Long Hours

After filling him in on my schedule recently, my brother pointed out that I'm not performing like the stereotypical government employee.  Let's just say you get a good return from me on your tax dollars.  I've been putting in some longer-than-usual hours at work just because certain things have to get done.  This week is all about cleaning and organizing the education materials, bird watching programs, preparing for seasonal training, and having my first summer program ready to go when we get back from seasonal training.  Sounds easy!

Yesterday was easily a 12-hour day, but when it ends the way it did, you just don't mind.  It was day 1 of our annual bird watching event, a partnership between us (NPS) and US Fish & Wildlife.  We get a group together and head out to points around town that have been scoped out for birds.  New ones are showing up every day now, and if you're watching and know what you're looking at, you can sometimes catch a rare sighting.  I'm not a birder, but I'm enjoying learning.  Fish & Wildlife brings up volunteers with Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges, and they help everyone spot and ID the birds.  We provide binoculars, bird books, spotting scopes, and the real draw around here...snacks!  (It's amazing, people LOVE snacks as simple as popcorn.)

We had about 23 people total at 7:00 last night.  That's a pretty good turnout here.  After all, it was the first day and a week night.  I had a good group in my vehicle -- some folks in town for training from the village of Noatak.  They heard about the program, came, and had a great time.  We saw a few shore birds, several kinds of ducks, and a jaeger.  We heard ptarmigan and cranes but didn't see them.  The real treat was near the end when we saw a short eared owl and a muskrat that crossed the road right under our vehicle.  It tickled me to no end to see how excited local folks were about seeing a muskrat.  I've heard from a couple of old timers who have said that when they were younger, the caribou didn't migrate near their villages, and they didn't hunt many of them.  Instead, they would hunt and trap smaller game including lots of muskrat.  Not so much any more.  Most people eat caribou.  So, the cameras were clicking away as that chubby little guy waddled by for us.  Unfortunately, since I was driving and spotting, I didn't get a chance to get mine out.  Add to that the ground squirrel and bumble bee I saw earlier in the day, and it was a pretty exciting day.  You may not think much of those sightings, but the only living things many of us see all winter are ravens and dogs.  Ground squirrels are true hibernators, so it's just one of those signs that mark the changing season, and they're very cute!  The bumblebees are some of the first insects to come out as well.  They have dense "fur" and the ability to produce heat through shivering, so they can tolerate colder weather when they first become active again.  This picture is from a blog post last fall.

Here are a couple of pictures I took along the way at our stops.  At one of the stops we dispense snacks and hot drinks because it's still a bit chilly here, and if there's wind it can be downright cold.  Luckily, it was calm last night.

Spring & Hint of Summer

I've been silent for quite a while.  I just can't keep up with everything, so the blog got neglected.  What have I been doing?  Working, of course.  As my boss says, I'm a victim of my own success.  I've had lots of requests for programs.  Since the beginning of last October (fiscal year 2011), I've given over 130 hour long programs for more than 1,600 students.  Of course, some of these are returning to the same classroom & students with a different topic, so they're not unique "contacts," but that's a busy schedule.  I made it to 8 villages in addition to the school here in town again this school year.  That's 16 village visits over the last 2 years.  In all, I've travelled for work 25 times in the 23 months that I've lived here.

I have been doing other things, though.  I'm still working on the knitting although it's taking less of my time now that the weather is changing and it's more inviting to spend time outside.  I've also been trying to spend some time reading, really reading.  I realized it had been a long time since reading a book that wasn't a textbook, nonfiction or something for work.  I'm also still trying to dedicate as much time as possible to staying active.  It feels great to have lost a little weight this winter, and I can't wait to get out of our little fitness room and do more walking and running outside.  The snow is melting on the roads (there will still be plenty around for at least another month), and yesterday I was able to walk the road that loops out of town around the tundra -- about 8.6 miles.  I wasn't sure how muddy it was, so I wore my boots.  Today's a nice sunny day, so this afternoon after church I'll put on some tennis shoes and jog some of it.  My goal this summer is to run in the annual Mosquito Haven Half Marathon.  I believe it will be in August.  That's about 14 miles, so I have a lot of work to do!

It's nice to have the sun back and warmer weather (relatively speaking).  You can check it out with the weather link here.  Smoky is enjoying the light too.  She's been playing more lately.

Resolution '11

In spite of all the loaded foods you saw in my last post, I've been making marked improvements in my healthier lifestyle (remember those were for me to taste and share). The advantage of having those habits established before the new year is obvious, to avoid one of those resolutions that don't stick.

