BREATH-TAKING ICE ON THE OCEAN

I haven’t written on the blog recently, feeling a deep sense of being overwhelmed with all there is to learn, retain and do in the public health nursing role.  Many nights have found me still at work beyond 7 pm, even several recently until 9:30 and 10:00 pm, attempting to be caught up with the day’s work and documentation while also preparing for the well child class held in Juneau last week.  I have fallen asleep or not = ) most nights with well child checks, TB follow-ups, eligibility for State supplied vaccines, pertussis investigations and all that I’m learning about STI treatment and investigations vividly running through my mind.  I long for a clear mind and deep sleep.  Maybe it will come tonight after journaling/blogging again.
One can sign up to participate in a study about the effect of cold on one's hands (first photo).  Shortly after arriving in Barrow, my hands became cracked, dry and very painful because of the extremely dry climate here.  Being a nurse, I also wash them multiple times during the day, adding to the uncomfortable condition.  Inspired by a longtime friend who said that her mother had her take cod liver oil and honey every morning while growing up in Alaska, I decided to give this, or at least the cod liver oil, a try.  Almost four months have passed since I began taking two to three tablespoons of the oil every morning and my hands remain healthy and pain free.  The researchers are looking for 300+ people to participate in the study.  I wonder if I'm one of the first to be interviewed, if using cod liver oil will be shared with others who are struggling to find an answer.  I immunized a little 15 month old the other day with the same condition on her hands and face and was very pleased that the father is now giving her chewable infant cod liver oil in the hopes of clearing it up.  Of course, the Inupiat people here who eat a large amount of the traditional foods with high levels of oil, have beautiful, radiant skin.


 I am keeping my eyes open for rabid foxes and dogs on my walks and seriously don’t know what I would do if one came my way.  There is currently a loose dog with rabies, so quarantine is in effect here.  One of the photos explains the process.  
With a lighter day of appointments and the class in Juneau behind me, I left work at 6 pm last night and had a wonderful walk around Barrow, taking photos of the ocean ice. It was very cold and my fingers objected strongly to their contact, even through gloves, with my steel camera, but in retrospect they're now happy to be able to share them with you.  Can you see the palm tree in one of the photos in front of a house?  It’s made with wood (must have been imported = ) and baleen. 

When flying in late Saturday from Juneau via Anchorage and Fairbanks, the jet flew to the north and circled back around before landing at the airstrip in Barrow.  It was very surprising to see how close the open water is to the beach now.  From where I took the pictures, one can’t see it, but it’s just beyond the expanse of ice chunks in the distance.    

Someone at work said that there are scientists here now studying its early melting…much sooner than normal.  There seem to always be scientists here studying the many dynamics of the land and bodies of water in the Arctic.

I miss my children and grandchildren in Washington more than I can express, but to almost the same degree, am not missing the fall, winter and spring rains there, especially in the Seattle area.  The skies here are often brilliantly sunny and even though it remains cold on these sorts of days, the effect penetrates deep into one’s mind and soul.  It really is indescribably beautiful and I continually, with very little effort, remind myself how fortunate I am to live in a place where I am able to walk to work as well as to most places one might want to go in Barrow and see such beauty on a daily basis. 

There are no billboards here of the type common to other places.  I love how the dumpsters serve a dual purpose, collecting refuse, but also being a vehicle for posting messages.  One day I will walk around and take photos of as many as I can find...their statements always make me smile.  I haven't seen any graffiti here in Barrow...it's very refreshing.















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