It has been an exceedingly full and long week and frankly I am tired...so if it were not for the simple pleasures of flowers after the rain as these pansies or my dog running behind the bike on a ravine trail, I think I would be alot less sane.

One highlight of the week was an hour and half hike yesterday with a group of women from the Muttart Conservatory on the south side, across the foot bridge of the North Sask. river, through a Chinese garden of lilacs, roses and irises, and up and down the stairs to the Hotel MacDonald. Called "stair training " most of the women made 3 or 4 sets and Dysis and I being new to the group made it twice. But the view of the downtown spring river valley with its green luscious trees and very high flowing water was quite powerful...and of course my camera batteries died!

So must go to sleep as plan as morning comes early and driving  the Whitemud freeway in rush hour....well one difference than just walking to work.

I got this e-mail this morning and initally got very concerned because this is an account in which I have very little activity....but soon discovered after some calls to my bank that this was a fraud and a possible tool for identity theft....I reported it to the banka fraud dept. but initially could have been duped because it was a very professional looking e-mail....the links however didn't work and have since been advised to change my passcode for the e-banking.

"Dear valued ___Customer:

We recently have determined that different computers have logged into your
____Bank account, and multiple password failures were present before the logons.
We now need you to log into your account and verify your account activity. on this
account we have issued this warning message.

It has come to our attention that your _____ account information needs to be
reactivated as part of our continuing commitment to protect your account and to
reduce the instance of fraud on our website.
Once you have reactivated your account records your _____ account
service will not be interrupted and will continue as normal.

To reactivate your _________ records click on the following link: XXXX "

A fair bit of time has been spent bringing the yard back into shape after my absense and at times, when I have been pulling weeds in packed soil or dead heading pansies that have been overgrown by the other plants. I wonder if it is all worth it for the few weeks before I go north again....because will be repeating the process when I come back in August...but there is something about the physical nature of the work that is a release of the stresses in other areas of my life and I am in constant amazement at the intricacies and delicate designs of the plants and flowers ....all these from lilacs to irises and daisies were from this evenings work in the yard. 

The return home has involved the reunion and re-introduction to Dysis.

Frankly I have missed her!

My siberian husky since her adoption from the SPCA at the end of March has gone through quite a few transitions and not surprisingly, there have been some separation anxiety behaviors that have surfaced. When out at the acerage ( thanks to Maureen and HolliAnn )  I understand that she had a great time running around the yard or going for a jog ( even broke loose and actually caught and killed a rabbit ) but also followed everyone from room to room. Separation produced great howls and scratched doors....so there is going to have to be some work such as the introduction to the portable dog kennel before I bring her north in July.

She is immensely enjoying her routines again at home and can be seen here in the overgrown yard that I had to face upon first arrival The lawn got cut but I swear I am probably was just mowing and re-distributing the dandelion seeds....but the before and after pictures reflect a neater yard and just pleasnt to have green and color.

My dilemma was care for Dysis this week of work at the hospital....and solution was doggie day care...that right just like the child day care with similar fees and pickup times! Dysis loves playing with the other dogs in the open kennel and she also got a bath and grooming....the amount of fur and under coat filled two garbage bags! With the heat she had started to shed chunks of fur  but now is a very gorgeous girl!

read the digital display on the bedside clock a few days ago as I struggled to the surface of my sleepy consciousness, first fear of course, LATE FOR WORK! Fortunately finally figured out it was SUNDAY.

As I write, it is about 7 AM, Friday morning, CBC radio news on, dog ready for walk and I really must get up if I am going to get to work at the hospital which is a half hour drive from home through rush hour freeway traffic....

so if it had been 8:22 and Monday I would have made the 8:45 social work meeting!

Have a great TGIF whatever your day holds!

Tuesday June 5, 2007

As I sit eating breakfast on my final morning at work in Pang, I look outside to a town immersed in fog even more so than last night and wonder if my flight will leave today! But am reassured by RN across the hall “Oh but it is a late afternoon flight.” The bed stripped, linens in the washing machine down the hall, fridge cleaned and wonder how many times I have cleaned stoves not my own in recent years. The amount of carry back in my food back is considerably less and have planned breakfast and lunch to use up the left overs today.

With the morning meeting at the health center and then with other social workers, it has been a busy morning finishing up final recordings and fielding a few calls. Both here in Pang and in Rankin, I have been one of a team of three social workers, and in both communities work did not stop. I helped out by taking the “ on call “ but I know the fatigue for the regular workers when they are sort staffed! Not only is there the potential of burn out, but living in a smaller community some of your clients might also be your neighbours, the cashier at the Northern or teachers of your children or a relative. The need for confidentiality is important but also the personal and professional lines are not easy. I have seen Inuit social workers who have been put down or have to face an angry family member or even had others go on local radio.  Living and working in the same small often isolated northern community is both a challenge as in some situations as above, but also a joy when I see the strengths of some friendships built. Have seen families, schools and different agencies working together such as youth programs, sport tournaments, suicide support or church counseling groups. One of the social workers in Pang has a “wheelies night “ for the children….you know those sneakers with wheels in the heels!

