Sun! Warmth! Life! Phoenix!!

Uh oh, wonder if anyone is still reading my blog:  it's been over a month since I last posted?  How did that happen?  Geez.

Kathy flew back from a short week in Anchorage on Saturday.  She gave several presentations to a group of Mental Health professionals.  Of course I should know more details than that, but I don't, bad husband!  It was her first trip to Anchorage.  All went well, and she felt she got her information across to her audience, so was a successful trip, and good addition to her resume.  She had fun, too, going shopping with other presenters at real malls!  As you might expect, her dogs were very glad to see her back.  They feel like they have been sentenced to Dog Prison when I take care of them.  Not that I cut back their diets to stale bread and water, but I, well, don't exactly lavish attention on them, and Kathy does.  Some day I'm going to have my very own Cielo dog, Cielo being a wonderfully calm chihuahua who belongs to Faiths' Aunt.  Faith's Mom has a good chihuahua, too, but for some reason I have lots of trouble remember her name.  Anyway, sometime I'll have one of my own.

So Kathy arrived home on Saturday afternoon, and I flew out Monday morning, bound for the 13th Annual National Tribal Transportation Conference, held this year in Phoenix.  This is a great opportunity for me to learn more about tribal transportation, the new MAP-21 federal highway bill, and network with other tribal transportation professionals and learn about their challenges and solutions, almost as important as the first two objectives.

My flight down went very well.  From Ketchikan to Seattle, we were well above the cloud cover and in the life-affirming sunshine.  From Seattle on down, it was clearer.  The pilot pointed out Mt. Rainier, beautiful as ever, and Mt. St. Helens, and Mt. Adams.  I was able to sleep  for a while, which is always a nice way to pass the time.  Next, we passed over part of the Grand Canyon, another treat. 

I'm not sure I've ever landed in Phoenix.  I know I haven't been here in decades.  I was hoping the rental agencies were located at the airport, but, alas, no, they are a ten minutes busride away.  It's a huge complex, looks like an airport terminal itself!  Here, unfortunately, is where I hit a wall (racing tie-in, get it?):  my car was not ready, nor were the cars of several other, very unhappy travelers.  NASCAR had just held a race at Phoenix International Raceway this past weekend, and apparently people were slow about getting their rental cars returned.  I had a reservation, and it took me 50 minutes to get a car.  Plus, they didn't have the one I reserved, so, damn the bad luck, they asked if I would mind using a Mercedes Benz E350 instead.  Hmm, let me think, NO!  :-)  Not too shabby a car, not at all.

So, I'm in my third timezone of the trip, and it's dark, and I have a strange car, and I have to get to my accomodations.  I'd printed out Google directions while waiting for my car, so had that, but I was barely down the road when it felt like I was off track.  I decided to fiddle with the GPS unit.  Thankfully, it worked, and I drove right to the resort, then end of a long day. 

The place I'm staying, also not too shabby.  It's a little village spread out across and built into a hillside, very nice.  I'll post some pictures later this week.

Today I had time to visit the Northern Mountains Park Visitor Center, just across the road from my resort.  The Center was closed, darn it, but while I was absorbing this fact, I was sure I heard a quail call.  Keep in mind this is nothing but desert, with what few plants  there are spread way out, offering little cover.  I waited and listened, and heard more birdcalls I could't identify, but I really wanted to see a quail, so headed down the walkway toward where I thought the sound came from.  Sure enough, there was a large covey of plumb quail somehow hidden, and disturbed by my getting close, they flew to another scrub bush about 20 feet away, and gave me a great look at them as they did.  Quail!  Wow, an actual bird!  Life in the desert!  Then, while absorbing this good tidings from nature, I saw another bird, very close, a cactus wren!  These are very, very skittish in San Diego, and rare, and here were two practically at me feet!  Wait, another movemnt in the bushes: a roadrunner creeps out into full view, not 15 feet from me!  Wow, this is amazing:  I would rarely see this many birds in such a short time and space in our POW Rain Forest, and here I was in the desert, surrounded!  This little trip had been a very good decision, despite the Center being closed.  Ahhhhh, nature.....

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the James Bond movies.  FIFTY YEARS, can you believe it?!  I remember going to see Doctor No, the first bond movie, with my Mom and Dad when I was 10 years old.  Where did the time go?

That's enough catch-up for today.  Oh, on the homefront, winter is arriving fast, temperatures having dropped ten degrees, then risen, then dropped again.  Our green 'wall' of bushes have dropped all their leaves, so no wall between us and the little street, for a couple of months.  The rain has returned; the dogs will have to be content with long walks every couple of days now, instead religiously every day.  But, we've endured one whole winter here, we will do fine for this one.  And then it will be spring, in our second year.  I'm sure it's just around the corner.  :-)

Henry and Michael

I took two cans of salmon south to Dad when I flew to San Diego last weekend.  I already heard second hand that he opened one and found it delicious.  We went back to the Wildfish BBQ for dinner the other evening, just three blocks from our house, and I had to buy a couple more cans, this time a sockeye and a king salmon.

In talking to the owner, I found out she has the little restaurant and cannery for sale, and has for quite a while.  She told me the Log Cabin RV Park and Cabins, just across the street, have also been for sale for a while.  I know that there are two businesses in Craig that have also been for sale for up to two years.  This speaks volumes about the shape of the economy on Prince of Wales Island.  Sport and commercial fishing are not getting any better either.  The new Vo-Tech Center is about to begin construction, but it’s impact on employment will not likely be significant. 

The owner of Wildfish told me there had been a bear about recently.  We knew this already:  it had been at our house three nights last week!  Each time it riles up Lakota, which wakes us up with her growling and barking.  The first time was when the trash was out.  The bear knocked down the trashcan, hoping it would spill, which it didn’t happen, so he moved on.  The next night, he or she came back, sniffed around where the trashcan had been, then ambled off, but of course, not before Lakota got all riled up.  (Update:  I had to chase it away from our trashcan twice last night!  It figured out how to get the top off, despite the bungy cord.  It wouldn't leave the first time, and the dogs were going crazy trying to get out of the house!  Finally it ran off.  An hour later, it was back, and popped the top again.)

