Shopping for Food

It's been a wonderful weekend. I flew to Bethel for another new teacher inservice, which I thought was pretty good. We left Friday afternoon at 2:30 and arrived in Bethel a little before 3. We went directly to the district office since this is where we were spending the night. I got my air mattress and went in search of the perfect sleeping spot. I found it: it was a small work room. It was compact and private. Perfect for me. So, I claimed my spot, went to find my friends, and took off for the grocery store.

We went to the grocery store not to shop, but to plan. This was my first stop before dinner, which isn't really a great time to visit the store, but I wanted to check out all the aisles, find the sales, and groan about the prices. I needed to prepare myself for the actual shopping day. Immediately following the inservice on Saturday, I headed out for a few hours of shopping. In August, I had won a gift certificate for Subway. So, Subway was my first stop. I haven't been to a restaurant since July, so I made certain I got exactly what I wanted. I even told them exactly how many slices of tomatoes to put on my sandwich - three. They all laughed at how precise I was with this sandwich.

So, with sandwich in hand, I crossed the street to ACs (Alaska Commercial Co), a grocery store. I gingerly held the handle of my shopping cart as I perused the aisles of goodies. What to get? We had chartered a plane back, so weight wouldn't be a problem. We had 1000 pounds of weight available to us. The plane can handle about 1200 pounds, so I just deducted 200 for the pilot. For the three of us, that meant we each had about 334 pounds. So. . . why not? I got just about everything I wanted. Interested in prices? Okay, here's a sample: 12 quarts of milk - $35.15, white potatoes 5lbs - $6.99, hamburger patties 3lbs - $12.99, 16 cans of tuna - $20, one small bag frozen peas - $6.45, loaf of bread on sale this week $4 ( $8.59 originally), 6 Hostess glazed donuts - $5.79, large lemon joy dish soap - $6.59, eight slices turkey and eight slices cheese - $5.99 each. All in all, I filled one and a half carts full of food and spent $335. I must say my prices may be a bit misleading because I really only bought the items that were on sale! Add about 10% to the cost and that is the actual cost of the items. The weight of my groceries was around 160 pounds. So I took my fair share of weight on that plane! It's one thing to estimate prices; it's another when you are trying to also estimate weight! I think I am set until Christmas. The milk I bought is shelf milk and can last until February. I was thrilled with my purchases and could hardly wait until I got home.

I took a cab to a friend's house and picked up my backsack and computer and headed for the airport. Our flight was scheduled for 6:30 and I was early - 5:30. Sue was there and Pete arrived just after 6:30. The plane was loaded and we were off for home.

The tundra had really changed since the summer. The muted browns and oranges covered the land. No more green! On the lakes you could already see the ice beginning to form. We saw hundreds of geese and ducks flying and just sitting on the rivers. The flight back was lovely. I don't mind flying in these small planes. (Isn't that odd? I just hate being in the large commercial jets and I don't mind one bit these 4 seaters!) We arrived in Akula, and Deanna was there with the boat. It took several trips to load all my boxes into the school boat, and we were off for Akiuk. It was a short, cold ride home. It had just rained, so the temperature had really dropped. We took our time, too, because the river has receded so much. The river by my house has receded at least 15 feet. Just another sign that winter is very close. After several trips from the dock to home, I had all my boxes in my house and the unpacking began. And then dinner. . . Subway!


I have spent the last six weeks cooking my own meals, so having a restaruant meal is a real treat. I don't eat school meals b/c of the cost. Breakfast is $2.50 and lunch is $5.00. At that price, it can really add up fast. Last year they allowed the staff to charge their meals. One teacher ended up paying $600. Six hundred dollars for school lunches is really high for me! So, I cook my own meals.


In addition to shopping in Bethel for food, I have fresh veggies and fruit delivered to me twice a month from Full Circle Farms in Washington. The cost is $54 each time, but I think it is well worth it. The order is filled on a Sunday and delivered to us on a Monday. Actually, they deliver it by plane to Nunapitchuk and we go get it after school by boat. A teacher at Nunapitchuk recruited enough teachers at three nearby villages so the company will make a delivery to us. The food is as fresh as it can get. I will probably do this for the entire year. That makes shopping that much easier! You can do so much when you know you have fresh produce.

So, as you can see I am well feed! Throw in the teacher parties and I don't think I will starve! Life is good out here on the tundra. Not quite like home -but close.

