The adventures of Rosey and Riley

saying good-bye

2016-03-09T07:50:00.002-09:00

Life is a funny thing. It doesn't take long for the mundane activities of everyday life to overshadow what first appeared so thrilling and exciting. Looking at the Chugach Mountains every day, watching the sun rise and set in beautiful shades of pink becomes entwined with paying bills, going to work, getting gas... the beauty is still there but the awe factor is somewhat diminished when you're on your way to get a root canal.

We had to say good bye to Rosie almost two years ago. She was a good pup, and the only dog I've ever owned who would drop and play dead. And she was quite the actress, giving extended death scenes worthy of any stage.

We added family members....

And know there are more weddings in the future...

Because life doesn't stay stagnant, it morphs and changes in ways we've never anticipated or expected. It's an adventure. A wild roller coaster ride filled with unexpected twists and turns. The best mystery novel ever written....

And that's how I find myself sitting in a hotel room in Tok, Alaska (pop. 1,250) enjoying my last cup of coffee as an Alaskan resident. Okay, I lied. I'm not enjoying the coffee. It's the worst cup of hotel coffee I've ever made. When I'm done with this blog I'll pack my suitcase and my traveling companions into the car and travel 130 miles to the Canadian border. Then it's the long trip back down the Alcan back to Wisconsin. Just a short jaunt of about 3200 miles through the Canadian rockies and northern Canada before hitting prairie south of Edmonton into Montana.

I'm grateful for everyone I've met here and the travels I've had. I'm sad to leave a child behind, but happy for him. I'm glad to be moving closer to my other children, my mom, my sister, my friends...
And Riley too! He has no idea he has a new little sister.

And now it's time to say good-bye. Time to hit the road. Wish me safe travels, and I hope to see you soon.

May 2013

2013-06-08T22:03:00.002-08:00

(This blog entry was originally started on my last trip at the beginning of May. It has taken me a few weeks to complete it, which is why it all ready seems dated.)

I have been meaning to write this for months, but there always seems to be something else that is more pressing; something that requires immediate attention; or a brain that just needs to do nothing.

Right now, I am sitting on the deck of the Matanuska, one of the ferries that operates on the Alaska Marine Highway. This is my second ferry ride this week. Thursday I took the ferry from Juneau to Sitka. It was a four hour ride on what everyone called “the fast ferry”. This ferry doesn’t run in the winter, and I was told I probably wouldn’t like the winter ride very much. The weather the day I went to Sitka was gray and rainy. Imagine that. Gray and rainy skies in Southeast Alaska. Typical.

In Juneau there was still snow on the ground. They had just received about 4 inches of snow a few days before I arrived. A quick calendar check means that was April 27^th. Yes, it is supposed to be spring, but it just hasn’t arrived in most parts of the state. However, in Sitka, even with the rain and cloudy skies the temperature was in the 40’s. It felt like a heat wave. I didn’t see any wildlife on the ferry ride. After all, this is a trip through the Inner Passage where whale watching is a prime activity. But the scenery was still fantastic.

You can follow the ship’s progress via GPS.

The next day I flew to Ketchikan, and now I’m off to my next destination. Which is why I am sitting on the ferry waiting to depart. I think we leave in about an hour. It’s a 14 hour trip, and I will arrive at my destination around 7 AM. On the ferry you can stay on the observation deck and just doze here while you wait to arrive at your destination, or you can get a cabin.

I reserved a cabin since I will be staying on board overnight, and I kind of like the idea of private bathrooms. Essentially, this is the poor man’s Alaskan cruise. As long as you aren’t putting a car on the ferry. But as a pedestrian, it’s cheaper travel this way then on the plane. And actually easier for me to get some work done too. I find working on the airplanes next to impossible, and even in the airport my time is so fragmented that it’s hard to accomplish very much.

Today I had a little time to explore Ketchikan. This is my 4^th trip here. The last two times I did not have a rental car, and the weather was so cold and wet that it was no fun to explore. Today it’s about 55 degrees. I can’t describe how nice it feels to sit outside at 55 degrees. Without a coat or hat. I understand they are predicting snow for Anchorage today, so this is like paradise.

The town of Ketchikan doesn’t have the same appeal to me that Sitka does, but the surrounding area is equally as beautiful.

away from the tourist area of Ketchikan

Ketchikan is known as the First City of Alaska. And like so many towns it clings to the surrounding mountains. This is a view of downtown from the port where the Cruise ships arrive. The tourist season is just starting and there have only been a couple of ships this year. The port holds 4 ships and I think they get about 8 - 12 ships a week during the season. Sitka only gets 1 -2 although they used to get more. The decrease in the amount of visitors has had a huge financial impact on the town economy.

These are the shops you would see as you disembark from the cruise ships. The stores are just starting to open and many of them are still vacant.

Ketchikan is full of totem poles. There is a park called Totem Park. I missed it on this visit, so it will wait for my next visit. As a side note, when I called home last night at 9:30 PM it was pitch black in Ketchikan, but Steve said it was still bright daylight at home. Interesting what several hundred miles can do.

This used to be the town’s red light district, but now it’s full of shops. Not one of them was open today, and it is Saturday. I saw a seal head in this little water area, but wasn’t quick enough to snap a photo.

Anchorage and Juneau (and parts north) still have snow, but in SE Alaska the wild roses are getting ready to bloom.

I watched this Kingfisher do his thing as he successfully caught (and ate) some little fish. At least there isn't any ice on the water like there is in Anchorage and parts north. Heck, even Juneau had several inches of new snow on the ground...

One gripe I have about the Ketchikan airport is they hold you hostage.

The boat on the far side of the channel is the ferry that take you to and from the airport. For a car and passenger to go across I think it’s $15. One way. Pedestrians are $10 one way. There is a break if you purchase a round-trip ticket. I guess that’s one way for a municipality to make some extra funds. After all, this is another community (like most of them) that you can only get to by air or water.

The ferry is at dock in the background. The ship in the forefront is a fishing vessel getting ready for the start of the season.

The past several months have seen many changes. Tara and Sky moved into the new house, and a few months ago, moved into a new place of their own. We still see them frequently, which is good, because I don’t like to miss out on my Nana/Mom time.

Jake left for the Alaska Military Youth Academy at the beginning of October.

He came home for Christmas, as did Joe. Joe did not return to Hawaii, but went to Ohio and transferred to Kent State.

We were preparing to take Jake back to the Academy and I tried to get the guys together for a group picture. Don’t they look like a happy bunch of fellows?

And then a certain someone walked into the room... Guesses? And no – it isn’t the dog.

Our own version of Three Men and a Baby.

I continue to enjoy my job. Not only do I receive a lot of personal satisfaction from it, but it’s hard to complain when it gives me the opportunity to travel and see such amazing things.

Steve recently changed jobs, and for once, he doesn’t travel.

Rosey and Riley are fine. It’s break-up season in most of Alaska, where the snow SHOULD be melting and the ice SHOULD be going away. What’s left behind is mud. And where there is mud there are muddy dogs. Unfortunately, the carpet in the house is very light beige. Keeping the dogs in the garage for a little before they come into the house helps. A little. Even the walls have mud on them. I can only guess it happens when the dogs run up and down the steps, or shake themselves off.

Actually, one of the worst parts of break-up season is the smell. As the days get longer (we’re at about 17 hours of daylight now) and the ice does melt, all the dog poop from all around the city becomes exposed. And let’s just say that most people aren’t very good at cleaning up their back yards. The smell in the neighborhoods over the past few weeks has been fairly horrific. Which is really interesting because the air quality report for Anchorage was published about the same time the air became so fragrant. Apparently, Anchorage has great air quality, one of the best in the nation. Fairbanks, on the other hand, not-so-much. The burning of fuel sources (wood, pellet, oil) has really diminished the air quality. Hard to believe since there isn’t anything around Fairbanks.

I had the opportunity to go to Fairbanks, just for a day, in the middle of March. It was bright and sunny, but so cold. It was -19 (a warm day for them) but the wind was to bitter cold to do any walking around. Even the local residents said "oh no, you don't want to be outside". I took them for their word. Just the walk from the airport terminal to the rental car parking lot was brutal. But I did see some lovely mountain ranges on the flight out.

During winter, the sun doesn’t really get above the horizon until about 10 AM. This picture was taken in November around 9:30 in the morning.

Now it’s light at 5 AM.

Right around Christmas, and around the time when there were talks of a government shut-down, some enterprising criminal in Anchorage started to steal mailboxes. I mean the big metal things that are usually anchored on street corners and in front of buildings. Those thefts prompted this in front of our post office –

I know, that’s a little hard to read – but it says Out of Order - Do not Use.

Somehow that really seemed to describe our government at that time – Out Of Order.

I’m going to put this away for now. The ferry leaves soon and I want to be able to whale watch. I probably won’t have the internet connection to post this for a couple of days. If I’m lucky I’ll have some good pictures to put with it. (addendum: I never saw any whales. The trip was a tiring one and I actually took a long nap in my cabin. But I did see one large body glide through the water that probably couldn't have been anything else but a whale)

Random photos:

Drill Team Competition Day

Graduation day! One cord is for being in the Honor’s group and the other is for obtaining his GED. In Alaska you can obtain both your high school diploma and your GED.

I am a nurse, even if it looks more like I’m an IT person. I wrote for a small amount of grant funds to do some statewide training with another co-worker. To reach a statewide audience there has to be a fair amount of IT involvement. I just didn't realize it would be me!

As the days lengthened, the ravens started to pair up. Another way to tell spring was here was the arrival of the seagulls. They showed up in the beginning of April, long before the first robins will make it to Anchorage.

On the ferry from Ketchikan to Kake.

The accommodations are Spartan, but hey, I have my own private head.

Here’s a barge bringing goodies to some remote village. I hope it's got some good stuff on it!

In Kake, the weather was 50 + degrees. The snow is long gone, and I got to do a little beachcombing. I’m hoping that no one is still using this swing. The beaches around here were just littered with beach glass. Some of it very worn by the sea, but unfortunately, much of it didn’t look too old at all.

Beach front property at low tide.

The views are spectacular.

The morning I left, eagles sang me a wake-up song outside of my window. It was worse than listening to a cat fight at midnight. I walked to the airport and saw these bright spots of yellow:

Jack-in-a-pulpit. A sure sign of spring so I knew that somewhere in Alaska spring had arrived.

What I didn’t see until the plane was taxing down the runway (and let me say how happy I was that it was the big plane again. It was a full flight with 7 passengers – including the little baby) were the bears. I had been sitting outside on the luggage rack enjoying the sun and I found out that Mama black bear and 2 yearling cubs were doing the same thing about 200 yards away from me. Of course, my camera was nowhere to be found. They were the first bears I’ve seen in Alaska that haven’t been on the other side of a fence. A really big STRONG fence.

Back home in Anchorage, I think spring may have arrived. The temperatures hit 50 and the snow is gone off most the sidewalks. However, places under trees and in the shadows still have several inches to contend with. And of course there is the daylight. Last night it was midnight and you could still see outside, like twilight. Up at 5:30 AM and the sun is all ready high in the sky. It’s hard to believe that the longest day of the year is almost upon us when spring seems to have completely skipped us. We are heading straight into summer. I only wish break-up season was over so we didn’t have to deal with the mud.

(Addendum #2 - spring did not arrive. Instead, we had measurable amounts of snow on May 17th, making this the longest winter on record. By the following week, the weather was in the high 60's and we launched into summer. The only spring we talked about this year was the one we never had)

Fall, Falling, Fallen

2012-09-29T23:15:00.000-08:00

About a month ago there was no doubt that fall had come to the Anchorage bowl. Yellow is the predominant fall color here. Multiple shades of yellow: muted, dark, variegated, bright; but all yellow. And green too. It is a pretty mixture, the green and the yellow, but it never says fall to me quite the way the reds of the maple trees do in the lower 48.

When I took a drive out to the valley the mountains reminded me of some sort of tiered skirt with swirling yellow and green along the base that progressed to solid green, from the pines, around the middle of the mountain and at the top transitioned into a yellow/brown/green, the color of the lichen that clings to the mountain peaks. So one fall day, my little sidekick and I took a drive out to the Botanical Garden. It's only a few miles from here and it's somewhere I have been wanting to go for some time.

Sky and I met this fellow at a gated pavilion where there are gardening classes for kids a little older than Sky. As you can tell by her face, she wasn't too sure of this giant pumpkin.

