Dream House Minus Dream Location

Thursday finally brought us to Prince of Wales Island.  The ferry from Ketchikan was more travel through thickly forested islands.  The clouds hung low the entire time.  Upon arrival at Hollis, we called our new landlord and arranged to meet him at a spot on the highway, where he would lead us to what we had been calling the Dream House.  With a little luck, we found him, introduced ourselves, and began following him down a gravel road.  Deeper and deeper into the forest we drove.  After about six miles, we turned off the main road, followed by several forks in the road, and I began to wonder if I could even find my way out without help, let alone find my way back in.  Finally, at about eight miles off the asphalt, ending in half mile of rock road instead of gravel, we arrived at the house.  We were more than a little surprised at how far it was, and couldn’t help wonder how long that trip would take in winter!

The house itself looked as nice as it had on the Internet, no doubt, with beautiful wood siding, nice wide front porch, dormer windows, forest green metal seamless roof, and nice wood touches. 

Our host gave us a tour of the house, and it was beautiful inside, too, from the large open-beamed living room to the large modern kitchen, and beyond.  He showed us how to use the wood-burning heater, explaining that the oil-burning one was just too expensive to run during the winter.  We walked the site, which was very rocky, and scattered with construction material and equipment. 

Even after the tour, doubt continued to grow that this would work for us:  it is much farther off the highway than we had understood, much more remote.  Seeing the entire picture, and realizing how different this would be to us, we suddenly felt very citified, and way out of our comfort zone:  remote it was (yes, it was remote!), despite being able to see at least two other homes nearby through the forest.  We couldn’t help thinking how much worse the 22 minute drive would be in the winter.  Our host’s son even mentioned it was passable about 80% of the time during the worst of winter!  He would know, as this had been the family house while he was growing up, from age 13 on.  I don't think Kathy's new job would accept 20% snow days during the winter, or any other season. 

We tried to think rationally, factoring in that we might be very tired and not in the best mind, that we could adapt, that we would enjoy the surrounding forest, but our trepidation just kept growing.  I felt an opening, and the strong urge to be honest, and told our host that we were having second thoughts.  I explained our position some, and apologized for this news, and he answered he appreciated hearing this now, instead of even the next morning, since he had to leave the next day.  We said we would sleep on our decision, but felt it would not change.  He took the news very well I thought, considering he had no other options at this point.  We had pushed him to lease a house he was trying to sell, but having very little luck doing so.  He did say he appreciated the heads up, giving him at least a little time to make alternative plans, if we felt the same in the morning.  His son had arrived in the mean time, and I talked to him a little, trying to get a sense of how bad our changing our mind might screw up their plans.  He was neutral though, and showed no reaction, only saying that he wished he had his act together, because he would like to own it.  He and his wife and kids had recently moved back to the island from the lower 48. 

Friday morning the dogs got their first look at a deer, through the deck French doors, and started barking and growling.  It was just a yearling, if that!   We both woke up feeling the same strong reluctance to living in the house.  The landlord had said he would be back in the morning to talk to us.  He had not said what time he was coming back; we were now in full scramble to find a place to stay, with the day escaping and the weekend coming.  It was already 9:30 AM.  We wrote him a note with our decision, reiterated our reasoning, apologized profusely, and asked him to call us if there was anything we could do to help winterize the house, which is what he mentioned he’d have to do if we didn’t take it, although we wondered why this was necessary in July,   We would call him later to make sure he found our note.  As if to affirm our decision, we got our second look at the underside of a car which had apparently slid off the road months ago, flipped on its side, and stood against a tree on its right side, a fearsome reminder of how treacherous the roads could be!

Kathy had stayed at Shelter Cover Lodge when she flew up for her interview, and had a great dinner there, so she made reservations for us.  She also found they had another, less expensive lodge, and so booked us a room for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights.  Finding a place to stay through the weekend took some pressure off our housing situation.  The Alaska Pacific Lodge is a fantastic place, right on the water, not far out of town, and beautifully maintained.  The cost is very reasonable, too.

Next stop was to buy find new cell phone service.  We picked up two new smartphones to go with the two new cell numbers, and were back in communication with the rest of the world.

We still have some work to do, but making progress. 

Alaska Journal, Thursday, July 28th

Thursday, July 28, 2011    On the ferry to Ketchikan!  We are down to just three more legs to this long trip.  The odometer on the Roo turned 2800 as we pulled into the ferry staging area, which means we have come about 2500 miles from San Diego.  We can’t help thinking, if someone had told us in March we would be selling both of our cars, buying a brand new one, nearly emptying our house, and moving to Alaska, we would have laughed so hard!  What a crazy notion!  And yet here we sit, looking out into the gray of the Inside Passage, only this and one more leg to go, and we will hit the soil of Prince of Wales Island! 

Visibility is bad, with the gray clouds all around us at sea level.  Maybe we can see a half a mile.  So far, no whale spouts, and no chance to use my new binoculars.  Even so, we chug along, headed north.  There is no wi-fi on board, so I get behinder on updating my blog. 

We reach Ketchikan at 10:30 AM Alaska time, then have three hours until our ferry to POW leaves.  Hopefully my phone will work in Ketchikan; hopefully we can find a wi-fi location so I can update my blog and bring it up to date.  Not having both a cell phone connection and access to the Intement is a severe test for my electronic communication ability is not what I am used to!

It’s kind of nice to be back in the United States, even if it’s just aboard a ferry.  We were down to the hundred dollar bills I got from selling the Honda, and so can use them again, at full value.  I didn’t want to use them in Canada if I could help it, because of the exchange rate, so we used the credit card for everything, which worked out fine.  But I broke a hundred on the ferry, so we have some smaller bills now. 

It’s easy enough to sleep on the ferry.  They have nice reclining chairs.  Having got up at 2:30 this morning, we were still tired.  We got to the ferry landing nice and early, as instructed, and then began the wait.  After only an hour, processing of vehicles began, but it was slow.  When our turn came, we discovered they were having computer problems.  Fortunately we had all or documents in order:  passports, dog shot certificates, and vehicle sale information, since we don’t have plates yet.  We sailed through inspection.

I think I mentioned the wonderful cards from Kelli and Jared and Henry that we found in the Roo the day we left, what, a week ago now?  The farther we get from home, the more precious they become. 

