Stuck at a Retreat....

Happy December to everybody!

I had a very uneventful Thanksgiving. I didn't do much that day, but it was exactly what I was hoping to do. So mission accomplished! I ended up invited to a Thanksgiving/birthday feast for one of the elders in Akiak a few days later, so I felt the family love even if it wasn't with my family.

This past weekend I spent in Bethel. At a work retreat. Although, I thought work retreats were supposed to be fun & relaxing....albeit, I did have some fun, but we were talking about RTI (response to instruction OR response to interventions) and we had meetings for two days. Not very relaxing if you ask me!

On top of that, we were supposed to leave yesterday, however some fog rolled in and we were stuck in Bethel one more night. While we were waiting to hear about the planes flying, I had accidentally fallen asleep on one of the couches in the lobby of the dorm rooms we were staying at. Actually, I slept through the announcement that we were staying one more night. So I was a tad bit confused when I awoken for a few reasons.

But I did have some really good dinners, great conversations, watched some good movies...so it wasn't all bad. Some of my Facebook friends saw that there was one unpleasant incident though. Since it doesn't involve me really, it's not my story to tell. Let it be known that a woman felt very rejected & hurt. She's probably my mother's age. I talked to her and tried to cheer her up, but it was very heartbreaking to see someone so upset. I will say that the next day was a different story and the woman ended the trip feeling very much a part of things. Okay, I will also say that I ended up letting some people aware of the situation and they helped correct it right away. I just couldn't stand aside and do nothing.

I never used to be so outspoken. I was asked how I was feeling on a certain work topic at the meeting. Okay, really.....I was asked to show my feelings by picking options 1, 2, or 3. And since I didn't agree with those options, I made up my own option 4. Very publicly. I tried to be nice about it but that's how I felt.

Which is funny....in staff meetings at the start of my career, I would always be pretty quiet and taken my notes...nod my head. I never stirred the pot. I never brought any attention to myself. But Alaska has woken up my inner Woman Warrior or something. Because now, if I have an opinion you'll be the first to know it. Okay, I'm not that bad. I do keep one or two thoughts to myself. I'm making a name for myself. I just hope it's the name I want!

Another thing that was kinda funny was when I met some of the newer teachers from the different village. "Are you the teacher with the really big dog?" one of them asked. My friend, Owen, moved there and has told a few Dakota stories it seems! I'm telling you that dog is legendary!!

Still, I was very happy to get home this morning. I'm very tired and a bit sad that I missed out on my weekend. I had a paper to write and my research articles wouldn't open, so I didn't get my paper written. But it's not due until Tuesday....let's see what magic I can create. I really did try.

And so now it's December....which means I'm going to do a Inbox/Outbox of my books!!

Inbox:

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
A Dangerous Inheritance: A novel of Tudor Rivals and the Secret of the Tower by Alison Weir
Days of Blood & Starlight (Sequel to Daughter of Smoke & Bone) by Laini Taylor
Order of Darkness by Philippa Gregory
Bitterblue (Graceling Series) by Kristin Cashore

Outbox

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter ~ I liked this book. It goes back and forth between settings and times. One of the settings in Italy during the filming of Cleopatra. To be honest though, if the story was told using a linear timeline, it wouldn't be much of a story. Basically, a mysterious, beautiful actress shows up at a Italian wannabe resort and affects the people around her and those decades later. Richard Burton is a major player in the story, which made me wonder if there was any bit of truth to the novel....

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi ~ Another YA (young adult) dystopian story. This story is about a girl from a society who's brains are all wired on an internet. They spend their lives in virtual reality. When one girl is released to die outside, she meets a "savage" (an outsider who hunts, fishes, and lives without technology) on a mission of his own, and they have to work together to both find what they are looking for. One nice thing about this book is a lack of a love triangle. I'm getting kind of sick of those.

Sadly, I've only read two books since my last Inbox/Outbox. The holidays are coming up though. Hopefully, I will be able to get a lot of reading done then!!

The Ice Cometh....

Compared to last week, this week was far more relaxing and uneventful....

But I did have my first ice storm. Now, I had no idea what an ice storm actually was....basically, it's rain that freezes when it touches down....so every where you look is covered with ice. Akiak is now one giant ice rink.

I'm lucky I have my cleats, so walking around isn't such a scary thing. And the ice storm didn't cause any damage....

except my 4 wheeler is completely frozen and was parked in a puddle, so the tires are now frozen.

