alaskanhavilands: Andrew, Holly, Denise, and Becca

Our new place

2009-06-21T18:48:00.018-08:00

Views of our new housing unit.

Nice evening sunlight

The living room.

The other end of the living room.

The kitchen /dining area.

The kitchen.

hmmmm.... the stove.

Coming into the kitchen.

The entry room.

The front door.

Looking into the house from the entry.

The laundry/pantry room.

The pantry.

The entry deck.

Living room windows.

The deck.

Our walkway with Niko!

Even after a year we find good things we want

2009-06-15T18:42:00.005-08:00

Now that we have finished our first year in the new school we went through the old elementary and cleaned out some of the storage areas....

the pile on the right = KEEPER

the pile on the left =
TRASH

Out of the old ...

2009-06-01T22:15:00.006-08:00

The trusty trailer that never seemed to completely fill up and never seemed to empty.
Holly and I have moved to new teacher housing.

It was hard to leave the lodge: the beautiful windows, the wonderful deck. All the memories! Packing up 11 years worth of 'things' - a wonderful bonding experience :-).
We now have some summer time to unpack and readjust our lives.

a week ago or so ....

2009-06-01T21:53:00.006-08:00

It was a beautiful day.

The sun was out and the skies were clear.

It was hot. Very hot.

Supper: Asian marinated wild silver salmon with organic asparagus!

Incredible day!

Ponytail? What a Pony Tale?

2009-05-22T19:26:00.009-08:00

Cook outs = End of the Year!

2009-05-22T18:07:00.018-08:00

We finish the school year with a picnic on the last day. We had a nice day for it:

At the End of each year the site administrators all
travel to Unalakleet for the purpose of closing out the year. We turn in reports and visit with each department at the District Office.

A cook out gave us the opportunity to visit with each other and say goodbye for the summer. Although the afternoon was very gray and cool folks had a good time.

Each year there are also a few that decide to leave - happy trails!
Here is Joe Braach - the Shishmaref principal and a long time BSSD'er. He will be missed!

Ben Howard, the Unalakleet principal with Supt. Hickerson in the background.

Greg Johnson, a previous Shishmaref principal - impervious to the chill in the air - visits with Joe!

late fall construction + spring run-off = muck...

2009-05-15T23:17:00.006-08:00

The new housing units did not have water and sewer put in until late October. Of course by that time it was "too late" to do any ground work.

Some folks even said they were all done. Looking at what we have now - I certainly hope not.

So, tonight we hauled two loads of gravel and rock to try and make it a bit more enjoyable until the grounds can be finished this summer!

April Storms

2009-04-25T23:25:00.005-08:00

The weather has turned into a monster. For the past five days we have had wet snow falling from the sky. Half the time it has flown horizontally. The snow builds up and then slides off the roof. It falls and covers the deck and then turns to slush.
At times it is mixed with rain.
Today was a good day to sleep late and then stay inside. We decided to grind meat and get ready to make burger.

Niko spent her time keeping a close eye on me!!

Happiness :-)

2009-04-21T20:06:00.003-08:00

sunshine, a chair, a grill

musk ox burgers

The Deck and the 'Q'

2009-04-02T22:37:00.004-08:00

With the sun going down about 9 pm or so and the days getting longer ... it is time to start to cook outside

But first there was some snow to remove!

Today - April 2nd the grill was fired up , the chicken breasts were bbq'd, Andy was smilin'.

Iditarod!!

2009-04-02T22:00:00.014-08:00

Lance Mackey as he comes up to Blueberry.

The checkpoint, at a new site - down on the river.

Working the cameras!

Some just like to play!!

Iditarod Fashion

Autograph seekers of all ages!

I realize what I have become ....

2009-03-10T23:48:00.007-08:00

When I was a young boy growing up through my teen years in New Jersey we had snow days. Days where school was canceled and it brought joy. Not necessarily due to the cancellation of school but mainly due to the opportunity to earn $$!
You see, when it snowed that much, I would head out and go up the street going door to door. Knocking and asking people if they needed their walks or driveways shoveled. It was a great opportunity to earn some cash and of course get some exercise!
After we had a recent storm I had a 4th grader, Julius, ask me if he could shovel. I agreed and paid him the grand sum of $10.
The next storm came and again Julius asked if he could shovel and when I asked him how much he said $15 because it was a big job.

After another storm hit this is what the deck and entrance recently looked like at the new apartment Holly and I are moving to.

I of course decided that I certainly could do this job!

After I had finished, caught my breath, and gone home .....I realized who I had become...
when the next storm comes I am hoping that Julius comes back and asks to shovel the snow for me.
He is worth every dollar$$!
:-)

More, Some More Problem .... SNOW

2009-03-10T23:22:00.004-08:00

We have had a lot of snow and it just keeps on coming. It is great!!
Here is a rack on top of a 55 gallon drum behind the house!

A few days later and the drum is gone!

Our outside freezers are almost buried.

We now climb down into our house.

Musk Ox

2009-03-10T22:45:00.009-08:00

Spring has come .... maybe ... not really

Musk Ox was not a Tier II hunt this year but a registration hunt.
So One day in February we went out after school to find a herd.

There they were - about 18 miles from the village. It was a cold wintry day with fading daylight.

But after a little bit of a wait the herd finally shifted enough for a shot. After the butchering, with plenty of help from Morgan, Butch, Adrian, and Terrance we headed home and were back at our houses by 7 pm.

more pics

2009-01-04T20:00:00.013-09:00

A Christmas morning tradition is Ommie's coffeecake! Ommie was my great grand-mother (mom's side) whom I had the gift of knowing until I was in the 7th grade. The recipe is delicious and this year we added dried blueberries and dried cherries to it!

Breakfast must be eaten before any gifts are opened!

Charice (our adopted daughter) and Becca!

We took a huge plunge and upgraded the girls' hardware!

Does it look like a geeky family table?

Becca made these Christmas treats to deliver!

Denise made these!

Tired out after all the festivities! Missy and Niko.

Peace!

peep pics

2009-01-04T19:46:00.005-09:00

Andy and Holly - Christmas Day!

Denise and Becca - Christmas Day racing each other

Denise, Louise, Becca, and Charice - Rockband!!

more pictures - yes most are past ... but not old

2009-01-04T19:08:00.008-09:00

The NEW school - it is awesome to all be under one roof!

A NEW duplex - we have two of them and they are about 400 feet from the school ....

The river froze nice and smooth and folks had a great time playing on it before the snow came!

YIKES!! Our utility rates went up to $1.08 a kwh ... watching the meter has become a habit!

Peaceout!

a picture from the past

2009-01-04T18:59:00.003-09:00

Grandpa - John Phillips - 1956 Skating on the pond at Whiteoaks in Maryland.

hmm - what has happened?

2009-01-04T18:25:00.003-09:00

for some reason my last post was in august and now it is december. is this possible? yes it is. i spend time checking other blogs to try and keep up with the lives of others but seem to keep my life's happenings top secret!
so ...
becca finished her first semester of college and is currently at home for vacation for another 5 days before she heads back to anchorage!
denise changed jobs and now works for a company that sends her on trips. she spent a month and a half in texas. she came home to white mountain for 10 days and the holidays but has left and is now in sitka for a month! her work has something to do with presidential directive #12!
holly has changed jobs again! she is currently going through training to become a health aide and will work at the white mountain health clinic when she is done.
andy has continued to grow his hair which is now well down below his shoulders.
i recently ordered from peets coffee, because i saw it on someone else's blog, and the product and service is fantastic!
i also ordered from peace coffee - another fine product and what a cool name!
hmm.. what else could of happened
just yesterday a group of us decicded that since it was only -25 outside it would be a great day to go look for moose - so bundled up off we went - we drove about 45 miles or so but only saw 4 cows and we were in need of a bull for the hunt so although we got great fresh air and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves the hunt was not successful
the new white mountain school opened in august and that has kept andy busy, busy, busy - we still aren't doen moving in and now i am beginning to take snapshots of the things that are not working properly with the hopes that the contractor will come and fix them
the new teacher duplexes are basically done minus venetian blinds so holly and andy will be moving during the next few months
and that is it in a nutshell!
peace

College - UAA

2008-08-24T10:31:00.007-08:00

I am heading home today from Anchorage. I went in for few days to help Becca pack up her things and move them over to her dorm room!

