With Sonny out of commission due to the broken arm, Gwen and I traveled around with two new guides, Ralph and Randel. One 6'5" and a relatively large man, the other small and a compact ball of muscle. Having them along was a pleasure, but it was strange not having Sonny guiding us around. He has really become the third member of the team, well versed in our daily routine, what needs to be done at each site, and being the third pair of hands that appears out of nowhere when you need them. The only damper of the trip was the weather. Whenever the group had to travel, the clouds would open and send ice cold rain down only for it to promptly stop and the sun poke out from behind the clouds as we pulled into the cabin or returned from taking samples. If you have noticed a trend, yes, it rains all the time in Selawik in August and September for that matter.
With new guides came new guns. Ralph brought a 44 handgun with him and of course, asked me if I wanted to take some shots. I thought the shotgun was loud, but after standing next to Ralph as he fired the handgun, my ears were ringing. Think of the stereotypical war scene where the guy gets the gun fired next to his ear, everything takes on the sound of being underwater, then the sound returns with a whoosh and a ringing. Exactly what happened. They picked out a target across the river and we took turns shooting. I came close on my first try, missing just slightly low with the bullet splashing into the water. Ralph and Randall told me I shot like a girl because I had used two hands. So, they told me to shoot like a man with one hand and I sailed the bullet over the ridge and out of sight. Nowhere near the targeted. So, I shoot like a woman.
Along with the gun, Ralph brought out some dried salmon strips he got from a friend. I haven't had fish in maybe 8 years but this was a perfect reintroduction. A texture similar to jerky. You place the thin strip in your mouth, and using the top row of teeth, scraped the fish meat from the skin to enjoy a smokey, if slightly oily, flavor. I had a strip or two. Gwen couldn't stop eating them so I let her finish the bag. They were gone in minutes. I thought she deserved them as it was her last research trip of the summer. As I write this, she is probably cramming as many things into suitcases as she can in preparation for her Peace Corps placement in Senegal.
After three days of work at the cabin, Ralph and Randall shuttled Gwen and I, along with our mountain of gear back down to Selawik village. Fortunately, there was no confusion this time on when we were due back in town. I made it clear with Joe before we left the village when we were to arrive back in town, eliminating any chance of him nearly having a heart attack again.
Sonny stopped by for half an hour after Gwen and I arrived in the village and he seemed in good spirits. He was enjoying spending time with his son, and having his grand children spend lots of time at his house where he was running an impromptu life skills camp, teaching them all how to wash dishes, do laundry, and most likely how to catch, clean, and dry fish. His arm seemed to be healing well, but he was itching to get back out on the river and out of the village. He's not a man that can sit still for too long.
Arriving back in Kotzebue, Gwen and I tied up a few loose ends data wise to make sure everything she had been loading into the computer and putting into her notebook was in a place I could easily find. We did a gear check, organized samples in the fridge, and then it was time to shuttle her to the airport. After spending nearly every minute of every day with someone for three months, it immediately becomes foreign when they leave. Good luck in Senegal Gwen.
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