Whale Bones

There is a travelling exhibit at the Canadian Museum of Nature, one that has travelled from New Zealand and features whales.

We went right from the airport to see the show.

 I learned the names for at least five different kinds of whales, got a sense of their differing sizes and spent a lot of time looking in the glass show cases at weapons and jewellery, all made from whale bone.

 ... poster for whale exhibit ...

As well, there was a charming video travelling with the exhibit – a cartoon of a well known fable about a man whose whale was stolen from him and how he righted that wrong.

I was glad to sit by Naomi who gave me some of the details that I had missed on my viewing of the story.

Mary and I both wrinkled our brows at one of the cautionary signs in the museum.

 No Photographs / No Running / No Swearing.

 ... Naomi's museum walking shoes ...

“Is this 'no swearing' new,” I asked about the no swearing.

“I think whales have some sacred significance and we are asked not to swear on that account”, she replied.

“What exactly might lead someone to swear in an exhibit?”, I had to ask.

“The enormous size of the whales’ skeletons,” she replied.

I hadn’t really thought of that.

Why is it that as soon as someone says, no swearing, I have to think of what would be the appropriate swear words to use in that context, should I need to break the rules.

... Rhiannon, the trickster ...

At any rate we had a fantastic time looking at two other exhibits at the same time -- one of Canada's best photographs for 2012.

Not to be entered into the contest but a photograph Rhiannon wants me to take over and over again is her ... standing on her head.

So here you have it as well.

Arta