tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4236487540921089862024-02-21T02:21:25.184-06:00Chilling in NunavutNO LONGER ACTIVE.
This blog was to originally to share our adventures/experiences after moving from the GTA to the Canadian Arctic. We appreciate the journey we shared together. Feel free to browse through our posts, but this blog is no longer actively monitored or updated.Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10982357771442100963noreply@blogger.comBlogger295125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-423648754092108986.post-47568886591989172542014-06-19T08:00:00.000-05:002014-06-19T08:00:04.472-05:00Bye Bye Birdie...er...Baker12 hours.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking back at Baker form the lake</td></tr>
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The countdown stands at just under 12 hours from now, and when that hits zero, the Nunavut chapter of my (and Pepper's) life will come to an end and I will be touching down in Toronto (Lily's will last a while longer). While I am very excited to come back to Ontario and see friends and family again, part of me is still in denial about my impending departure. It's really hard to believe that everything we've experienced, the friends we've made, the challenges we've overcome...all of this is almost over. Granted, the friendships we've forged will last well beyond our time here, and we now have some amazing stories to tell our families, including ones that were much too inappropriate to mention on our blog. :-)<br />
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I say that I'm in denial, but really, it's just hard to fathom how quickly the past two years have passed. With all of our belongings gone, the house is now virtually empty. As I type this, I'm sitting on the couch, as my office chair was donated recently. All the little accents that make a house a home - photos, paintings, plants, decorations, etc. - are all winding their way back to Ontario already. For those of you who have us on Facebook, you know that our next stop after a brief reunion back home is Alberta. We're both really excited for this new chapter in our lives, and we know our families are much happier, now that we'll be much closer to hospitals, and more importantly, closer to them. It's also a heck of a lot cheaper to travel West than it is here.<br />
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There's lots I'm going to miss here, not least of which is the beautiful sunsets, which as of late, are happening shortly after midnight.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Midnight sun setting...</td></tr>
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There's also the silence. Nowhere else that I've lived has there ever been such absolute silence at night. I should point out though, that I'm speaking of winter. Now that daylight is near-constant, the roar of ATV's can be heard well into the wee hours of the morning.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mini-van of the north</td></tr>
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The Northern lights....spectacular. I may never see them again, but witnessing them up here was the experience of a lifetime.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Lights over Baker Lake</td></tr>
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Anyway, we are really thankful that all of you have enjoyed our blog, and followed our exciting journey in the North. Wherever we end up, we will aim to keep you in the loop like always.<br />
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-JJeffersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00971946702175472094noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-423648754092108986.post-18601363749631710782014-06-18T20:17:00.001-05:002014-06-18T20:17:30.988-05:00New Beginnings<br />
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It is with mixed emotions that we write this post because it feels like it is too soon in coming. It seems like just a short while ago that we arrived in Baker Lake with all the time in the world ahead of us. Alas, we have been here for just about 2 years and with that, our time here has come to an end.<br />
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When we decided to come north, we were so excited at the adventure that lay ahead of us...and Baker did not disappoint. We have made some amazing friendships and have grown a northern family that will forever be in our lives. We were welcomed into this small but overwhelmingly friendly community with open arms and open hearts - something that we will never forget. We had adventures, we made memories - and more importantly, we shared our lives, and lives were shared with us.<br />
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The next couple of posts will be us wrapping things up, reminiscing and saying our goodbyes. What will become of this blog, you ask? Well, we will leave it up for comments and questions - and will monitor the email address (nunavutchillers at gmail dot com) because we feel it is important to help others moving to the north as much as they need. We know it was difficult to find current/"live" blogs when we were researching, and we want to keep that line of communication open for whoever needs it.<br />
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As the sun sets on this chapter of our lives and we await the rising of the moon for our next adventure, we want to say thank you for joining us on this journey and for being as supportive of us as we navigated these (frozen) waters. We hope you enjoyed our time together - because we certainly did! Who knows, maybe our next adventure will lead to more tales...the world is our oyster!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full moon over a semi-frozen Baker Lake - June 13,2014</td></tr>
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Love,<br />
Lily, Jeff & PepperLilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10982357771442100963noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-423648754092108986.post-15087920874691330182014-06-07T15:12:00.000-05:002014-06-07T15:12:00.049-05:00The Bachelor LifeAt the end of our last post, Lily mentioned our posting schedule was going to be intermittent. This is a nice way of saying she was going to the Iqaluit office for a week, and the likelihood that I would remember to post every few days was low. Well, here it is a week later, and I'm finally getting around to it, so good call, honey. <div>
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With Lily away on business, Pepper and I have been relish...sorry, suffering the freedom that only males can fully appreciate. In all honesty, Pepper seems happy enough, but at night, he watches out the window, expecting Lily to come home, and finally gives up each night with a sigh and comes to bed. Other than the part about looking out the window, my routine is pretty similar. We keep in touch by phone usually once a day or so, but it's not the same. </div>
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I'm proud to say that there are no dishes stacked in the sink, and the laundry is folded and put away. This may seem fairly trivial to some of you, but believe me, these are bigger steps than you can appreciate. They shouldn't be, but they are, for now. ;-p</div>
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Lily and I recently committed to only eating what we had in our pantry or fridge/freezer, and only buying perishables like dairy and vegetables. On account of this, Pepper and I have been suffering through steak for a few days (the horror!). He seems not to mind as much, because he's a trooper. I just looked over at him for confirmation, and he yawned, which is dog-speak for many things, including "That's right, Jeff!". </div>
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This week has been a lot of cleaning, organizing, and job-hunting (now that school's out, I'm unemployed), and planning ways to make my wife happy (the penguin, walrus, sea lion, monkey, and pony are all on order). Seriously, we can't watch any more films with animals in them, because if they're cute, she wants one. It looks like I'll be better off just buying Marineland and African Lion Safari, and it would certainly be easier than trying to find space for those animals in our house. </div>
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Lily will be back in a few days, and both Pepper and I will be better for it. Come home soon and safely honey. We miss you. </div>
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-J & P</div>
Jeffersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00971946702175472094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-423648754092108986.post-31331871774940042742014-05-26T08:00:00.000-05:002014-05-26T08:00:06.788-05:00Further to that....Lily mentioned in our last post that Spring in Baker Lake isn't all fun.<br />
Allow me to add my 2 cents on the subject.<br />
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We have regaled everyone with numerous tales of Mother Nature's fury up here, blizzards, whiteouts, etc. You would think then, that as extreme as winter is in Baker Lake, everyone is breathing sighs of relief now that spring is finally here. Not so.<br />
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To give you some perspective, I spent a year living in Uganda back in 2000. When I arrived, it was the wet season. It sucked. I prayed for the dry season to arrive. When it finally did....I prayed for the wet season to return. Now, Uganda's climate is a little harsher than Nunavut's, and at the almost opposite end of the temperature spectrum. Still, I understand why winter is so popular here. First, it's the longest season by a wide margin. Ergo, if you don't want to be angry all the time, you need to, if not openly embrace, then at least tolerate 8-9 months of often mind-numbingly, we-are-crazy-to-have-moved-to-such-an-inhospitable-place cold weather.<br />