September 25, 2012

“Henry's started watching a TV show called Super Why. It's a group of characters with special powers: Word Power, Spelling Power, Alphabet Power, Power to Read, and, the viewer with the Power to Help. They solve problems by consulting books, changing fairy tales into lessons. Throughout, they ask questions of the viewer. Henry loves it. He puts his hand in when they join in the beginning. He says his name when they ask: "Henry Oscar CaMannell!" He yells out letters when they ask, "What letter is this?" and he points out "Super letters" when they float onto the screen. He repeats lines and jumps up and down when they solve the problem. 

In the mornings I watch him giddy to learn, spinning on his tippy-toes and clapping. "Hip hip horray," he squeals. “

Kelli and Brady and Friends, Genesee Gardens Apt, 1981

Brady's Third Birthday, with cousins Jenny and Tim and Kristin, 1981

What would you do, if your daughter was writing blog posts like the one above, and you were living 3,000 miles away from this precious new being that is Henry?  What would you do, if you were nearly obnoxious dropping hints for a grandchild, finally got the most precious gift in the universe, and then found yourself moving 2500 miles away from him just eight months into his life?  What would you do, if you ended up missing both of his first two birthdays?  What would you do? 

Lately there has been a sun-faded maroon ~1990 Ford Tempo running around Klawock.  It’s a virtual clone of the car my brother-in-law drove for years, and so I think of him, and miss him, every time I see it.  When we moved back to San Diego with toddler Brady, and no jobs, Michael agreed to move in with us and share the rent, which was a Godsend, the only way we could live in a decent place.  We found a large apartment next to Juvenile Hall, in a nice apartment complex, with a lawn right outside our door.  It was close to our families, close to the freeways, very convenient.  Several years later, we found a large house in Allied Gardens, and Michael moved with us, again making it possible for us to have a nice house to rent.  Without Michael's help, we would have been forced to live in a not-so-nice part of town, in a not-so-nice place.  

Michael was probably the most intelligent person I've ever known.  He was the most degreed, too.  He was kind and thoughtful, and loved animals.  As kind and intelligent as he was, he never really found a way to share those special gifts with the world, beyond his family and friends, too.     

He passed away about two and a half years ago, five days after his mother died.  I think of him every time I see that faded maroon Tempo, remember the great political discussions we had, fun reviewing movies, the occasional sports talk (he knew a lot more about sports than I'll ever know), the way he loved our kids, and dogs, and books and reading, and newspapers.  I miss you, we miss you, Michael. 

I Had a Dream

I had a dream, a weekend long one.  It began with an incident-free Cessna flight off the island to Ketchikan International, which is not sure thing, weather being what it is across the Dixon Strait.  My flight to Seattle and transfer to a plane for San Diego went without a hitch, too.  The sun shone the entire trip from Seattle south (It continues to surprise me how much I miss sunshine.)  

Once in San Diego, I walked out into the warm sun, now getting to feel it as well as see it.   Ahhhh, how nice it felt.  My luggage in hand, I wait on the curb for someone to pick me up, and here comes Brady driving a white Mustang convertible with the top down!  What a perfect car for a weekend in San Diego! 

Coming home, over Gravina Island, site of the infamous proposed  "Bridge to Nowhere," which would have connected this Island and the Ketchikan Airport to the City of Ketchikan.

It was a quick trip from the airport to our Courtyard Marriott at Liberty Station.  Kelli was there already, having flown in from Maine in the morning.  This was her first trip away from Henry.  Fortunately (?), she had stopped nursing just two weeks ago, so this was not a big issue.  His Mom and Dad explained that she was visiting California, with Bumpie (me), Uncle Beadie (Brady) and Aunt Faith, and he seemed fine with this explanation, the whole weekend (don't ask what happened when she got home!)  Also, there was a surprise waiting for me in our hotel room, besides niece Kristin:  amazingly, Mitt Rmoney had already arrived, and was taking a nap in my bed!  

It was so great to see Kelli and Brady.  Our third floor room was really nice, with a view out over the channel and a huge green grassy park.  

The wedding of Mary and Jay was beautiful!  There were over 200 family and friends, and the air remained tranquil as they said their vows on Sunset Cliffs.  I love weddings, especially outdoor ones.  The only thing missing was my lovely bride, who did not make the trip south with me, unfortunately.  Mary and Jay were radiant, as were all the parents.   They were married by Jay's pastor from Minnesota, a fun connection to his life growing up.

It was great to see everyone I did get to see.  I had a nice long visit with my Dad, and a short conversation with my Mom, who was more lucid than she has been for a long time, a special treat.  I usually detest making long trips for short visits, but this was really nice, and seemed longer than a long weekend.    

View of our neighborhood.  We live just north of the white roof-hoofed cabin, about mid-photo on the left.  The water to the left is one of the arms of the Klawock Inlet, part of the Pacific Ocean.  About 500 yards to west/left, is the main part of Klawock.  

See the Klawock Log Sortyard, a deepwater port on Klawock Island.  Klawock proper is on the top part of the picture.  The Klawock Cooperative Association Cannery, docks, and buildings are at the top left.

Our car, which we ended up sharing, had MORE THAN TWO RADIO STATIONS!  I had forgotten the fun of having audio choices!  It does exist!

Most of main Klawock, with the Klawock Cannery under the red roofs on the water, and the dock just below.  This is where I worked until the Tribal Transportation Department moved the first of October.

Klawock Airport, the only landing strip on all of Prince of Wales Island, although there are several sea plane ports.  Along the west side is another arm of the Klawock Inlet, leading north into the Big Salt Lake.  We live about three miles south of this pictures.

Back home, and it still feels like it was a much longer break from the Island.  I'm so glad I went, so glad I got to see Brady and Faith and Kelli, and other family.  I will be re-living this trip for a long time, probably all through our Alaska fall and winter, at least.

