Cold

Dec. 20

I hate to whine – but I am cold.  Something is wrong with the heat in the apartment and I end up calling the manager’s office daily.  I have even had to call the after hours number when the heat conks out at 1 in the morning (still a night owl).



Now cold outside is to be expected.  The wind chill hit -48 yesterday and I was out and about the town. I stopped into the Hamlet office (nothing Shakespearean about it – Baker Lake is technically a hamlet, not a town or village) to see about a driver’s licence.  I waited and waited and was getting hot in my parka – but my feet were cold and never did warm up. By the time I left it would be safe to call the weather a blizzard, but I had more stops to make so I kept going.  I went to the KSO – sort of like going to the school board office – and checked on my dental benefits and learned I have to call someone else.  Next was the Health Centre to fill out a release of info form so my medical records can be sent from Nanaimo.  Next stop, the RCMP detachment.  I am applying to be a guard at the jail.  A lot of teachers do it.  I have nothing better to do this holiday and I also hope it will help me get a health card.  It appears that Nunavut Health does not like giving benefits to teachers on term contracts.  If I am a guard then I have a job with no end date.  Worth giving it a shot.  Tweek the system, baby.  The form was really long and they told me to take it home.  I met Mat, the new cop, and chatted about being Air Force kids.  Dave said he will be coming to Amanda’s Christmas party on the 24^th so I will see him there.  I then intended to pick up my mail at the Northern, but the weather was nasty and my feet were icy blocks so I just went home……to a cold apartment and another phone call to the office.



Cindy (who is glad she won that heating pad at the square dance)

                          

Spikes

I love my new spikes.  Not heels - that would be weird up here.  I mean the traction devices you attach to your boots.  I ordered a pair from Mountain Equipment Co-op -- along with a balaklava and some energy bars.  Not thrilled with the face mask but in love with the spikes.  I feel so much more confident walking to the store.  However, once in the store you feel a bit of a tool.  The things clink on the tile floors and everyone knows a kabloona (white person) is coming.  Better than slipping on the steep inclines that lead to both of the grocery stores.  I'd recommend them to all you Southerners who live in places with icy sidewalks and parking lots.  Just watch yourself on metal gratings (up here that means in front of doors and on stairs); you can catch a spike and trip.  The irony is not lost on me!

XO
Cindy (who has not been able to walk with her spikes being housebound with blizzards)

Warm Fuzzy

I have spent the last two weekends watching basketball at the high school.  Most of the time I have sat with two of my Grade 11 girls.  We have had a lot of fun.  Today, at lunch, they started talking about what I would do at their graduation.  On the way home, reflecting, I got misty-eyed.  I think this is the beginning of feeling rooted.

More Blizzard

Hi there!  Welcome to my Winter Wonderland!

We have had a 3-day blizzard and lazypants here hasn't written a thing. I posted some Facebook tidbits, but no real writing. It's almost time for bed, so of course this is when I decide to get serious. Oh well, maybe I will prove my laziness and just copy the stuff I put on FB. Sorry for those of you who read this and are FB friends.


I had a great weekend cheering for the Under 18 Boy's basketball team.  Go Blizzard!  More prophetic than anyone wanted.  Teams arrived on Friday from all over Nunavut along with 2 refs from Yellowknife and 2 from Winnipeg.  It was a great weekend of entertaining basketball and a gold medal game that went into overtime with a 61-61 tie.  Our local boys won making it an even more festive atmosphere.  Even before lunch on Sunday, though, people were talking about the approaching blizzard that had not been predicted on the Friday.  I should jump ahead - spoiler alert -- they are all still in town.  The 6 other teams (Pond Inlet got stuck somewhere else and never did make it to the tournament) and their coaches are holed up in the arena.  Pity those teachers!  The 4 refs have it better as they were booked into a lodge.  As usual for kids' teams travelling in the North, the kids and coaches slept on gym mats on the floor in classrooms.  However, they were moved out on Sunday night.  School was actually opened on Monday morning but within the hour the blizzard got worse AND the school had run out of water so the few kids who had even bothered to come were sent home.  I was really sorry for the ref who happens to be a school teacher in Winnipeg.  He has to pay for his own sub when he is away.  Ouch.  They may get out tomorrow (Thursday).



