Flight to St. Michael

The plane seats 8 passengers and two pilots.  The pilots are not separated from the passengers so we were able to see everything that they were doing--checking gauges, turning off blinking red lights, etc.  The part that would have been a little unnerving for someone who doesn't like to fly was our ability to see out of the front window. 

It was a cloudy day, so after take off we spent a while in the clouds before climbing to 10,000 feet.  We were able to see exactly what the pilots saw....nothing but white.  They were using a radar to fly the plane.  I was able to see that from my seat.  It was a nifty screen with the plane shape in the middle and different colors indicating the increase and decrease in altitude (I'm guessing).  When we broke through the clouds the blue sky was amazing--a brilliant blue.  And below us were fluffy, white clouds. 

After a few minutes above the clouds we began heading back into the clouds as we descended into St. Michael.  Soon we were low enough that we were under the clouds and able to see the Norton Sound and the peninsula where St. Michael and Stebbins are located.  As we landed we taxied into the airport--a building that looked like a two-car garage.  It isn't manned.  The trucks that are meeting the plane drive up to in on the tarmac and then drive away.  We never went into the building. 

Steve, from the school, came and picked us up at the airport and took us to Anthony A. Andrews School to meet Carolyn (principal) and to get the keys to my house/apartment (and my laptop).  We were informed that we still didn't have power but they were working on it.  We got to our house and were greeted by piles of boxes and furniture in the living room.  What a great sight!!!  We spent the rest of that day unpacking boxes and putting things away.  We met Michael, one of our neighbors, when he brought over his camp stove and LED lantern for us when he heard we had no power.  We got power back in the afternoon and decided to do a load of wash before dinner and bedtime. 

Ellen ran the washing-machine and then we began to heat water on the stove.  Soon the wash was done...but the water did not boil.  We checked the burner...it was slightly warm.  We turned on ALL the burners...to no avail.  I turned off the burners and the stove went out.  Meanwhile, Ellen was busy with the dryer, however that too was without power.  Also at this time we lost our boiler (our hot water and heat).  Lights still worked and the refrigerator still worked.  Dinner was made on the camp stove.

Saturday--the next day--we walked over to the store to call Carolyn and let her know our power was half off again.  She sent over John and Preston to check our breaker box.  Later Steve came over to look also and decided that the breaker was broken and would need replacing.  In the process of finding this out we lost our remaining power.  That afternoon Carolyn came and let us in to our neighbors place so we could cook on their stove. 

Sunday--no power, no heat, no hot water

Monday--no power, no heat, no hot water.  We did take advantage of it being Monday and headed over to the school for hot showers and internet. 

Tomorrow I head back to Unalakleet for the New Teacher Orientation Training.  Hopefully, the tech person at the district office will help me set up my laptop so I can unlock it and use it. 

Pictures of my organized house will be up shortly:)

Alaska Lesson #1

Donna told us that our plane was having mechanical difficulties and was stuck in Shaktoolik and that someone from the school in Unalakleet was on the way to pick us up.  She also had a cargo plane that would be able to take our ActionPackers and suitcases on it if we wanted them to.  We sent the three action packers of food on to St. Michael where it would be taken to the school and put in the large refrigerator.  We sent my small blue suitcase on too because I didn’t need anything from it that night.  She told us that check in time was 10am the next morning.

It was 4pm in Unalakleet when we were picked up by Lisa, and taken to the five-plex where the dormitory is.  We moved into the basement of the building and settled on two of the eight bunkbeds that are in the dorm.  Around 5pm we started thinking about dinner and realized that we had sent the cheese and summer sausage that was going to be our dinner in St. Michael on the plane so we didn’t have anything with us to eat. 

Lesson 1:  In Alaska always pack a bag with a change of clothes, minimal toiletries, microwaveable cup and spoon, and non-perishable snack that doesn’t need to be heated.

We decided to walk around town to see if we could find one of the stores or restaurants (they do have them in Unalakleet).  We found an espresso shop and she directed us to Peace on Earth, a pizza place.  We arrived when they were in the middle of unpacking the shipment of supplies that had flown in that day.  We ordered a small Media pizza, which had chicken, peppers, onions, and cheese on it.  We ate most of it and saved two pieces for breakfast before our flight.  

We walked back to the five-plex and two our dorm around 6:30pm.  When we got there we just looked at each other and decided it was bedtime.  We put on pajamas and got into our beds.  I read my Kindle and we just relaxed until about 7:50pm when we turned off the light and went to sleep.  Keep in mind there was still about four hours of light left outside and everyone else was still enjoying their "afternoon".  We slept until about 7am the next morning.  We took our time taking showers and getting ready.  When we looked out the window we saw that a huge storm had blown in during the night.  The grass outside the window was blowing almost flat and the rain was blowing sideways.  

