I really need to get a better picture of these three together...

I got back from Iqaluit yesterday, and today I went to pick up Sophie. So here I am, again, in Qikiqtarjuaq with my three dogs. This short trip made me realize so much about my ‘life in the doghouse’.

Scarlett and Gryphon are now amazing at travel. First off, though they don’t like the sweaters I make them wear when we fly around the Arctic Circle, I know it’s in their best interest. However, to be fair, I don’t really like having to deal with checking in and customer service…I guess we’re even.

For anyone who moves north with a small dog (or a cat for that matter), a simple sweater or blanket is essential for not only the jaunt from the airport to the plane, but also while you’re in flight. The planes heading to the small communities beyond Iqaluit don’t seem to have any heating to speak of. Fortunately, with both Canadian North and First Air, very generous measurements are allowed for the in-cabin pet carrier.

In addition, accomodations were far less stressful this time around; I’ve been lucky enough to get the little ones settled down and bark only if someone knocks on the hotel room door! Total turn-around. I think it’s just that they’re becoming more comfortable with the uncertainty that a new environment presents. They are there together and they know the won’t be forgotten.

For anyone stuck in the Iqaluit area, my vote for a pet-friendly hotel is Capital Suites. They charge a weekly fee of $50 for animals; whether you have 1 or 5…there is no difference (other than your level of sanity). The Nova and The Navigator also accept pets, but you pay a nightly fee per animal. The former asks for a considerable damage deposit. However, since the Navigator – it doesn’t even have a website – is in such nasty shape  to begin with, you might be more comfortable there if you’re worried about possible dog-damage. When I was stuck in Iqaluit with all three dogs last August, I preferred it for just this reason.

I wish I had had this sort of information on my first jaunt through the capital.

Anyway, that’s information on travel with the small dogs. I won’t be travelling out of the community with Sophie until my contract is up…it’s just too much trouble and worry. I’m usually on my own and, with a carry-on, 2 suitcases, a soft-sided pet carrier with 2 dogs, and a dog crate that reaches chest level when it’s on wheels, it’s not the most pleasant experience. Go figure, right?

So what’s it like to return to such a large creature? Returning means that you have, at some point, left and experienced new things which probably provide you with a new perspective. For a week I didn’t have to worry about pee runs, long walks, slobber, and hair on everything (ok, Scarlett and Gryphon lose hair like mad but, since it’s black, you can’t see it on my clothes). Doing without that headache was nice…very nice.

When I went to get her this morning she was jumping around like crazy and raring to go. Was she happy to see me? I’m not sure. However, she was estatic when I let her loose for her ‘free-run’ in the back field. That’s something that can only be done on the weekends since everyone has a work schedule keeps their weekdays occupied until long after darkness descends. By 5pm (when I finish for the day), all that’s left is a deep twilight.

Observing the improved behaviour of the little dogs this week and comparing it to the spastic quality Sophie generally exhibits is a huge eye-opener. She is moving into her adolescent phase of maturity (6 months), and apparently she’ll be like this until she’s around 2. Just like in a video game, I have challenges to fight through to make sure her adult life is one in which she learns certain skills before moving to the next level. Today, while wiping the globs of spit off my forearm, I figured that biting is the one I should focus on since potty training was established when she was merely 2 months old.

I’ll let you know how the dog training progresses but, for those dog owners moving north with larger breeds, be prepared for the differences in the quality of care and attendance to behaviour that you might be used to in the local dogpark.

Ok, I just dumped the pics on my camera, and I couldn’t let this blog go without a visual record of my time in Iqaluit. In August of 2009, I was hell-bent on taking pictures of landscapes and airports; this time, I just took snaps of where I (unfortunately) spent most of my time.

First off, it didn’t really take the little ones much to settle in…all I had to do is construct a ladder to the bed, and this is what I found.

Gryphon emerging from his travel bag...

Then, of course, there is Scarlett who has absolutely no trouble settling in anywhere (like me).

Yes, she is sleeping all over dumped cosmetics...

And Sophie? Of course she would try to hang out with the wee ones…

Yes, you can see the mess I keep my place in.