But it didn't take her too long to warm up, once she realized there was nothing behind him

It was a beautiful day, and after wandering around the trails at the Garden, being ever mindful for the potential run-in with a bear or moose, I decided to head out toward Earthquake Park. We actually went a little past the park and stopped short of Point Woronzof. Everyone was out enjoying the day. I think it's because everyone one knew it was one of the last days of summer left for us.

Cook Inlet beyond the trees, and the white fluffy looking things are mountains, not clouds. It's the Alaska Range.

The view back toward Anchorage over Cook Inlet

In retrospect this day was a huge bonus because we have had nothing but rain and gray since this day. In fact, we had a storm come through with 100 mph winds that brought down trees and fences all around town. Some people were without power for up to 5 days. Let me repeat that. In Anchorage Alaska, where in the dead of winter our temperatures routinely drop below zero, a wind storm knocked out power for 5 days. Thank God it was fall and not winter. And after that storm came through, so did another. Although this storm only packed 70 mph winds. And the one after that gusted up to 40 mph. The winds may have died down, but the rain has not. Cordova, AK has received over 9 inches of rain, Kenai is under water, and Anchorage, after having a record snowstorm this past winter - is on track to have the second wettest September in history.

These photos are actually courtesy of the Alaska Dispatch. And although this first storm occurred about 3 weeks ago there are still fallen trees all over town. Chainsaws and generators are sold out in all of the stores around town.

We don't own either of them....

But let's go back to the fact that it's fall. So while it's raining here other things are happening on the tops of those mountains.

And then another storm system came. This one from the south and it brought steady daytime temperatures that were in the 50's and not much colder at night. It rained everyday, but the rain melted some of the snow. Everyone was okay about that, although I do notice people are all ready starting to put on their SADD lights. Yesterday the forecaster warned us about the change in the weather pattern that is coming next week. Cold temperatures are on the way he said, fall is about over, be prepared. So this morning we woke up to this.

Across the street

The mountains out back with a serious case of Termination Dust

Almost all gone by mid-day

Moonrise over the Chugach Mountains. I think that snow is here for good

It is obvious to me that we are on the downhill march when it comes to daylight. We continue to lose about 5 1/2 minutes of daylight daily. Right now, we have light for about 11.5 hours. In June we had 22 hours of sunlight. It goes quick. I don't mind the darkness, but this year I think it is depressing to so many so early because we have had so little sun in the past year. Between the snow last winter, the gloom we experienced all summer, and the terrific rains we have had during fall (all 25 days of it), well, it's just been a little much. And it's a bit concerning to think that our winter may continue in the same vein.

Maybe we should go buy a generator.

There have been several environmental issues in the state. And I don't mean the flooding in Kenai or Talkeetna. Or the flooding that wiped out the railroad track north of Wasilla. But other stuff, like the fact that the King Salmon season was declared a disaster and some fisheries may have lost up to 90% of their average revenue. And nobody knows why.

Shell Oil was going to start drilling in the Chukchi sea, but stopped after one day. Seems they were plagued by things like giant ice floes and malfunctioning equipment. Shell has spent over 4.5 billion dollars to get approval for the right to drill. They haven't gotten approval yet, but they are positioning themselves to be ready to start drilling as soon as the ink is dry on the paperwork. At least they were ready, but do to the short-season, the ice, the whale-hunts, etc etc, Shell is now waiting for next year to start drilling in this pristine area. Ok, so I'm on a bit of a soap box. I just don't understand spending that much money for something that hasn't been approved yet. Or having your drilling platforms and barges in place waiting for the approval. It just seems odd to me.

Pebble mine is another huge environmental issue. Create the mine and bring in jobs and revenue to a place where there are no jobs and no revenue. Or create the mine and destroy a way of life that has been going on for centuries in yet another pristine part of the state. It's hard to say what is right and what is wrong.

On a personal, family update, the baby of the family (and I don't mean Skylar) has decided to join the Alaska Youth Military Academy. From the time that Jake was in Kindergarten and he was asked what he wanted to do when he grew up, he always said the Army. Lately, the branch of service has changed, but the theme remains the same. This is a challenging program where he will stay on the local base for the next 22 weeks. While he is there he will have the opportunity to challenge himself not only physically but also emotionally and hopefully academically. The first two weeks the cadets are sleeping on the ground and learning what they are in for. After that there is a little graduation ceremony and we get to see him. That day just happens to coincide with his 17th birthday. I'm glad I have the opportunity to see him on his birthday. Jake has one more day at home and Monday he departs. At least the base is right at the edge of town, and it won't be a big deal to go and visit. But it is a big deal to have my baby leave home. Even if it is only temporarily.

It's late now, and I can hear the wind blowing outside. It's about 34 degrees out, and I bet we start getting solid frosts from here on out. Which actually I'm looking forward to because our lawn is so wet that you need waders or x-tra tufs to let the dogs out. Don't know what x-tra tufs are? At first glance they remind me of the tunnel boots my dad used to wear when he was working in the tunnel construction business. And maybe they are the same thing. They are also a common denominator between the social stratosphere. Everyone wears xtra tufs. They keep your feet warm and dry, and when you tuck your pants into them, they keep your pants dry too. They can be found anywhere, from the construction site, to the mall, to the grocery store and to church.

Maybe we should get xtra tufs too. And an ark. Or at least a snowblower.

Until next time!

Bigger and Bigger

2012-09-03T23:06:00.003-08:00

My sister tells me that I do things big. I don't know if I agree with that. Planning a missionary trip to an African nation to deliver mosquito netting to prevent malaria (a trip recently undertaken by a small high school) is doing something big.

I think what we have been experiencing is a rolling tide of change, and we are adapting in a hopefully positive manner, to those changes.

When I came back from New York, the priority was to find a new place to live as our rental house was up for sale. So we bought a house.

Oh, and before we moved in, I started a new job -

I know it looks like I'm part of an Olympic Synchronized Swim Team, but actually, I am now a Community Health Nurse. The agency I am working for provides services for people who experience disabilities. I think its a pretty good fit for me, because so much of my work history has been in this particular field. And I must admit, I am really happy to be back in the not-for-profit working world.

We have been in the house for about a month and for the most part we are settled in. There are closets that need to be re-arranged; some furniture that still needs to be purchased; a doggie door to be installed; but it is comfortable and most importantly, it's ours.

During the interview for my new job, the Director of Nursing asked "so how do you feel about flying in small planes and then traveling by snowmobile or 4-wheeler to a remote village?" I can honestly say I have never been asked that in an interview before. But, this is an agency that provides services statewide. And this is a BIG state. Many of the people I visit are within driving distance, but there are some that live farther away and I need to visit them on a quarterly basis. To do that, I have to get on the plane. So I did.

Last Sunday, I got on a plane and flew about 800 miles south to Ketchikan.

note the cruise ships. they tell me about 20 per week arrive in town

my lunch time view

The weather for SE Alaska was phenomenal. It was about 70 degrees and bright and sunny. Since it was Sunday, and I wasn't at work yet, I took a nice long walk. Ketchikan reminds me of Juneau in the way that the housing seems to be battling for space in the crowded downtown. The older buildings are stacked upon each other, reminiscent of the nursery rhyme about the little crooked house. There is a creek or stream that runs through the main part of town and the houses and shops are stacked all around it. It makes for a nice little trail.

The Trail I walked

When I got off the plane,I got in my rental car and drove down the ramp to get on a ferry. The only way to get from the airport to the mainland is by ferry.

Totems outside the hotel

part of the trail

Creekside Shops

with all the beauty, there are signs of poverty and neglect


Salmon do go up this stream

Monday night, I flew into Sitka. It was grey and raining, quite a difference from the previous day. Sitka has a very important place in Alaskan history and a very strong Russian heritage. One of the first people I saw when I left the airport was a Russian Orthodox Priest.

Downtown Sitka

Baranov's Castle site. Originally a Tlinget village, then a Russian "palace"or gov't buidling, and later the first site of the US Gov't in Alaska.

Russian Church in Sitka

Sitka did not seem to have the same frenetic and crazed building that Ketchikan did. Maybe its because there isn't the same struggle for flat land between the coast and the mountains. Sitka has a lovely harbor and a great downtown, perfect for walking. Most of the town area is flat and although there are mountains, they don't rise right out of the ocean like they do on so many of the other islands. In fact, I thought it looked like a great place to live until I remembered that milk cost about $6.00 per gallon and gas was at a low of $4.25 per gallon. And everything needs to be shipped in. The only thing local is the seafood.

Tuesday night I flew into Juneau. It was another night of pouring rain, but hey, this is SE Alaska. Part of the Tongass National Forest, or America's Rainforest. So, why would I expect anything but rain?

Cruise Ships arriving in Juneau. Crappy hotel = great views


About 4 ships would arrive everyday and leave the next

After the rain, I was lucky and the sun came out for the rest of my visit. It was glorious!

I took a side trip about 17 miles out of town to the Shrine of St. Theresa

They have a spot overlooking the water. There is a land-bridge going from the lodge out to the church.This is a view from the land-bridge back to the lodge.

Walking to the church I met a woman telling me there were whales out there "bubble-fishing"

The Shrine

Can you see all the Inuksuit?

An outdoor altar that looks out upon the water and the Inuksuk

I came upon a sign that said, "Don't touch the fish". Then I realized this was a stream full of swimming salmon. I took the video and looked further down the stream. It quickly disappeared into the black undergrowth of this old growth forest. Suddenly, all I could think about were bears. I had no desire to meet up with any bears while they tried to catch their supper, so I departed.

I spent a couple of beautiful days in Juneau and Friday I took a small plane to Kake. And I do mean small.

note the single prop. I climbed up onto the wing and then into the cabin. I wound up sitting next to the pilot. The only other passengers were a man and his 2 year old son. They sat in the next seat behind me. The rest of the plane was filled with freight. And a good reason to go back on a diet - they ask how much you weigh so they can figure out how much to load.

It was a great day for a flight

The view from the home I visited. That is Baranof Island in the distance. It's the 10th largest US Island and only slightly smaller than the state of Delaware.

Grave Island is to the right. It's where people are buried in weighted coffins so they don't float away. But it's full, so they are now starting to bury people on the littler island to the left

Houses are battered by the elements. The cost of building is astronomical. Upkeep is frequently minimal.

The pier appears to be in better shape than much of the town

The Kake airport. I did not bring a drink on the plane with me, but did not realize that with smaller airlines, there were no such concerns. No security x-rays or pat-downs. Heck, they didn't even ask for ID.

The plane back to Juneau was slightly larger. There were also more passengers. 4 of us.

More humpback whales bubble-fishing. The pilot actually circled the pod of whales. Guess when you are in a smaller plane you don't have to worry so much about sticking to a strict flight pattern. We got to see both orcas and humpbacks from the air.

Return to Juneau

There wasn't much to do in Kake. My plane arrived at 9:15 and there wouldn't be a flight to Juneau until 5:00 PM. There isn't a shopping center, or mall. No real downtown to look for touristy stuff. Just people trying to eek out a living where there is no economy, no jobs. And milk here costs about $8.00 a gallon. Just about everyone drinks the powdered stuff. Almost everything here comes from Sitka. Need to go to the doctor? fly to Sitka, grocery shop? fly to Sitka. Dentist - well. Actually, I met a pediatric dentist who is from Seattle. She opened a clinic in Ketchikan, and does home visits 2x a year to get to the kiddos in some of these remote areas. But if you are an adult - you fly to Sitka. As we waited to board the plane, we watched a family unload their Costco purchases into their minivan. They make the trip monthly. Here there is no running to the store because you need an ingredient that you forgot to purchase.

I think I flew close to 2,000 miles in the past week, never leaving the state. In about 2 months, I get to repeat it all again. I think I will take some extra undies in my luggage. At that time of year I'm likely to get weathered in somewhere.

Now, it's time to get to bed so I can get to work tomorrow and chart on everything that happened last week. When I do get up, I hope the rain has stopped. I do not live in the rainforest, but you wouldn't know that from the weather we have had this summer. But at least it is still raining and not snowing. Our temps are down into the 50's now and the leaves are turning yellow and falling off the trees. Now that it is September, it won't be long until we have snow, or Termination Dust, back on the mountains.

Until next time!

My Field Trip to NYC

2012-05-28T19:01:00.001-08:00

As many of you know, my family is from the NYC area. My Mom still lives in the Bronx, and my sister lived in the city for many years and remains a frequent visitor. Most of my family resides in the New York area and I myself, lived there for several years growing up.

