Togiak Visit

On December 8th, I embarked on a trip that really made me question whether New Stuyahok was my best option for village life. While I have a ton of reasons to love New Stu, I was met by majestic snow-capped mountains, greeted by a frozen bay, and fell in love with the produce selection at the local AC-all pretty amazing features for a village in bush Alaska. But the best part of the visit was the quality time I was able to spend with my little sister.

Togiak's school, located three miles outside of town, had a beautiful view and nice students and staff. I was able to observe the high school sped program to gain insight and ideas I could implement at New Stuyahok. After three days of discussion, comparison and contrast of the two programs, I ended the week feeling very confident about the program we've implemented in New Stu. It was nice to come back feeling good about what I do, instead of looking for ways to change.

Backtracking a little, the flight out was probably the most amazing flight I've taken in my entire life. I flew out of New Stu with Grant Air Taxi, and landed in Koliganek for the first time. It wasn't much to look at from the landing strip, but the passengers that climbed aboard were pleasant. From there, we landed in Dillingham, where I was able to catch a ride into town and do some shopping until my next flight came in. After checking out both grocery stores, and finding out the espresso shop was closed for the holidays, AIA called and gave me a heads up that we'd be flying out momentarily. So, I loaded up my things and headed out to the airport with their shuttle.

I was greeted by Matt, a pilot I had heard about before. I was able to introduce myself with reference to our mutual connection, and he seemed to take me under his wing. I sat in the co-pilot's seat of the plane, wore the head gear, and was able to talk with him the entire flight out. He flew us between the mountains instead of over them, what seemed to be about three to five-hundred feet up. We saw a number of dark figures below, which he identified as moose. He showed me where they landed their summer float plane and where they did summer hunt trips. As we flew amidst the beauty, Matt played some of Mobey's more ambient music through his Ipod and the headgear, making me feel like I was a part of a National Geographic special, in the midst of discovering another planet. During these moments, I was so frustrated with myself that I couldn't find the camera in the minutes before I left New Stu.

My time in Togiak was well spent. Beyond the previous comments about the sped program and the school, I was impressed with my little sister and her abilities to transform a classroom of hoodlums into some straight-laced, motivated kids. She has a way to connect with her students, her athletes and her coworkers, and I was beyond proud to call her my little sister. Spending the week/weekend with Claire was fun. We painted our nails, cooked and vegged together. Some of our highlights were our cooking sessions of vegetable pizza and homemade coleslaw, and our 3 mile trek through the tundra into town and back. We even got to color my hair, although it barely tinted it. Finley was adorable and seemed to know Huxley lived with me because he was crazy over me when I first showed up. I'll be excited to see how the two of them get along over Christmas. I'm crossing my fingers that Claire brings him home, despite the costs from the airlines.

Anyway, we're currently watching the finale of "The Biggest Loser". Brandon, Dani, Ron and I have decided that we're going to begin our own version when we come back from break. Wish us luck!

See you all in 10 days or a few thereafter. We're so flippin' excited!

Love you,

Brie

New additions!!

Well the past week or so have been pretty fun out here. The snow has been falling pretty regularly and I have been able to explore the tundra with some of the guys and their snowmobiles. Unfortunately I do not have a snowmobile so I am pulling in a big metal sled; i have been using my life jacket as a cushion for my bum. The first time I went out four other guys and myself took off about 5 or so miles outside of town to do some skiing and snowboarding. We don't have to many hills around here so we just get pulled by the snowmobile. I fell once on the skis but got right back up and was good to go!! I found out some interesting things that day, 1. My goggles suck - they froze on the inside and fogged up. I guess I wont buy cheap goggles anymore off of Amazon.com. 2. Skiing is not like riding a bike - you do forget some of the techniques needed in order to not spend the day on the ground. 3. The boots Brie and I bought are huge and definitely keep our feet warm but difficult to hike around in. 4. Being pulled in a metal sled hurts the butt a bit.

About a week after the skiing and metal sled day, Brie and I decided it was too nice out to be indoors so we loaded up our snow gear and headed over to a big hill next to our place to attempt to go sledding with a plastic bin. We took the lid just in case it would be easier than me trying to fit inside a bin. Once we got to the hill we realized that going down this hill would be stupid in a bin and luckily we found a nice saucer sled laying around. I was the first to go and it was a fun ride down until I got to the bottom and realized that there was a nice bump in the path which of course I headed right for and then landed on my already sore behind from that darn sled! Once I landed I rolled off of the saucer and into a snow pile next to the tree that I nearly because very personal with. It was fun but a little rough for an Iowa guy; usually our hills have grass under the snow but here we enjoyed frozen dirt!! Brie went down a couple times and followed with the bump and fall technique that I invented a few turns before. It was a fun afternoon and one we needed after being stuck inside for a while. After we got home that evening I ran to my computer and ordered a new sled. It was much easier buying sleds as a kid because I fit in anything but now I am an adult and most sleds would break by the thought of me sitting in them.

Brie and I decided that we needed to buy something that would give us an opportunity to leave the village for a day or so but that wasn't going to cost us 4,000 - 5,000 thousand dollars. A while back I suggested that we purchase some cross country skis. When it snows here you can go anywhere because all of the rivers and streams are frozen so basically the tundra is our playground. Both Brie and I have downhill skied before but neither one of us has ever cross country skied. There is a BIG difference. About a week ago our skis finally arrived in the mail and this past Sunday Brie's principal was kind enough to help us put them together. It wasn't a difficult process so if we ever order any more then I will be able to do them myself. Sunday afternoon it was a pretty warm day here. It was almost 40 and the snow was starting to get very sloppy which isn't the best condition for Cross Country skiing. Brie and I decided to venture out anyway just to see what it was like to cross country ski.....It was difficult but fun at the same time. We both need to learn some techniques but over time we will get the hang of it. We have been told that its better with powdery snow so hopefully we get some of that soon.

Aside from the snow sports Brie and I have been busy with some dogs around here. This mother dog randomly showed up one day a few weeks ago and just seemed to always be around when ever we were outside. We didn't know what her name was so we called her Nipsy - we later found out her name is actually smearal. Dint ask!! One day when Brie was walking home from school Nipsy had two little puppies with her. One was golden colored with a little black and the other was black and looked like a husky. We found out last weekend that both puppies belonged to Nipsy. The puppies would show up at our door basically every day and I would put out some Cheerios or anything else we had that we probably wouldn't eat. We dint know who they belonged to or if they even had an owner. Sometimes we brought the puppies in and gave them some water and a chance to get warm. We found out this past weekend who they belonged to and were told to take them if we wanted them. Well both Brie and I are softies when it comes to dogs and Brie's sister Claire wanted a dog so she took the black one back with her to Togiak and Brie and I kept the little golden one; we have since named it Huxley. He will be coming home for Christmas with us so flying should be interesting. We are putting him up in the plane with us under our seats so hopefully he wont whine to much!!

