The last couple of weeks

Not much to report from the last couple weeks, other than the sun has finally set for the last time in 2016.  It won't rise until February now.  Three polar bears wandered through the station and left some tracks.  Not sightings to report.  The recent supermoon was shining brightly up here, difficult to capture on camera though.

Enjoy the pics!

Mike

Once more into the unknown

The time had returned to make another trek back north.  After a whirlwind southern swing, that encompassed three different countries, nine scuba dives, moving friends out of their house, and visiting many friends and family, I was being dropped off at Pearson International again by none other than Ryan Pyear, who was waiting to pickup Monica and Cullen inbound from Portugal on the same day.

After a short flight to Winnipeg and some dinner with friends there, the Perimeter Air Charters hangar awaited me at 0600, and some friendly faces to go with it.  We then saddled up a Metroliner aircraft for the 11 hour trip north to Eureka.  Along the way we had fuel stops in Churchill, Kugaaruk, and friendly Resolute Bay, before furtherance to our final destination, and my resting place for the next 8 weeks.

There has been some odd weather patterns so far this tour.  Warmer temperatures than seasonally expected, with records being broken on various days.  Sounds ominous, and it is.  High winds have ripped through the Eureka Weather Station and surrounding areas, blowing any accumulated snow clear.  Recently, there was a significant thawing period which turned the ground to mud; and accompanied by a flash freeze, which has toughened the tundra up a bit making it easier to drive on.  Daylight is decreasing systematically everyday, like clockwork....pardon the bad pun.

The rising and setting of the sun has provided some dramatic views.  As always, the landscape goes beyond explanation to properly do it justice.

I did recently have a wildlife experience that left me feeling thankful my legs worked as fast as they did.  I was walking up to one of our labs onsite, and I heard a sudden grunting noise and the jostling of some snow.  A large muskox was taking shelter from the winds behind our lab, and I startled it.  I walked away from that close call.

The arctic is a magical place, that permeates into ones being.  A profound place, to say the least.

The feeling of peace returns to the soul, as the wings of the plane casually glide northward over the frozen tundra, only to reveal the serenity of the untouched and unexplored.

Happy trails everyone.

M

 

 

Diving 2016 - Cozumel, MX

I recently arrived south from the arctic and decided to take a trip to Cozumel, Mexico to do some scuba diving and enjoy the tropical life for a bit.  I routed Eureka, Winnipeg, Vancouver (week long visit with my sister and other family), San Francisco, Houston, and finally Cozumel after 18 hours in-transit from Vancouver.

Checked in at my resort, the Iberostar Cozumel, and settled into my room.  Shortly after I went to go visit the dive shop proprietor (Dressel Divers), to speak with the head instructor about scheduling my Advanced Open Water Diver course.  Didn't take very long, and I had 2 dives scheduled the next day.  Grabbed some food and a cerveza, and enjoyed the sunset, with my toes in the water and ass in the sand (thank you Zac Brown Band).

I spent the next 5 days diving, completing all practical in-water components for my AOW certification, as well as completing the Enriched Air certification, which allows me to breath nitrox versus ambient air while I dive.  The diving in Cozumel is right up there with the diving I did in Australia on the Great Barrier Reef, and off the coast of Islamorada in the Florida Keys.  The water temps were 25-30C, air temps were 30-35C with no humidity.  Biodiversity was immaculate; barraccudas, various species of rays, numerous tropical fish, turtles, and sharks all came for a visit during one of the total nine dives I completed.

I want to give a big thank you to the staff at the Dressel Divers dive shop.  Baptiste, Alec, Scott, Silvia, and Amy were all very supportive and helpful while I completed my courses.  Dressel Divers website: https://www.dresseldivers.com/

Was another great trip, and another new country to visit.  Nice stamp in the old passport.

As always,

Happy Trails everyone

M.

                                   

Long Time Running

As many of you know, it has been about a year since I have written anything.  The inspiration to write comes in waves, and those waves have a mind of their own. 

Last summer was my introduction to The Peoples Independent Republic of Newfoundland.  My buddy Jay from up north invited me back to the island for his annual Summer Seafest.  Before that though, we took in a Blue Jays game in Toronto, and attended the Rolling Stones concert in Orchard Park, New York.  

My week in Newfoundland was primarily spent in Little Burnt Bay, just north of Lewisporte, with Jay and his parents, Ruby and Terry.  We did take a road trip up to Twillingate one day to check out some family roots.  We went out cod jigging one morning too, and then cooked up the freshest fish fry I've had.

Enjoy the pictures everyone, wherever you are!

M/

Little Burnt Bay, NL

the infamous Ruby Roberts