A typical house in old Scona 
....Now what is odd about this house 
just off Whyte Ave. I encountered just after doing my banking?
To be moved about 2 blocks to a new foundation 
and one can see why with the condition of the original one.. 
a closer look!
NUNAVUT TURNS 10...... an excellant, insightful but realistic article in the latest edition of Canadian Geographic, some photos from Pond Inlet where I worked in summer 2006 including a video of young girls throat singing...http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/magazine/jf09/feature_nvt_videos.asp
In the midst of the pack up and it is amazing how much " stuff " one takes in these forays. 
Piles of clothes and other items on bed ready for packing but still have to find a place to sleep! I think any thoughts of making new duffels is out the window as I cannot find my clamp ons for my boots that prevent the slipping, so the good old sorrels are probably it. 
But walking with dogs this morning did try them out.
Leashed but distracted by squirrels and chickadees.. 
Practising sit & stay! 
Another dog coming? 
Look mom...down and staying! 
On return home the snow n front walkneeded shovelling but this lead to another discovery as 
Nanuq barking at neighbours dog.
Got a notice the other day that my dogs were barking... I am usually really careful and don't think they were out at night but every morning Nanuq runs around the side of the house and barks madly.....thought maybe a cat or skunk under the garage because one day a box of the house sitters in the garage was chewed on...He thought perhaps a raccoon but none in this area of the country..Next complaint by anyone is a $200 fine so I am wary, and they are left in the yard which is secure during the day and usually pretty quiet. Well, I think the culprit is the neighbours dog a shaggy pointer cross who jumps over her fence barks madly at mine or other walking by. I tried to coax her close but she is too scared and jumps back over the fence. Bylaw was out this morning and it took two of them to get the dog.There is another shepherd cross Maple who is tied up in the same yard. I tried to walk her a number of years ago before had my present two. Owner not home. Not the dogs fault as is loneliness and fear barking and I guess that what irks me irresponsible owners. That is my rant...
An old slipper and odd mitt sewn up 
and stuffed as chewy toys.... 
Dysis looking expectantly but it was Nanuq who took to the mitt immediately! 
"Gonna kill it!" 
Done in...got the stuffing out! 
Here then are the rules that govern this 6th photo meme....originally from Clare
1) Open your Pictures folder (or documents)
2) Open the sixth folder there
3) Post the sixth photo in that folder
4) Blog about it
5) Tag six friends.
This is the GN housing unit I was in Pond Inlet in June '06....I do casual social work and although I now own two dogs, at the time I didn't have any, but met a neighbour, Debbie, a biologist and that summer we took in a local dog, Scruffy. This was the beginning of many wild dog adventures, including her breaking loose when she was in heat and yours truly chasing these two black and white dogs across the back tundra near the airport. I have found most often that a house sitting situation has been needed when coming to Nunavut for an extended period with dogs. In Pond and Arctic Bay ended up renting a GN house at $950 to 1400/month. The rent in transient units ( shared ) is usually $16-$18/day and recently they have instituted a "no pet " policy, at least in the Kivalliq...Rankin was last work site this summer. Other times stayed in health centers ( sans dogs ) Now all my experience has been as direct casual with DHSS. With nursing, I know often agency hire and the situation may be different...as a social worker recent policy is will not hire through agency.
Monday 26 January 2009
Tonight.. Increasing cloudiness. Wind up to 15 km/h. Low minus 21 with temperature rising to minus 10 by morning. Wind chill minus 28 this evening.
Tuesday.. Cloudy with 30 percent chance of flurries in the morning then a mix of sun and cloud. Wind becoming west 30 km/h late in the morning. High zero.
This year I did start on the setting of goals but got waylaid as probably many of you may have.....however I did write down a year of monthly affirmations in my journal. As we are approaching month end here are the first two sets:
Affirmations for January are:
• Harvest the bounty of your efforts.
• “ Live in harmony with one another, be sympathetic, love as brothers and sisters, be compassionate and humble.” 1 Peter 3:8 Learning how to bear inescapable sorrow is not easily done!
• TRUST YOUR INTUITION AND FIND THE “HOW”
Affirmations for February are:
• Release any limitations to your full potential!
• “ It is a wise parent, grandparent, social worker who knows to encourage a child’s, or teen’s hidden talent….DO NOT exasperate your children, instead bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” Ephesians 6:4
• Shine with an open heart!