Brie and I are hosting Thanksgiving on Thursday. We are expecting 10-15 people. We have a nice 16 lb turkey, a 10 lb ham, mashed potato's, stuffing, homemade ice cream. The other people coming are bringing some thing as well; it should be a lot of fun and we should have a ton of food! We both hate missing the holiday with our families but we are really happy to be sharing it with some good friends!

I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday! Eat tons of food and take some nice long naps!

Love from the Icebox!

Brandon

The other side of the coin...

My last post was a little bit of a downer, and knowing how easy it is to spiral out of control in response to the force of gravity, I felt compelled to write a more upbeat “Top Ten” list to counterbalance my previous entry.

Top Ten Reasons to Live in Bush Alaska:

10. No matter how rough things get, eventually it gets so boring focusing on the negatives, that the only thing to do when you’re done is search out the positives.

9. While still cold as hell, the snow falls in colossal-sized flakes that look like doilies blanketing the earth.

8. Watching the same episodes or movies over and over again almost always gives you an opportunity to recognize something you didn’t notice before.

7. Similar to number eight, interacting with the same people on a daily basis, in the same settings, with the same dynamics influencing each situation, almost always gives you an opportunity to recognize characteristics or value something in a person you didn’t recognize or value before.

6. Without the hustle and bustle of city life, you have the time to explore and develop interests in ubiquitous objects. Suddenly, a box of crayons or packable snow can hold my attention for hours, and leave me with a sense of accomplishment lacking a trace of productivity when I’m finished.

5. Distance truly does make the heart grow fonder.

4. I’ve developed packing and traveling skills that force me to be prepared for anything, making me a much more laid-back and enjoyable person to travel with. Even ask Brandon!

3. At the dinner table, there’s always room for one more, whether we’re visiting or having visitors, and that warmth and sense of belonging never fails to remind me of my wonderful parents.

2. I’ve learned how to make Doritos out of tortilla chips, powdered cheese and taco seasoning.

1. Homesickness is only a sign of how blessed one is to have someone to love, miss and look forward to reuniting with. I feel very sorry for people who take more pride in proving their independence to no one, than sharing a life with someone.

It truly is an amazing place out here, and I’d hate for my moments of pessimism to seep through and taint the perspective for anyone else wishing to experience this lifestyle; all because I didn’t have the right frame of mind to acknowledge the beauty of life in the Bush. Regardless of the situation, this experience is making me a better wife, and a better person. I’m learning to choose my battles and articulate my needs, both fronts I’ve been known to fall short on. And I’m really enjoying some of the more artistic sides of me that I haven’t really been in touch with since elementary school. It’s amazing how therapeutic crayons can be on a rough day. Anyway, I really am lucky to be out here with a wonderful, supportive husband, who seems to know just what to say when I need a break or some encouraging words. I’m also lucky to be getting the notes and conversations from the amazing friends and family back home. It's a time for giving thanks, so giving thanks is what I'm going to try to do.

Love you all,

Brie

Venting Session

Top 10 Truths about Bush Alaska that they don't tell you when you move here.

10. Internet service and HDMI cables, no matter what the cost, are a necessity for your sanity and connection to the outside world. **Caution: craziness is almost inavoidable.**

9. Coastal or not, it gets frickin’ cold here and any outdoor gear brought up from the lower 48 will probably serve better as kindling for a fire, than insulation for your body.

8. Everything is going to cost at least three times as much.

7. Everything shipped is going to take at least three times as long.

6. The only time anything is on sale is when it’s expired. At that point, it only costs twice as much.

5. All flight times and destinations are subject to change and your pilot may or may not be on his cell phone the duration of your flight.

4. Accountability for lost bypass mail falls on the shoulders of the purchaser, not the shipper.

3. The post office gets all major holidays off. And any other day deemed appropriate by its one employee. Birthday parties, smoke breaks, trips out of town and errand-running all fall into the "holiday" category.

2. Cell phone service is less reliable and more intermittent than the postal service.

1. Electricity is a luxury that can and will be shut off with little or no notice, at the discretion of anyone working with live wires, on extremely cold and windy days. Always be prepared by having the following items on hand: flashlight; battery-operated camping stove; canned food; a can opener; and a working VHF.

Needless to say, it's been one of those weeks. It was teacher evaluation week, which was smooth and encouraging, followed by a number of reality checks that bounced, one right after another. My workdays have been extended three, going on four, nights out of five, and the weekends seem to disappear as quickly as the daylight has these recent days. Daylight-savings time, while nice that first Sunday morning, has left me restless by 6am and sleepy about twelve hours later. Students are traveling and a recent death in the village has cast a gloomy shadow over our students and community members. While it'll be nice to have a half day tomorrow morning (Friday) I feel like time to make progress is dwindling as we approach holiday season. And knowing that anything I give is better than what they've gotten in the past, I'm struggling with the concept that anything is good enough. I don't have a complacent bone in my body, and it seems the more I talk with people who've been here for a while, the more I get this notion that I'm going to have to lower my expectations for myself and everyone around me in order to feel a sense of accomplishment or like we've even settled in.

There's a very thin line between challenging a student to reach his potential and stepping on the toes of a dwindling culture, already feeling the pressures from modern-day society crowding in on it. Walking that line on a daily basis has become exhausting; which makes it easy to feel like I'm fighting a losing battle. A little positive reinforcement or constructive criticism goes a very long way with me, and it was just what I needed from my principal to ignite the fire that's driven me in my position. But with Friday less than three hours away, I'm beginning to feel that fire fizzle and I find myself in need of some encouraging words to help refocus my frame of mind. I'm hoping once I've vented it all out, I'll have a clear mind to process any feedback.

Meanwhile, I'm celebrating every small success I can get my hands on. Today, one of my students who started the year reading 65 words per minute, read 155 words per minute, fluently. He felt silly talking like "Ms. Good," but he had fun developing a rhythm with his words, voice intonation and fluctuation. He really provided me with a series of happy moments in the day to remind me of why I do what I do. I think today will be the start of a journal, highlighting one good thing to end the day on, as it's easy to focus on the negatives when we have ample time to think.

Still loving any notes, emails, phone calls, pictures, etc. sent this way. As the holiday season approaches, familiar faces from outside the village are a good reminder of how lucky we are to have loved ones to miss so much.

Love you all,

Brie

It's Official...We live in Alaska!

Today began like any other Friday. Brandon woke up at his regular time, while I slept in until seven o'clock, then hit "snooze," also known as telling Bran to wake me up in fifteen minutes, until I finally rolled out of bed around 7:20. With the sun rising well after going to work, I think my body's on the sun's work schedule, but nevertheless, I'm still getting to work on time, and day by day, my job is getting easier to go to, stay at, and enjoy.

Every Friday, I have four students volunteering at Head Start to help out and figure out if it'd be a career choice down the road. I drive them down and drop them off for about an hour and drive back down and pick them up. As excited as the girls are to miss school and volunteer, I'd say they're about ten times as excited to ride in an SUV. The girls journal about their experiences, and almost every journal discusses how much they want a car of their own some day so they can go driving and listen to music without their headphones. It's funny, but I doubt, prior to this Friday volunteer day, that they've been in a car more than a dozen times.

