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.