 This picture is actually from the blizzard LAST weekend.  You can see the reflection of my camera near the top middle.  That building is the old Co-op and it is being renovated.

This is what it looked like trying to get out the entrance to the 12-plex (the name of my building).  Those two sticks leaning from the far left of the photo are part of the fencing that goes around the whole building.  I have been told we have a family of arctic hare living under us.  Folks complained about catching their pants, etc. and it has finally been fixed.  I was more worried about keeping in(or out) the fox or wolf kits that I have also been told live under us.  Do they really co-exist?  Hmmmm.





Want to complain about your job?

This is the new community hall being built next to the arena. I took this from my living room window. I was cozy. This guy? Not so much.

If it ever loads (it has been 12 minutes) -- this is the far entrance to the 12-plex (we have one entrance at each end of the building).  I fianlly went out to check on the strange screaming sound.  Enjoy.

So we got sent home on Monday and now it is Wednesday night.  The building ran out of water this morning.  Jeneth (teacher friend and lives across the hall) said it is more likely our sewage is full than that we have no water.  The water truck made three deliveries to us on early Monday morning but the sewage truck only took away one load.  It is a safety system to cut the water so you don't overflow the sewage tank.  People were heading out around noon to collect snow to melt for water - but Jeneth reminded them not to put it down the drain or toilet.  I had kept enough water that I was fine - plus I had pop and juice.  Up until this morning I had only flushed my toilet 3 times and of course had not touched the shower, dishes, or laundry.  I did my part.

I may give up on this video -- it is STILL attempting to upload.  Did I mention in the past that I have lousy internet service?  If you send me cute things and I don't respond then I may not have seen them.  I am not that patient.


I call this last photo:
"Here comes the sun .... and the plow (and someone desperate to get wherever the plow is going)."




This is actually the first bit of sun we have seen since Saturday. It doesn't show in the photo, but it was a strange yellow colour.



I heard that tonight was the last Bingo of the year.  They stop it for the holiday season -- the hope being that people will not gamble and use the money to buy food and gifts for their family.  I went out to buy cards and actually enjoyed the fresh air.  It was a bit nuts getting down the front steps but after that I was fine.  The wind has died down from the crazy 100 kph it got up to.  I got within two numbers but didn't win anything.  Better luck in 2012!

And on that note - Good Night!!


PS: I gave up on the video after 1 1/2 hours.......                                                                              

Questions

Hi there
A blog reader had a question and I thought I would answer it here for everyone.  Just like we always say in class, "There are no silly questions - and chances are someone else is wondering the very same thing".

The question had to do with my post where I talked about conserving water during a blizzard.  You other Northerners (present and former) reading this can stop now and go back to whatever.

The short answer has to do with the water truck.  If you know a blizzard is looming you fill all your containers, do your laundry and dishes, and have a bath.  If the blizzard hits without warning then you just go without clean dishes and hair.  It is important to conserve water because the water truck may not be able to make deliveries.  The same for the sewage truck - hence the not flushing and other water wasting habits we have.


Thanks for the question.  If you have any thoughts you want to share send them to me via this site or my email (teachingismyreasonforliving@yahoo.ca).  I know that other folks will appreciate your bravery.  It is a my fault that I make assumptions and leave out tiny details that help make the big picture much clearer.  I need all the help I can get -- so question away!

Bacon

Mama brought home the bacon tonight.  There was a square dance at the hall in honour of Harold Goobie who is retiring as our superintendent.  Lots of folks attended and there was the usual singing, live music, dancing, and games.  I think I described this game before - but it is the one where there are prizes in the middle of the floor and the people playing make a circle and then roll a die to try and get the given number.  Tonight the number was six.  If you rolled a six you got to grab a prize from the pile and place it in front of you.  Once all the prizes were gone from the middle you then got to "steal" from someone else.  There was a HUGE box of chocolates that was very popular.  So was a rice cooker and surprisingly a bottle of dish soap and a box of dryer sheets.  I had my eye on some light bulbs and an electric heating pad.  There were 5 dice going around and for the life of me I could not throw a six.  However, it only counts at the end -- or if you pick an unpopular prize at the start you just might get to keep it.  I finally got lucky about 10 minutes in and someone had just taken the heating pad.  I could have taken it out of her hands on the fly, but I went for the light bulbs.  Two more throws and then I hit a six in the last minute.  I went for the pad and was able to hold onto it.  From zero to hero; I ended the game with ot one, but two prizes.  Like I said, mama brought home the bacon tonight, kids.

