| My next blog entry will be titled: "You'll Just Have to Take My Word for It!"
To me, nothing says "Alaska" more than dog mushing and today (Dec. 27)...oh, my...I saw what was to me one of the most beautiful sights I've seen up here. Today was the beginning of the week-long events here in Shishmaref (yes, I ran in the "Elder Women" foot races...but that's not what this story is about). It began with the men's dog mushing. Here's where you will have to take my word for it....
I walked out to the lagoon and on my way, I noticed that Jeff (son of the woman whose house I had been living in.....son of legendary Herbie Nayokpuk..."Shishmaref Cannonball") was about to harness up his dogs.....the dogs living out behind the house I had been living in. I asked if I could take pictures when he started to harness them. In the meantime, we chit-chatted about the dogs and the mushing and the fact that he was actually nervous....even though he'd been doing this for years. He was going to harness 11 dogs. He had planned on 12 but noticed that one did not eat well earlier today and he wasn't going to take any chances. He said the dog was the one who barked the most while we were standing there. The dogs were just so eager to get started. It's quite a sight. They went nuts when he started harnessing them. But....
I took off my gloves to take the pictures and I kid you not....I was able to get only two pictures before my hands were in dire shape from the -20 wind chill. I could barely get my camera back in the case....they were so incredibly cold. Pastor Mark ( had come by on his snowmobile to take his mother out to the lagoon. Right then he came back for me and I told him to please take me home so I could get my sealskin mittens. So much for my Cabela's gloves!!! I left my camera at home because there was no way I could take pictures in that wicked cold. Unreal....! I would say another lesson learned....I certainly thought I was prepared this time but you just can't believe how vicious the cold is up here. So....only two pictures and none of the mushers taking off. (Added note....if you can access my Facebook page, I do have pictures of the Christmas Week activities. If you can, check out Bessi Sinnok's page, too, because she posted some great pictures....she has dogs that race.)
As for the mushers taking off....THAT'S what was so incredibly beautiful. The mushers all wore fur-lined white parkies. There were four teams and each had a different number of dogs...from 11 to 16. They took off in intervals and watching them head off across the lagoon against a snow-covered background with the sun low on the horizon (it was just after noon)....I so wish I could have gotten pictures. Absolutely breathtaking....and I am here to see it in person. I am incredibly lucky.
Now for the cold....yikes! After the last musher (Warren with Bessie's dogs) left, Bessie (Warren's wife....Warren is one of the custodians) took me on her sled behind her snowmobile and we went to wait at her house. We had a nice conversation while we warmed up and I also met another one of the village Elders whom I had seen in church several times. Bessie teaches the bilingual classes at the school. Then, using her binoculars, she saw that the mushers were on their way back (14 mile trip)....about an hour and a half....so we got our duds back on and headed out to the lagoon.
Ok....that was the "cut and paste" and now for more of the story....
I raced in the "Elder Women" (56-64) category and was pleased when they announced that the race would be in the gym! The other races during the week (with the exception of the kids' races) were held outside....and let me tell you, it was COLD. Even though word, COLD, looks cold! Brrrrr...!! In my race, I came in second. I had no idea what was about to happen at the awards ceremony that evening though...this is so awesome! Kid you not....every single participant gets to be a part of this. Each group is called up front. Well, just a minute....to save time, let me do another "cut and paste" from a previous email:
| Oh, my! Yesterday was really something else. BTW, Jeff, with 11 dogs, won the race. Here's what happens at the awards ceremony:
EVERY person who participated in the games went up in front of the table set up for the IRA members. We came up in separate presentations so this went on for about three hours or so. When the first three winners in each group comes up, we exchanged gifts with each other. I received a pair of earrings and a bottle of dish detergent and a package of bobby pins. Our places were announced and checks (yes, I won $25 for second place) were handed out. Then we were "pinned" by a member of the opposite sex. I had Don Webb put my ribbon on me. Also, if you received a "write-in", that person who got you a gift too large for the plastic bag you are given later on comes up and presents the gift. I got a bright green sled from one of the teachers! Then we were each given a bag of goodies (roll of paper towels, roll of toilet paper, can of pop, package of ramen, and a shirt). Next, we were each given an empty large plastic bag and members of the community came forth from the bleachers to drop in gifts. I kid you not....LOTS of things were given to each participant...including me! It's quite a sight to watch all these people come forth with gifts to drop in your bag. Let's see....I received another bottle of dish soap, a bag of dry milk, a kitchen towel, four different bars of soap and more bobby pins with one of them, a set of twin sheets, a jar of Miracle Whip, a kitchen sponge, a roll of aluminum foil, a pair of ivory earrings, a candy cane, a vegetable peeler, an ink pen, two plastic food containers and a candy cane. Finally, a special hip-hip-hip hooray cheer is given for each of us. It was quite a night.