After rearranging the room and putting in some shelf units she has a pretty cozy spot for the fall!

Trip to Anchorage

2008-08-24T10:22:00.006-08:00

I traveled to Anchorage in the middle of June to catch Becca while she was between summer programs. Becca was hanging out at the house with Denise.

We spent our time visiting and getting some things like a checking account set up for college this fall.

I also was able to squeeze in a visit with the Holts as they were winding down their time in Alaska before heading down to Carbondale, Colorado where Rick will be a middle school principal.

Inservice in Unalakleet

2008-08-24T05:13:00.009-08:00

August always sees us heading down to Unalakleet for the beginning of the year training.

I had an opportunity to go fishing with fellow 'Dude', Greg Johnson in his new boat!

We went fishing with Wendy Battino and Rick Schreiber who work for RISC, Re-Inventing School Coalition!

Back to Work = Fishing

2008-08-24T05:03:00.005-08:00

When it is time to get back in the office and swipe in for real is when the silver salmon are beginning to run in the river.
Fishing for silvers is certainly fun and exciting as well as important for the filling of the freezer.

Terrence Merfeld is our 'new' teacher this fall.

Where has the Summer gone?

2008-08-24T04:50:00.007-08:00

Summer is definitely over - at least the vacation part of it.
Days have been super busy and long with a lot of activity going on as we have moved into our new school.

Computers and Concrete!!

2008-07-13T13:05:00.013-08:00

Amazingly it is almost the middle of July. Summer is here so I feel like I should be posting summer activities! What has happened so far this summer ....

New computers for the new school!

lets see - in May I learned how to use a program called Casper to image computers and assisted our district tech, John, image all of our new computers.

and then after John left I imaged our older laptops (36) so they are all up to speed and ready to roll for the new school!

In June led by a BSSD team from UNK, we assembled a crew of volunteers, and with help from SKW, the school contractor, poured a concrete basketball court for the new school area!

Building and setting the forms.

Checking the area to insure a level court.

Ready to pour.
End of day 1.

The Pour - Day 2.

Adrian getting it settled.

The Unalakleet crew:
LA, Dave - the concrete Guru, and Charlie.

Dave, the finishing touches with his power trowel!

A Birthday went by in June

2008-07-13T12:53:00.004-08:00

As the month of June went by we had a birthday to celebrate. When asked what she would like to do Holly did not hesitate, "go fishin"!

The birthday girl doing just what she wanted to do!

A scrumptious dinner to end a wonderful day of floating around and tossing the line!

ICE GO !!!!!

2008-07-10T21:12:00.011-08:00

When the ice moves, the cry goes out, ICE GO!! Excitement is in the air with the hope that the ice will move out and the river will be back.

As the ice moves and the waiter raises an eye is kept on the boats to make sure they will survive.

Everyone lines the banks and watches as the ice churns its way downriver and stacks up on th banks.

The ice floes moved down river and then up river again when all the ice got jammed.

By the end the water level had risen
all the way to the post office.

May ... Graduation and Folks

2008-07-10T12:39:00.012-08:00

Pete and Deb, Mom and Dad, Granny and Granther ... all came to visit for the week of graduation!

Becca and Crystal working on the powerpoint show for the ceremony.

The Four Ladies of 2008!!

Congrats to the Grads!

Andy with Mom and Dad!

Rebecca with her proud parents and sister, Denise.

Salad, steak, shrimp, pasta salad ... sunshine
Wow!

The younger crowd was eating inside!

Mom and Dad - Graduation dinner on the deck!

Off for a ride - Part 1.

Off for a ride - Part 2.

The Thought of Hot Springs ... (in April)

2008-07-10T12:15:00.010-08:00

The students decided a trip to the springs was in order. I told them that if they organized it, set it up, and got chaperones that they could go.
They got right on it.
The machines - gathered to go.

One by one, Jack had each student go through their checklist demonstrating they had brought the proper gear!

Dressed and on the road!

The springs are up at the base of those hills!

The springs are glorious!

Packing up - getting ready to go home.

A short stop on the way home for a quick lesson on the surrounding hills.

Ski Meets - Spring 2008

2008-07-02T10:58:00.017-08:00

Ski meets! What a wonderful time. Spring is in the air and the sun is out (usually). We get to spend hours outside working various tasks such as timing, bib recording, hupping, or working the shooting range.

Plus we get to see old friends and meet new ones. Coaches and skiers alike!

Visiting artists this spring!!

2008-06-28T22:58:00.012-08:00

Our school hosted a writer, Therese, who taught a two week writing workshop to our students. The residence ended with an evening of readings in the gymnasium.

Most of our students read a sampling of their poetry and stories.

Adam Miller, a renowned autoharp and storyteller came and performed for the community and the school. Adam was a wonderful storyteller and very fun to host.

IDITAROD!!! March 08

2008-06-28T22:33:00.010-08:00

March brings the Iditarod right through White Mountain and it is an exciting time! Looking down the row of food bags waiting for the mushers we find the name 'HOLT'.
WOW!!

Here is Rick on his way up the Fish River coming right around White Mountain hill!!

Rick was tired but extremely happy to come into White Mountain, a mandatory 8 hour rest stop in the race.

Andy and Rick spending a moment catching up (actually Andy was watching Rick work on auto pilot as he took care of his dogs)

Rick on his way out of White Mountain heading for Nome and the finish line!! Way to go Rick!

The City Building become the Iditarod checkpoint during the three week period of the race.

A couple of the 'other guys' that ran the race this year!

Musk Ox in March

2008-06-24T22:35:00.004-08:00

I was fortunate to have a musk ox permit again this year. A group of us went out and had a successful day.

State Basketball - March Madness

2008-06-24T21:57:00.011-08:00

The Lady Wolves won the regional tourney and went to Anchorage in March for State. I was able to accompany the group as the administrator which was a wonderful chance to watch Becca play.

The games are held at the Sullivan Arena with two courts set up. The 1A and 2A tournament happen at the same time so there are a lot of games.

We ran into Chris Brown who is now in Kotzebue but happened to be in town. Mike and I enjoyed visiting with Chris and talking about his time in WMO.

Going out to dinner is a great time. Traveling with a party of 12-15 can make getting a table a trial but the restaurants are fun.
Applebees!

Holly also came in for the trip. So we saw Denise every night as well.

Chili's - always a favorite with the group!

Here is Coach Mike and I.
Many folks think we are brothers and find a strong family resemblance.
Do you see it?

Our New School

2008-06-24T20:47:00.010-08:00

As I have gone through the school year I have excitedly watched the progress on the new school building.

During the fall months the building showed its shape from the outside. As the year continued the inside of the building has come along.

The contractor took a few months off over the winter while it was the coldest out but returned at the end of February and is on pace for completion.

We are expecting to open our school year in the new building and finally have all of our students under one roof.
Exciting times!!

During the Fall months ...

2008-06-22T20:51:00.010-08:00

we supported and adopted the District's Tobacco Free Campaign

and adapted the program so each student and staff member who is tobacco free received a t-shirt!

we also found time to have pizza nights where the students make, bake, and deliver pizzas to raise money for their travels!!

Next - Holidays!!!

2008-06-22T20:45:00.001-08:00

Andy relaxing at home ...

The girls together ...

and New Years Eve!!

December is a month

2008-06-22T20:29:00.009-08:00

where a lot happens.
Before basketball really gets going we watch the end of the mixed-six volleyball season. Our district broadcasts all of our regional tournaments via our video conference network which is sponsored by GCI.
Our set up was in the trailer so that is where we gathered to watch the matches:

Of course preparations are made for the Christmas Play as well.

at least for those that have their work done!

There is also caroling to be done - this is the elementary students - -20!!