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Also, as Lily mentioned, there are bugs in the summer. Seriously, we get maybe a month of summer, and most of it is plagued with a cloud of stinging insects. It's like Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, in insect form. I've camped in Northern Ontario in the summer, and that was pretty bad - almost a four on the Baker Lake scale.<br />
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Lastly, as Lily also mentioned: MUD. There are no paved roads here, the grading is inconsistent, and April didn't bring us showers, but nothing flower-like rhymes with "deluge". Last night it felt like a giant big bad wolf was trying to blow our house down (luckily, we used brick), and this morning, the roads were like rivers.<br />
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Despite all of this, it's nice to break out the windbreaker, and pack the thermal underwear away for another few months, until winter slaps us in the face again, likely by the end of September. Crazy.<br />
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-J<br />
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<i>PS - our posting schedule is going to be a little less regular for the next while, but we promise to check in at least once a week. Thanks for your understanding!</i>Jeffersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00971946702175472094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-423648754092108986.post-70938458064562817232014-05-21T08:00:00.000-05:002014-05-21T08:00:06.699-05:00Spring: Not all fun and gamesIt's definitely spring here - the temperatures are consistently above 0 (though not by much) and the snow has pretty much melted away. There is mud. So much mud. But then the mud dries up and there is dirt. So much MORE dirt. It's everywhere.<br />
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There are also flies now. They buzz around and around until they drop out of the air and you find little fly bodies around. It's....not pleasant. In fact, it's the complete opposite of pleasant. Like his mother, Pepper is not a huge fan of the flies either, and I kid you not, we watched him swat one down out of the air when it was buzzing around him, and then walk away like it was no big deal. (I keep telling Jeff we have a superdog, but I'm not sure he's buying it)<br />
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So. See? Sometimes the colder weather is good! :)<br />
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-LLilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10982357771442100963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-423648754092108986.post-34276544144322230242014-05-19T21:44:00.000-05:002014-05-19T21:44:06.211-05:00Where did the time go?My, how time flies.<br />
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Two years ago, on the May long weekend, we flew into Baker Lake for the first time for our site visit, to help us decide if moving here was the right decision for us. It seems like it was ages ago that we first landed here, amazed at the ten foot snowdrifts but otherwise pleasant weather. <br />
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Here is a short re-cap of things we have experienced since arriving that we will treasure as memories for years to come:<br />
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<i><b>Ice-fishing.</b></i> Granted, ice-fishing is not exclusive to the Arctic, and is common enough in Ontario. However, if we were back home, I would expect to be in some sort of shelter, with a gas-powered auger, iPad, cell phone, radio, and a small BBQ for food. Manually carving a 7 foot hole, using rudimentary fishing poles (handles would be more accurate), and being completely disconnected from technology for a day was exhilarating and refreshing.<br />
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<b><i>The Northern Lights.</i> </b>On the rare occasion when we did see them, they were breathtakingly beautiful, and did seem to dance in the air at times.<br />
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<i><b>Square-dancing.</b></i> I know what you're thinking - square-dancing happens all over Ontario. Trust me - you need to discard your understanding of square-dancing when you come up here. It's like the Ironman of square-dances. Baker recently hosted a tournament which drew teams from all over the region. The dancing was quasi-similar to the South, as was the music. The difference? 30 solid minutes of non-stop dancing. I think the winners should be the team that's still standing afterwards.<br />
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<b><i>Blizzards.</i></b> I know you folks in the South think you've seen blizzards. You haven't. Trust me.<br />
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<b><i>Friends.</i></b> We made a lot of friends while we were here, and we really lucked out with our neighbours, coworkers, students, and many other people in town.<br />
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On the flip side, there are a few Northern staples that we will definitely not miss when we do decide to leave. Chief amongst those are:<br />
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Not coming home to find one's house reeking of the smell of sewage;<br />
Not paying exorbitant prices for food, air travel, and shipping costs;<br />
Not seeing snow for 9 months of the year;<br />
Not being unable to get home because the roads are blocked with 4 foot drifts of snow;<br />
Not being ridiculously far away from our families and old friends (that's friends from before Baker Lake, not necessarily old-aged, although possibly also applicable);<br />
Not having to worry as much about pedestrians ignoring oncoming traffic.<br />
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I'm sure there will be more recollections and pearls of wisdom as more time passes. For now, we are focused on today, but these memories will be with us forever.<br />
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-JJeffersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00971946702175472094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-423648754092108986.post-19545657176496812092014-05-14T08:00:00.000-05:002014-05-14T08:00:05.004-05:00Hamlet Week: Dog RacesLast week was hamlet week in Baker, and there were plenty of scheduled games and activities for the community. One of the big events was a 3-day dog race out on the lake towards a point about 30 minutes away from town. To win, the team with the best combined time over the 3 days got first place. I believe the time difference between the 1st and 2nd teams were a mere six seconds!<br />
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I went down with a friend and her kids, and we had fun watching them take off. Teams left at two minute intervals and it was neat to see the different kinds of dogs running.<br />
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It was a beautiful evening when we got to the lake, and plenty of people were already there to see the teams set up. <br />
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The lake was actually pretty slushy since it's been warm-ish, which made it hard to run, I imagine. But the dogs seemed to be in good spirits and they were eager to get going!<br />
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Listen closely to the kids talking in the background. The little one keeps insisting they are reindeer racing, and her brother is trying to explain that they are doggies. My goodness, the cuteness while surrounded by children and puppies...it was almost too much to handle!<br />
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Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10982357771442100963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-423648754092108986.post-41703288842773200522014-05-12T08:00:00.000-05:002014-05-12T08:00:04.690-05:00My perfect wifeWhen it comes to anything food-related, Lily is the undisputed queen in town. She constantly strives for perfection in every dish.<br />
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In most respects, being married to a perfectionist can be exasperating and frustrating. When that perfection streak is applied to food, however, it is a most welcome blessing. The reason is that even food failures, by Lily's standards, are exceptional dishes by mine, and I daresay, most others as well.<br />
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For Mother's Day this year, Lily cooked a delicious Beef Wellington. Sadly, despite its excellent taste and design, it did not turn out quite as well as she had hoped. She has vowed that she will re-create the masterpiece she intended.<br />
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As much as it may pain Lily if and when future kitchen mishaps occur, I, for one, look forward to them almost as much as her masterpieces.<br />
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-J<br />
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P.S. Happy Mother's Day!Jeffersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00971946702175472094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-423648754092108986.post-6900907582890763902014-05-09T08:00:00.000-05:002014-05-09T08:00:02.737-05:00Jeff: On the LandEarlier this week, I received a pleasant surprise - an invitation to go on a land trip! I realize that may sound a little strange to some of you, so let me explain.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>In Nunavut, 'going out on the land' is akin to going hunting or fishing; the latter, in this case. As soon as the weather begins to warm up (again, for you Southerners, 'warm' will appear to be a misnomer) in late April, the high school organizes land trips for its senior grades, where elders will take students onto the lake to teach them how to ice-fish. Well, to be accurate, how to cut a 7-feet deep ice well so that the relatively easy fishing part can happen. As mentioned, this is perspective for anyone not from Nunavut. The weather is relatively warm now, so the lake is only frozen to a depth of 7 feet. Only. Outside of Baker Lake, the only thing I can think of made of ice that thick is what caused the Titanic to sink.<br />
