The Alaskan Adventure - Volume 17 - Reconnection - Residency - Fish Camp
Welcome 2021! Nice to have you here. Be nice! It's been very unusual here, I have to say and not exactly how I wanted to start the new year. Nothing bad, just not the 'normal' I had hoped we would return to here in Mountain Village. The Covid situation seems to take on a different identity here in Mountain compared to what I noticed when I was in the Lower-48 to visit my kids and family in December. Life in the Lower-48 is much more spread out and obviously much more populated and busy in general. Here we are close-knit, life is much more laid back and comfortably-simple in many, many ways. I'll be completely honest, that's how I like it, simple and predictable. The downside is that the close quarters of our village and others around us has lead to more and more positive cases of Covid, leading to longer closures of our school, village and community in general.
That's where the 'reconnection' comes from and is something that I have longed for, for months now. Reconnection in the village with my students, my co-workers, friends and the friendly faces of the village that I was accustomed to seeing daily during the summer and early fall. Connection with my students and their families are limited to phone conversations and texts, and I miss them so, so much. Even to have had them on what we called a 'Yellow' schedule was wonderful, because I could at least see them for half a day and you got the best of what teaching is really all about. Happy faces, laughter, fun learning and a genuine connection with the kids. Gosh, I miss it so much. Unfortunately, the cases of Covid have continued to remain high in our village leaving us under a 'Red' schedule, keeping students at home and learning from afar. Code red also means isolation around the village with necessities only, like the post office and one allotted trip per family, per day to the local AC Grocery store. I treasure those trips when I can take them, because it allows me to reconnect with those friends and villagers who I used to see all the time, but now rarely see. Last year at this time, we had full days of school, high school basketball, hosting village-to-village basketball tournaments, movie nights, dances for the middle and high school kids, bingo, fiddlings (village music and dances), native dances, potlucks and so much more. That's all gone right now. But I have to laugh at times, because it took me a long time to get to know everyone, recognize faces and now...with only a set of eyes to see, it takes me right back to the, "Oh shoot! Who is that again?!" Lucky for me, I've gotten pretty good at voice recognition, identifying snow clothes, and am able to recognize people much more quickly. It's not always that way, but just feels so good to get out and see my friends and neighbors (everyone) again.
January 1st was a big day for me this year too, because it meant I was officially a 'resident' as it related to the first, full calendar year I had been here. My one year anniversary was actually August 1st of 2020, but the full calendar year allowed me some new benefits that will be greatly appreciated. Alaska has the PFD, the Permanent Fund Dividend, which is a dividend paid to Alaskan residents that have lived within the state for a full calendar year and intend to remain an Alaskan resident indefinitely. The annual payment allows for Alaskans to share in a portion of the state minerals revenue in the form of a dividend to benefit current and future generations. It's a nice perk to living here. Any additional monies are always appreciated and as my father used to tell me, whether I found a penny or got any amount of money no matter how small, "Matthew, it beats a poke in the eye with a sharp stick." I'm laughing out loud. Corny saying, but I knew exactly what my dad was trying to teach me. When I have conversations with my own son and he tells me about some money he made, before I can even get out, "Well hey, it beats...", he says, "I know Dad, it beats a poke in the eye with a sharp stick." We laugh hard!
In the house-restricted times that have taken over, aside from some fresh air, four-wheeler rides, I have tried to create something to look forward to in the upcoming spring and 'breaking of the river's ice'. That's where the fish camp comes into play. Almost every family in Mountain has a fish camp or has shared in the fish camp lifestyle. Whether passed down through generations, purchased or gifted, the fish camps are a regular part of the village lifestyle from May until the end of October. The river dictates how long that tradition goes into October as the ice flow from northern Alaska makes its way to the village down the Yukon and things shut down on the river for boating. Families grow closer, the culture of the Yupik people gets passed on and memories are made through fishing and traditions in those spring, summer and fall months. Last year I was very fortunate to visit a few fish camps of friends and a variety of villagers and I was 'hooked'. Bad pun, but it's true. I grew up in the summers on a small, humble lake in northern Wisconsin (Tug Lake, Irma, WI) on a 1 1/2 acre lot that my parents saved for and we camped and enjoyed the lake for our springs, summers and falls. After my parents both passed away in 2012, we sadly sold their lot and that ended 37 years of camping, family traditions and memories that I will treasure forever. When I had a chance to visit the fish camps here in Alaska, I fell in love with camping all over again. I decided last fall that I would start searching out a place where I might humbly pop up a tent and have a place to retreat to. Not to get away from Mountain, because if you read back on previous blogs, last summer 'in Mountain' was one of the most fun and peaceful summers I have ever had in my life. But...having a place of my own to camp, hang out, think about life, wrestle grizzly bears (just kidding), and experience water and nature again like I did with my parents, would be amazing. So much of my down time indoors has been researching, planning and getting excited about a summer of camping and new adventures. I have seen and experienced some of the most beautiful and peaceful nature that the Yukon River and Alaska could possible offer and I really want to continue to appreciate and experience more of that. Something to someday share with my kids and grandkids in some capacity. More on that part of the adventure to come. Last year the ice broke on the river in mid-May, so after that happens this year, and when it's safe from logs and branches flowing down the river...I'll launch my boat and see where a good place to camp calls to me.
Besides that, it's pretty peaceful here in Mountain right now. We have our snowy days, we have our bitter-cold, stay-in days and plenty of nice days to get out and sniff in some fresh, Alaskan winter. Manaqing for Pike will start soon and everyone is looking forward to that too. I still have yet to catch my first fish through the ice and I'm hoping to break that streak this year. Fingers crossed. I'm sure February and March will hold some new and exciting adventures and you will be the second to know about them.
That's all for now. Until next time...stay tuned!