As we drove into Prince Rupert, Kathy told me this is what the landscape on the island looks like, and I was fine with that.  The more I think about it, the more I think we are moving to Paradise, except maybe for the weather factor.  I love the forest, and the understory, and the creeks and rivers, flowers and critters.  I can hardly wait to begin exploring!  I spent one evening in a motel looking up all I could about the mammals and birds of POW. 

Catchup Post No. 2, Tuesday and Wednesday

I gave up my shorts on Sunday in Bellingham for jeans, more that I was tired of them than it was too cool to wear them.  Maybe it was the constant A\C in the car that was getting to me:  we want to keep it cool for the dogs.  Today I’m giving up my flipflops for shoes, as we are heading into rainy and low 50’s weather, so shoes seem in order.  It was inevitable, of course,  but I'd rather be in shorts and flipflops any day.  J 

Got the house, yippee!  We heard that the 'dream house' is ours!  Hallelujah!  It's been an iffy thing from the beginning, and we still feel a little anxious, won't be positive until we are actually there and see it and sign the lease.   

We got into Prince Rupert at about 4 o’clock on Wednesday,  The trip from Smithers BC had amazing scenery.  Much of it was along lakes or the Skeena River, with very little traffic on the road.  The weather turned a little worse, low clouds and some drizzle; there was still a lot of snow in the mountains, and the clouds hung low and covered their peaks. 

We stopped at a small parking lot at Exchamsiks Provincial Park and were immediately surrounded by mosquitoes!  Luckily we were wearing long sleeves.  It’s a lonely park in the coastal Sitka Spruce rainforest, where the Skeema and Exchamsiks Rivers meet.

What is 60 feet long, weighs 800 pounds, and hovers over the community of Houston?
No, not a new strain of mosquito (at least not yet).  It is the World's Largest Fly Rod. Since its permanent placement between the Chamber of Commerce building and Steelhead Park, it has become Houston's highest, not to mention greatest and most interesting, tourist attraction.  My Dad had told me about seeing this on his trip to Alaska, but couldn't remember where it was. 

Wednesday we visited Cow Bay, or at least the souvenir/gift shop.  We bought a few gifts.  Kathy’s phone rang, and it was Brady, he and Faithanne having arrived in Berlin after an all-day train ride, hadn’t gotten much sleep.  It was good to hear his voice, from half way around the world. 

Next we visited the Museum of Northern British Columbia.  This was a first class museum, with many artifacts and good interpretive displays.  It also had a ‘sun room’ with two story windows, looking out on the bay, always a very good thing to have.

I bought our first postcard, and then found a 7/11 with a small postal corner, and wrote a postcard to Henry.  We haven’t even thought of this until now, spending so much of our time in the car, pushing to get from one place to another.  We have a day layover here, so had some time.  In this day and age of electronic communication, Skype and Facebook, etc., we stay in touch so I just wasn’t thinking about postcards.  He won’t get much out of it, but I know Kelli will keep it for him to appreciate later, and it will be fun for them to get in the mail.

Last night we got food at Tim Horton’s Restaurant, a Canadian institution, and were not impressed. 

Kathy found trails through the forest behind our motel yesterday, soon after we arrived.  The crude sign warning of wolves in the area was a new one for us!  She took me out there this afternoon.  There is a bog back there, too.  It was sprinkling as we walked along the trail, which we had nearly to ourselves.  I tried identifying the trees:  western hemlock, Alaska Yellow-cedar, alder, maybe some elderberry.  It’s a whole new world up here, different even from around Bothell and Seattle. 

KTLA Channel 5 out of Los Angeles is part of our television selection here in Prince Rupert, for some reason; nice to get some news from home. 

Our dollar is worth 93 cents up here, not a big deal, until you hand the clerk at Costco $600 cash and the computer says you gave her $558 Canadian! 

We’ve really appreciated this layover day, just relaxing in our room for the most part.  Tomorrow, we have to get up at 2:30 AM, to get in line for the ferry to Ketchikan, ugh.

Catchup Post No. 1, for July 25, Monday

So sorry for getting behind on my posts.  I'll make these catchup posts shorter. 

Okay, got the cell phone service issue figured out.  I don’t have international service on mine, while Kathy does, for some reason.  I just don’t think of Canada as being international territory, which of course it is.  Funny that I can get Brady's texts from Europe, looking for updates, but I can't text him back; I got a phone call from Santee, but I can't make them.   

We left Quesnel around 10, after a continental breakfast at the Travelodge.  Another beautiful day, made even more beautiful by the scattered clouds of cotton.  (In retrospect, this was our favorite motel, and one of our favorite towns.  BTW, it's pronounced "Quinel."

We stopped along the way at some great rest stops.  They are really more like small parks, and often on lakes, too.  They are deserted on Mondays, so we and the dogs have them to ourselves. 

We saw our first moose warning sign along the road, just before Prince George.  The landscape had looked to me like good moose country for a while, so we weren’t surprised to see the signs.  From then on, they became frequent, but we’ve yet to catch sight of one.  Later we saw our one and only badger warning sign!  This is all on the Yellowhead Highway, Highway 16, which runs from Edmonton, I believe, all the way to Prince Rupert.  It’s all two lane road, with frequent passing lanes, and in great shape. 

We pulled into Prince George around noon, and headed for the Costco, the last one we’ll see on our trip.  We actually have very little room in the car for anything, but really needed to get a few things.  First was a down comforter, next was a wireless router (I left ours at home, which worked out great for Kelli and Jared!), some printer paper, and printer cartridges. 

Prince George is a big town, the most populous in northern British Columbia, with 81,000 residents.  After all of the very, very small, very small, and small towns we’ve been through, this looked like a huge city! 

A very good thing about driving in British Columbia is the excellent condition of the roads.  Perhaps having their tough weather requires they keep them in good shape.  The road conditions, the beautiful and frequent rest stops, and the scenery all combine to make British Columbia an excellent vacation land.  It’s too bad we are so sick of being in the car!  You can’t help but enjoy the scenery, from snow-capped mountain ranges to beautiful valleys.  

I guess I’m not sleeping well, as I have trouble staying awake after noon.  Kathy drove most of today, and the last hour and a half to Smithers.  This is a nice little town, moving its economy toward eco-tourism, enacting a building code of alpine-like architecture to increase its charm.  Wikipedia says people living in Smithers are called Smithereens, pretty cool. 

We got to Skype with Henry and Kelli last night for the first time on this trip.  It was nice to see them, but also reminded us of how much we miss them.  L  Henry didn’t quite get the idea, but just seeing him, well, wonderful and a little tough. 

