Springtime In The High Arctic

I received the go ahead to pick up the Nikon again after my shoulder surgery so all weekend I was out shooting til my heart's content.  I really missed using the big camera even though the Panasonic is a good little camera there is nothing like holding the Nikon in your hands.  There were tons of things to shoot as springtime here in the Arctic has lots of subjects to photograph.  From the snow buntings, geese, gulls and sand cranes to the Omingmak Frolics and can't forget about the 24 hour daylight. 

Here are some of the migrating birds that have arrived, only exception is the raven as they are here all winter long. 

Snow buntings are the first ones arriving back to the Arctic 

and both Blitz & I enjoy watching them

The ravens have company now since the other birds are arriving

The herring gull

The white fronted goose

Sand crane flying over

The annual Omingmak Frolics started a week ago and will end today.  Honestly I didn't attend too many events this year only the parade and snow machine racing one evening.  Here are a couple of pics of the Frolics.

The beautiful Kakolak Avadluk translating at the opening ceremony.

Ollie the Muskox - the mascot for the frolics

The queen, king, princess and prince for this years' frolics

Snow racing

This was a close race from beginning to end.

May 21st, 2016 was the first day of 24 daylight in Cambridge Bay, NU and the tradition of taking Molly out to take some pics still happens.  You know you're getting old when...we took a nap about 10pm and was out by 11:30pm to scope the land to find the perfect spots.  We got home around 2am but I just couldn't stay up to edit the pics so they had to wait until the next morning. The skies were cloudy in the north where the sun was but it did make for some interesting pics and we were lucky enough to also see the moon in the south. Here are some pics from that night. 

This tent is set up for the frolics and thought it was a good

back drop for the moon and Molly.

We couldn't actually see the sun but it was bright out

Another pic of the moon and Molly

There are also hockey nets set up on the ice 

I love this pic of Molly and the bridge at Freshwater Creek

Even though the bridge is not big she looks so tiny on it 

Midnight hockey anyone?

HDR photograph of the tent on the ice

HDR of the Elder's Cabin and Freshwater Creek Bridge

taken at 12:24am May 21, 2016

Talk soon!

Playing Catch-Up

I realized that it has been over a month since my last posting.  Lots have happened since we returned from Arizona back in March.  At work it was the dreaded year end annual audit but in actuality it was pretty painless.  I was only back in Cambridge Bay for about a month then it was back down south, this time to Yellowknife for shoulder surgery.  I am about 2 weeks post op and the shoulder is coming along, still with some pain but the physiotherapist that I saw 1 day post op said this would be normal. He also told me I can't drive for 4-6 weeks, pick up the Nikon for 6-8 weeks, drive a quad for 6-8 weeks and full recovery should be around the 8-12 weeks.  So in other words many things that I love to do I can not do for now...thankfully I still have my little Panasonic that I can use with my right hand to take pics. 

Before the surgery I was asked to do a couple of shoots, one for a 'save the date' and the other was a anniversary/baby announcement.  I am starting to get a wee bit more comfortable in photographing people but I still get nervous before the shoot.  Here are a few of my favs.

Laura and Adrian at sunset

"Save the Date"

Laura and Adrian at one of my favourite spots in CamBay to photograph

Jane and Brandon

Jane has these baby kamiks so we had to include 

them in the photograph. 

Prior to my surgery we had the whole weekend to explore and shop in Yellowknife. We went out for some fine dining and took a long hike to Cameron Falls only to be disappointed that the falls were still frozen.  It was still a nice hike with the dogs on a beautiful spring day in NT.

There is a mining outdoor museum in Yellowknife so we explored the area a bit and took some pictures of the old trucks which they used.  There is also a sailing club next to it where we had to stop and take a couple of pics of the boats.

The sailing club of Yellowknife

On the trail to Cameron Falls, NT

 The bridge at Cameron Falls

After my surgery we flew into Winnipeg where we stayed at our friends place Sandy and Keith for a couple of days before we drove to Carman to see my mom.  We had Sunday brunch with my school friend of 30+ years Angie and her family and it was great to catch up and of course laugh at the silliest things. We also had the chance to explore the area to take a few pics, lots of opportunities to run the dogs and of course evenings of playing Gin Rummy. 

This old farm house was begging me to take a picture of it

I had some fun editing this pic of the dogs on the railroad tracks near my mom's

Gorgeous Manitoba sunsets

Hard to find the old elevators now and so glad I caught a pic of one

Molly & Blitz posing for me at granny's house

From Carman we drove to Winnipeg as the dogs had a vet appointment and we return on Monday as Miss Molly requires an ultra sound as her liver is not happy.  Hopefully it is just due to the medications and nothing too serious.  We then headed to Lac du Bonnet to visit with Craig's parents or also known as Nana & Papa.  Other than the wood ticks on the humans (maybe we should of taken some preventative) we are having a lot of fun and relaxing here.  Today Craig's sister Laura and her family, his Auntie Diana & Uncle Gerry and Auntie Margaret and Art will join us for a traditional LeBleu Saturday Hamburger Dinner.

Posing and waiting to head back into the water

I love Papa's wood pile so I had to photograph the dogs 

in front of it.

The sign on the truck's window says it's a 1943 Chevy and 

selling for $2000.00 - now how to get it back to CamBay with us. lol

I asked Craig to stop so I can take a pic of this old barn

just outside of Lac du Bonnet.  It is owned by the Mackintosh

Family and it is very cool.

Well I will close for now as company will be arriving shortly and Blitz and Molly needs to go outside for a romp in the water. 

Talk soon!