Snow Formations

Not the best photos but I didn't have much choice because of the snowmobile trails and sun limiting the angles I could use.  These are as hard as concrete.  Before knowing any better I had went through a group at high speed and darn near lost control of the machine because there was no give in the snow.  If it stays nice this weekend I'm going exploring for some untouched drifts.

Doggies

Dog Team on the ice.

Igloo

The elders were teaching some of the younger children how to build an Igloo. Igloo is Inuktitut for house. The community of Igloolik, located in the Melville Peninsula just south of northwestern Baffin Island, means "place of houses" in english. It originally referenced the sod houses that were common there.

They build it right in the center of the snow mobile trail.

Not sure what happened last night.  This post was scheduled for today but it showed on sidebars as being published yesterday.  First time that has happened.  Anyway this is the mystery missing blog post.

Sun Fun Revisited

Last night just as the sun was setting I went out to get a last photo of the Sun.  Sorry about the power lines in the photo.  It might be the last sun we see for a few days because a blizzard is supposed to start tomorrow and stay until Saturday or even maybe Sunday.

Sun Fun

With all the ice crystals floating around in the air it is making for some nice atmospheric optics.

Pretty Parhelions (Sun Dogs)

This would have made for a cool photo but between the blowing snow, freezing hands and laying in the snow this was the best I could come up with.  Still kind of neat.

There was a 46 deg halo with this but it is impossible to get it in a photo without using a fisheye lens.  The 46 degree halo is classed as a rare optic.  Maybe someday I will invest in a fisheye lens.

Snowmobiling Day

Mark and I got out the last couple of days to snowmobile around the area.  Nice to finally get my machine up and running but I still need to install the voltage regulator, headlights and change the crankcase oil.  My shoulders and neck are now stiff and hurting.

Pretty snow formations.  The photo has been enhanced with Photoshop to show the textures.  I have to start trying some more black and white photography.

Mark and I posing by an enormous boulder left behind by a glacier.

Ahhh the solitude.

Mark at Inuksuk Point.

Even though it is warm for March (-22C) you had better keep covered up on the snowmachines.

I See You!

Alfie

The Lights Continue

It was a nice night for the Northern Lights Wednesday night.  I may have solved the problem with my camera by using an ISO of 200.  Haven't seen the red streaks and heavy pixelization of my photos at that setting.  Given the results below I would say it's working.  The exsposure settings on the first few is only 10 seconds to give you a feeling for how bright they were. 

Bright enough the snow was reflecting the green color.

This line of lights was just along the line of the clouds.

Kingait mountain in the background.

A line of lights just starting to creep across the sky.

It showed potential but quickly fizzled out.

I always like to end with the lights and Orion. 

Little Brother

So finally my little brother is here for a visit. The best use of my Airmile points yet.

Mark has been in the north before with the Canadian military when he did Arctic survival training in Resolute Bay. He got some wicked looking frostbite on that trip. This should be a warmer more comfortable visit. There will be much snowmobiling.

He did get the classic welcome to travelling in the Nunavut when he was 20 minutes from landing in Cape Dorset on Monday and the plane went mechanical. Apparently they could have landed but would not have been able to take off with the malfunctioning gadget. He was then told when arriving back in Iqaluit they would be taking off at 4pm, then 5pm, then 6 pm and finally they said the flight was cancelled. After a brief argument at the counter, First Air gave everyone a free room at the Frobisher Inn and a discount on the meals.

Mom and Dad had no idea Mark was coming and it took the efforts of several people to make sure everything stayed hush hush. Dad was at the airport to pick up a fellow employee and took several looks before he realized that it was Mark standing in the airport. Thought he was going to have some tears. Mom got the surprise later at their apartment after I had to go on a search mission to find her walking around town. There was tears then.

Mission successful and thanks to everyone who helped out keeping it a secret.

Quote of the day “I learned a long time ago how to lie to my parents.”
 
 

The plane, the plane!

The first sighting of my little bro.

Here he comes!

Unfourtunatly my photos when he got into the airport didn't turn out because there was to much jumping around.  There will be more photos over the next couple of weeks.

Good to have you here Bro!

Lights On

I missed the best part of the Northern Lights because I was mesmerized by the dancing and colors. Still I did manage to get a couple of good photos.

Depending on how you view things this could look like a dove or a screaming skull.

Looking straight up at the fading Northern Lights.

We don't have any trees here so I used a power pole as a substitute.  The ice fog was coming over the mountains causing the rest of my photos to show the reflection from the Hamlet lights.  That is what is causing the red to the left of the photo below.  You can see the clouds distorting the Northern Lights in the photo.

Hi Def Blog

I am not obsessed with my blog. Maybe if I put a third TV to the right.  Yaaa. 

This is also the 300th post on the blog.  Never thought it would last this long.

Cape Dorset

Back to home and work in Cape Dorset.

Flag outside the Government of Nunavut Regional Office.

Got home just in time for snow.

Odd Views

Last couple of photos from my trip to Iqaluit.  Whenever I was at the Navigator I would toss change onto this light tray that runs the length of the hallway.  It seems someone has picked it up since I was last there.  To bad they didn't clean it too.

One of the many crazy angles you will find at the Navigator.  The piles, the building sits on, are moving and lifting.  This is pushing walls, doors, windows and floors into weird angles and lumps.

That is my reflection in the window!

Post for Megan.

This is a special post just for Megan at the Snow-Covered Hills Blog.

If I can spot spelling and grammar errors it must be bad.  LOL.

This sign was posted outside the Caribou Cafe. 

Sugary Goodness

At the Baffin Mayors Forum I overheard a Mayor saying "The surgars good; it keeps you alert to ask more questions."

I try to avoid topics that are close to or about work because bloggers in the North get in trouble for that kind of stuff. So if any of my government readers think this should be taken off because it references the Baffin Mayors Forum and a quote from one unnamed Mayor, let me know and I will remove the post. Personally I don't think this crosses the line.

Favorite Morning Place

If you are in Iqaluit this is the best place in the world first thing in the morning.

This is the Caribou Cafe outside the Frobisher Inn at the Brown Building.