Hello again to you lesser mortals in the realm of the norm (or is it the sane?).
(Sorry, my wife tells me I am getting too.....I don't know, "fancy" maybe...with my writing. Oh well, at least I'm having fun, but if you think I am embellishing too much let me know).
Good morning on this glorious Thursday January 15, 2004. It is 9:20 AM with just a hint of daylight showing above the tundra. The temp is minus 20 with no breeze and I just heard the morning Alaska Air jet take off for more civilized lands (known in this household as the freedom bird, a term I borrowed from the Vietnam era). I just got a haircut for the first time in three months from the lady who comes to town once a month to do hair. On walking back into the apartment and looking at myself in the mirror I saw nice white patches on my cheeks and felt proud-the beginning of frostbite and it just wasn't that painful at the start, so I must be getting used to it. Of course when the temp is minus 10 or colder it is always interesting to watch Patty go from machine to machine trying to get one to start. I keep trying to encourage her to take the snowmachine but although she doesn't say it I think it intimidates her. She finally opted to walk to the hospital as that is where she is scheduled to be Wednesday through Friday anyway. Today though she had a meeting in the office she uses Monday and Tuesday which is in another building a few cold blocks away. She said she will call for a ride-must be nice.
Hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year, we did. Christy came in on December 30th on the evening jet. Patty and Cathy picked her up with one snowmachine and one 4 wheeler and got her safely home. I got off work early and went to the airport on my snowmachine but just missed them. I come in all covered in ice as the machine hadn't been run since the last blizzard and in my haste I did a haphazard job of cleaning off the left over snow. There they are, all snug and warm waiting for me. The hug was worth it I guess. Christy had a surprise for us too. She pulled out a smashed up bag of McDonalds hamburgers and fries and the feed was on. We had cold, deformed hamburgers and fries and it tasted wonderful. An interesting note about this though. To us it is a treat to get fast food from the big city. When we authorize a patient to be flown in from one of the villages on the commercial planes that land there, invariably the first thing they are discussing is which of the five (all Korean run, though one is called Pizza House with mediocre pizza) restaurants in town to order from. This is a big treat for them. The next day I was off and when I arose Christy was already up looking out at the northern lights while wrapped in a blanket with the window open. The temps were in the minus range (Sammartino's are not noted for their intelligence). She had just seen a fox running beside the building. After getting dressed, first thing in the morning as the temps were well below zero, our first chores were to get at least one machine running. Patty did here usual musical chair routine with no luck. This time she did try to take the snowmachine but the steering was frozen-literally. After a blizzard snow is packed everywhere, including where you wouldn't think it could get, such as inside an engine housing, and on the 4 wheelers it is packed up under the seat and around the air intake. Well, when I took it to the airport the night before, some of the snow under the housing melted and pooled in a pan that is part of the machine. This froze around the steering bar and the machine would not turn right. I watched Patty try to turn the machine earlier and like a typical husband could not understand why she just could not grasp the concept of just turning the handlebars. Yea, typical male, (I can see all you women out there shaking your heads). Christy and I worked with two blow-dryers and our hands for about an hour as the sunlight began peaking out trying to get one running. We succeeded in getting two of the 4 wheelers running and took one to the fire hall to thaw. The other we used to tow the snowmachine over there to thaw. While there working on it an ambulance call came to meet a plane coming in from one of the villages. Christy got to ride in an ambulance on a real call and to meet an airplane on the runway. When we got back she got to play in all the fire engines as most kids just fantasize about. After a nap we got ready to assist with the New Years fireworks and all four of us went to the fire hall around 7pm. The wind was blowing in the 20-30 mph range and the fireworks were canceled but we got into one truck and the ambulance to standby at a snow machine race scheduled for 9pm. Of course an ambulance call came in and the chief and I transported a patient to the airport for a medevac flight to Anchorage. Patty, Cathy, and Christy took Attack 2 to the race course to standby as the representatives of the fire department and ambulance. The ambulance run was no picnic. The medevac hanger is on the other side of the airport sandwiched between the back bay and the tundra. It was dark with the wind blowing 30mph from the south and the road was dark, cold, and drifted over. We did get the patient safely aboard although I was real glad I wasn't going up in that weather. Please take your hats off for those who do and say a little prayer, for it takes guts in my opinion. When finished with that run the chief and I took the ambulance and parked for the race. We got to watch the race on the sound in relative comfort as the town blocked most of the wind. After the race we went to the New Years Eve dance at the lions club where a band of all hospital employees was playing (they're good too). We partied with the best and rang in the New Year in style. The walk home however was no picnic. All our machines were at the fire hall thawing out and as our apartment is at the southernmost part of town we were walking directly into the wind. NO FUN! Not only cold but being sandblasted by snow. New Years day we had the usual New Orleans fare of black-eyed peas and cabbage. We did have a few people over but it was kind of quiet and relaxing. Christy said she did more in one day then she had done all month. She returned to Anchorage on the fifth and I think she had a good time, we did.
Since the New Year we haven't done much. The days are getting longer again and we are looking forward to extended daylight where we can take some longer trips with the snowmachines. Cathy though has made friends with a local lady and her son. For the last couple of weekends she has been going out with them on her snowmachine and helping to chop wood and clean up a camp. This camp is owned by the widow of the man who was operating the airboat I wrote about. His body has not been found. His widow is planning on taking their children to the camp and raising them there. Sunday before last Cathy, Aucha, and Frank, her son, came across a group of caribou. Aucha wounded one with a rifle and then Frank took Cathy's .44 magnum revolver and all three went after the bull with snowmachines. Frank brought it down with the pistol along with another bull which they dragged to a clear spot and dressed them. The meat was brought back to camp and hung on racks in the cold for future use. Many people live at camps in the bush and most live off the land. This meat will not go to waste, nor will the hides, it will all be used. They were fine bulls but had no antlers, they shed them in December. Cathy had the camera and took some pictures and I have to say looking at them I am sure they both had racks any big game hunter would envy but as an Inupiat said, "you cannot eat horns".
I had more to say but I guess I'll save it for now as this is pretty wordy. There are pictures of Christmas, New Years, and Cathy's trip to the camp if you are interested on the website www.samsicles.net If you have time leave a note in the guest book, we love hearing from you.
You folks take care.
Carlo
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Last updated:
08/29/05