Autumn Lakes and Leaves

“Hey what you doing here? Did you see Lisa on the plane? Where you going? You with them other guys I come here to get?” Peppered with questions while being enveloped in a big bear hug, there’s no doubt where this jet has landed even through my sleepy haze.  There’s also no mistaking the season - autumn - based not on the clothes or the temperature, but on the amount of camo clad men with big bags and big mouths.  One in the back row with me this morning talked the entire flight in his loud mid-west accent.  I hope all the animals hear him coming too.

Before I can really answer any of the questions fired my way by the bear hugger he asks another - ‘what you going to hunt this year?’  I remind him I’m a vegetarian.  “Hey, I hear a good one, my food shits on your food.”  I can’t help but join him in laughter and tell him that’s why I wash my food real good.  We catch up to the others - or rather, they catch up to us - and then I see he was right, Lisa was on the plane.  I wonder how she liked that landing.  I was amazed the right wing tip didn’t hit the runway, we were so sideways and bouncing down it.  Not common for here. 

 

The jet just started a new schedule, two flights a day instead of three, and the regional flights to the villages haven’t changed.  They also downsized the combi planes coming out to the region.  This makes my journey a little exciting, but companionable as the bear hugger walks across the parking lot with me to see if there are any seats available on one of regional airlines or if I will have to wait until afternoon and see if the others can alter their charter to drop me off.  The first one only has standby but we see lots of people to say hi to, some I have met before and recognize and some are new to me.  The second airline has room, but is leaving soon.  I get a ticket and go see if the bags are off the jet yet.  They aren’t and I have ten minutes to get them across the parking lot.  And my cargo I sent up yesterday I can’t get until the jet leaves again.  But I get to hear what Lisa’s destination is (Diomede) and that if she gets weathered in she is going to sit down and have a chat with the bear hugger.  I’m cheering for him on this one. 

I make it onto the local flight with no time to spare and then get lucky that the pilot recognizes me and holds up the flight while they fix the manifest to actually include me and that my bags actually got on the plane.  In the air at last and amazed by the tundra.  It’s the same view but never gets old.  The first week of September by my calendar but mid-autumn by the tundra.  The lakes look amazing surrounded by the blazing colors of the tundra, leaves of the shrubs, and dark green of the spruce. 
 

I’m the second stop on this circuit, one of my favorite villages.  No cell service for my personal phone (though the first village had service) and my work phone is being fairly non-functional.  The local agent also owns the ‘bed and breakfast’ where I am staying so I help her drop off supplies at the other store (they also own a store) before checking in to my ‘efficiency suite’.  I’m on village time now.  Walking over to the tribal office I get my first sweet breath of autumn air and it hits me that I haven’t been getting out enough at home.  That’s hard to fathom with all that’s been going on in August; I think I just love autumn or maybe I love changing seasons.  Either way, it doesn’t change the fact that I can’t walk to my job site in my time to kill until the local labor is ready to start because there have been a few bears around that end of town.  So I charge my camera batteries and eat lunch. 

Village time is a good reality check, way cheaper than medicine to lower your blood pressure….if you let it.  Sink in a little bit and embrace it, just go with the flow and be patient.  Maybe even learn a little while you’re at it.