Barbecue at Sylvia Grinnell Park

06.09.2009

This morning was just as windy as ever.

I woke up and tried to call Heather to go downtown on the ATV. Bad news, the phone doesn't work. I have to go over to her place, and find her before she leaves! I go over, and the ATV is still there, so I knock on the door, but she doesn't answer.

The neighbours across the street let me use the phone, I call, she doesn't answer, so I assume she has left for the day.

I have to walk all the way across town and also into the wilderness. Into the brutal wind the whole way. Pieces of sand that feel like glass, whip across my cheeks as the wind gusts. Street signs battered by the elements flap rhythmically as I walk by.

I finally get closer, the road turns to earth and I keep going in the direction of Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park. Today is the day that there is a barbecue put on by PSAC (Public Service Alliance of Canada). I am leaning into the wind with all my weight, unable to move. Suddenly behind me I hear,

"Need a ride?!" and a nice hippy looking man leans out of the door of a battered up jeep. There are two young women wedged in the front seat, and a bicycle in the back.

"You look so comical out there!" I jump in the back with the bike, my legs don't quite fit but he manages to close the door on me.

"Do you all know each other?"

"Nope, I just picked these two up on the way."

"Hilarious."

The three of them talk French together and then we get out and go to the barbecue. A bunch of people are there already snacking on bannock, donuts, hamburgers and giant sausages.

We get a ticket to a little draw from a really happy and loud guy named Alex, the PSAC representative.

We don't win anything, but we get a free touque and bandana to wear. Sweet.

The two Quebecois girls and I decide to hike down to the rapids and take some pictures. It's lovely. The most beautiful thing I've seen all week. The water is perfectly bluey-greeny and the wind is incredibly strong. The rocks are wet and I'm afraid of falling in, so I stay back from the edge as do Michelle and Rose.

On the way back, the wind is at our back, so it is pushing us along. Luckily, we get another ride all the way home to the Road to Nowhere. Michelle makes us some chai tea and we decide to go for some more hikes. I want to see the strange structures on the horizon. I am convinced that they are spaceship landing/launch pads.

We get there, and then take some pictures with Inukshuks. You can't leave Nunavut without that now can you?

Rose and I lay on our backs watching the clouds go by for a while. I get cold, and suggest we go and see if Heather is home. Rose and Michelle think that's a good idea, so we all go over and find Heather when she is about to go out for her walk with Siku.

We follow her into the tundra and play with the dog for a bit.

After that, we say goodbye to Rose and Michelle, then bring stuff for dinner over to Heather's house, eat more arctic char and some frozen pizza and finally update the blog!

We wind down by watching Good Night, and Good Luck ... I'm pretty sure I saw it before.

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