I did it again, went weeks without posting. I'm going to try harder to do better. With summer here, there will be much more happening.
We still haven't seen any bears, although we've heard about them showing up. We did see small fish jumping at the Klawock River mouth yesterday on your way home. Fish bring bears, and bald eagles, and otters, and seagulls.
The Prince of Wales Island Marathon happened last weekend, and all indications are it was a big success. More people signed up than ever before. The inauguaral half marathon was a huge success. We do our committee debrief on Tuesday, and I'm looking forward to hearing how the rest of the committee feels.
I left the celebration ceremony early on Saturday to run down to Hollis and greet Kathy. Besides being glad to see me, I don't think she was too happy about being 'home.' She had a great two weeks with Kelli and Jared and Henry. Our grandson is growing by leaps and bounds. He is one smart kid, even had a story that he kept repeating for Nona, his grandmother. She bought him a pair of Elmo crocks, which he loves. I miss him so much!
Serendipity met opportunity: Kelli and Jared both accepted jobs at Jared's alma mater in Maine, in the town where he grew up, while Kathy was visiting. Yep, they are headed to Pittsfield this summer. They get to live in a three bedroom apartment on campus with all utilities paid as part of their compensation, pretty nice. So, they made arrangements and went to the County on Wednesday, May XX and got married! Again, nice that at least Kathy could be there, along with Henry! :-) Kirsten was there, too.
This means, for the second year in a row, at nearly the same time of the year, a Wescott will be moving out of San Diego, far, far away. Funny how things work out. They have excellent opportunities, and are very excited their move. I can state unequivecally that their move will be easier than ours, including the Henry factor. Obviously, the factor of family is a big, big plus, but I'm referring to the Island factor that we encountered and for which we were not fully prepared.
Spring is in full bloom. The bushes have all leaved out, flowers from ornamental rhododendrons to dainty shooting stars and showy bleeding hearts are blooming all over.
My mother turned 80 years young on Wednesday: Happy Birthday Mom! My son turned 34 on Tuesday: Happy Birthday Brady! My daughter-in-law turned 32? on Saturday: Happy Birthday Faith! Phew, busy week!
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Sunday, May 6, 2012
One of These Days.....
One of these days.....is here, really! I'm actually posting to my blog!
What the heck?! Where has the time gone?! How did I managed to completely skip April?! I'm using my job as an excuse, that 8 to 4:30 thing that pays the bills but gets in the middle of everything else in life. I'm not complaining about my job, it's just that it does take up the best hours of the day.
Spring has definitely sprung in the last several weeks. First the robins returned, followed a week or so later by its cousin, the Varied Thrush, which I still haven't caught sight of, but we often, calling from the trees. The crows came back, too (the ravens never left). Skunk cabbage began poking up flower stalks all over town next.
At the same time, the weather warmed a bit, and the rain nearly stopped. When it has rained in the last six weeks, it's more of a drizzle. Hard to tell if this is normal or not, since it's our first spring.
Another sign of Spring in Klawock: after weeks and weeks of having to see ugly piles of trash, some very big, sitting at the side of the road in front of many homes, the trucks were rolling this week and picked up many of them. People had been building these for over a month. I can understand not wanting to move items more than once, but I can't understand it being acceptable to start the piles so far ahead of the pickup date. A stack of mattresses surrounded by trash of all kinds just looks horrible. It is before the tourists arrive, but still, where is the pride in community? Very odd event. It does look great now, that's for sure, with all of that trash gone. We took advantage and got rid of the last of our moving crates. I had broken them down months ago, and got rid of most of the wood, but had three 4 x 8 platforms with runners attached; glad to have them gone.
Speaking of spring, the black bears are still sleeping, despite the warmer weather. Someone told me they don't come out until the berries are ready, but that seems like it's going to be a few weeks, at least. The bushes are leafing out, and some have flowers. I've even seen bees, but no bears. Quinlan and Lakota got a good look at a doe recently, right on the road, but it was way too fast for them, and disappeared into the forest.
Another obvious sign we are in a very different part of the country, hearing standard Verizon ringtone! When was the last time you in the Lower 48 heard that ring tone? 1999 maybe? Cell phone are just as common here as in the Lower 48, no doubt about that fact.
