Over many decades, my husband and I have toured every province and territory of Canada, and the island of Newfoundland remains one of our favourite destinations. An unexpected encounter there would later inspire three very meaningful paintings.

My dragonfly journey began in 2007, when we visited Newfoundland for the first time. We camped there for two months, exploring all of its beautiful regions.

I wrote about this fantastic holiday here and we knew we would go back some day to experience more of this magical island.

A dozen years later, we returned to The Rock for a three month tour. During that trip, we encountered lovely people and beautiful scenery everywhere. I highlighted the most memorable photos, videos, and travel stories from that summer in these posts:

Top 14 Vistas of Newfoundland

A Whale of a Tale in Newfoundland

Seeing Caribou and Moose in Newfoundland

Now comes the Viking dragonfly part. During both summers, we made a point of visiting the Viking Settlement at L'Anse Aux Meadows National Historic Site on the northern tip of the province.

Discovered in 1960, and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978, this archaeological gem is the first and only known site established by Vikings in North America and the earliest evidence of European settlement in the New World. 

Professional actors (authentically costumed as Vikings) serve as historical interpreters, showing and telling visitors about life at the settlement 1000 years ago.

In 2019, just after we enjoyed this immersive experience, we were walking on a boardwalk over the bog, and I noticed this gorgeous dragonfly on our path.

It was the largest specimen I ever had seen, with brilliant blue dots and dashes along its body. This exquisite creature stayed obligingly still while I took several close-up  photos. I knew they would make  excellent painting references one day.

That day came last summer, during our Airstream travels. I decided to create a small painting of a pebble beach.

I sketched a still life scene showing smooth stones from my pebble collection, nestled together between a few large boulders. One of those boulders became the dragonfly's perch.

When finished, I titled the painting A Place of Rest (varnished watercolour on 10 x 10 inch panel). A collector of my work in Georgia, USA, acquired the piece for her home. 

When I announced this happy news on Facebook, one of my followers commented "My favourite is gone..." so I asked if she would like me to make a similar painting for her.

She said yes, so I created a new version of the scene, and she acquired it in celebration of her milestone birthday. The second painting was titled Rocky Repose (varnished watercolour on 10 x 10 inch panel).

I thoroughly enjoyed making these two small paintings of my dragonfly and the subject kept speaking to me even after these pieces had left my studio.

Apparently, my dragonfly wasn't done with me yet. It deserved to be explored in a grander scale, so this winter I lovingly and meticulously crafted a third version in a more impactful size. I had to add new details to fill the larger spaces, inserting more stones and changing shapes and markings of others.

Pictured above is a collage of all three paintings showing their relative sizes. The two earlier pieces are on the right, and Love Changes Everything (varnished watercolour on 24 x 24 inch panel) is shown on the left.

As I reflected on why this subject continued to call me back, I began researching the deeper symbolism of dragonflies.

I discovered that they are revered as omens of good fortune in many cultures. These delicate, winged creatures are regarded as messengers of change or guides to new beginnings, and can represent loved ones who are no longer with us.

The title Love Changes Everything captures this symbolism and also is the title of a famous 1988 song by Honeymoon Suite, a Canadian pop metal band.

I hope you have enjoyed the tale of how a chance encounter with a dragonfly in Newfoundland evolved into three very special paintings. I’ve learned to pay attention when a subject keeps calling me back - because sometimes it’s leading me somewhere meaningful.

For more information about Love Changes Everything, click here.

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If you are familiar with my work, you will know I’m often drawn to the ancient rocks and pristine blue lakes of the Canadian Shield.

I grew up surrounded by this rugged landscape and it keeps finding its way into my paintings.

This past winter, I decided to really spend some time on the Shield - at least on paper. From January through March, I worked away in the studio, bit by bit, on the largest watercolour paper I can manage.

The subject was a place I hold close to my heart: the quiet, timeless shores of Georgian Bay.

The genesis of this major work began over twenty years ago, when my husband and I spent a quiet weekend at a small Eco-lodge tucked among the islands of Georgian Bay. 

It was my first time seeing up close the ancient striped rocks of this region, and I was truly captivated. With my very first digital camera in hand, I captured over 200 epic photos, some of which are pictured in this post.

