Yoga Class

Not too sure if Squire is the instructor and the Giraffe-E and I are the students, but one thing is certain.... Her downward dog is textbook!

Resolute Plane Crash

Anyone who lives the north for any length of time, quickly comes to understand that each community revolves around its airport.

Generally, the airport is the gateway into or out of town. It's our lifeline to supplies. Hell, it's where we pick up our booze!


It doesn't matter whether I'm at home or the office, when I look out the window, my eye is drawn out across the water to the airport.


The plane crash in Resolute last month that made headlines across major news stations down south was even more keenly felt here. You have to remember that the communities up here are incredibly close knit. Everyone knows everyone, and so many people are related to one another.


That there were any survivors at all is unbelievable. That the military was in Resolute planning on simulating the response to a plane crash was fortunate. That such a crash happened at all is kinda scary.


I had to tune in to watch the interview with one of the survivors. The recap can be seen/read here.


The poise and overall attitude Nicole Williamson has towards this tragedy is inspiring. I can't imagine I'd walk away from an event like that with my head on that straight.


While we await the results of the investigation into the crash, one thing is certain. If you live in the north, you'll be flying eventually. Considering the number of planes that I seeing flying past my window on a daily basis, and in spite of this tragedy, I'll still feel pretty safe the next time I hop on a plane.

Cute Kids

So Squire and I were out for a quick walk tonight.

We're walking down the road towards two little boys. (Squire LOVES kids... but little boys are her favourite!) They're probably about 3.5 and 2 years old respectively.

Anyway, as we get closer, the younger one starts to cry...

... the older one solemnly explains to me that 'the baby is afraid of your dog.'

Sometimes, kids are too cute.

Wedding Cake and Longest Day

Last weekend, I upgraded from Dora cakes to wedding cakes. The wedding party didn't deliver the silk flowers, so I wasn't able to see it complete, but it was looking pretty good for as far as I got. I even had some help from an apprentice baker - but 'he' wants to remain anonymous.

I figured, since the longest day of the year, really is a LONG day up here, that I should get out and snap a quick picture for everyone back home who experiences a short longest day of the year. Squire and I were out for a walk at about 11pm, when the sun was just starting to set over the snow fence. Even once the sun goes down, it doesn't get dark - which can make sleeping difficult for a few months!

PS. Yes, Trev, there is snow in Nunavut in June! That snow at the base of the snow fence is probably still about 10' deep and will last well into July.

June Snow and Caribou Hunting

So, I guess mother nature forgot to check her calendar.... We got easily a few inches of snow over night (using that term loosely since we don't experience darkness in Baker right now...). And it snowed almost literally all day! Those big gorgeous fluffly flakes that belong on the front of Christmas cards. Then the wind decided it should pick up and blow all this fluffy snow around. It's gusting up to 70 km/h out there right now, and visibility sucks. Although it's not particularly cold, it isn't particularly nice out there right now, either.

But, jealous that the weather was the talk of the office, a herd of caribou decided it should stir things up. It wandered down the wide open tundra across the road from our office. I was sitting and enjoying a tea in the coffee room, when someone yelled down the hall that there was a herd out there.

Someone call 'he' quick!

By the time he made it to the office, the herd was migrating back out of town, but still visible, especially with binoculars. A few of us kabloonas decided we needed a closer encounter, so after stopping at home for the camera, we took off up the dump road.

We ran into these four stragglers before we hit the dump, but they weren't very friendly. Or photogenic for that matter! This shot was taken well back, and prompted an outcry for a telephoto lens!


At least 'he' was there for the action!

Following along the lines of Mantracker and Stormchasers, we decided to see if we can find the rest of the herd, and catch them... on film, of course!

We ended up heading out Meadowbank road, scanning the tundra for anything that moved. The only thing we found was a gigantic flock of Snow Geese... which apparently make for an awesome meal. Unfortunately, the only thing we brought back were these pictures.

Big 3oh!

I recently celebrated my big 3-oh. The girls thought I needed some help to fall over the hill.(Anyone who knows me well, though, knows I don't need help falling over anything!!)

And boy, oh boy, did we celebrate it in style! My girls collaborated on the planning and decorating and cooking and baking, and were assisted and supported by what seemed like most of the office! There was enough food to feed most the town, with chicken wings, kabobs, dips, a cheese tray, fresh bannock, a pizza tray, and rocky road bars, just to name a few.

My friend outdid herself on the cake! It was amazing.... and very tasty too. And someone even brought ice cream! Sheer decadence at $20 for two litres!!

The highlight of the night was a surprise for everyone; a recital from Mr. He of a poem he wrote for the occasion! I'm not gonna lie: I was a teary mess! But not the only one. What a great memento of a great night!

The Perfect Girl I Wed

OR

A List of my Wife's Faults, Except She Doesn't Really Give Me Much to Work with Here...

***

Why is Krista naughty?
Cuz she never learns at all.
She walks two feet and trips on air
and manages to fall.

She truly thinks it never rains;
the sun, it always shines,
And fixes any problem saying,
"It'll all be fine!"

And speaking of her temper, well,
I hardly think it's fair
To make me all forgetful with her
Smiles that make me stare.

And worst of all... her lies.
You think that "Thirty Years" is true?
I know damn well she hasn't grown
a day past twenty-two.

So even though this birthday's hers,
the best gift goes to Ted;
Another year to bitch about...
the Perfect Girl I wed.

IQ Day

Last week our office declared an IQ Day - a day for Inuit to get back to and to teach us kabloonas (white people) about their cultural routes.

We gathered at the office and made our way down to the ice, where a convoy of hondas (quads) and machines (snowmobiles) along with several kamotiks awaited us. Our destination was the point on the east side of town.

We spent the entire day out on the ice, 'jigging' for fish with a traditional ice fishing rod. We were able to try some frozen caribou meat, and later, a pretty tasty caribou stew. Bannock was fresh made on a Coleman stove out on the ice too.

As a group, we caught three fish (trout). Including this guy, who *almost* got away... I think our boss was glad to get his hook back from the fish that snapped his line.

The highlight of my day? Getting to drive the machine back to the office...!