Weather: - 15 and cloudy
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Sunset – Even Less Applicable

Tonight was “men’s night” at the Northmart. Friday is “women’s night”. On each of these nights discounts are offered. Since there is really only one store town, I assume that they designate these nights so that men and women can buy each other’s gifts in private – so that there will be some surprises under the tree on Christmas morning.

They sell everything at the Northmart. It’s owned by the Hudson’s Bay Company. It’s clear that they are in business to make money, and they must be making lots of it! They really do sell everything. Apples, Steaks, Soda, Rifles, Toys, Snowmobiles (real ones), Generators, TV’s, Ammunition, Socks, Cameras, Computers. I suppose you could compare it to Wal-Mart, just northern style.

I saw a fox on the way to work today. There are stories making the rounds about wolves killing and eating stray dogs. A guy I work with killed three last weekend alone. The furs sell for pretty good money.

For my part, I have to wait two years before I qualify for a big game license. I can get a small game license, and that will do me for this year anyway. There are lots of ptarmigan here, and I love to eat them. I don’t have facilities to hang moose or caribou quarters anyway. Also, we can get a fishing license. It appears that fishing is the outdoor activity of choice in the spring. Whole families go out on the frozen lakes and rivers fishing for any number of different species including, trout, pike, and grayling. I imagine that will be something for us to do this spring.

We take possession of the house tomorrow, but we have booked the hotel for another few days while we get the few things we have set up. That will give our effects a few more days to get here. It is looking less and less like we will have our furniture here by Christmas though. A few of my co-workers have offered to loan us blankets and pots and pans. We have all those items. What we will miss until our things get here are chairs, a couch, and a TV. I guess it will be like a camping adventure!

Cheers!