THIS IS ONE OF THE NICE GIRLS WE HAVE HAD FOR TWO YEARS.
SUN UP? SUN DOWN? SOMETIMES, I WONDER MYSELF.
SUSAN WITH A BUNCH OF OUR KIDS AT A PIZZA FAMILY NIGHT, COURSE ALL THE KIDS WANTED ON THE COMPUTERS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARES THAT THE STUDENTS USE WHEN WE HAVE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM. I AM SURE THE TIME SPENT ON THESE PROGRAMS HELPED SUSAN AND MY GRADES MAKE AYP THIS LAST YEAR IN MATH AND READING.
TODAY, IT IS A SNOWY DAY, JUST RIGHT TO READ A GOOD BOOK, STAY IN BED, OR MESS WITH PICTURES. I AM GOING TO HAVE TO GO SOMEWHERE TO GET SOME MORE PICTURES! WE ARE GOING TO ANCHORAGE DURING PART OF CHRISTMAS BREAK, SO WE WILL BE ABLE TO GET SOME THEN. THERE IS NOT MUCH TO TAKE PICTURES OF HERE THAT IS NEW.
PINK FLOCKED TREES? WELL YES, IN SOME REALITY, I GUESS. I TOOK THIS AT NIGHT WITH A WIERD OUTSIDE LIGHT SHINNING ON THE SNOW COVERED BUSHES. I NEVER SAW PINK TILL I LOOKED AT THE PICTURE ON THE COMPUTER. AT LEAST IT IS NOT ANOTHER WHITE PICTURE.

I GOT TIRED OF SEEING NOTHING BUT WHITE LAST YEAR, SO I GOT SOME PLANTS STARTED AT MY HOUSE THEN BROUGHT THEM OVER HERE TO MY CLASSROOM. I WAS SURPRISED HOW THE KIDS LEAN UP AGAINST THE COUNTER AND LOOK CLOSELY AT THE PLANTS. THE GROW LIGHT WAS IN MY SCHOOL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT NOT BEING USED SO I ASKED TO USE IT IN MY ROOM.

I think I missed putting this on because our Internet was so slow it would never load. We'll see what it does today.

I tried to get Sharkie messing around on the snow, but he must be used to it by now. I have not seen any foxes hanging around this year, or bears, which is a great deal for both Sharkie and myself because he would come running to me for help, and that leaves no one to help me if Susan isn't handy! Oh, if you click on the flocked tree at the top it will enlarge the picture and they you can see the diamonds! Press the back button on your browser to go back to the blog. BYE

Another year of flocked trees

It has been in the teen's and with no wind so the snow has just froze where it fell making for beautifully flocked trees.
I have been trying to get a shot that shows how the snow sparkles in the light, but to no avail.
We are staying in Emmonak for the Thanksgiving for the second year.
Tomorrow, at five in the afternoon Susan, another teacher, and myself are going to have family night for the after school program participants and their families. Last year we cooked the frozen kind of pizzas, but this year we are having them made locally at $25 per pizza. We ordered 2o pizzas. With cookies and Tang for all, the total will be close to our budget of $700.
I was going to stay up till 10 p.m. to watch the OSU- Colorado game, but a fellow teacher told me the score with 3 minutes left which turned out to be the final score. That was at 7 p.m. and it was advertised to be on at 10. It is a wacky life up here sometimes. Not even ESPN can figure out how to list game times for Alaska. Writing class has been slow for the teacher and hard for the students, but I will have a lot of them writing well by state tests. I ordered pencil pads for the pencils and the students did not get the hint that they would will be writing, writing, writing just like last year with their reading, reading, reading. I am glad I never had a teacher like me!!

Halloween

Yesterday, Halloween Day, I walked to the store and took a detour along the river to see how the ice was doing and found a frozen river. I guess I've been too busy to notice the temperature which is -16 degrees today.
We have transitioned form motor boats to fire wood. Plenty of wood floated into the village on the river during the flood. Villagers have plenty of wood close-by. The town is white and clean looking now.
Susan and the Mendenhall Glacier. She took a video of a mama bear and a cub who was climbing a tree, but our Internet will not work long enough for the action clip to load.
I kept trying to get the sun light to show you the thin layers of ice that are pushed up over other layers, but this is the best visual I could get. There are drifts like snow drifts completely across the river.
They painted the church, even its roof. Looks good, today. All our trick-0r-treaters were really nice and polite last night, if not scary. Maybe, the teachings of the church are helping more of the students show kindness and respect. The teachers are going to play volleyball today, Sunday. I can't believe it is November. My list of things missed at home is getting extremely long; it seems. I would be too lonesome up here without Susan. The students are nice and fun to work with. My days go fast, but I show the wear and tear by the time we get home. I am doing two 30-minute PE classes in addition to the same amount of academic classes I had last year. It is fun, but takes double the supervision that the classroom does. At nine thirty this morning it was still completely dark.

Snow is here!

Students measuring in Susan's class these students are 12 to 14 years old.
Looks like winter is here. We had about 6 inches over the weekend. The teachers got together and played volleyball Saturday night. It was really fun. Down side is our principal tore his Achilles tendon at about the calf. He had to go to Anchorage on Sunday for an operation.
Shot out of Susan's classroom window a few minutes ago. This is Monday night, Oct 26.