When all the awards are given, then games are played. The women played three games...the same ones we played at the church for the women's Christmas party but with lots more ladies. We stood in two lines and passed a thimble from one to another via a toothpick in our mouths. Another one was to blow up a balloon and race down to a chair to sit on and pop the balloon. The other one was to balance a book on our heads and walk down and around a person sitting at one end of the gym and back to our line. After each game, we were given a bag of candy and nuts and a can of pop.
Then the men played a "feat of strength" game where two men opposed each other. They sat on the floor in the middle of the gym and locked legs. Then they locked pinkie fingers and pulled on each other. Yikes! It had to be painful! That went on for quite awhile with different people going up to face off.
It all ended around 12:30 after raffle winners were announced. This will all take place again each day this week until New Year's Eve. I've heard they do an "ear pull" game where a loop of string is placed around two men's ears and they then pull against each other. Hopefully, there will be some Eskimo dancing, too.
Back to the moment...you see, there's just so much going on. I am having a hard time keeping up with everything. I just looked back and realized that I didn't even write about the Ladies' Christmas party at the church where we played games, had a gift exchange (thanks, Alice, for the nice gifts and the great laughs), and shared snacks. I also didn't write about the Christmas Eve kids' program at the church where the kids perform and then....this part blew my mind.....the community hands out gifts to all their friends and family. The Christmas tree in front of the church is literally surrounded with gifts to the point where you can see only the top of the tree! But that's not all.....the gifts that won't fit around the tree are placed in a side room |
to be brought out when the gift-giving begins.
Oh, and I didn't write about the school's Christmas program held on Dec. 15. At the conclusion of the kids' performances, "elves" hand out gifts mainly from the staff to other staff members and friends. Santa comes, too, and candy bags are handed out. The ECE/Head Start kids were so cute onstage with their |
antlers, hooves, red noses, and white tails. What a night!
In the past month, there have been babies born and babies baptized....and there have also been funerals in the village. We even had a little seal meander through the school zone bringing out lots of onlookers. Someone said that Shishmaref has been called a "dying village" but I don't see that. It's growing and active and has a lot to offer to those who look "behind the scenes". I've had the chance to have conversations with Elders and have learned so much. I'm reminded though that the more you know....the more you realize you don't know. I could live here for decades and still have so much to learn on how these people have survived for so long. It's amazing...and again, how lucky I am to be here.
Many teachers headed "south" to the Lower 48 to celebrate Christmas with their families and friends. There were a few teachers left here in the village over Christmas break. Colleen and I made a couple of wicked-good pizzas and watched "The Wizard of Oz" on television. I was invited for dinner twice...once to Kate and John's and once to Matt and Gao Min's. Oh, wait....I had an invitation from the Webbs, too. I also had sourdough pancakes with Susie and Ben. You see....there was never a moment where I felt lonely or bored. That will make my "back home" friend, Diane, feel better. She's always so concerned that I am by myself. Diane, you do know better though....I'm doing just fine! I am so glad that I stayed....so much to see and do....even though I hibernated yesterday because I was simply tuckered out...and I wanted to work on my 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle! I enjoyed a cheeseburger and onion rings and a vanilla shake from the Snack Shack, too....all the comforts of home.
I know I'm forgetting something....some special sight....some special story. There's just so much going on....sensory overload sometimes. Yes, it's cold up here....well below zero many days and nights. The wind is incredibly cold. One night, I learned a wicked lesson....another cut and paste....and this time, I'm going to keep in the part about my sister, Connie....so she'll be seeing this for the first time....
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| Alrighty then! I am NOT sending this to Connie because she makes too much out of what I say and worries way too much.....HA! However....I just left my classroom after spending the day up there. I had showered and decided to do some work in my classroom because it's such a chore to get from Point A to Point B....so once I'm there, I want to make the most of it. So....shortly after 7:00 I decided to head home. Here's the "rest of the story"....
