The black cat, the polar bear and the lens I bought eight months ago but just had to buy all over again for $1149

The black cat, the polar bear and the lens I bought eight months ago but just had to buy all over again for $1149. Remember how I wrote that every piece of professional equipment I took to Cross Island came back damaged? Most of it still works, but one lens failed altogether - the 24 to 105 mm I had bought last March to replace an identical one so battered up I could no longer rely on it. At Cross Island, the new lens quit communicating with my cameras and so became inoperable. If I have one indispensable lens, it is this one. The week before last, I finally sent it to the Canon repair center, hoping to get it fixed under warranty before I soon go to Barrow.

On Wednesday, Canon informed me the lens had suffered internal water damage, voiding my warranty and it would cost me $900 to get it repaired. Then it would have a very limited six-month warranty. My experience with repaired lenses has not been good. I decided it was better just to get a new lens and have a full one-year warranty. The elements in another lens, my 16-35, must be a bit out of whack because very strange things happen to the focus on any images shot through it at wide-to-mid aperture. This lens has been to the repair shop three times – most recently just before Kivgiq. Now it needs to be repaired again. It is an expensive lens.

My 100–400 got knocked out of action on the island for two days before I got it to work again, but it no longer focuses as sharply as it did when I pointed it at this Cross Island bear (image significantly cropped). I must repair or replace it.

Then there are the two Canon 5D Mark III bodies - still shooting but with cracked glass. I know salt water got into them. It is a matter of time until they go down. I am frustrated. I need a camera budget of 15 to 20 grand a year, just to stay even.

But – once I get something together on Cross Island, if you see it, you'll say it was worth it. 

Text added at 12:06 PM. The Squarespace nightmare continues - 42 days and counting.