Living in Alaska - Life in the Last Frontier

Still no snow! Today we had sunshine and reached the high 40s. It was a gorgeous day; much more autumn than winter, despite the bare trees.

We had local elections on Tuesday, so I was up and out of the house fairly early. It was a very misty and foggy morning, so I packed my camera and Sedona.  After voting, I drove to Chena Lakes Rec Area. I hoped that there would be fog laying low over the lakes, but by the time I got there, it was blowing off.

I leashed up Sedona and we took a short walk on the flood plain. The morning was peaceful and quiet, except for a trio of ravens that seemed to be playing a game of tag with each other. They’d take turns chasing each other and squawking, doing aerial acrobatics above us. They made Sedona a little crazy, but I enjoyed watching them play.

If a raven flies close overhead, and you listen carefully, you can hear their wings squeak.  Steve pointed this out to me several years ago when we were hiking in the woods and had ravens fly over us very low. I later read that any large bird can make this sound in flight. It’s the sound of their flight feathers rubbing against one another, when the air is forced down by their wings.

The ravens playing over the flood plain dipped down to within 20 feet of my head. I listened and the squeak was there. I love ravens. They are such intelligent birds, with an amazing vocabulary. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stood in my front yard ‘conversing’ with them. Of course I have no idea what they are saying, but most times they do respond to my laughable imitation of raven talk.

When Sedona goes with me on errands and walks, she rides in the back of my car. I drive a Caliber, and the back seats fold down, giving me a pretty good size hatchback area. I put her back there for a couple of reasons: it’s larger, it’s safer, and she’s shedding like crazy.  I have plastic and a cover back there to protect the rugs and upholstery.

She knows that she is supposed to ride in the back, and she rarely tries to get in the front seats. The only time she might try to climb into the front of the car is if I’ve gone to Sams Club and there are big boxes in the back (she hates boxes).

On the way back from Chena Lakes, I stopped several times to take photos. When I stopped to take the last photo above (of the slough), I had to walk a couple dozen yards to the water’s edge. I said to Sedona “mommy will be right back” (I talk to my dog all the time).

When I came over the small hill and my car came into view, I saw this:

Did she think I couldn’t see her sitting in the front seat, as she peeked out the window at me? Of course I had to grab a photo. Every time I look at this, I can’t help but smile. I love hanging out with my fur-daughter!

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FOLLOW UP: DAN

A recent comment reminded me that I never finished the story about Dan and his family. Dan was the man who stopped to help us when we broke down on the way to Valdez.  As you recall, they had driven up from Wyoming and were living in a camper parked on the side of the road. He and his family drove the highways everyday looking for work.  When last I wrote about Dan, Steve had run into him at the RV place, while winterizing our camper, and Dan gave him a copy of his resume. Dan is a welder by trade, but is skilled in many other fields.

When Steve went to work a few days later, with Dan’s resume in hand, he decided to check the job listings for Fort Knox.  At the top of the list was an opening for a WELDER!  A little while later, the supervisor for that department happened to come by the office (he rarely comes by). Steve hand delivered Dan’s resume to him. The application period lasted 7 days, so it would be several more days before they started going through resumes and setting up interviews. Steve called Dan later that evening and let him know that he had placed his resume right in the supervisor’s hands.

About a week after that, Steve went into work and was looking over a roster with the names of people who were there for a mandatory mine safety class (required for all employees of Fort Knox, as well as contractors who work on the property), and saw Dan’s name. He went into the lobby, and there he was.

It turns out that Dan didn’t get hired for the welding job at Fort Knox, but did get hired as a welder by a contractor who works on Fort Knox.

Although Steve didn’t really have a hand in Dan’s finding employment, we both just feel that everything fell into place so neatly, that our meeting on that lonely stretch of highway was just meant to be. Call it God’s blessing, call it karma, call it coincidence… there is a reason everything happened as it did.

