Yellowknife Airport

I was fascinated by this decor at the Yellowknife airport when I first saw it nearly over a year and a half ago. Real polar bear and seal (obviously stuffed) greet you while you wait for your luggage.

Oh, and if you feel like ranting about the seal hunt OR the polar bear hunt...do it elsewhere. I'm not interested. Hunters are hunters are hunters...enough already. I support both hunts.

City of Yellowknife

Or so I thought. Then I walked over this manhole cover. WTF?

Went for a walk with my friend K. tonight after work. Damn near killed me, but I made it! I didn't have too much trouble walking...it was once I stopped for a few minutes here and there that got in the way of going again...nice to see the signs of spring everywhere, like little girls with brand new bicycles that have streamers flowing out of the handlebars, people vacuuming the grit out of their cars, bbq smoke floating down the street, and street sweepers cleaning up the mounds of filth that accumulated over the winter.

There's plenty of rock in Yellowknife, for sure. I didn't even wear a jacket...spring!

Siriusly....

Well, I did it. I bought a Sirius radio. They were on sale at The Source (formerly Radio Shack) cheap enough, so I jump off and bought one. It only took about an hour or so to install (taking care to hide the wires as much as I could within the trim) and I was rockin' the tunes. Great for long road trips and with the dust up here, I was wrecking my cds. Now I can't wait for my next road trip!

Spring's Holding Pattern

Well, we had a few days of really mild weather...and then it was gone. The days are longer and the temps are not frigid, but there is little snow melt happening. Sunrise is before 6am....ugh...and sunset is after 9:30pm now. Makes for lots of sunlight hours, but it also gets Henry up and at it rather early.

K. and I hope to get out to walk after work this week, at least 3 times a week if we can, depending on whether or not the sidewalks are in fit shape to walk on. I can't wait to get into the walking trails near me, as there are plenty of them.

Had a gang of women over on Saturday for beading, turkey, drinking, movies and outright overindulgence...it was terrific! The beading was a challenge for most, however they all went home with something they made, so I think they were happy. The turkey was wonderful, and I sent most of the leftovers home with K. who appreciates them. I still have a fridge full of food, as it usually is after a big gathering where everyone brings stuff. Lotsa laughs, good time. We had dubbed the event Spring Fling...and I flung myself alright...K. was making everyone cocktails with fruit and crushed ice...yummmm....

The cats are enjoying being on the balcony when it's warm enough to leave the door open. Henry's favorite spot is up in the kayak, as leans upright against the railing. He sits on the back of my seat back. Weirdo. I should take him in the kayak someday...heh heh...

Vacation planning most of Sunday, for camping in southern Alberta & BC for late June, and then to Ottawa and east for August. Seems early, I know, but I had to book flights and now am trying to determine who is home when, so I can plan my trek somewhat. At least all my flights are bought now...whooo hoo!

Summer will here and gone before I know it...sniff...

Spring Has Arrived...

The temps have been up above -10C for over a week, and now they have been up over 0C at night for a few days. Water is running all night long, so the snow is going fast and furious! Whoo hoo! I can't wait to see what is under all that snow. I've only been to Yellowknife once in the summer, and then only for a few days. I have no idea what my apartment building looks like with grass...

So spring comes the brassy reveal of all manner of sins the snow has been hiding for months. Every size of liquor bottle from a simple beer bottle to a plastic 60 pounder...the gang's all here. The plug end of my block heater cord that I dropped in the parking lot...old carpet a neighbor stored next to his car trailer...and forgot about and moved away, so it has rotted...there are also mounds of crushed stone that had been spread over the snow they didn't plow all winter. Now comes time to shovel the streets. A street sweeper isn't enough for the first pass. And then there are the landmines one local quoted in the paper this week refers to...you can find dog poop just about anywhere. People in the north don't typically have small dogs either...plenty of retrievers, shepards, huskies, and other large dogs that come with large steaming piles...

The temperatures are a divine departure from the frigid days we spent this winter. I've traded in my down for denim, and before long I'll be in sandals...I can't wait! The kitties have been permitted access to the balcony. I open the door now and then to let in some fresh air in the warmer days and they love it. Until the coward Henry comes tearing in and heads for the bedroom, flattening his puffed up body to the floor. The Ravens. They frighten him...I don't blame him...he may resemble lunch...

Ah, spring has arrived.

Well Holy Shit, Spring is Here

The temperatures finally rose above 0C and it was +7C today, with water running everywhere, and tonight it RAINED! For the first time this year. I am excited. Of course, spring also brings its own mess. They plowed the parking lot I park in for work (I pay $45/month) today for only the SECOND time this winter and now it is a big fucking sea of water. My stall was completely submerged in about 10 inches of water. Nice. I shall have to don rubber boots tomorrow and strap on my kayak to paddle across to shore...perhaps if they had plowed when it ACTUALLY SNOWED and not 3 months later, we could have avoided this mess...I don't get it, I just don't get it and no one has been able to explain to me why no one in this city chooses to plow the roads and parking lots during the winter. Weirdos...

But Holy Shit - spring has arrived...

Northern Beauty

I took a peek out at the northern night sky again tonight and saw that the aurora borealis was active, so packed up my camera gear, dressed warm enough for the balmy -4C weather out there tonight and headed out to the Dettah ice road once again. Stopping just a short distance onto the Great Slave Lake, I parked and set up my gear. The lights were stunning, and keeping in mind the wise advice of my good friend R. I turned the lens towards a horizon to give the shots some perspective in the night sky. Yellowknife presented a nice backdrop, however the lights were not as active in that portion of the sky. They were most active when looking in the opposite direction, actually...so then I thought I might use my car as the perspective, and included the top of it, mostly my roof rack, in the same way I often used the tip of my kayak while shooting paddling photos.

I had to turn off all the car lights, however it was kinda spooky, so I turned on the stereo for some background noise. The Tragically Hip (also compliments of my good friend R. or his fiancee A.) played as I happily snapped away. You can actually see the glow of the stereo in one of these shots. If nothing else, it masked the thunderous ice cracking sounds that were well on their way to freaking me out...even though I KNOW better, that the ice isn't going to collapse under me, and plunge me into the icy waters below.

Halfway to Dettah, I parked and shot some more, and with the darkness surrounding me, it was easy to feel the adventure and isolation of the night...and then I tripped over some beer cans...sigh...welcome to the north...I tried to get some shots with Dettah in the background, however the lights were not real noticeable in those frames.

Such brillian photo opportunities exist just about anywhere, I'll reckon.

Sunday Drive

My friend K. and I went out after our supper of roast beast I cooked for a Sunday drive on the Ingraham Trail, which is just outside of Yellowknife. We drove past the old Giant Mine, where nine replacement miners were killed in an explosion back in 1992 during a heated strike. It closed in 2004. We also drove out to Cassidy Point, where this big lake house is. Pretty little spot, can imagine it is quite nice in the summer.