Sun transits occur when the sun crosses the earth's equatorial plane during the spring and fall equinoxes (late February or early March; September or October). At these times, the sun aligns directly behind the satellites for a few minutes each day. When the sun moves directly behind the satellite to your receive antenna, the satellite signal can be overwhelmed by the enormous amount of thermally generated radio frequency (RF) noise radiated by the sun. This can cause reception interference for a few minutes everyday during this occurrence.  At the peak there will be 3 interruptions a day as the sun passes your local community, our Ottawa uplink facility and our Yellowknife facility.

My forays today have included:

• getting the NW Tel tech man here from Yellowknife into the transient unit to repair the telephone jack in the extra bedroom ( done while my new roomate had to vacate and in the shower )
• catching a ride across town with same repairman
• figuring out how the new cordless phone works I got on Thursday for about $100
• trying not to be frustrated with the Northern yesterday who made me wait over 45 min when wanting to cash some travellers cheques, copying both sides. emailing their CO and then saying yes but still a $3 charge per check
• Calling the RN on call to get a key to the health center to get in and walking over from her unit to the health center
• Calling the other social worker who came over to the HC to give me my own key
• packing up the answering machine here to take home so I can do things besides sit next to my phone when "on call" this weekend
• several hours in the office typing out notes previously on little stickies and into the computer
• creating a folder for myself on the computer with all the need forms and making sure I " unprotected them"
• meeting a patient at the front door of the HC who cut his hand on a broken coffee pot and calling the NIC
• pulling items out of desk drawers and cleaning and generally sorting
• reviewing several files
• answering emails etc.

I can now see my desk top!!!

The Gjoa Haven high school group is planning an exchange trip to Scotland and Friday night had a fundraising dinner. A number of us from the health center came together.... well I don't think I have enjoyed a meal of fine dining on my trips north as much as I did this one in a long time!

The menu included for starters " Roasted sweet potato soup with home made buns" and a choice of caribou and arctic car prepared in different methods and sauces. I chose the #3 which was " Can't make up your mind?" which had panfried arctic char in mild cajun spice" & "seared caribou in blueberry sauce ". Finished off by dessert or " creamy chocolate truffle" and coffee.

This was all for $40/couple or $25/ single.....Couldn't get much better!

  Last night at the hamlet office community center there was a  2 hour gathering with drum  dancing of all ages from 17   to middle age     to elders. The song chanting was done by a group of elder ladies. Lots of greeting of old and young, note the wrinkled hand in the fore front of this shot.

from my calendar on " women who do too much"....."When I get too caught up in a cause, I become the problem. When I do nothing about the world in which i live, I am the problem. We need to learn to balance"

Good advice advice as I meander my way through a new work situation!

in one's spirits when the sun is out, and although clear and cold still able to get outside. This morning after being cooped inside for a day or two got out both to church and for a ski. Located in the newer area of Gjoa Haven there is a long down hill walk or ski from my unit. Looking back up the hill mine is the green central 4 plex. The Anglican service was totally in Inuktitut and my bilingual hymn book from Rankin Inlet didn't have quite the same numbers but eventually figured it out and was welcomed, although the only " kablunac " present. Home for a brief lunch and then out on the skis, encountered this group ice fishing. With a small wooden handled line and hook and bait ( told fresh seal the best ) constantly jiggled these two cod fish were the result. not as good this weekend as last when over 15 were caught in the same half hour time period!

This is the sun about 3 PM... just love the smokiness of the light here.  On the return trip in the middle of the skidoo trail was a kamotik full of ice. Families will go go out to collect ice as it is fresher and makes purer water.

An up hill hike, skis on the outside porch and a satisfied afternooon trek.

It has been just over a week of weather and housing delays since I left Edmonton but have finally arrived in Gjoa Haven, where I will be working for the next two months in an acting supervisor position. Only one day in the office in the health center so not alot of time yet to explore.... except of course that noon hour when I succeeded in finding myself locked out of the transient unit!

Gjoa Haven, Nunavut, located on the southeastern coast of King William Island on the Northwest Passage, is also known as Uqsuqtuuq, or 'place of plenty blubber', because of the once plentiful seal. One of the fastest growing communities in the Kitikmeot Region, in 1961, its population was estimated at 100 and now well over 1000.

The hamlet seems very spread out with two sections of the town separated by a long gully. Main facilities such as the schools, COOP, Northern, health center, RCMP detachment & houses, hamlet office etc. also seem to be scattered. Attending a potluck supper last night, must have driven 20 minutes around every street to find the right unit, finally asking a group of children for directions! I brought a salad and enjoyed everything from pyrogies to icecream with strawberries and pineapple! A pleasant evening with some of the staff from the health center, some of whom leaving soon, stories were exchanged & some deeper discussions on slowing down, living in the present moment and the richness of life we encounter in our work as health care professionals.

