OCTOBER 14, 1997: : Last night I went to a steam. The Yupik people build little steam houses (saunas) by their homes. To enter the steam house, one must crawl through a tiny door from the dressing room. Every one sits on the floor in front of a wood stove made out of a fifty five gallon barrel. With the wood stove packed full of spruce it really gets cooking in there. Then they begin to pour water over rocks located on top of the barrel stove. One takes about as much as one can and then goes out to the small dressing room and sits for awhile to cool down before going at again.

Alaska is full of characters and they all show up at the steam. St. Nick, one of the village teachers, sings Christmas carols as the hot steam comes down. The hotter it get, the more Christmas carols get sung. Flop, another teacher, flops down on the floor as it gets hot. The Science Guy, who I call Sam McGee, is actually the toughest. He just sits in there no matter how hot it gets and smiles, the hotter it gets the more he likes it...could be his Texan blood. During one of the pours last night I couldn't remember any carols but the Great Escape came to mind as I went flying out. Ouch...ouch...ouch...it was a hot one!

Yes Virginia, there really are moose in Alaska.

NOVEMBER 23, 1997: Flop got a new snow machine. He went to Bethel yesterday with Gadget Man to pick it up. The river ice is safe to go out on now and there is enough snow to make a good trail. They said the trip was fast, it only took them about an hour and a half each way. When they got back to the village, Flop took all the kids for a ride on their new toy.

Last week St. Nick, Sam McGee, Moe, and Special went out hunting. Special went through the ice while crossing one of the creeks with his snow machine. They saved his snow machine but had to take it apart and dry it before it would run. Special got soaking wet but otherwise was OK. When they returned, fresh caribou was distributed to many people throughout the village. We were given a hind quarter. Mmmmmmm, is it ever good.

On Halloween night there was a mask dance in the village. People dressed up in costumes like old men or strange people with the most fabulous masks I have ever seen. They were covered from head to foot so no one could know who they were. There were three classes of dancers: children, teens, and adults. Each group in turn danced and judges picked three of the dancers for first, second, and third place prizes. The judges then pulled the masks off and every one got to see who the dancers were. A fiddle dance followed.

The mail plane has not been able to get in for the past several days. I wonder what is going on in the world. If we are able to see a newspaper it's usually one or two weeks old. The newspaper is kind of like a TV soap opera. I often go several weeks without seeing one but nothing really has changed much. It kind of makes me wonder how important all the things going on in the world really are. That's one of those things that make you go hmmmm.

DECEMBER 6, 1997: The National Guard came to the village today with Operation Santa Claus. Each year they pick a remote village and bring Santa in by helicopter. I had the honor of escorting Santa and his elves to the school gym where most of the village was gathered awaiting his arrival. After some Christmas carols Santa, with the help of his elves, handed out gifts to every child in the village from the babies to the high schoolers. He took time to speak with each child and the little ones all got to sit on his lap. My son got a model truck to put together except there is no glue. Looks like we need to send for some by mail order. After the gifts were handed out every one lined up for treats such as Eskimo ice cream, dried salmon, cookies and other wonderous delights. The helicopter came back at 4 PM and I again had the honor of escorting them back to the air strip. With Santa and his elves all safely on board, the helicopter took off toward Bethel. As they flew out of site, I slowly turned back toward the village thinking about Christmas, Alaska style.

DECEMBER 13, 1997: Minus 35 today. It's finally starting to cool off. It's about time! I went to Bethel by snow machine last night with Gadget Man, Two Car and Flop. It's approximately fifty miles by snow machine and took us about an hour and a half each way. We left the village at about 4:15 PM and headed down the trail to the Koskokwim River. Dropping down onto the river the sky gave us a beautiful orange display of a northern sunset. A while later a huge round ball of a moon slowly rose over the trees growing along the side of the river bank.

We ate in a real restaurant. Wow!!! A double bacon cheese burger with fries and a root beer. What a delicious evening this was turning out to be!!! We couldn't tarry too long as Flop had to go to the store before Bethel rolled up its board walk for the night. All the way to Bethel for a bunch of celery. He had to put it inside of his parka so it wouldn't freeze during the thirty five below zero hour and a half trip home.

The return was also fabulous with the most wonderful clear sky full of stars. Close in to Bethel the traffic was heavey. We passed another snow machiner about every five miles or so headed into Bethel. Eskimo men driving with a wife on the back pulling a large sled full of kids, gear, and, in one case, a couple of dogs. We even passed a couple of pick up trucks driving down the trail on the frozen river. Once past Kwethluk we were alone for the rest of the trip. Gadget Man got frost bitten on his face a bit, Flop got cold, Two Car was just right and I was just a bit on the warm side.

DECEMBER 16, 1997: Ok, so now it's cold...minus 40. Our door looks like a freezer in great need of defrosting. Not much movement in the village, everyone is huddled around wood stoves trying to stay warm. Brrrrr!!!!

Special came by this evening. "Here's some sweet potatoes for you. Are you finished with that pan? I'll get it before you take off." "Is it cold enough for you yet?" I asked. "Not yet, not as cold as last year." Believe it or not, that is the most I have ever heard him say. Special doesn't talk much but he is always good company.