My collection is growing...

One of the things that is so neat about the north is the variety of carvings that arrive with hopeful carvers upon our doorstep from time to time. Last year I bought just about anything at the start of the year. I have learned a lot and am a bit more, shall we say, discriminating now?

I took a few pics of some old and a couple of new acquisitions and I hope you enjoy them.

This is about half of my collection. The other half has been sent down south or

given as gifts to family.

My uppik (owl) is new but the oogrook (bearded seal) is last year's model.

The family of oogrookit is new. The weight is quite substantial with the base.

The nanuq (polar bear) is from Cape Dorset, last year. And in a strange coincidence, my bank password picture phrase (picked while I was in Waterloo) says "Nanook of the North in the frozen tundra"! Oh how prophetic that was, hmmm?

Both are last year's models, but I love them anyhow, including the inuksuks.

The eagle and drum dancer are both last year's. I have two inuksuks and a beluga on display in my showcase outside my classroom. The inuksuks were made by one of my students, and the beluga is a bit on the rough side so it hasn't yet earned a place of honour. I'm going to borrow Stephen's Dremel and try to fix it to placate my sense of proportion. If it works, I may try my hand at a carving or two myself! If it works, I'll also post the photo.

I use these as a lesson in Math on earning money through piecework, as well as cost vs hours of work. I also use some images in the text on a set of beluga whales that sold for $4,250. I'm in negotiation at the Co-op to buy a very similar set for...$100. I keep encouraging the kids to look into a business plan to develop a craft cooperative. We'll see. Maybe not while I'm here, but some day the lesson may sink in and encourage somebody to get things rolling.

Anyhow. first posting of the new month! Happy October, all!

TTFN!