When I was much younger I was very scared of spiders. I would have fits of terror and disgust, eventhough I would never hurt one. They must all be carefully relocated. Mama was scared of them too.Once on a visit home I was upstairs tending to Baby Helen, and I heard Mama walking up the […]
Celestial Rain
As a resident of Craig, a small town in the southernmost tip of southern Southeast Alaska, I miss a lot of things that happen in the sky. You know, because it rains all the time. Well, not all the time, but you know what I mean. One hundred inches, give or take, per year, coupled […]
The Ashtray: Guest blog
Chapter Eighteen in “Decades with the Squad,” by my late father, William Palmer Jervey, Jr. This one came as a possible D.O.A. Upon our arrival at the scene we discovered a rather remarkable situation. It did indeed include a D.O.A. There was an 86-year-old female lying on the floor beside a table strewn with cards […]
Facebook is a big doofus
Some background information might be in order. In the early days I was a little slower than some to get a facebook account, but eventually I joined my friends in the land of “what’s on your mind?” From the get-go I had a love/hate relationship with social media, despising myself for spending hours mindlessly scrolling, […]
Weather watch
While substitute teaching in Crooked Creek, Alaska this past January, I couldn’t help but notice the weather. Mind you, Crooked Creek (known to locals simply as “Crooked”) is deep in the interior of Alaska, winding along the banks of the Kuskokwim River. So why was it 40 degrees. . .? The duplex I was staying […]
I meant to do that
While substitute teaching in Crooked Creek, Alaska, I sought and obtained permission to use the school’s four-wheeler. Riding a four-wheeler is to me a little bit like riding a pony: bumpy, sure-footed, and a tiny bit unpredictable. Not to mention the fresh air and the moderate exercise that staying on requires. One day after it […]
Interesting Times: Guest blog by Laura J. Graham
I have heard of an ancient blessing that says, “May you not live in interesting times”. I think this means may you come in every night and sit by the fire with the cat on your lap, and not have to worry about wars, or famine, or pestilence. However, I believe we live in very […]
A brief history of hats
One of my earliest memories is getting dressed up for church. My older sisters and I would always be decked out in my mother’s handmade and hand-embroidered dresses, and, of course, hats and gloves. When I was still young enough for my mother to dress me up for church, I wore little sunbonnets. Then there […]
The Nail
Chapter Seventeen in “Decades with the Squad,” by my late father, William Palmer Jervey, Jr. It could be argued that this episode was unusual in the extreme, even bizarre. The call came as “a lady with a nail through her hand.” One crew member was still at home which was near that of the patient. […]
Bush mail
While there is in fact a grocery store in Crooked Creek, Alaska, it is worth noting that a small bottle of cooking oil costs twelve dollars. This fact and others like it make it advisable for one who is going there to have some groceries flown in. Seems like it ought to be a pretty […]