Out on the water in a kayak, I came face to face with that landscape in a way I never had before.

The smooth, ancient rock rising out of the gorgeous blue waters of the bay, and the wind‑sculpted trees, all stayed with me. 

Ever since then, those rocks and trees have felt like old companions.

Their patterns, their strength, and their quiet resilience have found their way into several dozen artworks over the years. 

Painting them feels a bit like returning to a place that knows me as well as I know it.

The photo shown here has inspired four previous paintings, which are pictured in the photo collage below:

When one of the galleries representing my art mentioned a while ago that they had clients showing interest in my large rocky landscapes, I decided this Georgian Bay scene would be a good candidate for a large-format piece.

With a finished image measuring 40 x 28 inches, this new varnished watercolour painting titled Serenity in Stone is over twice the size of the previous four paintings put together.

I made sure to photograph the work in progress at the end of each stage, so I could compile this two-minute video showing the whole process. Click on the image below and enjoy!

I hope you have found this creation story interesting and informative. Serenity in Stone is now on display at Eclipse Art at Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville, ON. Click here for more details or purchase inquiries about Serenity in Stone.

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After a summer spent exploring six provinces, from hiking up hills in Saskatchewan, to walking the cobblestone streets of old Quebec City, to sailing on Bluenose II in Nova Scotia, we spent the fall camping in provincial parks in eastern Ontario.

My husband and I love camping in autumn, when days are sunny, warm, and bug-free, nights are cool, leaves are changing colour, and parks are less busy once the school year has begun.

The highlight of our fall camping season this year was a ten-day stay with friends in Bon Echo Provincial Park, near Cloyne, Ontario. 

The famous geological feature at the heart of this renowned park is Mazinaw Rock. This awe-inspiring granite cliff is pictured above, with the rays of the setting sun making it glow, and the shadows of the far shore beginning to creep up the rock face. 

I was mesmerized by this massive cliff that rises 300 feet (100 meters) above Mazinaw Lake and extends the same distance below the water. My artist's eye was fascinated by how many different colours the rock presents throughout the day, such as the muted violet and rose hues revealed after sunset (above).

In the morning, the sun rises behind the cliff and makes the rock face appear blue and grey. Gradually shadows are displaced as the day progresses. 

As impressive as Mazinaw Rock appears when seen from the campground shore, it is not until we paddled along the base of this majestic cliff in our kayaks that we truly appreciated the sheer size of it. In the photo below, you can barely make out my husband in his yellow kayak at the cliff base.

Mazinaw, named for an Algonquin word meaning 'picture' or 'writing', is the largest rock art site on the Canadian Shield. Along the base of this cliff, Indigenous People created more than 260 pictographs, some dating back thousands of years. The park's name, 'Bon Echo,' refers to the distinct echo that bounces off the sheer face of Mazinaw Rock.

The photo above shows Turtle Rock, a famous point with a rock resembling the head of a turtle, resting just above the lake surface.

Mazinaw Lake is one of Ontario's deepest lakes and has an intriguing history that includes a famous inn that became an artist's haven and wilderness retreat. Several members of the Group of Seven stayed and painted here in the early 20th century. I understand completely why creative people are drawn to this marvel of nature.

The property of the former inn was donated to the province in 1965, which led to the creation of the provincial park.

If you have not visited Bon Echo Provincial Park yet, I hope you get a chance to do so in the near future. You can rent water craft there, or take a narrated tour boat to see the cliff up close. Be sure to stop by the visitor's centre and learn about the historical significance of Mazinaw Rock.

Bon Echo has become one the crown jewels of Ontario's park system, and I am profoundly moved by the powerful magic found here. An overarching theme to my art practice is to bear witness to the beauty of places that matter. 

This park is a natural and cultural treasure. Its stunning views and tranquility have seeped into my soul. I feel compelled to pay homage to this revered landscape, following in the footsteps of many before me. 

My Bon Echo Collection is already underway, as I began the first three paintings while camping in our Airstream. A few of these small pieces will be releasing before the holidays, and more works will continue into next year. It’s a body of work that deserves time to breathe, and I can’t wait to reveal the collection as it evolves.

I made this five-minute video compilation to show you some of my most inspiring photos and video footage taken at Bon Echo. Turn on your speakers, click on the image below and enjoy!

