Alaska Day 4

I did not get my update out yesterday. I was very busy getting settled into the school and my room and time just skipped away. However, there is much to report.

Yesterday morning I packed up, had a wonderful breakfast at the Bed and Breakfast and headed off to the district office. After two hours of making some final preparation, Priscilla and I headed to the airport. The plane, a tiny four seater was so small that I would bet Dad has flown larger crafts. I had to crawl on top of the wing to get into the plane. The ride was great. I like the smaller planes much better than the jumbo jets. We flew between 5,000 and 6,000 feet high, however the mountains would rice to meet us as we skirted around their peaks. The flight was relatively smooth, with a gentle left to right rocking motion. The land we flew over was devoid of life. No people, houses, or large animals to be seen, hundreds of unoccupied miles of wilderness.

Arriving in Grayling was quite the adventure. I realized we were descending only by the popping of my ears. The Yukon River is about the size of the Mississippi as it runs through the Cities. The village is nestled between the river and the steep hills of the mountains. The trees are much like those of Northern Minnesota , predominantly birch and pine. As the plane touched down, all I could see was a snow machine with a wooden dog sled attached. This was our transportation to the village. Skip, the driver of the machine, was on his way to another city. We offloaded our gear and took off towards the school.

The children at the school are so very friendly. I was greeted at every corner by a smiling face. At 3:30 we left to look at one of three houses that may be available. As we approached I noticed it was a log home which appeared to have been added onto. The second level was made of wood, but not log. Walking into the home was my first real shock. The floors were made of plywood. There were no window dressings. There were two couches with no legs. The bathroom was in a corner with plywood walls. In the center of the room was a 50 gallon barrel wood stove. The refrigerator was a small dorm room size. The table looked like it was thirty years old. For these supreme accommodations I will be paying 300 a month with utilities of about 400. I was ready to get on the next flight out. Priscilla has promised to help me make the place more livable, so I guess I will be here another day. After all they make me sign the contract before leaving the Bed and Breakfast yesterday.

Last night I slept in the school. It was much too hot for me, but there was carpet on the floor and blinds on the windows. I need to start my day, so I will write again. Hope you all have a wonderful day. Be grateful for the many blessings you have. Many of these people do not realize what the rest of the world is like.