While suffering through bug season, we’ve found a couple of new ways to keep from being bored. (By the way, the bug hood is on its way… so shortly we’ll be able to get back out there and enjoy the warmer weather without worrying about the blackfly welts! How do the little buggers tell the difference between leg skin and face skin??)
For a birthday present, ‘he’ got Heroes Season One on dvd. We’ve been diligently watching an episode a night, torn between wanting the disks to last and needing to find out what happens. I don’t know if I’m developing a special ability… but I see us purchasing more seasons in the near future.
About a month ago, we decided to blow the remainder of our Chapters Christmas gift cards. $200 dollars later, we were anxiously waiting for the books to get here, and hoping we had some gems in the bunch. I had finally given in and decided to try ‘Eat Pray Love’ (which is now a movie starring Julia Roberts). I *LOVE* it – I’m not quite done, I still have the ‘Indonesia’ section to read – but I think if the movie is half as good as the book, it’ll be great! Oh, and I’m totally jealous of everyone in the south (and if anyone in Iqaluit is reading this) who get to go see the movie while I’ll have to wait for the dvd.
And since we were enjoying new toys, we decided that Squire shouldn’t be left out! We gave her the last ‘moo’ friend – Mr. Moo Pony. I don’t exactly know how my dog got a pony before me! But since hers is green and goes ‘squeak’ instead of being bay (or gray) saying ‘neigh’, I think I’ll just let her keep it and keep holding out for something better.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Rediscovered
We’ve rediscovered a few ‘lost’ treasures from winter in Baker.
One has happened pretty slowly. It’d been commented on a few times in passing, but now I’d officially say we have ‘night’ back. It’s not as dark at any point as it was in the winter, but after months of remarking on the lack of darkness, we’re now remarking on how dark it is.
The other blew in suddenly last night. We have some freakishly strong winds today in Baker. It reminds me of blizzard days from winter when we had to turn the TV up to hear it over the wind. Deciding to take advantage of the bug-free outdoors, Squire and I headed up the central hill to see if I could get a good picture of the white caps on the lake. We gave up when the wind wouldn’t allow me to hold the camera steady enough to get a non-blurtastic picture.
One has happened pretty slowly. It’d been commented on a few times in passing, but now I’d officially say we have ‘night’ back. It’s not as dark at any point as it was in the winter, but after months of remarking on the lack of darkness, we’re now remarking on how dark it is.
The other blew in suddenly last night. We have some freakishly strong winds today in Baker. It reminds me of blizzard days from winter when we had to turn the TV up to hear it over the wind. Deciding to take advantage of the bug-free outdoors, Squire and I headed up the central hill to see if I could get a good picture of the white caps on the lake. We gave up when the wind wouldn’t allow me to hold the camera steady enough to get a non-blurtastic picture.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Back by Popular Demand
(And a bit of friendly nagging,) we’re going to recommit to the blog.
We’ve settled into life up here, and things are less exotic and exciting then they were when we first arrived. We’ve realized though, that the blog is less about life in the North, and more about keeping those in the South up-to-date on *our* life in the North.
Next week marks our one year anniversary of being in the North. Having experienced a whole year, we’ve definitely learned a couple of things.
1. Winter just may be better than summer for being outdoors. We are finding that the cold and snow was much easier to deal with than the huge swarms of huge mosquitoes. And apparently we have black fly season still to look forward to.
2. The weather in the summer can be just as wild as the weather in the winter. Our first visitor to the north tied our longest delay due to weather. We were stuck in Winnipeg for four days due to a blizzard in December. Mom was stuck here in Baker for four days due to a massive fog system in July.
3. Don’t hold your breath waiting for the barge. As we experienced waiting for the last barge to come in last year, the first barge of the season is already late too. At least at this time of the year we don’t have to worry about things freezing.
We miss our friends and family in the South, and the convenience and independence of life down there. But we’ve made new friends up here (Poker Night is becoming a weekly tradition), and we’re starting to look forward to what life will be like for us when we do return to the south in a couple years.
We’ve settled into life up here, and things are less exotic and exciting then they were when we first arrived. We’ve realized though, that the blog is less about life in the North, and more about keeping those in the South up-to-date on *our* life in the North.
Next week marks our one year anniversary of being in the North. Having experienced a whole year, we’ve definitely learned a couple of things.
1. Winter just may be better than summer for being outdoors. We are finding that the cold and snow was much easier to deal with than the huge swarms of huge mosquitoes. And apparently we have black fly season still to look forward to.
2. The weather in the summer can be just as wild as the weather in the winter. Our first visitor to the north tied our longest delay due to weather. We were stuck in Winnipeg for four days due to a blizzard in December. Mom was stuck here in Baker for four days due to a massive fog system in July.
