Nature's AWE!

Right up front, I have to apologize. I did not get any eye candy for you to look at. I am sorry.

I sat on the middle seat of Rafe's Duck Boat as we motored across a huge, shallow lake. It was shortly after dawn and the water was glass flat. The fat, grey clouds acted as an impenetrable ceiling, but the waterfowl didn't care. As we motored across the lake, the birds lifted by the thousands. The surface of the lake shifted colors from brown to grey/blue. I noticed that I had a kid like grin on my face and no words to describe what I was looking at. I was in awe and then it got better. One whole corner of that lake was covered in Tundra Swans and they all took flight at the same time. For those of you that don't know, swans don't just leap into the air. They run on the surface of the water until they generate enough lift to take flight. Watching them sprint to take off was, again, awe inspiring, because there was, probably, 500 swans working in unison to paint an indescribable portrait of birds taking flight.

I am thankful to have seen this site. What's more is I have seen this sight several times. After I was set in my blind and I was hoping for a chance to kill one of those big, beautiful swans. If you don't understand why I want to kill a swan, Imagine this: Swans are called the turkey of the north because one bird will feed an entire family; to buy a swan to eat, from a swan farmer, will cost you about $1,000.00. ( I have 3 in my freezer); swans are very exciting to see and even more exciting to call and shoot.

The reason I have 3 swans in my freezer is because of freezer space. After a weekend of hunting, I contacted some elders I usually give game to and a single parent family I share meat with, and they have had the blessings of moose. Their freezers are full, so I will hang on to them until they are ready to eat one. I like to share as much natural protein as I can, because the spirits of the animals favor hunters who share. Then by default, my future hunts will be more productive.

CRAP! It's late! Remind me to share my near-death-by-ptarmigan story with you next time.

This is "Jerry The Magnificent"... OUT!

Of Moose Hunting

Here's the news... I went moose hunting on opening day, 1 September, with my running buddy Rafe. We were putting down a back slough in the Whiskey Charlie (Rafe's boat), snacking and yacking and mostly just enjoying being out of the house. Rain was falling lightly and the temperature was a little cool; perfect for being outside. Through the rain speckled windshield I noticed something odd about the water about a quarter mile ahead. Almost simultaneously, Rafe pulled his binoculars up and said "That's a f-----g moose!" Just then, the moose lifted it's head and we noticed that it had trophy quality antlers and, more importantly, its tail was facing us. Then we noticed that the wind was in every one's face so the moose had no idea we were looking at him. That moose's head plunged back into the water to eat and he still had no clue that we were watching him. We putted to about 200 yards before he noticed us. By then, we had cut the engine and we stationary, so that we were not going to go to jail for violating the law, and we both had a round in the chamber and our scopes were full of moose. Rafe said "Go ahead and shoot when you're ready." I was ready so I squeezed the trigger. Guys, that moose was huge. His antlers looked like sheets of plywood screwed to his head. HUGE!
So, I was squeezing and squeezing and nothing was happening. I whispered, "SHIT! My safety!" Rafe said "I'm shooting next to you." and then my right ear drum exploded as his .300 Ultramag sounded off. After I came too, I moved my safety lever to fire, refilled my scope and fired. Sadly, the moose was less impressed with our fancy guns than we were, because he broke for the brush. Rafe was able to get off another shot, in vane, but the moose kept moving.
It was time to start tracking. We found a little blood and plenty of tracks, so we tracked until dusk, but no moose. The next day, we went back with two more guys for help and we used all of the tracking methods that I know of, plus a few more, but still no moose. From what we can figure, one of us might have hit that bull shallow in the brisket and all we did was give him a reason to jog for a couple of hours. Pretty poor!
Questioning the reasons why we didn't get that moose, we went to the range to recheck our guns. On the bright side, our guns were right on. That leaves us each with all of the blame for missing him. I am not ashamed to admit that I was excited. That bull was huge and he had my attention. Bull Fever? Absolutely! I guess you are never too cool or too old to be trilled by the things that mama nature puts in front of you. So, plain and simple, I missed. That's why I love my life. I had a chance at a huge Alaskan Moose. I have been rubbed, teased, and taunted by everybody and their brother, but it's worth it. I got to see a magnificent bull moose and I had the opportunity to shoot him. I'm lucky.

That was my only chance for a moose during the fall season so now I'm duck hunting. I'll hunt waterfowl until they leave and then it's caribou. I am hoping to tag along with some guys on Yukon River moose hunt in December. I just have to plan it so it doesn't interfere with putting in the wilderness trap line. The wilderness line is going to be more than 150 miles long and have better than 100 sets. I CAN'T WAIT!!!
I wish you could see this operation, you would be impressed.
I don't think I told you, but my nephew (14 year old) is going to live with us for the winter semester. He is going to run the local trap line and the long line with me. More to follow on Scott.