Susan's Juneau In-service

This is a glacier near Juneau called the Mendenhall Glacier.
You can see where the glacier pours into the sea.
Nice pond for a beaver.
Oh, here is one now.
Baby and Momma bear. Momma gotta itch.

Just a regular day.

Raven hunting, Sharkey was trying to catch a raven or share whatever they were eating.
Daily sight on the Yukon River. We saw this walking to the post office.
Kids playing in front of their house. I bet they will be glad when it gets really cold so their play ground will not be so wet.
This play ground is full of snow machines.
They are rebuilding a road that goes to the airport, but it will not be finished until next year.

The dog was on his leash pulling to go. This raven was on the ground eating something no doubt delicious, at least for a dog. It flew to the top of the building and I thought why not record the sound it makes. I had the leash around my wrist and the dog was ready to go. This takes a long time to load up here. The school put security all over the school and the video is sent via our Internet hook-up to Anchorage where they keep the files. Our Internet is much slower now and this may be one of the reasons. I am trying to get Susan to let me get the Internet at our house because we have to do so much for the school on the Internet and it would be much nicer to do the work at home.

My daughter, Abby, is the survey design person working on this project at New Orleans. This is going to be a dike door and a big pump that pumps water out if the dike fails next time.
This is my Abby's latest horse, Dezi, who traveled to Abby's new job in New Orleans. Dezi is stabled an hour north of where Abby lives in the River Ridge addition. We are so proud of both of our daughters. Both are hard workers who rarely miss work, just like their mom and dad.

Dog Fight

B

Getting ready for group picture

Look below to see how this happened.

Bering Sea Pics

Listen to this for some Bering wave sound!

Here are some more. The sea looked very dirty as the sand there is black.

Leaving Bering Sea (Hooper Bay)

I took this on the way to Emmonak from Hooper Bay. Last year we got grounded at Hooper Bay for about 24 hours because of bad weather. I am using the Internet at my house in Emmonak and it takes so long to load one picture that I gave up and will do more tomorrow.

We made a trip to the beach at Hooper Bay again this year. Susan did not have to go bare footed since she wore her knee-high boots.

This is the gate to some bright place beneath the sea. The sun was burning through some of the sleety clouds. Kinda neat. It was about a mile from the plane as we landed or was it plopped? These pictures went on the blog in the opposite order I placed them. Go to the last and progress to the first. Then you should be able to follow my comments better.
Looks like the sea shore of the Bering Sea. I can't wait to walk there tomorrow. I had to ride in the back of the truck from the airport and got sleeted part of the way. It is much colder than Emmonak.
Is this the other gate? Looks like an infected spear wound on a seal that is smoking a little.
Is this the Gate to Heaven? If this rattle trap plane goes down, I sure hope so!! We flew through clouds most of the way and I kept thinking will I survive the 5,000 fall after we hit a goose or bigger? Will it hurt? How can I get Susan out before the plane sinks? Will my broken leg flop around and embarrass me at the in-service?
On the way to a teacher in-service at Hooper Bay on the Bering Sea one hour by air south of

Emmonak. I am glad to get out of the village. I am bored this year. Oh no, that is what the kids are always saying!!

OUR HOUSE IN ARKANSAS

SEA TOUR

YUKON RIVER
MISS THE MOST

HERE IS OUR FIRST SNOW FALL

WE HAVE BOTH OF THESE STUDENTS IN OUR CLASSES, BOTH FUN LEARNERS
FROM OUR RIVER TRIP.

WE ARE GOING TO HOOPER BAY NEXT WEEK FOR A TEACHER IN-SERVICE. IT IS RIGHT ON THE BERING SEA. I WONDER IF SUSAN WILL GO IN AGAIN.
SUSAN AND I WENT TO AFTER-SCHOOL TRAINING IN ANCHORAGE LAST WEEKEND. I WONDER WHAT MAKES THE COLOR OF THE FLOWERS IN ANCHORAGE SO VIVID
SOME OF THESE FLAKES WERE HALF-DOLLAR SIZE. BELOW IS A VIDEO OF THE EVENT

We were cozy in the boat cabin, while the world burned in the background. That is our principal and guide in the foreground. I think up here instead of the world being burned the word is "frozen'". It was cold enough to drive all of us into the cabin. Seems like the boat would go sixty miles an hour. With the flat bottom the boat just skims along driven by a powerful outboard motor not unlike a swamp boat.
Looking for a moose for the principal to shoot with the moon leading the way. I think it was around 10 pm.
Seal hunting. People in another boat looking intently for the seal to surface. Most in our boat were praying for the seal's good luck. If caught, nothing would go to waste, but can't just one get away? This is on the Yukon River.
Here our guiding moon ray from another perspective. The water is as muddy as the Mississippi. Last year it was much clearer. The ray might lead us to food and survival for the winter, if we were in times of old.
Closing in on the seal. The hunters use a spear which is thrown by hand-held piece of carved wood. It was easy to imagine the hunters using the same technique centuries ago.

