desire to inspire or just perspire

This is the last piece of art that I have made. I made it about a month ago so I should really get rockin’ on a new piece but sometimes it is so hard to get these things started. I have a few neat ideas but nothing too inspiring. What is inspiration anyways???

Well…Webster’s Dictionary defines it as follows…

Main Entry: in·spi·ra·tion Pronunciation:
in(t)-sp&-'rA-sh&n,

Function: noun
1 a : a divine influence or action on a person believed to qualify him or her to receive and communicate sacred revelation
b : the action or power of moving the intellect or emotions c : the act of influencing or suggesting opinions
2 : the act of drawing in; specifically : the drawing of air into the lungs
3 a : the quality or state of being inspired
b : something that is inspired
4 : an inspiring agent or influence

The sun is finally out after a few weeks of snow and grey so I think I should go out there and see if I can draw anything in that I can eventually spew out.

Snow and Parties…Always a Good Mix

The winter has really set in here with ice and snow and temperatures dropping to –22 degrees Celsius. I have been bundling up in at least four layers to brave the cold. With the cold comes many a party and not just any parties. No, no, no…dress up parties.

The Prom Party

By the way, the guy in this photo’s name is Logan. He is from Whistler, loves to fish and snowboard, is planning to go to Central America for a few months this winter, drives a red Toyota Four Runner, is 6 foot 6 and is very nice. I think I left my amazing purple Bolivian scarf in his truck. If anyone knows him can you please find out if he still has it and please contact me at this betharama@animail.net. Thanks!



The Gender Bender

A chaotic annual event at which women dress as men and men dress as women. There is live music and every body dances. I would love to give you a full on description of this chaotic event with photos and quotes and all of that stuff but I can’t. Words and images just do not do it justice. So will leave you with this one image of a Kim Mitchell look alike being hit on by a perky pink haired girl and seriously suggest that you put the Gender Bender on your agenda for 2007.


The Snow Boot Ball
We transformed the Alpenhorn (the restaurant I work at in Smithers BC) into a winter wonderland by hanging glittery snowflakes from everything possible and a spinning Polar Bear Shaped Disco Ball from the ceiling. Glittery sparkles of light danced around the room as the bands, Pedestrian X and Foxy Autopsy belted out original tunes and funky covers to a bunch of snowboot wearing dancing folks all stoked to start a new season at Ski and Ride Smithers. We also call this the Oller Festival to celebrate Oller the Nordic God of frost glitter and skiing which he invented.. He may also have invented yodeling. There is no concrete proof about this but I suspect it is true.


The Mexican Fiesta

Yesterday the Bulkley Valley Folk Music Society held a fundraising dance at the Glenwood Hall in Driftwood. My girls and I decided against dressing up in sombreros, ponchos or as Mexican peasant girls and suited ourselves up as a Mexican Gang raring to raise a little hell in Northern BC. We danced, shot Tequila, laughed and made it home virtually unharmed.

Vessie Poo

Our dear friend Vesna has left for her new life in Whistler. Her and her husband Jake are renting out an apartment above the garage of a Country Mansion in Pemberton and will spend pretty much the whole winter skiing. I already miss them so much…especially Vesna. We were a trio. We had so many good times together. Here is a little photo action showing some of our many adventures.

I Miss You Vessie!!!

I Wish I Had My Camera

Today I experienced yet another first. A friend is taking down a summer mining camp. I helped unpack a bunch of leftover food from the back of his pickup and into his garage. Roughneck after roughneck and an entire freezer full of cereal, sugar, bacon, salad dressing, dried beans, frozen veggies, cool whip and frozen pig bum. Yes a pig bum. When I woke up this morning I had no idea that I would be looking at the backside of a frozen hog in a garage in Telkwa.

Northern Living Check List

Have you ever been to Canada? How about British Columbia? How about ‘Northern BC’ (anywhere north of Vancouver). Well I live in Smithers. It is somewhere close to the geographical centre of the Province of B.C. but is always referred to as the North. Here is a list of living essentials in case you choose to head up to this region.

• At least one woolly toque, preferably with earflaps (if you don’t know what that is you are clearly not Canadian and should consider doing some research before crossing the border)
• Thermal underwear (merino wool and poly propylene are recommended)
• A fleece jacket
• A BIG woolly sweater
• Fleece pants
• A stretchy skirt to fit over the fleece pants
• A long and colourful scarf
• Cozy mittens
• A layer of gortex to cover all of the above
• And a BIG bottle of Whiskey

One Small Motor and the Polar Bear Dances

My mission today was to buy a motor. Not just any motor but a little motor. One that circles around and around at a slow pace. Something that I can hang my newly finished disco ball from. I live in the north in a small town. There is heaps of snow on the ground and the sun is ont the other side of the earth lighing up Africa or something from 4:30 pm until about 9:00 the next morning. During these long evenings I divide my time between partying my butt off and holing away in my homey cave making funny things like a disco ball in the shape of a polar bear. A little odd I know but I made it with the Snow Boot Ball in mind. This party marks the beginning of winter and skiing and snow. We make some sort of offering to Oller, the Norse god of glitter, frost and Skiing nd dance and drink and carry on into the wee hours of the morning maybe even until the sun leaves Frica and comes back to us in Canada. Anyways there will be live music and an outdoor dance floor and a bunch of snow lovin’ kooks wildly dancing in their customized ski and snowboard boots. I though a disco ball would improve this event and why not make one shaped like a polar bear? So three days and 16 finger cuts later I have a polar bear disco ball named Wallace. It seems that disco ball motors are difficult to find in these parts and no one seems to want to deliver one to Canada. I went to the local hardware shop where Dick, the owner and operator hooked me up with a rotisserie; you know those things to cook chickens over open flames? Slow moving circular motions…I’ll see if it will do the trick.