Just For Julie, Because I know you will appreciate this crap

Da Fuzz

The RCMP flew up a gentlemen from Ottawa to re-qualify it's members on their hand guns, shot guns and rifles. As you see this community doesn't have an official shooting range, so like everything else in the north, it was made on the fly. This one at the gravel pit with an old sea lift container.

<--And this, boys and girls is why you don't mess with the police. Straight shootin'!






When the guys were finished, the instructor asked if I would like to give it a try. Of course I was shooting from a lot closer then the guys were, but hey like I say my job is to shoot memories, not people. The guy said I was a natural, too bad I like shooting better with a Nikon rather then a pistol.

Northern Night Exposure

I was very bad last night, instead of going to bed at a good hour I spent time outside getting some night shots. I was praying that no one would see me because I was in my night gown, rubber boots and Canada Goose Jacket (counter the effects on my bare legs). It was a great night to take these shots because the wind was light, the air temperature was not too frosty, the sky was clear and the moon was full. However the northern lights left a lot to be desired.

STAR CHOICE
MONSTER HOUSE, feels closer to Halloween already!

No they are not orbs from spirits who haunt this earth, but rather super cool Moon flares. Because I shot right into the moon, light was hitting my lens and bouncing in all directions, you can really see the shape of the moon best on the farthest left flare.

Norm as a "Parroty"

And he sat up there for a while, he must have thought he was a parrot!

A "Ruff" Situation

There is no question I love my dog. He is my child, the light of my life (Norman too!). So it's hard for me to see the homeless dog situation up here.
There are no vets in this community so I am sure Tallinn is one of the few that has been neutered. This is why there are so many dogs running loose and seem to not have homes. And because there is no doggy protection there are puppies running abundant (anyone want one?). It totally breaks my heart and I "die" inside a little when I see a dog body at the dump. The only way to control these loose dogs from packing up and eating little children is to put them down. Local bi-law officers put down stray dogs and then lay their bodies to rest at the dump. It's sounds nasty, but it is the way of life up here. And I also don't want to see any children get bit.

I remember before I came up here I heard a story about an RCMP wife getting mauled by northern dogs and dying because of it. I was totally freaked! But now that I have spent time here I realize like any dog, if you act afraid, it will be apprehensive of you and may bark or growl. I have only received much love from local stray dogs and I desperately want to take them all home...DESPERATELY! I want to feed their bony bodies. Everyone thinks Tallinn is huge compared to most dogs up here..um yeah it's because he is fed a regular diet. I am glad they think he is a beautiful dog, but I want to say you can have one too...take in one of these dogs, brush him, feed him, love him...and BAM you have your own prize dog. The strays here really are beautiful, they aren't just ugly muts.

The problem is what do I do? I can't adopt them all, we don't have the space or the money. One nurse here graciously adopts in dogs and then sends them south to be rescued (I think you are doing a wonderful thing)! She does this all on her spare time. I have a dilemma though. When I first came up here I heard that the dogs here never went inside(as far as my southern attitude was concerned a dogs places was inside on a couch being worshiped). The northern dogs all stay outside even during the worst blizzards, I thought this was horrible! Until I met Tallinn...a dog who only wants to be outside, even during blizzards...he wants to be there. It's too hot inside for him and he would just prefer to stay outside, even though I insist on him being inside during night time (I just couldn't bare for anything to happen to him while I was sleeping). So now my attitude has changed about keeping dogs only inside when it's cold. Some dogs are better in the cold (but for those few up here who have southern dogs like poodles...they need to go inside during cold weather and I hope to not see them this winter). So what should my attitude be about "rescuing" these northern strays? Should I go against the ways of the north and inflict my southern mentality? They look so free and happy roaming the country side, how could I put a chain on them, even if it will prolong their life?

I just can't adopt every dog I see because I would end up with my own personal dog sled team and I could never go on vacation, not to mention Nathan has pretty much put his foot down on getting another dog. We take Tallinn south with us every time we go and let me tell you it's a pain (we have to rent a van, and don't get my started on Air Canada), I can only imagine the pain with two dogs. I live comforted that when we finally move south I will get the property appropriate to rescue a few dogs and give them a happy life.

But for now I pray that those dogs that are on the super short chains, get a little longer lead. The stray hungry ones get something to eat and the lonely ones get a little lovin'. If you are already in the North and are thinking about getting a dog, do it! They are the best companions, security guards, protection against bears(for some reason they don't like dogs) and they will understand you like no one else.

Here is to a best friend and a true love.

Good Morning Frosted Flakes

Me, A year and Photobooth

It's true I have a little obsession with changing my hair. It's been hard doing it up here, been mostly a box dye process. But I don't think I am vain, rather just documenting and photobooth for mac just makes it so easy! What's next? Short?

Tuniit, A History Lesson

Saturday was spent hiking across the land bridge (a piece of land that "bridges" the two islands together during low tide) to Mallik Island. Thank you Rachelle, for getting me up at 7:30am on a Saturday morning. I protested when I got up, I grumbled when it started to rain, I complained when the wind blew, but when I saw this I knew why you had gotten me up. And thank you!

This is what's left of a stone structure from about 4,500 years ago. Maybe one of the oldest structures in Canada?

