Living in Alaska - Life in the Last Frontier

Again, time has flown by and I’ve been remiss in writing! Things have been crazy around here, as I’d been packaging and shipping off calendars, as well as preparing prints and notecards for the Holiday Marketplace, which was held this past weekend here in Fairbanks. The Holiday Marketplace is a fabulous venue for “one-stop-shopping” for holiday gifts. It’s held at the Carlson Center - a huge arena with plenty of room for booths and tables. I’m glad all the prep for that is over. I now have a little bit of time to breathe, before I start working on my holiday newsletter and cards for friends and family.

This time of year is so hectic, and I’m not always in the best of spirits to deal with it. This is also the time of year when insomnia kicks in for me. Many people have the opposite reaction to the long, dark days of winter and find themselves sleeping a lot. Not me.  In looking back at journal entries over the years, I have seen that I suffer from insomnia the most during the winter months. I’m so thankful I don’t work outside the home. I don’t know how I could work a full-time job with my winter sleep habits.

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Gratitude first, before I talk about close encounters:

November 11th - With much Gratitude to our Veterans!
From the time America won its independence, brave souls have stood to protect the freedom we hold dear. Thank you - all of you - for your dedication and sacrifice for this great nation.

With personal gratitude to my father (USAF - Korean War), my husband (ARMY - Persian Gulf War, OIF), my son Brandon, and my daughter-in-love Becky (both Marines - OIF) for their service to our country.

Thinking of, and praying for, the soldiers of our Fort Wainwright Stryker Brigade - and all of our brave warriors on foreign lands.

Flag Flying over Denali (Mt McKinley)

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We had a moose encounter today. Look at the photos and read the captions. It was awesome! (I’m sorry I’m posting in full size - that’s the only way you can follow the story easily)

I was working on photos, standing at the kitchen counter. Steve came into the kitchen to get a glass of water. For some reason I said something about a moose, while taping a package. I raised my eyes to look at Steve as he responded, and saw a moose in our yard, just out the kitchen window.

She finds one of the still-standing - although frozen - sunflowers in my yard:

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I have been busy working on shipping calendars, and I think I’m down to the final shipment - which will go out on Wednesday (since Tuesday is Veterans Day and the Post Office is closed). Tomorrow I will package up what’s left, and also gather the prints I will be taking to The Stash for the Holiday Marketplace next weekend.  It’s just like me to wait until the last minute. Sometimes I think I work more efficiently when I have to cram everything into one day.

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I haven’t forgotten to write down my daily Gratitude thoughts and here they are:

November 7th
I recently read a blog entry posted by one of my friends. In the entry, she lamented the fact that she had to take a job unloading trailers in cold winter temperatures, because she needs health insurance for herself and her family. This woman is my age, and unloading trailers and driving a fork lift aren’t tasks she ever thought she’d see herself doing. But she has no choice. She will do what has to be done for the insurance. Today, I am thankful that Steve works for a company with comprehensive health/dental/eyeglass benefits. I am also thankful that we have the “fall-back” option to get care at the local army hospital. My heart goes out to anyone who doesn’t have health insurance, as the costs of medical care continue to rise.

November 8th
Today I am grateful for quiet mornings with my husband. I love mornings when Steve is off from work. I love that he puts on his boots and winter gear and trudges down the long driveway to retrieve our newspaper from the box. I love that he makes and pours my coffee. I love that we exchange sections of the newspaper and discuss current events. (He can keep the sports section though). I love that he turns on the space heater when it’s chilly in the living room, and asks me if I’m cold. If I say yes, he tucks the fleece sofa-throw around me. Steve is my rock - my strength. He is the voice of reason when my emotions rule my head. He is protective, and supportive. It’s the little things that remind me just how much he loves me, and just how lucky I am to be sharing my life with him.