Not Enough, and Too Much

We go for hikes in the forest, sunny, cloudy or drizzling, and see no squirrels, no frogs, no snakes, no butterflies, maybe a bird or two or three, maybe an insect or two, in a dense forest with running creeks, open areas, and muskeg.  There are sitka spruce and western hemlock and alder galore, and occasional alaska yellow cedar and western red cedar.  The underbrush is filled with ferns and devil's club, bunchberry and blueberry bushes.  It's a beautiful mosaic of many different textures, shades of green, browns and other colors, mushrooms and other fungus, a circus of botany.  How strange it is then, that in the official desert of San Diego, I often went for an hour walk from my house in the suburbs, and observed no less than eight, and often more, birds.  Squirrels, rabbits, and even occasional snakes and raccoons.  Strange that, in a place where a basic biologic need is so scarce there is so much wildlife, at the same time, in a temperate rainforest, there is so little. For me, this lack of wildlife, especially birds, leaves me wanting.  This forest is just not enough.

One of the many mushrooms popping up now.

Some of visitors, just passing through.  We even hear them honking overhead at night sometimes, maybe taking flight to avoid predators?

The scenery is drop-dead gorgeous, as I've written more than one and will probably again.  We often remark that this is most likely the most beautiful place we will ever live.  Glacier National park is a close second, and Bellingham, too, but they didn't have the surrounding water.  The scenery by itself, it's not enough.  

The people are friendly, which always makes a real and positive difference in ones happiness.  We love the habit people practice of waving to each other on the road, whether they recognize your car or not.  Really nice people are a treasure, but they alone are not enough.

The water everywhere, from the Klawock River just blocks away, running under the big Klawock River bridge right near Kathy's SEARHC, the many creeks, the big Klawock Lake, to the coastal waters all around us, the water is just beautiful, ever-changing, a fascinating magnet for the few birds and mammals who call the rainforest home, but it's just not enough.

Kathy bought a Barbie to entertain the kids who sometimes come with their parents to her counseling sessions.  A co-worker stitched a Tlingit regalia rob and hat, very cool


















She has other Alaska Native pieces around her office, too.  


Labor Day weekend behind us, and a Tuesday becomes a Monday:  no Internet, welcome back.  How can this be?  Oh, we didn't pay the bill?  Well, let's get on that, except the bookkeeper is out today, and the credit card holder is on leave.  Okay, well, time for Plan B.  Hey, our shuttle buses have arrived in Thorne Bay, an hours drive away, cool!  My co-worker Tom and I have to recruit a third person to drive us their and drive that car back, so he and I can drive the two buses back.  Success, adding someone who can be, well, trying.  Great, an hour in the car with this person.  

My expectations are far exceeded:  Tom and the third person trade fishing stories all the way over, very entertaining.  My favorite is the man who took his grandmother out on his boat fishing often, and she always caught a lot more fish than he did, and wouldn't tell him her secret.  25 years later, she revealed that it was Chanel No. 5!  I'm guessing it wasn't the real thing, still a funny story.  

Sunshine and Two Bears

Before I share our weekend, I need to post an update.  From what I had read before we drove away from Sunny San Diego, this island was literally crawling with black bears.  We were excited to be able to see them so easily and often.  Well, we've seen them, but not nearly as often as I expected.  I still believe there are many bears here, but I have another view of sighting them.  As one Alaska Native recently told me, grizzly bears may eat your arm, but black bears will kill you.  I didn't realize they were so dangerous.  I do know the cities won't put up with them marauding through their boundaries.  So, if you were wondering either why I haven't written more about them, now you know.  


While I'm on the subject of wildlife, the river otter picture in a previous post, well, that was actually a seal.  I've seen lots of seals, only a few river otters; guess I jumped to a conclusion.  Hey, these were well up the river, too, so that helped fool me.
See a closeup of the head-only pose at:  Seals of Alaska


This weekend was spectacular, with nothing but sunshine.  We had a crazy low pressure on Thursday which brought winds gusts of more than 30 mph, then left as abruptly as it came, so we were spared the much higher winds that Anchorage experienced.

We had a two-bear Sunday, pretty rare.  First, our neighbor came over and told us there was a bear up a tree between our houses.  This explained why the dogs were acting strange.  He told us he was keeping his dog Daisy inside.  He wanted to give the bear a chance to wander off safely and stay out of trouble.  Of course I had to go check this out.  At first I couldn't see or hear him.  Then I heard loud huffing and claws on bark, and there he was, six feet up a tree in the middle of a small grove, about 20 feet away from me!  He seemed to be very agitated, so I backed off and hid behind a bush, hoping he would soon come down and run away, with me snapping pictures like crazy.  That didn't happen.  He stayed put, occasionally huffing and puffing, but staying up the tree.  I got impatient, and went back around to our yard, on the opposite side of the grove of trees.  I was getting a good look at him, but it was dark in the trees, so getting a picture was going to be tough.  Finally, he came down the tree and took about three steps in my direction!  He hadn't noticed me standing there.  As soon as I took off at a dead run up the path, it startled him, and he quickly turned around and climbed back up the tree! I decided to leave him alone, and that was the last I saw of him.  

An anxious bear gets trapped between our house and our neighbors, in broad daylight.

Later in the afternoon, we drove to Balls Lake Picnic Area.  On the way, we caught sight of another bear crossing the road.  Once at the picnic area, we had a nice warm walk, out in the sunshine for much of the time, and made it about half way around the lake.  There was plenty of boardwalk on the trail, this being a rain forest and so plenty of muddy trail.  There were several bridges across creeks, too.  There was one couple having a picnic at the trailhead, and a couple came in as we were returning, and so the rest of the time, we had the trail to ourselves, pretty nice.  Kathy let the dogs go for a swim, which they need very little prompting to do!  About the only wildlife we saw were several dragonflies, which were very interested in our furry beasts.

Update:  Terrible when one writes a blog post and then never posts it.  The story above was from last weekend.

We had a 'summer' all this week, gorgeous warm sunshine!  Wow, it was soooo nice!  Today, Saturday the 22nd, it's back to full cloud cover.  At least it's not raining.

Hope a fun weekend is in store for everyone.  Happy first day of autumn.  I know Henry is starting it out with a field hockey game.  Have fun, Henry!  