What you may not know is I don’t like the city. That may be sacrilege to some of you, but I have always been more at ease in the country than on the city streets. There have been many visits over the years; with the last one being for my grandfathers’ funeral about 6 years ago. It was a quick trip, with no time for excursions downtown. The time before that was for my grandmothers’ funeral, again, with no time for museums, shopping or side-trips. So, this trip was going to be different: first, I was traveling alone, something I have rarely done in 24 years; and second, I was staying for a week. Let the sight-seeing begin!

And it did! On our first evening, we drove down to the edge of Manhattan and took a Hidden Harbor cruise to view the tall ships. The ships would be under sail up the Hudson River the following day, but this evening they were moored. The US ship, The Eagle, was moored next to the Statue of Liberty. It was truly a beautiful vision. And it was great to see the other ships and their crews. We waved and took pictures of the crews on the ships and then they waved and took pictures of us on our ship. It couldn’t have been a nicer evening.

The Lady Liberty and the Coast Guard Cutter The Eagle

The next day was a bus ride downtown to see a Broadway show. We took Mom to see Jesus Christ Superstar for her birthday. We had some time, so we did some walking, and as we walked I felt the presence of the crowd around me. The noise, the buildings, and the activity – it was all a bit overwhelming. And then, I began to feel myself change in response to my surroundings. I can recall that as a child I sometimes felt like I needed to put-on a “badass” attitude if I felt a little threatened. Probably akin to a bird puffing itself up when it feels threatened. Oddly enough, wandering around through Time Square, I felt like I needed to puff myself up and protect myself from something, although I’m not sure what. I think it was just a response to the atmosphere, but it was exhausting. We had a lovely dinner out, and spent some time with Mom’s friends, but by the time we got back to the apartment, I was exhausted. Using all that energy to try and protect myself from an environment that I find to be way over-stimulating just wore me out.

Fortunately, by the third day, a little of the edge of the city had worn away. It’s not that it was suddenly comfortable, but I did not have the need to try and protect myself from any unseen threats. In fact, the 1970’s NYC of my childhood memories is very different from NYC today. And I don’t think it is just the difference between a child’s eyes or an adult’s eyes. In general, I found the city today to be a cleaner and more “user-friendly” environment. There are more green spaces, and it is cleaner. There appears to be a conscious effort to be better custodians of New York. I think it’s great and wonderful.

I still don’t like it.

Today, the third day was filled with a stroll through Little Italy and Chinatown. And then we walked to where the Twin Towers had stood. I don’t think there is any American over the age of 20 who couldn’t tell you what they were doing the day the Towers fell. Almost all of us have a story to tell about that day and the days that were to follow. I have wanted to see the site for a long time. Once, about 8 years ago I asked Mom about going and she said “No”. The memories were still too fresh for her, and I respected that. I didn’t realize Sue felt the same way, but she told me she didn’t feel she was ready to go up until today.

I’m glad we went and saw the Twin Reflecting Pools. The Freedom Tower isn’t complete; the Museum isn’t complete; other buildings going up aren’t complete; but the pools are there and the walls surrounding them are engraved with the names of the victims.

So many names.

So many names that have “and unborn child” coupled with them.

So many names of victims of every race and creed that it becomes readily apparent that this wasn’t just an attack on America, but an attack upon humanity.

We know how many victims there were, but it wasn’t until I saw how many names were engraved in the walls surrounding the twin reflecting pools that the enormity of the loss became tangible to my brain.

row after row of names

There were flowers and flags left in tribute, and there were several sailors present which reminded me of how many people enlisted right after the fall of the Towers. And there was one young sailor who slowly and deliberately walked around both pools trailing his fingertips gently across the engraved names.

As I watched I saw people posing to get their pictures taken and it reminded me of something that happened many years ago. My car had essentially caught fire while Jake and I were driving. Jake was young, just a little over a year old and the episode scared and infuriated me. It’s seems there had been a recall on my car that had been missed or overlooked by the dealer and I called our local paper to speak with someone so others could be alerted to the dangers of missed recalls. A reporter and photographer came out to do a story on us and to take our picture. As I stood holding Jake I looked at the camera and smiled. The photographer said to me – “why are you smiling? This is serious – don’t smile!” I stopped smiling and instead kissed the top of Jake’s head and that was the picture that went into the paper.

I thought about that article and that photo from long ago while I watched people getting their picture taken at the 911 Memorial. I think that when we get in front of a camera we automatically pose and smile. Some part of me wants to say to the people smiling in front of all those engraved names – “this is serious – don’t smile!”

And yet – perhaps we do need to smile at each other. Not the smile of comic relief, but a smile extended in friendship and mutual respect. A smile to help us work through our collective grief; to help us heal; to help us rebuild. To help make sure this never happens again - anywhere.

Freedom Tower, under construction

Moose, Thy Name is Bullwinkle

2012-03-24T20:25:00.001-08:00

Most of us of a certain age will recall Bullwinkle as an affable, lovable buffoon of a moose. If you are little younger, you might recall the movie with Bullwinkle and his side-kick Rocky. Given those parameters, if you received a phone call that went:

Help, I'm being chased by a Moose! What should I do???

We'll get back to that...

I know that there are moose in other parts of the country, but I'm just not sure that there are as many moose living in an urban area as there are here. Although moose appear to be rather comical, they are actually fairly mean-tempered. Every year there are reports of moose attacks, and sometimes they are fatal. A moose can and will, kick with both front and back feet. They will also rear up on their hind legs and strike with their front legs, rather like a rearing horse. But when they are just hanging out, they sure look mellow and goofy. Below I am sharing some moose pictures. I can't take credit for any of them, but they are all from the internet, so I feel they are free to share. To me, they illustrate why there is a little Bullwinkle in every moose.

On a recent trip to the local hospital (everyone is fine, no worries) Tara wanted to know why there was a sign posted indicating that there was a moose in the area and the automatic doors were turned off. Tara was wondering why. Check out the following YouTube clip and you'll find out.

But sometimes, a moose just has to have fun.

So what do you do if someone calls and says "Help!! I'm being followed by a Moose!"

Well, I missed Tara's call. Steve's response was more of a BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Tara, apparently, walked up the sidewalk in the dark and surprised a moose. She said he stomped his foot (never a good sign) and started towards her. She turned around and a car that was driving by stopped and told her to "hurry up and get it in!! There's a moose after you!!" Talk about timing!

So, what is the correct thing to do if Bullwinkle is pissed off and chasing you? Usually, you try to put something between you and the moose, like a big tree. That wouldn't of worked for Tara as she was in the middle of an intersection. So, what is the best thing to do? According to Appalachian Mountain Club - RUN!!!

Yesterday, it was 4 degrees when I left the house. But when this is the view on my way to work, I can't complain to much.

There are times when I wish it took longer then 10 minutes to drive to work.

Today, I took Rosey and Riley down to Kinkaid Park for a walk. For those of you in need of your winter time-snow-fix, check out the following photos. It's about 35 degrees out today - and there's a whole lot of melting going on. But not in the park.

Sleeping Maiden is in the background

Sleeping Maiden

The heroes of our Story - Riley and Rosey

Please note how the snow is about level with the seat

There is a little squirrel in this picture, but he's pretty hard to see. He was quite vocal about having to share his woods.


The drive back home

Until next week! Watch out for BullWinkle!

How Much is Too Much?

2012-03-18T20:28:00.002-08:00

The day is glorious. The temperature was above freezing, at least after a chilly start. We started the day at 12 degrees. I drove around town doing errands, and for the first time in months, I didn't need to be using my 4-wheel drive. The intersections are still ice packs, but they are shrinking. Almost like miniature versions of shrinking ice packs from global warming.

Our global warming is directly related to the increased amounts of sunshine we are experiencing. We currently have over 10 hours of sunlight a day. Compare that to December when we were lucky to experience half that. And in December the days were gray and cloudy. Now we have days like today where the sun shines and the sky is a beautiful blue.

But just because the sun is out, it doesn't mean the snow is gone. Our official snow total is 129 inches. We are 3.3 inches away from breaking the 60 yr old record for snowfall. I would say that most of us are done with snow, but we are rooting for that additional snowfall so we can smash that record. Since it is all ready mid-March, it better hurry up and get here!

So, just does that much snow look like and what does it do to a community?


Winter still holds the landscape captive


I can't take credit for this photo - but it is what it looks like. A moose on a roof. He used a snow bank as a ramp.

For us in our house, it looks something like this...

The view down the street after a recent snowfall

This is actually an inlet on our little lake. There are 5 float planes on this little inlet and every house appears to have a dock.

I drove home one day wondering "what the heck is that?"


A diehard - that's what

We received so much snow and had so much on the roof, that even though the temperature was below freezing, our windows started to leak


improvised collection system

That's about a foot of ice on the roof

After the big scrape we were left with about 4 feet of ice in front of the house. My neighbor has been shoveling her roof too.

I am not looking forward to spring thaw.

We called the landlord who had some folks come out and shovel the roof. It took care of the ice load on the house, but when the snow starts to melt, it's all going to wind up in the crawlspace. That's about 4 feet of ice and snow right at the foot of the house. There have been about 15 roofs that have collapsed in town, so I suppose this is better than the alternative.

Earlier this winter, Cordova, Alaska made headlines with it's record snow. Steve's company manages some property there and he passed these pictures to me. The buckling walls are from the weight of the snow.

A town buried

It certainly does look like the Wrong Way to go

Up on the Roof

This is no back road. This is the highway.

Tonight I took the dogs for a walk after dinner. At 6 PM, it is still dazzling light and bright out. We walked out onto the lake. As I walk I look at the tracks on the ground, mostly there are shoes and boots, lots of dogs, and the occasional moose track that even I can discern. Although it is about 30 degrees out, the snow, in most places, still crunches when I walk. In areas where the sun has softened it, I sink in where I step. Not much, just about an inch, or two at the most. The dogs are able to walk on the crust without sinking. I did this same walk a few weeks ago, before daylight savings went into effect. That time it was about 7 PM and the sky was dark all ready. Because it was still cloudy, the sky appeared backlit, but at the edges you could see where the darkness was gathering and getting ready to take over the whole sky. I decided to follow the trail left by the cross-county skiers and snowmobilers. I chose to follow a path that cut the lake in two, and half-way across the lake I found myself in snow up to my knees. I was still on the path, but the snow here was apparently not packed enough to hold a person walking. I wasn't concerned about going through the ice. It doesn't go from -20 to meltdown in a few days, so I figured the ice was safe. I was more concerned about getting stuck and floundering in the snow. No one really knew where I was. I figured my only saving grace was the red flashers attached to the dogs leashes. If I got stuck, maybe someone would come and investigate the strange flashing lights. But, I managed to backtrack my way and Rosey, Riley and I made it home without any further incident.

As we walked along the lake today, I avoided the middle. I figured that after a few days of sunshine, the crust would be even less stable. Instead, I followed the path along the perimeter, with my boots sinking slightly. It's hard to walk uneven like that. It's tough to get a good stride going, and your balance is off. I find myself using different muscles that I don't usually use when I walk. All of this made me think of another event that just finished up - the Last Great Race on Earth - The Iditarod. This years Iditarod was won by a rookie, and he held onto first place only by an hour. He displace Ally Zirkle, the woman who held the lead for most of the race. And although he officially won on the 13th of this month, there are still two racers out on the trail. This year there were fathers competing against sons, and even twin sisters out on the trail. While the Iditarod gets a mention on the National News, it is big news here. Live broadcasts, updates on the trail, and if you check out the website you can see where there are videos from the trail you can view.

My point is, that I don't think that my dogs and I have much to complain about, walking through a little unpacked snow, when those mushers and their teams are out in the elements breaking through all sorts of snow. My hat is off to the teams - at least virtually because I still need to wear my hat to keep my ears warm when I am outside.

Until next week!

Where have we been, and are you sure this isn't a third world country?

2012-02-28T22:51:00.001-09:00

I have neglected my blog for several months now - if I were to try and condense the last few months into a few lines they would go like this - in (mostly) chronological order

wedding anniversary (#23!!)
Tara and Sky arrive
Thanksgiving
job interviews
daycare interviews
Joe arrives
Steve has Dr appt
Steve has birthday
Christmas
Steve has hip replacement surgery
Happy New Year!
Tara starts to work (such a trooper, taking the bus to and from work in -10 weather)
I do the daycare run
Joe goes back to school
Steve has therapy and goes back to work within a few weeks of surgery (Amazing)
I have a birthday (don't ask)
Tara starts a new job - fulltime
Jake has all the stuff that goes with school

Add a couple of root canals and repair work on the 4 wheel drive on the jeep, and that about covers Nov-Jan.

