It's Getting Crowded in These Parts

The effects of the economic situation are more far-flung than many in the Lower 48 might realize. With the cost of electricity, gasoline, and heating oil rising by astronomical leaps and bounds, many Alaskan Bush communities are making tough decisions.

Gasoline in Anchorage is deplorably high; around $5.00 for diesel, $4.76 for regular. Gasoline in Bush areas like Ekuk, Kake, and St. Lawrence Island can range anywhere from $8.00 a gallon to almost $12.00; tough enough if you have a good job, almost impossible if you don't. The cost of heating oil is even more dire; $9.00 a gallon to heat the small oil-burning portable furnaces most Bush families use in their small, poorly insulated homes. It takes about 7 gallons to effectively provide heat overnight when outside temperatures hover between 15 and 25 degrees below zero.

Schools are closing; district superintendents cannot cut the budget any further to meet the critical demand for fuel. As one put it, "you can't turn on only half the lights, or heat only part of the building." As a result, children are flowing into the Anchorage School District like ice during Breakup. The district has had a 7% increase in student enrollment since August, and the numbers continue to grow. Many of these children did not come in the company of their moms and dads, instead, they were flown to Anchorage to be met by a relative or friend willing to board them for the school year.

For a child who has never been more than a few miles from his or her village, the culture shock can be overwhelming. Strange customs, sights and sounds demand their attention and distract from the job at hand, and the schools are doing all they can to support them through after school activities, tutoring, and even meals.

It is a lesson in grace, this influx of children. Families doing all they can to educate their children, in the best way they know how.

Bear and the Beetles

While helping Yukon clean out the garage on Saturday, Bear wandered out to the front yard's lone birch tree. Wanting to climb it, he was deterred by a colony of unusual lady-bug type beetles that came streaming out of a cut in the trunk.
This captured his attention for the rest of the afternoon, and the procurement of a small magnifying glass just added to the excitement of looking at the "lady bug village".
We're not sure if the beetles survived our hard freeze last night, so our experiment today is to see if they are still wiggling.

Autumn Checklist

Let's see, tires changed over, flowerbeds cleared out, hoses detached, outdoor electric cords found ("plug in at 20 or below!"), snow shovels located.

I guess we're ready. Bear found the summer tires quite amusing. You can see that the leaves are in full color now; it is expected to drop down into the 20's tonight.

Update From the Wolf Den

There was nothing to talk about on Tuesday. And we loved it. Wolf has had a good week; reports from school, RT (recreation therapy, a daily program), and staff on the unit at CHYC have been more positive than in a long, long time.

The school's "level" system requires that the kids maintain a level for a period of time before moving up to the next one, easier said than done, as there are stars to be earned and contracts to be fulfilled. That said, the students always seem to rise to the challenge eventually, and the levels become their lives. Not a bad thing, considering that they are focused on what they need to do to accomplish the next step up. And, they are very aware of how to get dropped.

Now that Wolf is on the "Rising" level this week, he has his room back the way he wants it. A new comforter, pillows, and sheets bought by moi during my visit. He also can put back up his posters and pictures. He is comfortable, and we want him to remember how un-comfortable it was to not follow the program.

Yukon and I took a few moments to tell him how proud of him we were, and we could hear his grin over the phone. Have you ever heard a grin?

Autumn Upon Our Return

Somehow in the short 10 days we were away from Alaska, it became full-fledged autumn. Not only are the trees vibrant yellow, but the snow is on top of the mountains and rapidly descending. Dang. Guess I had better do more than talk about getting the winter gear out of storage.

Our last few days in Portland were uneventful, thank goodness. A baby shower for my sister, a trip downtown to ride a streetcar, simple things that are easier when one feels up to doing them. My body appears to be on the healing track, although I am still sore and tired. Yukon says my brain needs to heal as well, since I made myself believe I was dying. Psych self out - that's me.

We arrived home to find the house meticulously cleaned by the dog-sitter. She earned our eternal admiration and respect for staying with a dog that on the first day made her think he was going to chew up her ankles and bark until her eardrums broke. A three-day adjustment period later and the two were inseparable. The photos are examples of her thoughtfulness and dedication to her dog-families; she laid out pillows for Jasper's comfort and ambiance, and even cleaned my bathroom downstairs! How often do you come home to the toilet paper folded up in a little triangle? Not often. She's hired forever.

We are happy to be home, happy to be in Alaska where life is slower and the frenetic pace, even in Portland, is slower and seemingly unaffected by recent world/national events. Kind of nice to worry about simple, life-things; wood for the fire, putting the gardens to bed, keeping moose out of the ornamental bushes, that sort of stuff.

I am drinking tea and watching the rain fall outside my window.

An Unwanted Momento From Portland

I just woke up from a three-hour nap, finally sleeping after an exhausting, frightening, and painful few days.

On Tuesday night, after a wonderful celebration for Father-in-Law's 91st birthday, my lower stomach began aching in a most dreadful way, becoming progressively worse on Wednesday. Prompted to return from work early, Yukon found an acceptable ER to visit, and we spent a few quality hours there together before the diagnosis of an ovarian cyst was made. Today I am embraced by a Vicodin-induced euphoria, hanging out at the in-law's condo while Bear is at the Zoo visiting a baby elephant with his auntie and grandma.

I am in debt for life to the incredible nursing and physician staff at Providence Milwaukee, Ore. Besides listening to and empathizing with my rising sense of panic as such tests as blood draws and CAT scans were ordered, they also congregated in my little room with Yukon and I to discuss Alaskan politics. Yukon and I were of course happy to do our part for the election effort.

For those inclined to worry; don't. I am fine, or will be as soon as the thing goes away. At least I get to read books all day with no interruptions.

Frank, Frank, Frank...

In my research for this week's piece for Working Mother magazine's online scoop for the 2008 Palin/McCain election campaign, I came across some very interesting tidbits of information on our former Governor, Frank Murkowski.

Did you know that...

Frank's appointment of daughter Lisa to fill his fat Senate seat in 2002 led to a 2004 ballot measure stripping governors of appointing senators, only one of 3 states to do so.

Toward the end of Frank's term, he brokered a gas line deal that was never considered by the legislature in its final form, and only a lawsuit by legislators kept him from signing it w/out their approval?

Frank tried to get the Dept. of Homeland Security to underwrite the cost of the now infamous Jet? Needed it to keep his state safe, don't you know?


My friend J. in Homer told me a funny story about the first time she went to Juneau for a business trip. She noticed a bunch of little yellow flags with Murkowski's mug on them, stuck in the ground here and there with no apparent pattern. She asked a client what they all meant, and received this reply.

"They are there to mark all the dog poop spots in the grass."

The piece for Working Mother should be up by the end of the week.