Nursing in Barrow

The sun was up this morning, reminding me of how beautiful it can be here.  These were taken outside of Anne and Glenn's home, part Quonset hut, part wood structure several miles to the east of Browerville and Barrow.  The water truck came to fill the tank...as the driver and myself talked, a stream of water came running out a spout on the hut, indicating that it was full.   I wonder if these rows of huts look familiar to Dad from his days of flying here in the 1950's?  

Friday night, May 17, 2013 I’m sitting in Glenn and Anne’s home, part Quonset hut, part wood structure, looking out of their front room window that faces west.  One can see distant colorful homes of Browerville across the snow fields.  Looking to the south, a field of bright, white, reflective snow, stretching out to the distant horizon can be seen.   In the summer, this will be transformed into green and brown tundra filled with many varieties of birds that have migrated here.  Spring made a brief appearance, but now Barrow and many communities on the North Slope of Alaska have been plunged back into what feels like the throws of winter.   The sunny days and mud puddles of a month ago have been, for the most part, followed by many gray, windy, cold days with winter storm warnings all along the northern coast of Alaska.  The ground is frozen again and there is no spring or summer in sight for now.  I’m hoping this change in weathe...

…a small thin triangular cake or biscuit made with oatmeal or whole wheat flour or an ancient coin from Gaul before the Roman conquest?   If you guessed “a small thin triangular cake…” you’d be right.  I couldn't stop laughing while Jonathan kept a straight face, hoping to earn a point by Mari or I choosing the wrong definition.  While I chose the ancient coin, Mari took the lead with the correct answer. It was my turn next…I chose the word “lossy” and burst out laughing as I came up with my definitions:  the hub of a wagon wheel, a fashionable bonnet of the 17 th century, and causing attenuation or dissipation of electrical energy.  Score another point for Mari, who works in the planning department here and has a background in electrical work. Mari was adept at keeping a straight face as she shared possible definitions for “plebe”:  anther-bearing stock of a stamen, a common citizen of ancient Rome, or a square base servi...

I quickly finished up the day’s charting and cleaned off my desk before racing out the door last Monday afternoon, not wanting to be late for my six month evaluation meeting with the Deputy Director of Community Health.  The lagoon had a watery look to it and I’d found that riding in soft snow on it was nearly impossible, so I took the road between Barrow and Browerville instead on this sunny day.  It was so sunny, in fact, that quite a bit of snow and ice had melted along the road as well, forming good-sized mud puddles.  I didn’t anticipate needing fenders this early in the spring, but wished that I had already purchased them as I unavoidably bounced through more than several puddles before reaching the Health Department building.  I feel fortunate that in Barrow one can arrive at a meeting or event wearing Arctic gear, rain pants, rubber boots and a new streak of mud up one’s back and not feel out of place or conspicuous at all.  The meeting went well...

I missed posting these when I wrote about stopping in Fairbanks and spending time with my friend, Ron...what a fun and interesting day!  Thanks again, Ron = ) Beautiful view of Mounts McKinley and Foraker on the flight between Anchorage and Fairbanks. The terminal at Fairbanks International Airport I'm pretty sure this used to be View Crest, watching my Dad hand tool the wooden signs over the years that have eventually been replaced with this one.  A wonderful place to grow up, 2.5 miles out on the Steese Highway.  See the small view of the magnificent birch trees that grow in abundance in Fairbanks? Shot of a portion of the large facility at the Birch Hill Recreation Center where the system of cross country ski trails, named after Ron's and my high school skiing and running coach, begin.  Ron wrote several weeks ago that the Junior Nationals were being held here. Very fun memories of Coach Whisenhant and his wife, Betsy.  I remember him...

A friend here recently broke her leg…the diagnosis was a spiral fracture to her right fibula requiring a soft cast and no weight bearing until it heals, hopefully within the next six weeks.   I knew that she’d fallen on the ice several times since winter began.   When I talked with her after hearing about her break, she shared that she fell and sprained her ankle several weeks ago, most likely causing a hairline fracture.   This latest fall on her stairs compounded the injury, completing the fracture.   I was able to look at the x-rays with her  and the nurse practitioner and could feel how encouraged she was to see some healing taking place even after a week and a half.   It’s challenging altering life in Barrow to accommodate crutches and relative immobility.  Plus there is the fear of falling again with having much less stability.  It’s been heartwarming to see how co-workers have volunteered to help on many levels.  M...