the personalities in my classroom

Driving from the Cabin to the Airstrip

This was the trip from the Cabin to the airstrip in Port Alsworth

The things you can't explain in your roommate

I can handle the Texan accent, ah heck I've even picked some twang being up here. I'm a believer in Chipotle Tabasco. I can deal with the random "dance-offs", dishes piled in the sink and whiskey that just ups and disappears but what defies all explanation is when you come home to discover her literally pounding away at stuffing saved in the freezer since Thanksgiving with a hammer....

TBC

I had a much better time at this Bible Camp than I thought I would. Obviously most-all of the far right stuff I thought was scary but it provided another chance to meet some great people and see another side of Alaska I probably wouldn't have seen. In a room of ardent "this war is the final war" folk there were "being gay is ok and you need to hug trees" folk. Go figure. One of the speakers -a Inuit Eskimo I came to admire and spent some time talking with him.

The little girl got some choice laughs as on the last day she just bellowed out "is this OVER yet?!".

All Things "Port A"

if any of you are familiar with the PBS series, "One Mans Wilderness", then you know Port Alsworth. Dick's cabin is a short jump over the range from the village and he often came in for supplies and needed relief. One of the familes that befriended him was the Alsworths and they are one of the solid pillars of this area. I am lucky to know Glen & Patty and be a guest at "The Farm" - their family's homestead for well over 50 years. Their house is truly, "Alaskan". Everything from Moose heads, home made tables, sinfully strong coffee & sugar sweetened cookies, rows of rubber slickies and guns next to the back door and ...harp playing.

Tanalian Lower Falls

Since you can only be Port Alsworth once or twice in your lifetime we made it a point to hike up to Tanalian Falls. We borrowed Lucy who is some freak mix of "wolf and something furry" and made our way.

Kimmy's expression on her face really says it all:

"It's one big woodpile making factory"

Kimmy & I went up to Port Alsworth to visit with the Richters and to attend the Tanalian Bible Camp - don't worry; I didn't agree with the doomsday "muslims are evil" rhetoric that was sometimes being said. I know I've mentioned them before but the Richters are an amazing couple and they have gone to great lengths to take me under their wing and enough can't be said of them. We spent the two nights in their 85 year old cabin on the shores of Lake Clark, listened to Ron tell stories and Linda be a gracious host in the kitchen.

Moose

Land of Rocks

For some time we've heard about the "Land of Rocks" and how it's been described you would think that dinosaurs are still walking around. One woman in Iguigig said it was as if "God had a bunch of rocks and just dropped them all over the place". We had to find it. We knew it was generally said to be "south of Gibraltor but not quite to Emerald and a ways from Big Mountain"

Spring is rushing in quick and because of this we can only safely travel on the lakes for a few more days and to get across to the south end of Lake Gibraltor means going across it. I can't say I thought it was safe as there were puddles of clear water every now and then but we made it over and after an hour came upon the area.

They ranged from the pebble to sometimes well over 9 feet and were all sorts of shapes. It was very much like walking around on Easter Island but without the cut shaped of mens faces or the tropical climate

Sadly ... i'm getting a double chin which is getting noticed by friend and foe alike.

Prom Part 3

Concluding the prom was the dance. It was something to watch girls who I've never seen in a dress come out of the changing room walking ever so carefully as they've never been in high heels and ask each other how do they hold their purse. I tied ties for three of my guys, who morphed into characters from The Sopranos, and the entire school from Levelock.

One of the parents made the 40 mile trip across the lake to see his daughter at the prom. It was rather touching as this is the guy who makes it a point to wrestle me at every oppurtunity he gets.

How many places can you go to a prom wearing your hiking boots?

Prom Part 2

After dinner we would host the games and to keep the kids busy during the day we had different workshops. We were lucky to have Ben Snowball to join us. Ben has worked on the NYO games for some time and teaches many forms of Native Dancing. I'm happy to say I even got the moves down.



The district was also lucky enough to bring in another gentleman who taught the kids etching in ivory. Each student landed a piece worth ... oh $100, polished it, etched into it, polished it again and got to keep it. I was amazed at how much creativity and how intensity was shown but everyone left with something they could be proud of owning.



We also taught the kids how to oriente themselves with a compass. I am happy to note that the Army spokesperson who came for the career fair got his group lost.

Speaking of being just darn happy, another activity we had for the kids was to go out into the community and change the lightbulbs from standard to energy saving. it was all a lesson on global warming which affects Alaska more drastically then anywhere else. Before we went out, one girl from one of the more religious communities launches her hand and went into some right wing excuse - well before I know it, one of my students lifts her head up from the table, turns around and says "Nuh-NAH! - do you even know how much CO2 is released each year and how the greenhouse effect works? Look at what is going on in Shismeraf?"

I was just happy to see the week befores lesson hard at work.

Prom Part 1

Prom was held in the Lake & Peninsula School District last week and I was one of the chaperones for the event. To understand this, think of schools from Vancouver WA, Chelen, Bellingham, Aberdeen & Walla Walla sending kids - via plane - to Mount Vernon for a week.

Obviously you're going to have to make use of the time because of the expense and one of the activities is the NYO games. NYO is short for Native Youth Olympics. Those participants making 70% or higher of the record may then continue on to the state games in Anchorage. Two of my students will be attending.

The other thing of the "prom" is the social aspect. If you were a student you suddenly find yourself among 100 more kids your age from all over the region and, yes, you're now looking for a date for the dance on the last night. Students I have who I never seen smile for more than five minutes suddenly wouldn't stop, attention spans I thought didn't exist bounced out like a jack n' the box and buried horomones where all over the place.

The boys had to sleep in the gym where most of the events were. To say it was loud, sticky, smelly and oddly arid would be an understatement. What I've never been able to understand is how no matter how late they go to sleep - they're still up at 4:30.

The reality is, in many ways, it doubles as a glimpse of what could be if we had these kids in a school down south without taking away anything that is unique up here ( I found myself cutting off the fat on moose for the banquet dinner ).

Easter

Sorry I'm a little late on these

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Northern Lights

Kimmy & I last night left the house at 4 for an extended hike for the expressed purpose of "getting away" - as if living in Kokhanok didn't already do that.

We made fresh tracks into the snow blazing a trail four miles into the bush. By 8 we found a spot to build a bonfire, roast apples, s'mores and make "Texan Cocoa". The clear night afforded us views of the full moon and the mountains on the horizon. Just about the time I realized snow had fallen into my gaitors I thought I saw a cloud lit by the moon; it turned out to be the northern lights.

For the rest of the evening until we got back home at 4:30, the sky moved with green, pink, and blue waves of lights.

My Turn