We are enjoying 4 days off from school. We did, however, have to work on Friday at a teacher in-service. Some of the teachers have a virus and are spending the time trying to get over that

unfortunate virus, like Susan and I. Oh, the seal's stars were in the right position on this day, but if he stays in this part of the Yukon I have little hope for him. The Yupiks are very skilled hunters and have the determination driven by stomachs hungry for a meal. My students say seal is their favorite.

We are back teaching in Emmonak, Alaska. We took these on a cruise at Homer, Alaska

I am teaching writing this year. I am glad for the change. Susan is still teaching middle school math. We both are going to do the after school tutoring program this year.

Lucy is looking for her Susan. It will be strange to go to Arkansas and 80 degree days. I wonder how Susan and I will tolerate the heat after being up here much closer to the Arctic than Arkansas..
Lucy; still waiting or she could be looking for squirrels. Looks like my daughter is taking good care of the plants.
Flooding up river is working its way down to us. We are at the mouth of the Yukon River, fourteen miles inland, I think. Because of record snow falls, record flooding is predicted especially at the mouth. 
Not Arkansas flooding, but up river from us. A native told me yesterday (SAT.) if we could get on a plane today (SUN) we should do it. Our plane leaves on Monday around noon. It is rainy and I hope we can still get out. Tomorrow, it is supposed to be rainy off and on. More off than on is my preference.

More flooding up river. No concern of alligators here. I hope my Ford truck is in mint condition when I get home with few miles on it. The village gave the teachers a Yupik dance, which was very nice. I just hope I helped their children enough. Susan and I worked very hard to make a difference. Some children are taught prejudice and I hope we gave the children reason to question those teachings. All of the parents and relatives I talked to want their children to learn and improve their education. The dance was a welcomed show of support. I will miss my students this summer and hope they will be careful. Their life style is dangerous and they have to be careful hunting and fishing. Tomorrow, I will try to post pictures of the dance.

This student is making gloves to wear on a snowmobile going 100 mph in minus 20 degrees weather. One student wanted to sell us some sea otter for $200. I am not sure if the ones in the picture are cow or seal. The students were sewing both.
These students are learning to make a net to catch salmon in their Yupik class. I have read that these students may not be permitted to catch king salmon this year. The salmon get caught in the net and are hauled into the boat. 
Got Ya! These are the oak tree branches downed in my front yard in Arkansas. Some residents were out of electricity for over 3 weeks. We didn't get much sleet here, only 6' of snow (well, maybe not 6', okay 5')
Snow is slowly giving way to mud. Remember the big pile of snow with kids on it. It was much higher than the school pickup.
Doggy dilemma: no trees, no fire hydrants, no person on the end of the leash, no rabbits. only limitless space. We leave for Arkansas in nine days. We are going back next year. I don't know if Sharky wants to or not. He probably won't be asked.

Here are the two dogs we watched over for a week while the owners went to Anchorage (looking for a new job)!?  Susan and I are happy to stay in Emmonak for another year maybe. Our moving expenses would look better if we stayed another year.  Our family is not so sure.
In our world icicles are the attraction of spring, unlike the daffodils of Oklahoma and Arkansas. The sun melts by day and the cold sculpts the artwork, when it begins to freeze again. I watched a movie in which the characters were stabbing each other with these pointed daggers. I know; it was only a movie.
The frozen Yukon is not flat, but has high and low places. The low places are what concerned me as Susan and I walked over it. The lower places were probably two to three feet lower than the highs.
The trees still sport some frost even at 1 pm but was all off by 4 pm.  This is the island we always wanted to walk over to see. We crossed about half a mile. The wind was out of the north and cold, not surprising but the sun felt warmer than it has lately!
Here is a shot back toward one of the stores in Emmonak.

Susan and I walked across the frozen Yukon to the island across from Emmonak village. We heard the ice was 4 feet thick, but still did not feel completely safe. We have been informed of too many deaths from thin ice. 
These outboard motors are all that is showing of the boats that were left on the shore of the river. My dad always put our outboard motor inside the farm shed to keep the metal from cracking because of low temperatures.  Maybe, these Alaska motors are made from metal that will take the sub-zero temperatures. I do know they cost thousands of dollars.

April and still 3 degrees but it warms up and melts in the afternoons!  It is Spring but not that you would know it here yet.  We are pretty much use to it though.  On days when it gets in the 40's it is hot to us - we want to break out the sandals and shorts!
Large overhang - hope I'm not the one under this when it falls off!!
Susan flying from Anchorage to Bethel right by Mt. Redoubt on the way home to Emmonak. She had a meeting in Fairbanks so had to fly on three different planes to get there.  Smelled sulpher on the way into Anchorage and the pilot said "I got a little concerned there".  That was kinda scary.
Sharkey has gotten use to the snow and cold unless it is blizzard conditions - then he says "get my coat please" and he does not take long outside to get his business done and run back inside.
This was Sunday, April 5th - Mt. Redoubt had a huge explosion on Saturday am - made us think Susan would not get back from Fairbanks.  It could keep erupting for months.