With the weather change, I now have to go start the school vehicle about ten minutes before we leave to warm it up, but this interferes with one my classes. Instead of sending my student to another teacher, I asked him if we wanted to walk with me to start the car. He had no idea what I was talking about, so I told him to go get his coat. He grabbed his coat and walked the 30 seconds it took to the SUV. His eyes lit up when he realized I had keys in my hands. After explaining that we were only starting the car, my student became confused, asking why he couldn't ride in the car that we just started. After a few minutes of talking him through it, he finally understood there wasn't room, but requested that next time he makes it all five days to school, instead of playing basketball in the gym, he wanted to go for a ride in the car. It's amazing how different the incentives are from lower-48er kids to the ones out here.

After dropping off my students at Head Start, I was on my way back to the school. When I pulled up to the intersection, I was greeted by a team of dogs pulling a four-wheeler up the hill, being followed by a snow mobile with a tobboggan on the back. Now call me crazy, but it's not every day you're passed by a team of dogs pulling a "honda" up the hill and a "snow-go" pulling a tobboggan. This was when it finally hit me that we're not in Kansas anymore, or Iowa to be more specific.

The rest of the day went as any other day has gone thus far. After school, Brandon and I were signed up to work the wrestling meet. And while everything was just as normal as could be there, there was a moment where Brandon and I had yet another reality check that this is thousands of miles from home. Taking tickets, we made small talk with a number of people coming through the gate. Most were asking where the 50/50 drawing was held, and the rest were just plain being polite to the newbies. But one man came over, nudged Brandon and asked if he'd be interested in buying a wolf.

Brandon: Excuse me, a wolf sir?
Man: Yes, a wolf. Are you interested?
Brandon: Are you serious?
Man: Yes, you want a wolf?
Brandon: Uh...no...

The man walks away, and Brandon looks at me and says, "Was he serious? A wolf? I mean it'd be cool, but a wolf?"

WTA...Welcome to Alaska. :)

Although I don't think Brandon's the biggest fan of volunteering all the time, I sure have a good time. I met an older woman that gave me the names of about fifty people she was related to, I, however, understanding maybe two or three of them, but she was also one of the sweetest ladies I've every met, smiling and patting my back when I'd admit to miscounting someone's change. She kept me company while Brandon was away. But the ones I enjoyed interacting with the most, were the little ones running around playing hide and seek, tapping me, tickling me and asking me all sorts of questions. I had one little girl playing with my hair and counting to a hundred for me, while the rest of her friends were showing me their nail polish, asking me where my crayon box was, and trying to figure out how I made the lines on my eyelids (make-up not wrinkles). The more I interact with them, the more I love their little giggles and their big brown eyes. Don't be surprised if I come home with a dozen of these kids come summer. Between these little ones, my high schoolers, and a stray dog outside, I may become the old woman who lived in a shoe by the time Alaska's finished with me, not to mention a missing husband who's avoiding his sucker of a wife.

Anyway, between dogsleds and wolves, we've had our fair share of differences with this life, but we're thankful everyday for the opportunity to live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, with some of the most beautiful people.

Love to you all,

Brie

School, Halloween and Snow

So life around here has begun to remind us of the differences out here compared to home. On Wednesday, we had an assembly for our high school and kindergarten students to share their pictures and information from a field trip they had. At the end of the assembly, the kindergarten students presented a Yup'ik dance that they had prepared to share with all of us the uses of the plants they discovered on their journey. It was complete with a drummer and singer, and the entire community was invited to join them in the dancing. I was so disappointed I didn't bring my camera to share with you the beautiful music and dancing, but hopefully I'll be able to get pictures from Sophie to post.

After that assembly, we had one somewhat normal day, and then came Friday. Friday at school, we had an early release. Why, you may ask? Well, with Halloween on Sunday, the school and community needed to have their costume parade, door prizes and raffles Friday afternoon. Upon getting to school, I realized I just might be the only teacher without a costume. So I went to the storage room, found an empty box, and took the time I had before school started to create a costume. The only thing I could think of making was a box of crayons. Seemed simple enough, right? So I wrapped the box, and found my own box of crayons to replicate. It drew a lot of attention from students in the hallway, who were all curious to see what I was doing. Most of them came to assure me that my head was not going to fit through the hole I had made, but some of them came in and wanted to help. Even if I would have never put the costume on, I really enjoyed how the box grabbed the attention and forced a visit from some of the students who have never visited before.

Brandon, Tara, Peter (not real sure if that was his name or not) and I were the judges of the costume parade. And while we loved getting front row seats to see all the children and community members in costume, I decided I'm not a very good judge. I wanted to give everyone a certificate.

At the end of the show, teachers and adults with costumes had to walk and show off their costumes. They judged the winners of this walk, and I received funniest costume award. I'm guessing it was because I couldn't do much in that box. I couldn't clap, couldn't get into it very well, and I sure as heck couldn't get out of it on my own. The little ones loved the box, and kept telling me their favorite crayon color, so I enjoyed their attention as well.

And finally, the snow. It seems every day for a week now, at some point in the day, we have had some form of precipitation. And while we thought we loved snow in the beginning, we're beginning to hate the idea of it. It's beautiful and will allow for travel out to other villages with snow machines, but it interferes with our ability to communicate with the lower forty-eight. What we mean by that is our Hughesnet dish gets coated with the big white flakes, and as a result of this interference, we're forced to sweep it off about every twenty minutes if it's a heavy fall. I guess is a little interference is the worst of our problems, we'll enjoy it while we have it.

We've attached a couple of pictures. We'll get more pictures as things freeze up over here. I don't trust where I walk without a trail unless everything has had time to freeze so it may be a few weeks. Brandon just informed me that it's 16 degrees outside. Maybe it won't take as long as we thought for this grey world to harden up.

Love you,

Brie

"If you're gonna be a bear, be a grizzly!"

I hate to disappoint all of you who opened this blog thinking we had an encounter with a bear. Unfortunately, the only reason I used the quote was to relay my interest in hibernating with the rest of the bears out here. The weather has gotten colder, the snow has begun to show its face a little more often, but rarely sticks around long enough to have any fun in. And the sun seems to be becoming scarcer than the snow.

It's conference week and now that my paperwork is done, I want to clean up shop and sit back bundled in blankets with a movie. So, that's exactly what Brandon and I have been doing. We've been cleaning house, getting dishes done, laundry washed, floors swept, and the interest in dirtying another dish after our cleaning rants is nonexistent. So, tonight was a leftover night on paperplates; and when leftovers were gone, Brandon had a bowl of cereal while Tombstone blared in the background.