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Anyway, we set out early in the morning, and our trusty guides loaded us into homemade kamatiks, or wooden sleds, which were towed by snowmobiles along a bumpy path out to an area called Prince River Point. (You can see one of the elders repairing the sled runners below).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy-8RHhgtsAAsClfS9UWXSSBBBkhUXbx73TLBwLyD4EPe9LqCXDeg-278pEqefbhY_Gq3E6LFza205Ui_KxabTSQOv9BERbYfwSnxGAPQk6kkpMAgj17By1DyKzRrevWOhrhYEoiGRcQ3n/s1600/DSC04992b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy-8RHhgtsAAsClfS9UWXSSBBBkhUXbx73TLBwLyD4EPe9LqCXDeg-278pEqefbhY_Gq3E6LFza205Ui_KxabTSQOv9BERbYfwSnxGAPQk6kkpMAgj17By1DyKzRrevWOhrhYEoiGRcQ3n/s1600/DSC04992b.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Anyone who had money had to bury it before we left, as having money on one's person on a trip to the land is considered bad luck. I wish I'd brought a pillow to soften the bone-jarring thumps incurred along the way. That aside, we couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. It was almost windless out on the lake, so we didn't bother setting up the tent, and instead focused our efforts on fixing the auger, which failed to start.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a minute while we work on the auger!</td></tr>
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Undaunted, we began manually digging our ice fishing holes. I should note there that I had only a cursory idea of how much effort goes into a fishing hole, especially when there is 7 feet of ice to chop through.<br />
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The tool being used is essentially a 7 foot long flat-bladed spear, and the best method is to chop downwards, then twist the blade in a rough circle. After you get tired of chopping, which happens quite quickly, the next step is to use a rounded shovel to scoop the ice out of the hole. What makes it more challenging is that the hole fills with water about halfway down, so you have to carve the hole more by feel than visually. On average, it took about an hour to finally break through the ice. One of the elders on our trip, is the current Baker Lake (and possibly Nunavut-wide) record-holder for digging the fastest ice hole, which he clocked in at an incredible sub-15 minutes.<br />
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Once we had the first hole cut, we scooped some of the virgin ice into pots and kettles to boil water for what would later become tea and delicious caribou stew, made by another elder.<br />
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She and another elder also made fantastic bannock, which has two key ingredients - flour, and lard. A little scoop of peanut butter for protein, and Bob's your uncle.<br />
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One of the first fish caught was done so with one of the smallest hooks, which made it even more impressive. Later that day, the second and last fish of the day was caught, an impressive 8-pounder.<br />
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Other highlights of the day: running into a few locals who stopped by to say hello, being regaled by an elder with tales of meeting and touring with the legendary John Denver (he now translates English country songs into Inuktitut, and played his version of 'Goodnight Irene' for me), and watching one of my students try to sneak up on a ptarmigan on the ice.<br />
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Truly, it was a beautiful day out on the lake, and I know I will miss moments like these later on. <br />
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-JJeffersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00971946702175472094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-423648754092108986.post-33283701931375225292014-05-07T08:00:00.000-05:002014-05-07T08:00:09.841-05:00It's Not You, It's Me.I'm beginning to think that I'm cursed when it comes to traveling. Specifically trying to get home. This past week I was in Iqaluit for work and the travel woes that came with the trip were indeed, woeful.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>There was a group of 14 of us traveling from Baker to Iqaluit and they decided to charter a plane for us all. Don't worry, it sounds way more exciting than it was. I was hoping it would be a cool jet and we'd be high-rollers in the skies, but it was...the complete opposite. There wasn't even a washroom on board, boohoo. I'm not tall by any means, and I couldn't stand straight up in it...so imagine the fun that everyone else had trying to maneuver themselves on.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiISYnrbuvri1lZsc-Zb3IqFS5m6RVwWk_1vpx0CW1EUEHImJLZSO6QtxPL_35DJa8PGhcCLm3_e2QQxQyyiAlIA77IbRNlLlnQEy75rjsyLZDXiRshviPy1yShz4M5fwp_YS8TU6MlkYMo/s1600/DSC04975b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiISYnrbuvri1lZsc-Zb3IqFS5m6RVwWk_1vpx0CW1EUEHImJLZSO6QtxPL_35DJa8PGhcCLm3_e2QQxQyyiAlIA77IbRNlLlnQEy75rjsyLZDXiRshviPy1yShz4M5fwp_YS8TU6MlkYMo/s1600/DSC04975b.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Load up your own luggage!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH0D4wVjY6AQxySPeQohYaQyU6eB16cES7g6YiyiIIBzkrndusEQ60jRmX89S7uFJ1Hxs93gsUMhF2lL45dMXvrbSa2ZcqJjb7mSa1OeY4etq9Zw74qlzcHhCgY7DkFdylPS9jQzT7wFMx/s1600/DSC04976b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH0D4wVjY6AQxySPeQohYaQyU6eB16cES7g6YiyiIIBzkrndusEQ60jRmX89S7uFJ1Hxs93gsUMhF2lL45dMXvrbSa2ZcqJjb7mSa1OeY4etq9Zw74qlzcHhCgY7DkFdylPS9jQzT7wFMx/s1600/DSC04976b.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was awkwardly leaning against the back - it was cozy in there!</td></tr>
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The fuel tank wasn't very large, so we were originally going to make 2 stops before we got into Iqaluit. However, the wind was kind to us so we were able to make it with only 1 stop. I had never been in the Coral Harbour airport before, so chalk that up to a new experience too!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSK0OHD9wXRFv6YJ91sZFIX4o6fy_VhAW3qrczpGnxmMlyK1SWrUJclsKTCalE5lLGMLOK7ssUfyd6ApbhvRtMGfCfyHDESVIkh6_vMnI36iZz0rigg5JvAZb9iI46ZRQCBdUs3d4Uojh/s1600/DSC04979b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSK0OHD9wXRFv6YJ91sZFIX4o6fy_VhAW3qrczpGnxmMlyK1SWrUJclsKTCalE5lLGMLOK7ssUfyd6ApbhvRtMGfCfyHDESVIkh6_vMnI36iZz0rigg5JvAZb9iI46ZRQCBdUs3d4Uojh/s1600/DSC04979b.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Airports in the north are small!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYt6xGA0Xo8LkO1N49Qn5zY9o9_jcXJQyH96Wv0FXcfUx4edqrfetflNLG09NcXyVFjeH6Lw7oDVit1EsZNLEwNyGlhf1XmW_ezP2nwmz-b5zmv8nL72OaMpd7gmzcmiL7_M1fk4hLka-5/s1600/DSC04981b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYt6xGA0Xo8LkO1N49Qn5zY9o9_jcXJQyH96Wv0FXcfUx4edqrfetflNLG09NcXyVFjeH6Lw7oDVit1EsZNLEwNyGlhf1XmW_ezP2nwmz-b5zmv8nL72OaMpd7gmzcmiL7_M1fk4hLka-5/s1600/DSC04981b.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome to Coral Harbour!</td></tr>
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Anyhoo, we got into Iqaluit earlier than expected and the week was full of training, food and frivolity.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzGOaxstRfzFt7feawr-k_2G08yUFEQMllzms1y3b_Y1lMe5R7rDuMQN9MKIZswjoISzVGPeVeE0E0jd7AX592I1NSNP-JoXkdJTICJjGObBZ3CN0D_z2MUrhzzc2wK1wF0852n7tHY0Pf/s1600/DSC04987b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzGOaxstRfzFt7feawr-k_2G08yUFEQMllzms1y3b_Y1lMe5R7rDuMQN9MKIZswjoISzVGPeVeE0E0jd7AX592I1NSNP-JoXkdJTICJjGObBZ3CN0D_z2MUrhzzc2wK1wF0852n7tHY0Pf/s1600/DSC04987b.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love this view.</td></tr>
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Our way back was where the adventure kicked in. We were supposed to leave on Thursday and be home for dinner in Baker. When we got to the airport, we were told that the weather in the region didn't look good - lots of fog was rolling in and we weren't sure we were going to be able to land. Shame, since the weather in Iqaluit was beautiful and we weren't prepared for the wrench in our plans.<br />
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Long story short, we waited for a few hours and decided that we were going to attempt to go but with a different fuel stop en route. The kicker was that 1 person had to stay back to lighten the load and get us further (eek?). We eventually got on the plane, less 1 passenger + his luggage, and we were off to Rankin Inlet!<br />
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Unfortunately, when we got to Rankin, the fog was pretty thick. The pilots tried to land but when we broke through the fog, I could see that we were on one side the runway was to the far right of us...we pulled back up and went to Churchill, Manitoba instead. We fueled up there and the pilots decided that we were going to go straight to Baker Lake from Churchill (about 1.5 hours). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm-EMUoMXXYqclqT2PWTC36PoY-gE4OL4deB8RC1vuCYAA3_az0Tx6n8NoqewYgSY-35PZoKK_7QBqiMx5STj_JGtpvktlJGAuTAuAsKMeT3mfs2wdPQvvwYe7S1lmKWLTjQLHRInquSUX/s1600/DSC04990b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm-EMUoMXXYqclqT2PWTC36PoY-gE4OL4deB8RC1vuCYAA3_az0Tx6n8NoqewYgSY-35PZoKK_7QBqiMx5STj_JGtpvktlJGAuTAuAsKMeT3mfs2wdPQvvwYe7S1lmKWLTjQLHRInquSUX/s1600/DSC04990b.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Churchill is known for polar bears. There are a lot of polar bear things. Everywhere.</td></tr>