3. Don’t hold your breath waiting for the barge. As we experienced waiting for the last barge to come in last year, the first barge of the season is already late too. At least at this time of the year we don’t have to worry about things freezing.
We miss our friends and family in the South, and the convenience and independence of life down there. But we’ve made new friends up here (Poker Night is becoming a weekly tradition), and we’re starting to look forward to what life will be like for us when we do return to the south in a couple years.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
A brief soliloquy from the "he" in this "we"
Seems the days fly by and become months by the time you turn your head to look back at them.
There's been a lot of firsts these days. We survived our first winter in Baker. "She" won a poker night the other day (I've never done better than second best myself). I've made my first trip to Iqaluit, the territory's capital. And its the first time I've blogged in way too long.
We've really settled into routines here; some of the adventure feel is starting to fade, as we go about our usual daily business of waking up in the morning, going to work, arguing about dinner plans--you know, normal, non-adventuring people stuff.
"She" now has a position up in the main office; my department has moved down into a converted-residence office. (No more unacceptable 5-minute commutes for me; I currently walk a much more reasonable twenty-four seconds or so...two houses down from our own.)
Iqaluit was cool but I'd really love to see it in the summer. I couldn't make out where the land ended and the water began.
Its definitely more "civilized" in the metropolitan sense: there are all the amenities of a proper city, including theater, bars, real paved roads. Its got its quirks too. You cannot sit down at a restaurant or bar anywhere in town as far as I can tell without several people offering you a bit of local art (drawings, carvings, etc). I thought it was just funny at first, even after I'd been warned in advance, but after a while you just learn to wave them away.
I feel pretty much zero interest in ever moving to Iqaluit though. Amenities aside, I prefer the quiet-town thing we have going right now, and I love not needing a vehicle (we'd need one in Iqaluit..and the unpaved roads are bone-crushingly bad bad bad in the winter).
We managed to get some more euchre games going at a party the other night. Somehow we even both got groupies cheering for our individual teams. (It was that kind of party I guess). I'm starting to hold my own a bit now although I still make her shake her head sometimes with some of my strategically-unpredictable (read: stupid) plays.
Just to bring this post full-circle, and speaking of firsts: we're about to receive our first visitor from the south and we're sort of christmas-excited around here. Couple more days till MOM arrives. Huzzah! We're looking forward to the week ahead for sure.
I'll just close on this last note. Summer is pretty awesome, how we get two stat holidays, with Canada's birthday plus the civic thing right? Well, smack dab between those, we poor souls up north also get Nunavut day off (July 9th.)
How sweet is that? Suckers.
There's been a lot of firsts these days. We survived our first winter in Baker. "She" won a poker night the other day (I've never done better than second best myself). I've made my first trip to Iqaluit, the territory's capital. And its the first time I've blogged in way too long.
We've really settled into routines here; some of the adventure feel is starting to fade, as we go about our usual daily business of waking up in the morning, going to work, arguing about dinner plans--you know, normal, non-adventuring people stuff.
"She" now has a position up in the main office; my department has moved down into a converted-residence office. (No more unacceptable 5-minute commutes for me; I currently walk a much more reasonable twenty-four seconds or so...two houses down from our own.)
Iqaluit was cool but I'd really love to see it in the summer. I couldn't make out where the land ended and the water began.
Its definitely more "civilized" in the metropolitan sense: there are all the amenities of a proper city, including theater, bars, real paved roads. Its got its quirks too. You cannot sit down at a restaurant or bar anywhere in town as far as I can tell without several people offering you a bit of local art (drawings, carvings, etc). I thought it was just funny at first, even after I'd been warned in advance, but after a while you just learn to wave them away.
I feel pretty much zero interest in ever moving to Iqaluit though. Amenities aside, I prefer the quiet-town thing we have going right now, and I love not needing a vehicle (we'd need one in Iqaluit..and the unpaved roads are bone-crushingly bad bad bad in the winter).
We managed to get some more euchre games going at a party the other night. Somehow we even both got groupies cheering for our individual teams. (It was that kind of party I guess). I'm starting to hold my own a bit now although I still make her shake her head sometimes with some of my strategically-unpredictable (read: stupid) plays.
Just to bring this post full-circle, and speaking of firsts: we're about to receive our first visitor from the south and we're sort of christmas-excited around here. Couple more days till MOM arrives. Huzzah! We're looking forward to the week ahead for sure.
I'll just close on this last note. Summer is pretty awesome, how we get two stat holidays, with Canada's birthday plus the civic thing right? Well, smack dab between those, we poor souls up north also get Nunavut day off (July 9th.)