Blissfully still working at the office at about 2 pm straight through my lunch hour, planned to go back to the apartment and do final packing and cleaning when some one said the plane might be coming early…well panic city….linens out of the dryer, books, parka radio into the food container, duct taped and labeled, camera, computer, ID and carry on luggage ready, no way can I figure out how the vacuum works, over to the COOP for cash…. But no today only $40 availability, so on to Northern for ATM at the Quick Stop that only dispensed a limited amount of cash and service charge of $2.50 per transaction, call to the wife of the artist whom I had agreed to buy some prints from to meet me at the airport, check in my three pieces including the skis by 4 PM and ….drive the van to sit in this spot where I took a few final photos and ate my lunch and take a deep breath!

The last hour or so before departure was much better as said good by to coworkers, stopped in at the print shop picked up a few small carvings, and here finally arrived at the airport.

Oh on the flight to Iqaluit got the questions about boats and kamootiks on the ice, from my seat made, a lady from Chesterfield Inlet. They are left there to aid in hunting for a quick departure to the flow edge, if they hear the seals or other animals have come in.  The skidoo will take the sled and boat and at the edge of the ice can go out in the boat for hunting and then return.

So much for my theory of floating kamootiks!

June 2, 2007
I must admit that at the end of the work week by mid-Friday afternoon I was beginning to feel fatigued, and things like finding the correct key of many for the office, suburban van or apartment door or faxing a 53-page document 7 pages at a time were beginning to frustrate me. By mid afternoon took abit of a walk outside to the Parks office and heard that May and June are very much in between seasons with skiing finished and hiking not begun in Auyuiituq National Park, which is about 30 kms from Pangnirtung. Borrowed about 5 DVD’s including “ Being Caribou “ and Forty days and Zero nights. The latter was about a pair of Australian climbers in June 2002 who went into the park. Just to show the difference in changing weather they skidooed on the fjord in mid-June and came out by boat a month later.

Knew I was on call for the weekend and the first call out was 6:30 pm Friday night, just enough time for a quick bite to eat and nap before heading down to the health center at 7:15 PM

At this point a hot rock next to an Alberta beach in 25oC weather sounded mighty tempting.

Saturday involved more time at the RCMP detachment and walking from my office picked up an 8-week-old puppy and woefully had to put him down…but in the evening got walking on the ice….and amazing how the mood can change.

Full moon Friday but we haven’t seen it, as is really not getting dark at all at night as the sun shifts behind the mountains, with red sunset in this valley and soft pinks on the snowy peaks. The surface of the ice, especially near the shore is much more softer, than last weekend when went out on the skis. These pools reflect the oblique light and although safely following skidoo tracks did at one point step in above my boot.

Remember last year in mid June arriving in Pond Inlet and wondering if any of the skidoos on the edge of the ice would all get moved in on time. Well now at the beginning of June in Pang am witnessing another process….boats being pulled out on kamootiks ready for the thaw. …the kamootiks float I presume?

So here is Ninja Bonnie!

Sunday got out for the final ski of the season and pretty good to still be on x-c skis in June. It was awesome…. as went about 3 kms across the ice to the kulik in about half an hour at about 5 PM Encountered 6-8 skidoos coming the other direction out from the mouth of the river and back to town. Went several hundred meters up the frozen tongue of the river, smooth and icy. In summer I am told a good spot for fishing. At my turning around point, discovered the left overs in the snow of a Sunday afternoon stop for tea, char and caribou, probably where a number of families that I had seen coming out earlier. Resting on the edge of the rock one could here the melting water below and see further signs of spring in the lichen,  A lovely glide down back to the edge of churned ice and pools.

My batteries on the camera died again but removed them, warmed in mitts and a few final shots. Very, very ready for a nap when I finally made it back by 7 PM.

as the modem on my neighbors wireless ( an RN across the hall who generously shared it ) suddenly died and at the office all I could get is my GN Mail, not outside internet access. The HELP desk in Iqaluit is for the most part pretty good except when one is in a hurry....because of all this it may be abit until posting any more photos. Also looks like perhaps should be posting a map again for all the dear American and international readers on the location of Alberta and Nunavut.(aka some of comments left )

Pang is organized around the airstrip in the middle of town which divides "uptown" from "downtown" and a bridge that links to another area of town with GN housing and the Blue building in which are a number of regional administrative offices. Staying at the nurse apartment building I am within walking distance of both social services offce next to the COOP and health center, but the new one is being built for occupancy before the end of the year is not in this area at all!  Encountered the one way sign when driving against it and this colorful back lanebordering the airstrip. Currently all modes of transport including bikes and mud puddles.