Loki’s Gift

While all across the U.S. and Canada, wild unpredictable weather is reeking havoc, Asia, Europe is reaping the rewards of Global Warming.  We are witness to the horrors through our televisions and the Internet and we pray for those who suffer devastating loss of life and property.

Here in the Canadian North, the ‘Land of Snow and Ice’ as this area has been labelled by so many, Ole Man Winter comes very early.  His visit is lengthy and the big melt here is not seen until well into May.

Born and raised in Canada’s capital I now I chose to leave the rhetoric behind, moving North in 2005, I now  live in a wonderful community in the Town of  Hay River, NT.  We are North of 60, and smack in the middle of the largest remaining Boreal Forest in North America.  Situated on the shores of the Great Slave Lake, one of the largest freshwater lakes in North America.  Hay River is a small community, approximate population of about 3200-3600 residents ,predominantly First Nations, and a mixture Caucasians and various other cultures.  We are a community that cares about each other, that reach out to help and support one another.

Ole Man Winter hit us on October 23rd, our days are now much shorter, our dark nights yet to become longer still.

Rather than dwell upon the disastrous events happening around the world, I would like to share with all of you, this little piece of heaven that I have called home since 2006.  The tree shown in my backyard is where Loki and I normally spent our time during the summer, me laying next to the tree with him stretched out in front of me.  A quiet place to have quality time.

The small wooden bridge I cross in the summer to get across the ravine  is now covered in waist deep snow.

During summer, across the ravine, Loki’s domain is filled with lush greenery, wildflowers, even wild clover and most abundant wild roses.  It is spectacular, to sit with him in this untouched beauty.

Beautiful is it not?

The evening skies are spectacular.  The colours vivid and glorious, making one feel very small and very grateful to bare witness to the beauty that surrounds one.

We have gone now from the lush green of summer to the realities of a cold, long and often very harsh winter. Wind chills dropping the temperatures to -40 and even lower in communities further North.   I continue to be amazed how the land sleeps here blanketed in Snow and Ice.  I marvel at how the smallest of birds survive, so tiny and fragile that they are.

We have gone from this:

To this:  in just 3 days, October 23,24 and 25th.  Given that it is reported that we received 68 c.m. in that short period of time and that our yearly average snowfall is only 124 cm, I must speculate on what is yet to come.

The tree in my backyard that gave comfort during summer to Loki and I, now hangs with the weight of wet snow.  The wonderland of colour in Loki’s summer domain is now buried under a blanket of white.  The land sleeps now, resting until Spring, a very long long way off now.

Ever majestic in beauty, Loki’s world is transformed, the air clean and crisp, the winter chill letting one know that you are alive, the quiet time, even quieter and ever more special to be shared with Loki.

I hope you will enjoy the next pictures of him as much as I enjoy my time with him.  He is definitely a Survivor, a gentle soul, one that without his knowledge opened my eyes to that which I had so long ago stopped appreciating.  We are all too often caught up in the irrelevant demands that we allow placed upon us and which we place upon ourselves.  Please visit Loki’s Page on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Friends-of-LOKI-Sole-Survivor/188340937903082?ref=ts&fref=ts and view his videos on YouTube: TundraVoices:   such as this one:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrqoARVHZNE&feature=share&list=ULMrqoARVHZNE