We are well into November, and well into life in this tiny community on the shores of the Yukon. Why Galena? you maybe be wondering. Wasn't Metlakatla enough adventure for you?
Apparently not.
We've traded in whales for moose. (If you followed my last blog, you'll be happy to know I did end up spotting lots of whales. It was almost unavoidable.) Haven't seen any moose yet, although the tracks are everywhere. During hunting season, Luis and I (mostly Luis) spent lots of time helping folks butcher moose. In Metlakatla
it was seafood. Here our freezer is stuffed full of red meat. Oh, how happy that makes an Argentine.
Our new town has about 500 residents, not including 230 boarding school students from all over Alaska. This is much closer to the Alaska I know from my childhood, with the challenges of living off the road system in a harsh climate. There are two stores, and you can get most everything you need, but we're still going through sticker shock, meaning I gulp in dismay when I see prices that are 5 times higher than the Lower 48. Amazon Prime and Walmart Shipping Pass are our friends.
How in the heavens does one go about moving to such an unconnected pinpoint in the middle of the arctic? you may be wondering. Well, my friends, it wasn't easy. We gave away or sold (our red Subaru, for one) a lot of our stuff and sent the rest through the US Postal Service. After a summer spent traveling (Argentina and Colorado! Globetrotters!) we landed in Anchorage, stayed with Jaci and Steve Murray in Wasilla while we bought a car, drove the car to Nenana and loaded it on a barge to Galena.
Wait. There's more. The Galena School District pushed back the start of the school by two weeks, so, on a whim, we flew to Bethel! My parents were there, finishing out an 8 month stint as interim minister at the Moravian church, so we stayed at the parsonage with them. It was amazing to visit after 16 years. Yes, SIXTEEN YEARS.
After 10 days in Bethel, we flew to Galena. Just in time to pick up our car.
Yes, you definitely need a car in Galena. Much of the town is spread out, with homes tucked into pockets of forest. Our family, however, lives in a duplex in "old town", 100 feet from the river, and three miles from the kids' school. From our living room, we've been watching the Yukon freeze up this past week.
Galena is surprising in that there always somewhere to go, something to do -- community events, bonfires, Saturday night movies, volleyball, swimming, x-country, Geography club. . . as we like to get involved, this little town keeps us busy.
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| Onward to Galena! |
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Our luggage on the last leg of our journey, Fairbanks to Galena.
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| In Nenana, getting the groceries ready for the barge. |
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| This is our car. It takes the barge about 4 days from Nenana to Galena. |
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| Luis cutting Chum salmon intro strips. We got here too late for King salmon. Luis and Lucas went drift net fishing with a teacher. It was an excused absence from school, under "Subsistence Activities". |
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| Barge heading down the Yukon. Barging is the least expensive way to get things to Galena, as Galena is off the road system. |
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| Proof. |
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| We pulled off to admire the scenery on our way from Anchorage to Fairbanks. |
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| Flying to Galena. |
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| River run. |
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| Pretty day for fishing. |
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| Luis loves fish eggs. |
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| Kids' first day of school at "Sidney Huntington School". Not to be confused with the Galena Interior Learning Academy, the high school/boarding school where I work. |
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| Lucas getting ready to fish. |
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| Our duplex. We live on the top floor. The water in front is NOT the river. Just a honkin' big puddle. In Galena, no one worries too much about things like big puddles. |
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| View from our side window, "old town". The white building is Fish and Wildlife. |
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Gardening is a big deal around here. Pumpkins get priority on the stairs.
At the Ag Fair. Categories included vegetables, beer, jellies and preserves, arts and crafts.
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Lucas' Zentangle tribute to Galena. He sold six such works of art at the Yukon Jamboree, a three day local festival with food, live music, and dancing.
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