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We flew to Baker and attempted to land - this time, we didn't even break through the fog before we pulled up again...and headed back to Churchill. There was no way we were going to get into Baker with the thick fog, so we would try in the morning. But! Once we got to Churchill, we kept flying in circles. No really, we circled like an air-shark for 30 minutes. The pilots didn't mention anything for the first bit, so we were all worried that something was wrong. Turns out they were waiting to land because a Medevac had priority and was getting ready to take off with a patient. By the time we landed, it was after 12am and we had been traveling for about 12 hours (on a trip that was supposed to take about 4 hours). Scrambling, we found a hotel that could accommodate us and called it a night.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7DFiXjHKf2h0sqQqmQzX_J7b6iXKyTmNCQNYo1NwPZJoAs6kCUgj46-z09xREU4WbQWx8zJ-C0ctH6hHv__nBDm6wtSGatNpnc5MUo8j22KjQmJAn2fe7Ozb0-6t7rHb912Zuzn6fNpyr/s1600/churchill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7DFiXjHKf2h0sqQqmQzX_J7b6iXKyTmNCQNYo1NwPZJoAs6kCUgj46-z09xREU4WbQWx8zJ-C0ctH6hHv__nBDm6wtSGatNpnc5MUo8j22KjQmJAn2fe7Ozb0-6t7rHb912Zuzn6fNpyr/s1600/churchill.jpg" height="320" width="263" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was getting to this point...</td></tr>
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The next morning, we returned to the airport and waited. And waited. And waited some more. The fog still wasn't lifting much in Baker according to the forecast, so they weren't sure they wanted to make the attempt. The kicker was that if we didn't make it, we would have to turn around and possibly go even further south into Manitoba since the fog in the region was pretty nasty. The call was finally made to attempt it, and we were off to Baker. Thankfully, the ceiling had risen while we were on our way, and we made it home shortly after lunch on Friday....we all broke out into applause when we landed because we were so excited!<br />
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Someone said that traveling in the spring (April-May ish) is actually tougher in the north because of the unpredictable fog. Snow and storms can be forecast somewhat in advance, but fog can just show up.<br />
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Hrmmm, so the last 2 times I've tried to get back to Baker, I've had some pretty terrible delays...maybe Baker is trying to tell me something! So the moral of the story is, it's probably my fault you're going to be delayed on your flight home. Just call it the "Lily Lag" ;)<br />
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-LLilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10982357771442100963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-423648754092108986.post-35695575847828649952014-05-05T08:00:00.000-05:002014-05-05T08:00:11.459-05:00Square Dance ShowdownOur community loooooves to dance. There are dances held almost every week at the community hall, and it's always a social event to go. Most people know how to jig and square dancing is the main form of entertainment from young to old.<br />
<br />Different communities have different styles of square dancing, and groups will travel around to showcase their talent. Baker Lake hosted the Square Dance Show Down a couple of weeks ago and groups from all over the region came to dance. A friend and I went to go check it out because some students from the school were dancing and we wanted to see what a showdown looked like, and the costumes.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These girls had matching dresses and beautiful kamiks (sealskin boots)</td></tr>
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What I didn't realize was that each group danced for 30 minutes. THIRTY. Minutes. Straight!! I was exhausted watching! I am in awe of the stamina of dancers, but you could see the sweat dripping off them by the end. It looked tiring, that's for sure! On the night we went, everything was supposed to start at 9, but an announcement came on around 9:30 that things would be delayed because they needed a drummer - and the back-up drummer was finishing his hockey game. Haha...if people like dancing here, they LOVE hockey...so of course no one minded the wait!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baker Lake Band!</td></tr>
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The actual event started around 10 in the evening, so unfortunately we didn't get to stay for the whole thing since it was a school night and we needed our sleep, but we did see the finalists for the youth groups. I took a quick video to share; this is the youth group from Rankin Inlet:<br />
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It was a fun night and I'm so happy I got to see it!<br />
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-LLilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10982357771442100963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-423648754092108986.post-60891380029434025182014-05-02T08:00:00.000-05:002014-05-02T08:00:10.075-05:00Our Puppy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I mentioned in my previous post that I have a little more time off now, and it allows me to do more things during the day. One of those 'things' is to spend more time with our puppy, Pepper, and he is just so adorably cute at times, it's disgusting. At 7 pounds, he is going to remain that cute forever, and will probably remain as yappy as he is now.<br />
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His cuteness is a topic that crops up far more frequently than it really deserves to, especially since the dog has no idea what cute is, or that he possesses it in abundance. Here are a few of the ways in which our puppy oozes cuteness:<br />
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1. His mad skills. OK, that's silly. We have taught him a few tricks though, and when he does them (i.e. when you hold a treat in front of his nose), he is super-adorable. So far, he knows 'sit', 'lie down', 'high five' (which is really more like high-ten, but whatever), 'roll over', and 'stay'. He knows the command 'kisses' when Lily says it, but has selective hearing when I say it. 'Kisses' means stop whatever you're doing, sprint into Lily's lap, and cover her face in kisses. A good pick-me-up for days when Mommy is sad.<br />
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2. His head-twisting. I think every dog I've ever met tilts their head when asked a question they don't understand. Our dog does it repeatedly in a row, which is hilarious to watch, and he likes to alternate sides, almost as if he were doing neck stretches.<br />
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3. When our dog is upset, he barks. Loudly. We have tried ignoring it, but he seems to feel this is an invitation to bark louder and more frequently, because clearly, his owners can't hear him. One method I've employed with moderate success is barking back at him. This, too, has its consequences. The most effective method so far is to yell "Hey!!". This seems to momentarily stun him. He will invariably bark again, and I will yell "Hey!" once more. At this point, he will stare at me intently, then bark again, but quieter. I will say "Hey!" to him in a slightly lowered voice. He and I will continue barking and saying 'hey' to each other, getting more quiet each time. Finally, he will make a noise that sounds like 'hmph', then admit defeat and be quiet.<br />
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4. Eye contact. My parents have owned three Labrador retrievers, and while they would look at you from a distance, if you tried to make sustained eye contact with them, they would quickly look away. Pepper, on the other hand, will gaze into our eyes for long periods of time and has often won staring contests with us. Some dog trainers suggest this is because the dog is looking to us for information about food, but if that were the case, the Labradors would have never stopped looking at us. Whatever the case, his soul-searching gaze into his parents' eyes is super cute.<br />
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5. His tail. Most Yorkies have their tails clipped shortly after birth, but Pepper's was left intact, which we love, because it's unique. It's like a little Swiffer duster on his back, and it somehow makes him even cuter.<br />
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6. His vampire teeth. With a big dog, you can see almost all of their teeth when they pant, or eat food, or whatever. Pepper's teeth are so small, you can really only see his two bottom incisors when he eats or barks, so it looks like he's a little vampire. Again, cuteness to the moon.<br />
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7. His human qualities. Pepper has a few characteristics that make him seem eerily similar to humans. The first, as mentioned, is his grumpy 'hmph' bark when he is frustrated. The second, and the more adorable, is when he sighs. It sounds just like a human would do it, and he makes it sound like the entire world is on his shoulders when he does it. I think his cheeks even puff out a bit.<br />
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8. Last, but not least, is the way he lays down on Lily. Sometimes on his back, with his legs in the air, and sometimes curled into a tiny ball; either way, he is the epitome of cute when he is snuggling/guarding his Mommy.<br />
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He is a super cute animal, and whether he knows it or not, he has burrowed his way into our hearts.<br />
