Team Pader in Alaska

2007-09-23T16:52:00.000-08:00

Hey folks, It's been a while, but we're still trying to get over the shock of the fact that our baby is without a doubt, an alien. It's hard to believe, but a picture is worth a thousand words, and I have only three words....... intergallactic child support.

And all those times I laughed and mocked the rednecks and their stories of UFO's and being abducted by aliens......

We'll see who's laughing when my kid's first words are "Take me to your leader"......

The Doc say's "It's normal" but I'm still going to have some sort of weapon on hand when we deliver.... I saw that TV series "V" back in the 80's.... I know how this works!

On a brighter note, there were whales in the other day about 15 feet offshore. These are Gray Whales (or is it Grey Whales... you'd think a Zoologist might know.....) and the Bowheads will be in soon. The locals only hunt the Bowheads, and these Gray's seemed to know it. They milled around eating krill (little shrimp) right in front of town. It was really amazing to be that close.

This is a momma walrus and her pup on the beach. I guess it's rare to see them on the beach when the ice is still out at sea, but I guess everyone's adapting to Global Warming......

I thought about getting closer, but I had a flashback to a "When Animals Attack" show I watched and I thought about how nobody ever THINKS they're going to wind up in a "When Animals Attack" show........

Here's Janna at the Will Rogers Monument where his plane crashed. It's about 12 miles down the beach from Barrow.

And here's Janna enjoying her favorite pastime in a field of lovely cottongrass just outside of town.

And of course, Barrow Football. Furthest north football game on the planet! This is the new field. They call it "Smurf Turf" and a Florida woman named Cathy Parker raised over 1/2 million to build it. It's pretty incredible to see a football game on fieldturf over one shoulder and whales in the arctic ocean over the other. ESPN came out and filmed the game..... must seem crazy to folks in the lower 48, but it all seems normal up here.

And should you win the game, you get a free swim in the arctic ocean. Water temperatures are in the mid 30's in the summer..........

And no, nobody tried to harpoon me.........

Arctic Mermaids?????

This is the sun "almost setting" right at midnight when we first got here in early August.
And here's a herd of caribou. Lucky for them, the mighty hunter (yeah, Janna) was without a rifle. I tried to catch one the old fashioned way, but due to lack of exercise, I'm not quite as fast as I used to be....... However, because of my lack of exercise, I now weigh more than the average caribou, so if I do get a hold of one, I'll have a decided weight advantage. And don't worry mom, the medical care up here is top-notch.

I guess that's all the pics for now. We'll keep you posted on the baby and everything else.

Miss you all,
-N&J

2007-08-28T19:45:00.001-08:00

RIDE TO POINT BARROW

The sun was shining brightly, and even though it was around 8:00 at night, we decided to take a ride out to Point Barrow, which is as far north as you can go, without jumping on an iceberg. In order to get to The Point, you have to ride out a few miles on a spit. It was pretty exciting because the salmon were running, so we figured we would throw our poles in the water, and try our luck fishing in the Arctic Ocean.

Below is a picture of the spit as we are riding toward the end of it.

A self portrait of the adventurous duo.
This is the very end of the spit. There were actually some polar bear sightings here very recently, so we were very careful to be on the lookout while we were here. Somehow I think that running into a polar bear would not mean good things for us.
One really neat thing is the beach combing. There are a lot of really neat shells, rocks, and odds and ends that wash up on shore.
Nick threw his line in the water, but no salmon took the bait. Nick may have to stick to "catching" caribou and lemmings.

Lastly, there were birds EVERYWHERE. Ga-Millions upon Ga-Millions of birds summer in Barrow.

Anyway, we hope that all is well back home, and know that we are well and safe up on top of the world. We are really enjoying the community here and look forward to a great year!

2007-08-19T20:55:00.001-08:00

The Pader's on Top of the World!

