All the News that Barks!

My life is generally quiet and uneventful. If it weren't for the three dogs who live with me, it would be downright boring. No chance of that happening!

Cody checks to make sure I'm still
following him.

Cody loves his life here in Atka. He's been quite sad since my teaching partner left for the summer; her dog Sam is Cody's best friend. Sam is spending the summer up in the village proper, and rarely comes down to visit. Cody goes over to their old house and searches for Sam, whimpering as he does. I tell him that Sam is gone, but Cody knows he's still around, just not "here." However, Cody is a busy dog with things to do. He shakes off his sadness and starts his rounds of exploration. As long as he doesn't go into the village, he's free to go wherever he likes; the village itself has a leash law. I'm not sure how Cody knows that, but he never goes into the village. Or, rather, if he has ever gone there, no one's told me so.

Shadow has to check, too!

Shadow also has a lot of freedom. The fact that he's roughly 1/6th Cody's size doesn't seem to inhibit him in any way. The only danger he faces is from the eagles. About 2 weeks ago, a friend showed up at my door with Shadow under his arm. He'd found the little guy a half mile down the road, toward the village. He wouldn't have noticed Shadow, except there were eagles circling him overhead. He grabbed Shadow and brought him home before the eagles could snatch him. It's early in the season yet; the salmon aren't running, and the eagles are hungry. For a few days after that, I walked Shadow on his leash. When I let him wander free again, I kept him in sight. As long as he returns when I call him, I can let him be free. If he doesn't respond to my voice commands, I put him back on the leash for a walk or two. It's amazing how obedient he becomes when he again has freedom. I sure hope the salmon hurry up!

What a sweet face! I think she looks like a miniature golden
retriever with a curly tail.

Scamp is now an adolescent pup. She hasn't been well-socialized to humans, mostly because there are few humans or opportunities for socialization in Atka. There is now a group of scientists living in the empty houses around us and working at the school. Scamp has been barking at the strangers. Then she started barking at their numerous vehicles. And then she started chasing the vehicles. I had to walk her on leash just to keep her safe. I kept her on leash in the house, too, because she wasn't responding to me anymore when we were outside.

Keeping Scamp on her leash all the time was exactly what she needed. The strategy is that being under my control at all times teaches her that all good things come from me. All bad things come from me, too. Her life is better when she behaves in a way that pleases me, so she learns to behave the way I want her to. Now when we go outside, she willingly approaches the scientists, tail wagging. She ignores their vehicles, except to get out of the way if they're moving toward her. Inside, she initiates play with me. We play Tug and Fetch. When I tried to teach her Fetch a few weeks ago, she wasn't interested. Now she brings me Ellie, her hot pink stuffed elephant, over and over for me to toss in the air.

Cody and Scamp play rough!

When I take all the dogs out for a walk, with Scamp on her leash, we set off single file, with Cody in the lead. He knows where he wants to go. If I don't head in the direction Cody is "suggesting," he turns around and follows us. He eventually ends up in front again, since Scamp wants to sniff everything and thus slows us down. Shadow trots along behind, keeping me in sight. It's an odd canine version of Follow the Leader.

I've been undecided about whether or not I was going to keep Scamp. Our relocation to Craig is logistically rather difficult. I considered putting her up for adoption in Anchorage, after I got her to a vet for shots and spaying. The biggest problem was - and is - getting Scamp, in her crate, Cody, in his service dog harness, Shadow, in his carry-on shoulder bag, a suitcase, a backpack, and me all onto the plane to Oregon and then from the plane to the car. The trip from Oregon to Craig isn't as bad because we'll be taking the ferry. I finally decided that Scamp is coming with us no matter what. Dogs aren't disposable; the decision to adopt a dog is a lifelong commitment unless something truly monumental happens. Moving isn't that monumental, no matter how difficult the logistics are!

So, my little family will move together in about 3 weeks. We'll have 2-3 weeks of staying in hotels and kennels. That is to say I'll be staying in hotels, while Scamp and Shadow stay in kennels. Cody will spend time in both. We'll be in our new home late on July 31. No more free run of the island; they'll all be on leashes until I can get a fence put in. Not only is there a leash law, but there are black bears and wolves on the island. There are some places they'll be able to run and play, like on the beach. I think they'll be happy there. I think we'll all be happy there!

Spring!

Landscaping by Mother Nature

Spring comes late to the tundra. March 21 is just another day on the calendar. Spring, which is to say less winter, starts in May. The first sign of the approaching spring is that the snow disappears from the ground and isn't replenished. There might be a sprinkling of snow in early spring, but it doesn't stay. The mountains remain white, but the whiteness begins to retreat until only the tops of the mountains are covered in snow. The air temps warm a bit, but not very much. The air feels heavier because it carries more moisture.