I went to another memorial service yesterday. It was my fourth since starting to work at KCA in January. I asked my boss if this was normal, and she told me it was not. Three of the people who died did so of natural causes, unlike the most recent death. Her's is a tragic tale of domestic violence, being taken from this earth way too early, leaving young children motherless, and just should not be happening at all in 2012. As far as we've come technologically, we still have a long way to go as a society. It doesn't help that the one mother in the nation who goes crazy with her tanning booth exploits gets ungodly amounts of attention, while poor families by the millions continue to struggle, financially and otherwise, and yet garner little in attention from the media. When will we declare poverty a project worthy of our full attention, as President Kennedy did with the space program, and devote the proper resources to sharply reduce poverty? Investing in people directly as this would do would bring much higher benefits to our society than the space program did.
Hope everyone is enjoying the arrival of spring. Remember, spring and summer go by much, much quicker than the fall and winter, so be sure and start planning now to enjoy it.
I was promoted to Transportation Planner last week, very cool. This sounds so much more impressive than Transportation Technician. :-) The Tribe also held a strategic planning session, their first, which is a great step forward. They have also assembled a much better staff, and continue to add to it. It is almost a completely new organization, and very focused on improving the life's of it's membership, however it can. It's a very exciting time to be part of the team.
Kathy was in Sitka again two weeks ago, for training. She at least got to stay in a much better place than her first visit there. She also met some new people, and had some fun as well as soaked up the training. She and her co-worker and boss all attended.
I've got an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon in Ketchikan, and then will have surgery to repair my torn rotator cuff. Luckily it's my right shoulder, so won't interfer with my handwriting. I have to wear a sling for two weeks, hoping I can still type with my right hand, but time will tell.
Well, the plane ticket to San Diego that I bought the night before I got the job offer from KCA will finally be used next Friday. Unfortunately for me, it won't be me using it: Kathy is going to San Diego for two weeks. I can barely stand it that she will get to see Henry and I won't. I miss him so much! He's talking, in English! (he's been talking for many months, just not in English!) I'm stuck here with Kathy's dumb dogs, while she flies off to see our precious grandson. Oh, and daughter and fiance, too. :-)
Only 19 days until the 13th Annual Prince of Wales Island International Marathon. I've been working on the committee for about four months. This year a half marathon has been added, and is outselling the full marathon about two to one. Including the relay teams, there will be about 300 people running and walking, very small compared to the previous marathons I've volunteered for, but none of them can compete scenery wise. Volunteering on this committee was a fun way to get involved in the community, meet new people, and make myself useful. This is the third different marathon I've volunteered with, and about the 16th event.
I could write about the scenery each and every post. The snow continues to cover the mountains in white white. Most of the ridges are sharp, adding to the beauty of the mountains.
The first tour boat arrives in Klawock on Monday, carrying up to 75 people. We, the Tribe, tried to get the the contract for a walking tour program from the City of Klawock, but this didn't work out. So, we are going ahead with our own, and will pitch it to the sport fishers who stay in the several lodges and cabins around town. We have heard their boats return around 2:00 PM in the afternoon, after leaving early to fish, and would love to have something else to do. We are lining up a native dance troupe, and native artists to sell their wares to the tourists. This will be the second year a tour boat has included Klawock on it's itinerary.
What the heck?! Where has the time gone?! How did I managed to completely skip April?! I'm using my job as an excuse, that 8 to 4:30 thing that pays the bills but gets in the middle of everything else in life. I'm not complaining about my job, it's just that it does take up the best hours of the day.
Spring has definitely sprung in the last several weeks. First the robins returned, followed a week or so later by its cousin, the Varied Thrush, which I still haven't caught sight of, but we often, calling from the trees. The crows came back, too (the ravens never left). Skunk cabbage began poking up flower stalks all over town next.
At the same time, the weather warmed a bit, and the rain nearly stopped. When it has rained in the last six weeks, it's more of a drizzle. Hard to tell if this is normal or not, since it's our first spring.