Summer Past, Fall Ahead

Summer, such as it was, is behind us, and Fall is here.  The overnight temps are cooler, the rain has returned, and the sun, well, hopefully we will still see it occasionally.  

The weeks fly by, we both agree, even if we can't figure out why.  Maybe just because it was technically summer?  

Most of the commercial fishing fleet of Klawock

   

A different 'fishing fleet,' just up the Klawock River from the harbor.

We took the dogs down to the Klawock River today, and they had a fun time swimming.  As usual, the river otters kept a watch on us, from about 50 yards away:

This is all you see of the river otters, for just long enough for a good look, then they dive.  There were about ten of them watching us.

Not much else going on up here.  Oh, we did finally get a sign for the building.  Before this, there was no sign at all.  Pretty sharp, eh?

Oh, and one more building picture, of the Mink Clan House, also very cool.

More Than His Share, and What Happened to Summer?

I'm going to guess that no one reading this blog will recognize the name Dan Peek.  I wouldn't have, before about two years ago, when an email came to the Ronald McDonald House where I was working.    

I was listening to Pandora the other day, and a song by America came on.  I had a minute, so decided to read the bio they had listed for America, having more than a casual interest, as you will see.  I liked some of their hits, but wasn't a huge fan.  Getting to the end of the bio, I was shocked to read that Dan Peek, a founding member of America, had passed away.  How did I not hear about this?  Wasn't he way too young to die?

I switched to Wikipedia, and found he had passed away in late July of last year.  That explained why I missed his passing:  we were on our week-long trip up to our new lives in Southeast Alaska, so not getting much more than major headlines for news.  Wow, I just couldn't believe he had died.  The article said he was only 60, definitely too young.  He had passed away in his sleep, most likely a peaceful and probably painless death.  May you rest in peace, Dan.

I was working at the Ronald McDonald House in San Diego, and my boss got an email from Dan, out of the blue.  He forwarded it to me, asking that I find out if it was legit, and go from there.  It turned out it was very legit:  Dan had several guitars that he no longer played, and had decided it was time to do something with them besides just store them. He wanted to donate them to us, to do with as we saw fit, to benefit the families served by the Ronald McDonald House.  Wow, how cool is that?!  

Between one thing and another, and another, it took about four months to get this wonderful, thoughtful donation finalized.  In the mean time, Dan had posted his offer to donate his guitars on his blog, and a few fans had responded that they would love to purchase one or more of them.  Some of these guitars had appeared on America album covers, so had a little more cache.  

Finally the day came when the guitars arrived at the House.  Dan had even donated the materials and labor by his handyman to carefully crate them up for shipment, who then drove the crates to the nearest Fed Ex facility, which, if I remember right, was about 80 miles from his home.  The only hiccup in the whole process was when his wife saw the list of guitars Dan had chosen to donate, one of which was her favorite.  Dan was so apologetic about having to switch it out for another, while we completely understood of course, and would have been just as happy with four instead of five.  He was a very generous person.

We were just about to put them on ebay when one of the people who had contacted Dan months earlier finally responded to one of our many emails to him.  He wrote that he really wanted the whole collection, and would pay a bit of a premium over what our research had shown the guitars would probably bring at auction.  Accepting his offer would also save some costs, so we accepted it.  Dan's thoughtful gift resulted in the Ronald McDonald House of San Diego getting $50,000!  Wow, we were pretty excited!  What a wonderful donation!  We invited him out to participate in a person-to-person thank you event, and introduce him to some of the families staying at the House.  He politely declined, saying he didn't travel anymore, but thanked us for the invitation.  He was so accommodating throughout the whole process, it was nothing but a pleasure working with him.  

You may be wondering why he chose the Ronald McDonald House for such a generous offer, and why San Diego's, out of the hundred's of wonderful Houses across the U.S.  When Dan was very young, around six maybe, he had to be hospitalized for a while, and the nearest hospital was 200 miles from his family home.  His family couldn't afford to stay in a hotel, so for periods of time, he was in a hospital in a strange town, alone.  When he thought about donating his guitars, he thought of the one organization that is dedicated to overcoming just that situation.  As to why San Diego, we had recently updated the website, and at the same time taken advantage of a service Google offered nonprofit ads   high on the right hand column of a search page, and that was how he found us when he searched on "Ronald McDonald House."  Wow, that really paid off for the House!  

A deer family out for a morning walk

Viking Lumber in Klawock is the last large lumber mill in all Southeast Alaska

Last week it was sunny almost the entire five days!  Before that, we had several sunny warm days lately, a very nice change from most of the summer.  The seawater turns so very blue when the sky is clear, and the sun reflects like magic off the ripples from the jumping salmon, the breezes playing along the surface, and the currents flowing underneath.  

The Tribe put on their Second Annual Sockeye Salmon Festival two weeks ago.  This is an all-day event, with events for kids and adults, a salmon dish contest, a dessert contest for youth, and a free salmon fry.  The weather cooperated, and it was sunny nearly all day.  We had a big crowd and everyone had lots of fun.  Kathy was in Sitka for training, so missed out.  

View across the ballfield to the Klawock Inlet

KCA Tribal Council President Nick and co-worker Tom

Lined up for the three-legged race.

The sound of the purse seine boat engines idling at the dock outside my window always tugged at me, as if a good memory was being tickled.  They rubble with lots of power, even though muffled by the water and the boat surrounding them.  They sound nothing like the higher, sharper, loader rumble of a 302 in a Mustang.  Only after hearing them many times, and taking a few minutes to explore my memory, did I realize why the sound was familiar and positive:  it reminded me of the Jungle Cruise boats at Disneyland!  Ha, that's it!   That has always been one of my favorite rides.  The Boat Guides do a great job of using double entendre's, etc., for the adults, while also making it fun for children.  Those boats sound the same, low and rumbling.  Too funny.  

The dog and coho salmon are jumping in the channel, right outside my window and across the bay, seeming to have contests, and to yell at us, ‘come and get me,’ are fun, and big, but it’s not enough.

Patches of snow remain in the mountains, a true indicator of how cool and cloudy this summer has been.

Hope everyone has a fun Labor Day weekend.

