Birfday

A crazy windy rainy day - with loss of power and internet, but ultimately, a rainbow appeared.


Here Sven is giving Abby a lecture about behaving, because I had to pick her up from preschool for the fourth time because of temper tantrums. It was a bad one on this anniversary of my birth. We sat in the parking lot for 40 minutes while she completely freaked out. It's hard for me to do anything about her behavior at preschool as she is a lil' angel with me! I have been working on practicing speaking politely and attempting to get her to understand that sometimes no means no! Just hard for me to address a problem I don't have with her.

Jill always makes things fun!

I hosted a partay at the brewery. One of the most memorable birthday parties I attended was in Amsterdam. I randomly met someone with the same B-day as me, so I was invited. Their tradition is to give gifts (host parties), not have one thrown for you or to receive gifts. Anyway, I enjoyed hosting the event and having all the random people join our table for the food!

You can tell that people were having a blast...

No, really, it was a lovely time. I did particularly enjoy the people I didn't know! I was happy to feed them and enjoy their company - that Kodiak kommunity spirit! And of course, all my lovely co-workers friends were as always most pleasant to be with.

Fall fun

Winding down some activities as winter quickly approaches, and embarking on the more cold weather centered ones soon.

Fall festival - complete with blue popcorn ball!

Abby and the teens had fun! She is cute, so they were in to cheering her on!

Sunset too soon

Ice formation!

Trying to hunt deer....good hike!

King of fish! Period.

pumpkin head

We went to the fairgrounds to get a pumpkin, play games...

"Surely one of these will turn out," Jill said.

Well, this is the best! Apparently only Zoe turned on the cute, Hannah too busy eating popcorn and Abby too busy being goofy!

sunrise at 9am

afternoon hike

I should probably mention my dad is a photographer/videographer, and he gave me a camera when I was eight. It's family tradition!

My gift to Abby on her fourth birthday will be a camera - a kid's camera. I probably could have got her a "real" camera for the price (well, almost), but it should be fine. The whole point of this blog is to document Abby's life. I know that much of what I write does not pertain to Abby. For example, she did not go to Ouzinkie, but I hope she will learn from my experiences. There is nothing like first hand lessons, but we absorb something from reading books right? Mine just happens to be a bit more mundane and not fabricated, only interpreted via my mind.

This year she will get a camera. So her pics will start appearing. We will work on this for a few years together. I imagine by the time she is nine, she will be the main contributor. I will be a guest author once and awhile if allowed.

Ouzinkie

Herman's icon corner.

Carmen, the temporary collections assistant, came with me. I think she had a good time. Here we are visiting with an elder.

We went to Ouzinkie to inventory and assess their books. They will be ordering a case to better store them and perhaps we will do a little work on a few - cleaning and storing.

Herman is a reader.

Alutiiq people have roles to hold services and care for the church in absence of clergy. In many cases priests serve more than one village.

Fr. Gerasim did serve Ouzinkie from the 1935- early1960s, but even he was mostly absent as he resided at Monk's Lagoon for most of the year.

http://www.alutiiqmuseum.org/exhibits/electronic-exhibits/281-orthodoxy-in-alutiiq-life.html

The cemetery is cared for very well.

This is the grave of Larry Ellanak and his wife. Larry was a reader during Fr. Gerasim's time.

Mossy! Spruce Island is so pretty.

Herman and Daria - what a pair! Two very different people trying to get along.

Daria is from Russia, currently working at the seminary. She is interested in sacred languages. Her assistance was invaluable! If it had been just Carmen and I, the inventory would have been quite a bit more vague - book in Church Slavonic, book in Russian, book in Slavonic, book in Slavonic! Instead, she could tell us what the book is and even do some complicated math to determine the date. Often, the date is recorded from the time from the creation of earth, not the time from Christ's birth.

4 wheeler tracks running right through a house pit. I am guessing, but it looks like a large village with multiroom houses, so Koniag era (abo. 800 years old) and reportedly a whaling village.

Bright pink flowers fade to white fluffy stuff.

There were two opinions on which image was better - sunset or fireweed.

I think both need some additional photoshopping.

Herman's backyard.

Boardwalk leading to harbor.

Cute house!

The most beautiful church I have ever seen.

An all women participation - except Herman.

Garman, Herman's son, and dog on skiff headed back to town via Anton's.

I am trying to get used to skiff rides! It was a good one. I lucked out. I still felt oogly for a minute, but it passed.