Our Trip Home

The boys and I are now in Anchorage.

We left Alakanuk yesterday (Friday, April 10th) about 11:00 and traveled to Emmonak by snow machine. It was a really cold trip. Notice the picture taken from the school deck just before we left (the parking area with frosted trees behind).

The snow machine trip that normally takes 30 minutes took us 40 because we had to go so slowly. Tanner may be staying in the lower 48 for school next year, so we brought all of his stuff, plus what Taco and I will need over the summer. And we had to carry it in the sled behind the snow machine. And of course, there were four of us going, and we can only fit three on the machine. So Keri and Tanner and I rode on the machine, and Taco rode on top of the giant tote in the sled and held on tight. I rode looking back the entire trip. I couldn’t see him, but I could see his shadow. If there was too much bouncing, I would whack Keri on the arm, and he would slow down. I wanted to ride on the sled (because I didn’t want my son back there), but the others shot the idea down fast. The sled was weighed down enough without having me back there. The pictures are of us sitting in the middle of the Yukon River when Keri stopped to tighten Taco’s hood because it kept flying off. And Taco’s jacket isn’t gray—it is covered in snow and ice.

Our flight to Anchorage was awesome. We were in a big plane (see picture of the boys about to board). It had two seats on each side of the aisle instead of just one seat. And it had a stewardess! I’ve never heard of such a thing in the bush! She served juice in BIG cups, and she offered refills. And even better, there was a bathroom! That’s another first. There wasn’t running water in the bathroom, though. Instead, the sink was filled with packets of moist towelettes. But at least there was a working toilet.

And we are now sitting in Anchorage waiting for our flight out at midnight on Sunday night. We are in a nice hotel (thank goodness for Priceline). And Keri said that it’s a good thing we left when we did, because we probably wouldn’t have been able to get out over the weekend. A big storm hit and there’s no sign of it letting up—and nothing flies when the weather is like that.

But we are in warm Anchorage. It is 32 here right now. And it’s supposed to get up to 39. It’s a tropical paradise. So I’m going to go get ready for the day, and we are going to go out and enjoy the heat wave.