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-J Jeffersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00971946702175472094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-423648754092108986.post-12038825489053701732014-04-30T08:00:00.000-05:002014-04-30T08:00:00.626-05:00You Ask, We Answer!A while back, I asked you to <a href="http://nunavutchillers.blogspot.ca/2014/04/ask-nunavut-chillers.html" target="_blank">send us your questions</a> and we would answer whatever you came up with. You certainly didn't let us down!<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>Q: Do you see a lot of polar bears/wildlife?</b><br />
<i>A:</i> We don't actually see polar bears here because we are in-land (the only community in the territory that is not on a coast) We do have arctic hares and foxes and wolves as our common wildlife. On the rare occasion, caribou will come through town but they tend to stay on the outskirts away from us all.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside my office - April2013 - can you see the caribou?</td></tr>
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<b>Q: How do I get a job in Nunavut? </b><br />
<i>A: </i>We get a lot of varying forms of this question - from people who are fresh out of school or people with a lot of experience looking to make a change in their careers. My answer is pretty much the same as though you asked me about find a job in the south - there is work to be had, but you have to look for it. I think some people are under the impression that employers in the north are desperate for employees, but the hiring process is the same - you still need to find the job, apply, go through the steps, etc. Now, some places take a long time from when you apply to when they get around to start calling for interviews (I've heard some places take up to a year to fill a role), so things may move a little slowly. Research what you want to find work in and find their websites and go from there. There are a lot of government jobs posted for the territory, so I would suggest looking at the GN website as a starting point.<br />
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</b> <b>Q: What do you do for fun?</b><br />
<i>A:</i> Baker Lake is a small community, so we spend a lot of time entertaining ourselves with books, tv, movies and so on when we are regulated inside, but we also spend a lot of time with the friends we have made here. It is not uncommon to have spontaneous movie nights, tea dates or casual dinners. We don't have any recreational vehicles ourselves, so we are limited in how far out we can go on the land, but we often go for walks around town and enjoy the fresh air when we are able to.<br />
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</b> <b>Q: How do you deal with the crazy cold?</b><br />
<i>A:</i> Let's be honest - we are not outside living on the land, nor having to walk across town every day. We are very comfortable in our well-heated house, and in our well-heated places of work. We get rides to/from work and anywhere we need to be, plus, if we do need to walk somewhere it is a pretty short distance (usually from our house to the neighbours') On the very rare occasion we have had to walk for far distances, we have a ridiculous (I have a shopping problem) amount of scarves, mitts, hats, earmuffs, sweaters, snow pants, long johns...the list goes on. One of the biggest purchases we made before coming north was our Canada Goose parkas, and we don't regret one penny of it. Once you get over the sticker shock when you buy it, you certainly count your blessings when it is -60 and the wind is +90 km/h.<br />
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<b>Q: Is the cost of food really that high?</b><br />
<i>A:</i> Yes and no. It is high compared to the prices we came from, certainly. However, the cost of some things are fairly reasonable (and in rare cases, cheaper than in the south) because of the Nutrition North program. The cost of processed foods, junk foods and snacks are astronomical. I will never get over the cost of $3/can of pop or $7 for a box of cereal. We get around it by finding online retailers that will ship food, or there are companies that will buy things in the south and ship them to us for a subsidized rate. Or, we suck it up and buy what we can from the store (begrudgingly) and learn to make things ourselves. I have been able to learn a lot of recipes while being here that has allowed us to enjoy many treats that I refuse to pay crazy prices for - and in turn, we are eating less processed foods and are being much healthier over all.<br />
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<b>Q: Why do you complain about the cost of food if you made the choice to move to the north and make boatloads of money?</b><br />
<i>A:</i> I don't think that's a fair statement because our financial situation really has nothing to do with bringing awareness to the issue of unfair pricing of food. There are plenty of studies and reports about how the territory boasts some of the highest rates of food insecurity, poverty and unemployment in the country. Are we complaining? Yes, absolutely. But we are bringing to light the fact that it is highly suspect that the cost should be as vastly different as it is, for the people who can least afford it. We made the choice to come here, that is true. However, there are plenty of people who have no choice but to be here (and don't be one of those people who say, "well then they should all move" because that's a whole other conversation we would need to have) and they are the ones that are being treated the most unfairly by greedy corporations.<br />
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</b> <b>Q: Do you see the northern lights all the time?</b><br />
<i>A:</i> Nope, although we wish we did. The first time I saw them, it looked like streaks of white light in the sky....I was hoping it would be the dancing lights like we see in pictures, but no. We have only had a handful of nights in the nearly 2 years we have been here when we have seen the picturesque lights that are photo-worthy. Other communities have much better views from what we understand. I do know that it is best to catch them late at night when it is very, very cold out.<br />
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<b>Q: What has been your favourite experience so far?</b><br />
A: Hands down, meeting some very amazing people that we hope will be lifelong friends no matter where we all end up. The friends we have made here have made being away from our southern family and friends so much easier. In terms of experiences, I will say that mine so far has been learning how to drive a Ski-Doo and going out on the land on the back of an open sled. It still amazes me that we could be 20 minutes away from town and literally be in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nothing but open sky and no signs of civilization as far as the eye could see. I loved every part of that day and hope to have more to add to my memory bank.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pardon the messy hair - being pulled on a sled does that!</td></tr>
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I had a lot of fun answering your questions! If you have questions you would like answered, please contact us! <br />
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-LLilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10982357771442100963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-423648754092108986.post-51543166788165046342014-04-28T08:00:00.000-05:002014-04-28T08:00:05.216-05:00New and ScaryMy long-term substitute role at the school has finally ended, and I am back to being an on-call sub. This means less work, but there is still plenty of need, so I expect I will still be going in most days, hopefully. Teaching grade 10 was a great learning experience, and unlike any teaching role I've had in the past. It was equal parts challenging and rewarding, and it's a great feeling, knowing that you're enriching a student's life, or just preventing them from sleeping through class (those are the two extremes). It's also nice having a mid-week break at times, to catch up on things that are usually forgotten or delayed, like laundry, cleaning, and flushing the toilets immediately after the sewer truck comes to minimize the poop smell that otherwise permeates the house shortly afterwards.<br />
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In other words, things we all forget to do.<br />
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I also get to watch a new show we are taping on our PVR, one that Lily is reticent to watch with me. It's called "When Ghosts Attack", and you can guess the show format based on the title. We like to watch shows like Paranormal Witness and Ghost Hunters, which contain scary moments, but this new show is terrifying. Let's just say that we are thankful it is still pretty light out when we are getting ready for bed. I love it, but Lily will stick with Grey's Anatomy for now I think. If you haven't watched it, I highly recommend it. Just don't do it before bedtime.<br />
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-JJeffersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00971946702175472094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-423648754092108986.post-83850996591907278382014-04-25T08:00:00.000-05:002014-04-25T08:00:06.070-05:00I can almost taste it. Summer, I mean. Unbelievable! The other day I was talking about spring, and warm(ish) weather, and Mother Nature must have heard the hopefulness in my voice. That cruel, cruel deity.<br />
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The next day, it snowed. And it's been a balmy -30 or so with windchill since then. A far cry from the -3 of a few days ago. <br />