I am going to try to defrost it on Wednesday.....fingers crossed!

My week was pretty quiet. I taught, I watched movies....and I slept some. It's been so cold outside (-10 degrees) that I've been staying inside most of the time.

Not every week is full of adventure.....but I can't complain. I have water, power, & heat.....pretty spoiled these days.

And then I have a giant dog who thinks it's a lap dog....Dakota will lay his front legs on my and take up the rest of the love seat....and then instant warmth!!

Dakota stretched out 

I really do enjoy having a big dog. Except that I can't leave anything on the counters, because he can reach them and grab stuff. And what he's not able to reach, my kitty Lola, will help knock stuff off the counter. So basically, my counters have to be cleared up.

I do feel bad about living in such a small space though. There are certain places Dakota has to back out of, instead of just turning himself around. He's so long that if we are both on the bed, and his head is level with my own, his body comes all the way to my knees. And now, his head is at my hip level, so I just have to reach out to pet him.

Well, that's it for this week....I should have more to tell after my thawing out the grizzly (hopefully not too much of an adventure) and my few days off for Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

Mom ~ Meet Anchorage

The warnings came the day before I was set to leave: a freezing rain was heading towards Bethel. I began to worry if I would be able to meet my mom in Anchorage after all. I even debated trying to fly to Anchorage a day earlier. But I'm not supposed to leave my cats alone in my house for more than 3 days, and I really didn't want to impose on Dakota's sitter one more night.

So I took my chances. There was several other people flying out at the same time, so we decided to charter a plane together to cut down the cost. Which worked out really well. Except that Jeannie had called to see if the bush airline would be willing to fly out earlier, which raises a big flag if you are used to flying in the bush.

Here's the thing: you have to be so flexible to the point of being ready to fly as soon as bush planes are ready. If there's bad weather heading our way, planes will fly as soon as possible to avoid it. Which is great, but you have to be ready for it. Which I was. I planned on being ready 3 hours before my plane was due to pick me up. Sounds excessive, maybe? We left 2 1/2 hours before my plane was due to pick me up. The other people we were flying with were new to the bush this year and were in the middle of breakfast when the call came in. They thought I would still be sleeping.....I wish! It's my 3rd year in the bush, hopefully, I've learned some things.

I made it to Anchorage just fine! My mother and I went to dinner and she got to experience someone bush shopping. It was my first time leaving the bush in 5 months, and my only trip out until summer break. I'm not flying to California for the holidays, which also meant this was the only time I had to shop in person for the holidays. I spent a lot of money. I don't have buyers remorse, but I was trying to save some bucks. Ah well.....hopefully, I can save more the rest of the school year!

Anchorage, Alaska

Thursday night I became very, very ill. I was thinking I had some kind of food poisoning, but I later found out that several of my co-workers were sick at the same time with a stomach bug. But I was sick. And it wasn't fun. But I had my mommy to take care of me.....or walk to the corner market at 5:30 in the morning to get me some meds. Thank you Mom! I was in bad shape.

It's a good thing that my mom really just wanted to hang out with me because Friday, that's all I was good for. We watched movies and just hung out. Finally, I was able to get up and we stopped by Walmart (I needed more medicine & I was the only one driving ~ too slick out) & went out to dinner (I ate soup.)

We were supposed to go on a helicopter tour of some glaciers on Friday, but they had to postpone it due to weather. Thank goodness! I was too sick to go anyways. I finally started feeling better Friday night and I woke up feeling much better on Saturday.

Which was a good thing because the tour place called me to ask if I could come that day. I said "YES!" and so my mother and I headed out to Girdwood, which is about 45 minutes outside of Anchorage.

If you are ever in the area, and want an incredible adventure, please check out Alpine Air Alaska! They were super friendly, knowledgable, and I think reasonable. They offer helicopter tours and in the summer: dog sledding! Our pilot flew us through the valley and past two glaciers (one with a spectacular ice cave!) and then we went looking for moose and passed a bald eagle flying by us. It landed in a tree by the helicopter. We flew around a mountain, over mud flats, and back to Girdwood. Our pilot knew so much about geology, I was able to learn more about how glaciers change the landscape.

And flying in a helicopter beats a bush plane any day! You just lift off the ground! And it was so smooth, even in the rain there was no turbulence. It was small, but I was surrounded by windows, so I didn't feel inclosed at all. It was incredible, simply incredible. I highly recommend it!