November 9th
Today I am thankful for my friend Lisa. It is so nice to have a female friend with whom I can share a movie, have lunch, or just hang out with. I haven’t had a friend like this since Rachael moved away more than a year ago. (I really miss Rachael a lot, and she will always have a special place in my heart) As time passes, I find the friendship I have with Lisa growing. We have many things in common, and I feel a bond with her. I know that when her husband comes home from Iraq, we won’t spend as much time together, and that’s OK. I’m happy that I can help her through the deployment by being available on the weekends, when her loneliness is more pronounced. I remember what a lifesaver it was for me to have Rachael (and vice versa) when our husbands were deployed. I know that Lisa and her husband will be leaving here sometime next year. Sometimes I wonder if it’s such a good thing to allow our friendship to continue to strengthen. It will make the hurt even worse when the time comes to say goodbye, and I don’t know if I want to go through that again. However, I do believe that people come into our lives for a reason, and I’d rather have a meaningful friendship for a year or so, than to never have had the friendship at all. After Lisa leaves Alaska, our friendship may wane - as so often happens. But I will always be thankful for this moment in time and the fun we’ve had.

“When people come into your life for a season, it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.”

November 10th
Today I am thankful for food - and the ability to purchase food - and being well-fed (albeit a little TOO well-fed). Steve went grocery shopping today (another thing I am most grateful for!) and I helped him to put away the groceries. While the majority of the food purchase was for what we consider staples or necessities, there were also quite a bit of treats or non-necessary items. And name brand foods too. I remember the days when most of the things in my shopping cart had the black and white packaging of “generic” items. I’m glad that we can now buy food that tastes good, even if it does cost more money. I can’t help but feel guilty that there are so many people starving in our world, when I look at the bounty that comes out of the shopping bags every week. I wish that no one had to worry about where their next meal was coming from.

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On Friday, I had to run some errands (mailing calendars and picking up some things at Sams Club), and I took Sedona with me. We made our usual stop at  Creamers Field for a walk. It was -14F, and I had forgotten my hat and gloves on the kitchen counter. I pulled my collar up to my ears, and tucked my hands inside my sleeves. We had only gone about 20 yards when I couldn’t take the cold any longer. We came right back to the car, and Sedona even jumped in willingly. I can’t believe I forgot my winter gear! I guess I was so preoccupied with loading the parcels into the car, that it just slipped my mind. It did make me realize that my emergency winter kit (in the back of the car) does not have extra gloves or a hat in it. I need to take care of that.

There was a skijorer doing laps with his dog, and I snapped a photo, but I didn’t even bother downloading the memory card, as it was the only photo I took.  When I go out on Wednesday, I will remember my winter gear and Sedona’s booties. It’s time for her to start wearing her winter clothes too! She won’t be making a fashion statement however; she always loses one or two booties each winter (much like a child and their gloves). Sometimes she wears two or three different colored booties. She doesn’t mind that her *shoes* don’t match.

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Tomorrow is Veterans Day.  (Armistice Day or Remembrance Day, if you don’t live in the US) I hope that you remember to thank a Veteran for their dedicated and loyal service to our country. Let them know how deeply you appreciate the sacrifices they have made in their lives to keep our country free.

When I started this journal more than five years ago, my goal was to share my journey to Alaska, and my life in Alaska - via my words and photographs - with the rest of the world. I also decided that there would be some topics that I would not write about - subject matter that I, and many others, consider very personal. Two of these issues are religion and politics.

It has been two days since Barack Obama was named President-elect.  Over the past two days, the airwaves, the newspapers, online blogs, and television have bombarded us with a wide range of responses to this news: elation, sadness, fear, relief, happiness, anger, and too many more to list.

However, no matter your response to the election of President-elect Barack Obama, we can be proud that there will be a peaceful transition of government. This is not the case for many of the countries of the world.

How many of us were raised by parents who told us that America was a country where anyone could grow up to become President? A few days ago, those words became a real truth.  Perhaps our next president will be a woman!

