I wanted to share a few tidbits...
Remember when I told you that Dennis from the Snack Shack had lost an envelope of money in the wind? I am happy to report that he eventually found it....not even near where it took flight in the wind. He's a lucky man.
I received a "letter of intent" that I must sign and turn in by February 15 indicating whether or not I'll be returning next year. I am pretty certain of my reply....you want to guess what it is?
AALAPAA! (or something like that) It's COLD up here! We had a couple of weeks of unbelievably cold temperatures. We've had temps of -35 to -45. Add just a little bit of wind and that can register -55. Even the folks who have lived here all their lives were commenting on how unusual these temperatures have been. The really cold weather usually comes in later in January and February. In other words....it ain't over yet!!! The trick is to layer up and not stay out too long. Walking to school with a face mask is a must and if you could only see us up here once we arrive at our destinations. Our masks are covered with frost and steam rolls out around our mouths and noses. I do have to comment on Dennis again....hope he doesn't mind being featured in my blog. He delivered some boxes recently to the ECE building that had arrived on one of the flights. When I opened the door to him, I had to laugh (sorry, Dennis) because his face was covered with icicles wherever he had hair...eyebrows, eyelashes, beard, mustache....what a sight!
Geography lesson.....no, we were not inundated with snow recently as some of you were worried about! That was down in the south-central area of Cordova and Valdez. Shishmaref is looked many, many, many miles northwest....just below the Arctic Circle and on the shores of the Chukchi Sea just north of the Bering Strait. We're north of Nome....where the Russian tanker recently was able to deliver a load of fuel to the city. It was quite a difficult task.
A few days ago, I was thinking about the snow-covered tundra here and what it looked like with the low rising sun out over the horizon. The hazy pinkish, bluish colors in the sky....the still, cold terrain with no sign of life....almost like being on the surface of the moon. It reminded me of when I was in Oklahoma several years ago visiting Charlie and Linda Tucker (Charlie the Sheriff). They took me to dig hourglass crystals at the nearby salt flats one early evening just as the moon was coming up and it wasn't quite dark yet. From inside the air-conditioned car, I looked out over the flat, white landscape....where nothing stirred. Hmmm....it felt like we were on the surface of the moon. What was really strange on that trip was when we stopped and got out of the car....the air was so....warm! That's the BIG difference in what it's like here. It sure isn't warm outside! But they do remind me of each other.
I'll be headed to San Antonio, Texas soon....first week of February....for a school-related conference. Sure am looking forward to that. Dan (my son) will be driving down from Austin to meet up with me and Jess (my daughter) might fly down to join us.
I received several nice Christmas cards and letters from family and friends. Thank you very much for thinking of me up here. We're (as Diane and I often say) "fa, fa away" from each other but you are near to me in my heart and mind.
Take care!
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