Browsing on some of the other northern blogs....Cindy showed some lovely old seal skin kamiks which she was given and made duffels...so check out her entry http://furryfriends2008.blogspot.com BTW this was the BEST NEW BLOG in the Nunies!
This made me dig in the garage to find these from from my Grandpa Bill who did some homesteading in northern Alberta in the 1960s. 
Not seal skin but perhaps a worthwhile sewing project to take north and make colorful duffel liners? Speaking of planning for the trip north 
Got my long blue parka dry cleaned and best $30 spent with results...next to other heavy parka!
Polar bear print from Rankin finally framed and 
mounted on office wall! 
View from office window at Mis where "on call" this weekend... 
5 PM departure 
yesterday and lovely red sunset. 
Sunday same spot but at 2 PM & what did I do but leave the lights on.
...on hold fro AMA for 13 minuites...finally gave up and flagged down passing motorist, used my own cables!
It has just been one of THOSE days!!!!The colder weather has returned here in the minus 20s with a greater wind chill factor...it has become windy, bitter and a light dusting of snow, although some intermittent sun...started to take down the Xmas lights on the porch 
but only partially completed the task...too nippy on the fingers! Dogs enjoyed the romp though outside but later in their enthusiasm 
got into the bags of their dried food which spilled down the basement stairs.! They got a scolding 
but gleefully ate the crumbs up. 
Tackling the books again with repairs, 
sorting fiction ones alphabetically and piles of children's books by size or publisher, 
all of which is taking much longer than planned.
Finally confirmed that I will be heading north for work from the beginning of February to mid-April! it is with mixed emotions of excitement of heading back to Nunavut, trepidation of new community and work responsibilities; nostalgia in missing balance of winter in Edmonton, 
(shown here with a x-c ski and funny snow man due to melting temps of late), including my dogs and a good dose of panic as to whether I will be packed up and ready in just over a week!
Had this been two weeks ago I was working on Plan B of some casual social work coverage at one of the local hospitals.....but as in a past email from a friend this uncertainty always seems to be a part of the process "I guess it is good that you are getting your Christmas plans finalized but it sounds like your plan has changed substantially since the last time we talked. I admire you, I could not live with the uncertainty of not knowing when my job would start or how long I'd be away. Your trips take so much work to plan and organize. You seem to have the ability of just taking these things in stride, I would be a nervous wreck. I know things will work out, I seem to recall last year you were in a similar situation and then you received a number of offers. I'll keep my eye open for a dog and house sitter but..." and then goes on to add the " have a panic attack " should be added to the " to do" list!
So one of the positives is that I do have a house sitter who will not only be here for the full time but is also willing to care for the dogs! This is with the help of doggie daycare of course, where they will be boarded for a few days in the interim after my departure and his arrival...checked it out the other day to reassure the owners that a strange person is not picking up Dysis and Nanuq...almost like children. To be truthful I will miss them terribly 
and probably worry abit. Practically however, this is the best solution for this trip as can not imagine having them in a kennel for that period and the transient units do not allow pets due to allergies. Nanuq is curled up on the futon in my office 
and investigating some new arrivals in the livingroom! Originally there was much barking at these new intruders but now just sniffs. 
Two lovely hand crafted dolls, the one on the right is an " incurable romantic who wears her heart on her sleeve!" 
Some of my recent tasks have been sorting files, my desk, rearranging photos, frames in office 
and then there is OMG all those books STILL in the basement!
A more pleasurable few days have been some shared cooking. 
I did stuffed arctic char with rice, ginger and mandarin orange stuffing and 
he prepared brussel sprouts fried with olive oil and garlic and a unique salad of cooked beets, walnuts, goat's cheese, arugula greens...each with a distinctive flavour to be savored in that first bite. 
Of course all enjoyed with a good glass of white wine! California cookin' well....this comment comes from his last residence where fresh ingredients of fruits and vegetables are much more available than Alberta in the middle of winter!
So must get moving on that" to do" list!
About 3:30 Pm on Saturday afternoon, after a stop at the farmers market, the temperatures were about plus 9oC 
great family fun but oops on the ice slide! 
Watch the little girl in the center, a toddler of about 18 months.. 
She stood for along time contemplating what to do next.. 
then with the encouragment of her mother finally crawled through the tunnel in the center of the maze. 
A large ice castle with windows and table inside but due to warm weather many of the sculptures were melting. 
Spruce trees real and other as backdrop to line up for ice slide. 
I took a photo of a young asian couple and they did likewise...see the shadow! 
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