Our whole slew of picts....

This is our collection so all our picts are in one place. Don't look if you don't love us enuf to sit thru duplicates of some of the ones we selected for other posts. Click on "sets," and then on "slideshow" for least painful viewing!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28598835@N03/

Rainbows - Lori Blog

I have never seen so many rainbows as I have seen in my short time in Nunavut. Sometimes two in a day. Once, I/we even saw a double rainbow! Imagine that, a double rainbow! The other interesting part, is that twice I saw the full rainbow, in other words, the whole arc and where they grounded. No, there were no pots of gold at the end of the rainbow. But we always knew that. Maybe more to the point, the Earth itself is the pot of gold.

Unfortunately, in my rush, I don't think my pictures of the double rainbow came out. I have this curious ability to multi-task my thumbs at the wrong time, and end up pressing more buttons than I should be!

We are home now, unpacking and doing laundry. But stories continue to "bubble" through. So we will likely continue to blog for awhile as we absorb the aftermath of our great adventure. More soon.

The Vastness of It All - The Northern Map - Lori Blog

I was not aware that Nunavut was not the only new territory that had been assigned or in development. There are three other Innuit Land Claims near completion: Labrador is signing an Agreement for Nunasiavut (Our Beautifull Land), Quebec's will be completed in a couple of years (Nunavik), and The Yukon (Inuvialuit). These, in total, will be 1/3 the land mass of Canada and 1/2 of it's shore line! Curiously, Canada, along with the US, Australia, and New Zealand did not sign the UN adoption of of The Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2007, stating it was too vague and unhelpful. I got this info from a magazine called "Inuktitut, Giving voice to the Innuit experience".  I need to research this cosmic Canadian picture more.

On a different note, I have learned that the Innuit have made many considerable contributions to our modern world: snow goggles, insect repellant, traditional bow-drills, to name a few.

Yesterday we did some puttering around in Iqaluit, taking in some art galleries, and the main museum, along with the cemetery.  We had a great lunch with our new friend Joan, whom we met in Pang (but is from Vancouver) at The Fantasy Palace where you can have lunch, buy an ice cream AND get a tan and a cappuccino! We had a delicious Red Thai soup and a sandwich...such fun! Then we needed to go home and collapse from all the puttering around on foot. 

Kayaking Anyone? - Lori Blog

On Wednesday evening we went kayaking on Frobisher Bay, kindness of Jack. I have wanted to sea kayak for over 20 years, but I never thought in my wildest dreams that it would be here. The evening was very warm; the tide was in and the bugs were real "buggy".The water was smooth, clear and cold. The sea is different from the seas we have known along the Atlantic coast. There is only a small amount of sea grass like kelp; when the tide is out, there is no smell; there are only rocks and sand. Occasionally one sees a broken clam shell and you wonder where the birds found it before it was dropped there. It was strange to be skimming along the surface, literally working up a sweat in the heat, but seeing ice bobbing on the water in the distance. I think we were out there about 45 minutes. If the bugs had not been so intense for me, I'd probably still be out there, skimming out to see the sea-lift boats up close and building strength in my puny upper body!

The Road To Nowhere - Lori & Deb

Josh lives on a street called The Road To Nowhere. This road was created as a training exercise in road construction, built to access a gravel pit; but all the gravel was used in creating the road. Therefore its name!

It has been sunny and warm (17 - 19 degrees) here. We have taken in the local government building tour and the visitor centre. The Leg. has beautiful paintings depicting the North in various seasons and elegant "gifts" from each of the provinces, welcoming the new territory. Greenland was also represented in welcoming Nunavut. Apparently there is a close relationship between Nunavut and Greenland. Greenland is only 200 hundred kms. east of here. They share concerns re economy, tourism, and environment. Today we are going to the Hudson Bay Company Outpost, which is now a museum and an art gallery. There is a possibility of kayaking this evening. Our trip is almost over but there is still more to see and do! Take care,  Lori

........................

