June has been a fairly wet month here in Alberta and the rivers are high, often days of sporactic thunderstorms and rain falls.

Worked this morning in the yard trying again to "tame the wild things " but this

afternoon went to a Shakespeare in the Park, Two Gentlemen of Verona outdoor play at Hawrelak Park.

Just before intermission the sky darkened and tremendous down  pour  and wind with even one of the consession tents,
losing a pole and almost blowing over.
Yet at the end the sun was out as if nothing had happened.      

I will be starting my first day of work in Arctic Bay and there is alot to do between now and then! Although this pattern of getting ready is not unfamiliar, this time I will be travelling with my dog and a large kennel. The approval with the airlines has been done and have been confining her for short period so she gets used to it. On next Wednesday, the initial leg to Iqaluit is about 7 hours in the kennel without breaks, so I am wondering if she should have a sedative, but I will check with the vet. Between now and then just also have to make sure she does not escape as she did on the morning of my birthday this week. The daughter was suppposed to be watching her while I ran to 7-11 for milk and when I came back she was gone from the yard. Dysis easily slips out by jumping one portion of the fence and has a route down the lane. However gone less than 15 minutes, I couldn't find her on this usual path....so on the bike for 2 hours and one reported sighting of similar dog chasing a rabbit. Put me off as in totally a different area. Fortunately by the time I came back, a call from a senior neighbour who had got the info from the tags.

Finding that some days, this woman is not as young as she used to be and I am afraid that although I always try to be optomistic, I don't have the same emotional or physical energy in dealing with some of these unexpected things, as well as my own work and house.

However, I take joy in small moments, recognize that  " every morning is a new creation " and a gift from God. These are some of them this week in my yard clothes on the line and doing a few client sessions outside.
 
 

These photos have been taken either by me or friends and I think representative of what a wonderful country Canada can be at this time of year.

Stopping at Crimson Lake near Rocky Mountain House,
canoes stacked ready for summer camp programs,

and first appearances of pink saxifrage as the tundra comes alive!

     

All these shots were taken in the last 2 weeks!

…that’s the words to one of the Beatle’s songs. Indeed it is for me today. Numbers..lets just say last year it was identical digits and this year sequential. Last year I was working in Pond Inlet, was a Sunday and just arrived, did an exploratory hike with a friend on nearby hills and over a creek near town. The ice was still in and flowers just coming out. This year well ...pretty quiet ..possibly to help with dinner at a girl friends who is at home and not able to get out.

to be missed in my yard when I will be away....so can you name them 1.
2.
3.
4.    

Many frequent June thunderstorms and just after the rain my peonies and drops on a hosta leaf....a curious crow, a chattering squirrel
and row of pigeons soon scattered by the dog and the 11 year old posing!      

Things Nunavut Taught Me

As today is summer solstice, national aboriginal day and a five year anniversary of beginning to do do casual social work stints in Nunavut, the first being in Kugluktuk, I thought perhaps I would do more of some reflective writing as opposed to my usual photos...

