A photo of Neil

In a moment of vanity I thought people might want to see a picture of me, so here it is. I am waiting for Terry when we were laying a loop out in Cross Lake, which is about 50km from our camp. we drove part of the way and were picked up by helicopter and flown out there to lay a loop for a drill that would be surveyed a few days later. The spool of yellow wire is just visible at the left edge of the photo. This area was very hilly and rugged, markedly different than most of the other areas we work. This is the area where I photographed the purple flowers below.

Arctic Colours

Vibrant colours are rare up here in Raglan, other than say the bright yellow Crone receivers, the yellow Crone wire or the orange drill shacks. I found these beauties on a loop laying trip out to Cross Lake, a short helicopter ride from camp. They may be Alpine Phlox, and each flower head is only about a third the size of my pinkie fingernail. They were abundant out in the craggy hills of Cross Lake and certainly a noticeable and appreciated display! It's a shame they were just starting to wilt a little before I found them.

Arctic Panhandler

After setting a temperature record of 117° (that's 47.2° Celsius for non-Americans) I find myself back in Ralglan where today it is 15°C, quite reasonable for this place actually. When I got back to our drill the other day this little guy was sniffing around our transmitter gear. They love to eat our wire, particularly the black electrical tape on our splices. They'll dig down through several feet of snow for a chomp! This guy was looking for some snacks, I think the drillers like to share their lunch. He was very brave and followed me around so I tried to snap a shot. He was very cooperative, hamming it up for the camera. It's amazing how different he looks from his winter counterpart, you can see a picture of the winter version here on Tom's blog.

Home from Vegas, but Neil's not home...

We made it back safely from an amazing vacation visiting Grandma and Grandpa Evans in Las Vegas (and of course we also got to see Addison, Valerie and Carl!) but Neil has hit the road yet again and is back at work in northern Quebec, making a quick turn around after leaving the desert and returning to Newfoundland.

Red Rocks Canyon Park was a natural wonder that we enjoyed visiting - hiking through the desert with flame-red rocks all around and a scorching sun above hammering down while a hot dessicating wind blew down from the mountains. In the first shot, I (Neil) am hiking through the red sandstone of the Calico Hills, home to many neat and unique rock climbing routes. The trail in the second photo leads off into Icebox Canyon, a hike we'd intended to return to do but never got the chance, I guess we'll have to go back to do it sometime in the future! In the third image we are standing at the trailhead to several different trails, one of which was the Keystone Thrust trail that leads to a unique geological structure, this is the trail we had intended to take. However, I was leading the way and neglected to listen to Heidi who was certain the trail went "this way" and we ended up on the wrong trail that went several miles further than we'd meant to. The best part of this photo is that Heidi is still smiling (phew!). The hike was still fascinating and very enjoyable. I've also thrown in a photo ofthe Venetian tower, the hotel/casino/resort where we went to see the Phantom of the Opera show that was a highlight of our trip, a jaw-dropping production we recommend to everyone who is anywhere near Las Vegas. We really had a blast!

O, Say, Can You See

Our first day in Las Vegas was July 4th, Independence Day. There were fireworks at the Casinos nearby, visible over the houses across from Grandma and Grandpa Evans' house. You could also see fireworks all over the city which you can see from up here. It was really pretty. The next day, the 5th, was record-tying 116 degrees F! It is a stark contrast to the tundra in Raglan. We also got to spend this afternoon at The Marriott, lounging by and in the pool, with waterfalls, and palm trees all around. It's a tough life but we are trying to muddle through!

Welcome to Vegas, $100 on Black!

We made it to Las Vegas, and the welcoming home of Grandma and Grandpa. The weather is everything we've been told, and more. Today is supposed to be about 115 degrees, which is about 46 for you Canadians. That calls for a siesta this afternoon! Unfortunately we only have a dial-up connection so you'll have to wait for photos. We'll keep you updated with our exploits as they unfold. Viva Las Vegas!