For those of you who have not heard, we have moved to the top of the world--that's right, Barrow, Alaska! We would also like to welcome you to our brand new, improved blog. How is it improved, you ask? Well, the answer is that we are actually planning on updating it this year. I know. It is a miracle. We are SO excited to be in Barrow. We have only been here just under three weeks, and already are enjoying it immensely. We are right on the beautiful Arctic Ocean, and the sun has been shining 24 hours. Although that may seem like a hard thing to get used to, we just put aluminum foil on our windows and are good to go!

Below is a picture of the sign welcoming people to the Top of the World. It is surrounded by whale bones.
You can just make out a barge over to the right, which was unloading things that people ordered from Seattle. The barge only comes once a year, and is stationed in Seattle.
I will take some more pics of Barrow, but this is a picture right next to the beach.
We took a ride out onto the tundra. We were joking that they shouldn't call this area "The North Slope" they should call it "The North Flat." It IS flat, but there is an amazisng beauty to it. When you think that the ice only leaves for a few months out of the year, the plants that survive out here are pretty amazing. We were dissapointed to learn that blueberries don't grow all the way up here, but hopefully our friends will send us some berries (hint, hint Damon and Heidi)....
We think that the wood that you can see in this picture had a gas line on it at one time.

You can see the white flowers in the picture above are everywhere. They look like a stem with a big ball of cotton on each one. We haven't seen any fireweed up here yet....

We thought the picture above was really pretty. Some sort of arctic crop circle....

And now for the best part....Caribou! We saw a big herd on our first ride out. You can see them in the distance by the lake.

We are really excited about being up here, and are hoping we have a lot of visitors this year!

2007-08-18T22:44:00.000-08:00

Summer 2007

Well, we had a really fun summer fishing in Dillingham and visiting friends and family in Seattle and Spokane. Perhaps the highlight was meeting my nephew Jack for the first time. Jack is ten months old, well technically eleven months now. He is the cutest baby I have ever seen, and I could not resist putting this pic in our first blog of the year. More soon!

2006-11-30T18:40:00.000-09:00

Hike up Snake Mountain

Toward the end of October, we had the opportunity to hike up Snake Mountain. It is probably a couple of miles to the top, and has the most gorgeous views that you can see around. Below are some of the pics from our hike.

The day was really clear, and actually quite warm still. The ground was pretty muddy in places. Nick appreciates that I did not take a picture of him sliding down the hill on his butt--but I guess there were more scenic things to see.

More gorgeous shots....

and more shots....

and more......

Above is a shot of Charlotte (our friend), walking up the "false summit." I swear the hike had about seven false summits. Every time we thought we were getting to the top, there was just a little more to go.

Nick hunted on the way up the mountain. We didn't see any Spruce Grouse, but we did see a few Ptarmigan (the Alaska st. bird). Apparently they are pretty tasty. They turn white in the winter, and their feathers were just starting to change.

A view from the top--you can see Snake Lake off in the distance.

It was pretty frigid at the top. The wind was blowing pretty hard, and our hands got pretty frozen. The views in Dillingham really can't be beat--it is easily one of the most breath-taking places I have ever been.

We hope this blog finds you all well. Keep up the emails--we sure do appreciate them.

2006-11-26T18:48:00.000-09:00

Dillingham Pics: August/September/October

I know it has been a really long time since we last blogged. So we thought we would give you a taste of what we have been doing the last few months. Below are some of the highlights of life in Dillingham in August, September, and some of October. We will load some more recent ones in a couple of days.

When we first arrived in Dillingham, the Silver Salmon were just starting to run. We missed the Sockeye Salmon run by a few weeks. Above is a picture of one of our better fishing days. We caught Silver, Char, Rainbow, and Whitefish. We fished right at the outlet of the Wood River on Lake Aleknagik.

Nick, taking the eggs out of one of the silver salmon. We cured the eggs and then used them to catch more Salmon.
Janna--proving that she can still fillet like a champion. Seriously.... a champion!

