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.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Sunday, August 12, 2012
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.
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.
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. :-) |
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.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
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!
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.
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. :-) |
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
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.
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.
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 |
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........
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