Spring-like Conditions in Kotzebue

Cemetery Hill in the tundra outside of Kotzebue.

The weather has been beautiful in Kotzebue during the last week: bright, sunny and clear. While the temperatures continue to drop below zero nightly, the days rest comfortably in the single digits. As I sit here viewing the splendorous daylight, a sense of peace relaxes my muscles. Breathing in and out, I understand why those who have made Kotzebue their permanent home love the winter.

This morning is a freebie for me. It's a time to relax, enjoy the beauty, and think of friends and family in the Lower 48. Eager to join Rick in Anchorage this morning, I awoke at 4 am for a flight scheduled to leave at 8:36. However, other plans began to unfold as I checked the status for Alaska Airlines flight 151. It had been canceled. Just like that. After several calls to Alaska and rescheduling appointments, my itinerary had been changed and the morning was freed up.

Kotzebue Sound near the airport.

Rick and I had been discussing a trip out of the bush for well over a month. Leaving this Far North village every two months during the winter aids our endurance of the harsh climate. We normally return to Kotzebue renewed and refreshed. So my disappointment of having this morning's flight canceled weighed on my heart until I gazed outside at the frozen lagoon and snow piles recently plowed. This morning was an unexpected gift.

Much has happened here lately. Last week, the regional finals for basketball class A1 and A2 occurred in the gym at Kotzebue High School. Students from the nearby villages and as far away as Unalukleet descended upon this Eskimo community, located where the Selawik, Kobuk, and Noatak rivers converge. Beginning Tuesday, male and female basketball players arrived on charted planes for games beginning the following day. Throughout the week, these kids could be seen in clusters between games along Third Street with light green shopping bags carrying purchases from the local Alaska Commercial store.

Games in the Dawg House from Wednesday through Saturday held the attention of many in the community. Such excitement was felt while routing for teams comprised of children related to many of them. Residents were happy for the opportunity to see relatives from their past. High school basketball players slept in the classrooms and napped in the hallways of the school. Many late-night evenings were spent by these physically fit players wandering the "Big City" of Kotzebue promised excitement after escaping from the confines of their small villages.

Snow pile on the edge of the lagoon.

Huge snow drifts and piles from previous blizzards made the news in Anchorage recently. Photos and blog postings were used for reference material for stories written about the record snowfall in this remote area. Flights were canceled, residents were home-bound, and schools had snow days or closed early. But when the sun reappeared and the skies cleared, these huge mountains of snow became a concern for the city council. Public Works crews worked for days to haul snow piles out onto the lagoon and Swan Lake. Truckloads of snow were transported to the outskirts of town. Snow removal equipment instead of new computers may be purchased to handle the situation for future years.

The bright sun and abundance of snow has raised concerns of snow blindness. Due to the brightness of the sun's rays reflecting off the snow, people can experience temporary blindness. I will be purchasing sunglasses while in Anchorage this weekend as the effects of the glare have caused headaches the last couple of days.

Spring break is coming to the Northwest Arctic Borough. Instead of a full week, the youth receive two days off next Thursday and Friday (March 17 and 18). Alaska Airlines flights out have been full all this week as parents, teachers and others seek additional days of fun and relaxation away from the village.

Such high travel volume has affected the amount of mail and goods normally transported up on combie flights. Stores haven't quite completed their restocking from previous delays due to recent blizzards. Late packages has created a feast of famine situation at the post office. After more than two weeks, my new IPod finally arrived after being sent Priority Mail from Anchorage.

Kivalina.

Next week I fly to Kivalina to visit the club there and meet with stakeholders in the community. Kivalina is located 80 miles northwest of Kotzbue at the tip of an eight-mile barrier reef off the Chukchi Sea and Kivalina River. Due to serious erosion problems associated with climate change, this village of 380 Eskimos will someday be relocated for the second time. Huge boulders were barged up from a quarry near Nome to slow the loss of landmass falling into the ocean. From the air, the magnitude of the problem is easily seen. The unemployment rate is very high in this village, and a great number of residents depend on subsistence hunting and fishing to survive. This will be my third trip to this remote peninsula in the Arctic. I am looking forward to the visit.