Knowing that I can't hibernate, some of the grizzly's temper has found its way into my interactions. I started off slowly, trying to find my footing as I interacted with the kids. But as I get to know my kids and how they work, I've found the confidence again. I had a student sharing a story with me today about how she crossed paths with a fox on her way to school. She comes into my room and tells me stories about 15 minutes before school every morning. Because I enjoy that students are warming up to me, I've allowed the visits even when they interrupt the quiet of my planning period. As she told the story, she spoke village English. And all the while, I helped her through her story, adding articles and prepositions. After a few corrections, my student interjected that I talked like a city girl, as if it should hurt my feelings. Here's how the conversation went:

Me: What's that like?
Student: Like you!
Me: Are you saying a city girl speaks English correctly?
Student: Yes! You always say right English. I say village English.
Me: I speak that way so others can understand me.
Student: My parents can understand me!
Me: Then go talk to your parents.

The student was receptive and agreed that she'd rather speak in a way anyone could understand her. She made her corrections and I felt effective. It was a nice and motivating beginning to my day; something I needed to jerk me out of this hibernation phase setting in on me.

Up River with Mickia

It's always a great day when you have a boat ride to look forward to. Tonight, we went with Mickia to check his net for white fish on the Nushagak. Luckily, we were given forewarning from the group that went last night that we'd freeze the whole way up and back unless we dressed warmer than we thought we'd need to. So, we dug out the snow pants, triple-layered our tops, found our hats and finished off our outfit with our new boots (rated to -148 degrees fahrenheit). And recalling our last trip with Mickia, I grabbed my sunglasses on the way out just in case.

Ben, Brandon, Mickia and I climbed aboard his skiff, only to find out those amazing boots of ours are not only warm, but heavier than I'm used to. I felt I was standing in cement blocks as I lifted one leg after another over the sides and seats of the boat. What a workout?! Anyway, after a 15-20 minute skiff ride up river, with brisk wind slapping our faces the entire way up, we finally came upon Mickia's subsistent net. As he pulled the net out of the water, we counted one chum, one silver and three white fish. While we were tickled, Mickia was a little disappointed in the turn-out, saying, "I knew I should have tied it closer to the shore." Next time, he says he's going to head towards a little cove where the waters are a little more shallow.

We took the skiff back down river to the shore, and made our way over to Mickia's. Mickia pulled his four-wheeler out, hooked up the trailor and went back for his skiff, indicating the end of another season. The boys put the boat on barrels and we headed towards the shed to scale the white-fish we'd pulled from the net. Mickia brought out two knives. And while I didn't volunteer to participate, it was fun watching the other three remove the scales by running the blades of the knives against the grain of their scales. It was especially entertaining when the seemingly dead fish found one more fight and flopped on the table. My heart ached for the fish being literally skinned alive. My hopes are that their nervous systems are less sensitive than what I'd imagined.

Mickia was generous and sent us home with one of the fish. I have to admit I have no idea how to handle a whole fish, head, tail and all, in the kitchen, but I'm sure someone around here will be able to show me when the time comes to thaw the little guy out.

We stayed warm throughout the trip with the exception of our faces and fingers, and were reminded of why they told us to purchase the face masks we bought but haven't worn. As for the gloves, anyone with any insight there is welcomed to share their information with me. I'll take any advice I can get!

Above are pictures of the village from the river, scaling fish and the Nushagak. Enjoy!

Brie

Getting in and out of the bush...

They say that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Well, a plane in the bush flying to the lower forty-eight ends up being worth about $3200 WITH a companion fare on short-notice.

On Saturday, October 2nd, we received a sad phone call from Iowa, letting us know that Grandma Jo passed away comfortably that morning. While the news was not expected, we weren't surprised after the initial shock subsided. Joan, after a severe stroke last Christmas Eve, held on like a trooper, despite the incovenience of a feeding tube, inability to eat solid foods and the bumps in the road that came along with the transition from independent into assisted living. Joan kept her spirits up even when her dearest friend passed away about a month ago. But as time carried on, Joan knew it was time to go. And when we received the news of her passing, we, too, knew it was time to go home and be with family as we all said our good-byes one last time.

So, with enough time to pack a light suitcase and complete my lesson plans for the week, Brandon and I made arrangements to fly from New Stu to Dillingham, Dillingham to Anchorage, Anchorage to Seattle, and finally Seattle to Chicago. Over the course of two days, with a visit to the Tuckwoods in Dillingham, we made our way back to the Midwest. Clayton, my brother-in-law, awaited our arrival at Terminal 3, and we were on our way by 11:30pm on Sunday night. After a few wrong turns, our first visit to a gas station in months, and some catching up, we made it to my sister Katie's for the night. We hit the hay around 3am and slept straight through our alarms the next morning until 10. We were lucky to visit Katie and my nephews, Michael and Jonathan, and niece, Allison, before my brother and his wife passed through Evansville on their way to Potosi from Greenbay. We knew we were meant to come home with the seamless transitions from layovers to car trips. We had a nice visit with Shane and Jen and made it to mom and dad's by mid-afternoon. We kicked back our feet for an hour or two, and hopped back in the car for a trip to Dubuque. Brandon and I really didn't miss too much from the lower-48 food-wise, but boy did Los Azteca's Queso Fundido melt in my mouth that first bite.

The next morning, Brandon and I drove to Des Moines and made a few necessary stops along the way. It turns out that when you live in bush Alaska you don't necessarily have appropriate attire for a funeral in your closet, and with a moment's notice, you can sometimes forget underwear, socks and bras in the bag you've packed. Brandon and I enjoyed our much needed shopping spree, but did surprisingly well at keeping ourselves under control.

We made it to Brandon's parents' house, did some homework and hit the hay early. The only problem was that we were physically three hours behind what showed on the clock. As pooped as we were, we still laid and stared at the ceiling for what seemed to be hours before we fell asleep.

The next morning, I awoke at 5:00am and got ready to visit some of the people I've missed the most: my coworkers! Although all of them weren't there and I didn't get a whole lot of time to see them, it was still extremely nice to see the people I spent 40 hours a week, 36+ weeks a year, for the last three years. It was also really nice to get the greeting from the students that came running over with hugs and hellos. I wish I could bring them all back to Alaska so I could have the best of both worlds.

Anyway, that day filled up with family and reminiscing, and led into a sad but beautiful Thursday saying goodbye to Grandma Jo. The service was nice, and lots showed up to share their stories and condolences. Aunt Jeanie even came down from Belmond with mom and dad to pay their respects. It was awefully nice to see everyone who loved Joan so much. Kalee was adorable, as always, saying, "Where GG go? GG sleep? Bye-bye GG." The evening was spent in Murray with some of Joan's closest friends a family, chatting about what a wonderful woman she was at Donna Sue's and Danny's.

Friday was an early morning with Brandon and I hitting the road a little before six. We drove to Platteville, met mom to trade a few items with her, and headed onto Madison for lunch with two of my sisters. Although it was a short visit, it helped complete my week to see as much family as possible in the little time we had. SueAnne and Therese met us for lunch at Granite City, where we caught up about the nieces and nephews, prospective job changes, and life in the bush. I wish we could have had one more week to relax with the people we care about so much but see so little, but so it is and so it goes when you live three thousand miles away.

