When one moves to a different place, one discovers local customs, ideas, and food.  While walking through the AC Store (Alaska Commercial) we kept seeing big blue boxes of pilot bread.  I didn't really know what it was, but the box was big and cheap, so I decided to buy one.  Turns out Pilot Bread is a large round cracker.  It’s thick and I’m told is hearty when it comes sustainability.  Several local people have said they eat it with dried or canned salmon.  By itself I can’t say Pilot Bread is the most flavorful cracker, but it is good with salmon.  And, Pilot Bread is only sold in Alaska, despite the fact that it’s made on the east coast.

 

 

There are a few fat tire bikes that have been seen around Bethel.  Both Alex and I had the chance to ride one last weekend while we were camping along the river.  One company, originating in Alaska, makes the 9:ZERO:7 bike.  If you are wondering, 907 is the only area code in this vast state.  Anyway, the bike was a blast to ride.  It went through mud and muck and I even plowed down a few baby willow trees.  Are fatties in our future??  Probably not.  Although the frozen tundra (REAL tundra, not that stuff in Green Bay) is supposed to be TOTALLY AWESOME to ride on in the winter.

Our things have arrived!  Most of our possessions are in two shipping containers at the dock yard.  We just don’t have anywhere to put out stuff yet.  We grabbed a few truck loads full and have more clothes and kitchen supplies.  And food.  Opening a can of pizza sauce that didn’t cost $3 is great. We pulled out the bikes and fishing stuff and the DVD player.  I think we’re set for awhile.

And of course, the boat has been in the water.  We had it out two weekends in a row!  The river is big; very big and wide, but shallow.  Some areas are only 2 feet deep.  The problem is that the river is muddy/silty and you can’t see anything in it.  I guess it’s a good thing salmon rely on instinct to get up the river because they’d be in a world of hurt if they relied on eyesight.  Our boat is definitely one of a kind.  We’ve had a lot of comments on it, but I wonder if they are laughing at us too!  Everyone else has a flat bottomed aluminum boat that can take running into a sandbar or gravel bar.  But our boat is enclosed and has a heater, so when we get stuck, we’ll at least be warm.   

 

Two weeks ago, we motored up to Kewthluk (look it up—it’s on the map).  Saw a few barges along the way.  Alex found a spot to pull the boat up to and we got out and hiked.  We climbed a small hill and had a great view.  The winding river could be seen as well as several small lakes.  Brad spotted a sundew (like a tundra venus fly trap), which is really tiny.  Like 2 inches tall and about half an inch across.

 

Sundew

Dark area is from tundra fire last year

What you can't really see is that we are standing in a patch of salmonberries.

They say this old abandoned school is haunted

Last weekend we went about 60 miles or so up river.  As the crow flies, it probably only 20 miles, but the river winds and curves and meanders.  We camped on a mud flat with one of Alex’s co-workers and her family.  Had a fire with drift wood, ate smores, and had conversation in the light of midnight.  We didn’t catch any fish, which greatly disappointed Alex.  He had several poles and tackle boxes to catch almost any type of fish.  I though a hook a worm would have worked. It was so nice out, warm and sunny.  My feet got sunburned.

We continue to pick blueberries, and have some frozen.  Alex made a pie last night which turned out to be part of Brad’s breakfast this morning.  We hope to pick more berries because they are so good and they are so abundant.  Once out of Bethel and on the river, the blueberries grow thick and clumpy like grapes.

 I had the fortune to travel to a village.  I went to Akiak with my preceptor/mentor and her husband, who took us on their boat.  We went to do field follow up on a health aide that recently completed one of the sessions.  Akiak has about 350 people and not very many have cars.  Their main mode of transportation is by boat and the boats are lined up along the river in a marine parking lot. There are more trees there than in Bethel too.  Some are actually tall! The clinic building was funded partly by the Denali Commission (www.denali.gov) and is very nice.  I could live there.  The exam rooms are bigger than what the hospital has and are adequately stocked.  There is even a dental room so patients can get dental care without having to travel (I’m not sure how often the dental staff visits though).  And what is probably the most interesting thing is that Akiak has city water and sewer.  That village is not on the tundra, it’s in a wetland.  It’s 29 air miles from Bethel.  The villagers all have piped water to their homes (unlike Bethel) and only pay $105 per month for the water and sewer.  In Bethel it can run $400 a month.

Akaik Village Clinic

Reception

Waiting room

The general store.

