Well another day has come and after working all day then fixing the door at the store, I got home and was thinking about a nice hot shower...I turned on the water and nothing!!!! Damn it the water is not working again!!!! I wish I knew a little more about plumbing, maybe I could figure this thing out. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. So frustrating, if anyone that reads my blog knows anything about a holding tank supply system I would love to hear from you. There is a pressure tank with a pump attached to the top of it First I thought that it was maybe losing the prime. But it appears that there is water right up to the top. I just do not understand???? Please help

Chris' Great Guava Cake

Char I think that you will like this

2 cups white sugar

1/2 brick of butter no low fat substiutes its cake enjoy the calories, embrace them

4 eggs

2 Guava cubed first then mashed

1 can of manderin oranges only need the juice

3 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

nutmeg, cinnamon, ground cloves,

small pile of each on a small spoon like 1/4 -1/2 tsp

Preheat oven to 300 F

1. Mix flour, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg together in one bowl

2. In a different bowl cream eggs, butter, and sugar together.

3. Alternating between the flour mixture and the eggs mixture, mix them into the guava mash until you have a nice and creamy batter use the manderin orange juice to moisten batter.

Butter the edges and bottom of 9 x 13 cake pan, then lightly flour bottom

Pour into 9 x 13 cake pan and cook for 35 mins.

Allow to cool, and top with your favorite topping.

Today was a great day, so nice. We have a pingo right here in town, about I would say maybe 75 feet high or so. I started up to the top, when I got there you could see every part of town. So I started at the airport, and panned all the way around. Tuktoyaktuk actually covers a large area for such a small town. While I was walking around town I snapped a few pics of the local buildings, the Kitti center is a community hall. The arena is the large light brown building, then there is the fire hall.

All of the of the blue buildings off in the distance are the RCMP houses and offices. I really dont understand theRCMP, in regular towns and cities across Canada there are officers that work over night, and on the weekends. Here you can apply to be a guard, and when there isn't an officer on duty civilians are paid to watch inmates over the weekend. Most of the shifts are 12 hours, and pay 30.00$ per hour. Does this seem right to you? Not me, why don't the trained officers work, isn't that what they are for?

The small white building that comes to a point is supposedly a wading pool, and it is open in the summer. I can't wait to see it, and the street sign that is the name of the road that I live on.

This afternoon I decided to walk across the bay towards the DEW line site. It was a bit further than I had originally thought. But I made it. When I got there I was more than a little bit surprised, when I found out that there are some kind of a diesel generator inside running at full steam. The noise that is coming from with the walls is astounding. I have been reading that the DEW sites have been turn into a Northern Warning System or NWS. Back in the 90's, this topic really does interest me. There are four diesel storage tanks on the property, each that contain 75,000 L of fuel. I am sure that in a modern world that we live in there has to be a more enviromentally sound way to run what ever is inside that blue building. The outside of the small globes that are at ground level are covered in a white vinyl. I was reading that inside is either a short range radar or long range radar. More research is definately required. I was also taken back by the amount of security cameras watching everything and all the equipment.

So while I was walking across the bay, I took some random pictures of the fish smoking huts that dot the landscape. There is so many buildings that have been abandoned, and left to the elements. I am sure that if this was any other place in the world, maybe a more popular tourist destination that leaving boats frozen in the ice, or the oil platform from years of exploration would be forced to remove them. While I was walking across, off the shore about a km or so there was a very simple structure, with 4 caribou skins attached to it that was pretty neat. Then there are the abandoned log buildings the one up on the hill has a navigation beacon in front of it. In behind these buildings are random dog houses with sled dogs tied up to them. Out at the DEW site there was another 10 dogs each with their own dog house, with a small building near by.

Good morning well it is actually just afternoon, I wen out for a walk this morning. When I got outside I saw that the rain we were supposed to get last night actually came down as snow. and around six inches of it. So I had to go back into the house and get my boots on. then back outside for my walk. I have posted a few random pictures here today, a couple of the fresh snow, a couple of this awesome lasagna that I made last night for dinner, and I am actually have a piece right now for lunch.

So instead of beef, I used Musk Ox. I know what your thinking what is Musk Ox, they are similar to Bison or Buffalo. Very high in protein, low choresterol, low in fat. So when cooked properly good for you. In this dish I had spinach and cottage cheese, with shredded cheese mix also in the middle. Just a different twist. Which I must say was really good. Being this far north some of the products that I used to use all the time are just not available here. The most common Ricotta cheese is one of those things, so spinach, cottage cheese, and cheddar blend was a good alternative.

The last picture is a warning, I love hot food but these chips are the hottest things that I have ever put into my mouth. I bought two bags, If anyone would like to try the second bag let me know I will send them to you! They are called Blairs Death Rain, the guy in the store warned me that they were intensely hot, and indeed. They are incredibly hot, in no way was I expecting one chip to burn my taste buds off. Really not to be tried for the faint of heart, I was sweating for like an hour afterwards. Well that is all that I have for today, time to finish this lunch up, and get ready for work. Oh I almost forgot, we had an earthquake here 4.0 on the ricter scale. It was located about 10 km off shore, and should have more information on that later.

