Usually the ice on the lake at Nuk Tessli goes out at the end of May.  I’ve known it to leave as early as May 16th.  On Sunday 12th June I received word that the lake was half open the day before.  It is the latest I have known it in 23 years’ of tenancy.

The pilot who flew over told me there was enough open water to land a plane.  But the area around my cabins is always the last to lose the ice and they were still shut in.   I could have gone in and walked round the lake to the cabins (encountering rotten drifts of snow, no doubt), but the freight I wanted to take in was mostly food and I worried that a hungry bear might find it before I could get a canoe to it and bring it to the cabins.

The last few days have had strong southwest winds – just what is needed to drive the ice away.  So I am planning to fly in tomorrow morning early.  (14th)

In the meantime I have been  packing for Nuk Tessli.  I washed all the blankets in the old bathtub by the pond – where 3 mallards have suddenly emerged with about 20 babies in tow.

I also decimated the rhubarb patch

And canned 19 quarts.

This will help feed my visitors at Nuk Tessli (where, of course, there is no handy store, or freezer.)

The meadows at Ginty Creek have burgeoned with grass and wildflowers.  The spring rains have made everything incredibly lush.

But the weather has brought out the bugs!  Blackflies and mosquitos by the hundreds.  The rhubarb patch is in a sheltered, windless spot – must have made a great garden when there was a water supply – but I had to wear bug protection while pulling the stalks.