Sign in

Brian Parkinson

@whatevernot.com
118 followers 63 following 297 posts

Motorcycle trips, building things, Canadian ephemera from the 60s & 70s, computational nostalgia, rhubarb pie, ferries and trains. travel: www.whatevernot.com/travel stuff: www.whatevernot.com/build blog: www.whatevernot.com/blog

PostsRepliesMedia
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 21/09/2026
Currently in Red Bay NL where we were greeted on shore by Jimmy the Lighthouse who was so happy to welcome us. Red Bay is a national historic and UNESCO world heritage site - there is evidence here of Basque whaling dating back to 1530. #BlueSkyMonday
Picture of someone dressed up as a lighthouse greeting our arrival by boat to Red Bay Nl. This is home to UNESCO world heritage site due to the archaeological presence of Basque whaling vessels dating back to 1530.
060
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 07/09/2026
Happy Monday. The trans-Labrador highway (TLH) runs from just west of Labrador City to Blanc-Sablon with a length of 1,149 km. There's no cell reception and limited services through dense wilderness - it used to be an entirely gravel road but paving was finally completed in July 2022. #BlueSkyMonday
Picture of the gravel Trans-Labrador highway leading to the distance with a fully loaded motorcycle in foreground. The background is a slightly cloudy blue sky day.
060
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 01/09/2026
Happy Monday. This pic is taken on the flight from Iqaluit to Pond Inlet NU. Views of massive glaciers and fjords at mind-boggling scale - the land seems to extend to forever. You'll want a window seat. #BlueSkyMonday
View from out the window of a twin otter in Nunavut with a large glacier front and center and a deep fjord heading off to the far left. Gradations in the blue sky background.
030
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 24/08/2026
Happy Monday. The South Nahanni is one of Canada's quintessential canoeing rivers flowing through the Nahanni and adjacent Nááts'ihch'oh national park reserves. From the Mackenzie mountains in the west over the majestic Victoria Falls and out into the Liard river; a paddler's dream. #BlueSkyMonday
Picture of two canoes padding the south Nahanni river in the Nahanni national park reserve NT. Calm water, tall cliffs and a brilliant blue sky.
040
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 17/08/2026
Happy Monday. One great thing about the high arctic is the late afternoon sun which pours in on an oblique angle making long shadows and casting a glow on everything around. Time to chill, have dinner and grab a fine sleep in the tent. This is Alexandra Fiord on Ellesmere Isand NU. #BlueSkyMonday
Picture of camp site in the high arctic with a yellow tent in the front left foreground. A blue sky with wispy clouds form background, with a number of ice pans floating out in the fjiord. Alexandra Fiord on Ellesmere Island NU.
040
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 10/08/2026
Happy Monday. Iceberg. #BlueSkyMonday
Picture of uniquely shaped iceberg floating in the right foreground with a misty blue sky background.
140
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 03/08/2026
Happy Monday. In the Mingan Archipelago national park reserve, the Havre à Petit-Henri campsite on La Grande Île is secluded and private - only 4 sites well separated; it's very quiet. There is fairly challenging 23.5km trail that loops around the perimeter of the island. Bliss. #BlueSkyMonday
Picture of the Havre à Petit-Henri campsite on La Grande Île - part of the Mingan Archipelago national park reserve. With an extensive rocky beach in the foreground with Parks Canada sign, the view is serene against a backdrop of blue sky.
040
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 27/07/2026
Happy Monday. Wandering by the stream which winds through the Fairy Meadow in the Cirque of the Unclimbables. Nahanni national park reserve NT. #BlueSkyMonday
A picture of two women walking by a small stream in a meadow surrounded by tall cliff faces all around and a background of blue sky.