The Tuniit, or Dorset Culture
(5,000 to 1,000 years ago)

The first people to arrive were the Tuniit. The archaeological remains of their camps begin to appear in Alaska shortly after 5,000 years ago, and they quickly spread across the western Arctic, Nunavut, and down the coasts of Greenland and Labrador. The tools and weapons which we find in their North American camps resemble very closely those used by northern Siberian peoples of the time, and the foundations of their tents were also arranged in a typically Siberian pattern, marked by a mid-passage of stones flanking a central fire-box. We think that the earliest Tuniit brought with them two items of technology which allowed them to quickly occupy arctic North America: the bow and arrow, which may have reached America for the first time in their hands, and finely tailored skin clothing similar to that still used by the Inuit and northern Siberian peoples. Until about 1,000 years ago, the Tuniit (or as archaeologists call them, the Dorset Culture people) were the sole occupants of most of arctic Canada.
(Nunavut99-The early years)

Here you can see a row of these fallen structures. The are like big pits with an entrance, only one was half intact and I have to wonder if someone recently may have put it back together.

Tallinn going through what we believe would be an entrance to this structure. They were either very small people or crawling was involved.

Rachelle looking very prominent as our team guide and captain, we wouldn't have found this place without her speediness over rocks and her little pirate map on the back of some scrap of paper! Good job Rachelle! Oh and we also wouldn't have gotten back if she hadn't arranged for us to be picked up by a boat, because by the time we got back it was high tide! Here is to not being marooned!

The Team, minus myself and Tallinn.

I look happy but reality is that I couldn't live here, and not because the door is made for an Oompa Loompa, but because there is no wireless!

September Scapes

It looks sunny and warm, but let me assure you it was really cold and my hands were numb by the time I came inside.

Correction

My awfully smart dad pointed out to me that the lights in my house are not in fact HALOGEN, but compact florescent.

"The florescent bulbs you mention in the blog are not halogen. Halogen are instant start and the color is not white. You have compact fluorescents."
"They (halogen) are also notoriously hot. They are hottest so they are not energy saving. The quality of light from Halogen is the best of all. Compact fluorescents are the ones that take time to come on and are very white. People usually hate the light. They are also the least hot and therefore best for energy."

I have to say I hate admitting when I am wrong, but I think it's worse sounding like an idiot. I also put a little blame on Nathan because I asked him what those lights were called, and he said Halogen. When I told him this morning about what my dad had said, Nathan agreed that our lights were indeed compact fluorescents and denied every saying halogen. "Um, you had me looking for Halogen on the Canadian Tire website, what do you mean you never told me they where halogen?" He denies everything. I need to get me one of them fancy tape recorders!

The worst part is that I should know what a halogen is! I used them everyday in first year photography. I know how hot and bright they are! We used them for Black & White Studio photography. They were on constantly, making it hard to take portraits with because they would give you a tan and make your eyes water. But instead of following my instincts I decided it was best to listen to my husband, who I still do believe still is one of the smartest people I know, aside from my dad (awe isn't that sappy). I just have to remember that I should know more about colour temperature and lighting.

I still hate those lights, whatever they are! They are the plague of the north!
Thanks Dad!

Oh yeah, I forgot...

It's darker now. We have to use the lights in the house for mobility in the dark. And like most houses in the North, our house is fitted with those "energy efficient" Halogen death lights. I forgot about those lights, even though they were occasionally used for various reasons during the light season. But now it's dark, and I remember. I remember the suffering and torment they caused me last year. I had almost washed it from my memory. For anyone in the south who might not understand the sheer torture these lights cause, imagine walking into dark room, flicking on the lights, waiting....waiting, flicker, waiting, flicker....and when I have already done what I went in there to do, the lights come on! Not to mention they make me want to have a seizure and I hate the colour they cast. It's a very depressing glow, a much cooler shade then your average tungsten light bulb.

Prime Minister Harper is getting rid of the precious Tungstun, sure they say they are less efficient, but they make me happy. Their warm glow on my face is like a hug, much unlike the cooler slap in the face from a Halogen. I think one of my main frustrations is that they are most definitely NOT energy efficient! They so do not last longer then my cherished Tungsten! All I can say is what a CROCK of #$%^, some halogen corporation is making big money on this! I can't tell you how many time we have had to replace halogen bulb after bulb, and they all seem to go at the same time. I have never had to replace 10 bulbs a once when living in a tungsten house hold down south. Not to mention my tungsten bulbs having been chugging their little lifespans along, a lot longer then their halogen brothers!

I guess I wouldn't be as upset if they didn't take what seems like 10 years to turn on. I feel like I am in one of my nightmares where I keep trying and trying to turn on a light, but it doesn't matter what switch I flick on, nothing happens!

Norm Off The Chain

This is what the cat does while Nathan and I are both at work. Raid the fridge and harass the poor dog. Actually this is what he does every time I open the fridge. This time he apparently found the tuna! Norman has decided that he is in charge of the house and lets poor Tallinn know every so often with a small reminder slap. It can come at any time, but I think poor Norman is horrified when he realizes that now the dog thinks he is playing with him.

In the Name of Science

Do you see all the fun stuff I get to do up here? The adventures?! Well we thought that we would use some of this fun we have been having and put it to good use! Do a little experiment and answer the questions the people have been wanting to know the truth about. Today's question: How many binders (full of paper) can you shoot through? What a question, it's solution will be an interesting one. This is defiantly a topic that everyone secretly desires addressing!

And todays conclusion? You can shoot through 5 binders, yes 5! Binders go boom! MOO HAHAHA

Norm Series

I make my own series, but I give credit to the originators.
Check it out, I guarantee you'll laugh!