Baker Lake, Nunavut – DAY 10

We had invited all of the children and graduates from Barb’s obedience classes as well as the puppies we had spayed and neutered to come meet us at lunch time for a Puppy Parade!  It was very cute!   All of the graduates recieved a certificate, and everyone was proudly sporting their new collars and leashes!  We had hotdogs for the kids, as well as stickers, temporary tattoos and some small toys for them too.  Everyone had a great time.

Our Puppy Parade

There is no denying that we are rapidly approaching the end of our trip, as today was the last day for our surgery and vaccine clinics.   We were all hoping to go out with a bang and have a super busy day, but we performed 2 dog spays, 1 dog neuter and treated a kitty with an abcessed tail.

Dog team, out on the tundra.

Down at the vaccine clinic we had someone come in and ask if we could still vaccinate his sled dog team just outside of town. We had decided that Laura should drive up (with the dog team owner following) to the surgery area to pick up Jen, Cynthia and Monica, so they could follow him out to his team on the ATV, but they were nowhere to be found.  They had gone to the house to change into warmer clothes.  Ok, off to the house we went.  But they weren’t there either.  Back to the vaccine clinic where we started, and there they were waiting.  Then we realized that none of our group who was going knew how to drive the ATV!   So after a very short lesson for Cynthia they were off!  I’m sure that Phillip the dog team owner thinks we are all a little crazy!  But they got there, and we had another team of 5 adult dogs and 2 puppies vaccinated and dewormed.  Eight more puppies too young for vaccines got dewormed.

Cynthia, Monica and Jen – on the way to the sled team.

This is a good time to seguay into talking about Sue’s ATV.  The poor thing is really taking a beating.  Sue is letting all of us learn how to drive on it!  And some of us aren’t really what would be called a “quick study.”   Now, in our defence, it’s not an automatic, and it’s a little finicky.  The only one who can consistently start it on the first time is Zoe.  Corrine has to reach down and use her hand on the foot shifter.  Laura accidentally popped a wheelie with Donna on the back right in front of the RCMP office.  And Cynthia got waved down and told to shift up as she tore through town in second gear.  But we have all had an absolute ball learning, and our driving skills are definitely improving.  Not to mention the entertainment value we have provided to the people of Baker Lake!
 packed up

Gina and Zoe, out vaccinating.

We had heard that the thing to do on Saturday night in the happenin’ hamlet of Baker Lake is to go to the Community Centre for a dance.  We started to be a little concerned when the most information we could get was it would either be square-dancing or a teen-dance, but how could we not go?  Most of the team got all gussied up (that means deodorant and a clean-ish shirt for this team!) and headed down around 10:30.  Unfortunately, the dance had been cancelled.  So after having a discussion with some local kids about why 12 years shouldn’t chew tobacco, we headed back home for another evening of speed-scrabble and Cranium.