Always an Adventure

Getting to work...

2009-03-29T14:37:00.005-08:00

Doesn't everyone's transportation look like this?!?

Sometimes I use extra small planes (a 207 ... 5 passengers + pilot)

sometimes I get there via helicopter ...

(view flying into my work site... Little Diomede)

or I use a snowmachine once in the village...

and don't forget walking of course, or four-wheelers... transportation in the outskirts of AK :)

How do you get to work?!?

Sun and Snow

2009-03-29T13:21:00.008-08:00

Last week I spent some time in Savoonga, where the sun was bright, and the snow was plentiful. Here are some pics...

They have two windmill power generators in Savoonga... helps cut down on the already outrageous cost of heating fuel in the villages. An important move forward for villages, and for the sake of our planet.

I also spent some time in Nome... timed it just right to see some of the mushers from the Iditarod come in.

Back track for a moment...

2009-03-22T08:53:00.005-08:00

Here are those pictures from Fairbanks... family and fun!

And the cutest niece and nephew I have in Alaska ;)

ps- the mark on Cassie's forehead is a birthmark that will slowly change and eventually disappear... there is a name for it, but I can't remember :(

Spring Break fun...

2009-03-12T09:23:00.010-08:00

I spent my spring break in Fairbanks this year. . . not any warmer or sunnier than normal, but I got to hang out with Leif, and my family. My parents were up from Colorado simultaneously helping out my sister with her new little one (yup, they are adopting a little girl). Her name is Cassey Lynn and she is 5 months old.

So over the course of the week Leif and I spent a long weekend in a public use cabin off Chena Hot Springs Road. One neither one of us had been to before and it turned out to be a relaxing and fulfilling weekend, if not exhausting. We hiked in, breaking trail through the newly fallen snow (anywhere between 5 and 10 inches of the fluffy white stuff) only to find out two things, we are far more out of shape than we thought, and the trail was longer than the map said. We made the 7.25 mile (in our estimation) trip in 7.5 hours!!! Talk about a long day...

But once we made it in and were fed, all seemed better with the world. The next day was spent cycling through bouts of eating, reading and napping... a great day of rest, relaxation and much needed rejuvenation. One trip out to get wood helped loosen the sore muscles, and provided some great wood... who has ever heard of a stove heating a place to 110F !! I was dying!

The trip out was much faster for several reasons: less weight being pulled out, our previously broken trail, more frequent refueling stops and at mile four a real surprise. Those who maintain the trail had come out and had packed the trail... not just with a snow machine, but with a groomer.

We were on a packed highway! The trip out only took us 4.5 hours, and for the last four miles we were walking at a pace of 20 minute miles... a vast difference from two days prior. It was a great trip overall, and I'm excited by the idea of being able to do trips like this more often once I move back...

The other parts of my week were spent hanging with the family out in North Pole.... there is always fun to be had with Onan around.... (pictures coming shortly)

Storms in Unalakleet

2009-02-24T21:38:00.003-09:00

Enjoying a ski afterwards. The snow was wind-blown and packed, and made for some fun skiing; the sunshine wasn't bad either! :)
The inside of my door- after the storm. I wonder if my house is airtight?!?

A week at home...

2009-02-15T08:54:00.006-09:00

and look what I did...

Stacey (red), Karis (blue) and I snow machined out to Old Woman for a night. We went out Sunday, and returned on Monday. (sorry, forgot my video was sideways... don't hurt your neck)

We had to break trail for the last 10 miles or so... no one had to been to the cabin in a while...The sunshine was awesome, and the temps were cold... but it was great to be out there again.We cut and collected lots of wood... we all decided we were born in the wrong era. We like doing the basic necessities of life, then hanging out in the cabin chatting and reading. Then again, who wouldn't like doing that instead of working 9-5 ?!?We take our wood collecting VERY serious!! (giggle)

Before that Adrianna, Karis, Stacey and myself (along with Mark Vink) took a ride up the river. It was an overcast day, but the temps were nice, and there was snow in the air. We had taken our skis too, and made an afternoon of it. Skiing for an hour in between, and then headed home...
This was the first time for me getting out in the area this year. I can't believe it, but glad I had the chance, and it may well be my last time getting out to enjoy the area here in Unalakleet. That's right I'm moving to Fairbanks! Looking forward to spending more quality time with family, friends in Fairbanks and Leif (that's my beau :)

Oh, and I also finished a quilt... well almost. Can't figure out what to do about the borders... so I will leave that for spring break when I'm in Fairbanks.

How do you get started again?!?!

2009-01-26T21:23:00.010-09:00

So, for those of you ready to delete my blog from your list to check (mom)... how do I move forward? Do I sit here and recapture all the events since Thanksgiving? (yeah, right) Do I skip it all and just start from today? It seems like there have been a few significant events that I should share. . . to keep you in the loop. . .

My Christmas holiday was a bit different this year... I spent a little bit of time in Fairbanks, about ten days in Colorado, and two weeks in Mexico!! Yes, it was a long break :) It was fantastic... the time in Mexico was spent with my boyfriend and part of his family (his dad and his wife and extended family). Puerto Vallarta, though a bit more touristy than I like, was a great place to relax, soak up some sun, and do some diving again. A few pictures to capture the fun...

Another big event, was my sister having her baby...
I was home to welcome Charlie into the world and enjoyed spending as much time as possible with him before heading back north.
Isn't he just the cutest??

Okay, so those are the highlights... we'll try to keep you more up to date, but I'm not promising anything :)

Travel madness. . .

2008-12-06T15:53:00.004-09:00

So there really is no one I can point a finger at except myself. Here was my last week. . .

Friday night: Fairbanks
Saturday night: Unalakleet
Sunday night: Nome
Monday night: Shishmaref
Tuesday night: Nome
Wednesday night: Brevig Mission
Thursday night: Unalakleet
Friday night: Unalakleet
Saturday night: Fairbanks

Out of 9 days, I flew on a plane on 8 of them. In the first seven nights, I was in seven different places to sleep, and throughout the 9 nights, I was in the same place (in a row) only once. Can anyone else claim this fame?!?! :)

Safe travels to all this holiday season!!!

Gambell. . . sights and sounds. . .

2008-11-29T09:45:00.002-09:00

I walked around town (all of which is built upon the pea size gravel you'll see in the pictures) and was lucky enough to be there to see some native dancing by the students in the school gym. Another interesting visit to St. Lawerance Island.

No more Diomede post to read?!?

2008-11-03T22:07:00.015-09:00

So I've had so many of you heckling me to update the blog, I thought I better do it before I had a mob on my hands....
Let's see 8 weeks of living... did some more traveling across AK, traveled to Fairbanks for training and some fun, went back to UNK for 9 days straight (the longest stretch I will be in my house the entire year), and am on the road once again :)

Pictures of Karis and I skiing in UNK... nice to get the skis out and get the body moving.

(yogic-skiing anyone?!?)

Some interesting vantage points in Brevig Mission this past visit...

Halloween in Brevig....

...it's a good time to hunt seal....

(the ribbon seal is fairly rare... I saw two out of nearly 50 seals)

Shishmaref with some snow and lots of forming ice... the ocean wasn't frozen yet, but it's getting closer...

The ocean is a massive, rolling slushy of sorts...

Diomede, yup, Diomede

2008-09-07T12:21:00.005-08:00

What a process. . . strange and seemingly haphazard. . here is the story...

I was scheduled to fly out to Diomede on Wednesday, on their weekly scheduled helicopter ride to the island from the small village of Wales. Unfortunately the company failed to tell me and my travel guy, that due to the Monday holiday, they wouldn't actually be flying until Thursday, to allow for mail to get to Wales. See the helicopter is actually out there to do the mail runs- bringing goods out to the island from the mainland once a week; weather permitting of course. So there I was in Wales, pizzas from Nome in tow, at a school that was not expecting a visitor, let alone an overnight stay. So due to their gracious hospitality, and friendly help, I was giving the spacious and comfortable ECE room to stay in for the night, awaiting my flight out the next day. I hoped.

Thursday came, and the weather was looking good- I had all my fingers and toes crossed that it would stay that way for the afternoon trip over the Bering Sea. But I had to make it to the afternoon first. Sitting in the staff lounge I passed the time doing work, reading for my thesis and generally wasting my time :) The chopper normally arrives around the 1 o'clock hour, and it was quickly approaching. I packed my backpack, gathered my treats for the island and prepared myself for the call. I waited, I waited some more, and then I got worried. It was nearing 1:30. . . had they forgotten me? Not possible, I called the poor agent three times to make sure she knew where I was, and on top of that, I made the secretary call a couple of times- just to cross my T's and dot my I's. I didn't want to miss the chopper. Then the secretary talked to the clinic- the new health aide had already made it to the island! WHAT?!? The chopper had been here and left?!?! Oh crap! I told the principal and he thought it best I get out to the pad as soon as possible. Tommy took me out at 2 o'clock.

A small, relatively flat surface that didn't look like anything special behind the big equipment building acted as the helicopter pad. On arriving, Tommy took me to the back, where luggage and boxes were piled high, and people were milling around. He proceeded to tell me NOT to approach the chopper. DON'T APPROACH THE CHOPPER UNLESS TOLD TO. "Okay." Then he repeated it two more times as I nodded continuously. "I guess that is really important, huh?" He said it again. Okay, I got the picture.

On this particular day, there were nearly 18 others trying to get back to the island after attending the recent dance festival. . . you should have seen the baggage, the boxes, and the amount of mail that needed to get to the island. . . little did I know what that meant for me.

So, doing as I was told, after waiting an hour, I stood back as the chopper landed for the first time. I stood back. I remember someone recently telling me something about not approaching the chopper; I did as I was told. No problem, it gave me the chance to stand back and just see the process to follow. . . not sure it was so much a process, as a random, self-promoting system.

After exiting the chopper, the pilot stood there and pointed at me and the other white lady standing there, assumed to be the health aide that had already made it over. hmmmm....?? But never mind that now. I just wanted to make sure I got over. Hopeful that his pointing and talking was a good sign, I stayed firmly in my spot thinking to myself, DON'T APPROACH THE CHOPPER.

Finally, after the chopper was loaded with mail and boxes, and with the solo passenger being a man with a kid, he came over and asked our names. He asked me twice if I was with UAF - I confirmed, and said I wasn't sure the protocol with so many people waiting to get on the flight. . . His response, "There are three type of flyers, those on recreation, those providing a service to the community, and those with their own reasons for going out. Those providing a service are the number one priority." I blinked, and realized I had no idea where I ranked on that list... So, I watched the helicopter come and go 4 more times with elders, people with babies and a nurse . . . this over the course of 4 hours standing outside in 37F temps and winds.

As the flights kept coming and going, and still not sure where I ranked, I certainly did not approach the chopper even once... After his fourth trip, he asked where my bags were, and this is where he shook his head at me. . . telling me I should really mail things out, he doesn't have room for all of this stuff. Let me explain something here- I had one small tub, a backpack and a soft-sided shoulder bag - oh, and don't forget the two-day old pizzas. Everyone else I had watched get on the chopper over the last four hours had at least 4-7 boxes, EACH. Big, heavy boxes. Whatever. He said he'd take me next.

With an elder, and three more moms with kids waiting to go, I'm still not sure how he prioritizes his passengers. . . but I wasn't going to argue. It was now 6:20, and I had been out there since 2, my toes and fingers were eager to warm up. After hearing that I was going next, I had a mom approach me and asked if I would carry her 9 month old over with me. . . "Sure- why not." She handed me the cute baby with big eyes, and waited for the chopper. "Hey, by the way, who should I hand the kid to when I get there?" After the chopper was filled with more mail, and my grotesquely over sized bags, I approached the chopper for the first time- wanting to get the baby out of the wind. Of course, the pilot says NO. Ummm. . . okay... turns out he needs to fuel up one more time. So I stand there in the cold wind with this half dresed baby, thinking. . . god, what a crazy adventure.

When he finishes, I wait for the signal to approach the chopper, at this point terrified of coming an inch closer without the okay, and then the girl who gave me her baby says, "Wait. . . ummmm. . . ." Standing there in the wind, ready to go, I stand so close to my chance at the chopper, my ticket out of Wales and onto Diomede. . . The pilot is loosing his patience, and I'm nervous he is going to bump me off for someone else. . . "Come on. We gotta go." The mom takes the baby. . . and then into the chopper I climb. I let out a breath of relief.