Little Kids, Dogs, and Drunks

Pam and I were walking through one of the two local stores the other day. The day was sunny, warm, and beautiful. It was a good day to be out and about. While at the store a small child strayed away from her mother and toddled over to visit me. I chatted at her for a few seconds before her mom realized that she was gone and zipped over to get her. I thought about how common an occurrence that was for me. Kids seem to find me and hang around me everywhere I go, for as long as I remember. Pam and I left that store and went to the other store, so we could save 20 cents on something we didn't need.

When we got out of the car at the second store a loose dog came over to me to say hi. I rubbed the dog on the head and patted its should while told it what a good dog it was. The dog wagged its tail and trotted off. It dawned on me that I am often visited by dogs, cats, and other critters and they seem to like me. It has always been that way.

As we walked into the store we noticed a couple of men on the deck, near the store's entrance, who appeared to be quite drunk. The drunks that hang out around the stores are normally peaceful and waiting for someone to pick them up. However, I seem to be a magnet for drunks too. They usually salute me and then become my best friend. Why they salute is a mystery and why they feel the need to give me advice is also a mystery. The fellow I met on this day insisted I should kiss my wife every day and I should always love her. Good advice. It so happens that this guy hit the nail on the head because I do kiss my wife as often as I can and love her no matter what. He was so insistant on his advice that he kept sharing his message until I drove out of the parking lot. A drunk guy who adopted me last week, at 10:00 a.m., advised me to get everything the Army owes me, because they are bastards and they will rip me off. I'm certain that he didn't know who I was or that I spent time in the Army, but blurted out the right words despite his ignorance. Weird huh?

So, what is it about little kids, dogs, and drunks that they are all attracted to me? Could it be that they think I have a surplus of love or wisdom and they could use some of it? Perhaps they have extra of love or wisdom and they think I need it. Whatever the case is, I seem to be getting my fair share of it. I think that makes me a lucky man.

A New Year

August 10th starts the new year for us; the new school year, that is. My wife and I have been working in my new classroom to get it all ready for the kids and it is starting to shape up pretty well. I'm excited about this school year. It means I get to meet new people and it marks the start of the seasonal movement toward my favorite season, winter. I bought my hunting license and permits today. I'm legal to hunt everything that I want to include Brown Bear. I can't wait.

I just got back from Colonial Williamsburg's Teacher Institute. The folks at CWTI really know how to put on a show. We were going fourteen hours a day for seven days. It was hot and muggy the whole time, but the heat could slow my enthusiasm. You know, I thought I knew some stuff about the period between 1607 and 1783, but I was mistaken. I learned more about the day to day life of the people than I thought was possible. For everything I was taught there was a primary source to support the information. The whole CWTI program is run by primary sources, which gives us the feeling that what these folks are telling as close to the truth as possible. The only problem with that system is that the people who had no written language and were not important enough to make the news papers, have been written out of history all together. Such is the way of civilization. One of our speakers was the guy who plays Thomas Jefferson. He gave a speech the was wonderfully eloquent. As he talked about all of the reasons that the colonies had to revolt against the British Crown, it sounded eerily like our modern day arguments about what is going on in our government today. SCARY!!!
The experience made me want to get more involved in government. I don't think I want to run for any office, but being in contact with my elected officials might be a good idea. I don't feel that they have my best interest in mind and they don't know what's on my mind. They need to do my bidding just as the system was designed. "Of the people, by the people, and for the people."

Lucky Me

Man, let me tell you how much my wife loves me. Not only did she go along with me buying a new snow machine last fall, but she let me buy a bigger one this spring. How lucky am I?! Thank you Pam.

Nice huh?... the snow go, I mean.

Now, I can drag a heavy sled full of moose or caribou with total confidence. I had it up on the long trap line last month. I was pulling my friend's sled and it was full of gear. I don't know what the sled weighed, but it was HEAVY! My baby pulled it right along without a struggle. This isn't a good picture to show it, but the passenger seat comes off and gives me about three-feet of cargo area behind the seat. That's very nice for all kinds of stuff. It's like having a 3/4 ton pickup truck. I love it.

Aside from all of the trapping, hunting, and exploring that I have been doing, I'm also doing a little teaching. Yes, it's true. I do actually work... sometimes. We just finished doing statewide testing. What a waste of time. Let me officially say that I HATE No Child Left Behind. I can't believe that the American people are going along with such a stupid program. My students were really good about dealing with all of the stupid rules and the boredom. I hated subjecting them to such a counterproductive activity. I hope the "man of change" changes our education policy.