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Undaunted, Lily and I decided it was time to celebrate spring regardless of the ridiculous reading from the thermometer. We had recently inherited several cases of tonic water, so I took it upon myself to mix up a few G&T's for my wife and I. Lily likes hers with a touch of agave syrup, and I must say, it takes the edge off quite nicely.<br />
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As a child, I was repulsed by tonic water. Club soda, I felt, at least had the decency to not add any adverse flavour to a drink. Indeed, club soda had no flavour, really, yet cost far less than Perrier. Was I the only child smirking at people who were spending way too much on fizzy water? Unlike my wife who claims she was bottle-fed on it (yes, she is a princess) and has grown up loving bubbles in her H2O. Anyway, I remember going to the fridge looking for something to drink one evening and spotting a yellow can, I grabbed it and read "Tonic water". I figured tonic was another word for seltzer, which meant this can would be a great thirst-quencher.<br />
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Wrong. So wrong.<br />
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I took one sip and spat it out immediately. I thought it must have gone rancid somehow, because that couldn't be what it was supposed to taste like, surely. Unless the liquor my parents occasionally drank was ultra-sweet, and having sipped one or two, I knew that to not be the case. Why would someone take an awful-tasting substance like gin, and cut it with something that tasted worse? What was wrong with these people? Who in their right mind would choose gin and tonic over Kahlua?<br />
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Enter my grandmother. She swears by gin, although she cheats a little, and drinks it with diet 7-up, which is just sweet enough to barely mitigate the unpleasantness of gin. Seriously, for those of you who haven't tried it, knock back a slug of gin sometime. You will forever after love the flavour of everything else in comparison.<br />
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That said, I now enjoy G&T's, and Lily and I enjoyed a few cocktails before dinner. G&T's are nominally a summer drink, but summer is so short up here, we have to start enjoying summer early, and since we can't wear our bathing suits yet, gin and tonic is the method we must use to remind ourselves that the end of winter is less than three months away. The things we do. Hurray.<br />
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-J<br />
<br />Jeffersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00971946702175472094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-423648754092108986.post-57745555644540941552014-04-23T08:00:00.000-05:002014-04-23T08:00:00.238-05:00Mud: the Spring of the NorthHere it is, mid-April, and while the rest of the country is prepping their lawns with fertilizer and planting the first annual bulbs of their gardens, we here in Baker Lake are witnessing significant changes as well. Granted, the landscape is still a near-uniform white, and the temperature has yet to reach above zero, but there are differences now that spring is in full-force. Obviously, we don't possess the same markers as you Southerners; namely, trees and similar greenery re-acquiring their leaves, and birds tweeting (birds have always been the original tweeters, and would have made a fortune if they had copy written the term), and rain.<br />
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While Baker Lake is home to our beloved, if slightly stupid, seagull variant known as Ptarmigan (or "Ptasty", depending on who you ask), they do not show up until late May, and are not known for their melodic harmonies. Instead of birds, we look forward to the low buzzing hum, generated by the wings of hundreds of thousands of mosquitoes and black flies. Actually, we won't have to endure that terrible affliction until summer, or mid-August. No, the subtle maneuverings of Mother Nature in Baker Lake consist chiefly of longer days, cold weather, and mud. The roads are already starting to soften and things are getting messy around here.<br />
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We are still a tad too chilly for rain, but with the days growing longer, the sun is working mightily to melt the snow off our roofs, and transform our once-winter-picturesque community into a churning, muddy morass. Gone are the insulated, 20lbs boots, and out come the galoshes. It is finally warm enough to take Pepper on outdoor walks, but we make him wear his booties, which he understandably detests, but they are super cute, and more importantly, make cleanup of a muddy canine much easier. As mentioned, the days are also lengthening, and we now see dusk at around 9pm. It's 7:30pm as I type this, and it's as sunny as it was 4 hours ago. <br />
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It's a welcome change over dark days and unbearable cold. Though, a sobering warning from a local reminded us that we shouldn't get too excited just yet; more winter will be coming (our last blizzard last year was in June). For now, we'll take our extended days and enjoy them while we can. <br />
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-JJeffersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00971946702175472094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-423648754092108986.post-5358474220393610872014-04-21T08:00:00.000-05:002014-04-21T08:00:08.642-05:00Hoppy Easter!Hoppy Easter! Today is Easter Monday and we are off because it's a federal holiday and many places are closed here in Baker - not sure if it's all over the territory, but for sure it is here! So we get an extra long long-weekend. (Though I am going to pop into work today to do some catching up, since many businesses in the south are open today and I can get some work done while the office is quiet.)<br />
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It has been a beautiful few days here in Baker - warm enough that a few things of note happened:<br />
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<ol>
<li>I was outside in just a t shirt and hoodie, plus jeans and boots (no parka, snowpants, gloves, etc.) and it was amaaaazing. It felt so freeing to be able to go outside without a billion layers on.</li>
<li>I switched to my spring jacket - aka my Ontario winter parka.</li>
<li>Jeff took Pepper for a walk; his first one in many, many months. He was in a sweater and a light jacket (the dog, not my husband) and his booties and he didn't freeze or hate Jeff after!</li>
<li>Standing outside for a few minutes in the middle of the afternoon, when things were quiet, all I could hear was the dripping sounds of snow/ice melting off the house. It was the beautiful sound of spring.</li>
</ol>
Unfortunately, the unseasonably warm weather is causing a bit of havoc in our house since the roof has started to leak in a few places where the snow is melting. We called the property management company but they were busy fixing similar problems at other places. Hopefully they come today because I keep tripping on the bucket that is next to our bed, and slipping on the towel we've laid out in the middle of the living room. :/<br />
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Our weekend was pretty nice. I spent a good chunk of it baking and I've nearly exhausted my entire flour supply. A friend showed up at my door with a lemon and an orange (I mentioned in passing I had neither and could not make hot cross buns), which meant I really didn't have an excuse not to make her a batch...so I did. Then I was bit with the baking bug and I made a couple loaves of sandwich bread for lunches over the next while (so much cheaper/better than buying loaves of Wonderbread). I also volunteered to make buns for the Easter dinner we were invited to, so I made Parmesan Rosemary knots - but made it extra naughty by wrapping a slice of peppered bacon through it (cheese + bacon + bread = so devilish of me, I know)! But then I thought maybe people may not want bacon in their rolls (but really, who wouldn't??) so I made a batch of Jeff's grandma's rolls (our faaaave) just in case. Oh, and then I decided I would make a handful of healthy cookies to off-set the calories that had infiltrated our house. Needless to say, Jeff was a happy taste testing husband this weekend!<br />
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Easter Sunday we were invited next door for dinner and it was lovely to be with friends for the holiday. There was an abundance of food (as always) and plenty of good conversation and good times. I know we say it all the time, but we really are blessed to have such a wonderful northern family.<br />
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Hope your weekend was as great as ours! :) <br />
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-LLilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10982357771442100963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-423648754092108986.post-38715595771884307662014-04-18T08:00:00.000-05:002014-04-18T08:00:06.639-05:00Chillin' in the Kitchen: Healthy (Secret Ingredient) Spinach DipI'm on a salty/savory kick these days when I look for a snack. Cookies and chocolate aren't doing it for me at the moment - but put a bag of chips or popcorn in front of me and I can't stop snacking! Seeing as how I'm trying to be good and watch what I eat, that's not very conducive to my plan. I figured I needed to find some healthy choices or I'd undo any good for the day by snacking through an episode of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo (I am not afraid to admit that I <b>love</b> that show. It's too crazy not to!)<br />