Life has pretty much settled down now and we are (I am anyway) breathing easier. I can't believe it's been a year. It really has gone fast. This winter is much different from last winter. Last winter there wasn't much in the way of snow. And it was cold, but nothing like the days of -10 degree weather we had in town. Closer to -25 in the mountains. And that isn't windchill. And is has snowed this year. And snowed. And more snow. We've had about 10 feet of snow I think. We need 24 more inches to tie the record. It's just the end of February - there is yet another month left of winter. And we can get snow into May. I think there is a good chance we might make the record. Snow is forecast for pretty much the whole week - just an inch here and an inch there, but it piles up.

You might ask, what does all that snow look like... well, it's not all here. Much of it had melted, but I think I can dig up a few pictures from one big storm we had.

Riley loves snow

Skylar can almost walk on the snow, the rest of us sink right in. Time for snowshoes

Rosey is not so sure. Neither is Skylar.

Help, I've fallen and I can't get up. Good thing that branch is there!

Pure joy

The winter has been hard on the moose too. Over 450 have been killed since July. They would rather walk on the roads then plow through the snow. The Moose Federation - don't laugh, there really is such a place - is seeking donations so they can put hay out in the woods to try and keep the moose out of populated areas and off the roads.

Apparently, this little guy didn't hear about that. He came over on Superbowl Sunday. Maybe he wanted hot wings. Sorry the pictures aren't the best, but I wasn't going to ask him to pose.

headed right for the front door step

Add caption

The birth of a nurse - Alaskan Style

2012-02-28T21:58:00.000-09:00

I had the opportunity to meet a lovely couple the other day. They are both in their 70's and have a few health problems. Not being familiar with the facility I work in, they came to see if we could help them. We couldn't, but I had the great fortune to chat with them for quite awhile. Eventually, Mrs. Marvin told me she was a retired nurse, and this is the story she told me of how she became a nurse.

Mrs. Marvin, I hope you don't mind my sharing your story. Thank you for sharing it with me.

Kodiak, Alaska is an island off the Alaskan coast that comprises about 6.5 square miles. The population is about 6,500 people, spread over 7 communities. Like most Alaskan communities, it is accessible by ferry or plane. There are no bridges to the mainland. It is a mecca for fisherman, tourists, and hunters. This is where the legendary Kodiak Bear resides. And eagles. There are pictures in an earlier blog from Steve's trip to Kodiak with a tree full of eagles.

Originally, the land was settled by the Alutiiq people. There is also a strong Russian presence in the area, like there is in so many of the coastal towns. And this is where Mrs. Marvin was born, about 74 years ago, to a native family. Her mother died in childbirth and her father gave her to her great-aunt and uncle to raise. They could not have children of their own, so they took her and raised her for the first 6 years of her life. Yupik was her first language. Education was not a priority in her culture, nor was learning English, but about the time she turned 6, her great-aunt was diagnosed with cancer. Her uncle, who must have been a man of great fore-thought and wisdom, told Mrs. Marvin that she needed to learn English and she needed an education. He told her that she didn't need to know English to learn how to mop the floors or wash dishes, but if she wanted to do anything else, she needed to learn to read and write. He told her how embarrassing it was for him to go to the neighbors to have something read to him. He tried to impart to her that with an education she could go anywhere. You can imagine that at 6 years old, that isn't exactly what she wanted to do.


Girls Dormitory and Chapel, Kodiak Island


an unidentified Yupik girl, circa 1967

The only place to go and learn English and get the education her uncle desired for her, was at the Baptist orphanage. (Mr. Marvin commented here that his wife still likes to see a cross on the wall of a room) So, Mrs. Marvin was sent by her great-uncle to the orphanage to learn English and get an education. She said she resented it at first, but then she learned English, and then she learned to read and write and soon she realized she loved the process of learning. She remained at the orphanage for about 4 years before heading to mainland Alaska and finishing her education.

I don't know where she went or what adventures she had during those years, but she said she finished nursing school and had a picture taken of herself in her new whites, cap and blue cape and sent the photo to her great-uncle. She said he cried and cried.

I don't think she ever went back to Kodiak. Instead she moved to Sitka, where she married and raised her family. Mr. and Mrs. Marvin still have a house in Sitka, but they also go back and forth to Anchorage. Just like lots of other people. In some ways, this is a pretty mobile state. Mrs. Marvin worked as an OB/GYN nurse for many years, and then as a school nurse. She said her favorite job was working as a school nurse at the local UAS campus. She leaned over and confided to me "not everyone likes those young people, but I loved them".

So from being a child raised to originally speak a language spoken by about 10,000 people, to being an RN at a college campus - that's quite a story. Thanks again for sharing it with me.

A little Alaska geography

2011-11-20T19:24:00.001-09:00

When you look at an Alaskan map like this, it really doesn't make an impression on you.

When you see it like this, perhaps it makes a bigger impression. Yeah, I know, bad pun.

Alaska is more than twice the size of Texas, but with a population of only about 700,000 people. That amounts to a lot of unpopulated state.

And if you don't have a lot of people, you don't need many roads. This is a map of the Alaska Highway system. It does not include the Alaska Marine Highway. In fact, so many communities in Alaska are isolated that about 100 of them don't require a vehicle to be registered.

Just like every other place in the world, there are multiple weather patterns within Alaska. However, given the size of the state the differences within the state can be equally as vast.

One thing I can say with certainty is that almost the whole state has had one factor in common. COLD! This past week we had a storm come in and bring us 80 mph winds, coupled with our cold temps we had wind chills of -35 and even colder. After the winds died down, the cold remained so when I woke up on Saturday is was -12, and that was without a windchill. However, I really hate to complain to much sometimes. Parts of the state have been experiencing -35 as their high daily temperature.

Sitting alone in a dark house,

2011-10-31T20:58:00.001-08:00

afraid to open the door sounds like the classic introduction to a Halloween story. And, in a way it is, but not the traditional scary monster type of story.

This story starts off with balmy weather. "Balmy" is the word that everyone has used to describe the weather this fall. Countless folks have said to me "this is a beautiful fall, isn't it?". And I reply, "I guess so". After all, it's October, we are down to 8.5 hours of daylight, and the snow is creeping down the mountainside.

And then there was the weird day that it snowed on the mountains, rained in town, and I caught sight of this right outside the front windows from work.

It's the first rainbow I've seen since I moved here. We don't get thunderstorms either.

So while the east coast was getting hammered with a freakish storm, we were apparently have a freakishly warm fall. However, the warmth couldn't last forever and the snow had to come. And it did this weekend. Not a lot. Maybe an inch. But with it came the ice. And that is what I really recall from last winter. Not that there was so much snow on the ground, but the ice pack on the roads. Lots of studded tires around town. Jake and I got in the jeep and the first thing, okay, the second thing I noticed was my jeep wouldn't go into 4 wheel drive. And when I got it there, it sounded like gears grinding. The first thing I noticed was the ice. The jeep handles like a shoe box on wheels and it really is not good on ice. So we skated around the roads with lots of other cars, and a bull moose. The moose was really in the median, apparently eating an early lunch, but he had traffic stopped on both sides as I'm sure everyone realized if he stepped out in front of them there was no way they would be able to stop. Anyway, Jake and I skated the jeep back home, and I didn't stop at the store to buy candy as I had planned. I like to buy candy right before Halloween. It's usually on sale, and more importantly, it's still available to hand out. If it's in the house for to long, it will disappear before Halloween arrives.

And Trick or Treat actually falls on Halloween. When I asked folks if there was a special day they looked at me as if I had two heads. Well of course there is a special day. It's Halloween. That IS the special day. And when I asked if there was a special time, like 6 PM - 8 PM they looked at me as if I had three heads. I learned that Trick or Treat is on Halloween night from whenever to whenever. At least the kids seem to follow the porch light rule.

But that still doesn't explain why I'm alone, sitting in the dark, afraid to open the door.

See, we took the jeep to the repair shop and we thought it was fixed, but half-way home I realized it was still having troubles so back to the shop we went. Steve took me home and he dashed back to work. That's why I'm sitting alone in the dark. Between the ice and the jeep I never made it to the store to buy candy. And I'm afraid of the trick or treaters and their disappointment. While the kids are wandering around outside in their coats and mittens in the snow, did I mention it's snowing, I'm hiding and hoping they don't come to the door.

We are down to a little over 8 hours of sunlight a day. The sun usually crests over the mountains, when it crests, at about 9:30 AM. We are losing over 5 minutes of light a day, and I guess that works out right to get us down to 5 1/2 hrs of daylight in the middle of December. As much as the brightness at night made it difficult to go to sleep in the summer, I find that the darkness in the morning makes it hard to get going. And I don't just mean to get out of bed, I mean at 9 AM it feels like I haven't accomplished much, even if I have been at work for an hour or two.

This past month at work has been one of our busiest. We have gotten referrals on some really sick patients. And it also seems we are getting more referrals on more uninsured patients. I think that is a sign of the times, and I also believe it is only going to get worse before it gets better.

I keep my bird feeders going in the backyard. The flocks of little birds that were hanging around at the end of summer are long gone, but I found this guy. He really seems to like peanuts

He's a stellar jay. Western cousin of the blue jay that all of us from the east coast and midwest are familiar with.

Hey! Did you know there was an Alaska Day? It was on October 18th and is a legal holiday in this state. It recognizes the day when the Russian flag was taken down for the last time and the American flag flew over Alaskan soil for the first time. Happened back in 1867, but it took another 92 years before Alaska became a state.

We are in a state of flux here at home. Only 20 more days until our household expands by two. I have stopped looking at rental houses and we are staying put here. At least for one more year.

There is one major difference between the snow in the east and the snow here. The east coast storm left a bunch of snow, that probably won't stick around. I saw temperatures in Portland, Maine are forecast to be in the 50's. But for me, I think the snow is here until May.

Until next time!

Something Wicked this Way Comes...

2011-10-05T21:09:00.000-08:00

is a Ray Bradbury story written in 1962, It was made into a movie in 1983. The movie is set in October, and has the feeling of carnivals, fall and Halloween.

This is October, and the season is fall, but that is as far as the comparison goes.

I'm referring to something different - but equally scary. This is the scene from a couple of weeks ago:

just a little snow on the peaks

That was just about 2 weeks ago. Then over the weekend we had rain in town, but the wicked stuff started to creep down the mountains -

Heading out on the Glen Highway

The Visitor Center at Mat-Su

Severe case of termination dust


Today

Yes, I'm sure you have figured the wicked stuff I am talking about is snow. Our temperatures are in the 30's and 40's at night, and there was ice on my windshield this morning. We have had a heavy enough frost to kill most of the flowers in my flower boxes. There are still leaves on the trees, but as you can see, they are thinning rapidly. Parts of the state have had temperatures below freezing on a regular basis and the ads on the radio are all about putting on the snow tires.

It seems like overnight we went from hours of unending daylight to darkness. Now, when I drive to work at about 7:30 AM, I cannot deny it is dark out. I spent a few days telling myself it was cloudy, which it was, but the sun really wasn't crested over the mountains yet. And by 8 PM the sun has set. There is no denying the approach of winter what with the snow on the mountains and our days growing shorter and shorter.

But what everyone is really talking about right now is the release of the PFD. What is the PFD? Well, you know the rumor about how the state pays everyone thousands of dollars to live there? That rumor is only partially true. The PFD stands for Permanent Fund Dividend. The state does pay all residents, who file the appropriate paperwork, a return on state financial investments. This year it works out to $1,174.00. Steve is eligible, and I hope I sent in all the right paperwork. They were pretty demanding; certified birth certificate, copy of taxes.... but I guess if as a state you are paying out that much money, you want to make sure no one is cheating you. Next year Jake and I will be able to apply. Maybe Joe too.

It is hard to believe that I have been here almost a full year. The time has really flown by. I'm on the search for a new house to rent. Housing prices in Anchorage are pretty astronomical. We thought WI was so much higher in comparison to Ohio. But wow, here a small three bedroom house with hardly any lot can cost $275,000. The same house in WI could probably be bought for 1/2 the price. And with rentals, it's not much different. If we were willing to do the hour commute and drive out to "the Valley", prices would be cheaper. But you probably make it up in gas (a gallon goes for $3.85 right now), and time. And truthfully, I have no desire to do that commute - summer or winter. And I'm limited with rentals because I don't want to move Jake into another high school so we have to stay in this area, and the place has to accept dogs. It would sure be easier to rent without the kid and without the dogs, but I'm not ready to give up on either at this moment.

