year 2

With a lack of adventures to blog about the past couple of weeks most people are probably thinking I have one been attacked by a bear or am just to lazy to blog, but actually I have been busy and not rehabing from a bear attack.  School has started for us, we are into our second week with students, and week 4 of cross country practice.

School is great my class is down to 10 kids, 6 of them I had last year.  With the beginning of my second year I find things going much smoother, I am spending less time at school preparing for the next day and unlike last year I haven’t thrown any markers at the students yet…..I’m saving that trick until the 2nd quarter.

XC is going well this year.  Unlike last year when I started with 9 kids and within 3 weeks was down to 4 runners.  This year I began with 9 kids and even with one runner quitting I am up to 10 runners and the season is half way over.  We have our three races this year; Koyuk, Unalakleet, and then up to Noorvik for regionals.  Thats correct I said up to Noorvik, which is actually above the arctic circle.  I am very excited to add to my resume that I have coached cross country above the arctic circle.

vacation part 2 (eli)

After a couple days of relaxing since family has left I was finally able to get around and sort through the 1000’s of pictures that were taken and here are the best of them.  

Here we are in the airport talking to a couple other teachers.  Yeah thats the ‘whole’ airport, check in at the counter and we don’t have security to walk through.  Here is our plane seats 8 and a pilot.

Here is a picture of Elim from the sky, and then the Elim airport….or gravel run way.  Below is Dianna picking us up with the four wheeler.

In Elim at this time of year there are a couple things to do, get ready for school, fish, and sleep.  Since Grandpa and I came down with colds we did just that sleep, and fish.  The first couple days we had to take pictures of everyone and there fish.  It was nice to see everyone got several fish.

Incase your wondering Greg has a silver salmon and a pink salmon.  He was all excited when he caught his first pink then I told him we wanted silvers.  Grandpa just threw his pinks back, he didn’t need pictures of them.

Keep in mind they came up in Aug.  What doesn’t look right in this picture.  The winter boots, my winter coat, sweatshirt, and windbreaker, stocking cap.  Ok so maybe grandpa can’t handle 50 F in Aug, I guess I won’t be seeing him in Elim anytime between Sept-May.

Here Dianna and I cut up the fish, they caught.  I felt a little like a charter service, take them to the ‘good’ fishing spots, put their lures on, fix lines when they get tangled or break, and cut their fish up.  The only thing different was, I didn’t get paid or tipped like the charter services…hmmm

Both Miles and Grandpa wait for the fish to bite, grandpa seemed to let them bite and right before he pulled them on the beach he would let them go, I guess at first he thought he would have to clean them.  Once he saw me and Dianna cutting the fish up, he started keeping them.  Miles decided that he would help grandpa if he needed so he sat there patentiely until he could help.

vacation part 1 (anc)

This past week was filled with running around centeral Alaska site seeing with Grandpa, Mom, and Greg. We went down towards Seward and saw glaciers, Hiked, yup thats right I wore Grandpa out hiking. One day we hiked over 6 miles, up and down the mountains to see Glaciers and Salmon

The terrain was in NO way EASY or FLAT. I was very impressed and he never once said it was to much, he kept pushing on. I think Mt. Everest might be next year

We met this guy fishing at one of the rivers. He drove all the way from California to Alaska to catch 5 humpys. I Feed those to my dog, but what ever alittle more proof that all Californians are a little weird.

Here are some other pictures from the trip. A group shot from the Exit Glacier, I have to give props to Greg, he asked the cutest girl in the area to take the picture….no she wasn’t as cute dianna. Then there is a picture of me and Greg between whale bones. We also stopped many times to take pictures of the BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAINS.

This is a picture of 2 very old things… GRANDPA and and ICEBERG. Even though they might be old they are both pretty amazing! Part 2 of the trip is going to take place in Elim.