April 21, 2010

Well it was an absolutely beautiful outside today. I think it got up to 5-6 degrees,which is warm from what it was. I think I like winter better. There are more potholes here than actual road. I am thinking that this was one of the best decisions that I have ever made. So this guy from town gave me couple of pounds of ground Musk Ox today, I think that I am going to make it into a lasagna and see how it tastes. I did some reading on it and supposed to be similar to buffalo, very good for you, high in protien, low in fat, no colesterol, I cant see anything wrong with trying it. I was told yesterday that the mosquitos are big enough to carry a small child away in the summer, however summer only last for a month and a half so thats not bad. The snow should be gone by the middle of May, the ice will be off the bay by the end of June, then July and August temps reach into the mid 20's. By the end of Sept. and the middle of Oct. the bay will be frozen enough to ride a snow machine across.

When I was in the store yesterday, I noticed something that I have never seen before. A whole chicken in a can. When you read under the ingredients, chicken, water, salt. There was no expiration date. How much salt do you have to put into a can like that with a whole chicken in order to make it last forever? So I thought that maybe I would make beer can chicken with it.

Not sure, it might just be one of those things that is better left alone.

So today was a laundry day, it all got was then neatly piled on my bed. Neatly piled I am pretty sure that Mom has never neatly piled laundry a day in her life,but throughout the college and years since then I have mastered he technique.

Buluga Festival Race Photos

April 20,2010

So last night was the big race. It was insane I was able to get right beside the track, this is a really good clip. We watched the entire race, from about three or four different places. There was so many people there last night. The race started at around 7:30 pm then was over at 9pm. At the last minute they changed it to a 100 mile race, because it was so late getting started. Things around here are kind of like the bahama's everything operates in its own time, and there is no need for a rush. I finally got my last package from Ontario last night, both my bike and the summer cloths on the same day. Who really knows how Canada Post operates? They are strange, one parcel took 7 days to get here, the other took the entire 13 days. Oh well. Have a great day enjoy the pictures of last night. Carter I hope you enjoy these pictures. I got a really good internt conection this morning. Sometimes it is really good, other times it is so horrible. I would really like to know what determines the connection speed. But really it works so I really have other things to pay attention to.

At work Northern days started yesterday, which is a big furniture sale. Last night right before the end of the day, I had to go and deliver a couch, loveseat, and small freezer. Thank god we do not have a full size freezer's here for sale. But we have pretty much all the same type of furnishing that you would see at the Brick, and other retail stores in southern Ontario.

This from last night while I was watching the practice racing, right while I was watching there was only four sleds on the course. All four were fairly close together for the most part then the one red one really pulled away. Before they went out I was talking to him, in the pit area and he told me that they will be trying to get around 120 mph on the big straight away. which is around 50 ft in front of where I am standing. Off in the distance you can see the Distant Early Warning balls. The race was today, unfortunately we were doing inventory so I could not watch it, but it was 200 miles, or 60 laps. Inside the store you could hear them racing it was so loud

April 17, 2010

Really I did take pictures and a video of the snowmobiles practicing this evening. I swear I just cannot get the computer to recognize the usb connection. I was walking throught he pit area, cause you can, and I was talking to these guys that were working on there sleds they told me that down the straight away, they were only, ONLY going just over 100 mph and wanted to tweet the engines so more so that they can hit around 120 -125 mph. Thats insane. It was so loud, and no one wears helmuts just one guy. No paramedics,or fire dept. This is utter insanity, I cannot believe my eyes. However it was pretty enjoyable watching them zoom around the track. The main race is 200 miles or 60 laps and should take them around 3 hours. The top prize is $15,000 there are race teams here from all over the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, and Alaska. I have to work tomarrow from 9-6 but I am hoping to get some video of the racing, during the day. I hope it is not too busy so I can get away for a few minutes.

There was another great sunset tonight, I really think that this is the best place in the world to watch them. Well maybe a beach in the Bahama's while having a rum on the back of OUR TIME is possiblly better. It is finnally getting warmer, today during the day was around 5C. But now at midnight it is just getting colder, dropping below zero again. Hello Maddy and Carter.

April 16, 2010

Christian's Northern Pizza

Banana peppers,

garlic sausage,

green onion,

yellow bell pepper,

herb and garlic cream cheese,

mozzerella cheese,

pizza sauce,

mushrooms sliced,

bacon

Make your dough, then let it sit and rise for ten or so minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 475 F, While this is happening it is a good time to chop the veg up. First spread the herb and garlic, over the top of the dough kinda bumpy not even you know! Thick here thin there, then spread your pizza sauce over the top of the cream cheese. Take the garlic sausage and spread it randomly in the sauce, then the yellow pepper, the green onion, banana pepper pieces, mushroom slices and the bacon. Spread nice layer of cheese on top. Put it in the oven for 10-13 minutes depending on your oven, pay attention! So here are some pics of the way that mine turned out, and it tastes great. If you don't like it so hot like my dad, you can leave out the banana peppers, and it will still taste excellent. Happy pizza making....

