Olympic Fever...-30C with windchill

The Olympic Torch Relay for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics went through Inuvik last evening. The hermit came out of her cave and made her appearance. I wouldn't have missed it even for throwing up. It was great. Cold, but great.

The Inuvik Drummers & Dancers performed as well as Gwich'in jiggers (dancers).

Graham froze his hand to get these photos and the video (video to come), so he gets the credit for that.

Olympic Torch Relay stage

Graham & Jen at Olympic Torch Relay

Inuvialuit Drummers & Dancers perform

Jen with Olympic Flame and frozen eyelashes

Olympic Torch Relay

12 down, 1 more to go

Raining today and almost 6 degrees. Chance of flurries tomorrow…doesn’t the calendar say August?

I taught Aquafit yesterday morning and got home about 1:00. At 2 a few friends called to see if I wanted to drive to the Yukon border to try to find the migrating caribou. Of course I did you fools! They arrived in about 20 minutes and we were off.

I’d been as far as Tsiigehtchic twice, but never further. You can drive the distance to the border in about 3 ½ hours, but we took our time and stopped to see any wildlife we could find.

We did stop to help change someone’s flat tire. Well, my help involved taking photos.

Richard and Marc Andre changing tire.

Past Tsiigehtchic the scenery almost immediately gets more interesting. Small mountains come into view and you get into some tundra (easier to spot animals).

On Tsiigehtchic ferry.

No telephone poles!

Mountain scenery.

Marc Andre 'helping' the road workers.

Jen at Yukon border.

Anytime you see vehicles pulled over on the Dempster you perk up and assume they see something. It’s usually true. We did see a truck pulled over and saw a small herd of caribou. The people pulled over had walked down the rocky hillside to get a closer look. We were wondering if they realized the caribou kept moving away making them harder for them and us to see…ultra maroons, we thought! Luckily, Richard had binoculars.

Caribou.

More caribou.

Caribou.

BANG!! Oh…oh okay, so they actually wanted to get closer for better aim (not with their camera). They did get one.

Snow still around on these small mountains.

Moving on. We saw some people along the road picking berries, which we looked for on the way home but just found some cranberries not ripe yet for picking. We did see one lone caribou with his big antlers closer than the others had been.

Mr.Caribou.

Monsieur Caribou.

Herr Caribou.

BANG!! Not again. No, this time it was our tire that needed changing. So, don’t forget a spare tire or two for the Dempster. We saw a few more caribou while this was happening.

Returning to NWT.

We didn’t go too much further before turning around. Not far along there was a bear fairly close to the road. Being scared of humans, he headed off the other way in an awesome run.

Bear along Dempster Highway.

Another bear was spotted on a hillside. He had caught or was digging for something.

We saw a fox running up a hillside, a rabbit run across the road, lots of ptarmigan (birds), and ground squirrels. All in all, a good tally of wildlife for this trip.

We arrived home, after some interesting conversation, at midnight. Graham had gone out with some friends to watch UFC, but was already home when I came in. We both had fun.

Caribou Forever!

Jen

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Mom and Dad’s second day here was truly awful. Or so I had thought.

The thing was, I thought that by the end of the day, we had done everything there was to do in this town. It turned out, this wasn't the case.

We started off at the Visitors’ Centre, which gives information about Inuvik, but also has physical objects from the north. Leathers, beadwork, animals, etc.

We got a tour of the Community Greenhouse, which is in the old arena. Garden plots are requested and paid for yearly. The daycare that I work at has a plot so I’ve been able to get my hands dirty in that one. When you have a plot you also have a number of volunteer hours that you must fill. Giving tours is one way to do that. Everything is really grown up in there now.

Community Greenhouse

Dad, Mom & Jen at Community Greenhouse

Dad and Mom at Community Greenhouse

We walked through Aurora College. As is the case with some of the public buildings in Inuvik, you are asked to remove your shoes in the college. Mud and dust is the reason for that.

The pool and arena were next. The curling and skating rinks were being set up for the Inuvik Petroleum Show, which is the biggest ‘show’ all year. Not exactly an exciting event unless you have something to do with petroleum. The town is really clean around that time, so that’s a perk. Mom and Dad were impressed with the pool, which both Graham and I work at. You can see photos of the pool at www.inuvik.ca (it’s called the Inuvik Family Centre).

That evening, Deanna and Dave picked the four of us up to go for a drive along the Dempster Highway. A ‘highway’ that when another vehicle goes by you are left in a thick cloud of dust for half a kilometre. Our first stop was the golf course. Dave showed us the portable greens that you carry with you to each hole when no grass is available. There is a driving range on which you frequently lose the ball you hit to the ravens that swoop down and swipe them. Saves running out to get them yourself I guess.