Life After 60, Day Three :-)

Happiness is......going to work in blazing sunshine, and having it last all day long!  Wow, how nice it is to have the sun shine!

Happiness is...... using my sales tax exempt card at the grocery store for the first time today, and finding out I can get an additional 10% off by shopping on Wednesdays!  

I got my sales tax exemption number yesterday, WOOHOOO!  This is for the City of Klawock, so I no longer have to pay the 5% sales tax!  Hey, that's like a raise, right, especially since they tax food here.  

Our experiment with one car is going very well.  In a walking village of only 800 people, where one can walk home from work easily, walk to the store and post office, walk to take a hike along the Klawock River, one car is more than enough.  It's a new experience for us, one we haven't had since, let's see, the mid 80's.  At some point, I bought a new Ford Ranger pickup, when we still had our 1984 Toyota Corolla, so that was the first time we were a two-car family.  I think I bought that Ranger in early 1989.  

As we look back on our year here, and our arrival, we remember the 80 days we spent in housing limbo, moving from place to place.  Even the last six weeks we spent at one place on Pt. St. Nick Road, we still didn't completely unpack.  Wow, crazy that it was a year ago.  We did survive it, but there were times when we weren't sure we would.  

I must be missing my parents more than I realized.  They don't travel anymore, much as I'd love to have them visit us and see the amazing place that is Prince of Wales Island.  On Saturday morning, my birthday, I had a vivid dream:  I hear my Mom calling me from outside our log house.  I get up and answer the door, and standing there is my Dad and Mom, 15 years younger.  Ha, my mind found a way to get them to travel:  just make them much younger.  :-)

I walked home from work yesterday, and saw a blue jay, and heard it chattering away.  Nothing takes me home more quickly than hearing that chatter.  It takes me right to Palomar Mountain, and many, many fun memories of camping with family.  It still surprises me when I see or hear a jay, because they are here, but I can go weeks without seeing or hearing one, just the opposite of our times on Palomar, where they are ever-present, loud, and usually in groups.  One of the many differences between San Diego and Prince of Wales Island.  

60 Years & 1 Year, A Lot to Celebrate!

Sixty years old, no one is more surprised than me!  I remember my grandmother Grace Pearl Lawson Blair very well, and always thought of her as 'old.'  She was born in January of 1902, so when I was ten years old, she was 'just' 60.  Now that's me!  Yikes!

Kathy took me to a nice dinner at the Shelter Cove Lodge, one of the better restaurants on the island.  We had a nice view of the water and islands, and an excellent meal.  Otherwise, my crossover to post-60 life was quiet, this after a fun family party when I was in San Diego a month ago.  The next year should be very interesting, as we decide what to do toward the end of our two-year stint.

Our one-year anniversary on the island happened, with no fanfare, because we had guests:  we passed our one year anniversary on the island, and Kathy hit the one year mark as a Behavioral Health Clinician with the Alicia Roberts Medical Center/SEARHC.  It was uneventful but monumental!  Sitting here today, it seems like it went quickly.  It didn't all go quickly though.  Fall was a real  challenge, as we were forced to move from place to place, while trying to find a home of our own.  We had prepared ourselves well for the winter, so nothing really surprised us, except the dip to single digit temperatures, which didn't last long.  The spring, however, dragged on and on.  Early, the herring came in, and brought some whale activity, but then everything stopped:  we kept waiting for the salmon to come in, and bring everything from more humpback and new killer whales to sea lions, sea otters, and black bear with them, but they never really did.  Now I'm not sure if it's too late, or they are really late, or what's going on, but we haven't seen any sockeye or other runs yet.  

There was a small explosion of color as wildflowers and weeds bloomed (I've never seen so many dandelions in my life!).  The berries and other bushes leafed out, creating beautiful green curtains where there were only bare stems during the winter.  The spring weather didn't warm up all that much though, nor did the rain let up.  We kept expecting more signs of spring, like more sun, but never saw them.  Finally, as summer slipped in, the temperature crept up to the 50's and the rain nearly left completely.  The clouds, though, remain.  There were four days of sun and 80 degree temperatures (while I was in San Diego enjoying sun like I never have before!) and then the clouds returned, and haven't really left.  Oh, Carol and Kay did bring two days of it when they first got here, but that, too, left us.  

True 'rock art,' found on Sandy Beach.  :-)

Summer is moving along much more quickly.  It looks like we aren't going to get a real summer though.  The locals have told us they didn't get a summer last year either.  Just not right, surviving the cloudier, rainier, colder and shorter days of winter, and then get little reprieve or reward.  We are not liking this at all.  

The weather has been a little more rainy lately, but the thermometer continues to be very short, not dipping below 50 degrees overnight, and reaching mid to high 50's during the day, sometimes reaching the low 60's.  The sun continues to stay up late, but is muted by the constant clouds.  

Carok, Kay and Kathy at Sandy Beach.

Carol gets a close-up look at the Honker Divide Weir and  fishtrap.
There are many more pictures of Carol and Kay's visit on my Facebook page.

August 8, 2012

Our new desks came in at work yesterday.  This reminded me of the desks we got rid of at 8669 Jenny.  One came from SAIC, was my desk when we got new ones there, all the way back in 1994.  It was used even when I first picked it out at a used office furniture place, with my boss, Amy. 

The second desk was from my old office at the Ronald McDonald House of San Diego.  Admin moved in with the new house when it opened on top of the parking structure across from Rady Children’s Hospital, so I took my then-desk home.  It was big, an L shape, which I, of course, filled up in no time. 

It was sort of sad to see them go.  Kathy had used my SAIC desk in what later became Henry’s room.  However, we did get a lot of satisfaction out of the major purging we did when we moved, I have to say. 

Cousins, Swallows, Kingfishers, and a Lost Hummingbird, Part II

Friday Kay and Carol drove to Hydaburg and got to see an uncommon event, the raising of replacement totem poles at their park.  There is always much pomp and circumstance at these special occasions.  The poles last about 100 years, then have to be replaced, so it is a very special event.