We were lucky to get another couple of hours with Therese as she graciously volunteered to drive us to the airport. She looks great and did a good job reminding us of how blessed we are to have so many wonderful people to miss between visits.

We finally, after a number of hours on a plane from Chicago to Anchorage, a turbulant flight to say the least, made it back to the last frontier. An evening at the Hampton Inn, and 7 hours of shopping and shipping did us in for one of two final flights home. We flew to Dillingham and were blessed with the hospitality and company of Cindy, Tim, Sadie, Skylar and Rooster (Rayna) once again. It's crazy we've only met them twice and already feel like they're a part of our family. Brandon got some time with Tim on a work call, where Brandon assisted in taking a deceased teenager, killed in a four-wheeling accident, to the morgue. It reaffirmed my disinterest in being a bush pilot, as he's the one who brought the young boy over wrapped only in a sheet. The pilot and Tim had to transfer the boy from the sheet to the body bag, and Brandon assisted in transporting the body from the trooper car to the hospital. While it's not something I'd ever want to do, it was a good reminder that we're not in Kansas anymore...or Iowa for that matter.

Sunday was a glorious day, as we were able to make our way back to home, sweet home. The three day travel on both ends of a week-visit to the lower 48 can take a lot out of a person. My heart sinks to think about all of the people I didn't get to see, my nieces and nephews specifically, but good friends, too. Hopefully, I'll make up lost time and visits over Christmas.

Anyway, after a loooooong post, and loooooooong travels, we are safe and sound and happy to be home. Love and miss you all, and it was great to see those of you over the last week. Keep in touch!

Brie

"Just call me Julius...Orange Julius."

After cutting carrots until I turned orange on Friday night, we awoke on Saturday morning to dive into a pile of Granny Smiths. We peeled and cut about 35 apples, and as we began a pot of applesauce, I realized we had no collinder to finish the job. So I called my friend Tara to raid her cupboards. On the walk over, I was trying to think of ways to juice the apples, oranges and carrots that we'd never eat before they went bad. When I got to Tara's, I was explaining that I was going to find a way to juice our extra veggies to use everything we'd paid for. Low and behold, Tara pulled out an Omega 1000! We had a juicer, a very FINE juicer to be exact, in the village for our use.

Excitedly, I took the juicer home and began making every combination of carrot, orange, apple and blackberry juice I could think of. It seemed no matter what combination we came up with, we all loved the juice, even Brandon! I didn't know the best way to store the juice, so I emptied the ice cube trays and began freezing everything we juiced. After they froze, I transfered them to a freezer bag. Then I moved onto the orange juice. We juiced about a dozen oranges, transfered them to baggies and stuck them in the freezer.

Tonight, I took the juice cubes and put them in the blender with powdered milk, a tablespoon of sugar, a little water, a teaspoon of vanilla and about a tablespoon of lemon juice. It came out milkshake thick, with the fruit juice kick! When you don't have McD's down the street or even ice cream in the freezer, this drink is heavenly! It was definitely a nice way to end our weekend

I'm proud of us for all of the food we've "put up" for the winter. It's nice to know that if the rest of our Span order never shows up, we're not going starve to death.

The Things You Said You'd Never Do...

Life is full of surprises. The irony in that is, in general, I think people end up surprising themselves more than they ever let others do the surprising to them. Tonight happened to be one of those nights for me. I was always known as the Whitty girl that never took chances or risks, pinched pennies and rarely ever relied on others for much. But the tables have turned, and here we are thousands of miles away. My family found it comical to think about us "roughing it" out here...but boy if they could see us now.

Never in a million years did anyone think I'd initiate a move like this, much less thrive here. Brandon and I received our first shipments for our SpanAlaska order. In it included: 50 pounds of onions; 25 pounds of carrots; 36 pounds of butter; 88 Granny Smith apples; and 113 oranges. In addition to that, we received 12 pounds of ham to share with the neighbors and their twelve packages of turkey bacon. So we rolled up our sleeves, divvied out our shares, and got to business. With "Finding Nemo," blaring in the background, Brandon and I peeled and chopped about 10 pounds of carrots, blanched them and bagged them for the freezer. For those of you thinking that that's not much, recalculate and get back to me. We had carrots from hell to breakfast. Unfortunately, after breakfast tomorrow morning, we'll be doing the same with 20-30 Granny Smith apples for apple sauce and crisps we can make with the apples we preserve in the freezer. When that's done, we'll move onto chopping some onions, and possibly even try to batter the rings for an evening in the future where we'll need a fried food fix. We made another two gallons of homemade laundry detergent last night, but I must be doing something wrong with my mother's recipe. The gelatinous molds we've created with the tubs we've filled leave me to wonder whether or not the washer will be able to handle breaking down what I'd describe best as flubber for our clothes.


Tonight we had our first field trip for the Rural Teachers class I'm taking. Brandon came with us in the skiff that took us about 10 minutes down river. There, we were shown how to shave birch bark off of the birch trees that lined the Nushagak. With an axe and a few with pocket knives, we shaved back the top layer until we reached the white, meaty center of the tree. Between this white center and the rough surface lies a brown, spongy material that when boiled, is a native remedy for the common cold. We'll be boiling this next week as a class, and hopefully will collect tundra tea in the future for other home remedies in the bush. I loved this experience, and sit here punching numbers wondering if maybe Bran and I will be able to tuck away enough for a skiff next year. We'll see...

Now that we're here, we've found ourselves clinging to the people around us for support in experiences outside of our comfort zones. The things we thought we'd never do would be moving to Alaska and living in the middle of absolutely nowhere with few modern luxuries. The things we said we'd never do, both Brandon and I did within the last few weeks. I said I'd never shoot a gun, and last Saturday shot two. I said I'd never maqii, as a result of my self-consciousness and worries to be so uncomfortably hot I'd melt. Brandon, too, for the same reasons, had expressed his disinterest in "bathing with a bunch of dudes." But after invitations and support from our friends, we've both now attended the amazing traditional maqii. Tonight, Dani and Lily showed up to invite me to maqii. Caught off guard with no excuse, and two friendly, encouraging faces at my door, I accepted. Minutes later, my bag was packed with oversized tubs of shampoo and conditioner, a new bar of soap, a washcloth, hand towel and bath towel in tote. I had a hair-tie around my wrist and sockless-shoed feet beneath me. A kiss from Brandon and I was off to my first experience to maqii.

Maqii, also referred to as steaming, is a Yup'ik tradition where men or women sit in a small hut with stones, stoves and water and steam out toxins and gossip and joke about daily life. People are completely naked, and ironically, completely comfortable in these steams. While the heat at points can exceed 300 degrees Fahrenheit in really hot steams, it's a nice and relaxing social time. You begin in the steam by sweating like you've never sweat before. As they "splash" or put water on the hot stones, the heat hits you in palpable waves. My lips burned and nose felt as though it was on fire. My skin peeled in response to the exfoliating heat. After a while, we sat outside of the steam and chatted. In all, we went in three times: the first to sweat; the second to scrub; and the third to rinse. While many men and women go in frequently over long periods of time, we stuck to three visits in an hour and a half. After the third time, we sat around and chatted about school and steaming in general. The ladies love Bath and Body Works body splash, and talk about how expensive it is out here. Dani and I agreed that the after Christmas sales would be receiving a visit from us when we're home, to purchase some lotions and mists for our new Yup'ik friends.