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I've always been a huge fan of dips. I gravitate towards them at parties, I bring them with me when I'm visiting people - it's a happy food. I love the versatility of them and how everyone has their own version of a dip no matter what kind it is. My favourite is usually a spinach dip - if it's served with pumpernickel I'm a goner. I may or may not have made that a staple dinner when I was in university. Unfortunately, most dips are ridiculously high in fat and calories because they're heavy with mayo/sour cream, etc. This recipe for <b>Healthy Spinach Dip</b> is amazing, and you will never guess what the secret ingredient is: tofu! Crazy, right?? It tastes like a regular dip but I've cut out the fat, the calories and loaded it up with protein. It's so healthy you can eat it as a meal (and you should. It's that good). We have been eating it with everything under the sun: homemade baguettes, homemade crackers (pictured), cut up veggies - even topped on our burgers - mmmmmm it's all good! I promise you, no one will be able to tell that it's healthy - and you can eat it guilt-free! The best part is that it takes about 5 minutes to prepare, so you really have no excuse not to whip up a batch at all times.<br />
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<b>Healthy (Secret Ingredient) Spinach Dip</b><br />
makes approx 3.5 cups<br />
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<a name='more'></a>1/2 C Greek yogurt, plain (sour cream or mayonnaise will also work)<br />
12 oz (340 g) soft tofu<br />
10 oz package of frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry<br />
1 clove garlic, minced <br />
1 8 oz can water chestnuts<br />
2 tsp lemon juice<br />
Salt & Pepper to taste<br />
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<i>Optional:</i> I add a couple dashes of Tabasco to give it a kick, but you can also give it a good dash of cayenne, garlic salt or any herbs you would like. Sometimes I also add a tsp of onion soup mix to give it a little more flavour.<br />
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1. Put water chestnuts in food processor to give it a rough chop - you are looking for a small dice but you don't want to pulverize them; they give the dip texture and crunch! You can also dice them by hand and set them aside.<br />
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2. To the food processor, add everything else except the spinach. Give it a whirl until everything is mixed well. Taste and season with herbs and salt and pepper as needed.<br />
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3. Add the spinach and water chestnuts into the mix and pulse a few times just to mix it together. You want to keep the texture of the ingredients intact.<br />
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4. Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes to let the flavours marry before serving. Will keep in sealed container in fridge for 2-4 days.<br />
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-LLilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10982357771442100963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-423648754092108986.post-49107546735924788062014-04-16T08:00:00.000-05:002014-04-16T08:00:03.283-05:00Anti-Bullying AwarenessIt takes a certain kind of man to pull off pink well. I am not normally that guy, much to my wife's disappointment. Lily, on the other hand, could, and does, incorporate a terrifying amount of pink into most everything she owns.<br />
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The last time I tried on a pink golf shirt, I had a shot at being the mascot for Pepto-Bismol. There is, however, one pink shirt in my collection, and it was very recently acquired. The high school recently held an anti-bullying campaign, and all of the staff and students were given the same highlighter-pink shirts to wear that day.<br />
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It was a sobering series of lectures and videos, detailing the causes and outcomes of bullying. Once confined to the schoolyard, bullying now knows no bounds, as the cyber variety has been the result of several suicides in Canada in the past decade. Thankfully, most of the students responded well to the assembly, and vowed not to participate in bullying, nor stand by and watch it happen, which is almost as bad. 57% of bullying stops when a third-party intervenes; at slightly better than half, that is still a good reason to not let it happen.<br />
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Studies have also shown that the long-term effects for bullies and their victims include depression, anxiety, and increased risk for heart attacks and similar ailments.<br />
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Anyways, I now have a pink shirt in my wardrobe. It may end up being the lone article of pink clothing I ever wear, but I will wear it with pride when I do.<br />
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-JJeffersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00971946702175472094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-423648754092108986.post-3469906887384940622014-04-14T08:00:00.001-05:002014-04-14T08:00:11.103-05:00April Blizzards Bring May...Blizzards? Is it just me or is time flying by these days? I swear March was over in a blink of an eye, and here we are nearing the half-way mark of April as well. How come it feels so slow during the week when I'm at work, then? :)<br />
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We are starting to get somewhat warmer weather as it snowed a few days last week - resulting in a blizzard all day Friday (woohoo, unexpected long weekend)! I think I'm beginning to get a reputation as the Blizzard Queen since a friend called Thursday evening to see if I had checked the weather forecast since I'd be happy to know there was a blizzard on its way. I had to hitch a ride into work to pick up some things because I had conference calls planned for Friday afternoon so I just did them from home. Pepper joined in for a few barks but was quiet after I gave him a long-lasting rawhide to keep busy.<br />
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We haven't had any storms since our travel ordeal in February since March was pretty boring weather-wise. We actually had to go to work for the whole month, isn't that terrible?? ;) I'm wondering if more storms are on its way now that it's starting to get warmer and there is some soft snow laying about. One of the biggest storms I can remember from last year was in May, so...you never know. As everyone in the south starts worrying about their gardens and golf games, we pretty much stay winter-y until June-ish (the lake won't actually thaw until the end of June) so we have a ways to go yet!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baker Lake Blizzard - 11APR14</td></tr>
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Other than the storm on Friday, it was a pretty tame weekend. I have been using weekends as my mass baking/cooking time for the week so our fridge is fully stocked once again. I am nearing the end of my flour supply - 44 lbs in 1.5 years; that's not so bad! I am trying to use up our supplies so I can move us to alternative options in terms of carbs and sweets - but for now, we're enjoying our breads, cookies, muffins and so on (not all at once, of course)!<br />
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Right now, I'm sitting here on Sunday night with Pepper on my lap and Jeff next to me. Perfect end to the week. Hope you had a nice weekend too!<br />
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-LLilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10982357771442100963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-423648754092108986.post-45215567556243695202014-04-11T08:00:00.000-05:002014-04-11T08:00:12.249-05:00I Spy with my Little Eye...I happened to have my camera on me one afternoon while driving around town, so thought I would post a few pictures of things I saw in good ol' Baker Lake.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<a name='more'></a>A garage in town; maybe or maybe not with a mechanic inside. How are you supposed to know it's a garage? YOU JUST HAVE TO KNOW.<br />
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The gas station attendant sits in here. I think it looks like a huge walk-in freezer.<br />
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The fuel truck is filling up. And there's a guy driving a quad in -46 weather. No biggie.<br />
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A big loader pushing snow into a pile. Common sight.<br />
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The igloo church with the high school in the background. I wish the church wasn't abandoned. It looks super quaint.<br />
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A drift behind a parked truck. Also a common sight.<br />
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Plane's landed! Can you see it?<br />
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This is posted in the community hall. It amuses me.<br />
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Why yes, I have fallen down these stairs. Shocking, I know.<br />
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Another common sight - furs laying out all year. The bundle by the stairs seems to be a folded fur. It's not so bad in the winter, but in the summer it can start to emit an odour...<br />
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Our frozen lake. The cold hit and it was still pretty windy so the lake froze over while it was still rippling - hence the ruggedness. Last year, it was much smoother and this year, it's incredibly bumpy. The smooth horizontal line a few feet from shore is the path they paved/zamboni'd so snowmobiles and trucks can drive across the lake as a shortcut across the town.<br />