There has been so much divisiveness in our country - our UNITED States of America.  And now that the election is over, I am saddened to see that this divisiveness remains.

I don’t believe that McCain or Obama would have gotten as far as they did, if we didn’t believe that they had what it takes to lead our country. We knew going into this process that only one man would win the position, and American voters made that decision. The outcome may not be what some hoped for, but such is the democratic process.

McCain used gracious and eloquent words in his concession speech, and I think we should all take heed:

“I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulate him but also our offer him our good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together to find the necessary compromises to overcome our differences to ensure our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world and leave our children and grandchildren in stronger, better country than we inherited.

“Whatever our differences we are fellow Americans, and please believe me when I say no association has ever meant more to me than that.”

We have a long, hard road ahead of us, but I believe that together we will make it. Together, we can heal our wounds and reach for the future.  United we stand, divided we fall.

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The past week or so has been so busy for me. I’ve had to write myself lists, and then go down them -checking off items as I complete them. I feel like I’m suffering from some sort of Attention Deficit Disorder (I refuse to blame it on “old age”!) because I get started on a task, and then I get distracted, and find myself doing something else. This just leads to partially completed projects and tasks, and feeling even more unfocused.  But tomorrow is the day I plan to pare down that list… as long as I don’t get sidetracked.

It hasn’t been all work and no play though. I’ve been taking the time, while out running errands, to stop and enjoy the winter scenery - snapping photos along the way.  It’s been forever since I posted photos, as I’ve been so preoccupied with the calendar, and just haven’t taken the time to share. I’m going to play “catch up” in this entry.

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Last Sunday, my friend Lisa and I went to see the movie “The Secret Life of Bees” with Dakota Fanning & Queen Latifah. The movie is based on the novel by Sue Monk Kidd. I haven’t read the book, and didn’t know what the movie was going to be about, so I went into it merely hoping to be entertained. It was a heartwarming movie for the most part, but there were several scenes which made us both get teary eyed.

After the movie, we stopped to have lunch (enchiladas - yum), before driving over to Pioneer Park to see the “Spooky Train” in action. The Spooky Train is a better known as Engine #1.

Engine #1 was the FIRST steam Locomotive in the Alaskan Interior, arriving in the Tanana Valley more than 100 years ago (July 4, 1905). On July 17, 1905, local dignitaries drove the golden spike, linking the first trackage of the Railroad, between Chena and Fairbanks. Engine #1 was retired in the mid 1920s. “Friends of the Tanana Valley Railroad” began restoring it in 1992 and had the little Loco back together, under Steam, in 1999, 100 years after it was first constructed and delivered to coal mines in the Yukon Territory, near Dawson. Today it can be found in the Museum as well as occasionally puffing around the track at Pioneer Park.

They were giving free train rides to children (and their parents) who came to Pioneer Park in costume. While we hoped to see some cute little ones all dressed up for Halloween, we also knew that since it was so cold, the costumes would be hidden by parkas and winter coats.  So, despite the fact that there are no “cute kid” photos, I did take a couple photos of the train.

I felt it was only fitting to convert the following two photos to black & white:

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I am humbled by the overwhelming response I have received for my Alaska Calendar. I had no idea it would be so enthusiastically received by so many of you. There are no words to adequately express my sincere appreciation and gratitude.

I will be placing the order tomorrow morning, so today is the cut-off for reserving one.  I have sent out emails with information about shipping and payment to everyone who has expressed an interest.  If you didn’t receive that email, please let me know - as I’m trying to organize names and mailing addresses, so I don’t miss anyone.

I will send out an email when the calendars ship.

Over the past few years, I have been asked by readers of my journal if I had a calendar available for purchase.  Up until now, I never took the time to put one together, as the research I had done in regards to printing a calendar always left me feeling less than enthusiastic.  It seems that if you’re not in a position to make a bulk order (500+) calendars, there’s no way to offer a calendar for the $5 prices you see in large department stores.

