Aurora borealis

.

LOL ;)

At this time of year however Donna I like to think of them as being somewhat tropical......playing mind games helps a lot when fingers, toes and face start burning (do you remember that unique feeling before frostbite sets in?). ;)

Remember? How can I forget 50 years of living and growing up in Edmonton, walking to school (uphill both ways, of course!) through, 3 feet of snow, cheeks so frozen they were tinged white, fingers and toes so cold, you couldn't feel them. Then later walking 3 blocks from the bus or the LRT to work with -35 C wind blowing straight in your face, trying to walk backwards to escape the freezing for a few minutes, eye makeup streaming down your face....remember, oh yes, I remember it well.

yep I think you've gots a pretty good memory...it all came rushing back to me this am when I walked to work! :b

When I was living in Yellowknife, I'd walk to work, if it was above -40. anything colder, and I'd take the bus. I was dressed for it, with multiple layers, and a good arctic parka. The thing I didn't like was when my eye lids would get frosty, like pollen on bees legs, but white. Then my eye lids would freeze together for a short time. The only part of me that was showing, was my eyes.

I had a good stethoscope, heavy duty rubber. I pulled it out of my parka pocket one day, and it snapped into pieces.

I was transfering a patient from the ambulance, to the plane, to go to Edmonton... We were in the hanger because it was so cold outside. He had an I.V., and we had it on a pump, so we could put it under the double layer feather down sleeping bag we used for transport. Anyway, about 2' of the IV tubing was hanging out of the sleeping bag. In the amount of time to move the guy from the ambulance to the plane, inside the hanger, the tubing froze solid, and broke. It made for a few anxious moments, because the guy was on life support at the time, but all ended well.

I still have a spot on my ear, that every summer it burns and peels with the first warmth, and first bug spray on it. Also when it's cold here, it peels for about a month. Just a reminder of my time living and working in the arctic.

This week we will have the -40 to -45 with windchill.......I don't have any frostbite marks yet but my children might if they don't smarten up and start wearing their winter clothes properly.

It really sounds like you are having a weather week Pam!!!! My friend Pam in Regina says she had two feet of snow on her driveway, and really wasnt' interested in doing any shovelling!!! As I said before, I DO miss the snow slightly. I guess I must be used to Lotusland weather now, because when it gets chilly(yes, it was freezing this morning!!!!!) I sure do notice it more than I used to.
Luckily, we put the brugs in last ngiht that had been sitting out under the eave.
BRRRRRR!! I hope all you cold weather people are staying inside and keeping warm!!! We ARE thinking of you!

Glenda

So Linda, I eat humble pie after hearing your story of your life in Yellowknife. Yikes! Edmonton weather can get real mean cold, but I don't think it was ever cold enough to do the damage you were telling us about. That I can remember, anyway.

Went for a nice walk today with DH and Pup. Really wasn't that bad by 2:00pm, but never got above -5. Watched some kids on a tobaggan hill. They were having a ball. I remember those days too. Not a care about winter weather to them, they obviously welcome it. It's all in your frame of mind I guess.

Linda, I was just spending some time looking at photos on Webshots. You have some gorgeous pictures in there. I drolled over your Hawaii photos. I was there many years and another husband ago, but I always loved it and would go back in a heartbeat if I ever win the lottery. Heck, if I won a big enough lottery, I could see myself living there surrounded by palm trees and Birds of Paradise, overlooking a white sand beach and the pacific...sigh Anyway, I digress, I wondered if all of those Brugs were yours? The one shot of the Brug tree hanging over the brook was beautiful. Yours?

edited to add: Hey Pam, you've got 2 feet of snow on the ground and you wouldn't want the snow WE get! How much do you think we have? Sounds like you have about a foot more than we do, until we melt again.


This message was edited Jan 3, 2005 3:50 PM

Donna, I think we have similar tastes. I'd be off to Hawai'i in a minute if I could afford it. I keep buying those lotto tix, but nothing so far. Thanks for the compliments on the photos. Of the brug photos, all are mine except the sanguinia (sp) and the one below which you liked. I think, for hearing form Liz, that it's one of hers. It's at the Butterfly gardens out by Butchart Gardens.

I'll post this then edit to add the link to my dream house if I won the big lotto. It's about 5 min. away from me, but a whole nother world.

Here's the link to my fantasy house, but someone is already living there.
http://www.lesleefarrell.com/properties/locarno/index.asp



This message was edited Jan 3, 2005 4:27 PM

LOL, Linda, you are bound and determined to have that house, aren't you? Can't blame you. It's beautiful. A dream come true!!

Yes that is the Brug photo I meant. So that is one of Liz's. I'll look for it when we are there. Gorgeous Brug and setting. Makes me think of ponding...can't wait for spring...sigh

If Manitoba skies would just behave themselves. I'd rather have overcast during the day and a clear night now and then. We seem to be having clear sunny days and then clouds move in just as it gets dark. Bother - and worse.
Inanda

ah yes, the infinity pool, how can you have a home without one (needs infinity dollars me thinks)

For some incredible Alaskan aurora borealis shots, take a look at this site

http://www.noriomatsumoto.com/

We often get displays this time of year--but sometimes miss them because of tall trees around the house to the north and east. Will keep an eye on the "Watch" sites. When we lived in the east Chilcotin (we're in the West Chilcotin now) we had a big outdoor hottub we'd built ourselves, and we'd sit in it in winter wearing toques. (Otherwise the condensation would freeze on our hair) Sometimes when we had visitors we'd demonstrate how we could whistle up the lights (only when we saw the display coming, of course) and impressed the heck out of newbies!

I remember people doing that in Inuvik Chilko......there it seemed the lights actually danced to the tune.

You just have to try and come to Victoria in April, Chilko. I bet you are just full of cool stories!

There are several people now in this forum who've lived in the arctic or far north...it's pretty neat.
I spent 2 months in Whitehorse once...but it's on a major highway, so not sure if it counts! :-)

What season were you there Shannon, and when. I was in Whitehorse the summer of '91, after 3 years in YK before moving to Fredericton.

I kept moving because of problems, but they always found me in the new town as well. I think I"m finally settled now, finally.

Gee, I'm glad to hear they kept chasing you until you settled in Canada's Banana Belt, Linda! LOL

Boy, that banana belt'll get mighty crowded if that's where the troubles stop chasing! lol We'll all be camped in Linda & Cheryl's back yard forever. Look out!

I was there in the summer of '96, Linda, working at Mary Lake. It was my first time north of 60, and a pivotal experience...the beginning of a love of the north! But it sounds like I won't lose my problems up north after all, eh? Drat..... :-)
I also made it up to Dawson for a few days. Where else in the territory were you?

Canada's banana belt is expecting 2-5cm of snow tomorrow.

I spent that summer '91 in Whitehorse with a trip to Dawson for only a short time. Most of my time was in NWT, based in Yellowknife, but worked in an area covering west to Inuvik, east to Pelly Bay, and north to Little Cornwallis island. We worked hard, ave. about 80hr OT/month! and played just as hard.

Unless you've been to the 'north', I believe people just don't have a feel for it. It's truely a whole different world up there.

That's for sure! ;)

Yep, I agree. I drove from Edmonton to YK with my SO a few years ago...and got stomach flu in the campground outside of YK...don't recommend that. Have never been to Nunavut but flew over an island of it, while it was still part of the NT.... and have been quite far north in Finland, about the latitude of Tuk here in Canada. Hope to get back sometime, for a visit or to live.