Jen and Deanna at golf and country club

Dave with golf green

The first wildlife sighting was an owl and the lemming he caught in front of us. I could be lying since I have no photos to prove that part but we did get some of the owl himself.

Owl along Dempster Highway

We pulled over at one creek where a guy was fishing with his dog. Mom giggled nervously when I pointed out what was hooked on his belt. She wished it were a gun, but it was bear spray. It’s hard not to use it on the bugs sometimes along the Dempster.

At another creek we pulled over because Dad spotted a beaver swimming in it. He eventually started to flip up in the water and slap his tail down (the beaver, not Dad), so we took his warning and moved on.

View along Dempster Highway

After going over a few crests we reached the part of the river you need to take a ferry over to get to Tsiigehtchic. Again, it’s pronounced exactly how it’s spelled. ☺

Tsiigehtchic ferry

Another beaver was by the shore here and we got some photos. This is where we turned around as it was around midnight. Notice that no flash was needed for photos…

Beaver in Mackenzie River

Mom and the Mackenzie

Dad took a turn driving back

Now they’d even seen the Dempster. What the heck were we to do the rest of the time?

Will exaggerate more later,

Jen

Mom and Dad Come to Inuvik

Mom and Dad traveled all the way from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia to Inuvik, Northwest Territories. Mom has wanted to do just that since she was in grade five.

They spent a couple of nights in Yellowknife on their way here.

They arrived on Friday, June 12th in the afternoon. Graham picked them up at the airport. They lazed around our apartment until we were finished work at 5:30.

The excitement started that evening with a trip ‘uptown’ to the house that tipped over. Houses are built on pilings here to keep them off of the ground/permafrost. The pilings need to be checked often to make sure they’re sturdy. A few weeks after this happened, the town raised $20 000 for the woman who owns it.

Jen


Mom & Dad arrive in Inuvik.

House tipped off of pilings.

Dad, me and Mom.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

-10.6˚C, cold with wind chill.

 

“If you go out to the dump today

You’re sure of a big surprise.

If you go out to the dump today

It’s not only swarming with flies.

 

For every grizzly that lives around here

Will gather there and cause lots of fear,

Yesterday was the day we saw grizzlies having a picnic.”

 So, Graham and I will never go to Deanna and Dave’s without a camera again. Last time it was a spur-of-the-moment road trip to Tsiigehtchic, this time…grizzly bears! BUT, the good news is that on the way to where we saw the bears we stopped at our place to get our camera, thus we have photos.

 They had us over for a barbeque on their deck. Should have been wearing sunscreen, the sun was so hot out there. I worked this morning so didn’t want to stay too late. Graham, Deanna and Dave all work at the pool, so their days off are Monday’s and Tuesdays. Mine are Saturday, Sunday. Point being, I always end up staying up too late when I work the next morning.

 Around nine they drove us home, but mentioned a sheltered spot at the dump where people leave things that can be taken by anyone (one man’s trash is another man’s treasure type place). The dump is where you hear that bears hang out, so I grabbed our camera just in case. They laughed at that point; who’s laughin’ now..

 We see someone we know at the ‘golf course’ on the way, so pull over to take a few shots on the ‘green’. They’re working on planting grass, but people are already golfing there.

To the dump we go. Not much to be found for treasure, so we walk toward the dump part just to stay in the sun a bit longer.

 “There’s one!” a fair maiden says in a lovely voice. (It was me.) Oh yes, there he was. A great big grizz-a-ly bear. Naturally, my first reaction was to run…closer…but, Deanna and Graham growled at me (like bears). So, I walked closer instead. They’ve got all that dump food, they don’t want fresh meaty humans.

 We were so happy that we had the camera. With the long lens, we certainly got closer with that than we could physically. Darn it. We did end up going closer than some of us (not me) would have liked, but he went back over the hill so we had to see if he was coming back.

This was so amazing to see this animal with nothing between us but space…not much of that either.

There are also rumours of a polar bear near town, but that’s still just a rumour, so who knows. I’ll go confirm that shortly. Just kidding, sort of.

The black birds in the photos are ravens, which are huge.

 The Grizzly Tamers,

Jen

 

Grizzly bear at Inuvik dump.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

It’s a little chilly today, but the last couple of days a lot of people were down to t-shirts. It’s pretty muddy out there now with everything melting. We had the daycare kids out at the end of the day…sorry parents, but they love the puddles and mud! The snow is still really deep in some spots but super soft. Some kids have gotten pulled out by the fire department this week. They just drop and get stuck too deep over their waist.

