Straight Up Smoke Kind of Day

Here in Baker Lake, it was a straight up smoke kind of day and the truth is that -31 C isn't so bad when it is dead calm, but add even a 5 km/hr wind and you are starting to really feel it. That said, the return to real, hard cold is having its impacts. I feel desicated. No amount of water, lip gloss and hand cream seem to have any impact on chapped lips or dry hands. The % humidity in my apartment is in the 20s and I feel like I've been drinking liters of water too. If it wasn't for everyone else complaining of the same thing, I might be tempted to go to the health center to see if there is something wrong with me... and in the mean time... I'm going to drink more water.

Its been a real like time since I've last posted a blog. The kind of time that you can't even bother to apologize. Some of it is simply not taking many photos and some of it is that the novelty has worn off as this place has become home, I've reached a limit on how many photos of the same view from the front of my building I can be bothered to take.

Things are going well, if not being crazily interesting. The biggest excitment in my life is having a pedometer, the best accidental purchase I've ever made, since I didn't know that the little ipod touch came with a built in one. At the time, it was an expensive fall out from my very rapid departure from Baker Lake and based on my fear from this summer that I'd have trouble sleeping with all the noise on the boat without music... so I picked up the smallest ipod I could, so I'd be able to go to sleep with music and drown out the sound of the engine coming on and off. Lucky for me, I wasn't anyone where the engine room and I slept like a baby on the boat - best sleep in years... but the pedometer feature I have used every day since and I've tracked and graphed my results and kicked my butt to get off of it and do at least some kind of movement. Maybe I'll post up some graphs soon... maybe I'll dig out ye olde camera and find some motivation to take some lovely winter pictures... perhaps of the ravens pillaging the garbage or the look of smoke rising lazily from smoke stacks.

Actually, today, the wind was nearly calm, a very slight breeze blew the smoke from the dump right into town with a disturbing smell of burnt plastic... so a bit more wind in the other direction would have been helpful. I don't know how the ravens and seagulls stand the smell of burning plastic.

I've also been sort of getting a few folks started on knitting... I have a project on the go that I'm aiming to finish by easter... which at its rate of production.. might not work out... but who knows... knitting happens in fits and starts

Light on the Mountain Side

Sigh... just beautiful....

Mountain Sunsets Rock My Socks

Oh... if only I had my camera with me about 5 million times today from the sky brightening sunrise, to the highlit mountains while we skied to the sunset from the grocery store parking lot - I've been awed by the ever shifting beauty of the mountains.

My highlight today was a 13 km ski - I'm sure I'll be a bit sore, but it was great and the light was just amazing. The next highlight - fresh mandarin oranges - although I think I'm forgetting breakfast wraps at Harvest and wonderful coffee and visiting with S's family for lunch. Its been a great day.... and it isn't even over yet.

I guess this is where I insert the apology for failing to write a word since september... there seems to be an epidemic of blogger writer's bloc in Nunavut. I've just been busy and focused on other things, but maybe I'll try harder in the coming months to at least post once an a while. Expect lots of mountain pictures for the next few days anyways.

CGS Amundsen

Like a gem upon the Beaufort Sea, the red and white CGS Amundsen is both a coast gaurd rescue ship/ice break and a floating science lab. It is full of kind and interesting people, all with a great sense of adventure. I miss it already - especially watching the sky and the sea from the flying bridge and the sensation of being rocked to sleep each night.

Being home is good too though. Its good to see Scott and my students, coworkers and all the folks I talk to regularly in Baker Lake. I still have a bit of time before a few more of my friends return from their vacations. I also have internet on my laptop, which will hopefully help me post a series of blog entries to record my experiences before I forget stuff.

I wonder where the ship is now and what they are doing? Are they sampling or just travelling? Hopefully they are having good weather and lots of sucess at whatever they are trying to do.

Myself, I suspect of catching a cold - as I have slept most of the evening and still feel tired. I'm drinking a cup more lemon tea then heading back to sleep - in hopes of warding off really getting sick.

The world is round - but is has surprises around every corner.

The CGS Amundsen awaits in Corronation Gulf

The ship is here and we are here - now we just need the charter to land before we load onto the ship and head out to the Beaufort Sea. I'm going to have to admit to some bias, but, I think that this might just be one of the prettiest ships to ply the waters of earth with its red and white bright against the background of the arctic landscape and sea water.

Kugluktuk - Heart Lake

I suspect that Kugluktuk is one of the more picturesce places in Nunavut. Its flat topped hills and cuestas reminded me of Thunder Bay - minus the trees of course, although they aren't that far north of the treeline. The community itself reminded me of Baker Lake with the kindness of strangers and size. They have an amazing rec complex. I'll write more about Kugluktuk when I get to the end of the trip though.

This picture was taken at Heart Lake on Sept. 23rd or 24th.

