The Olympic Spirit came to Resolute....

Today even though the temperture was -24C (with the wind chill it was -37C) there was some warmth in the way this small community came together to celebrate the Olympic Spirit that came to town!  Some random facts about the Torch Relay.....

The Torch Relay is an Olympic symbol of peace, brotherhood and enlightenment and represents a summons to the Olympic Games.

The 2010 Olympic Torch Relay in brief:

• Over 100 days in length.
• Over 1,000 communities and places of interest where torchbearers will carry the Olympic Flame.
• Nearly 200 celebrations hosted by communities in every province and territory.
• Approximately 90 per cent of Canada’s population will be within a one-hour drive of experiencing the Olympic Flame.
• Over 45,000 kilometres will be travelled.
• Extensive tour of the North including a planned visit to Alert, Nunavut, the northernmost permanently inhabited community in the world.
• 12,000 people will have the honour of being an Olympic Torchbearer and will help carry the flame to Vancouver, a majority of whom will be selected through public programs.

Now onto the photos.... sorry I just couldn't decide what ones to include and what ones not to include... (so there are a lot! hehehe I hope you enjoy them!!)

...here's one of the early exchanges... it was way too windy...so the for the torch relay they walked with the lantern--that kept the flame alive!

The sky was a pink and purple....but it was freezing COLD! (I was glad for my long johns, wind pants, and Goose Jacket.. I'm not sure how the torch carriers could do it in those 'thin' windbreaker type suits!)

The last person on the leg of the relay walked up the hill... with his torch in full flame....

It was a pretty exciting moment.... the whole community was clapping and cheering!!

All the runners of the relay had their torches lit at this moment...... it was pretty awesome!

The Cauldron was lit.......

A little piece of Athens, Greece here in Resolute Bay, Nunavut!

A shot of the five Torch Barriers from Resolute!

This is a close up look at how the flame is transported---all the way from Athens, Greece.... all the way across Canada...

I got to hold it!  Once we were inside one of the organizers said, "we should reflect on the flame... what it represents--peace, community and to remember that we each can take a piece of the flame and carry out in our lives.... to make a difference in the many different paths we take.... to take a look and see how it brought Resolute together on a cold day--to Celebrate!!"

Makes me wonder where next I'll travel to...what direction I will take...and where I will end up.... (some deep thoughts!) LOL

Standing beside the Cauldron.. just before we were ushered inside... so they could pack it up... to get ready for the next place to celebrate!!

Inside Coca-Cola, one of the sponsors of the relay, had a 'photo' booth.... and took photos that you can download from online...... I snapped on of this cute little boy....

..then of course... ended up in the cue....

(I'll have to check out the Coca-Cola photos when they upload them!)

There were many speeches, and cultural celebrations... this is a young drummer... who performed..and the children from the school did a square dance!!

This little girl couldn't stop dancing with her flag.... she's a cutie! 

All in all it was an awesome hour... that ended  with a community feast... it was pretty cool that my trip up here happened to be when the torch was coming through.... Pretty darn cool!!

(I hope you don't mind the HUGE post!!!)

Happy Birthday Baby Bro!!!

Hope you have a HAPPY 28th BIRTHDAY!!!

(no matter how old you get.. you'll always be my baby brother..)

I wish you all the best this day... and every day this next year!

I luv you....and I'm so proud to call you my little brother!

P.S. BSUT...tonight? hehehe

Grise Fiord....

I've been sitting here trying to decide what to write... and the words really aren't coming... today I'm going to let my photos tell the story! Hope you enjoy!!! :)

I've been trying to stitch together a few shots of Grise Fiord...to make a panoramic photo but instead of making ONE I ended up being successful at making TWO! (but if you join the left side of this one at the boats--to the right side of the one following... you'll get a whole view of Grise..just use your imagination!!)

I took the next two photos this morning just after 9am...I was on my way to do the buisness I had to do in town!  All morning the sun just sort of 'hung' out on the horizon until about 1:30pm it disappeared!!!

This was looking in the other direction from the hotel... LUV that the moon looks like a HUGE star..(as does the street light!!) have to love a little longer exposure!

Once I finished lunch I walked down to the beach area and took the next series of shots....(and the panoramic ones)...it was just before 1pm...and it was so beautiful....

As for self-portrait...I think I just found a new favourite!!!!

As I was standing there... all of a sudden I heard a big "THUNK" and it was the ice dropping... the tide still goes in and out...and the ice then drops... pretty freaky.... but still fun to look at!!

One last self-portrait!  it was fairly warm today... -14C with the wind chill... I've really enjoyed my time up here in Grise Fiord... I feel really lucky to have the opportunity to travel up to Canada's most Northern Community...