PS I also danced

Blizzard Pic

You can't see how fast the wind is whipping the snow around and you can't hear the howl, but this is the best I can offer in a still photo out my living room window. 

Enjoy.

I'm not going anywhere.

Cindy (who is sorry about the ghost camera upper centre)

Blizzard #1

It is a little after 6 AM and I just got the call that today is an official "Blizzard Day".  I am not going to count that day when the kids left an hour early.  Heck, that day I stayed at school until 7 PM and I had no trouble walking home.  Today looks nasty out the window.  I am wishing I had remembered to bring home the novel study book for my Grade 12 class because I am not going to leave the apartment.  In fact, the Environment Canada website predicts a 2-day blizzard.  It says that the temperature is a balmy -19 but the wind chill is the kicker at -33.

Now to remember the unwritten rules of the North and blizzards:
1. No doing laundry
2. No showers.
3. No doing dishes.
4. If it's yellow, let it mellow; if it's brown, flush it down.

Now to turn off the computer and go make sure I have spare jugs of water, blankets, flashlights, candles and matches.

Cheers.

Cindy (who is kicking herself that she didn't borrow someone's hard drive with a bunch of movies)

Runway Model

I wish I had paid more attention to shows like Project Runway or Fashion TV.  It would have come in handy up here to have been more of a girly-girl.  Oh, I'm not talking about clothes or anything like that.  I'm talking about knowing how to walk the catwalk -- the ability to walk in a straight line by placing one foot directly in front of the other and not falling over.  I've seen it done, but if I had actually done it in heels I might now be able to do it in boots.  People coming North should have lessons in walking a straight line in a pair of big boots.  Take note any potential future Northerners.

You see, on days when it has snowed there are often tire tracks to follow.  These tracks are narrow, so to walk without sinking in the deeper snow on the sides you have to walk by crossing your thighs.  You don't look graceful but you save yourself boots full of snow.  The not so great option is to save one boot and pant bottom and do the one-foot-in, one-foot-out, hobble walk.  If the snow gods are on your side, the tracks might be from an ATV instead of a truck.  Then you can do the straddle walk -- one foot in each track.  You look like you have a full diaper but you don't get snow inside your boots.  Sometimes you get really lucky and two vehicles have gone by close to each other and you get to walk with one foot in each tire track and only a small ridge in between your feet.  That is heavenly.  Hey - don't make fun of what goes for pleasure around here.

Cheers,
Cindy (who will practice walking in heels)

New Apartment

I've been here for a few weeks now - but never got around to sending out pictures.  I just reviewed them and think I may wait a few more weeks until the place is tidier.  Why I take photos when the mood strikes me rather than when it would look better is beyond me.  However, I do like the one of my new view.  This is from out of my bedroom window:

Of course, the lake is now frozen so the view is not as interesting.  Also, there is now no view at all out of my bedroom window -- as I was busy last weekend.  I call this picture "Sun Protection".

I know we are almost as far from the nights of sun as we can get - but I might as well get the full benfits of my labour.  Besides, this way I don't have to wear my eyemask.  However, I do have to take the phone off the charger and put a towel over the clock radio (pesky light spillage).  At least I don't have to put a towel under the door and hang my robe down the crack like I had to in Tasiujaq.  In this apartment the closet juts out and creates a barrier between the head of my bed and the door.
I thought I would try a combo of garbage bags and tinfoil.  I brought the garbage bags from off the window in the 8-plex (this new place is referred to by everyone as "the 12-plex") and some of them had fused together from the heat!  Any Northerners reading this can feel free to share their experiences.  I failed to look on the internet to see if there was an essay entitled "Plastic vs Tinfoil: Window Coverings in Canada's Arctic".  Hey - anyone out there in need of a thesis?  Science Fair project?