But inside the warm buildings many things kept growing and growing ...

Tis in the weeks before Christmas ...

2008-06-22T20:10:00.012-08:00

when basketball begins!! Becca is a dedicated player who loves the game and looks forward to her season.
The Lady Wolves had high hopes for the year having won their regional tournament and gone on to State 3 years in a row.

So how do we travel? All trips are by airplane and begin with the ride to the airport!

Waiting for the plane up at the airport!

Who could imagine ....

2008-06-22T19:47:00.005-08:00

that it was not just yesterday I was having a Thanksgiving turkey! I swear, somehow I turned around and all of a sudden it is summer and I have learned so much about others from their blogs ...
So how far back do I go - I guess as far back as I can remember!

September (I know it was before Turkey)
We had a birthday

Becca turned 18!

An amazing day!

Thanksgiving was Thursday but Today was Turkey!

2007-11-25T21:29:00.000-09:00

As usual we headed to the school gym for the community feast. The feast was set for 4 pm and I bet there were about 80 folks down there.
Holly and I had signed up to cook a turkey and make mashed potatoes so the morning was spent in the kitchen! Other items for feasting on included lots of turkey, hams, potato salad, stuffing, rolls, corn, black olives, cranberry sauce and all sorts of pies and cakes to go along with the ice cream. It was all delicious.
So we took a break and today we had our household turkey. Denise is in Anchorage and had to work so she could not be at home. Holly spent the a good part of the day in the kitchen working along - Becca stepped in and made the mashed potatoes. We tried a new dish today - Cranberry Jello Salad (courtesy of Virginia Degnan), and it was a hit!
We had a dinner guest with us, Morgan Edmundson.
The food was delicious!

Three months have gone by ... Oh my

2007-11-20T16:17:00.000-09:00

Peas .... It is really hard to believe that it is almost Thanksgiving (in 2 days). The first quarter of school ended half a quarter ago. Meaning we are at mid-quarter of the 2nd quarter already. We are only 1 month away from the Christmas program!! Oh my. Before we know it we will be on vacation!!
Peas .... Peas ... Peas ...so what is up with that. I have never liked peas. I have students who know I do not like peas. I do not know exactly why I do not like them. I think it has something to do with the texture and the taste. But I know this - I have never enjoyed eating peas. Getting me to eat my peas as a child was torture for my parents. Unbelievable as it sounds, I remember some tears being shed (on my part) and sitting at the dining table long after everyone else had permission to be excused. Yes, as a child we had to ask permission to be excused from the table before we could depart from the dining room.
Back to the peas .... Have I matured? I think I have for I have now found peas that I like to eat!! Simply amazing to think it has only taken me 49 years to get to this point. I like them so much I have even stocked up on them.
Not exactly made for a sit down dinner but boy are they good to munch on ... now to make up for lost time!!

One fish, Two fish, Old fish, New fish

2007-08-05T22:10:00.000-08:00

Once we began looking at putting away our fresh fish I decided I needed to clear out some freezer space. I still had some wonderful looking silvers from last fall so I decided to make pickled salmon.

The wonderful recipe I use is from Teresa Hickerson! The first step is to cube and salt the fish.

Dig deep in the cabinets to find all those jars we have been saving!

Boy oh boy - three more days until it is ready!!

New School Year=New Teacher=Fishing :)

2007-08-05T21:27:00.000-08:00

August brings the new school year and with it at times there are new faces on the staff. Kristen arrived in White Mountain on Friday afternoon.

Saturday found her out on the river fishing for silvers! The fishing was good and she was able to put some away in the freezer!

We went fishing again on Sunday and it was again a good trip.

What do we find at home?

2007-08-04T22:20:00.000-08:00

Well - after having been gone for the full month of June and 99% of July you find that the sunshine and the rain have encouraged a few things to grow! The area around the house was incredible.

The snowmachines were parked on mud!

And at work you find the mail from the summer - LOTS of it.
Teachers orders have started to arrive and need to be inventoried.

But with a little work it all gets done and everything is sorted and ready to go the classrooms!

Time to leave the city life!

2007-08-04T22:08:00.000-08:00

As the end of July comes around it is time to return home to White Mountain and get ready for work. It brings conflicting emotions: it is so nice to get out of the city and get to the peacefulness of a place without cars, but there is also a pang of sadness because you can't always run to a store to pick up fresh produce!
But, it is also exciting because we do some shopping and pack it all up to ship it home! Here is the car loaded to go to the airport!

Speaking of missing out on things :) Becca and her friends at home love to go out and have a campfire to roast hotdogs and make smores! So when her friend Crystal came to town they had to do it Anchorage style!

Faithful Companions

2007-08-04T21:42:00.000-08:00

We have two ladies that keep us company around the house. There are times that they are even seen keeping Becca and/or Holly company as they drive around town in the evening!
Missy 'belongs' to Holly. She is an incredibly patient and tolerant dog. She loves to find and greet those visitors, especially those that are unaware of her attachment to those who will pet her!

Niko 'belongs' to Becca! When Becca is out of the house Niko justs hangs around waiting for her return. She is a great little dog but we need to be careful around the doors because she loves to run!

2nd trip - Dipnetting on the Kenai

2007-07-22T12:14:00.000-08:00

We headed out of Anchorage at 4:30 am on a Wednesday morning (7/18) with Holly taking the day off from work! It was a great drive with little traffic and only one construction delay. We arrived at 7:30 and Holly and Rudy were on the beach and in the water by 8 am. The water already had more people in than I had ever seen before but the real rush hadn't even started.

We had the high tide pegged about 8 am. As the tide started going out Rudy caught a fish about 9 am. All of a sudden it seemed like people were shoulder to shoulder and fish were starting to pop out of the water with a lot of speed.

The fishing got pretty wild for awhile. My job was to 'bonk' the fish and gut them after Rudy and Holly brought them out of the water . Within an hour we had ten in the ice chest and I decided that I had better start filleting. So I set up my work station and got to work. Our pile continued to grow! It was difficult to keep up ...

The dippers!

Dipnetting brings out many people. Some come to watch what is going on and some come to help.

The gulls are everywhere. As you clean your fish if you throw the egg sacs there is a mad dash of gulls fighting over them. I had piles of carcasses which the gulls finally felt brave enough to invade!

The fishing slowed down with the low tide. As the tide came back in the current was very strong making it hard to hold the net out in the water. As it was starting to drizzle and our ice chests were almost full we decided it was time to head for home. After packing up the bus we hit the road. We were home at 10 pm. We had 42 fish! A great day!

Dipnetting on the Kenai

2007-07-20T12:12:00.000-08:00

Rudy picked a Thursday to try the dipnetting for the second time. Unfortunately Holly had to work and did not get to go. So on the 12th of June we headed down. The Kenai is only open to dipping from 6 am to 11 pm. Although the parking lot is about a half mile away the plus side is you can drive to the edge of the dunes and drop off your gear so you do not have to lug it so far. Vehicles are not allowed on the beach as they are in Kasilof which really makes it nicer. There is access for vehicles on the south side of the river but we decided not to venture there even thought the VW is 4 wheel drive.

What is interesting all the techniques that folks use and kinds of nets. Regulations do not allow a net larger than 5 ft in diameter. But after that the sky is the limit ... some are square, some octogonal, many round. Many are homemade creations!

Some use long handles to get way out in the river and others prefer to hold it close to them. The beach at the Kenai is a nice soft sand. hauling your ice chests can be a chore so again folks are very creative with their transports! We use plastic sleds that we drag along.

As the tide goes out many keep moving their gear down towards the water so putting fish on ice is easier.

Some folks only gut their fish and others do all their filleting right there and let the tide take away their waste.

We spent one night and fished two tides. We ended up with 14 fish which is okay. I dipped as well although I only wore hip boots and I landed four fish! We ended up with 50# of fillets!

Dryers that cannot work might be ...