We took that road to nowhere this morning after Josh set out on his bike to work........ well, look where it got us. Tundra, tundra and more! Lori is standing at its start, and if she's thumbing for a ride she'd better show some of her gorgeous leg, 'cause there's mostly zero traffic up this way! Josh's window is the middle-story one  on the right-hand side of the photo. To put it in perspective, see the hill we climbed behind the apartment from his living room  window:

Having walked all over (an hour, maybe) this spongey tundra-turf examining bogs and lousewort, using friend-neighbor-Peter's walking sticks to keep our ankles and knees in one piece, we thought to pop over the next hill (somewhere over "there...") to pick up a coffee (Lori) and cold water (Deb) at the only pit-stop this end of nowhere.  Tough luck, the new fridges and replacement coffee-maker are yet to be unloaded from the yearly barge that arrived this week. On the short-cut walk home, we mused at how things are simpler and much more complicated up here.  That's been a theme of many conversations with the many people we've talked to. 

We went fishing yesterday in that river I spoke of in my last post.... we lost two lures while catching no char, but boy was it fun! Like old times for me: never a pro, I remember many teen-dates with a fishing pole in my hand, and my first honeymoon was at a fishing lodge with my new father and uncles-in-law! But since char is very delicious, too bad we had to leave without!  We got to meet Max, who met us at the fishing spot. 

That kayak ride this evening sounds interesting, eh? That and dinner at the home of Josh's friend Jack - and tomorrow, Josh flies out to Cambridge Bay, while we'll have a day with no guide, to coax out a few last memories. See y'all soon!  Deb

Pangnirtung - Lori Blog

We are a little behind in blogging because we have been trying to post a slide presentation of our trip to Pang. Both posting slides and the MAC are new to us. 

Pangnirtung is an hour's flight north of Iqaluit. It is at the mouth of a fiord and the gorgeous fiord is at the base of the Penny Ice Cap and Auyuittuq National Park. We three boated up the fiord with our guide, Joavee, and two other visitors. The tip of the fiord is 7.5  kilometers south of the Arctic Circle; but it takes up to 10 hours to walk it because the terrain is so difficult. We lolled about on the beach; had a lovely lunch and watched the tide come in...so much for roughing it! In order to go into the Park everyone is required to watch a 30 minute video on Polar Bear Safety. I think some of the strategies might come in handy getting to my job on Bay Street! Pang is a small community with a long history of serious sculpting, print making and loom knitted blankets, scarfs and other apparel. It was fun to browse through them and talk to the people. 

So far, this trip has felt like a deep immersion into so many aspects of the Far North. I have found the Innuit themselves a friendly, and rather shy people with a wonderful dry sense of humour. We have become more educated about the tragic and painful history they have been through at the hands of the white people. And we are learning what a complicated 

"stew" the birthing of a modern day Nunavut truly is. We are meeting a variety of Josh's friends who have each enriched us in so many aspects of life here: the weather, survival, government and lack of government, social concerns and long range issues around resources (mining ect) and how to manage given global warming. It is just amazing! I imagine it to be rather similar to the making of Canada before they figured out they needed to construct a railroad to strap us together as a country!  There is much to sort out here!

Meanwhile I have become absolutely entranced with the wild arctic flowers that seem to bloom against all odds here. They are hardy and beautiful and to be muchly respected. Today out for a walk on the tundra near the Bay, I came across a beautiful Raven feather across my path. Ravens are large and to my surprise can make a variety of "calls". I have the feather; I hope it can be transported home safely! And if not, I won't forget!

I will sign off for now. But there is more to come...and some great pictures, if I don't say so myself! Lori

Back "Home" from Pangnirtung (Deb's)

It's pouring on the desert tundra outside Josh's window. But most of today has been brightly sunny with temperature near twenty. Thank you Josh,  for the eclectic mix in our suitcases! This morning we had Arctic char for breakfast, caught last night and proffered by our friend Levi Strauss. You'll see his family's summer camp spot where he caught this delicious fish on these photos..... with the campfire, and little white tent off to the side, belonging to Josh who I 

think is very much enjoying being part of this family. The river that you see is, at this very spot, joining the bay, so subject to tides, and when the tide is going out, Susan collects drinking water from the shore. If she were to do the same at the inward tide, they'd be drinking salt! These pictures were taken at 11:00 in the evening..... When we wake at 2:00 or 3:00 am, as we invariably and unintentionally do, it is full sunlight. I don't find it is changing my sleeping habits at all.

Here's a funny by-the-way that next-door-neighbour Peter told us at dinner last night. Iqaluit, spelled properly means place of many fish. With the stubborn U that wants "in" - it means place of dirty bums/toosches..... 

