7 October, 1998

Today started off with snowmobile or skidoo school- we learned how to run the machines and some of the major trouble shooting procedures. Next, we went out to move the fish huts and drill new fish holes. We met a drill rig and driver, "Randy" on the sea ice. Randy uses big machines to move the fish hut buildings and then a blade to push the snow away from the new location. The drill rig makes a one meter in diameter hole in the ice and then Randy moved the fish hut over the hole. He is amazingly accurate centering the fish hut over the hole. The ice in the holes we drilled today, had a depth of about 2 meters or 6.5 feet. Once we got the huts warmed up and the blower (a fan above the fish hole to keep the hole open) set up we could fish and clearly see the bottom of the sound- while I was watching, a seal swam by- it was startling, but neat. I hope that I have the chance to see a seal actually come up in the fish hole and blow air at me!