Being in Bethel does not preclude us from injury.  Brad dug out his recorder (don't ask why that thing made the move from Michigan!) and decided he wanted to play it.  He had it most of last school year and NEVER once played it in the house.  I'm not sure what moved him, but he played a pretty good rendition of Three Blind Mice.  He then hung it around his neck, and as he leaned over the coffee table to pick something up, the bell end firmly landed on the table while the mouthpiece jabbed him in the eye.  Good thing I had a Star Wars bandaid and a small pair of scissors--I made my own steri strips.  I think he'll be ok.

The sun now sets before midnight and comes up before 6am.  I was very surprised to get up at 3:00 this morning and see that it was actually dark outside.  In the addage of Game of Thrones, "winter is coming."

Happy Independence Day.


The 4th of July in Bethel is no different than any other place in America: flag waving, parade, lots of candy . . . . But there are no fireworks at night because it doesn't get dark enough.  The Bethel celebration was kicked off with a parade that ended in Pinky's Park.  There were local food vendors and games for the kids.  Lots and lots of people milling around.  The day was cool and windy, unlike the past few days that have been sunny and in the 70's.

Bethel has been our home for over a month now.  I guess you could say we've settled in and life is not much different than any other place.  We get up, go to work, watch Brad play soccer, and then the day ends.  If I could complain (although it won't do any good), I'd mention that I greatly dislike all the dust.  The floor of the house has a continual layer of silty dirt.  No matter how often I sweep, it's always there.  Mix in the dog hair, and it makes for grossness.

 

The fishing season has been limited here.  The salmon have been over fished recently and there have been restrictions on when the locals can net fish.  We kayaked last weekend on the river and floated up a small slough and found several fish camps.  The salmon was cut and hanging to dry.  We spoke to a woman and she said she dries the fish for a few days on a covered fish rack and then puts it in the smoker for a couple of weeks.  The fish rack needs to be covered otherwise the sun would cook the meat.

Our kayaking adventure was quite enjoyable.  We paddled against the current both ways, but didn't go that far.  The river is cold and big.  And muddy/silty so you can't see the bottom.  I was almost beached in my boat because I didn't know I was only in about an inch of water.  My paddle hit the bottom more than once.  Several people whizzed by in their boats and that made Alex wish more and more that our boat was here.

 

These kids were swimming in a small branch of the river.  They helped to push me in the kayak.

We do know that the barge arriving on July 7 will have our truck and boat on it.  We're not really sure about the rest of our stuff, and for all I know it's heading west to Russia or south to Chile.  I suppose losing all the stuff we don't really need wouldn't be a bad deal, but there is a lot of stuff we want and need.  We are forever hopeful that the shipping container will magically arrive next to the boat, because if it doesn't, I'll be calling the moving company and will attempt to raise holy hell.

For me, work has been quite interesting.  I've learned that Bethel is a place that has a lot of disease and illness and many of the native people have died during epidemics.  Before the Haemophilus vaccine, many children died from meningitis, and some just suffered profound brain damage and seizures.  There is still a high prevalence of tuberculosis here as well.  The vaccine rate for both children and adults is high and no one seems to object to being vaccinated (and yes, I know there is no vaccine for TB).  We were told that the Hepatitis B vaccine was tested here in the delta and that Bethel holds a supply of botulism anti-toxin.  The only other anti-toxin is at the CDC in Atlanta.  If I were to stand on my soap box today, I'd say that EVERYONE should be vaccinated against every and all illnesses possible.  The minimal pain inflicted with a shot is nothing compared to a communicable disease that can kill you.  Vaccines don't cause illness or autism either.  And they don't leave scars.

The berries are ripening!  We have picked blueberries and salmonberries, a.k.a bakeapple or cloudberries.  Who doesn't like fresh blueberry pancakes or blueberry shortcake?  We will attempt to make jam, but our canning stuff is on the barge, so I'm not sure what the jam will be put into.  Maybe it'll just go into my belly.  The salmonberries are precious.  People will pick them and then sell them for $75 per gallon bag.  Good thing there are a few patches just behind the house.

Blueberries and Salmonberries

 

 

Last weekend, we took advantage of the beautiful weather.  We found a short trail from a small boat launch to the harbor.  The salmon was hanging up behind  a house

Everyone is friendly

Here is where we work:

  

The"New YK" building where I work

Hospital proper where the clinic is located

Here are a few more photos  

 

Alex's home made bug net.  He sewed it by hand!

Alex is standing below our house

Yes, it gets warm here