Faye and Maciek's Adventures in the frosty Canadian North
The Mackenzie River started to break up on May 10th this year. This year was not as dramatic as last year’s breakup, which means that there was less flooding in town and less debris left on shore. At this point, only a week after breakup, the river is already open and accessible for boats to launch. Here’s a video from May 11th of all the ice chunks floating out towards the Arctic Ocean.
This year, we had visitors in town for the breakup.
Hello there! I am the newest addition to the “new additions” to Tulita. I’ve also been hired to work with the Park, and highlights of my job so far include procuring a meaty bear head from a freezer in Normal Wells, that I will eventually have to boil down to a skull and sanitize for use in educational programming. I arrived in town only 2 short weeks ago, and Faye and Maciek kindly set me up with a blog username and told me I could write whatever I wanted on here as long as I don’t include any town gossip –of which there is a remarkable amount having only been here two weeks. But don’t ask me about it. At least not on the blog 😉
My first night in town, I was invited over to Faye and Maciek’s house for dinner where they promptly had me gut a grouse in their driveway –I was under the impression this was standard Tulita initiation, but turns out I was just lucky. Since then I’ve also had the pleasure of purchasing 50% off bananas at the Northern (I’m sure they were yellow at some point), staying up regularly until 1 am (when it actually gets dark), and throwing knives into a plywood wall (for fun). I’ve also been busy befriending the town’s eclectic array of dogs.
Ali –The goodest of girls, the best fetcher of sticks, she just wants to be your pal. Sweet, playful, and bit of a pushover. A classic Southerner.
Butterball –A big buttery ball of fluff. Can’t argue with that.
Stella –The local celebrity athlete, a dark horse (dog) on the skijoring circuit. She barrels through the snow, a shadow in the night.
Teacup –Born in the first light of spring, 2018. Teacup is a wizened soul with a heart of gold, trapped in the flimsy, flailing body of a mouse-like puppy. She also goes Trevor or Tyson, depending on who you ask. Her past is a mystery, but her size tells a big story. Adorbs.
Sissy –She may be tied up, in the physical world, but her philosophies and dreams are untethered. She has a bad habit of following, but with some more experience and mentorship, she will become a leader of her people.
Dirt-Patch Dog –This dog just lays in a patch of dirt all day. Might be a German shepherd?
Dog-House Dog 1 & 2 –One is always napping. And they both sit on their dog houses. Never in them.
Porch-Railing Dog –This dog is a step above, the cream of the crop, the wheat from the chaff, she sees life from the eyes of God (if God lived on a railing). Most other dogs in town are stuck in the mud, but her paws are clean –of sin. Note the railing on the left.
Lil’ Pointy Ears –Lil’ Yaps-A-Whole-Lot-And-Needs-An-Attitude-Check. But he’s also the youth of today. And those voices need to be heard.
Shepherd –Katelyn’s neighbour. She doesn’t typically go for the macho type – he’s barking up the wrong tree 😉
Charlie –The epitome of strength, love, and fluff. The gracious mother of four beautiful children. She protects, teaches, and tenderly licks her legacies. An inspiration to us all.
Walter –His jowls and saggy eyes practically drag on the ground. If you want a dog with a short leg and a looooong droop, he’s your guy.
So far so good! Tulita’s got some top notch dogs, and I can’t wait to meet even more. This Dog Blog was co-authored by Emma.