Muffins and Jam

JULY 14

We woke up late to rain. I didn’t sleep well. I woke up at 4 am because there was an inordinate amount of mosquitoes buzzing about. It didn’t take long to discover the problem. Ezra had opened his window and the screen had popped out. I went on a killing spree for half an hour. Then I sat in bed, wide-eyed, waiting to be victimized again.

Vern, the camp manager, came to our campsite. He had a bucket of ice cream and some cones for the kids. He wanted to reciprocate because Bronwyn and Mackenzie keep giving him baked goodies. He said he knocked on our window earlier but no one answered. He said, “You guys must be turning into real Inuvikites, not getting up before noon.” Sad, but true. Bronwyn already had a new batch of muffin batter started when he showed up. We went to the crew house to do yet more laundry and I shampooed 5 heads. The kids ate their ice cream; Bronwyn baked her muffins On our return, she gave four of them to Vern and he said, “If you keep giving these things to me, I’m going to get fat!” We sure like him and he's been nothing but good to us.

There was a coffee house jam session at the Rec Complex. It was already late so Mackenzie and Josiah agreed to put little people to bed and Bronwyn and I headed over. It was not what we expected. We thought there would be lots of people with their instruments playing together, but a stage was set up with rows of observers. Bronwyn brought her violin but had second thoughts. Someone came up, though, and said, “Are you going to play your fiddle?” Bronwyn said, “I dunno.” He said ,”Sure you are. What’s your name and whatcha going play?” So she gave the man her info. Then Dave, from the swimming pool, saw us and asked Bronwyn the same thing. He offered to accompany her on his guitar, and Bronwyn was glad to have someone else up there with her. She played and was so glad she did.

As I am writing this, it is extremely windy, and a balmy 4 degrees. BRRR! Anybody have a parka?