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You'll also notice we have a lot less snow than last year (hardly any this season)...maybe now that it's getting warmer it will start to snow more.<br />
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So, for anyone complaining that spring isn't warm enough for you - just look at our white pictures and you'll feel better. :)<br />
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That's it for today! Until next time!<br />
-L<br />
<br />Lilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10982357771442100963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-423648754092108986.post-13296115664396462092014-04-09T08:00:00.000-05:002014-04-09T08:00:10.755-05:00Ask Nunavut Chillers!An idea that I have for an upcoming post is to do an FAQ/Q & A based on your questions/comments to us. We get a fair number of emails using our Contact Us button (yay, keep it up - we love hearing from you!) and to be honest, there is a lot of overlap in questions - so I figure there may be more people out there who have similar queries but just haven't asked us yet.<br />
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Now is your chance!<br />
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Use the Contact Us button to send us your questions or comments, or leave a comment to this post - or email us directly at <b>nunavutchillers at gmail dot com</b> - and you will likely see us answer it in an upcoming post. (If you have subscribed to our email feed, you will need to navigate to our <a href="http://nunavutchillers.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog </a>to leave a comment to the post or use the button. Otherwise, send us an email to our email address - <u>do not</u> reply to the email delivery address that you receive our posts from since that is just a bot that sends it out and not our actual email address!)<br />
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We'll do an answer post next week! Can't wait to see what you come up with!<br />
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-LLilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10982357771442100963noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-423648754092108986.post-60817350562865665402014-04-07T08:00:00.001-05:002014-04-07T08:00:07.864-05:00Bandwidth - More Valuable than Gold!You've probably heard me/us complain about the speed of our internet before, and how we have had to really scale down our use since moving up here. Actually, I wrote a <a href="http://nunavutchillers.blogspot.ca/2012/06/cost-of-staying-connected.html" target="_blank">comparison post</a> before we moved up as part of the research of setting ourselves up for the move.<br />
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For the most part, we have been pretty good at staying within our monthly cap - and that is really good for us considering how much we were using in the south. The last while however, have been a little difficult and we usually find ourselves capped out near the end of the month (usually the last day or so). There is a brief phase of misguided optimism where we proclaim indifference to the dial-up speeds - but that usually lasts approx. 10 minutes before we cave and painstakingly try to log into our account and pay for more bandwidth.<br />
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Just a glimpse at what we get for what we pay - and before we go any further, I want to clarify that I'm not looking for alternatives for satellite internet or anything like that since we don't want to pay for the dish and deal with the set up. We are sticking to our current provider but just wanted to share what the plans look like.<br />
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We currently have the cheapest plan; though at $80 it's really not cheap at all. That gives us 10 GB of bandwidth a month before we are bumped down to dial-up speeds (and they aren't kidding - dial up speeds are enforced the second you hit your cap...and they are so painful). We are looking at 1.5 Mbps as the average speed we typically get. If we want more bandwidth to hold us over to the next month, we can buy them 1 GB at a time for $18 after tax, or upgrade for an extra 5 GB for $53 or 20 GB for $270 (HA!). <br />
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Compared to the plan we were on at home (which by no means was the cheapest plan we could have found, but did the job) - we paid about $40 a month for 14 Mbps and 125 GB/month. Huuuuuge difference.<br />
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Just wanted to share/shed some light on it since I was just checking our account and noticed that we are 6 days into the month and have used up 1/2 our bandwidth (eek!) - I'm seriously contemplating spending the $50+ to get us an extra 5 GB. Internet is our biggest indulgence here and what keeps us connected to our family and friends, plus allows us to do the things we need to do (ie. everything) so there's no way we could go through the whole month without internet.<br />
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To all our geeky friends out there - see? Yours isn't so bad now, is it?? :)<br />
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-LLilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10982357771442100963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-423648754092108986.post-36037865899477869682014-04-04T08:00:00.001-05:002014-04-04T08:00:01.249-05:00Lessons from the KitchenToday, I learned some very important lessons. The first is that I am not Canada's next baker. Actually, that's an overstatement. If there is a gene that makes baking things easier, mine has been altered slightly. Or is possibly missing.<br />
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The second important lesson I learned today is that plans, even solid, well-thought-out plans, can go awry. Fast.<br />
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The third lesson I learned today was that it is indeed possible to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it can make you believe in miracles.<br />
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All of these lessons were learned today in the kitchen, as I and my entrepreneurship class spent a feverish hour and a half baking for our bake sale. As the first few sentences suggest, all did not go as planned; actually, it would be fair to say that little went to plan. I blame the marshmallows. No, wait, I blame the internet site that stated the marshmallow recipe was quick and easy. It was quick, for sure. It was anything but easy.<br />
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The task seemed relatively simple: 4 no-bake recipes. A little mixing, some chocolate dipping, and we would be good to go. How amusingly naive. The chocolate wouldn't coat, the marshmallow wouldn't cut, and the time ran away from us as fast as it could.<br />
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While things didn't work out as smoothly as I hoped, the end result was better than I expected, and we are on track to make some decent profit for our efforts. The Nutella cookies were awesome, as were the chocolate chip coconut cookies. The peanut butter truffles sold out in a heartbeat, and the cake batter truffles fared almost as well.<br />
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Despite everything, our project was a moral success, if not quite a commercial one. Next time we will focus on easier and more profitable choices like cupcakes. And to make sure they bake well, I'll ask my wife to make them. :-)<br />
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-JJeffersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00971946702175472094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-423648754092108986.post-61453609025786736452014-04-02T08:00:00.000-05:002014-04-02T08:00:06.532-05:00You Can Bank On ItNo really, you can!<br />
Because Baker Lake got its very first banking facility!<br />
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Hooray!<br />
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Before the FNBC (First Nations Bank of Canada) opened its doors here, you had the option of doing some light banking (ie. cashing cheques) at the Northern for a crazy high fee (think a la Money Mart) or doing your banking online. Which works if you have direct deposit and need to transfer money, etc. but if you received an actual cheque, you either had to wait to go south to deposit it, or mail it home to be deposited for you. Though, ING and CIBC both offer e-deposits and will deposit your cheques if you take pictures of them on your tablet! (We actually opened a CIBC account when they announced this feature and just deposit it in and e-transfer it where we need it.)<br />
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Located inside the Co-Op store, they built up a pretty nice location in the back corner. The grand opening was on March 20, after numerous delays in building and resource issues - but they opened with a celebration with a few big prizes and of course, cake and cookies!<br />
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They also presented the high school with a donation, and the Vice Principal was there to accept the cheque.<br />
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The mayor of Baker Lake was there to make a speech. <br />
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Bank officials posing with a traditionally dressed youth.<br />
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All in all, a good addition to the Baker Lake community.<br />
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-LLilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10982357771442100963noreply@blogger.com0