This is one thing I said I'd never do, and here I am, pleased with the experience enough to do it again. While I don't think I'd steam with just anyone, I'm thankful for Dani, a great friend to me out here, to show me the ropes and help me gain confidence in myself and others around me. I'm excited for Claire to come and experience New Stu next weekend. Maybe she'll maqii, too!

Love you all and hope you enjoy reading about our experiences as much as we enjoy sharing them with you.


Brie

Shooting

Saturday, September 18th, we went shooting out in the tundra with Ben, Dani, Ron and Peter. Brandon took his 44 caliber lever action rifle, and Ben took his 12 gauge shot gun and 22caliber rifle. I was the first girl to grab the gun, Ben's 22, and upon lifting it into sight, I was nervous as all get-out to shoot. There's just something so final about holding one of those things in your hand. With a little coaxing, I mustered up the guts to pull the trigger and--nothing. I forgot to release the safety. "Better safe than sorry..." I shook and flicked it off. I pulled it up again, and needing another pat on the back, finally pulled the trigger. I didn't get that adrenaline rush that everyone else seems to get. By the third shot, I hit the coffee can about fifty yards away. But by the fourth shot, my arm was getting tired. Everyone else shot for a while and right before leaving, Brandon wanted me to shoot his 44. Reluctantly, knowing full-well he wouldn't let us leave until I agreed to, I grabbed his gun. I aimed, shot and felt like I'd been punched with a thick charlie horse to my right shoulder. Once was enough! And while I didn't do so bad for my first time shooting, I didn't do so well to feel like I needed to head out to do it again any time soon. I must be my mother's daughter. I'll keep to cooking and leave the shooting to Brandon.

Puzzle Pieces

The boys are proud of the new table they made out of a cable wheel. You should have seen the chairs they made out of oil drums and saw horses. After they had the chairs around the table, they had beers and Pringles passed around.

Tonight I had a revelation about life in comparison to a jigsaw puzzle. While I thought I had everything figured out when I graduated high school, college, first heart-break, etc., slowly but surely, I've gained another piece to change the few pieces I had accumulated from a single tone to somewhat of a pointalismic (not sure if that's even a word) masterpiece, with the current product a pixilated version of what it might become. And although I believe I have about a million pieces left to fulfill what most would consider a lifetime, I can honestly say if tomorrow were to never come, I'd die a happy girl with the beautiful picture life has pieced together for me.

This lifestyle seems to highlight the good parts of life; at least to me anyway. When you'd think we'd have time to think about all of the things we're missing out on in terms of a social life or even grocery stores, we're usually busy relaxing, fishing, hiking, walking, hunting or mapping out what we might want for dinner based on what's in the cupboard. And while most dread the idea of cooking from scratch, ironically we've saved time by being creative instead of hauling to Wal-mart for the quick dinner fix from the frozen food section. We've been careful about what we have and what we use, as we now know that ordering groceries in is about a month-long process. But even that kind of frugality and patience has had its pay off. There's a sense of accomplishment I get out here over the littlest things, whether it's making pot-pies from scratch, or feeling like I could feed an army at the drop of a dime, and still have food left in the cupboard. It makes me feel like I'm at least near the same wavelength of my mother, and she, herself, is someone I strive to be like on a daily basis.

I'm proud that Brandon and I have been here just shy of two months, and we have yet to eat canned soup or Chef-Boyardee for one meal. And most nights, start to finish, I've made most things from scratch. I never knew how willing Brandon would be to try some of the experiments I've pieced together, but that may be the result of us having no canned meals in the pantry, too. Last night, in hopes to use up the bread crumb and egg batter we used for the chicken, I pulled out some leftover macaroni and cheese and made one of our favorite appetizers at any bar and grill: fried mac and cheese bites. Even though Brandon was skeptical, he tried them anyway and ended up sharing with the neighbors his delight in our "New" Stu bar food. One of my coworkers was telling us she thinks Brandon and I are so cute in how we always cook together and have such a homemade meal. I was beaming with that compliment, considering we were never really considered the iron chefs back in the lower 48.

We went to the post office today and picked up what we thought was our Bass Pro Shop package. Sadly, it was our neighbor’s package so we’ll have to wait until Monday to check again. While waiting for service, a number of little kids were gallivanting up and down the ramp playing tag. Amidst the commotion, they thought Brandon and I should play, too. A slap on the butt, and I was “it” by a little 5 or 6 year old girl. We played a little bit with them and remembered how much we love little kids and are missing our nieces and nephews. We’re excited to play more with the little ones out here, as they seem to have enough spunk to make up for the high schoolers that loathe the sight of us “kassaks” who make them work in the classroom.

People in town continue to be welcoming and interested in getting to know us. That acceptance is crucial to me, as I’ve always been somewhat of a people pleaser. And if I can’t win over some of the high schoolers, at least I feel like there’s hope with their parents. The people here love Bingo which is where I’ve met a few of them passing through; and while I love the game too, I want to stay within their good-graces by leaving the pot for them to win. They get into the games and in one night alone, the fundraising event can bring in over a thousand dollars. Scratch the magazine and pizza sales, this fundraiser, paired with a cake walk or two is where the money really is. My assistant principal asked if I’d be interested in calling numbers, but I also left that task to the professionals. I’m enjoying the spectator view from here.

I’m starting to realize what distance does to the heart, despite its ineffectiveness on me in past circumstances. While I miss and love everyone at home and my heart has truly grown fonder of those of you in the lower 48, I haven’t hit the homesick stage where I feel like I need to be there to enjoy the relationships of those I care about. The phone calls, emails and Skype sessions have been a God-send in making me feel like I’m in the loop in spite of our being what seems like a million miles away. A special thanks to Annie H. for the beautiful picture she sent me. I have it posted on my filing cabinet at work and think of her every time I look at it!

We’re going to be getting our grocery supply on Friday, with any hope in the Bypass Mail Service functioning on schedule. We’ve noticed it’s taking about a week for priority boxes and mail from the lower forty-eight to reach our doorstep, but that’s weather dependent. And as for parcel post, that can be anywhere from two weeks, to two months, depending upon how much room is on the plane that comes out. Amazon.com has become our best friend, being one of the only websites that offers free shipping to all 50 states with most items. And Alaska Air has come in a close second with the bonuses it offers with its credit card. We’ll be flying home for Christmas at half the cost of what it’d typically cost us without those bonus miles and companion fare and every dollar we spend is a mile we accumulate; three miles per dollar if it’s a flight purchased through Alaska Air. I have a feeling we’ll be flying more with incentives like those. If you have the slightest interest in visiting Alaska in the future, I highly recommend you signing up. Right now, signature members get 25,000 bonus miles, which equals a round-trip flight from the lower-forty-eight to Alaska depending upon when you fly.