Steve hasn’t seen Dan in a few weeks, but he’s still working on the mine site. The next time he runs into him, he’s going to find out if Dan and his family have found a place to live.  I hope so, with winter imminent.

Until next time…

October already! I feel like the year just flew by. I think about all the great roadtrips Steve and I took this summer, and it seems like they occurred years ago, rather than just a few months.

For the most part, there aren’t any pretty colored leaves left. Sometimes I come across a tree that still has orange or yellow leaves on it, and while walking at Creamers Field the other day, I actually found a few trees deep in the boreal forest that still had green leaves on them. But most of the trees are either bare now, or have dry and crinkly brown leaves hanging on until the next wind comes and snatches them off.

We still don’t have snow.  I’m not complaining. I know it’s only a matter of days before it comes - and it stays. Our overnight lows have been on the chilly side (20s), and the air smells like snow even during the day when it warms up.  The past few days it’s actually warmed up into the 40s, which is nice. And we’ve had sunshine too. I wouldn’t complain if this continues for a few more weeks, but I know that’s wishful thinking on my part.

We’re down to less than 11 hours of day, although visible light is still over 12.  The northern lights have made an appearance, but I’ve missed them.  A few nights ago, we had partly cloudy skies, but the moon was shining brightly, so I set up my camera for some shots. I didn’t get anything spectacular, but when I downloaded the photos, I noticed a very bright light just below the moon. I wasn’t sure if it was a star or a planet, but a few of my more knowledgeable friends confirmed that it was the planet Jupiter. They also gave me the links to several web sites that would help me identify these lights in the night sky. My favorite is this one: http://www.earthsky.org/tonighthome/2009-10-05/url

I couldn’t resist a photograph of the Big Dipper too. I love how it stands out so clearly against the dark sky:

Yesterday, I had errands to run, and decided to walk the Boreal Forest Trail at Creamers Field. I had Sedona with me, and wasn’t alone on the trail. Quite a few other families had the same idea. Some had their dogs, and others had their children. I think everyone’s just trying to take advantage of the weather, and the ability to walk the trail without trudging through snow.

It was a beautiful day; a little overcast, but a crisp late autumn day. The air was chilly enough to warrant a fleece jacket, but not so cold that I needed gloves or a hat. We walked the entire loop at a quick pace, stopping here and there so I could take photos. As we were leaving, I noticed a dozen or so geese hanging around in the front field. I guess they’re staying until the snow flies.

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We finalized our trip plans for our birthday getaway in December.  We decided to change things slightly and spend the last two days of our vacation in Las Vegas, rather than only the final day before flying home.  I booked us a room at the Bellagio, and I’m quite excited about seeing the “dancing” fountains, the botanical gardens, and the Chihuly glass in the lobby.

I was hoping to see “O”/Cirque du Soleil while in town, but as luck would have it, there are no performances on either day. Steve wants to attend the NFR (National Finals Rodeo), which happens to be in Vegas that week. We’ll have to see how things go.  Whether we go to a show or not, I’m sure we’ll enjoy our stay.

I think we’re both looking forward to the rest of the trip: exploring Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Park - even more. We rented a jeep so we won’t have any problems driving on dirt or gravel roads. I can’t wait to photograph the natural beauty, while savoring the winter solitude. This trip will give us the best of both worlds, and experiencing it with Steve will make it even more special. I love traveling with my husband!

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On the 7th, my baby will turn 26! I can’t believe it’s been 26 years since Brandon came into the world. No matter how old he gets, he will always be my ‘baby’. I talked to him for a long time today. He’s doing very well in school and should have his Associates degree in Business Management by December. He calls this his ‘fall back degree’, but hopes to continue his education and major in psychology. His ultimate goal (at this time) is to someday be a teen counselor. I think he’d make a darn good one. I’m so proud of him, and all that he’s accomplished.  (Happy Birthday, BooBooLa! I love you! xoxoxox)

Until next time….