The nomad returns

As promised, an update from Taloyoak. Although I'm first on call....it is a beautiful spring evening here with the majority of the community heading 'out on the land' for the weekend to go to their cabins, enjoy fishing for arctic char and hunting caribou, so fingers crossed. When I was explaining to my sister online that the Inuit were nomads and have only within our lifetimes been settled into communities she said "well, you're a nomad too so you fit in" which is a rather pleasant way to describe my present lifestyle. 

The travel in is getting to be fairly routine, so goes along as smoothly as two full days to reach your destination can. A foggy drive to the airport and in to the terminal quickly and no, not because of any emotional goodbye, but because of the following dialogue as I picked up my duffel bag from the curb:

Me: Do you know what tomorrow is?

He: Yeah, June 4th

Me: No, the correct answer is our 36th wedding anniversary

Long silence with direct stare from me

He: Catcha around

Me: If you're lucky

Fast exit through the revolving door without looking back. Now the electrician daughter says that her father should be given credit for knowing the date. All I can say is that it's a good thing there's five weeks before the return trip. 

Chef Phil

Halifax to Toronto to Edmonton without a hitch as I travelled with all those blue collar workers heading back west. You can pick out the various generations in the departure lounge - the older, sitting quietly, no ball cap, conservatively dressed, no pension man, the middle aged, sports ballcap, tshirt and jeans, on the phone with the kids or wife guy, and the early 20s, aeropostale tshirt and skinny jeans, designer ball cap, txting on the iPhone dude. Sometimes you find them in first class as they have so many frequent flyer points they upgrade. I don't mind the travel but I'm not up for doing it every couple of weeks. This time it felt like I'd just left Pearson the day before. Speaking of tradesmen....it's always good to see the third year apprentice electrician when I land in Edmonton. This time I got to see two as she and her guy came to pick me up at WalMart, where I'd picked up my grub order. We headed over to Japanese Village for supper and enjoyed a wonderful meal - steak, chicken, veggies all prepared with flair by Phil our table grill chef. We waddled out to the car. Back to the hotel to throw my provisions into the action packer, a quick goodbye as we're both leaving early am and time to catch a few zzzzs. 

I have worked out that in order to make the 8 a.m. flight from Edmonton to Yellowknife without excessive stress it is necessary to have a 5:15 am wake up call. Get myself together, a dash to the lobby for a luggage cart, wrestle the tote pan and duffle bags onto the cart and down to the lobby about 5 to 6. Stand outside with the cart and insert myself as first in line when the shuttle comes, have a tip in my hand for the immigrant driver and push my way forward. That way when he says "this load is full, I'll be back in 15 minutes" I'm looking out through the van windows not standing on the sidewalk. Over to the airport and another dash for a luggage cart while the driver wrestles my bags down for me to the sidewalk. Then it's in through to departures and check in at Canadian North. Chat with the agent (who has a nurse daughter) and charm my way past the extra 1kg in the action packer. Whew, thanks. Direct the cart to the overweight luggage section and put the bags/bin on the conveyor belt. Ahhh that feels better to only have the knapsack. Through security (mercifully quiet this am for some reason) and in to the departure lounge with an hour until the flight leaves. 

Leaving Kugluktuk

Now I'm sharing the departure lounge with dudes going north to work in the diamond mines surrounding Yellowknife or the MacKenzie Delta oil and gas fields. Flight to Yellowknife during which I'm seated next to a guy almost ready to retire from the Feds - does contaminated site cleanups in the north. Interesting dude. Strange to see ice and snow again as we're coming in for the landing. In to the terminal and a delay (never did find out why) of an hour for our flight. Then it's Yellowknife to Kugluktuk. Still lots of sea ice and snow in the hills there although a LOT of melt in just the week I've been away. We land and I see the husband of one of  the health centre staff signalling us in - the north is large in geography but a finite number of people. We deplane (almost every stop is a refuelling service stop) and I find one of the health centre staff at the terminal to pick up the homecare nurse who was on the flight. We catch up on the events of my week away and I'm back on the plane. It's very mild in Kugluktuk but with its microclimate it is known as the banana belt of the Kitikmeot. There are gardens here in the summer. Over to Cambridge Bay and a quick service stop to refuel again. This time when we attempt to leave there is a problem with an engine light so a complete shutdown, check it out and restart. Not a sound from anyone on the flight - as their way to exit the communities, they are well used to such. situations.

Approaching Taloyoak

Over to Taloyoak and really quite a bit of snow and ice here - they're still using snow machines outside of the community. It's hard to explain the feeling of 'coming home' as I landed in Taloyoak and saw the health centre SUV parked with Nellie in it waiting for me. Sunny but cool and a few minutes before the half ton drove across the tarmac with the bags to catch up on the news. Ahhh. Dragging the groceries and bags up to the apartment - the one across the hall from last contract - and getting the perishables stowed. Down the hill to the COOP before it closes for milk, eggs and meat and back to make the bed. The only slip was arriving with pop corn seasoning and....no popcorn. Not to worry, an email to the soon to arrive coworker solved that dilemma. An early bedtime (grateful for the aluminum foil on the windows and blackout curtains) so a good sleep after all the travel and settling in. 

Down to work in the morning and it reminds me of the days when I used to work in a home office and so went upstairs to the office to start my day. Catch up with the support staff and remainder of the team and after the morning meeting it's into the routine. It's been three months since I was here so it takes a few moments to remember where everything is. The Dr. is in on clinic so that's a good way to start although it makes for a busy spot. 

Wednesday is the day the baby daughter wrote her RN exam and she sent along this message when she finished:

All done!  I didn't have a breakdown and i made it

6 weeks is unbearable

And I would have to agree that the wait for exam results is an eternity and certainly unjustified when you consider that the exams are multiple choice and scored by computer! I well remember the elation of learning I could write RN after my name and I am sure that she will feel the same in August. The excitement was heightened by the receipt of her temporary 'Grad' license from the Saskatchewan RN Association as well as the plans to move into a new rental home only a few blocks from the hospital in North Battleford. So, things are coming together and very exciting to be starting out on a new adventure. Ahh, the kids never think us old folks remember how it felt....but we do, we do.

Taloyoak from the lagoon

Boys + boots = puddles

 Out for a walk the past evenings so some photos of spring in Taloyoak. It was very mild with temperatures in the mid teens and the locals were complaining of the heat. Doesn't take long for the white stuff to melt with the 24 hours of sunlight. A few days in to the contract and all is well with the routine. The five weeks will slip away for sure if this first one is any example. We have been attempting to catch up on some cleaning and paperwork this week in anticipation of the Nurse Manager's community visit. I know she's not following me around but......

Just waiting to hear tomorrow from the teacher daughter as she has been invited to the school board job fair and so will at least know she has a position and where it'll be, not just the week before school begins. This one should take her into a probationary contract.

So, enough yarning. Off to sleep with one ear listening for the phone, kind of like having a sick child across the hall. Later.