QUINAHAWK, ALASKA

Our daughter, Susan, a resident of Alaska, has often gone out into small villages in that state to give workshops to families who are caring for a "differently-abled" child. I think she has even slept on the schoolroom floor on these trips. It's a different world! 


A friend sent me the following clip. I sent it to Susan, whose response I'm including. I love the community effort exhibited in this film. I hope you'll find it 4 minutes well spent.

Begin forwarded message:

From: Susan Humphrey <humphrey.susanjan@gmail.com>

Date: October 26, 2011 9:14:33 AM PDT

To: Jane Humphrey <jane@humphreynet.com>

Subject: Re: Joyful school computer project

Yes and it still makes me smile and cry all at the same time. Quinahawk is like many villages I have spent time in.

On Tue, Oct 25, 2011 at 2:00 PM, Jane Humphrey <jane@humphreynet.com> wrote:

Had you seen this? Mom Done like you've never seen before. This video from the small

Yupiq Eskimo Village of Quinhagak, Alaska , was a school

computer project intended for the other Yupiq villages

in the area. Much to the villagers' shock, over a half million

people have viewed it. For your turn to view, Click: HERE  Runs approximately 4 minutes

FROM ALASKA

AN EMAIL CAME from Susan earlier this week:


If I had a blog I would blog about this moose.  I was at Ryan's over the weekend visiting with him and Jaimee. Jaimee noticed the moose first walking past the window then stopping.  He must have just stepped over the fence.  He was really checking us out checking him out.  Avi the dog wanting to bark at it but obeyed when Ryan told her to hush.  Ryan lives in a typical neighborhood, with apartments and houses.  One would think this was out in the woods.  

I'm not sure how well I'd handle this if it happened to me. But then, when Ryan was just a slip of a lad, he could identify and name a moose before he could recognize a cow. Having moved to Alaska when he was 2, he's nearly a native son.

ALASKA NEWS

Just in from Alaska, Susan wrote:

"Yesterday's weather could not have been more perfect! I took alot of pictures and attached are a few. 

I love this picture.  This was taken at Crystal Lake, the cabin we go visit mostly in the summer.  It is along the Iditarod race route and we were there yesterday to cheer the teams on to the destination, Nome Alaska.  Jill, Starla and I got to ride behind a snow machine on the couch. Fun."   

Seated: Jill on the left, Susan on the right.

"Our friend Starla wearing the fox tail that fell off of Jim Nelson's fur hat.  Too funny." 

I've heard people complain about the race being cruel to the dogs but then I've read in more than one place that the dogs are born to run and love the races. I think I believe the latter. 


Unless you're in a tearing rush, I highly recommend reading (it's interesting and won't take but a few minutes) author Gary Paulsen's Iditarod Journal.
Reading it, I learned this


"The Inuit call the northern lights the souls of children waiting to be born which is a wonderful way to look at them."


And on that lovely note, I'll say goodbye for today.