We arrived in our motel room just in time to see President Obama talk to the nation about the budget crisis.  I felt like he said exactly what needed to be said.  Boehner’s Republican response followed, and was very disrespectful toward the President, and the position of the Democrats.  One cannot expect to gain respect for his/her position and opinion without offering the same. 

Live from the Quesnel BC TraveLodge, a short update

Sunday, July 24, 2011  Kathy gets a good nights sleep, and her cold is getting better.  We found that REI opened at 10, so planned to go there first, risking a later start than we’d like, and go from there.  Forgetting that it was Sunday, we discovered they don’t open until 11.  Kathy convinced me it was worth waiting for, so we crossed the parking lot and ate breakfast at Starbucks.  REI gave up a Gore-tex rain jacket, a rainproof wide brim hat, and a new set of binoculars as an early birthday present!  I can’t wait to try them out on the island!

We crossed into Canada about 11:30, into the edge of Abbottsford, and onto the Trans-Canada 1 highway.  Up through the Fraser River Canyon, with a very muddy river flowing fast and high.  Up and down, Williams Lake, Cache Creek, fnally, FINALLY Quesnel, and the TraveLodge, right on Hwy 97/Front St.  Walk along the Fraser River Riverwalk. 

No cell phone access all day. 

Saturday Posting, A Little Late

Off a little late on Saturday morning, from Roseburg OR.  Another beautiful day, clear skies and warm, but not as warm as it has been.

Kathy drove all the way to Portland.  We followed Diana’s text directions to meet her at Cascadia Station in Portland, and had a nice lunch with her.  Diana drove over to Portland from White Salmon up the Columbia River, Washington State side, to see us and do some errands.  She and Brian are going to San Diego soon, for a month.  Her parents live four blocks from our house in San Diego, right on the park.  We told her Kelli and Jared walk Darby every night to the park, so she can look for them. 

The days are beginning to blend together.  It was less fun than the two previous days. 

The volcano string along the Cascade Mountains continued today, starting with Mt Hood, then nice views of the jagged top of Mt. St. Helens, then Mt. Adams, next the Queen of the Cascades, Mt. Rainier, and finally, toward Bellingham, Mt. Baker, all of them covered in snow.  I remember seeing Mt. Baker blow steam as I waited for at the bus stop, headed for school, when we lived in Bellingham.  It’s nice to see these all from the freeway.

We took a detour to I-405 at Seattle, along the east side of Lake Washington to Bellevue and Kirkland, having heard from Diana that Seattle traffic is terrible at all times of the day.  This worked out fine.  There are many, many memories for us along this route, from the Safeway in Kirkland were Kathy worked, to Chateau St. Michelle Winery, which we watched being built, to fun times in Bothell.  I did my first stint in volunteer public service while we lived here, getting elected to the Bothell Park Board.  They were ecstatic because I knew the common names and botanical names, and no one else on the Board did, plus there was a rift between the Park Director, and he would not translate the names for them.  Funny. 

We stopped at Molbak’s Garden Center in Woodinville and took pictures.  I had the pleasure of working there way back when.  It’s where I learned my rhododendron colors and names, which are almost as numerous as rose names.  Next we drove to our first home in Washington, 1528 #1, 228^th SE, in Bothell.  It’s still there, despite all of the development nearby, and even another eight apartments built across the street and at the end of the street.  It’s amazing the fourplex units are still there and occupied, these 30 plus years ago.  We had thick forest in our backyard, and it was a very quiet place.  Now there are two shopping centers a stones-throw away. 

We took a little tour through WWU campus, and a drive by Montague Terrace, apparently not a Women’s Residence any longer, but a single family home?  This was our first of three homes in Bellingham.  It was walking distance to campus, and walking distance to downtown, and inexpensive for our one room and shared bathroom, so perfect.  Later we moved to the edge of town, to a converted garage, on the McKinley’s property.  They were an older couple, and good people to be around as we started our family.  Later we moved to a bigger duplex, a bit closer to town. 

Western Washington University was a Normal School when my grandmother Grace Lawson Blair attended, around 1930.  Kathy and I were students there 40 years later, and Brady was born in Bellingham, St Joseph’s Hospital.  Bellingham is a very nice city, small but not too, and not too big, and a university town, right on the Puget Sound, a couple of hours from Seattle, Vancouver, and Mt Baker and the Cascades.    

We had salads for dinner in the Fairhaven District of Bellingham.  This brought back memories of Brady being late, and he great idea we had, to go to a Saturday midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show in Fairhaven, thinking the contractions Kathy was having meant he was coming any minute.  Instead, we were even more tired, and he didn’t make an appearance until Monday, Memorial Day.   Oh well, it all turned out fine.  We stayed in Bellingham another 15 months or so and then moved back to San Diego. 

State No. 2

Addendum:  Driving into Oregon, it brought back memories of us on our honeymoon trip over 35 years ago.  We had been on the road about a week, and we pulled into a Rest Stop, and I used a pay phone to call home.  I got an intercept saying the number had been changed.  I knew this was a mistake, so I dialed again, and got the same intercept.  I knew this was ridiculous!  I called the operator, and she was very nice, suggested in her warmest voice that we try the new number the intercept message gave, so I said okay, thinking if this will convince her something is wrong, I'll go along.  I was so shocked when Dad answered the phone!  What the heck?!  Gone less than a week and they change the phone number we've had for decades?!  It turned out Dad had received a promotion, and needed to get new telephone options, requiring a new phone number.  Pretty funny.


We got an earlier start yesterday, Friday the 22nd, which helped us get done earlier, here at the Roseburg OR Motel 6.  Kathy likes to drive early, so she took the wheel for many miles.  I used to hate riding shotgun, but no more, taking the opportunity to see the scenery and enjoy it much more, and to even sleep some.  It's all still so surreal, driving a brand new car, old ones gone, including the Honda we had for over 16 years, house cleaned out, headed to a new city in a new state, and a new kind of life on an island. 
For the last couple of years, we have talked about moving, to another state even, but at least to another community, where we could walk to most of what we were driving to, and how nice that would be.  But this grand and abrupt change, I would never have predicted it.  It's only been since July 1 that this was definite, barely three weeks! 

Yesterday started out cooler, then got back up to low to mid-90's.  We must have crossed the Sacramento River five times, didn't realize it was so windy (is that how you spell it?  Looks like too much wind!).  I've got pictures to post on FB when my phone recharges.  By the time we got a bit further into Oregon, it cooled down to high 70's.  Even in the area around Mt Shasta it was in the low 90's!

