Activities in St. Michael

On Sunday afternoon Nathan and I walked out of St. Michael toward the airport in search of black berries.  We ventured off the road and on to the tundra.  It is like walking on foam mixed with lake silt.  It is covered in lichens, grass, low-bush cranberries, and small bushes.  We found black berries growing around some rocks and began picking them.  These berries are on very low bushes so we had to squat down or stoop to pick them.  The temperature was just above freezing and some of the berries were already frozen.  We managed to pick about three cups of berries between us before or fingers were too cold to pick any more and we started to walk back to town.

When we got home I made syrup from part of the berries and apple-black berry cobbler with the rest of them.  One night I made puff pancakes and we had black berry syrup to go with them.  Yum!

The hills to the north after a storm.

Our church as the sun sets.

Linda and Brian are missionaries from California and run the Assembly of God Church that we attend.

There was snow on the ground when I got up on Tuesday morning and more was falling.  My kids came in and were so excited.  I heard Christine coming down the hall toward the classroom, "I tell Teacher it snowing!"  She came in and said, "Teacher it snowing!  Look, look!"  She took me to the window and showed me the snow.  I couldn't help thinking that just a little more snow on the ground would mean schools back home would be closed.  During the day, the sun rose and the snow turned to rain.  By Wednesday all the snowdrifts were gone.  The temperature has stayed in the upper 30's since then.  However, we are expecting snow Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday next week.  Mary (the Kawerak supervisor) said that by now the freeze had usually occurred (meaning the ocean had frozen).  She said it has happened later and later each year.

Friday night, instead of watching LOST, Nathan and I joined the teachers and the community watching the first wrestling match of the season.  St. Michael Storm against Stebbins Grizzlies.  This wasn't an official match it was more like a practice match.  Since St. Michael and Stebbins are so close, they hold a lot of matches like this.  Both schools have some very talented kids (boys and girls, second grade through high school).