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?  :-(