Eclipse Excitement

-UPDATE-

The eclipse in Cape Dorset was a bust. The sky was overcast and raining with a fog bank that had rolled in. Basically the worst case scenario for viewing the eclipse. All of the folks that watch the skies here are very disappointed.


If you didn't know the eclipse happens tomorrow morning. I am just about to go to bed early so I can get up at 4:30 am to see it happen and hopefully get some pictures. The best we will get in Cape Dorset is about 80% total eclipse which should still enable me to get some good photos. I am all prepared and have done my research to get the best settings for the camera.

I am a bit worried because at the moment we have an overcast sky and a fog bank has moved in. One of the disadvantages to living on an island I guess. So keep your fingers crossed because during the last lunar eclipse it was overcast and the clouds parted just enough for me to get some great photos.

Wish me luck and check back Friday night and you will see if I was successful or not.

I know "DON'T LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN!!".

Sea Crate & News

We got our crate of goodies which was delivered to our apartment. The crate has all our dry goods for the entire year in it. Cereal, pop, sugar, peanut butter, chips, flour, etc. everything except frozen goods. The crate was not supposed to be delivered too our apartment it was supposed to be put into temporary storage because we are in the process of purchasing a house. We should be in the house in the next couple of weeks. That is the news part of this blog.

This is the only picture I will get of the crate because if came apart on its way from the apartment to the warehouse. We lost a bit of stuff to damage but we came out okay. 1589kg or 2 1/2 tonnes in one crate with 2x2 framing on the end and in the middle and a thin metal strap on each end. That is what $1600 buys ya. The company we have used the last couple of years has been doing a poor job when it comes to getting the orders correct, shipping and overcharging. I think they even sent me drywall compound on this order. I didn't think a grocery store sold drywall compound. This year we will be taking an accurate inventory and making them come good for the screw ups.

This will be the last time because from now on we will be using a 20' sea can. Either we will have enough stuff to fill a sea can or we will share and split the cost with another couple up here. A sea can can be purchased for about $2800 used or rented for about $800 a year. They make a great little garage.

The Moon

Sorry my blogging has been spotty the last couple of weeks. I have been suffering from a series of ailments that have made me miserable and in no mood to blog. I have been getting better.

Last night I saw the moon for the first time since the winter. I was surprised how happy I was since it means that full dark will be here soon and a regular sleep pattern can be established.

The eclipse of the sun is coming up on August 1st and the weather looks like it will be good that day. I will see if I can get a photo somehow. It could be tricky since you can't look directly at the eclipse without the whole blindness thing happening. I may do the pinhole trick and photograph the reflection. Everyone will just have to wait and see.

Sealift day adventure

The adventure starts at home when Michele says "Lets go see the ship". So Michele and I get into the van and head out to the tank farm to watch the ship and take some pictures. While we were there more people showed and we all rolled down out window to talk to each other. This reminded me of when I first got my drivers licence and we would all meet on main street or at the railway station and sit in our vehicles. The van has power windows and Michele turned on the van so we could lower them. Unfortunately the key didn't get turned back off and this left the radio, CB, lights, etc. all on. After a about an hour or so we all decided to leave and when everyone else pulled out Michele tried the key and all we got was grrrrrr, click, click and a click. Lucky someone else came out and they went out to the garage to tell them of our predicament. One of the guys came with the booster cables and after a lot of ribbing we got on our way.

After that we headed down to the shore to watch the barge come in and see the vehicle that Michele was going to get. Steve asked her to drive the new Ford Explorer to the garage so they could put the stickers on it, CB and backup beeper. I got to drive the Van. We all got up to the garage without incident and I parked the van and got out. I am not supposed to be driving any hamlet vehicle because I am not employed with them. This was a special one time case and I had permission.

After some chit chat Michele got back in the drivers seat and a bunch of us piled in to go back to the beach. Michele put the van in reverse and hit the gas. We weren't going back that fast but them we heard a bang and the van shuttered a bit. Michele says "Must have drove over a stick." and hit the gas again. This time there was a bigger bang and the van came to a stop. At this time we all realized at the same time that there was a truck parked back there. I told Michele to pull ahead and that was when there was a lot of yelling and the van was just jerking ahead. Turns out the bumper of the van had hooked onto the trucks fender and we were dragging onto the road. Luckily the truck was already damaged on that side so all we did was bend the fender back out. It had already been banged in. It took some guys standing on the bumper and some of us lifting on the truck to get them apart.