I thought I was good to go. . . but no. Now the crazy pilot had to give me the New Yorker speed version of the safety features of his baby. Did I understand a word of it, not really. I just smiled a lot, and nodded my head. He was okay with that until I apparently fastened the seatbelt wrong after he just explained it, "NO, I said blah blah blah..." Ok. Sure. Smile again and nod.

Finally he closed the door, got in himself, and proceeded to talk to me like we were friends. Being friendly and telling me about the area. . . weird. What a strange duck this man is.

So I decided this pilot is the king of his domain, and can do and be whatever he so wishes. . . I just smile and nod, and get off the chopper on the other end of an otherwise uneventful ride.

Savoonga, Gambell and Wales in the fall

2008-09-04T09:35:00.006-08:00

Savoonga - Stacey and I and a one of the new teachers took a ride out to the mountains outside of town. It is all volcanic rock out there, and the views were amazing.

Gambell - rocks, lots of rocks. :)

Wales- beach and bones
I had the opportunity to visit and see a bit of Wales on my way through to Diomede. I am here waiting for the helicopter for the second day, and the school has been very welcoming of this unexpected visitor.

PS- the picture in the last post is looking down on the ocean as we left Shishmaref. A piece of land, and then varying depths in the ocean causing the color variations. . . it looked amazing from the air!

Fall Travel - part 1

2008-08-25T18:17:00.011-08:00

The first of many trips. . . and what a great way to start. I started in Shishmaref then traveled south to Brevig Mission. After leaving here I will head farther west to visit Savoonga and then Gambell; all in 10 days! Here are some photos of Brevig, Shish and the scenery from the air on my travels between the villages. (ps- the pictures are backwards, on top is Brevig. . . then Shish. . . then a few Nome pics :)

Doesn't this look cool? Can you tell what it's a picture of?

Shishmaref. . .

When I was in Nome :) between flights. . . I couldn't resist the sunshine.

My New Job!

2008-08-19T11:37:00.002-08:00

That's right, I'm a mentor teacher! What an honor to help new teachers in the profession! I will be traveling to many villages in the western part of the state, and will be going to sites within the school district I have been working for the last five years. I will continue to live in Unalakleet, and will be traveling in and out of Nome to reach my sites. The sites include, Savoonga and Gambell on St. Lawerance Island, Little Diomede, Shishmaref and Brevig Mission.

I hope to keep my blog updated with amazing sights and stories that I'm bound to have over the next 9 months. Don't miss out!

Fairbanks Fun with Onan

2008-08-19T11:05:00.003-08:00

From static electricity experiments, dinosaur painting, color sudoku and venn diagrams. . . how old is this kid?!?!?

Thailand: Step 2

2008-08-02T21:14:00.014-08:00

Bangkok:

Bangkok was a huge bustling city that had lots to offer. I saw many temples, many images of Buddha, did tons of shopping at several markets, and saw the Grand Palace.

Thailand: Step 1

2008-07-27T23:22:00.009-08:00

Thailand: Islands and Water

After Bangkok I traveled south to Ko Tao, a small island off the eastern coast. There I spent five days learning how to dive and am now a certified open water diver!! Craziness, seeing as I have a small fear of water. . . I guess I'm slowly getting over that one :)

The view from my bungalow- the diving classroom -

me in full gear, looks cool, huh?!

Our dive instructor-

I then moved down for two days to Ko Samui, another island, though much larger and busier. It sported the stereotypical sleezy strip of girly bars and the like, but also had beautiful beaches, and I even got to soar through the canopy of the mountain jungles on a cable course (basically, cables attached between trees at 75+ feet above the ground, then I was strapped to the cable and flew my way through the air! Great fun :)

After a day of travel, I have now landed myself in Phuket. Bangkok-like and busy with lots of

neon lit streets and bars with loud music. This is not the Thailand for me. I am hoping to find some more remote areas of the island to explore and enjoy. . .

Sunset on Patong Beach in Phuket

Back in AK

2008-07-27T22:56:00.003-08:00

Well, time flies when you're having fun!! My six weeks of travel are over, and it is hard to believe that I've even been back in Fairbanks for a full week already. This week has been little more than recovering from the jet lag- it hit me hard- others that agree that traveling east is much harder than going west. When I left Bangkok I left on the 21st of July and traveled for 38.5 hours, and arrived in Fairbanks on the 21st :) I thought it was great gaining a day, but then I've spent the last four recovering from my travels, so I guess I needed more than one extra day :)

I am here in FBKS for another two weeks before heading back to Unalakleet. I've been helping out around my sisters place, and helping Ted process some of the Copper River Reds he caught this last week. And Onan has been so much fun, and even my younger sister is here with her husband on their honeymoon vacation to AK. So there is a lot going on here, between my jet lag naps and crazy sleeping habits :)

When I return to UNK I start my new job. For those that haven't heard, I got the mentor job and will now be helping first and second year teachers in their positions. I will go through a week of training before I return to UNK and will find out more about where I will be traveling to at that time. I'm very excited about the new job and am looking forward to the new challenges that will come with it.

As for the traveling pictures, I will be posting my email updates and adding a few select pictures to them over the next couple of days right here on the blog. I have TONS of pictures- so if you'd like to see more let me know, I'd be happy to share them :) If you have any questions about them, let me know by sending a comment or emailing me :)

Thailand. . .

2008-06-18T04:40:00.003-08:00

Okay, I've been here a week and I haven't updated once. . . there is so much to say. I've been sending email updates, and if you want to get my them (not necessarily more regular than the blog updates) please send me an email with the address you'd like me to send it to: carriebob27@yahoo.com

In a very short, nondescript summary. . . Bangkok for 2 days (crazy big city for this country girl), then 5 days in Ko Tao (small island where I learned how to scuba dive), 2 days on the island of Samui (bigger island, but had fun on the beaches and swinging from the tops of trees in the jungle) and now in Phuket. . . not sure how long I will stay here, but it is also a busy city, and I will be looking to find the more remote areas to enjoy.

I'll try to keep you all posted, but pictures may have to wait. . . haven't figured out the fine details of that yet when working at internet cafes. . .

Keep in touch. . .

Colorado Time

2008-06-02T06:38:00.009-08:00

Well, it's been another whirlwind trip to Colorado- but I think I like it that way. I removed the pictures of my parents backyard in the last post because I never finished the blog and thought it might be better in this posting. . .

My mother takes great pride in her yard, and it is beautiful. It's far too much for her to handle by herself anymore, so soon they are looking to move and leave this urban paradise behind. This is the only house I've known growing up, so its interesting to realize I won't be able to 'come home' like I do now. . .

The first night in I got to go out for Ethiopian food- yummmmmm. It was my brothers family, my sister and her husband, and my folks. It was great to get some good food, and see everyone-

(the mosaic I made for Wendy and David)

I came home for Wendy's wedding reception on Saturday, and then got to go camping with mom and dad in their big fifth wheel camper. Like typical Colorado we saw rain, snow, hail and sunshine in the two days we were up there :)
Mom and I got a little bike ride in- Colorado is sooo beautiful. The mountains are lovely, and the smell is unforgettable. The pine trees in the sun and wind. . . it doesn't get much better than that.

Wednesday I got to hang out with a friend of mine from high school that I'm still in contact with- Vicki. It is aways great to see her, and despite my lack of staying in contact throughout the year, when we get together we pick up right where we left off. It's amazing, and so comforting to know that I have such a good friend, that despite all our difference, we are still connected on many levels. Everyone needs to have a friend like that! I'm so lucky, I actually have two of them! I got to see Becky this trip too. . . another good friend from high school- the three of us make a good group :)

My brother took me mountain biking- and it was great!! We went to a place on the front range called Morrison. We ended up going 10.5 miles, and got some good riding in (well, at least for me). Troy took it easy so I could keep up.

I haven't really done much true mountain biking (trails, rocks, other bikers to pass on the skinny trails)- but I put my effort into it, and it was great fun. I didn't go over the boulders like my brother, but I didn't fall either :) so it was a success :)

I also spent some time with my sister at her house, and went shopping with her (one of the things I hate the most. . . but a necessity sometimes). I got to see Fani, my nephew play a soccer game, I got to ride the new light rail system in Denver. I hung out with my brother and his family in downtown Denver, and then on Pearl Street mall in Boulder, I had breakfast with friends, and had dinner with grandma, whew. . . . and that was just over the weekend, :)

It was a great trip- hard to believe this part of my summer is already over, but there is a lot more to come. Next stop, Fairbanks for training for my new job, and then off to Thailand next Friday!! Wahoo!! Another adventure awaits. . .

Summer has begun!!

2008-05-25T21:14:00.004-08:00

As I sit in my parents house in Colorado, it is slowly beginning to sink in that summer has officially began. After school got done on Wednesday, I finished some house maintenance stuff (snow machine care, dog care etc.) and got on a plane Thursday morning. I was fortunate to have Elaine, my friend in ANC that came out to visit this spring, to pick me up at the airport. I didn't fly out of ANC until midnight, and being in town at 1:30 left me nearly a full day to fill. Being tired from my week, for the first hour in town I took a nap back at Elaine's house. I love naps :) After that we headed out in the beautiful afternoon sun to take a little hike through the woods- it was a great walk. We even got the chance to take off our shoes and walk through the spring overflow areas :) - a cool and refreshing pedicure, Alaskan style :) For the first time ever while on a trail, we came upon an unseen bear! It appeared to be a black bear, a few years old perhaps. Quiet a surprise! We back tracked and decided to return to the car via the road. Not always a nice place to walk, but not a few corners further did we run into two moose! What a trip for wildlife :) We ended the day with a trip to a Korean restaurant, Barnes and Noble and then the airport. It was a great way to spend the extra long layover in the city :) and a great way to start my summer off :)

Graduation

2008-05-15T12:08:00.004-08:00

Graduation happened last weekend. Hard to believe another class has come and gone. It's funny how the more years you teach, the less significant they seem to become. Does that sound bad?!? I don't mean it to- it's just odd, how you think, "Oh, here's graduation again." It doesn't make the seniors that graduate any less important or significant, it just seems like another thing on the list to check off as another year ends.

Here they have a rose ceremony. The graduates hand out roses as thank you's to those that have helped them throughout the years. To my sheer surprise, and heart felt appreciation, I received 11 roses this year. Wow. What a statement it makes from the kids... it made me feel so good.

This years graduation was well done. It seemed well rehearsed, and organized. Decorations were perfect, and everything went smoothly. Congratulations Seniors! You did it.

Prom. . .

2008-05-15T07:37:00.005-08:00

This year we were in charge of prom. We being the junior class, and the class sponsors (myself, and an english teacher, Jannelle). We've been planning since January, and it is quite the process to get 14 juniors to get stuff done. It's great to see them take leadership rolls, and to step up to the task at hand. We spent nearly $4,000 for a one time event- makes me sick to my stomach to be honest. And I haven't been shy about sharing that opinion with the kids. We were able to save some decorations- maybe to be used at future dances, or graduation next year. That helped redeem the situation a little. Very little.

Preparation took from Friday 4-10pm and then Saturday 11-4. And then it was all cleaned up in less than 6 hours. . . craziness.

The prom itself went off without a hitch. I ended up making the cake, I guess I should say decorating it. It has been a long time since I made a cake, and it reminded me of being home and helping mom with all of her cakes back in the day. It wasn't anything fancy, but it did the trick, and the whole cake was eaten before the night was through- so I guess it was okay :)

Here is Karis and I at prom. . .

Spring? What spring?

2008-04-16T19:11:00.008-08:00

A friend from ANC came up this last weekend, and I took a personal day for Friday afternoon. We enjoyed a great lunch, with all of the goodies Elaine brought with her :)

We had planned a weekend out to the BLM cabins outside of town, and ended up leaving town around 3:30. It had been windy and snowy all morning, but the weather cooperated for once and cleared up. The 1.5 hour ride out to Old Woman was a great one.

We ate some chili, and another family joined us at the cabin. We decided to go for an evening ski. Unfortunately we didn't check to make sure Elaine's boots fit my bindings :( bummer. We ended up taking a nice long walk, and decided that with the good weather, we ought to go ahead and ride to the next cabin, another 17 miles up the trail. Getting on the trial at 9:30, we thought we might be pushing the envelope of visible light, but we did it anyway. Not knowing the trail myself, I realized I was a little anxious and tense throughout the ride. Not only was the light fading, but to add to the worry, I remembered that my machine's electrical wiring wasn't working, and I had no headlights!! Thank goodness we got to the cabin without any problems, and the cabin looked dark. Wahoo! A cabin to ourselves! But alas, driving up to the front of the Tripod cabin we found three pulks full of gear. Oh no! People, and they were clearly in bed! We had no other option; we had to crash their party. It turned out to be three (rather cute) Netherland guys who have been walking the trail from ANC for the past two and a half months!! Craziness!! They were doing it to raise money for kids with cancer. They were in good spirits and were more than gracious to share the small cabin.