The view across Lake Aleknagik. The lake is 17 miles up from the town of Dillingham, and just across the lake is the village of Aleknagik.

Above is a picture of the moose that Nick and Larry (green sweatshirt) shot. It isn't very big for a moose, but even a small moose is a huge animal. As the guys skinned and quartered it (in the dark), we could hear a large animal (almost certainly a grizzly bear) in the brush WAY too close to us. Janna stood guard with a spotlight and a gun, protecting the men from certain death, with nasty, big, pointy teeth....... The next morning the carcass had been totally ravaged by a bear and covered with grass and brush. It was really quite an adventure, and we stocked our freezer with meat for several months.

On the way to Lake Aleknagik there are a couple of lakes called, Twin Lakes. We crossed one of the lakes in our float tube, and fished the larger lake in back (I am not sure what it is called). Anyway, we were just about ready to quit, when a Northern Pike grabbed Nick's lure. It was so big, it wouldn't fit into the net we brought, so Nick had to kick the float tube to shore, just to land the fish (I'm having Moby Dick flashbacks....).

A better shot of the Northern Pike--also called "snakes" because of their shape and nasty teeth (and the fact that they prey on mice and other small rodents near shore).
Above is a picture of Snake Lake. On one of our first weeks here, we went exploring, and ended up on Snake Lake Road. We had no idea that at the end of the road was this gorgeous lake. Apparently it has good trout fishing at the outlet, but you need a boat to get there.

We were lucky enough to get to go out on Lake Aleknagik on one of the most beautiful fall days. Our friend TOny took us out in his boat. We went up to the inlet of the lake and fished (we caught mostly Char). That's Tony in the back hiding behind Janna.

This picture just doesn't give the day we had justice. Between the fall colors, and the gorgeous weather, it was the perfect day.

Another gorgeous picture. There are actually five lakes all connected by rivers. Lake Aleknagik is the lowest lake. This summer we are going to fly up to the fifth lake and do a float trip down. It is supposed to be the trip of a lifetime.

Another view from the boat.

Nick and Tony, pulling the boat up on shore after our trip.

Well, this last one is for Damon and Heidi--we have continued to keep the tradition of making pizza, even though it isn't the same without you guys. Lately we have been into making pizza bagels, mostly because they are yummy, but also partly because they're yummy.

Hope you all are having a good fall/winter. We're having a great time here, but we sure do miss all of our friends and family. Keep in touch.
-N&J

2006-05-06T17:37:00.000-08:00

Trip to the Steamboats!

We were lucky enough to get to borrow a snowmachine for the day, and we took a trip that everyone has been saying we must take before we leave. Apparently, the town of St. Michael, which is only about 12 miles away, used to be a booming goldrush town in the late 1800's. So much so that the town grew to over 20,000 people at one time. There was a hotel (that could sleep over 500 people), as well as other ammenities, all of which are long gone now. There were over 55 companies that sold passage on steamboats that usually went from Seattle to St. Michael. Eventually, a canal was dug, to make the trip shorter and safer. The story goes that a steamboat got caught up in a big storm, and the water level rose significantly. So much so that when the water went back down, the boat was miles from the canal. Another steamboat became grounded trying to save the first one. So, these steamboats, paddles and all, have been sitting on the land since the early 1900's. They are supposedly 200 feet long, by 40 feet wide, and the paddles are still visible. This year, they were mostly covered in snow, but in the past, teachers said that they stood right on the deck of the ship. The goldrush ended in St. Michael when gold was discovered in Nome, and most of the population moved that way. Now the town of St. Michael is only around 200, and the only real signs of the goldrush are some pieces of rusty equipment on the beach.

Getting ready for our trip.....

We left Stebbins in the late afternoon. Damon, Heidi, Vern, Irene, and Robin were all a part of the entourage. The weather was absolutely gorgeous. It was at least 35 degrees, so it is really warming up around here!
The group by one of the paddles. A lot of the wood has been stripped, but the basic outline of it is still there.

