Busy bee this weekend.

What a great way to wrap up one of the most challenging weeks for a teacher ( SBA's)- be apart of an event that brings together teachers from nearby villages for a one day race.

But before that I dive into what it looks like to be a tundra runner...let's begin with the fact that  I am darn proud of myself for baking dog biscuits. Thanks to the weather - Bogart's bones are still in Anchorage and training him without bones is pretty much useless. So my roommate Amy suggested that I make them and what the perfect solution to my small dilemma- Bogart actually likes them.

And thank goodness for that simply b/c we are still working on the command "Come" when out on the river.

He tends to come and then run right past me. When he knows I have treats- there is a pause before he takes off again- there's still a lot of work to be done.
Here are some videos on the vimeo site that show a little more as to what our time out there looks like:

http://vimeo.com/user1488609/videos

And then there are the few moments while out and about on the river when he finds something that catches his fancy and he wants to check it out- by keeping his distance;)

And the Saturday finale?

 Annual Tundra Triangle ( I think that was the event title)

Run/Ski/Bike/Walk- it was the participant's choice on how he/she was going to get around the 6 mile 3 village race.

I chose snow go. Rachel- a fellow kind teacher offered to take Bogart and myself on a trip to take pictures of the event. It was to be Bogart's first attempt at being around more than one dog/ male and female runners/ and near a snow go for more than two minutes. At first there was fear, but that eventually turned to excitement as he got the hang of it. I was impressed with the runners that completed the race as quickly as they did, and I was impressed with how well Bogart handled some many new things at once. It was quite the day:) And what brought more smiles to my face where the teachers that came from Qwethluk, Bethel, and the villages that are closer to Nunap- it was good to see familiar faces.

The colder it got- the more foggier my pictures became.

Completion

Last addition to my bracelet collection- this one I got from one of the teachers here at the school. It reminds me of Christmas and goes well with the color scheme of my other bracelets;)

Spring Break II

One Spring Break is never enough, especially out here:) After a week of Standardized Testing, a break before the last couple of weeks is a good thing.  And that, my friends, is why I am heading back to  Anchorage for another weekend of food, friends, and fun.

I just bought my tickets this morning and rented a vehicle for 6 dollars a day- so different from Hawaii's 80+.

Gonna meet up with some friends and stock up on some good food over the period of 36 hours- it's gonna go fast and yet be so worth it.

Here's to hoping that I can hit all my fave spots and then some. Obviously the list goes as follows:
Starbucks

The Cake Studio for the Birthday Girl ( not me this time):

Sonic Drive in for the Cherry Limeade ( remind me of what's to come)

And a hair appt! What time is left will be spent relaxing an enjoying time in a beautiful home with a friendly face....can't wait!

Clearance & SBA's

Standardized Tests- I have a feeling that these are going to be the death of me. My students rolled in this morning, and I wanted to roll out. Try and imagine taking the reading portion of a test that lasts for about two hours if you are on grade level ( most of mine are 3 years behind)- it's not fun.  Already I have had to have one kid escorted out and one pretend to shoot a gun at me. I see many students with red eyes- telling me that they were up too late again last night, and others just falling asleep at their desks.

 Apparently no amount of cake or popcorn that will be readily available to them -when they finish, helps encourage them to stay on task. I am really concerned about how the rest of this day will go- and it is my hope that the movie Goonies and some treats will help lighten their moods after such a tedious test taking task.

But something that made me quite happy was yesterday's jaunt to Bethel.  I went on a little adventure- capturing the sights of the frozen tundra along the way.

The reason for little adventure was Bogart needed his boosters. Normally one would just swing into the nearby city at any time to get this taken care of, but out here, the vet only comes out to Bethel from Anchorage for four days at the beginning of every month. So a lot of the teachers/villagers will make a run for (snow go) into Bethel if their pets need it. Mine definitely did- as his was due for his shots and he seemed to be showing signs in the color of green that needed attention.

So- after finding a willing driver- thank you Jacquie! to make the 20 mile drive into Bethel we were set- or so we thought. Placing Bogart's crate in the was quite the task. It had to be tied done well enough that it would not get air when we did.

So once that was done- we were ready to take off- until we noticed the time. We were to leave at 4 pm, we left at 5- the vet closes at 6 pm and it takes 1 hour and 30 minutes to get there. I called the vet and she said that she would recommend coming another day- but thanks to the SBA's- that was not going to be an option. So- we booked it and arrived in Bethel at 6:15- and low and behold- they were kind enough to wait and see if we were actually bold enough to make the trip- not knowing if we would make it on time.

Bogart did surprisingly well- he didn't look too happy once we arrived- but when we got him out and up the stairs of the clinic- the scents that came alive from the other dogs helped lighten his mood.

Once we wrapped up our time in the clinic- we headed to the grocery store and Jacquie grabbed some fresh fruit while I made sure that Bogart was ready for another trip home.

Someone's ride:(

A little more snow melting and a little more tundra showing.

Checking on the dog.

In the middle of nowhere.

Sign with nothing important to say.

What to wear.

Here is a quick video that Anna Banana in Morocco asked me to create for a Character Assembly.

It's on: 

What to wear

Next Adventure: Toksook Bay

I can't seem to sit in one spot for too long. This is a problem for my current professional profile.

To some, working in different cultural locations shows flexibility and a desire to see how the global community varies in its thinking on language learning and education.

To others, it looks like I just go where the wind blows.

Now I know that is not so much the case-  I go when I feel like one door closes and another one opens. There has, yet again, been only one door that has opened. This is ALWAYS the case for me.

I have to trust that this is the next place for me. I was asked through a few emails to reconsider my resignation and after thinking and praying through my current circumstances, this just seemed to be what God has in place for me.
 I took it b/c:
1. I need to work on my current Alaska certificate- this can be paid for by my current school district.
2.  My dog is one of three dog breeds that require a letter from a current apt. manager stating that he has not destroyed his home over the period of a year- I have only had him for one month.
3.This is a 4th grade position- it's the last one that I have yet to teach- all others I have taught in with the exception of kindergarten, and 4th grade is the one that I am really interested in- even though this school is adopting a dual language program- so who really knows which kids will be in my class.
4. I have- hopefully - a good friend teaching in the nearby village- and the possibility of another great roommate. I have been blessed with a couple years of good roommates!
5. It's another adventure, right? I know it won't be easy- but the blog to come might be filled with a little more cultural insight and beautiful pictures of the Bering Sea and extreme weather-lol.
So here's to good experience in Nunap with the help of some excellent colleagues, and the upcoming departure of one village into the arrival of another one:)