Saturday brought the most beautiful blue skies, and a trip 15 miles beyond the cabin, towards Kaltag. I skied a little, while Elaine took a walk and did a little sketching. We ate lunch, and turned back around. We stopped again to let Elaine sketch another mountain range, and though I felt a nap coming on, I got out the snowshoes and adventured into the rolling snow dunes.

Returning to the cabin, I took a nap in front of the wood stove; it was dreamy and lazy. The three trekkers were taking a rest day, chatting with Elaine, and taking naps themselves. We decided to take a snowshoe (okay, I really wanted to, and I got Elaine to come with me). It was a great evening, and we came back to a cabin with fish being cooked, and the guys treating us like princesses. They hauled all the water, boiled water for dinner, made us dinner AND dessert, and to top it off, they even did the dishes. . . it was quite a treat. They had a system, and it was fun to watch them work as a well oiled machine. Sunday morning, they were packed, fed, and out the door in less than an hours time. I suppose working with each other very closely for 2.5 months would have that effect.

Sunday the weather did a 360- it was snowy with very low visibility. The light was low, and it had snowed enough to hide any trace of previous machines on the trail. Talk about tense riding. We made the 17 miles back to Old Woman, and had some tea to warm up- then back on the Skandic for the 35 miles back to town. We got back around 3, and proceed to take a nap :) My favorite!

It was a great weekend- and a real treat to have a visitor (*hint, hint to all my friends out there :)

An update. . .

2008-04-04T10:38:00.002-08:00

Okay, so I only have minute, but thought I would give a short summary of the last, oh 5 months :)

-Christmas was spent in Fairbanks
-drove to ANC with Karis at end of break, and spent a night with the Holts and the Finns
-good snow in January
-February was a tough month. . . "the February Funk" we call it
-decided not to come back to teach next year, and decided to apply for a job as a teacher-mentor (If I get the job, I will be working through my district, and will be traveling across the state to many districts helping first and second year teachers)
-Iditarod came through town- Rick Holt did a great job, and reached a dream of his, that is pretty damn cool.
-went to ANC for an interview/spring break, got a sushi fix, and went dancing with Karis- lots of fun :)
-went to Old Woman cabin for an over night trip and ski during spring break

Yeah, that is it in a nutshell. A really small nutshell :) I hope to post more regularly again, for all to find out what I'm doing. But by now, I'm sure no one is even checking my blog anymore :)

Here is me after a week of testing. . .

On my way. . .

2007-11-21T19:56:00.000-09:00

to Fairbanks for the Thanksgiving break. I have several hours in the airport, which means I have some time to update my blog, finally!! This week was fast and furious, and though I know I should be doing the grading I brought with me, I hear Deb saying, "Carrie, you shouldn't 'should' on yourself!" Well, okay. I guess :)

After this long weekend, we have four short weeks of school left. It is amazing to me how fast the time goes. It is never boring, that is for sure. This week I attended the music recital on Monday evening, and then helped fascilitate the senior presentations on Tuesday evening.
Here Karis is playing her violin in the community quartet Monday night.On Tuesday our seniors presented on their experiences during the ANC trip when they saw post-secondary career opportunities. It went over well for the most part, but there is always room for improvement :) For the last three years I have been lucky enough to go on the senior trip. Each year we have improved it, and made it more effective and useful regarding what the students gain from it, and what they come home with. I am very happy with how it has morphed into so much more than it was the first year.Our seniors that presented, also the group I spent 5 days with in Anchorage! A good group of kids!

Happy Thanksgiving!!
(***NOTE: I've added a slideshow of my birthday party pics on the right hand menu! enjoy!!)

Wrestling Week

2007-11-13T14:07:00.000-09:00

NEW PICTURES ADDED TO THIS POST!!

Last week the BSSD junior high and elementary wrestling and cheerleading tournament was held here at the UNK school. For the week, we have students from 13 other sites (wrestlers and cheerleaders) living and competing in the school, an increase in our village population of nearly 200 students and visitors. Our classrooms turn into hotel rooms in the evenings. Stebbins stayed in my room and class continues as usual despite the pile of bags and sleeping bags piled high in the back of the classroom! It makes for a crazy week, but we made it through without any problems. I got to see some great wrestling too- it's amazing to watch these little guys wrestle. . . they've really got some energy and gumption!

Here the Stebbins group takes over my room as they work on their own homework! As they said, "Academics comes befor sports!" Impressive don't you think?!

Friday night we helped Conrad celebrate his own 30th birthday party. It was a fun time, with lots of good food - enchiladea's and lots of mexican treats! Happy birthday Conrad!

(girls in the kitchen, and boys in the livingroom. . . Jason! What are you doing?!?!)

This weekend I made it out for the first ski of the season! It snowed most of the day on Friday, and I took advantage of it on Saturday. I skijoured down the main road with the dogs, and had to walk out the rest of the way to get to the tundra. I found some lovely ponds- covered in a couple inches of snow and untouched by any other being. I skiied in circles and my dogs followed me in circles :) it was hillarious!

I also had some people over on Saturday to make some cards with my stamps- and for a birthday treat Karis joined in and made an amazing Kahlua Chocolate Cake! It was divine!! A sinful treat that I had to share with everyone so it didn't end up on my hips alone!

I am working on putting my birthday photos on a photo album link on the blog. . . I'll let you know when that happens :)

Senior Trip to ANC

2007-11-04T12:10:00.000-09:00

Sunday, October 28th, I headed to Anchorage with 17 seniors for their opportunity to see some post-secondary options they have around the state.
We flew to town Sunday afternoon, and spend the evening eating, doing some shopping and then some planning for the week. You can read about some of their reflections of the week on the school wiki page.
We stayed in the Spring Hill Suites- a nice location for a large group of students for the pool, internet access and all-you-can-eat continental breakfast they serve. Here's the week in a nutshell. . .

Monday: Eagan Center, the College Fair and drive to Soldatna to Alaska Christian College and spend the night there

Tuesday: Drive to Seward, tour AVTEC (Alaska Vocational/Technical Education Center), drive to ANC

Wednesday: Tour UAA, drive to Palmer to tour Job Corps

Thursday: Go to the airport and return home. . . all except me :) heehee

I took a personal day on Friday and stayed in ANC for another two days- it was glorious!! After the whirlwind of the last two weeks, it was so nice to just sit, and relax and escape from it, even for just a little bit. I was able to hang out with my good friend Chuck who happend to be in town too- I took him (and myself) out for a birthday dinner at Peter's Sushi Spot. . . wow. It was absolutely delightful, a real treat.

I did some shopping, went to Tidalwave bookstore for the first time, sat in a coffeeshop and throughly enjoyed the hours I spent there. Chuck and I even attempted our hands, well our feet, at some Latin dancing at Club Soraya. They offer beginners dance lessons before the night gets started. We turned out to be the only ones there for the lessons, so instead of a full hour, the instructor gave us a quick fifteen minute introduction to the Bashette dance for free. Once the crowd picked up, we were content to sit and watch the professionals. It was great fun to watch some amazing dancers whirl their way around the dance floor. Spending a Friday night in a bar/dance club was a reminder of how much I'm NOT a city girl. I enjoy it, that isn't the problem, but I don't fit in. The clothes, the make-up, the walk, the talk. . . I'm okay with it, but it makes me realize the group I do fit in with doesn't live in the city :)

Being back in Unalakleet is nice in a way- coming home is always nice. I'm here watching Cate while Deb and Jason are in the big city themselves. Cate and I enjoyed a movie and popcorn last night, music and dancing today, and even baked a surprise for her parents return (Cate's great idea... Are you sure you want to make a cake? "Yeah, my dad's been gone a whole week!" :) ) I will eventually make it into the classroom to see the damage left from a week of being absent. . . it's never pretty. Only 2.5 weeks till Thanksgiving! and then Christmas is right around the corner! yipee!! Where does the time go?!?!?

Whirlwind Week. . .

2007-10-30T23:19:00.000-08:00

Okay. . . I'm sorry for those of you that look (mom.) - the last couple of weeks have been amazingly full.

During the week of October 22nd to the 26th we had our annual district inservice. This is the week when the entire staff of the Bering Strait School District gathers in Unalakleet for meetings, professional development and commaradery. My week was FULL of commaradery. Monday night was spent eating an enormous amount of food at Janelle's Pampered Chef demo. (I forgot the camera that night- but it was full of good mexican food, amazing cranberry cinnamon rolls and chips and dip that I couldn't get enough of. . .).

Tuesday night I held a Stampin' Up demo/party - I made the goodies, but we did it at Deb's house because mine is too small (and it is far enough away from the school, that it may hinder people from attending). It was just right, I had about 10 people and it was great fun. Tiff, my Stampin' Up Pimp who no longer lives here, sends me the supplies and we make a card during the party. . . it was great fun!

Wednesday night Deb held another party at her place. This time it was a Body Shop party. We did the foot soak again, and that is always fun!

Thursday is when the all the visitors returned to their homes, and those of us left in UNK were in a mad rush to get our grading done. We had to have grades done on Friday for the end of the first quarter. (I can't beleive it!!) I don't know why it was so hard this time, but it was like pulling teeth to get it done this time. Deb and I like to enjoy a beverage or two while we do it, it helps make it a little more enjoyable- to help with the fun, we also ended up on skype talking to people, and then we ended up having Karis and Adrianna come down to work too (work?!?!). We worked, sorta, until nearly 2 a.m. that night. And I still wasn't done! ugggg. . . I knew I could do some the next day, but ... it was also the day we had to prepare for the Halloween carnival (oh yeah, it was my birthday too!!). I ended up spending the majority of the day helping the Juniors create a haunted house in the wing of the highschool- it turned out to be one of the best haunted houses they have ever done. . . we have some very creative students!!

Karis- What are you going to be for Halloween?!?!
Friday night brought not only very tired people, but my birthday party!!! I turned 30 this year, thought noghting about me feels like it, and I'd like to keep it that way as long as possible :) Young at heart, forever!! Deb and Jason went out of their way to throw the best party I've every had. . . it was a costume party, Jason made 5 of his amazing pizzas (one was a seafood pizza- a cream sauce, smoked salmon and even scallops!! it was amazing!), Deb made dirt cake (I haven't had it in years!), Hannah brought stuffed mushrooms, Vanessa baked a carrot cake, Jasmine made cupcakes and Karis brought snacks for the after party munchies! It was quite the spread!! We danced, we laughed, we took a TON of pictures. . . it couldn't have been a better way to end my first three decades :) Here is to the next 30, that they are just as educational, fun and exciting!!

Saturday brought a full work day for me. . . I was scheduled to leave UNK on Sunday early afternoon for the senior trip to Anchorage; a trip that would take me out of the classroom for an entire week. So. . . there were lesson plans to be made. . . I spent nearly 12 hours on Saturday planning, and then again Sunday morning for another five hours. . . it is quite amazing how long it takes to plan for the 15 things I teach in a week. . . and now. . . the week of with the seniors began. . .

Memories Made over a month ago!

2007-10-12T17:42:00.000-08:00

Yeah, that's right. . . it's catch up time. . .

Fall has come, and the berries are done. . .

We've had our first snow of the year, then our first sleet, then our first mud and muck and then bare ground agian. . . the fall cycle of weather here in UNK.

Weekends have been enjoyed. . .
I covered the cross country race on the trail.
Karis, the new english teacher and I, enjoying ourselves at Conrad's.

A treat for the feet, at Deb's Body Shop Party. . . a full house. . .

Another 'float'?!?!?

2007-09-08T20:58:00.000-08:00

With the weather being so nice, Kim asked if I wanted to join her on a float down the Small Fork (a waterway that dumps into the North River by the bridge). She had access to a collapsible canoe that we wanted to try out. . .

We drove out to White Alice (the end of the ~15 mile road) and began assembling the
unfamiliar canoe. After the initial patching of holes (yes, holes.), we began forcing poles into the tight fitting sleeves along the bowline and practing a few choice words. It seemed next to impossible to get the poles in. Tired and triumphant once we finally got one side in, Murphy's Law was there to greet us- it was the wrong pole! Taking a few breaths, we started tugging on it, pushing, pulling and cussing, to now try and get it out. . . it wouldn't budge! Resorting to reading the directions, we drug the frustrating piece of plastic to the steep bank and clamored down (Kim, myself and Ipuk- Kim's dog), managing to submerge the pole and sleeve, and pulling it back up again onto flat ground. We were willing to try it again, though our excitement for this collapsible canoe was dwidling at best. With two determined minds and out-of-the-box thinking, we finally got the wrong pole out, and the right one in. . . whew, and only after an hour!!

