Sunday, February 11, 2007

After everything else.

Hello Everyone
It still seems strange to me after the breadth of our travels that we finally saw the Polars bears in Kangiqsujuaq. This is the first time the bears have been in town in 20 years (or so I'm told actually Melissa heard last year, so who knows). Through our time in the north we've seen allot of wildlife. So far on our list we have Sic Sic, Arctic Hare, Arctic fox, Ptarmigan, bearded seal, wolves, grizzly, Caribou, narwhal, beluga whale, ring seal, the ever present Raven, heck while crawling across the ice in Repulse ( hunting with Gabby) I even stumbled upon a very slow moving mayfly. So the only two big guys left were Polar Bear and Walrus. I didn't hold out much hope to check the Polar Bear off the list here in Kangiqsujuaq, but that just goes to show you. Never assume anything. Its been a amazing journey.
I've got over 220 posts on this blog and the same in pictures. We've traveled about 5,000 km, Christopher has grown about 6 inches, he's making great steps in learning a second language, I've learned to teach without counting on language to help, Melissa continue to learn as she's rejoined the workforce, we've gone without all the things that would have seemed inconceivable to us in the south and we've never been happier. Sometimes, its the uninformed decisions that can really change your life for the better. Look before you leap is usually a good adage however I don't know what we would have done if we had any idea what the north was really like when we made this decision. When we started this blog there were only four other active blogs in the north, last time I looked there were over twenty.

Take Care
CG

2 comments:

Jason said...

"we've gone without all the things that would have seemed inconceivable to us in the south and we've never been happier."

I think that you've pretty much summed up why those of us in the north to stay, rather than just to visit or work, do it. You soon realise that "simple pleasures" are usually the most enjoyable. Going south for a few weeks is fun, but coming back is always better.

Glad to see that you are fitting in in Nunavik, especially with spring a scant 3 or 4 months away.

Anonymous said...

Not too keen on seeing the white bears contrasting with the very red blood, but given the circumstances, I can see how some would feel it necessary to take care of the problem before it became an even bigger problem. I do hope that they were at least used for good purposes and that nothing went to waste.

So, you don't miss all the wonderful "trappings" of the south? Didn't I just read that you would have paid almost anything for some cold meds just a short time ago. While I am sure there are plenty of things we could all do without, some things I know I wouldn't or couldn't bear to leave.

My biggest thing would be my family and friends. Maybe that's because I came from a very large family and am used to having lots of them around me. Secondly, I would dearly miss seeing green things - trees, grass and the like. Everyone has their comfort zone and I guess I know my limitations. I wouldn't miss travelling on the 400 series of highways, long lineups (anywhere), and especially wouldn't miss rude people who talk endlessly on their cell phones. BTW - do cell phones work there?

We're having a blast of winter here at the present, although, I have heard that Hamilton is is the centre of the storm and is expected to receive 70 cms of snow tonight. Whiteouts, high winds and frigid air surround us, so it's nice to be inside, looking out.

Happy Valentines Day to you all!!

Rosalie