Has anyone seen this man?

Since mentors all go pretty much to different villages and schools, it is a rare treat to travel with a fellow mentor. We always swap a few stories and laughs and lament some misfortune for new teachers. We also have our own foibles, and Jerry is a bag-getter. He must have lots of valuables in his bag because he gets into it (and yes, it's in the overhead compartment) many times. Jerry, don't leave it unguarded or I might just check. Hey, is he in first class?

The 6th grade boys above are using whisper phones (PVC pipe) to read to themselves. For non-English first language students, hearing themselves reading sentences is very reinforcing....and kids love it.

So, no new tales getting to Anchorage. Moses picked me up and took me to the airstrip where we visited for about 20 minutes at -35 windchill while awaiting the Hageland plane. He told me that Nunapitchuk is on the Johnson River which dumps into the Kuskokwim (Kwigpak- or big river in Yup'ik) north of town about 20 miles. It intersects where the Yukon and Kuskokwim are the closest together before separating and racing to the sea. He also said that moose are starting to move into the area, only in the last 20 years.

Although the temps seemed to belie his words, he told me that a piece of heavy equipment put one wheel through the weakening ice into the river this morning. The river is a road on the tundra where the hummocks and soggy lowlands make land travel virtually impossible in summer. Breakup is both hated and loved...summer is coming, but for the 2 weeks or so on either end of summer, it is risky to travel on the river ice and yet boats can't be put in yet either.

I remember my New York sister and I running along the river bank in Atmautluak chasing a float plane who was drifting with the current. The Bush Air pilot was standing on the pontoon with his hand out to grab, first Erin, the 4 year old, then me and finally Ann. When we were all in, he jumped in and locked the door. As he revved up, he told Ann (who was already green and white from the adventure) "Now, if that door pops open, just pull it shut". We were packed in all around with boxes and baggage.

I'm ready to be home tonight. My class is tomorrow night, I'm meeting a Fairbanks teacher tomorrow afternoon and I have to get my haircut. I plan on doing my taxes, buying tickets to the Sarah Vowell lecture, doing laundry, buying tickets for summer travel, writing a few thank you notes, getting caught up on paperwork and flying back out on Monday morning for the LKSD coastal schools. What's in your wallet?