Well in what has become a weekly ritual I have began updating the blog late on Sunday evening. After a full week and weekend, I am needing to go back to work to get a rest. Lots of photos to post so I'll explain as I go along.
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| Turbines |
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| Qamatik, sled, skidoos |
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| Skidoos, Big Boggan and trophies |
Except for days where I'm on call, my roomie and I have been taking daily walks to various areas of the hamlet. Today for example we discovered that wind turbines are coming to Kugluktuk with one at least partially installed and another waiting as you can see above. These are located between the air strip and the hamlet. We've also discovered various modes of transportation out and around Kugluktuk with the season set to change there is a combination of skidoos (machines) 4wheelers (Hondas) bicycles, qamatiks (sleds) and of course trucks. We have had snow a couple of times the past week and then mild temperatures where the snow on the streets just disappears over night making the skidoos head over to the trails of snow.
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| Kamiks drying |
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| Bikes and sleds - spring |
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| Inukshuk of snow |
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| Snow again? |
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| 11pm can you believe it? |
So with the snow one day and warmer temps the next it's hard to know what means of transportation to use. As I type this it is after midnight and very light. Lots of skidoos going by the apartment and folks walking down the street - we live on Kugluktuk Drive which is one of the main streets. On my way back from a call at 11 pm. I was enjoying this gorgeous sunset, seen above. The lack of light in the winter months isn't as much of a change as the lots of light in the warmer months. Although I remember some of the Labrador long days and nights it isn't as far north and thus less dramatic as Nunavut.
Work was really steady this week, lots of routine stuff such as well baby immunizations, blood collections, planning for the preschool assessments and (joy of joys) I was assigned (since I'm in office # 4) the STI (yes that stands for sexually transmitted diseases) program. It's a rather active portfolio here. I'm including some pics of the health centre - pretty standard for Nunavut - for your viewing pleasure.
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| Waiting room |
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| Trauma room |
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| Scales and peds exam table |
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| Xray / lab combo |
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Office # 4 - come on in
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I even volunteered to do call for the Nurse in Charge on Saturday night so she could attend the wedding reception of the staff member who was married and didn't end up being busy on call because of all the festivities so all in all it was a good weekend. Except for the fighting with the oven in this danged apartment - I have the top rack up as if to broil and it still cooks on the bottom not the top. Arrghh. I did manage blueberry scones, corn bread, and peanut butter cookies even with the struggle. I'm posting some pics of the ice road adventure that my roomie and I engaged in and then some photos of the local traditional wedding. The bride was up until 5 a.m. sewing those new kamiks for the groom for the ceremony.
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| Roselyne in the home care SUV |
On Saturday morning we packed some snacks and headed out on the 13 km ice road from Kugluktuk across to the islands in the Coronation Gulf of the Arctic Ocean.
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| One of the islands |
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| Gravel pit on the island |
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| Two lanes in places |
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| Kugluktuk on the return |
At no time do you think that you're driving over water really and the ice is so thick anyway that it's a moot point.
So after the drive we managed to get ourselves warmed up and then gussied up for the wedding. Up here that included putting on clean jeans and shirt with my polar bear earrings. Lots of folks wearing their finest as well as the jeans set like us. We made our way over to the Anglican church where the Justice of the Peace (who looked like Johnny Fever of WKRP) officiated at the ceremony.
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| Maid of Honour |
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| Wedding Party |
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Inuit kiss
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Weddings in any culture are beautiful and this traditionally Inuit one was lovely. Catherine was radiant and the groom was very pleased and calm. Apparently they were both widowed and knew each other for years. Wonderful to see them so happy and excited and also lucky for us to be able to attend. On the way home as we drove by the Northern Store we noticed the CHR (Community Health Representative) watching something and realized there were birds on the ground - ptarmigan! Out for a stroll apparently.
So, off to pack up the peanut butter cookies for work. And speaking of this I received an email from the CRNNS (College of Registered Nurses of NS) saying that NS registration is going up $100 next year. Think it's time to make my status non-practicing in the place of my birth. On the positive side of the ledger though, I was pleased to see that Revenue Canada had deposited the income tax refund which my son-in-law's father had obtained for me. Yeehaw! Later.