Yesterday KCA Tribal Transportation Department moved into new quarters above our previous office, which are now occupied by Alaska Department of Transportation and Alaska Interstate Construction staff.  They will be working on the Klawock Hollis Road, finally, replacing 160 culverts and getting rid of the treacherous dips in the road.  It will take about two years and employ many local residents.


My first trip up the outside stairs was greeted by a family of barn swallows, sitting on a wire above the stairs, chattering quietly and eyeing me.  They sat there, seemingly wondering what I was up to, giving me a good look at their colors and long tails, until I got near the landing right under their wire, and then off they flew.


For some reason the kingfishers were numerous and very playful as we moved our stuff upstairs.  I've never seen so many at one time.  Their blue and white colors, chattering calls, and zooming flight add a lot to the day.  


I went down to retrieve more of my stuff, and heard a lot buzzing overhead.  It sounded like a big bug, and I looked up to the ceiling immediately, curious to see what was making so much noise.  I was very wrong:  it was a hummingbird!  It was flying from light fixture to light fixture.  I raised my hands and tried to herd it toward the open door, but this just panicked him.  It took about 30 seconds for me to figure it out:  turn off the lights, and the open door would be the brightest and only target for him.  That's all it took, and away it flew.  I never heard any call, but by the glimpses I got, I think it was an Rufous Hummingbird.    


It was nice to have the special bird sightings as we moved our stuff upstairs to new offices.  The top had been dorm rooms for cannery workers, going back to about 1940 or so.  Up until last year, the Klawock Cannery was in use.  Now the cannery is not being used, and neither are the dorms.  We'll get a little better view of the harbor from our second story windows, plus welcome rent on the first floor.


Sunday, we picked up Kay and Carol at their new place in Craig, and drove down to the 20 mile Spur Trail, so-named because the trailhead is at the 20-mile mark on the Klawock Hollis Highway.  The trail itself is 1.5 miles, fairly flat, with many bridges over the many brooks crossing the trail, the bridges only a year old, and very welcome.  I have been on this trail at least twice before, and had yet to make it to the end, where there supposedly are beaver ponds.  Jared and Henry and I hiked it once, but were stopped near the end by a raging creek with no bridge, and no way to get across.  

This time, the creek was way down, but still wet.  We started to throw branches in, rocks, and make some kind of path or bridge, but it was too deep, and we just ended up wading across as quick as we could.


The air was warm enough, rain was just sprinkles and less, and so it wasn't bad to have wet shoes and socks.  We were determined to forge on to the end!

THIS is what you want to see for crossing a creek!  Solid, wide, stable, and crosscut tread.  :-)

Ah, finally to the ponds - we made it!  Unfortunately, the beavers were no where to be found.  It looked like they had been gone for a while.  It was still a nice hike, and fun to be out walking through the forest, having the trail all to ourselves.  

Cousins, Swallows, Kingfishers and a Lost Hummingbird

August 1st, already, and a month of summer is behind us.  Well, that's what the calendar says, at least.  Kathy did tell me that one week while I was in San Diego, it was sunny in Klawock.  Of course it was sunny in San Diego for my entire two week visit, and heavenly.     My cousin Kay and Carol also brought some sun up from Texas when they arrived a week ago, too, which was very nice of them.  It lasted about two days, then went back to clouds, and then to rain.  


We really haven't had much rain for over the last two months or so, which was a nice change, but the clouds were mostly still in place, hanging over our island.  Sun is better than clouds, which are better than rain.  Here's a news flash:  San Diego weather tops all. :-)


It was so nice of Kay and Carol to bring the sunshine.  They got to see the island in all its glory:  green, green forests, quite a bit of snow-white still scattered on the mountain ridges, and the so-blue waters.  It was very fun having them visit us.  Taking them around the island renewed our appreciation of where we live.  

Carol, Kay and Kathy, Sandy Beach, above Thorne Bay

I think it was Saturday night that we had dinner with them at the Fireweed Lodge.  After dinner, we headed out for a walk along the Klawock River Trail.  We were walking along the road to get to the trailhead when we spotted a bear about a quarter of a mile down the road, making his way across it and headed to the trail we were planning on taking.  That was it for Kathy and Carol:  they headed back. Kay and I pushed on (Kay and Carol had started out on this same trail a day earlier, only to be chased down by the Klawock Police Chief, telling them a bear had been sighted on the trail just minutes previously.) Kay and I hike on, seeing nothing until we got to the six-foot high bushes along the Bear Highway, within sight of the First Falls, where we know they go to catch fish.  


We never saw a bear, and decided against tempting fate by heading into the bushes.  The fish aren't running yet, so it's unlikely the bear we saw was headed there, unless he was checking it out.  


Saturday, we headed out on a road trip, across the island to Thorne Bay.  After a tour of the city and lunch, we headed up north a bit to Sandy Beach, some place Kathy and I had heard about but never been.  Up a gravel road through the forest for about 20 minutes, and we found it, a nice picnic area and the deserted beach beyond.  The tide was out, which we had been told is the time to go, so we were lucky.  No sand dollars though.  It was a big, wide beach, with nice views across the Clarence Straight to islands on the other side.  It was so quiet and peaceful, it was hard to leave.  


Next stop was Coffman Cove.  Along the way, we stopped at the Honker Divide Canoe Trail, and visited the weir, where they catch and count all salmon returning upstream.  The fish haven't arrived yet though.  Carol couldn't resist going out to see for herself.

The weir-watchers live in a cool, good-sized shelter along the river.  They hear wolves baying, see black bear, and have a great summer in the forest.

To be continued........

Back in Klawock

Today is July 27, 2012.  One year and five days ago, we left San Diego in a packed, week old Subaru, we being Kathy and I and Quinlan and Lakota.  That was a hard parting, leaving behind Kelli and Henry and Jared.  Eleven days ago, I put Kelli and Henry on a plane to Maine, another tough task.  Yes, that was after about a week and a half with them all.  Two trips to the world famous San Diego Zoo, one trip to watch planes land and take off at Lindbergh Field, a walk along the Harbor to see the Star of India, the USS Midway, and other boats, a trip to the Natural History Museum, with a walk through Balboa Park and spying turtles and dragonflies at the Lily Pond, and a walk along the San Diego River.  Henry and I packed in a lot in our short, short time together.  I wish we had done more!  :-)  Now they are all moved in to their new apartment in Maine.  Last year it was our move to Alaska, this year it's the McCannell's to Maine.  Oh, and Faith and Brady visited Miami and loved it:  could they be moving to another corner of the United States in the future?  :-)

I had to stay an extra several days, to get all the work done on the house.  Ugh, no fun.  The house was empty, and I kept coming across old pictures or documents that reminded me of our 15 years in that house, and previous several years in the neighborhood.  

