In what has become a weekend habit, I shall update you on all that is current in Kugluktuk. Spring has come to the hamlet with a temperature of 1+ c today, snow and ice is melting with muddy roads emerging. A weather report later.
First a photo essay about this last week which was Nurses Week:
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| From Rannva in Iqaluit |
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| Students with sign |
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| Appreciate your Nurse |
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| Children, elder, staff |
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| Nurse with amauti |
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| Staff eating bannock - yum |
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| Bannock for break |
I must boast that this is the most 'appreciation' I can remember receiving. We have had treats daily - bannock, pies, cookies, pizza sent over on a flight from the manager, signs, each of us got an expensive sealskin purse from the Chief Nursing Officer and all sorts of local treats. I learned this past week as well that num nums (and yes that is what they are called in the store on the sign hanging in the aisle - I can provide photographic evidence if requested) are the local vernacular for candy, pop, chips - you know, junk food - an unfortunately popular item in the north.
As we were doing preschool assessments last week for the children who will be going to Kindergarten in August (school ends in May and begins again early in August due to the amount of sunlight and everyone moving out on the land when spring comes) some of them were quite entertaining. One of the answers in the developmental questionnaire is to name what is in the lake ex. water (well here it's only for a few months of the year so some of them struggled with the answer or said ice) and this little fellow says very animatedly "crocodiles, big ones and lots of them". He was very definite about this so I told him I was glad I was leaving before the ice did. One of the mothers when questioned about school readiness told my co-worker "he dropped out of preschool". Now that's a new one for me. Can't see that guy having any problems in the future being as he's the parent eh?
This pleasant afternoon is in complete opposition to the noon hour I spent dealing with the victim of an assault who was hit multiple times with a hammer. This caused a laceration to the side of the head requiring four sutures and a large hematoma on the crown with a smaller laceration which needed gluing and several large lumps which needed bags of snow (softer and more readily available than ice) for swelling. Hammers in the wrong hands are a dangerous tool.
Carving tools apparently in the right hands are a great idea. I told one of the elders who came to see me that I'd like to have an igloo carving with the roof which lifts off and a little diorama inside - they're particular to Kugluktuk and he arrived a few days later with this for me. And although it doesn't seem likely that huskies were taken into the iglu (I shall have to ask about that one) it's pretty neat. And I always enjoy it when the signature of the artist is someone I've known. We've done really well on our local crafts this week in this apartment as my roommate and I were just leaving to go pick up char
we'd arranged for from one her clients (seen here on the right before we ate part of it and froze the rest) when a guy came to the door selling a wolverine pelt and some jewelry for a ridiculously low price - not sure how hot the collar is but it didn't matter at that point she was having it!
Word also came to us on Friday while we were at work that The Northern Store was having trouble with a section of it's coolers and everything on one wall was 50% off. By the time we stopped by at noon hour the $20 turkeys were gone but there were still lots of buys to be had - the butter was $3.00 which is certainly cheaper than home. I indulged in whipping cream and cheese for the same reason. The cashier hadn't had a break since she arrived that morning she said as the carts were full. "Good for families though" she said. We found (after a co-worker tipped us off) Hickory Farms gift packs for $1.99 at the COOP and my roommie got great spring boots for $25.
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| Spring yet? |
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| Almost midnight sun |
As spring can have changeable weather in the Maritimes, Nunavut apparently is the same. We have had melting road weather as well as several nights when we found the vehicle looking like this on the right. It was warm today and the roads (at least the main ones) are completely bare and filled with potholes. More 4wheelers than skidoos out now and the skidoos are forced to the edge of the streets where there is still snow to run on. Many folks have headed out to their cabins out on the land for the weekend.
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| Chain saw butcher |
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| Dog food |
In a Facebook chat today with someone who used to live/work in Nunavut, we were discussing an attempt to recruit a nursing colleague from back home to the northern life. Her suggestion of a name for us was the Sisters of Mercy of the Beachfront Charity. I love it! I'm not sure the recruitee will handle it well though as she was grossed out by the pics I posted of dog food, seen here. And my apologies for the poor quality of Freddie Krueger but I hurried from the vehicle without waiting for my camera to adjust to the cold temperature. Good thing I didn't post the photo of the yard where two caribou were being cut up. They are apparently only a few kilometres outside of the hamlet now as they migrate north. One of the patients this week told me that the ducks had made it back as far as Yellowknife already and they are already shooting geese.
Since tomorrow is Mother's Day and my roommate was bemoaning the fact that several of her children had not made contact, I told her I could make up for that. I promised to burn toast, spill tea on it and take it upstairs to her in bed and she'd feel positively nostalgic. She declined my offer. So I think I will bake instead. A rare treat to have a weekend off and no call - this is one of the benefits of a larger health centre - more to share the call roster although not as good for the pocketbook. I've been crocheting a bit and did a dishcloth and a scrubber for my roommate - pretty simple but she's not crafty and is easily impressed.
So although it's still bright daylight at midnight and lots of young kids out on the streets with their bicycles or walking with their family, it really is time to sign off. We're heading quickly towards the 24 hour day which will begin the week after I leave.
Carving tools apparently in the right hands are a great idea. I told one of the elders who came to see me that I'd like to have an igloo carving with the roof which lifts off and a little diorama inside - they're particular to Kugluktuk and he arrived a few days later with this for me. And although it doesn't seem likely that huskies were taken into the iglu (I shall have to ask about that one) it's pretty neat. And I always enjoy it when the signature of the artist is someone I've known. We've done really well on our local crafts this week in this apartment as my roommate and I were just leaving to go pick up char 
Word also came to us on Friday while we were at work that The Northern Store was having trouble with a section of it's coolers and everything on one wall was 50% off. By the time we stopped by at noon hour the $20 turkeys were gone but there were still lots of buys to be had - the butter was $3.00 which is certainly cheaper than home. I indulged in whipping cream and cheese for the same reason. The cashier hadn't had a break since she arrived that morning she said as the carts were full. "Good for families though" she said. We found (after a co-worker tipped us off) Hickory Farms gift packs for $1.99 at the COOP and my roommie got great spring boots for $25.