That's about all for now. I think we will have snow on the ground before halloween arrives. Guess the kids will need to wear snowsuits with their costumes.

Take care and send me warm thoughts!

Until next time!

Chemistry

2011-09-22T22:36:00.000-08:00

was always one of my favorite subjects which may explain why I used the title "kinetic energy" twice in the short life of this blog. But I really think that the energy given off by the people here in Alaska contributed to my choice of titles. It is almost as if there is a direct correlation between the amount of sunlight and activity. So many conversations I have overheard have centered on activity. It is almost like the sunlight acts on the population the same way that heat acts on molecules - makes them move faster and faster. And now that the weather is getting colder, and darker, the activity is slowing down.

Last weekend, we drove up towards Hatchers Pass. The same place I went to when Mom and Sue and the rest of the family were here. Surprisingly, the road to the gold mine was all ready closed for the season. Think about that. It is the middle of September and roads are being closed. The seasonal road was still open, and will be until the rest of the month. We didn't take it. I'm not sure where it goes - not that that matters. Actually, I find it more inviting because I don't know where it goes. But I think we will save it for nicer weather. Maybe come back with the jeep and if we're lucky we can put the top down and enjoy the drive through the mountain pass.... But the closed road didn't stop us from enjoying a beautiful fall day. And I do mean fall. The calendar may indicate that the first day of fall is tomorrow, but my reality is that fall is all ready here. And about half-way over.

Just as a reminder - this is the same stream less than a month ago

This is the abandoned gold mine we walked around a few weeks ago

Riley running down the mountain

I know this mountain stream was cold. Riley promptly laid down in it.

Jake and I with Rosey and Riley

You can just make out a glacier in the break between the clouds

So this beautiful fall day was on Sunday and by Tuesday we were waking up to more termination dust

The mountaintop peaking over town on my drive into work

A little more snow yesterday. Someone told me that once the snow gets to the front mountain peaks, it is only about 2 weeks until the snow hits the ground in town

The temperatures have been ranging in the 40's and 50's. Yesterday it got up to about 54 and sunny. But I don't think it made a difference to the snow.

But I don't want to think about the snow quite yet. I still have summer memories to enjoy....

The man in the black suit is Garrison Keillor at the Alaska State Fair

The fairgrounds are watched over by snow peaked mountains and glaciers

Sand Lake - just as summer is turning in fall. In early August.

Ok - this was actually last weekend, not this past summer. Steve and I went to the NAACP annual meeting and listened to Judge Hatcher. I don't know why Steve always looks like he is taking a mug shot.

back to the Alaska State Fair

The most scenic parking lot I have ever seen.

Yo Yo - my new bff

Mr. Keillor - the man with a face for radio

As I think about chemistry, I think about some of the changes that are taking place within our own family. We have a traditional nuclear family with our children circling around us like wild little electrons. They are charged and when they meet another electron, they might pop off and create another compound. Some compounds are stable, and they have their own little electrons circling around their nucleus. Some aren't stable and they break apart, and the electrons go looking for another compound to join. Maybe they go back to their original state. Where ever they go, they are looking for stability. And maybe a little love.

I think we have made the decision to actually make this a permanent move. I guess that sounds a little funny since Steve has been here for almost 2 years and I am coming to the close of my first year. Although that sounds like a simple decision, we have a whole life in WI that we need to close out and consolidate. And a couple of loose electrons that need to find their way back to the original nuclear compound so they can have some stability again.

Until next time!

Kinetic energy,

2011-09-12T23:18:00.000-08:00

for those of you who don't recall high school chemistry, is the energy an object possesses due to its motion.. I would like to propose that in Alaska there is a different type of energy. I think of it as Frenetic energy. Frenetic, obviously, means a flurry of activity, but here, it is channeled into something more organized and palpable. There is so much activity everywhere you look. Hikers, bikers, climbers, tourists, children playing, skateboarders, horseback riding, fishing, more fishing, dipnetting (a type of fishing), motorcycles (including vespas!), boaters, shrimpers (isn't that a type of fishing?).... the list could go on. The energy of the people here could collectively be characterized as kinetic - the people are in motion creating a thrum that can be felt throughout the entire state. It must be the kinetic energy that fuels the frenetic energy.

Last month, my family was here to visit. It was a glorious time and it gave us all the opportunity to do a little exploring in my new home state.

The first thing we had to do was just celebrate being together. And what better way to do that then with a pair of moose antlers?

Our chief Moosekateer

Lifting a little Alaskan local brew

Although there were moose antlers for everyone, not everyone would wear them. Party Poopers!

Our first few outings had some nice weather - it was good to get out and walk around:

Walking in downtown Anchorage. Sky with Nana and Uncle Jake

There used to be a restaurant in this unique little building, and I think another one may be opening back up here. There are also a couple people fishing for salmon in the river. The water was clear enough that we could see the salmon swimming up to the fisherman.

Outside of the Ulu factory

You have to hold hands to be safe

We were actually just entering the forest and were on the wrong side of the sign

As we drove to Beluga Point I told everyone not to walk out on to the sand at low tide. People have been known to get trapped in the sand and die when the tide came back in

After I told everyone not to go out on the sand, Tara and Sky fell in

We had to opportunity to go to the Conservation Center. I had, after all, promised Sky a moose and this time of year they aren't munching on the twigs in my front yard.

Not a moose

Yes! a moose!

Not a moose, but a roving reindeer

Twin baby moose

We went to world renowned Alyeska resort and did a little hiking down Winner Trail

At Alyeska

A beautiful trail, but not a great place for a stroller. Everything is so green and lush

Riley and Dad

Alyeska

Winner Trail in Alyeska

Unfortunately, on the days we had boat trips the weather was wet and rainy. Much as it had been for the previous three weeks.

Joe and the glacier

Sue with the glacier.

Our boy from Hawaii froze the entire time he was here

Ahoy Cap't Skylar!

Did I mention it was wet and rainy? And cold. Very cold. The trip out to Portage Glacier wasn't to bad, but we also had a trip out of Whittier. Unfortunately, it was a very cold and wet day with very limited visibility. However, the company was excellent and the food was delicious (all you can eat salmon and prime rib, anyone?). What more could you ask for on vacation?

We also did a trip up to the old mine at Hatcher's Pass. Joe walked around a little bit and went back to the car to stay warm. It seems living in Hawaii for the past year has really thinned out his blood.

Some of my other favorite parts of the visit were:

Grandpa and Sky exchange hats in Talkeetna

Some little one had a hard time sleeping, so she slept with Nana and Grandpa

Talkeetna

Family rocks!

It was a crazy busy 10 days - and it was wonderful. Family visiting was the perfect excuse for me to go and explore places I had not yet been to. My only complaint would be the fact that we were so frequently on the go that I don't feel we ever had the chance to actually sit and visit. I suppose that is the perfect excuse to have to plan yet another visit.

Our days continue to shorten and the days are shortening. We actually have sunset at around 9:30 and it is still dark when I get up around 6 AM. If you think about it, there is only about 3 months left to the shortest day of the year, and then the process will reverse itself to the incredibly long days creating yet another season of frenetic energy. I'm looking forward to being here to see the whole process play out again.

Here is a shot of downtown Anchorage I took from Earthquake park right before everyone came to visit. Until next time!

Walt Disney and Marlin Perkins

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are responsible for my early wildlife education. Marlin was usually safe in a knotty pine paneled room while Jim was out there wrestling alligators. Well, sometimes Marlin got of the jeep during some episodes of Wild Kingdom. As for Disney - the cartoons were always my favorite but I think I liked the animal shows better than the movies or whatever show was the flavor-of-the-week.

I'm pretty sure that those two shows were also my initial education about how salmon swim upstream and bears hang out in the streams to eat the salmon. My recollection is that it was fall in the shows and the bears were eating the salmon to fatten up for the winter. For years I have had images in my mind of bears eating berries and honey all summer long just waiting for the day in fall when the leaves start to turn yellow and that first intrepid salmon of the season tries to sneak past the hungry bear to get upstream to spawn before it dies.

Presented with this history, maybe it will help to understand why I am so blown away with what I have learned. And I have been learning a lot. First off, salmon fishing is HUGE business. There are the salmon charters, salmon dip nets, salmon dips, salmon smoking and salmon canning. Just to name a few. And, there are many different types of salmon. Who knew!!?? Certainly not me! This is what I have been piecing together, and please realize that my education is in no way complete. So salmon runs don't happen in the fall. They start running almost as soon as the weather warms up. Which, coincidentally is about the same time the bears and the tourists show up. People don't need fishing poles to catch salmon. Instead, they take a few days off of work and head out to a river (the Kenai river is a popular destination) and head out with a net about 5 foot in diameter. They stand out in the river, either wearing waders in the water, or wearing waders in a boat, and hold on to their nets and let the salmon swim right into their nets. I don't know exactly what the limit is, and actually, it is different depending on the species of salmon, but people were catching something like 25.

These pictures are of the wife of one of Steve's co-workers. The only other part of the process that seems to be missing from these pics is the part where you hit the fish on the head with a mallet to kill 'em once they come out of the water. One of the guys I work with said that is his kids job. He pulls the nets onto the shore and his kids rush over with the mallet and knock the salmon on their little fishy heads.

All of this really came into full swing at the end of July. That's when the season must have been winding down. Traffic on the two-lane Seward highway (one of the two roads out of town) was crawling. But, it must be worth it. My question to everyone that catches that much fish is - what the heck do you do with it? Their answer explains why I saw a young couple buying all sorts of canning equipment. I couldn't imagine why they were buying canning equipment, because truthfully, you can only can so much sauerkraut. It's not like there are fresh tomatoes waiting to be made into sauce. Tomatoes here only grow in a greenhouse. But people can their fish. And moose too, at least according to one guy I met. But he's a different sort of guy. Folks here smoke their fish, either have it done commercially, or themselves. Recipes are guarded and contests are held for the best. And then it's placed in cans. I have no idea what it tastes like, but I am hoping someone shares with me. I did get a little smoked salmon and all I can say is mmmmmmm...mmmmm...mmmmmm!

Fortunately for the fisher folks, they had good weather, and then the clouds and rain rolled in. It's been raining for about 3 weeks now and temps have dropped into the low 60's. Last week Jake and I headed to Beluga Point where the winds were blowing at about 70 mph. I thought we might catch sight of the bore tide, but maybe next time.

That little sign says something about not discharging firearms from this point

The weather hasn't warmed up yet, but there is a promise of sun for later in the week. I hope so because family comes up to visit this coming weekend (yahoo!) We will go out and see the sights, but it would be so much nicer to see the sights when the sun is out.

I got a little off-track when I started talking about the salmon fishing. After the season ebbed, and the rain set in, my co-workers started talking about what a nice summer it HAD been. Wait, did they say HAD? I was still waiting for summer to arrive and here it was, over all ready. Somehow I feel deceived by Walt and Marlin. The salmon and the bears didn't start in the fall. They start in the beginning of summer, and summer here is over at just about the time my vegetables would be starting to ripen in my garden in Wisconsin. There is a way to tell when summer is ending, snow on the Chugach mountaintops.

You can just barely make out the snow. They have a phrase for it. Termination dust. Get it? Dusting of snow on the mountains is the termination of summer.

Don't worry, my co-workers tell me. Fall is nice too. I don't doubt that it is, I just wasn't mentally prepared for fall to start in August. The northern lights are back. Recently there was a display at 2 AM. We are losing almost 6 minutes of daylight every day. I think we have about 16 hours of daylight now. And just about the time that I got used to having bright sunlight at 10 PM.

Jake and I went for a bike ride over the weekend. He is so patient, waiting for me while I pant and pant, trying to just keep going forward without toppling over. We stopped at the lake by our house.

Jewel Lake

Jake said "this is really a pretty place". I would have to agree.

Until next time!

The Fourth of July has always been

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synonymous with summer fun. And for our family, that fun usually involves water. Traditionally, July 4th is a day spent out on the boat enjoying some of the best that summer has to offer: swimming, tubing, friends and family, fireworks and a cook-out.

This year - July 4th looks a little different, although it still involves water:

Portage Lake. With a mini-iceberg.