We also had parent teacher conferences. It went well and most of my parents came. I only had one parent who was scolded for having a whiny, spoiled truant crybaby of a child. She wasn't happy with me, but TOUGH.

I guess I wasn't too rough on her, because I was offered a new contract by my boss. Looks like I'll be in Bethel for at least one more year. That suits me just fine.

The thing I like about Bethel is that most everyone who is willing to work is thriving. The silliness of the economy has had an impact here, but is doesn't seem to be as terrible as it is in the lower 48. Maybe because of all of the native subsidies.

We moved in to a new home. We are renting a very nice, spacious two bedroom apartment from some really nice people. We love our new place. There's plenty of room for our outdoor toys. It's pretty quiet here, with the exception of some very friendly neighborhood kids. They are our own students so we know them well and we like them. The place also comes with unlimited access to "The Man Shed." Having a place to skin critters, other than the kitchen, is a huge benefit. Having that place right at home is even better and having a resident expert to keep me from screwing up is perfect. I spent all of last winter using Rafe's "Man Shed" and his tools. I am forever grateful to have had access to his facility; but now I don't have to travel to use a heated space to do the work. PERFECT!

I know it sounds like life here is perfect, but there are some drawbacks too. There's no McDonald's or Burger King. {Bummer} Adult beverages have to be shipped in because sales here are forbidden. We can drink it here, but we can't buy it here. Another, more serious, limitation is the access to specialized medicine. Every time Pam needs to see a specialist, she has to go to Anchorage. That's about a $500, three-day trip. So far our insurance has been lousy about helping us pay for such visits. The worst part about being so remote is missing our family, our children and our grandchildren. Being with the babies hurts.

All in all, we are enjoying our life here. It was especially nice last month when Sabrina and Jon came to visit. Unfortunately, their vacation time and ours were at different times, but at least they had plenty of time to rest. Unfortunately also, was the fact that a week of pretty damn cold weather hit when they arrived and stayed longer than they did. We got to so a little sight seeing, but the cold put a serious damper on the party. They did, however, get to see a very rare "Triple Catch." Rafe caught 3 lynx in one set and Sabrina, Jon, and Pam got to see it. I took them out on my little trap line and I took Sabrina to a couple of villages for a look at real "country-life." If you think you live in the country, think again. Sabrina can tell you about country.

Unfortunately, we have to go back down-states this summer. We will move the rest of our stuff home so we will never have to leave paradise again. After having so much freedom to roam I can't see me living any place else. I guess we'll see what next year and the year after brings. Maybe I can get my son and his family to visit next. Having my brothers visit to do a little fishing would be really cool too. Hey, maybe my folks would be interested in a visit... maybe when it gets warm... maybe.

So Much to Say

First, let explain why there are no photos in this post. In January I was in Anchorage for training. While there, I stayed at the Hotel Captain Cook, a very nice place. My only complaint is that my camera was stolen from my room. I told the hotel detective about the camera and he refused to believe that anyone would take it. He was nice enough to look in the lost and found for it. Jerk.

The training was on how to make underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV). I made a fully operational ROV that swims and does whatever I ask it to do. We started with a huge parts list of hardware store stuff and a box of Radio Shack parts. By the time we were finished, we were driving our little submarines in the UAF swimming pool. It was very cool. I hope to be able to teach this next year. My biggest obstacle is the lack of water in which to swim the ROVs. I'm working on solving that problem by next school year.

My daughter is coming here next week for her spring break. She could have gone to Florida and gotten skin cancer, but she chose to come to Alaska. I guess she wants to see some beautiful snow and breathe the cool, pure air; or maybe she wants to see her mom. Either way, I'm glad she's coming. What's more, she's bringing her significant other, Jon, with her. That is very cool.

Pam has had an interesting year in her new job. One of the duties of a teacher's aid is to be a substitute teacher as needed. Well, Pam has been a sub in the same classroom since before Thanksgiving. The teacher she covered for had a horrible string of bad luck and, hopefully, it's finally over, because Pam needs a break. The experience showed everyone around her that Pam is a natural in the classroom. Over and over she has heard "You should get your degree and be a teacher." Pam just smiles and shakes her head.

I hope to get another camera soon so you can see the stuff that we are seeing. Until then, you'll just have to use your imagination. If you choose to use your imagination, imagine about 40 pounds off of me, please.

My Kids (Well, not really mine)

I was asked to write a little something about the students I am teaching this year. To tell you the truth, the difference between this year's bunch and last year's bunch is tremendous. How I go about teaching this bunch is different too.

