Veta and I arrived in Winnipeg on Feb. 20^th. We were a day early so we met with our trusty guide Court from the Natural Habitat tour company and picked up our winter gear for the trip. We got a parka, hat, scarf, gloves, boots, fleece jacket, and ski pants to use for the trip. I brought the pair of ski pants I got in China for the Harbin Ice Festival to see if they would keep me warm in the arctic like temperatures.

Court suggested that we use a tripod to mount our cameras for photographing the Northern Lights. Since neither Veta nor I had a tripod we decided to go to a camera shop to get them. The funny thing is I booked the photography tour even though we really aren’t interested in photography. As a matter of fact, I took a photography class a few years ago and the whole dialing of the knobs to figure out the shutter speed and blah blah blah made me so angry that my head felt like it was going to explode. I just figured that we would have a better chance on the photography tour to see the Northern Lights and get a picture of them. If not from one of our cameras then from one of the other photographers in our group. Seeing them is really tricky. I know lots of people who went to see them and did not. I figured since this is one of this company’s most popular trips we would have a better chance than if I picked dates.

We went to a camera store and the salesperson was extremely helpful and gave us the settings we should use with our cameras. I got a used tripod for $30.00, Veta bought a new one, and then I splurged on an expensive set of binoculars. I plan to see jaguars in the Pantanal (Brazil) this summer and they could come in handy for spotting them, the rare Capybara, giant river otter, or a maned wolf.

After we dropped our new equipment at the hotel, we took a cab to the zoo to see the new polar bear exhibit.  We saw the polar bears romping about and also got some good photos of arctic foxes, muskox (the big horned and hairy ox), elk, and wolves.

Then we headed to the Festival du Voyeur. It’s a local ice festival with music and food and ice sculptures. It’s not as extravagant as the one in Harbin – but everything is bigger in China (except the people).  There weren’t many ice sculptures but they did have a little village set up as a throw back to the old fur trapper days.  There were little cabins set up with merchants from yesteryear explaining their trades like the iron worker or the weaver.  It was good clean fun.  The best part was the discovery of a new cocktail called the Caribou. It’s a mixture of fortified red wine and whiskey. It’s pretty tasty, but a little sweet.  It’s got a good punch and a good beat to dance to…I’d give it a 75.

Around 7PM, we had dinner at the hotel and met the rest of the group. Court gave a PowerPoint presentation on photographing the Northern Lights. It was a lot more complicated than the mini lesson I got at the camera shop. Just listening to all the camera terms made my blood start to boil and my head was spinning. I just tuned it out so I could stay calm.  For some reason all the technical stuff in photography makes me angry and feisty.  I have the same reaction in yoga class.

This is the first time I travelled in a tour group. It was like being in a Carl Hiaasein novel, except the wacky characters decided to leave sunny Florida and travel to Manitoba to see the Northern Lights.   The motley crew consisted of 7 Americans and 1 Norwegian – all hoping to photograph the Northern Lights. The Norwegian had seen them many times in his country, but his wife never had any luck. Every time she went to see them it was always too cloudy. So she started apologizing in advance if she brought us bad luck – thanks a lot beotch, but I plan on seeing them. Bye Felecia!!!

We were staying in the Garry Hotel. Veta was in room 200 and next to her room was the haunted room 202. At the turn of the century, a newly married couple stayed in the room on their honeymoon. The man went out and was murdered. After the wife was informed of his death, she was so distraught she hanged herself in the closet. Now people book the room hoping for a spooky encounter. One of the bellhops told me that people have claimed to see her on the bed or in the closet. Others have reported the hangers rattling. Some have even seen blood dripping down the walls. The room is always booked. The only odd thing that happened. In the afternoon, I was sitting in Veta’s room and the adjoining room door opened and the man who was staying in 202 walked in. He apologized and left. I called the front desk and the manager said she would send someone to fix the lock, but they never did because later that same day, the maid walked in. After much complaining, Veta was eventually moved to a different room and so was I. Although I did not have any problems with my room, I was put in the room next to hers.

Many years ago, I stayed in Lizzie Borden’s house with my friend Crystal. I booked two nights in the house. Most people stay one night. The second night I was bored so I put on some of the period costumes that were hanging in the closets and went around scaring the other guests at night.  You see all the rooms are connected and they do not lock.  This story has nothing to do with the tale at hand, but I thought it might give you a chuckle.