From YK to Cambridge Bay and back and back again

Wednesday, Sept 21st.... I've met up with 3 of our Schools on Board students and we've recrammed our belongings into our duffel bags. Its time to leave Yellowknife and head north to Kugluktuk for adventure on the CGS Amundsen. We head off to the airport, get on our plane and we are diverted to Cambridge Bay due to a wet and muddy runway. We get to meet the Umingmak of Cambridge Bay and we get our taken with him. I worry a bit and hope that maybe we'll be able to land on the second try on the way back - no luck. The good news - our tickets aren't stamped for weather so the airline covers our hotel. Back in Yellowknife we go for Sushi, it isn't as good as the Sushi we ate last may for at the Beacon, but pretty good. The next morning we repeat the cramming of belongings, catching of the shuttle bus and get back on the plane, this time the airline stamps our ticket (not a good sign) and we travel to .... Cambridge Bay - 30 mm of rain in the last 24 hours has not improved the runway conditions in Kugluktuk... so back to Yellowknife. We scramble for what feels like the last 2 hotel rooms in Yellowknife and then get up the next morning, repack, catch the shuttle to the airport and get on a smaller plane and amazingly enough land in Kugluktuk!!! I learned a great deal about how jet, turbojet and helicopter engines work from the really helpful CG helicopter pilot en route.

McAvoy Rd, Yellowknife

Maybe the view from my grandparents place in Yellowknife.... we looked, but I'm not sure exactly what I was looking for - pretty spot - still a dirt road and a beautiful view of Back Bay.

I'm hopefully headed home after 3 weeks of adventure and travel delays to make your head spin.... but I'll save the airline drama a later post.

The Museum and Frame Lake

Legislature Iglu

Here be the legislature of the NWT - not a bad location :D

Preparing for landing

The sun was in the process of setting as we reached Yellowknife allowing me to see things from a birds-eye view.

They have trees here!!!

Its been a long time since I've spent fall somewhere with trees.

Yellowknife at night

Sunset over Back Bay

I think this is the view my Grandparents sort have would have had back in the day :D

Yellowknife Airport

Arrival in Yellowknife

After dreaming of visiting Yellowknife since I was a child, I'm finally here and probably at the nicest time of year. You might all be wondering why on earth is isolated capital city of the Northwest Territories even on my must see travel list - actually if you knew me you'd probably not be all that surprised... I like small towns and remote locations (I do live in a smaller, even more remote and isolated hamlet on the shores of Baker Lake), but in this case it has to do the the stories of the best story tellers that I know: My Gramma and Grandpa.

From my earliest childhood days, Yellowknife was synonomous with the north, adventure, the barrens and the final frontier. My grandpa told us stories of his travels on the land with a canoe and a friend and some very bad cooking. I still remember him vividly telling me about waking up with his sleeping bag covered in snow. My grandma tells stories of the people of Yellowknife - how an old miner taught her how to cook her first turkey for my Granpa after they were married.

Arriving here, I was caught doing something as lame as photographing the polar bear diorama in the airport. I had to laugh at myself as we were driving into town from the airport that I was getting that culture shock thing that goes with cars, roads and trees and large buildings because my typical viewscape is red clay/gravel roads, trucks, hondas and machines (skidoos), and the largest building in town is the high school. The view from my room is amazing - I can see the territorial legislature and Frame Lake.

I'd better throw out a few picture and then go take a bunch more for you all. I know a remarkable number of displaced Yellowknifers for someone who has never been here before.

And the Siksik works on putting on his fall 15 lb

We participated in the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup yesterday - many of us picking up litter on 2 beaches, others (namely the siksik pictured) is cleaning some food particles he's dug out of the sand. The weather clouded over, but it was beautiful in the morning when I wasn't taking pictures, and interesting colours and light in the cloudy afternoon.

Winter is coming though even to the vegetation nearest to the temperature modifying lake... twice we've seen ice on the puddles and I've heard rumours of snow, although I've yet to see it.... The barges are still coming and going, but in a few weeks, ice will start to form on the lake.

I'm headed for the Schools on Board program in just a few days, and I'm terribly excited, and a little nervous. There will definitely be about a 2-3 or maybe 4 week gap in my blog, but hopefully, lots of cool stuff once I ramp back up to speed in late October.

And then the tundra starts to turn

Its been a busy, but postive fall - already the colours of the land have shifted from green to yellows and oranges as the weather has started to brush the subzero range. As usual, September is a rainy month, so we were thrilled when a pretty consistantly grey sky opened up to broad swaths of blue and pleasant temperatures on Wednesday for the Terry Fox run. I think we are back to grey skies again. I know I should still get out and walk with the nice weather rapidly fading. Maybe tonight.... looks like there could be more northern lights late this evening, should the sky actually clear up so we could see them here.... here's hoping.

Dinosaurs Ate My Couch

A random purchase from the clearance department has brightened my living room decor considerably. I went to put it away for having company over, and then immediately relized the positive impact it had on my living room. It kinda goes with the dorm-room feel and ikea beddesk frame and moderately chewed on furniture (just for the record, I do not have any pets).

