It seems like "a cold winter day in Canada" should be as redundant as "a hot summer day in hell," but it turns out to be a relative thing.  When we arrived this morning we were told that because the temperature was -30 (that's Celsius, but still cold) the shooting schedule for "Scarce" had been revised.  We'll wait until Friday, when it's supposed to be barely below zero, to shoot the remaining scenes of John Geddes and Thom Webb running through the snow barefoot in their underwear, with Gary Fischer and me chasing them and shooting at them.

We filmed some of those yesterday, when it was only about -10.  Geddes' co-writer-director-producer Jesse Cook, our first victim in the movie, also got chased through the snow in bare feet.  The gruesome prosthetic on his back, where we had supposedly already sampled a big chunk of flesh, didn't help to keep him warm.

It was sunny yesterday, except when we were ready to shoot and a cloud would delay us, and not bad for filming winter scenes outdoors.  Easy for me to say when I was dressed for the weather (in Ivan's big black coat that makes me feel like Neo in "The Matrix") and could run indoors between shots, unlike most of the crew, who were stuck out there all day.  But they're Canadians, eh?

The big scene yesterday, at least in terms of spectator interest among the cast and crew, was the cameo by Leigh Nash, Cook's fiancee and an all-around key person whose listing as Craft/Runner on the crew list doesn't begin to describe her usefulness.  (Assistant Production Manager would begin to.)  She appears in a flashback sequence as one of our earlier victims, running through the snow in nothing but bra and panties.

Not just "running through the snow."  In the brief scene she runs, falls, staggers and crawls through the snow, screaming all the time.  If Jamie Lee Curtis was the "Scream Queen," Leigh will have to be the "Snow Queen."  This shot has to find its way to YouTube!

The filmmakers think these authentic barefoot snow scenes will help sell the movie, so they're suffering for commerce as well as art.  Time will tell, but in the meantime they're learning the hard way why no one has done it before.

So goes life on what I've dubbed "The Planet Scarce," our mildly dysfunctional but hard-working family.  I've got the morning off while the others are shooting outdoor scenes in which they're fully dressed.

Incidentally, I've been asking people whether Canadians are offended by those of us from the U.S. referring to ourselves as "Americans," as if those who share the North American continent with us were chopped liver.  So far no one has said yes, although one thought a few other Canadians might be sensitive on that score.  I try not to offend – at least not accidentally.

Speaking of chopped liver, Gary and I have another eating scene tonight.  The Gore Brothers are cooking it now.  They said they were going to boil some steak, because it looks more disgusting that way, and leave it bloody.  I suggested injecting some bites with fake blood that could squirt out when we bite into it, and they agreed to experiment with the idea.

Did I mention that filmmakers Geddes and Cook are vegetarians?  I may be too, by the time this shoot is over.  Or maybe I'll be a real cannibal.

Thanks for the compliments on my new "headshot."  It was taken by makeup artist Charis Chattell, showing off her handiwork.

And since this may be my last chance to blog this week, a warm and happy Valentine's Day to all!