How sweet is that? Suckers.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Seven Signs of Spring
1. Seagulls outnumber ravens
Ravens are the only bird we see throughout the winter months - so the arrival of the seagulls must equal spring. Accompanying the seagulls on their return to Baker Lake are ptarmagans, buntings, geese, and several other small birds.
2. Birdsong
See above. All the our new feathered friends sure make for a chorous of song we haven't heard since last fall.
3. Icicles
Or as Squire calls them: 'sticks'. (poor kid) It was a rare day we had any in the winter, but now in the thaw we have plenty.
4. Mud
Keeping the floor clean is a practical impossibility. Almost makes me prefer the cold and snow. And only having choking dust to look forward to all summer doesn't make it any better.
5. Sicsic
They're just popping out of their holes, and have already started yelling at Baker Lake inhabitants.
6. Hondas outnumber machines infront of the Northern
A machine is a snowmobile, and a honda is an ATV of any make or model. The landscape is still predominately white - especially on the land - but the roads are bare, muddy (see above) but bare!
7. Barbeque!
Ok, so not blissfully warm, but at 2 degrees on the plus side, I deemed it the start of bbq season. What's on the menu? Hot dogs and steak.
** I have a confession to make... I actually wrote this post while sitting at work earlier in the week, and forgot to post it. :( So in the few days that have passed, with the mild temperatures, I can't say that the landscape is still predominately white.... It's suprising how fast the snow is melting out on the land. The culverts have thawed, and the melt water that had threatened to flood the roads has drained.
I know that it's only a few weeks to the official start of summer, and I think I'll go out on a limb and say that we are right in the middle of spring here in Baker. I'm hoping to still have snow for our first southern visitor at the end of the month. My mom is making the sojourn up, and both of us are looking forward to having her here! At least I can guarantee ice on the lake!
Ravens are the only bird we see throughout the winter months - so the arrival of the seagulls must equal spring. Accompanying the seagulls on their return to Baker Lake are ptarmagans, buntings, geese, and several other small birds.
2. Birdsong
See above. All the our new feathered friends sure make for a chorous of song we haven't heard since last fall.
3. Icicles
Or as Squire calls them: 'sticks'. (poor kid) It was a rare day we had any in the winter, but now in the thaw we have plenty.
4. Mud
Keeping the floor clean is a practical impossibility. Almost makes me prefer the cold and snow. And only having choking dust to look forward to all summer doesn't make it any better.
5. Sicsic
They're just popping out of their holes, and have already started yelling at Baker Lake inhabitants.
6. Hondas outnumber machines infront of the Northern
A machine is a snowmobile, and a honda is an ATV of any make or model. The landscape is still predominately white - especially on the land - but the roads are bare, muddy (see above) but bare!
7. Barbeque!
Ok, so not blissfully warm, but at 2 degrees on the plus side, I deemed it the start of bbq season. What's on the menu? Hot dogs and steak.
** I have a confession to make... I actually wrote this post while sitting at work earlier in the week, and forgot to post it. :( So in the few days that have passed, with the mild temperatures, I can't say that the landscape is still predominately white.... It's suprising how fast the snow is melting out on the land. The culverts have thawed, and the melt water that had threatened to flood the roads has drained.
I know that it's only a few weeks to the official start of summer, and I think I'll go out on a limb and say that we are right in the middle of spring here in Baker. I'm hoping to still have snow for our first southern visitor at the end of the month. My mom is making the sojourn up, and both of us are looking forward to having her here! At least I can guarantee ice on the lake!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Can you spot the Arctic Tern?
Today, while walking home from the office, 'he' and I almost literally stumbled across some new neighbours living in the open area behind our house. (Hey! Their camoflauge was super effective!) The new neighbours, Arctic Terns, recently migrated from Antiarctica, where they winter, to Baker Lake, where they'll breed, or so Wikipedia says. 
And while you're sitting there laughing at our southern city-slicker ways, maybe we should play a game?!
Can you spot the Arctic Tern?
Ahhhh, but can you spot all five Arctic Terns?
What if I made it slightly easier for you?
Ok, admittedly, there are only four terns in the last photograph, but I challenge you to get any pictures of any birds whatsoever once your super-hunter dog has spotted them!
Monday, May 3, 2010
Good morning sunshine...
.... at 3 am?!
Squire decided at 3 am one morning this weekend that it was time to get up and take a trek outside. After bundling up and taking her out, I decided to check for Northern Lights while she found the perfect pee spot.
I didn't expect to see the sky lightening already. So I went back in, got the camera, and snapped a quick pic before heading back to bed.
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