Using an online printing company - who I’ve used in the past to print my photos - I am able to purchase enough calendars to offer them to my readers for $20 each. This $20 includes S&H to anywhere in the US (extra shipping costs for outside the US).

The calendar includes landscapes, wildlife, skyscapes, etc. It’s a 12-month calendar - full size (11×17) and spiral bound. (The full-size photo at the top of each month is 8.5×11)

I need to place my order by 10/27.  I will only be making one bulk order and one order only, as it won’t be cost effective for me to make several smaller orders.

Here is what the calendar will look like:
Cover photo of Denali (Mt McKinley) says “Alaska Through My Eyes, The Photography of Susan L Stevenson”

Here are the inside pages:

Please email me privately at susan@susanstevenson.com if you are interested in ordering a calendar(s). I will respond to your email with more information in regards to your order. I expect to have the calendars printed and ready for shipment by the end of November - in time for the holidays.

Thank you!

I guess the term “wonderland” depends on who you’re speaking to. Winter? Yes. Wonderland? The jury’s still out on that one.  I happen to think the fresh snow is beautiful, and I usually welcome the onset of winter with a little bit of excitement.  I love the pureness that the snow lends to the landscape. I love the contrast of blue skies against sugar-coated trees.  I enjoy the sense of quiet that settles over everything, and the way you can hear your own footsteps amplified in the silence.

With that being said, I don’t particularly care for driving in winter - and especially early winter. In early winter, fresh snow covers ice patches and I find myself driving 10-15 mph under the speed limit, because I’m afraid of going off the road. Driving slow on multi-lane roads isn’t too bad, as those who are more confident - or are in a hurry - can go around me. But when I’m driving down a two lane road like Badger Road (which has sections like an ice skating rink), I’m much more stressed out - particularly when vehicles come up on my tail.  I’ve had this happen to me, even when there are vehicles in the ditches on either side of the road! As the season progresses, and the snow doesn’t fall as much, the roads will become better graveled, and the small rocks will embed in the ice and create more traction.

Some of you reading may not realize that in Fairbanks (and perhaps all of Alaska?), we do not salt the roads.  The salt does little to melt ice, as it’s too cold (imagine -30F to -50F). And if we could melt the ice, it would refreeze immediately and create even more driving hazards. While gravel does help provide traction on snowy roads, it also makes pristine windshields an incredible rarity. I think I have 4-5 dings in my windshield, and Steve has huge “bullet-like” indentations in his.  We won’t replace the windshield until our vision is obstructed, because the odds are pretty good that we’ll get dings and cracks in the next windshield too.

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The past two days have been positively balmy. We’ve had highs in the 40s, and the snow is melting. Our back deck is totally clear of snow now, and the yard has puddles. It’s been a welcome change from the morning temps in the teens and frequent snow flurries, but since it’s still falling below freezing overnight, the roads have been pretty slick in the morning.

The Chinook also brought high winds with it, and Anchorage had to divert planes to Fairbanks yesterday - as well as cancel or delay flights - when winds were measured at 100mph! We had some strong gusts here too, but nothing like that.

While the warmth is a welcome change, the cloud cover is not.  But if I’ve got to take one with the other, I’ll accept a few overcast days in exchange for the warm afternoon temps.

I don’t have any photos to share in this entry. I haven’t been out since I wrote last, except to walk with Sedona. I’ve spent several hours, over the course of the past few days, sorting out the closet underneath our stairs.  It’s a deep closet, but has a sloping ceiling because of the staircase.  I’ve been using it mostly to store my photo stuff (mats, frames, packing supplies, camera gear, etc.), but it’s also used to store the mop, broom, and vacuum too.  There’s a trap door in that closet which leads to the crawlspace under our house - where the mechanicals are for our well pump - so I have to be careful not to block that.

I bought a shelf unit and managed to find a solution that works in there. So that I’m not wasting the space over the trap door, I bought a plastic rolling storage cart to hold additional supplies. If we have to get under the house, it can be easily moved.