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| Sitka Harbor and Mountains. I really enjoyed Sitka. |
Another sign of Spring in Klawock: after weeks and weeks of having to see ugly piles of trash, some very big, sitting at the side of the road in front of many homes, the trucks were rolling this week and picked up many of them. People had been building these for over a month. I can understand not wanting to move items more than once, but I can't understand it being acceptable to start the piles so far ahead of the pickup date. A stack of mattresses surrounded by trash of all kinds just looks horrible. It is before the tourists arrive, but still, where is the pride in community? Very odd event. It does look great now, that's for sure, with all of that trash gone. We took advantage and got rid of the last of our moving crates. I had broken them down months ago, and got rid of most of the wood, but had three 4 x 8 platforms with runners attached; glad to have them gone.
 |
| Tlingit Clan Leaders and the Warming of the Hands Ceremony. Because clans were at war with each other at one time, meetings of clan leaders began with this 'ceremony,' designed to prove neither hand held a weapon. |
Speaking of spring, the black bears are still sleeping, despite the warmer weather. Someone told me they don't come out until the berries are ready, but that seems like it's going to be a few weeks, at least. The bushes are leafing out, and some have flowers. I've even seen bees, but no bears. Quinlan and Lakota got a good look at a doe recently, right on the road, but it was way too fast for them, and disappeared into the forest.
Another obvious sign we are in a very different part of the country, hearing standard Verizon ringtone! When was the last time you in the Lower 48 heard that ring tone? 1999 maybe? Cell phone are just as common here as in the Lower 48, no doubt about that fact.
 |
| Low tide in the Klawock Inlet. The fence is over a new culvert, installed in November, 2011, to allow fish to travel between the Inlet and the Klawock River. Notice the solar cells on the fence, powering a camera that records fish movement through the culvert. See the broad inter-tidal zone: high tide comes all the way up to the foot of the culvert. See the white house, middle of the picture: that is our landlords house, and our cabin is just behind it, in the trees. |
I went to another memorial service yesterday. It was my fourth since starting to work at KCA in January. I asked my boss if this was normal, and she told me it was not. Three of the people who died did so of natural causes, unlike the most recent death. Her's is a tragic tale of domestic violence, being taken from this earth way too early, leaving young children motherless, and just should not be happening at all in 2012. As far as we've come technologically, we still have a long way to go as a society. It doesn't help that the one mother in the nation who goes crazy with her tanning booth exploits gets ungodly amounts of attention, while poor families by the millions continue to struggle, financially and otherwise, and yet garner little in attention from the media. When will we declare poverty a project worthy of our full attention, as President Kennedy did with the space program, and devote the proper resources to sharply reduce poverty? Investing in people directly as this would do would bring much higher benefits to our society than the space program did.
Hope everyone is enjoying the arrival of spring. Remember, spring and summer go by much, much quicker than the fall and winter, so be sure and start planning now to enjoy it.
I was promoted to Transportation Planner last week, very cool. This sounds so much more impressive than Transportation Technician. :-) The Tribe also held a strategic planning session, their first, which is a great step forward. They have also assembled a much better staff, and continue to add to it. It is almost a completely new organization, and very focused on improving the life's of it's membership, however it can. It's a very exciting time to be part of the team.
 |
| Beautiful Native art in the Klawock School Library. Eagle representation on the left, see the hooked beak, raven on the right. |
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| Tlingit Moiety, Clan, House, Family |
Kathy was in Sitka again two weeks ago, for training. She at least got to stay in a much better place than her first visit there. She also met some new people, and had some fun as well as soaked up the training. She and her co-worker and boss all attended.
I've got an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon in Ketchikan, and then will have surgery to repair my torn rotator cuff. Luckily it's my right shoulder, so won't interfer with my handwriting. I have to wear a sling for two weeks, hoping I can still type with my right hand, but time will tell.
Well, the plane ticket to San Diego that I bought the night before I got the job offer from KCA will finally be used next Friday. Unfortunately for me, it won't be me using it: Kathy is going to San Diego for two weeks. I can barely stand it that she will get to see Henry and I won't. I miss him so much! He's talking, in English! (he's been talking for many months, just not in English!) I'm stuck here with Kathy's dumb dogs, while she flies off to see our precious grandson. Oh, and daughter and fiance, too. :-)
Only 19 days until the 13th Annual Prince of Wales Island International Marathon. I've been working on the committee for about four months. This year a half marathon has been added, and is outselling the full marathon about two to one. Including the relay teams, there will be about 300 people running and walking, very small compared to the previous marathons I've volunteered for, but none of them can compete scenery wise. Volunteering on this committee was a fun way to get involved in the community, meet new people, and make myself useful. This is the third different marathon I've volunteered with, and about the 16th event.