Akiuk, Alaska

I simply can't resist showing you the village of Akiuk. I find it to be such a wonderful little hidden spot. This is what you will see when you enter our village. We travel by boat everywhere. There are no roads. I love riding in the boat. Our school has one boat, and one of the teachers has one. There are so many little inlets to travel. We have two villages close by: Akula and Nunapitchuk. Akula is across the river. It has the airport strip, post office, small grocery store, and hardware store. We have no store on our side of the river. That makes life tough when the river freezes up and when it breaks up. Travel is dangerous. The amount of time involved in freeze-up can be weeks. I'm not certain when freeze-up begins - sometime in early October, I believe.

Nunapitchuk is about three miles from here. The kids have told me that there is a restaurant here. I hope to wander over there before freeze-up. I've been told they serve burgers. I didn't ask what kind of meat is used, though.

Our mailing address is Kasigluk, Alaska. Kasigluk is composed of two villages: Akiuk, where I live, and Akula, across the river. Our total population is around 535 people, predominantly Yup'ik. In fact, English is spoken as a second language. I am learning to speak Yup'ik. I find it to be quite difficult. And, my teachers, who happen to be in kindergarten, will sometimes get impatient with me because they must repeat the words and syllables. Tonight one of my high school students said he would teach me hymns in Yup'ik. I think this will be a wonderful way to learn a language. We do have a church on our side of the river. It is a Moravian church, which is similar to a Baptist church. At the moment, our services are held at 7 PM Sunday evenings. Because we are a subsistence village, people need the time to work gathering food for winter. So, Sunday morning service just doesn't fit the needs of the people. I attend this church, and this is why he volunteered to help me learn the hymns. Our other church is across the river in Akula. It is a Russian Orthodox Church.

Our island village is small. To get to someone else's home you walk on the boardwalk. All homes are connected by this. The walk isn't long. It's only a matter of moments and you are at your destination. This is where I live. My door is on the right side. The front door is for Sue Nick, my neighbor. She has the larger side of the duplex. But I have the view. The Johnson River is behind my house. Sue is wonderful to have as a neighbor! Her children also go to school here. I must point out my propane tank. I do have heat and the ability to cook. No running water though.


The photo on the right is what I see to my right when I step on the boardwalk. The photo on the left is what I see when I walk a little bit around the bend to the left of my house.

As I said earlier, we have no running water. Instead, we use a honeybucket and/or an incinerator. I have both a honeybucket and incinerator. When I want to empty the honeybucket and incinerator, I have just a short walk to the black waste containers. It's not that bad now. But I think the short trip may be a little bit more challenging in icy conditions!

Dogs are very popular around here. We have many, many dogs. I know of no villager who has a cat. Animals are kept outdoors - period! Only the teachers have their dogs inside. Everyone else chains their dogs to its doghouse. I've been told that if a dog should bit or nip someone, it is shot. No questions asked. You might think most of these dogs are sled dogs, but they aren't. The most popular bred is a small terrier. Some of them are absolutely adorable! I do see the larger sled dogs, but I don't believe any are actually used as sled dogs. The snowmachines have replaced the dogs long ago! :)

The kids are pretty much like kids everywhere. They have their iPods, computers, bikes, basketballs, and backpacks. On a warm summy day, or a cool day, they are outside playing.Cell phones just came into the village last year. I have one and I have experienced many dropped calls. We are out in the Bush; it's hard to believe we even have cell phones. I know what you are thinking. Cell phones, internet service, cable tv, and yet no running water. Well. . . what can I say! I think Iwill leave the subject of running water to another day.

Here are some other shots of the village. Enjoy!

Here's a boat coming home.

The building on the right is the apartment building for the teachers. I don't live here. I'm in the duplex. This building has running water! It is the old school building.

This is our school. Notice how it is on pillars. Our land is perma frost. The pillars go deep into the ground.
This helps stabilize the building. Our school is also modular. It can be taken apart and moved if needed. Our land is slowly diminishing. It is believed that someday this community will be underwater.

On the left side of this photo, you can see the structure used for drying fish. This is done in the July. This family also has a vehicle. I'm not certain if it is still in use. We can use the river as a roadway once it freezes over. A few people in Akula do have trucks, but most people will rely on snowmachines.