Cheers,
Cindy  (back to cleaning the stovetop; not like the old days in Montreal when I moved if it was time to clean the oven)

Shocking

Winter is really here.  The true test of winter is when you get little electric shocks all day long - and big ones when you touch the light switch.  I thought Baker Lake was going to be different - maybe something with the inland climate....I don't know; but I was wrong (sadly, very wrong).  I hate those little shocks.  I spend my day touching metal so I won't get a great big one.  I get off my chair and touch my filing cabinet.  I move to the whiteboard and touch the metal railing.  Sometimes I keep my hand on it - but if I don't, then I touch the TV before turning away from the board.  (At this point I know that I look like someone with a bad case of the ritual touching need -- OCD, like Monk on TV).  There is nothing metal along the short wall so I have no choice but to get a wee shock as I touch the door jamb.  If I have to turn the lights off I touch the other door jamb and then the metal plate before I touch the switch -- just an added precaution.  Coming into my class is fun.  The door is always locked so I touch my key to the lock and watch the pretty blue spark (hateful things).  At least that one doesn't travel up my arm.  The other day I kept adding water to a kettle in the staffroom because I wouldn't unplug it.  I hate electricity.  Before I got my automatic shut off kettle, the only one I owned was a stovetop deal.  Getting the picture of Cindy and electricity.....  So, I can't wait for winter to be over - and it has nothing to do with parkas and boots and everything to do with being able to walk around freely and not cringe before touching a metal surface.  Hurry up Spring.

Cindy (who is wondering if wearing only cotton will help.  Hmmmm)

Snow Hare

I just saw a huge snow hare hopping across the road.  I was heading home and so was s/he.  I nearly ran into the hare; it might have come right at me if I hadn't yelled at it.  I pointed it out to two of my students and they told me that earlier in the day they saw wolf tracks out on the ice.

 Two of my building mates were out having a smoke and I mentioned the hare.  They told me there is a family of them living under the school. Not so cute was the news that there is a wolf kit under our building. WHAT??!!! Don't tell mom.  Never mind the tracks out on the ice - they saw them at the corner of our place.  Ohhh yay........

Icy Lake

I an still in the process of unpacking and not much in the mood for writing -- but had to mention that the lake is starting to freeze.  You can see these odd patches that don't move.  I heard it gets to be 8' thick and folks drive trucks on it.

The view out my new windows is even better than the old one - though it is in the same direction so maybe it is my imagination.  In the night sky, straight in front of me (and directly over the lake) is Orion and to the right is Venus.  It is a spectacular view.  Mind you, Ken says it is not so special in the winter when it is all white and you can't tell where the land ends and the "water" begins.  I'll withhold my judgement.

Cheers,
Cindy (who better get back to marking the journals of her students)

Cheeks

The feeling is returning to my cheeks.  The second wedding in two days and that meant another night of dancing and games.  This time it was Janine and I and we had a great time.  I got up for the jigging contest and one of my students captured it on video.  I'll get it next week and post it.  I have no idea who my partner was - all part of the fun.

The wind is around 80kph and whipped us home; but was worth it when Janine took the time to look up from the road and noticed the aurora.  There is a planet (Venus?) and lots of stars and then the aurora dancing in and out of them.

Awesome.

Blizzard

I recall reading that Baker Lake is the blizzard capital of Canada.  Tonight I am verifying the truth of this.  The morning was crisp but held no warnings of the evening to come.  It was the second day this week with some ice over puddles on the morning walk to work but nothing to cause worry.  Okay - two days ago some kids said there were snowflakes at lunch but I didn't see them.  Ostrich!

There are two weddings in town.  Each will feature a feast and an evening of square dancing.  I promised the students I would be there.  After my appearance last weekend at the teen dance I received a flurry of invitations to show up at the latest shindig.  I was able to convince Jonathan to come with me and as he went upstairs to change I heard the front door open and close and for some reason decided to take a look at the weather.  Holy mackeral!!  There was enough snow on the front porch that the smokers standing in their slippers made tracks.  Get out the parka.

