Davis Strait, Ekortiarsuk Fjord, and Eclipse Sound

Wednesday October 2 was a day at sea for us as we crossed the Davis Strait between Greenland and Canada. I love sea days with Adventure Canada because there are always interesting presentations to attend or, if I want to, I can sit back and do nothing. My favourite presentation of this crossing was given by Rogier on using the camera in an android phone. I picked up some really good tips about different ways to trigger the shutter. Dennis mentioned that on one of his trips to Antarctica, he noticed that the professionals were using their phones as their wide angle cameras so they didn’t have to carry more than one camera body. The phones really are becoming more and more capable as an alternative to a camera for the average photographer. In the evening there was a kitchen party which I thoroughly enjoyed and which I’ve written about in a previous post.

Our first hiking opportunity in Canada was in Ekortiarsuk Fjord. This year they divided the moderate hikers into two groups. I went with the faster group and was very pleased  that I could putter at the back while I took photos and then catch up with the rest of the group. At times I was even among the leaders. Our group did get a bit strung out and the tail enders started to merge with the slower group behind us. Some of us got permission from Heather, our group leader, to make our way back to the zodiacs via the beach. We walked along the tide line where there was slippery kelp and slimy rocks so balance was a challenge in a couple of spots; however I managed to remain upright after a couple of less than graceful moves. The photo highlight was a cross fox.

He isn’t really very clear because he was quite far from us and his head is turned away from my camera. I was delighted to see him nonetheless. One of the compromises I make by not carrying my mirrorless camera is that I can’t get really good close-ups of wildlife. I still enjoy the experience though.

It was on this hike that I became disenchanted with my boots. They are the same size I usually wear but are a different brand. I found they were just not snug enough to give me really secure footing. In addition, they were supposed to be waterproof. The right boot was fine. The left boot leaked. That’s not acceptable in my world.

In the dining room I had a few of those ‘small world’ moments. Tina, the geologist on the trip, and I discovered that we live only a few blocks apart in Calgary. Later I met two woman also from Calgary neighbourhoods very close to me.

Friday October 4 saw us in Eclipse Sound. Again I hiked with the moderate fast group and was quite comfortable with the pace. There had been a bit of backing and forthing about chatting while on hikes. Some folks enjoy socializing as they walk and others find conversation irritating and want to be alone in nature. It’s not a problem for me. Sometimes I chat and sometimes I don’t. It’s pretty easy to tell from the response whether a person is happy chatting or not, and if I don’t want to chat I simply place myself far enough away from others that I don’t have to. Dave Freeze who was leading our hike collected us and suggested that we do the next part of the hike up to the ridge in silence and then spend a few moments at the top just enjoying the land. We did that and I got a couple of good shots of people as they rested and looked out at the tundra and the fjord.

In the afternoon we took a zodiac cruise to see a polar bear and her two cubs that had been spotted on land. We got close enough to get a reasonably good look at the trio but not so close as to disturb the bears as they wandered along the shore and the cubs slid in and out of the water.

After seeing the bears the plan was to go up the river to the bottom of a waterfall

but there was clearly a front coming in and it was getting a bit bumpy so our driver decided not to chance it. Anyway one of the other drivers reported on the radio that he could only get half way up to the waterfall. Instead we headed for a zodiac that appeared to contain a couple of polar bears. These bears were not at all skittish and proffered spiked hot chocolate.

Our Christmas letter

Another year has gone whizzing by and I haven’t written a Christmas note to one single person, so I thought I’d do it en masse this year. Since the pandemic Richard and I have been indulging our hermit natures. We are singing in only one choir; Richard has continued with voice lessons and I have continued with lutherie lessons. Other than that, we’ve pretty much stayed home and there are many nights when we say to each other, “I’m glad we don’t have to go anywhere tonight.” Changed days from when the only time we stayed home was when we couldn’t find something to do elsewhere.

We are exploring options for heating the shop more evenly so I have been able to spend more time in there when the weather is cold. I’ve been getting better at using my scroll saw, one of the first power tools I got from my colleagues at Forest Lawn High School when I retired. After Richard gave it an overhaul last year and with some careful practice on my part, the blades are staying put most of the time rather than pulling out on tight turns. I made a variety of ornaments for Christmas this year. Some people got a lamb made from two different woods. I cut mittens, gingerbread people, cat and dog variations, and some funky travel trailers. Sorry I don’t have many photos as most of them are already wrapped and under Christmas trees.