This year I decided to make one I could enjoy...I'm learning to knit! Every Saturday a group of knitters meets at the library for 2 hours. Most are there to knit, but the program is called "Yearning for Yarn," which could include crocheters, for example. It was started by Kristen, one of the librarians who, incidentally, worked for the Park Service my first summer -- time to reconnect, extra incentive.


Kristen knows a thing or two about knitting, and she has also acquired lots of knitting books, through inter-library loan, such as the one pictured. You would think knitting for kids would be easy, but don't be fooled!


You might notice the needles in the picture are as big as tree trunks. I started out with size 13 needles and multicolored yarn to make it easier to figure out the basic stitches. Just be aware when you see my finished product that the needle size greatly affects the stitch size and tightness!


No, that's not my finished product; that was just me learning the knit and purl stitches the first day. I wanted to make something I could finish soon enough to feel accomplishment, and I found just the thing in the kids' book...


...and Smoky loved it! Well, she played with it for a while. My toy can't compete with the one my parents got her for Christmas, though.


I've now moved on to smaller needles and a slightly bigger project, slightly, a pot holder. Hey, don't mock it until you've tried knitting! By the way, how are you doing on your resolution for 2011?
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In the Kitchen

I mentioned that I'm working out regularly now (when I'm not traveling), and I'm also spending more time cooking. Remember those restaurants I blogged about? I haven't been to one since the end of November. I'm sure they all think I moved!

During my Christmas visits I sampled a few dishes that I wanted to duplicate, and I did try some of them out once I got back to Kotz. My friends and co-workers have been thrilled because I've made these to share, not to eat myself (you'll see why)


My sister-in-law is known for her baking skills. Unfortunately, since I don't spend much time back home, I usually only get to hear about good things she makes, but I did get to try some cookies like these. I spent an evening baking cookies with her family, and she made these spritz cookies. You can't go wrong with cookies that call for colors, sprinkles, & lots of butter! The coolest thing was that they're squeezed out of a cookie press -- something new to my tiny repertoire of kitchen gadgets. When I stumbled across one like hers, I took it back with me and made some of my own.


A blizzard kept me from going to buy sprinkles, but no one complained. It didn't take them long to disappear at work!

That was Saturday. The next thing I knew I caught myself saying I'd make tamales and take them to work on Monday (I brought leaves back from TX). You've seen tamale production here before, but this was more than I've ever made. I had brought lots of (perishable) leaves, and I wanted to have enough for all who were interested. Let's just say Sunday was a long night. Fifty-something tamales later...


It was worth the effort. Those who partook learned just a little more about a place that's an inextricable part of me, and everyone sat, chatted and enjoyed the whole lunch hour -- a good thing for our workplace.


That was a Monday. The same night a neighbor invited some folks over for a dinner party. That's where I tried out the apple dumplings a la Grandma! She made them for Christmas dinner. Rich, sweet, and oh so good. I was running behind, so I literally pulled them from the oven and rushed next door, so the photo is of what was left. They may not look like much, but they were a hit!


As I got caught up in the day-to-day again, my culinary endeavors were scaled back to simple and single, but I'm looking forward to another production. On my way home from travel now, I'm already planning to duplicate a meal my aunt made -- sausage & sauerkraut. Yum! I'll make it happen, but I don't want to load up the fridge much just yet. I'll be eating jerky & pilot bread in Kobuk next week. Fortunately Mom & Dad got me some really good jerky, so it'll be a treat compared to the usual gristly stuff from AC.
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Holiday Break, Plus Some

Once again I've fallen off the blog wagon and have to climb back on. The last time I wrote I was in the air headed to Las Vegas, and then...silence. It has been a source of concern for some, but in this case it's true that, "No news is good news." My first trip to Vegas was good -- good conference, enjoyable enough time -- but I wouldn't want to live there!


One good thing about the trip was that I decided that since most people let themselves go in Vegas (gambling, buffets, etc.), I would do just the opposite. I made good food choices and started a workout regime which has now become a habit. Change is slow and not always obvious, but it is happening.

I was back in town just a couple of busy weeks before taking some personal leave. It had been 2 years since a visit to Antonio's family (and his gravesite) in Honduras, and I hadn't spent a Christmas day with my family since 2002, so I did both. It was a fast trip, and I heard all the way around that I wasn't spending enough time, but I suppose that's better than being told I stayed too long! I'll write more on those visits later -- good pics from Honduras & great time with the best nephew ever!