050
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 20/07/2026
Happy Monday. Western Brook Pond - a fresh water fjord carved by glaciers and filled with extremely pure fresh water, nestled in Gross Morne national park which takes its name from NL's second highest peak; a member of the Long Range Mountains running up the west coast of the island. #BlueSkyMonday
Western Brook Pond, part of Gros Morne national park on the west coast of Newfoundland - majestic beauty all around. Picture of the fjord and big cliff walls with a pale blue background sky.
0102
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 13/07/2026
Happy Monday. The Gaspé Peninsula is on the south shore of the St. Lawrence; its name is derived from the Mi'kmaq word gespe'g, meaning "end", referring to the end of the land. #BlueSkyMonday
A picture of the Gaspé peninsula extending far into the distance with a small piece of parkland in the fore-right. The background is streaky light clouds against a blue sky.
030
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 06/07/2026
Happy Monday. Don't bug me - at the cottage. #BlueSkyMonday
A picture of six red adirondack chairs on a rock overlooking a lake, with a wispy cloudy background.
160
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 29/06/2026
Happy Monday. Long live the roadside motel. ❤️ #BlueSkyMonday
Picture of blue roadside motel with a lone BMW touring motorcycle parked in front of one of the units. There is a background of blue sky with a couple wisky clouds.
050
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 22/06/2026
Happy Monday. The arctic can be a land of contrasts. In 1930 Canadian Lawren Harris painted a number of large canvasses of Bylot Island NU; this pic was taken just east of Pond Inlet as we headed out for a 4 day hike to 765m Mount Herodier which stands high above the surrounding area. #BlueSkyMonday
Picture of Bylot Island in the distance, with the Pond Inlet dump in the foreground displaying large non-biodegradable  items (refrigerators, buses, etc) which will likely remain here forever. The sky is a bright blue with streaks of white clouds forming the background.
040
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 15/06/2026
Happy Monday. There is a seasonal research base at Alexandra Fiord, Ellesmere island NU and here they monitor plant growth and also collect data on the receding glacier in the background. The local crew welcomed us, gave us a tour, and later served up a wicked tasty butter pecan pie. #BlueSkyMonday
Picture of the research station at Alexandra Fiord NU with small plexiglass enclosures protecting the small plants working hard under a very short growing season. A big receding glacier is in the background with backdrop of blue sky.
090
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 08/06/2026
Happy Monday. When you come around a corner and see the big tall cowgirl giving you the salute, you know it's gonna be a fine day. #BlueSkyMonday
Picture of a tall cowgirl statue at intersection of a gravel road. She is very tall standing with arm raised over the height of the power lines. Blue cloudy sky background.
040
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 01/06/2026
For Lindsay's Books, you want to Start at the Top and have a Colonnade Day!
Picture of an old ad from April 1987 showing the stores and shops of the Colonnade Mall, including Lindsay's Books for Children.
110
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 01/06/2026
Happy Monday. Arctic Bay Airport (YAB/CYAB) with services to Iqaluit and Resolute Bay was established in 2010, replacing the airport at Nanisivik. It's about 6 km southeast of town - there are no restaurants, vending machines, duty free shops, souvenir stalls or wifi. #BlueSkyMonday
A picture of the Arctic Bay Airport (YAB/CYAB) airport terminal - with services to Iqaluit and Resolute Bay was established in 2010, replacing the airport at Nanisivik. The picture is of the terminal, with background tundra and a blue sky.
150
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 25/05/2026
Happy Monday. The West Coast Trail is a challenging 75km multi-day hike in Pacific Rim national park BC from Port Renfrew to Bamfield in the traditional lands of the Huu-ay-aht, Ditidaht, and Pacheedaht First Nations. Beaches, cable cars, ladders, forest, petroglyphs; it's all here. #BlueSkyMonday
Picture of a beach on the west coast trail (part of the Pacific Rim national park) with a view of the ocean and a big blue sky background.
