Nome Holidays

Permafrost does not allow trees to grow around this area- so Nome flies in Christmas trees, it is a luxury needless to say.
Without trees to absorb nature's winds, the wind is free to rip through anything in it's path. They got up to 50 mph a few night ago. My roommate Jacob woke me up around 3 a.m. and the things on his wall where shaking. I have never really been in winds that powerful that they shook things inside a house. The forecast consists of 'snow and blowing snow'--- fabulous.
Our house is decorated for Christmas! We are picking up a Christmas tree tomorrow, so we are getting a live tree!
Things I have learned with the mild introduction to winter so far:
- Windburn hurts.
- When you have been inside all day you do not care it is -3 F, you still want to walk.
- 10:30 am and 10:30 pm look the same
- Parties are necessary for social interaction
- Reading can make one a hermit
- Small communities have more activities then I can count

Nome has Safety Patrol, consisting of citizens that patrol Front Street in Nome during the weekends that people receive their Personal Fund Dividend checks and other various holidays and celebrations. Some villages are dry- no alcohol whatsoever. Thus, some fly here to have a little fun. The purpose is to make sure people are not falling off the seawall into the Bering Sea, freezing to death and even just to make sure the police are called if there seems to be altercation. Like a hyped neighborhood watch. I patrolled this past weekend from midnight to 1:30 am. It is a nice experience to help out in the community. I keep reiterating this but it is true, Nome is a small community and they take pride in what they have, people watch out for each other.

I have just finished 'Rome Sweet Home' by Dr. and Mrs. Scott Hahn. Great book, Dr. Hahn and his wife, Kimberly, wrote about their venture from the Presbyterian church into the Catholic Faith. Pretty insightful.