Sorry Cambridge Bay, we're back

I missed these skies

As our plane landed and our flight attendant (who, in true small town style, was a friend of mine) announced, "Welcome to Cambridge Bay," the entire plan erupted in applause and the giggling ladies behind me hooted and hollered, "SORRY CAMBRIDGE BAY, WE'RE BACK!"

I missed this place.

We're back, after three weeks of glorious vacation, and what a busy state of activity Cambridge Bay was in. My friends were all jumping into the Arctic ocean to do the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Prime Minister Harper happened to be visiting in town, and everyone was lining up to get selfies with him. The Nunavut Arts Festival was in full swing with artists mingling and presenting their works. There had been so many things happening while we were gone. The vet team had come to care for the dogs of Cambridge Bay. And the LORAN tower was gone.

Prime Minister Harper's airplane

The Nunavut Arts Festival

Throat singing at the Nunavut Arts Festival

Carver working on a new masterpiece

Oh yeah, on another note, I did the Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS.

I decided that the whole Arctic ocean could be my ice bucket, so for the challenge, I jumped off the shipping dock into the Arctic Ocean, which was 3 degrees Celsius that day.

I wore a life jacket because I wanted to cover up my belly because I ate way too much while on vacation because I was afraid of drowning.  A few years ago, a young boy in town fell off the dock and drowned and I was afraid that would happen to me. Of course, my understanding was that he drowned because he didn't know how to swim, but I was worried that the coldness of the Arctic ocean would make me forget how to swim.




Anyway, I didn't end up drowning, although I could see how one's body would shut down quickly in the frigid water. I certainly didn't linger in the water, so thankfully, I was all right.  Although there were some mysterious drops of blood on my face. What? Where was this blood coming from? I checked my face and apparently I somehow got a small cut on my face.  But at least I was okay.

My waterproof camera, unfortunately, was not. It was waterproof, but not cold-proof so it shut itself off during my jump, perhaps as a form of protest to what I was doing to it. And really, that's too bad because it would have really captured my gurgling scream underwater when the cold hit me.

So yeah, I did a silly thing and so should you. Or you could just donate to the ALS Society of Canada.

For the next little while, I'll be relating stories of my travel for the next little while. We had some wonderful adventures, but it's great to be back in the North, where we can breathe air free of allergens and smoke.

cruise ships in Cambridge Bay

beach day!

hanging out on an Arctic beach

beach selfies

um, whose tracks are these

dance parties