Summer?

August 13

After a brief period of raging heat, the summer has ended and moved right on into late autumn. I practically had to peel the icicles off my nose this morning as I very hurriedly did the quick-change from sleeping bag to massive layers of clothing.

According to nearby meteorological data, it got very close to freezing, and then didn't get much past 12 degrees today with a gale force wind to boot. My work gloves with the fingertips worn out were not nearly as warm as I had hoped and as a result, the tundra was a very unpleasant place to be. My crew partner Heather was very stoic in her tolerance of my whining today and I give her big props for putting up with me.

I think I am finally starting to get a bit burned out- 8 days in the field left, plus one for travel back to civilization... not that I'm counting. I developed a little mantra that I said to my self all day to help me ignore the cold: "Auuuuu-sTRAlia, Auuuuu-sTRAlia, Auuuuu-sTRAlia". It worked wonderfully. I am much better at dealing with being too hot than too cold. I HATE cold (I realize the irony of saying this from the arctic tundra). Maybe it's just that I hate cold in freaking August. My mom said it's going to be 30 degrees in High Prairie this week. Alas! On the bright side I have stopped craving cold beer... now all I want is a hot toddy and a heating pad.

I think I may ceremonially burn my longjohns before leaving Canada.

-A.