It was a nice weekend with a quiet get together with some friends followed by two days of blissful anti-socialness spent with some fictional dysfunctional teens in Manhatten and sometimes Brooklyn and some very non-fiction science textbooks.

We made stew tonight - so lots of healthy vegetables, YUM!

And now that I've done one more bit of procrastination, I should get back to subnivian ecology for a few more minutes before tackling Tides.

Fireweed Fields

A moment of sunshine on a persistantly cloudy weekend brought out the glowing purples of fireweed and the yellowing tones of the the tundra grasses as summer turns to fall.

All Graduated

A quick good luck in all their future endevours to all 12 of our amazing graduates this year!!!! It may be the sunset of highschool, but tomorrow is a sunrise on new and exciting adventures.

I'm back in Baker Lake and glad to be here, although I've actually gotten to the point where most of the time I'm clued out to the fact I'm living in such an isolated place. Once and a while, I look up and it occurs to me that if I walk 1 km past the edge of town, there really isn't anything out there built by humnas within 275 km (and a good deal in most directions - 275 km is the distance to Rankin) except Meadowbank Mine.

I learned a new card game last night and enjoyed several rounds of euchere although I was a bit tired, and generally playing poorly (sorry partner), but still having fun. In other excitement, I bought a dinosaur themed quilt on clearance at Sears which has brightened my living room decor, even if it has failed to enhance the grace and elegance of my decor, it is cheerier than navy and buff semi abstract floral camo. Besides, the Ikea bedframe and mix of posters and technically flawed original watercolours (mine - so I can cut them up if I want - 1 is good, and two are decent and the others are okay enough to have on the wall as long as no one looks too closely) make it impossible to create an adult space.... so... yeah for dinosaurs :D

Fields of Cotton Grass

Forget socks ---- tonight is a tea night. Just put the kettle on. I guess I could crack and turn the heat on - but its 9 C outside, however the humidity is 94 % and I guess its really the damp cool Toronto-esque winter feel that is getting to me or the lack (still) of socks. I was once told at camp that the secret to being warm was having warm dry feet, and if you could achieve that the rest of you would normally be okay. I can't think of any special biology reason why warm feet are so important to a general feeling of warmth, but whoever told me this, and lent a shivering 20-something version of myself warm, dry, fleece socks and dry boots, was a saviour.

I've been slowly, a few rows a day, been working on a new pair of socks. They will of course be conducive to warm dry feet - after that I think I'm going to tackle a blanket project. I have a fair collection of cascade yarn (soft and not too itchy, but not durable enough for socks) that I think would do well as a blanket. I haven't decided if I'll stick to something plain, try out entrelac or do something with a bit of lace or cable. I figure it needs to be simple enough to be picked up and put down for months at a time to have a chance of ever getting finished...

and I ramble...

Sunset in Baker Lake

I've been an awful blogger. This summer it was largely an intentional plan to de-technology my life and just spend my time doing real things like hiking, biking, swimming, walking and visiting with family. Furthermore, after taking over 5000 pictures in Norway, I really didn't have as much drive to take photos - and I was rather sick of lugging around 5 lbs of camera wherever I went.

Its funny, this place feels more like home everytime I come back. I appreciate knowing the staff at the northern and the airport. I appreciate my classroom and its actually nice to see my students again. Its good to be busy again, at least some times. Its nice to have a sense of purpose, although I find myself pining just a bit for the crisp morning air in Canmore on my morning ride to the pool, keeping alert for possible encounters with Ms. Elk and her wee'un. I miss the pool too, the rhythem of swimming lengths, with the only things to think about being breathing, counting laps and trying to keep my strokes neat and efficient. I guess its hard not to miss vacation, but lucky for me, I actually enjoy my work. We've been trying to walk more, but, the weather this time of year has a tendency to produce kind of grim rain about 50 % of the time (thus the lack of northern light sightings since I've been here).

Its been busy, and I expect I'll continue to blog only sporadically between now and the end of October... after that, the weather may encourage blogging.

Its actually quite cool today. It caught me off gaurd to find the chill penetrating a long sleeved shirt and a lightly lined softshell on the way to work and on that note I'm going to go find some socks because my feet are the coldest part of me.

Beauty in Norway

Just looking back through my trip pictures I stumbled accross this gem of a special day of hiking in all weather in the small village of Balestrand. Looking out on the Sognfjord and the snow dappled mountains.

In the background, if you can believe in July, I'm having a conversation about hockey players... :D Only a few more months until its Hockey Night in Canada and the Toronto Maple Leafs surprise everyone by winning the Stanley Cup.

Its a beautiful evening in Canada too.

View From the Top of Sulphur Mountain

After 4 hours and 45 minutes we reached the top of Sulphur Mountain with small folk in tow. Yeah for ice cream and a gondola to take us back down.

The last 2 acts of the folk fest were excellent and now I'm really tired and should go to bed.