I was thinking: What if our flight is cancelled again?  If it's not, this will be a very interesting flight!  By 9:30am the storm had subsided enough so we were able to get our bags to the airport (with the help of Lisa and her truck) without them getting too wet.  We unloaded and then waited for Donna to arrive until 10am.  At 10:10am our plane landed and let off its passengers and its load of cargo for Unalakleet and our bags were loaded.  Ellen and I each took a cat to hold on our laps and boarded the small plane.  There were three other passengers already on board. 

We loaded on, held the cat carriers on our laps (there wasn't room under the seats), and prepared for take off.

Unalakleet Layover

We left for the airport 9am after securely taping all out plastic bins for shipping (all 13).  Then we loaded the back of the Suburban with three suitcases, two backpacks, two cats complete with carriers, three ActionPackers (with our chill food), and thirteen plastic bins.  Then Sharon drove Ellen and I to the Anchorage Airport Post Office.  We were directed to back up to a loading dock (a perk of having 10 or more packages) and unload there.  We labeled the bins as we unloaded them, then weighed them and placed them on a pallet.  We got to watch the USPS staff wrap the pallet and then we went to the terminal.  We arrived there around 10 and checked in with our six checked bags. 

We met a friend of mine, Sarah (from George Fox Masters of Education Program) at Yogurt Land.  At 11:15am we headed to the gate.  We tried to go through security with our carry-on bags (two cats and two backpacks) but they wouldn’t let us pass through!

Instead we were told to follow the signs to our PenAir gate which is not behind security!  We were so glad the line we got in originally at security was not long.  We sat at the PenAir gate and waited for our flight to begin boarding.  We were directed to board at 12:00pm.  We walked out the doors and across the tarmac to the plane where we surrendered our backpacks to the loading staff and climbed the stairs to the plane.  The plane has its own set of stairs that fold up into the door way when the door closes.  The PenAir plane had thirty seats in the cabin and a propeller on each wing.  When we boarded we were given a pair of earplugs to use on the 90-minute flight.

We landed in Unalakleet for our three-hour layover and plane change and entered the small airport.  It was about the size of the gate we had been waiting at in Anchorage.  We waited for the next flight to board so the airport would clear out before we brought our checked bags in to the Bering Air desk.  We were the only people traveling to St. Michael on the plane that afternoon.  We brought our bags inside and took them to the counter to be weighed and paid for.  Then we were told what time to be back and we went for a walk around Unalakleet. 

The first thing I noticed that surprised me was the smell of salt water.  Unalakleet is right on the water and I knew that water was the ocean it just didn’t register in my mind that it would smell like the beach.  On our walk we encountered more animals:  Seagulls.  We also watched a seal steal fish from a drift net in the waves right off the beach.  We continued our walk until we saw rain headed our way.  We arrived back at the airport after enjoying some Alaskan rain.  The first thing Donna (Bering Air Coordinator) told us was, “We have some bad news.” 

On to St. Michael

After a full day of shopping and packing I think we are ready to go.  Yesterday morning we took our revised and categorized shopping lists to Costco and then Fred Meyer.  We began with two carts: one cart held the supplies we are taking on the plane today and the second one (and then a third) held the supplies we are shipping today. 

 

After Costco we went to Fred Meyer.  We completed our list and also bought Action Packers and Plastic Bins that will be our reusable shipping containers (for the times when we are in Anchorage doing our own shopping).  Three more carts.

 

 To celebrate our last evening in Anchorage, Sharon took us to the Double Musky Inn for dinner.
We left the restaurant at 10:00pm.

 The Finished Product!  The black bins with the gray lids are Action Packers that we are taking on the plane.  They hold the fresh and frozen foods that would have cost $1.85/ pound to ship but only 70 cents/pound to take on the plane with us.  The clear tubs we are shipping today and expecting to receive in two-three weeks. 

 This morning the sun has broken through the clouds and I see blue sky.  It's just under 50 degrees this morning.  Yesterday I believe the temperature stayed in the fifties or maybe low sixties. 

Now that we are heading to St. Michael my cell phone will no longer be able to make or receive calls.  This means there is no cell service.  At the moment I have decided not to purchase a cell plan through GCI (Alaska's cell company) because service (even through them) is minimal in St. Michael.  I don't know what the Internet capabilities in my house are quite yet so I may not be able to check my email or post to this Blog for a little while.  Ellen will be staying with me in St. Michael for a few days to help me unpack and get prepared for the start of the school year.  If Internet is available, I will be able to use her computer.  I'm not sure when I receive my "teacher computer", so there might be another lull in my postings in the transition time before school starts (August 22). 

Ellen and I arrived in Anchorage around 3:20pm (Alaska Time) on Monday afternoon.  We met a few teachers from BSSD at baggage claim and arranged to have dinner together later that evening.  Sharon Holland, our friend in Anchorage, picked us up at the airport and took us to her house.  I got the cats settled in.  They were great on the flight.  They didn't meow much at all once we got to the airport.  Romeo was a little unsure when the plane took off but then he settled in for the flight.

