This is going to be a random post in which I revel in the warm, sunny, t-shirt weather.  With 24-hour sun, it stays warm all night!  I walked down to the channel yesterday lunchtime and took this video of the ice flowing down-river.  In just a day you can see the difference, and now the river is almost completely clear. 

If you compare these pictures to the ones from yesterday, you can see what a difference a day makes!  It was neat to see people by the river having picnics and BBQs and watching the ice break up and drift away.  We do what we can to entertain ourselves up here!

This warm, sunny weather has got me in the mood to grow things!  I have a planter on the patio ready to go for flowers, which I will get from the greenhouse on Saturday (more about the community greenhouse later).  A few weeks ago I started some herbs in little pots in my window -- I bought this starter kit at the local Home Hardware.

This is what they looked like after a few days (from left to right - basil, cilantro, oregano).  I planted them in alphabetical order so I would remember!

And after a couple of weeks, they are thriving.  I took this photo from the other side, so they are reversed (just to test myself!).  From left to right - oregano, cilantro and basil.

There have been some big changes in Inuvik -- all the snow is gone from town, and the mud puddles have dried up.  We're expecting temperatures up to 20 degrees Celsius this week, and we no longer have any sunsets, as we are into 24-hour sun for the next 2 months... bring on summer!

The only place you can still see some snow and ice is down at the channel (which used to be the ice highway - read about it here and here). 

On Friday I walked down to the river channel to take some pictures and compare to how it looked a few months ago.

Here you have then and now...

Over the past weekend I had a chance to "go south" for the first time since I arrived in the Arctic five months ago.  And I did what most northerners do when they get anywhere near a mall -- I shopped til I dropped. 

My destination was Edmonton, Alberta.  In addition to visiting the famous West Edmonton Mall for the first time (famous because it's the largest shopping mall in North America and the fifth largest in the world), I had a very specific wish-list of items that I needed to buy.  These are things I either can't buy in Inuvik, or which are ridiculously overpriced.

In case you ever wondered what northerners stock up on, I can't speak for others, but this was my personal list:  fancy napkins, gift bags and wrapping paper, large picture frames and matting, picnic stuff (tablecloth, plates, etc.), take-out tins with lids (those lids are elusive in Inuvik!), a shower caddy, pretty soap dispensers, art supplies (paintbrushes, palettes), hotpads/trivets, nice cutting board, curtain hold-backs, cake decorating items (food coloring, cupcake liners, cake bases), a journal, hair highlighting kit, fleece throws for the winter (reduced to $12 at Fabricland... what a deal!), squash goggles, and a pair of comfortable Sketchers (got to be sensible in the north!).

Even though Canadian North airline has an impressive baggage allowance (2 pieces, 70 pounds each for a total of 140 pounds, or 63 kg), after all the "fun" shopping, I didn't have as much room as I would have liked for groceries.  That said, my suitcases on the southbound journey only weighed 35 lbs together, so I did hit the Superstore on my last evening and bought my favorite granola, lots of tea, LOTS of Keurig coffee cups, chocolate-covered raisins and nuts, dishwasher detergent, vitamins, and contact lens solution!

In the end, everything squeezed in my suitcases, and I came in under the weight limit - one case was 57 lbs and the other was 63 lbs.  Next time I need bigger luggage!

As promised yesterday, I am posting some pictures of the flooding caused by the warm temperatures and melting snow.  This is what happens when there are no sewage drains, as sewer and water lines run above-ground in utilidors protecting them from the cold and unstable permafrost.

Luckily the flooding doesn't last long, although city workers were kept busy clearing drains.

It's hard to believe just a few months ago we had 24-hour darkness.  Now our night lasts just 3 hours... the Arctic is a place of extremes!  Below is a chart of the last week's sunrise and sunset times, courtesy of the local weekly newspaper, the Inuvik Drum - http://www.nnsl.com/inuvik/inuvik.html. 

Although it takes a lot of getting used to, I am loving the long days.  Sitting on the patio enjoying a sunny BBQ until midnight ... going for an evening run in the cool brightness (temperatures are still around 5-10 degrees, although it will be getting warmer soon) ... walking to work with the sun already high overhead.  All this brightness certainly gives you extra energy. 

It is sometimes hard to settle down to sleep knowing the sun is still blazing outside, but thanks to good blackout curtains and some self-discipline, I'm able to get a full night's rest. 

My favorite part of this spring season is the bright blue sky.  I took the photos below around town about 3 weeks ago.  I will need to take some updated photos, as most of our snow has disappeared now, and in its place we have big puddles and mud from the spring melt!

Ravens, ever-present in Inuvik, are seen here taking a break from scavenging and strewing garbage around town.

(Warning - photos in this post will be disturbing to all readers) 

Once thing you need to get used to when working in the Arctic is that you never know what you may encounter around the office.  Several times in the last few months I have walked into our office kitchen and been greeted by giant frozen char (really big fish), dried reindeer, muktuk (whale skin and blubber), frozen muskox, and (my personal favorite), skinned muskrat!

Below is the most disturbing picture.  Skinned muskrats.  Yes... those are furry feet!  Sorry for the picture, but this is honestly what I saw in our office kitchen a couple of weeks ago!  Apparently muskrat meat is delicious.  I can't wait to try it. Really... I'll just have to wait until the memory of this photo fades.

We have a steady supply of reindeer meat in the office - both dried and frozen.  Below are some frozen packages that are for sale.  As I have mentioned in previous posts , I love reindeer meat!

One effect of the extremely cold temperatures in the Arctic is that occasionally you find yourself driving on square tires.  If you get in a vehicle, and the ride feels like you're bumping along in a Flintstones car, it's because the tires got so cold that they froze flat on one edge and stayed that way!

I should have written this post back when we had -40 temperatures, as it would have been more relevant then.  Now we're hovering around freezing, so this effect doesn't happen, but I thought it was interesting enough to share anyway.

On the subject of weather and temperatures, we now get almost complete daylight.  Sunset is technically at around 1 am, and sunrise is 5 am, but even in the middle of the "night" it's not completely dark.

We will experience our last sunset in a couple of weeks.  Then it's 24-hour sun through the summer... what an adjustment that will take.

At least the temperatures are warming up slightly, although we are still experiencing snow!

I am finally getting around to posting more pictures of my dog-sledding adventure from back in March, as the CD of photos came in from Arctic Chalet.  Enjoy!