Friday the 13th …PARTE DEUX

It’s already the second Friday the thirteenth of 2015…another

The Sun is getting stronger, the days longer, and the roads are showing centre bare...for now!

happens later in the fall. This is my second Friday the thirteenth while here in Rankin Inlet. Hard to believe, it’s also pay day…and the direct deposit actually went in this time…the beauty of online banking inquiries.

There are two big things happening locally…namely Bingo

and Hockey. First, its pay day so all government workers and many others get paid. The local charities are on board and radio bingo “is on the air”…top prize $20,000 on friday...my mother-in-law is happy when she wins $20.00 at her residence in Welland. Now Saturday’s top prize is $18,500. Now those are the top prizes….the other bingo games pay out handsomely as well. Also quick picks when you buy your cards for $30 EACH.

A raven sits atop one of the 'old' poles

Newer infrastructure is visible but hidden

This afternoon, my Colleague Marie, informed me that a group of snow mobilers had just arrived in town to get their bingo cards…from Chesterfield Inlet...a trip in -38 degree weather of over 100 miles one way. Now while they are here they probably will also cheer at the other big event in town. There is another hockey tournament this weekend. Rankin Inlet has five men’s teams of the total 15 registrants. Arviat and Iqualuit are not coming due to financial or other reasons apparently.

So it’s probably a good day to clear up questions and answers that have arisen and give some updates as to other events, here, in the north. For the past 48 hours, the work of Jason and Guy has remained successful as we had water in our apartment building for the past 44 hours already! Thank you both. Camping at -40 degree temps has some benefits but that list does not use a lot of ink!

I haven’t been on call for the past two weeks, so that’s been quite a treat as well. Marie has taken the call during that time, but that will all change Monday at 8 a.m. as she smiles and hands me our new G3 Samsung cell. I’ll be on for the next two weeks thereafter.

The full moon is waning and today was to set around 9:30 a.m. but it hid behind some morning clouds after a cloud streak sunrise over at the other end of town. The plan is to try and see some northern lights after the moon goes dark in the next ten days. The sun itself is much stronger as everyone in Niagara keeps reminding me…thanks.

The weather here has been quite decent for the past two weeks. The roads have become almost centre bare and some pavement is actually showing now. There are multiple rocks showing through on the more popular snowmobiling routes through the various shortcuts in town. I tried to find out how they actually dig through the rocks to lay the sewer pipes necessary only to find out that they have just raised the level of the roadways as needed.

From the hill by the fuelling station over looking the dog pens and the town.

 

The housing and newer Power Lines

There’s definitely more street lighting around town and I’ve noticed an increased number of power lines. Bigger poles, heavier gauge wire and more routes are visible all through the hamlet. Obviously, this is in anticipation of future growth when the nearest gold mine reaches full production only 25 miles away, within the next year. Certainly housing will be expanding as the new building season approaches. Hard to imagine, what those large barges and containers will carry this year. So far they won’t be carrying my new Tim’s Horton Roll –up Toyota…I haven’t won it yet!

This morning, while watching CHCH television, and their live feeds from Port Dover I couldn’t help but think about the difference in temperature from one month ago. When the cyclists gathered last month, the temps in Dover were minus 24 and we were about -45. 

Today, Dover is well above freezing at plus 10 but we are hovering at -24 (-39 with the wind chill)…the closet things to motorcycles that we see here are the quads you see buzzing about town…those and the snow machines scurrying everywhere, even more so, since the weather has warmed slightly. Every Friday the 13^th motorcycle enthusiasts gather in droves to Port Dover to celebrate their sport together. This has been happening for over 33 years.

Have a great weekend. 

Here in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Monday has storm alerts and possible blizzards, after Sunday’s possible freezing rain. I really want to see how arctic freezing rain is any different. Stay warm, stay safe, enjoy your spring-like conditions… especially those in Port Dover. There the crowds are immense and yet I’ve never been there…but then most of them probably haven’t been here, either.

Port Dover crowd on a warmer 13th