Below are pictures of the flowers taken one day apart - these things bloom fast!
When it's still snowy outside, it is really nice to see flowers and greenery around you.
Each Spring, the organization I work for co-sponsors "Daffodil Days" - a fundraiser in support of the Canadian Cancer Society (see poster below). You can buy a bunch of daffodils for $6 and watch them bloom overnight!
Below are pictures of the flowers taken one day apart - these things bloom fast! When it's still snowy outside, it is really nice to see flowers and greenery around you.
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As is the case across the rest of Canada (and parts of the U.S.), it is a COLD first day of "Spring" here. Right now in Inuvik we are at minus 20 Celsius (minus 4F). Although that is not much colder than usual, it feels like the snow will never disappear. This long winter is starting to make people a bit... shall we say... touchy? Over-sensitive? Moody? Cranky? Bad tempered?
A colleague of mine warned me last year about "March madness", which has nothing to do with basketball. Around this time of year people start to go a little crazy and grumpy. They are sick of the winter and get a bad case of cabin fever. They want to go outside without fear of frostbite. Unfortunately, I am no exception. Although I am doing much better this week, the previous two weeks were rough. Little things would bother me and I couldn't let them go. I'm usually a positive person, but nothing would shake me out of my bad mood. I did not enjoy my own company, and I'm sure no one else did either! Luckily I have come back into happy territory without permanent damage or the need for meds. On the bright side of March (and it is very bright!), the sun is shining and we know that warm weather will follow in due course. Soon we will have more than enough sunshine. In some future post I will discuss the effects of 24-hour darkness vs. 24-hour light ... some like the light, while others (including myself) actually prefer the dark of winter. Sounds crazy, I know, but I'm sure you'll hear me out. As I don't have any photos that really go well with this post, below are some pictures of a dog-sledding trip I took on Sunday (my third time!) because these beautiful Siberian huskies are guaranteed to get you in a good mood. And a picture of the sun on the snow-covered trees in my backyard for good measure. It's been a while since I gave an update on the sunshine and temperature situation in Inuvik. In summary, the sun is back with a vengeance! We get almost 12 hours of sunlight a day, and that is increasing by an hour a week. Today the sun rose just after 9 am, and will set just before 9 pm (see today's forecast below). Before you know it, we'll be in 24 hour light again.
I wish I could tell you that the sun meant things were warming up. But noooooooooo... We've been in the minus 30s for so long, I can't remember what wearing shorts feels like. As I'm trying to focus on the positive, I will put some pretty pictures below of some sun scenes around Inuvik in the last week. Enjoy! As I mentioned in a recent post about the new moccasins I bought at our local craft store, it is tempting to spend all your money on the beautiful local artwork and clothing. I have a particular weakness for stone carvings - I try not to look at them at all, because I want to buy every single one. Unfortunately, when I saw the carving below, I fell in love. It represents one of the most interesting of the traditional northern games - the blanket toss. I will include some pictures and a video of the real thing below, but this is how the Northern Games Society website describes it: "A large group of "pullers" gather around the edges of a blanket to stretch it out at waist height. After a participant climbs into the centre, the pullers rhythmically raise and lower the blanket. Upon the signal, the blanket is pulled taut and the participant in the center is tossed in the air, sometimes more than 6 metres (20 feet). The participant is expected to keep his or her balance and return upright - a particularly challenging feat if the participant does turns or flips while in the air. The blanket toss originated with Inuit hunters because someone who was tossed into the air could spot caribou, whales, or other animals in the distance. Elders also speak of a time when the blanket toss was part of the ceremony to mark the close of a successful whaling season. Whaling captains were first to be tossed and while high in the air, they would throw gifts such as baleen and tobacco to the crowd. In traditional times, the blanket was made of seal or walrus skins and a woven rope edging served as handles. The blanket used at the Northern Games today is made from canvas and is about 3 metres (10 feet) in diameter. Many Inuvialuit agree that the traditional version of the blanket has more bounce." Even though I resisted it for a week, as the price tag was hefty, I gave in and bought it as a birthday present for myself (my birthday is 6 months away, but never mind!). My very generous parents are going to make a contribution towards it - thanks Mum and Dad! I don't really want to confess how much I spent, as it is more than I would usually spend on something decorative, but at the same time, it shows how prized Inuit art is. The original requested price was $2,000 (Canadian) but I got it for $1,600. It was made by a local artist from Inuvik called Patrick Nooyak Harrison - he agreed to let me take a photo of him with it, which I have included below. It feels good to support local talent and keep these skills alive. And it has brought me a lot of joy - I smile every time I look at it. :) And here is the man himself, the artist Patrick! Here are some photos of modern blanket toss jumpers, and an impressive youtube video shot at last summer's Aboriginal Day in Inuvik. The jumper had a camera attached to him, so you can see the scary view he had while jumping! |