Random Observations and a Lucky Confrontation

Today is Sunday, September 18, 2011.  I take the dogs for a walk, the first since Lakota was skinned on Friday (more later).  The light rain stopped, so we stayed out longer than planned, which the dogs appreciated.   

Next we went grocery shopping, our treat for the weekend.  Yesterday we relaxed, all day.  It was a special day, too, as it marked the half-way point in our last stay before we move into our own place.  Three weeks from yesterday (which better go a lot quicker than the last three weeks have gone), we will pack up our room and take the last trip down Pt. St. Nicholas Road, to 6755A Hemlock Rd, in the city of Klawock.  That will be a day of real celebration.    

We, er, I, got Lakota ‘trimmed’ on Friday.  Kathy said get her trimmed, I heard ‘shaved,’ so, Lakota no longer has any fur.  She has slowly adjusted, as has Kathy.  At least we won’t be finding her fur everywhere for awhile, wish will be a refreshing change.

Rain today, rain yesterday, most likely, rain tomorrow.  Oh well, at least it’s not cold.

Thursday was nice, at least for a while.  I decided to try the trail up Sunnahae Mountain again.  The sign had been changed, saying the trail was closed beyond the log bridge, about a quarter of a mile up the trail.  Bummer.  We walked all of the improved section, which has been widened, flattened, and covered with crushed rock.  Abruptly, the rock ends, the trail narrows a lot, and boot-grabbing roots cross the trail frequently, no fun.  We kept going anyway, and it got progressively tougher going, at least for Lakota and me.  Quinlan recognized only challenges, no obstacles, and kept pushing easily upward.  This is a steep trail for much of the way.  After walking a couple of narrow, slippery notched-log stairways, I came to my senses, and turned around.  The challenges were not over, though, as Lakota had somehow managed to get up a section of trail that she could not get down.  My shoulder hurt from a near fall, and I was really hoping I would not have to lift this overweight dog, even half of her.  Luckily, we found a detour that worked for her.

This is getting old, this interim living.  Our pantry is half of our bureau, our microwave is in the bathroom, tv dinners are old, wieners are old, short dinners are old, driving the beautiful Pt. St. Nicholas Road is even old.  The scenery will never get old.  Watching the nine foot tides swing twice a day, watching the birds, seeing an occasional otter, seeing the forested mountain across the bay, even seeing a few salmon try to swim up the little creek next to our place, all very fun.  Hiking the road is fun: even though it’s a road, it’s through the forest. 

Friday, September 16, 2011    I haven’t updated my blog in five days, not sure why.  Maybe things are getting ‘normal’ around here.  I took more pictures today, for my Signs series, these in Klawock.  I think signs tell a story, and might provoke questions from my readers which I haven’t thought to write about previously.

I did go to an excellent lecture on the geology of Prince of Wales Island Friday night.  It was given by a geologist for the US Forest Service, and touched on anthropology and glaciation, and was very interesting.

On my way over, I got to use my new Alaska drivers license for the first time.  I was speeding, and got pulled over by the Craig PD.  He clocked me doing 44 in a 25 mph zone, dang it!  I had no defense.  I think he got an urgent call at the right time, as he came back to the car and told me to slow down, and that was it.  Phew! 

I got my Alaska driver license this week, an important step toward our move.  This also changed my voter’s registration to the land of Representative Don Young, Senator Lisa Murkowski, and the second senator, whose name escapes me.  This is strange, living in a state, a huge state, with so few citizens it only has one Representative.

Kelli and Jared made reservation to come visit us!  Wow, it will be so fun to see them and Henry!  They arrive late October 13, barely five days after we finally, FINALLY move into our place!  October is going to be very exciting!

We get pretty good TV here, including local stations from Seattle.  This makes me feel more connected to home.  It’s odd to watch TV that is an hour ahead of us though.

I was driving between cities today, after having gone to the mailbox and the credit union, thinking to myself what a pain it was to drive back and forth.  Why was I thinking about this, since we commonly drove these same distances and longer, back home?  Then it hit me:  it’s not the distance, but the frequency, the result of our paring down to one car.  I’m driving in the morning, taking Kathy to work, then driving in the afternoon, to pick her up.  These two round trips were not necessary in San Diego, because we had two cars.  Ah, now I understand, it’s the result of a conscious choice.  This makes it easier to live with. 

Random thoughts:  Henry might be left-handed; Henry tasted his first Jamba Juice this week (with his love of fruit, easy to see he would like these); there are several pay phones in both cities, a strange site; 

Klawock School District Student Enrollment:  2001 = 190, 2011 = 136

High School Graduates:  2001 = 11, 2011 = 11

Teacher Ratio:  2001 = 14:1, 2011 = 8:1!

Monday, September 12, 2011        Whoa, what is going on:  another sunny day dawns, our third In a row!  Awesome!  The temperature actually hit 68 yesterday, and may do the same today!  We’ve lost our blanket of clouds, which means the overnight temperature is dropping below 50, but that’s just fine by us.

Either I have the only car alarm on in Craig and Klawock, or no one else locks their car.  Our Subaru always beeps when you use the remote to lock it, and I never hear anyone elses car beep.  I tried locking it on the inside of the door, to see if that would keep the alarm from going on, but it doesn’t.  I wonder what people think of us, that we lock our car everywhere we go?  It’s just habit, plus we do still have a few valuable things in the car that we haven’t unpacked, so that’s a good reason to lock it.  I’m wondering if I’m insulting people here. 

I took a series of pictures today of signs around Craig, and posted them in a new album on my Facebook page. 

Dinner at Ruth Ann’s, for a nice change, but it was too much food, the wait was too long, and it cost was too much, so not pleasant.  Plus, the last client Kathy had before I picked her up was sitting to tables away! 

Kathy still suffering from cold.

Here are some latitudes* and longitudes to help you all place where we are:

Craig, Alaska is:  55° 28' 35" N                           /  133° 8' 54" W Wismar Germany:  53° 54' 23" N                      /   11° 26' 33" E Pittsfield, Maine is:  44° 46' 57" N                    /  69° 23' 0" W Burlington, Vermont is:  44° 28' 32" N            /  73° 12' 45" W Bellingham, Washington is:  48° 45' 35" N    /  122° 29' 12" W Latitude is one factor in the climate of a place, but obviously just one of several.  I’m surprised that Bellingham is farther north than both Pittsfield and Burlington.

*the length of north–south latitude difference is about 69 miles.