More later! Keep coming - sorry this took so long!

Enter the Moms

Now that Mom and Lori have blogged their way through the build up, the journey north, and their arrival in Iq(u)aluit, I suppose I should lend my perspective on some of these events and catch everyone up on the awaiting son's perspective...

For many weeks leading up to their departure, the Moms were taking this trip to bug-'n-bear country in stride, mostly wanting to discuss the basics during our weekly(ish) phone calls:  Where will we stay?  My place.  No really, where?...Which airline should we fly? The one with the cookies.  Cookies?...Will we be able to drink the water?  Yes.  But as the big day approached, the questions began to take on what could be described as a slightly more earnest tone.  By the time "eight sleeps to go" arrived, something like the following note arrived in my in-box: "Along with the tomatoes, herbs and wine you asked for, Lori and I will need something to cover our respective modesties..."

What to say?

Seven more sleeps:

Emailing packing list to M&L:  "Bring pajamas, sweaters, long johns, a warm hat that covers the ears..." etc etc

Six more sleeps:

Email from mom:  "If it's cold enough for winter hats, what are the black flies wearing on their ears?"

Five more sleeps:

Phone call during the day with message left on answering machine: "Poops, I'm just calling to find out whether we're going to need anything for warm weather, like maybe a bathing suit?  But don't worry about calling me back right away!  It's not urgent...".

Email sent after (or perhaps during?) voicemail:  "And Josh, we've just started this blog..."

At this point I started to think.  I was excited about my two visitors, but looking around my apartment my subconscious understood more clearly the implications of putting me and the moms up in my little shoe box on the tundra.  It all surfaced when a friend in town called me up and asked me whether I'd started getting my apartment together.  'What?" he said.  "Your mother's coming to town and you haven't started cleaning?  I've already cleaned my living room in case she comes over!"

One more sleep:

Voicemail:  "Hi Luvey, its me.  I just wanted to let you know we're in Ottawa and we'll be in tomorrow afternoon..."

No more sleeps:

Buzzer sounds at 5:50.  Josh snoozes until 6:52.  Get up!! Get up!!  Wash remaining dishes.  Do the "incrimination inspection".  Finish remaining laundry.  Realize the vacuum is still at the neighbour's and begin picking lint out of the carpet on hands and knees.  Only the biggest pieces though.  Realize it's 8:25.  Brush teeth.  Get out door and coast down the hill to work.

Friend picks me up at 12:00.  "What flight are your moms on?"  "First Air, I think." "You mean you don't know?!!"  Drive like maniac to airport and...oh shit!  There's already a plane sitting on the tarmac with its stairs down and...NNNNOOOooooo...people waiting outside for cabs!!!

Run inside and search frantically for kindly-and-perhaps-a-bit-stunned-looking grey haired ladies and what do you know?  There's one standing near the security gate wearing a black brimmed hat tilted jauntily - and recognizably - to one side.  And she has a camera aimed right at me!  Lori shows up a few seconds later.  And now we're all together.

Rest of day spent doing regular Iq(u)aluit things that M&L can talk about later...

Now off to Pang.

Josh

 

Warm Chocolate Chip Cookies - Lori Blog

Can you believe! After receiving warm wet towels to wash our hands and a delicious breakfast, we were offered hot chocolate chip cookies to finish off our coffee! This IS flying! The flight attendant is so excited about the far north that she declared that all Canadians needed to come here! OK? So we shall see.

Josh said that the big news in town is that the ship has come in with everyone's orders for food, goods and chattels for the YEAR...one can now store up on their supply of dwindling (read "panic") toilet paper and some such necessities (read "food"). It is a beautiful day here. The air is cool and clean. No smelly, smog filled, humid Toronto grit. Just pure, clean, fill- your- lungs- till- you bust air. And ocean, ocean, ocean...Frobisher Bay. We went grocery shopping for our trip away tomorrow. A woman was buying a small baby mattress, a supply of pampers and other baby related stuff...not tons of stuff...it cost her over $700.00 and counting! Crazy!