Here are a few staff pictures. We had dinner together one evening. In the first photo is Carl, our principal, and Vicki and her father. Vicki's parents came to visit her for a week. They helped her set up her room and got to meet the staff. In the next photo is Paul and Deanna. They both teach high school and middle school. And, in the next photo is Denny, Tammy, and Karla. Tammy teaches 4th grade and Karla is our librarian. Denny is married to Karla. We are in Tammy and Pete's apartment. Tammy and Pete remodeled their apartment this summer. It is really nice. They live here year round.

That's it for the photos. I will post more later. :)

Simple Things Sunday, Sept. 6, 2009

Life is good. This weekend is very quiet in the village. Monday is Labor Day and Tuesday is a teachers' inservice, so the students have a very long weekend. Many have left the village. I suspect they are hunting. Moose season has begun. Since there hasn't been a hunting season for moose in five years, everyone is quite excited. Ptarmigan, duck, and goose are also popular right now. Since this is a subsistence village, hunting is extremely important.

Berry picking is also important for the families. On the land near us, you can find salmonberries, blueberries, crowberries, and blackberries. Obviously, not at the same time. They each have their time. Right now we have the final berries - the blackberries. Last weekend, they were at their height. We took the boat out yesterday and crossed over to where the berries grow. Each of us had a gallon bucket. The berries grow low to the ground in a very mossy area. When you walk in this, your foot sinks down about two inches. It feels as if you are walking on the most plush carpet you could ever find. Often the berries are well hidden, so you must kneel to find them. And, as you can imagine, there are many ""no-see-ums" everywhere. I think they, too, must be attracted to the sweetness of the berries and the coolness of the moss.

We worked 3 hours. I probably picked a little more than 1/3 of a gallon. It was such a beautiful day it didn't really matter that the bugs were everywhere and our buckets weren't full. We were out in a field of moss, surrounded by water, soaking in the lovely day. Nothing could be seen except the flat tundra. It was quiet and spectacular. Only occasionally did the geese fly overhead. Out here on the tundra, the fall colors are just beginning to show. Beautiful shades of red are tucked into the browns and greens of the land. It was a lovely day. When we arrived home, I cleaned the berries and put them away. Today I will make blackberry jam.

In the evening, I watched the sun set. I've included two photos of the view from my apartment. I live right on the water. Well, actually, everyone does. The sunsets are spectacular. So, one photo shows the view from my kitchen window during the day, and the other is the same setting at night. The sun sets around 9:30 PM and the spectacular colors usually begin around 10:15. It doesn't last long, but it is beautiful. It's something I look forward to every evening and never miss.

You can tell winter is just around the corner, so I am busy today shopping online for arctic clothing. I can't believe how much I need. Everything needs to be windproof and waterproof, and I need to be certain the clothing is effective for temperatures that are minus 40 degrees. It's a whole new shopping world for me!

I hope this note finds you well and happy. Take care. Enjoy these fall days. They can be so beautiful.

Salmon Time August 23, 2009

On Sunday one of our teachers and a villager (also a student teacher at our school) went out fishing for silvers. They used nets to catch the fish. The boat was big enough for two, so no one else could go. They caught about 40+ salmon, all over 10 lbs. There were probably 5 kings, too. Our staff paid for the gas (around $12 apiece) and then paid $5 per fish.

When they came back to the village with the fish, we all met them. By we I mean the six teachers and 20 or so children. We - the teachers - cleaned, gutted, and filleted/steaked the fish. After a while, we had quite a group of villagers watching us. They were giving us pointers on the best way to fillet the fish. One woman showed us how to fillet them perfectly! And, she was fast. When families go to fish camp, the men catch the fish, and the women clean and fillet them. We even had a group of men watching us. As one told me, "This is better than TV!" They all laughed!

I only bought three fish (probably around 14 pounds once we were finished processing them). I then brought them back to my room at school, washed, and vacuum sealed them. So, I have enough fish for a while. In the winter, we will ice fish for pike and she fish. So, for $27 I have about 14 of the freshest pounds of salmon you could have. And, trust me, it's delicious.

First Week of School August 23, 2009

I survived my first week of school, and I must admit, it wasn't bad at all! My schedule is SE Consultation (kindergarten), Reading, Math, Writing, lunch, Advanced Reading, SE Consultation (kindergarten), Home Tutor, and Plan. We don't place any kindergarten child in SE unless there is a major, major problem. Placement in SE normally doesn't take place until after third grade. Prior to that time, we provide SE services to all children who need the extra help in keeping up with their peers.