In regards to language, this year's class of 6th. Graders is hugely diverse. Some of the kids have language just like kids in the lower 48. They speak conventional English without much of any trace of an accent. Some kids speak regular English with a hint of the Alaskan accent that evolved from the Canadian, Russian, Scandinavian, and Alaska Native influences on speech. Then we have the kids who came in from the village. Their speech patterns are very much the same as the kids I had from last year. They use a language that is almost like a pigeon language. It uses the mechanics of language used by the Yupiit (Yup'ik people), with it's succinctness of words and it's lack of gender assignment, and an almost village-specific dialect that has been passed down from the time of the Russian colonization of Alaska. Surprisingly, these village kids adapt very quickly with their new environment. Most of my village kids are already using Town-Speak as their primary language. We still have a Yup'ik class too. All of the students here get 40 minutes a week of Yup'ik language education.

The cultural make up of my classroom is pretty diverse too. I have a student who is a Muslim that was born in Jordan; a Mexican from Texas; four white kids that represent the lower 48 states; and a whole bunch of mixed race and full-blooded Yup'ik Eskimos. In the village, most of the parents did not have jobs. They lived on various welfare systems and from subsistence hunting and fishing. This year, most of my parents are working people. Their occupations range from doctors, nurses, lawyers, and teachers to mechanics, telecommunications technicians, and store clerks. We also have a few that use the welfare system. Even though we have a wide socio-economic spread, there doesn't seem to be much class-generated conflict among the kids.

One of the things that my town students have in common with my village students is dysfunctional families. This is the most heartbreaking part of my job, dealing with deadbeat parents. I have kids coming to school in sweatshirts in -35 degree temperatures and howling wind conditions. The kids will say I have a coat, but I don't want to wear it. When I call the parents, they say that they will be sure to make their kids wear their coat to school. The problem is that they aren't out of bed when the kid is getting ready for school. The kid wakes him or herself, gets dressed and on the bus while the parents are in bed. This is not a wide-spread problem, but I really feel for the couple of kids who have to suffer this.

For the most part these kids are like kids everywhere. They want to enjoy life and be accepted by others. I really enjoy teaching these kids. I don't really like the teaching model that I'm forced to use, but oh well. The optimism and enthusiasm of youth makes up for the less pleasant parts of the job.

Merry Christmas

On a cold and windy day, sometimes the sun isn't able to shine through all of the blowing snow. Christmas day 2008 was like that. The swirling winds blew the snow all around. Big snow drifts were made and then unmade within hours. Even the hardiest traveler is wise to stay holed-up in his cabin on a day like this one. Regardless of the weather, Christmas in Alaska is best.

The other day Rafe and I went out to check traps and it was a good day. The day was windy, but warm and the sun shone like summer. Fresh snow was everywhere and new critter tracks littered the ground. After the big blow that we had all of god's creatures were out enjoying the sunshine. For trappers, this is a bountiful time because our target animals behave predictably and we end up catching some. On this day we were very fortunate to have caught one of the more elusive fur bearers in the north, the lynx. These pictures let you see some of the lynx's beauty, but they don't let you see the size of the animal. These awesome creatures have really long legs and huge feet. Their pointed beards and tufted ears are cool to see, but their teeth and claws are the features that remind you of the beast in this beauty.

Just another cat? Not even close! If this tom had his way he'd run far from here, but since he can't he'd like to rip Rafe's lungs out. You should see the video I shot of this guy's speed and ferocity.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season. I further hope you that each of you can appreciate what a gift life is and just how good our lives are. Some times folks start feeling bad because they miss loved ones at holiday time or they can't have life the way it used to be, but this is the perfect season to look forward. Enjoy life. If you don't enjoy the life you are living then change it. Be bold and be happy. Make good decisions so you don't end up like this lynx.

First Fox

As you may know, I have plied may hand at fur harvesting, which is also known as trapping and/or snaring. This is something I have wanted to do all of my life, but have never made it work for me. I am finally connected with the right people to learn this craft and the right conditions exist in my life for this activity to be possible, so I'm going for it.

Rafe taught me the basics of fur bearer behavior and how to make snares. Then he gave me a grubstake to help me get started and helped me choose and construct my first set. His efforts paid off for me, because I snared my first fox yesterday.

Here is a picture:



She is not the most spectacular specimen, but she is my first. With luck and a little skill, there will be many more.

I have also been learning about moose. The Fish and Game guys hosted a public meeting that described the how successful the ban on hunting has been in strengthening the moose population. I believe what they said because I have been seeing a whole lot of moose tracks. However, as my daddy says, "You can't eat tracks." Well, it finally happened. I bumped into moose. Man, those things are huge. This cow and calf had me so excited that I was shaking and had that wiggly feeling in my stomach. It was cool. If an out-of-season cow and calf make me feel that way, I wonder how I'll react to a bull in my sights?



