by Nikki Rajala | Sep 26, 2020 | Voyageur
Are you dying to know what the Ottawa River looked like 200+ years ago? I am. So this 1831 map from Montreal showing the route French-Canadian voyageurs followed on their way to the rendezvous is a real godsend. WOW! It helps me clarify what Andre needs to do at each...
by Nikki Rajala | Sep 3, 2020 | Voyageur
Are you drawn to the night sky? I’ve read that stars and humans contain most of the elements, that we’ve received those elements through supernovas, so we are truly “star people.” Star Bill and Star Nikki enjoyed this summer’s spectacular NEOWISE...
by Nikki Rajala | Aug 17, 2020 | Voyageur
After I recently wrote a blog post about Fun Facts about Beavers, I got to wondering: 1. How many pelts did a single Native trapper bring in? 2. How many packs of pelts did the winterers at a fur post bring to the rendezvous? 3.What was the yearly take for the fur...
by Nikki Rajala | Jul 23, 2020 | Voyageur
“Hiding in a copse, the lad held his breath as a half-dozen warriors dashed past. He dare not move, seeing only their feet. Uh-oh! Not moccasins like the friendly Wyandottes wore! Enemies!” Two weeks later, in another book, “Hanta Yo, ”I read about an adept tracker...
by Nikki Rajala | Jul 6, 2020 | Voyageur
“What’s that terrible odor?” we asked ourselves while biking past the nearby Sauk River. We gingerly investigated: a roadkill beaver. Encrusted in flies, this one had died a day or more earlier. Is it ironic that this is the first almost-live beaver...