Please contact me if any of these images speak to your heart; I would be delighted to create a custom piece for you in a size that suits your space.

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This summer my husband and I spent five weeks exploring and camping in the southern half of Saskatchewan, along with our good friends Roger and Carolyn who have been our camping buddies for the last 50 years.

Last month, I shared my favourite landscape photos from our western adventure in my post Saskatchewan Skies: Through an Artist's Eye

One of the highlights of the trip was a visit to Grasslands National Park in the southwestern corner of the province, just north of the state of Montana.

Before the Park's creation, Indigenous peoples inhabited the area for thousands of years, followed by Euro-Canadian settlement, including ranching and homesteading efforts.

Grasslands National Park evolved from a vision in 1981 to official proclamation in 2001. It's mandate is to preserve Canada's mixed-grass prairie by protecting the remaining native grassland and its cultural and paleontological heritage.

I invite you to enjoy this short video I produced, which is a collage of the wildlife we encountered during  four days of camping, hiking, and driving in the Park. I hope this brief glimpse inspires you to visit this beautiful part of Canada in person one day.

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My husband and I have traveled through Saskatchewan many times on our way to the west coast, observing the mostly flat scenery of the province, as viewed from the Trans Canada and Yellowhead Highways.

Other than a fantastic camping trip to Cypress Hills Inter-provincial Park years ago, we had not seen much of Saskatchewan.

This summer we decided to remedy this omission and spent five weeks exploring and camping in the southern half of Saskatchewan, along with good friends who have been our camping buddies for the last 50 years.

Pictured above is our campsite at Grasslands National Park, just after a rain shower produced a spectacular rainbow. (I should have checked for the pot of gold under that picnic table at the end of the rainbow...)

The rainbow was filled with 'spokes' that are called anticrepuscular rays (or antisolar rays). They are a meteorological phenomenon, and appear to converge at the antisolar point, directly opposite the sun in the sky.

We stayed four days in this gorgeous park and one evening saw more of the rays, in the opposite direction to the sunset.

The really cool thing about the skies of Saskatchewan is that one can see them from horizon to horizon, without many trees or buildings blocking the view.

This makes the skies appear to be very vast, compared to those in my home province of Ontario.

Shown here is the Frenchman River, which has carved the distinct valley that dominates the West Block of Grasslands National Park.

The thing that struck me most about this extraordinary park is that, as soon as you step out of your vehicle on arrival, the sound of birdsong fills the air, even though there are no trees in sight. (Apparently the birds nest in the prairie grass or underground.) 

After ten or fifteen minutes spent absorbing the smells and sounds of this naturalized area teeming with life, its profound peace and serenity seeps into your bones. It is one of the most relaxing places I ever have visited.

Saskatchewan has lots of hilly terrain, and we got to climb one of the more significant hills called 70 Mile Butte, pictured here. The 2 km trail had switchbacks and steep grades but was well marked.

70 Mile Butte is a prominent landmark (highest point in the West Block of Grasslands National Park), and is known for its panoramic views of the surrounding prairie landscape.

In this photo, our friends are taking pictures near the summit.

Since we were traveling in July, we had the pleasure of viewing many flourishing farm crops of wheat, barley, oats, flax, canola, mustard, peas, lentils, and field beans. 

I used to assume the yellow fields were canola in bloom, but I discovered that mustard fields also bloom with yellow flowers. It is difficult to tell them apart when viewed from the roadway. Can you tell the crops in these two photos?

We were proud to learn that, (according to a very informative sample farm plot in Yorkton), Canada is the world's largest producer of mustards, flaxseed, red lentils, yellow peas, and canary seed.

Learning about farming and the agricultural history of the province was one of the highlights of our visit.

If your travels take you to Saskatchewan and you want to know more about it's multi-ethnic, hard-working people and their rich history, I highly recommend visits to the four branches of the Western Development Museum. 

The travel route for our entire trip was based on visits to these four sites in Moose Jaw, North Battleford, Saskatoon, and Yorkton.

Together they tell the remarkable story of human settlement in the province, and reveal how and why the province has become a vital part of our country. 

The Western Development Museum began in the 1940's when people realized the collection of abandoned and unused farm equipment (for scrap metal for the war effort) threatened the survival of machinery that had transformed prairie sod into productive farmland.