I promised to write more about my new job and especially my students, but that will come in a few days. Sorry.

Reason for Thanks

For five weeks I've been giving my students reasons to think about and express their thoughts about the Thanksgiving Holiday. I have offered the Plymouth Rock/Pilgrim's and Wompanoag's story to them in the form of an alien invasion, an opportunity for charity and in its traditional form. I even gave them the story in a homeland security threat scenario, but what I didn't do was ask them what makes them feel thankful. At the time, I hadn't thought much about feeling thankful.

Well, the feeling of thankfulness came over me this morning as I ate breakfast and reflected on the holiday weekend. What came to me first was how wonderful my wife is. While I've been off, bombing around the tundra with my buddy Rafe, she has been patient and supportive. In fact, I got blood all over the bathtub and she never made a fuss. But, she doesn't have many opportunities to get out and visit people so I know she must be getting bored. I hope we can change this last part soon. Thanks Pam.

The second reason for my feeling of thanks was the ingredients of my breakfast. It was mostly the usual stuff, coffee, eggs, toast, and caribou back-strap. Did I say CARIBOU BACK-STRAP!? Oh yeah, I did. How did I get caribou back-strap, you ask?

Yesterday, I got a phone call from Rafe. He said "How itchy are you to go caribou hunting?" As a man who has been itching to go caribou hunting since I was 10 years old, I told him that I was ready to go whenever the opportunity came. It seems that he got a phone call from a friend of his about the whereabouts of a nearby caribou herd. So within the hour the two of us and another fella, Dave, were on the trail.

After about an hour of very cold, windy riding we found the herd with no problem. I didn't know it then, but the easy part was over. Caribou hunting is nothing like deer hunting. Everything happens very fast on a caribou hunt. The caribou herd heard us coming long before we saw them so they were ready for us by the time we got there. We pursued the herd over some rough terrain for a little while and we took our best shots. I have often boasted, in the past, about never making a less than perfect shot on deer and never using more than one bullet to kill a whitetail. I will be not be bragging like that about this hunt, because I used three shots to get the job done. My first shot was ugly, but fatal with time. Because I could get close and finish my bull, that's what I did. I rode my snow machine close and shot twice more; no point in letting it suffer.



Yep, it's a bull. The bulls already shed their antlers. One of the things I never understood about caribou was its body size and I guess I still don't. When you see them they look to be small. When you grab hold of one and try to move it, it is big and heavy. It is a hard thing to describe.

Anyhow, Rafe, Dave and I all ended up with bulls. After this compulsory photograph to commemorate my first caribou, we loaded them into sleds and headed for a wind break. The temperature was about 5 degrees with a windchill cold enough to freeze hell over so getting out of the wind was important.

I learned many things on this hunt. Rafe taught me how to quarter a caribou without gutting it and how to cape a bull so the hide has some value. I also learned just how good the knife my brother Craig made for me way back when still is.

With my old knife, I butchered that whole caribou without ever having to touch up the blade. And after I got home I ran the knife over a whetstone a couple of times and finished processing the whole animal. I've carried that knife for about 30 years and the reason is obvious. It works. That is the third thing I feel grateful for.



Old and beat up, but still does the job.

Lastly, none of this would be possible if not for good people. I have to thank Rafe for taking me under his wing and teaching me about trapping, snaring, and hunting Alaska style. Thank you. I look forward to as many more lessons as I can get.

Oh wait, wait, wait, did I mention that Rafe got me pulled over by the cops? That's right, we were putting in his lynx line today when a State Trooper in a Piper Cub (bush plane) on skis landed on the snow near us. The trooper checked our licenses, chit-chatted with us for a little while, and then flew off to keep Alaska safe for all humanity. I never would have imagined that a State Trooper in an airplane would come out of the sky and pull me over while I was riding a snowmobile. How crazy is that? I wish I had brought my camera... maybe next time.

Well, that's all for now kids. Until next time, may you have many things in your life for which you feel thanks.

Tough Fish

So, do you remember in my last letter I mentioned catching pike in a minnow trap that was set to catch mink? Well here we go again PLUS. In another tiny stream that doesn't really freeze, regardless of the temperature, he set another minnow trap, but this time my buddy caught some pike that were almost as long as the trap itself. Two pike, both were probably a little over two feet long. Not only did he catch more pike, but he caught a muskrat in the same trap, as well. Not one to turn down a free meal, my buddy decided to keep these pike, because of their good size.

In the sled they go and about two hours later we returned to the house. We spend about another hour unloading traps and such, when we finally get to the fish. I carried the fish inside the fur shed and I noticed that the fish were only almost frozen, not completely frozen. I put them on the table and noticed, or at least I thought I noticed, something strange. I thought I saw one of the fish move its tail. I mentioned what I thought I saw to my buddy and my he said he saw it too. Then the other one moved. Then they both moved. Those fish, though having been out of the water for two or three hours in near zero temperatures, were still alive!
Even the fish are tougher in Alaska!