My Mother & I 

Inside of the Helicopter

Heading towards the glaciers

The Valley

More of the Valley

My 1st Glacier

The Ice Cave

Top of the Glacier

More of the Glacier

Coming up to the 2nd Glacier

Loved the blue color

The glacier has pushed the rocks it took off the surrounding mountains into a new formation.

Jagged Edges of Ice

The lake created by the receding glacier

Two moose

At the top of the tree is a bald eagle

Loved the color in the river

Mud Flats

Heading back to Girdwood

After the helicopter tour, we headed to the mall. There was a pair of Superman shoes I had wanted to buy. Also, I hadn't been to a mall for awhile. I stopped at a beauty salon and got my haircut by a professional. She wasn't my hair stylist, but she was okay. She wanted to know why I had cut my hair myself, sigh, I just said it was a long story and I emotionally distraught. I stopped by a calendar store and picked out my calendars for the next year. I had wanted a calendar of Iceland, but I figured I could buy that one online. (I found out later ~ wrong! They don't make one.)

I was getting very worn out. My mom stopped and got a chair massage (my mom's addicted to massages by the way.) while I rested. We had a couple more stops, Walmart again to buy a new suitcase and a tote to pack all this stuff up and then I really wanted a nap.

But now it was time to pack:

We were hoping to go to a movie at some point in the trip, but it was not meant to be. I didn't finish packing until around midnight. But we did watch some fun movies on HBO, so that was nice.

We woke up early and drove to the airport. My mom was leaving a couple of hours before I was, but I didn't mind hanging out with her. I won't be seeing her again for quite some time. When we got to the airport the sun was just beginning to rise (at 8:30 a.m):

It was a good trip, despite my getting sick. I was glad to see my mom & spend some time with her, but I was also glad to get home to my furbabies!! Dakota seemed glad to see me and my kitties cuddled with me and slept on me last night. I'm glad to be home safe & sound!

Okay, I did bite it on the boardwalk in front of my house......but despite a swollen knee and icy conditions, I'm glad to be back home. (My alarm went off awfully early this morning though!!)

And for the record: Dakota has already shredded one of his new toys. Fantastic.....

Musings on a Cold Sunday...

There's a -2 degree wind chill today, but there hasn't been much snow yet.

It's supposed to start snowing on Thursday, the same day I am leaving for Anchorage to spend the weekend with my mother. I hope the weather doesn't interfere with my plans. My mom and I are supposed to take a helicopter glacier tour on Friday (it's supposed to snow that day too.)

So fingers crossed the weather won't mess with my trip. As long as I am able to leave and come back on time, then it doesn't matter. I'll have a good time seeing my mom & spending a girl's weekend with her.

Dakota was supposed to come with me, however last weekend I discovered that he no longer fits into his XL dog crate. Alaska Airlines does not fly dogs bigger than a XL. So, I could try to shove him in a crate and maybe they'd let me but it's not worth finding out in Anchorage that I can't get him home. So, he's staying in Akiak. Which will be better for him anyways. My baby boy is claustrophobic. So my sticking him in a tiny enclosed crate most of the weekend wouldn't be very fun for him.

But I still needed him to get his rabies shot. Which meant a last minute trip to Bethel on Monday. Bush planes don't care if the dog is a bit too tall for his crate. And with the vet being in town this week, it was go time!

So I know Dakota is big, but sometimes I forget how huge he is to other people. Once I got him out of the bush plane, the bush pilot asked if he could take a picture with Dakota and the plane. And then when I was walking him on the tarmac, men stopped what they were doing to watch us. Guys from the loading areas came to the doorway to watch. It was quite funny to me. And when we were waiting in the airport, Dakota sat next to me in the chairs.....and was taller than me. People paid him a lot of attention.

I did get a lecture from the vet though. When Dakota was so sick the last time, he was becoming dehydrated, so I shot water into his mouth and made him drink it. So now he hates the syringe. Well, the vet tried to give him some dewormer and Dakota backed away. I told him he doesn't like that. The vet asked me if I had read any dog training books, and did I trim his nails? I said yes on both accounts. So he told me to grab Dakota by the face and shake him until he submits to my dominance. Funny, the Dog Whisperer never mentioned that method.

So I was going to try to make Dakota take his medicine. Dakota snapped at the syringe. And then I thought about it.....Would I like anything shoved down my throat? Oh no!

