We had to scrounge and beg for accommodation in Pond Inlet. Turns out the Power Corp has a couple bunk houses. One, the original shall we say, and a second newer place.
The original plan was for the two tower lads to take the two-man older place, and the remaining three, myself included, would move into the other house.
The two-man bunk house left a little to be desired for sure, but mostly unmade, (how clean?) beds, which was a small bunk bed. And no room other than a table jammed in by the entrance, and a big laz-e boy chair occupying most of the space you might call a kitchen.
The tower guys, well, one more than the other, were not too keen on their digs. Right there I offered my spot (as of yet unseen) to the disgruntled person, but he didn’t abandon his comrade and declined my offer.
After finding the other house, and hauling all our gear to the site, which required a couple trips, we by now have met our local contact, and as a result of a little checking, found one room at a rather nice little inn. Well, that’s great, but it sorta leaves an odd man out. I see an opportunity. My own spot, in the old place. I’m immediately granted my wish. I prefer being alone, and have stayed in worse places. No trouble.
So we get some food for the respective accommodations and head to our new homes.
I’m told to turn the breaker on for water. Soon after getting my groceries unpacked I flip on the breaker for the water pump. I can hear it. There is a trap door in the hallway to access the water pump. I open it and confirmed the pump is running. No water.
Oh well. I’ll shower at the other place until we get water. It is Saturday evening though, which means it could be no water until Monday.
I make dinner. Salmon sandwich with onion, whole pickles, and fresh tomatoes. Mmmnnn.
I decided to place my garbage in the small porch, smelly salmon cans and all, while I had my door open I saw several very young boys eagerly running past my modest digs. Soon after I heard s load bang. Then a minute or so later another. Little buggers were throwing something at my shack I figured. I also thought it best to ignore them so as not to encourage the game. I did have to wonder what they could have found that made such a load bang, everything is either snow or buried in snow.
Next there was an emergency vehicle siren and big horn. Fire truck. I couldn’t be bothered to check. However, a short time later I tossed some scraps in my outside garbage and found a real life crowd outside my door. Everyone gawking at the small SUV engulfed in flames next door.
Well, where there’s a fire truck, there’s usually a water truck, and right on que there it came down the street, honking the kids out of the way.
I mingled a little and chatted up a couple kids while a very robustly populated local fire crew, all geared up too, extinguished the car fire.
After snapping a few photos of the crowd, and taking a couple video clips with my phone, I wandered over to the water truck where a young man just climbed into the cab. Another fellow was filling the fire truck, and honestly, I wanted to see if I could get a hint in before he was empty. They were literally in my driveway. I did not have to worry. They had lots of water, and within 15 minutes the fire truck was packing up, and my water tank was full.
Oh yeah. The loud bangs. Tires blowing up on the burning vehicle.
Amen