Great
article by J. Ryan Stradal on life in a gas drilling area of the arctic:
The acrimony between what they call “the oilpatch” and the locals has left blood in the snow of weekend mornings for decades. Even in a just world, if you take away the sunlight for a month, there will be fighting.
And you have to love this advice about polar bear attacks, from the safety manual given to gas field workers:
Drop a pack or item of clothing if retreating. It’s always a good idea to move slowly away from a polar bear while leaving a trail of items. The polar bear is a curious animal and will to stop to inspect each item giving you time to free yourself of the danger. If you’re near shelter and confronted by a polar bear, remember, move slowly towards that shelter and leave the bear plenty of items to keep it distracted.
I like this advice:
ReplyDeleteDefend yourself. If you encounter a female defending her cubs, get away from the bears and remove yourself as a threat to the cubs. Do not fight back.
Maybe you're supposed to defend yourself by throwing flax seeds on the ground or telling it riddles.