I’m working through the holidays at Squamish BC (well, until the 27th, then back at it on the 2nd), but I’d like to wish a God Jul to all of you good folks! May you have had a peaceful communion with kin and friends, and with those that dwell outside our realm of understanding…
So sadly, cracking open my Juletid Mjød and toasting you all, kin, spirits & the Gods will have to wait until the 28th!
But- here are a few seals that popped up to say hello as I was doing my morning site tour today! (Hope this video works!)

Quick update on day 8 Svalbard Vacation- Shelley and I had a few more peaceful days, including an awesome Reindeer Soup feast at the Barentz Hus a few nights ago..
Some great presentations on the Barentz expeditions, alongside some scientific details on the Northern Lights.. Great time!!
We also had a chance to visit the Svalbard museum; there is a deceptively huge amount of exhibitions & information for which at first glance appears to be a small museum.. One can easily spend a few hours here!! Definitely a must see…
Today was my last scheduled excursion with a fjell hike to the higher elevations of the Blomsterdalshøgda, followed by a visit to the exterior of the Svalbard World Seed Vault… Humbling to see..
This leaves one last casual day tomorrow walking around the village, followed by an end to our adventure Tuesday..

Quick day 5 Svalbard fun update:
Shelley and I had a great time dog sledding in the capable hands of a great guide!
I even got a chance to help the team get uphill a bit by pushing & braking when directed to while the guide was cheerleading them up…
Followed by a hot chocolate & waffles in the outfits cabin, definitely was a fine end to the evening!!
Bonus: even got a chance to play with the husky puppies before heading back!
Easy day planned tomorrow with shopping & exploring the village further… Followed by another visit to Barentz Hus for a dinner & great history stories on the 6th…Might not post in this & will wait for a great hike planned for the 8th which includes a walk by the world’s seed vault!

Quick update on yesterday’s day 3 fun in Svalbard- Shelley and I had a lot of fun going on an historic walking tour for a few hours in Svalbard’s Adventdalen… From checking out methods science folk use to measure climate change and the permafrost’s status, to relic bear traps used by hunters during Svalbard’s untamed days, chilling in Barentz Hus for some tales of the Barentz expedition, many facts about polar bears & the Svalbard reindeer and more… Definitely was worth it.
Being Albertan, the cold wasn’t too crazy for us, especially as we were prepared for it (-19 without much of a breeze fortunately that day).
PS- again about those filters; it really was pitch black out there! A dim light was very briefly seen from the suns orbit where it only outlined against the mountain crest, but this created a super cool effect with the camera filter!!
We pretty much took it easy and napped for the rest of the day; we likely will only pop in town for shopping today.. So there’s a break from Svalbard pics for a few days Lol (unless we get wicked awesome Auroras while walking around maybe!)

Day 2 of the Svalbard trip- the Santa’s Mailbox procession!
Shelley and I were happy to take part of the Santa’s Mailbox procession today with many of the local villagers & a few other tourists like ourselves.. I had inserted a postcard to cover the Grand-Kids and the young-uns of all friend & family, so they should be covered!! It’s the most northern mail box to Santa, and Santa’s work shop was lit up for the occasion on the side of the valley (factually the defunct coal mine #2 I believe).
We missed out on the tree lighting ceremony when we hung back to see promising signs of reddish northern lights, but they didn’t really kick off…. Until we went for our post supper walk in the village that is! Also paid our respects to the village’s Christmas tree!!
Big day lined up tomorrow… Stay safe all & have a great night everyone!

Day 1 on the ground yesterday: First walk around the Village, have lunch at the Barentz Gastro Pub, the world’s most Northern pub Lol.
Followed by a foray out of the village into the Adventdalen stretch in a snow cat to find Northern Lights.. Spoiler- way too cloudy for auroras, but it was an awesome time with a very cool group of folks from all over the world. Not too worried though, with 24hr darkness, the odds are good we will see them before we leave!
Included was being shown the wreckage of a WW2 plane and hanging out with the Guide, whom told us some good timbits of local information.. Great time!

PS- the night time filters on these iPhones really are bloody impressive, it was factually deep dark out there..
Big day planned for today!

Yep, I think we finally found our shangri-la location in this world… Svalbard is a remote spot without a ton of people, a bit wild in fact outside of the town limits, but with all the old people comforts we are getting used to in our old age lol…
Plus, the cold here is what we are used to anyways, I’ve always loved winter!!
(Except for when doing winter survival as a young fella for weeks out in the bush, or when climbing around structural later as an Ironworker - especially when it’s epoxy coated ).
Lots on the go for the next little bit, but the next big highlight will be hunting for Northern Lights out there in a Snowcat tomorrow, & joining in the town’s tradition for lighting up the Longyearbyen Christmas tree & walk to Santa’s mailbox by torch light the next day!
PS- a few pics of the sky as we left Oslo at 8:45am this morning, another at 9:48am, and the next at 11:25am Lol… Bumping hips with the arctic circle for sure!

Just a very quick & early prelim. view of the work Shelley did around the house before I got home from my last work rotation… I did help a little bit with the tree decorating though lol… But- full credit to Shelley for topping off the tree with Hugin & Munin!! I thought it was fitting lol…
I’ll show off what she did with the rest of the house after we come home from Svalbard in December… Speaking of which- Kudos also to her for trying to recreate Northern Lights over the village!!

A lifetime ago as a young fella, I felt and answered the same call that my Grandfathers did, and began honing my craft as an Infantryman. Feels like a lifetime ago some days, and like it was yesterday on others where I was a C-9 LMG tourist in Somalia and the former Yugoslavia.. Years then passed after I got out to master a new craft as an Ironworker, I lost several Brothers I knew well to their inner demons and while on duty (of which many of them were in Afghanistan)… Tomorrow (as I do everyday), I pay homage to lost brothers who will never age.. As well as alongside generations before me who mourned so many others, right back to the Great War and beyond..
Tomorrow Canada honours its armed forces and mourns alongside its veterans for those we lost…

It was a good bottling day; X31 750ml bottles of Mulling Spice/ Cinnamon Mead (13% ABV) sorted!!
A friend and I had downed a store bought bottle of mead prior for contrast; I’d say this young batch was definitely thicker and sweeter!! We definitely tasted the key notes, might as well say it tasted like Christmas Lol!! Definitely will be good to pass around by December….