Our students are taught in their native language Yup'ik through second grade. Then they enter a year we call Transition. During their year of transition, they receive morning classes taught in English and afternoon classes taught in Yup'ik. After transition year, they enter 3rd grade, which is all English. So, they actually have an extra year of school.

My SE consultation is with the K-Transition. Tough to do since we are supposed to speak Yup'ik! But, most of the kids do speak English, so we get by. I have tried to speak Yup'ik, but they think it's pretty funny. The Yup'ik alphabet has only 18 letters and it is very gutteral. So, for me, it's tough. Even with help from the teachers, I still don't pronounce the words well.

My classes are regular division reading, math, and writing. I have only two students in reading and writing, and I have five in math. My absent percentages have been very high this week - due to hunting. As you might imagine, hunting is an excused absence. I also teach the advanced reading class. Remember, these students are all considered to be ESL students, so reading is still very difficult for them. Right now, I have begun a unit on Edgar Allan Poe. They are all juniors and seniors and have never heard of Edgar Allan Poe. Before you make a judgment, re-read Poe. You may be surprised at how challenging his word choice can be - especially for an ESL student.

For Monday - Thursday our day begins at 8:45 and ends at 4:30. On Fridays, our day ends at 12:20 for lunch and then a staff meeting at 1. The rest of the day is ours to work in our rooms. During school on Fridays, we offer Eskimo Dancing when the students have lunch. I had only one student last Friday, so we went to lunch early so he could dance. The older students dance and teach the younger ones. Since this was a learning experience, I thought hey why not. . . so I joined them. I think I was rather awkward and stood over all of them, but they didn't giggle too much. They just smiled and covered their mouths. I was usually moving my hands the wrong direction. Maybe by May, I'll be dancing and speaking Yup'ik!

Another highlight of the week was our first all school assembly. We had two elders from the village come and talk to the students about respect. They spoke in Yup'ik, so I didn't understand a word. But the kids were attentive. Only the little ones were moving around. One did a handstand! It was rather amusing. Other than that, it was a good start to the school year.

Here's Tammy dancing with a few students.

Throwing Party August 16, 2009

This afternoon while working at school, the teacher in the room next to me came over and said there's going to be a throwing party. I grabbed my camera, coat, and ran. We went over to Agnes and Johnnie's home. They live very close to school. A large group of women had already gathered. We waited only 10 minutes or so and the party started!

A throwing party is in honor of a boy's first catch and given by the boy's mother. Only women and children can come. In this case, a young boy caught his first fox, badger, and otter. His mother had called the women of the community by using the vhf ( like a trucker cb) to ask everyone to come to her home. When I arrived, there were quite a few women already there. I knew many of them b/c of the feast yesterday. I can't name names, but I am starting to recognize faces. Agnes, her sister, and sons were on the roof.

Before the "throwing" starts, the mother says a few words in honor of her son to let us know what he has done. She said it first in Yup'it and then in English (for the kass'aq). Then, they toss kitchen plastic bags to everyone who is present. You need a bag so you can put your catch in it; that way your hands are free for more! When everyone has a bag, the throwing begins! They threw so much that it is hard to name everything. I caught a water bottle, a plastic tumbler, a razor, a scouring pad, socks, and a comb. I got hit by a travel size bottle of J&J powder. Believe me, you had to watch b/c if anyone missed you could get hit!

They threw coffee mugs, towels, plastic baggies, hangers, plastic spoons, wooden spoons, scrappers, baby towels, adult towels, pillows, a sleeping bag, laundry baskets, soap, wash cloths, dish towels, 5 gallon buckets, 1 gallon buckets, plastic bowls of various sizes, and many other items I can't remember. Now when I say they threw hangers, I mean they threw probably 24 or more hangers. For each item I listed, they threw dozens of them. Well, not the sleeping bag. There was only one of that.

Agnes had 4 large Rubbermaid tubs full. She also then threw the 4 large Rubbermaid tubs! After we were done, they threw candy for the children.

We had such a good time cheering and laughing. There were a few friendly tugs on some of the items between women. All in all it was a great time.