050
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 18/05/2026
Happy Monday. The Royal Hotel in Flin Flon MB. The town is named for the nickname of Josiah Flintabbatey Flonatin, Esq, hero of the 1905 SF novel "The Sunless City" by J. E. Preston Muddock. A statue of Flinty designed by cartoonist Al Capp (Lil' Abner) looks over the museum grounds. #BlueSkyMonday
A picture of the Royal Hotel sign in Flon Flon MB. The town is named for the nickname of Josiah Flintabbatey Flonatin, Esq, hero of the 1905 SF novel "The Sunless City" by J. E. Preston Muddock.
031
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 15/05/2026
Are You the Next Brøderbund Superstar?
Old display ad from a magazine asking the reader if they are the "Next Brøderbund Superstar?" with a black&white picture of a faceless man standing behind an Apple II.
010
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 11/05/2026
Happy Monday. Checking out the Hoodoos in Sirmilik national park on Bylot Island NU. #BlueSkyMonday
Picture of a section of Hoodoos (weathered rock formations) in Sirmilik national park on Bylot Island NU with a cloudless blue sky background.
020
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 04/05/2026
Happy Monday. Kispiox BC is a Gitxsan First Nations community known for its totem poles which were the subject of a series of Emily Carr paintings in the 1920s and 30s. The town's original name is "Anspay'axw" loosely translated from the Gitxsan language means "The Hiding Place". #BlueSkyMonday
A picture of some standing poles at Kispiox BC which is a Gitxsan First Nations community known for its totem poles which were the subject of a series of Emily Carr paintings in the 1920s and 30s. The town's original name is "Anspay'axw" loosely translated from the Gitxsan language means "The Hiding Place".
020
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 27/04/2026
Happy Monday. A pic of The Wall in Fermont QC which acts as a windbreak to shelter the rest of town from the cold north wind - it is 1.3 km long x 15 metres high and contains apartments, stores, schools, bars, hotel, restaurants, supermarket, and swimming pool. Baby it's cold outside! #BlueSkyMonday
A picture of part of The Wall in Fermont QC - it acts as a windbreak to shelter the rest of town from the cold north wind - it is 1.3 km long x 15 metres high and contains apartments, stores, schools, bars, hotel, restaurants, supermarket, and swimming pool. The poutine is pretty good here too.
040
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 20/04/2026
Happy Monday. Early June in the mountains - perfect weather to be out on a motorcycle. #BlueSkyMonday
Picture of roadway out of the north-east from Yellowstone national park US. Big snow banks on either side with a backdrop of the mountains in the distance and blue cloudy sky.
030
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 13/04/2026
Happy Monday. Home to the largest concentration of monoliths in Canada, Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve is located off the North Shore QC highway 138 near Havre-Saint-Pierre. Acccess to the chain of islands is via kayak or boat - campsites are super isolated. A++ solitude. #BlueSkyMonday
Picture of a large stone monolith backgrounded by a bright blue sky and wispy cloud. Taken at the Mingan Archipelogo National Park Reserve in Quebec - great views and campsites.
010
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 06/04/2026
Happy Monday. Get a good sleep at Art's Motor Inn. Free Wifi! #BlueSkyMonday
Picture of Art's Motor Inn sign - an old style roadside motel sign in great condition, backgrounded by a pale blue sky and some trees. Looks like a good place to stay the night.
040
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 30/03/2026
Happy Monday. Never underestimate the importance of the afternoon nap. Our final day in Sirmilik national park on Bylot island we got a hike in exploring all over while we waited for the pick up boat to come from Artic Bay on Baffin island NU. The silence and tranquility is unmatched. #BlueSkyMonday
A couple hikers taking a break with a nap in the sun - Sirmilik National Park on Bylot Island with a big glacier foot in mid-distance and some snow capped peaks in the distance.
071
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 23/03/2026
Happy Monday. Just a thin sheet of ice remains on Summit Lake, at the 1/2 way point of the 100km Akshayuk Pass in Auyuittuq national park NU. Mount Thor in the distance. Our group got lucky to have an unforgettable layover day here basking in the sunshine. #BlueSkyMonday
PIcture of Summit Lake in Auyuittuq National Park. Mount Thor in distance, blue sky all around.