The fledgling museum set about preserving some of this farm equipment and has grown its collection of artifacts to include all facets of farm, rural, and indigenous life.

Today the Museum has the largest agricultural collection in Canada, with thousands of vintage objects, restored historic buildings, treasured documents, and their stories, displayed in world-class exhibits.

We found each site has a different theme and focus, but together they tell a spellbinding story of an important time in the formation of Canada. 

For example, Canada's national healthcare system, Medicare, has its roots in Saskatchewan's pioneering public health insurance programs. In 1947, the province introduced the first universal hospital insurance program in North America. This initiative, and subsequent expansion of public medical coverage, served as a model for the rest of Canada. 

I hope my account of our trip, and the photos I have shared, do justice to Saskatchewan. Our visit there was eye-opening, and I have the utmost respect for the people who have contributed to the success of, not only this province, but all of Canada. 

I end this post with a sunset photo I took in Regina, at the end of a beautiful Canada Day celebration in the capital city of Saskatchewan.

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Killarney Provincial Park was established on the north shore of Georgian Bay in 1964, but its origins trace back to the conservation efforts of artists, notably A.Y. Jackson of the Group of Seven, who pushed to protect the area for wilderness recreation and its unique landscape. 

For several decades, I have heard of the natural wonders of this region, and this spring spent a week camping, hiking, and kayaking there, camera in hand. It was a dream come true.

In this post, I am sharing photos from four distinct locations in the Killarney area.

POINT GRONDINE PARK:

We set up camp in Point Grondine Park, a First Nation owned and operated 18,000 acre recreational area east of Killarney Provincial Park. 

Point Grondine Park features 12 new spacious campsites for tent or trailer camping.  They are primitive in nature (which means they are off grid, with privy toilets available on site) but very private and quiet. It was so lovely to wake up each morning surrounded by trees and birdsong.

Our Airstream trailer provided all the comforts of home - propane powered refrigerator, stove and oven; flush toilet and shower; comfortable queen-sized bed; and solar powered batteries for our satellite internet. We used our gasoline-powered portable generator a few times for additional electrical needs.

One day we hiked to Mahzenazing Lake, which had some lovely rock outcroppings along its shoreline. This is the largest interior lake in Point Grondine Park.

Scenes of fresh water, sturdy smooth rocks, and wind-sculpted trees, (very typical elements of the Canadian Shield), always captivate my artistic mind. I was able to capture several paint-worthy views with my camera during our hike.

KILLARNEY LIGHTHOUSE TRAIL:

Another day we drove to the little town of Killarney on the shore of Georgian Bay to hike the famous Lighthouse Trail (pictured below).

The slabs of rock were huge, and we spent an hour clambering along the shore. I love the powerful diagonal lines of rock crevices, and the blue/orange colour palette in the photo above.

Shown above is another dramatic photo from that day, featuring interesting puddle shapes that lead the eye toward moody skies over Georgian Bay. This will translate into an awesome painting.

Interesting lichens provided a striking colour contrast with pink granite, worn smooth over millions of years. The Canadian Shield is very old, with parts of it dating back over 4 billion years. This makes it one of the oldest and most stable geological regions on the planet. 

CHIKANISHING TRAIL IN KILLARNEY PROVINCIAL PARK:

My favourite hike of the week took us 3 km along the Chikanishing (pronounced chicken-ISH-ing) Trail in Killarney Provincial Park. We hiked over several large smooth granite ridges with beautiful old growth pines, pictured above. The patterns of lichens were extraordinary, especially when you realize these plants only grow about 1 mm in diameter each year.

We soon reached Georgian Bay, where a collection of rocky islands dotted the shoreline. I was delighted to see two kayakers paddle by, to provide a sense of scale and adventure in the photo above.

Everywhere I looked, pink granite provided a stunning contrast to blue water and sky, and pale green lichen added its unique textural topping to the rocks.

The water of Georgian Bay was very clear, revealing underwater stones and rock shelves. I always wonder how large trees can anchor and survive on what appears to be solid rock on these islands.

Shown above is another dramatic composition with diagonal lines and my favourite blue/orange colour combination. Intricate lichens add interest to the foreground.

