Oh, Drats!

Ok....I am already having trouble trying to figure out how to post more pictures onto the blog.  Be patient!  I'll get my friends to help me....but right now....EVERYONE is so incredibly busy it seems.  People have to do "double-duty" up here....teach and coach....and day-to-day chores take even a little longer.  I keep believing it will "slow down" soon....and it will.

We've had snow a few times but nothing is sticking around...except out on Ear Mountain on the mainland. It's raining right now with some wind.  I have ordered my "real" winter duds.  I hope everything fits and that it arrives soon....because I'm not sure how much time I have left before it REALLY snows!

The other day as I was walking back from the Native store with my frozen pizza (yup....all the comforts of home), I realized how much I'm already becoming attached to the people of this village and to the way of life up here.  I was thinking that someday I will probably leave to go back down to the Lower 48 (although I'm not sure exactly where I will end up).  It could be a few years from now...it's hard to say.  But when I do, I was realizing I will already have a very hard time leaving Shishmaref and the people.  Tears welled up in my eyes....out of happiness that I'm already feeling such an attachment up here....and sadness that it probably won't be forever.  I think I am too sentimental.

News alert!  You can access the Nome Nugget online and it sometimes carries news of this area.  The September 29th issue has an insert called "Strait Talk" which is news about the Bering Strait School District.  There are pictures in there of all the new teachers throughout the 15 schools and I'm in there...along with all the other new teachers.

Hey...news from Michigan that I think is just too hilarious....!  My cat, Dusty, has been....now catch this....jumping into the shower whenever someone is in there taking a shower.  Can you believe that?  That is CRAZY!  I wish I could see that.

Speaking of cats, Pastor Mark and Heather have two cats here.  Some of the new teachers were out there recently to play board games and were loving it that the cats were rubbing up on our feet and legs.  I so miss my cat.

Mmmm....just ate a Kit-Kat (speaking of cats!) AND a bag of chips.  Darn it!  That school snack store is going to do me in....just when I thought I was starting to lose a few pounds from all the walking I do.  It also doesn't help that my friend, Christina, is a wonderful cook and I often get invited to her parents' house for dinner.  She just mentioned to me that this weekend might be "Indian tacos" which are made with "Indian fry bread" just like we made during Pioneer Day back with the third graders in East Jordan the last couple of years.  Yum!  Christina and her hubby were working in the snack store.  They open up every night during "Rec" which is where the kids and adults get to come to play basketball and games in the gym.  The money made from the snack sales will go towards the Senior trip.  They'll make some money off me this year, that's for sure!

Christina saw some of my newly downloaded pictures from home.  I showed her our "snowstorm" pictures and she just laughed.  Oh, dear!  I think I'm in for a rude awakening!  I've been told that it may be difficult to get water hauled up to my dwelling during the winter because of the snowdrifts that will develop on that side of the island.  Life could get interesting....stay tuned!

One noteworthy incident that recently occurred at my house....the fuel line to the furnace decided to...leak! I got home one evening to a saturated carpet in the water tank room....and the smell....whew!  Much worse than the honey bucket!  But, thanks to John and Warren (custodian/maintenance guys), things are getting back to normal....although it's taking a few days of airing out and soaking up!  Carpet had to be torn up in that room, too....and it was brand new this summer.

Halloween is fast-approaching and I understand that there's to be a "game night" the weekend prior to.  It sounds like it will be a lot of fun.  Trick-or-treating will be fun, too.  I sent up lots of candy to be prepared.  I sent up my "bull riding costume" but I'm not sure it will be as funny up here as it was down home.  I might have to wear something else....or somehow turn it into a polar bear!

Ok...it's late....and I have some "real" schoolwork to get done yet tonight.  By the way, I noticed this morning that it didn't start to get light out until well after 9:00.  The days are quickly getting shorter and shorter.  I wonder how I'll deal with that, too.  So far....it's really not been too bad.

Good night...take care, everyone!  

Hold Your Breath!

No, I am not telling you about walking past a "honey bin"!  I am about to post a photo.  I have downloaded (on my new laptop) over 600 pictures I've taken since leaving Michigan back in July.  Now for the test...to see if I can add a picture.  It will be (if I am successful) of Shishmaref taken from my house.  To the far left side in the back is a long green roof....the school.  My classroom is in a building located behind the big building.  This picture was taken the day after I arrived and everything was still quite green.  They had had a lot of rain...thus, the puddles.  It's not like that now.