2007-07-20T11:34:00.000-08:00

I guess I grew up in a time that all dryers were put on outside walls and that cleaning out the ducts was not an issue because I had never really thought of it :)
Recently we had an annual maintenance check done by Sears and the man said the dryer worked fine but the duct was probably clogged or blocked ... when asked when it was last cleaned I looked around and muttered something about being here for 15 years and probably never.... I thought of the 30 feet or so of duct down in the crawl space and (wisely) asked if a service might do this job. The man said of course and told me to call a chimney sweep!
Now although the painting is becoming more difficult I do enjoy it. The thought of cleaning dryer ducts was not pleasant so off to the yellow pages I went. An appointment was quickly made.
Now although I watched everything the man did I still do not think I will do it next time since each section of cleaning rod costs $80 and he only charged $75 to do the job. Of course, when asked again for the last cleaning date and again I mumbled something about "at least 15 years" he simply smiled and agreed with me that "it sure could be dirty".
So on the first or second insertion of the brush and one length of rod, a little bit of lint came out...

When a second and then third length of rod was attached and again the duct was brushed - again a little bit more came out .... alright already, tons and tons came out ...

The whole job only took him about 45 minutes and was easily the best money spent that day! Especially because as soon as he was done I headed to the Kenai to try some more dipping.

When he was done he assured me that we won 'The Dirtiest Duct of the Month' award!

Dipping for Sockeye

2007-07-20T10:48:00.000-08:00

Dipnetting for red salmon was an activity that Holly missed out on last summer. IT was decided that would not occur again :).
Our friend Rudy thought the last weekend of June might be right to try a couple of nights at the Kasilof river down in Soldotna. But before we could go Holly needed to get outfitted with a pair of neoprene chest waders! Once that was accomplished we were set.
Friday was a bit breezy but sunny as well.

We camp out of our trusty VW ! The Kasliof is a 24 hour fishery so people come and go at all hours of the day trying to find the right tide.

When we arrived the camping area was fairly empty but that soon changed as folks arrived who had to work all day on Friday. Many folks bring the whole family. We woke up to find a large RV liked the spot right in front of us!

Even though there are commercial boats that pass by and trucks drive out onto the beach the scenery when down at the river can be spectacular.

The fishing was actually poor this trip. What we did not realize was there was a commercial opening.
We only brought in two reds (way to go Holly) but it was a great outing.
Some folks teach their kids at a young age!

Did I learn the first time .... no

2007-07-20T10:32:00.000-08:00

One night there was a loud crash ... it seems that when a shelf in a closet has lots of things piled on it and then the closet rod is loaded up with 15 pairs or so of hanging jeans the weight is tremendous .... down it all came. I guess the folks back when thought you only hung dress shirts... I found out the one support bracket for the 12 foot shelf was not even hung on a stud :(
Denise chose a nice yellow for her closet after I re-done her closet with a new shelf (well mounted) for her hanging needs. So down came the shelves and then we painted the closet :) and then looked at the walls.
Denise wanted a change in her room as well ...
when she was a bit younger we painted one of her walls a beautiful pink! Amazing how folks grow away from certain colors.

Now she chose a wonderful light green!

This project is still in progress due to the amount of items I need to move and other activities we have done. Two walls down - two to go!

Home Improvements

2007-07-20T09:53:00.000-08:00

We have now had our townhouse for fifteen years ( we think)! Of course we could actually look it up but it seems more fun to just guess. It was time for some changes which of course I have been pondering over for the past 5 years or so.
I decided to peel the wallpaper in the downstairs bathroom and put on some paint. Now I wish I had done it 5 years ago when it was easier to get up on a ladder and down on my knees. But once you start to peel there is not much to do but keep moving forward ...
Much to my chagrin I could not scrape behind the toilet without being a contortionist or have incredibly small but tireless arms and hands (neither of which I possess). So off came the toilet.
Of course as with all jobs there seem to be the discoveries of additional work being warranted ...

So after some spackling, lots of sanding, more spackling, more sanding, and then texturing I was off to choose the paint :) Yahoo!

I think the hardware stores have special lights in the paint department which give you false ideas of what a color will look like at home ... I KNOW this was lighter green when I saw it at Home Depot ... but the color grows on you and I now am very happy!

Summer happenings

2007-07-20T09:39:00.000-08:00

The last post was early June and all of sudden it is the third week of July - yikes!! So what have we been doing? Many little things seem to keep us busy ...
Denise decided that the 98 Durango she purchased two years ago was drinking a little bit too much gas in today's world so she went car shopping!!

After visiting a few car lots (with her Dad along for advice) she decided that a Jetta was to her liking, so ...

She is now the proud owner of a 2006 VW!! A very fine choice! Denise and Becca went to Fairbanks one Sunday for a quick roadtrip just to make sure!

Carrie visits us!!

2007-06-09T11:48:00.001-08:00

June 6th
Carrie Jones stopped by for a visit. Carrie was on a quest for a new car so she could drive to Fairbanks.
I picked her up and we spent some great time cruising around Anchorage - looking at two cars and getting them to a garage for a pre-buy inspection.

We were lucky enough to have her spend an evening with us which gave me a chance to grill up some dinner! And sit in evening sunshine.
The next day she found the right car, we found some parts that were needed and she met up with Jasmine and Conrad so they could head towards Fairbanks.

Summers = Grilling = Bliss

2007-06-09T10:13:00.000-08:00

A barbeque grill is a mighty fine thing to behold and the invent of the gas grill certainly was a milestone for mankind. Now I realize some prefer the old charcoal style (such as my dad) but ... I love the simplicity of the switch.
We bought our first grill 15 years ago - it is lovely and dependable and loyal. Of course the 'lovely' is in the eyes of the beholder :-) .
I left it up in Talkeetna, last July, for our friends the Holt's to use as they were busy building their Yurts and did not have a kitchen as of yet. So upon arriving in Anchorage for this summer I was going to go up and get it. But they said they would bring it down to me ...

WOW!! Holy Moly!!

I happened to be outside when they arrived in their pickup truck. Strapped down in the back was NOT my old dear friend but a shiny new model right off the showroom floor!

This baby has three burners with a 'sear and grill' feature which claims I can now cook as good as a restaurant. Also a switch for a light so I can grill at night (you know cause the sun sets so early in the Alaska summer) :-) As well as reversible grills for meat and fish - who has ever heard of such silliness!

Of course the loss of an old friend is an incredibly hard thing to deal with. The addition of a new friend also goes through a feeling out process. But after the next three nights with some steak, chicken, and ribs I feel like we are getting to know each other.

Rick and Tiff claim this was the ONLY way they would of ended up with a grill at their place. If so then I am happy for them.

Of course all new things need a little tweaking. So last night I put up some hooks to hang the tools from and tonight we will have burgers, again!

I look forward to all the nights of cooking this summer here in Anchorage as well as taking a few trips to Talkeetna to not only see Rick, Tiffany, and their boys but also to reach out and touch my old friend who has moved on but is living well!

Checking Out!

2007-06-08T14:23:00.001-08:00

Every school year ends with a trip to Unalakleet for the principal. The purpose is to 'check out' which means turn in paperwork. I left White Mountain, May 23 at 10:20 am and was on the ground in UNK at 12:15. I spent about 3 hours to find everyone I needed. We have a list (3 pages) listing each dept. and everyone we need to see as well as what reports and information they need. Friday morning found us in a meeting until noon. After that was time for folks to finish the process and then we all headed out. I was home in White Mountain again at 7 pm.

The evening activity is a barbeque for some good food and socializing. Here is Joe, the principal at Shishmaref, with his wife, Rhonda.

The food was great although the weather was cold and windy.

but as evidenced by the smiles ... enjoyed!
Elise, principal on Little Diomede, enjoying a burger!

Kerry, blue jacket, is our Asst. Supt who is retiring. He has run the business dept for the past 18 years. John, red hat, is our Supt. who is retiring. John has run the district for the past 8 years.

It was a fun evening! Good food, good company, and good cigars (for those who partake).

Rick Luthi, back for a visit!

Conrad, the new asst. principal for UNK, and yours truly. A great year lies ahead!!

