One Morning in Bethel

(Since Ted is in the thick of public defending I decided to blog. This was the first time I did it and I didn't get the pictures the way I wanted, but I figure something is better than nothing. The top picture is of James and his friend and the bottom picture is of the sunrise. I will try and blog again soon.)

James and I took these pictures of the sunrise about a week ago. I was pleasantly surprised by how beautiful Bethel looked in the morning light. When Ted and I were researching Bethel we did not come across many accounts praising its beauty. I think there are several reasons for this. The first reason being that there are parts of Alaska that are truly some of the most beautiful places on Earth and it is hard to compete with towering mountains and glaciers. Another reason is I think it is hard to notice the beauty is because it is hard to look beyond the buildings here. There are parts of town that are dirty, dusty and run down. Buildings don’t have to be beautiful to be functional, just ask Ted about the P.D.’s office. It may not be beautiful but a lot of good work goes on there. Considering how hard it was (and still is for some) for people to exist in the harsh tundra environment it is not surprising that functionality is highly valued. The tundra is beautiful though. I thought it would feel like the corn fields in Northern Indiana, or worse the clear cuts in the Upper Peninsula, but it doesn’t feel like either of those. When we walk out of town I can’t take my eyes off it. The gentle rolling of the land, the many different colors, the vastness of it are extremely pleasing.

Overall, we had a good week. Ted got into the thick of it at work, I got a job and James tried out for a musical. The people, to our delight, continue to be extremely friendly. This is a picture of James and his new friend who lives down the street from us. He likes to come over after school and he and James have a great time playing together.