We took a little detour at Redding, for lunch along the Sacramento River at the Turtle Bay Nature Center and Sundial Bridge.  The bridge is amazing:  part of its structure is a huge sculpture that is also a giant sundial, brilliant!  Here we also saw our first Canada Geese of the trip, floating down the river. 

Leaving Redding, the scenery began changing:  the flat agricultural Central Valley faded into rich light brown rolling hills, dotted with oak trees and scrub, and later into forests, denser and denser until the scenery was like a tall green carpet, covering  deep valleys and sharp ridges.    

Traffic lightened, too, as we left reading Redding behind.  It had thinned even more when we passed the turnoff to San Francisco and Sacramento.  It knotted up now and then when the odd 18-wheeler felt he was going fast enough to pull out and pass another, supposedly slower one.  In southern Oregon, this happened for the umpteenth time, causing three cars to back up behind the passing truck.  We were the fourth vehicle, about 300 yards back, when all of a sudden there was a load noise and the truck tossed what looked like a complete tire tread about ten feet into the air, causing all behind home hit the brakes hard and steer right to avoid debries.  Luckily all of us were on the ball, and maintained control, avoiding what could have been a nasty accident.  

Mt. Shasta, wow!  I haven't been up this way in maybe 35 years:  it comes into view and takes your breath away.  It's so massive and apart from all other mountains that it looks like it creates its own weather:  it was covered in snow, and surrounded by clouds.  For miles, it keeps looming larger, until we were at its foot, and stopped for a break in the town of Mt Shasta, on its slopes.  It really is beautiful, covered in snow.  Lake Shasta is pretty impressive, too, but not as much as it's namesake. 

Into Oregon, and the terrain became much more up and down.  It was not fun watching the miles-per-gallon indicator drop to 8.5, as we climbed up, at speed, with the A\C on, but it was fun watching it max out at 99.9 mpg as we hurled down the other sides!  We are averaging about 25 mpg, exceptional considering it's full-time all wheel drive, loaded down with cargo, and the A\C on constantly. 

We saw our first logging trucks of the trip, something we don't see in SoCal, or even the Bay Area.  It's definitely a sure sign of being in a forested world that actually gets rain, vs. our normal 10" a year.  Have I mentioned that Prince of Wales island gets 120" of rain?!  Another new sight was triple-trailered trucks in Oregon.  I remember having seen them in Utah, but don't remember seeing them previously in Oregon.

We went for a walk last night, and ordered food to go at an Applebee's-type restaurant, with better food.  Kathy had a nice steak and I had an excellent roast beef dinner.  :-)  

Sitting outside this morning, using the Motel 6 free wi-fi, enjoying the early morning coolness and watching for the sun to break over a hill.  Today we have a shorter day of driving.  The scenery will continue to be very dark green, with plenty of water in the creeks and rivers we pass over.  The more miles we cover, the farther we get from home, the more real this all-encompassing change settles into our heads.  At some point, I'll have to change out of my very comfortable tee shirt and shorts and flipflops.  :-(  Oh well, there is always a price to change, even when it's a positive change.  :-)  Different, of course, isn't automatically negative, though even positive and neutral change require adjustments.  

Kathy's still sleeping.  She caught a cold, bummer.  I made a run for Dayquil/Nyquil, and she slept through the night, so should at least feel better this morning.  She is the one facing the most change, with a new job, new boss, new patients, new office, working with Alaska natives.  I don't have any of that to contend with:  my adjustments will be to new trees and wildflowers and other plants, new birds, new animals, oh, and new friends of course.  :-)  I plan on volunteering, too, expecting jobs will be no more available than they were in San Diego. 

Well, getting later in the morning, time to start getting ready for another day of travel.  Tonight we stay in Bellingham.  I haven't stopped here since we bundled up 18 month old Brady and moved to San Diego, a long, long time ago.  That happy, chunky little boy is in Spain right now, with his wife, starting a nice European vacation.  How time flies.  Have a good Saturday.

Spring Valley to Stockton, A Great Start

Well, despite not getting the PC and printer ready in time for the movers, so having to pack them in the Roo; despite having to go get the free tank of gas and pick up the bumper guard at the dealer before we could leave; and despite having missed Mom on the goodbyes, requiring a detour to Spring Valley, we had an excellent first day of travel. 

It really began with a delicious Mexican dinner at Ponces in Kensington the night before, with Kelli and Jared and Henry (hardly bothered by a slight cold).  The dinner was a great way to say goodbye to San Diego.

Mom was very glad to see us, thinking we had already left.  It was a little over 35 years ago, just a week after we got married, that we left San Diego and headed north, eventually settling in Bothell, outside Seattle, where we spent the next three years.  It was 11 am when we finally began heading north.  We had the usual one hour of stop and go traffic in the heart of LA, then we were off to the races.  Speaking of races, we left San Diego on a very important day, the first day of races at Del Mar, and the start of Comic-Con. 

Somewhere north of San Diego, we opened up cards that we found on our dashboard, from Kelli and from Jared.  Wow, saying goodbye to Kelli and Jared and getting those last Henry-hugs was, well, both wonderful and sad; reading those cards, we both got choked up all over again.  Thank you guys, and thanks for the cool family picture magnates!  :-)

The Ruby Red Roo performed magnificantly, no 'rut ros' (sp?) at all! The A\C kept up fine with the 95+ exterior heat and the interior two-people, two-large dog heat.  The dogs were amazing, no issues, and, well, did what they do all day at home, slept! 

I'm sitting by the pool at the Motel 6, under some tall trees, watching the sun come up.  It's not hot yet, just a pleasant morning, dreams of fried eggs and bacon dancing in my head.  The A\C in the motel room was noisy, so I slept off and on.  I think Kathy got more sleep.  We went to bed earlier than we have been going lately, so that will help, too.  The dogs were, again, just fine.

Another coincidence:  Brady and Faithanne left for Europe yesterday.  They will be there for ten days, going to friend's wedding and sight-seeing.  It was Faithanne's last day at work, too.  When she returns, she starts a new job at a small company, hired to help them get the bigger jobs she has worked on for the past several years.  It's a great opportunity that she is seizing.  Since it's in Berkeley, they needed to buy a car, their first since returning from Europe, and so are buying our Volvo, a win-win for us all.  What a year of change for us Wescotts!  Kelli and Jared are looking forward to landing someplace and staying for a while, instead of moving every six months like they've had to do lately.  And Jared will be finding a new job soon.  :-)

Our luck held as I put my 1995 Honda on good old Craig's List only on Tuesday, and sold it on Wednesday!

