Funny Conversations

Sitting in the airport today a teenage girl from Cape Dorset said, "I really like your hair."

I smiled and said, "Thank you."

"So did you curl it this morning?" she asked.

Shaking my head I replied, "ummm nope that's just the way it is, I washed it this morning...and well when it dries it just goes like this--it's actually pretty messy today!  and really...it's not that curly.. I mean some peoples hair is REALLY curly you know? "

"Oh, it is curly..it looks really nice...I wish mine was like that.." replies the girl with the straight dark hair that's 3/4 of her way down her back.

I replied, "Well I like your hair, how long and straight it is.... wanna swap?" 

The response I got was...giggles from her and her two friends!

***here I thought my hair wasn't that curly but I guess it's not really straight either! And with my last hair cut happening the last week of May---it sure is getting longer!***

A walk on the Wild Side...

This morning I went for a walk along the beach.  I went with my roomie from the "little white house" in the arctic, and one of her collegues--we met last night when we had dinner together!  It was a great to get out and explore-- walk along the water.  It was a pretty nice day out.

We were accompanied by these three dogs... the other ladies gave them lots of loving...and I just watched... it was pretty fun to see them running around, fighting over bones... and just playing! 

It's always fun to see the stuff you see!!! this was pretty cool.... the tide was out.. so this little guy was still alive.. just waiting for the high tide so it can get some water lovin'...

So one of the reasons we were on this walk was to go check out the dead walrus carcus.... (so the following photos may be kind gross...) and well that was also the last place (on Thursday morning) that the Polar Bear had been spotted.... (hence our walk on the "wild" side)... but no polar bear for us.. just a really dead walrus... decomposing.. Amanda wanted to take the vertebrae but well there was still too much 'flesh' and stuff on it to do that! 

The dogs sure did enjoy their 'tasty' snack.... and apparently developed 'walrus' breath--pretty gross!

So last night Amanda and I stared at each other... and were both like.. "you are soooo familiar..." and we went through list of possible places we 'might' have seen each other... way back to 2000--- and back to North Bay... Nipissing University!  Yep she started her 1st year as I was in my 3rd year... and for the first semester we both lived in the same residence... It always amazes me how small the world really is...and you never know when you might meet someone from your past! 

..and some fun 'puppy' shots.... because they were pretty cute!!

...well that's all the adventure I am up for today!  (kind of glad we didn't run into that 'bear BUT think of the story it would have been)

Going 'Stir Crazy" in the "little white house" in the Arctic...

This morning, I got up but the plane was cancelled--it was really foggy and windy... so what does a girl do? she eats her breakfast-- oatmeal and an orange... has a bit of 'chit-chat' with the first lady that lived in the "little white house" one night before I arrived...(I would be the "lady in waiting")....after this chit chat...I went back to bed for 3 hours!-- I got up about noon.... had some lunch.. then headed to shopping.... how fun... to the northern!  Then talked to my mum on the phone for like an hour and a half (but been pretty darn BORED)... Last night there was some fear that our cable would go out.. and for a few moments it did... but have no fear we still have that!

I was starting to feel a bit 'stir crazy'... until the 'first lady' of the "little white house" suggested berry picking for some berries to add to the apple crisp for tonight's dinner... I was like.. sure I'll go.... here are some photos of that adventure....

Berries and the snow... look closely you will see them!

View of Cape Dorset...

...picking berries...

...a view of our 'berry' patch...

...CHEESE... man it was windy and COLD!

..yup its a good day!

Toonoo Sharkey was carving outside his house... he was working on a big Char... we talked for a few minutes... he works outside even in the winter!  He's been carving since he was about 10 years old...he comes for a family of carvers... it was pretty neat to stop and see him working in his shop!

..it's going to be a pretty awesome piece when it's finished...

..isn't this the best workshop ever? (well today was a bit cold)!

..better watch out... those construction areas can be might dangerous.... sometimes you might even get whistled at!? who would have thought it...

well that's all from the 'little white house' in the arctic... let's hope that the wind dies down and the plane will come in Sunday at 3:40pm...cross your fingers...and wish with me!

SNOWED in...what to do?

What do you do when it looks like this outside? (today I've been "weathered" in at Cape Dorset) I heard from a friend that the Iqaluit (where I was heading to) airport was closed bc of the storm at 2:30pm... I think perhaps a plane MIGHT try to come in tomorrow morning but if that doesn't happen I'm here in Cape Dorset til well Monday. (just the way it happens with travel sometimes...and you just have to be ok with it!)

So what do you do when it looks like this?....

