Coming Home

Traveling is fun, but there's always a coming home to deal with at some point. We all face this sooner or later. I was grateful when I turned into the driveway to see it wasn't washed out again. I've lugged gravel three times already this summer thanks to the flash rain-storms we now have. What ever happened to all-day-ground-soaking rain like we used to have?


I got out for a paddle finally after a 10 day break. It felt good to be cuddled in the waves again, happy to be in my boat, even if paddling through familiar scenes. They were my scenes, good scenes. After a couple of hours, my arms were aching just a bit too soon and I knew I better start paddling myself back into shape.

On the 'Net' there was an item about the Smithsonian Exhibit on Igloolik, one of my old haunts in the north. Here's what it said, in part, "It’s in “Our Lives” that you will find familiar faces and voices as well as a qamutik, caribou skin garments and an inuksuk. This section on Inuit from Igloolik focuses on change and more precisely, the change Inuit in this community have undergone.
"Igloolik’s exhibit was the work of John Macdonald of the Nunavut Research Institute and Iglulingmiut including Thoretta Iyerak, Zipporak Inuksuk, Theo Ikummaq, Madeline Auksaq, Leah Otak and Arsene Ivalu who talk about hunting, country foods, sewing, the return of the sun and living on the land. “There have been a lot of changes,” says a quote from the late Elijah Evaluardjuk." It was good to read again about John Macdonald, the man who made the qajaq for the film 'Atanarjuat'. Good also to see Leah Otak is still actively showing us how Inuit ladies sewed both in times past as well as today. We've been friends now for over 30 years. Time to return to Igloolik, I think...

In the newspaper, I've discovered life is really only a chemical cuisine of hormones. Reading a review of 'The Female Brain' has made it all clear. Of course, men's brains work much the same way. If you're not sure what's going on, you can safely blame your hormones. Beat's blaming your spouse or your lover...

Finally, there's advice for everyone in a book about 'Where There's a Will'. Apparently everything valuable in life falls into the categories of: Changing your life; Getting drunk; Outdoor sex; Giving money to beggars; Looking after your health; Eating out; and Contemplating immortality. Gee, which one to work on first now that I'm home and not going anywhere for a few weeks? Which one is most pressing, has a 'best before date', that sort of thing?