Jonathan and I had fun walking to the arena and even more fun at the wedding party.  I played one of the games where you stand in a circle and toss a die and if you get the previously decided upon number you go into the middle and jig with the "stick" in your hand until the next person rolls the number and takes it from you.  At the end of 10 minutes the man and woman in the middle get a prize.  I made it to the middle twice and clogged to a cheering crowd.  That just got me geared up for the next event:  do your best crazy dance to "Wipeout".  I shook my bum and finished with the splits.  I wouldn't have thought to do the splits but some students kept asking me to do them (ever since I did them at the teen dance I get daily requests).  I made it into the finals and came about 5th overall.    Darn it - I wanted the purple fun fur fuzzy jacket.  There was no way to beat a little kid - but what would he want with a purple fuzzy jacket thing?  Sour grapes on my part  ;-)

Jonathan left as he was getting way too hot in his new winter boots.  Tomorrow night we plan to take shoes in a bag.  That meant I had to walk home alone and that was an adventure.  By now the storm was ..... well, a storm.  The wind was raging and by the time I hit the high road I was blown the rest of the way home.  At one point the drifts were over my hiking boots.  Craaaaazy.  (but fun)  Let's face it, it wasn't that cold and so it was still fun.  I am well aware that add a drop in temperature and I will not be celebrating the arrival of winter.

I snuggled up (it was after 1AM) and caught the rest of a movie I had started watching on TV at lunch.  Then the power went out.  There was nothing to do but go to bed.  I was wakened by the TV when the power came back on 2 hours later.  The wind is pelting ice crystals at my windows.  They were hitting me in the face on the way to the dance so I feel better being on the inside of the house.  The sound is pretty loud, but I think I am now tired enough to fall asleep.

Good night from Blizzardville.

Cindy (who wore her old parka tonight that she bought to go to God's River in 1986)

Things and Kisses

I have been remiss because I have been tired.  I cannot believe how hard I am working.  I stay after school every day and come home to eat and crash.  Weekends are barely different.  However, I have had a few thigs to relate to the general public and since I had a good sleep I feel awake enough to write.  Don't expect another blog entry any time soon -- though I will try and not wait so long.

Big news was my palette came in.  That means my "stuff" arrived.  All the things I packed up at the beginning of  August finally made it out of the warehouse in Winnipeg.  They sat in Rankin Inlet for a bit and now I have 30-some boxes to unpack.  Well, most of it is done now with a few semi-unpacked ones strewn about the apartment.  There is hardly a bare surfac as the place is small.  I have put in a notice to move.  There is an apartment complex across the street from the school.  The places are older but a big larger and they are ACROSS the STREET from the school. When it hits -65 this will be a plus.  There are no openings right now but I hope to get on a wait list.  I have to admit I don't know what that means as waiting up North is a game played by many and won by few.



I was able to attend a production of Cinderella last night.  Hey there NTG folks, you can let out your collective breath, you have nothing to worry about.  A group from the USA called Missoula Children's Theatre comes to Baker Lake and helps students put on a show.  Two lovely young people did the whole thing themselves; quite an accomplishment.  The kids were great and everyone had a good time.  For the Lighting geeks out there....picture two sets of floodlamps on stands -- and a plug.  Yay!