Another shot.............

Robin and Nick, defying gravity, and the tests of time. (The wood did not look real sturdy).

More shots of the paddles.

And More.....

Afterwards, Heidi and Damon broke out the hot chocolate and we relaxed in the snow.

It is really fun to see this amazing part of history. It is really crazy to think that the town we have been visiting all year for groceries, is the same town where 20,000 people were living at one time!

2006-04-08T22:25:00.000-08:00

99671

Do I really need to say anything more?

2006-04-06T21:28:00.000-08:00

TRIP TO SHAKTOOLIK

Happy Birthday to Nick!! Nick is once again 24 years old (and change). We celebrated by visiting friends in a village just north of Unalakleet called Shaktoolik. On the way there we had the scariest experience yet on a bush plane. We hit turbulence like neither of us had ever experienced. I fully expected that we were going to crash--the pilot actually said that it was the worst she had ever seen it. She also said that turbulence is just like driving on a bumpy road. Well, when you are staring down at the ocean dropping 100 feet at a time, that isn't really what is going through your mind. Anyway, we did arrive safely in Shaktoolik, and Jake and Kelly showed us a great time. We rented snowmachines for the day and took a ride into the mountains--where we actually saw trees!!!! I know. Trees. Really.

Snowmachines are definately a blast--we will be investing in some for next year.
One of the neatest things about the trip was that we got to see an old abandoned mining camp. It was like walking into a museum--These cabins were left with all of the things used by the miners and their families.

This is the view of one of the cabins from the inside. You can see the beds, and a pair of old snowshoes hanging on the wall.

It even has an old singer sewing machine! The paper plates were a new addition--and had to do with our lunch.

One of the cabins had an old trunk of books and textbooks used by children. Obviously there were families who were home schooled, as their school work and letters were still intact.

We also stopped by an old, abandoned mining dredge.

There are still tools hanging on the walls.

It is kind of hard to see, but there is actually a beaver dam that has been built inside the dredge.

Below, Jake and Lance show that the dredge is no longer operational. At all.

And, finally a climbing mission. You can see how large the cups are that sifted through the river bottom, trying to find gold.
We had an amazing time in Shaktoolik. Thanks Jake, Kelly, and Lance!!

2006-03-12T19:02:00.000-09:00

Making my own Kuspuk

Well, I decided that borrowing a Kuspuk was good, but it would be better to make my own. So, using the Kuspuk that I borrowed, I made a pattern on butcher paper. It was a pretty difficult process. Especially considering that everyone around here can make them in only a couple of hours! Mine took more than a week.......Anyway, I had a few problems, but was able to figure out most of them. There are a lot of people around here who sew (Thanks Linda and Irene), so I had lots of help when needed.

The finished product below: They are meant to fit big. Traditionally, Kuspuk's were worn over many layers of clothing.

2006-03-12T18:37:00.000-09:00

Dance Festival

Dance Festival was an amazing time in Stebbins. It is a time when different villages come together to celebrate their cultural dances. This year the villages that came to share their dances were Kotlik, St. Michael, Wales, and Golovin. Apparently there have been as many as twelve schools in the past. Even though the festival was smaller this year, it was amazing to see. Many elders and community leaders came and taught classes on carving, native recipes, making akutag (eskimo ice-cream), drum-making, and skin sewing. Then in the afternoon, all the different groups shared their dancing. All dances tell a story. It is exciting to see all of the amazing traditional dance fans, head-dresses, mukluks, and kuspuks (traditional garments). There are a few pics of the dancing below.

The guys typically dance in the front, and kneel on the ground. Their dance fans are also different than the girls, who stand in the back.
Most of the head-dresses and dance fans are made by the students and their parents. Below is a picture of one of my students who gave me permission to put her picture on the blog.