We are off to an Artic Char supper with friends (the ones in the first picture). We may not be able to post during the next few days, as we are flying north to "Pang". Take care, Lori

Arrival - and waiting arms! (Deb's)

Oooh good! Some hugs are just absolutely necessary, and totally perfect.  Look who we found at Iqaluit airport:

Driving to Ottawa, Lori and I listened to the first bit of "Writing Down the Bones" on cd - so we are both pumped to write! It gave us plenty to talk about, and by the the time we got to our bed 'n' breakfast, I had admitted my mistake in not bringing a computer so we could put into practice (the operative word!) the wisdoms, immediately. Here we are now, set up on Josh's coffee table (photo later!) having had the drive-by tour of town, been to the grocery store for Provisions-for-Pangnirtung, where we are heading tomorrow at 6am. Surely more about that later too. 

Musings from the airplane: Iqaluit -  my hand wants to put in that missing U. Three languages on the ticket, the PA and the Nunatsiaq News in the man's neighbouring lap, the man who is for all intents and purposes IN my lap! Tiny plane, big man, he's got the window and the armrests! Map at the front of the plane, thin red lines hopping all over the icy blue of Nunavut, but reassured, I see we are still on the firmer-safer-seeming black lined routes. Black for jet, red for turbo-prop....31,000 feet up, my novice eyes see clouds below with puffy berms and unbroken plains, now big boulders and bergs strewn below and shorelines of of ragged white outlining lakes of pure blue sky. Or is it ice and water?  How can we be between the sky and the sky - thin blue above, heavier blue below? We're over the wing with no responsibilities for the in-case-safety of 70 others; who knew? We could have been the ones by the doors, who everyone would rely on to remember the cues and keep on the shoes! Mine are off, comfortably bare, now glad I misplaced my socks. From up here, the 349 kinds of flowering plants below are still a total mystery (photo? soon!) Will I see a phalaropy - or be too late? We are one day too late for free musk-ox burgers at the Premier's picnic!

Okay, that was airborne... now we are firmly HERE! 

Take a look at here:

Nunavut and Back!

Welcome!
So I am new to blogging, never mind being an author to a blog!

I am looking forward to learning so much: the people, their land, their world views, the flora, the birds, and the sea life! I must say, it is quite hot here in Toronto today. It felt rather strange pulling out my wool hat, socks , boots, mittens and long johns, along with muskoil and after bite lotion! Not to mention, sleeping shades in case my beauty rest is interrupted by mostly daylight. Prepared! You bet!
Lori

Chaos at the Starting Gate!

Three more sleeps!

Longjohns and a bathing suit.... the packing is getting serious now, and if you think one room with a queen-sized surface and surrounding floor is enuf for the organizing required for a trip that spans 0-30 degrees celcius, you must know two zennier dames than the likes of us! There are the many layers of the layered-look, the looking out for every contingency (snow-wear, bug-wear, meet the polar bear-on-a-hike-wear, whale-boat-wear, sleep-in-a-tent-not-in-the-buff-wear, visit-one's-son's-office-and not-have him-die-of-embarrassment-wear....) the gifts that we feel the poor-said-son needs because he's so far from consumerdom, way "up there!" Suffice to say that the big bulkily-cabled woolly sweater that has kept me warm many-a-winter day here, is taking up 2/3 of my suitcase!

We consulted our expert..... toes in the Arctic Ocean, but no need for bathing suits... Could he be intimating that the more flesh exposed, the more area for the kamikaze bug hordes? But he did say one t-shirt. Where one t-shirt goes another one has to follow, right? It's the law of "no-laundromats-on-holidays."

Then, there's the medicine chest to unload....our adventurous host has been known to have people fall off his snowmobile in full flight. How much do band-aids cost where a potato costs $5? Lanacaine or After-Bite - we guess both. With the absence of nighttime, we'll need to grab lots of spf 30, right? But we just got the news it's been raining steadily up there for days. So what kind of hat - the woolly variety smells funky in the rain, but frostbitten ears turn black and fall off, don't they?

This is just a phase. Good thing we didn't start packing last week! In the end, the zipper will have to close, and we'll thank god we won't have any custom-guy mussing up the unmentionables. And now we have to unburden said queen-sized surface as three sleeps become two. Oy!

Anon,
Deb

There in 5 sleeps!

I think this is what we'll see, and

These are some of the folks we're going up there to visit....






This recent warning has us somewhat worried, as you can imagine: "The bugs wear luftwaffe leather helmets and goggles and kamikaze sashes tied around their necks. Bring as much agent orange as you can..."

More inspiration to follow.... Love to all our followers.....

D-L, 'n' J