I could write about the scenery each and every post. The snow continues to cover the mountains in white white. Most of the ridges are sharp, adding to the beauty of the mountains.
The first tour boat arrives in Klawock on Monday, carrying up to 75 people. We, the Tribe, tried to get the the contract for a walking tour program from the City of Klawock, but this didn't work out. So, we are going ahead with our own, and will pitch it to the sport fishers who stay in the several lodges and cabins around town. We have heard their boats return around 2:00 PM in the afternoon, after leaving early to fish, and would love to have something else to do. We are lining up a native dance troupe, and native artists to sell their wares to the tourists. This will be the second year a tour boat has included Klawock on it's itinerary.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Sitka is my New Home
Kathy came home last Thursday, after two and a half weeks in Sitka, which was a little long. She was much appreciated by her SEARHC Sitka co-workers, and her boss, since staying an extra four days meant he didn't have to fly over and take a turn. She now has the experience in working at a second clinic under her belt, and some time in a town with ten times the population of Klawock.
Today it was my turn to fly away. This was my first trip in a small plane, and by small I mean a ~12 seat single prop Cessna. Luckily it was a clear day, and I got a nice view of Klawock and the surrounding area from 2,000 feet, a great view. I had no idea what was behind SEARHC, the hill across from Viking Lumber, and The Cliffs, and now I know. Klawock should and could absolutely have a hiking trail up the hill, providing a nice view above Klawock, like Craig has in the Sunnahae Mountain Trail.
The flight went fine, and was just a half hour to the Ketchikan Airport. I had just a one hour layover, and then caught the Alaska Airlines 737 for the 40 minute flight to Sitka. The flat approaches to both Ketchikan and Sitka made me think of the drop-out-of-the-sky San Diego airport, and how it must scare the crap out of pilots used to 'normal' approaches.
Wow, I may have time to catch a movie while I'm here, at a theatre! Kathy did, sharing the movie with just five others! Maybe it was an off-night.
We've had two mornings of snow since Spring officially arrived. I went for a long walk around Klawock yesterday and heard my first robin, a sure sign of Spring.
I'm really looking forward to this three-day Heritage Tourism Conference. I'm expecting to learn loads to take back to the Klawock Tribe for some projects we are planning.
Still missing my Henry Boy like crazy. It will probably be at least another three months before I can get time off to make a trip to San Diego. I'm trying to get Kathy to fly home in April, for an early birthday present. I think Henry needs to see at least one of his Wescott grandparents as soon as possible. Kathy wants Henry to call her Nana, the Tlingit version of grandmother. :-) I'm very happy with Grandpa.
Hope you all have a good week. I know mine will go pretty fast.
Today it was my turn to fly away. This was my first trip in a small plane, and by small I mean a ~12 seat single prop Cessna. Luckily it was a clear day, and I got a nice view of Klawock and the surrounding area from 2,000 feet, a great view. I had no idea what was behind SEARHC, the hill across from Viking Lumber, and The Cliffs, and now I know. Klawock should and could absolutely have a hiking trail up the hill, providing a nice view above Klawock, like Craig has in the Sunnahae Mountain Trail.
The flight went fine, and was just a half hour to the Ketchikan Airport. I had just a one hour layover, and then caught the Alaska Airlines 737 for the 40 minute flight to Sitka. The flat approaches to both Ketchikan and Sitka made me think of the drop-out-of-the-sky San Diego airport, and how it must scare the crap out of pilots used to 'normal' approaches.
Wow, I may have time to catch a movie while I'm here, at a theatre! Kathy did, sharing the movie with just five others! Maybe it was an off-night.
We've had two mornings of snow since Spring officially arrived. I went for a long walk around Klawock yesterday and heard my first robin, a sure sign of Spring.
I'm really looking forward to this three-day Heritage Tourism Conference. I'm expecting to learn loads to take back to the Klawock Tribe for some projects we are planning.
Still missing my Henry Boy like crazy. It will probably be at least another three months before I can get time off to make a trip to San Diego. I'm trying to get Kathy to fly home in April, for an early birthday present. I think Henry needs to see at least one of his Wescott grandparents as soon as possible. Kathy wants Henry to call her Nana, the Tlingit version of grandmother. :-) I'm very happy with Grandpa.
