Happy New Year from the slushy North

Happy 2015 from Kotlik.  

The weather has been CRAZY here and we have experienced temperatures considerably warmer than those in the Torrington, Wyoming area.  We had some temperatures in the low teens and single-digits accompanied by snow, but that changed and we have had above freezing temperatures (33* to 37*) for the past 5 days.  The normal temperatures for this time of year are highs around 8* and lows around 0*.  

Not a good way to start the new year.  I think he should have had pontoons instead of tires on his 4-wheeler.

 The tide was very high yesterday afternoon.  A person would have had to have taller boots than I have to get through the overflow at this point.

 A look at the Yukon river after a few days of temperatures in the high 30's and a whole night of rain.  This is not what I expected on December 31st.

 The new outdoor pool at Kotlik School.

 Another look at the overflow in front of the house.

The crack in the ice where the overflow water come through during high tide.

Another look at the overflow crack.

I know this is a Ski Doo, but I don't think this is the advertised use.  Just a few days ago he would have been sledding on snow and ice.

A guy on his 4-wheeler.  I hope he is wearing his rain gear. 

Level and plumb is very overrated when it comes to construction in Kotlik, Alaska.

The school district's sled for transporting things behind the six-wheeler or snow machine.

Another look at the slushy Yukon river.

Winter Has Arrived

It looks like winter has arrived in Kotlik.  Slush and ice chunks first started on October 19th, but boats continued to travel the Yukon in search of seal and to get from the houses across the river.  A storm moved in on Halloween night that was accompanied by strong winds and blowing snow as well as dropping temperatures.  The predicted temperatures for this week call for highs in the teens with lows in the single digits and lower teens.  Hopefully this will freeze the rivers up enough to walk on so my fellow teachers and I can increase our area of exploration. 

River traffic on October 19th.

The sunrise from the porch on November 1.

The neighbor made me a authentic seal spear with thrower.  The thrower, point, and spear end are made out of moose antler and moose bone. 

A view of the river upstream.  The neighbor's snow machine is warming up on the left.

A view across the river this morning.  The boat pictured is the only one that hasn't been pulled out of the water yet.  I'm not sure, but it might have to stay for the winter.

A view of the main boardwalk as I head to school.

 

A group of ravens riding the wind currents coming off the school.

The pair of ravens that hang out on the old school.

This is a picture of the school cafeteria/commons area of the school as you enter the front door.

Murals on the wall above the fold out tables and pictures of village elders.

A view looking out the front of the commons area.  The main door is on the right.

A traditional Eskimo parka made out of seal skin and a fur hat to go along with it.

A view of the frozen tundra from the hallway of the school.  On the right is the high school wing of the school and the left is the Jr. High. 

Freeze Up Continues

It has been snowing lightly for the past two days and the slush in the river continues to increase.

 Some residents of the village have taken their boats out of the water for the winter, but some continue to drive like the river is still ice free.

The snow behind the boats is actually the river.  The In-Kotlik River comes in at this point and creates a small eddy.  The slush has accumulated there and created an ice peninsula.

This guy took a little more care as he motored through the ice pack.

Freeze Up Has Started

I walked  to the house yesterday afternoon and saw the first slush and ice on the river this season.  The weather also cleared up and I was able to get some pictures of the snow covered mountains to the east of Kotlik.  Temperatures have been in the mid 30's for highs and in the low 20's for lows. 

My First Two Months

     As I sit here in my classroom preparing for the upcoming week, I have trouble grasping the fact that it has been 2 months since I watched my family pull away from the curb at Denver International Airport terminal.  The weather has changed dramatically from August's hot and sunny days with warm nights to the current cool temperatures and high winds (wind chills in the upper 20's).  These dropping temperatures have also caused the trees to lose most of their leaves and the majority of the grass around town to turn brown.  This morning brought some light snow that accumulated any place the gusty wind did not blow it away.

     September was a busy month here in the the village of Kotlik.  Subsistence is a way of life and September is the main time for moose hunting, berry picking, and fish netting.  These activities required the involvement of all members of a family and resulted in a number of my students being absent or extremely tired when they come to school.  Hopefully, attendance will increase as the hunting and gathering activities come to an end for the year.

  

      

    

         

    

A New Experience

This week was a very interesting one.  The weather has started to change and my roommate and I make our morning walk to school in the dark.  The temperature has also started to drop and we have had heavy frost on the boardwalk twice this week.  This morning I did some calculations about the shortening amount of daylight and calculated we would lose around 8 hours of daylight before the days will start to lengthen again.  This will leave us with around 4 hours of true daylight along with the "light" during dawn and dusk. 

Along with the cooler weather and shortening days, moose hunting is a fact of life here in the Lower Yukon Delta.  Many of my students have gone to "catch" their moose and have come to school the following day extremely tired.  Being tired, along with the excitement of their experiences, leads to students who are not very focused and are easily annoyed.  I am certainly glad that we had district wide in-service today and tomorrow. 

I did take some more pictures of Kotlik and the house this week.

 

                                                 Another beautiful sunrise from the porch.

 

A picture of the kitchen from the dining room.

 

 

The dining room.  The door on the right is the door to the laundry room we share with the other family in our duplex.

 

 

This is the third bedroom.  We use it for storage and keep the water distiller in there.

 

 

The bathroom view from the door.

 

The rest of the bathroom.

 

A view of the living room from the front door.  The door in the back is my bedroom door.  My roommates, Mike (on the phone) and Hobart (on the floor), are also in the picture.

 

A view from my bedroom door.

 

This was taken from the dining room table.  We have quite a view of the Yukon out of our front window.

 

I love the sunrises from the porch.

 

This is the old school.  The village now owns it and it stands empty.

 

The neighbor getting the boat ready to go "catch" a moose.

 

Sunrise from the front of the school.