"Weird, isn't it? Somehow in the dead of winter when its 40 below, so cold your words just freeze in the air, you think you'll never hear a robin's song again or see a blossom on a cherry tree, when one day you wake up and bingo, light coming through the mini blinds is softened with a tick of rose and the cold morning air has lost its bite. It's spring once again, the streets are paved with mud and the hills are alive with the sound of mosquitoes." ~ Chris in the Morning, Northern Exposure
Fog rolling in across the mouth of the Kanektok River last night when we walked home from Dennis and Marsha's. Morning Everybody! I have my window open this afternoon and can hear someone hammering away on their house. Many of the houses here in Quin are getting a sprucing up on the outside, new siding. I'm assuming someone is taking advantage of the sunshine and making hay. The kids have been stopping by every half hour trying to wear me down but I'm taking this morning off. Gonna go for a jog and soak up the hustle and bustle of nice weather. Guessing it is in the high 30's right now. Road is alive with the buzz of four wheelers every few minutes.
Okay so we don't really have mosquitoes yet, rather we've steadily been having 1 hour blizzards blow through for the past 2 weeks. Just enough inconvenience to prevent mail from being delivered, from anyone coming or going by plane, and maybe to interrupt the occasional satellite channel. But last night Animosh and I got our butts outa the house and went for a jog down to the beach.
When we got there....what to our wondering eyes did appear!.. Of course there was about 2 inches of fresh snow blanketing the gravel road and our dead head strewn beach, but you couldn't miss it, far out in the distance I could see the ice break up, huge bergs floating around in open water! Open water I could actually see! And then to top it off, there was a noise that was oddly familiar...something remote but almost recognizable! "Shhhh Ani!" I ordered as he loudly snuffled around in the snow searching for the caribou carcass he's been helping himself to each time we go to the beach. I rummaged through the files of my winterized brain for the sound identification, "I hear something?..What is it??? What is it??? BIRDS!!!! It's BIRDS!!! I hear BIRDS, ANI!!!!" He started bouncing around with me not sure why but pleased with my renewed enthusiasm. We did a little happy dance, made a snow man and headed for home to share the great news. Though I couldn't see them, they were definitely making their presence known so much like God. An evening serenade from the first arrivals to the tundra.
And they weren't ravens OR ptarmigan. They were sea gulls! They are back! I've never been so happy to hear sea gulls, truthfully they kind of scare me, think Hitchcock scary. One summer deep in the recesses of my childhood my dear ol' Mum decided to take my brothers and I on an adventure across the lake to see the baby seagulls at 'Seagull Rock" (the local nesting grounds near the cabin). Well, I being the oldest, biggest and even then the pushiest, demanded my way to the bow of the boat to ensure the best view of the 'Baby seagulls'. As Mum dropped back to a troll and steered the 15 foot Lund into the infested waters, I think I may have even been reaching out toward one little fluff ball bobbing along in our wake. Suddenly WHAMMO! THUD!!! What had to have been a very disgruntled, maternal, protective mama seagull took control of the dangerous intruder situation and dive bombed me right out of the bow. Knocked me to the floor of the boat! All at once, we were under attack! "EVERYBODY GET DOWN!!!! AND COVER YOUR EYES!!!" Mum screeched, as she gunned the 25 horse to full throttle putting as much distance as she could between her brood and theirs. I remember rolling around on the floor of the boat that afternoon sobbing, rubbing my bruised head and ego. My mom stretching her neck from the captain's position at the rear of the boat, "Are you okay??? Did it get your eyes?" My two brothers huddled together low near the 2nd bench seat next to their tackle boxes squinting toward me unsure if it was safe to uncover their 'eyes' but yet wanting to see if I still had mine. Yep, that's how it happened, my young brain forever imprinted with the fear of seagulls, until now. Like I said.... it's a wonder we survived childhood, and like they say "what doesn't kill ya makes ya stronger". So I'm happy the seagulls and I can sort of patch up our tainted past. At least for now.
Apparently this time of year up near Kotzebute the kids like to go 'bergin'. This is a game of ice flow hopping out into the sea. Not sure how that works but, I don't think I'd be much of a 'berger' myself.