Something New

For some people the words snow and cold are synonymous with the words misery and agony. For me and people like me snow and cold mean opportunity, freedom, and joy. For example, if it weren’t for snow and cold I wouldn’t be able to ride my snow machine, I wouldn’t be able to travel the tundra and the river, and I wouldn’t be learning about trapping and snaring.

In fact, I wouldn't have this little story to share if not for the cold. The tiny stream in the photograph is several miles from the river and doesn't seem to go anywhere special. I was with my friend as he checked his mink trap, the submerged minnow trap also shown. When he pulled it from the stream, we both got a shock. Instead of having a mink inside, it had pike. This was shocking because this stream is so tiny and pike are such big fish. Yet, there they were. If you are not familiar with what a pike looks like, then look it up.

I am finally starting to do the things that brought me to Alaska. Today I went out with the same friend as he put in his fox line. We only saw one live animal on the outing, an ermine, but saw some animal tracks that got us pretty excited. We saw moose tracks and wolf tracks and they were real close to the village. Pretty cool, huh?

Unless catastrophe strike again, there will be more to follow. Until then, pray for snow.

Life Before Bethel

I can't believe that I'm capable of such a huge oversight. I spent nearly a week in paradise and I didn't tell anyone about it. All I can do is apologize for not sharing Seward and Homer with you. Uh well, and show some of our photographs with you too, I suppose.

After our cross country trip from Indianapolis to Seattle, Pam and I set out to see some of what we missed last winter. Before we could enjoy ourselves, however, we had to pay our dues. The first challenge on our quest was buying airline tickets at a good price and then to rent an affordable car. We failed at both. Not only did we pay more than both of those services are worth, but we had to jump through 500 flaming hoops before we were ready to start our vacation. I hate traveling.

Once we were on the road, life was pretty good; expensive, but good. Our plan was to go to Seward and Homer, the two places that we didn't get to last winter. Our first stop was in Seward.

Like Valdez, Seward is another perfect place in the world. It's right on a major water way, Resurrection Bay, which is surrounded by huge mountains.

The one thing Pam wanted to do while we in Seward was do some whale-watching. The only problem with her request was that whale-watching season was over. You see, May and June are the best whale-watching months and we were there in mid August. Sorry, Pam. We did take a nature cruise, though. It was a half day tour of Resurrection Bay to look at the natural beauty of that place. Take a look for yourself:

If my memory serves me correctly, these are Stellar Sea Lions. If that's not right please don't bother correcting me. It will only destroy me self-esteem. Look kids! Puffins! We were on a really good boat for taking pictures, the bay was pretty clam for a breezy day, and we got really close to a lot of our subjects, but it is really tough getting high quality shots with a cheap camera.

These are some of the Harbor Seals we saw. It's tough getting their picture, because they are very shy.

And with being the home of some really cool animals, Resurrection Bay is also the home of some cool rocks that jump way up out of the water.

Back in Seward we saw some charter fishermen showing off their catch. Pretty cool, huh?

Oh yeah, I also found out how I'm going to spend my retirement years. Look at this retirement rig.

Is there a more beautiful sight on the Earth than a boat harbor that's surrounded by snow capped mountain?

We visited Exit Glacier and saw some other glaciers, but I'm getting tired of uploading photos so you don't get to see them. We also saw sea otters and eagles, but none for you this time. If you want to see more, tell me and I'll post them.

After we left Seward, we went directly to Homer. The four hour drive was long but beautiful. We saw a moose and some awe inspiring views of the Pacific Ocean. When we finally made it to Homer, we went directly out to the spit. The Homer Spit is a very cool, very touristy, but very cool place. I saw this little shop that I fell in love with. Not for the products they sold, but for the building. It is all logs with splayed walls and a pointy roof. I'd love to have a home like this.

All to soon the party was over and we made our way west to Bethel. Talk about contrast. Bethel is different in every way imaginable from the Kenai Peninsula. I like it in Bethel and I'll like it more when it snows.

Autumn is Here!

Some things happen very slowly in Alaska and some things happen very quickly. To be specific, winter happens slowly and the other seasons rush by. It was summer a couple of weeks ago and then, on October first, it snowed for the first time this year. Today's high temperature was 27 degrees and there's about two or three inches of crunchy snow on the ground and I saw someone driving a snowmobile today. This time last year I was in the hospital in Anchorage so I didn't get to see the tundra put on its winter coat. I didn't realize how quickly it happens.

