Living in the land of fog.....

This week I've been living in the land of fog... I'm hoping that it clears enough tomorrow morning so my friend Emily can make it to Ottawa from Qik...(today planes didn't land b/c of fog...) so here's hoping, Em.... AND that also means I get to go visit her at the airport...while her plane refuels!! :)

Flowers....

Everything here needs something to put it into perspective- how big do you think that these flowers on the tundra are?

A close up....
Zoomed out.. so you can see TWO!!

yup...tha'ts my 'monster' hand by the flower...

another small bloom--with my foot beside it!

A bit of moss, it was pretty cool walking on this...spongey and bouncy but way fun!

..Up..up...up we go.....

Saturday I had a really really lazy day! About 6:30pm...Mary called me and asked if I'd like to go for a little walk, and go up the hill behind our houses in search of flowers... I was all about going, but first had to get out of my pjs(yes it was 6:30pm and I was STILL in my pjs--hence the lazy day I was having!) So we planned to meet up in about an hour and go for our short walk. Started looking at the flowers(will post photos soon)...and talking about how it was the "Summer Solstice". Mary said "I've always wanted to hike Mt. Duval at this time of year but never have" and so we decided to hike it that night!

Here's Mt.Duval---from the spot on the hill where there are tons of flowers...(so not from the bottom)... we had to hike up the hill beside it to avoid snow patches, (the snow is uber soft and well you can end up stuck to your waist or kneck if you aren't careful!)


Mary and I took numerous breaks to enjoy the awesome weather, and views...here's a snap from one of the spots.... you can see town in the distance.

At the top of the ridge that we walked to get to the 'main' hill... I was so excited to reach this point...but really it was only about 1/2 of the way up!!

...An Inuksuk on the path...we followed a path when we could...but also made our own path.....

These feet were made for walking....I'm glad I have these hiking shoes, they are awesome! Walking on the tundra is the craziest feeling...its sooooo spongey and bouncy!

..looking back the way we've come....

At the top of another ridge...but not at the top of Duval yet!!

...another Inuksuk on the way up....

...town in the corner, posing with the Inuksuk....

At the top...this is the view I was waiting for!!! Looking at the Pang Pass..... AMAZING!

..me at the top!

Sitting at the top looking out at the town, we made it just before midnight to the top!

...one last shot before we head back down the hill... we ended getting home at 1:30am...pretty good for a 'little' hike!!! I'm glad I made the hike......

I live in the most beautiful place....

... the tundra is coming alive...GREEN and I've seen FLOWERS too!!! :)



..my back yard view...

Tonight I just didn't feel like going to bed.. and the light was nice....so just after midnight I took a bit of a walk in front of my house... and snapped these shots! Hope you enjoy!

...and it hasn't stopped SNOWING ALL DAY!!!!

...maybe my 'week' of summer has already happened??

Last night I went to bed hearing the sounds of rain hitting the roof....it was really peacefull.

Then this morning I woke up, was stumbling along in my house, the power had gone off last night, and was restored and when I was in the shower it went off again..so it was already ONE of THOSE mornings! I was still trying to wake up.... as I was cooking my breakfast ... I opened the blind above my kitchen sink and well was shocked......

what did I see you might ask?


SNOW!!! it was a Winter(er..perhaps Summer should be a better word) Wonderland!....that's right... it's June 17th and it's SNOWING!!! Yahoo for the Arctic... (perhaps the past week's weather WAS summer...now I'm back in winter!) ;)

...goodbye ice?? and snow??

Standing under the bridge...looking at the water rushing bye....I'm happy that the snow is leaving the hills... and the ice on the Fiord well it's still there....but in front of my house every day I see more water.....(probably coming from the Duval River!).... Everyone keeps asking me about the temp.... it's warm and sunny most days... between 0 and 8C I'd say...(but its hard to tell.... I'm just wearing a fleece jacket most days and one day wore just my berks to work...without socks!!!)

This photo was taken at around 9:45pm....yep the SUN is just setting behind the mountains...but we have sun pretty much 24-7 now..... :)

I've finally done it.......

...and it's sooooooooooo GOOD!!! :)

Reasons to put Tinfoil on your bedroom window:

A. I'm protecting myself from the Aliens
B. I live in the Arctic (it blocks the sunlight so well!)....
C. I'm cheap and tacky...it works just as good as curtains?
D. I'm schizophrenic?
E. None of the above (I just have bad taste for home decor!)

Oh to be 9 again!!!

Watching these boys play in the puddles made me smile... Kids spend so much time outdoors here... (just like I did growing up in Haliburton)...Often they are playing games--splashing in puddles!! Sometimes I wish I was 9 again and was able to splash and play in the puddles!!!

Smelling like campfire....

...and LOVING IT!!!! :)

Today there was a potluck/cook out/campfire goodbye to Violet and Wayne...they are leaving Pang and moving to Iqaluit! But I'm sure I'll see them when I go to Iqaluit!

...its not a 'real' campfire without some singing!!

Violet and Me...

Wayne singing a song about the collapse of the Cod Fishing Industry in Newfoundland...

..there was a 'candy' toss for the kids... Violet through candies down the hill and the kids ran to find them on the ground!



It was an awesome evening!! So much fun... to be out in the gorgeous day!!! I'm not sure I can say 'Summer' is here...BUT its on it's way!!!!!

Everyone just eating and visiting!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!! :)

Hope you have a FANTASTIC day!!!

You sure know how to wear a party hat!

luv you,

Sarah :)

Qikitarjuaq....

On Friday morning I flew up to Qik.. from Pang---I had been told that it was one of the flights with the best scenery and I wasn't disappointed! I was the only passenger on the plane...and hoped from side to side, seat to seat to take a heap of photos.... I got this awesome shot of Pang from the air.....

I have been taking a course to learn more about Photo shop---the above shot I fixed up tonight! ( LOVED it before...but it looks more like when I took it!!) I think this is my NEW fav photo from a plane!!

This is hard to see in the 'small' format...but something I learned how to do tonight... i took 4 photos and joined them in Photo shop...(have to love panoramas!)...it's of Qik.. on top of the hill that Emily and I climbed!)

After just resting on Saturday and watching movies, knitting, making books and visiting... Emily and decided it was time to get some fresh air...(I was feeling about 85% back to normal...) So Sunday, Emily and I went for a walk and decided to climb up one of the 'smallest' hills to get a good view of town....

The only hitch was the snow was soft...so well we kind of got 'stuck'...Emily was up to her hips at one point.. and then I sunk up to my hips too...it was kind of funny but also hard work to get 'unstuck' because the snow all around you is soft....(you almost have to experience to understand it!) but by the time we got to the top..(as you can see from the photos... our pants are SOAKING wet..but we were excited to be at the top!)

Emily at the top..... :)

I'm excited to be up at the top....just a tad wet..... LOL

Overall it was a great trip---I was able to fly IN and OUT without any weather delays...which was amazing!!! I'm glad to finally be HOME and sort of SETTLED for a bit... now just to get back into some sort of regular routine!

...I'm back

....I'm back from my whirlwind trip to the south....(May 23rd-June 1) with an extra night in Iqaluit....(wasn't able to land in Pang on Monday!...)

I've been a bit sickish....but made it back home on Tuesday afternoon.... after lots of sleep, fluids and antibotics....I'm feeling better.... I'm getting ready to go on a work trip this Friday....which I'm excited about... going to Qikitarjuaq (Qik)... that's where my friend Emily has been teaching all year.... So I'm staying over on the weekend---and that will be heaps of fun!!!

This is a bit short...but wanted to let you all know I was still alive up here in the Arctic!