Just how did we wind up spending our July 4th standing near a glacier? Well. It's my Mom's fault.

No - no, it's not. But I did have family in mind when we started on this outing. Since there is family coming to visit in August, I have been trying to come up with an itinerary of activity. One for sure thing we would like to do is a cruise to see the glaciers and some wildlife. Whittier is the closest port to Anchorage, and therefore, the closest port to get on a tour boat. Since I don't want to leave everything up to chance, I thought we (Steve, Jake and myself along with Rosey and Riley) would take a picnic lunch and make a day trip down to Whittier just to check things out. Plus, it was something different to do - a mini adventure.

Yesterday, we loaded lunch into the cooler and loaded the dogs into the back of the Suburban. Whittier is only about an hour south of Anchorage, so we anticipated an easy drive. Now, if you recall, in other posts I have mentioned that the roads in Alaska aren't all that numerous. There is one highway that leads south of Anchorage and it is a two lane road that follows along some spectacular scenery.

We weren't very far into the trip when traffic pretty much came to a standstill. Not wanting to sit in a traffic jam for the next 30 miles, we opted to turn around, and try the trip the next day. Which is today, July 4th. Turns out, there were two minor accidents on the road that tied up all the traffic. The deputy on TV reminded everyone they needed to pay more attention to their driving, and less to the scenery or the wildlife.

Today, we started out much earlier in the day, and traffic was not a problem. It was about 60 when we left the house and the sun was trying to come out from the clouds. The Seward Highway along the Turnagain Arm is nothing but beautiful.

The road to Whittier includes a one-lane tunnel shared by two-way traffic and a train. You pay your toll and stop and wait until it is time for the traffic on your side of the tunnel to go through. The wait is only about 30 minutes max. Not a big deal, but important information if you need to be departing on a ship at a certain time.

Waiting at the Whittier tunnel

But I digress. Prior to getting to the tunnel we passed the Begich Boggs Visitor Center on Portage Lake, right near the Portage glacier. As we were driving along we caught glimpses of mini-iceburgs in this glacier-fed mountain lake.

As we headed farther south, the weather grew cloudier and wetter. Once we passed through the tunnel, however, we were in a completely different weather system. It was a cold drizzle, everything was wet. Whittier itself is about as big as a postage stamp. There is a marina, several charter businesses, a few restaurants, and the Alaska Ferry docks there (from the Alaska Marine Highway). And that's about it. We managed to walk up and down the town in probably less than an hour. And that's with me stopping to talk and to take pictures.

An Inn and Restaurant

It was cold and wet, so my advice to those who are coming to visit this summer is to be sure to bring some gloves, a hat, and something warm and waterproof. Layers is a way of life here.

Once we saw the town, it was back in line for the tunnel. We stopped back at the Visitor Center and had lunch inside the Suburban. There are very few picnic tables to be seen in this part of the world. I wonder how much that has to do with the wildlife in the area? And speaking of wild life - there have been many bear sightings in Anchorage this summer. I heard of a trail with a sign posting pass at your own risk due to a recent moose kill (by a bear). Also, at one of the intown dog-parks, the beavers are attacking the dogs. Anchorage bills itself as the Big Wild Life, but it seems that some of the four-legged residents in town are taking that a bit too literally.

Anyway, we stopped and had lunch in the truck, and then it was a walk at the lake. I stuck my fingers in the water. Yup, felt like ice water. And the lake is that same beautiful color we noticed when we drove the Alaska Highway. I wish I could capture it better in pictures.

I believe that is a small segment of glacier you can see there. I understand that Portage glacier used to come down right to the bottom of these mountains, but it has receded rapidly over the past 30 years and is now only accessible by boat.

Can you see the glacial blue ice?

Jake skipping stones. I don't know why he left off his coat.

And then we were back in the car, heading towards home. The sun came back out and the weather warmed back up to the low 60's.

There will be fireworks somewhere in town tonight. But not until midnight, so I won't be up to see them. Even then, I don't think it will be dark enough to truly appreciate them. Fireworks are illegal in Anchorage, but right now, that doesn't seem to be bothering my neighbors.

It's a short work week - yeah for that! I wonder where I can convince my guys to go next weekend?

We spent the last night sleeping

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in what amounted to nothing more than an abandoned campground. This is the one spot where I really worried about bears. And it was cold that night. And wet. Every time my knit hat would slip off of my head I would wake up to put it back on. It is also the night that I slept with my car keys in my hand and the jeep parked directly in front of the tent just in case we needed to make a quick escape. Thankfully, we didn't have any unwanted visitors during the night, we just woke up with frozen fingers and toes.

As I mentioned, that abandoned campground was run by a French Canadian couple. I don't know if the food was really as good as it smelled, but we were hungry and cold. The wood stove was crackling, and the kitchen had wonderful bakery smells emanating from it. There were fresh cinnamon buns along with several types of cookies in the glass display case. And fresh baked loaves of bread.....

It is also the only restaurant I have ever been to where there was only one restroom. The restroom had two stalls, one for ladies and one for men. I'm not sure why they even bothered to label the stalls.

Anyway, as Jake and I were eating our fresh crepes (full of ham, eggs and peppers) and fresh hot coffee, an older couple came in for breakfast. We started chatting and they said, "Oh yes, we saw a big grizzly just about 5 miles up the road". Words cannot express the relief I felt that we had made it through the night without incident and we were packed up and ready to go.

And so we went. It was about 400 miles to home and only about 50 miles to the border. It was much easier to get into the US then it was to get into Canada. Jake was very disappointed that we did not get any stamps on our passports. As soon as we crossed back into the states the quality of the road changed for the better. There was fresh pavement, and visibly lines on the road. And no more frost heave. At least not for the first 50 miles. Once again, the road was primarily straight, and easy drive in the rain.

I know there are mountains somewhere behind those clouds

And so we drove.

It was really an uneventful and slightly boring drive. But every so often, the sun would come out and I could glimpse some mountains in the distance. About 100 miles away from home the sun came out and those mountains came into full view.

This is the Matanuska Glacier. My understanding is you can drive pretty close to this one, and I think there are trails you can walk on out to it. For me, it was a delightful find. How cool is it to have this beautiful piece of nature so close to home?

Jake and I only enjoyed the view for a short time. At this point we were both antsy to get back home. Back into the car it was and much to my surprise, the easy drive turned back into a twisting turning maze of a mountain-hugging road. This was not what I expected or needed after all the driving I had done. Retrospectively, it was a short drive, but you know how you get when you are coming home after traveling? You just can't think of anything but getting home, and that's the zone that I was in mentally.

About 45 minutes after we passed the glacier, we stopped for gas one last time and finally turned onto a road where I could look around and say "hey - I know where I am". Another 45 minutes and we were pulling into our driveway. Unfortunately, I forgot to change our clock to Alaska time once we crossed the border. This was a problem because Steve was going to have pizza ready for dinner for us. He kept asking, "what time will you be home", and I said 7:30. Which was right if I was still in the Yukon, but I wasn't. That explains why I stepped into the house at 6:30 and surprised the heck out of Steve who had been waiting to make dinner.

It was a wonderful trip. I'd do it again. And if I do, I'll share the experience with you.

What do you think? Would you want to come with?

Technology is a wonderful thing

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when it works. Somehow, when I went to post my blog yesterday, the second half of it disappeared. I guess that means you have to read it in installments, rather like an old-time serial story.

Here is where we left off - We were leaving Edmonton and heading into the Canadian Rockies.We saw these guys when we got lost in Edmonton. Be sure to read the sign on the back.

We could see they were looking at us, so we waved, and the gun turret bobbed up and down in a wave back

Before we got to the Rockies we still had a lot of miles to go. The weather remained wet and rainy and at about this point I realized I no longer had dash lights or tail lights on the trailer or jeep. But I still had brake lights and turn signals, and since we were heading into the part of the world where day lasts for 18 hours or so, I wasn't really worried about it.

When we pulled over for the night and asked the man behind the counter for a tent site he said, "you know it's going to rain, right?" We did, so he offered us a teepee to sleep in instead to try and keep drier. It sounded like a great idea and he gave it to us at a discounted price. What could possibly be wrong with that?

I'll tell you what's wrong. Teepees leak. Yeah, I knew it had a hole in the top but what I didn't expect was for the water to drip down the supports and leak on me. It leaked on me the first place I put my bed, and the second, and the third. Finally, I got to a spot that appeared to be dry and then it stopped raining. In hindsight, Jake said, "We should have put the tent up in the teepee." It would have fit too!

Finally, we were headed into the great Canadian Rockies!

But first, we had to pass through Beaverlodge, Alberta. Home of the World's Largest Beaver.

The Highway is full of twists and turns, with few guard rails. Our progress was slow because going uphill I couldn't go more than about 45 mph and going downhill I could feel the trailer pushing me. I was very grateful that I had just had my brakes checked. We did finally get to see some wildlife, something that we really hadn't seen much of up to this point. I do wish I had stopped more when there were photo-op spots, but sometimes I just couldn't get to them, and always in the back of my mind was the thought that I still had soooo many miles left to drive. Here are some pics of the Canadian Rockies. The lakes and rivers were the most fabulous blue-green color. I couldn't get the color to show right in the photos. The copper in the mountains leaches into the water and just creates a beautiful science experiment.

Jake swears someone owns the horses, and maybe he is right. But I'm not sure who is heading up into the Rockies to round them up.

Once we got through the Rockies, a beautiful if white-knuckle type of drive, the landscape flattened out. We headed to Watson Lake, home of the Signpost Forest. The forest was started in around 1942 by a lonely guy who was working on the Alaska Highway. I didn't realize it, but people are encouraged to bring and post their signs. I'll be prepared the next time around.

According to the Milepost, there was a campground right downtown within walking distance of the Signpost Forest. Like most towns we passed through, everything was in walking distance. All of these little towns were pretty hard-scrabble. Rough looking. Rough roads, businesses closed. And right next door a brand new business would be being built. Watson Lake was bigger then most of the other towns. We could walk to the grocery store, the Signpost Forest, and the 5 other businesses in town. But it was the most disappointing of all the places we camped as it was really nothing more than a gravel, dust-filled parking lot. The Irish guy behind the counter warned me that there were no picnic tables in the campsite. But he lured me in with free hot-showers. Every other place the showers cost a "looney" for 7-12 minutes of hot water. What's a looney? A $1.00 coin with a loon on the back. Our campsite was in a back corner, but it was warm and dry giving us a much-needed opportunity to dry out the tent. At least for a few hours, because it rained again that night.

see the Jeeps lined up, ready for action?

I thought this was the most adorable camper

The ugliest campground, perhaps in all of Canada

Signpost Forest

Anguilla for my friend Terry

a Maine plate for my fellow Maniacs

A nod to the NY contingency

Packerbackers are everywhere!

The WI is scratched in under the Burlington part of the sign. Given the population, I think this sign is a few years old.

Our drive the next day took us through more spectacular scenery. And to the only campsite that really made me nervous.

I took this photo at a rest stop. There was a young couple who looked like they must have spent the night parked there. They had one pick-up pulling a second pick-up and a huge cat sat on the console in between the seats of the second truck. The young man was brushing his teeth with a bottle of water while the girl pulled out her yoga mat and went through her routine at the side of the highway. In front of this beautiful scenery, next to the outhouses and with all the truckers driving by and watching.

There is historical significance to this boat in Whitehorse. And I have no idea what it is.

Dirty Road Warrior!

We got to about 150 miles away from the US border and it started to rain. Again. I considered driving straight through, but it was almost 6 PM and I was concerned because I still had no dash or tail lights. Instead we decided to camp for the night. The only place we saw turned out to be a lodge that at first we couldn't tell if they were open or closed. The sign said RV park and campground, but I don't know when the last time was that anyone camped there. The sites were overgrown and the place was just desolate. The owners told us no showers, and no bathrooms after 9:30 PM because that was when they locked up. Since we didn't know what was up the road, we opted to stay. We didn't cook that night, and I wouldn't let Jake wander, something that I know irritated him, but this looked like the place a bear might just come and bite us.

This is an RV park?

This turned out to be the coldest night. We later leaned there was snow falling to the north of us. When we went to pack up the tent, the water from the rain during the night felt like an ice water bath to our fingers. I could smell a wood fire burning as we packed up for the last time, and I was delighted to discover that the fire was in the lodge. We sat down next to it, warmed up, and ordered breakfast crepes from the French Canadian baker. Breakfast was delicious. The lodge is in a great spot, so I wish this young couple the best of luck as they try and make a go of it.

