelled past the bottom of peoples gardens and had a sneaky-peek into their houses. All the windows on the barge were open as it was a nice sunny day and the children enjoyed feeding the ducks and swans with the duck food conveniently sold on board. There is a bar at the stern of the barge where we purchased soft drinks, cookies and ice-cream. They also serve hot drinks and alcoholic beverages.

It was a nice relaxing little trip and I'm glad we did it. This is the only horse-drawn barge in the South-West and one of only four left in the country. And, as the guy pointed out before we left, our ticket and beverage money help to ensure its continued survival.

One last tip - buy some polos for the horse, you are allowed to feed him at the end of the trip and the girls loved this bit best.

Hauling The Cage

Unlike the oysters growing in beds on the bottom of the Sound, Bren's are cultivated in cages which he tends to on a daily basis. These are rectangular, wire mesh contraptions resembling a large lobster pot at first glance. Closer inspection however, reveals there are shelves, or trays inside, supporting the oysters.

Oyster seedlings are grouped in a grow out bag, then placed inside the cage, and lowered into the water. As the oysters grow, they are switched to larger 'bags' with wider mesh to maximize waterflow, yet still restrict predators. It is not an exact science, so an ongoing degree of experimentation is always taking place. Some years, the oysters thrive inside the larger mesh, while in others, a smaller size is needed to thwart preying starfish. Through careful monitoring, the entire balancing act from seedling to harvest takes about three years.

Peter, Helen and myself were also seeking an equilibrium. We were trying to learn as much as possible, without interfering with the work at hand. Some moments were more successful than others!

As Bren began to raise the cage, we gathered around him for a better view. The boat immediately listed hard to starboard before we quickly moved away, providing some ballast. When you're on board with a small, independent, Thimble Islands oysterman, a balancing act can mean many different things.

Thimble Island Oyster Company

Soundbounder: Stony Creek 6am part 1

Soundbounder: Just Your Local Oysterman part 2

Soundbounder: Starfish...And Other Threats part 4

Sitzblog Facebook Wordmash Confusiontime!

Sitzblog is now on Facebook!

...because, well, why not? Seriously, though, if you do want to follow the site through Facebook, you can just click on "like" in the box above or on the Sitzblog Facebook page. I realized I'd made Facebook pages for Sitztoast and Sitzman ABC, but for some reason I didn't have one for Sitzblog, the flagship of Sitzman Blogging and Logging Enterprises, LLC, so I guess it was high time to make one. Hope to see you there! 

Just Your Local Oysterman

Bren wasn't kidding when he said he never learned to swim. Raised along the shores of Newfoundland, the short summers and biting temperatures of the Labrador Current didn't provide many swimming opportunities. A rugged coastline with a strong maritime tradition, the connection to the sea there is mostly through labor, not recreation. How ironic I thought, for him to now be in Long Island Sound where the reverse equation often exists today.



A man of many hats, Bren worked a variety of jobs including longlining in the Bering Sea, 'sliming' in the canneries of Alaska, and lobstering north of Boston. When the crooked road of life brought him to Connecticut, he drove a lumber truck while also partnering with his girlfriend in a woodcrafting business which uses reclaimed materials*. About seven years ago, the Branford waters were reopened to commercial shellfishing, and he jumped at the chance to return to the sea.



His Thimble Island Oyster Company grows and harvests oysters along with some clams, on 60 aquatic acres leased from the state. The numbers fluctuate from year-to-year, but his annual harvest averages around 100,000 shellfish. While that may appear to be a large number, it is a relatively small amount when compared to other shellfish companies on the Sound. Bren estimates that his annual harvest is less than what Norwalk's Bloom Shellfish Company may harvest in a month.



Though a small operation, he is able to earn a living so long as he keeps his overhead costs low: no secretary or pricey boat.... no hired help to do the heavy lifting. Most important, he is doing what he loves - and that's not too shabby for a Newfie who can't swim.



Thimble Island Oyster Company

Community Supported Fisheries Program

Soundbounder: Stony Creek 6 a.m. part one

Soundbounder: Hauling The Cage part three

Soundbounder: Starfish...And other Threats part four



*Bren continues to supplement his income, partnering with his girlfriend Nicola in their woodcrafting business using reclaimed materials. Bleacher seats from the Yale Bowl are reincarnated as mirror frames, and wood from Brooklyn watertowers become flower pots. You can find them at the Union Square Market during the holiday season.

Nicola & The Newfoundlander

New York Times: Reclaimed Words in Fort Greene

Killer Killers Videos

I wanted to post this Killers video for "Spaceman" because it's great:

This video captures the general aesthetic I was going for when I participated in the Mr. FCHS competition quite a few years ago (I represented the school newspaper and sang a strange version of "Louie Louie" for the "talent" section, although I didn't have enough of a budget for so many masks, chandeliers, and a four-story stage). I actually thought I had posted this video before, but I can't seem to find it on my blog. If you've already seen it, that's fine, but just so you know, the only reason I use this blog is so that I can have a depository of videos available to me at all times!

I definitely think I've also posted this video for "When You Were Young" before, but I can't seem to find the post where I mentioned it, either, so here it is again:

It reminds me a bit of Berl�n de San Ram�n, although I don't think I looked that cool at my wedding...

Oh, and one quick question: If you play guitar in a rock band and you have big, bushy, curly hair, are you required to be shirtless and wear a leather vest, or is it just some sort of informal pact that compels you to do so? Just wondering.

Date for the Diary

Advance warning of Brittany Extremes - a day out and about visiting some 'extreme' places like the westernmost point of France, the tallest menhir in France, the earliest marine warning structure in Brittany, etc.
Tuesday October 4th is the date for this adventure, which will involve having lunch out and car-sharing where possible.