I finished another one of my knitting projects...this is the one that I was totally frustrated with about a week ago.. I didn't think I had enough wool--but I really did... and then while I was walking through the Co-op buying some things for dinner... I found little buttons so was able to complete it 100%... I think it's pretty darn cute! (and will come in handy--NO I'm not expecting anything that will FIT into something of this size! BUT I know 9 people right now that are pregnant...so well hopefully one of them will get to put this to use!) 

These are some photos from some other projects that I have recently completed... This was fun yarn to work with... it made the pattern all on it's own! I had these cute little buttons that were perfec to complete the whole look!!  I mailed it earlier this summer to my good friends Sarah and Adam for their little girl Emily...Can't wait til she grows up large enough to wear it.. and see the photos!

This is another sweater I knit for a co-worker who had a little boy the begining of the summer!  it was pretty cool....

...so I'm thinking maybe I should have brought more wool with me? Perhaps I'll have to pick some up tomorrow... let's hope a plane arrives or I'm here til Monday! :)

...Babies and Bulldogs and Chocolate Chip Cookies...

This afternoon I met Morena...(from the "babies and bulldogs" fame!) We had a great lunch lunch and enjoyed hot chocolate and awesome chocolate chip cookies! It was really nice to meet someone new..after looking at their blog and them looking at my blog.  It was nice to just sort of pick up and talk like we were old friends, yet we are quite new friends!  I also got to pick up my wonderful 'prize' awhile back from a P(l)ay it Forward contest that she had... and it was this-- a cookie jar with all the ingredients... I just need to ADD an egg and butter and vanilla! (how cool is that?!)    Thanks so much for lunch and the chatter!! I really enjoyed meeting you....and your family!

"little white house" in the Arctic...

When I arrived in Cape Dorset I had a friend that picked me up at the airport.... we went to the hotel I was staying in--- I got a bit of a shock... you see I was told...."oh we dont' have room....." the lady's voice trailed away because she was walking away from me.  My first thought was--Crap I don't have a room? am I going to have to sleep on the street? what do you mean I don't have a room?---I booked this like weeks ago.... (but instead of voicing any of these crazy thoughts.. what did I do?--- I just followed the lady into the hotel... where she was still talking at me...I found out then that THERE was a ROOM for me.. just not in the hotel... But I was sharing a house with another lady who arrived yesterday... So as quickly as that information given I was heading out of that hotel to the "little white house" (the lady couldn't remember the number). (thank goodness I had people I knew that picked me up at the airport.... one knew me by my name, Sarah... the other just "newbie in the north"--I suppose lots of people are following my adventures now! was kind of fun having someone greet me as 'newbie' but also kind of weird as well!) 

....just for future reference... the "little white house" is behind the health centre beside the high school that is currently being renovated....but definitely not the other white house--that would be the morgue... MY "little white house" for the my time in Cape Dorset is an AWESOME house...so clean and has been at my best guess recently (past 2 years) renovated... and the best part?----oh ya.. the bed.... the most comfy bed I've been in since forever ago....(even more comfy than my GN unit--shocking?!).... Last night I was a happy girl.... I got a GREAT night's SLEEP that even the construction guys starting work at some point this morning around 7ish didn't even wake me up....mmmm I LOVE sleep!!!

Is anyone else excited to have Grey's start tonight?? 2 hours... who will die? who will lie? will the both die? hmmmm I can't wait!!!!

UPDATED: to add photo of the "little white house" in the Arctic...

...and there was SNOW falling on my head!

I arrived in Cape Dorset today.... before it got too dark I wandered around (with all the people from the cruise ship)...

(you can see the snow coming from across the water!)

...at the look out!..

Yep--that's the SAME ship...I'm convinced it's stalking me--from Pang...then Kimmirut and now Cape Dorset!  (this shouldn't affect the rest of my travel-- they are heading to Kujjuaaq and then back to where they all call home!)

Oh ya.. the SNOW is here... AND it's COLD and there was ICE in what use to be puddles (see the above photo!)...

In other news from Cape Dorset...there was a Polar Bear around town lately-- they had to 'scare' it away from town last night and this morning... and the Bow Head whale hunt has started.  This year there are 3 tags (or license to kill 3 animals)...that have been given to hunt the Bow Heads... they have been split up into 3 communities across Nunavut.  Cape Dorset has one, Rankin Inlet and Kugaaruk have the other two tags!  It's a 'controlled' hunt that the whole community takes part in... I'm hoping that it is 'caught' while I am here... because that would be an amazing experience... I'll keep you posted!!