First of all, I'm pulling a light-weight sled whenever I head down towards the school because I also check the mail and packages are arriving for the ECE program....supplies we ordered. Sure enough....a fairly big one came today. While I was at school today, Ken (one of our veteran teachers married to a Native villager) was selling more school logo stuff. I bought some things. I was glad I had the sled because now I had a few more things to haul back home. I packed them in a box and put the box on the sled....but it still wasn't very heavy....which concerned me a little bit because I knew it was windy out. Speaking of wind....I had ordered a shrimp basket from the Snack Shack earlier and Dennis (the person who owns the place and delivered the order) told me that he had an envelope of money slip out of his pocket today and was blown away in the wind. Now THAT would truly be a bummer. Anyway...my story....
I walk out of the building and thought, "Oh-oh! It's even windier than I realized." Now, that's when I should have gone back inside and put on a few more layers even though I hadn't brought too much with me earlier in the day....first mistake. But alas! I didn't do that. I started trudging in the snow and fell immediately and the box slipped off the sled. Again, I knew I was in for a "trip" trying to get home. When I left the house earlier in the day, I had gotten a call from a friend asking me if I saw the drift just down from my house on the roadway I walk on. I looked out just in time to see a snowmobile having trouble navigating it. So, of course, when I tried climbing it....I fell on that one, too.
My second mistake was not going into the school or one of the other teacher's houses on the other side of the school to put on some more layers. I thought I could handle it. My house is like 630 steps from school....660 in difficult snow like this!
I walked up the roadway to get to the stretch heading home. OMG! The north wind coming in off the Chukchi Sea was incredibly strong and cold. Visibility was limited, too. But I trudged on....constantly turning around to be sure my box hadn't blown off the little sled (wish I had a bungee cord). By the half-way point, my face (nose) was sooooo cold. I had on a hat and two hoods and my goggles....but my nose was somewhat exposed. I decided I'd duck into Walter's store to pull out the other things I had to cover my face. BUT....Walter's story was padlocked shut. Ok....so I'm half-way home....I can do it....I can do it. And I did....but oh, gosh....I was a bit unnerved by the whole episode. Fortunately, the drift in front of my house had been plowed out....until tomorrow!
I have to learn to appreciate just how strong the wind up here can be....and how friggin' cold it is! Not only is this not Kansas anymore, Toto....it ain't Northern Michigan either! Hello!! I'm just below the Arctic Circle.....I need to remember that. How the heck did these folks' ancestors live up here?
Back to now....which is a little after 1:00 p.m. on Dec. 31. I need to bring this to an end. I want to get layered up and head to school for the remaining races. Tonight will be the last night of celebration and the New Year begins. Before I post this (please forgive me because I'm not going to proof it this time for spelling errors....remember....it takes me awhile to get from Point A to Point B up here and I'm running late), I want to add some final thoughts for 2011.
First of all, my heart goes out to the Cesaro family in East Jordan upon losing Nona. Life is so bittersweet...our loved ones make it good...and losing them makes it so sad. My heart hurts also for the Parish family in losing Jake. To the Homans, my thoughts are with you as well. So sad.
My heart is happy for Amanda and Kristen for their lovely babies being brought into this world. I know you will be a good "momma" to your dear babies.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the East Jordan School District, staff, and especially the teachers....come on, folks! Life is short and people and relationships are so important. Look hard and long within and ask yourselves what the heck you are doing to people who have worked so hard for so many. Simply put..."GIT 'R DONE!"
Oh, guess what? The first week of February I will be in San Antonio, Texas for a school-related conferences. My son, Dan, will be driving down from Austin to visit me. I'm trying to get my daughter, Jess, to join us. I wonder if I'll be able to handle the heat of Texas....ha! Actually, I'm hoping the weather will be good enough to fly out of here. By the way, if any of you watch "Flying Wild Alaska", you'll see many of the villages and even some of the people I've seen and met up here...particularly out of Unalakleet. Flying around up here can be rather....difficult and chancy. Which also reminds me....IF you are sending packages up here, be sure to tape the ends/sides! Packages take quite a beating on the way up and understandably so. The folks have to stand in some wicked, bitter cold loading and unloading planes so packages "move quickly" from the truck to the plane and such....if you get my drift. And don't believe the post office when they say the package will be delivered by....such and such a date. They cannot control the weather and the flights up here are dependent on clear skies and runways. It'll get here...when it gets here. Anyway....
So...good-bye to 2011....NEVER give up on your dreams....I'm proof-positive of that. Here I am in rural Alaska making friends I will cherish forever and having experiences I will never forget. It's still hard to believe I'm here. And I'm happy! Bring it on, 2012!
HAPPY NEW YEAR to all my family and friends! |
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