I hope my Dad is reading this:  I put a link on his Explorer to make it easy to find this blog, and hope that is working out.  I also signed him up for a Facebook page.  Hope you are reading this Dad!

Have a great Friday all, and a good weekend.

Alaska, Here We Come!

After watching the moving company guys do their magic, we feel even more fortunate to have successfully changed our plans with only three days left.  Driving both the Subaru and a U-Haul would not have been near as fun a trip.  Mayflower guys did an excellent job, and told us the truck they used will be the one that we see on the island, so no unpacking and re-packing, minimizing chances for any damages.  This late change will save us much time, trouble and stress!

Kathy has the house cleaned like we are renting to strangers, which Kelli and Jared greatly appreciate.  I'm still lagging on my office, and didn't get the printer out in time for the movers to pack, bummer.  The upload backup of my PC took all day long, much longer than I expected.  It's done though, so we are protected if something goes south during the move to the north. :-)

I visited my Dad last night, and set up a Facebook page for him, so he can now see the pictures we post.  FB is my first choice in sharing pictures, it's so easy to do.  I also set him up to watch my blog.  

Tonight we took the dogs on our last nightly walk around the park, with Kelli and Jared and Henry.  Tomorrow, Kelli and Jared and Henry will walk with Kelli's dog Darby only.  Darby has lived with us for over a year, and claims alpha-dog status over our two.  We feel badly for breaking up the pack.  Hopefully Darby will get a long a bit better with the other dogs we encounter at the park, especially his buddy Sage.    


I sold my 1995 Honda Accord today, half a day after posting on Craigs List!  That's money I didn't expect to see, thought it was unsaleable due to a broken odometer two years ago, but found out differently with a bit of research.  Again, a piece of the puzzle falls into place with little effort!  Brady and Faithanne have bought the Volvo, so we are down to one car, and will see how that works once Kathy starts her job on August 1st.

Well, we definitely could be in better shape regarding packing the car, but it's manageable.  We only need to get to Stockton tomorrow, so can afford to start a little late if necessary.  We planned our trip and daily stops with comfortable mileages figuring the  U-Haul truck would slow us down.  Now we will enjoy a much more comfortable trip.

Next post, end of Day One for traveling, from Stockton. 

It Pays To Have a Party! Thanks Marty!

Somehow, we hadn't really considered anything else but driving a U-Haul truck with our stuff, as well as the new Subaru Outback.  We had a great Going-Away-Party on Saturday night - thanks Henry, for hosting, even if you were a pill because you wouldn't take your pre-party nap-and Marty asked me why we didn't use a POD or some other similar method to get our stuff up to AK.  It got me thinking, I asked for quotes, and we have now come to our senses and will be using a moving company to get our stuff moved!  This will really help, saving us a lot of gasoline, for one, and making it much easier for us to drive up there, since we will both be in the Subaru.  Phew, lucky we could make the change so close to the departure date.  

That is, by the way, only two days away!  TWO DAYS!  I think we are almost ready.  

The weather up north has been in the mid- to high-50's, and clear, but rain has moved in, no big surprise.   

We have lived in our house for over 16 years.  Before that, we rented a house for five years, just five blocks away.  This is one of those facts that creeps up on you, that you don't think about year after year, and then something happens, and you think, wow, I didn't realize it had been so long.     It's going to be strange being in a new place after all this time. When we return, we will have just six years left on our 15 year mortgage, which will be very nice!



We were finally able to take care of some overdue house repairs, too. Even if we won't get much benefit, Kelli and Jared will.

The movers come tomorrow.  Then, the next day, we drive away, in our new car, with our two dogs, on a 2500 mile journey.  Maybe we'll even have a place to live secured by the time we start the drive!  :-)

Time check; Timing is Everything; Time to Get Serious!

I may have mentioned this before, we will be an hour behind San Diego when settled onto the Prince of Wales island.  Some at the party last night had trouble with this, so I looked it up, and sure enough, the International Time Zone border is greatly convoluted around Southeast Alaska, apparently to keep all of Alaska in the same timezone.  Just to the south of us, on a Canadian island, to the east of us on the Canadian coast, and farther north of us where the Northwest Territories sit on top of Southeast Alaska, we are basically surrounded by the Pacific Coast timezone.  See more:   Alaska Time Zone

We are very far south of the main body of Alaska.  British Columbia is about 700 miles from top to bottom, and we sit nearly half way down the BC coast, about 200 miles south of the Alaska state capital of Juneau.

Did You Know:  Juneau is the Alaska state capital, and a 300 mile, 12 hour trip north of Ketchikan.  For those who have to know, Wasilla is up in the main part of Alaska, 47 miles north of Anchorage, and an 820 mile,19 hour trip north from Juneau. 

Honestly, we are a bit run down from scrabbling to get ready, get packed, get some house repairs done, clean the house, etc., hoping we aren't forgetting something important.  Although aren't completely ready just yet, we are ready mentally to get this trip started, by getting on the road.  

Stars, stars, and more stars!

It's 56 degrees and cloudy in Craig Alaska.  The forecast says 40% or better chance of showers all next week, with high temperatures in the high 50's.  Seeing the big full moon last night reminded me that the stars of the night sky in Alaska should be incredible!  I'll bet the moon looks bigger, too.  Sunrise, 4:24 am, sunset 9:24 pm, should be fun!

Coming Together, It Better Be!

Yikes, inside a week to go to launch!  Our last Saturday in San Diego, last time I'll lock the gate for the Murray Ridge Park Gate Crew, last Saturday I'll see Henry......

Kathy made all of our lodging reservations yesterday, so that's all done.  We have to be in Prince Rupert, BC, at 3:30 am on July 28th to begin loading for the six hour ferry ride to Ketchikan.  This ferry only runs three times a week, so we can't afford to miss it.  Hopefully we aren't being too ambitious in our driving plan, with two dogs and a U-Haul truck.  We are planning three days to get to Bellingham WA, then another three days to get to Prince Rupert. 

We are still lacking the special auto insurance card we need to drive into Canada.  It should show up on the mail before we leave; just another detail we have to control over!