On the 17th is was Canada Sports Day and we had a 2K race/walk.  I had a blast.  I walked with Nancy 1 -- she cleans the first floor and Nancy 2 does the 2nd floor.  I  sometimes call Nancy 2 "Nancy Hand" because she has an injury.  They both came over to the house last weekend for a little visit.  Anyways, Nancy 1 and I walked together and at one point we were so slow there was an elder in front of us and I said there was no way she was going to beat us as we could never live down the embarrassment -- so we trotted now and then.  The road I am on is sometimes referred to as the "high" road as it is closest to the snow fence and furthest from the lake -- hence higher up; and it is windy.  It is the most open to the elements (and a good reason to move "into town").  This part of the race slowed us down the most.  However, once we turned down towards the lake we put on some steam and I got silly.  I began dancing down the road and entertaining the women behind us -- including the elder who was not so far away that we could say we left her in our dust.  If I wasn't doing a salsa then I was pretending to walk on the catwalk.  They were laughing and you know that just eggs me on.  Like I said, I had a blast.
Oh - and there were prizes.  We all got numbers for our jackets at the start and upon crossing the finish line we got medals.  I did take some pictures.  Later.  Then we went inside the arena/community centre and the organizers handed out bagged lunches.  Awesome!  There were peanuts and granola bars and apples.  Then there were the big prizes.  They had all the numbers in a hat and pulled random numbers for prizes.  Guess who got to dance her way to the front to get her prize?  It was a device for monitoring your heart rate and other stuff - meant for athletes.  I gave it away to one of my students who said it might help him in training for hockey.  Cool.  Might as well put it to good use.  Goodness knows I have not been doing a like of exercise.  I feel guilty - but also TIRED.  And I know the old thing about you'll have more energy if you exercise.......but I can barely keep my eyes open.  'Nuf said; I know better; I'll get there.  Sheesh.

At the prize party I had the chance to use my sigh language.  No kidding!  I have signed to one of the kids at school who happens to be deaf.  She has a real, full time interpreter.  However, this was a grown woman.  Turns out she is Deaf and was there with some of her children.  We were chatting and then they started to call the numbers so I signed them for her.  Not a very taxing interpreting job - but being in the right place at the right time.....  Hey there, Ms. Thorpe, she shares your first name!

Nancy 1 and I headed to the Northern as she wanted a coffee and donut.  We sat and chatted and met some students and some of her family.  A woman sat down with her son and I found out he just started kindergarden.  When she went up to go get her order he moved over to the seat by me and leaned up and put his nose to mine.  "Eskimo kisses" are not a myth!!  I remember writing in my blog from Tasiujaq that I noticed the women did not kiss babies but smelled them and I took this to be the equivalent of the "rubbing noses" Southerners hear about growing up.  However, in this region it is more of a deliberate touching; I have even seen it among adult family members.  Just a wee anthropological note.

Cheers.

Cindy (who still smiles when she recalls that little nose pressed to her own)

Spring Break Up

I love the duo called "Spring Break Up".  The group consists of Kim Barlow and Mathias Kom and  they are hilarious and sweet.  I saw them perform at the Port in Nanaimo and right now they are playing on CBC Radio and I am not sure I can keep writing as I just want to sit in a chair and listen.

I'm back!  However, it is not a day to sit indoors and listen to the radio.  It is gorgeous outside and so I am going to run away.  Days like this are not common and will be fewer and fewer.  There were traces of snow the other day.  Yup.  Snow.  Sigh.

My Apartment

Someone asked me about my new place.  It is quite nice and is one of the newer apartment complexes in the hamlet.  It's a bit small - and I don't even want to think about my 37 pieces that should be arriving next week! 

 This is the view from the bedroom end of the apartment (the bedroom door is on the right).
The bathroon is behind the kitchen -- right off the front door so convenient for those transitions from cold to hot when you can't wait.
There is a large hall closet across from the bathroom.

This is the view from the front door.  You can see the pantry on the right.  There are sliding doors and the door to the right of the pantry hides the washer and dryer.

                                                                                                                                                                                             

I will have to clean off the counter if I am going to make room for a microwave.  Other folks have put it on top of the fridge.  Ugh.

 And all my stuff will go ........ where?



BTW, you may have noticed in others pictures that the roads are red.  I think I mentioned before that it looks like you are on PEI.  It is a very dusty place and hard to keep clean.  At school we have to remove our shoes and change into "indoor" shoes.  Here is a sample of the dirt on my entrance floor.

It's quite a nice colour - and makes it much easier to see for sweeping.

Bye for now.
Cindy (who also had red mud on her pants)

Dance the Night Away

Friday night was the continuation of Grad Night.  The search for the missing fisherman is still going on, but so must the grad celebration.  I arrived late because ........

Amanda is doing the Jillian Michaels workout and I have done NOTHING for my body since arriving so I invited myself to join her.  She had also made "Indian tacos" for dinner and invited Jonathan and myself.  We had a great time and it was hard to leave.  Hence....I arrived late to the party.

