Young ice covers the near-shore Chukchi Sea

Remember how when I first arrived here nine nights ago there was a layer of slush ice against the shore, reaching maybe 200 yards out into the night, undulating with the breaking surf rolling in from the dark, roiling ocean beyond? This is what it looks like now. The fellow standing by the four wheeler as he looks out over the Chukchi Sea is Harold Nungasuk, brother of the late, great, Whyborn Nungasuk. Harold was thrilled to see all that young ice, essential to the upcoming spring bowhead hunt. A bit late by historical standards but there it is. And that is good news. 

Text added at 4:36 PM.

The Daily School Bus: Morning boarding

Student boards bus this morning. I was going to wait to post until after my coffee break, to see what else I might have to choose from, but then I was reminded that today is teacher inservice day and the students have been released early. 

IPhone: a camera to laugh at

Floyd Davidson had heard I have been coming into Sam and Lee's for breakfast every morning between 6:30 and 7:00 and wanted to talk cameras and photography with me, so he came over at that time but I was not there. I had gone running around elsewhere, but by 8:30 I was pretty hungry and I headed over. There he was, still at Sam and Lee's waiting to talk cameras and show me some of his recent pictures - including some nice shots of Barrow High School band members. He told me all about the Nikons he is using these days, what he likes or dislikes about each.

"This is the camera I have been using lately," I said as I pulled my iPhone out of my pocket and framed him on my screen. He sat there waiting expectantly, as he had misunderstood and thought I was going to show him a picture on my phone of whatever fancy camera I am now using. Then Floyd realized I had I had just taken his picture with my iPhone and it was the camera I was talking about. He burst out laughing. I took another shot. 

When I went to the cash register to pay, Mrs. Kim would not let me. She said someone had paid for me already. She would not say who. Whoever it was, if you read this, quyanaq! It was a truly excellent breakfast - the best since I have arrived. Denver omellette with mushrooms added.

Text added at 11:02 AM.

Moon over old Ipalook

This is the old Ipalook elementary school, converted now into offices of the North Slope Borough School District. It is a few hundred yards long and I have temporary office space towards one end of the building and I'm staying in Itinerant quarters towards the other. There is a labyrinth of hallway connecting the two, but there are a few doors to pass through and one of them was locked, so I had to go outside to finish the journey to quarters. I didn't mind at all, because I got to see the moon. Suji Niece, this moon is for you.

Text added at 8:13 AM. Even though the Squarespace nightmare may be technically over, until I can get home and find the time to switch to the new format, I still must live with the consequences of the old Squarespace malfunctions. This means I must add the text from my computer, not my phone. I had left the computer in the offices last night when I walked back to quarters about midnight and have now just returned to them. Hence, the big delay between the posting of the picture and the insertion of text.

Billy Sr. with nearly brand-new Billy Jr. at Stuaqpaq AC Value

I might as well put one more up. It won't take long. I stopped briefly at Stuaqpaq AC Value Store, the main grocery store in Barrow, and as I was leaving I saw Billy Ahyakak Sr with his new baby Billy Jr., held snugly in the arms of his mother Lora Okpeaha.