It's been over a month since my last blog posting so today is catch up day. July was busy at work as we started our annual Arctic char harvest. The first load was brought in July 9th and the last load was July 13. In this short amount of time the total weight was 12,540.5lbs. of dressed Arctic char. Our next harvest will start mid August where 3 river systems will be harvested and last for about three weeks. Here are some pics from this year's Surrey River harvest.
Annie & Alice sampling the char for Department of Fisheries & Oceans
Alice looking for the otolith
Every year I get a pic of Donna holding a char -
here's this years pic
Fine looking char!
Quitting Time
We had some elders working during harvest this year:
Annie, Annie, Mary and Margaret
Nunatsiaq News requested a pic of children enjoying their summer vacation so since we have a playground across the street I strolled over with camera in hand. The neighbourhood kids are good kids and play well together and if someone gets hurt at the playground they are all there to help wipe a tear or two. Here are some pics of the kids playing and a couple of our staff's girls.
Top row - Lindsay Marie Klengenberg, Sierra Hugluk, Zayden Klengenberg
and in the middle Paige Udlaoyak
This is the pic that Nunatsiaq News used
Cutie Pie Layla
Elaine is my buddy
This year the vets from Alberta came in July instead of August. It was right when the Surrey River harvest was happening so I couldn't volunteer as much as I would of liked. It was another successful year and Miss Molly had a suspicious looking lump removed from her left year and the good news is that is was just that...a lump. YAY!
Dr.Nessa doing surgery
If they wanted to, the owners were allowed to watch
Having some cuddle time with Kim
Some of the owners volunteered their time in the recovery department
This past Friday was the 4th Annual Polar Bear Dip and BBQ here in Cambridge Bay. The grand total raised from the BBQ and donations for recreation programming was $2,858.01. There was a total of 29 brave people taking the plunge, it is the highest turn out ever for this event. The day was a beautiful sunny day with air temperature at +17'c, water temperature +2.78'c (as per Ocean Networks Canada website) but most likely warmer by the shore, either way chilly!
Here are the crazy, I mean brave people before the dip
Brrrrr
High fives all around for the doctor and nurses
Christine after the dip...still smiling!
Lifeguard on duty
Cambridge Bay doesn't have many historic buildings, a few Northwest Company buildings around but the one that stands out across the bay where the town once was is the Old Stone Church. I have done many posting on the church but to recap it was built by Father Steinmann in 1954 and when it's doors opened it had 9 parishioners attending. In 2006 the wooden roof was destroyed by a deliberate fire. It remained without a roof until last year when a new roof was constructed and the stone siding was stabilized. The original stonework was constructed using seal oil and sand as the mortar and you can't tell where they repaired it. This year a steel roof was put on and when looking at old photos the green is pretty much the same colour as the original. Below are three pics of what the church looked like upon my arrival to CamBay and what it looks like now.
Roof missing and some stone had fallen
Last year's picture with the stone work completed and
the beginnings of a roof
New roof this year.
Last weekend Marg and I spent the day together and did some quadding around. We ended up zigging instead of zagging and I am happy that we did. We came across this old building along the shore and Marg thought it was an old medical centre for the Rangers. After I posted the pics on Facebook and put the question out there, this cabin belonged to the late Alan Ayak. Even though it is locked you can still look in the windows and one room has a bed still made in it and the other has some furnishings. I think it's a great little cabin and find.
The late Alan Ayak's cabin
The outhouse
Stone crosses on the property
This one was to the left of the cabin and on the way to the outhouse
Fishing is on the top of everyone's list during the summer months and we are making the best of it. Whether it's heading to the bottom of Mount Pelly to catch some lakers with Jim & Cathy or a short drive across the bay for some cod fishing we enjoy the fishing and spending time with friends. Adrian has a paddle board up here and he took Craig and Les to the floating dock by the Maud where the cod was plenty. We feasted on fish, both lake trout and cod the following night. There is nothing and I mean nothing like fresh fish to eat.
A little colour selection and playing around with editing this photo of
Adrian coming in on his paddle board
Off goes Craig with Adrian to the floating dock
and Les also
Craig caught a monster cod from the floating dock
Craig, Les and Adrian fishing by the Maud.
As you can see they are preparing the Maud to be lifted this year.
Brent caught an ugly sculpin
See you on the other side of the bay Adrian!
Our sun is finally setting with the sunrise about 3am and setting around 11pm. We have also been having some amazing weather about +17'c temps for a few days - not bad as our normal for this time of year is +11'c. The ice melt is late this year but what can you expect when the freeze was about a month early last year and hardly any snow this past winter. Along with the nice weather we had some amazing days of fog and one evening a rare Arctic thunderstorm which lasted and lasted.
This pic of Molly was taken in a favorite stream before the thunderstorm
Same stream, just the following day after the storm
Foggy on the bay
Even in the thick fog he found a caribou antler
and out of the fog came a huge seal
Zuleika & Hoopa's boys out on the ice floats fishing
Coming back to shore
Besides fishing on our free time we also have to take care of the well being of our dogs. What better way to make a water/bird dog happy...well you take them to the water. Here's some fun photos.
Early July and there was still ice and snow in some places
In fact there are still places with snow
She barks and barks
and barks and barks....
Goofball blowing bubbles in the water
Confirmed goofball
When she's not barking she has a lovely point
Speaking of points - how 'bout synchronized pointing?
Playing in the water
I call this Arctic Kissing Booth
Just me and my boy on Mt. Pelly enjoying life
We took a ride to Long Point, our beach, to see the sun and the
blue moon the other night and here are some pics.
Pointing at some loons
I asked them to sit for a picture and this is what I got
Wanted to pose them for a picture with the moon in the background
but those damn loons win every time
Love low tide
Taken about 10:15pm
Off into the sunset
Taken last Wednesday about 9:30pm
Pano view of Long Point with the blue moon on the left
and the sun on your right
Talk soon!
