I tried to mentally record all the details as this day progressed. It’s difficult, being in the thick of things and at the same time taking note of that which is noteworthy. Sometimes I can step back and say, this idea is a keeper, but not as often as I wish. The best writers, like John McPhee, are always on it.

A day of brilliant sunshine – sunglasses weather in Nome, what with the bright sun reflecting off the white snow and ice. At dawn, Pam M and I caught the Checker Cab to the City of Anvil Science Academy. The building was in lockdown. Once in, the narrow hallways featured bulletin boards with science-related themes, such as “Motion,” “Pizza,” and “tattoos.” The motion one featured the invention of the lightbulb.

Pam M and I pulled several tables out of a closet, and put blue tablecloths on them, this before setting the books on top of the tablecloths. I gave three presentations to fifth and sixth graders. I was relieved to still have a PowerPoint stick on me. I asked the students how to change the images and they yelled out the command. I was then reminded that I was addressing a different generation than the one that I’m a part of. And yes, sometimes I wonder, if, say, I was in college, would I be waiting around for my next text message or letter from my boyfriend?

The presentations went well, the second was better than the first, and the third was better than the second. After, the children ran out of the room, into the hallways, and picked out books, of course conferring with one another as they did so. We started to run low, so I added Kastin Lie’s discarded books. She is the teacher who orchestrated the bookfair.

Pam H arrived at the tail end of the third presentation. We then were directed to the high school where they were also having a book fair. The fun part was that we got there via a tunnel that connected the two buildings. The students had decorated the walls of this tunnel with human figures. This did lend a nice ambiance to the walkway.

We checked out the book fair – there were no students or teachers around – then we got a ride with Kastin to the Nome Airport where we picked up the black “standby” suitcase. It was the only one there. The clerk had even called Pete and told him we needed to come and pick it up.

Kastin then took us back to the Aurora Inn where we planned the afternoon’s events. We ate at, of all places, a Subway shop. At least the eating area, bright and sunny, afforded us a view of the Bering Sea.

Okay. We then walked to the public library and museum and spent the rest of the afternoon there. Both the librarian and the curator were, as Pam said, very chatty. In general, those we met liked to talk. But then again, they had a lot to talk about.

Next: 84. 3/26/25: Roaming around Nome