So if Dakota hates taking medicine from a syringe and that's the worst thing about Dakota, life will go on. I mix his meds with chicken and he eats every bite. I don't need to traumatize the dog in the process. He minds very well. Sometimes that vet is cool and other times, he irritates me. But as he's the only vet in Bethel, what can I do?

So, last Friday was a horrible roller coaster of emotions. I hope I never have to relive a night like that one again. I'll give you the short version: basically, on my way to the Fall Festival (I was dressed up as Thing 1 from Dr. Suess) I was told a very near and dear friend had been in a horrible accident. I freaked out and went home. Then I was told that my friend had died. I felt so disconnected and my gut kept saying "This is wrong! This is wrong!" and my head said, "This is denial!!"

So in my grief, I decided to honor my friend's memory in a traditional native way. I cut my hair. Okay, I chopped my hair. 5-6 inches....gone. My hair was really long too. It was halfway down my back, the longest it's ever been.

Who cares about my hair, though. My friend was dead, right? Well, after 15 minutes of me cutting my hair, I got a phone call.....whoops! He's not dead after all. In fact, he's going to be okay after all. He's recovering.

So, yay! My friend's not dead! That's good. But I chopped off my hair! When I was able to talk to my friend, I told him not to die anytime soon, I didn't have any extra hair to cut in his honor. I didn't tell anyone in California that I had chopped my hair....and I didn't tell many people here why. So now everyone knows. And I'm slightly embarrassed about it. I don't like wearing my heart on my sleeve much less on my head for all to see. I just wanted to honor him. He's been like a rock for me while I've been here.

As far as my class is going, I've been struggling with the motivation. It seems that there is always something I'd rather be doing than my homework. And having internet issues interferes with my schoolwork. Honestly, life interferes with my schoolwork. So I am looking very hard if this is something I truly want to pursue right now.

I've actually been thinking about writing more. I've been thinking about turning my adventures here into something more.  So, maybe that's something I'd rather spend my time doing. I don't know, I'll have to feel it out.

And I miss reading for fun. I haven't been reading for pleasure as much, but I've started up again. I saw on one blog they have a monthly inbox/outbox of books. I like that idea, so I'm gonna steal it!

Inbox (new books on my shelf this month): Promised (Birthmarked #3) by Caragh M. O'Brien, Dies the Fire (Emberverse #1) by S.M. Stirling, Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult, Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead

Outbox (books I've read this month):

*The Royal Mess (Alaskan Royal Family #3) by MaryJanice Davidson ~ book that takes a "what if the U.S. never bought Alaska from Russia?" It's a silly romance book but fun. It doesn't take itself too seriously and sometimes that's just what I'm looking for in a series!

*To You We Shall Return: Lessons about Our Planet from the Lakota by Joseph M. Marshall III ~ He writes a history of how native people have used the Earth and what the Earth has given us. It's a reminder that we are all a part of the Earth and should take better care of her (although he's not preachy about it all.) He's one of my favorite writers.

*The Selection (The Selection #1) by Kiera Cass ~ so what if the Hunger Games happened but instead of fighting to the death, you got to look beautiful and be on the Bachelor to win the hand of a handsome prince? So it's really not like the Hunger Games at all, but it's a dystopian YA story all the same. And beautiful women competing for one prince can be just as brutal as anyone from District 1, just different weapons...

*My Story by Marilyn Monroe ~ some people say she didn't really write this. It was published after her death....but I'm not sure. It end abruptly and it's particularly well written. It's not bad but it could have been her who wrote it. You'd think they'd have found a better ghost writer is all I'm saying.

*The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus #3) by Rick Riordan ~ in my love of Greek Mythology, I love that Rick Riordan has brought the world Percy Jackson. Yes, it's the same formula as Harry Potter but it was a middle schooler who first told me about the books and told me how much she loved them. So any series that makes Greek/Roman Mythology cool is a good read in my book!

*On Dublin Street by Samantha Young ~ Amazon told me I'd like it, and I did. It's a modern romance/erotica book but without vampires and that 50 Shade junk. And it involves sexy Irish men. I had been reading my textbooks all that week and it was nice to just read something different.

*Isabeau: A Novel of Queen Isabella & Sir Roger Mortimer by N. Gemini Sasson ~ Queen Isabella is one of my idols from medieval times. And according to Ancestory.com, I am a direct descendent of Roger Mortimer, so I was hoping this would be a good read. It was okay... I wanted to like it more but it was kind of slow.

