Flying J's: ᒪᕐᕋᖅ - marraq

The roads are dry here. The rivers of muddy sidewalks have disappeared. Kids are wearing shorts and t-shirts. Even saw a pair of stiletto sandals the other day...worn with thick black socks. But they still count as sandals! It looks like spring has done its job and melted all the snow up the hill. The view from our apartment building overlooks the whole bay. Instead of seeing a blinding white reflection of ice and snow, we now see the dry, sandy town; a very muddy and churned up ocean shore, and white frozen ocean bay. All this surrounded by snow covered rolling hills. The view still looks like outer space, like we're at the top of the world.

The amount of garbage the melting snow has left behind is unbelievable. The town is having a garbage pick up day soon, where all GN employees get the afternoon off to clean up the great outdoors. And with good reason. This place is a mess. It is interesting to walk along the shore and see all the boating equipment that has been uncovered by the warm sun. Big ocean faring fishing boats precariously perched on wooden blocks sit next to snowmobiles and qamituks.

The sea ice that we have been fascinated with has churned up against the ocean floor in its thaw and is a frozen muddy wasteland. It is interesting to walk on, because it is still 3 to five feet thick and yet there are huge cracks running through it that reveal a river of rushing water underneath. The hunters and fishermen are still going out on the bay with their snowmobiles and equipment. I wonder how long that will last. Apparently this has been a warm spring in Iqaluit and normally May and June are peak snowmobiling season. But this year, the snow is almost completely melted off the land.

As the snow receeds, we are finding meadows of brown grass lie waiting to turn green. Rock fields of silver grey stones scattered across hillsides, giving us stepping stones as we climb to the top. Rough sandy streams burst with spring run off water, sparkling against the snow that remains on their shores. Tiny beet-purple sprouts of arctic flowers peek out from the leeward side of rocks. Kids dressed in bright rubber boots play and laugh for hours in the sunshine and sandy playgrounds. I think the beauty of Nunavut will continue to reveal itself in a rugged, natural way as spring progressess and summer brings the land to life.