The sockeye salmon arrival is late.  Some are being caught, but not in great quantity.  I saw about 30 huge King Salmon in the back of a pickup today.  Now I know why they are called King Salmon!  

The bald eagles and ravens are more active, seem to be anxiously awaiting the salmon runs.  I still haven't seen a bear.

I have seen two cousins though!  Kay and Carol arrived two days ago, on a glorious sunny day, claiming they brought the weather with them from Texas.  Fine with me, as long as it's here!  I had no idea how much I missed the sun until I arrived in San Diego three weeks ago.  Wow, it was sooooo nice!  

Yesterday was sunny most of the day, too.  

It was great to see my family again, after nearly a year.  Faith and Brady flew down, too!  Since my birthday was only a month away, my family threw a party for me, which was fun.  I got a Kindle, can't wait to figure out how to use it.  I also got a new digital camera, and am loving that, in this place of ultimate scenery.

Arriving home, I found the signature fireweed in bloom.  It's beautiful.  There is still quite a bit of snow on the mountain ridges, too.  


Not much of an update, kind of scattered, but I'm posting and counting it anyway.  Hope it finds everyone well.

San Diego Forecast: Sun and Grandson for Ten Days!

I made it to San Diego!  Wow, I can hardly believe it.  I really didn't realize how much I miss the sun.  I wouldn't say I was depressed, or felt any ill affects lack of sunshine, but I sure am enjoying it now.  The temperature is just right, too, not to hot. 

Henry I knew I missed.  He is so smart and so cute, and quite the mobile boy.  I was a little disappointed he wasn't standing at the airport waiting for me, but maybe that feeling was from pre-9-11, when people could actually meet you at the gate.  I really miss those days.

Henry is amazing.  I'm so glad he hasn't grown to the point I can't pick him up and hold him.  He gives great hugs, and isn't reluctant to share them.  Lately he's been endearing himself to parents and grandpa both by spontaneously offering "T'ank you" when appropriate.  What a precious boy.

I've been assigned the enviable task of keeping him occupied while Mom and Dad pack for their move to Maine.  At first it was a bit challenging:  he's a very busy guy, and pretty smart, so it can be a task to keep him engaged and out of their hair.  Fortunately, I like to go places, so we have started going on trips.  By the end of a morning trip, he's tired, and so comes home and takes a two hour or better nap, which helps as much as us taking a little trip.

Today we went to the National History Museum.  I was hoping something remained of the endless display cases of stuffed native birds and mammals, insect and rock collections, but they don't.  Overpriced and under-kid friendly, not like in the good ol' days.  Too bad.  Henry had more fun than I'm making it sound, but Grandpa was disappointed.  They do still have the swinging pendulum, from way, way back in the day.  It and the south steps might be the only remnants though. 

On the way back we stopped by the Lily Pond and watched the turtles and koi swim, found some dragonflies and butterflies ("Posa," in Henry-speak, short for the Spanish mariposa.)

I got to play Crazy Stroller, too, one of my most fun games, which Henry appreciated.  There were some very close calls with the bushes, the edge of the sidewalk, and anything else I could find to tickle his funnybone. 

It's wonderful not working, and being in sunny San Diego.  I've been up early two of four mornings and gone for long walks.  Sunday was through Murray Canyon, along Mission Center Road.  I heard or saw many 'old friends:' Anna's Hummingbird, Scrub Jay, Bewick's Wren, Northern Oriole, Yellowthroat, and others, including the California Gray Gnatcatcher.  I heard them in at least three different locations, glad they are doing well.

Monday I walked into the heart of Serra Mesa, to see how the Sandrock Gas Station was doing.  We had battled with him for years, and apparently he has now corrected all or most of the issues, and is doing well.  The station looked much better. 

Here is a video of our log house in Klawock, which I was finally able to upload here in San Diego:  Klawock Log House  I'll add other videos in future posts.

The truck arrives this afternoon, and Kelli and Jared and friends can start loading.  It will get picked up on Wednesday afternoon.  I'm sure it will all work out, but it's pretty hectic right now!

What a Day!

Wow, what a day!  It started early, with the Supreme Court decision in favor of so-called Obamacare.  I didn't see that coming, honestly.  Then to top it off, Chief Justice Roberts was the swing vote, wrote the majority opinion, and found a way to approve it, one that, if I understand correctly, had not even been argued before them!  Did I just fall down a rabbit hole?!  I hope this provides the Big News that Obama needs to push him toward re-election.  He's certainly not getting it from the economy.


Today is also the ninth anniversary of the wedding of Faith and Brady:  Happy Anniversary, you two, even if you might be reading this on Friday.  :-)

The bald eagle nest Kathy found just down the street from us has two eaglets in it, which we can see sometimes over the rim of the nest.  It will be fun to watch them grow and learn to fly.  


Work for me continues.  We are having a Bureau of Indian Affairs audit of four contracts this week.  Luckily, BIA is not like the IRS, they actually work with you.  This will be a major milestone for us to put behind us.  We have an entirely different staff now, so that makes it more challenging, but we are making progress.  The Internet connection is a major problem.  We've clocked it at 50 kbs, when it should be at least 512 kbs, which itself is nothing to write home about.  Ugh, so frustrating.  The Transportation Department    at least has permission to get our own provider, which will make all the difference in the world.


