back pedalling

Things have been happening here in Nome and I haven't been blogging. This is normally where a bloggerista like myself might make some promises of doing better in the future. I make no such promises. However, I will post some pics and a bit of a story line.

Duck Race!

Mark, Me, Katie
Mark looks thrilled. It was cold and rainy and windy and cold.

A Bloody Alaskan (Mary w/ salmon infused vodka) to warm me up.

The ducks were going the wrong way--tide going out and wind helping.

Fall has fallen upon Nome.

Fall colors on the trail next to our house.

Loud foul in Icy View

Very loud. All I wanted was a photo.

There were other things. Eating, sunsets, students, Teller time, etc. That'll have to wait.

day 31

Only one of these happenings is from today--day 31. (disclaimer) And that is the following:

View from my window at 10:49am this morning. Normally I can see the new hospital off to the left and some other buildings directly ahead.

Last night I met Katie, Opik, Kevin, Nathan, and April at Airport Pizza to see Coho and the Flannel Mongers play. Fun times. Here they are:

The band and our group.

I was in Teller last week getting to know students and staff. I had a great time learning about the students' interests and goals. Susette, my principal is awesome and fed me every night. Susette and the teachers love the NACTEC program and are more than willing to help kids get involved. The entire junior high population will be descending (literally) here Tuesday.
Despite being woken up several times during the night due to people (kids? adults? drunk? excited?) driving by on 4-wheelers starting about 2 and stopping about 4, I was still able to enjoy this beautiful sunrise.







Other views around Teller:






I've been doing a lot of reading as there is not very much going on around these parts. I read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson and I'm currently reading the second in the series: The Girl Who Played with Fire. Good stuff. While waiting for Susan to finish this book, I read Welcome to the Departure Lounge: Adventures in Mothering Mother by Meg Federico--a funny, yet sad book, and Sometimes We're Always Real Same-same by Maddox Roesch--about a couple teens and their families in Unalakleet, AK. I read Brides of Eden by Linda Crew--historical fiction about a religious cult in western OR. I've started doing the ABC thing I did in Beloit. Read a book by an author with last name starting with A, then B, blah blah Z. I allow myself a book in between, sometimes 2 if one is about AK. I'm done with C (Crew) and after Larsson 2, I'm going to read In This Way I Was Saved by Brian Deleeuw. I'm not much for reading about books I'm going to read so I have no idea what it's going to be about but there are black shoes with red smoking coming out of them on the cover. And by the cover alone, I think it'll be good.

day 29

Today is the last school day before students arrive! VERY excited. I spent 3 days in Teller getting to know students and staff and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I think I'm going to love working with this population. I'm not saying it won't be challenging, but I can see many rewards as well.