15 April, 2003

Wind, Wind, Wind and Snow Plus Answers to the Questions You Wanted to Know

Strong winds, blowing snow and below zero wind-chill temperature is what greeted us this morning. By 2:00 an official blizzard warning has been issued, you just have to love Arctic research because it is just full of surprises.

The schedule for today calls for a TEA Live broadcast at 11:00 AM followed by chemistry, chemistry and more chemistry. Since the national weather service strongly suggests no outdoor activities today Lee and I will probably begin packing for our weather permitting Thursday departure.

Normally I would fuss about not getting outside and on the ice but since the winds are gusting above 40 mph and the snow is blowing so hard I cannot see beyond a few meters I'll concede and find tasks to occupy my time.

The broadcast went well thanks to Lee, Gay, and our high school visitor, Andrew, who answered questions as I struggled through a nasty sinus headache. Sorry for those of you listening if I seemed a little zoned out and repetitive during the power point presentation. And as always a huge thank you to Arlyn and Steve for their work on setting these broadcasts up and making them work.

After the broadcast Jim set up a chemistry lab in the wood shop classroom in order to begin the time consuming task of mixing the imodazole buffer, which is needed by the nitrate analyzers. Each mixture requires about an hour of time to make and we need enough for about a month.

I, on the other hand, peeked in on the middle and high school students who were writing responses to the questions that were emailed to me asking what it was like to live and go to school on Little Diomede. Here is what they had to say. Students that wished not to be identified are listed as unknown.

Question One

What do you do for fun on Little Diomede?

I play basketball and baseball - Andrew

During the summer I stay up almost all night with my friends, climb to the top of the island, go boating with my dad and brothers. During the winter I go crabbing, snowmobiling and climb the cliffs - Samantha

I walk around, play hack, climb to the top of the island, and go picking berries - Unknown

In the winter I go snowmobiling (snow machining). In the summer I climb the island - Unknown

In the summer we go birding and egging, climb the cliffs and the buildings, go fishing and boating. In the winter we go fishing, crabbing, hunting on the ice for seal, bear and walrus, and slide down the side of the island from the top - Mardy

In the summer we go snowmobile riding on the ice, and walking around on the ice. In the summer we go to the top of the island, pick salmon berries, and pick greens - Unknown

Play Game boy Color - Unknown

During the winter I ride snow machines or go hunting - Travis

For fun on Diomede we do lots of things like climb to the top of the island, take pictures, hang out (usually on the top of the island) . We cut seal meat, walrus meat, go picking salmon berries and sour greens. We go boating and travel around the island. In the winter we go crabbing, fishing, snowmobile riding, sliding and always helping out with the elders at all times - Unknown

Question Two

What type or types of native foods do you eat and what is your favorite?

The native food that we eat is seal, walrus, bow head whale, beluga, fish, crabs, birds and I think thatís it. I know there is more but I can not get them out of my head, Oh, bear meat - Unknown

My favorite food is Eskimo food like walrus, seal, bearded seal and polar bear - Travis

My favorite is polar bear meat - Unknown

Dried meat from oogruk (bearded seal), walrus or baby walrus, muktuk (whale bubber) from whales or beluga - Unknown

Dried meat from seals, walrus, and baby walrus, muktuk, beluga and polar bear soup - Mardy

Eskimo food I like is muktuk of a whale, seal meat and walrus and polar bear heart - Unknown

I do not like eating Eskimo food - Unknown

The favorite kind of Eskimo food is half dried meat and half cooked meat it is oogruk and walrus meat - Samantha

I like walrus soup and ooshruq (aged walrus flipper) . My favorite is Eskimo ice cream (berries, reindeer fat and seal oil)- Andrew

More answers to your questions tomorrow!

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See much? This was my view all day.