Going Coastal

Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.
Winnie the Pooh

The Banks of the Kanektok swell dangerously close to houses
when the strong winds and high tide team up to cause overflowing atop the winter ice cover.

Our beloved Kanektok River washes through residents' salmon drying racks/houses and over wintering boats once thought by their owners to be anchored 'on shore'. Adam shared an interesting fact...Did you know that the word 'Kanektok' is actually the 'Gussack's (white man) slaughtered rendition of the Yupik word 'Quinhagak' and of course, it stuck. Anyway this lovely hurricane like weather and flooding has gotten us on the evening news on Channel 2 again last night. We're kinda famous up this way, ehhhhh;)

Presenting Le Vill'age Walmart

Here it is everybody! The new, improved and enlarged Native Village of Kwinhagak Store! The Qanirtuug! During the grand opening day as I mentioned previously we were in the throes of a full on blizzard, which we still are..yeah, it's going on three days of howling breezes and sleeting, snow. As you can barely see through that snow, it certainly didn't stop us from coming out by the droves to grab a hold of one of those fancy carts, take a few spins around the aisles and listen to that foreign 'beep beep' of the new high tech scanners at the registers. Connie is Vanna Whiting the coffee counter to the left and to the right you can see the lines at the check out and tables where I'm anxious to sit for hours and enjoy watching some people watching over a cup a joe. What an exciting addition to our little community!

Me, Ali & Big Jon, and Allison posing with our free gifts of food in the blizzard
at the Grand Opening of what the kids are calling "THE BIG STORE".

When Teachers Hand You Lemons

Eat 'em!








The boys were enthralled with the lemons I had bought while in Bethel for the detox week (which Connie and I completed and celebrated last night with a pizza!). "Wow, I seen those in movies." Bobby observed as I took one out of the fridge to cut up and add to my delicious nalgene of water. "You've never seen a lemon eh?" I commented, "Well, you really need to taste it then." I handed them each a slice and grabbed the camera. Enjoy the results for yourself;) It was unanimous by the way they all like lemons and even had to recruit a friend to come over and try one. Did I mention I'm gonna miss these kids?

Principal Eric on the VHF
Where else in the world does the principal get on the VHF from the school office in the morning and roll call the students who need to get there behinds outta bed and up to the school for the last day of STATE TESTING... yep. To which a variety of community members respond "Repeat, Please." "Was so and so on that list?" "Okay, Good Morning." I love it!!! It's the village version of 'Twitter'. Immediate intercom to everyone in the greater Quinhagak area! I bet all principals would like that instant access now and then. Principal Eric is a pretty lucky boss.

"I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness into a pool of water, and the dry land into water-springs."
Isaiah 41:18