Steph and I finished our first beaded necklaces at Marsha and Dennis' last night. And Dennis promised me he'd take another look at the sadly misshapened fur hat I tried to sew this winter to see if he could salvage it. Hope.
We never made it to Eek. Guess it wasn't meant to be. Maybe next year. But we do plan on walking to the Arolik River this afternoon an 8 mile trek round trip. Should be a great day to get out and stretch our legs and minds. Blessings to everyone back home, where ever that is for you.
Shout Out To: My friends Joshua Lee and Rachel who got engaged recently! I meant to put that on here a long time ago you guys, sorry. Congratulations!
"You are wakened now by bird-song." Ecclesiastics 12:4
When we got there....what to our wondering eyes did appear!.. Of course there was about 2 inches of fresh snow blanketing the gravel road and our dead head strewn beach, but you couldn't miss it, far out in the distance I could see the ice break up, huge bergs floating around in open water! Open water I could actually see! And then to top it off, there was a noise that was oddly familiar...something remote but almost recognizable! "Shhhh Ani!" I ordered as he loudly snuffled around in the snow searching for the caribou carcass he's been helping himself to each time we go to the beach. I rummaged through the files of my winterized brain for the sound identification, "I hear something?..What is it??? What is it??? BIRDS!!!! It's BIRDS!!! I hear BIRDS, ANI!!!!" He started bouncing around with me not sure why but pleased with my renewed enthusiasm. We did a little happy dance, made a snow man and headed for home to share the great news. Though I couldn't see them, they were definitely making their presence known so much like God. An evening serenade from the first arrivals to the tundra.
And they weren't ravens OR ptarmigan. They were sea gulls! They are back! I've never been so happy to hear sea gulls, truthfully they kind of scare me, think Hitchcock scary. One summer deep in the recesses of my childhood my dear ol' Mum decided to take my brothers and I on an adventure across the lake to see the baby seagulls at 'Seagull Rock" (the local nesting grounds near the cabin). Well, I being the oldest, biggest and even then the pushiest, demanded my way to the bow of the boat to ensure the best view of the 'Baby seagulls'. As Mum dropped back to a troll and steered the 15 foot Lund into the infested waters, I think I may have even been reaching out toward one little fluff ball bobbing along in our wake. Suddenly WHAMMO! THUD!!! What had to have been a very disgruntled, maternal, protective mama seagull took control of the dangerous intruder situation and dive bombed me right out of the bow. Knocked me to the floor of the boat! All at once, we were under attack! "EVERYBODY GET DOWN!!!! AND COVER YOUR EYES!!!" Mum screeched, as she gunned the 25 horse to full throttle putting as much distance as she could between her brood and theirs. I remember rolling around on the floor of the boat that afternoon sobbing, rubbing my bruised head and ego. My mom stretching her neck from the captain's position at the rear of the boat, "Are you okay??? Did it get your eyes?" My two brothers huddled together low near the 2nd bench seat next to their tackle boxes squinting toward me unsure if it was safe to uncover their 'eyes' but yet wanting to see if I still had mine. Yep, that's how it happened, my young brain forever imprinted with the fear of seagulls, until now. Like I said.... it's a wonder we survived childhood, and like they say "what doesn't kill ya makes ya stronger". So I'm happy the seagulls and I can sort of patch up our tainted past. At least for now.Apparently this time of year up near Kotzebute the kids like to go 'bergin'. This is a game of ice flow hopping out into the sea. Not sure how that works but, I don't think I'd be much of a 'berger' myself.
Steph and I finished our first beaded necklaces at Marsha and Dennis' last night. And Dennis promised me he'd take another look at the sadly misshapened fur hat I tried to sew this winter to see if he could salvage it. Hope.
We never made it to Eek. Guess it wasn't meant to be. Maybe next year. But we do plan on walking to the Arolik River this afternoon an 8 mile trek round trip. Should be a great day to get out and stretch our legs and minds. Blessings to everyone back home, where ever that is for you.
Shout Out To: My friends Joshua Lee and Rachel who got engaged recently! I meant to put that on here a long time ago you guys, sorry. Congratulations!
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