Okay, I didn't realize I had read that much. But that was fun for me. I love talking about books and getting some good book tips. If you look to the right of my blog, those books are all my favorites (I tried to cut out the kid books), and if you know of any good books you'd like to recommend, I would love to hear it!!

Hopefully, next week I'll have pics from a helicopter ride over some glaciers!! Fingers crossed!

I leave you with: Dakota (and Lola!!)

A New Adventure on the Horizon...

October is going well thus far. Report cards were due on Monday, so I had to work on Saturday last week.

One night, I went to let Dakota out and I looked up and saw a light in the sky. It was the Northern Lights! I tried to take a picture, but my camera was just black. I only saw a green color and then white but they were dancing across the sky and really moving. It was truly magical. And completely unexpected.

During my down times, I like to look at Yahoo!Travel....quite a bit actually. And on Saturday, Yahoo! featured a slideshow of destinations that would change your life. There were so many beautiful places, but one struck a chord with me: Iceland.

I found the picture almost hauntingly beautiful.

And then later that night, I was watching "Prometheus" ready to enjoy a Michael Fassbender movie (who I also consider hauntingly beautiful) when the movie opened up showing this gorgeous landscape. I kept asking myself, "Where was this movie filmed???" I was sure it Alaska....and I was wrong. It was filmed in Iceland.

And all of a sudden, I really wanted to go to Iceland some day. It was calling to me the very same way Alaska always has. I always knew one day I would go to Alaska. And when I saw the movie, I felt the same way about Iceland. Iceland was calling.....

And then I thought, "Why not?" Why not go to Iceland one day? So I decided to go the summer of 2014. I didn't think this next summer would work because I was planning on a very long stay in California (including my animals). So I really couldn't go until 2014.

And then I thought, "Why not?" Why can't I go for a week? I knew none of my family or close friends would be able to go with me, so I'd be going by myself. So why couldn't I take a week out of my summer and fly to Iceland? I have some money saved up. I could really afford to do both, if I wanted to. I knew I could find someone to help take care of my pets too.

So I decided to just look around and see what kind of money we were talking about here. So I played around and found a really good deal on a flight (I went directly to the airline)....I seriously saved $1,500 doing that alone. So I booked my fight to Reykjavik, Iceland.

Then I bought a guide book (it hasn't arrived yet.) I thought I had some time to read through the guide books before I picked out a hotel. BUT I decided to look up some hotels in Reykjavik...just to see what kind of money we were talking about. And I really couldn't get a feel because the hotels I looked up were sold out. I became concerned.....

I found a hotel that seemed good....and most travel sites were sold out, however The Priceline Neogotiater (the always delightful William Shatner kicking the prices) found me a good deal in a "sold-out" hotel. It's in a good location, offers a spa service, has a gift shop, a tourist center, and offers room service.....works for me!!!

So now I have plane tickets and a hotel room for my stay in Reykjavik during the first week of July. I'll be spending the 4th of July in a foreign country. I have some tours picked out, but they aren't booking for the 2013 summer yet. More details to follow.....

The thing I think I love most about this whole thing has been people's reactions. No one seems that surprised that I'm going to Iceland. I think back to when I announced I was going to Anchorage for a job fair, and that caused a bigger stir. I think people are getting used to me pulling off a crazy stunt. Like moving to rural Alaska for example. I think back to the girl I used to be and realize how much I've changed in the last 3 years.

I'm not scared to travel to Iceland by myself. I'm not worried about being alone. Sure, I would love it if I had someone I was close to to share the sights with. But I experience that almost everyday. Sometimes, when I'm walking down the hall, and I see a gorgeous sunrise....there's no one I turn to to say, "Wow! Did you see that?" So that doesn't bother me. One day, I'll settle down but for now... eh.

My mom thought Iceland was a weird choice....but then she saw pictures. And there's no real argument against my reasoning. I have the time, money, and inclination. After my last July of being in Akiak and reading 21 books, I've made sure not to repeat having that much time on my hands this next July.

And to be honest, I'm glad to have a new adventure to write about. Rural Alaska is still wild and untamed but most of my experiences I feel have been written about. I want to explore other places too. I really just go from Akiak to Bethel to Anchorage to the Bay Area and back. I want to do more.

Iceland has volcanos, glaciers, waterfalls, geysers, viking museums, horseback riding, geothermic spas....and did you know they have boiling mud? I think Iceland will be exactly what I am looking for! I can't wait actually.