I got there in time to join the musical chairs game.  I made it about half way through before night finding a seat.  At one point I plunked my butt right on top of another woman.  Everyone had a good laugh at that.  I sat with Becky (the Inuktitut teacher) and her mom.  Her mom was from Chesterfield Inlet and as a bride came to Baker Lake on a dogsled when she was 19.  I played two more games (a dice game/present grab and the get in # groups) and watched the grads play a couple of other games.  The music was super.  One of my students played the guitar and there was a great kid on the drums.  The accordian was shared by an old woman and a young man and a couple also played the bass guitar.  I was hoping to be able to dance but the square dance was next and it was almost midnight.  I was getting tired and I knew the square dancing would go for ages.  It is the kind without a caller and you have to know the patterns.  I really wanted to jig - but will have to wait for the next dance.  Nancy, one of the cleaners at the school, puts on music and we dance in the classrooms.  She said that they often have teen dances on Friday night and then at midnight the kids have to leave and the adults dance.  Next time.

I was chatting outside to two of my students and one of the grads and asked where I could buy a pop.  (I thought there might be some for sale at the grad event, but there wasn't.)  She said she was in the mood for one as well and walked me over.  Oh my!!  Candy heaven.  The store was a house with the walls all gone and replaced with racks and counters of junk food.  I bought a Diet Coke in a bottle and a bag of cheezies (I know, I know - I just did the Jillian Michaels thing).  The bill came to $7.33 - it was the SMALL bag of cheezies and a SMALL bottle of pop.  That should keep me out of candy hell.

Cindy (who is recovering from the sugar rush)

Inukshuk

On our third day in town, four of us went for a walk to the inukshuk.  This one is located out past the airport.  It is not the one that marks the geographical centre of Canada - but it is quite the local landmark.  Sadly, it is not far from here that the fisherman went missing.  The body has not yet been recovered.

On a lighter note (and almost anything could be), it was a beautiful day and finally warm after days of cold wind.  However, warmth and windless means BUGS.  Ken and Jonathan turned back, but Janine and I made it all the way.  As you will see in some photos, I had a bug net for my head.  Best Dollarama purchase ever.

Sorry - some pics are repeats from "Round the Bend".

 This is the view looking west - towards the airport.

 This is the view looking east.

The West End

                                                                      Janine
                                                                       

                                                                            Jonathan and Ken

Jonathan is a first year teacher from PEI - fresh out of university.  Ken came out of retirement to help them out in Baker Lake.  He had taught here last year and will leave at Christmas as he has a contract teaching at a university.  Both ends of the teaching spectrum!

                                                               Arctic Cotton

  
This is a campsite.  There are raised platforms for tents.

                Can you spot the helicopter?  It had a load hanging from it; very interesting to watch.

                                                    I call this "Drum Design".

                                            We think it is a family of ptarmigan.

                                           Our destination

                                      Baker Lake from a distance.    

                                 The long building near the middle is the high school.  My place is further  back and to the left.

very sad

Baker Lake has been a very sad place for the last three days.  A man went missing while fishing and Search and Rescue are still looking for the body.  They found his ATV and cell phone on the land and yesterday found hip waders and a fishing rod in the lake.  The grade 12 graduation ceremony went ahead.  There was talk of postponing the feast - instead, the feast went ahead but the games and square dance are being put off until next Friday.

Sorry to be a downer - but that along with the crash of the First Air flight to Resolute has had an effect up here.  We are never sure what news you get down South.  Though the reverse is also true -- as I had no idea Harper was in town.  Mind you, he was out at the mine; still, he must have landed somehere.  Oh well, no biggie.

Cindy

Pictures

If we are friends on Facebook then you have probably seen these photos.  If not - enjoy! 

 Jonathan in front of our building

                                   Deisel and Lucky - Lucky survived a wolf attack as a puppy (hence the name).

                               There is an airplane coming in for a landing in the middle of the photo.

Baker Lake Inn

Main Street (though no actual street names in BL)

Our school

Guess what the kids get for breakfast???

Mostly my food

Caribou hide in the freezer - next to the butterball.

Great art on the walls throughout the high school.

Catch you later!