White Outs

not good news

not so bad

Heard the wind all night, but not until you hit the arctic entry do you see what the wind/temps brought. In the smaller apartment off to the side, the drifts got so high I would have to call Ross, fellow teacher, to help get dug out before school (25 years ago) as I couldn't open the door. The other "teacher houses" have entries facing south so the drifting isn't so bad.

Getting the girls off to work

Snowmobile and sled are getting drifted over.

Snow sets up like concrete-note hammer

Typical window covering after blizzards

Tough to get photos, but blizzard conditions were expected to come in by midnight. The blizzard arrived. Is a white-out right now. I walked over to the school this morning and, though wind and snow are fierce, the temperature is much warmer as the wind is from the south. Snow even seems wetter. All reminds me of a lion, all the descriptors. Roaring winds, fierce conditions, biting cold. Looking out the window the snow is blowing horizontal. Drifts are getting higher as the snow meets an obstacle.

The region lost two people in the storm. One was heading with a partner to the coast by snowmobile and was separated. The partner made it, but she never showed up in Toksook Bay. They found her body later with a search crew. Same story with someone coming in from the coast, Tununak to Nunapitchuk. The blizzard blew in, and he made it to a few miles west of Nunap. Again, they were able to find the body.

Happy Birthday Dad

 My dad turned 80 this year and we put out a YouTube for him. On our way to the "production site", we ran into a moose head and rack. The rack was to be cut up for knife handles, so Bruce helped make that happen with a SawsAll. Our short clip was singing Dad a happy birthday outside, and then inside, we all played him the tune. Bruce and Lily were on the clarinet, Gwen on flute, and me sort of on recorder....We held it together until the end, then we all busted up.

 Getting ready for the video clip. Took two tries as the battery froze up before we could put up the Happy Birthday sign.

It was cold again. Our fingers and toes were "biting" us by the time we got home. Frost nip is one thing, frost bite is quite another. There has been quite a bit of frostbite on people's faces. It starts as a white patch, often on cheeks, bridge of nose, and cuff areas. It then turns red and feels like a horrible sunburn. Eventually it scabs and peels. "Nipping" is not freezing tissue, but almost and makes the area more susceptible to cold later on. Earlobes are common, that's why these trapper hats, like what Gwen and Bruce have on are the best!

Cold again, just some shots

Sunset in January

Home sweet home at 40 below. Tank is what keeps us warm.

Shopping at 40 below, keep machines running.

 Pipes do freeze, but around here all precautions are taken. Since no pipes can be buried due to permafrost, they run above ground. Glycol and about 8 inches of insulation usually does the trick. A pipe froze, then burst, over the holiday vacation flooding this room in the old school. Boxes and boxes were ruined and had to be taken to the dump.

Off to the dump.

 Since the cold spell kept on it was decided we needed to get out. Gwen felt cabin fever was one sickness she didn't mind having. I thought different. So, we made cookies and took them to some older people in the village. I told the girls that they could tell all their friends that their mother made them deliver cookies in 62 below weather.

 Melvin's sled(s)

 Melvin's truck

 Melvin out feeding his dogs.

 Fuel tank farm that I had my health students visit and take notes about in the fall. It has a secondary containment with the tray underneath, but if anything overflowed that, it would be all over the tundra.

Can we go home now? Cookies are all gone.

Building Cargo Sleds 101

   Early on we knew that we would need a "tundra wagon" as we were only going to buy one snowmobile. I sent photos of different sled designs to Bruce and he went to work designing, getting hardware and finding plastic runners.  Burcham's in Albany is the best! These sleds take quite a beating. All materials needed come from Bethel, and when they run low, nothing makes it in until the next barge. It was easier for us to ship all up, than to hope Bethel had the items.

Bruce did run into Bethel with another fellow from the village that had a flat sled. Plywood was bought, cut at the lumber yard tied down and brought back. Our living room became the new shop.

 

 
                                                                                                       
                                                       As it began to take shape we all got involved. My weight was my greatest asset as he needed to bend the plywood floor.

Watering down the plywood before bending.

Order up?

Came home to him in the gas mask, children reading on the couch...

Bruce had tried to curtain off the smell, but sure didn't make any difference. He was able to find deck oil at the village store.
So, we measured the sled before construction and it looked as though it would fit. We figured, if not, we had a new piece of furniture for the living room. It turned out "cute" as living with three girls it was never going to be a manly sled....

Some projects

Bruce set up shop as soon as he got into town. There was the tiny middle bedroom and he set up his tarp so the lathe wouldn't throw too much dust around. A box, small heater, paper filter, and some wire to hang it, became his air filter system. So far he has turned some deer antlers to make ink pens, took on a small round box project with a pull off lid, and has been lacing up his bentwood boxes looking into sinew for traditional materials. 

 First project for me to take on was a rug for the bathroom. I brought up rope, then found some that would work much better. The puppy found a warm spot by the heater so tough to see. It is made of 6ish inch strips of fabric double knot tied onto the rope, then from beneath sewed together in an oval shape. It's still not done and taking for-e-ver.

 First molokai of the season. Took apart my old beaver hat and made this one out of BettyAnne's wool, beaver on the earflaps and muskrat upfront. I braided ties out of the quiviut (musk ox wool) blend that Lois spun up. This is for Gwen if she wants it. I made a second out of died black rabbit, black sheep wool, and blue material for Lily, if she wants it.

 I wish I could say I knitted the booties, but no. I put on the beaver trim and beadwork for a sweet little one-year-old. Skin boots are usually referred to as mukluks. The Yu'pik word is palugak. Bruce suggested I start up a business....Baby Palugak (for all you Rafi fans...Baby Beluga...).