springtime in yellowknife

It's May!  Spring is in the air! I can feel it! The days are getting warmer, the sun is shining well into the evening, and on a less happy note... the mosquitos are swarming.  

I'm excited for spring because it's generally followed by summer (but we live in Alberta, so who knows)  and summer means warmth and ice cream and happiness. I'm also a bit terrified because summer means the arrival of baby Shippelt. While that's wonderful and I can't wait to meet him or her, I think any first time mom who says that they are 100% excited and 0% scared is a big, fat liar. Except not really fat... just big. That's a bit of a touchy subject.  

Back to my spring bliss... I started my month of May by going to work. I squeezed into my uniform, which at 23 weeks pregnant is becoming somewhat of a challenge.

 Our first stop was the lovely Fort McMurray, where we brought a plane full of (mostly) men back to work.  You can always tell the difference between the ones headed to work, and the ones beginning days off. On the way up they sat quietly and graciously accepted their snacks and soft drinks. On the way back to Edmonton, they were loud and rowdy, and a few even had the nerve to complain about the lack of alcoholic beverages available onboard... because Heaven forbid, they hadn't had a drink in over 2 weeks.  Without being the least bit subtle, I clutched my baby belly and forced fake sympathy.  Try 5 months, boys.  

Our final destination that day was Yellowknife. For the past few months I've done what I can to avoid the arctic city, but with temperatures rising it just might be okay this time around.  We got to our hotel late, and while the rest of the crew planned to go for a bite to eat and a drink or two, I headed to my room and called it a night.  In this industry we call anti-social people like me "slam-clickers", but being pregnant has given me a hassle free pass.  

I was up early the next day as the sun peaked through the blinds.  My husband's cousin Sarah (would that make her my cousin-in-law?) also happened to be working in Yellowknife at the time and we'd agreed to go for breakfast following her night shift.  We met at my hotel and I dined on some fabulous chocolate chip pancakes, leaving me in a carb-induced state of laziness for the next few hours. 

It was fun to see a familiar face in a place where I don't know anyone.  Back in Edmonton we lead busy lives between work and home, and rarely see each other.  In Yellowknife, there isn't a whole heck of a lot else to do, so it was a perfect opportunity to catch up.  

As Sarah headed back to her accommodations to sleep the day away, I rejoiced in the fact that the temperature was above zero.  I decided to venture outside for a walk, feeling as though I should make the most of my free day. My flight home wasn't until 4 pm, and I had plenty of time to kill.

I headed to Javaroma, a pricey little coffee shop that I love for the fact that it's the only place I've found to serve espresso in Yellowknife.  I got myself a decaf mocha, and because it pains me to order decaf I rewarded myself by topping it with whipped cream. 

With my cup in hand I headed for the Frame Lake trail, unsure of what to expect given the fact that there were still patches of snow on the ground. In the fall, I'd loved this trail and this was the warmest day I'd experienced here since October. Google tells me that it's a 9 kilometre trek.  It was a gorgeous day, warm enough to walk without a jacket. With a few icy and muddy patches I had to take it slow, at least for me. I'd normally power through it, but these days I try to be a bit more cautious.  The weather was beautiful, and few people were on the trail. It was a great walk, and when I got back to the hotel I felt energized and thankful that I can still maintain my active lifestyle more than halfway through my pregnancy. 

Back in my room I showered and packed my bags, wasting time watching horrible daytime television until it was time to catch my shuttle. I flew home to Edmonton, where it was even warmer outside! 

The rest of the evening was spent watching the finale of Big Brother Canada. At the shocking ending of the show, Ryan and I were happy fans. It was a bittersweet moment, as there will now be a void in our Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings.  Come on summer, and Big Brother USA!