…but generally she ended up sleeping here:

Always in the tub!

So that was the Nav…such wonderful memories. I’m glad we’re back in Qikiqtarjuaq! My next post will show you a bit more about that.

Fall sunset over Pangnirtung.

I was trying to explain plagiarism to a class once and, for some, it was really difficult. There was no devious plot to ‘slip one by the teacher’, but everything written and spoken is some cultures is like a collection of ideas, accessible – and owned – by all. I’ve decided that my website is moving in a similar direction…or perhaps it’s just my thoughts. Scattered. Collected. Patched together.

At this point last year I was chipping away at another blogsite and ruminating about my new life in the north. This year I’m ruminating on how to change it. How to make it better. Don’t get me wrong…last year was a grear experience and I learned a lot, but I think there’s still a mountain of possibilities out there.

Where do I start?

The tides were crap today so, though it allowed me to drive all the way to the breakwater, it did not allow me to jump on a sea-doo. I guess it wasn’t meant to be. I guess Mr. Bus-Man wasn’t meant to be either.

Tonight the air is crisp and, while taking the dog out for a quick run around, I caught a glimpse of the northern lights for the second time this year. The night was so clear all you could see were the stars with the pulsating waves of green. Welcome to the north, right? I can’t wait until I’m able to take the snowmobile out onto the sea-ice, crack out my thermos, and watch the scene unfold above me…surrounded by complete darkness.

The update on the dogs is not good. It’s so unhealthy to have them cooped up in a hotel room, regardless of how often you walk them. Sophie’s favorite place to sleep is in the bathtub and, though it is very cute, it’s causing her to develop a type of heatsore…she’s never quite dry.

So the plan now is to take off on Friday to get back to Qik before the weekend gets into full swing. Though I’ve had mixed feelings on the idea, I think it’s probably for the best. I need to finally start things fresh. New place, new people, new problems, and new solutions. Being stuck in this Iqaluit middle-ground is so frustrating!

Well, if I head to bed now I guess time will seem to go a bit faster. Always good when you’re waiting.

Iqaluit is absolutely beautiful…the weather, that is. Actually, to be fair, today is the first day where I really was able to appreciate the coloured houses on stilts perched above the airport. I think it’s the general bleakness which surrounds the Navigator Inn which originally gives people the creeps. It’s dark, attached to a bar, and across from the busiest Legion in the country…no joke!

So apparently there’s a place where you can rent sea-doos here in Iqaluit. I guess they just take you out in the bay and hope for the best. And yes, you guessed it, I have reservations for Tuesday. I have never touched a sea-doo in my life…actually, I’ve never spent much time around aquatic electronic vehicles, but it does sound like a blast. Perhaps it’ll be like my first ride on The Beast…I had no idea how I was supposed to make the thing move, but loved it once I got started. Stay tuned for my bizarre tale.

Right now my plans will get me back to Qikiqtarjuaq by Friday but, you know what? This place is growing on me. I’ve met some people I would like to know better but, alas, my life is taking in another direction. I hope my compass is using the right magnetic field…that it’s actually a northern hemishere device in this northern latitude.

I guess what will be, will be…

I added a post not too long ago…I moved into a new room and thought it’d be ok for me and the dogs. I was wrong.

The weather in Iqaluit has changed and, though I should be happy for the clear skies, it’s made my new room into a freakin’ solarium! It’s sooo hot in here; my poor dog is just melting away. There is a lot of fur involved.

***

I don’t really know the names of specific planes…I know I take a Turboprop into Pangnirtung and Qikiqtarjuaq, and I know that it’s a Twin Otter used in that ultra-cool 80s show ‘Danger Bay’, but that’s where my knowledge ends. For the past two days, big fighter planes (the ‘F’ somethings) have been dive-bombing around the city – practising their mad skillz. Well, they’re definitely skilled in breaking up conversations; they are so loud and fly so low, it’s impossible not to be distracted.

Right now I’m watching the original ‘High School Musical’ with Sandra Dee and Danny. Grease. How is it possible that it’s still so popular. The Pink Ladies vs. The T-Birds? Whatever it is, it’s still a fun watch…Sandy’s make-over at the end and her duet with John Travolta is classic!

