Thanks to the stumblebums at S-Cargo Canada [say it out loud and think French], I often get two issues of the weekly magazines I subscribe to, at once. This happened today -- with the 04 November issue of the New Yorker only now getting here, along with the 11 November issue. Unfortunately that means an absolutely spellbounding article isn't online anymore, but if there's enough interest, I'll scan the article. It's about a weird act of vandalism that occurred in Haida Gwai (the Queen Charlotte Islands), just south of where John lives. The QC's, also called the Misty Isles, are a mystical and magical place, and the vandalism involved a 300-year old 160-foot tall (50 metres) ultra-rare golden Sitka spruce which was cut down by a misfit from the mainland. Apparently some trees there rival the California redwoods. One Sitka spruce is said to have left a 17-foot wide (5 metre) stump after it was cut down.
Golden Sitkas are "chlorotic," which is the result of a rare mutation which turns their needles yellow instead of green. They can only exist in a rainy place like John's front yard (Port Charlotte gets 12 feet, or 3.5 metres, of rain a year), and scientists and tourists alike are in awe of them, and this one was considered practically holy by the Haida, who called it K'iid K'iyass. On the rare days when there's direct sunlight, the tree was said to glow. On one tour, tourists were treated to the incredibly rare sight of an albino raven nesting in its branches -- said to be one of only two known albino ravens in all of B.C. The article's called "The Golden Bough," by John Vaillant. It has absolutely nothing to do with the Gospel, but I thought I'd mention it in honour of our fearless BLT. And again, I repeat, if there's any interest, I'd be glad to scan it and either post it privately or email it to people. -- Marc A. Schindler Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada -- Gateway to the Boreal Parkland �Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of the time he will pick himself up and continue on� � Winston Churchill Note: This communication represents the informal personal views of the author solely; its contents do not necessarily reflect those of the author�s employer, nor those of any organization with which the author may be associated. ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ==^^=============================================================== This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?aaP9AU.bWix1n.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^^===============================================================
