Hoarfrost Calendar 2019

January sunset~ Looking south across the bay to the Kahochella Peninsula, I used ICM-intentional camera movement to create the dreamy, blurred lines. The colour of the clouds was all real and unreal at the same time.

January: Out scooping on a cold January morning, loved the silhouette of Rugan and Fezzik inside the arc of the sun dog. Liv jokingly called it Sundog Squared and I think that sums it up perfectly.

February: To our great surprise we have seen herds of muskox move in while the caribou have disappeared. In our early years here if we saw tracks in the winter snow it was a sure bet they were from caribou. Now we can bet they are from muskox. This image is from a flight in our Aviat Husky while flying to Yellowknife.

March: Good lead dogs are worth their weight in gold. Here Nanook (white dog) and Wilson lead the team off of Dietz Lake in a winter storm. They knew exactly where they were going so just let them break the trail.

April: Snowshoe hare are very common around here in the winter. They feel safe around our home. Even though they have solid trails they travel through the night we only see them every-once-in-a-while.

May: I guess you could say this is a selfie, although I hadn’t thought of that when I put it in the calendar! I was out on the spring ice with our kicksled, following an old dog trail. The tracks are packed and so stay in place while the rest of the snow melts around them. Sled tracks and dog tracks lead us home.

June: On Sunday we often take a walk in the “neighbourhood”. This Sunday, Annika and I went hiking along the west shore and with all the interesting sites it felt like we were in an outdoor museum. As we looked back toward our home, the pink rocks underwater looked like a woman dancing.

August: Fishing for grayling at the mouth of the Hoarfrost River is one of our favourite evening activities in the summer. As you pull them out of the water their bright blues, purples, pinks quickly fade. This photo was taken soon after it was landed.

September: White and grey caribou lichen, red cranberry leaves and green Labrador tea leaves ( i have to check on this plant) cover the autumn tundra floor. As I look at this image I can conjure up the earthy smell of these hearty plants.

October: F-FRB, our new Found Bush Hawk takes off from the water in front of our home for its final summer flight on floats. In the background, the first dusting of snow covered the Kahochella Peninsula. A nudge to get Dave on his way to Fort Nelson where our airplane has its maintenance and changeovers.

November: One of my favourite times of the year for weather and drama on the land. Ice and wind and waves all work together to create this dramatic shoreline.

December: Great Grey Owl, spotted on a dog run to Obelisk Lake with an 8 dog team. The first day I was climbing a small hill and a big dark bird flew over my head. Slow and steady as it landed in the tree to check us out. I stopped the team to see what it was and try to get a photo. The dogs were eager and barking so all I did was see that it was a Great Grey Owl. I had to return the next day to see if I could see it again...I mean, what were the chances? Apparently quite good. As we approached the same small hill, the bird flew just in front of the team before landing in a tree nearby. This time I was ready with my snow hook, snub line and camera. I was able to get a few shots while it studied us. It was all magic.

I need to find the photo for July and put it here BUT in the meantime, I will share this one of FFRB! I just added this because I liked it. The first photos of our new airplane as it arrived home in April.