Puppy

I was gettin ready to go skiing when the phone rang. It was my principal. One of my students was trying to track me down. I called him back. "Ms. Lathrop, do you want a puppy?" I have been thinking about getting a second dog for some time. "Okay, I'll be right over." Of course it was at the last house at the end of town so we had too get all bundled up to go over there. I picked out a little girl and carried her home in the bibs of my snow pants.

Zoey meets the Puppy.

What is this ball of fur... it isn't here to stay is it?

Hey! That's my water!

Here she is on my lap just before she fell asleep and peed on me.

Just 5 weeks old, not really ready to be weaned yet, but they were getting rid of them.

Puppy needs a name. Got any idea?

Angel Creek Cabin Trip

Last weekend while in Fairbanks for some Doctors appointments I took the weekend and headed out to a wilderness cabin with my musher friend. I started to ski in while he harnessed up the dogs. I could not stand around while he was getting ready at -25. So I got a good head start. It was only 3 1/2 miles into the cabin. After they passed me on the trail it was not long before I made it to the cabin myself.

On the way out I got to ski-jor behind the dogsled. I was being pulled by a team of 7 dogs. We found a stray dog in the cabin. Half starved and signs that he had been caught in a snare. The poor dog had been eating candle wax and living in the cabin for who knows how long.


Fully suited up for the cold, it stayed around -25 for our whole trip. We almost canceled the trip as it was predicted to get as cold as -40 to -50.




Lower Angel Creek cabin. The upper cabin was nicer, but was booked for the night we were here. If you get a chance, visit the upper cabin, it is about 7 miles back from the road.



This is the mystery mutt we found. Your typical Fairbanks sled dog. No collar, no harness, starving and wounded. Poor guy. Steve took him home and is nourishing him back to health. If no one claims him he may become the newest member of the team. I was willing to take him in, but it would be something of a chore to get him up here.


The dogs have good nesting instincts as soon as I put the hay down they started walking in circles to make their nests for the night.

My Beaver Hat

I am taking a contemporary skin sewing class with a few of the local ladies. I have just completed my first project. A Beaver Hat. One of the warmest hats you will ever wear. Too warm for most days even in the arctic.

After plucking the beaver for my hat in her house, I guess I should let Ashley try it on.... But who does it look better on.

My fingers are numb from pushing the needle through the skin and leather.



So What do you think?

Flat tires and Posessive Principals

As we touched down on the runway on one of my flights back to the village the plane tilted sideways a bit, as if being shoved by the wind. We quickly recover, and as we are taxiing down the runway the pilot asks me if we have a flat. I look out the window. Yup, the tire was damaged and as it was rolling it was pulling away from the rim. At this point we were traveling slowly, we did not make all the away down to the airport "terminal" instead we pulled in near where the fuel is delivered and unloaded the plane there. Ashely was meeting me with Zoey and her sled so she could help pull my bags home. She had to run about 1/4 mile to meet me when she realized the plane was not coming to its normal place. I do not travel light. Every time I have left the village since December I have brought my skis and all my outdoor gear. Zoey got to pull my bag and box of produce home.

There was a blond woman on the plane who looked familiar. When I went over to the school she was there talking with my Principal. She was the principal from Allakakett. (sp.) Over winter break I had met a teacher from Allakakett in Fairbanks. I mentioned this to her, apparently he had told her about our meeting, she said she knew and that He was very happy where he was, as if I was trying to woo him away to come here and teach. I asked her some questions about the high school, and my principal started acting possessive about me. There is high turn over in bush schools, some districts as much as 50% of the staff leaves every year. Theses positions can be hard to fill with the right people. So once they find a teacher they like, they want to hold on to them, but I did not realize how fiercely they would do that!

A few hours later the tire was replaced and the principal from Allakaket was on her way. Time for me to get to work. papers to grade and lesson plans to write after a long weekend away.