Their view from their deck. If it ever warms up enough to sit there.

Finally, we were on the way for our last day. The rain stuck with us most of the drive back home.

Our last day will have to wait for tomorrow. It's late here, and time for bed. At least most of the tale has been told. I can finish the rest tomorrow. Good night for now.

We drove 3,870.6 miles

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in 10 days, through 6 states, 3 provinces and 2 different countries. And it was a blast! Oh, there are things I would do differently the next time. I think I would like to have a camper. It rained on us 7 out of 8 nights. It was only 8 nights because of the one night we spent in the hotel. And now that I am home I will freely admit that I was petrified about bears in the campsite. We were lucky, and never saw any near us, but that doesn't mean that the thought didn't spook me the whole trip.

And I would figure out the money thing differently. I am not a worldly traveler. I don't go on big vacations. This is the first big trip I have made in eons. I didn't want to carry a bunch of cash on me, so I thought I would take travelers checks. Sounded like a good idea. Well, the first inkling that maybe it wasn't such a great idea was when my own bank charged me for them. That should have sounded the warning bell. But I forged ahead. In the U.S., I found some stores that didn't want to take them, but mostly it there was just confusion from the cashier who had to call over the manager and ask "Do we take these things?" I feel as though I was performing some valuable community service and educating cashiers across the country. However, when I got to Canada, I found some places refused to take them. And they wouldn't take American money either. Actually, most places took American dollars, but some charged 10% above the cost of the purchase. And a few places wanted nothing but Canadian dollars. I was okay with that, so I headed to a bank to exchange some Travelers checks into Canadian dollars. The first thing they asked me at the bank in Canada was "Do you have an account with us?" Now the warning bells are going off in my head and I know that whatever is coming will not be in my favor. Sure enough, they would be happy to cash my checks for me, but it will cost be $5.00/check. And since the exchange rate right now is not favorable to the US dollar there is an immediate loss. I estimate it cost me about $50 to purchase/exchange the Traveler's Checks. Never again. Next time the trip will be plastic!

The other thing I would do is to take a small gas tank with me. I never ran out of gas, mainly because I was fanatic about filling my tank up whenever it got close to the half-way mark. Good thing too. The stops on the Alaska highway were pretty far between. And I also found places where there was no gas available because they were waiting for delivery, or the pumps were broken leaving only one functioning pump, or the time I spaced out and drove by the stop. It was so easy to do. There would be a sign that said Services 2 KM and then a gravel driveway looking thing would be off to the side. Sometimes you could tell before hand what it was, but not always. The one time I drove by I had a half-tank and I was down to a quarter when I finally found another gas station.

Anyway, those few details, and the rain, are the only complaints I have. Jake was a good travel companion, if not much of a navigator. Did I mention that I did this as a pretty low-tech trip? No radar detector or GPS, no MP3 player or Ipod, and my CD player is on the blink. Just an FM radio, an Atlas and the Alaska Milepost. We stopped and spoke with people at many different Visitors Bureau's, and they never gave us bad advice! I know Jake got bored on much of the trip. I mean, how much time do you want to spend sitting in the car? But he was able to plug into his music, pull his hat down, and nap.

Now, back to the adventure part, which I know is the part you've been waiting for...

To recap: the first night was at a boring KOA and the second night was at a campsite next to cows. It poured on us that night, and we only got slightly damp, but it was the first night of the cold. The next night we stayed at another KOA. We had been to Mt. Rushmore and by Devils Tower. It was a warm evening that we spent with Terry, a teacher from Ohio, and her daughter Molly. Terry gave us the idea for down blankets in the sleeping bags, but when we went shopping we found fleece inserts. They were wonderful, along with the knit hat I picked up to wear as part of my sleeping attire. Without those additions to our sleeping bags, I'm not sure we would have been able to camp every night.

Let me tell you a little about the landscape. After we crossed the Mississippi River, the land was rolling hills and Jake and I kept seeing signs for Wall Drug. By the time we got to the Missouri River we were convinced we wanted to go to Wall Drug and check out the old time flavor.

But after we got past the Missouri the landscape flattened out and there was NOTHING to see. No hills, no animals, no billboards. I said to Jake, maybe we missed it. There are no more signs. Jake looked around at all the empty landscape and said, "Mom, there is nothing to advertise for. There is nothing here." And he was right, it was miles before we saw anything. But the signs for Wall Drug did eventually show up again. We made it to Wall Drug, but I was disappointed in it. It was nothing but a huge tourist trap that was full of people buying touristy items that resembled the touristy items that are sold in downtown Anchorage, and I even saw some of the same items in Canada. Anyway, it wasn't long before we were back on the road.

Our border crossing into Canada caused a bit of delay. Maybe it was the bow and arrows, or the fact that we had shotgun barrels, but no guns. Whatever it was, it took us about an hour to get across the border. But I think we had it easy. I was watching the van that pulled in after us. It appeared to have several Mennonite folks, or some similar sect, and their van was examined stem to stern. Their hubcaps were taken off, and someone crawled under the van to check out the undercarriage. Meanwhile, the jeep and trailer sat next to them and no one gave them a glance. I had nothing to hide, but I was still glad that they didn't take apart the trailer.

Big Sky Country continued to get bigger and bigger

Why does it say Alaska on this van in Wyoming?

More funky Americana fun

The scenery in Wyoming and Montana had given away from hills and mountains to plains. Empty empty plains. Anyone ever read O Pioneers by Willa Cather? I can almost understand how the emptiness can drive someone crazy. And the scenery didn't change once we got into Alberta. The roads were straight and essentially flat. Farms were there, but few and far between. There wasn't even a lot of cows to be seen. On the second day in Canada, when we headed toward the Royal Tyrell Museum, I was impressed by how incredibly straight the road to the museum was. It was as if some grand architect had placed a chalk-line in the earth as a guide for the road, like I might do on the wall to ensure my wallpaper is hung straight. Unfortunately, there was also major construction on this little road causing lots of dust and delay. But the museum in the middle of the Canadian Badlands was worth it.

Outside the museum. It will be Jake's fate to explain why he wouldn't show his face.

The original pea-brain

There's the jeep in the Canadian Badlands!

After all that driving to get to the museum, we were a bit off track. It took us a while to get back to the highway, and then it seemed to take forever to find a campground. Actually, it seemed to me that not everything in Canada was well-marked, which probably explains why we got lost in Edmonton. But that didn't happen until I got tired of looking for a campground and we spent a lovely night in a hotel with a pool and great showers.

After that, we were back on the road. The landscape changed again from plains to hills and farms were more numerous. We saw some wildlife, mainly deer and antelope, but not much else. I was surprised by the number of horses I saw, more like ranches than farms. Evergreens became more prominent and the land got hilly. The road was a two-lane highway and it was full of campers and truckers. And a few U-Hauls and motorcycles thrown in for good measure.

The next campground we stayed at was busy and full. It was still raining, but we were able to get a small fire going. We met a nice guy, Ernie, who was riding him BMW bike from Ontario, to Chicago and onto Fairbanks where he was meeting with some friends and doing a different route than we were taking. Our neighbors on the other side of us were living in their tent as they were looking for work. I think if anyone needs a job, they can head to northern Canada as there were help-wanted signs all over. On the other hand, there were also many for sale signs up, so whatever people were doing for a livelihood, maybe it wasn't working so well.

Ernie has his own blog of his adventures. You can check it out at www.alaska-ADV-on-two-wheels@blogspot.com

The Midway point

2011-06-12T21:48:00.000-08:00

is about where we are. We have been on the road for 5 full days and have visited the Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, Devils Tower, and the Royal Tyrell Museum in Canada. Tonight we are at a hotel, for a variety of reasons, but mainly because we could be. I have so much to say, but limited time. It is midnight, and tomorrow we need to be back on the road. It is a luxury tonight to have been able to swim and stretch in the pool. And tonight we each have a queen size bed to sleep in, not a sleeping bag into which we had to add another sleeping bag to keep warm. It seems that I had planned so much of this trip except for one detail - it's cold!! I heard the other night that it was 20 degrees and snowing in Yellowstone. Since I can see the snow on the mountains in the distance, I imagine that we would find the same conditions in the Rockies. At some point we will find ourselves in the mountains, but not yet!

I did want to post some pictures so you can share in part of our trip. I will add narrative at some other time. Probably when we get home. I figure we have driven about 2000 miles and have about another 1900 to go. No more planned side trips, so we might make a little better time. Even so, at this rate we should be back home on Friday, just like I planned. Enjoy the pictures...

before the Badlands and the rain

Americana showing its funky self

Badlands in the rain

Jake in the Badlands and rain

Jeepin' in the Badlands

Our neighbors at campsite #2

This was a gem of a little campsite we found quite by accident. It poured on us this night, but we stayed (thankfully) dry. The next day we drove past Sturgis. I had wanted to stop, but it just wasn't worth it in the downpour.

Wyoming... a dream come true for me

They had one of the best Visitor Centers I've ever seen

Devils Tower as seen from afar

Do you know the legend?

Campsite #3 We met another Mom and her 15 year old daughter who were also on the road. They were from Ohio. It was nice to visit with each other

I don't know who this guy is. He parked next to us outside of Gander Mountain somewhere in Montana, Great Falls I think. I'm glad he parked next to us, and given all the empty spaces in the lot - I think he did it on purpose. Jeepwave to you bud!

Campsite #4 Right over the Canadian Border. That's a trout stream in the background

At the Royal Tryell Museum in Drumheller, Alberta. It took us waaay off our route, but was a gem of a spot.

Canadian Badlands

Jeepin' in the Canadian Badlands at the Museum

On the first day of the journey

2011-06-08T19:35:00.032-08:00

I saw a riverbed, but it was full of the mighty Mississipi River, not rocks and things. Well, there probably are rocks and things, just under lots of water.

But before we get to the river, we have to pack. And we did on what was a 96 degree day. Hot and humid, and I am reminded of the fact that I really don't like that type of weather... So here we are getting ready for the Big Adventure

Of course, I wanted to leave bright and early today, so I was awake at 3 AM. I had to convince myself to go back to sleep, but I finally succeeded, and then I overslept. So instead of taking off at 8 AM, it was more like 9:30 by the time we got rolling. But that's ok. It gave us some time for a dance recital first. And a visit from a dear friend.

Jake and I made some pretty good time across Wisconsin. We did stop for lunch outside of Wisconsin Dells at Culvers. It was a request of Jake's, and an easy one to fulfill. It wasn't long after that that we came to the Mississippi River. If I had realized there was a Rest Stop on the banks once you cross over the bridge, I would have stopped, but we were passed the Stop before I realized what it was.

We did have a technical malfunction. The tarp that we put over the trailer was not very strong, and it about half way across Minnesota I noticed it was billowing, especially when we were passing, or being passed, by a semi. The tarp would create enough drag that I could feel it until we were away from the semi. We managed to find a Wal-Mart and bought a newer and improved version of a tarp, more bungee cords and more tie-down straps. The last 175 miles were no trouble, so hopefully we are set for the rest of the journey. The stop did slow us up some, and I didn't think we would make it to South Dakota today. But we did. We are camping at a KOA is Sioux City. It is also not far from the highway, and apparently not far from the airport either. But hey, we didn't come here for the atmosphere. Tonights dinner was at Perkins where Jake ate his second cheeseburger of the day. I swear I am going to start taking pictures of every burger he eats. He may have about 20 by the time we get back home.

Minnesota was pretty and green. But it's so early in the season that you can't tell what the crops are. We passed a few Amish farms, but most of the land was just field. And hardly any cows. They really must all live in Wisconsin. We did come across these cows when we stopped for gas.

Ok, it's getting late and tomorrow's drive is about 400 miles across the state of South Dakota. I'll post where and when I can!

Until next time!

**Addendum**

I apologoze to those of you who are receiving this as a duplicate post. I did not have the option to save as a draft last night, and I"m not sure why. So this morning I am trying to fill in the blanks and use the free wifi provided by the KOA. It's slow at best.

