The weather has been crazy this summer. Some places have been suffering from a heat wave . Other places have received excess rain. And then some places are cold.
This week we are cold in Central Alberta. . Today's high was 11 C. Last night it went down to plus 6 C. The furnace cut in. We are having extremes.
This reminds me of an extreme I experienced one time. It might cool you off.
I've said at least 1000 times that I spent 5 years in the Arctic.
I was single and so were most of the bush pilots. I could ask to go along for a ride and if there was room I got to go with them.
So one Saturday morning It was arranged that I would go to Ft Macpherson with them. I walked the mile down to the airplane. I was there before the pilot. When the pilot got there they had to cover the engine with a tarp and light a fire pot to warm up the engine. Finally the engine started. I had been standing outside all this time and it was minus 40 F.
Off we go but the airplane is just as cold inside as the outside. The flight was about 55 minutes. By the time we got to Ft.Macpherson the cabin had started to warm up. So we landed and picked up a mechanic and dumped off some mail. All the time the doors of the plane were open so it was once more as cold inside the cabin as outside.
We had a 35 minute flight to Aklavik. After a while the pilot was looking out the window . According to his watch he should have been at Aklavik. He was on the right path to Aklavik but we were against a strong head wind and it caused a slower air speed. We threw off mail bags and headed for home in another 40 minutes.
So what I thought would be a very pleasant flight turned out to be very unpleasant. The whole trip was miserably cold. Then I had to walk the one mile back to my residence.
So If your suffering a heat wave, I hope this cools you off a bit.
Yep, I stopped sweating. Jeepers that's a cold trip. A lot of work to get the mail out. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteI always admired the people who did outside work there. they seemed to be used to the cold.
DeleteThankfully it hasn't been overly hot this year in Vancouver. We've only had a few hot days here and there. But it sure sounds cold where you are.
ReplyDeleteAlberta has had very few hot spells this summer. We've had a few very hot days but not a long period of hot weather.
DeleteMiserably cold and an experience most of us have not *enjoyed*.
ReplyDeleteIt surprised me and I lived there.
DeleteThe weather is not something we can control.
ReplyDeleteWe seem to be having a hot and humid summer.
Take care, have a great day!
We can only control ourselves with shelter and clothing.
DeleteThat sounds rather horrific. It’s been cooler here for a few days but now it will warm for a few — maybe a week.
ReplyDeleteWell if you were dressed for the weather, it was OK.
DeleteOne of the reasons I love where I live is that all four seasons are almost equally sized in duration and the extreme temperatures of summer and winter are usually contained to just a month or two at the most. I'm not sure I could hack living that far north where winter lasts a lot longer.
ReplyDeleteYou would certainly get used to it. Africans or Asians seem to get used to our winters right away,
DeleteThat does sound incredibly uncomfortable. It's warm here but not awful, although your story did chill me at little.
ReplyDeleteIt was gloomy to boot on this trip.
DeleteOh goodness, Red, I certainly would not have enjoyed some of your adventures! We are supposed to have a heat advisory today. Ugh! At least when it is cold you can add more layers of clothing to help keep warm. Thank goodness for air conditioning! :)
ReplyDeleteWE dressed in layers to keep warm.
DeleteYou’ve cooled me off, dear Arctic Red,
ReplyDeleteWith tales of toes you nearly shed.
While some folks sweat in summer's grip,
You braved a bone-cold bush-plane trip.
Minus forty, engines slow—
Just light a fire pot, watch it glow!
Mailbags flying, heat denied,
Aklavik lost in headwind's stride.
So if July feels like a bake,
I’ll picture you a frosty flake—
Wrapped in stories, not in wool,
Still shivering from that frozen fuel!
John 😊
Thanks for the poetic comment.
DeleteYou are welcome, Red.
DeleteCool story Red!
ReplyDeleteIt was cool , very cool.
DeleteYeesh. That does not sound fun at all!
ReplyDeleteI'm am outdoors person so I was ready for things.
DeleteI know how you felt. Alaska was very similar.
ReplyDeleteThere's some very cold stuff in Alaska. There was contact between Alaska and us. we attended each others bonspiels and Lion's club activities.
DeleteIt will indeed. I feel colder reading it.
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm glad you feel a little cooler!
DeleteIt was often When I imagined myself as a man travelling different parts and the world dear Red
ReplyDeleteYour arctic stories fascinated me always!
Yes whole world is experiencing extremes whether in weather or emotionally
Hope you have the nice weather soon amen 🥰🙏
Oh I wanted it to! But it is miserable here. I'll rummage around in my memories and remember the white outs we used to have in Goose Bay Labrador. Now that was some cold, cold weather!
ReplyDeleteKay of Musings: My son and family were in Washington, D.C. this past week and it was an unbearable 96 degrees F. It was almost as hot in Chicago for my daughter. It was also in the news that Chicago had the worst air quality in the world last week. Woooow! It’s got to be a lot better in Canada.
ReplyDelete