Sentry Duty

Every year at Spring Breakup, there is the constant concern of flooding--especially for villages downriver. And Alakanuk is about as far downriver as you can get. The reason this makes such a difference is that you are not only dealing with your own ice, but you get everyone else’s ice too. So it can cause quite a jam.

But people prepare. Families with boats drag them up to the house and tie them there. That way, the women and kids can just climb into the boat if they needed to evacuate to higher ground.

The other day, Rod, a friend of our boys, was over. He’s a cute, energetic kid who makes me laugh. But that day, he was exhausted. He said he’d been up all night standing sentry duty. That meant flood watch. He was to watch the water level and warn others if the river started flooding so they could all get to higher ground. But I didn’t know which spot he had been watching...the Yukon River or the Alakanuk slough or channel...at the dock or further down...was he on duty for the town, or just their house...

So I asked, “What were you standing duty for?”

He grinned and belted out, “For the s’mores!” (You know...those gooey-chocolate-marshmallow-graham-cracker-delights that every kid loves.)

Sentries get a camp fire and all the s’mores they can eat. And apparently the bribery works...the guys suddenly become cooperative and are actually willing to stay up all night and watch the ice melt. Sounds about as exciting as watching paint dry--except that paint doesn't threaten to flood you out of house and home.

Teenage boys the world over have a great perspective on life. “Forget about danger--just feed me s’mores!”