Feeling a little frazzled by the amount of time it was taking to put the canoe together, we debated if we still wanted to attempt the trip. The weather was on our side, and it still wasn’t too late in the day (it was only noon, after all), so we decided that we weren’t going to be defeated yet! We continued step by step through the directions making progress, amazed at the force we had to put behind putting the damn thing together. Many times I was on my knees pushing with all my might, while Kim, standing opposite, pushed in the opposite direction. For those of you that know us, we aren’t wimps. It took muscle to force this thing together. After one such force, I felt something with my foot. It was sort of throbbing, sort of a dull pain. . . I glanced down and could only reply “Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh.” Kim, not knowing what the heck I was talking about questioned me, and all I could say was, “Look at my toe Kim, look at my toe. Oh my gosh. . .”In the excitement of pushing with all my might, all I can figure is that my toe slipped across the gravel and rocks and it forced the nail backwards. We all know of course that this wouldn’t happen to just any toenail, so I figured that my toenail had been dead for a while (though no color change was apparent at the time), and it had been looking for a way to get torn off. I guess this did the trick. After getting over being totally grossed out at the sight of it, I dealt with it. Thank goodness for the leatherman. (Kim captured some killer photos of my emotions as I did the deed of cutting the entire toenail off. . .)

Well, now that that was taken care of, should we finish putting the canoe together?!?! After a total of two hours, the boat was ready and in the water, and we were loading up our goods. It’s got to be easier from here, I thought. I wonder if that was the thought that jinxed us? :\

There is a reason this is called the small fork. Not wider than 15 feet across at most points, the winding waterway was made of tight corners, sweepers and strainers around every corner and several beaver ‘damns’ (yes, that is a purposeful play on words). This was not going to be a float trip. Within the first five minutes we came to our first of many fallen trees that completely blocked the waterway from where it lay four feet above water level.
Kim climbed on shore to take a peek around the corner, as I manned the boat on the overgrown carved bank. We knew we weren’t too far away from where we started, allowing us to entertain the idea that we could still turn around if we needed. Kim came back with the okay, so we walked the canoe a little closer to the fallen tree along the shoreline, knowing we had to lift it up and over the log.

Now the shoreline wasn’t a nice shoreline. Think thick knee-high grasses and branches from trees protruding over the edge of an eroded cliff of dirt that can’t be seen. Taking gingerly steps to check my footing, I took one too soon. My left leg left the precarious cliff and landed in the water, up to my knee. . . no big deal, right? It’s just water. The unfortunate part was the fact that my right leg was still high on the bank, with no way to lift myself out that direction, I had to bring the other leg into the water to take a step forward on the cliff in front of me instead of beside me. Wrong choice again. The right leg disappeared into the water with nothing to land on until I was belly-button deep into the cold pool of water. Panic was setting in. Taking quick short breaths in, I was moving my feet quickly to find some sort of footing to get me out, as my right hand flailed at the grasses, trying to grasp onto something, The next step forward had me up to my neck in the water, and I was hanging on to the boat for dear life, as my feet were now dangling with no hope of finding solid ground below me. Kim all the while was laughing from the edge where she still stood dry and warm. Not finding it funny at all, I was desperate to get out of the cold water and was feeling like a puppy trying to learn how to tread water by being thrown into it, ready or not. There was nothing to grab on to, no ledge to prop my feet on, and my frustration level was rising. After Kim apologized and stopped laughing (out loud at least), she found a secure hold for herself, and reached a hand down to me. Clamoring up the steep slope, with the canoe rope still in tow, I stood dripping and wringing my clothes out on the face of the water’s edge shaking my head and thinking, this is not a good sign; then we continued on.

Seeing as that is only the first fifteen minutes of the trip, I’ll save you the time, and give you the condensed version of the remaining hours on the water. . .

We managed to dump and partially or completely fill the canoe with water three or four times (it happened so many times we can’t remember the details anymore). My body was in the water at least three more times (once with my head completely submerged). We managed to get the canoe out from under a sweeper where it was upside down and completely sunken. And we portaged around two beaver dams along the way, not to mention the countless logs crossing our path. We created our own little system of maneuvering up and over the myriad of logs laying across the water, like two jack-in-the-boxes, each taking our turn to jump onto the log as we approached it, and then jumping back in once our section of the boat was over the obstruction. And as time passed on, the river got narrower and narrower. We were now in a “river” that was narrower than our boat was long, not sure we can call it a river anymore, or if it should have ever been called a river for that matter.

We had plenty of practice for our yoga and contortion skills as we maneuvered our bodies under branches we’d hand back to one another as we pulled ourselves, and the boat, through the branches that hung as filters across the entire waterway. Limbo became the name of the game and paddles were no longer necessary. With scratched backs, soaked clothing, white sock bites covering every inch of our skin and nearly six hours from our starting point, we actually managed to reach the North River in tact (for the most part). The thought of another 2.5 hours in the boat to reach town was not being entertained at this point. We were going to find another way home. Not sure how Murphy’s Law didn’t follow us to the very end, but we lucked out with someone fishing along the shoreline that Kim knew, and he even had a truck! We pulled out and asked for a ride. Though in hindsight I realize that the sight of our boat filled with leaves and branches, our backs red and swollen, and faces exhibiting pure exhaustion, I’m sure we looked desperate and he knew he didn’t have much of a choice in the matter.So for a float trip that started out eight hours earlier, a canoe that had been cussed at, submerged and drug across countless trees and bodies that were chewed on, scratched up, physically tested and baptized in the cold water – I would no longer call it a float trip. This had been an adventure. A trip no one has probably ever done before, and no one should rightfully do again.

PS- the next day, my feet, ankles and calves were swollen and itched like nothing I've ever felt before. The number of bites on my lower legs was astounding. My back was equally as puffy and itchy. . . an adventure to remember. . . an adventure to remember, I had to keep telling myself that (and to never go 'floating' with Kim again).

Anyone for a float?

2007-09-08T20:14:00.000-08:00

Kim has an inflatable kayak (small raft) that I borrowed one fine afternoon and took for a float down the river- I got in the water at the bridge and it took about 3 hours to get back to town. It was a beautiful evening for it :)

(here is Kim and the raft I used)

I floated by a young eagle sitting on the river's edge.

Unlike floating down the Chena River in Fairbanks, here you deal with a stench of dead salmon! The muluchuks are everywhere!

Can you tell school has started?!?!

2007-09-08T18:56:00.000-08:00

Okay, so it's been a while, I guess that is a good sign that school has started :)
I'll work my way backwards :). . .

We've been in school for 3 weeks. During the first week of school the high school kids were in charge of planning and implementing their leadership retreat. We have done a leadership retreat with the high school the last two years.
For the first time planning such an event, they did a great job! Activities, food, transportation and scheduling - the weather was great, and the camp we use up river, is an ideal place for large group outtings. With a central lodge, and multiple small cabins for sleeping, and a large beach for activities, it's a great spot for these kind of group gatherings. Here are a few pics of the fun. . .

After the first week, the real work began. . . with block scheduling, and new electives to teach (PE/health and a digital yearbook class) I've been having to work hard to find a new flow to make the busy schedule work. The number of preps may exceed any of my previous years out here, and though I'm used to it, it is a challenge to juggle it all and do it well. I'm worried that the students will suffer in the classroom because of it, but I'm hoping I can manage it effectively. Only time will tell :) . . .

As for the social aspect, there have been many social gatherings- laughing, drinking and good times :) I've picked blueberries and highbush cranberries (with Jasmine) and have been waiting for a good weekend to turn them into something yummy :)

A great night for fishing!

2007-08-17T12:23:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to go out fishing with Conrad (my new assistant principal), Jasmine (his expecting wife) and Kim H. (DO head boss). We have had evening showers the last several days, but we lucked out with beautiful calm skies and we even got some fish!

We went on the North Fork of the Unalakleet River and went all the way up to the bridge (this is where the road from town crosses it, about 8 miles out). We had a lovely evening fishing, chatting and relaxing . . . a great night for sure. Thanks to Jasmine for capturing the evening events!

Conrad did all the filleting and cleaning! What a time saver! Thanks Conrad!

We came back in under a beautiful sunset. . .
And the final product. . . fish in the freezer! Wahoo!!

A walk down the beach. . .

2007-08-16T15:07:00.000-08:00

. . . offers many interesting sights. . .

A soda can. . . Alaska's Choice apparently, and dead salmon by the 100's

Need a seat?!? Or perhaps a beheaded walrus?

Is this really a beheaded ptarmagin? Any guesses on the skull?

Here is beheaded walrus #2, expanding in the sunlight . And an abused boot.

One of many sea stars, and evidence of a good day of fishing.

and of course gillies!!

**I won a new digital camera at the recent teacher inservice (!!what a deal!!), and decided to take it for a test run**

**In a recent ADN article, there was a report that nearly 80 beheaded walruses can be found on the coast between here and Nome. An astounding number, and experts aren't sure of the reason yet. It is legal to remove the ivory from a dead walrus found on the shore, but it seems unlikley that all of them were found on shore (the gunshot wounds might suggest otherwise as well). I counted nearly 30 of them between UNK and Stebbins , on the beach to the south, when I flew in two weeks ago. . . an outrageous number of animals being killed for their ivory.

The first week back. . .

2007-08-13T09:45:00.000-08:00

I must admit that the first week back was a tough one. I am missing family and friends, and not only did it rain for the first five days straight, I was also feeling uncomfortable in the facilitator position I was in for the workshop on Differentiated Instruction. It made for a tough week overall. Like always though, it worked itself out. The weather improved, I felt like I was making an impact in the workshop and was enjoying friends I haven't seen in a while (though still missing those in Fbks).
As for the rest of my time this week, when the sun finally came out, I took advantage of it by taking some new teachers out berry picking, went fishing on the Unalakleet River (pictures courtesy of Andy Haviland :)- thanks for sharing Andy) and got out on my bike again.

Over the weekend I picked some more berries and have nearly 4 gallons so far! I enjoyed a yummy fruit salad with fresh berries, cherries, mango and grapes. . . it might be the last one for a while :) I would like to get some more for jam, syrup, and the newest interest is donating some to John so he can make some blueberry beer!! yum!!

It was a full week, and the weekend was needed for some alone time and regrouping for the upcoming week. . . This week is our inservice and work week, and we start with kids next Tuesday. . . another year is here. . . crazy how fast it comes and goes!

The last two weeks of my summer. . .

2007-08-04T21:51:00.000-08:00

Oh how fast it goes. . . over the last two weeks I was able to visit with more friends across the state and spend time with family and friends in Fairbanks before heading back to Unalakleet. I drove down the Parks Highway and met up with my friend Grant in Denali, and spent a day with him catching up and driving into the Park. We drove as far as we could (Savage Creek) and hiked around the area. We had both just purchased new sandals too, and had to test them out on the rugged terrain. . . they passed the test with flying colors (aside from the toe strap that tightens down on my toe until I have red marks. . . but I've been assured that it will break in and become comfortable. . . I will leave that to next summer to figure out!)

After leaving Grant, I drove down to see the Holt's in Talkeetna and spent a good two days with them. Unfortunately Tiff was terribly sick :( (we think it was a 24 hour flu)- but I was so glad that I was there to help take care of the boys and help out while Tiff slept and threw up throughout the evening :( poor thing :( Thankfully she was feeling better the next day and we were able to do a little bike ride to 'town' to get an onion and the mail (ah, the simple life). . . it was loverly! The evening was filled with naps, conversation and relaxing times. . . I also was madly working on finishing the quilt that I had made for the Holt's as a house warming gift (yes, I know, it's typical to finish a gift before giving it, but who knows me to be typical?!?!). Unfortunately I didn't quite finish and had to mail it to them a week later after finishing the binding. . . :) Thanks for the great visit Holt's! Next time I hope to see Rick too :)

I returned to Fairbanks by driving across the Denali Highway

(the first time in my Alaskan history) and meeting up with Michelle and Onan at Tangle Lakes for an evening of camping and berry picking the next morning. Though a short trip for the Henderson's it was fun and resulted in berries and time spent with family.

I also got to take Onan out for an aunt/nephew camping trip. We went to Birch Lake (outside of Fairbanks) to give mom and dad a free night, and some quality time with my nephew. It turned out to be an interesting night at a very active campground with people partying until 2 am and not showing the typical respect for camping rules that I take for granted. . . a reminder that there are many ways to appreciate the great outdoors. . .