April 16, 2010

Last night was the most amazing sunset, I have ever seen. The vastness of the Artic ocean, and the big bright glowing sun setting was amazing. Not too mention that it was going down at midnight. I am putting some pics on here. More and more sleds are arriving ever day, on Saturday night the mens 200 mile races starts, and should end sometime on Sunday, then womens 100 mile race starts Sunday. Here are a couple of Pics of the sunset, and that really good pork shoulder.

April 14, 2010

Last night Jason called me after work and told me that he was taking Rachel to the airport in the moving in Inuvik, and asked if I would like to go for the ride. So I said yes. Then Iwent back to making the merinade for my pork shoulder that I picked up from the store. So in a ziplock freezer bag I put half a box of apple juice, 1 can of pine apple bits, worchestorshire sauce, corn syrup, and some pepper, take out as much air as possible, and mix throughly. I left it in the fridge for the night and alll day today.
Today the ice road was in horrible shape, a very noticable difference since Sunday's trip. The small change in temperature has resulted is some serious melting. Even during the course of the day the difference in the ice from the morning to the trip home in the afternoon was big. While we were in Inuvik the stores that were closed on Sunday were now open, I picked up this great framed picture of a two wolves with the northern lights in the background. I also picked up a sketch book, and some pencils. I know that I have a creative side, and I think that with the freedom and beauty that is here it might be time to explore it.
So when we got back onto the ice road, I drove all the way back, there was alot of spot with slush spots, we cruised along at 90 km/h for a long time. Then the road got really slippery. And I had to slow down to almost 50, it took us just over 3 hours to get back. Sunday was just under 2 hours one way. But we made it safe and sound so the time really isn't an issue. After I got back I turned the oven on and cut up some potatoes and carrots and a few onions. I emptied the ziplock bag into the roasting pan, with the vegtables, and put it in the oven for just over an hour. Use your nose it really is a good tool for telling when it is done. I pulled the roast out and put it with the veg, on a serving tray and covered with foil. then I poured the juice into a sauce pan and reduced it by more than half. Then removed the foil and poured the sauce over the roast. Trust me it was very good, 4 artic snowflakes. Go ahead try it.

April 13, 2010

So this is a quick little video about a pressure crack on the ice road. We did the trip last Sunday. As we drove along the crack got higher and higher. At the highest point I think the ice was lifted up around 10-12 ft. It was so cool, and to be able to safely stand right beside it was even better. You can see how stable it is there was a steady strean of graders driving north to Tuk to clear off the ice in front of our store before the weekend . This week end is the Buluga festival, I am not fully sure of what all is happening but I will keep you posted. It has really warmed up in the last couple of days, right now it is around zero. Which is nice, however one of the locals who works in the store with me Annie was showing me outside where some of the bluffs used to be, and just how much of the land has eroded. Mostly because of more water, and global warming. The climate up here is so much different than southern Ontario, and I dont just mean temp, but it is so dry. the cold doesn't really feel like a -30 feels at home. Maybe in the middle of the winter it is different? I am really missing my membership at the gym right now, and some of the conviences that we take for granted everyday. All of the meat in the store is all frozen, nothing fresh. So I have been thawing out a pork shoulder, I think that an applejuice, corn syrup, ad worchestor sauce merinade is the way to go, with some spices to. Wing it is always best! Well I am going to change my drivers License over have a great day everyone

April 11, 2010

So today was a big day, took my first day trip with Jason and his girlfriend Rachel. We took the ice road from Tuk to inuvik it was an amazing trip, really the ice road takes the hard work of a lot of people to get it in driving condition. The road is very wide, and is fairly bumpy. But very drivable. I took just over two hours to get to Inuvik, then we toured the town, checked out some of the sites, and drove home. There is a crack that runs along the side i=of the ice road, that is about 3 km long and is completely open in places. At the highest section it is easily over 10 ft high. I made a video now trying to figure out how to get it off the camera, should be here tomarrow. Today it was right around zero, if this keeps up the ice road will only be open for another couple of weeks.

I could not believe the number of houses or small cottages and shacks that we passed on the road that had wood stoves burning like the blue one in pics. Aparently trhis is where the elders still live and do trapping, and fishing smoking meat, and mostly living off the land. Really quite cool when you think about. The world is changing so fast every day, but for a select group of people here they have chosen not to let it interupt the way they were taught.

On aanother note, I saw my first finnish raccon. They are quite a bit larger than athe ones that we have back home, and the fur from one is worth around $200. each. They are a reddy, browny, blacky, with some white thrown in there. really very nice.

More Pics coming soon, but for now I have to get some sleep tomarrow we are taking the ice road to Inuvik for a day trip before the road breaks up, and spring melt comes