Alaskan Field Trip

I accompanied Ella's 2nd grade class on a field trip this past Friday.

It was most likely only a field trip that one would experience by living in Alaska...we witnessed the slaying of a salmon, cut her wide open and took all her roe (eggs), witnessed the slaying of a male salmon and then took his milt (fish sperm), fertilized the eggs and then packed up a little take home package of eggs to each class where they will put them in their fish tanks and take care of them all winter until they hatch.

Interesting stuff if the second graders didn't mind the batting on the heads of the salmon to kill them, or the cutting opening of the female fish to get all the eggs.

But being Alaskans I'm sure they are well-versed in salmon guts and such, so maybe I was just a little hypersensitive to Ella's wrinkled nose and her questions of "why are they hitting the fish with a bat?"

I kid. She really did say that, but I don't think she'll be scarred for life or anything. See, she even went up to touch the fish.

But only really quickly.

Even with all the fish excitement I think Ella was probably more excited to introduce me to her best friend Maddie.

Even though I was glad I chaperoned on the field trip and got to spend time with Ella, my best moment came while waiting for the bus to arrive at the river. I got a great shot of the shore and the sun still rising. This was taken about 9:30 a.m. and yes it is sad that we are losing so much daylight!!