Hope you all have a good week. I know mine will go pretty fast.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Never in a Million Years
did I ever dream of living on an island in Alaska. I really never dreamed of living anywhere in Alaska. I wanted to visit, sure, to see the whales and the glaciers, but never thought about living here. I like sunshine and being warm too much. I'm also a stick-in-the-mud, not relishing grand change. I did imagine living somewhere else beside San Diego, but there are so many other places, and how could I pick one place? I was frozen by family, sunshine, too many choices, so easier to stay put. And yet.....
Today, we live in a very, very small city, on the far side of a huge island, a three-hour ferry ride from the nearest town of any size, which is still very small compared to San Diego. Who hasn't heard of Ketchikan Alaska? Who has heard of Klawock, or even Craig, which is twice the size of Klawock?! I've got a case of Island Fever, is my problem. I need a trip off the island. Thanks goodness my employer is supplying one. Just one more week.....
Kathy is certainly gaining much valuable experience here, no doubt about that point. She has many clients, from teenagers to senior citizens. It's very different working in a such a small clinic, with many patients related to friends, co-workers, each other. She sees a client or two or three where ever we go. She's finally getting used to this, and just riding with it, following the lead of the client as to how to react.
This is big country, that's for sure. I've seen the map with the State of Alaska superimposed over the lower 48, and it spreads from the coast of Georgia to half way across the country, and the Aluetian Island string extending all the way to California. The northern coast fits just inside the U.S. border with Canada.
We are looking forward to the return of salmon, when the world changes greatly, bears coming out of hibernation, bald eagles returning to large flocks (we still see or hear one occasionally), and also the return of herring, which brings the whales. I can hardly wait to see orcas and humpbacks and minkes and maybe other kinds.
We had about four inches of snow last night, so cool. The sun was out all day today, and warmed the snow off the trees. It began snowing again before sundown, so we'll see how it looks in the morning.
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| Clouds and snowy mountains peaking through, across Klawock Inlet. |
Today, we live in a very, very small city, on the far side of a huge island, a three-hour ferry ride from the nearest town of any size, which is still very small compared to San Diego. Who hasn't heard of Ketchikan Alaska? Who has heard of Klawock, or even Craig, which is twice the size of Klawock?! I've got a case of Island Fever, is my problem. I need a trip off the island. Thanks goodness my employer is supplying one. Just one more week.....
Kathy is certainly gaining much valuable experience here, no doubt about that point. She has many clients, from teenagers to senior citizens. It's very different working in a such a small clinic, with many patients related to friends, co-workers, each other. She sees a client or two or three where ever we go. She's finally getting used to this, and just riding with it, following the lead of the client as to how to react.
This is big country, that's for sure. I've seen the map with the State of Alaska superimposed over the lower 48, and it spreads from the coast of Georgia to half way across the country, and the Aluetian Island string extending all the way to California. The northern coast fits just inside the U.S. border with Canada.
We are looking forward to the return of salmon, when the world changes greatly, bears coming out of hibernation, bald eagles returning to large flocks (we still see or hear one occasionally), and also the return of herring, which brings the whales. I can hardly wait to see orcas and humpbacks and minkes and maybe other kinds.
I received this question from a Facebook friend: "Hey I have a friend at work that used to live us there he says they
have a hot line so you can pick up road kill? Sounds cool; do you
ever use it to get something special? He says he used to get deer and even a bear once. Is true or only BS?
Here's the answer. You know, most of the people here are about hunting, and
subsistence, and I seriously doubt that someone who hits something
either doesn't want it, or doesn't know someone that wants it. So there is no need for a hotline, because it's gone immediately.
I
certainly mean absolutely no disrespect to all of the wonderful people
who live on Prince of Wales Island, when I occasionally note how trying
it is to live on a remote island. Many people who live here will tell you that taking a winter vacation off the island is mandatory to keep your sanity. My point in commenting on island live is completely about me, and how
this life isn't for me, at least at this point.
We had about four inches of snow last night, so cool. The sun was out all day today, and warmed the snow off the trees. It began snowing again before sundown, so we'll see how it looks in the morning.