Whenever I go off of what my gut says to do, I find myself at peace. I grow, I learn.....I end up feeling incredibly rewarded. I used to never really go anywhere...maybe just up to Reno to visit my grandparents but that was all. Before long, I'll have a stamp in my passport, new pictures uploaded, and the experience of a lifetime....although, I don't really like saying that....because I plan to have many experiences of a lifetime! OR experiences for many lifetimes!

I leave you with a list of some of my experiences of a lifetime:

Places I've been to/experienced:
*London
*Bath, England
*Stonehenge
*Hampton Court
*New York City
*Empire State Building
*Statue of Liberty
*San Francisco (to a summer program for young actors)
*Hawaii
*Alaska
*Tundra
*Two Oceans: Pacific & Atlantic
*Kuskokwim Ice Road

To Be Continued......

**all pictures off of google images**

September Musings...

I really had no idea how much time I would be spending on my homework!

So now September is gone and I still have been bad about posting. The school year is going well. My students and I are having fun together, which is important.

My class is going well too. I was worried that I wouldn't really care for the material. I thought it was going to be very dry. I got an A on my first project. I had to create a timeline of reading instruction and reading research for the United States.

My mother admitted to me last week that she didn't know how to sound out words. She said her father was always telling her to sound it out, but she didn't know how. Now, for some of you....that may raise some eyebrows.....BUT I was able to tell my mother what I learned. If you were taught to read on the Dick and Jane books, you weren't taught to sound out words. You were taught the "Look-Say" method. You recognized that r-u-n spelled run, but you didn't have to break down the sounds. My mother felt a little better.

Another thing I really enjoyed reading about was the Schema Theory. This theory says that if you are reading about something you have no background knowledge on, you won't understand it, even if you can technically read all the words. I love this example from Richard C. Anderson: The notes were sour because the seam split. Okay, I could read all the words, but I had no clue what they were talking about. Until I read the clue: bagpipes. Now I understood the sentence. Schema Theory says there's more to reading than just reading words, you have to connect what you are reading with your own experiences and knowledge.

So I've enjoyed learning new things, but I do miss reading for pleasure. I have 4-5 chapters to read a week, plus I have to post something on the discussion board, and respond to two other comments. And now I'll have to pick 3 researchers and write a research paper comparing the three. I plan on using Mr. Anderson for one of them. But I don't have a lot of time for goofing off.

I still make it for my sewing group once a week. Although, I mostly seem to sit around and chit chat. However, I was able to finish my niece's qespeq for her birthday:

I hope she likes it. It will be very long on her but warm. The ladies were so proud of me for finishing it.

Speaking of my niece, I should share the news she found most entertaining: I ate moose nose. In case you are wondering what she did: don't worry, they cleaned out the boogers! I was told moose nose was very tasty. I was also told I didn't have to eat it, but I thought, "Why not?" It tasted like regular meat to me. So yes, the former vegetarian ate moose nose. And you could tell it was moose nose. It looks like this only cut up (and one side still has the hair):

I also grilled myself some moose steaks for the first time ever! They turned out yummy! I am very lucky to have friends who were thoughtful enough to share their meat with me. I am very well cared for here!

Last week, I went for a walk and this day, I brought my camera. I wanted to take pictures of the fall colors. Being from the Bay Area, I've never seen the seasons change until I moved up here. I'm told Alaska has nothing on the fall colors of New England, but I still think it's pretty:

Four days after these pic were taken, a strong wind came through and blew most of the leaves off the trees.

But the day before the trees lost their leaves, I was invited to go to Bethel by boat. I had homework to do, but I thought, "Just get in the boat!!" And I was glad I did. I was able to do some shopping. And I brought my camera that day too.

The next development is kind of funny. First, let me show you a picture of Dakota a couple of months ago.....back in mid July:

Now, in August, I noticed Dakota's winter coat was starting to come in. And I was surprised. It was only August. So I mentioned to a few people that I thought it meant we were due for a hard winter. Everyone just smirked at me. What did I know?

So imagine everyone's shock yesterday, when they opened their doors and saw snow on the ground. Dakota's coat meant winter was coming early. So I was off, but I knew something was up. Nature always knows! (The snow was melted by the afternoon, but I'm sure more is coming!!)

Don't believe me? Well, here's Dakota today....and he's not fat. It's fur!