Graham and I got to go cross-country skiing on Monday. Janet, another lifeguard, took us into the Inuvik Ski Club and got us fixed up with the skis, boots and poles. It was so warm that day. Graham wore a t-shirt and fleece but the fleece wasn’t on for long. I got a bit of colour on my face too! The ski club is right next to the road, which was funny because there we were in skis and then people would cycle by on the road, in shorts.

Jen suiting up.

Artsy boot shot. You're welcome Rossignol.

Jen waxing skis.

We met Janet there at 6pm and were out until almost 8:15. Still need sunglasses at that point here, which is great. She taught us some things before we hit the trails (that’s hip slang that only we seasoned skiers understand). She got us to walk with the skis on up a small incline, which Graham did well on, but I almost slid back down a couple times. After we went up, of course, we had to come back down. Snowplow in those conditions, when the snow is starting to melt, is tough to do. I made it down the hill okay…and this it where it all went downhill for Graham (huge pun intended). Didn’t think I could love the man more, but this day boosted it even higher!

Jen wobbling into skis.

I want you to think back to Goofy’s sports training cartoons and if you have never seen them, please look them up now. I laughed watching those cartoons, but this nearly killed me. This first practice slope was the start of many ups and downs on the trail.

First, the stance for the hills (cross-country, but some hefty declines on these trails):
a) legs apart about 4 feet
b) knees buckled in and wobbling slightly for balance.
c) left arm pointed in front with pole dragging behind.

d) right arm stuck straight out behind you with pole in air.

e) waist bent at 90 degree angle.
f) all the while, reassuring your fellow skiers: ‘I got it, I got it.’.
g) be sure to have a 2-fall minimum on each hill.

Pure solid gold. (full permission from my love to post these)

I didn't even see this fall until we were home that night. (I love you Graham.)

Second, standing still:
a) stand next to your wife waiting to go through the tunnel.

b) gently, fall across her skis from a completely stationary position.

The smile after the fall.

But we made it through.

Graham and Janet.

Third, being a good sport:
a) laugh at yourself with fellow skiers.
b) let your wife hold the camera at the bottom of each hill to film you.
c) let her laugh herself to tears and say you’ll go again next season.

The trail we took was 2.2km. We almost took another route, but we came up over a crest and looked downward, Graham and I convinced her to take us an easier way. There aren’t supposed to be crests of hills in cross-country skiing! Maybe next year, right Graham?

There's the stance we were looking for!

I tried my first yoga class on Saturday. I’ve been doing it off and on for a few years now but just at home on my own. There were no headstands or feet behind the head, so I made it through. I think his website is www.classic-yoga.com or .ca.

Until then,

Jen

Backtracking

Jen after the 20-minute walk from the pool to Dea and Dave's.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

So we’re in our new place. It’s a small place, but it’s fun. It’s a studio one bedroom, which means there is a half-wall between the bedroom and the rest of the place. There is no bathroom, but there’s a double sink in the kitchen so I’m sure we’ll be fine. Kidding…it’s a single sink. But really, the bathroom does have a door but everything else is open. $1100.00 a month, which is low for up here. Don’t feel bad for us, we’re rakin’ it in. Sort of. We took the place furnished for $1200 this month but have already been offered some things for free so are switching to non in May.

No phone yet or internet but that will come.

The place is newly renovated, which we aren’t used to. We’re used to the 70’s brown cabinets and olive or ivory stove. I know, I know – it’s ‘hip’ to have the olive green stove now.
Tu-ra-la-hey,
Jen

Friday, April 3, 2009

Clear, sunny skies today. There was no school today so the daycare had the school kids for the day. There were only eight of them there so it was pretty relaxed.
Yesterday and Wednesday we took the Inukshuks and Ravens snowshoeing near the school. The Ravens (3 & 4 year olds) were on Wednesday and it was a bit of a bust. Rita, Peter and I spent the whole time re-tying the shoes that came undone and then blowing on our hands to warm them up again. At least the kids got to see the snowshoes and put them on (for a few seconds).

Chloe doesn't get to see much when we're outside, but she never complains.

Brennen was a pro at getting back up by the time we were done. Peter freezing his fingers to tie another pair.

Jade probably had the most luck out of the group. 

The Inukshuks (2 & 3 year olds) had a little more luck as I added some twine to the ends of the ties to give more length. It worked for most. We also took them over to the cross-country ski trail, so it felt a little more authentic than the playground field the day before. The snowshoes worked, which Miriam demonstrated when she stepped in the deep snow without the shoes and sunk to her thighs. Where was my camera?!

We made smoothies with the school kids for snacks. They got to add the ingredients, which makes them forget that they’re healthy. Yay for deceit!

Got a microwave from the folks at the daycare today. Joyce has a bed we can have. Tons of underwear gets left at the pool. We’re set.

Yours,
Jen