  Romeo and Juliet and Portland International Airport waiting to board the plane.


It has been raining and windy the last two days here in Anchorage.  It reminds me of Oregon in the fall, except the trees are still green and have all there leaves still.  The trees and the mountains are beautiful.  On Monday night Ellen and I met with the BSSD Welcome Wagon for dinner at a great burger place called Arctic Roadrunner.  It was really good.

 The view of the trees and mountains from the Holland's back windows.

Tuesday we began shopping for stores :).  We visited Fred Meyer (actually two Fred Meyers), WalMart, Costco, and Sam's Club comparing their shipping fees and processes for sending orders to the Bush.  We also visited Summit Spice and Tea.  They sell spice combinations for different fish, meats, and flavors.  They also sell loose leaf teas and chocolate.  I grabbed their order catalog :). 


After a long day of shopping for stores we headed back to Sharon's house for a delicious stuffed salmon dinner.  While planning for the next day's shopping and activities we were alerted by Amber (the Holland's dog) that there was something coming toward the house.  We looked out the window as a bull moose walked out of the bushes into the yard about 15 feet from the house.  I grabbed my camera and Sharon and I headed outside to take a picture.  "If he charges don't move.  They don't see very well."  He didn't really care that I was taking pictures of him.  He just slowly walked past us and through the tree on the other side of the driveway.  This was the first of possibly many animal encounters.

Sorry for the blurry picture...it was getting darker and my camera wasn't cooperating. The moose is behind the swing-set.

Sharon, Ellen, and I stayed up planning and talking until about 11pm when the sun was finally setting (at least the general grayness of the overcast day was getting darker) and I went to bed.


Today we are going to be shopping for the food on our revised shopping list.  We will be taking the food we buy today with us as we fly to Unalakleet and then St. Michael tomorrow.  It will be easier and cheaper than shipping it Priority and receiving it in four days.  We would like to eat while we are in St. Michael.  I will need to make my first online order soon after that so we will have food in September when Nathan (my husband) arrives.  We will also begin looking at winter gear for future purchase.  I am planning to buy a good pair of gloves for when the temperature is in the forties-twenties.   I will also be buying a few pairs of heavy socks.


Tomorrow Ellen and I fly out of Anchorage around 12pm to Unalakleet.  We will spend a few hours there and then take the 15 minute flight to St. Michael.  We will arrive there at 5pm.

The moose came back just now.  

It's right outside:)

4 Hours and 30 Minutes

Today's the day!  I'm done packing (for the most part) and my suitcases are packed.  My cats are ready to go too.  Ellen, my mother-in-law, is going with me to Alaska and will be there for nine days while I unpack and begin to settle in.  Nathan will be coming up the beginning of September. 

We are going to leave for the airport in about an hour so we can get our bags checked and the cats used to the noise and activity of the airport.  Our plane leaves at 12:35pm so hopefully we will arrive in Anchorage by 4pm (Alaska Time).  We will be picked up by a member of the Bering Strait School District Welcome Wagon (returning BSSD teachers who help new teachers with last minute preparations in Anchorage before heading to our various villages).  We will be in Anchorage for four days before flying to Unalakleet and then on to St. Michael.  We will arrive in our village at 5pm on August 4th.  One of my first pictures of St. Michael will be the stack of boxes that will hopefully :) be waiting for me.  We began shipping our boxes in May.

Now that the adventure has begun, I will have more to post--including pictures:).

Goodbye Oregon!

16 Days Left

Two months have passed.  Nathan and I have moved out of our apartment and in with my parents.  This has helped us during the packing/sorting stage of the process.  We have shipped everything that I will be taking to the school in St. Michael.  This evening we packed the last six boxes so we can ship them on Monday. 
Tomorrow, Nathan and I are leaving for a ten-day road trip through Oregon, Montana, and Washington.   This will be our time to say "Good bye" to the temperate Northwest.  We will begin our trip with a few days in Kalispel, Montana where we will visit Nathan's grandparents and Glacier National Park.  Then we will head to Lake Chelan in Washington and take the ferry to Stehikan for three days with two of our friends.  We will end our trip with several days in Sunriver celebrating Nathan's mom's birthday. 
I will have five days at home before I fly to Anchorage on August 1. 
The last few months have gone by so fast.  Packing has been crazy.  Imagine moving to a place where you can't drive to the store to buy something you forgot.  Everything has to be mailed to you from Anchorage.  Meals can't be planned by the week, they have to be planned by the month (at least).  Tonight my mom helped us make grocery lists for the four days that I am in Anchorage.  The list fills up two pages of a legal pad.  We have to think of everything.  Also, we won't just buy small quantities.  We will be buying everything Costco-size or larger.  I know I will have a long, detailed post about shopping when I reach Anchorage.  It will be a very new experience. 
That's all for now.  My mind is completely fried after packing and trying to organize and plan for the coming three weeks.