A Year In The Life - Day 367, May 22, 2015

Well, I wanted to keep on going with the posts until the last day of school, even though it is a mite over a year.  Here is the last one:  The after-school barbeque dance, just getting underway with some of the staff encouraging some wallflowers to join and showing us how its done!  Happy summer to all!!!

A Year In The Life - Day 366, May 21, 2015

With one more half-day of school to go, the trapping class took our last walk of the year.  The last walk ever, I guess you could say.  Not likely that class is going to be taught next year.  We sure have learned a lot.  They caught everything they set out to learn to catch. Trapping is a good teacher on so may levels.  Patience, persistence, hard work - nothing's easy.... the list goes on.  Everytime you leave the house to go trapping you will learn something.   Maybe about yourself.  Maybe about the animals.  Maybe about nature.  Maybe about life.  Maybe about the skeptics and the haters.  Catching fur and receiving a check is the least of the benefits, though worth every minute - even during the lean times when you aren't making much money.  I'm going to miss you guys!!

A Year In The Life - Day 365, May 20, 2015

Found a bunch of fiddleheads today, and boy oh boy have they changed since we were out picking them a while back.  Clusters like this are standing tall everywhere at this point.  Many still edible, but some are likely already 'bittering up' and getting tough.

A Year In The Life - Day 364, May 19, 2015

We will surely think of the Yukon in our soon-to-be-absence.  Today was a bit windy, and this boat, though quite operational, (we watched it run downriver yesterday) took on some water.  Warren found it to be just another curiosity to check out as we made our way along the banks.  Afterward, I snapped the shot of the incoming waves as the wind picked up again and got the muddy water broiling once more...that mountain in the distance from upriver has been part of many of these pics - but never with that perspective. :) One more day to go to make the year, but I will hold out until school is over and keep on going.  After all, that is the reason we came here, and the school year coming to a close is the next step in our leaving...

A Year In The Life - Day 363, May 18, 2015

Found this new sprout today on our river walk, while looking for skipping rocks with Warren.  Close to the water as this one was, it is likely doomed in short order, as the Yukon is still rising steadily.  Nice to see new growth though, and it is showing up everywhere...the lower hillsides are already looking green now...

A Year In The Life - Day 362, May 17, 2015

Spotted this bee on the ground sunning itself this afternoon...barely.  Just crawled out from somewhere, as he was just warming up to spring and could barely move yet...

A Year In The Life - Day 361, May 16, 2015

Well today marked the Hummel "Everything must go" sale!  This is one pic of some of the mayhem we turned the cafeteria into up at the school.  Turnout was great and we sold most everything!!

A Year In The Life - Day 360, May 15, 2015

Warren and Abram at a stand-off in the midst of one of their dirt-clod battles :)

A Year In The Life - Day 359, May 14, 2015

One of the students took their cultural willow bark stripping to a whole new level out on the playground today...they twisted up a bark "man" and left him on some of the poles...AWESOME STUFF!!

A Year In The Life - Day 358, May 13, 2015

A shot looking upriver while Warren plays with a group of friends on the bank.  Memories forever...

A Year In The Life - Day 357, May 12, 2015

W had a great time out hunting for fiddleheads this afternoon.  He was all too anxious to be the first one to point out new clusters as we came across them :)

A Year In The Life - Day 356, May 11, 2015

On today's walk we came across the first wild currant plant showing leaves and blossoms.  A shame we won't be around to harvest this summer...

A Year In The Life - Day 355, May 10, 2015

Happy Mother's Day!!!!!

You can see the love :)

The revered story time :)

Airplaning together :)

A Year In The Life - Day 354, May 9, 2015

One of the students posing with his shot of the day complete with a Warren smile in honor of W - he nailed this one from about 60 yards with the matthews genesis during archery club's shoot in the wee hours of the morning...

A Year In The Life - Day 353, May 8, 2015

No surprises here...more frog fun still ongoing...

Wood Frogs, Baby!!

