Kananginak Pootoogook

Kananginak Pootoogook is a Cape Dorset artist that passed away on November 23, 2010.  See a brief history of him here.  Turns out I purchased one of his works at the 2009 print show in Cape Dorset called Proud Leader.  I was actually looking to purchase a different print that year but with the high number drawn it was long gone by the time my turn came around.  Of the ones left "Proud Leader" had grabbed my attention earlier in the evening and was the one I chose.  The web doesn't do it justice.  Turns out it is one of his more popular prints and was used at the top of the Dorset Fine Arts calender that year.  I don't purchase prints based on the artist but on what I like at the time.  Still feel good about this purchase.  

Proud Leader Etching & Aquatint 59.5 x 56.5 50/50

Not for sale.

The Oil Tank

My new oil tank.

Shiny!

Same old tank stand.

Yawn

I'm still around.

The continuous overcast and dreary weather seems to have gotten to me.  Just haven't been getting out to do any photography lately that was worth putting on the blog.  I did realize no photos from my vacation in August appeared on the site so some of those will be the focus of the end of the post.  Why was thoughts of my last vacation filtering through my noggin you ask?  Well I booked holidays for February.  Yaaaa.

Back to the weather.  It has been a strange winter season so far.  The temperature hasn't been below -10C and we (and Iqaluit) have been some of the warmest places in Canada.  In the four years (starting the 5th on Dec 4) since Cape Dorset has been my home this is the first time Tellik Inlet has been ice free in November.  Many folks are wondering if it will be ice free at Christmas.  If it is it will screw up the annual snowmobile run and races on the ice.  We shall see.  Also when will the cloud go away it's been overcast since September.

I leave you with some of those August vacation photos from a day at my brothers work.

Original stained glass window.

                           

I know it's just a grate in the ceiling.

I got to go places the general public don't see.  Finally got permission to go up the tower in the afternoon.  My bro said it would be a bit difficult.  I guess by difficult he meant vertical climbs, cramped spaces and swinging out into open spaces with dark vertical drops.  In this photo I'm looking up and saying to myself don't look down, don't look down.  I was also saying "Are you f*****g crazy?!?"  Followed by my little brothers motivational reply "Ha ha. Come on you p***y".  Damn but didn't it work.

The hole at the top wasn't big enough to come straight up so this photo was an accidental shot as the camera was passed through.  Kind of cool.

I wouldn't go all the way up since the railing was only knee high and only for decoration.  Also being scared of heights may have had something to do with it.  What a person does to get a couple of photos.

Before the band formed for the march to the capital buildings.

Sword handle.

mmmm.  Those leprechauns are everywhere.

Cape Dorset Prints

Tonight was the annual Cape Dorset print show.  Since there is only one of each print to chose from the print shop has a bag with numbers in it that everyone reaches into to determine who goes first.  Lowest number first.  As my turn approached the numbers coming out of the bag were large (50,48,46,34,38, etc) and I mentioned with all these large numbers coming out it should only leave the small ones.  When my hand came out of the bag it was holding number one!  So with that advantage I chose print number 34 Vigilant Wolves.  It's one of the prints that is sold out across Canada.  Several people at the show were disappointed it was gone.  The two purchased prints are below and the sizes are in cm. 

#34 - Vigilant Wolves by Tim Pitsiulak - Lithograph 28.5x77 50/50

    

#26 - Flip Flop by Ohotaq Mikkigak - Stonecut & Stencil 35x41 50/50

Kitty Mind Meld

You will feed me meat....only meat!

And belly rubs...I like belly rubs too.

Rankin Inlet Travel

I have been away this week travelling to Rankin Inlet for work and have just returned.  Regular post to commence soon!

I didn't take any photos while in Rankin Inlet (gasp) so here are a couple of photos of the famous large Inukshuk located in town.  I can easily get my 6'2" frame between the legs with room to spare all around.  I think both photos have appeared on the blog in previous years.

Lands to Explore

Lands still to explore.

Old Garbage

Unfortunately even at the top of Nipple Mtn. there is garbage.  That sure looks like an old Pepsi can.

Falling Rock

The rock face was in different stages of falling down.  The power of water.

The photo was overexposed but looks interesting in black and white.

The Wide View

A panoramic shot from the top of Nipple Mtn.

The Climb

I finally climbed Nipple Mtn.  It was a good day.

Dorset Sunset

With the dark comes the colors of the sunsets.

Light and Dark

It's finally dark at night and the lights can be seen again.  They weren't very bright and exposures were in the 30+ second range.  Hope we get some action on the Sun and the sky's stay clear so there is a nice outburst before the cold weather is back.