As we sat on a rock ledge eating our picnic lunch, it seemed there was a potential painting subject everywhere I turned. 

While we paused to absorb the beauty and peace of these rocky islands, I was reminded anew how fortunate we are to live in this part of the world. 

GEORGE LAKE IN KILLARNEY PROVINCIAL PARK:

On our last day of camping in Killarney, the weather was warm and sunny with little wind, so we took the opportunity to launch our kayaks from the beach at George Lake in Killarney Provincial Park. The photo above shows me in my kayak at the base of one of the impressive rock cliffs on the lake.

Shown above is the same rock face from a different angle. My husband's yellow kayak is barely visible on the left side of this photo.

Shown above is one of the most famous rock cliffs on George Lake. I love the diagonal rock crevices juxtaposed with vertical mineral stains. The two pines at the summit give a sense of scale to this massive, smooth headland.

The same headland looks very different viewed from behind (pictured above). That smoothly eroded kind of rock surface always reminds me of elephant hide.

George Lake is lined with interesting rocky shores. The contrast of pink granite and green conifers dominates the photo above.

Our day on the water provided a fitting finale to our week exploring the wonders of Killarney. Now I understand why artists like the Group of Seven were captivated by this stunning region and kept returning here to capture the iconic Canadian Shield landscape in their famous paintings. I have so much admiration for this land and look forward to capturing some magic of my own in watercolour. Stay tuned!

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The term 'shakedown' often has negative connotations, such as a swindle, an unwelcome search, or a radical restructuring of a company. But an Airstream Shakedown is a happy occasion - the first group camping weekend of the season by the Ontario unit of Airstream Club International.

The event is called a Shakedown because it is an opportunity to check that all systems are working properly in our trailers, after they have emerged from winter storage, and that we remember how to operate everything. We make sure any wear and tear issues are identified and resolved before extensive summer travel begins. Usually we discover items we forgot to bring with us from home, and add them to our checklists.

Sixteen Airstream trailers of all sizes and vintages gathered for a long weekend early in May, to check over our rigs and enjoy some relaxed, social time together. It was lovely to renew friendships after the winter break, and to make new friends.

Our 2025 Shakedown was held in the Richmond fairgrounds, on the outskirts of Ottawa, ON. Facilities included water and electrical connections, and access to a dump station for emptying our wastewater tanks prior to leaving. 

We enjoyed lawn chair happy hours in the sunshine (pictured above) as well as catered breakfasts and a delicious pot luck dinner in the adjacent community hall. Some of us visited area flea markets, craft shows, and yard sales and found a few treasures to take home.

One evening, my husband hosted a Canadian trivia game slide show to entertain the group, and I gave a slide show of recent paintings and the steps of making my landscape painting And Nothing Else Matters (shown here).

Coincidentally, I delivered this painting to its new owners at the Shakedown, and they proudly showed it off to the audience after my slideshow.

That presentation lead to the sale of one of my rustic Canadian flag paintings, to our new Airstream friends Patrick and Caroline (shown above), who will be hanging it in their beautiful trailer. They camp and travel full time throughout North America every summer and have a YouTube channel called @RoadTripEscapades. Patrick shared the awesome drone photos he took of the Shakedown, and allowed me to use them in this post. 

Airstreamer Jim McQuaid took the above photo of the encampment at sunset one evening. Our trailer is in the middle, with a purple entrance light beside the door. 

The Richmond Shakedown was a relaxing way to enjoy spring weather in the company of many wonderful friends, and start off the camping season on the right foot. My husband and I have arranged four awesome camping trips to various regions of Canada this summer, so stay tuned for highlights in future posts.

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Travel plays an essential role in my art making process. My husband and I spend several months each year slowly exploring different regions of North America and camping in our trailer.

When I am out in Nature, absorbing the light, colours, shapes, smells, and sounds of a peaceful place, I often feel a sense of delighted discovery and soul-deep connection to the wilderness. I am driven to capture this feeling of awe and wonder in my artwork.

The four new paintings I am introducing to you today each represent a unique journey through the northern landscape. Two pieces came directly from my travels, and the rest were inspired by other people's journeys.

The first painting was sparked by a beautiful vista near Syracuse, New York. Let's begin by looking at my reference photos.

