October 26 - Thursday

October 26 - Thursday

I saw something today that was fascinating. Ice pans on the river. The Kuchkukwim river flows at about 8 mile an hour. As the river ice begins to form , the resistance causes the glums of ice to revolve, creating circles of ice that float down stream turning as they go. As they get bigger, the ice builds around the edges. It is beautiful and amazing and happens one or two days a year. Laural came home from Anchorage this morning and came to the library to get me. "Get on your coat," she said, "we're going to see the ice pans." Without her, they could have come and gone with me never knowing what I had missed.

She did a lot of shopping for me while she was in Anchorage. I now have my cans of salmon for lunch. Since I have given up my beloved Dr. Pepper and coffee, she got me flavored water. I have been drinking tea, but it just doesn't have the luxury or comfort of coffee.

My last box came today. It took two full weeks to come from Portland. I now have my sewing machine, long winter coat and battery charger so that I can down-load pictures to sent to you. I promise, you will see something of McGrath in my next blog. Tonight I 'm falling asleep at the computer. It's been a long hard week of sorting the McGrath library.

We have gotten through about half of the books from my office with which we lined the hall. We keep finding more books in various places. Some are cataloged and should be on the shelves, some are brand new, some are old donations, some are leased books - all in a jumble. We have a deadline because the new museum, down that hall, will have its grand open a week from tomorrow, whether the glass cases have come or not.