The South Wind (on the beach of Port Clarence Bay)

This past weekend, as I looked out to the ocean, I wondered where all the ice was.  I had flown the past week and knew it was out there, but wondered where our ice was.  The other villages I had seen from the air had theirs, where was ours?

Ah, I now know.

It was windy Saturday, but I didn’t think anything of it.  It’s windy in Brevig. Sometimes it gets so windy, the planes can’t even land.  A little wind, big deal I thought, but as I looked out to the ocean, there was suddenly ice out there.  The temperature hadn’t gotten colder, but there was ice.

I took a Honda ride with a friend and as we rode along I received the lesson I was waiting for.  The wind that I had noticed, wasn’t just any ole’ wind, it was “the south wind”.  Apparently when it blows from that direction, it sweeps in the ice.  I also learned that when it comes in like that, it crunches up on the shore and creates mounds of ice chunks.  Some residents don’t like it because it is difficult or next to impossible to get their machines through it.  The ice has also caused some boat captains to be grumpy.  It cuts the season short for seal.

As I showed these pictures to another friend, she told me the ice was early this year.  Usually we can begin thinking about crossing at the point in November.  This year, the thoughts are budding in October.  Not sure what it all means, but I love learning and hearing these small jewels of wisdom.