Flying into Kugluktuk

Another view from the plane, raining in Kugluktuk

One of the many visitors sailing into the bay

Another sailor

A pod of Narwhals in the bay

The whale hunters out

Their first catch

Cutting the muttuk into rectangles

Cutting more muttuk

Then it was the women's turn to cut the meat with their ulu knives

No time to take off her helmet

Handing out the muttuk to the community

We are in one plane taking off while this one was heading into the bay

View of the tundra and waters

This was a large herd of muskox that we seen from the plane, about 20 in the herd in total

One of the fishermen's cabins at Ekalluk River with dry fish hanging

Arctic char drying

This is the fishermen's cook house and dining room at Ekalluk River

We invited Annie to come with us

Our head fisherman, Andy Mala, at Ekalluk River

Two of our contracted fishermen making a net

Stephane and Annie posing with the piffy (pronounced biffy: dry fish)

Andrea with James our pilot

I think James wanted to keep these cuties

Andrea, Andy's grandchild

Flying to Halovik River

 Landed safely at Halovik

 Sample of the Arctic char at Halovik River

 The men checking out the Arctic char

 Les' camp across the river

 James and Les

 The view from the river

 The beach area at Halovik

 One of the muskox across the river

 Two more muskox across the river

 Beautiful landscape heading back to CamBay

North Warning System site (the one with the white radar domes) and our airport

 A fly by of our tower

West side of Cambridge Bay, the long all blue building on your left is where I work 

Thank you YK

This week didn't really go as planned, I thought I would have my physio appointments in the morning and then be free for the rest of the day to shop, visit with friends and to explore more of Yellowknife but instead most of my time was spent at Stanton Hospital.  Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled that my physiotherapist Erica pushed to have all of the tests done and that we finally found out what is wrong with my ankle. Erica wished she had the CT results in front of her for me to take pictures, CT would show the injury much better.  She did bring up the x-rays and of course let me take pictures. She will be calling me in a couple of weeks to see how I am doing and in the future I may have to return here to see her again.  I did manage to get all of my little shopping done and to meet with our Yellowknife sales rep Jack today for lunch and a toot around Old Town.

After my appointments at Stanton this morning Jack met me shortly after lunch at the hotel and brought me into Old Town.  I forgot how much I adore this quacky piece of YK's history.  I really wished I had more time in Old Town but we did manage to head over to Weaver & Devore.  They have been in business forever and they sell everything from groceries to clothing, kinda like an old time general store.  They are one of our clients and I wanted to see what they were all about and to meet the owners. 

After that Jack took me across the street for lunch at Bullock's Bistro where I was introduced to Sam, the owner of this great restaurant and our largest client in Yellowknife.  I wish I would of taken inside pictures of this little gem as the walls, ceiling, bar, actually everything is either etched or written on by their guests.  There were many people dining and I didn't want to disturb their lunch with picture taking.

After lunch Jack drove around Old Town and some of the newer parts of Yellowknife and then returned me to my hotel room.  I am packed and ready to head out tomorrow morning, back to CamBay, can't wait to see everyone as it seems like I have been here forever.  Now don't get used to all of this blogging as our fall fish harvest awaits me and it goes from now until mid-September.  I will try to post at least once a week for you, until then....

Talk soon!

The bone that is out of place is on the left, smaller one where there is an 'opening' in the ankle area

This is a better view of the misplaced bone

My home away from home this past week, Stanton Hospital

Beautiful ground with loads of flowers

Close up view of some of the white and red straw flowers

Beautiful texture and colours

Weaver & Devore, one of our clients.

Bullock's Bistro in Old Town

 Their menu, Arctic char and muskox are from us

Sign on the side of the building

Arctic Flowers

I am still amazed at the flowers and grasses that grow in the Arctic.  On some hill sides the ground is covered in Purple Mountain Saxifrage and it looks like a sea of purple.  They are bright coloured and plenty in amounts and also varieties.  These plants grow in permafrost which is rock or soil that remains frozen all year.  Their growing period is short-lived usually only lasts about 2-3 weeks so I had to get out as much as possible to get pictures of these beauties.  Most of the flowers are about the size of a nickel or dime and sometimes even smaller and they all grow very low to the ground.  Some of the pictures are deceiving as they may look tall and large but they are not.  I have not identified many of these flowers so if any of you know what they are please feel free to email me.  Also please let me know if I identified any plant wrong.  I would love to get my hands on a plant book for the Arctic region, if you know of one...well you know what do to. 

I am sitting in a motel room in Yellowknife tonight doing the blog as I am here on medical.  I finally found out what is wrong with my ankle.  After seeing doctors, specialists, technicians and therapists they have all come to the conclusion (after looking at the CT scan) that I had torn and ruptured some ligaments/tendons in the ankle.  I am now the proud owner of a big ole boot that I have to wear for ??? I had never had such fast service in a hospital in my life especially seeing an orthopedic specialist and getting a CT scan done the same day.  I was told that 'Northern Folk' are pushed through the system fast as we are usually only in town for a short time.  I feel kinda bad for the people who have to wait months for a CT scan or to see a specialist, I guess there are advantages of living in the Arctic.  I thought I would have plenty of time to do sight-seeing, shopping and seeing a couple of people I know here (sorry Simone) but I have been spending most of the day at the hospital and then I am spent at night.  I hopefully only have one or two appointments on Thursday as I hope to see our sales rep for the plant, Jack.  I have talked to Jack many many times so it will be nice to put a face to the person I talk to daily.

Craig is having all of the fun back home as the first barge came in last weekend and our two crates were delivered today on our driveway.  I asked Craig to take some pictures of them so once back home I will share them with you.  It was alot of work for him to unload the crates by himself and I wish I was there to help him out but I know there will be re-organizing when I return...have you met me? haha  I do have pictures of the three barges docked but not on the laptop so you all will have to wait until I return to CamBay.  I can't remember everything that we purchased except for a year supply of toilet paper and kitty litter, should be interesting.

I am missing everyone back home, I feel like I should keep on going south to visit family and friends but Friday I head back to Cambridge Bay to my husband, my babies (dogs), friends, work and the land that I have grown to love.  Tonight's flower pictures are dedicated to my friend Trish back in Manitoba whom I know will appreciate seeing the Arctic Flowers and may even know the names of a couple.

Talk soon!

I know this isn't an Arctic flower but thought I would share.  It was the moon from last weekend - it's a treat to see darkness and the moon again

Arctic Poppies

Blitz standing in a field of green grasses

Beautiful valley where we now take the dogs for their romps, thank you Jim & Sheila for finding this gem.