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| The dogs just love the snow, as you can see! |
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
More Sitka, MORE Sitka, More Snow, and Seattle?
It snowed again last night, covering everything in about two inches of white. It's beautiful but no problem driving, and the snow plow doesn't even come out. By noon, the temperature was up over 40, and maybe there was some rain, because virtually all of the snow had disappeared.
Monday night was a Tribal Transportation Committee meeting, and the department director and I got the tentative go-ahead on several projects. Last night was the full Tribal Council meeting, and we got the final approval. One project is for me to attend a three-day conference on cultural tourism in Sitka, March 25 through the 28th. I'm pretty excited, as this will be a great opportunity to learn more, from other existing such programs, from governmental agency reps about funding opportunities, and to go on several Sitka Heritage tours. The added benefit is time off this island, which I'm overdue for, and can hardly wait for this change of scenery.
Ironically, Kathy's time in Sitka has been extended: she will be coming home the 22nd, and I fly out the afternoon of the 25th. Her stay is the longest we have been apart since she took her Mom on a cruise to (can you guess?) the Inside Passage, where they actually visited Sitka! Funny how things work out.
Yesterday was a Happy Feet Day for me. The weather was good enough that I actually wore regular shoes, instead of my hiking boots, which I'm force to wear because of rain or snow most of the time. It was so nice to have comfortably loose and flexible shoes instead of the stiff and tighter boots. We need more days like that.
You may have seen we've had 24" of rain through February. That's more than double the yearly average for San Diego, and it's our total for just two months. Talk about a drastically different environment. I'm surprised that I'm not bothered by the much colder climate. I would much rather be hot than cold. I would wear shorts and flipflops everywhere, if I could. And yet, it's not so bad, as long as I've got my big coat, a hat, and sometimes gloves. It is a pain to remember that the car needs work on real cold mornings: the windows have to be scrapped, and the wipers pulled free. I guess the rubber actually freezes to the windshield. We don't need to go without wipers again, and pay for another motor.
Quinlan and I went for a long walk on Sunday, down to the main road, along it past SEARHC, over the Klawock River Bridge, back on the main road, west onto Bayview and down along the harbor, past KCA where I work, to the end of the peninsula and the ball park where the Canada Geese are almost always found grassing on the grass, around to Anchorage Street, and back to the main road. Along the way i took good video, with narration, of different parts of the city. They all turned out really well, except when I went to upload them I found they were over 300 mgs, and would take about four hours to upload! What?! Yesterday I went to the Craig Library, where they have a T-1 line, and it was still going to take one hour, for a five-minute video! I've got four of them! So, still working on a solution. I really want to get these videos uploaded to show off the city in a whole new way, much better than stills.
We found a cool set of tracks in the snow this morning, right outside the office. It was nice snow, so showed off the tracks very well. My best guess was mink or some kind of weasel.
Another one bites the dust: one of the most active members of the Serra Mesa Community has received an offer he can't refuse to go to work for Boeing Commercial Airplane in Seattle, and so is getting his house, etc., in order to make the move. He was a real asset to the community, and they will really miss him.
Monday night was a Tribal Transportation Committee meeting, and the department director and I got the tentative go-ahead on several projects. Last night was the full Tribal Council meeting, and we got the final approval. One project is for me to attend a three-day conference on cultural tourism in Sitka, March 25 through the 28th. I'm pretty excited, as this will be a great opportunity to learn more, from other existing such programs, from governmental agency reps about funding opportunities, and to go on several Sitka Heritage tours. The added benefit is time off this island, which I'm overdue for, and can hardly wait for this change of scenery.
Ironically, Kathy's time in Sitka has been extended: she will be coming home the 22nd, and I fly out the afternoon of the 25th. Her stay is the longest we have been apart since she took her Mom on a cruise to (can you guess?) the Inside Passage, where they actually visited Sitka! Funny how things work out.
Yesterday was a Happy Feet Day for me. The weather was good enough that I actually wore regular shoes, instead of my hiking boots, which I'm force to wear because of rain or snow most of the time. It was so nice to have comfortably loose and flexible shoes instead of the stiff and tighter boots. We need more days like that.