I have patterns for intarsia ornaments that make up an entire manger scene and I’d like to construct the whole thing at some point. Rather than ornaments to hang, though, I think I’ll put small stands on each of the figures so they can be displayed on a table or mantle. That may or may not happen in the coming year as I tend to get involved in other projects and realize in October that Christmas is coming and I need to get a move on.

Richard has continued to write music. He’s working on another piece for his “Summer Suite for Harp and Cello” - a set of pieces he’s been composing for a friend who is a beginning harpist and her daughter who is a professional cellist. Writing pieces so the harp is easy enough and the cello part is still interesting has been a fun challenge for him.

He also wrote a new Christmas benediction for the choir. Writing “incidental music,” as it’s called, is rewarding because it is performed more than once a year, unlike an anthem. In addition he continues to transpose songs for me for the ukulele, and he figures out chords when the standard 3 chords I use for songs don’t quite cut it. He wrote a vocal trio called “Bunny Slippers” that he and two friends will perform at the year end recital for the vocal studio. I’m not going to give too much away here but it’s going to be a real crowd pleaser with just the right amount of silliness. This past Sunday he and I sang his arrangement of ‘The Birthday Carol’ in church and people told us they enjoyed it. It’s so wonderful to have Richard and his knowledge of music as a resource in the house. I go at it intuitively playing ukulele by ear and that only gets me so far before I get stuck. When I do I turn to Richard who is always willing to help. Sometimes we play ukulele together. It’s a productive mix because I have a background in classical guitar technique and Richard has in depth musical knowledge. We appreciate learning things from each other.

Richard has enjoyed connecting with a friend once a week to play a co-operative computer game. With a busy calendar, it’s a flexible way for both of them to keep the friendship alive while killing off evil zombies. Judging from the noises and snippets of conversation that come from the study when Richard is playing, it’s completely engaging. “Where are you? Oh I see you. Watch out he’s over there! Nonononononono (pause) I just died (pause) again.” I have it on good authority that the noises coming from the other player are of similar intensity.

Some of the highlights of the year have been trips out to Vancouver to visit family. In the milder months we drive and in the colder ones we fly. One trip was particularly special in that we helped my uncle celebrate his 98th birthday. He and I had a lovely chat about his younger years and his memories of Mum. As I grow older I cherish the time I spend with family whether it be family by blood or family by choice. I read somewhere, although I’ve been unable to track the quotation, that when we retire we move from focusing on achieving things to focusing on appreciating things. I have many more things I want to accomplish and, at the same time, I’m more aware of the daily things I can appreciate.

This came into sharp relief this summer when Richard was faced with an unexpected surgery. All went well and he has completely recovered. We cancelled the first of our scheduled back-to-back trips with Adventure Canada out of the Northwest passage. That was disappointing for both of us but we have a plan to take the trip next fall so cross your fingers for us. Once we tried to get through the passage and were stopped by ice. This summer it was because of health issues. I’m going on the third-time-lucky theory for the fall of 2025. I was able to take the second trip from Greenland to Newfoundland as you will know if you’ve been following the blog. Yes, I am going to finish writing about that trip in the near future.

There are other changes around us. Due to a rezoning bylaw, what was once a neighbourhood of single-family dwellings is rapidly becoming a neighbourhood where bungalows are knocked down and replaced by buildings with anywhere from 6 units to over 100 units in them. I can’t say we love this and it will, no doubt, get personally annoying when the two houses across the alley from us come down and construction begins on a four storey combination residential and retail building. There is one going in down the block which is almost finished and the alley is always blocked by construction vehicles. I admit to being just a tiny bit cranky about the prospect. Oh well, I will do my best to follow Mum’s advice and ‘cross that bridge when we come to it.’

We had some work done on the camper van early in 2024 anticipating that we’d spend a good deal of time during the summer travelling in it. That didn’t happen so we have yet to enjoy the new awning and the improved lighting in the interior. We are hoping to travel next summer although we haven’t made any firm plans as yet. I’m also planning to arrange space in Beano, our 31 year old Toyota van, so that we can spend the night in it if our plan is to get somewhere quickly rather than make a lot of stops. It is much easier on gas than the camper and we would still be able to take advantage of camping which we both enjoy. It’s also a fun project.

In the new year we are planning to join a second choir; I have joined a ukulele jam that meets once a week; and Richard is investigating ways for us to work more consistently on our fitness. 2025 is an open book. Richard and I wish you a Merry Christmas and health and contentment for the new year. May the surprises that inevitably happen be delightful ones