It's pink cheek and foggy glasses weather

About time, too. Finally I can put this expensive jacket and all of my base layers to use (sort of... It's still only -24 today with wind chill and this jacket should be good for down to -50). The bay is starting to freeze, so that the tide goes out, leaving behind a thick sheet of ice like a skating rink with obstacles. I've been glad for the ice shoes that I bought for my boots- I can walk confidently straight across the ice or down the slippery rocks at my house. It's not safe to walk too far out on the bay right now- the ice isn't necessarily thick enough to hold weight everywhere, and the areas closer to the end of the tide shift constantly. It will be interesting to see how the ice behaves once the bay is fully frozen.

The bay at middle tide with the uncovered area coated in ice.

Right now the sun sets around 3:00. I took this picture at 1:00 today. The sun rises in the Southeast, makes a little arc across the South, and then sets in the Southwest.

I like it here, and I've appreciated all of the people who have reached out to me and kept in touch. It helps me to feel less isolated even with no roads out of this place. There is beauty here; it just looks little different than down South (everyone that I know from before Iqaluit: you are Southern people now 😂). The more that I look, the more I see beauty and good reasons to stay.

- Aliya