End of the year Picnic

2007-06-08T10:42:00.001-08:00

May 18th
The end of the year picnic follows the end of the year awards. We gather in the gym and recognize students for their performances and academic progress. We recognize athletes for their accomplishments as well as students with perfect attendance.

We had a gorgeous day this Friday. The picnic began at noon and was held on the beach area by the rivers edge. The ice had not gone out yet so there was a coolness complimented by the hot sunshine. We had a super turnout of community and parents.

The time to gather and visit is always fun as you roast a hot dog over the fire. People talk about their summer plans.

Many times there is a game of eskimo baseball. This years picnic saw a very involved game that went on for about 2 hours with the players ranging from 1st graders all the way through adults.

There was also the parachute and a tug of war rope to play with.

The fire truck was brought down so the water tank could be drained out and freshened up with a new load!

The weather was spectacular and people relaxed and enjoyed the time to visit.

The picnic wound down around 3 pm. I gave Carrie a ride to see our new school site before getting her up to the airport to catch her flight back to Unalakleet.

High School Graduation

2007-06-07T16:02:00.000-08:00

I do not clearly remember the commencement ceremony I went through although I believe it was outside, at Tatlock field, and if my memory serves me I am thinking we had some 400 or so graduates! Truly I cannot imagine trying to put one of those together and orchestrate it. 1976 seems so long ago ...

The White Mountain School commencement takes place in the gymnasium and this year saw 8 seniors and 4 eighth graders receive their diplomas on May 17th.

Our ceremony is held at 2 in the afternoon and is truly a community event. The Post Office closes as well as the store so everyone can attend and help celebrate the journey the students have completed and the new journey they will begin to travel along.

A tradition at our school that I believe is truly wonderful is the the opportunity for each graduate to address the audience and share their thoughts on education and their future. Each one of the 8th graders and the seniors can write a speech and share.

Carrie Jones was the choice of the seniors for their graduation speaker. Carrie started her career in White Mountain and taught these seniors for two years. She is now teaching in Unalakleet. She flew up on Thursday and went back home on Friday afternoon after lots of visiting. It was great to have her in White Mountain and she enjoyed a barbeque on Thursday night as well as the school picnic on Friday.

After the speeches are done we have a spot where we award and recognize scholarships that have been awarded. This young lady was the UA Scholar and receives four years of paid tuition at any University of Alaska campus.

I think another of the traditions we honor in our ceremony is wonderful as well. The students choose whom they would like to have present them their diploma. They are then called down to the floor for the presentation and pictures. Many include a grandparent or special uncle as well as parents.

As usual their is the traditional flipping of the tassel as they are proclaimed the 'graduated class' many congratulations. We finish the afternoon with cakes, juice, and coffee as people visit each other before going home.

Cedar Grove-Belgium Middle School

2007-06-07T12:51:00.001-08:00

Megan's Library of Love

I had a phone call this fall
that turned into an incredible experience. Mary Anderson, from Cedar Grove, Wisconsin, called me one morning and asked if we would like some new library books due to our fire loss. Naturally I said yes and she explained that they would be doing a book drive in February. I forwarded an email to the staff that asked for desired titles,
topics, and authors. Little did I know what would happen.
The Cedar Grove-Belgium Middle School runs an awesome project in memory of one of their students.
As a school we ended up with 25 boxes arriving for us at our post office. This was 1613 titles!! The books had been boxed and sorted by age level as well as area of interest if it was needed.
It was simply INCREDIBLE to see.
Since we have several buildings we had different opportunities to open the boxes. The elementary school invited parents to join us for an afternoon celebrating the joy of discovering our new books. Both the elementary and junior high classrooms will have new shelves
that will be designated "Megan's
Library of Love". Everyone of the books have sticker on the inside cover reminding us of why we have it.

The story behind their book drive is
so special I want to share it with you!

This comes from Cedar Grove:
The books were donated in memory of a special student, Megan Brianne Obbink, and in honor of her classmates who formulated the idea in tribute to her.
On February 10, 1996, the Obbink Family was blessed with the arrival of Megan. From day one, Megan
was a part of our school family because she could be found on her
mother’s lap watching her older sisters, Jo Ellen and Jackie, participate in sporting events. Four
years later, Megan became the proud sister to Melanie and her older sisters had another fan.

On November 25, 2005, tragedy struck our small community. While skating on a pond with her father
and Melanie, Megan fell through the ice. Her father went in to find her and sent Melanie to get help. Murky water and thick surface ice
made rescue attempts difficult and rescuers were not able to find Megan or her father until three hours after the accident, too late to save them. Although we grieve the loss of Megan, we have fond memories of her. Teachers were inspired by her enthusiasm for learning. Classmates described her as a bundle of energy and activity. She was so fast, if you blinked, you might miss her go by. Megan loved her family, reading, piano, church, running, basketball, and our fall field trip. She effortlessly scooted up the climbing wall, forty feet in the air, and learned how to shoot a bow and arrow. Megan wrote to a soldier in Iraq and faithfully prayed for his safety. Best of all though, students remember that Megan always opened her heart and was a helpful friend. This project honors her special qualities. In the words of one of her classmates, Megan was, “A good daughter, a good student, a good friend.” We feel blessed to have been a part of Megan’s life. The books sent to you in Megan’s Library of Love are truly a gift of love. It is a project of love that the fifth grade class has been excited to sponsor. It is the love Megan had for reading, learning, and helping, sent in boxes to you, with the hope that your students will be encouraged to read and learn. It is love for your community, and love to heal our hearts as well. Thank you for being our recipient school. We imagine a student in White Mountain choosing a book from Megan’s Library and smiling as they begin the story. This thought has given students at Cedar Grove-Belgium Middle School the chance to smile as well.

To Mary, the 5th grade class, and all of Cedar Grove - the students of White Mountain and the Community - thank you!!

Fundraising

2007-06-04T21:57:00.000-08:00

Graduation: Decorations and Speaker

The seniors needed to fund raise money for two items: the airfare for their graduation speaker to come to White Mountain and for decorations that would go up in the gym. First the group had a cakewalk and did very well - raising $188.
For the remaining amount they had a pizza
night?

What this entails is creating handmade pizzas and delivering them in town to anyone that wants to eat the delicious pies! We sell a pepparoni or a cheese. This spring we also offered a spicy pizza flavored with our homegrown jalapenos that came out of our hydroponic set-up!
One pizza is $15 or two for $25!

If you do not want to cook this kind of a deal is hard to pass up - especially delivered to your door!!

They had some juniors help with the work as well as some younger students.

So if you raise $613 how many pizzas do you make and deliver ? I think the total was 49!

A great way to learn teamwork and have fun!

A Fun Friday to End a Week of Testing (april)

2007-06-04T20:41:00.000-08:00

Normally there is at least one elementary age ski meet held in the District. Although the District does not supply any funding for travel to get there. This year by mid-April most of the southern sites had little snow left and none of the northern sites volunteered to host a meet. I think everyone was watching their budget!
So our school decided to have a Fun Friday.
The high school students skied out to Sweetheart (a mountain) to have a hot dog roast with cocoa and marshmallows.

The elementary school hosted their own ski meet. With the sun blazing away, with the snow nice and soft, with some parents and community members around to cheer and watch the students skied over to the start finish area where a small loop had been set-up!

It was a wonderful
afternoon that came to us at the end of our week of standardized testing. What a great way to finish up a day!!

Artist in Residence

2007-06-04T12:44:00.001-08:00

Stained Glass and kids?
Our school was once again the recipient of a grant that enabled us to participate in the Artist in Residency program. Our students had chosen the medium of stained glass. We were fortunate to have Jim Kaiser, from Girdwood Alaska, join us for two weeks of fun.
Jim worked with all of our students from kindergarten through the 12th grade. An amazing man with a wonderful talent of making the learning fun.

These students, k-3, were working with five pieces that they cut (with Jim's assistance) as either a triangle or a square. Their next step was to plan their layout!

Students 4th grade and above selected their glass and cut their shapes according to a design. But their layout and arrangement was up to them and some were quite creative!

