Inuvikphotos.ca (Daily views from the NWT)

It’s an interesting fact that Inuvialuktun can be written with the same letters as our English alphabet.

Either way, I am completely unable to read it. (Although I did find a dictionary.)

I wasn’t kidding when I said solar lamps boost plants.

Look at this potato after just two weeks!

The sun has returned and it feels great.

After about one month of darkness and “solar glow” afternoons, I finally saw the whole thing, as I was exiting the liquor store on a Saturday afternoon.

This old plane is set up on a pole, near the edge of town. It’s intended as a momunent to deceased small-aircraft pilots, who crashed anywhere in the north.

Considering so much northern exploration has been done by airplane — and many communities are still only accessible by air — it seems like a proper thing to commemorate.

(Ironic note: This is the third time the plane has been installed. The last two times, wind blew it right off the pole, thus ‘crashing’ the crash monument.)

Scientific predictions of the NWT Barren-Ground Caribou Summit, summarized in one slide.

While we’re on the topic of the apartment (ie: the plant bar) I would like to say that living in the arctic is great if you have hobbies.

If you want to go outside the house in the evening, you have very limited options.

1.The pool (adult swim some nights, really great!)
2.The Mad Trapper bar
3.Frosty’s Bar
4.The Mackenzie hotel bar
5.The library (not too late)
6.Skate park (in summer)
7.Sunburst Bistro, the Roost, and other restaurauts.
8. House parties, etc

Some people don’t like these options, and I’ve heard at least two people say they got bored within weeks of moving here. (People in town, I mean.)

But for people like myself — apartment recluses trying to write a comic book, or who enjoy playing music and especially house parties—- I find there is plenty to do.

Here’s one unexpected benefit of sun lamps: They help plants grow remarkably fast!

Pictured here is a potato plant, growing on a bookshelf in the apartment, with germinating broccoli, alfalfa and radish seeds in a bag.

Once the community greenhouse opens in the summer, I’ll have vegetables ready to install. (And, thus, after three months of planning, will save $2.99 by eating a home-grown potato.)

I think the CBC is increasing its coverage of Northern issues, in both news and documentary features. Last night after The National, they played a fantastic documentary about the Barren-Ground Caribou, and how climate change is affecting them.

(ie: more snow means more digging for moss; more rain means the formation of an ice crust which can cut their legs; different weather means more mosquitoes; temperature changes mean babies are born at different times in the migration schedule, etc.)

It’s always interesting to watch a national TV cover local affairs, and this is just further depressing proof that climate change is changing — ie: messing up — the arctic.

Is this sea coral, or a frosted tree?

The arctic winter might be beautiful, but it’s not like you can BBQ ribs outside in 24 hour sunlight. [This photo taken in August at the Midway Lake music festival.]