The time of year has come again. :)  The Wood Frogs are back!  Spring is here!  In case you didn't know, Wood frogs are badasses.  Their cells contain an antifreeze compound, and during winter hibernation in Alaska, when all the interstitial spaces (fluid and spaces between cells) in their bodies freeze solid, their cells remain intact.  When spring comes, they literally thaw out and start crawling around again.  Their first priority:  Breeding.  Check them out at this link, for some brief info:  Wood Frog info here :) (Thanks, NWF)

Last week, we went down to the airstrip and found ice still all over the ponds.  A few days later, it was open water, but nothing.  Tonight, the frenzy was on!!!  Each spring, the wood frogs crawl out of wherever it is they hide all the bitter winter long, mate like crazy for a matter of days, and then, Poof!...they're gone.  Gone as in, you won't hear another frog chirp all summer long...or fall...they just crawl back to whatever rock, log, mud, or wherever it is they came from.  It's awesome, and we have come to really enjoy the little buggers.  Last year we caught a mating pair, then raised the eggs and tadpoles in one of the classroom aquariums.  We won't be doing that this year, but it is still fun chasing the adults and (soon) the tadpoles, once they emerge here shortly.  Here's some pics!

First, the reason for all this mayhem:  The eggs that will become the young of the year...

So, the congregating goes something like this.  The females, who are bigger than the males, will have one (or several) suitor (s) grab on to her and get carried around on her back for while until mating occurs, and then the eggs will be laid and fertilized.  This creates quite a spectacle, as you have a bunch of males sitting around calling, and then some females carrying a bunch of piggybacking males around.  Here's some more shots:

Here is a shot of Warren and I surveying the scene for potential targets...in this case, it is the flooded meadow at the end of the old (unused) airstrip.

What we were looking at:   See any frogs?.....       Oh, Yes.  Yes, you do...

And here is the first Jing image of the post... Same image, but this is what I meant by "Yes you do." And yes, each arrow IS in fact pointing to a frog. :)  More Jing later...

Here are some close ups of some of the mating clusters:

Here is a cluster with extra potential suitors nearby, just waiting for their chance...or maybe they're just taking a break...

Here is another indication of just how dense the congregations are.  This attendance stretches as far as the water goes.

And just in case you missed any... :)  (There are 15.....at least...)

Last, but definitely not least, a couple shots of the boys enjoying the heck out of it all, as usual.

We may be crazy, but this is fun stuff!!  Wood Frogs ROCK!

A Year In The Life - Day 352, May 7, 2015

Today's pic of the day is one that also appears in the "Wood Frogs, Baby!"  post immediately following this one.  This is the short version. :)  "They're baaaaaaaack!!!"

Here is a shot of the flooded meadow where we found them:

And here is a duplicate with 'visual aids' :)  That's right, there are fifteen of them in this pic....at LEAST.  :)

Wood Frogs are awesome!  Here's a link:  More info about wood frogs!!

A Year In The Life - Day 351, May 6, 2015

So, on top of a tote of potting soil in my classroom, I keep my electric water heater for coffee.  I discovered that under the lid, where all that warmth apparently creates condensation to go along with all the darkness (from never opening the lid)...we have mushrooms!!!  I haven't identified species, yet, but if I can I will update...They are cool either way, but I surely am not going to try them :)

A Year In The Life - Day 350, May 5, 2015

Happy Cinco De Mayo!!

Here is a bit of bush Alaska uniqueness.  Here in RSM, we practice dog control the old fashioned way.  Hang a sign for notice, then drive around the village and cull the ferals.  Keep the children (and pets you'd like to keep) indoors...the twelve gauges are going to bark...

Don't knock it, it works like a charm.  If the lower 48 adopted this "draconian" set of tactics, (what THEY might call it) there'd be a lot less feral cats and dogs roaming around causing havoc...

Here's the sign, hanging in our 'town' store, right under everything for sale:  and Nope, I didn't print it myself :)  ...that office phone number is legit...

A Year In The Life - Day 349, May 4, 2015

A shot today of some spring meat hanging on the poles.  This time it's a brace of beavers, skinned and ready for the pot...

A Year In The Life - Day 348, May 3, 2015

The first robin photographed this spring.  Always remember how Grammy H used to say "Spring's not here 'til we see the first robin" back home in PA.  They're not the same indicator here necessarily, but every spring when they show up it feels the same.

A Year In The Life - Day 347, May 2, 2015

The birds are back in force now.  Can't go far outside without hearing a shot or two if you are up in the morning.  That's Warren's blaze orange camo beanie in the first pic as we looked up at the passing flock, and then got another as they moved away.

A Year In The Life - Day 346, May 1, 2015

Searching for the first wood frogs to emerge has begun.  The ponds down by the old airstrip are now ice free, but still no signs.  Started out slow last year, exploded, and then vanished almost instantly...we'll see how this spring goes...