other

diomede, other

Nunam izzua

In Inupiaq, nunam izzua means ‘land’s end.’

Well, I used to think that there was nothing like a great day of teaching to make me feel like a superhero, but alas it has been matched. While cruising over beautiful terrain in a helicopter, it’s easy to forget that I am not superman. And I get to cruise over beautiful terrain in a helicopter to go to the school where I teach. How am I this lucky??

WHOOOOSH-ZOOM-WOW — WHOOOOSH-ZOOOOOM-WHOOOOSH

diomede, other

Anouvuk

Well, I never managed to catch any birds, but at least I got my anouvuk made semi-properly. Apparently hand tying each not is not the best way to make a net; there is a slick way to do it with a needle.

other

Wisdom in humor

‘Michael O’Sullivan was my great friend. But I don’t ever remember telling him that. The words that are spoken at a funeral are spoken too late for the man who is dead. What a wonderful thing it would be to visit your own funeral. To sit at the front and hear what was said, maybe say a few things yourself. Michael and I grew old together. But at times, when we laughed, we grew young. If he was here now, if he could hear what I say, I’d congratulate him on being a great man, and thank him for being a friend.’

Jackie O’Shea, in Waking Ned Devine

Some of the most poignant things I have heard, they come in the middle of comedy and humor. Interesting. The other day someone complimen–no, it wasn’t really a ‘compliment,’ it was somehow far more genuine than just a ‘compliment.’ You know what I mean? There are compliments, then there is that other sort of comment, when someone says, pure and genuine, a simple fact about you. That. Someone made one of those remarks to me the other day, and it completely blindsided me. Like, whoa, what just happened? But that got me thinking (and it also made my day). It’s not just me…anybody..when someone makes one of those genuine and true comments, it catches the person off guard entirely.

Because we never say things like that until after someone dies. Just like old Jackie realized in that wonderful movie. Maybe we ought to tell the people we love the important things before they are gone.

other, photography

Arctic summer color

diomede, other

Bird net

I love to make things. I love it more when I can use them to do something practical, like hunt for food! Unfortunately I have yet to master the art of birding. The little seabirds taste great though, so I’ll keep trying.

diomede, other, photography, stories

The north trails

So there are a few trails on the island. Two head north out of the village, a low one that stays a few hundred feet off the water, and a high one that heads up to the top of the island. The low one, I found the other day, only goes to the north cliffs…where it stops gradually. Well, sort of. The trail starts out incredibly nice, wide and easy, fades to a narrow and sort of tricky little route, and eventually you turn a corner and, wham, cliffs. Big cliffs. Up to that point, it is a gradual fade, though. From the best I could tell, the north cliffs are just shy of the northernmost point of the island.

So the trail is nice at first — The trail is wide and flat!

There are great places to sit down for a spell

The trail gets narrower (can you see it?) and the going gets steeper. I didn't take any pictures of where the trail stops. I was a little bit preoccupied. — The trail gets narrower (can you see it?) and the going gets steeper. I didn’t take any pictures of where the trail stops. I was a little bit preoccupied.

Looking back where I came from--the trail skirts over that cliff — Looking back where I came from–the trail skirts over that cliff, just above the picture’s frame

and of course the picture of the flower from the lovely walk back on the upper trail

other, photography

How does Diomede get electricity?

Well, it works like this. See that picture, that funny looking boat? Well, it’s a barge and tug, actually, loaded with a lot of diesel fuel. They come around once a year. The fuel they deliver powers the village power plant and is sold to individuals for home heating–google ‘toyo stove’ to see how the majority of alaskans heat their homes.