Downtown Baker Lake on a Sunny Day

The weather remains amazing as I sit in my apartment and um... sadly work. Tomorrow or Friday maybe I'll make myself take a real walk.

Not a whole lot to report. There are a few dishes in the kitchen and stuff to mark. I'm actually kind of in to the NHL playoff's this year and I'm even quietly cheering on a few American teams... I'm feeling oddly detached from the Canadian entries. Normally I back the Senators until they are gone, and then switch to whatever Canadian team is the mix. (Obviously I'd be cheering for the Leafs if that was an option - but I'll have to wait another year I think for that in the playoffs.)

Of course, I don't have a TV or cable - so I'm not really watching a lot of Hockey, but I have some marking to do, which usually means I watch a bit of playoff hockey while ploughing through stuff. I think actually I have everything I can mark up to date - although a wave of due dates are hitting this weekend - there is always more. I fear I'll run out of Canadian Hockey teams to cheer for in the Playoffs before I run out of marking.... and on that note... better go make some more work for myself to mark. :P

Blue skies and warm spring days

I guess living in the arctic skews one's opinion of warm, but it was warm enough for me to slip on wet ice an fall into a puddle... in the most dignified way possible. I should not be inside today... its far too beautiful, but as usual there is always work to be done and on that note I'd better get back to work writing this answer key for questions on genetics.

Hopefully though, nicer weather will turn into more pictures in general and more posts.

Winter Winding Down

I don't think the cold is over, but with El Nino we've been spoiled all winter and especially in March and April. Don't get me wrong, aside from Blizzards co-inciding with most attempts to travel by air its been a very pleasant winter. I recall praying this time last year for a day warm enough to walk to school with my glasses on and my hood down, this year we are looking for the temperature to possibly break zero 3 times in the middle of April, and event that did not occur until the 1st of June last year. Although, I've been advised that 7 years ago we endured 6 weeks of -40 C weather (before windchill).

Rain is also forcast for tomorrow. This is not good for the local Caribou, until it stays nice, but even that could have consequences in terms of the timing of bugs and food sources. Rain on snow, followed by seasonal temperatures for the rest of the winter could lock up a lot of food resources. I'm hoping for no rain, but I'm also hoping to get out for another walk this afternoon. This photo was taken on the lake on the way to the airport about a week ago.. and it was reasonably seasonally cold and quite windy that day.

Who knows... I'd better get back to geology and off of the topic of weather.

Cheers,

Jennith

Weather, Travel and Me

Its seems to me that the minute that I want the planes to work out, the weather gods cook up a doozy and send it flying to fool with my plans. (Those of you who recall, I was recently stranded in Rankin for 4 days - and the Science Fair nearly was cancelled - although in the end the weather worked out and everyone made it in) Not to mention my wild non-trip to Iqualuit. I do have to give them some credit - no problems at Christmas. So, I'm watching the weather again with a glint of horror as I hope beyond possibility that the blizzard conditions will abate long enough for a plane to land this evening. I'm not holding my breath, but I can't help wishing, especially since this looks to continue to get worse and last until Friday at which point, there will be nearly a weeks worth of bumped flyers trying to make their easter destinations and after weeks of seat sales, I expect that it'll be a while after the weather clears before my incoming guest can get a seat.

Baker Lake is the blizzard capital of the north, averaging nearly 20 blizzard events annually, thus our choice of the Blizzard as our athletic mascot. Still, while looking for a description of the minimum landing conditions necessary, I found this wonderful quote from the late weather caster, Bill Matheson:

“I really believe that Baker Lake, N.W.T., has got to be the epitome of all things Canadians hate about winter,” Matheson said. “The wind is blowing all the time. You're on the tundra. For half the year it's dark. And it’s always the coldest place on the weather map.”

Most of the time, I like the weather in Baker Lake. The crispness, the wind, and even the dark. The wind doesn't actually blow all the time, only when I want the planes to fly and frankly it has been quite mild this year and I can still see the sign, so maybe everything will work out fine. I guess sometimes you just have to hope and prepare to accept the worst. Not much else to do - to be happy in the north you have to be able to accept the things you can't change and weather is definitely out of my hands.

So, heres hoping beyond hope for a large miracle.... and making the best of things as they are.

Vinegar and nails....

If you want to induce rust this is a fun experiment. I was surprised that the nails under the vinegar were rust free, but the heads were very rusty. (The beaker was covered in tin foil so the heads were in vinegar fumes)

My head doesn't want to seem to want to wake up this morning, so I apologize for the short post.

Home Sweet Home

I had a wonderful weekend away from home. I have to say that the regional science fair is one of the most fun activities I've ever taken part in - a big thanks to the kids and colleagues that made it great. I'm already looking forward to next year. The really cool lab coat was a great idea. In the mean time, I'm looking forward to having only the normal teaching load on my shoulders. Its funny - it seems the busier that I am the more I get done, but I'm glad for a break because I have some great ideas I'd like to enact, but I need time to actually do them properly.

A happy anniversery to my amazing and inspiring Grandparents. I'm sorry that I couldn't be there to celebrate with you, but I'll see you in the summer and talk to you soon!

In other news, it is shockingly almost April and the days are starting to get longer. By the end of April they will be long and by the middle of May the sky will no longer get dark enough to call night (even if the sun does technically set below the horizen.) We've been spoiled with warm weather the last few weeks, although currently its pretty bitter. Hopefully, it'll get springy again in time for me to actually enjoy going out on the land (well, at least outside) for easter.

I'd better get my supper cooking and my biology homework done and a good workout in....

:D

Muffin Tree

Who said muffin's didn't grow on trees? Or at least grow like them!

Well, it didn't last long after I took the picture. It'll probably take me longer to clean the little tree cakepan then it did to eat it, but I was pretty hungry.

Yumm.... oh and I still seem to have the yawns. Okay. Quick bit of yoga, then out the door.