I also discovered/remembered a few things during the night.
1. I am a very restless sleeper and when in a mummy sleeping bag I get all tangled up with myself and the bag.
2. It can be very cold sleeping outdoors.
3. Birds do not wake at dawn to sing. They wake at 3 AM and when I am tangled and cold (please refer to points 1 and 2 above) I don't sleep great. Not that I sleep great anyway...
4. Although this KOA is lacking in atmosphere, it makes up for it in the cleanliness of the facility and the pleasantness of the employees.
5. But their internet is really slow. I will try one more time to load some photos, but I have to wake Jake up. It's about 7:15 AM and I am showered, half-way thru a cup of coffee, and ready to pack and go!

Memorial Day weekend

2011-06-07T05:35:00.002-08:00

was mainly cool and cloudy. Memorial Day was much nicer and we took a drive (after spending the early part of the day at the range) to Talkeetna.

I don't know how to adequately describe the vastness of the state and the absence of roads. When you head north out of Anchorage, there is only one road, and it splits into two. That's it for your options. Talkeetna, is a throw-back tourist type of town. As we sat on the deck of the restaurant, waiting for lunch, I overheard several different languages being spoken. Some I couldn't identify... danish? flemish? certainly not french or spanish. I noticed there was a sub-culture of what must have been the employees there. The girls were in cotton skirts and ties to their bathing suit tops were peaking out of the tops of their shirts. The guys were in shorts and sandals, there were lots of dogs, and everyone seemed to know everyone. They were all different ages and greeted each other warmly when they met. A small town where I'm sure everyone knows everyone else. It actually made me a little nostalgic when I thought back to my own days of working and living in a vacation destination. But that was a long time ago, long before responsibilities like children and mortgages.

Downtown Talkeetna

One of the many Moose on Parade

Daytrip to Denali anyone?

I'm told you can see Denali from Talkeetna, but only sometimes. These chairs look like a good place to sit and wait.

We saw these buildings on the way up. I had to take a couple of pictures on the way back. Although they look like little seasonal cabins, people obviously live in this little community along side the highway year-round.

Memorial Day weekend also meant that it was about time for Jake and I to fly back to Wisconsin.

These are the things that make the long trip back worth it.

Shhh... she's listening to the birdies sing

Mom

At the Kenosha Museum

who's the star?

Sky's the star!

Meeting up with some GREAT friends

Today is a mix of emotions... I am sad to leave and eager to get on the road at the same time. I guess I better stop typing and get ready to pack. The jeep and trailer won't pack themselves!

Our ride

empty and waiting

Spring continues

2011-05-24T21:07:00.003-08:00

to assert itself in Anchorage, although I wouldn't say for sure that summer is just around the corner. The Chugiak mountains still have snow on their peaks and the temperature is only reaching the 60's. There were many days of clouds but now the skies around Anchorage are blue and sunny. But the wind - oh my! the wind! Not gale force, and certainly not a tornado, but gusty and cool. My co-workers tell me this is very unusual. No rain or any type of precipitation in well over a month now. Which brings us to a surprisingly active wildfire threat. When the image of Alaska is predominantly cold with ice and snow, who thinks of wildfires? But the threat is real and there have all ready been a few small blazes within the community.

View from the off-leash dog park

Alaska also continues to be a land of extremes. While the temperature here has been struggling to get into the 60's, in Fairbanks the temp has all ready been in the 70's. Of course, on the north slope I'm not sure they have gotten about freezing!

The clothing worn by the professional women I work with also seems to reflect the extremes in temperatures. On any given day, now that the snow has melted, there will be someone wearing sandals next to someone wearing boots. And now that it has warmed up, boots may be worn under dresses with no tights or nylons. I think boots are probably a fashion accessory no matter the season here. Unless they are Uggs. Uggs are only worn on the coldest of cold days, no matter what fashionable color they are. And they do come in many colors!

Gardening is apparently very popular here. There are multiple nurseries and everywhere there are starter plants for flowers and veggies. I bought one of those topsy-turvy things for tomatoes... I'll let you know how it works out. I think it has something to do with the 18 hours of sunlight we have that makes everyone want to go outside. Personally, I find it disconcerting. The dark of winter did not phase me, but looking outside at 10 PM and seeing bright sunlight is not conducive to sleep for me. It's worse than working night shift and trying to nap during the day.

We took the dogs to the off-leash park down the road. The park isn't fenced, so Rosey does not get the opportunity to go off-leash. But Riley does, and we found a pond where he and a few of his buddies got to play.

Jake and I went to Kincaid Park last night for a walk with the dogs. I hadn't been there since there was still snow and mud on the ground, making for a miserable and short walk. This time the ground is mostly dry, and in areas where it isn't shaded, it was very comfortable to walk. But in the shade, it quickly cools off. The parking lot was full, and we were lucky to find a spot. We went to explore what I think is a visitor center, and found this:

Well, we weren't there to play disc golf anyway.

So we headed out in no particular direction. The open expanse is Turnagain Arm.

I think the thing in the forefront is used as a warming station in the winter. There is a lot of cross-country skiing that goes on in this park during the winter. Many groomed and lighted paths.
We live about 4 miles down that road.

Kinkaid Park was used as a military base for missles during the cold war. I think I like the current usage better.

So as Jake and I were walking, and walking, and walking.... we came upon a signpost with a map. As we were trying to decipher the way between "you are here" and where we want to go, I heard a rustling. I didn't think much of it until I heard big bad Rosey start to growl. I looked down at her and all 14 lbs of her was on edge and she was growling away at a moose that was looking at us from about 25 feet away. It was walking down a crosspath. Apparently, they also like to use the trail system. Now I admit, I would rather have a moose meet us in the woods rather than a bear, but moose have been known to attack and seriously injure people. This isn't a great time of year to meet moose what with calving season and all, but this moose was solo and it apparently wanted to get away from us as quickly as we wanted to get away from it. "Let's keep walking, Mom" said Jake, so we walked up the trail, keeping one eye on the moose and the other on any tree that might be big enough to duck behind, and the moose watched us as it continued the other way down the crosspath. Big bad Rosey saved us from the moose, and I'm not sure Riley even knew it was there.

As we got closer to the parking lot, I stood on a walking bridge that gives great views of the park. I was really amazed at the number of people utilizing the park. There were soccer games going on, people playing disc golf (I don't know if the bear got to play or not), walkers, runners, a whole group of people doing power walks, dogs, kids... everything you want in parks. It reminded me more of everyone utilizing Central Park in NYC, but this is just one park in Anchorage, a city of 270,000 people and many many many parks. I think people in Alaska just really like the outdoors. And when I look at the cars I see bike racks and kayaks and canoes. And there is a huge increase in the number of people biking to work since the snow melted. I really enjoy that about the city - but I do hope it warms up by just another 10 degrees!

I probably won't have much to say for awhile. Jake and I fly back to Wisconsin June 4th where we get to stay and visit for just a few days. The plan is to leave WI on June 8th and drive back to Alaska. We are bringing back my Jeep and towing a small trailer. I am planning on 10 days to get us there, but have a few extra if we need it. Mapquest tells me that with my planned stop to Mt. Rushmore it's about a 3,600 mile drive. We plan on camping most of it, but I told Jake if the weather is bad I'm getting a hotel. I don't HAVE to be miserable. I think this will be quite the adventure for the two of us. And probably one of the last big trips he and I will have like this. He is growing up so fast. Anyone got any suggestions for Must See places along the way?

Anyway, it's 8:30, and the sun is still high in the sky. I need to take the dogs for a walk around the block. No park tonight, maybe in a day or two.

See you in a few weeks!

Differences I have noticed...

2011-05-01T20:51:00.002-08:00

In Wisconsin the squirrels are constantly in the bird feeder, running across the roof, throwing acorns out of the trees... in Alaska I haven't seen a single squirrel.

Every other place I have lived in for the past 30 years has had Canadian Geese that live in the area all year round. I didn't even realize they weren't here until they showed up last week. Apparently, their return is a sure sign of spring. Same with the seagulls. There have been no seagulls in the area all winter, but they returned a few weeks ago.

The lakes are still frozen, but the ice is thin and no one should be out on it at this point. Most of the snow around town is gone, and I think the big ski resort to our south, Aleyeska, has finally closed for the season. The weather remains dry although we did have a few sprinkles this past week. The temperature makes it up into the 50's during the day, but when I get up in the morning there is frequently a light layer of frost on the windshield. The grass is still brown, but I think I saw a few buds on the neighbors bushes today. The landscapers were out at work, clearing up the winter debris. Here is a moose who is appreciating all of their hard work.

These pictures are taken right by the front lobby. Every time a moose comes near the lobby someone has to go and turn off the automatic doors to prevent the moose from coming into the hospital. The Security Guard also goes out with an air horn and uses it to scare them away from the building. It makes getting to and from the car a little challenging. On this particular day, we opted to use the back door at the far end of the building and not interrupt this gal while she was eating.

As I mentioned previously, we were flying to a different hospital this past week. Here is the plane we flew on.

My travel companions listening to our wonderful pilot

This is it! Seats about 9 people including the pilot

The plane flew at about 500 feet giving us a really great view of the landscape. The day was a little grey, but not to windy. Which is a good thing since I tend to suffer from pretty severe motion sickness! I never leave home without my dramamine! One thing that really struck me was that the land is covered in lakes. Our pilot, who has been flying in Alaska for about 10 years said that there are about a million little lakes in Alaska. So here are some pictures from the trip:

My lovely co-worker

headphones were necessary to hear each other

Anchorage

Kenai River

If you look close, you can see snow-capped mountains. They blend in with the clouds.

Lakes lakes and more lakes

Not much else going on at this point. It is 9 PM and the sun is shining like it was 1 PM. The neighbor kids are out playing and laughing. They are also wearing shorts and sandals. It's only 52 degrees out and I am holding out for warmer weather.

Until next week!

Although the calendar says spring

2011-04-26T21:46:00.001-08:00

the official term for the season here is "break-up". The weather is gray and over the past few weeks there has been hardly any precipitation. The weather has edged into the 50's letting most of the snow melt but the temperature at night slips back to the 30's. I think the only reason the temperature is rising is because we now have about 16 hours of sunlight daily. When I get up in the morning around 5:30 its light out. Not bright sunshiny, but that early morning twilight. And when I go to bed at 10:30, it's twilight. It won't be to much longer before there isn't very much darkness in-between the two. And then, the decrease to darkness is probably just about as dramatic. I also heard that fall starts in August... lets hope its the end of August.

We received an invitation from Jake's school for an award ceremony. He didn't know he was to receive an award, so not only was our appearance at school a surprise to him, but so was the whole ceremony. The ceremony was for Academic Achievenment Awards handed out to students from each department. These awards have a lot to do with enthusiasm and leadership capabilities. Jake received his for Concert Band. Pretty good for a kid who has only been in school since the beginning of December.

The weekend before Easter was really the first nice weekend we had experienced. The sun was shining and the temp rose into the mid 50's. It seemed that everyone in town was outside. The sidewalks were loaded with bikers and runners. Actually, there were people who looked like they were runners all over the place. They were walking all over the place, even into the REI store. Maybe they just meant to look like they were runners!

I decided to take Rosey and Riley out to Kincaid Park for a walk.

The trails had lots of people on them, lots of mud and lots of moose poop. I guess even the moose would rather be on the trails then breaking through the bush. I haven't seen as many moose lately. Except for the one that was pulling up the landscaping around the hospital today. You can also see moose damage on many of the young saplings. The moose tear all the bark off, girdling the trees. The aspen planted in front of work have all been ravaged by hungry moose. And since everything is still brown, no green in sight, bark must be about all they have to eat.

Back to the walk... this park is HUGE and has great trails. I didn't really go on much of a walk due to the mud, but I did get a few photos.

Recently, I had two things happen within a very short time of each other that while they were unrelated, they created a connection in my mind.

The first thing was one of those commercials for kids in 3rd world countries where they ask you to contribute money to provide a better life for them; build them schools, provide healthcare. The second was meeting a patient from the little town of Savoonga on St. Lawrence island. St. Lawrence island sits in the Bering Sea, about 36 miles away from the Russian coastline. Savoonga has approx. 650 people in town, the majority (98%) is Native. The first language for many of the population is Yupik, not English. About 32 homes haul their water and still use "honeypots". Unemployment is about 11.5% and there isn't much hope for economic growth. Reindeer are a major influence on the island, and many people come to go birding. Hard to believe this is still a part of the United States.

Tomorrow, we fly on a little plane down to Soldotna. It's about a 30 minute flight which is much bettter than the 3 hour drive. It's also the next closest hospital to Anchorage, after Mat-Su. And Mat-Su is 40 miles out of town, CPH is much farther then that! I hope that I get some good pice

Until next week.