I finally had my shoulder examined by the orthopedic surgeon today.  They had to take xrays, which I understood don't show soft tissue:  the nurse forgot to bring in the CD of my MRI, which she had three weeks to do, and why was it at her house in the first place?  Unfortunately, she lives in Coffman Cove, which is at least 45 minutes away.  Bad news, six weeks in a sling; good and gooder news, it's my right arm, and I can use a computer keyboard with the sling on, so won't have to take the six weeks off.  Then comes another three months of recovery.  


Kathy got uncomfortable news this week.  I won't say bad news, because at least now she knows:  she has very high blood pressure.  They have her on two meds, and coming in every other day to have it checked.  Yikes.  Glad they caught it, and it probably is a factor on several other health issues she has.  We both have put on weight, too, not good.  Not enough hiking, walking, and too much eating.  I'm blaming it on living through a real winter, one that involved too much couch-sitting.  


The fish are not cooperating.  King salmon and halibut should be running, but they are both  spotty.  Several fishing sites have actually been closed by the state, since the king salmon population has been so low.  


July 4th is huge around here.  Fireworks are legal, too.  They've been going off throughout the city for the last two weeks.  There is a booth across from where Kathy works, so we'll stop by some time and see what they have for sale.  When in Klawock.......


My cousins Kay and Carol have booked their flights to visit us!  They'll be staying at the Fireweed Lodge, a really nice little lodge about a half a mile from our house.  They planned their trip to take in the totem pole raising in Hydaburg.  The poles last about 100 years, then have to be replaced.  The totem parks do about three to five a year until they have all been replaced.  This is really a special Alaska Native ceremony, so will be really fun to see.  Kay wrote that it's 109 degrees in Houston this week, so they are really excited about being someplace cooler.  

Faith and Brady, Rock Climbing at Mission Trails Park

That's all the news that fits.  Have a great weekend everyone.

Blogging Toward July 6

My online subscription to the San Diego Union-Tribune ran out.  Rather, my credit union issued new credit cards because of some possible compromise, so my billing doesn't work anymore.  I need to renew it.  I wondered why, since I haven't lived in San Diego for over nine months.  It got me thinking.  First, it's only been nine months, so we still like to know what's happening in the place where we grew up, raised Kelli and Brady, and spent decades.  Second, all the Wescott Family minus Brady and Faith live there.  Third, I'm a news junkie.  Fourth, I'm still very interested in the health of San Diego, especially politically.  And last, there is no newspaper here, no local TV channel (at least not one that we get on the satellite), so I have to get my 'fix' somehow!

Kathy at the spongy plateau above little Bob's Lake.  I wondered about plain name, in Tlingit Country, then discovered it's named for Native Rights Activist Robert Peratrovich.  Okay, this leads to another question, I expect.  More on that in another post.  

Keep in mind that this humongous state has only about 750,000 people, and nearly half of which live in and around Anchorage.  In Southeast Alaska, which is very different in many ways from the Alaska mainland, there are about 78,000 people, spread out pretty well, after the 31,000 in Juneau and the 14,000 in Ketchikan.  Wikipedia has this about Southeast Alaska:

 "Although it has only 6.14 percent of Alaska's land area, it is larger than the state of Maine.  

Due to the extremely rugged, mountainous nature of Southeastern Alaska, almost all communities (with the exception of Hyder, Skagway, and Haines) have no road connections outside of their locale, so aircraft and boats are the major means of transport."  Not to mention it's an archipelago, which is a collections of islands!

Think about this:  could it be any less like San Diego and Southern California?!  So, this all explains why I feel such a strong desire to stay up on the news in San Diego.

Speaking of San Diego, check out this official NOAA weather chart from Saturday:

D a t e	Time (akdt)	Wind (mph)	Vis. (mi.)	Weather	Sky Cond.	Temperature (ºF)				Relative Humidity	Wind Chill (°F)	Heat Index (°F)	Pressure
						Air	Dwpt	6 hour					altimeter (in)	sea level (mb)
								Max.	Min.
23	10:53	N 8	10.00	Fair	CLR	84	48			29%	NA	82	29.65	1003.9
23	09:53	N 12	10.00	Fair	CLR	80	51	80	48	37%	NA	80	29.65	1004.0
23	08:53	N 10	10.00	Fair	CLR	75	52			45%	NA	NA	29.66	1004.2
23	07:53	W 3	10.00	Fair	CLR	63	56			78%	NA	NA	29.67	1004.8
23	06:53	Calm	10.00	Fair	CLR	57	54			90%	NA	NA	29.69	1005.2
23	05:53	Calm	10.00	Fair	CLR	52	52			100%	NA	NA	29.70	1005.7

Yes, it really does show we hit 84 degrees.  Another hour, and it hit 87!  The overnight low had been 49, so we had nearly a 40 degree swing!  Oh, it was so nice!  It didn't last, though: the clouds came back, and the temp on Sunday and Monday was about 52.

One of my favorite flowers, seen for the first time.  I'd seen it in books many times.  It's a Kalmia, don't know if it has a common name.  The flowers are about the size of a dime.  Beautiful!

I've got two and a half grant applications submitted.  One for the Klawock-Craig Hiking and Biking Trail, one for the Klawock Transit System, and one for the Klawock Youth and Family Project.  One is a Letter of Intent, still have to flesh out the full grant proposal.  Still looking for that first grant, know it's only a matter of time.  That will be a day to celebrate, the first time I'm successful.  


No tour boat today, second week in a row.  This is another reason we need to concentrate on the lodge visitors:  they are already here, and waiting for something to do.  


I do have a friend on a cruise, wish we could met her and her husband someplace.  She is posting on Facebook, having a great time.  My Texas cousin emailed me out of the blue yesterday, asking if we were ready for visitors when I return, and I said sure!  She and her sister are looking for and adventure.  There will be a big celebration around the raising of new replacement totem poles in Hydaburg the end of July, so told her that would be a great time to visit.  The Native regalia, drumming, and special ceremony around these pole-raisings are really a treat to watch.  


WELL inside two weeks to go for my trip to San Diego!  I have to pick up a few more shells and rocks for Henry.  He's into organic and non-organic things.  I love his Facebook profile picture, showing him carrying the big rock.  What a kid!  Love that boy, and can hardly contain myself:  have I mentioned it's been over six months since I saw him last?  :-(