Anyway, before I begin sounding like a walking billboard, I’ll close with this: we’re doing fine and enjoying life up here. And while we miss you all very much, it’s beginning to feel more and more like home as we settle in. Routines have developed both at school and at home, and our ability to get involved with the people around us increases on a daily basis. We might be purchasing a snow-mobile or 4-wheeler soon if we find the right deal, so that’s something we’re looking forward to. We’re also looking forward to visiting any and everyone interested in seeing us over Christmas.

Keep in touch.

Love,

Brie

Volleyball and Rainbows

Tonight, we had a wonderful time with our neighbors playing a few exciting games of volleyball. Peter, Tara, Dani, Ron, Brandon, Wass and I played a few games. Wass is our janitor and a native to New Stu. He was entertained by our lack of talent and his ease to whip us with his hops, but we had fun watching him laugh at us. An especially entertaining part of our game was when Tara, after a few less than spectacular shots, announced, "Hey, I'll have you all know that while you were all playing ball, I was milking goats!" We laughed for about 10 minutes, and automatically named her "The Angry Goat". Every time we've gotten together, we've learned a little more about each other. We're really enjoying our friends and colleagues out here. By the time Wass left, he had invited all the guys over for a muqii, or steam. Despite Brandon's apprehensive feelings towards attending the muqii, he packed his bags to join "only all the people we hang out with all the time". The man amazes me every day. God, I love him.

Before the boys headed down the hill to muqii, I headed to Dani's to watch another chick flick. We hadn't even started the movie when the door flung open and Ben was hollaring for us to come outside. We had no idea what the excitement was all about, but headed out anyway. By the time we had our shoes on and stepped out into the misting sunset, I saw something I'd never seen before. There before us, was a double rainbow, one with a full arc from one hillcrest to the other. I'd never seen such a thing, but Ben and I agreed that if we had the chance see the rainbow in its entirety, we'd surely find gold at the end of it, too; there was just no way we were risking the bears to obtain it.

Anyway, the pictures and video clips won't cooperate with me on here, but I'd be delighted to share them with those that'd like me to email them. I never thought I'd see my first full rainbow in Alaska.

Celebrating Small Successes

We went fishing tonight, after a nice afternoon packing moose meat into Kyle's freezer. He and Mickia, our tech guy at school, shot a bull on Thursday night and Kyle had half a moose
to butcher in a hurry. He and Lida did pounds upon pounds of it on their own, and finally in the early afternoon decided that a little help with the grinder and wrapping might not be such a bad idea. So Brandon and I helped out for a little while. It was nice to feel helpful and useful. Brandon and Kyle ground the moose, while Lida plastic-wrapped and I did the final package job with the butcher paper, masking tape and a Sharpy labeling system. I had a lot of fun helping and while we weren't expecting anything in return, they gave us a generous bag to stock our freezer. We now have a handful of pounds of ground moose, some stew meat and a roast. I'm excited to see how it tastes!

After that, Brandon and I sat down for some homemade chili we had started in the crockpot a few hours earlier and eventually made our way to the couch where we thought some quality time with the Wii was necessary. It was fun, but because it had been raining all morning, Brandon was itching for some outdoor fun. So we decided to go fishing. Brandon packed up his gear and we headed down the hill to the river. We saw Gusty and Man II fishing, with a total of four silvers sitting on the beach. With that, we thought we'd have similar luck. We thought wrong. We walked downriver along the bank and found a fallen tree to put our pack on and began to douse ourselves with bug spray. It worked momentarily, but not to the degree we had been hoping for it to. We didn't catch a thing, but mid-trip the skies opened up and began pouring on us. Most of the time you'd think rain would be a downer on an outdoorsy trip, but it was just what we needed to drive the bugs away.

About twenty minutes in, Dani and Ron decided to join us. We liked the company, but with one pole and no fish, we weren't down there for long. Man II had three silvers sitting on the bank, and the boy that was no more than ten offered us one of his since we didn't have any luck. What a sweetheart?! We thanked him for the offer, but said we had a fish in the freezer we'd eat before we took his. He must have felt proud for outfishing four adults. Or, he felt sorry for the kasaks (gus-aks=white people/visitors/new to town in Yup'ik) that couldn't catch their own dinner. We finally gave into darkness and headed back up the hill. The hill has gotten loads easier since the first time we walked it. With any luck, it'll be a breeze by October, when we'll have a whole new mess to deal with in the walk: snow. But we'll focus on baby steps for now. Out here I've learned to celebrate small successes...after all, success is success and the way I see it, small things tend to be overlooked, but are what ultimately determine the success of the bigger matters at hand. I know it's just a walk up a hill, but as I referenced in an earlier post, life has a lot in common with a short simple walk.

Love you all,

Brie

Haircut, House and Stovepop

Well, it's been a week out of the ordinary, and it's only Tuesday. But living in Alaska, wouldn't you say every week is out of the ordinary? I suppose that's only when you're a lower-48er.

For every rough day I've had, I've had a dozen good ones, which is an accomplishment in and of itself. I've had my moments where I've wondered what in the hell we're doing out here. I've had moments where I've wondered why I'd ever leave comfortable for formidable, when feelings, relationships and senses in general seem to be magnified by a million, overshadowing the awesome views and similar paychecks. The highs are really high out here, but the lows are really low. And while it seems as though I'm struggling to fit the mold of a native Alaskan, I'd say I've quickly gone from a siding nail to a twisty tie in a matter of weeks. With that said, I'm thankful for the gravitational force my husband posesses when I'm feeling like an exaggerated version of myself that needs some momentary grounding.

The last few days have been exceptional. Sunday, I gave Brandon his first homemade haircut in the bush. Although Brandon didn't find any humor in the situation at all, I was hysterically laughing at my unsteadied hand and the new racing stripes I placed in the side of his head...and new bald spot placed above the nape of his neck. Luckily for him, I had a shy start and didn't cut as much off in the first pass as I'd end up needing to, and by the time I was finished, they'd blended well into his new do. Even if I had a slow start, I had one hell of a finish. Sport's Clips aint got nothin' on me!

School this week seems to be a dream. Last week I had doubts about my choice in career, and this week I couldn't think of doing anything else, or anywhere else for that matter. I've had good parent feedback, and felt the support from my colleagues and administrators I felt I was lacking. I feel like a child in saying this, but it seems that the smallest drop of positive feedback works wonders on my confidence. Tonight we had Open House, and the turn out was surprising. I had parents in my room, students in my room and Brandon there introducing himself to the community members as they entered. It was so nice to meet people. They've all been so welcoming and supportive. Some of them were too supportive. I found it funny how many of them wanted their children to "join" special ed. as if it were an afterschool club. One of the parents that stopped in invited me to steam, a native tradition they use as not only a cleaning ritual but a social gathering. I told them I'd love to do it, but that I had my reservations as I was a sensitive being to heat and have passed out numerous times as a result, but they said they'd be nice to me. I didn't tell them about my other reservation: nakedness. Bathing with others is not something I think I'll ever be comfortable with. Hopefully I'll find the courage to join them, or the perfect excuse to decline their offer without offending them.

