Just Out the Front Door

Today I’ll be leaving the Slope and catching a flight to Houston Texas. I’ll be spending the next six days sitting in a class room trying to learn as much as I can because on the seventh day I’ll be taking two exams that are four hours each. I could use all the prayers’ that I can get beings that I’m not one for all that fancy book learn’ in.

This is a picture from in front of the camp where I stay. This small herd of musk oxen that have been hanging out here for about five or six days, nothing too exciting.

Hiding in the shade

There is still a lot of snow that needs to melt but it has been melting quickly since the temperature has been hitting the upper 40’s. Most of the places that the snow was thin have melted away but there still are big piles of it all over the place. There are some little piles that are trying to hide from the dooming sun (like these).

From Ice to Lakes

Spring is finally here. It’s getting up in the mid 30’s during the day time and things are starting to melt. There is still a lot of snow around but all of the parking lots are melting fast and turning into lakes. The worst part of walking around in the water is that there is still ice underneath the water. If you were to slip and fall, not only are you going to be embarrassed but you will also be wet.
The birds and ducks have been showing up in the last few weeks. They have been sitting on top of frozen lakes and ponds just waiting for them to melt.

Ice Road Truckers

For anyone that watched the ice road truckers on discovery channel, this is are version of it. This is a 6 to 8 mile ice road across the Arctic Ocean. They have been hauling truck load after truck load of big bolder sized rock out to the island (North Star Island) that you see in the second picture.

Praying for Summer

The weather is slowly changing and warming up. There is still a lot of snow that needs to melt as you can see by the first picture. The temperature has been between +5 and +20 degrees depending on what time of the day it is.

I’ve had some work that is way out in the tundra off the road, so I got to drive I truck with mat tracks on it. It’s fun to drive for the first five minutes or so but after that it’s just a rough bumpy slow ride.

Broken Elevator

I have been working here at S.T.P. (seawater treatment plant) all week. The elevator is being upgraded so it will be more reliable. Meantime I’m getting a good workout going up and down the stairs. The stairs you see on the outside can be used but there are stairs on the inside as well, plus it’s -32 below. There are 5 floors above ground and 2 floors below ground. I have been working on the bottom floor but you have to go to the top floor to get a permit before starting work and to eat lunch. The bottom floor is below sea level and that’s where the inlets are that suck up the sea water. The entry way has this steel bear cage when you walk out the door because were right out on the ocean. It’s just the opposite of going to the zoo. We’re the one in the cage and the polar bears aren’t.

Da Bears

I didn’t take these pictures but I wish that I would have. Someone took them four or five years ago. It’s amazing what bears can and will do when their bored. The bear on top of the portable tank is about 30 feet off the ground. I would have liked to see him climb down that ladder.