Domesticated Goddess....

Today I got to hang out with 2 of the cutest kids... one is 7months old...and the other is 2 and 1/2.... After naps by both kids, baby in my sling, little helper sitting at the table 'stirring' we made banana bread... it's pretty good... (even with the extra splash of vanilla--I mean WHO doesn't love a little vanilla?!).... On my stove all day has been my HOMEMADE chicken and rice soup... sooooooo yummy!!! (made the broth and EVERYTHING from boiling chicken bones)...wow I'd say I guess i was a bit of a Domestic Goddess today!!!

Good times....perhaps I should stop calling myself a 'bad' cook? hmmmm not quite yet--because maybe if people know that I can cook..and am fairly competent then well it will be EXPECTED of me.... So yep.. definitely a 'bad' cook.... hehehehe

Excuse me while I have a moment....

Yup, all I've wanted to do the last 24hours is jump a plane and head to Ottawa... (not that does NOT mean I'm coming south)...but it just means...well I'm not sure what it means... I guess it means I wish I was at my cottage, in Haliburton lake, or perhaps just having drinks--or going dancing with my 'sex-in-the-city' gals..(you know who you are)...or perhaps lazing around watching a good movie with a good friend... or playing in the sand box with my nephews--and getting lots of hugs and kisses!!!

For those of you that have asked Mum if I ever had these moments---YES! it's happened..and I'm letting you know... not that you can do anything but listen..!

Because I do know that I will survive---heck most of you didn't know of the 'crazy homesickness' i had in while I was living in Oz...and this isn't even CLOSE to what that was....

....and for those of you who think I don't like my job, or house, or community and stuff like that... it's not true... I just miss friends and family...so be prepared... some people might be getting phone calls this weekend---and I think that's ok!

Last night I found out that Selina had snapped a photo of me shaking the Prime Minister's hand... so today when she emailed it to me I was pretty excited!! Thank you so much Selina!! I'm so glad that you were snapping shots even when you didn't know me!!! this has made my day... it's not every day that you get to shake hands with the leader of your country...I'm glad that I know have a photo of me doing so! Qujanamiik! Sarah

Northern Lights....

When I arrived last spring I saw a few nights of the Northern Lights...but my camera was so new... and it was SOOOO cold that I couldnt' figure out what I was doing to take the photos... After talking to a few other photographers, reading my camera book, and getting use to the new settings on my camera in the last 5months... tonight I was ready!!!

On Saturday I was talking with Delia and Markus and was saying that I'm afraid I'll NEVER see them because I rarely look outside in the dark(now i'm going to look more often) but they said that they'd CALL if they see them..... and tonight they did!!!

Saving my favourite shot for the last... I'm sure it's going to be one of MANY that I shoot this year!!!

Goodbyes.....

Tonight I hosted a goodbye pot-luck for Christine.... she heads out tomorrow morning and if all goes well she'll be in Ottawa by the evening; and then after an overnight there... she'll continue on to London, Ontario... where she will be greeted by her 3 kids and hubby!! (I'm sure after 4months that will be an AWESOME party in her house Friday night!!!) below are some snaps of some friends that came to have some fun and food!!

Selina brought a prize... and we played a card game to see who would win!

Dear Canada Postal Workers:

I really, really like how you can deliver me packages and letters and well even bills up to my remote community just south of the arctic circle. But I have a few concerns regarding my privacy..or lack there of. Well I've been fairly easy going about the packages that have been "ripped" or "damaged" when I received them. And even the package I received that had been been opened by a knife along the packing tape---I didn't really complain much...I didn't even complain when a good friend of mine sent me a package of CHOCOLATE, CHIPS and KRAFT DINNER---and it has yet to arrive at it's final destination--well in my hands that is! (and that was 8 weeks ago!)....

But I feel I need to tell you that today...it's crossed the line... I'm a non-smoker...and a fairly sensitive individual and wonder why you feel it is necessary to SMOKE while sorting my mail.

Seriously?! this can't happen again.....

Or I will be forced to pursue further action.

Sincerely,

Smoke Sensitive Citizen of Pangnirtung

..Exploring.....and discovering...

It always amazes me that when you get to this 'fairly' isolated spot...that people have been coming here for YEARS!! that there are so many left over bits that are still kicking around from times gone on LONG before----This spot was no different---I picked up this piece of wood because it looked like a gun..... and I told everyone not to be worried...I was on polar bear patrol!!

Then picked up the old pot lid?(i think?)...and that was my sheild to protect myself from possible bears charging.... (it was a very good thing that I DID not need to use these weapons to defend us...we in fact saw NO bears all day).

***although close to town (at the end of the road about 5kms out)...there HAS been bear activity---a bear has 'eaten' some food that was left in a tent(used for day trips out of town)...which isn't so good.... bc a fed bear is a 'happy' bear and that means it will probably come back...I've heard that from the prints it looks like a 'young' bear...which makes it even more dangerous!...fun times!! Also in the Park there has been spotting of 2 different bears...hmmmm I wonder if I'll see one?*** At the top of the hill(where I found the above 'weapons') was an old campsite....the rock circles show were tents would have been set up... and at one spot you could see wooden posts that were foundations for a building....wood and other random objects were all over this area.....

