Qimmimariit

01/12/2024

Missing our dogs, Romper, Rupert, Toko, Rohde, Lewis, Lillian and Parker, and those who passed through for a visit, Bedford, Malone, Bugsy,

01/12/2024

29/11/2024

Balto pretending to be a sphinx 💞

21/10/2024

A sad part of Canada's history.

21/10/2024

Find out more about the QTC in my book, "The Canadian Inuit Dog: Icon of Canada's North." Available at Amazon, Indigo and the Ottawa Public Library.

05/10/2024

REMEMBERING SIU-LING'S MONTH-LONG DOGSLEDDING TRIP ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD OF BAFFIN ISLAND IN APRIL 2009. PART 6.

29/08/2024

Juniper's pup, one of the last pups who came and stayed at our house to be socialized until they were ready to go back to Iqaluit to join the team.

29/08/2024

28/08/2024

A loving memory of our precious Siu-Ling
Munich January 22, 1963 - Ottawa, August 29, 2016
ALWAYS IN OUR HEARTS

22/08/2024

I saw these four egrets on the edge of Beaver Pond. Unfortunately, my phone camera is not that great, but I was happy to see them. Usually there is only one, so, seeing four at once is a treat.

I walk to the pond with my friend, Vera, almost every single day. We sit on a bench and watch the world go by. People walking or jogging, alone, with friends, family, or their dog. We watch Canada goose families and their young waddling by, picking in the grass or just sitting on the shore, grooming themselves. It's fascinating to watch the dynamics within each goose family and how they react to others. We have seen cormorants gliding by before diving and disappearing under the surface of the water, only to reappear somewhere else. We have seen a blue heron, ducks, sparrows, finches, mourning doves and cardinals. We love listening to the birds singing in the treetops and try to recognize what kind of birds those are, because we don't always see them.

I mentioned this to my friend Jane, an avid bird watcher. She suggested that I downloaded an app called MERLIN. It helps us recognize the different sounds birds make. It is pretty amazing. You hold up your phone and the app shows you what kind of a bird you just heard. It even includes a photo of the bird. Being in nature soothes our souls. It inspires gratitude.

Goodnight 😴

21/08/2024

REMEMBERING SIU-LING'S MONTH-LONG DOGSLEDDING TRIP ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD OF BAFFIN ISLAND IN APRIL 2009 - Part 5

21/08/2024

https://youtu.be/I2TJZqJBMNk?si=WBzrp6_1FMxzwoFz

Sam got two of Siu-Ling's dogs, years ago, siblings of Bugsy and Malone.
Il ya des années, Sam a obtenu deux chiens de Siu-Ling: frères et sœurs de Bugsy et Malone.

Bien sûr, on aime le Québec pour sa neige et cette panoplie d’activités que ses habitants pratiquent passionnément! La motoneige est un incontournable lors d...

16/08/2024

HUNT FOR THE OLDEST DNA

A maverick gene-hunter smashes the record for the oldest DNA ever recovered. His findings reveal a lost world – a High-Arctic forest full of surprising animals,…

16/08/2024

HUNT FOR THE OLDEST DNA
I am sharing this link from a friend, Natalia Rybczynski, a Canadian
paleobiologist, professor and research scientist. She recently did an
interview for a documentary about the Arctic. The topic concerns a Danish researcher investigating ancient DNA from Greenland.

A maverick gene-hunter smashes the record for the oldest DNA ever recovered. His findings reveal a lost world – a High-Arctic forest full of surprising animals,…

14/08/2024

Most mornings, I take this beautiful path along the Beaver Pond to immerse myself in the beauty of nature, and to find peace within my heart.

August used to be one of the happiest months of the year when the whole family, including son Tim and our two grandchildren who live in the U.K., came for a visit. That's when we, as a family, travelled to Nova Scotia to go camping in one of Canada's most beautiful natural environments on earth.

The last time we all went together was in 2015. The year after, on August 29, 2016, we lost our precious Siu-Ling when she joined her sled dog team across the rainbow bridge.
August 31, 2018, three weeks after we came back from a trip to Europe, where we celebrated our 60th wedding anniversary with our family, was the day my husband, Bing, was hit by a car when he was out for a walk. He suffered a life-threatening and life-altering traumatic brain injury and almost died.

I'd like to think that Siu-Ling was watching over her Dad, saving us from losing him only two short years and two days after we lost her. We have to be grateful that he survived, in spite of his serious injuries.

Five years later, on August 30, 2023, we had to put Parker, my precious furry friend, to sleep 😓 .

August 29, 30 and 31 are days that are edged in my memory. Days of pain and sorrow sprinkled with quiet moments of gratitude. Gratitude?

Yes, gratitude for the love and joy my wonderful daughter, Siu-Ling, brought me; gratitude that filled my heart with pride when I learned of her amazing accomplishments as a person, friend, wildlife biologist, environmentalist, and dog teamer to make this world a better place; gratitude for the outpouring of love, care, and support her many friends surrounded her with during her last weeks on earth.

Gratitude that I did not lose my husband and the father of my children when he was hit by a car and survived because if his strong disposition.

Gratitude that we had Parker in our lives, and that we were able to allow him to join Siu-Ling to whom he belonged, with love, grace and dignity.

Such are the ups and downs of our lives on earth. Things we learn to live with, and deal with because, believe it or not, we do have a choice. We can wallow in sorrow and feel sorry for ourselves, or look up, move on, as best as we can, one step at a time. Let's try to be kind, not only to others, but also to ourselves, and find acceptance, and peace.

To help you find solace in dealing with loss, please, read my book, "I Am With You Everywhere: Finding Solace in the Mists of Grief."

11/08/2024

REMEMBERING SIU-LING'S MONTH-LONG DOGSLEDDING TRIP ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD OF BAFFIN ISLAND IN APRIL 2009 - Part 4

09/08/2024

REMEMBERING SIU-LING'S MONTH-LONG DOGSLEDDING TRIP ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD OF BAFFIN ISLAND IN APRIL 2009 - Part 3