So that about sums up September....hopefully, I'll be better about posting in October!

And November brings something to look forward too....my mother is coming up to Alaska to visit me in Anchorage. I'm not going to visit this holiday season (I'm saving my $$ for a longer visit this summer) so she's going to spend a weekend with me. I'm really looking forward to it. My neighbors have agreed to watch Dakota, so he'll be staying behind. But I know he's in good hands.

I leave you now, with a picture of Dakota and me. I am sporting my Thunderbolt headband my friend made me (our school mascot). Enjoy!!

What Happened to August?

Did I post nothing for a whole month? Whoops!

So school started, and it was a bit rocky. I like my kids but last year their teacher left for the holidays and never came back.....which left them pretty traumatized. They had a hard year and so it's a period of adjustment for all us. They have to get to know me and understand me. And I have to get to know them too.

I believe in building relationships with my students. And I work hard to do that. Things are getting better but every day has been bumpy.

A new change this year (which is due to start next week) is that I'll be teaching a combo 2/3 math class during the math block. My plan is to start with the 2nd graders while an aide works with the 3rd grade. I'll handle the direct instruction while the aide works with the spiral review and extra practice. Then I'll switch and work with the 3rd grade while the aide takes the 2nd grade. I've never taught a combo class before, but I was in one when I was in the 3rd grade in California. They never cover stuff like that in Teacher College, but they really should. Because if there's a better way, I'd love to hear about it.

I'm taking another class for my Reading degree. This one is called Developing Reading and deals with....well, let me just copy the summary: The reading process, emergent literacy and models for teaching reading are central themes in this course. Content includes theories of language development, research on language, cognition, and language systems as they relate to reading.

Normally, this type of class is not my thing. So I wasn't looking really forward to taking it. My first homework was to review the theories of Skinner, Piaget, Vygotsky, etc. The big guns of child development. I didn't remember much from my child development classes so I had no clue what each guy was famous for. I DO remember Maslow and his Hierarchy of Needs. But the rest I was quite rusty on.

As I began reading, I found this stuff much more interesting. After having spent 6 years as a classroom teacher and 8 years working with children, I was able to relate so much better. So maybe this class won't be so boring after all. Maybe I was mistaken.....that would be nice.

So my time will be busy with teaching, learning, walking Dakota.....and I have my sewing night once a week! I plan on finishing India's qespeq and I plan on making 3 more, including one using some Star Wars material!

Akiak is very different without the Millers. My social base has left and that's different. I don't feel sad but I tend to reflect on the changes. I wrote a status on facebook, how I took my friends for granted, and I guess that got mistaken for me being sad & feeling sorry for myself...which is not the case. Like I said, I like to be reflective on my life (scared I will miss out on one of life's lessons) and that thought came out of one of those moments.

There were many things about my life in California that I took for granted. I think fate brought me here for many reasons and one of those reasons was to really start to value the little things in life. And see how much harder things can be. I can't remember what I used to complain about when I taught in California......it seems so silly now. Things seem more in perspective now.

One of the things in life that makes me happy is my dog. His winter coat is coming in and he's getting fluffier. I swear, he was one of the best decisions I've ever made. It sounded crazy at the time, but I'm so glad I got him! He's so cuddly and funny! The cats are starting to like him more too!

So that's been life in a nutshell. Dakota, teaching, reading, watching movies, facebooking, sewing....it's not a big life but a good one.

Bethel ~ Unexpected...

Well, this week has already been exciting....not really in a good way....and last week was a real downer...

So last week, the guys started working on the pipes, so I was without water. They turned on the water Wednesday night, but then shut it off again Thursday morning. I was told by one of the people staying in the house that they didn't have the parts to finish the project. So I had no idea when the water would come back on.

On top of that, Dakota was sick. He used to get diarrhea all the time when he was a puppy. I switched him to a grain-free diet 7 months ago, and this was the first time he got sick. I thought it might be something he ate....but during the course of the week, he'd get a little better, then he'd get sick. It was like for every step forward, he was taking 3 steps back.

Meanwhile, I was hating life at that point. By Friday, I was so done; I had myself a little emotional break down. If you are a friend of mine on facebook, you might have noticed. I've been without water before, but this run was tough! In fact, Thursday night, I wasn't feeling well either.