Random stuff gets moved around... from animals; wind; or snow.... these old barrel hoops were on top of a rock.....and a bird had made a nest there... not sure if you can see the 'baby' bird sitting in the middle of the hoops?! (behind the little rock)....

..an old stove..........

...a pot....that has definitely seen better days!

mmmmm berries!!!!

While we were walking around on Saturday.... we spotted BLUEBERRIES!!!! :)

..they are fairly small---but sooooooooo yummy in the tummy!! Delia, Christine and I picking away..... they are pretty hardy little guys...and even if you step on them..they usually still are O.K. to pick!! These are crow berries...(if I remembered right?!)...... this was like the most AMAZING patch....

..with my finger you can get a bit of perspective of how *big* these berries are... I probably ate more than I put into the bag... Christine says she's going to make something with them.. for Wednesday night....

....Cory even got a bunch!!! I could never get that many in my hand...(they just ended up in my belly way faster than I could keep them in my hand!)

exploring we will go....

We arrived at low tide...so that meant we had to get out and walk---over very wet, slimy, slippery rocks...and stay away from the MUD because you might sink it it........ it was a pretty 'sketchy' time...at first I was afraid in my first 5mins I'd fall and get covered in mud from head to toe.....BUT I am happy to report that did not happen! I was pretty excited when I finally made it to the TOP of a rock.. that was above the tide line!

...here's another rock were we stopped to have a bit of a picnic lunch..... From another view.... our picnic spot!

Markus loves to boulder and climb....and we had fun berry picking while he did some exploring/climbing...(photos and blog to follow about the berries-- tomorrow stay tuned)

...here we are in front of Usuvaluk Mountain... This means "Big Penis" in Inuktitut...

Thank you Markus for snapping this photo! (and for letting me pose with your camera!)

When we started to leave... the tide was coming in.... the boat was able to get ALOT closer---(see the rock in the top right corner...we were dropped off on the FAR side of it... and in the 2 hours of our exploring the water was coming in..at highest tide that rock will probably be under water!)...tides are really cool!

...leaving....and you might wonder what those 'spots' that are blurrey well they are mosquitoes....at the end of our time on the island---it got to be way bad... like too many to count... (will show funny shots of that----in a blog sometime this week!) stay tuned!

BUGS!?

At the end of our Boat trip...there were so many mosquitoes!! (for someone that owns a bug jacket--and bug spray but had left them at home....I was not so happy....it was ICKY!)... I haven't seen bugs this bad in a long time! (part of me can't wait til it gets COLDER so we won't have to deal with these guys.....!)

YES!! those are mozzies in the right hand corner--and the blurry spots... MORE mozzies.... ..i was ROASTING from hiking all over the place.. but HAD to put my hood like this... bc the mozzies were bugging me---hehehe I ate WAY too many!!I think that Christine had the best method to keep them off her face--out of her ears, mouth, eyes and nose..... why didnt' I think of that?!

Row, Row, Row your Boat.....

(and we didn't have to row!!--in case you wondered!?)

Today we had went out with Joavie's Brother, Martana Alivaktuk and his grandson, Cory! It was an awesome day---Delia and Markus organized it...and basically we didn't really have a destination in mind....so at first we headed and saw a few icebergs.... and then a BUNCH of seals swimming together!! (before we headed to explore an island!)...all in all it was another awesome day!! Christine and I....enjoying being out on the water!Delia and I..... Markus and I..... ..when we came upon this iceberg it was COVERED in birds...... as we approached they of course started to fly away..... pretty darn cool! ...shortly after that... we saw a group of TONS of seals swimming together at the surface....

ONE of the only shots I got of a seal head....and I didn't even centre it!! (but bare in mind.. i was shooting from a MOVING boat...and it was bumpy!)

I turned back and saw this behind the boat.....it was one of my fav images from the day...

...as with EVERY boat ride I've had in the Arctic(today's marks the 3rd day trip I've had)...I always end up being FREEZING like 10-15mins before we are at our destination.....this time I was ready---had a hat and mittens..... here's Christine posing with hers........

...and me.... tryin to look all tough..but really I was FREEZING!!!

...I have more photos of our destination....where we hiked a bit; explored; and had a picnic lunch...but I think that's a good story for tomorrow....(after all don't want to overwhelm you all with TOO many photos in one day....)

...stay tuned for more...

..some cute spectators from yesterday...

...there were a very cute group of boys on bikes.. that hung out to the side of the announcement... some were on bikes; some where on foot... one had his 'sling shot' confiscated by the RCMP! ..the kids from the Daycare had on their traditional parkas--some of the little girls had their 'baby' dolls in their pouches! ...some just choose to chill out on the rocks....

..others still just walked around...and decided to come over to me and give me hugs and kisses!! LUV this little girl.. she's pretty sweet!! :)

...here's another shot of a girl that I can't get enough of!! :)

...walking down the street!!