Two days after returning to OTZ, I was back in the classroom and working on our websites. I finally got some time to ski on the weekends.


I had a couple weeks of dog-sitting. I started working on my New Year's resolution:


Yes, knitting! More on that later as well. Between settling back into the work routine and adding in skiing, knitting, working out, and cooking more, I've been neglecting my social media obligations!

At the moment, I'm out of town again, have a slight break in activity and so will try to begin to catch up. Last week I was in Washington D.C. for work.


Of course any time I can get my way paid out of the state, it's nice to tag on a personal trip, which I have -- to Michigan to visit family. I begin to head back tomorrow night.

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Somewhere Above the Clouds

So, this is definitely a first for me -- blogging from an Alaska Airlines jet during flight! I'm currently on the leg between Anchorage & Seattle.

This is a fairly new service. Right now it's just for the Lower 48 (although I'm coming from Anchorage??) according to the brochure.


It says that it will be available in (the more populated areas of) Alaska some time in 2011.


Of course it won't always be free, but for now there's a promotional offer, to get people hooked, I imagine. I love it so far!






I was planning to post these pictures later, but I might as well do it now. This is the plane from Kotz to Nome to Anchorage. It's dark because I left at 8:30 this morning & it's not getting light until about 11:30. I don't know if you can tell, but this cabin is only half the plane. I was sitting close to the back, and about where the person is standing there's a wall. The front half of the plane is cargo. They load it with about 4 specially-shaped pallets.
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Noatak

Last week, after voting here in town, I headed out to Noatak. It was my last village visit for this semester.

Noatak has a new school, going on its 3rd year open I think. The old one used to be very close to the airport and village center. The new one is about a mile out if you follow the road and closer to the dump.


It's not a problem to walk unless you're carrying 140 lbs of gear and expected to teach a class in an hour. Usually at any school the teacher organizing the schedule also arranges transportation for me. Most schools have some forms of vehicle even if it's just a 4-wheeler. Having just confirmed everything with the teacher the previous day, I was expecting a ride and felt forlorn as all the vehicles drove away. One person, the village president, was walking home and stayed there with me a while. I gave them a moment thinking they might be running late. I finally called, and they said they were in the process of looking for a ride. I was glad it wasn't too cold.

After about 20 minutes, one of the teachers came roaring up on his Honda, stacked my totes up on the racks, gave me a moment to climb on, and tore off down the road. Boxes were bouncing all around, and I just about fell off while trying to keep my map tube and computer bag from bouncing out.


We made it to the school, and as I'm sighing relief, the teacher curtly mentions I'll be going to his class right after lunch. Well, that would be after HIS lunch because I still had to find out where to put my things, procure an A/V cart, set up my computer and projector, unpack program materials from the boxes...you get the picture.



My cart was a mess by the end of the day. I had 3 classes right in a row after that delayed start.


I was off to a rough start, but it got better. I didn't get much of a chance to get out last year because the old principal wouldn't give me a key. If I went out too long after school was out, I couldn't get back in. This year I didn't even have to ask. Each evening I got out and walked around while it was light. The people were some of the friendliest I've met in the villages. The NPS isn't liked by many, and although it may be subtle (or sometimes not), there's a certain degree of racism towards white outsiders. So in most villages I end up talking to the kids (who see me at school) who follow me down the street and just smile and wave to the adults who usually acknowledge me but rarely engage in conversation.


So it was refreshing in Noatak to have I don't know how many people stop to ask me if I wanted a ride as I walked between the school and the rest of town (not these girls, they just stopped to say hi and ask when I was going to their class). A couple even talked to me about what I was doing in town as we walked to the store.


Their store is big and pretty nice. I usually try to go just because that's about the only place there is to go, and I support the local economy a little. This time I browsed the popcorn because I had taken my latest Netflix movie with me to watch at night. I found some I'd never seen before.


Popcorn with pepper! It was really good!

As usual, the school days are busy enough that they go quickly. The rest of the trip was smooth, and although the plane was late getting there, it was only 32 degrees, so the 40 minutes standing on the runway weren't too bad.

As far as I know, the Noatak school has the newest building. It is fairly nice. Here are a few shots.



A mural of the village - on the wall in the cafeteria / commons area.



You can find local artwork around most of the schools. These are geese carved from caribou antlers.



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