We have Arrived at Churchill Manitoba!

 Our charter flight with Calm Air was just under 2 hours. Who doesn't love a tail wind?!

Quick shout out to NatHab for the way they dealt with bags that didn't fit in the cabin overhead compartments but were a bit delicate for the average airport baggage handler. VALET bags. We dropped them off at the bottom of the stairs to the plane and our NatHab guides loaded and unloaded them to a secret spot on the plane. This is how they safeguard the camera gear of 35 people and ensure no tears and no missed opportunities for us in the coming week. Brilliant!

Upon arrival we broke off into specific tour groups - our guide was Garrett. A Winnipegian man who actually, literally has 9 jobs and by his own account has found a way to monetize all his favorite hobbies. He has his own canoe/camp business, media company, teaches videography at college level, is a trained chef, guides for Nathab and ... other stuff that I can't remember. Wowza! Smart and passionate. That's the perfect combo for a guide, am I right?!

You know I checked out his website too. Every guide and photographer has a 'style' and this gal will find something in particular with that style that she can learn from and benefit from. Garrett's pictures tell stories. I LOVE that. IMHO if you can find a moment that speaks to your senses in a multi-dimensional way, asks a questions, elicits an emotional response or triggers a memory, you have a winner... even if the focus is not sharp or the light is not perfect. Because we are not perfect either, it can still be just right.

Before lunch we traveled the road near the coast and checked out Miss Piggy. A long-since downed aircraft that has been lovingly muraled to death and sits as an aviators reminder (just shy of the airport) and a tourist photo-opp.

Then we met Dave ("big dog") and his son Wyatt, who run a dog sledding operation.  

Wapusk dog sledding just so you know, puts the highest priority on the DOGS. Good food and plenty of it, not overworked - in fact they are tethered to stop them from running themselves ragged. It's a thing, I learned. Most of the dogs are rescued and rehomed. This is not a puppy breeding facility and the dogs are not purebred anything. They are personality-assessed and take their place in a crew they they are best suited and happiest with... And their position on the harness is also determined by their strengths, weaknesses and comfort with the other dogs pulling closest to them.

Bob, our driver, oozed gentle energy!

The dogs were super eager (understatement) to run us a mile around the boreal forest area on carts (not enough snow yet) and frolic a bit as we got our photography fingers all warmed up.  The amuse bouche, if you will. 

Tomorrow promised to be all photography, all day. I was itching to see a polar bear!