Goodbye......Shaktoolik

My flight leaves in a mere 2 hours. I've never announced this fact on the blog...but I do not intend to return here next year. This truth is leaving me with a somewhat ominous feeling, mixed with the elation of returning home, but there's one thing that I'll be glad about...

NO MORE SUNRISES AT 4 am!!!



This picture was taken at 3:30 am, before the sun started to come up. Everyone else is used to the light, but it drove me bonkers. Rain fell all last night, and the raindrops reverberating from the roof echo'ed in my mind, reminding me of home (I fell asleep instantly).

Leonard tooke me on a final walk down to Old Site, and as you can see, the snow still prevails. It was actually snowing on Saturday, real flakes falling from the sky. Here's where the beach ends and picks back up into melting snow:



Down at old site, Palmer's new puppies were making quite a ruckus. I wanted to take one of these sled doggies home, but they cost over $600 each.



Leonard and I picked some of the good ol' eskimo curative "stink weed," then we headed back. I'm going to miss happenings like this one:



Yes, that's a 12 year-old boy riding his bicycle with a loaded 12 gauge. He was looking for ducks! When we got back, I started a bonfire down by the beach and it attracted all of the village kids like moths. After keeping all the kids from starting the driftwood caches on fire, I reminded them that I was leaving the next day.



They seem pretty nonplussed and unaffectionate, which was only a reminder of how I am helping perpetuate the cycle of revolving teachers. Maybe it's hard for them not to take it personally that I am not returning next year...but I will miss them dearly. A few students did stop by quite often in the last few days, so maybe I'll have a lasting affect on a few students. There's too much to sort in my head right now, I'll shuffle through my thoughts and make a final post after I reaclimate in Washington next week.