Double Crossing

August 29

I have to tell you two things that happened at the ferry. First, I must rewind. Kurt biked to the Peel River ferry crossing with the kids shortly after his return from the DEW line. Bronwyn, Keegan, and Josiah all thought it was great fun to stand on the ferry cable so they could feel it vibrate. The ferry was halfway across when over the loudspeaker, Kurt and the kids were reprimanded. "PLEASE GET OFF THE CABLE, YOU COULD HURT YOURSELF!" An outing with Daddy is never uneventful.

I remembered the incident because there is a new situation at the ferry crossing. The ferry is now closed. The Peel River has risen very high, with debris catching on the cables. They need to change the landing but they can't because the water's too high. They tried, though, and it just turned to mud. Isn't it always amazing that even with all we are capable of doing, in the end, we are still at the mercy of nature and the One who sustains it all. We don't have as much control over our lives as we think we do. You should see the line-up of not-so-happy campers waiting to get across, with absolutely nothing they can do about it.

But at least they had some entertainment. An SUV pulled up to the front of the line, and two guys jumped out. One went to the ferry crossing guard and the other to the wildlife officer, and both offered a $500 bribe to be taken across. Because of their suspicious behavior, the incident was reported to the police. The RCMP soon showed up and nabbed the driver, and they had a LONG line of witnesses to point them in the direction of the two bribers, who were making a run for it. They were apprehended and the RCMP took their vehicle apart piece by piece. They found a stash of cash from a drug sale. And the three men are now biding their time, not at the ferry crossing, but in the Ft. McPherson jail.

And how do we know all this? Well, that's the kind of day it's been. Try to follow me: Remember, now, Dan and Heather, the two teachers, are staying at the Hanthorns. After brunch, Dave and his wife, Michelle, stopped by, on their way to Whitehorse, so Kurt could give him back the $50 he borrowed. But since the ferry was closed, they hung around with us, waiting for the go-ahead. Then they decided to drive back to Inuvik, then changed their minds and decided to camp by the ferry. (They might have to cancel their flight if the ferry doesn't open.) Then Dan and Heather invited a couple, David and Charlotte, for dinner who were also stranded in McPhoo, who they had run into at least five times since Dawson. David was the one who told us about the drug bust, and now they are sleeping overnight at the Hanthorns, too. When we were doing all the introductions, they assumed Kurt and I were the residents of the house, because I was the one cooking supper for everyone. So there we were, Wayne, Kurt and I and the kids, Dan and Heather and their daughter, Ruth, and lastly David and Charlotte, sitting around the kitchen table, eating our meal, and none of us actually live there. The only ones who really belong there are the three dogs. To top it all off, the missionary team returning from Sachs Harbour came back, and have parked their RV next to ours. And if Paul and Lynn ask nicely, maybe, just maybe, we will let them have their house back when they return on Monday.

Just another run-of-the-mill day in Fort McPherson.