cold beer and buttons

As the river broke free of the winter ice, I could hardly contain my excitement. If you have ears you know I went fishin'! An excellent way to tire an energetic puppy. She spent her time chasing pebbles and bits of moss or tackling the small winter stalks of grasses. She managed to steal my sub sandwich from the backpack and with steely determination refused to unclench her small mouth. Man she was tough...but she didn't growl. Eventually we (me and two friends) won, she got to pick up the pieces that had fallen to the rocks and so we shared.

Pictured below are Kim and Keith fishing the bend of the river, you can see the large pieces of ice which still flow toward the bay.
Is there any other way to chill a beer? Icy meltwater makes the perfect place for a beer to nestle in the rocks...Tres Canadian eh?
Within the past couple of weeks the hills have come to life with the desperate, hurried growth of plants, lichens and flowers. They are so tiny and perfect and hardy. One must admire the quick growth and maturity of plants in this hostile climate.
Soon mosquitoes will be hovering like black clouds. Fortunately they enjoy a very short season; a couple of weeks to a month and they don't seem to bite as much as you'd think, but hover like black flies. They are gigantic though!

In other news Jaime introduced herself to me, this was a pleasant surprise there are plenty of northern bloggers but I rarely get the opportunity to meet'n'greet any of them. Hi Jaime!

Jaw'n'paws aka Kamik has ruined two keys on my laptop but its the letter "a" that is proving the most challenging as my fingers feel lost without it. I thought I could stick it on in a temporary fashion however it is so mutilated that it won't sit atop the spongy bit left behind.
Next blog expect missing "a" perhaps it will read like a riddle.

very exciting day!

The artwork of Kenojuak Ashevak.


Kenojuak Ashevak opened her exhibit in Iqaluit today, I was very excited to have the opportunity to meet her. She is a tiny bit of a woman with a bigger than life talent. The owl above is probably her most recognizable work. She often portrays birds; owl(oopik), goose (kanguk), and raven (tulugak). Her simple portrayal of tulugak (middle) captures his confidence and proud attitude.

Wee blossoms dot the landscape, sharing the sun with the snow and ice.
I was fascinated by the way these large pieces of ice crystallized and fall away like the hair of a mythical goddess.

We did toss our lines into the raging river but to no avail. The ice below the fast moving current continually snagged our lures and most certainly kept the fish out of reach!

Housing disclosure

When I moved here it was January. I was shown an apartment 3 weeks after I arrived. The guy who shows housing here picked me up at work and brought me to the apartment. Here is what I learned that all new GN or Fed employees should know.
Lets start with the questions he asked me:
Q. do you have a dog?
A. yes
Q. does he bark?
A. yes, he's a dog.
Q. do you smoke weed?
A. what?
Great start and welcome to Iqaluit.

You have the right to refuse any apartment, you will be offered up to three then you're on your own. Good luck with that.
You have the right and the expectation that the unit be immaculately clean, top to bottom, inside and out.
You have the right to accept with conditions; eg fix the cupboards, the carpeting, the door, the light fixture.
You have the right to insist that the unit be "re" cleaned if it is not in move in perfect and I mean perfect condition. Know this when you move out if this guy is having a crappy day you will be made to pay or clean until the power tripper says it's okay. He made one employee clean the hinge on her washing machine lid...with a q tip! and another clean a small spot off the oven rack in what was otherwise a perfect unit! hmmm?

Why the rant?
Nobody in the GN or housing informed me that I could insist on having a picture perfect move in no hassle apartment.
I have 14 yo carpeting that they are hassling me about because I've requested new flooring.
The condition of my unit when I accepted?
1. dried urine on bathroom floor, toilet black.
2. filthy carpeting that is 5 years over the period of replacement according to the housing standard
3. damaged doors frames due to previous animals
4. washing machine was filthy and needed javex to make it useful
5. front windows broken
6. holes through the inside doors ie fists
7. blinds black with years of grime....I washed them in the tub
8. food in fridge
9. wood shavings on flooring
10. building supplies left behind
11. bathroom cabinet was black with grime.

If only someone had informed me. That man who showed me this unit was hasty and less than professional. Quite frankly he was well aware of the GN expectations and took advantage because I believe he is either racist or lazy or burnt out or just took out his bad day on me.

So the fight begins. They expect me to move my furniture so the guys can replace carpeting that they didn't even bother to steam clean.
But hey if someone did their job.....

The GN housing liason has requested a copy of my inspection from he who shall not be named. Two weeks still waiting. I will email it to her myself next week, maybe even with pictures.