Heidi and I were lucky enough to get to wear kuspuks to the festival. A friend of ours who works at the school lent us two of hers. Thanks Tessie!

2006-02-07T21:32:00.000-09:00

!!!!!!!!!!!!!THANKS BETSY!!!!!!!!!!!

What an incredible surprise. We opened a care package today and found a blanket, hand-knit from our friend Betsy. (Hey, Greg, in case you haven't figured it out--you are one lucky dude). Anyway, we both appreciated it so much that we thought it deserved blog space, and lets face it--there isn't a whole lot going on. I was joking that I was going to update the blog with pics of us sitting and watching t.v., but now we can take a picture of "the blanket," which is way better!!!!

The pictures don't do it justice--and let me tell you--Getting little bits of home makes all the difference. It makes us feel not so far away--yes, even though the ocean IS frozen. Betsy--I would say you saved the day. I was just thinking about the other care package and those horrible, god-awful coasters that I thought I had rid myself of by moving to Alaska, compliments of Greg-- (which will be re-gifted back to him after his trans-antlantic voyage). Nick and I will be standing at the finish line, and the first words out of our mouth will be something like, "Wow, Greg! You just rowed across the Antlantic Ocean--Have some coasters!" Sigh. I can imagine the scene perfectly. If you cannot tell--you totally made our day, month, well you get it! THANK YOU!

2006-01-08T13:38:00.000-09:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Hi everyone! We apologize for not updating the blog sooner. We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a great start to the New Year. We had a great time in Hawaii. We felt really lucky to even catch our plane in Anchorage because the day we were supposed to leave Stebbins it was snowing and blowing and the visibility was not stellar. A large storm blew into the area and most villages were not able to have planes land. Our pilot was incredible. He landed to get a group to fly to Unalakleet, and was supposed to come back and get us, but was wary because it had been difficult to land the first time. However, he did come back for us--landed and got us safely to Nome. I have SO MUCH respect for these bush pilots--and Hageland (the company that we use to fly out of Stebbins) is truly the best. They were the only company still flying that day. Our pilot actually went back to Stebbins and got a second group after us. Needless to say, we all had a new hero. Everyone made their connections and had relaxing holidays! Below are some pictures from our Hawaii vacation.

Hawaii's roads are lined with gorgeous flowers. Even in the dryer areas, there are flowers everywhere.
This is just one of the beaches we stopped at. Most of the beaches are rocky, as you can see below.
Below was one of the most breathtaking areas we went to. It is the farthest North you can go. There is a lookout and a trail down to the beach.

Next, we went to Volcanoes National Park. It reminded us a lot of Yellowstone. You can see below that Nick is trying to get a free facial.

The Crater in Volcanoes National Park. We kept joking that it looked like Mordor from Lord of the Rings.

One of our favorite parts were all the sea turtles. We got to snorkel and scuba and just see them on the beaches.
Luau time. It was the first time that it started to sprinkle just a little, but the skies never opened up. Apparently this area in Kona gets very little rain.

Also, there are Gecko's climbing everywhere--even in our Condo we saw one on the wall. This one was licking a Cherry that was left out for him.

Our favorite tree--the most beautiful flowers. It doesn't even look real.
And, last but not least--the best part of being in Hawaii was seeing friends. We met up with Brian and Amalia, their friends Krista and Greg, and Sarah and her new baby Finn--it was easily the highlight to see familiar faces.

We hope everyone is doing well--keep the emails coming!

2005-12-11T18:13:00.000-09:00

ICE FISHING

Well, with the darkness closing in faster and faster, we decided to start some projects to stay busy. I decided to make ice-fishing poles. Basically, using the superior knowledge of RJ, master carpenter, I crafted some poles (and even had to use some heavy machinery along the way--supervised of course)!! So, while I was making my dad proud, Nick was making a backboard for the Honda. Below is the shop at the school, and some pictures of our projects!

