The Parsonage

Here is the place we are staying--complete with ornamental eagle! Took the first picture before I knew whether I could get any closer. Well not to worry, you can come and go from the door directly underneath where the eagle roosts, and he just stares at you!

Almost all houses and buildings here have metal roofs. Although not altogether attractive, they help with the snow and supposedly discourage eagles from perching. You can tell how discouraged this one was. We often hear loud bumps and jostelings in the house, which we believe are the eagles coming and going from the roof. Had two on the roof later yesterday.

The entry way on the right is where the crates of produce await picking up in the "arctic entrance." All arctic houses have such entrances, and they are small porches, halls, or rooms with doors both to the outside and then to the inside. This provides a buffer from cold wind and is a place to remove boots, coats, etc., in cold weather.

The burn barrels and boat in the foreground belong to the neighbors. The red Ford Explorer is the ding-y car I wrote about earlier, and the grey van is the "good car"--the around town, but not in the bush" vehicle. It is in relatively good shape--dented bumper, bad shock absorber on the right front, missing the rubber pedal cover from to both the the emergency brake and regular brake pedal, and the CD player (although empty) keeps making "I'm trying to load in a disc" sounds--even when the car is parked and the key removed! Interesting vehicles. But hey--they work! We're lucky to have both for the different places to go.