Last Day of The Season, First Day of My Spring

When planning the move back to the Bush I thought long and hard about the sacrifices I would make and the struggles I could be facing. Little did I know how many struggles and how many sacrifices I would make. More importantly, though, I had no idea of the blessing I would find in the Lower Yukon.

My Sunday, the 4th day of Spring, started off pretty well: I slept in, had a big breakfast, headed to church, and returned home for chores, Facebook, and homework. I got a call, just when I was getting in the groove, from a new friend and local of Mountain Village interrupting my lazy sunny day.

A group of friends wanted to go manaqing (ice fishing for pike) and wanted me to join. I wanted to, but had a ton of chores and little projects to do though, so I said "no thanks." I went back to my tinkering around the house and soon enough, my heart got the best of me. I forgot the number one rule of living in the Bush: never say no when invited out with a local. 

I was a little tired, you see, because Saturday was spent moose hunting and I felt a bit deflated. This day was the final day of moose season and I hadn't yet caught anything... Against my responsible, better judgment, I grabbed a gun, gear, and bottle of water and raced out the door to go play in the wilderness I call my back yard. Filling up the snogo and punching it for the edge of town I caught up to the group and joined them on what would be an 80 mile journey through God's Country to Mt. Kuselvak. 

Somewhere along the way I must have lost my inhibitions about the cost of gas, dropped the thoughts of homework out of an open pocket, and thrown my cares off to the side of that trail because I had a blast! The ride was amazing and the company was fantastic. 

Arriving at the fishing hole, I didn't even get a hook wet before being asked to join a wolf hunt. As if there was a choice, I quickly asked around for gas, if needed, and set out with a new friend and his brother. We rode several miles East and around the mountain spotting wolf, fox, hare, and lynx tracks, but saw no game. Finally I spotted a fox and my companions a hare or two. Focusing on wolves we rode on and on to no avail... We did spot a moose though...

After shooting it, I made quick work of it's tender young body (less than 30 minutes) with my new friend's help, and sent for a sled to pull it home with. Leaving our cleaned meat in the snow on this perfect Spring day we set out to play. 

We climbed the lower peaks of the mountain and cruised through the shadowed valleys below. It was breathtaking, adrenaline pumping, and humbling all at once. What a beautiful way to start my spring, what a beautiful way to end my first winter in Mountain Village.

When coworkers are friends...

I love to visit the other sites in the Lower Yukon for various reasons, and each has its own special significance. I understand now how many wonderful people LYSD has been fortunate enough to hire over the years now. 

I am currently staying on the couch of a Russian Mission staff member and reflecting on the wonderful day I have had. After arriving last night I was treated to Mongolian BBQ and great conversation, not to mention the company of a certain wily second grader. Today was a fantastic day of teaching and learning as I joined an elementary class and two high school classes for all sorts of fun. To see a school function so smoothly and a staff to be so supportive and friendly with one another is so very refreshing. 

As the day wound down I ran a distance delivered class for teachers around the district and then joined in teacher conferences upstairs. I forget how great it feels to talk to parents and share struggles and victories with team members and the community. Feeling invigorated by the day I brainstormed new ways to get back in the classroom and work more closely with young people... 

Working up quite the appetite I was treated to three homemade pizzas by the Master of the Russian Pie. Jealous? You should be! This guy knows his stuff. Whether you are talking about hunting, fishing, camping, or pizza, you found the expert right here. 


I can honestly say that the people I work with are friends. They are wonderful individuals with so many great qualities and rich personalities. I love them all and proudly brag about how fortunate I am to call them friends.  Life is good when coworkers are friends. 

Back in the Saddle

I heard the funniest story the other day... A friend told me about a southern gentlemen's toast that he would never share among ladies. It involved his two favorite things, women and horses, and something about reincarnating as a...

In any case, I am back in the saddle. Meaning I am back to work and traveling around the district again. Tonight I am in Marshall. Tomorrow Pilot Station. I love what I do so very much, and I treasure every moment with new friends and colleagues around the Lower Yukon School District. As relationships are built and trust grows I can really begin to be of assistance to these wonderful educators. 

My gifts are with technology, creativity, and problem solving. I thrive on the conditions that make the Bush the Bush. The crumby internet connections, the finicky hardware, and the ever-annoying weather patterns that wreak havoc on well deserved breaks to name a few. Don't get me wrong, I snap every now and again. Just this last weekend we lost water on Friday for about 4 hours. I nearly lost my cool. A few ill chosen vulgarities later, I was sane and relatively content with my surroundings.

The truth of the matter is I am addicted to challenge. I am addicted to the changes I find myself facing more often than I would like sometimes. I am who I am because of those events, though. The man, the myth, the legend. ;-)  Thanks for reading and I hope you know I love to kid around... I think it's time for this cowboy to ride his bedroll off into the sunset. 

ASTE 2012

Well,
I have been struggling to find something interesting to talk about for the last two weeks... and I am sorry to say that I really don't have any news. I did attend ASTE recently. The Alaska Society for Technology in Education is the preeminent education conference for the state of Alaska. It is a time when Bush, urban, road system and coastal communities send their best and brightest to learn from each other.

