Wildlife and cuisine...thankfully not together

First off, sorry for the lapse in my semi-formal posting schedule. New boss came in to relieve my other boss (going for a month leave) and while I'm still doing the same things, adjustments always have to be made. I'll do my best to get the posts up sometime on the weekend from now on (to let Mom know I'm still alive..........I'm still alive Mom).

On that note, I also didn't have time to snap any real pics for this post, so I'll put in the one below. We took a few people on a jaunt down to the lab a few days ago (same day that I took the picture of the "sun"). Environment Canada (me) is exempted from many of the travel rules at the base, as we need to go so far to the lab several times a week. That means it's easier for people to come with us then schedule a rec trip for a short excursion. Anyways, on that trip we also swung by the dump, and I saw the wolves for the first time while in possession of my camera. It was cold, so my breath ruined a lot of pictures, and I promise to get more/better ones (wolves are all over, it's just a matter of time) before I come home. This guy typifies the pack though. Mangy, scrawny and, perhaps surprisingly, very laid back. If they're lounging on the route you need to walk, you just walk right through. Sometimes they'll back off, sometimes they'll just watch you go on by. I've been within 10 feet of about a dozen wolves, and really didn't feel threatened....exhilarated maybe :)

No picture for this guy, but coming out of the gym (detached from the main building) the other night I FINALLY saw some other winter wildlife. An Arctic hare bounded in front of me. Let me tell you, this was not your "Peter Rabbit"-esque bunny. If Mr. McGregor saw THIS thing in his vegetable patch, he would have slowly backed away, locked himself in his shed, and waited for it to move on of its own accord. This rabbit was 30lbs, pure white, and high-tailing it between buildings. With the dozen-plus strong wolf pack on Station, only the hardy bunnies survive.

Finally, I've been trying to glimpse pretty much the only other wildlife up here in the winter darkness: the fox. I KNOW that he's around the lab, because there are tracks everywhere. If I go out to do a met check (don't worry, I'll talk about the details of my job in later weeks), and then come out 15 minutes later to flask, there'll be little paw prints following my boot prints 10" away for my entire trip. Even when we drive back to the Station, there are tracks following our tire-tracks in, almost all the way back. I think that he knows where the wolves' territory starts though, because the tracks always die off well away from Station. I really want to meet him...I'm told that he's smaller then the hare :)

Wow....I was also going to talk about food in this post, but I guess I'll save that for another day. I'll quickly note that it was -18°C the other day. Felt balmy :)

Hope you're all doing well down South, miss you all,
Graham