The finished poles below are basically two sticks with notches in the end. You then wrap fishing line around the notches and braid some yarn onto the line to attract the fish. One of the sticks is used to bring the line out of the water once you feel a bite. (Hey Pam--I was thinking about you when I was making the poles--remember how we were going to make fishing poles out of sticks and go camping?? Well, now I know how!!)

The next day we decided to try our hand at actually using the poles. RJ told us to bring the auger to break through the ice, but we figured, how deep could it be?? Well, it was about two and a half feet thick, and after we worked up a sweat trying to get a good sized hole in the ice (and by "we," I mean Nick)--we were sorely missing the auger. Always, always listen to RJ.

Still not through...............................................................................................................Actually the real trick was breaking through evenly enought that the entire hole did not flood with water.

Finally fishing...................................................................................................................

Although we didn't show it, we were able to both fish the same hole simultaneously. We called it ice combat fishing. Ahhhh, how we miss the Barrier Dam.

Nick's first Tom Cod.

Janna's first Tom Cod.
Hey, it isn't Salmon fishing, but it was a blast!!!!!!

2005-11-24T22:53:00.000-09:00

SEVEN LAYER BURRITO

Yep, that is what we look like anytime we head outside for any period of time. I compare it to suiting up for scuba diving. When you are finished dressing, you can barely turn your head because of all the gear you have on. In order not to freeze off any body parts you have to cover every inch of your face (we even wear goggles). If you take off your gloves your hands actually start to hurt. We bought Sorrels before coming up here that were rated for minus 40, but apparently that is not enough. Our feet were getting too cold (apparently the 40 below rating is only if you are moving), so we took a page out of Damon's book and bought "Bunny Boots" which is what they issue to the military. I don't know what they are rated for, but they are REALLY warm. The weather has been below zero just about every day. Today it was nine below, and with wind chill it has been as low as minus twenty. We are still trying to get outside for rides as much as possible.

Below are a couple of the pictures that we took on some of our rides. The one right below is from a couple of weeks ago. The ocean is more frozen now, but we thought it was a pretty picture.

The town of Stebbins at sunset. Looks a bit like a postcard.

2005-11-05T19:30:00.000-09:00

SEND ICE SKATES!

The last couple of days we noticed what looked like slush out on the ocean. When we woke up yesterday, the ocean was covered in snow and big sheets of ice had piled up on the shore. It is a pretty amazing sight to see the ocean in the process of freezing. We have had some pretty cold weather (obviously)--enough that some of the smaller lakes in the area have frozen and kids are actually ice skating (which looks like fun--I'm jealous). Somebody drove their Honda across one of the lakes and it went through the ice. There must have been no way to get it out because it is still there, and probably will be for the rest of the winter. We drove down to an area that we had never been before and walked down to the shore. The tide was really low and the rocks were COVERED with about an inch of ice. Since the sun was out, the rocks were sparkling like diamonds. We were so mad that we forgot to bring the camera. Lesson learned--keep your camera on you at all times. Anyway, we will have to try to get a picture of that before the winter is over.

As you can see above, sheets of ice washed up on shore and piled up onto each other. At first, I was going to try and climb to the top of the pile, but quickly changed my mind. Apparently, once the ocean freezes people go ice fishing, crabbing, and even drive out to the island and go hunting for caribou.

2005-11-03T21:29:00.000-09:00

ONLY FOUR DAYS!!!

Yep, that's right. This letter, with only our name and zip code, arrived in Stebbins from North Carolina in only four days!

So--to answer your question--we got it :)

2005-10-19T21:09:00.000-08:00

Nick adds to his Resume

Yes, my friends, Nick has now added "line judge" to his long and distinguished list of jobs, some of which include "fish guy" at Safeway, "personal trainer," "produce clerk," "fiberglass repairman," "automotive parts pro," and "lube and oil technician" (whatever that means). Volleyball season has started at the school, and thus, Nick's emerging career as a line judge is just getting started. Two teams flew in last week and they played volleyball until nearly 11:00 p.m.!! Stebbins played really well--and it was a blast to see all the people out to watch them play. (Although they may have just been out to see how long Nick's beard has grown).