You may have seen we've had 24" of rain through February. That's more than double the yearly average for San Diego, and it's our total for just two months. Talk about a drastically different environment. I'm surprised that I'm not bothered by the much colder climate. I would much rather be hot than cold. I would wear shorts and flipflops everywhere, if I could. And yet, it's not so bad, as long as I've got my big coat, a hat, and sometimes gloves. It is a pain to remember that the car needs work on real cold mornings: the windows have to be scrapped, and the wipers pulled free. I guess the rubber actually freezes to the windshield. We don't need to go without wipers again, and pay for another motor.
Quinlan and I went for a long walk on Sunday, down to the main road, along it past SEARHC, over the Klawock River Bridge, back on the main road, west onto Bayview and down along the harbor, past KCA where I work, to the end of the peninsula and the ball park where the Canada Geese are almost always found grassing on the grass, around to Anchorage Street, and back to the main road. Along the way i took good video, with narration, of different parts of the city. They all turned out really well, except when I went to upload them I found they were over 300 mgs, and would take about four hours to upload! What?! Yesterday I went to the Craig Library, where they have a T-1 line, and it was still going to take one hour, for a five-minute video! I've got four of them! So, still working on a solution. I really want to get these videos uploaded to show off the city in a whole new way, much better than stills.
We found a cool set of tracks in the snow this morning, right outside the office. It was nice snow, so showed off the tracks very well. My best guess was mink or some kind of weasel.
Another one bites the dust: one of the most active members of the Serra Mesa Community has received an offer he can't refuse to go to work for Boeing Commercial Airplane in Seattle, and so is getting his house, etc., in order to make the move. He was a real asset to the community, and they will really miss him.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
More From the Island
March 11, 2012, and I and the dogs have survived a week without Kathy. I'm sure it's tougher on the dogs than it is on me: they do not get the pampering from me. It's good for them: they will appreciate Kathy that much more when she returns, this Friday.
She's had a good time in Sitka. Yesterday she got a personal tour of a bear rescue place. They had here go into the empty enclosure and hide their food, so they had to use some their natural skills to find the food. There were three three-year-old brown bears. Kathy said they weren't huge, but they were big enough!
Sorry about no pics of the Aurora Borealis: cloud cover keeps us from seeing any! Here is a link to pictures though, the best I can do: Alaska Daily News Pictures
Friday our Tribal President came in and told my boss and I that it was time for our "Employment UA." I looked at her and she had the same blank look as I: "What's a UA?" Urine Analysis! Ah, well, that might be a problem, cuz I just went. Luckily there were eight others in line, so I started drinking as fast as I could. My turn came, and nothing. More water, still nothing. I had a nice chat with the tester. Finally, after 50 ounces of water, I came up with a sample. He tested it right then and there, so that's done.
The tester was an interesting guy: he doesn't eat anything he hasn't hunted or fished himself. He probably isn't the only one on the Island, but he's the first one I've talked to about it. Each AK resident is entitled to shoot five deer, so he gets ten between himself and his wife. He has lobster pots, shrimp traps, etc.
It snowed today, four or five times, but wasn't enough falling or cold enough to stick. Maybe tonight. I took Quinlan for a walk this afternoon, when there were actually some patches of blue sky. We walked over to SEARHC, then down Bayview, around the city, and to the park, and about that time we ran into blowing snow. I was shooting video at several spots along the way, hope to get them up on YouTube soon. We were gone for about an hour and a half, an nice long walk. We saw Canada Geese, a Great Blue Heron, Kingfishers, and a few Bald Eagles, oh, and of course Ravens.
There are two tribal meetings this week, so we should get more direction, approval from a few of our projects, and for my trip to Sitka at the end of the month.
She's had a good time in Sitka. Yesterday she got a personal tour of a bear rescue place. They had here go into the empty enclosure and hide their food, so they had to use some their natural skills to find the food. There were three three-year-old brown bears. Kathy said they weren't huge, but they were big enough!
Sorry about no pics of the Aurora Borealis: cloud cover keeps us from seeing any! Here is a link to pictures though, the best I can do: Alaska Daily News Pictures
Friday our Tribal President came in and told my boss and I that it was time for our "Employment UA." I looked at her and she had the same blank look as I: "What's a UA?" Urine Analysis! Ah, well, that might be a problem, cuz I just went. Luckily there were eight others in line, so I started drinking as fast as I could. My turn came, and nothing. More water, still nothing. I had a nice chat with the tester. Finally, after 50 ounces of water, I came up with a sample. He tested it right then and there, so that's done.
