MY LITTLE MADDY....

It saddens me to find out that my little girl dog Maddie was diagnosed a couple of weeks ago with a heart condition, she is now on heart pills and was doing pretty good until she had a couple of seizures 2 days ago and yesterday. It seems that maybe she has low blood sugar so she will be going back to the vet on Monday for blood work. I am so worried about her and I know shes 3 months shy of being 12 but she and her brother have been very special to me and helped me through some hard times in my life.  I couldn't take them to the Arctic so they are living in Shelburne and are well taken care of by my ex...and when I go home they go with me for the vacation time that I have. I am really hoping that she gets at least a few more years , she enjoys life so much just sitting and watching the squirrels, going in the car and she loves her walks. I will be home on the 27th and she will be the first non human I will go see !!

I AM SO BLOODY SLACK ...OR REALLY BUSY !!

I'll take the latter because these 1 and 2 year old boys keep me hopping !!
So the trip home with my grandson was just perfect, he hadn't been home and I hadn't seen him for 4 years so the very next night I took him to see an old friend of his dads and even though the plan was to be back by 10 or 11 pm, my sons good friend Mo was still telling stories to his son at 2 am. It was priceless and that trip was best thing I could have done for him and me .Memories ...its all we have....
Pat was glad he had come home ...he didn't realize that he had actually missed it, familiar things , family...since that trip in August he went home again in October...I think he will do so more often ....
We decided to find all the videos of Shawn that we could and get them on to a DVD before they were lost.... so between his grandfather and I we got several copies of each and passed them around to the family...memories....It's all we have....

AND WE ARE BACK !!!

WOW, What a life !, ended up going back to Baffin for 2.5 months in the spring , then back to the country ranch for 7 weeks, just past Elton Johns place : ) seriously ! then back to To. Since then we have settled down a lot more ,flew my grandson and his mom up for a 8 day visit in July, greeted Dom at the airport with a clown , he was floored !, took them out to the ranch,to the Lion Safari which was awesome, Ontario place and Toronto Zoo. It was such a treat having them here.
Then I planned the trip out West to see Gordie, what fun that was, Carol, Karl and myself, landed in Calgary , drove West through the mountains to Canmore then North through the Rockies. Stayed at Mica Mountain Lodge on the way through and Heavens Edge Lodge on the way back.
The next adventure is flying my grandson Patrick from Calgary to Toronto on Sept 30th.and then we are headed home to N. S for a few days visit. I haven't seen him in 4 years so this will be wonderfull.
I had planned to go to the Silver Cities in Mexico in Dec. but since then I have been looking at a trip to the Copper Canyons which are further South of there. The only problem is it will have to be at some other time of year so I'm aiming for next October ! This Christmas...maybe just a jaunt down to N.B and N.S.
The weather is the only thing I mind here in To, hot and humid for almost 3 months, it just broke about 3 days ago, man its rough, but it could be worse so I will thank the Lord that it isn't. The only thing I realy missed were the awesome thunder storms they had here early August while we were in B.C . Darn !!! Think I miss the Arctic !!

WHERE DID I GO ??

Someone asked me why I hadn't been blogging...well; because I've had my hands full I guess. Settling in to Toronto is no small feat, the boss let me outfit my room so of couse loving to save money and always looking to do so , I found Kijiji and bought everything there , even my Ipod ! That required driving around the big city by myself usually, picking up all my gem finds ! and I did well, only took a few wrong turns but always found my way back, such an adventure ! and now that I have been here awhile, it's not so bad : )


I guess once you get to know a place it gets smaller....I have been to a play by Christopher Plummer called "Barrymore" that was really halarious and you know I love humour ! Last night was the Mariinsky Ballet "Swan Lake" absolutely thrilling music and dancers, just beautifull, Soon we will be attending the musical "South Pacific".

Have been sampling some of the great food to be found around here, riding the subway just to get used to it, looking forward to a trip on a "GO" train, but will save that for summer. Next weekend on Saturday morning a trip to the St. Lawrence market is planned, can't wait !

Also on the lookout for a new camera, a dock for my Ipod and a family Doctor !!

Planning a trip to see Darren , Jess and Dominic for Easter, a trip home 1st week of July, a trip with brother Karl and sister Carol out to Alberta to see our oldest brother Gordie and my grandson Patrick 2nd week of August and maybe another week home in October and making plans for the big trip to Mexico for December !!

All of this, plus looking after my two beautiful charges keeps me pretty busy !!

VISITING THE NORTH

Anyone who thinks that this isn't a gift of a lifetime, does not understand their Canada and that you should make all effort to take the opportunity when the Arctic comes a calling.

Very few people have been on Baffin Island, when you compare it to the population of Nova Scotia even. A very spirtual place, a place where death is just across a very thin line.... if you step over it.

Meeting the Inuit elders wo are so gentle and kind of heart, watching the mums AND the dads, carry their children on their backs in beautifuly home made "Amouti " parkas, to see the trappings of wilderness roaming in a Government seat city , to walk the tundra where ancient plants still thrive,to bathe in the glory of the Northern Lights gleaming above your head, to see the leftovers of a distant ice age.........you would be a fool to give up the chance to come here !!.......just saying : )

TORONTO BOUND......32 days

I have been trying to figure out why I am going to end up in Toronto, Ontario ? Hopefully to win the lottery... since it appears that that's where most of the winners come from : )
I have never liked Toronto.... or at least the week I spent there once on a management course. Too many people, too much smog, just not my thing. Fortunately the bosses mom has a beautiful ranch style home an hour outside of the city where I can take the kids, lots of horses, bison farms, markets ...everything !! I will love that !!
The other thing I will love are the really good restaurants so I can experience some new cuisine. And there are plays, operas, hockey games, comedy clubs ( which I adore ) china town for shopping, and loads of other stuff to do.
Now that my knee is shaping up I can hopefully start a weight lifting program again. There is a gym close by with a trainer, so that should work out well !
Still I am not so sure of the summers, I will certainly be missing the cool fresh air here in the Arctic , on those horrible humid days that Toronto suffers through every summer for two to three weeks.
Those will be the days to get out of town !!
Once settled I will start planning my trip to Mexico for next December...getting so very excited and not the least bit worried about the problems their having , as its no where near where I will be. I miss that Country so much ! I want to check out the school in Techuacan, as that's where I've been accepted to teach, and I may do that one of these days in the foreseeable future , if I live that long  : )

FAREWELL TO THE NORTH !!

I don't know where to start ! Has this been one of the most exciting adventures of my life ?...yes ! Would I do it again ...mmmm , have to think on that, If I did , I would have to go further North , definately ! Would I live here longer, I think so , assuming I had a 4 wheeler, skido, 4 wheel drive truck, and a couple of  loaded rifle's !! and hung out with the Inuit.
I like the Inuit peoples, not terrible fond of some of the white people hanging around here, a lot of misfits, but their everywhere I guess. The Inuit are a community minded group,very kind .They take care of each other, at least in the smaller communities. A whale is caught, it is shared by all, as is caribou or any large animal. A good way to live. But how long this will last with the influence of Southerners is unknown.
The Government is here and they are after the resources. Why else would you be in this part of the world ? Sure as heck , not for the beaches and palm trees : ) !!
But it has been an adventure for sure, one that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a complete change in cuture or just a change of scenery. There are not many people who can say they have lived on Baffin Island, thats for sure !