The Flood Warning

The weather here has been unusually warm for this time of year.

Nathaniel and Clark took the wrestlers to Scammon Bay last week for junior high districts.  We had many wrestlers medal in the top 3 of their weight class, and one champion.

Our school placed 3rd in the district.

 The hype for the week surrounded around flood warnings from the National Weather Service.  Last week a village north of us, Kotlik, had severe damage to their water and sewage systems from rising waters and ice.

We were sent home Wednesday after lunch to prepare for the flood warnings.  

We took precautions in case the water went out, so we filled up pitchers with filtered water.

We have a 5 gallon collapsable water container.

We filled up this tote full of water.

Drinking water.

Thankfully, the rising waters did not damage our village, but other villages had damage from the flood.

Warm winter temperatures turned the snow into slush.

Shallow flood waters turning into puddles of ice.

The back view of our housing unit.  Safe and sound.

High waters on our slough (runs off from the Yukon River).

Stuck inside, so I made my favorite soft pretzels.

Slushy snow.

Warm temperatures are keeping the boardwalks clear in mid-November.

Mom and daughter getting ready to go to the store on their four-wheeler.

Checking out the high waters by slough.

Finally, this weekend we got a blanket of snow that I think is here to stay.

Bright blue skies.

Wrestling in Emmonak

The coaches and wrestlers on their way to the airport to go to Emmonak.

The store in Emmonak was already selling Christmas decor in October.

"Southern boys" and their fried chicken.

Our wrestlers warming up on the mat.

Nathan was the referee for the meet and Clark coached.

Our junior high light weights.

There was a dance in the gym after the wrestling meet.  Glow sticks and rap music...

I went along to chaperone our female wrestlers.  This is the classroom we slept in.

Getting the girls ready!

They also were having a book fair in the cafeteria over the weekend, so we shopped around.

 Landed back in Alakanuk.  Our wrestlers went 13-6 at the meet (won 13 of the matches, lost 6).

The tundra and streams are starting to freeze up.

A film of ice is starting to cover the surface of the water.

Our tiny 9 passenger caravan bush plane.

I had a fun weekend with these tough girls.

I shuffle my feet now, instead of walking on the boardwalks which are covered in slippery ice!

Walking home for lunch

Chilly, dark mornings... and snow, snow, snow!

This is the slough (which branches off of the Yukon River).  It is just behind our houses. 

The ice floated here from the Bering Sea.

This day was extremely windy, so the ice chunks were being blown upstream, even though the current was flowing downstream.  It was bizarre looking.

The water along the shore is getting "slushy."

Everyone has already taken their boats out of the water.

Here is the back of three teacher housing units.  The grass is dead, and we are ready for a heavy snow so we can bring out our snow machine again!