Below is a rare shot of the line judge in action. Notice the confident way that his arms are thrown up, and the authority in which he makes the call. Sure, it is a time out--but practice makes perfect.

2005-10-04T19:30:00.000-08:00

MORE FUN IN THE SNOW (AND SUN)!

For more fun in the snow, we decided to take a ride over to the hill above North Beach. That is where the true creative process began--Yes, it was SNOWMAN BUILDING time. The perfect packing snow combined with exhilerating exercise. Could it get better? Well, fortunately, the answer is yes. Look below to see the events unfold.

First you build it.......

Then you work as hard as possible to destroy it.......

The snow disappeared very quickly. The sun came out and there isn't a spot of ice anywhere. Ahh, well--there will be plenty of time for that :) Miss you all masses!

2005-10-02T00:33:00.000-08:00

EXACTLY 32 DEGREES

Apparently, it usually snows before October here, and true to the word of just about anyone you talk to--hours before the clock struck midnight on September 30th, the first snow drops fell from the sky. It was gorgeous! Nick had to miss it because he was at a science conference in Fairbanks. However, a few of us decided to take a ride and look at the view from higher ground. Let's just say that I am happy that I put that cold weather gear order in! I woke up the next day, and it had been snowing ALL night. There was at least 8-10 inches on the ground. Nick was supposed to fly in from Fairbanks in the afternoon, but no planes were able to land in the morning due to poor visibility. Luckily, the sun came out and his flight was able to make it in. I had some snowballs waiting to greet him from the plane (which he very much appreciated). Then we took a ride. Below are some of the pictures from playing in the snow.

The town of Stebbins, covered in snow:
More gorgeous pictures of the sun on the snow. Thank goodness the ocean hasn't frozen yet...

Pseudo snowball fight. I fugured he owed me one for getting him right off the plane.

Nick, plotting his revenge. Can you see the wheels turning?

2005-09-24T23:10:00.000-08:00

OFFICIALLY AN ISLAND

A large storm blew in on Friday night, and the water level rose enough to flood some of the village. We woke up on Friday morning and went into the school only to find over a hundred families sleeping in the gym. Many from the village went to St. Michael, another village 12 miles away. School started late and we only had about fifty percent of the kids show up. Some families had water over waist deep in their homes. We went on a short ride Friday morning and the airport was completely covered--it actually looked like a lake.

Below is a "before" photo that shows Stebbins how it was before the storm:
Now, look at it after--It is surrounded by water. If you look closely you can just see the airstrip poking out of the water to the left. It is a true tribute to the bush pilots--planes landed her as usual on Friday. No runway. No problem.
Now--where is FEMA when you need them?

2005-09-15T20:42:00.000-08:00

Not singing the blues....

The weather has been a lot like Seattle...a little on the unpredictable side. One minute it will be windy and rainy, the next the sun will be peaking out of the clouds. So, we have been staying busy with a bunch of different things. Nick and Damon are both learning how to play the guitar. There was only one small mishap when Damon broke one of the tuning knobs on his guitar. Not to be waylaid from becoming a rockstar, a guitar was quickly borrowed and the sweet music resumed.

I have been trying to learn how to knit, but the book I bought is beyond comprehension. Learning how to knit by looking at pictures is not an easy feat. I am starting a quilt, however, which I am very excited about. It is really fun because Heidi is also working on a quilt, and is helping me with mine. I am putting together a bunch of squares that my grandma embroidered, so hopefully this will be a masterpiece in honor of her!

Nick's other exciting hobby is growing out his beard. No really. You read it right. Did I ask him to pose while I took this picture. Unfortunately, no. He is actually combing his beard. The other day when he was combing it, a couple of lemmings fell out.