Feast August 16, 2009

Today the Akiuk staff went to a feast at one of our Yup'it teacher's home. The feast was held in honor of her mother's death, which was five years ago. Many, many villagers came. We all walked quietly into her home and sat on the floor. It was very crowded, so we were about 3 to 4 people deep against the walls. This is very traditional in a Yup'it home. If you were going to have dinner with your family, the center of the room is where the food is set. You would get your food and go back, sit on the floor and lean against the wall to eat.

However, today was so crowded that this couldn't be done. I'd say we had almost 60-80 people in her home. So, instead, the food was brought to us. We started with dried salmon. This was very fresh. The salmon was cut in strips and lightly brined. It had been oiled, salted, dried and then slightly smoked. It was really good. While we were eating, the female ancestors of the deceased handed out gifts. I came home with lots of goodies: socks, a bowl, a small rubbermaid container, and a variety of candy. There was quite a variety of gifts that were distributed. A lot of thought had gone into the presents. The older women got handkerchiefs that they could wear as scarfs, young women got earrings or necklaces, children got toys. The women kept bringing out more and more bags of gifts. Everyone received many, many gifts. It was fascinating to watch.

Next we were served a bowl of chicken and rice soup. It was delicious and extremely hot (temp, not spice). And finally, we were served the infamous Eskimo ice cream. I've attached a photo of this for you to see. There were two large scoops. One was salmonberry and the other was another type of berry. The salmonberry was excellent. I ate it all. The other was good, but I had to bring that one home.

I don't really have the recipe for the ice cream, but I do know it is made by whipping Crisco and then adding sugar and berries. I don't know the porportions. You could just google the recipe. I'm certain you will find it!

As the men finished dinner, they adjourned to the kitchen table where they were served dessert - bread with butter and raspberry jelly - and coffee. It took more than 30 minutes for all the men to have a chair at the table. You need to wait your turn for a chair. When the men are done, then the women slowly take a chair at the table. You stay only a few minutes at the table and say your goodbyes. I couldn't eat anything else, so I took my slice of bread home. You are expected to take all the food prepared, and if you can't eat it all, you simply take it home for later.

After all that food, we took the school boat across the river to take a walk. Our side of the village has a boardwalk, which is perhaps only 1/2 mile long if you make it a round trip! On the other side of Kasigluk - the Agula side - there is a path along Fox Lake. It's not really a lake, but it is called that. So, we did perhaps a 1.5 mile walk and returned to our village.

I'm here at the school this evening. Actually, everyone is here working. School starts Monday. Our custodian told me his wife went shopping in Bethel today for school clothes for the kids. What an expensive journey for them! It costs $170 roundtrip to fly to Bethel. We have no roads; we can only fly. And, we have no stores. The internet is available, but the shipping costs are almost the same amount as the item you purchase!

It's quiet here this evening. I have a lot of work to do for school Monday. So, I will call it an evening. I'll write again next week.

Week 2: Monday, August 10th, 2009

Week 2 in Alaska! That seems so hard to believe. The time has flown! I am settled down in my apartment. I am still organizing and cleaning. I have a lot to do. I believe the last teacher cleaned the apartment, but the people who were here for the summer institute did not. It has been a very time consuming task. It takes a long time for me to do anything that involves water.

As you know, I have no running water, which means I carry water from school to my apartment. I have been carrying it in a five gallon camping jug that I brought from home. They have two five gallon hard plastic jugs for me in my apartment and a holding tank (plastic Rubbermaid garbage can). I brought the Rubbermaid can to school and scrubbed it out with bleach water. Pretty tough to reach the bottom. I will begin the process of filling it with water when I can get a boy to carry the water for me! The cost for doing this is two cans of soda. Sounds reasonable to me.

The school water is drinkable. However, I still run my drinking water through a distiller. It takes three hours for the distiller to do 3/4 gallon of water. The good thing about this is the distiller really warms the room. Right now, it's not a good thing. I have no screens on my windows and cannot open them b/c of flies, mosquitoes, and no-see-ems. The no-see-ems are tiny gnats that are barely visible. So, with our weather in the upper 60s and the hot sun shining through my windows with no blinds, it's hot! No problem. In times like these, I simply walk to school.

Because I have no water, I take my shower and do my laundry here at school. And, that's what I have done this morning. This afternoon I am going back to Bethel for another two days of inservice. I will also do some more shopping for cleaning supplies. Darn. I forgot to bring my grocery list so I could tell you some of the prices. Next time.

