Just reflecting....since 2002 when I first started my work stints to the arctic, I have spent five Christmases in Nunavut and four in Alberta. Should you be interested in some photos and reflections of an arctic Christmas check out December 2007 under archives when I was in Arviat...as well as the New Years fireworks video.

http://bonnieupnorth.xanga.com/634280904/-and-so-this-is-christmas/

Will be heading north again on January 10th.

This is me at exactly 18 months, as birthday is June 25, Dad's fountain pen handwriting....love the skis.  Both my parents were university students at the time living upstairs in my grandparents house. Thanks to my cousin Heather P who forwarded this...our mothers were first cousins.

There is not much more to say about the past few days, the photos say it all.

On that night 12-21-10, we had clear cold skies so I shovelled my walks and watched the eclipse! Not able to get close up shots as many others but these are mine from about 11:30 PM to well after 1 AM. This one was taken in the front yard looking up through the spruce trees. At this point cold and tired I retreated to inside the house and bed.

see Clare's below taken in Arctic Bay Nunavut

Clare Kines

Lens flare made this shot of near totality pretty cool.

http://kiggavik.typepad.com/the_house_other_arctic_mu

and my cousin Bill from his back porch in Airdrie Alberta,

Bill Passmore

‎....and it begins ....23:45

These days have been long as am doing some cover off at the hospital, BUT in the evening have enjoyed lighting  some of the candles in the living room, sinking into the couch and listening to late night music on my old 1940s radio.

Just the dogs and me this year but actually got a Charlie Brown tree   decorated with white lights, red bulbs & a few favorite ornaments and glad I did....so here are a few shots.

An exceeding heavy snow fall in the last few days has resulted in bending laden trees, much snow shoveling and skidding cars. There is a beauty of black and white in this world, starkness and simplicity of tones that I experience when I take the dogs late morning in the ravine. This one of Dysis after a squirrel a touch of sepia in snowy ravine.  Experimented with angles I lost one of my essential props in the creek edge. See if you pick out the outline here and guess what was lost? A good Samaritan or angel fellow dog walker came to the rescue for me.

Answer: MY CANE

Frosty fingers and Christmas lights and candles  in my livingroom,  front porch,  and   Banff. On this one used the antique mirror to frame...    Not as clear as I would like it to be about 1/20 sec. but set on night landscape and does give a rather moody effect with the lights.