And yes, Betty Crocker, Martha Stewart--they really have nothing on me. I mean, who knew I could make jam. The next step: writing my own cookbook. All right, that is just not going to happen (namely because Nick will beat me to it), but we are having fun trying new things.

2005-09-15T18:32:00.000-08:00

The Golden Tundra....and "The Face"

The tundra is turning gorgeous colors of red, yellow, and orange. The blueberries are definately finished--What was our first clue, you ask? Our hands turned purple from the blueberries bursting apart in our hands while trying desperately to shove the last few into our mouths. Surprisingly, even though everything is changing colors, the blackberries and cranberries still cover the ground. The weather has been rainy and WINDY--like so windy that driving anywhere means getting pelted not only with rain, but whatever else happens to be in the air (ie--lemmings, large muskrats, and small children).

Below is a picture of "The Face" which is carved into a rock on the beach. No one knows who carved the picture. It washed up on shore sometime last year. Our friends, Damon and Heidi were told by a kid that if you touch the face your "Anuk" will get hard (yes, my friends, hard poo is what you would have to look forward to).
Always the maverick, Nick not only had to touch the rock, but kissed it as well. All right, Nick didn't touch "The Face" wanting nothing to do with hard anuk any more than any one else. "I am not a rebel," Nick was heard to say, posing next to the picture. Anyway, the face is a pretty cool sight to see. I wonder who carved it.....I am thinking of a new writing project for my students....(lucky them)!!

2005-09-03T23:37:00.000-08:00

One Track Mind

We have been spending most of this week on the four wheeler. The weather has suddenly taken a rainy turn, but Nick has insisted that we are running out of time to catch lemmings before the first frost. He has been madly riding around, setting traps, and mumbling incoherently about not letting Dr. Nason down. I have been trying to encourage him that he is a star regardless of the number of lemmings he catches. I can tell by the glazed look in his eyes that I am not getting through. We don't call him Captain Lemming for nothing.

Below are some of the pics we took on our many rides around the village. You can see Stebbins in the background of the picture below.
A lot of the these pictures end up looking the same, but it is so pretty, we can't resist posting just a few more....

We went blueberry picking again today. The tundra is turning beautiful shades of red and yellow. It is hard to believe that the blueberries are still everywhere on the tundra. We thought that they would be finished weeks ago. We are planning on making blueberry jam this week. The cranberries are also getting close to being ripe enough to pick. As you can see from the picture below, Nick was more busy eating the blueberries than picking them. Let the tongue stand alone as the evidence.

Actually, to be fair, he picked more than I did. It was pretty rainy, so our hands were numb, and we picked as many leaves as blueberries in the process. Afterward, we took a ride out to one of the cliffs. There was a dead walrus (the size of a small couch) that had washed up on shore. Very sad :(

On that note.......

2005-08-29T20:56:00.000-08:00

Alaska Driver's license put to use.....

We finally got our four wheeler today!!! It was supposed to be here about a week ago, but with all the smoke and no planes coming or going, the delivery was delayed. We are actually really lucky because our friends, Heidi and Damon ordered theirs at the same time, and it was dropped while it was being loaded, and is now----BROKEN, totaled, DEMOLISHED!!--so in the fifty-fifty chance scheme of things--we were lucky. Below, the Honda is being unloaded from the plane (the biggest plane we have seen land here so far).

And, here it is....It aint no Dodge (although Nick is considering bigger tires)--

Notice the glow--We went on a nice long ride--It is so nice to be able to explore all the trails and roads around the village. It is so beautiful! We went to one of the beaches and looked for razor clams to possibly dig in the future. We saw a couple of small ones, but will need to wait for a much lower tide. We also finally got our receiver (so that we can actually get T.V.) We haven't watched television since the end of June. Crazy, I know...

Anyway, all is well! We miss you all very much--Thanks for all the emails, they keep us smiling :)