Personally much of the past week has been packing and unpacking and am finally glad to be settled!!! I am in a lovely two bedroom transient unit ( shared housing maintained by DHSS) in a newer area but had to be cleaned, furnished and equipped with the basics of kitchen dishes, pots & pans, bathroom shower curtains, bedding quilts and sheets .... the latter all of which arrived at 9:30 PM the first night I arrived. It was somewhat like Christmas unpacking and putting away the boxes but must admit very zapped when I finally fell in to bed after midnight!

This weekend am rather housebound because of the minus 30oC temps and horizontal snow today decided x-c skis were not it, but instead did the stairs as exercise. Also a chance to add those personal touches to the unit such as with my wall hangings and books. Quite amazed that my plant cuttings have survived, although the hydrangea bulb has blossomed at a strange angle....just a little attempt at bringing some touches of spring!

Noticed Edmonton temperatures were about 4 above well our high was minus 32!

Got out on the skis this afternoon and walking yesterday some of the following shots give you an idea what the aftermath of a blizzard is like! Transient unit where I am staying and the   porch which I shoveled out. Snow coated machinery about 2 PM this afternoon.  The full moon was rising about 3 PM as well as a sunset shortly afterwards. Snow is windswept and beautiful colors and shapes.

This morning made the English 10 AM service at St. Georges Anglican Church in Cambridge Bay, There are lovely small triangular stained glass windows. Clear, cold and sunny hard packed snow makes great climbing for children playing after church.

After church today had lunch at Michele and Sandy B's ( former student support Kugluktuk ) now in CB for 1.5 yrs and their adopted Inuit son is 3! So this tells me how long I have been away from the region.... the rest of the world is 6 degrees of separation but I swear the north is just 2! Also Sandy is working for Newmont mines which just took over Mirmar mines near Bay Chimo, basically about 90 miles a way. This gold mine, Hope Lake, is going to be bigger than both the Giant and the Con in Yellowknife. Shared some of the family history on the latter as the Con is doing a reclamation and buildings being torn down etc. ...but the comment was made that how times have changed....an international company and his boss is in Colorado!

For me with work, it will all come together for me once settled in Gjoa Haven...these weather and housing delays have left me feeling like a bit of a 5th wheel and I suspect that my arrival may have been a bit of a laid on from the top for the local office, but we'll see how the next few days go...sure it will be fine...booked to fly Thursday morning.

Dogs and homefront... well here found one husky called Lady who followed me both to church and out on the skis. In Edmonton,  Robert, who agreed to house sitting and I suspect took on the dogs later much to my relief and thankfulness mentioned that Nanuq 16 months is barking alot in the yard.....so as a dog owner you know how to handle your own and have that bond that sort of comes instinctively...so I sent back my suggestions and cc'ed my friend Cindy from Rankin and got a detailed email of more suggestions and she sent it off to another friend who trains dogs...so I hope Robert is not overwhelmed with it all, and I am feeling very indebted!

Hope you all have a good week! Off to my dinner a mushroom & veggie noodle casserole treat after Sunday ski...

My work stint this session is going to be in the western region of Nunavut, the Kitikmeot ( central is Kivalliq & eastern arctic is the Baffin ) and not been in this area for 3-4 years. Really hit me today when a brief stopover in the Kugluktuk airport, did some catching up with a few familiar faces...two elders had died, a favorite 10 year old was now abit of a rebellious teen and colleagues were in different work positions.

The other reality of northern travel that also hit was changing weather condition...the blizzard in Cambridge Bay meant an overnight in Yellowknife, the alternate would have been to return to Edmonton but...once on the way! The Yellowknife airport is fairly familiar but has undergone some renos including a new gate #3 and a interesting display of an Inuit doll. I never travel light but have food bins, fresh, frozen and dried; x-c skis, clothing and books and choices have to be made as to what is "excess" but fortunately all made it!

After settling in the Explorer hotel as the day was bright and snow fresh decided to get out on the skis for an hour or two, plotting my route from this view from the hotel room. Though sunny and bright what I did forget was that it was also minus 25 with a brisk wind! out came the heavy parka and sunglasses. Though some rolling hills next to the lake under several footbridges no falls but some close calls. Loved the late afternoon colors and note here the moon is out at 4 PM and ravens calling when looking back at the hotel...that very northern bird that remains all year & has such a myriad of calls. although not making it all the way to " Old Town" did get close. the sign reads " Great Slave Yacht Club " and this house boat is ready to launch in a few months time. A 5 PM sunset was well marked in the outlines of those same footbridges on return  and sounds & silouettes of planes landing.

My only regret was this morning when I woke with eyes almost swollen shut! Frost bite around my left eye lids...ouch! some Flamozine ointment this afternoon from the health center helped but probably should have kept the glasses on the WHOLE time!