We were camped on a warm August evening beside ripened grain fields on a gently sloping hillside.

There was a huge valley spread out below us, with a lake in the distance.

As we relaxed outside after dinner, a hot air balloon flew by.

The magic of the moment captured my imagination and I knew I had to paint a scene like this with a balloon in the sky.

I Will Wait For You (varnished watercolour on 6 x 12 inch panel), shown here, is the resulting art work.

In my painting, I added pine trees to give the scene a more northern flair. The title is the fond adieu the viewer bids the hot air balloonist. When anyone embarks on a significant journey, it is comforting to know that a warm welcome awaits the returning traveller.

For more information about I Will Wait For You, click here.

The second painting is Quiet Perfection, varnished watercolour on 16 x 12 inch panel, shown here.

This painting pays homage to a powerful body of fresh water that holds a piece of my soul: Lake Superior. I am fortunate to have visited its shores a few times each year for the last decade.

The lake has many moods and never looks the same twice. Sometimes the weather is cold and misty and other times it is warm and sunny.

Often the lake surface is disturbed by waves, but occasionally on a windless day, the surface is glassy calm.

This painting is a scene I invented by combining these two references from different parts of the shore taken in different years.

The foggy scene is near Rossport (if memory serves), which is just east of Nipigon, Ontario. I took this photo from the Trans Canada Highway.

I love the sense of mystery the mist imparts, as it cloaks the channel islands and makes us wonder what there is to see around the point.

The sunny scene was a rare day at Pebble Beach at Marathon, which lies west of Wawa, Ontario.

Lake Superior storms are constantly rearranging stones and driftwood on this municipal beach. On a calm day the pebbles appear to go on forever out into the lake. The water is so clear, you can't tell the stones are under water.

For more information about Quiet Perfection, click here.

The third painting in this series is Superior Seduction, varnished watercolour on 12 x 12 inch panel, pictured here.

The setting is a group of islands in Lake Superior, viewed while sunset bathes the rocks in golden light.

A canoe rests on the shore, waiting to explore more of those intriguing islands tomorrow.

The paddlers are unseen, perhaps setting up their tent or enjoying dinner around a campfire, atop the hill.

I got the idea for this painting when Shanna Cameron, a Facebook friend of mine from Thunder Bay, posted a photo from her canoe trip last August. She graciously gave me permission to use her photo as a painting reference.

The location is McKay Cove on Simpson Island, which is part of an 8-island archipelago near Rossport. Canada's renowned Group of Seven artists painted in this area in the 1920's.

As you can see from the photos, I took much liberty when painting the foreground rocks, which are barely visible in the source photo, and I added the canoe to complete the story.

For more information about Superior Seduction, click here.

The fourth painting in this series is Echoes of Summer, varnished watercolour on 18 x 24 inch panel, shown here.

This magnificent rock face is Mazinaw Rock, a 330 foot (100 metre) high cliff.

It stretches for almost a mile (1.5 km) along Mazinaw Lake, and is a landmark in Bon Echo Provincial Park, just north of Kaladar, Ontario.

My friend Kate Dowsett gave me permission to use this photo that she took last September as reference for my painting. I made very few changes to the scene and was sure to include the tiny kayaker in the distance, to give a human presence and add scale to the rock face.

For more information about Echoes of Summer, click here.

I hope you have enjoyed this glimpse behind the scenes to see how I use reference photos to construct my watercolour scenes. When you look at these paintings, I hope they transport you to another place and time, and remind you of the beautiful world that surrounds us, waiting to be explored. Enjoy the journey.

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This post is the third and final chapter of our Manitoba travel tale.

As we toured this beautiful province for five weeks alongside 18 other Airstream couples this fall, little did we know this adventure would become one of the most memorable of our lives. (There are a couple of videos at the end of this post that reveal why.)

In my first post Manitoba: Through an Artist's Eye, I shared with you my favourite photos of the Manitoba landscape.

My second post Artist's Travels: Hidden Gems of Northern Manitoba, detailed our fascinating visits with farmers at their potato, canola, honey, bison, and softwood farming operations.

As enthralling as these aspects of our tour were, the icing on our proverbial cake was a five-day excursion to Churchill, on the shores of Hudson Bay, to see polar bears and northern lights.