Even dandelions are pretty when
allowed to grow freely!

One of the first things I noticed was bird song. The eagles and ravens are here all winter, but the small birds that chirp and chatter were absent. Then, one morning, I heard them. I never noticed their absence, but I was happy to welcome them back.

Beautiful purple spikes
stand above the grasses

Bit by bit, the dried brown grasses give way to new green shoots. The greenness spreads first along the ground, and then up the mountains. Just as the snow creeping down the mountains heralded the onset of winter, the green creeping back up shows that spring is here.

These tiny white flowers
remind me of chamomile,
but I don't know what
they are.

Then the tundra bursts into bloom. My favorite color is purple, so you can imagine how happy it makes me that the predominant flower color is purple. There are also some yellow flowers and some white ones, but the only ones I've identified are the dandelions.

I love the way the silvery-green
foliage contrasts with the
brighter greens of other plants!

People continue to wear boots, since the ground is marshy. They wear jackets, but not heavy coats. The scarves, ear muffs, and gloves are gone until next winter. There seems to be more activity, but that's only because the workers are back at the cannery, and there are scientists working on identifying possibly contaminated sites from WWII. There are just more people!

As spring continues, the temperature may creep up a bit, but most days will have highs in the 60's. Shirtsleeve weather for me, but I guess most people will continue to wear light jackets.

Cody seems to love the change. Every time we go outside, he rolls in the grass. Such a silly dog!

Matters of Life and Death

Life in Atka goes along steadily, day in and day out, without too much to distinguish one day from another. The details of that life might be a bit different from the stereotypical picture of small-town America, but the pace is similar: slow and easy.

Of course, just as anywhere else, bad things happen. Life is filled with disasters large and small. Up until now, the biggest disaster that has happened during my time in Atka was my own eye injury, and subsequent med-evac. Sadly, that is no longer true.

The local seafood processing plant, know as "the cannery," though it doesn't produce anything in cans, is open now for the fishing season. There are line workers in the plant itself, as well as fishermen going out to find, well, fish! There are dynamics at play that I don't totally understand, but apparently the village is not willing to allow the cannery to build housing that is suitable for people to move here with their families and settle down. The cannery, therefore, is staffed with men, mostly young, who work for the season (May to November, roughly) and then leave with a pocketful of cash. Young men who have nothing to entertain themselves with in their off hours. That sounds like a recipe for trouble.

Yesterday, at about 4:30, when they finished their shift at the cannery, 10 men climbed into a van. I don't know where they were going or why they were in a hurry on that gravel road, but the speed estimates I've heard ranged from 60 to 80 miles per hour. As they passed the post office, the driver's leg buckled, causing him to push down on the gas pedal. The van accelerated, hit the edge at the side of the road, and flipped 4 times. Everyone who wasn't wearing a seat belt was ejected from the van through a window.

One man died almost instantly. Another died soon after. A third man also died, but I don't know exactly when it happened. Three people were evacuated to Anchorage. The remaining four, the ones who were wearing seat belts, will end up in an ER in Anchorage for shoulder and back injuries, but I don't know if they're being airlifted or if they're on their own to arrange transportation.

The med-evac plane for the men who were severely injured arrived about 4 hours after the crash. They sent one plane for all three. I don't have a clue how dead bodies are transported off the island.

I spend my time on the periphery of Atka, not quite part of the community and yet affected by it. I'm an observer, but not an impartial one. I care about the people here, especially my students. I'm shocked and saddened by this horrific accident. I have no doubt that the community is shaken to its core. Death may be a constant companion in Atka, seen mostly among the hunters and fishermen, but human death is thankfully rare. When young, healthy people die so tragically and unnecessarily, you can't help but pause and wonder.

It took four hours for the plane to get here, and then another four hours to get to Anchorage. Would that 3rd death have happened if help had been closer? I don't know. We're so used to help arriving in minutes. It's hard to fathom waiting 8 hours to get to a hospital. The island does have an ambulance, and I'm sure it's well-equipped. There are various people trained in emergency first aid, as well as the community health aide who mans the clinic, but even an M.D. wouldn't have been of much use without the arsenal of equipment that even a small hospital has.

As you know, I recognized that I needed to leave Atka based on the behavior of the superintendent. In the end, though, it was the lack of health care on the island that decided me. I don't imagine myself being in an accident, but at my age, and given my state of health, things like stroke and heart attack are possibilities I have to acknowledge. And with my sense of balance, or lack thereof, a fall resulting in a serious injury is a constant worry.

I pray for those who were killed and injured in this crash. I pray for their families. And I pray for the community that has to live with the memory of this event, and the fear it generates, for the rest of their lives. May all find healing and comfort!