I feel like I'm really beginning to develop relationships with the people around me. I feel the students are starting to understand my teaching style and personality, and they're giving me good feedback to become more effective in their learning. It's taken a lot of prep time and planning, but I feel like I'm getting into a routine...finally.

Tonight, Brandon and I are watching the third of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. We had barbecue chicken salads, compliments of the produce that came in on the plane to the P-Store. We spent $28 on two heads of lettuce, four tomatoes, an onion, a bag of grapes and a jar of dill pickles. That should hold us over until the $1300 + we spent Sunday on our order from SpanAlaska arrives via bypass mail. It might seem like a lot of money, but we purchased bulk everything. Between three apartments, we managed to buy 748 pounds of food, most of that coming to only two couples. Hopefully, we won't have to "grocery shop" until December.

I've made some "stovepop" or panned popcorn, mixed with peanut M&Ms. I'm feeling fulfilled after a successful couple of days at work, a meal that didn't consist of a canned or boxed item, and an evening snack that reminds me of high school ball games with my dad.

Love and miss you all,

Brie

Not planning to quit my day job!!

Last night it was cold and rainy so a few of the guys decided it would be fun to go fishing. I am fighting a cold and haven't really felt well for a little over a week now so naturally I thought it would be a good idea to join them on their fishing adventure. This was going to be my third attempt at salmon fishing since moving here and I didn't think it could possibly get any worse than the 2nd trip out when I didn't get one bite in the 2 hours we were out there.

So I dug out my new rain pants that Brie bought me in Dillingham along with my rubber boots and rain coat and a stocking hat. Maybe you are asking yourself why I would wear a stocking hat when its raining outside; well I have no solid answer for you. It kept my ears warm and my head warm for the most part but I think it was my hooded sweatshirt that did most of the work. We headed down to the beach to load up the boat and Ron and I got stuck down there while Kyle and Ben had to come back up to get some eye protection for Ben. Standing on the beach is not fun at all because we get destroyed by mosquitoes. I have never doubted that I am made of sugar but sometimes its ridiculous.

We ventured out to our normal shore fishing spot. You cant really fish along the banks here because the shore is not easily accessible unless you have waist high water proof pants which I don't and do not intend on buying any. They look like rubber long underwear!! Way to form fitting for my liking. So we get to our location and my night starts out great. My first cast went all the way across the river and got stuck on the other bank. It was fun trying to get that unsnagged. My 2nd cast got snagged with one of the other guys, so unless you cant count, I am not 2 for 2 on snagging the hook. My third cast floated out into the river, obviously I thought things were good until I tried to reel it back in and it was stuck. Oh yes I got it snagged in the middle of the river. I wasn't so lucky this time around getting it unsnagged. I pulled and pulled and eventually it came loose but when I reeled it in I noticed I was missing half of my setup. The hook and part of the line decided to stay in the water. I felt really bad because it looked brand new or at least just hadn't been used before but Kyle wasn't upset because didn't really care for that spinner.

After getting snagged three times in a row I decided to move and fish where I was less likely to snag something. Once again I did not have any lucky with the bites. Everyone around me was catching fish and I was the one catching seaweed and junk. After about an hour or so of getting nothing I decided to move back to where I was originally; I cast the line out a few times with no snags or bites but at this point I was happy to just not have any snags. During this one particular cast I noticed more than just the line went flying into the river; the top half of my pole decided to come apart and fly into the river as well. I didn't freak out but quietly tried to get someones attention and it all worked out. I just had to reel in the line and the pole came with it. I got everyone all reset and ready to cast out again and when I did I noticed the spinner flew a bit further than normal and so I just started to reel everything in like normal and then I noticed my spinner hand flown off during the cast!! I couldn't believe it. I nearly lose the pole the cast before and now the spinner breaks off in mid flight. Why did I go fishing again?? At this point I cannot answer that question and I am sure Kyle will not be inviting me go to fishing again since the equipment I was using was his.

Anyways, Kyle and Ben decided to stop fishing and clean/cut the salmon they got. Kyle said I could use his other pole until they were done and we were ready to head home. I hesitated but grabbed it anyway and started fishing again. I wasn't getting any bites once again so the frustration started to mount. I decided to give it a few more attempts before hanging up the pole and to my startled surprise I hooked a decent sized salmon. They put up quite the fight sometimes but its very enjoyable reeling them in.

All-in-all it was a frustrating and cold evening of fishing. I caught one fish which made it all worth while though. I will go out fishing again but I might wait until my pole and other equipment get here. I wouldn't have felt so bad about losing the equipment had it been mine.

Brandon

Berries and Bugs

We went berry picking tonight. We thought it was the perfect evening for blueberries and blackberries, as the skies were clear and the evening was cool enough to wear a light jacket and enjoy the dusky breezes. We had learned on previous outings that the bugs enjoy new blood around here, so we doused ourselves in our eight dollar can of Off, suited up and headed out. We remembered the camera this time, but I was in no state to be captured by it, so the requested picture of us as a couple in beautiful Alaska will have to wait for another perfect evening.

We headed toward the airport on the gravel road behind the school, then onto a four-wheeler path towards the tundra. The further we distanced ourselves from our apartment, the more thankful we were for the Off we applied so generously. But the longer we walked, the more we began to wonder if the lady at the P-Store hadn't sold us an expensive bottle of simple syrup. Bugs were flying in our mouths, eyes, hair; pretty much any imaginable place they had access to. We finally found the berry patches we stumbled over last night and began to pick away. While we only gathered enough for a small jar of syrup or jam, the silver lining was that I didn't see a single spider amidst the berry bushes (although with the rest of the bugs out tonight, it would have been an optimal time for them to eat).

We were pleased with the blueberries and blackberries, but we’re really excited for the cranberries we found. We’ll have to patiently await the first frost to pick those. We’re not going to tell anyone where we spotted them tonight, though. They were so abundant we had to walk delicately through the brush to make sure we didn’t smash them. They’re good and tart right now, so it tempts us to pick what we find when we find them, but we’ve been told that they’re so much better when they’ve ripened a little more. So we’ll practice patience for a couple more weeks.

After we got tired of collecting more bugs than berries and waving our arms like crazy people, we decided we would head home. The walk home was thick with insects, comparable to Mayflies in Dubuque mid-summer. We were glad others weren’t out to hear us cuss and dance our way out of the buggy haze; however as we reflect about our evening, we’re realizing there’s probably a reason we were the only nuts to be berry-picking tonight.

We like emails and phone calls so keep them coming! As we develop a routine out here, we’ve found that the times we sit down to make phone calls, it’s past eight for us, and most likely pushing 11 for those of you we’d want to call. Familiar voices and faces are so nice to hear from and see when we’re surrounded by a landscape and people we’re so unaccustomed to, so call, Skype, email, etc. We look forward to hearing from you!

Love and miss you all,

Brie