Traffic Jam in Pond

Yesterday was our 1st visit to the high school and we were able to sit in on a few classes. We made Greek masks in Don's grade 9 class, listened to presentations on world religions in Jay's grade 11 class, and sang a Pond Inlet rendition of Yellow Submarine by the Beatles in Julia's grade 7 class. The kids seemed excited to see a new face and many asked where we were from (including one girl asking if Sarah was from Jamaica - Dreadlocks are a hit!)

After school we attempted to go to the Health Centre but it was closed by the time we got there. We came home and made dinner and chatted to our house parent Alice who showed us some great pictures and video's of the 2008 Narwhale hunt when 600 Narwhales got trapped under the ice and had to be killed. Alice has offered to cook us a few meals and we are excited to try real 'country food'.

After dinner we got a call from our new friend Paul (the mechanic in town for the month) who had just got his truck delivered. He drove us up to the top of the town where the dump is, ironically it has the best views of Bylot Island. This spot is known as the 'the lagoon' because the raw sewage is dumped here creating a lake that does not freeze. We were lucky enough to watch the sewage truck pump out the sewage while we were up there.

We then took a driving tour around the town searching for new born puppies. We parked on a snowy incline and decided to walk on foot out onto the ice where the dog teams are kept. We got a little too close for comfort to the dogs but most had just finished feasting so we were okay. The blood that covered their mouths did not take away from their charm. Emily thought she made a friend but Sarah warned that it probably just wanted to eat her.

We also saw a hollowed out seal and hare - probably doggies dinner!

Though the ice was at least 4m thick we were full from dinner and we were creating large crevices in the snow while we walked.

The real adventure started when we tried to reverse Paul's truck up the hill. The Ford Ranger was no match for the slippery slope and the mounds of snow. After an attempt with Paul pushing at the front, Sarah bouncing at the back and Emily steering the wheel we realized this was a horrible attempt. Moses, who had been out on the land feeding the dogs attempted to pull the truck out with a snow mobile, failure again. We looked so helpless that a man with a real truck (Ford F150) came and tugged us out. Good thing it was still light out at 10 pm!

We were dropped off and immediately went to bed.

Today we were suppose to go out on the land with the grade 8 girls class to go seal hunting, but the weather is quite snowy and it had to be cancelled. We hope we still get this chance at a later date.

We sat in on a grade 8 math class today with Donna and relived our love for multiplying fractions. Tonight we think were going to be joining a hip hop class at the school, and hope to hangout at the Co-op.

Lessons begin tomorrow so we are going to prep now! Wish us luck!

xoxo Glacier Girls