As for the last week or so, it was the typical shopping and mailing process that comes every fall- but I also spent time helping my friend Tim at his place. He is building a cabin in the Goldstream Valley, in a beautiful area. It is a quiet place and I appreciated working in the quiet area for the last couple of days while I was in town.

And now. . . I'm here. Back in Unalakleet, and I've already started working. . . I'm helping present an inservice on differentiated instruction for the next week . . . nothing like being thrown back into work. I'll let you know how it goes. . .

Weekend at the Henderson's

2007-07-16T09:03:00.000-08:00

This weekend I hung out at the Henderson compound. I went through a shed of my old shit, not really knowing what I own anymore (and realizing I probably don't need any of it since I haven't seen it, let alone used it, in over four years). I got rid of some stuff, and a bunch of paper work that had no business being kept (some of it for over 7 years!). . . yup, I suffer from the pack rat syndrome. I also attached my bike rack to my car, and indulged in a hot bubble bath in Michelle's clawfoot bathtub. . . it was delightful. We also went for an afternoon float on the Chena.
We put in at Nordale and took out at Dennis Road, right near their house. It took about 2.5 hours- and the weather turned out to be loverly (we have been experiencing a lot of intermitten thunderstorms in the afternoons lately).

It was nice to relax and not go anywhere for a couple of days- but now I'm ready to go again!! For those of you who knew I was going to be biking up the haul road this summer, I had to make a hard decision and cancel it yet again this year :( My ankle is still not in top condition, and I fear hurting it further and doing irreparable damage to it. . . and there are a LOT of things I want to do where ankles are important. :) So I will be doing some physical therapy and trying to do preventative and some restorative exercises to help return it to its original condition. I am disappointed, but will be able to find more things to fill my time before heading back (a little less than three weeks away!!)

Valdez: a little bit of everything

2007-07-15T20:02:00.000-08:00

After spending 6 days in the Wrangells I drove down to Valdez while I was in the neighborhood, and had the chance to hang out with my good friend Chuck for three days. Much to our surprise Chuck was able to get two days off in a row from the company he guides and captains a boat for while I was in town. We made good use of the time by kayaking the first day, biking the second day, and camping and hiking the last day- it was a great trip. It rained most of the kayaking trip, but it was still a good time floating among icebergs at Columbia glacier.

It let up for the rest of the trip, as we biked and camped in the Mineral Creek valley, and hiked along the Wagon trail in the Keystone Canyon. We even had some sunshine to hike by on the last day. It was great to see Chuck, and I had fun exploring more of the Valdez area.

More pics can be found on the album link in the sidebar. . .

Wild Flowers in the Wragells

2007-07-15T17:47:00.000-08:00

Mark knows his flowers. While on the trip we kept a running list of the flowers we saw on our trip. Here are a few of them. . . :)

Lupine Jacobs Ladder Potentella Bear Root Lousewort (many kinds) Paintbrush Arnica Nagoonberry Blueberry Shooting Stars Veronica Glarcus Gentian Cassiopia Tetragona Dryas Shrubby Willow Siberian Asters Forget-Me-Not Saxifrage Escholtz Buttercups Windflower Valerian Yarrow Cow Parsnip Eskimo Potato River Beauty Fireweed Sourdock Mountain Sorrel Moss Camper :) Monkshood Camas Grass Geranium Columbine Delphinium Lady Slippers

Backpacking in the Wrangells

2007-07-09T16:16:00.000-08:00

Wow. Where do I begin to explain what a cool trip I just took. . . I was able to join my friend Mark on a five day backpacking trip throughout the Wrangell Mountains. We flew out and got dropped off in the Lakina Valley (slighly northwest from Kennicott). We followed the Lakina drainage just to the edge of the moraine and then began the accent into a green, lush valley containing a stairstep of five lakes, and hills that are reminiscent of the Ireland landscape. The weather on the evening of the first day, and throughout the second day was overcast and raining (maybe drizzle is more like it), but our spirits weren't dampened. The third day we were lucky to have dry weather and partially sunny skies. On this day we worked our way down the Hidden River Valley, ending at the Hidden Lake (a lake Hidden by the Kennicott glacier, at the base of a valley). Knowing we had good weather, we decided to continue on and do the most challenging part of the hike (mom, you should probably stop looking at pictures now). We followed a goat trail up and across the steep mountain side, to traverse over a knoll
that would bring us around the corner of the valley. I admit I was scared at some points, but continued the mantra "One step in front of the other" and soon enough, I was on top of the world (or at least the 'little' knoll). I should also mention that Mark is part mountain goat, so he was a fearless leader and made it apparent that I could do it too. Once over the top, we decended a much easier route to the fosse. The fosse is a huge pile of glacial rock left by the receding glacier on the very side of the mountians, creating a protected area between it and the base of the mountain.

Day four had us crossing the Kennicott glacier- containing strips of white ice and moraine. . . though a short distance as the crow flies, it requires climbing and decending hills of shifting rock and then crossing white ice (don't forget the crampons! they make you feel invinsible!) and glacial rivers. It is an exhausting, yet fulfilling journey to see what you can cross by simply walking. . . We ended the day at the base of Donohoe (a peak between the Gates glacier and the Root glacier) in an area that screamed BEAR! With the low brush, rolling hills and plenty of soapberries to keep many bears fed throughout the summer months, it was the first time I felt uneasy. The next morning we did see a bear across the flats meandering its way in our direction. So we finished breakfast quickly and packed up camp before 8 to get out of the area. No need to test our luck at this point of the trip :) We followed the Kinnecott highway home (a strip of white ice that leads directly toward Kinnecott). Not without crossing two more moraines and more white ice, we made it back to land to end the trek via a trail returning us to Kennicott. At the end of the five day adventure (20+ miles of scenic mountains and glaciers) we enjoyed a cold beer and lunch. . . ahhh, the good things in life! :)

It was an absolutely fantastic trip, and the most backcountry hiking I've done since I've lived in Alaska (sad, I know now). I hope it is the first of many more trips to come. I know what I can do now, so what's to keep me from doing more!! Thanks Mark, for an unforgettable trip through a beautiful area. . .

**There are more pictures on a link to a Kodak gallery in the sidebar. . . enjoy!!

The ONE and only. . .

2007-07-09T15:34:00.001-08:00

My 2007 KING!!!

I caught this beauty while dipnetting in Chitna before the 4th of July weekend. Andrea and I, along with Rachel and Robin, and don't forget Bill :) spent a day and a half fishing on the banks of the Copper River. We drove to O'Brian's Creek, camped there, and walked/biked in .5+ mile to dipnet. The first night we started at 8 pm and did our best until 2 am . . . with only 2 fish to show for it, we were not feeling hopeful!! We headed back out the next morning to find a new spot, but the fish weren't filling our nets any faster, so we headed back to the original eddie.

It was now nearly 4 o'clock and our 60 fish limit (between the group) was not getting filled very quickly. But then. . . it hit!! By 6 pm we had 15 fish! By 9 we had three kings among us, and another 6 reds! We were feeling good now!! Robin, and her amazing skills, captured 2 kings during the evening hours!! She's a bad ass fisherwoman in my book for sure! We ended the evening around 2 am and had 26 reds and 3 kings among us. . . plenty of fish to deal with. . . Robin thought we had too many, so she begrudgingly donated her small king back to the river :( the slippery sucker made it's way back to the waters it came from and we were down to 2 kings. . . still plenty of fish to process at 2 am! It was a great trip overall, and we all went home with some fish. . . yup, even me, who only caught the one fish the whole time (have you heard of such craziness?!?!?)

ANYONE CAN COMMENT

2007-07-01T21:58:00.000-08:00

I've learned how to allow anyone to make comments now. . . so please. . . let me know when you check in and let me know what you think :)

Be sure to include your name to let me know who you are :) :)

ps- I've also included a new menu on the right of links to photo albums that include more pictures than those posted on the blog itself. I'll work on getting more up :) enjoy!!

Camping with the Hendersons

2007-07-01T17:20:00.000-08:00

I joined my sister and her family out at Davidson's Ditch earlier last week for a nice, relaxing and mellow trip to the woods. It was Onan's first camping trip, and the families first trip since he was born! They've been busy people!! The bugs were bad, but not unexpected and nothing we couldn't deal with :) Ted and Onan enjoyed fishing for grayling- unfortunately it was catch and release only, but they sure enjoyed catching the 16 they did!!

My Float down the Chena. . .

2007-06-30T10:55:00.000-08:00

This is the life!! I took the opportunity to float down the Chena River a couple of times this week. The first time I kayaked down from Nordale to Pike's Landing. . . a five and a half hour paddle in the brilliant sunshine (85+ F)!!

Along the edges of the river, near the Badger Road section, there is apparently an old car dumping ground that has been buried- Houses are built on top of the 10 feet of soil that buries the old cars- they sit precariously above the rusty, toxic oozing tin and tanks of vehicles sticking out of the banks with trees and other foliage growing from them . . . what does this mean for the wildlife in the waterways?!?

I happen to be floating at the right time to see a young bull moose on the shore line. I watched it for nearly 15 minutes- eating and walking along the shore line. . . I could hear him drinking, I was so close! Very cool! Aside from the moose, I saw an eagle, several beavers, fish and too many birds to write about. . . it was a great time! I ended the day with sunburned shoulders and happy to be out enjoying my day. . . Did I mention I love my summers?!?!

Tangles Lakes. . . trip #1

2007-06-24T18:26:00.000-08:00

I celebrated solstice with Andrea and friends downtown at the Solstice Festival, and got to hear The Legends of Rock rock the house :)

The next morning Andrea and I took a canoe down to Tangle Lakes for a two night stay. After getting a late start on Friday, we ended up getting down to the lakes around 9 p.m. Deciding it was too late to jump in the boat (and realizing neither one of us were in the mood to pack it up) we spent the night in the campground and started out Saturday morning. We got to use my new tent for the first time. . . a tight 2-man, but lightweight and perfect for me! It's a Sierra Design Clip Flashlight.

The Friday skies were filled with smoke from the Trapper Creek fires, and we were worried the weekend was going to bring more of the same. But Andrea assured me that it was going to burn off and we were going to have sunny skies the rest of the weekend.

And to my amazement, she was right! Saturday started off a little cloudy and smokey, but far clearer than Friday. By the early afternoon all signs of smoke was gone and we were hiking in sunshine and blue skies AND clouds of mosquitoes!! It turned out to be a great weekend, and we had a perfect dog to join us on the trip (Anaie- a dog Andrea was dog sitting).

It was a great trip, and I can't wait to get my kayak out on the waters next time! Thanks for the fun Andrea!

Glamorous Glacier

2007-06-24T18:04:00.001-08:00

After being back in the state for a week, I drove to McCarthy to visit my friend Mark. The first thought was to bike in the McCarthy Road, and after 13 miles (of the 60 mile dirt road), and hurting my ankle, I decided it may not be the best choice. I turned around and drove in the 60 miles.

For those of you unfamiliar with McCarthy, you have to cross a foot bridge (2 in fact) to get to the small village. So I parked my car, and biked in from there (a short 2 miles :) Mark and I hiked out to a place called Erie Lake, off the Kenicott Glacier. The skies were blue and the temps perfect. Due to the fact we were on a glacier there were no bugs to speak of! What a treat in the Alaskan summers! Saturday we hiked to the icefalls of the glacier, and enjoyed even more bright skies. So bright in fact, I managed to burn my legs from top to bottom! To give you an idea, it was painful to squat to pee, and it felt like tiny needles pricklying my entire legs as I walked back through the brush on the way home! Note to self: don't leave home without the sunscreen!! As for the hiking itself, it was glorious, and despite very angry ankles, I enjoyed the trip and am looking forward to another trip to McCarthy later in the summer. Thanks for a fun trip Mark!

My New Car!!

2007-06-21T09:07:00.000-08:00

Within 25 hours of returning to Anchorage from Colorado, I had a new car! Thanks to Andy Haviland (my principal from White Mountain, and friend) I was able to get around town to see the vehicles and take them to mechanics to check over the vehicles. I decided on a 98 Kia Sportage and am very happy with my car. And don't worry- I lock it every night :) :)

I'm still waiting for my roof rack to come in, but that didn't stop me from taking out my kayak for the first time this season. . . the roof is a little taller than I was expecting, but it worked out okay, and will be a little easier once the rack is up on top. . . I can't wait!!
(*note the fancy rims. . . nice green, huh?! What were they thinking!!?!?)