I love chasing the lights.

Cape Dorset at Night

I couldn't get the illusion to work in the photo but last night the crescent moon looked huge over the Hamlet.

Large Inukshuk

You can find these large Inukshuk around Cape Dorset on high points around the communtiy.  The ones that resemble a person are called Inuksuk.
 

Must have taken some time to build this.

Around Town - RC Beach

A favorite spot to set up beach shacks and to pull your boat out of the water. 

If your lucky you can score some seal meat here too!

Around Town - RC Valley

A look at the RC Valley with Kingait and Nipple mountains in the back ground.  This valley is called RC Valley because it was the location of the Roman Catholic church.  It is no longer here and I don't know when it was closed.  It was the church involved with molesting young children.  A sad time in history of the community. 

Umm Nipple Mtn is the one on the left.

A Rare Visit

We have a rare visitor to the island.  It is uncommon to get icebergs floating this close because most of the big ones are on the other side of Baffin Island.  This one is on the smaller size and has floated in during high tide and has grounded with low tide.  It will be here until the wind changes or it breaks up on the rocks.  Some photos below to enjoy.

I never tire of them.

A boat came by and gives a nice sence of the scale.

Enjoy.

Poker Construction

We have an active group of poker players in Cape Dorset and have been playing Texas Hold 'em for several years.  Last night we had the last member of the original group leave for a new job and everyone who plays on the regular Saturday night showed up for the send of game.  It's not a high stakes game but a way for everyone to get together for a fun, social, and cheap night.

We have been playing on a small octagon table for years and a couple of us came up with the idea of getting a new table to accommodate the larger group of players that show up on a regular basis.  We had the plywood donated by one player and the labour for the construction was provided by me.  The material had to be purchased and shipped from the south so every night we take a small percentage of the pot until it's paid for.  That way everyone pays.

There are some defects but they are only visible if you really look for them.  If a second one is ever built it will be done a bit different and should be done faster.  Everyone liked the table and was very enjoyable to play on.  Overall a very nice first attempt.

The finished product with some poker paraphernalia below.

If they don't find you handsome they better find you handy!

Waves go Boom!

Last wave photo for a bit but with the weather we've been having in Cape Dorset they have been great.

Obsessed With The Waves.

I know there has been several photos of water on the blog last couple of weeks but there has only been one good day of weather during that time to go exploring and take photos.

There will be some more variety soon. 

Park Bird

What kind of bird are they?

Thanks to my knowledgeable readers they are Purple Sandpipers - Caldris maritima.

There is two of them in this photo.

This was the first bird at the park I almost stepped on.

Foggy Photography

The fog, combined with rain and wind, is still hanging around .  I got cabin fever the other night and headed out with my camera gear.  It's like driving around in a wet bubble with visibility down to 300 meters.  Did find a new path when I was exploring and came across this Inuksuk on top of a hill.  When the weather is nice again I'll go back and see what the view is like.

Fog and Water

It was worth going out the other night just to see the large surf crashing to shore at the park.  The fog meant I had to go into the stupid zone to get the photos.  The fog has currently lifted from Cape Dorset but word is it will roll back in later tonight.  Hope there are still big waves coming in.

The water was spraying about 6 meters into the air at this spot.

Spent a lot of time just watching the large waves crashing in.

The waves were huge!

Very Foggy

Not much to see today.

Faint Lights

Still not dark enough to get good photos of the northern lights but I just can't wait.  The CME that was supposed to hit earths magnetic field last night didn't happen but there was still some bright enough to be barely seen through the twilight.  Hope this seasons turns out to be a good one for Northern Lights.

This was the best of the bunch.  I think this was a 20 second exposure.

Bedroom Window

A look out my bedroom window including screen, cracks, garbage and all.

Rainbow

Heading to poker Saturday night and saw this faint rainbow in the sky. 

Another Sealift

The second container ship of the year arrived last week as the first ship was leaving.  The new windows and materials for the kitchen cabinets will be on the third ship scheduled to arrive on August 18th.  I'm feeling a little impatient.

Waiting for the barge to get back to the ship.

Unloading the barge.

NEAS's portable office.

The View

The American president will be on the View today.  I prefer the view from Nunavut.

Cant wait to get back to playing on my ATV.

The Moon

One thing about being south is the ability to see the moon again. 

The best photo I've taken of the moon so far.

Summer Flowers 2010

I'm having fun with my new macro lens.  It's hard to make sure the subject is focused because it is so small in the viewer.

These flowers are very small.  How small?

The pink thing at the top is my index finger.

More to come once I'm back in Cape Dorset.