We awoke to about an inch of new snow on the ground today. After the snow came a rain and snow mix and lots of cold wind. We had plans to go to the shore at low tide this evening to see shorebirds and poke around for sea life, but the weather has caused us to change our plans. There are two high schools putting on a music program upstairs in the church tonight. Some of us are going to that. Others are going swimming at the local indoor pool.
I did take a walk around town today. The walk started with some of my new student friends and another teacher and I walking to the local grocery store to get donuts for breakfast. You'll see our picture down below. After donuts we went separate ways. I took a walk around the fishing boat harbor looking at boats. One of the pictures I've posted below shows the Northern Mariner heading out to go fishing.
Many of the people who live in Cordova make their living as commercial fishermen. My students will remember seeing a video not long ago about the fishing industry in Alaska and how hard the work is and how dangerous commercial fishing is. There's a lot of money to be made fishing up here in a good season, but the risks are great.
Most of the day today was spent teaching and supporting kids as they worked on their Power Point presentations. They are really enjoying working on computers. Because many of these kids live way out in the bush they may not have computers. So this is an opportunity for them to explore technology.
The Copper River Delta Shorebird Festival started officially here today, but the weather is so bad it's putting a damper on festival activities. We hope that tomorrow we will find the weather a little better so we can get out and spot some birds and other wildlife.
Photos
Some of the high school age students I'm working with and me enjoying a breakfast of donuts. We got up early this morning to go to breakfast.
The fishing vessel Northern Mariner on its way out into the Prince William Sound.
One of several fish packing (canning) operations here in Cordova. The owner of the Northern Mariner (above) may sell his catch to this packer or another in town. The money that the fishermen bring into Cordova attracts other businesses which come to serve the fishermen and their families.
Their's a science center down at the harbor. It's devoted to studying the environment and wildlife of the Prince William Sound and protecting it from future oil spills like the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster.