Wow…it’s becoming increasingly clear that I really have no coherent thought to write about right now. I think it’s time to quit; I know I’m not quite ahead of the eight-ball, but it’s not too far in front of me.

I’m so sick of being here…I want to get settled into my place!!

Like I mentioned in my last post, I have been stranded in Iqaluit for almost a week. Tonight, though, I am officially ‘on the clock’…that is, to say, my employer is now fielding the cost. Until now, I had been staying in the suite – huge! The staff fell in love with the dogs and decided I needed the largest room (at the normal price). Now I’m staying in a regular sized room and am feeling the crush.

Actually, though, I spent time unpacking and ‘moving in’ (I will be living here for the next two weeks) and now it’s rather comfortable. Also, it’s much easier to keep an eye on Sophie when there’s only one room! She gets to hang out a lot more with the rest of us. Things should work out ok.

It’s finally sunny in Iqaluit…the sky is clear. It’s been foggy and nasty since I arrived on Tuesday and it’s now Sunday! In fact, all flights have been cancelled and I’ve been storm stayed here in the ‘city’ for close to a week.

Now, for those of you who have any experience travelling in the north, you know how insanely expensive accomodations can be; for those of you who have pets, you know how inconvenient and limiting it is to find a place to crash with three dogs. It’s been hellish…and I was sooo looking forward to having some time off; I had even arranged a dogsitter to fly in to Qik to take care of the pups while I was at my two-week work conference – the one that starts tomorrow.

Tuesday my First Air flight from Ottawa was delayed due to weather in Iqaluit; out came the green stickers the attendants slap on your boarding pass to let you know they aren’t responsible for hotels etc. It didn’t occur to me (major mistake #1) that it would affect me. I figured that my connecting flight to Qikiqtarjuaq would be fine. I was wrong. After waiting around for a few hours at the ‘oh-so-beautiful’ Iqaluit airport, it was officially cancelled and I taxied everything I had to a local hotel. Since then, I’ve spent an average of 10 hours/day sitting around and waiting. Wednesday. Thursday. Friday was a bit different.

You see, Thursday night I decided to crash at a friend’s place instead of shelling out for another hotel stay. He stayed at his buddy’s place and gave me the keys to lock up. Great, right? Well, up at 5 am for the fourth day in a row, walk the dogs, and get everything out for the cab by 6 am. The hitch this time? I locked the keys inside with half the bags and all the dogs! OMG.

Ok, so here I am, standing outside an apartment in the pre-dawn with a cab pulling up – bags and dogs inside! What do you do when you’re locked outside someone’s house with his/her number on a scrap of paper on the other side of the door? In the rain?

The cab driver was great; he had driven me to the airport a few times already, so he knew what I was up against. We were able to get in touch with the RCMP through the taxi dispatcher, but they were no help. The owner to the housing unit was unreachable as was the locksmith. And even if I could get in touch with someone, I wouldn’t have the authority to get it opened.

You know what was suggested? By bunches of people (including the RCMP)? Break in. What??!!? Yup, break the window and squeeze through. Driving around and around Iqaluit, checking out various options, and learning that nothing would open until at least 8:30 am. One of the guys mentioned it would probably be cheaper to break in through the door since finding the right size glass might not be that easy. Raayyyt.

By this point I was in tears. Sophie, inside, was barking like mad and all I could imagine were those youtube videos which show St. Bernards absolutely ripping things apart. Aahhh! I had to leave her in there alone for about an hour.

Fortunately, I was able to contact the guy through his emergency info at work a couple of hours later…him and his extra set of keys. Then, after rushing to the airport, Iwalked through the door just as the cancellation was announced. Again!

So the decision was made…now the idea is that I’m going to be staying here, with the dogs, until September. Aahhh! I was looking forward to some down time. As it is, Sophie has to spend most of her time in the bathroom – she can’t be trusted out and about when I’m not there, and I can’t be there all the time.

Well, that’s the news for today. Although there’s definitely lots to tell, I have to head to North-Mart before it closes down for the day.