June 4th:  The first full day in Yakutat began at 7 am.  We sleep a little later than normal and get to bed a little later.  I suppose we are still adjusting to the time change and the fact that it remains light outside until 10:30 pm.  At around 10:30 the sun ‘sets’ and it out in full force again by 4:30 am.  During the time that the sun is set you could still drive without headlights.   

It rained all night and continues today.  The locals say they need the rain so the rivers will swell and the fish can return from their spawning so they can return to their fishing.  It looks like they will get their wish; the next several days predict rain.  

After breakfast we took inventory of issues in the manse that needed repair and a few items we are lacking.  Then we put on full rain gear and walked the 1/4 mile to the Post Office to pick up the church mail —  it was quite windy and raining hard.  At the PO we met the Post Lady and her husband who gave us a map of the town.  After we asked him a few ‘where is the . . . .’ questions, he decided we needed it more than he did and gave it to us.  I invited him to church as a way of saying thank-you.  He told me ‘the walls would cave in if he were to show up’.  I bet him a beer he was wrong - but still haven’t seen him — yet.  

We walked back to the manse and stayed long enough to answer e-mails and text messages —  still no telephone except local land line.  Every e-mail is a 50/50 shot as to whether it will go out but Text messages (to iPhones only) seem to work fine - go figure.  

After that we suited back up and headed for the hardware store and the grocery.  The map said the hardware store was a mile walk and the grocery just a little beyond it  —  it seemed shorter.  

On the way back we stopped at Fat Grandma’s Coffee Shop.  Fat Grandma was real friendly and gave us several tips on things to see while here.  She also has a collection of books that are free for the taking.  We’re just now realizing we may not have brought enough reading material so we grabbed a few  —  I got ‘Walking the Choctaw Road’, a series of stories the Choctaw Indians of the Alabama and Mississippi told about their plight during the years around the ‘Trail of Tears’ innocent.  

We got a Latte and bought a lunch to go (and share); twelve-fifty for a taco and three-eighty-nine for a pop is a little hard to swallow (pun intended).   

At the grocery a liter of coke was $5.89!  It’s hard to figure why some things are so pricy and others are the about the same as back home.  

By the time we got back we were pretty drenched even with the rain gear.  Spent the afternoon reading and fixing some things around the manse.  I found an old VHS player in the closet and hooked it up to the TV (which doesn’t work).  Turns out it had a copy of Fried Green Tomatoes stuck in it.  I got it running and we listened to the last quarter of the movie with many horizontal lines across the picture.  Neither of us really stopped the other things we were doing to watch but it was nice to have some noise in the background.  

While at the hardware store earlier we bought some Bear Repellant Pepper Spray.  We were told not to hike the trails without it  —  the adventure may now begin.  

In the last two years there have been 65 innocents of people vs bear in Yakutat.  The town has now appointed a Bear Guard Group to work on keeping Bear/human encounters to a minimum.  Tonight I’ll read up on what to do should we have an encounter  — that is, besides cry.  

I’ve been napping an hour every late afternoon.  By then I’ve usually walked 3-5 miles so it’s pretty easy to do.  It’s probably good that I’ve always enjoyed hiking.  I suspect that 5 to 7 miles a day is going to be typical around here.  We will have a car but only for a couple weekends while we are here.  

It never really gets dark but honestly that hasn’t really bothered me too much.  Just need to keep an eye on a clock as not to stay up all night.  

I’m expecting a quite night; reading, writing, texting, reading, sudoku, and reading.  

I had a call today from our host, Cathy.  She just wanted to check to see if the WiFi worked. As I’ve said, it does but spotty.  Other than that no contact with church members.  Have meet four women so far — no men yet.  

As the first day ends the wind has died down  —  the rain has not.  

Sorry there are no pictures.  I'll try one now and then but it usually prevents my posts, emails or texts from going out.