Arctic Village: Out of my comfort zone

This harsh and beautiful place and the people who choose to live here is like home to me. The day to day struggles makes one wonder why don't they just sell out to the oil companies. Life here would be so much easier, that's the point. If this was like most cities in our country, so many more people would live here. The Gwich'in do not want change, nor are they interested in how white people come to " help " them. Having said that, I'm so welcome here and folks want to know when will Penny get here.
I count the days until Penny arrives and fill my days with sixteen hours of work preparing all the gardens throughout the village. I average ten to twelve miles a day carrying water, soil, and supplies to each garden. Plus creating a large garden in Mary and Todd's yard where our camp will be again this year. It's clear to everyone that Todd has lived in Fairbanks throughout the winter, so much needs to be done to clear the area for gardens. Sixty below zero weather can detour most men for keeping on top of yard work. With Todd in Fairbanks, nothing was done in his absence. Within a day or two the yard is ready for what will be as the elders described it as the most beautiful sight they ever seen in the village. Both greenhouses are filled with almost three thousand plus starts that will be planted throughout the village. Plus a dozen trays with hundreds of starts such as lettuce, spinach, and other leafy veggies. I have five times the number of starts from the 2008 project, which was such a success.

The people are warm, the weather is not. Sleep is near impossible due to the cold and twenty-four hour sunlight. We talked about a four season tent, yet our Coleman three season tent is still in good shape. Oh good Lord is it cold, yet I'm so joyful to be here, so far out of my comfort zone. I lost twenty pounds by the time Penny arrived fifteen days after me. We joke of the perfect weight lose plan, we call it " the Arctic Village diet "