Flying the Delta

Patches of snow or sunshine made the flights more interesting.

Mike flying a caravan.

Pilot Station airport is on top of a little cliff.

Looking East from Pilot Station Airport.

These trees near Pilot Station are uncommon in Alakanuk area.

 These pictures were taken hours after we heard of an unfortunate situation where a nine-year-old boy was fatally shot in Pilot Station. For a little more information, click here. You can read details in an article from the Alaska Native News.

Since the temperatures are dropping, the planes must be in the hangar.

The BananaBurban awaits to take pilots back to the pilot house.

Pretty puddles add to the excitement of the cold weather.

The moon was just about full Friday night.

I should get a tripod, but for now bracing myself seems to work.

Morning snow falling at Era in St. Mary's.

Three planes strategically placed in the hangar.

The lights were lighting up the fog.

Steering the plane out of the hangar.

Fueling up the plane.

Don't know who wrote this, but I appreciate the humor.

This cargo plane comes in once a day.

Packing freight and mail.

Inside the cargo plane.

Wind Turbines in Emmonak.

Ice was building up on the wing.

After it inflates, the ice breaks off.

A boat cruises west on the Yukon near the St. Mary's airport.

Loading the caravan up with lots of freight for Pilot Station.

Hooper Bay Artifacts and our Flight Back Home

These are on display near the gym in Hooper Bay.

Ivory art.

Traditional Dance fan (grass and caribou fur).

Yupik Mask.

Hooper Bay Spears (Alakanuk spears are much thinner.)

 I love how this guy is smiling. It captures the feeling of a Yupik dance.

Kids colored salmon strips to imitate fish strips.

Kids' artwork in the hallways is always so cute!

Locals were advertising handmade earrings and grass art.

Flying over the Scammon Bay hills.

The tide was low on the coast between Scammon Bay and Alakanuk.

Sammy is a very shy person.

Hooper Bay Teacher Inservice

 It's hard to believe this is already my third time traveling to the fall Hooper Bay teacher inservice. This year, instead of downriver sites going to Hooper Bay and upriver sites going to Mountain Village, they split it by grade levels.

Scammon Bay hills from over 6000 ft high.

Sammy got to play co-pilot.

Hooper Bay School sits right on the bay.

Our pilot banked the corner hard over the ocean to land in Hooper.

Hooper Bay

I have to try hard for an overhand serve.

We had a great time being ridiculous while playing volleyball.

I got quite the workout between laughing, dancing, and playing.

Sarah has a pretty serious serve.

The snow started turning the terrain white.

Joshua Cunningham took most of these pictures.

The snow flurries distracted many a presenter (most were from the lower 48).

Pictures taken at Era in St. Mary's, AK

Era in St. Mary's- Sunday 9/16/12

They are very thorough on their checks before flying every day.

Mike fueling up one of the 40 gallon tanks on a 207.

The sun came out after lots of rain and wind the night before.

Their shoptalk is fun for me to listen to.

The tundra is changing from lime green to rusty autumn orange.

Flying in the Fall

 I've been fortunate to have such incredible opportunities up here this year. One of my new interests has been to go flying with some talented pilots and new friends. They've been letting me jump in occasionally to be "co-pilot" and I enjoy being able to pack totes and luggage. I hardly understood some of their jargon when I first wore the headsets, but the more I spend time in the planes or at the pilot house in St. Mary's I'm learning more about flying.

I am very interested in getting my pilot's license, so I've gotten some advice on how to go about it given my current situation with teaching and living out here in Alakanuk. I'm not quite sure which route I'll go yet, but I could work at it slowly or try going to flight school at a place like Sheble Aviation in Arizona for a quick summer program. For now, I'll probably grab a book I was recommended today that has some nice visual representation of information and continue hanging out with this humorous bunch.

It's a nice little vacation to hear the pilots and their entertaining shop talk, rather than being a part of our normal teacher shop talk anywhere else I go around here. Today I was flying and I am amazed how quickly the tundra has turned from brilliant greens and deep blues to burnt orange and yellows. As we flew through a confusion of bright sun, white clouds, and rain clouds, the tundra as I knew it a couple weeks ago had changed drastically taking on a new personality.

On this new rusty canvas, I saw a lone cow near a slough and just a short distance away some men were paddling in their boat navigating the corners towards the moose. They hadn't seen it yet, but I smiled as I took in the scene and wondered if they'd decide to shoot it or paddle on- a story that I would never know the end.  I like how flying gives you such mobility and perspective. Once you're up in the sky, you see weather in the distance, as well as the bright white swans frolicking happily under a flock of geese migrating away from the cold. Unfortunately, I haven't been taking pictures. I'll make a point to get pictures soon!

Today, I believe I was on the last Era flight ever to land at the old Alakanuk airport. Our new airport, much further away from our house, has the grand opening tomorrow. It is a much larger runway and should support cargo planes. Our old airport which has been such a nice quick walk from my house will be torn up soon and no longer used. It is fun to be able to say I was one of the last people to use it, though!

After I got back I decided to spend my afternoon helping my roommate, Theresa, edit a paper, Skyping with my parents who just got back from Europe, cleaning, working out with Sammy, and cheering the place with some fall decorations.

Got a Pumpkin Spice candle from a friend that makes our house cozy!

I made some Molasses Oatmeal bread from a recipe my mom gave me.

Theresa thought we needed one more decoration, so I made one.

New shelves for our living room with some fall love embedded in. 

With the aroma of the candle going and the glittery fall leaves, our house is comfortable and welcoming. Theresa commented, "Wow. Our place looks less like an apartment and more like a home." I forgot how much I love fall decorations. With our weather slowly turning to frosty mornings and afternoon rain, winter is definitely around the corner. My order of tea arrived and I possibly found a new book to read, so I'll need to carve some time in my evenings for some cozy-time.

Bears and Bonfires

We heard there was a black bear by the dock.

 Last weekend, a black bear was spotted by the dock. About a month ago a man shot a nice sized black bear in Emmonak. Another guy got on out on the coast in Nunam Iqua. This black bear has been sighted around Alakanuk, even on the runway at the airport. I'm surprised to see and hear of so many bears around here this year. I'm not sure what's causing them to come out to check out the tundra, but it's kind of fun seeing them.

Bear track next to my hand.

 I walked to the dock with my 30-06 for a bonfire with other staff members and two missionaries who were here. We had good time shooting guns and roasting marshmallows on the shore of the Yukon.

Michaela modeling my newfound stool.

Culea and Holly (new teachers this year)

Driftwood and swampland.

Our bonfire bunch.

Who needs a roasting stick? Not Sammy.

Flora found a driftwood recliner.

Sammy and I sporting some fun-guns. 

Despite dressing very warmly, my ear plugged up and I ended up with a sinus infection and ear infection that I'm still fighting a week later.