The tester was an interesting guy: he doesn't eat anything he hasn't hunted or fished himself. He probably isn't the only one on the Island, but he's the first one I've talked to about it. Each AK resident is entitled to shoot five deer, so he gets ten between himself and his wife. He has lobster pots, shrimp traps, etc.
It snowed today, four or five times, but wasn't enough falling or cold enough to stick. Maybe tonight. I took Quinlan for a walk this afternoon, when there were actually some patches of blue sky. We walked over to SEARHC, then down Bayview, around the city, and to the park, and about that time we ran into blowing snow. I was shooting video at several spots along the way, hope to get them up on YouTube soon. We were gone for about an hour and a half, an nice long walk. We saw Canada Geese, a Great Blue Heron, Kingfishers, and a few Bald Eagles, oh, and of course Ravens.
There are two tribal meetings this week, so we should get more direction, approval from a few of our projects, and for my trip to Sitka at the end of the month.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Rain Returns, Job Moves Along, Kathy is Gone, Dogs are Wa, Wa . :-(
I didn't realize we'd had so much rain until I took a drive down the road to Craig, and counted 25 waterfalls streaming down along The Cliffs. Wow, haven't seen that many in a maybe months. So I checked the Klawock Airport NOAA weather website, and found we've had over 1.25 inches since midnight.
I had one of my favorite dinners last night: Chef Boy-ar-dee's Beef Ravioli, mmm mmm! There was one large glass of wine left, red, of course, so I enjoyed that with my yummy ravioli. What will tonight's dinner be?
Kathy is having an interesting time in Sitka. She told me about traffic, signals, an actual urban environment, complete with a McDonald's and a Subway. She is enjoying meeting people she has talked to over the phone but never met. She has even been recruited for a position there! Now that we have found out there is a way to fly direct from Klawock to Sitka, it may be our vacation spot of choice. People on the island don't seem to think much of Ketchikan.
The poor dogs are depressed, wondering where their Kathy is and why she's not coming home to them.
Last night was another Prince of Wales Marathon Committee meeting. We settled on a supplier for the medals. I also heard about one member's rollover crash, which happened last Saturday. This is the second one I've heard of in a week, and both happened to drivers who have lived on the island a long time. The first one, there were no injuries, and the car was okay. The second one, the driver lost control, and rolled down a 30 foot embankment! She was okay, the Ford Escape doing it's job, but it's totaled. It was four wheel drive, too. These two accidents have been very sobering for me. Both accidents happened in curves of the road, where shadows cover the roadway longer than other adjacent sections, so stay icy longer. I'm going to be driving even more carefully from now on.
Last week I got to attend two and a half days of workshops on managing EPA grants. This was extremely helpful, as much of what I learned pertains to all federal grants.
I had one of my favorite dinners last night: Chef Boy-ar-dee's Beef Ravioli, mmm mmm! There was one large glass of wine left, red, of course, so I enjoyed that with my yummy ravioli. What will tonight's dinner be?
Kathy is having an interesting time in Sitka. She told me about traffic, signals, an actual urban environment, complete with a McDonald's and a Subway. She is enjoying meeting people she has talked to over the phone but never met. She has even been recruited for a position there! Now that we have found out there is a way to fly direct from Klawock to Sitka, it may be our vacation spot of choice. People on the island don't seem to think much of Ketchikan.
The poor dogs are depressed, wondering where their Kathy is and why she's not coming home to them.
Last night was another Prince of Wales Marathon Committee meeting. We settled on a supplier for the medals. I also heard about one member's rollover crash, which happened last Saturday. This is the second one I've heard of in a week, and both happened to drivers who have lived on the island a long time. The first one, there were no injuries, and the car was okay. The second one, the driver lost control, and rolled down a 30 foot embankment! She was okay, the Ford Escape doing it's job, but it's totaled. It was four wheel drive, too. These two accidents have been very sobering for me. Both accidents happened in curves of the road, where shadows cover the roadway longer than other adjacent sections, so stay icy longer. I'm going to be driving even more carefully from now on.
Last week I got to attend two and a half days of workshops on managing EPA grants. This was extremely helpful, as much of what I learned pertains to all federal grants.
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