November 18 - Saturday

I had some great photos of the village of Shageluk that I wanted to put in the last blog, but I was having trouble downloading it two weeks ago and then I tried again this morning. I thought that if the photos were on memory card, they would stay there even if the batteries ran down. Shows how much I know.

There won't be another chance for pictures from the villages for a while. I was suppose to return to Shageluk and Grayling and possibly Holy Cross this past week, but I broke my foot on Sunday night, Consequently, I won't be going out again until I'm off crutches. Prayers are always appreciated.

Since I can't include a picture from Shageluk. I'll put in another of 'downtown McGrath'. This one is of the airstrip across from the McGrath Hotel, taken from in front of the AC store, which is the far left building (green) in the first picture.

This week, I was able to finalize a training session for the library aides from all the villages for the first week in December. I learned just a week ago that one had to be done before the end of December to use grant money intended for that purpose. With Christmas and Thanksgiving in there, it left three weeks to accomplish. The hold up in arranging it was finding a time when the State Library Youth Service Librarian could come. After a week of not being able to get a positive response from her, I was thinking I'd have to go it on my own. But, she's coming and I'm sure I can learn a lot from her. The aides will be flown in from the villages and live in the dorm inside the school. The school was ready to dismantle their computer lab and move all the computers to classrooms, but I was able to convince the principal to hold off until after the library aide training. There are aides that are wonderful and very capable and others that know nothing. One new aide was so withdrawn when I was there that I couldn't get through to her on anything. She is now getting paid to come and spend two hours each day monitoring the library use and she doesn't even think to ask the rowdy kids to quiet down. So, for some this training is critical.

I was told this past Thursday that all the paperwork for teaching children's literature in the spring term had to be into the university by this coming Tuesday. I spent much of Friday preparing a tentative syllabus and writing up my grading system. I ordered the textbook weeks ago, but it still hasn't come.

Today was the first of two Book and Gift Sales put on by the library before Christmas to earn money to support the community library. Just about everyone I know in town, and many I don't were there. Since I can't walk, I manned the check out table. The Native Youth Athletics (NYA) sold huge tacos and many people rented table space to sell their wares. They had cake walks and a craft table for children, along with many door prized and a raffle. Since the NYA were already in the school kitchen, they will now have a seafood platter dinner to eat in or take out, this evening.

From one of the venders today, I've arranged to buy a beaver hide to make mittens and a hat.

The volleyball teams of both Shageluk and Grayling have been here since yesterday for a tournament between the three schools. Last night McGrath won one and lost one. Today I watched them be beat by Grayling and I hear someone say something about Grayling being undefeated. I missed the McGrath vs. Shageluk game this afternoon. Tonight is a game between two McGrath community teams. I'm too tired to think about going and we are having our seafood platters delivered.

The temperature has been below and slightly above zero this week. Actually very pleasant, but then I wasn't walking home. The sunrise is around 9:30 and the sunset at 4:30, but the morning and dusk tend to be very long, so you have light at least 45 minutes before the sunrise and the same is true of the evening. I'm told the aurora borealis has been beautiful, but the house only has one north facing window and I have missed it.