Pam and I were out doing a little sight seeing today when we came upon some poor lady who had slipped and fallen on the icy road. While I got out to help this poor lady, Pam took this picture of a boat.

Obviously, heroic attempt to rescue this fallen citizen didn't impress my wife. Why do I try? In my frustration to find a way to wow my wife, I drove down to the Small Boat Harbor to see what was shaking and I spotted some things that don't always go together.

For example, I can't remember when I've seen a bulldozer parked at a boat harbor with the boats.

I've seen picnic tables and bait stores, food joints and taverns, but never a bulldozer. Something else you don't see is free life jackets, or Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs). Well, not exactly free, but free to use. In an attempt to improve boater safety up here, we have a "Kids Don't Float" program. This one of the stations set up to provide loaner PFDs. It's odd for people in the lower 48 see anything set up on the honor system especially a PFD loaner station. What's more, there's ice sickles on these vests.

While we were snapping this picture there were people breaking ice so they could get to the river and others were trying to get their boats out of the ice. These are some hardcore boaters.

This weekend was also our first Junior Native Youth Olympics meet and our first meet of the wrestling season. On Friday, I had my class in the computer lab when I got a big surprise. The whole Atmautluak JNYO team came waltzing in to say hello. They were all happy to see me and I was pretty excited too. Pam and I went to the JNYO meet. Pam got to see the kids do some native dancing as well as the sports events that are unique to NYO. Since some of my students were competing against some of my former students, I had plenty of people to cheer for.

It seems that as time goes on I see more and more friendly faces. This weekend I was warmly greeted by at least a dozen people that I met last year. Their hugs and handshakes genuine and heartwarming. Unfortunately, I had to answer the same question over and over. "Why didn't you come back to Atmautluak?" In my mind the answer is easy to understand, but when I try to explain it, it doesn't seem to make as much sense. Maybe I'll get to visit them in the village this winter.

I can't wait to see what happens next. Everything will freeze up soon enough and the tundra will become accessible to Pam and me. The real adventure will begin then.

Oh yeah, some kids in our school were asked which season most tourists visit Alaska and it took them a bunch of guesses to stumble onto the correct answer; summer. It took them so long because, to them, it is not logical to come here in the summer if you want to see the best of Alaska. They said winter is the best time to go places because that's when the tundra gets hard enough to go anywhere you want. So for your next Alaska vacation, visit during the winter and you'll get to see more of this great state because snowmobiles can go just about anywhere.

Stay warm.

To be an Alaskan Driver

It’s official, I’m an Alaskan. Well, at least that’s what my driver’s license says. The ink was barely dry when I used it to buy my RESIDENT hunting and trapping license and my grizzly/brown bear tag. All that’s left is to do is to go hunting.

My wife, Pam, and I took the written test for our driver’s license at the same time. Pam is really competitive when we do things together. She has that passive aggressive thing or maybe it’s a quiet hatred thing, whatever it is, she always tries to beat me; this test was no different. She studied all week when I was at work she even talked to the locals to try to get the inside scoop on the test and the testing conditions. She was much better prepared than I was and she knew it. So much so that she would taunt me with Alaska driving regulation trivia and little factoids from the statistical history archives. I have to confess that she was better prepared than I was on test day.

We arrived early at the license bureau and we waited. Using proven test preparation strategies, we successfully avoided any talk about the test or about our expectations. We were ready. Unfortunately, the test administrator was not. There is only one employee to service all of the drivers in Bethel and the 55 surrounding villages and she forgot her keys at home. Al glitch like that might rattle most test takers, but not Pam and not Jerry. We were still rock steady. We took the test and the agent graded mine first. I missed two questions, which is no big deal to me because I figured that is what I get for not studying enough. When it was time for Pam’s test to be graded she watched the agent grade the thing like her life depended on it. The agent drew one X and then another X. She paused and looked back at her computer screen. Pretending like I was reading one of those riveting information posters, I could see Pam out of the corner of my eye. A grin appeared on her face and she turned away. Knowing Pam I knew that she missed more questions than me. If she had beaten my score she would have said HAH! I beat you!, but there was none of that. As you know, I’m not one to stir up any controversy so I just quietly let the subject who scored higher die. NOT! Of course I arrogantly rubbed in the fact that I missed one fewer question than Pam. The next day I reminded her of the 4 second following rule and how the state of Alaska wants you to back your car. Now, I’ve gone to extremes by posting it on my blog. I know… I’m terrible.

I'm Back!!!