Having left our trucks and trailers at a campground in Thompson, we boarded a Via Rail train for the 15-hour overnight ride to Churchill.

Our hosts from Frontiers North picked us up at the train station the next morning and gave us a bus tour of Churchill. This included a visit to the town's Polar Bear Holding Facility, shown below. The 'jail' has 28 cells.

We learned that from mid October to the end of November each year, about 300 polar bears gather at the shore of Hudson Bay near Churchill. They wait for sea ice to form, so their winter seal hunt can begin.

Polar bears are marine mammals whose main diet is seal blubber. They catch seals by ambushing them at their blow holes in the ice.

The bears we were soon to meet had not eaten since spring when the ice melted. They spent their summer inland, without food, resting and living off of their body fat reserves.

Polar bears are powerful predators. A mature adult male can be ten feet long and weigh 1,500 lbs - a dangerous threat to humans.

Churchill is very protective of its polar bear population and does its best to keep bears away from townspeople. But now and then a hungry bear gets too close to town.

In that case, the bear is caught in a bear trap similar to the one shown here, using seal meat as bait. The bear is transported to jail and kept there until sea ice forms. Then the bear is anaesthetized, netted, and transported by helicopter far up the coast so it can reach the ice from there.

While in jail, the bear is not given anything to eat, so it will not associate the facility with food. In other words, the bear's fast continues whether it is incarcerated or not.

After the town tour, we were dropped off at the Tundra Buggy dock to board this 40-passenger cross between a Greyhound bus and a Hummer.

The tires were as tall as I and the electric powered vehicle was custom-built to navigate the rough terrain of the tundra while keeping passengers safe from bears. The open air viewing deck at the back made photographing wildlife easier.

Once we boarded the Tundra Buggy, our feet did not touch ground for three days. The reason was twofold: to keep us safe from bears, and to keep the tundra as untouched by humans as possible. The Tundra Buggies adhere to a strict trail network in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area to protect the delicate tundra ecosystem.

After spending the afternoon meandering over rough terrain full of rocks and shallow ponds, listening to stories from our guide and our driver, and seeing bears and ptarmigan, (more about that later), we docked at the Tundra Lodge, pictured here on the shore of Hudson Bay.

I would describe this portable, self-contained resort as a travel trailer on steroids. The Lodge unit on the right was our sleeping car, with each little square window representing a single bunk. There were hot showers and flush toilets, as the Lodge had storage tanks for fresh water and waste water.

The unit with the viewing deck on top was our lounge. Beyond that were the dining hall, kitchen, and staff lodging. Outdoor viewing platforms connected each unit to the next one. For two nights we stayed in this comfortable resort overlooking Hudson Bay. We slept well in cozy bunk beds and enjoyed chef-created meals in the dining hall.

For another two days we crawled over rough terrain in the Tundra Buggy, coming close to bears many times and spotting other arctic wildlife such as fox, hare, bald eagle, and many small birds. On our last day, one female polar bear came within 20 feet of our vehicle.

I have so much excellent photographic footage of our bear encounters that I made this video to share the most exciting highlights with you. Click on the image below and meet some bears! (The video is 12 minutes long so may take a few moments to load, depending on your internet speed. Trust me - it will be worth the wait.)

While we were at the Tundra Lodge, northern lights that had eluded us for the entire Manitoba trip finally made their appearance on a clear night.

Those of us brave souls who donned coats over PJ's and ventured outside in the wee hours of the morning were treated to an epic display of red, purple, and green Aurora dancing among brilliant stars over Hudson Bay. The sight was profoundly beautiful and took our breath away.

On the overnight train back to Thompson, a few of us caught another strong show of northern lights, this time all in brilliant green.

Then, incredibly, we experienced the strongest celestial show as we journeyed south towards Winnipeg.

The rays of scarlet, pink, and green light danced throughout the entire dome of the sky for several hours. Words cannot express the wonder we felt as we witnessed this natural phenomenon. It was an overwhelmingly moving experience.

I was able to capture a multitude of stunning photos of the aurora with my iPhone and made this six-minute slideshow of our best northern lights sightings.

I hope you have enjoyed my travel tales of northern Manitoba, and that I have been able to convey the enthralling magic of our experiences. I also hope you can witness these natural wonders in person one day.

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