Adults Had Time With Jim as Well
Jim had evening sessions for the adults in the community. He was overwhelmed by the turnout on the first evening.

He was hoping for maybe ten folks but we just kept coming in ...
Adults could either use the pattern Jim supplied (which was recommended) or alter it to fit their own needs. Many were creative and added more as they went along!

Jim's Project
Jim had been to the BSSD 12 years earlier and made a window for each school with their mascot in it. Unfortunately we lost our artwork when we lost our high school. When Jim was asked to do the residency he said he would replace our lost window. It is beautiful! Jim had his original drawings and he re-created our window which will go into our new school!

Art Show
We ended our two week residency with an art show displaying all of the pieces. We decided to have it in the cafeteria due to all the windows. We were blessed with a beautiful evening full of sun and the pieces looked dazzling!

The reflections of the floor in the afternoon sun!

This program was made possible through the Artists in Schools program and funding from White Mountain School. Artists in Schools is a program of the Alaska State Council on the Arts, with support from the Alaska State Legislature, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

More Ski Pics

2007-06-03T20:30:00.000-08:00

Breakfast in the cafeteria

A tradition at the meet - FRESH oranges are quartered and available at the finish line for the skiers to consume to replenish those vital fluids ...

Rudy and Eric - - counting down the the time for each starting group

Coach Conger from Nome!!

Ready, Set, Go

Nenana Coach!

Asa, ready to go!!

Ski Meets

2007-06-03T12:14:00.000-08:00

End of March - BSSD Ski Championships
This annual district event is held in White Mountain due to the trail system we have. The event is two nights and three days. The first day sees the teams arrive and participate in the ski race.

The second day has a marksmanship competition in the morning with a biathlon race in the afternoon. Saturday morning finishes with a fun ski relay before the teams head home.
The weekend this year saw about 50 skiers come to White Mountain ranging from 5th graders through seniors. The races are separated into male and female as well as junior high and high school.

This is the start finish area.

Here are some fans standing outside of the fencing.

1st Weekend in April - Western Interior Ski Championships
White Mountain also was the host for the WISA meet. This competition was begun years ago because the villages do not get good snow conditions early enough to compete in the state athletic association (ASAA) competitions held in Anchorage.

Here is Eric Morris, a long time ski coach and now a meet director, giving directions at the start line getting the skiers ready to go.

BSSD sends a team of 16 to this meet. We also saw teams from Nenana, Nome, Huslia, Galena, and Tanana.

Of course - we were blessed with Rudy Howard's presence, WISA's past president.
Rudy has retired from teaching and now and lives in Anchorage. But he has remained a part of the rural ski world and hopefully will continue to grace us with his particpation!
Evening activities -- Sliding ... who needs sleds

March must be next!!

2007-06-02T21:27:00.000-08:00

Serum Run
The serum runners came through and stayed with us for four nights. This is a group made up of dog mushers and snow machine supporters that travel the historic trail in remembrance of the Serum Run that saved many lives in Nome. The group consists of many varied folks - some verterans and some rookies. The folks sleep in the gym and are happy to visit the classrooms. Usually they only stay a night but weather kept them from leaving the next day and then we had the Nome-Golovin Snowmachine race.
Here they are introducing themselves to the students and the community.
We had a good crowd there to listen and to see Howard Lincoln, a long time Iditarod volunteer receive an award.

Here is Howard, on the left.

Nome - Golovin Snowmachine Race
An annual event comes roaring through town every year. A race from Nome to Golovin and back again.
White Mountain is used as the fuel stop.

Holly worked the race as a bib recorder.

The machines race into the pits - get a little gas for the run to Golovin - 18 miles away - and then stop again before the last 70 miles to Nome.

Musk Ox

Andy was lucky enough to get a musk ox permit again. The season begins in October and ends on March 15th. We usually wait for snow and the longer daylight hours to he animals. I went out with a friend, Eric Morris. We spent one day finding a herd but the day was getting late. The next trip Holly rode along as well. Eric and I were both successful and Holly was a super help in getting the animals butchered and ready to take home.

Iditarod
The other annual March event is the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. We are lucky that all the mushers have a mandatory 8 hour layover in our town. We get a lot of visitors that pass through - families of mushers showing their support as well as the news crews covering the race.

The Mick and Rick Show
These fine folks are motivational speakers and also do a faith based evening program. The school assembly was excellent as was the evening gathering that was held at the community tribal center.
Mick and Rick do a comedy routine as well as sing. They were a lot of fun to host.

I check on other's so what's up with mine?

2007-06-02T20:39:00.000-08:00

I feel a little lame when I see that my last post was on Feb. 5. Here I am sitting around the house in June and I certainly have enough time to try to keep up with this.
I love checking on the blogs that other folks do to see what has happened with them - I apologize for not keeping up with this part of my life
School is nowout and I am in Anchorage for the summer. Stop on by for a visit if you get the chance. Most likely I am home doing little things around the house.
Where should I start .....

Oh yes - back in February - we finally had enough snow so the trails looked good and traveling out in the country was fun.

We were in the middle of our basketball season so we can start with the pep rally we had one Friday before we hosted the Golovin girls! Golovin is 18 miles away and are our closest neighbors.

A little blindfolded pudding feed is a fun thing to watch!

We start our evening off with a peewee game. Our peewee team consists of our 2nd - 6th graders. Everyone loves to see them play. They play hard and run fast and are slightly chaotic. The baskets are lowered to 8 feet for them.

Of course you have to have your gym decorated with signs proclaiming your allegiance to the teams ...

Wintertime Light....

2007-01-01T16:01:00.000-09:00

We have passed the solstice where the amount of day and night are equal. The days are getting longer. But - that does not mean we see the sun for hours and hours....
At 9 am we began to get a pink glow on the horizon...
about 12 noon we saw the sun pop up above the hills.... (the hill to the right in the photo above)
at 3:45 pm the sun dipped below the horizon again... (a little to the left of the photo above)
right now at 4:15 pm we have day light but only see a pink glow along the horizon...

Happy New Year 2007!!

New Years Eve

2007-01-01T14:31:00.000-09:00

A bonfire on the beach, fireworks in the air, and cold temperatures!!
Some Christmas trees were piled together on the beach....

The temperature was -20 but folks just dress warm and gather to ring in the new year!

At midnight the fireworks begin... in some of the photos you can see the moon in the upper left corner - it was a beautiful clear cold evening...
Cold enough that the digital camera worked very slooowly....

(Becca was down in Golovin)

Happy New Year 2007

Community Activities

2006-12-31T18:38:00.000-09:00

The Community of White Mountain celebrates the holidays together and hosts activities that allow folks to gather and share their time. After Christmas day has passed there are games and activities held in the community. These are held in the school gym. This year there were two nights of Alani games followed by the Dorcas Party and then one more night of Alani games.
The evenings begin at 7 pm and end about 11 pm. There are door prizes and also candies and small prizes for the winners of the games. The Dorcas Party is similar to the the Alani evening but the party is only for men and women 9th grade and older. No children. This evening is finished with the sharing of baked goods that people bring and a gift exchange (ladies bring a ladies gift and men the opposite which are numbered upon arrival and then numbers drawn at the end of the night). The evenings are wonderful and relaxing with a lot of laughter and visiting going on. The games are fun as you can see. Most of the games are done twice - once for 6th grade on down and then again for 7th grade on up!

You need to hold the potato between your knees!

The trash can game.... you interlock arms and try to pull the others into the can - you are out if you touch the can or let go!

A balancing relay race !

The egg relay!

Adult/child scooter relay - down to the end of the gym - switch positions and back again!

Door prizes for adults and children are done three times a night. Prizes are put on the floor and if your ticket is called you can choose the one you want!

Lining up to begin the egg toss. There were so many they started out going across the gym and then changed to lengthwise. The winner went the whole length of the gym before breaking their egg!

A favorite of both the participants and the crowd is the limbo...

