Halloween

In Canada we all dress up in funny costumes for Halloween , the last day of October.

Windows 09

Clouds from Above

What is real?

Early Morning

Shopping for books with Claire

Canadian North

Dark Clouds

Dog Sleigh waiting for the snow

Low Tide seen from a Rocky Hillside

Last day in Iqaluit

High View

Simon Tookoome

Glass reflects the lights in the coffee shop where I took this photo of art by Simon Tookoome.

Retro Iqaluit

these were taken with my google phone

Iqaluit Stone Carvings

pointing

playing with the sky

blue house

children playing

Beach Gas Bar

Iqaluit boats

Iqaluit sunset

workshop

I'm in Iqaluit to teach a course in leather bag making to 10 Inuit women.
The women are very talented. They have completed classes before and make some beautiful things . The classroom is sparse and I wish I had brought so many more things with me. I like the people I have met Justin from NACA and Diane, who is the senior instructor of the fur production and design program here at the Nunavut Arctic College. I miss my workshop and the familiar machines I have. We worked on patterns the first day. I encouraged the women to make fancy fronts on the first bag we make. At the end of the work day we had a look at the sewing machines . The women were right in there checking them out , moving them around, some of them won't be suitable and the thread is soft cotton instead of the strong nylon I use.

Meeka , who was taking part in my workshop made this coat.

Iqaluit northern lights

Monday night- The clouds are gone and I wonder if I might see the northern lights tonight. From my room I watch out the window and in a while I see them. I go outside in front of the hotel, not the best spot to watch the sky, it's busy and there is a noisy bar at the front. Looking up, I see the lights start to swirl and dance across the sky. Jupiter is very bright behind the swirling lights. An Inuit woman told me that you have to whistle or scream at the northern lights and you must be careful they can take your head off.
A local fellow comes by and says "You're lucky, I've been here for three years and haven't seen the lights with the pinks and purple colours like we're seeing now. Do you have $12? Go in a taxi to Apex where there is no ambient light, it would be amazing." But just then a fine rain starts to fall and clouds start to cross the sky, the show is over.

I couldn't capture the lights with my camera very well.

Iqaluit2

The capital of Nunavut is located on Frobisher Bay on Baffin Island.  The community was originally a military airbase built during WWII by the Americans who left in 1963. Today the Iqaluit International Airport is the nexus of a thriving air passenger and cargo industry. Since being named the capital, infrastructure has grown at an amazing rate.