A little view of the Chena River on my first float trip this summer. . . calm and quiet. . . (can you beleive this is right in town?!)
After doing the car shopping in ANC, I drove up to Fairbanks and had enjoyed a two-night stay at the Holt's compound on my way back. They have a yurt in Talkeetna and it was the first time I had gotten to see thier new home since they moved from UNK. If you'd like to see pictures of my visit, you can see them on their blog (June 8 and 9 entries). My visit included chatting, putting in a garden and enjoying good friends! Here are a few pics I took of the surrounding area. . . they live above a pond, and I ventured down to explore the area a bit one night. A very peaceful and beautiful place. Thanks for a great visit. . . looking forward to seeing you again soon!

Tiff and Heidi starting the morning off with coffee and a list of chores to do for the day.
Rick's brilliant method for scooping poop- a back saver for sure in a dog kennel of 13 dogs!

End of the Year in Unalakleet

2007-06-09T08:13:00.000-08:00

So, I guess I need to catch you up on things. . . the last month in Unalakleet included prom, traveling to White Mountain to be their graduation speaker, and CASC meetings.

PROM:
The kids did an amazing job this year with decorations and presentation. You couldn't even recognize the MPR!

Josh was my date for Prom this year :) With Stacie out of town, he was the cutest bachelor in town :) Thanks for loaning him out Stacie :)

WHITE MOUNTAIN:
I was honored by my first set of freshman to be asked back to be thier graduation speaker.
I flew over on the 17th of May, and participated in the great ceremony Andy put on.

*an aerial view of White Mountain- ice is still covering the Fish River, but it went out a few days after I left
*The graduates!! All eight of them . . . from front to back: Elston, Alice, Andy, Sankey, Marjie, Hunter, Yorise and Chelsea.
*Sharing my thoughts with the kids. . . talking with my hands of course :)
*Andy Haviland, principal and friend, dressed up for the ceremony :)
I was lucky enough to also spend the night - I got to hang out and enjoy some BBQ and good friends, and was able to stay for the school picnic on Friday before returning to Unalakleet Friday afternoon.

*Fun with the fire truck. . .
*kids playing at the picnic which was held down at the beach
*Sheri and her daughter Chelsea (a graduate) and myself enjoying the sun at the picnic

After the school year finished up, I remained in UNK for an extra ten days- the first few were used to plan for the fall inservice I'm helping with, and the others were spent working on our math standards. There were ten of us working on improving and updating standards and we did a great job- if I do say so myself :) If you are at all interested in the work we did, you can find it on the wiki page linked to the MATH CASC group on our districts wiki page. (yeah, I know no one will look, but I wanted try adding a link to my entry :)

At the end of CASC I headed straight to Colorado for Dad's retirement party. . . that will be found in the next entry :)

Trip to Colorado!!

2007-06-01T14:45:00.000-08:00

Michelle, Onan, and I surprised Dad by coming to Colorado to help him celebrate his retirement (the real one this time). He finally retired after 42 years in education. Eight years spent as an assistant principal, and the other years in the classroom in one capacity or another. Truely an inspiration to me as a teacher myself, and an amazing teacher that has touched thousands of lives. The classroom won't be the same without him.

Here are some pictures of us surprising him, and the big event itself :)

Biking with the Guys

2007-05-04T07:40:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Ben and Jason and I took the nice ride out to the north fork bridge- about a 16 mile loop. There were a few spots of snow covering the road, and some big puddles to play through- but other than that it was a great ride. The evening before the temps were low enough and there was so much moisture in the air that the hoar frost the morning we rode was awesome!

Last weekend I also hiked out to the VOR hill (not sure what it stands for. . . I'll have to find out)- I believe it's relics of the military station that was out here at one time. . . **UPDATE: VOR stands for VHF omni-directional radio range. its what our planes use these days for radio navigation*** Thanks to Bill for keeping me up to speed. . . I guess it has nothing to do with the military station at all :)

A fine weekend. . .

2007-04-22T20:42:00.000-08:00

After a week of snow and depressing weather, we were lucky enough to have a fantastic weekend with glorious temps, and sun all day long! I got out with the dogs both days, and even did a little sunning myself on a log in the tundra. . . a fine way to spend an afternoon after biking. Sunday I got out and did TWO of the hill loops! Look at me go! The sun has me excited and ready for an active summer. . . four more Fridays!! (but who's counting!?!?! ;)

Here are some pictures from my wanderings on the tundra/floodplains this weekend. . .

The grasses are frozen in time, stuck between pools of ice and patches of frozen ground. . . they are patiently waiting for warmth and sun to start their short season of growth.

The amount of wood that the fall storms bring in from the ocean is amazing. There are no trees of this size growing anywhere in the vicinity of this region of the state. . .

Any idea's? I can't figure out what these pipes might be from. . . they are in the middle of the tundra and too close together to be dog posts. . . it's got me wondering. . .

Hope you all had a good weekend. . .

Overdue Update. . .

2007-04-19T18:26:00.000-08:00

I was recently reminded by two friends that I haven't updated the blog in a while. . . so here it is: A conglomeration of random pictures and things that have been consuming my time lately.

Stacie caught me in action about a week ago when I was out with dogs. They run along side the bike on leashes until the edge of town, and then they roam free, as I bike a small loop of 5 to 8 miles. I've even gotten out to do the big 'hill loop' several times without the dogs. I even did a little trail biking up a steep hill we call Army Hill. I felt so cool that I reached (nearly) the top. . . I wanted someone to come by and see me. . . well, I guess I knew I did it, that will have to do :) The weather had been so nice for 2 weeks- notice I'm not even wearing at hat!! :) but as of this week we have had stormy weather, wind and snow! We have almost 2 inches of new snow on the ground. . . very depressing for those of us dreaming of summer. . .

(this was almost 3 weeks ago)
Kim H. and I took the machines out for one last run- we had to search for the snow, and at several points it was more like tundra-sledding instead of snowmaching, but it was great to get out in the warmer temps and see some new country. We went out the Iditarod trail, then cut off to the right to climb the hills and get a new perspective . . .

This has been my most recent perspective: work on my thesis. My table hidden under articles and books for my literature review and my computer open and ready to record the brief moments of genius that come to me. Unfortunately, they don't seem to come as often as I'd like, or in the same span of time. I've recently felt that I'm being drug through the mud. . . and I'd really like to move forward. . . Overall I find it frustrating yet fulfilling at the same time. I enjoy the intellectually stimulating reading and thought provoking work, yet, I find myself going in circles about my topic, and am not sure I see a productive, concrete, positive answer for education coming out of it- I guess that is what sucks people into Doctoral programs. . . wanting to go further into it, trying to find answers. But what if there aren't any answers?!

And here, are the perfect dinner rolls I contributed to Easter dinner at the Johnson's. It was a nice relaxing day, and food was excellent! Thank you Stacie and Josh!

Some other random news: I was asked to be the graduation speaker in White Mountain this year! What an honor and a real treat for me! These are the freshman I started with my first year of teaching, and well, I know you aren't suppose to say it, but they were my favorites :) I am eager to see WMO again, and see everyone. I get the chance to spend the night and hang out for an evening catching up. It should be great!

So, a random mix of things to entertain or bore you :) I am counting down the weeks till school is over (four more Friday's!!), and am looking forward to my summer fun this year. I will be buying a vehicle, biking lots and hope to visit friends across the state- the calendar is already filling up, and I fear it will go by far too quickly. I guess that gives me even more reason to document as I go, to make sure I immerse myself in each moment . . .

hoping all is well on your side-

ahhhh, spring break. . .

2007-03-20T12:04:00.000-08:00

Well it started off well. Andrea (my friend who taught out here last year) came to visit me for the end of her spring break, and the beginning of mine. She arrived on Wednesday, and Thursday after school we rode out to the Old Woman cabin for a night (the cabin is in the trees at the base of the hill in the picture--->).
Hoping to meet up with some mushers at the cabin, we ended up passing 5 on the trail, and meeting up with the red lantern right as he was leaving the cabin.

It was beautiful spring weather- we did a little skiing, and hiked to the top of Old Woman.

We also decided to try our hand at some ice fishing on the way home- with axe in hand, and fishing line ready, we hacked our way through nearly 2.5 feet of ice!! And then, we still didn't hit water!! So for all of our effort, we had little to show. . . next time!!

After she left on Saturday I spent the time crafting, skiing with the dogs and doing some spring cleaning in and around the house.

It always seems to go by so fast. Though I'm ready to get the last quarter started (and finished) there is a lot to be done and I've yet to find the motivation to get the ball rolling. . . I'm sure it will hit me soon :)

I hope you are all enjoying your own spring- whatever that may bring. . .

Iditarod and pests. . .

2007-03-12T17:20:00.000-08:00

Well, the race is here. . . here are a few (bad) pics of Bouser and others (the first to Unalakleet). If I can figure out how to attach short video clips I'll do that too.

As for the pests issue- I just had to add this picture. . . a day at the spa you say?!?! Oh no, lice treatment, home remedy style :) That's right smearing mayonnaise all over your hair, letting it sit for two hours, and then a rise with vinegar and lots of combing will work just as good as any chemical treatment. . . in case you ever need it :) heehee. . . hopefully not. No worries though, it's done and over with and my hair has never been so clean and moisturized! (despite the slight smell of potato salad lingering for the day! :)

Savoonga. . .

2007-03-12T16:57:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a week since I've been back, but I'm not sure I've sat down yet. . .
It's been a whirlwind of travel, meetings and subs in my classroom. . . I'm still trying to get it all figured out. But enough about the boring stuff. . . let me show you Savoonga!
We lucked out with great weather (good temps and great visibility)- I got to take a long walk on the island, and was envious of the snow they had; I was wishing for a pair of skiis! This is on the ridge, over looking oceananic ice. . . it was all gone the next morning with the warm southerly winds that kicked up that night.
The skin boats, in winter condition, lined the shores and evidence of whaling among the village homes made it unique to any other village I've visited before. I even bought my first piece of ivory- a little seal.

Oh, as for the conference stuff (I suppose that is the reason I went there :)- that went well too. A new position for me to help lead a district mini-inservice, but it went well overall I think. I presented on differentiated instruction, foldables in the classroom, and web-based resources. We did a lot of work on the wiki and the best part, an entire room of people talking MATH!! It doesn't get much better than that ;)

Sun and Ice

2007-02-18T17:11:00.000-09:00

I went out again this weekend, and wandered down the south beach. The picture of the ice shows the thickness of the ice at the mouth of the river and the cracks that are caused by the tension of the constantly moving water beneth. A little scary the first couple of times you walk on it, but you get used to it. . . especially after you see full size trucks driving on it! (just a nerdy FYI - about 9" of ice can hold 2 tons. . . so you figure the ice here is maybe a foot thick. . . I'm sure the dogs and I are just fine! :)

The goal was to get to the base of the Nulato Hills. . . but mother nature beat me again. She moved them farther way than they were last weekend :) I walked close to 2 hours (expecting that it was going to take me twice as long as last weekend). . . but they were STILL far, far away :) Next weekend, I'll take along some water, snacks and start a little earlier. . . I will make it down there yet :) Bill suggested that I camp out and make it a two day venture. . . I'm thinking about it. But the wind is mighty fierce out there in the open flats, and the temps at night are still getting pretty cold. I'll chew on it some more and see if I'm up for the adventure.

Here are some photos - as I started. . . and where I ended. . . I got close :) but not close enough. . . (the hills I'm headed toward are the distance dark images in the first picture)

Here is a view looking back toward Unalakleet. It is on the coast in the far, far distance on the right. (ok- you probably can't even see it. . . but it's there!)

And here are my dogs, in rare form- :) A one-eyed dork named Bracken (vet thinks his eyeball shrunk, and now it looks like he only has one eye), and a wild tongue freak named Bella.

A new view point. . .

2007-02-13T12:21:00.000-09:00

Quite literally. I walked across the mouth of the river at the south point of town this weekend, and walked south along the beach toward the Nulato Hills with the dogs. It was great to be somewhere new (sometimes that is hard to find out here), and seeing something different. As you can tell from the photos a lot of the snow is gone, and bare tundra is poking its head out in more places than I’d like to see at this time of year. The temperatures have cooled down again (around the teens most days- but near –10F with the wind chill) and the snow and ice that remains seems to be holding fast. I was reminded that something similar happened last year, but new snow fell and the rest of the ski season wasn’t lost. . . I’ve got my fingers crossed that the new snow will come soon. The walking was nice despite the lack of ski conditions- the walk took us past many fish drying racks along the beach. Many more than I realized were on that side of the river. I hope to get out there again this week. . . It looks like I could walk for miles – I’m not sure how far the base of the hills are, but I’d like to get over there to see if it’s possible in an afternoon.

