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.

Sunny Break in the Plain of 6 Glaciers

It was supposed to be sunny in most places and maybe rainy near Lake Louise and Yoho. We had a lot of rain, but a brief patch of brilliant sunshine to allow me to take a picture of Lake Louise from the other side. It was a beautiful hike that I will have to do again at some point when the weather will allow me to get a better shot of the Victoria Glacier. (11 km, 365 m of elevation)

Sunset in Jasper

The sun is setting (this in itself is exciting for a person that has spent so many weeks in basically midnight sunish conditions). Still, mountain sunsets still have the ability to outclass most other sunsets. This photo was taken from the train station. I don't know the name of the mountain in question.

The last few days have been busy. I actually biked to 37 km and I've gone swimming a few times. I'm hoping to get lots more hiking, swimming and biking bits in for the next few weeks and then its back to walking and excercise videos. I'm looking forward to berry picking and the bright fall colours of the tundra.

Thats all for now. I know I've been pretty week on the blog entries. I'm trying to take a technology break a bit and just refresh my brain. I'm sure that there will be plenty more pictures in the future.

The Columbia Glacier was Here

The retreated glacier has left its mark on the once glaciated valley a few hundred meters from the Columbia Glacier. We stopped in the somewhat stormy weather so I could get pictures of the glacier, morraines, and till for my students. Fireweed remains among my favourite plants of all time. This is succession in action - pioneering the way - beautiful fireweed.

The drive up to Jasper was amazing (as expected). The weather was mixed, but in general the sun came out when it was needed to make a beautiful view even better. (The Columbia Glacier stop being the exception.) It was nice spending some time with my Mom and sharing our favourite spots on the best piece of highway in the world.

Black Bear on the Icefields Parkway

I suppose I should be posting some kind of apology for my sporadic posting over the last while or if you know me better, my general absense from the online world. I've been doing stuff. I managed to swim almost every day in Ontario and I've done a bit of bike riding and a lot of playing with kids. I'm enjoying a summer of mountainous vistas and wild spaces and new sights as well as my favourite haunts. I'm looking forward to the next few weeks living and playing in one of the most stunning parts of the world before I return home to a place of quiet and subtle beauty and a true sense of wildness. Its amazing how many people want to know about Nunavut and their positive view of what it stands for.

I will go back and caption some of my Norway pictures, now that I have access to a key board and a real computer. I'm slowly working on sorting through the 5000 + photos I took and putting them into named folders, relieved to have been able to get them all on my computer even if they all ended up in one massive folder.

It has been a great summer so far and I promise to post a lot more regularly... which is fortunately an easy promise to make.

Grizzly at Lake Louise

This is the first time I've seen a Grizzly (at least more than a fleeting glimpse of one) in the wild. We saw 3 bears including this one on our drive, the other two bears were black bears.

Mundal - the Norwegian Bokbyen

Extrs passanger, Fare not paid

Almost to Mundal on the Skånevik ferry

Norwegian Waterfall #60000000000000000

Fjærland fjord

Forest Stream

Gratuitous Pictures of Irises

St. Olaf's Church

Misty Mountains of Balestrand

Balestrand has completely charmed us with its mix of small town calm and stunning vistas. The hiking here is excellent. We took a day trip to see the glacier museum, glaciers and the Booktown of Mundal in Fjærland. It is breath-taking too with tall mountains that remind me of pictures of China.

Balestrand Harbour