Hey all,

Today is day 20 and I have exciting news. Yesterday a neighbour, Guy, invited me to go get water from the creek out in Sunnydale. We packed up a sled full of water jugs and me, Guy, and his son took their very fancy skidoo out to the creek. We stopped on the way out at breakup bench which has a beautiful view both upriver and downriver and of Dawson itself. Well, Guy, a life-long Yukoner and a Ranger, explained that the ice came together as slush instead of big chunks and, as a result, the ice is thinner than it looks. Not only that but the forecast is for up to -3 over the next few days! So, I didn't think that boded well for the end of freeze-up. But later in the day Malina and Jonathan (also life-long Yukoners and Rangers)came by to bring me a half cord of birch (burns much better than black spruce) and he was saying that he thought people would be walking across by the weekend and he plans on being able to drive across before the last weekend of the month. Well, this morning another neighbour, who I hadn't even seen yet (he lives a ways) stopped in to advise me that two of his neighbours walked across today! Crazy people! But Mike says he's going to cross tomorrow. Of course, these are all bush guys who understand the ice who are going first. But I won't be one of them, that's for sure. I'm not crossing until the women over here deem it safe enough. But anyways, the point of this ramble is: good news! looks like freeze-up is almost over. i guess I should get my ass in gear and finish the papers I need to before I'm super busy again.

Hope all is well on the outside.