• Edmonton is not north or necessarily is Yellowknife
• That one asks first before taking a mug in the health center coffee room…proprietary rights and more serious if the cup you chose belongs to the CHR
• That intonation and pronunciation when learning phrases in Inuktitut or Inuacqtuin makes all the difference in the world in meaning..aka…thank-you vs. seaweed, how are you vs. I want to have sex, it is cold out and I would like some tea or coffee vs. it is cold out and you have a hard on…latter advised not to use if dealing with male patients. Got acutely embarassed after these attempts and stopped any further learning for a while.
• Slow down, take time, shut up and listen
• That although there are cultural differences between Inuit and Kabunach, one of the greatest dividing lines is attitudinal between north and south. In our work situations, we can easily identify the southerners from their expectations of availability of resources and the speed at which tasks can be performed. Aka.. summer of 2003 arriving in Kugaaruk, a hamlet of about 350, when acting as both social worker and probation officer, I received a call from “Susie” a young woman beginning her employment as a parole officer in Iqaluit. The request from for a community report on an offender who was in Ontario and wanted to come back for a compassionate visit. Susie had a list of the requirements including housing of the offender, and RCMP officers and offered to come do the report if I was unable….when I said “ please understand that I had just arrived in town and needed some time to assess the community “ she enthusiastically replied “me too “ and to my “where from? “ “ Just outside Toronto! “ That said it all!
•  Just because some one assures you that a task has been completed, unless you have done it yourself or seen it done, do not necessarily believe what has been told you.
• I like most country food especially frozen char and caribou
• That youth and sports in Nunavut are phenomenal, including competitive swim teams from Iqaluit, boys soccer teams who raise enough funds to go from Arctic Bay to Pond via skidoos, hockey and golf in all seasons, traditional games, biathletes in cadets in Whitehorse and enthusiastic 12 –16 yr olds who will x-c ski at minus 30oC
• Traveling by Canadian North or First Air is much better than Air Canada because they feed you and the fees for extra bags is not as great and until recently, x-c skis traveled free. Not to drink excess coffee in the Rankin airport when flying Ken Borek which has no washrooms aboard.
• There is a difference between roads and skidoo trails in winter when driving the social services van…they get stuck in the latter
• No matter what precautions are taken with protective clothing, mosquitoes and “no-see ums” will find, bite or lodge in the vulnerable body parts e.g. ankles, backs of neck as and ear canals. The solution for the latter is oil as it drowns the mosquitoes and the buzzing discovered initially during church service will eventually cease. “After bite “ works well.
• A 10 foot circle of stones is not an ancient camp fire pit but a tent ring and whale bones don’t burn, even if they look like drift wood aka fishing derby last summer Salmon Creek
• The arctic has huge bumblebees and intricate colorful minute arctic flowers.
• To ask first the price when planning an outing such as a boat fishing trip or sewing project and to pay upon the completion of the project not several days before
• Time is relative
• Racism goes both ways
• West is not Vancouver or Alberta
• Airports are great meeting places
• Noon hours, 5 PM and sleep are sacred
• Sewing patterns of kamiks and mitts are unique to every region and patience is learned in sewing classes from the elder ladies
• The joys and challenges of living and working in small communities
• The north is in many ways "third world "
• Work colleagues can either be for the most part gems but there are also the occassional odd or crazy personality
• An appreciation for open and vast spaces and arctic blues, pinks and golds of the sky
• Despite the midnight sun, one needs to go to bed, darken ones room, especially if " on call "
• Story telling is an invaluable tool
• A limited appreciation of maritime humour as many co-workers are from " the rock " or Cape Breton
• My learning is only beginning
• CBC radio -1 is a unifying to the rest of Canada
• Johnny Cash and Jordin Tootoo are both very popular
•  as a relative " newbie " to Nunavut I would not trade in this work experience for any permanent offers in the south unless I could still continue to "work north ".

...to confirm what I already knew....I have a broken toe on my right foot ( stubbed it at the pool yesterday, went swimming and out dancing last night but it just got more painful today ) There is not alot one can do except elevate and ice and ibuprofen. Also told no bare feet and or swimming for about two weeks, and should be healed in 4 weeks. Oh joy and just when I had got back into the pool.

Defintely a weekend of extremes in weather with some sunny periods but also rain out bursts.
Love the rain drops on my peonies.
This is the offending downspout that if not lowered will produce the flooded basement.

Got out on the bike with the dog who actually follows quite obediently ( this is a contrast to my previous Husky Mike  ) and these are some shots of the yard scenes from the back alleys which I always find much more interesting than front streets.

As a hospital social worker my role is slightly different than the work I do in child protection when I am north. Both are casual or contract positions but in the hospital, if any protection concerns,  a referral is made to an outside child welfare social worker. Our role in the hospital is primarily discharge planning and short term counselling and support of patient and their families. Because unfortunately, the association with social workers in the community is that we are going to remove children from the home, often the first introductions are that our role is of family support. Most new parents are very appreciative of the information received.

On maternity where I have been recently, there is an automatic referral to all new moms who have had a history of depression, drug or alcohol usage, single moms under 21, those considering adoption, those with any indications of parenting or family problems and those needing supports in the community from moms and tots groups, breast feeding support to family and child care supports, and/or any pregnant women who are rrequesting services or touring the unit.

I have been doing coverage in obstectrics and ICN for well over 10 years and immensely enjoy the work here, but this past week has been the busiest ever I have experienced. partially I think it is because of the numbers to be seen and short time they are in. With a normal delivery it is 24 hrs. and C-section 3 days.

Cases this last week have included two private adoptions, several situations of previous post partum depression, two immigrant families with issues of needing child care or with not speaking English knowing the resources in their own community; older first time moms in their 40s and some blended families. 

I had a conversation with one aboriginal young woman, who despite tremendous difficulties in her extended family including a suicide attempt of her brother, and a c-section and second child, spoke with compassion about what she not only wanted for herself and family but distress at other children on the reserve being left by their parents. Not an uncommon senario from situations in the north. She will do well as a foster parent in the future and we discussed this.

I find that here are always " gifts " and learnings for me in this work, including this babe is less than 24 hrs and photos taken with permission of new parents.

In the same way we all know it is inappropriate to joke about bombs or guns when walking through the airport....today I was working with some new first time parents on the maternity ward, and in the moms frustration and stress at wanting to be discharged, made the comment " I don't have to worry about breast feeding, because I'll be drunk! " ...a comment that sent out all sorts of red flags to the nursing staff and as social worker as well. As it turned out was " a joke " made to one of the other moms and no problems with the home situation but still a reminder of where we use our humour.