As for my trip to Savoonga that you never heard about- well, that is because I never went. The weather conditions on the island were not conducive to flying, so here I stayed. The hope is that the in-service will be rescheduled, so I might have a chance at a later date to get out there. . . we’ll see.

Has spring sprung?!?!

2007-01-28T16:30:00.000-09:00

It was an incredibly wonderful weekend here in Unalakleet! With temps in the high 20's and a warm wind blowing, I got out skiing both days and even felt the warmth of the sun on my face! I know it's WAY too early for spring, but boy does it feel good!! The skiing was fantastic (albeit the 15-20 mph head wind) on the newly groomed trails Christian and Nancy (new teachers) have created. . . what a treat! Who said I live in uncivilized territory- I've got groomed trails!

Just in case you forgot what I look like :) And yes, the dogs usually pull me, but coming down the hill side, I decide to let them run free so I could stop and take pictures on the way down. They have little patience for me stopping and going :)

I also found some time to finish my curtains! what do you think?!? I think they would look perfect in a coffeeshop- but they make me smile and add plenty of color to the kitchen :) so I guess they are just right! :)

I'm headed to Savoonga (another school in our district) this week to help present on some math topics- I'm looking forward to seeing something new- I'm sure I'll have lots of pictures to share next weekend :) If you look on a map, Savoonga is on an island off the coast of Nome, called Saint Lawrence Island.

Hope you enjoyed your weekend!

Wonderful Weekend Fun

2007-01-21T16:10:00.000-09:00

This was a glorious weekend-

Friday night I drove my machine out to a cabin on the Unalakleet River and met a friend out there for the night. We skied the next morning, and then I returned to town by mid-afternoon Saturday. The weather was decent (windy, but that is expected out here), and the snow was great. Aside from my sore ankle, the trip was fantastic. Check out the basketball hoop by the fishrack. . . says more than words could describe :)

Saturday night was spent with Stacie and Erin eating treats and doing a little crafting, and watching a movie! It was a full, and fun night!

Sunday I wasn't in the mood to go to school, so, I didn't!! Look at me being so daring! I worked on some new curtains (pics to come) and was happily sewing away when I got a call. . . students were waiting for me at school. They wondered if I was going to come to study hall! (I was 45 minutes late!!) Oops! So, the one Sunday I decide to have my own day, I had to go!! I got a little work done, but really just wanted to go out with the dogs! The temps have been around the teen's and it's just perfect weather for doing things outdoors. I think some snowshoeing will be in order next weekend :)

Christmas pics. . .

2007-01-14T18:44:00.000-09:00

So I realize that these are late in coming, but they are so fun, I really wanted to post them! Here is the Jones eleven! They are a good looking crew, aren't they?!?! I can't beleive how big the family is getting!

Me with Tiz and Fanuel. . .

Here are a few pictures of my snowboarding adventure. I went with my brother, his family, and his two nephews on his wife's side. It was a great day, but boy was I a sore girl the next day! I think my butt is still bruised!!

Planes, Trains and Automobiles!

2007-01-07T12:05:00.000-09:00

Well, my holiday's were not short an adventure this year. I spent my time in Colorado with my family, but had a bit of a hard time getting to Denver. For those of you who heard about the blizzard that swept through Denver, it hit the morning I was suppose to get to town. So, my flight out of Seattle was cancelled, and I ended up being redirected to Las Vegas of all places (anyone who knows me, knows that this is the LAST place on earth I would want to go). The flight to DEN from Vegas was cancelled so I ended up having to spend the night (my hotel was right across the strip from the Pyramid casino). Due to so many cancelled flights and other travelers being redirected it looked as if I wasn't going to get out of Vegas for another 2 days! And even then, I was only able to get a flight to Farmington, NM- a small town on the southern boarder of Colorado (yeah, I didn't know where it was either till I looked at a map!) But I was going crazy- I wasn't, couldn't, sit in a hotel in Vegas for two days. . . it was going to drive me crazy! So, instead I rented a car the following morning, and drove to Grand Junction, CO (500 miles) to met my parents there. So here I was, an Alaskan, in Nevada, driving an Arizona registered car, through Utah, to get to Colorado. . . :) :)

We spent the night at my aunt and uncle's place, and then drove the remaining 250 miles to my parents house the following morning. So from start to finish, it was about 66 hours to get to Colorado this year (normally, it's a mere 13 hours!) It was a crazy adventure that I wasn't exactly in the mood to be having, but. . . it worked out, thankfully, like it always does :)

Catch Up. . .

2006-12-07T20:20:00.000-09:00

I haven't updated in nearly a month. . . I guess that should speak for itself :) In that time I've been to Fairbanks to celebrate Thanksgiving with Michelle and her family. Cut down my Christmas tree, decorated my house for Christmas, and have made the first round of Christmas cookies :) Here are a few pictures of the events to keep you all up to date :)

Thanksgiving was spent at Colleen and Sean's place this year, with the Henderson's and other freinds. It was a great feast, and great company!

I got to hang out with Onan too, and he got to show me his favorite website! Are we in the age of technology or what?!? This 3 1/2 year old told me what site to go to, complete with the "www dot com" address :) Then he proceeded to show me how to do through the games and showed me where you go to learn to read, and what letters they were practicing. Amazing. . . truely amazing. . .

And now. . . it's Christmas time :) tree cutting, tree decorating and cookie making :)
First getting up the tree was a little tricky. . . it looks straight to you, doesn't it?!?!

. . .first the lights. . .

. . . now the ornaments. . .

TA-DA!!

My friends helped with the sugar cookie decorating last weekend. . . it was great fun. Hot cocoa, cookie making, Christmas music and good friends! It was a great way to start the holiday season!

Philly!!

2006-11-15T19:58:00.000-09:00

Wow. . . what a trip.

I left Unalakleet on Wednesday afternoon at 4pm and arrived in Philly 4:30pm, Thursday. I attended a conference Friday, half a day Saturday and then got back on the plane Saturday at 5:30pm!! I spent almost an equal amount of time flying as I did being in Philly. It was a whirl-wind trip that's for sure. But while I was there I packed in a little sight seeing and enjoyed some of the local culture.

I wandered in the Old City Center and saw the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. I also saw Ben Franklin's quarters and workshop.

Philly certainly has a lot of history and culture embedded in it. I wandered the city streets and got more people watching in then I have for years! I also got to eat a WIDE variety of cuisines- Indian, German, Cajun and even enjoyed a meal at an oyster bar! um, um, good!

Though I am a far stretch from a city girl, I enjoyed the city layout and beauty (they still had color on their trees, and lots, and lots of fall leaves everywhere!). I also had three remarkable interactions with Phillidelphians that renewed my belief that people are nice and generous beings. The first took place at the Saturday farmer's market. I was in line ready to pay for my fresh bread, and was told they only took cash. Before I could ask where the cash machine was, the woman in front of me, turned and said she would buy it for me! Nothing I said would change her mind. She said that someone had done it for her once, and she remembered how much she appreciated it. So it was her turn to 'pay it forward.' I guess it will be my turn next time :)

The next curiously nice thing happened when a woman from my session returned from lunch the second day with an extra serving of dessert for me to take home with me! "You have to try zocotta!" It was an amazing, sinfully chocolate dessert! Not to be missed if you ever have the chance at an authentic Italian restuarant.

And the last of the nice jestures, came from an airport employee! I had a rough time getting through security and ended up having to go back to the check-in counter and needed to put something in my bag, or have it confiscated. This of course is NOT allowed. But. . . this wonderful man must have seen the pathetic look on my face and went through all the checked luggage in the back to find mine! I was truely shocked. . . there aren't many places (aside from AK :) where soomeone would go out of their way to do something like that for a stranger. I was very grateful.

So, all in all, a fantastic, whirlwind, trip. Maybe next time I'll stay for at least 72 hours :)

A week in Anchorage with kids. . . plus more. .

2006-11-07T08:51:00.000-09:00

I had a great week with the seniors in Anchorage going to post secondary schools and getting a chance to get hang with them outside of school. We attended the college fair at the Egan Center, toured Job Corps in Palmer, walked the campus of UAA and learned about the Native Medical Center off of Tudor. Another group of students went down to Seward and Kenai to see AVTEC and the Alaska Christian College. It was a successful trip knowing that some of the kids that didn’t want to do anything after high school saw and decided to get some specialized training of some kind. What more could we have asked for from the trip?! On the way home, Doug, the district pilot, took us on a fantastic flight along the Iditarod trail back home.

It was a beautiful day, and flying low along the route made the Alaska Range mountains seem like they were within an arms reach!

Over the weekend, I helped (try to at least) ref the volleyball games (That's me in the background playing the down ref :) I really enjoy doing it! Almost as much as playing. . . I'd really like to do it more. . .

I got out with the dogs to enjoy the nice (but windy) weather too, the temps are definitely dropping, and there is enough snow for some people to have their machines out already! . . though not quite enough to ski yet :( But there is ice starting to form on the Sound, and on one of my walks down the beach with the dogs, I found a strange site. A seal’s head- but not a single other body part to be found near by. Doesn’t he look like he’s smiling at you?! :) I love the whiskers. . .

Well, I hope you enjoy the week- I will be headed to Philadelphia on Wednesday to attend a conference on differentiated instruction. I can’t wait! I’ll let you know how it went next weekend. . .

A great birthday week. . . PICS are here!

2006-10-28T10:51:00.000-08:00

Well I can't say it was a dull week :)

With the ed. conference here, there was something going on every night this week. Sunday night I hung out with Rick and Tiff at the Currier's. . . it was great sitting and chatting and enjoying each others company. It reminded me how much I really miss them :( Monday through Wednesday was the ed. conference itself- I participated in a session lead by Rick on how to truly engage students in their learning. Though it was a slap in the face how far I have to go as a teacher, it was refreshing to have something to challenge me and rethink the way I do things (even if I can only change one little thing at a time). Tuesday night Deb had a Stampin' Up party that turned out great. And unfortunately, I spent Wednesday sick, and Thursday I was still recuperating, but was doing well enough to carry on a conversation, which is more than I can say about Wednesday night, at the pre-birthday party and going away party for Tiff and the boys.

Thursday night, everyone from out of town left, and it was nice to have a quiet birthday dinner at the Currier's.

Deb and the kids decorated, and Jason made a yummy, comfort food, dinner with rice and creamy chicken. We finished the evening by watching Over the Hedge and going to bed early :) It was a lovely end to the day! Thanks you guys!

Friday brought a work day, snowy weather, and the annual Halloween Carnival in the evening. I had asked Deb to bring something back from ANC for me- something colorful and fun. . . she choose the perfect outfit :)
I don't know what I am, but a chance to wear a flaming pink hat, a neon-green boa, and sparkly eyelashes can't be passed up! :) thanks Deb!

Saturday I spent getting sub plans put together for the week. I will be leaving Sunday afternoon with our seniors to visit career and school opportunities they have after they graduate. I'm looking forward to the trip, but am feeling the stress of being out of the classroom so much.

Well, November is here. . . crazy as that is. . . I hope you all have a fun and safe Halloween, whatever you decide to do. :)

A full fantastic weekend. . .

2006-10-16T07:23:00.000-08:00

Wow. Another busy and great weekend! Saturday consisted of the normal laundry and minor cleaning, along with massive amounts of reading for the class I’m taking right now. In the afternoon, I got to learn how to knit a hat (thank you Nancy!) and drove to the end of the Unalakleet road with Bill and Erin to view the beautiful surroundings. The fall colors are fading, but the scenery is still breath taking.

Toward the end of the road, we were reminded of the fact that there used to be an army base in the area. There are some haphazard, scary reminders strewn about on the tundra. Makes you think twice- thinking that you live in a clean, pollution-free, isolated area. . . but there is no escaping it, even out here.

As the winds pick up and the temperatures drop, it makes me realize that I’m ready for the snow to come. I hope it comes earlier than last year- I wasn’t able to put on a pair of skis until January!!

Sunday, I had brunch at my place with Bill and Erin, Stacie, James and Abbie, and Deb with Cate and Ben completing the group. The husbands (well most of them) were out of town, and it was a great time to get together and visit (not that we don’t like to visit when the husbands are here, but it gave us an opportunity to talk about them :) heehee).

James was introduced to my cat, Rijah, during breakfast and decided to put his best face forward to capture the moment :) isn’t he a doll?!?!