There are many other games as well: musical gifts, 7/11, Mary and Joseph (like Marco Polo), knockout, piggyback relay, toothpick relay, and blow the bean, etc....
The evenings are fun for all and a great way to spend an evening when it is cold and dark outside!

Christmas Eve Eve

2006-12-28T13:38:00.000-09:00

Christmas Eve in White Mountain!!
We have a church service which is followed by a program which is followed by a gift exchange! The church is not a large building but usually there are about 75 folks who attend.

This year our community pastor is out of the village on vacation and we have a visiting pastor, Larson King, from Nunivak Island.

After the service there is a Christmas program that has many different groups of children who have practiced and learned various songs and skits. An elder, Velma Brown, has organized the program for many years.

We also heard numerous selections from the White Mountain Choir in full and also separately as men and women!

After the program is over people have the opportunity to share greetings that have come from a far, either by phone, card, or email. The evening ends with the passing out of gifts. Presents that are for families, friends, cousins or your pick name have been put under the the tree. The men, high school age and up, grab the presents and shout out the name with a hearty, "Merry Christmas to ..." and pass them out. It is a hectic but happy exercise.

Christmas Eve Day

2006-12-28T10:43:00.000-09:00

This year Christmas Eve was super duper special because that was the day Denise came home from Anchorage. Holly and I went up to the airport to pick her up. The airport is quite small and consists of a runway and a maintenance building. In the picture to the right you have a view of short and long term parking...

Here is Holly at the airport and watching Denise's plane land! Excitement was in the air!!

The planes aren't big but they bring in the passengers and the mail. Here is a shot of the agent meeting the plane and getting ready to take the mail to the post office.

Now with the tree up and the family together we can make the final preparations for Christmas day!!

Hunting for the Tree

2006-12-20T09:27:00.000-09:00

The last day of school was Friday the 15th. After lounging around on Saturday Becca suggested we go out and get a tree so Sunday as chosen as the day. The temperatures had come up to about 5 below so it seemed like an opportune time.
So what does it take to find a Christmas tree? It is not as easy as going across town to the tree lot but almost. Obviously we dress warm and get the rigs ready to go, hook the sled on and lets not forget the chainsaw...
I am truly in awe of those folks who grow Christmas trees because they have perfected the art. When you look for trees that grow naturally selecting one is a lot harder than you might imagine. There seems to be so many to choose from but when you get a little closer you find all sorts of problems. You may be looking at a double - two trees growing so close they look like one. You might see a tree that has two trunks. They seem to blend in with each other so well. So you do a lot of cruising around, in and out of meadows, over the tops of willows, searching for that elusive tree.

Usually you think you find it only to get close enough to realize you must have frost in your eye or need to clean your glasses.

But somewhere is the perfect tree. We just need to be silly enough to keep looking and have some fun while we do it.

The one.... We found her very early on but kept looking thinking that we would find a finer tree. But, we had marked the trail and knew where to go back to so here we are! Almost where we started out at... a bit colder but happy that we think we have the tree we want.

So down she comes and in the sled she will go.
The temperatures were good so we did not lose too many needles on the ride home. If it is too cold you can get home and find the bouncing has broken your branches and dropped all of your needles. But we came through in fine fashion and this is our end result!

Thanksgiving and 30 years

2006-11-18T10:16:00.000-09:00

Next week is the Thanksgiving holiday. It has been 31 years since I last enjoyed this holiday with the family I was raised with. Yes, the holiday I am remembering of would of been that of my senior year in high school. Ouch!! Since that year I have had 7 Thanksgivings in Colorado and will now have my 24th in Alaska.
My how times have changed... Growing up in New Jersey I remember having turkey and stuffing at 52 Division Avenue. Sitting around the dining table with a turkey on the platter and holding hands to give thanks before the meal. At that time the leaves are still on the ground and some are still falling. It is truly fall.
Today I looked out and saw a pretty sunrise at 9:15 am that was rising up over a frozen river. We have a light dusting of snow and the distant hills are covered.
The temp today said 5 below zero. Yesterday's high was about 10 above and there was a little breeze.
But as I stood in the doorway to take the picture I listened and heard.... not much... I could hear someone splitting firewood across town, I could hear a light wind. There was not any other sounds I could near, no cars, no trucks, no trains.

So what brings all this on.... on the 25th of this month will be the Summit High School Class of 1976 30th Reunion!!! Wow! Is that even possible. I guess so when I settle on the fact that I have a daughter who is turning 21 soon.
I had a great day Oct. 11th when I received an email from a high school friend who had found me by doing a google search. Thank you Eric Dagradi. It was great to hear from you and you started my mind on this journey of time. Since then I have heard from others as well and also gotten the details of the reunion. I so wish I could make the arrangements to attend.
I have yet to go to a reunion due to calendar issues and logistical ones. Although I think it would be a very fun time. They always seemed to fall on times when we had family gatherings.
So here I am this morning... in all my glory 30 years later... this is what I look like right at this instant...Yep, that is me.... this week anyway. For some reason my hair is growing out and have let it keep going. Seems like I do this now about every 3 years or so. When it is not long I usually wear it in a crewcut/flattop . The goatee seems to go every year or so as well. As seen in this picture from fall of 2005.

So, 30 years later and here I am ... still going to a high school every single day and actually spending many more hours in the building now than I ever did when I was 18.
Oh well, life is moving on and we are too whether we want to or not.
But winter is almost here and I do have a new rig to ride so it should be a good one. I hope everyone is having a super fall. I am so thankful that we have the technology to keep in touch with each other and keep people posted on what is happening in our worlds - because truly we are not that far apart. Happy Thanksgiving!!

Wintertime is Approaching

2006-11-16T20:35:00.000-09:00

Our temps have been in the low single digits lately. Today was about 8 above zero and there as a light breeze about 8 miles an hour.

Two days ago we got some light snow and Becca decided to take some pictures. These were taken behind the house.
We have about 5-6 inches on the ground but not enough to really go riding about.
We did have the fun of accepting the arrival of two new snowmachines the other day.
An 06 Supersport and an 07 Trail RMK.

Moose Hunting

2006-11-16T19:25:00.000-09:00

I have lived in White Mountain for 8 years now and had yet to shoot a moose until this fall of 2006. We have looked and looked every year. We have spent lots of enjoyable time running about the river hoping to find a moose that would stay still long enough for me to shoot it.

Finally this year it happened. Holly and I were coming home about 10:15 pm and it was getting dark. We saw a moose and it had antlers. Our season was only open to bull moose so we were in luck except that it was dark... But we decided to go for it anyway and the moose was kind enough to let me shoot it three times :-). The unfortunate part was that he decided to die in the river... so it was decided to let him sit over night and then we went back in the morning for the butchering. We managed to roll him onto a piece of plywood that sat on top of two logs to lift him out of the water.

Some evenings you are out until the sun has set and you make it home in the dark. Coming home by dwindling sunlight or beginning moonlight is always an adventure. Here is Holly bundled up against the cold wind.
Moose hunting is an activity that we do every fall. It is an annual event and a lot of fun. We go out on the weekends and also some weeknights depending on how long the hunting season is. This fall the season was 13 days long. We get lots of fresh air and spend time out in the sun (or the rain). This fall Holly and I had the great fortune to eat a few suppers as we hunted.
One night we enjoyed a baked fish on the river beach with our friends Kim and Eric.

The fish was delicious and the weather was fantastic.

As we left there was a wonderful sunset...

A great time.... and he tastes so good.

Fishing and berrypicking

2006-10-11T21:34:00.000-08:00

Wonderful summertime and fall activities that get us out of the office, out of the house and onto the river! Holly and I had a great time getting out and we often were joined by Jessica, our new White Mountain teacher.

The fishing this fall was just wonderful. The silver salmon seemed plentiful and the fishing lasted for about four weeks so we had plenty of time to fill the freezer and get the smoker going.

Of course on days like these when the sun is out and the fish are biting - life just doesn't get much better!!

Is it really October? Oh My!

