Return from Fall Conference

The Annual fall conference came to an end Friday afternoon. It ended with a Yupik dance ceremony. I really enjoyed watching that. A retired Yupik teacher led and taught many how to do the dance.  I took a video that I’ll post if I can figure out how and if I have enough service to make it work.

At the end of the conference our director of operations, who is a great lady, loaned me her car to make a run to the grocery store. I didn’t think I had long so I only got bread for myself and picked up a couple of things for a teacher. I rushed back to campus and loaded on the bus for the ride to the airport. After getting to the airport we waited over 4 hours for our flight. I was disappointed. We kept being told it wouldn’t be long and so we waited. It turned out I had time to go back to the grocery store and actually look around and get some real groceries. Unfortunately, I’ll just have to be happy with my loaf of wheat bread.

It was short flight back to Kwethluk. I videoed from the time we began to taxi until we were parking at Kwethluk, 10 minutes 20 seconds. The flight was uneventful but we had a good time with the pilot. He looked 12 but assured us that he turned 21 in July and had gotten his pilots license when he was 17. He did do a great job and it was one of the smoothest takeoffs and landings I’ve had. Especially in what my brother called a flying coffin. Our group traveled in 3 flights of 3 so yes it was a small plane.

Once we got back to Kwethluk our school suburban ferry us and our luggage back to the school. When we arrived there were small kids wandering around campus. I had taken most of my things to my office before leaving on advice I received on this site from an experienced Alaskan Bush educator. I stopped by to get those things before driving myself and 2 dogs to the downtown teacher housing area. I lucked up and found several Amazon packages waiting on me in the school. Well I think they were waiting for me. They were addressed to Jeff. I checked my ID and it did have a matching name. Things Wanda and I had ordered a couple of weeks ago had finally arrived. When I was loading my bags and boxes into the suburban the kids were asking if I was going home. I said yes. Then I realized they meant was I leaving them and going home home. I had to explain that I meant I was going to my home downtown and I wasn’t leaving them. One asked if I was moving to Bethel and I said no I was staying there with them. They relaxed then and just talked a lot until I left. Once I dropped of the teachers dogs and luggage I parked in front of my place and started unloading. When I was almost finished a young man I hadn’t seen before came and asked if he could help. I thanked him but said I was finishing.

Once I unloaded, under instructions from Wanda, I called so that we could open boxes together. I would open a box and describe what was inside to her. It was late at home and I hated to keep her up knowing she has to work on Saturday but she insisted on helping me unpack. I put our new comforter on the bed and sent her a picture. She approved of the way it looked. I decided to go ahead and set everything back up the way she had it. The house feels empty without her here now but her touch is here. The furniture is arranged to her specifications, the clothes and small items are in places she picked. It feels more like home because of her efforts.

We talked until after midnight CST. I know she will be exhausted by the time she finishes work today. We’ve talked this morning and she didn’t sleep well last night worrying about deciding to come back here or stay there. She’s worried about leaving our granddaughter, here father and the rest of our family. If it weren’t for that I think it would be an easy decision for her. I don’t envy her making this decision. I’ve told her that whatever she decides I’ll back her 100%. I don’t want to influence her decision in any way at all. I don’t want her to have regrets no matter what she decides. Kids here have already asked where she is. I think they had gotten accustomed to seeing her around the school and us walking together around the village. I think they got into her heart a little too. It’s hard not to let that happen with the small ones with the dirty faces.

I’m hoping to get a trip up river this weekend to the moose hunting grounds. If it don’t happen there will be other opportunities. I’ve got a deep freeze that is empty and I would like to put something in it to help feed me through the winter. If nothing else I’ll spend the afternoon trying to get enough signal to watch a football game on my phone. I’ll be lucky if I can get anything. Until next time I wish you all a safe and happy Labor Day weekend.