Yakutat

Two weeks ago I went to Yakutat for another work site visit, pop. about 800 and located on Monti & Yakutat Bays, off the Gulf of Alaska.  Seriously beautiful country and not far from Mount St. Elias and the Hubbard glacier.It also rains a lot here but managed to stay dry and even sunny while I visited an AmeriCorps Member. During my first morning we joined the 4th and 5th graders for their annual "seaweek" outing. I was amazed by the marine life, so different from vast parts of Alaska. For instance, the young ladies wore very organic earrings!
This is the kind of place where 98% of drivers (in vehicles, not four-wheelers) give you a full wave as they go by. I walked for long while one night to the boat harbor and two neighborhood dogs joined the entire way. I had no control over their leaving home for the journey, especially without knowing their names! They were good company for the bear reports made post-hibernation. During that walk I realized the 2% of drivers who do not make the friendly acknowledgment are probably out of town sports fishermen and hunters. 

My Member works with the Yakutat Tlingit Tribe and their offices are above the Elementary School, here:

The surprising element of the trip was reconnecting with an old Nome friend! During my early years in Nome I house-sat  at a wonderful house with fun and crazy pets. I mean, I spent mucho time in that home-away-from-home until the owners moved to Dillingham, taking their pets (my surrogate dogs & cats) with them. At the airport, and working out of the tribal building like me, was Julie! She's from MN too and we enjoyed seeing each other again--in Yakutat of all places!

For many years if I asked you to call where I was house-sitting, it was her home. While I started Yakking in Yakutat, and haven't kicked the cold bug since, it was awesome to spend time in another cool spot in this cool state!

*Amy