We still don't have lodging on Prince of Wales Island, a bit disturbing.  The dogs are an issue, although the general lack of year-round rentals is the bigger issue.  The couple interested in buying the house we want to rent arrive tomorrow to see it for the first time.  Hoping they don't want it, and then we can lease it for at least a year.  We are keeping our fingers crossed. 


It's an interesting time to be leaving, and to be going through this grand move, with federal budget crisis looming, city and county and stated redistricting, mayoral and council member elections heating up, and hear we are moving to a big island with a total of 6,000 residents, sure to be some de-compression issues in this move!  It would be nice if I could get involved in local government in one fashion or another. Although Alaska is divided up into boroughs, which are nearly the same as counties, Prince of Wales Island is in the super-large 'Unorganized Borough,' which is administered by the State:


The Unorganized Borough is that part of the U.S. state of Alaska not contained in any of its 18 organized boroughs. It encompasses over half of Alaska's area, 970,500 km² (374,712 mi²), an area larger than any other US state. As of the 2000 census 13% of Alaskans (81,803 people) reside in it.

Unique among the United States, Alaska is not entirely subdivided into organized county equivalents. In 1970, the United States Census Bureau divided the unorganized borough into 11 census areas to facilitate census taking in the vast unorganized area.

More info on it can be found here:  Prince of Wales - Hyder Census Area   
Bathroom repairs done, mostly check; backyard fence finally stained, check;  we are getting there!  I'm hoping to be able to update this blog from the road, and then the real fun starts!

Hands and feet, and paws....

Kathy got her last mani-pedi today before we leave, and feels much, much better.  :-)  Kelli and I went to Lynn's and had a nice lunch with Jessica and Joaquin and Lucinda and Grandma Loli, and Cassie and Kyle.  

A Facebook friend sent me a notice that, according to a new show, there has been a ten-fold increase in Bigfoot sightings on Prince of Wales Island recently!  What?!  Bigfoot, on and island, thriving?!  Whoa, this is bigger news than the fact that there are several wolf packs roaming the island!

We continue to work down the list of small things to do.  Housing:  we lost our Plan B today, due to the two golden retriever mixes we are taking with us.  Apparently the love of animals as pets is not the same up thee as down in the lower 48.  So, we are back to square one, not good.  

Another friend, who lived in Alaska for over two years, reminded us of the State Bird of Alaska, the mosquito.  She also says the no-see-ums are a pain.  Can hardly wait....

The Final Countdown.......

Today marks eight days until we leave, yikes!  It's going to be coming at us faster and faster from now on!  We are really in good shape though.  Kathy continues to kick butt on cleaning out closets, etc, and finished the kitchen yesterday.  It is really liberating to get rid of stuff!  We made two more trips to Goodwill with a packed car.

I'm almost done with the garage cleanup, and have to tackle my office next, ugh.  I've got hoarder tendencies; thank goodness Kathy doesn't, and I've had the good sense to just stay out of her way as she worked through clothes and kitchen stuff:  the less we have to pack and move, the better.  

Finally picked up my passport yesterday, and got a 90 day supply of my little white pills.  Oh, and we got a good quote on yard cleanup and garden maintenance, so that is taken care of.

I keep missing community meetings I really enjoy participating in, and concerned I'm sending the "Doug has already moved on" message, which is not the case at all, we are just so busy or tired from being busy, I don't have the energy.  There are a few projects I've been working on that must get done before I leave, so still working on them. 

That's all folks! 

 

Housing, housing, where for art thou?!

I have no idea where that title came from......

Our housing is still not finalized.  We have another good lead, but not getting a response from the owner.  

All major issues except housing are set, and now we are seeing the little things are really a mountains-worth.  Still, nothing insurmountable, just have to keep plugging away.  

Jared and I took Henry to the San Diego Archaeological Center today, to show him to my former co-workers, and tell them about our plans.  As is everyone we've told, they were very excited for us.  The Center is my most favorite former place to work, tucked into the beautiful San Pasqual Valley, plugging away at a mission not well understood or appreciated by the public.  Henry put on his usual smiley personality, melting hearts of all who see him!  He's quite a character, so fun to take places.  He is very interested in everything around him. 

We have another potential glitch:  Canada requires a special form or card for car insurance, and it takes two weeks to process.  Since we want to enter Canada a week from Sunday, we've got our fingers crossed the cards get here sooner.  

Great progress on the house cleaning.  I took two carloads of clothes, etc., to Goodwill:  two closets are empty and two bureaus are half-empty, thanks to Kathy.  I felt guilty at first for all the work she is doing by herself, but then realized she likes doing it, she's good at it, and I would just be in the way.  :-)  It is very freeing to pare down the clothes and other possessions one has accumulated.  Tomorrow, the trash gets picked up, and I'm making a special trip to the landfill, so we will have that done.  We really are in pretty good shape.


I've been watching the weather in Klawock lately:  high 50's and clear, which is fine.  Craig/KlawokWeather  We will be arriving as it gets warmer, then have a gradual introduction into Fall and Winter.  I'm hoping to see the Aurora Borealis for the first time in my life.  


I heard from a long lost second cousin that I was welcome to come visit them on their ranch in Alberta, but that they, too, had always wanted to visit Alaska, and now had a good excuse to make it happen.  I've heard this from many people, and hope they all make good on their wish to visit.  It would really be fun to have a parade of friends and family come visit us!


That's all for now. 

The Departing Begins.....

We had to say goodbye to Brady and Faithanne last night, and so it begins, the separation from family.  We are so glad they flew down from San Francisco for the weekend.  They helped us get ready for the move, helping clean out our garage, and Brady was MVP for helping me get a great deal on our new, Ruby Red Subaru Outback!  He turned us on to USAA's car buying service.  He also helped me with options.  Amazingly, I was able to drive off with the car, despite not having a job or Kathy's SSN for the credit app.  It's nice to have good credit!  

Here's another FAQ:  Craig AK is an hour behind us in San Diego, so it just turned 7:00 am there as I write this post.  The Weather Underground website says it's clear and 49 degrees in Craig; the sun came up at 4:25 am and it will set at 9:30 pm, another drastic change from life in Southern California.

I didn't finish the car-buying experience until about 8:30 pm last night, so I was very late getting to the Jewels House.  They hosted us all for Chinese dinner.  Henry got to see his first fireworks from their deck on top of the garage, which has an excellent view of the Sea World fireworks. 