I’ve got a few more things to sort through, and then that project will be complete. Next will be sorting and packaging up notecards, greeting cards, and prints for the Holiday Marketplace in November.  I’m still waiting for a few print orders to arrive before I can get started on that.

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Tomorrow, I have a ‘date’ with my gal pal Lisa.  We’re having breakfast at The Bakery, and then attending the noon showing of “The Dutchess” - a period drama about Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. In other words - a “chick flick” that I’d never convince my husband to see with me.

After the movie, I hope to do a little perusing of the sales racks in search of a sundress, and a couple pair of lightweight pants or capris for our Hawaii trip. I think I should pick up a sun hat too, as I tend to burn to a crisp - especially my face.  No need to accelerate the aging process with damaging UV rays! *grin*

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The other night, our local celebrity musher - two-time Iditarod winner, and 4-time Yukon Quest winner Lance Mackey - was on the Conan O’Brien show. He talked about the sport of mushing, and about his racing experiences. Another of the reasons he was on the show, was to promote the new Discovery Channel miniseries: “The Toughest Race on Earth. Iditarod”. This six-part miniseries begins on Tuesday, Oct 14th (10pm ET/PT). Check your local guide for times in your area. It looks like it’s going to be quite interesting. Check out more detailed information about each episode HERE.

We’re down to 10 hour days now, and losing more than 6 minutes each day. As I’m typing this, it’s a little after 7pm and nearly dark. I miss having daylight until 9pm.

Until next time…

I’d like to start this journal entry with a shout out to my number two son - Brandon! Today marks 25 years since Brandon made his appearance in this world, and quickly found his way into my heart. Brandon will always be my “baby” no matter how many years pass by.

The other day, I was checking out his MySpace and saw that he had updated his photo albums with photos from when he was just a little kid. I wasn’t too surprised when my eyes filled up with tears as I looked at those photos. How has time passed so quickly? I began to reminisce about those early days, when Brandon was only 2 or 3 years old.

I remember going into his room to wake him in the morning for breakfast. He always woke up in a good mood, and I’d sit on the end of his bed and say “Wake up, BooBooLa” softly. (I still call him BooBooLa) He’d stand up on his bed, and put his arms around my neck, while wrapping his little legs around my waist.  I’d carry him to the kitchen, while he snuggled his soft face into my neck. Gosh, I miss those days! When I told Brandon that I remembered carrying him from his bedroom, he jokingly told me that I could do that the next time I came for a visit, but that he’s sure it would be a lot more difficult. Silly boy.

Now Brandon is a man, married to a beautiful woman, “father” to a boxer named Pandora (but I hope that someday they’ll give me a grandchild that has only two legs!), a full time college student (and getting all A’s!), and a loving and caring soul.  I love him with all my heart and soul and wish him nothing but sunshine and rainbows.  Happy Birthday my BooBooLa!

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On Sunday, Steve and I met Gip and Carmen for brunch at Pikes Landing. As always, it was delicious and quite filling. We went hungry - to take advantage of all the fabulous food, and made sure to leave some room for the awesome dessert table. The champagne flowed freely, conversation was interesting (they just returned from a cruise which took them to Iceland and Greenland), and by the time we left I was feeling very guilty for stuffing myself so full. I couldn’t wait to get home and out of my jeans and into lounging pants!

I asked Steve to take me driving around town, as I wanted to take some photographs of the winter landscape. The snow hasn’t melted, although I was holding out hope that it would. It seems winter truly is here and the snow isn’t going anywhere.  I suppose I should get used to this, as it will be here for the next 6 months. Now I’m holding out hope that the below zero temps don’t come for a while. *fingers crossed*

This is the sign for the ice bridge next to Pike’s. After the river freezes, vehicles can cross here. Unfortunately, there is always one or two vehicles that try to cross before the ice is sufficiently thick.

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