I'm flying back to Resolute tomorrow...weather pending

(let's hope the wind stays down...or I might have an extended stay here in Grise Fiord!!)

Going with the theme of late...

..more shots from the AIR!!!

I made it into Resolute alright tonight... though on the approach to landing there was a bit of turblence.. and before I could bite my lip.. i went "AHHH" and then was like... OOPS! that was out loud... but who could blame me... I'm sitting in a DARK airplane--they turn off the lights for landings...and you can't see ANYTHING outside but clouds... I guess the first step is to admit your problem... Hi, I live in Pang and I'm a Pang Screamer when there's wind and bumps on landings!

So here's a shot I snapped after taking off in Pang this morning at 11:45am...Home Sweet Pang!! :)

As the plane was taking off in Iqaluit the sun was setting...(about 3:25pm)...

so this is a shot from 'below' the clouds....

Just above the clouds....

...a close up look.... (couldn't decide what one I like better.... but I'm going with #2..)

So pretty!

To the TOP of the Globe...the land of 24hour darkness...

Well this blog is going to be short..(famous last words from me!)...Just wanted everyone out there ie) my Mum and Family... I'm on the road again..... I'm heading to the TOP of the WORLD... no lies... it's true... I'll be in Resolute tomorrow evening...and Thursday I'll head up to Grise Fiord.... I'm pretty stoked to be at the top of the world... and to experience TRUE 24 darkness (the sun isn't rising in Grise...and the sun's hours are limited in Resolute!) How exciting.... I'll try to keep you posted while I'm on the road again.....

Now just to pack... because today it was -40C with the wind chill in Resolute..when I checked the weather online...

The Dark....

So it's been getting dark fairly soon... and since the time change it's pretty crazy because it was 'dark' at 3:15pm today!  Around 3:45ish my work building was closed due to water and sewage issues.. so I walked home... and then took the photo below!  (Now it had a fairly long shutter speed--so it makes it look a bit lighter--but was taken at 4:05pm...)

I've always had a bit of a fear of the dark...but the fear is more of 'moving in the darkness'one of my really good friends Sage coined this brillant phrase! So let me explain...I hate turning off lights and then walking in the dark--I have since forever!  My mum use to get mad at me in high school because I'd leave lights on when I went to bed!  Sage and I shared a apartment for a year while I was working on a post-grad program! I always made sure I was in bed before her--so she'd have to turn off the light and stumble in the dark to bed...but one night.. she beat me too it.. and then made fun of me complaining and being a scardey cat about it!  I picked up this funny kids 'little tyke' flashlight... it was a Hippo...(which when it was on it laughed this stupid laugh)... But saved me from my fear of 'moving in the darkness'....

Why did I share this little tidbit of information? I'm not sure... but now that the darkness is happening earlier... I thinkI should invest in a flashlight--because I don't have one, my trusty hippo went into storage!  But also it has made me wonder why I choose to live in a place that soon will have 24hr darkness!

Flying home...

In yesterday's blog post... I talked about my 'plan' to arrive at the airport at 8am, board and leave Iqaluit by 9am and arrive in Pang at 10am and be back in bed by 10:45am by the latest... Now some of you that are regular travellers of the north probably laughed and said...often when you plan things like that...well they don't normally happen!  So my flight was 20mins delayed....which was ok.. I picked up a book in Iqaluit from (which was the newest in a series I had been reading)...at one point in my flight I looked out my window...and thought I saw "Mt. Thor"  but shook my head because that was in Auyuittuq National Park...which is between Pang and Qik NOT Iqaluit and Pang... I just buried my nose back in my book... and continued reading... When we began our final approach---I realized that it wasn't Pang where we were landing--and it indeed had been Mt. Thor--and I hadn't gotten any photos so was a bit bumed out!  My guess was that indeed I was in Qik...but really wasn't 100% sure! 

After spending 30mins in the terminal in Qik... while the Cargo was offloaded and the plane was refueled... I returned back to Pang.... and I actually put the book aside and watched out my window.... it was a perfect day to fly over the Park!! 

I was able to fly up to Qik in the begining of June for work, and to visit my friend Emily who was teaching there...and LOVED the flight then....

I honestly think that this 30-40min flight is one of the most beautiful ones that I've EVER been on.....

Coming into Pang there were some 'clouds' just hanging around on the top of the Pang Pass mountains....

All in all it wasn't my plan to be on an airplane past an hour.... BUT I think it was well worth it... I got to fly the most AWESOME flight and take a million and one awesome photos.... and make me realize once again... I live in the most beautiful spot in the world!!

(oh and if anyone was wondering I did arrive home about 1ish after a stop at the Northern and actually didnt' go back to bed but dozed on the couch!)