Our first day off

After nearly two solid weeks of gearing up the kitchen for cooking and setting up the restaurant for opening, Dean took a day off. We decided it was time to explore the surrounding area of Churchill by foot. At this time of year it is less likely we would come across a Polar Bear however since it can happen on occasion, we decided to stick fairly close to town and ventured down to the marsh area alongside the Port of Churchill.  It was important we kept our eyes peeled along the coastline in case one did show up. In our minds we established a quick ‘get away’ route.

In less than a week my first group will arrive. As a guide my job is to expose them to all that this Northern Town and Sub-Arctic environment has to offer. Since it is my first summer here, I needed to brush up on my bird and flower identification. With binoculars poised constantly against my eyes, I was delighted to encounter and recognize the following bird species:

*Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Common Eider, Common Goldeneye, Greater Scaup, Oldsquaw, Red-necked Phalarope, Short-billed Dowitcher, Bonaparte Gull and a Yellow Warbler.

Red-necked Phalarope

Churchill is a staging and nesting area for up to 275 birds that arrive in Churchill late May and stay until late July. It is a birders paradise.

Jewel Lichen

Mountain Avens

Beautiful Cinquefoil

Trailing Willow

Snow Willow

Along with the birds is the colourful array of wildflowers which turns the often described as the Barren lands into a thing of beauty. Flowers from the pea, rose, primrose and willow family sprout up from the tundra, creating a delightful carpet of colour and texture.

The ‘golden hour’ in Churchill is more like the ‘golden 3 hours’. The low lying sun lingers above the horizon and spreads a deep orange glow across the land and sea. As the sun warms the Greywacke boulders, they come alive with light as the granite grey turns into pastels of orange and pink. On this unusually windless day, the reflections were clear and perfect, however with stillness comes the bugs.

Churchill Greywacke

With our heads down inspecting the flowers, we lost track of time. The 10.00pm siren alerted us that it was indeed 10pm, not the 7pm we thought it was.  We definitely get our full serving of day in the land where the sun sets ever-so briefly.

July 1^st is a day of festivities. Polar plunge, Churchill parade, Hudson Square BBQ and live music will be the line-up of our first Canada Day spent in Churchill. By late afternoon both Dean and I will be gearing up for a busy night at the Tundra Lounge. Pizza specials and pub-food delights will be served throughout the night, ending with a few hours of live music from a local band. Keep an eye out for the next ‘festive’ post.  Thanks for your interest.