You want to leave Cape Dorset? Hah, not today.

This month has been plagued with travel delays. Both Margot and I have been trying to get to and from Iqaluit for medical appointments (don't be alarmed, we're doing just fine). I got stuck there for two extra days due to booking issues and Margot has missed two trips and is now working on leaving Thursday. I hope she has good weather. It is a lot of work for us teacher's to miss work so I hope she gets out and back this time.

I decided that during my time in Iqaluit that anyone who lives there does not get to complain about how hard it is living in the North. It is a proper city with many stores that carry everything you could need (I did not say want). They had a huge (southerly) selection of fresh fruit, veggies, baked goods and a full size department store filled with hardware, clothes, housewares, and so much more at cheaper prices. You can go swimming in a pool, watch a movie at the cinema, go out for a beer and a burger, even see a doctor at a hospital. It's feels like the south. But, I wouldn't want to live there. It lacked all the charm of our small town. The Inuit people here are more friendly to outsiders, they speak Inuktitut, wear more traditional clothes and seem happier. Cape Dorset feels like somewhere different, like the Arctic. Being here feels like an adventure in a unique place that has it's own ever-changing culture and people. Now, I know that I will catch flack for this statement, but it's how I feel. Iqaluit felt more like a small southern city with all the cars, traffic (seriously right?), English, consumerism and such. I like my little town (most of the time.) There are some things about it that I don't like, but overall I am happy here, well, for today at least. I think that experiencing alternatives gives me a better appreciation for what I have.

Lily, like all kids, is getting very excited about Halloween. Margot told her she could paint her face as part of her costume and she was so amped up that she could not wait. So last night while I was outside working on closing in our ATV shed, Lily was getting painted like a Monkey, or at least what she thought her Monkey should look like.  This is the picture that was on the packaging that she really liked.

What a funny little girl!

It's snowy and cold here. People are out on their snowmobiles already. Cape Dorset is a much happier place in the snow. Everything is clean, the kids are out sliding, the adults and teenagers are zooming around.

Thanks for dropping by and let us know what's up with you.

-Richard

So you think we're a circus now, just wait until March

Richard has created this great title and so I am adding to the blog to let everyone know that I am pregnant. The March part is that baby is due in March two days before Lily’s birthday.  We found out during the summer and have been trying to figure things out ever since.  Now we know where babies come from but we are not sure where they arrive in Nunavut.  I saw my family doctor while down south so got the preliminary tests done and he sent me for an early ultrasound so we got to see the baby nice and early!  Still trying to figure out how things are going to work here.  There is a prenatal nurse in town and she has been great but she is also new so is learning the system too.  So we are working on learning and I figure either way the baby will come so we better be ready.  Tomorrow I am being sent to Iqaluit for a regularly scheduled ultrasound.  I am pretty excited.  I will be there two nights and so far I have barely been out of the airport so am looking forward to seeing the town!  I also get to see an obstetrician and have a nice long list of questions to ask.  So we will keep updating the blog with details as we get them (and no we are not going to find out the sex of the baby).  Thanks for reading!

- Margot

Hello all, other news (from Richard):  


I have recovered from my zombie energy zone. I had a few good nights sleep and now with Margot finding out more information about our baby that seems to have helped.

Our "new" Honda atv is giving me frustration. Skip this if you don't care about broken atv's. This is a post I put on a Honda atv forum looking for some suggestions. 

Hello all! I have recently bought a used 2003 trx350fm. It was rode hard and the electrical system was in need of repair when I bought it. Oh, side note, I live in Nunavut (the high arctic in Canada) and there is no Honda dealer here to take my machine to. So, I removed the engine, put in a new starter, regulator, alternator, battery, oil filter, spark plug, oil (10w30), a used cooling fan that worked when bench tested, and tires. It started and ran like a charm for a few weeks. It is starting to get cold and it snowed the other day. I took it for a drive to the store and it did fine. The next morning when I choked it to start it (because it needs it) it ran for a bit then died. It did this a few times then it would not fire. So I left it a couple of days thinking maybe the float needle got stuck after having some bad gas go through it, or the carb had gotten gummed up after sitting for a while (although I doubt it as it has run fine for 2 full fuel fill-ups). I tried starting it tonight before I took out the carb and away it went. Sounded just fine so I thought I will go get some fresh gas and drive it around a bit just to make sure it has sorted itself out. Well, after driving hard for 20 minutes the engine was noticeably warm/hot (ticking after shutdown) the engine sounded like it was missing and not firing on every stroke and promptly quit again. I walked home, had a friend tow me home and then I tried it again and it fired up and idled fine for the five minutes I let it run. Oh, and the fan never kicked on. It was about -3 Celsius outside.

So, I am wondering if maybe there is a blockage in the oil passageway that is causing a restriction, carb problem or some other mystery. I really could use all the suggestions anyone has as this is my family car up here and it's not snowmobile weather yet!

Stupid atv's!

We had an interesting thing happen. We often get emails asking specific questions about moving and living up here. Last year, a couple with a little boy asked us a lot (!) of questions about coming up here and what life was like. Well, they ended up moving to Cape Dorset and now live two doors down from us! So now we have new friends and our kids love playing together. It was a funny thing though, because they got to know us through the blog, it was like we fast forwarded our relationship and bypassed much of the friendship foreplay that is required when getting to know new people. It has turned out to be a really nice byproduct of this blog. Yay technology!

A sad bit of news.  A couple with whom I work with adopted a puppy last year, had their dog shot by our bylaw officer after it escaped from it's leash to which it was tied in front of their townhouse. It is my understanding the dog took off two nights ago and they could not find it.  The dog was shot yesterday because the bylaw officer thought it was a loose dog instead of checking it's collar for tags. I feel very bad for them, I know I would be devastated if something to our dogs. Sorry about your dog guys, we really do feel for you!!!!!

Thanks for dropping by, drop us a line.

-Richard