No one was hurt and there was a lot of laughing and even more ribbing. In the end after some deliberation it was decided that Michele would still get the new Ford. The pictures from the incident are below.

Shows the minor damage to the van. The bumper is just pulled out a bit. The clean spot is where one of the guys was as we were trying to lift the truck off the bumper.

Most of the damage to the truck below was caused by someone else. It is the fender that Michele hooked the bumper of the van to bending it out as she dragged it.
The distance that Michele dragged the truck.

Sea Lift '08

The first sea lift of the year is now in and unloading. Our food order and Michele's new vehicle for social services is on this ship.

This is the ship sitting in deeper water just outside Tellik Inlet by the tank farm. The barges are in the water about midship and the tugboats are along side the barges. The ship is called the Umiavut and it was looking a little beat up looking through the binoculars.

The center of the ship opening.
The center is now completely open and they are lowering a forklift down inside. The wooden crates like ours and some vehicles are stored below.
Here they are starting to strap a vehicle to be lifted off. We were sure at this time that is was the social services vehicle that Michele would be driving.
Starting to be lifted of the deck.
Flying through the air with the greatest of ease.
Safely being set on the barge. This process will be repeated hundreds of times over the next few days.
The first barge of the year now coming to shore. This one has most of the new vehicles for the hamlet, RCMP and private individuals.

The ramps have been put in place and the tricky process of driving the vehicles down begins.

Easy, easy, easy!!!

After an adventure that I will post about tomorrow Michele did get her new vehicle for social services. It is a 2007 Ford Explorer that is loaded and even has a sun roof. The sun roof should come in handy when it is -40C. :o)

Low Tide

We were walking around on the land bridge when the tide was out. Didn't see much we really just needed the exercise.

As we were walking we could hear a noise that sounded like bubble wrap popping. As it turned out we have become the enemy of all snails. We couldn't see them from head high they are that small.

Taged

I normally don’t participate in these but Jen of Nunavut has tagged me in a blog chain and just this once I am going to do it. This involves asking your better half to say three things they know about you and put them on your blog. Then put some letters at the bottom that seem to represent the noise that is made when you stick your tongue out and blow air. Here goes.

Matt: Michele…..Michele……MICHELE!!!!!!
Michele: WHAT!!!
Matt: Where are ya?
Michele: Downstairs.
Matt: What ya doin’?
Michele: I’m on the phone.
Matt: Oh…. Name three things that you know about me.
Michele: I said I’m on the phone!
Matt: Who you talkin’ to?

*silence*

Luckily we have multiple phones in the house. So figuring that she just can’t hear me very good, since I’m upstairs and she is downstairs, I decide to pick up the phone and ask her again.

*click*

Michele: Get off the phone Matt.
Matt: Name three......
Jackie: HELLO BRODER!!!
Matt: JACKIE!!! Jackiejackiejackiejackie!!!
Jackie: *laughter*
Michele: Oh for heavens sakes.
Jackie: Whach ya up ta broder? (Translation: What are you doing brother?)
Matt: I need an answer to a question.
Michele: 1. You’re wearing a shirt. 2. You have eyes. 3. Your sitting on a chair.

(Matt: *to myself* Obviously she has already read Jens blog.)

Matt: (whining) Oh come on honey.
Jackie: What was the question?
Matt: Have your spouse say three things they know about you and post it on the blog.
Michele: Get off the phone Matt.
Jackie: Can a sis-in-law do it.
Matt: Don’t see why not some people seem to change the rules to suit them.
Jackie: mmmmmm 1. You’re my favourite broder-in-law. 2. You live in Canada. 3. You are married to my sista.
Matt: Tanks Jackie.
Michele: Now get off the phone Matt.
Matt: Love you Michele.
Michele: Love you too dear.


Well there your go and I know fairly shocking information. I don’t have anyone to tag because either they are gone for the summer, on holidays or have already been tagged so this ends with me. Sorry and the letters at the bottom says it all.

Pthththth

Random Photos of Cape Dorset

Creepy Things Seen On A Ceiling

I don't know what it is about these things but they just creeped me out. I swear that when I looked away they were in a different position when I looked back. Brrrrrrrrrrrr.

Even More Pretty Flowers.