0396
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 16/03/2026
Happy Monday. Looks like good road ahead under the big blue sky of Saskatchewan. #BlueSkyMonday
Picture of paved road in Saskatchewan with a big blue sky background.
040
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 09/03/2026
Happy Monday. The Rock Creek Badlands parkway in Grasslands national park (east side) is an 11 km paved road that rises and falls along an escarpment with westward views that showcase some of the most amazing vistas in Saskatchewan. All around are hiking trails and amazing scenery. #BlueSkyMonday
Picture of the Badlands parkway in Grasslands national park with a touring motorcycle in the foreground right.
040
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 02/03/2026
Happy Monday. Blackfoot Crossing historical park interpretive center for the Siksika Nation in AB is built on an escarpment at the site of a historic buffalo jump - it's also the site of the signing of Treaty 7 on Sept. 22 1877. Exhibits, tours and fine cafeteria; well worth the stop. #BlueSkyMonday
Picture of Blackfoot Crossing historical park interpretive center for the Siksika Nation in AB with blue sky in background.
040
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 23/02/2026
Happy Monday. Here's what hiking in Quttinirpaaq ("top of the world" in Inuktitut) national park can look like - fleece weather and 24 hour sun. It's the most northerly Canadian park on Ellesmere island - there were 11 hikers on the plane in and we were the only visitors that year. #BlueSkyMonday
Picture of 3 hikers in mid distance walking on tundra in the high arctic with a cloudy blue sky background.
070
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 16/02/2026
Happy Holiday Monday. Loop Brook campground in Glacier National Park BC is an exceptional spot to hang out for a couple days - the campground has lots of amenities and the hiking is fine - you will pass remains of old train trestles and encounter great mountain views all around. #BlueSkyMonday
View of the mountains in Glacier National Park BC with a sign denoting Loop Brook Campground in the foreground. Blue sky in background.
040
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 09/02/2026
Happy Monday. On a wicked cold day like today, I'd rather be spending time here. Meat Cove NS - due north at the top of the Cabot Trail. #BlueSkyMonday
Picture of a tent in the foreground on an outcrop looking over the Atlantic with a big ol' blue sky background.
040
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 06/02/2026
The pure tenor quality of the voice of Harold Montgomery Gives a special interpretation To the grand old hymn "The Old Rugged Cross" Chill bumps appear and I am frozen in the web They weave As they reveal Their innermost selves With the outpouring of their hearts ... A must!
The album cover of The Revelaires album "The Joy of Knowing Jesus"
010
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 02/02/2026
Happy Monday. To get to Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine in Quebec you take the ferry due north from Souris in PEI - the seven islands form an archipelago all connected by the 85km route 199 (a blast on a motobike). Weather is lovely (windy) and it's easy to find great coffee & croissants. #BlueSkyMonday
Picture taken on Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine in QC. Bright sunshine with blue sky background, a lighthouse and boat in foreground, an island in the background.
050
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 26/01/2026
Happy Monday. Pond Inlet NU (aka Mittimatalik - “the place where Mittima is buried”) is located on the north east shore of Baffin Island and across the bay from Bylot Island and Sirmilik national park. This shot is taken from Salmon Creek which is about a 4km walk west from the town. #BlueSkyMonday
Picture of Pond Inlet NU taken from Salmon Creek with moutains, glacier caps and blue sky in background.
2121
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 25/01/2026
Walk out to winter, swear I'll be there Chance is buried just below The blinding snow.
The cover of Aztec Camera's High Land, Hard Rain LP.