This year is the first in 6 years, I think, that I have not presented. I cut my teeth in front of peers in the Captain Cook Hotel... I learned that I had something special. I learned that I had insights others would appreciate hearing. I learned that I was valuable.

This year at ASTE I was back in the public world. For two years I was the suit-and-tie-ace-consultant-Sam.  Now that I am back in public education I can work shoulder to shoulder with friends and colleagues to accomplish larger goals and achieve greater gains across this great state. I love my job. I love the men and women who do what I do in other districts.

It takes a special type of person to do what we do. We are personal computer experts, network infrastructure gurus, and wizards from the magical kingdom of "InternetLand." I manipulate video teleconferences, edit permissions, and reset passwords with ease. And I do all this without running water for a few days a month. I am in a strange universe where I have thousands of dollars worth of high-end gizmos and gadgets transported across frozen tundra as I sometimes drive a snow machine to work. I have more computers and better access to educational software than 90% of the world's population while the villages I serve lack stable power for weeks on end at times.

ASTE is where men and women like me meld minds and find creative solutions to the unique situations Alaska faces. I enjoy the time spent in workshops refining my craft and collaborating with peers, but my favorite part is still ASTE after 4pm...

Those stories don't go on my blog, though.... See you on Facebook.

Community Spirit

Hard work is something I am well accustomed to. I have grew up on chores, construction jobs, and working days in restaurants and nights tending bar. As the educational technology coordinator in the Lower Yukon School District, I bring that same drive and determination. The last few Saturdays I have been working at different sites to facilitate professional development. What an amazing bunch of educators I work with! Voluntarily giving up the most beautiful Saturdays western Alaska has blessed us with in months to learn more about their craft and continue their own personal learning experience. Truly an amazing group.

While visiting these teachers and spending a few nights at various villages I realized how much I miss the community spirit that comes with living and working in small rural villages. I miss the kids and the tournaments. I miss the birthday parties and gatherings of all kinds. Luckily, I got back from Nunam Iqua, Alakanuk, and Kotlik Saturday just in time to catch some Eskimo dancing!

Mountain Village invited Kotlik, Chevak, St. Mary's, and Hooper Bay to dance and fellowship. The purpose was to encourage village youth to be more responsible and respectful, while paying closer attention to their mental and physical health. I thought the event went well and pray it has made a lasting impact on my community (even though the pop cans and candy rappers left behind was alarming!). 

Grab your dance fans, I say, and get out there! 

Super Bowl

Technically, it's Super Bowl Sunday. I just realized this in a meaningful way... I knew it was coming. I knew Mountain Village friends were planning a party. I knew it would be a rematch of the heart-wrenching game I saw in Togiak where the famous helmet catch changed the course of the game. But for some reason I just don't care. There have been times in my life where the Big Game was less important than others; I mean I can't even remember half of them! There were a few Super Sundays I went to church and stayed late just to prove my devotion (to myself and peers) in spite of the value the world has placed on these precious hours. 

This day is different. This day all I can think about is being out on my snowgo. I want a moose so badly I can taste it. I need a moose so badly my wallet can taste it! So what does that say? I suppose I should be out and about tomorrow... I suppose this means my values are aligning with that of the lifestyle I have chosen. I like the sound of that. 

Wish me luck.

"We take planes like most people take cabs..."

I had a bit of an adventure tonight involving a certain unnamed airline not picking me up and while waiting at the airport I had a fun conversation about air travel. Because I fly often and generally on charters I made the statement to a teacher about myself and a colleague that, "We take planes like other people take cabs." I had no idea how true this was until we "hailed" a plane on the ground for a ride.

Let me start over. I left Mountain Village to head up to Marshall on Monday and worked with a few teachers that evening. After watching a movie and getting a few hours of shut-eye, we hit the ground running. I observed a few teachers and taught a few fun lessons on iMovie, GarageBand, and iTunes and had a blast with Marshal young people. I had so much fun with the 4th grade I wanted to stay all day. We wrapped up the day around 3:30 and packed for our 4 o'clock with Era Aviation. Unfortunately, Era has been having a great deal of trouble with temperature-related and mechanical issues. Not to be deterred, we called for a plane  from another carrier and planned to leave at 6:30.

The short version of the story from here is that we sat at the airport from 6:15-7:00 before returning to town. Though discouraged, we remained hopeful, and once we had cell coverage, which is not present at the airport, we called the carrier in question. They informed us then that they were not coming. Why, we asked, did they not call us. They said it was too late and that they were sorry. Interesting, I thought, they would decide such a thing and not inform the individuals directly involve, namely: myself. Not to worry, they planned on calling during normal office hours tomorrow. Good to know. Quyana.

Just as we had this interesting conversation a plane arrived and hope once again bubbled within me. Upon arrival, we saw the familiar green of Hageland/Era Aviation, dashing our hopes of a pilot to ground station miscommunication. Not to be defeated we approached the pilot, who I believe is on the Flying Wild television show, and ask if they could drop us off in Russian Mission. Surprisingly they replied yes! The Kalskag to Aniak passenger in the 208 Caravan didn't seem too upset, so off we went...

So now if someone asks if you can hail a plane like a taxi in Bush Alaska, you can reply, yes: "We take planes like most people take cabs..."