I was debating writing this next part. As far as I'm concerned, it's TMI. However, to gain this information, I had to ask a friend. So, I am going to give this bit of advice, but I don't ever want to think about it again. I am a girly-girl. I don't like camping. I don't like using the bathroom outdoors. I don't like discussing using the bathroom. Bodily functions are not something I care to discuss. But since the guys had told me they would be finished by Thursday, I did not stock up enough water. So I had to put together a honey bucket. And I was not happy about it! Yes, you can just use a bucket....but that's not my style. Here's my recommendation: 2 garbage bags & a trash can. It served it's purpose and left me with some dignity. I could handle that.....barely.

Friday came and so did my water. I felt so much better. Dakota was still sick and I was trying every trick I knew. Come Sunday, he wasn't any better. I had noticed this sour smell (like yogurt) and realized it was Dakota. I called the vet in Anchorage and they said I needed to have him seen. Luckily for me, the vet was going to be in Bethel this week, starting on Monday. (Yes, Bethel only has a vet once a month.)

To add to my stress, I still hadn't gotten a carrier for Dakota. I had measured him and he's between a XL and a Giant sized crate. I had been holding off because Alaskan Airlines will not fly any dog crate bigger than XL, not even in cargo. But now, I HAD to get him to a vet.....but I had no carrier. I called one of the bush plane companies and asked if they would take him and I to Bethel without a carrier. It's illegal I found out.

But my friend suggested that if I bought a carrier from the Alaskan Airlines terminal in Bethel, Renfro would go and pick it up for me, put it on the bush plane and fly out to pick Dakota and I up. Which is exactly what we did Monday. Not only did it save me a shipping fee, the crate was super cheap. I had been pricing crates and the same size crate at a pet store costs $265, whereas buying through the airlines (and you know it's airline approved right off the bat) only cost $105. That's quite a difference!

But my troubles were not over....because when I arrived in Bethel, Dakota didn't have an appointment. Their office didn't open until 3 p.m. and closed at 6 p.m.. I did not have a large window of opportunity. Now by Sunday night, Dakota was in horrible shape. He had stopped eating & drinking (over 24 hours) and was lethargic and showing signs of dehydration. I barely slept (cause I was crying, picturing having to put him down, and feeling so helpless) and he was still getting sick and was now vomiting. So I didn't really care if I didn't have an appointment. My dog was going to be seen, even if I had to fly him Anchorage. I was not going to take no for an answer!

He had perked up come Monday, but I was determined. I showed up in Bethel and finally got a call into the vet. They said they were booked until the next day. I explained Dakota's condition and said I was in Bethel now. I got an appointment.

Actually, the vet was very nice and gave me meds....and a back up....then a back up of the back up in case he didn't get better. He said it was obvious that I took really good care of Dakota. He also examined his hips and back legs and said they were developing nicely...which was a relief. He gave Dakota a de-wormer and some antibiotics for an infection. He also thinks Dakota is allergic to grass (which he eats) and that explains the success of his grain-free diet. So now I can't wait for winter...because there is a lot of grass out right now.

By the next day, Dakota was feeling much better! His first batch of medicine is in a paste form that I would normally have to use a syringe to give him. However, that Sunday night, I shot some water in his mouth to try to help him get some water and now he really, really, REALLY dislikes the syringe. So I boil a chicken breast and mix it with that. He licks the bowl clean.

My trip to Bethel was a quick one, but successful. One of my friends drove me all around. I was able to get some shopping done and Dakota got taken care of....we left at 2 and was back by 6. Dakota is on the mend, I got some ice cream, and we got the crate thing taken care of too....which he might not grow out of.

I made sure to get Dakota weighed. I was so sure he'd be at least 110 pounds. If not more. Boy, was I off. He weighs 90 pounds. I just keep thinking that he weighs the same as Steve Rogers before he became Captain America. 90 pound weakling....

I got to Skype with my niece today and I spoke to her yesterday. She is absolutely adorable! I have to been back to work next week, and everything is going so much better! Except this weather....it's rained almost every day this month! That's getting annoying. Remind me never to move to Seattle or Juneau...or any other place where it rains all the time. I need some blue sky!!

Here are some pictures I took on the bush plane of Akiak. There was one of me the pilot took, but I had been up all night crying....so I deleted it!

Tundra....miles and miles of tundra

The Kuskokwim River

A beaver dam on one of the many lakes....

Akiak, Alaska

Akiak from the back view

Akiak on the river's edge

My housing complex....my duplex is in the middle next to the house with the blue roof