(posted a couple of days later than it was written) We are sitting in a diner at the Bethel airport. I hope to get this posted in my blog later tonight. We’ve already been here once today – right when we arrived and now we are back. The plane to Anchorage doesn’t leave until almost 4pm. When we got up this morning – we were both feeling a little bad about leaving Roxy. Although everyone else was leaving their dogs also, we still felt like we were the only ones in the world leaving ours. Tom took her over to Steve’s house – where there are four other dogs staying. Steve will be quite busy. He is going to bring Roxy back over to our house every morning while he goes to work and then pick her up again in the evening. We left the lamp on, the tv, fixed her special blanket, and cleared the window area so she can jump up and bark at the strangers. She loves that part of being a dog.

About 9:30, Leo called and said the plane would be arriving in 20 minutes. So we had to pile everything together and meet him along with about six other teachers to get into a truck that seats five people. Abby sat in Jenny’s lap, and Jonathan hopped in the open area of the truck bed. Then we took off, the radio was on and the pilot said he would be there in seven minutes and couldn’t wait on anyone. We just kept driving toward that airport over snowbanks – sort of like a roller coaster. We hit the new airport road and took off in a flash – getting there just as the plane landed. We all hopped out with baggage and waited while they unloaded the plane of dozens of boxes. Then he changed the seats from flat shelves into actual seats. Waiting that few minutes would not have been so bad but it was 0 degrees and the wind chill made it –20 – that’s 20 below zero. I was absolutely freezing – my toes hardened like rock candy and my fingers were stinging, I couldn’t move I was so cold – it seemed like it took forever to get that plane formatted for passengers. All the folks around me were still and quite too – we could not believe the weather out there. Finally we got on the plane. I pulled my gloves off and stuck my hands down my shirt around my chest to unfreeze my fingers. They were stinging like crazy and I was afraid that I was going to have frost bite. Tom said to keep wiggling my toes – well I couldn’t even feel my toes. Of course my snow boots were in the baggage and I had worn my everyday boots. It is now about four hours later and my feet are finally back to normal. It was so scary out there – like we were in the twilight zone, everything was blue it was so cold and of course it was dark still.

In the diner here I have ordered French fries and Tom got a hamburger. Both were delicious. We can see the planes taking off and landing here by the window. Lots of them and all small. Theres’s one called Arctic Air – a strange looking boxy plane. I’d take a photo but of course my batteries are out! Our Alaska Airlines plane I believe seats 40 people.

Wish we had more cash – we have not dealt with cash for so long and just had about $15.00 since someone had paid us back some cash. We tipped the van driver, bought our shared hamburger and French fries and drinks, and there’s not much left!

Here’s hoping the Silverado starts when we get to Anchorage tonight.

Okay it is now 8pm in the evening. This will not get posted till Saturday morning, but I’ll go ahead and finish. We took a van up to the Alaska airlines building in Bethel. Tom and I promptly took of walking to the nearest diner. He had a hamburger and I had fries and a coke. We took the computer and played with it while we watched the planes land. Oops, I think I already said that. We caught out plane to Anchorage around 4:45. This was the rowdiest bunch of plane folks I have ever seen. There were oodles of oil field workers and they were drinking and talking and laughing. I’ve never been on such a lively airplane ride. When we landed Tom and I just waited till everyone got off since we had so many carry on bags to take out. It was funny to see that the last five people on the plane, all waiting for the other folks to get out of the way, were teachers from Chevak! I guess living in Chevak teaches one to have patience. We are in the Millenium Hotel – its wonderful. Tom’s truck was buried in ice and snow - but it started beautifully. We went out to eat at a nearby diner and it took us a half an hour to order because we couldn’t decide what to choose on that wonderful menu. Tom called Steve to see how Roxy was doing. Steve told Tom she was doing just great but had been searching for us. I thought for a minute Tom might get tearful but he made it through the call. He loves that dog. They are best buddies. This whole state is frozen. We saw only frozen rivers, white ground, and snow covered peaks all the way from Bethel. I go for my eye appointment in the morning and then we shop. It will be a long day. I’m going to bed now. I miss my little house in Chevak and I feel like I have deserted everyone there to come to the big city.