Alaska Airlines terminal in Kotzebue.

Well a few hours have passed and the sun has lit up the frozen land. Meanderings of events filled this post while I await the departure of flight 152 to Anchorage. Sharing the morning with friends, family and others in this manner has ushered in feelings of closeness. Technology has brought us closer today than ever before. Enjoy the beauty of this day.

Note: This post was written last Thursday, March 10.

Life in Below Zero Temperature

This morning Rick and I took a drive in the tundra to catch the sunrise. This is an easy fete. Here in Kotzebue, sunrise began shortly before noon. In honor of Kevin's birthday, Rick promised to take photos of the sunrise and sunset.

With a view of White Alice in the background, I clicked off a few photos of the fushia-colored sunrise. While standing in -4 degrees, the cell phone in my jeans pocket began to ring. Raising my down parka to reach for the phone, I felt the morning chill sink into my skin. I pressed the talk button with my bare hand. Ski gloves tucked under my arm, I confirmed the time of the cookie exchange later today. After a short conversation, I hung up the line and returned the blue gloves to my reddening fingers.

 Next we headed down onto the narrow beach. Looking out at the ocean, the ice covered the wide expanse. Cape Blossom stood frozen to the south. Someday this stretch of land could play host to a deep water port. As we neared the South Beach party pad bunker, we turned the rig around in a wide space in the road. After driving north, the tire tracks began to lessen. Soon they were gone. Taking our cue from others who knew the land, we retraced our tracks while driving in reverse. Finally a wide space to turn around.

When we made it back to the main road, the pink light illuminated two clouds in the distance.  After another copy of shots, we headed back into town. Soon the sun would rise above the frozen lagoon where we could see it from our living room window. The orange globe would show itself for a few hours and then sink below the horizon again. Happy Birthday, Dear Brother.

Highlights of the Week

Our apartment in Teacher Housing

Life in Kotzebue has finally begun to normalize. This post is a recording of the week's highlights, including changes in staffing at our jobs that will free us both up to spend more quality time together. The new landline phone will help us connect with our friends in the lower 48 better. And also some furniture -- including a dining table, four chairs, and a tv -- was gifted or loaned to us.

During the week I learned of some good websites and catalog companies that ship groceries and household items to Alaska. The most exciting discovery was Fred Meyer Alaska. They offer a large selection of natural foods and regular groceries at really reasonable prices. While searching their site, I recalled deadlines at Oregon Coast magazine when Rosemary and I would take a few minutes to walk over to the Florence Fred Meyer to pick up natural food staples and treats for the office. I miss my work buddies at the magazine.

Rick talks with Tryson about sales

The packaging store hit a good stride late in the week when a new assistant manager was hired and a new stock of alcohol arrived. Rick has been helping out there in the evenings sometimes when it's been super busy. He's lost some weight schlepping around the cases of beer and looks good.

The store is expecting a huge barge shipment soon. In the meantime, their inventory is quickly evaporating. Sales are booming. Hopefully this shipment will last through the winter. With three of the large employers handing out paychecks on Friday, alcohol flew off the shelves and the lines were out the door most of the day.

More than 500 permits have been issued, close to the 600 total projected. A customer must purchase a permit in order to buy alcohol at the store. There has been no noticeable increase in the number of alcohol-related crimes. However much bootleg alcohol has been ceased. I pray the money saved by those who are purchasing alcohol at the store is being spent to buy more food for their families.

And finally, yesterday Rick watched the Oregon Ducks beat the University of Tennessee on a tv in our apartment. Yes, we can watch Ducks football games on tv up here! Go Ducks! During the commercials the usual flipping to other stations occurred. Rick was stoked.