introduction at 43 below

Randy Lamb (Rlamb@hypertech.yknet.yk.ca)
Sat, 27 Jan 1996 14:06:45 +0000

Hey, I'm finally here! Reasonable internet and Email prices finally reached
northern Canada so now I can join in on the CP discussion groups I've heard
about in letters for several years. Here's a really big hello to all of you
that I've visited with or written to over the past decade, give me a shout
on Email.

Those of you who I don't know.. well let's see... I'll try to keep this as
short as possible. I've been a CP enthusiast for about 20 years and I
originally joined up with the CPN as a teenager back when they had those
photocopied 8.5 x 11 inch black and white issues. I grew up near the
westcoast of Canada close to Vancouver, BC and spent a lot of time exploring
the natural bogs and wetlands along the "Pacific Northwest". This hobby
went on to the stage where I tried to grow every type of CP I could find and
soon had my fathers greenhouse crammed from floor to ceiling with CP. After
learning the joys of CP propagation I ran out of space and had to give away
some and sell the rest of my surplus through ads in the local newspapers and
on bulletin boards in libraries and laundromats. Soon I met about a dozen
other CP'ers in Vancouver and then we found more good people down in
Washington state... and a regional CP club was born in the late 80's.

After university I started a 5 year stint as a mosquito biologist in
Canada's Yukon Territory but still spent my autumns and winters in Vancouver
where CP field trips and get togethers were happening very couple of months.
In the early 1990's I moved permanently (for now anyways) to Whitehorse,
Yukon where I do habitat and vegetation interpretation work for the Yukon
Government Agriculture Branch. My home is a few hundred metres from the
Yukon River, the Alaska Highway is about 10 minutes from here and the "Marge
of Lake Laberge - where they cremated Sam Mcgee" is about30 kilometres down
river. I have two greenhouses out back with about 1/4 devated to CP in the
summer. Harder water, lower humidity and cool temperatures makes CP's a
real challenge up here so now the collection is made up of the more hardy
varieties.

I'll leave the rest to personal Email messages. Again, hi to my old
friends, I don't have your Email addresses yet so let me know what they are
and I'll be in touch. If someone can let me know the command to receive the
Email address list for the CP discussion group members I would appreciate
it. I'll send you a message next week Fernando, thanks for the christmas
card Juerg, I owe you a long overdue letter Hawkeye and let me know how the
PNWCP'ers are doing Kevin and Laurence.

It was 44 below zero outside earlier this morning (groan, whine) and I've
got to go stoke the fire again and catch the bus downtown to get some
groceries. Chow Folks, from Randy (I wish it was warm enough to ski)Lamb.