Fall in Igloolik

Ah, the title conjures up images of hot apple cider, vibrantly colored trees, crisp mornings, and pumpkin spice everything. Igloolik fall? Oh, definitely the same. Nothing different about fall here. Well, except everything. lolol. In one week, the daylight will be done. Currently, we have just under 3 hrs of semi-daylight---if you can call the sun rising about two inches above the horizon daylight. lol. The mornings are definitely crisp, though we've gone through a warming spell. In fact, it got up to -15 and I thought, "I'll just take my trash out to the dumpster with no coat or hat on since it's so warm." I even put back the big parka and broke the little guy back out---though I will say, the little parka now seems rather inferior and lame. Nonetheless, it is way less bulky and keeps me warm---but its fur is no match for the big parka's fur. I wanna sleep in the big parka's fur. I have a feeling I might be draped in animal skins the next time someone sees me.

While those down south are enjoying fall leaves and football on the weekend, I have been enjoying such activities as helping dig my boss's qamatik out of the snow. The qamatik (various spellings) is a wooden sled that was traditionally pulled by dogs. It is about 12-15 feet long and the runners are 2x10s. The runners have a piece of teflon plastic to reduce drag. The two runners are spaced about 3 feet apart. Two-by-fours or something similar make up the decking with about an inch of space between each board. You can leave the qamatik open, like a flat-bed truck, or you can lash a shelter onto it. My boss has a box that he puts on it so we had to get that out too. It was the width of the qamatik and 8ft long; a plywood box. Trying to maneuver and pull these wooden items through the drifts of snow was more than enough work out for me.

I finished off the wild weekend with some more bingo---didn't win again---and started a jigsaw puzzle. The activities I engage in here are truly exciting.

Today, there was no work because of a blizzard. However, it's not like when you were a kid and you could watch the TV to see if school was canceled. I have no way to know. And, because my job is so weird about email/internet, I cannot even check my email on non-work servers (exceedingly annoying actually). Thus, I can't get the bulletin that work is closed. So, what do I do? I open the door this morning, have it nearly blown back in my face, and then slam it shut, muttering, "Aw hell naw." Which means I trudged back in to find my goggles, put them on, zipped up the coat fully, pulled the neck gaiter up, and pushed back outside. I have been getting rides to work from my boss so I headed towards his place. As I wound through the buildings, the drifts were catching my feet on what was usually a well-packed path. I emerged from between the housing units and saw neither his ATV or Skidoo were running. And, that's how I knew there was no work. Nevertheless, we decided to go to work for a bit just to finalize some things. I mean, what else am I gonna do? Go to the mall. bhahahaha.

It was quite the trip getting back home though. Turns out living in Washington made me familiar with snow. The difference now is that I am IN the weather, not just driving through it with a climate-controlled, warm car. Nope, snow-ice pelting my face as we slip and slide on the ATV back home is a real treat. The light is so flat you can't see any features. Hence, we drove right into a 2-3ft snow drift without even seeing it. Oops. Get to push the ATV out and continue on your way----away from the edges of the road.

Thankfully, I have plenty of food to eat because I'm pretty sure I'm not going back out in this to the store and there won't be any planes coming in anyhow. Now just to relax in the cozy warmth of home and stuff my face. :)Read more