It's hard to believe it's only been 11 days since Kathy got the job offer.  This is marking quite the Year of Change for us and our kids.  Brady started a new assignment at work on July 1, and Faithanne joins a new company on August 15, very exciting; Jared will have a new job soon, and Henry will turn one year old.  Kelli's job as Executive Director at San Diego Writers Ink entered a new fiscal year on July 1st.  She's been able to accomplish a lot in her first year there, mostly shoring up foundational issues, and is now poised to begin building on that solid foundation.  

Lot's of change for us this year.  Maybe I will even get a new job!  Keep your fingers crossed!  

Wolves and Moose and Bears, Oh My!

Wow, just looked up wildlife for Prince of Wales island, and was very surprised to find their are several packs of resident wolves!  I was assuming it was too small/removed, obviously don't know what I'm talking about!  Moose, too, are found on the island, but apparently not in large numbers.  Here's some good information from the Prince of Wales Chamber of Commerce Page:

CLIMATE --
The temperate climate is influenced by the Japanese current and gives Prince of Wales Island between 60 and 200 inches of precipitation per year. Mean temperatures range from around 35 degrees in January to about 58 degrees in July. Daylight on the longest day of the year is about 15½ hours with about 7 hours on the shortest day of the year. Click here for the latest Craig, Alaska weather.

TOPOGRAPHY --

Most of the island is characterized by steep, forested mountains (2,000-3,000 feet high) carved by glacial ice which left deep U-shaped valleys with streams, lakes, saltwater straits and bays. The forest is made up of Sitka spruce and western hemlock with some western red and yellow cedar, alder, and shore pine.

WILDLIFE --

Sitka black tailed deer and black bear are the primary game animals, and the island supports several packs of wolves. Moose have been spotted on Prince of Wales. While the streams and lakes contain a variety of trout, most people fish the salt water for the five species of salmon, or for halibut, red snapper, and other bottom fish. Eagles are a common sight and waterfowl abound during the nesting season. Several species spend the winter in the area including the trumpeter swan.

 

Pretty cool!  So, to my list of animals to sight, so far including black bear, sea otters, humpback whale and orca, I'm adding moose and wolf! 

Cars, Ferries, Trucks, Toilets, and Sweaters

Lots of progress over the last several days.  Most importantly, Brady and Faithanne flew down from San Francisco!  Normally, we would have stayed with them on our trip up, but as luck would have it, they are flying out to Europe on the same day we start our move.  It's great to see them both.

At about the same time Kathy received her job offer, we came into some money, and so as we prepare to move, we are also scrambling to do catchup on some home repairs, hoping to get them all done before we leave.  So far, the dishwasher has been replaced.  Next, work on both bathrooms happens this Friday.  Next week, Lowe's comes in to do more work.  It's nice to have all of this scheduled, and finished, we hope!  It wouldn't be terrible if it didn't all get done, considering Kelli is moving in, but it would be nice.

Kathy made reservations for the ferries we need to take, and I reserved the 14' U-Haul truck we will use, to move as few belongings as possible.  This was after we finally settled on a route, and this after I got lucky and found an inexpensive way to renew my expired passport.  We will head north to Bellingham WA, where Brady was born, by the way.  We cut inland there and head for Abbotsford BC, and from there continue north to Prince George, another 500 miles.  From there, we head almost due east to Prince Rupert BC, on the coast.  There, we catch an Alaska Ferry for a six hour ride to Ketchikan AK.  Lastly, we take a three hour ferry to Hollis AK, on Prince of Wales Island, where we will live for the next two years.  

We have two major details left to nail down, those being where we will live, and buying a new car.  Turns out the deals on new Subaru Outbacks are better than used ones.  I test drove one yesterday, and we will probably seal the deal and drive one home today.  That will be a nice task to have completed.  It's not an Accord, but that's not the object:  we need a car that is ready for the tough winter conditions, and everyone says that is the Outback, with all-wheel drive, for starters.  Kathy will be driving this north with the two golden retrievers, while I drive the U-Haul.

Where we will be staying is still up in the air.  We'd really like the four bedroom house, but won't know for sure for another six days or so, and are working on options in case it doesn't pan out.

The weather has been a little muggy here, but otherwise, fantastic.  As I wrote earlier, I feel like I have new set of goggles on, looking at everything in a different light, knowing how much our world will change soon.  The weather, Kelli and Jared and Henry, and Brady and Faithanne, and all our families, not so close in two weeks or so.  :-(  Those Henry Hugs are all the more special.  We had a wonderful family dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Sanfilippo's in Hillcrest.  We hadn't been there since they moved to the bigger place right next to Extraordinary Desserts.  They have a lot more room now.   

It will be hard leaving our community, too, and I've received some nice comments from people about the things I've accomplished in Serra Mesa in the five years I was Planning Group chair.  We just found out that $1.1 million is being returned to Serra Mesa and will allow the Wegeforth Elementary School Joint Use Park project to be completed, instead of phased over who knows how long.  We have been working on this for over a year, so a hard-fought victory, one we weren't sure we would win, despite our strong belief that the money never should have left Serra Mesa in the first place.

Kathy told me she has ordered some new sweaters for me, and jeans.  Because we have come into some money, and it's time, we are donating a lot of clothes to Goodwill, and replacing much of them: our San Diego sweaters won't be enough for Alaska, so we're buying new clothes, and even dishware and pots and pans, and replacing them with new purchases.  They will stay in the boxes, securely packed and ready to load in the U-Haul.


Enjoy the great weather today; I know we will!  :-)

Check, check, and check

We made major progress today toward the big move.  We are settled on the route, for one.  We will be driving our new Subaru (still to be purchased) and a U-Haul truck straight up I-5 to Bellingham, Washington, then cut over to Hwy 99 to Abbotsford, British Columbia.  From there, it's Hwy 16, the Yellowhead Highway, for 1,000 miles to Prince Rupert on the coast.  Here, we board a ferry for a six hour ride to Ketchikan, where we begin to relax some, and catch the three hour ferry to Hollis on Prince of Wales Island.

We got the U-Haul truck reserved today.  Kathy also got several tasks regarding her new job taken care of, including some required vaccinations.  I talked to our insurance company on getting renters insurance, and making sure we have enough insurance for the U-Haul truck.  

We had a very fun time with Kelli and Jared and Henry at Mark and Jenny's campsite at Campland tonight.  It was much cooler down on Mission Bay.  We had dinner with Mark and Jenny and Lori and Michael, and their friends.  Dessert was cheese cake with candles for Mark's 55 birthday!  Wow, my younger brother turns 55, who'd a thought!  I told him, as old as he may be, Mick Jagger is still older!  After dessert Mark took us for a tour around the park in the cool big golf cart. 