Everyone brought great goodies, and I must admit that I was very proud of my sticky-buns . . . probably the best I’ve ever made!! Soft and sweet, and don’t forget sticky!! Um, um good!! The rest of the day was spent at school planning and grading- it was productive and a good use of time- so that makes it feel like it was worth it!

I hope you all had a great weekend as well. We’ve got one more week in the quarter (where has the time gone!??!) and then next week is spent at inservice meetings here in Unalakleet. I’m looking forward to some good sessions, and visiting with friends coming to town. Especially the Holt’s!! It will be a great week of visiting, and oh yeah, learning :)

Three Day Weekend!!

2006-09-26T07:06:00.000-08:00

What a glorious weekend!! I took Friday off (can you believe I actually took a personal day?!?! What is this world coming to?!?!) to spend a lover-ly three day weekend with my friend Tiff and the rest of the gang (Deb, Stacie and Erin). Tiff was up visiting for four days and it turned out to be a great time. We did some stamping, chatting, laughing, sleeping and drinking :) What more could you want out of a three day weekend with good friends?!?! :) Thanks to everyone for making it a great event- it was just the trick to rejuvenate and remind me how lucky I am !! I love you guys!!

The weekend also brought the regional cross country races and I went to cheer on my students- it’s fun watching them come in the last leg of the course. We even have 2 kids from the district going to state next week! Way to go Hunter and Katiya! (both White Mountain students!)

Running Meet

2006-09-17T13:07:00.001-08:00

This week had been the longest on record I'm sure. Thankfully the weekend came and it was a relatively mellow weekend. Movie watching and crafting a little. . . I aslo helped at the district cross country running meet that was here in UNK on Saturday. Runners from across the 15 schools in the district came to town and participated in a truely "cross" country run that included tundra, hills and roads. I stood at a strategic corner to prevent any short cuts (but really, I was just a cheerleader for the kids!). The kids and I lucked out with dry weather and a slight breeze to help wiht the bugs.

All in all a good weekend- hope you had a good one too.

Ethiopian Night

2006-09-05T18:49:00.000-08:00

Well I did it again- I shared my summer travels with friends through a meal and a viewing of my pictures. We tasted shiro and dorowat (a spicy bean dip of sorts, and stewed chicken in red pepper sauce).

The food wasn't perfect, but it sure was hot enough to keep everyone talking about it!! I also had some dabbo (bread), kolo (baked barley) and some candy treats from the trip (cardomon candy is very unique). I set up a projector on the wall to share a selection of pictures (with over 1000 to choose from, it wasn't an easy choice :) and the stories that went with them. It was great fun and turned out better than I had planned :)

thanks to all who made the evening possible-

Labor Day Activities

2006-09-05T18:42:00.000-08:00

Labor day weekend was fantastic!! Blue sky's, warm sunshine, outdoor activities and friends. . . it was great.

Here are a few pictures of the fun- I went out berry picking a couple of times and the fall colors are beginning to show themselves in all of their glory.

I also went fishing up river with the 'gang' and had a little picnic on the beach. The sun was glorious, but the bugs were horrific. No one can remember them being this bad before. . .

Hope you all had a good weekend yourselves!!

Fishing in Unalakleet

2006-08-25T16:55:00.000-08:00

I've been back in Unalakleet for about 3 weeks now. One week of training, one week of meetings and prep and one week with the kids! School has started off well, a little less stressful than last year, but not without the common stresses that come with teaching.

As for the fun stuff :) The weather has been on the cool side, and raining quite a bit. But we were all in for a great surprise when Saturday ended up being one of the most fantastic days I've seen all summer/fall. Bright blue skies, no wind and warm sunshine beating down. I was lucky enough to get the chance to go fishing with another teacher and her husband. The fishing was great on the North Fork of the Unalakleet River. We caught our limit (12) fairly quickly and I've now got plenty in my freezer for at least a few meals :) Here are a few pictures of the adventure.

Happy fall!

On the North Fork

Sue and Kerry, cleaning fish

One of the smaller specimen caught that day.

Coming into the mighty Unalakleet dock

Africa: eye opening and enriching

2006-08-06T05:27:00.000-08:00

Well, I've been back for over a week and am still thinking about the amazing trip.

The quick version goes something like this: 7 days in Addis Ababa (the capital) and time spent at the orphanage and seeing the sites with the new niece, nephew and my brother and his wife.

The 'family' on a walk up the road on the Entoto Mountains outside of Addis Ababa.

We flew to a northern town, Gondar, and spent 3 days there exploring. We did some treking in the Simien Mountains, saw baboons in the wild, and had our first outdoor experience in the rainy season :) .

We hiked in the Simien Mountains- not what you thought you'd find in Ethiopia, is it?!?

A bleeding heart baboon we saw on the mountain tops. Interestingly enough, it isn't even in the baboon family! It's it's own species of monkey! Some misc. trivia for you.

We then drove southwest to a town by the name of Bahir Dar (this is where the kids are from). We spent three days here visiting some family, seeing the Blue Nile Falls (one of the 7 wonders of the world) and boating on Lake Tana (the beginning of the Blue Nile River).

Me and the Blue Nile Falls- the falls are less spectacular then they once were due to a dam being put in place to redirect water for an energy source in the area.

A papyrus boat on Lake Tana- the first form of kayaking perhaps?!??! :)

We then returned to Addis Ababa by plane and spent one more day before returning to the states, with a party of 5 instead of 3!

Food: I really enjoyed the food - I was craving it this week! Thankfully, Denver has several Ethiopian restaurants, and I was able to fulfill my craving before returning to Alaska.

Food is served on a large (roughly 24 inches diameter), sourdough pancake/crepe. The different dishes are put on top of the injera, and is eaten by tearing off pieces of injera and 'scooping' up the dish of choice. No silverware is involved, and it's appropriate for the hand that is be eaten with to get greasy and messy in the process. The food is flavorful and they use many spices- a spice combination called burberry is used in many dishes. They use a lot of lentils and beans, and meat to make the many similar dishes. Don't be surprised to find tongue on the menu, that is considered part of the fasting food dishes (vegetarian dishes) that are consumed :)

Family: Wow. How do I describe the emotions, the learning, the excitement that came with a trip like this? My brother and I have never spent much, what I would consider, quality time together (he is 7 years older than myself, and was off living his life, and I've been doing the same). And his wife of 8 years (I think) happened after I moved to Alaska, so I haven't had the opportunity to get to know her either. Having 16 days in close proximity provides an opportunity like no other to learn about someone :) I learned that Troy and Kristi are made for each other, they compliment each other perfectly and I learned that they are going to be GREAT parents! They are so consciencious of their actions, their decisions and are constantly staying aware of how things might affect their kids culturally. There is so much that goes into have teenagers, but when your teenagers were brought up in another culture, speak another language and have only known you for 20 days, the decisions you make are constantly second-guessed and processed to make sure it was the 'right' one. The amazing thing to watch was how well the kids 'fit' into Troy and Kristi's family. After 2 days it was very apparent that the kids were meant to be in the family and will do just fine- of course their will be some bumps, but you've got to have those so that you remember what is so good :)
I too was able to create a bond with the kids that is beyond words. It is so unique and special to have made a connection to my new niece and nephew created by their opportunity to share their culture and home country with me. A bond like that would never have been created without the opportunity to travel with Troy and Kristi and be able to share in the experience. It was truely life changing and something I will always share with them and the kids. Thank you Troy and Kristi for allowing me to be a part of such an important part of your lives.

The longer version with more details will have to be shared through a conversation- there is so much to talk about!

Ethiopia- day 6

2006-07-17T04:23:00.000-08:00

Well, I've learned one thing- I can't access my blog through the server here in the Hilton Hotel in Addis Ababa. I am connected via my brother's server in Colorado! crazy!! Well, in a nut shell, things are GREAT! The kids are fantastic and though it took them a few days to relax (understandably) they seem to fit right into the greoup and feel like they belong in the family. Ethiopia is obviously a culture shock, and I feel like I'm in a National Geographic documentary. The streets are filled with an amazing mix of old and new- cell phones, and SUV's, sheep, and garbage, glass multistory buiildings, and small tin huts selling the daily meat. I will have plenty of pictures to share when I return- but I may not have a change to write again.

hope all is well with you-
akest Carrie (aunt Carrie )

Africa. . . here I come!

2006-07-08T00:41:00.000-08:00

Well, in 24 hours I will be on a plane headed toward the African continent (okay, maybe not right away. . . there are a couple (4) stops in between :). With all of the talking, planning and anticipation for the journey, it seems hard to believe it's here, and I'm really going! I have to admit that I've got that excited/nervous feeling in my stomach, and though I am eager for the trip, the unknown and the anticipation of things beyond the scope of my imagination is keeping my mind busy and unable to sleep tonight.

I hope to post a few notes while traveling to share the experience- so hopefully, the next time you read this, I will be in Ethiopia soaking up the culture and the enjoying the new members of our family! :)

Here's to safe travels. . .

My very own kayak!

2006-07-03T20:16:00.000-08:00

My parents brought up a kayak from my dear neighbor Frank in Colorado. I could hardly wait to try it out, and my parents were the lucky subjects of my eager-beaver behavior. I drug them out to do a short float down the Chena river through town today, and despite the intermitten down pours we were subjected to, my parents were good sports and the short float was enjoyed by all!

My very own!! I'm so excited!! Can you tell by the smile on my face?!?! :) :)

The overpasses came at opportune times to duck out of the rain.

Dad, leaving all the work for mom to do!

Always An Adventure

2006-07-02T12:15:00.000-08:00

Well, I've joined the crowd. A place to keep people up to date on my doings, because I've finally accepted that I am a TERRIBLE long distance friend. I think of all of you often, though time and other activities seem to keep me from staying in contact.

This summer has been a great one thus far. . . here is a quick run down of activities and some pictures to illustrate the fun!

- I bought a bike for my transportation (I can hear you laughing Josh :) and I've managed to get over 450 miles on my body/bike
thus far (that's what happens when you live 10 miles outside of town and go in nearly every day for one thing, or another)

- Took a 5 day trip to Valdez with my friend Colleen for a kayaking tip in Shoup Bay. That was a glorious trip with sunshine, wildlife and great paddling.

- Camping trip at Quartz Lake (Tangle Lakes, the original destination was canceled due to flooded roads between there and FAI) with friends, Signe and Melinda. A very relaxing trip with paddling and good company, and more sunshine!!

- I've gotten vaccinated for anything and everything you can imagine for the trip to Africa (Ethiopia)

- I am currently visiting with my folks who are here from Colorado (they drove up pulling a 5th wheel camper, and to add to the excitement, their truck was stolen in Edmonton- Josh, don't hurt yourself laughing too hard :). . . but everything has worked out, and they were up here only 10 days later than planned! They even brought up my very own kayak thanks to my good neighbor back in Colorado- I can't wait to get out on the water with it!! Hopefully I'll get out a couple of times before I leave for Africa. My nephew Onan wanted to test out the kayak too :)

- The big bummer is the bike trip adventure I was planning. Andrea (a friend from Unalakleet) and I were suppose to bike up the Dalton Hwy to Prudhoe Bay. Five people, 350 miles and a spring of planning mixed with uncontrolable events caused it to morph into something very different. First a change of dates, then a change of distance, then our numbers dropped from 5 people to 3, and then another change of dates caused the 300 mile adventure to become close to impossible with only 5 days for the adventure. At the last discussion it was decided that a trip to Cordova to bike the Million Dollar Highway might be a better choice for the limited time. After the many, many changes I decided that cramming a 2 day trip (and all of the travel to Valdez and then Cordova) may not be the best use of time when I had family here that I had only seen for 4 days instead of the expected 3 weeks. Bummed and a little disapointed after a spring of planning and preparations, I have vowed to do the long ride to Prudhoe next summer. As Deb reminded me, family is important and trips like this can be done any year . . . so next year it is!

- Africa travel will begin July 9th and has me going from Fairbanks, to Seattle, then Denver, San Fransico, Washington DC, Rome and then finally Addis Ababa. I haven't added up the hours of travel yet, but I will let you know. . . it might be insane :) I don't want to syke myself out yet :) I will try to get an update and some pictures posted while traveling. I'm so excited to be going with my brother and his wife to pick up thier new kids. . . it's so special, exciting and a trip of a life time. Please feel free to visit Kristi's and Troy's webpage for other updates and info on the adoption process and our travels abroad (www.tandk.us)

Well, I guess that brings me up to speed in a nut shell. . . always more to do, and get done. . .