I guess I should have done this as Flowers III but hey the title as is will work. One of my favorite colors is purple and even though I never wear it, or put it on a wall, I do like it as a plant color. Right now the tundra is looking like a purple carpet. I did get the idea for the bottom picture from Jen of Nunavut. Can I call it creative license or something like that? I did use a different flower. Enjoy.

Snowmobile

Yes we now own a snowmobile. I can now say I have sat on one and in a few months I can say that I have driven one. Michele is very excited about owning it. Could be some interesting post this winter. The snowmobile is a 2006 Expidition 550.

Gemstones II

This is a much bigger deposit of gemstones than the earlier post. Lots of people have beat on the rock in this area. It can't be claimed by a prospector because it is on hamlet land so anyone who wants to can take the garnets from the rock. Unfortunately garnets are not that valuable and getting them out of the rock is hard, back breaking work, so not too many takers. It is still a fun way to spend an afternoon and you get to keep a souvenir if your determined.

Truck Arson

A delivery truck was set on fire a couple of weeks ago by two children aged around 7-8 years old. As you can see in the photo the hotel came close to going too. The question that should be asked is were are the parents of these kids since the fire started at around 2:00am. One of the sadder things about living here. I am not going to go into a rant because that is not why Michele and I started this blog. Maybe in the future we will start a different blog for that purpose. Sorry for being so late with this but every time we were by I either didn't have my camera with me or just forgot to take the picture. Old news is still good news.

Cape Dorset International Auto Show

My Dad and I both own antique cars. His is a '57 Chev Belair and mine is a '63 Plymouth Savoy and one thing we both did in the summer was go to car shows every weekend unless it interfered with watching the Nascar races. Neither one of us has driven our old cars in two years because we have been working outside of New Brunswick. One of the shows that both of us always attended is the Moncton International Auto Show in Moncton, NB. So Monday night we were down at the land bridge to our neighbouring island and you have to go through the metal waste site to get to it. Part of the metal waste site are all the vehicles that have been disposed off. Below is some pictures of vehicles in the metal waste site in honor of the Moncton International Auto Show that is happening in New Brunswick.

The first school bus ever in Cape Dorset with one of the first water delivery trucks in the community below it.

Old Van - Just need to paint some flowers on it.

Ford half ton extended cab looked to be from the 80's

Just look at this old girl. Not sure what it is but it may be for travelling on the snow. Can't remember the correct name for it.
Old "the Bay" delivery truck. I think"the Bay" is now the "Co-op". It has a boat on top of it and the remains of a tractor sandwiched between it and an ugly green truck.

There was another boat tucked in behind the others. This photo was taken through the frame of a mobile home.

Lots of Planes

We had a group come into the community that is staying for a couple of days and they all came in on three floater planes. Neat.

There is also a helicopter in town that a company

is using to prospect for uranium. Apparently there are deposits in the area and they are going to have a look and see if it is feasible to mine it. Could be big things in store for Cape Dorset in

the near future. I will keep an eye on it!!

Internet Connectivity Issue

It seems we are having a problem connecting to the Internet at home. It looks like we have a faulty modem but we will have to wait for the Internet guy (Mike) to come have a look.

Here is a quick explanation on how the Internet works here. Being an isolated community with no road, rail or wire connections to any other community we have to use satellites to connect with the "outside" world. So everyone who has Internet uses a wireless modem that can be used in any community in Nunavut that has a satellite hookup. Currently it seems ours is not working. Either Mike will get it working or provide us with a new one. We don't own the modem it comes with the subscription and we have to return it when we no longer require Internet.

This is very inconvenient to us because we use the Internet to communicate with a lot of friends and family south. Also most of our shopping for groceries, clothes and fun stuff is done on the Internet. We also use Internet phone so when friends and family in southern New Brunswick call they don't have to pay the long distant. We actually have a Moncton, NB phone number. We still have a local phone too.

So have patience everyone we will be back to blogging in no time.

--UPDATE--
We are back up and running again and postings will continue as normal tomorrow. Just a short black out period. It seems when our computer automatically updated it screwed up our connection. Anyhoo it's working again. Yaaa.

Random Cape Dorset Photos

Not much going on today. Michele is sick with a cold, Dad is working and I am on call with the emergency measures organization (EMO). Nothing like getting woke up at 2:30 am to a wailing alarm and have to think clearly. Below is three random pictures from around Cape Dorset that were taken during a recent walk.

Boat on the beach

Creepy one - Looks like a skull in the iceberg.
Partial whale skeleton.

More Pretty Flowers