Also, since I have no water in my apartment, I have an incinerator for a toilet. It sort of looks like a toilet. You place a paper cone in it, do what you need to do, and then step on a lever and then cone drops into a holding place. Next, hit the button for it to burn and open the outside air duct. It burns it all up. Now, if it works correctly, everything is fine. I thought when you hit the button, it was puff and gone. Noooo. . . it also takes about three hours to incinerate b/c it is a small coil that warms and burns. It also needs to be cleaned on a weekly basis. Ick is right.

Life is good - really. Just a few minor problems. I think I am adjusting rather well. Today we leave for Bethel. I only need to purchase cleaning supplies and shades! That should cost a couple of hundred dollars! I think the district will pay for the shades. While in Bethel, we have a district-wide inservice. Our district is the size of West Virginia, so this is extremely expensive for us to get together. We have 328 teachers; 53 are new. That's not too bad of a turnover when you remember the harshness of our environment. Many newbies are like me: here for the experience. I'm not certain how the inservice will be run, but I do know I will have Special Ed training. We also get together at other times during the year to be certain we are compliant with the rules and regs. My SE friends know what I am talking about.

Today's photo is of the cotton grass. It is beautiful. Not useful, just pretty. I took this photo the first day I arrived. This grass grows along the boardwalk in the village. I think the wind always blows. I'm glad, too. Otherwise, the mosquitoes and flies would be dreadful!

Hope all is well with you. Later, Maria

Arrival in Akiuk August 6, 2009

I have arrived in Alaska and am doing well. I arrived in Bethel, AK Monday evening at 8 PM. It was such a smooth flight it was unbelievable. I would never mind flying if it was always like that. Not one wobble, bump, dip - you name it. Smooth sailing! At the airport, I was met by a representative of Lower Kuskokwim School District who took me to the Long Hotel, where I stayed the next three nights.

Our meetings were very good. The first day we discussed curriculum. One of our first activities was to introduce yourself to someone sitting near you. I introduced myself to the girl next to me only to find out she was from Troy, IL and her family was from Ohio near Cincinnati. Her last name was Martin. My g-g-g-grandmother was a Martin. We simply decided we were related. She had those Lane blue eyes.

In the evening we went fishing. I hooked my first silver - about 15 pounds - only to lose him. I got him to the boat, but we didn't have a net. We would have easily landed him had we had a net. I still can't believe the guy who took us out forgot to put the net in the boat. They remove everything out of the boat after they are done b/c of theft. He simply didn't put the net in the boat. What a shame! It would have been a great picture. But the six people on the boat were my witnesses to the one that got away!

More training on Wednesday. I spent the evening shopping - looking for things that I might need. On Thursday, we had our cultural training. It was excellent. We learned the feather dance and a few Yupik words. In the afternoon I went to the grocery store for a few things and spent $300. Next time, I will give you my list. Believe me, it's a fairly short list! I needed meat, milk, and paper items. I wanted to buy as much as I needed b/c our principal had rented a charter and that meant I wouldn't have to pay for shipping. We are going back for more training on Monday evening, so once again, I am making my shopping list.

We arrived in Akiuk/Kasigluk on Thursday evening around 7 PM and immediately the kids came out to meet us. The town is fairly empty right now b/c there is a feast at a nearby village. So, we met about 7 or 8 kids. I told them my name was Maria and they immediately said Mar - eee - a. I can't really put the pronunciation in here. It almost sounds Spanish they way they say it. It's really cute.

And, yes they love to visit. I try to allow them in at all times. They come in, walk through my house and look at everything, sit for a few minutes, and then leave. They come back regularly - I'd say probably 3 times a day. Last night the group came over to say Hi while I was eating split pea soup (Healthy Choice), and they wanted to see what it looked like. They all wrinkled their noses and one brave boy said ick! So, I asked them what their favorite soup was and their response was Moose Soup. Mmm. . . I'll let you know.

I have met quite a few community people and school people. I have enjoyed myself immensely thus far, so I am glad I am here. They have not had a special education teacher here at this school in two years. The teachers are all having dinner together tonight, so I need to get back to my apartment. It's about a two minute walk from my classroom.

Later-
Maria



Akiuk, Alaska 053.JPG