2006-10-11T21:04:00.000-08:00

Oh yeah-I will really keep up with this blogging now so everyone can keep up with us :-) Oh well at this point I will try to recap the fall.... to start off with Becca and Denise went back to the East Coast to a family reunion on the Phillips side. The girls had a blast staying with Uncle Matt and Aunt Lyn and seeing some of the sights.
Of course they also got to see family that they missed and family they never knew they had.

Here is the Haviland clan minus Andy and Holly and cousin Jacob.

Looking down over Central Park!

Becca and Denise had a blast traveling together especially on the jets!

Dipnetting on the Kasilof

2006-07-28T18:47:00.000-08:00

On July 19th I headed down to the Kasilof River with a friend, Rudy Howard, to go dipnetting for red salmon. Dipnetting you say- what is that? Alaska has a personal-use subsistence fishery which allows residents to net their catch. Dipnets come in all shapes and sizes but most have a hoop, which cannot be larger than 5' in diameter, and are on poles ranging from 5-20 feet long. The picture above shows a person entering the river with their net.
Basically you stand in the river, at times up to your chest and wait for a fish to swim into your net!

On the right is a photo of Rudy (middle) waiting for the fish. You need to wear neoprene waders if you want to seriously fish, the water is very cold. Rudy was in the water for quite a while.
Dipnetting is not a solitary sport... at times it gets quite crowded once the fish start running as you can see in the following pictures. You also tend to fish with the tides. The incoming tides seems to be the best.
Unfortunately for us while we were there the Dept. of Fish and Game decided to have an emergency commercial opening so many boats were setting their nets just outside the mouth of the river which made it hard for the fish to get to us.

These were taken about midnight as the sun was setting! We fished until 2 am. We decided that my legs wouldn't do well with the current and in the muddy bottom so Rudy did the dipping while my job was to bonk the fish and gut them. As well as make the coffee. We took the Westphalia down so we spent the night. The next day we dipped some more but the commercial nets were back in the water, it was raining and it was crowded (many people went to the Kasilof because the Kenai was having a weak run of reds) so we headed home. The fifteen fish we got are being smoked for us and we look forward to doing it again next summer!!
Another look at the shapes of dipnets.

Summer Barbeque in Talkeetna

2006-07-10T20:57:00.000-08:00

On Sunday the 9th of July we traveled to Talkeetna to visit our friends the Yocum's for a barbeque. The weather was gorgeous and the drive went just fine (95 min). Louise Simon was with us, having arrived into Anchorage from White Mountain just that morning. Cheri was our school counselor for four years.

They have a wonderful spot right off of the spur road with a really neat little cabin/house. Cheri's sister and dad were also there. Her dad is 93
years old and just a delight. Ken took care fo the grill and made some delicious burgers.

White Mountain

2006-07-08T19:01:00.000-08:00

White Mountain, Alaska 99784

The Haviland's have lived in White Mountain for the past 8 years. White Mountain is a village of about 195 people with a school population of 54 k-12. The village is on the banks of the Fish River about 18 miles in from the coast. We are about 70 miles south east of Nome.
Andy and Becca are there during the school year while Holly is in Anchorage for part of year working for Everts Air Cargo as a cargo agent. Denise also lives in Anchorage and works for the same company as a customer service agent. During the summer Andy and Becca join Holly and Denise in Anchorage. The village name comes from the hill you see in the picture below which is White Mountain hill and is made of very white rock.

The new school will be built above the city garage which is the large roof you see in the trees towards the upper left of the picture. This picture is about 3 years old.

The picture qbove is taken from the top of White Mountain hill looking over towards the airport which is up above the village. The elem school and the other school buildings are the farthest buildings you can see on the left of the picture.

The picture below shows the lodge. Our school cafeteria is the right side of the building. Our house is the first floor and left side of the building with another apartment up above us which is used for itinerants.

School As We Are Today

2006-07-08T14:19:00.000-08:00

What we have now are three buildings that we are using for 2 high school classrooms and the jr high classroom. Luckily for us all three buildings have running water and bathrooms and are very adequate for our needs. In the photo to the right you can see the two high school classrooms: the gray building is called the bingo building. It is owned by the IRA (the local trible govt.) and they immediately leased it to the district. We use it for the science and math classroom. The light blue building is owned by the City. They had leased it to the University system but they all agreed to end the lease so we could use it. This is our language arts and social studies classroom. This view is taken from the front of the Lodge building which has the cafeteria and two apts. in it, one of which is where we live.
A single wide trailer is our third building. The trailer sits right above the gymansium and is owned by the District. It had been the principal's quarters for many many years and in recent years was used for teacher housing. Just last year it had a music studio in it and our video conferencing equipment. It now houses the junior high classroom and my office. Here are some views of the inside of the trailer.
There are two entrances to the tailer so we do not interrupt each others daily business (much)!
In the picture below you can see down the narrow hallway to my office.

Looking into my office from the hallway.
The data closet is to the right behind the Kronos clock and when you turn all the way back to the left you see the filing cabinet closet. This room used to be a bedroom...

All of our buildings are in the same general area so we now have a campus with 6 buildings (within 150' of each other) which includes our cafeteria which was always a separate building.

I spent 4 days at the end of June in White Mountain going through orders and inventorying materials that had arrived. I worked 3 of those days with jack Adams and made a lot of progress with our new science materials.

February 15th... the Fire

2006-07-05T20:01:00.000-08:00

As I said in an earlier post our school burned down. The image on the right shows the gym with the high school going up in flames. The fire department worked very hard and kept the fire fronm spreading to the gymnasium. We had clay murals that the students had made a number of years ago on the outside which depicted the four seasons of White Mountain. We pawed around in the frozen ash and searched in the rubble. We were able to find a lot of the pieces and are trying to put it back together. It is like a jig saw puzzle.

To the left you see the roofline and attic right where the furnace was. The image below shows the left side of our high school... the fire started in the attic and progressed from there. The cause of the fire was not truly identified but thought to of been a furnace gone awry.

It was about 6:30 am and a large number of residents, adults and students, had woken up and gathered as the fire raged on.

We had a plane load of folks from the District Office arrive about 10:30 am and by that time the fire was only smoldering ruins.

The losses that we dealt with were large: we not only lost our classroom space but the majority of our school supplies were in the attic: our sports uniforms (xc running, volleyball, cheerleading, wrestling, boys basketball, xc skiing, native youth olympics, camping gear, etc...) and ski were stored in the attic, texts for curriculum taught every other year, science equipment, school records for past graduates, and art supplies to name a bit. In addition to that were all the personal items that the students had in their lockers as well as all of our personal teaching resources and the school records in the office. The spring was spent not only teaching our current classes but also spent ordering replacement materials. What we have now are three buildings that we are using as 2 high school classrooms and the jr high classroom.

White Mountain School As it Was...

2006-07-05T16:14:00.000-08:00

The picture to the left was the White Mountain high school building. The stairs to the right lead up to the gymnasium. The school burned to the ground the morning of Feb. 15th, 2006.
As I woke up and looked out my front window and saw smoke coming from the roof at 5:40 am. Yikes. The building was soon engulfed in flames. due to the valiant efforts of the volunteer fire dept. the gym was saved and left intact.
By noon we were left with smoldering ruins.
Fortunately we were able to find alternative classrooms which will fit our needs until our new school is built.
The bulldozers have begun clearing trees and we should be in a new k-12 building sometime in the spring of 2008!

The picture to the right shows the elementary school which houses k-6. This building is still here and was a saving grace in that half of our student population could continue on as before. There are three classrooms downstairs on the main level with a library and small classroom upstairs in the attic.

2006-07-05T16:01:00.000-08:00

Okay- I guess I might be able to get the hang of this. I hope this message finds people in a good frame of mind as I think I will obviously ramble just a bit.
Last fall in SeptemberI went fishing with Mike and Fred. We had a great day with good fishing.

On the way home the sun was behind the clouds and the temps were getting colder.
But the fishing had been great!

Okay- this is my first time- no joke...

2006-07-05T15:57:00.000-08:00

I am trying to learn how to do this. I can already feel the pressure as I enter the curve and it is looking steep. We will see how it goes.