010
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 19/01/2026
Happy Monday. Leaving the harbour at Havre-Saint-Pierre QC on the north shore of the St. Lawrence - scattered around are the many islands making up the Mingan Archipelago national park reserve (est 1984) which is home to the largest concentration of limestone monoliths in Canada. #BlueSkyMonday
Small boat leaving Havre-Saint-Pierre harbour heading out to the Mingan Archipelago national park reserve on a sunny day with bright blue sky.
060
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 12/01/2026
Happy Monday. Remains of RCMP Bache Peninsula Detachment on Ellesmere Island; if you happen by, a bottle is stashed in a cairn and you can leave a note adding to the many already there. Began with a 1933 letter listing the men (both RCMP & Inuit) posted from opening in 1926 to close. #BlueSkyMonday
Picture of the remains of an RCMP post in the high arctic on the Bache peninsula near Alexandra Fiord. An old broken down boat in the foreground and glacier topped peaks in the back.
040
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 05/01/2026
Happy Monday. If you take the train to Churchill MB to see the polar bears, a lot of the journey will look like this. This is morning sunrise after a good sleep on the train north from Winnipeg - winter is for polar bears (be sure to check out the bear jail) and summer is for belugas. #BlueSkyMonday
Picture looking south on the train to Churchill morning sunrise with a lot of snow, small straggly pines and a blue sky backdrop.
091
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 29/12/2025
Happy Monday. Náįlįcho (Virginia Falls) is on the Naha Dene (Nahanni) river NT with a total drop of 96 meters, making it about twice the height of Niagara Falls. Lug all the gear down the hill and put in here - the majestic south section of the river is just ahead round the next bend. #BlueSkyMonday
A picture of Virginia falls with several canoes being packed up for the downriver excursion. Blue sky Monday background.
040
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 22/12/2025
Happy Monday. This here is the post office in Carlyle SK. #BlueSkyMonday
The post office in Carlyle SK with a blue sky background.
020
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 21/12/2025
Tonight's listening.
Cover art for the album "Histoires sans Paroles" by the Quebec prog band Harmonium.
020
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 15/12/2025
Happy Monday. Haa Island sits at the junction of 3 fiords - the Beitstad, Hayes and Jokel which converge at 79° on eastern Ellesmere Island NU. The big ol' icebergs being calved off glaciers here in Beitstad fiord will eventually float out the Hayes and on down towards Newfoundland. #BlueSkyMonday
Picture of two people in the foreground looking down a long arctic fiord with icebergs and a background of blue sky.
0143
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 09/12/2025
Running Light Without Overbyte.
Picture of the cover of the 3rd volume of Dr. Dobb's journal.
030
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 08/12/2025
Happy Monday. I love a good roadside motel. #BlueSkyMonday
Picture of low motel with a green hill and blue sky background.
020
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 01/12/2025
Happy Monday. Took this picture of Kamloops lake just off the trans-Canada back in 2007 on my first cross-Canada trip ... only a few hundred kms to the coast from here. Who are these people and what is their story? #BlueSkyMonday
Picture of Kamloops lake under a blue sky with 3 people standing by 3 picnic benches.
040
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 24/11/2025
Happy Monday. People sometimes wonder why anyone would want to schlep a heavy backpack through the tundra without access to refrigeration or wifi for a couple of weeks. It's hard to say. #BlueSkyMonday
Picture of 2 red tents on the tundra with Bylot Island in the backdrop.
040
Brian Parkinson @whatevernot.com · 17/11/2025
Happy Monday. Above the town of Revelstoke BC is the 'Meadows in the Sky' Parkway, a scenic 26 kilometer twisty fun road that climbs Mount Revelstoke gaining 1,365 metres altitude to the top at Balsam Lake. Up top there are marked trails and lookout points; a great place for lunch. #BlueSkyMonday
Above the town of Revelstoke BC is the 'Meadows in the Sky' Parkway, a scenic 26 kilometer twisty fun road that climbs Mount Revelstoke. A picture with a long range view of snow topped mountains with a cloudy sunny sky.
080