Finally! A little time to write. Since my last post, I have traveled widely, visited people I haven't seen in decades, and worked hard. Now I'm back in Alaska and back in the classroom.
Going back to Indiana was the last thing I wanted to do. However, it was necessary if I was to see my family again. After the long, painful year I had just lived, I was ready to see my loved ones and enjoy some rest.
Rest, however, was not on the agenda that Pam had planned. But first, I had to wrap up family business. The business had to do with my deceased brother's estate. As always, I try to find the positive part of every crummy thing that happens in life. This time, it was easy to find the good parts. My Brother Ronnie made the trip north from Arkansas to help Craig and I finish up Gug's business. I had not seen Ronnie since the day Pam and I were married in 1982. I had forgotten what he looked like. It was like meeting a new person and that's a good thing, because as kids we fought constantly. We spent several days at my brother Craig's house. We fished and swapped lies and, of course, imbibed generously. When it was time to hit the road, Ronnie and I drove to his home in Arkansas. It felt good to see some new territory and to see where my brother lived. I would like to go again some day.
No sooner did I get home and it was time to travel again. This time it was with my family, my wife and kids. We had a great time in Tennessee and Kentucky and I deeply enjoyed spending time with my kids.
After the gallivanting and whooping it up, it was time for me to find a job. Remember, I resigned from a perfectly good job in the bush so I was unemployed and the clock was ticking. I spent a month and a half looking, enquiring, and being rejected before I finally got a job. After searching widely throughout Alaska's school district, I decided to look at the district I just left. I couldn't believe my eyes. There was an opening in Bethel, Alaska for a Sixth Grade teacher. I discussed it with Pam, who was definitely coming with me this time, and we decided to go for it. The district welcomed me back and restored my sense of worth as a teacher.
I am entering my second week of school and things are coming together beautifully. I am impressed with my students and I am finding Bethel to be a bit of an oasis. My Bosses and co-workers are fine folks and I have a lot of support. There will be more on this later. For now, I bid you peace and happiness.

One Crazy Year

It's about 8:30 on Friday night. I'm looking out the window of the Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage, Alaska. The mountains are, as always, an incredible view. I wish I could be deep inside them with a tent and a fishing rod.
The contracted school year is over. I've elected to not renew my contract and their was a great outcry of disapproval by the parents of the children in my class. I have heard people say that they want to beat me up because of my decision to leave. I agree. I feel like a failure. I want to stay and teach school to the students of Atmautluak, Alaska forever, but I don't feel that I can do that and serve my family too. I am torn.
I have had some wonderful experiences with the folks of the delta and I've been invited to have many more. I've hunted and fish with some of the friendliest people I've ever met and I liked it.
On a totally different note. This is the end of my first year in Alaska, but not the end of my Alaska adventure. I'm going back soon to do all of the things I missed out on in my rookie year. Hopefully, I won't suffer any more deaths in my family or any more life-threatening illnesses so I can get on with the business of living in the bush. I hope to get back early enough to do some subsistence salmon fishing and to have a successful moose hunt. Only fate will tell if I make it or not.
Until later, Jerry

Winter Carnival

Winter is rapidly winding down and spring is on the wind. Winter, however, has left us a gift that will not be going away soon. Snow drifts! This makes coming and going a little more challenging than normal. The snow removal chores are endless because we are at the apex of the windy canyon of buildings. Even going to work is a little more difficult when the snow drifts are like quick sand.

My house is the one on the left with the bridge. The handrail is about eight feet off the ground. That gives you an idea of how much snow has blown in front of my door.

With spring right around the corner, it's a perfect time to celebrate winter one last time. What better way than with a dogsled race. In this photo, a bunch of elder women gather to watch the grand kids race their dogs down the river.

One dog is all it take to get these 65 pound kids zipping along. Notice how low we are compared to the boats that are up on shore. When the ice breaks up in April and water returns, this river will be 10 feet deep again and barges will come again.

The carnival seems to have uncorked the positive energy well in everyone. People are out walking more and there is more happy chatter and laughter than during the darker months.

This good energy is very evident in the classroom. The kids are more cooperative and more mischievous. The rule infractions in the classroom have skyrocketed. More of my kids have been in detention this week than any week previous to this. But it's okay, because spirits are lighter and everyone seems a little happier.

It is on this happier note that I will leave you. Until next time, enjoy winter while it lasts.

One post script note: The pictures are dark because I'm a lousy photographer and not because it's always dark here.

To write or not to write

I have been putting off this entry for some time. I recently suffered a loss in my family that had a tremendous impact on me. I think it will take several months before the idea of what happened sinks in and I am able to deal with it in a positive way.

On the bright side, I learned some things about my remaining family that I really like. There is a generosity in my family that I had forgotten about. It is like the Yup'ik value of sharing. The people here have always had to share whatever they had to insure survival for all. Like the Native Americans of the eastern U. S. these people share bounty and famine equally. My family showed me that we too share in this way, though I have been too distant for too long to see it.