More to come.

New Goggles And My Morning U-T

It's as if I'm wearing new goggles, seeing the world in a different light.  From my ocassional walks down into Murray Canyon along Mission Center Road, to having ice cream with Kelli and Jared and Henry, to simply enjoying the great weather we are having, I think about how soon I will be 2,500 miles to the north, not able to enjoy these now-ordinary events, which are now not so ordinary, and need to be especially appreciated.  I continue to think about what a drastic change this is going to be, trying to keep focus on the positive aspects.  

I'm going to miss my morning Union-Tribune!  That may sound strange, but it's a 50+ year habit, and one that helps me stay abreast of local news.  Redistricting, city council elections, the race for mayor, all happening right now, too.  I'm hoping I can get a mail subscription, but expecting it will be delayed by a few days.  I still like reading the paper vs. just using the Internet:  it's a little hard to look up a story if you don't know it happened! 

We are still on pins and needles about the Dream House, waiting for the owners to finish a road trip so we can finalize a lease.  This is the single biggest factor for us moving forward:  how much furniture will we need to haul up there; how big a U-Haul truck do we need; what do we take with us, and what do we buy once we get up there; if the lease falls through, the days are passing by, we need to scramble for another option.  We can't reserve a truck until we know, we can't make reservations on the ferries until we know what size vehicle we'll have, etc.  Hopefully we will have the key housing issue nailed down today or tomorrow.

We did get one big task finished yesterday, a health check and shots for the dogs.  If we have to go into Canada on the way, they require that the dogs have been vaccinated at least 30 days previous, so although we got it done, we won't be able to take them in until four days after Kathy has to report for work.  If we decide to catch the ferry in Bellingham WA, then it doesn't matter.  Otherwise, we could split up, and she continues on her own and I follow with the dogs.  The Alaska Ferry out of Bellingham seems like the way to go, but it's a 38-hour trip, in which the dogs remain in cages or in the car on the vehicle deck, and we have very limited access to them.  38 hours is a very long time, even considering that is over two nights.  We are still grappling with this choice.  

House repairs are moving ahead, as are Spring Cleaning and some packing.  We should make more good progress today.  

Reality Setting In, Oh My!

We had a very fun day at the Del Mar Fair today, with Kelli and Jared and Henry.  Henry just loves to people-watch, and that is the place to do it!  He was great, as usual, and even managed a nice nap amid the hussle and bussle.  We were there when it opened, and stayed longer than we expected to, enjoying the beautiful weather.

Home, and some shuteye, and now the reality of all that we have to accomplish in a little over two weeks has landed on our minds, from minor and major home projects to figuring out what to take, what to leave, and what to throw out, and including buying a car.  We've narrowed it down to a 2010 Subaru Outback, just have to find one and get the right deal.  

With Kelli and Jared moving in, we have soft deadlines on some tasks, but it would still be nice to have everything done before we leave.  

Actually, so much hangs on what we can arrange for shelter.  We have a great lead on a wonderful place, just one hitch left and it's ours. 

To-Do List Keeps Growing!

It's July 2, and yesterday you found out you must be in remote Craig Alaska by Monday, August 1 to report for work, what to do next?!  Start a To-Do list, of course.  So we start with August 1 and work back:  only one ferry a week from Bellingham WA to Ketchikan AK, leaving Fridays at 6pm and arriving at 7am Sunday morning; only one ferry a day between Ketchikan and Prince of Wales Island, leaves at 3:30 pm each day and arrives 6:30 pm.  So, you better make that Bellingham Ferry, or you have to wait another week!

Shelter in our new city is next, and Kathy already has some excellent leads, despite the fact that rentals are nearly non-existent, at least year-round rentals.  We are keeping our fingers crossed, and the clock is ticking!

Next, arranging transport of at least some of our stuff.  What to take and what to leave:  being able to rent a furnished house would make a huge difference in that decision.  Plus, with a little luck, Kelli and Jared and Henry will move into our house, and be happy to use what furniture we leave behind.  

The To-Do list just keeps growing at this point, from vaccinations for the dogs to some home repairs to reservations for the ferries, so we don't get left at the dock!  Have to get my passport renewed, as we are sure to take some trips into Canada.  Maybe I can even visit cousins I've never met in Red Deer, Alberta.  Make a list for mail change of address notices, wind down community projects I'm involved in, clean out the garage, etc., etc.


So, what do to first?  We're going to the Del Mar Fair!  We haven't been in a few years, feels like a good way to start to say goodbye to our town.  :-)

What the heck is going on?!

Today is July 1st, 2011, the first day of the rest of our lives, and Kathy just accepted a job in Craig, Alaska!  This is not a drill!  Craig is on an island in Southeastern Alaska, and 600 miles north of Vancouver, BC.  It was very tough, but it a position she just cannot refuse.  The hardest part, with apologies to Kelli and Jared, will be leaving grandson Henry.  We have already warned Kelli to keep a constant watch on him when we begin packing!  He is, of course, the cutest and smartest boy, and loves his Grandma and Grandpa.  Those Henry hugs and smiles and faces are going to be very, very hard to live without.  This assignment is for two years, and Kelli and Jared have promised to come visit us at least twice.  

We are leaving other family behind as well, but what's two years when you are 45, or 30, or even 20?  We will definitely be keeping in touch, via this blog and Facebook, and the occasional Skye session, too.  We may get lucky and score the newer 4-bedroom house as a rental, in which case we would have lots of room for adventurous visitors!

So, that's about all we really know at this point.  We will be buying an Alaska-ready car, most likely a lightly used Subaru Outback, to make the trip and use on the island.  We will be taking two Golden Retrievers with us.

Oh, here are some early FAQ's:

• No, I don't have a job, or a prospect, have to wait and see.  I will be able to continue my online BA program though, in Environmental Resource Management at CSU Bakersfield, so that's good.
• The island gets 120 inches of rain a year, fairly spread out among the months.
• No grizzly bears on the island, but plenty of black bear, bigger than usual we are told because there are no griz to hunt them or compete with them, even though there is lots of salmon!
• The nearest fastfood restaurant is a three-hour ferry ride to Ketchikan (okay, maybe this was more interesting to me than anyone else!)

Oh, and Kathy just got a lead on a fantastic house that may be  for rent, stay tuned!