I don't recall what the weather forecast was for yesterday, but I think that it was wrong. The day was beautiful and warm, and melting was taking place everywhere. We had great intentions about getting needed things done, but text messages and phone calls came in inviting us to Paschal feasts. We hit two, had a great walk across the muddy, melting tundra, and took a nap. We did ultimately find ourselves at school, but it was pretty late by that time. Some salvage was done.
While walking back from the second feast, we saw a flock of geese flying in the sky. People had been running excitedly to the windows at the feasts to point out flock after flock. I heard reports last week of swan sightings. Folks here eat them all. This is a community based in part on subsistence lifestyles. There are a lot of hunters and fishers. As one example, I had a bowl of either walrus or seal soup at the first feast that we attended. There was some confusion on my part about which it was. I did certainly season it with a soupcon of seal oil.
Anyway, the return of the birds marks a very important turn in the seasons. Soon, immense flocks of birds, especially waterfowl, will return to their summer breeding grounds in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. The sound of the occasional raven will be replaced by a cacophony of bird calls. This will happen very quickly, and it will signal the end of winter and the beginning of the season of hunting and gathering. The first signs clearly excite the local people. And I was surprised to noticed how much they excited me.
We are nominally off work today, but that is a relative thing. I have two loads of laundry to deal with, and there is an Easter potluck and egg hunt later today at the school. Much to be done in the next 3 1/2 weeks, but it is joyful work...
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