Okay, so I stole the title from my friend Rhonda… but then again, most of the blog entries from Churchill right now are basically from Rhonda… ha – what can you do.
Incredible northern lights continue in Churchill. By early evening, there was a fantastic show under way… and no real reason to doubt that the lights won’t continue through bear season. Looks like the solar maximum was have all been waiting for (for a few years now…) has arrived and Churchill is, by far, the best place to watch northern lights in the world (it’s true!).
Bears have arrive too. After a slight lull, the second wave of bears are moving… Brian Ladoon apparently has three of his regulars back while there are around half a dozen out in buggyland, ranging between GWB lodge and polar bear point (not sure if Tundra Buggy has their lodge out their yet… I should probably check on that). Seal River Lodge’s season is just dusting off and opening up for the season so no word from them yet…
Another bear has been spotted hanging out around Miss Piggy (the plane wreckage that also serves as a tourist atttraction) and the Churchill Waste Transfer Station where not much waste seems to be transferred – that may of changed, I have not stopped by Edgar’s coffee shop/emporium of wonders yet. Will update next week on the comings and goings of Churchill’s garbage and garbage bears.
Another half dozen bears are reported in jail right now – a likely reason for the lull in gunshots in Churchill – these early season visitors will be relocated north to Seal River by late October, early November… Something we may want to revisit given that we seem to deliver bears almost to the Nunavut/Manitoba border just in time for the polar bear hunt in Arviat (first week of November…) – but anyway…
Temperatures are not bad in Churchill – ranging around freezing – not too different from much of western Canada this past week, at least not while we were driving through it. Ugh.
Other than that, the usual polar politics are starting to stir and grumble – won’t report anything yet, but as usual, there are always a bit of left-field in bear season… and this one is holding some promise! Legion and legion tales are still there even if a few of my good buddies are gone and the cabin’s still there even if its starting to lean a bit towards the sea… excited to get back!
As for Here Be Bears… we’ll that’s a jewellery stand at the airport, not this blog entry! Make sure you buy some stuff before you leave town!
I was reading the history of Polar Bears in Churchill and saw 1989 – First playful interactions witnessed at Brian Ladoon’s dog yard, next interactions would not occur until 1992 when they became a more regular occurrence. When I lived in Ft. Churchil and went to school at the Post in the 7th and 8th grade from 1953 to 1955, I saw a Polar Bear play with a few huskies tied up on the rocks between Ft. Churchill and the Hudson Bay. I think that it was the Summer of 1954. I used to climb around that rocks there. This was a great experience.
Cool!
Say Hello to Rhonda for me!