Missing Seattle Family, Friends and Other Stuff

Okay...I was vacillating about whether or not to write about my current state of homesickness and decided that because it is part of my Alaska experience, I will. I'll keep it brief but if you don't want to read about it, skip down until you see the next "Okay".

I miss people; my daughters, my friends. I miss streets clean as a result of the rain. I miss my motorcycle. I miss the familiarity of the Seattle area. I don't like my new license or license plate. I miss being able to find things that I think I need at the store (fresh organic produce and meats, red worms for a worm bin, healthy house plants, any house plants other than the boring "normal" variety that look like death warmed over...).

I cried at the grocery store today when I found Cascadian Farm organic granola! Cascadian Farm is the blueberry farm in the upper Skagit Valley along Hwy 20. I see it every time I take my favorite motorcycle ride which leads me to Winthrop. On the several hour trip to Winthrop, Cascadian Farm is a great place to stop for antioxidants and a bathroom. (BTW...the granola is good! The variety I chose has a slight, but definite, molasses taste).

There are a whole slew of things making me homesick. Some of them are minor, others are a bit more.
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Okay...I'm done.

Now it's time to tell you about what I like about Alaska. I guess for now "Alaska" means Anchorage because, except for a few weekend jaunts, that's where my experience has been so far.

I like looking out my apartment window and watching the activity at the port and the railroad yard. I like watching the ice as it floats at a good clip along Cook Inlet on the drastic tides that challenge tug boat captains and cause bore tides. I like seeing our "Sleeping Lady" across the inlet, clear to my view or over-shadowed with clouds. I like watching planes take off and land at Stevens International Airport (where you will fly in when you come to visit me). I like the 30+ minute sunsets I see most days from my apartment window. I like that my commute to work is less than 15 minutes. I like my job. I like that my boss so readily explains things, shares stories, and is glad to have me here. I like watching from my office window as the jets take off. I like snow, especially when it's falling and when it rests on the trees. I'm beginning to appreciate the "Island Time" people keep around here. I'm glad that there are Democrats in Alaska and I'm glad we have NPR. I like coming home every day.

I like that email and instant message exist and that there are cell phone plans that allow me to call my children and keep in touch with friends.

I look forward to learning about Lisa. Who am I outside of mother and employee? Will I find a passion or continue to dabble here and there? I expect that the time I spend crying and getting over missing people, working in my garden, learning more about the plants and animals of Alaska, seeing the beautiful sights that surround me and meeting new people will help me figure out who I am and what the next phase of my life will be.

As I share my life, I want to hear about yours... what you're doing, what helps you to be happy and brings you joy, what causes you to worry or be sad, what are your hopes and dreams.....

I send my love out to each of you...I wouldn't be missing you if you hadn't profoundly touched my life in a positive way.

I have a lot of vacation time...please come and visit! I promise to be over this homesickness in the very near future. Better to wallow in it and feel it for a short, intense time than to drag it out!

Lisa/Mama

Homer Alaska

March 21-23, 2009 (posted April 4, 2009)

I took my first trip to the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska this weekend. I left on the trip right after work on Friday, March 21 headed toward Cooper Landing for the night. I had a relaxing evening at a bed and breakfast then headed out the door at about 9:30 a.m. the next morning to make my way to Homer.

Within seconds of walking out the door a phenomenon occurred which has happened a few times since I moved here…the moisture in my nose froze! My first thought was to call Alena and tell her what had happened because she is always saying she’ll never go to Alaska during the winter because it’s too @$#% cold. As I made my way down three flights of stairs to my car with my much too heavy luggage (too many books and clothing layers) I thought "If it's cold enough to freeze inside my nose, I hope I don't have trouble starting my car". When the car started right up I knew it couldn't be as cold as I thought it must be. Well, I was wrong! The temperature was 4 degrees. I immediately got on the phone and left a message for Alena telling her that the inside of my nose had frozen in the 4 degree cold!

The drive to Homer on Saturday morning was beautiful. I stopped along the way to take pictures, even thought Mt Redoubt was erupting because I saw a plume of something coming off the top. Ended up it was just steam. The real eruption happened Sunday night around 10 p.m.

Earlier in the week when I’d told my boss that I was going to Homer he said I should be sure and go to the Salty Dog. I knew Julie Davis had been to Homer in the past for fishing so I called and told her my plans. She said “be sure to go to the Salty Dog”. With two recommendations, how could I go wrong? After arriving in Homer I drove along the spit of land, which is a major spot during tourist season, and found the Salty “Dawg”. I decided to stop in for lunch later in the day. Maybe some halibut and chips.

As I continued down the spit, with each turn of the tires I saw more and more and more bald eagles. They were as abundant as seagulls in a marina or port town. They were perched on rooftops, light poles, tree crags, etc. I got a few pictures, one that I knew Alena would love (flagpole). I also took some of what I love. Rocks, marina, beach, mountains. Wow!


After checking in at a bed and breakfast, and getting some great tips and pointers from my hostess, I headed back to the spit. I walked along the marina taking pictures and enjoying the sunshine. There wasn’t much to see because most of the area was still boarded up for the winter, plus it was cold and I was hungry so I ducked into the Salty Dawg to get a bite to eat.

Those of you who have been to the Salty Dawg are laughing just about now because at the Salty Dawg there is nothing to eat except minor pub fare. The place is very small with as much seating as the fire code will allow and one pool table that takes up an entire room. It was a sight to behold, with money and pictures of patrons from all over the world plastered all over the walls and ceiling. The first time I’d seen something like that was at the employee bar at Denali last year with Austin. I’ve added camping along the spit at Homer to my “must do” list for Alaska, maybe then I’ll go to the Salty Dawg and have a drink. If you want to join me, let me know! Sunset that night was beautiful and, as is normal for what I've seen so far, lasted a very long time. The first time I noticed an extended sunset I timed it once at over 1/2 hour.

The next morning I went XC skiing on my new waxless skis that I didn’t wax so they didn’t slide very well. That aided in keeping me upright and gave me a very good workout! It would have been quiet and pristine except for the noise my unwaxed waxless skis made on the snow so I had to settle for pristine.

As I got closer to Cooper Landing (the place I stayed Friday) I encountered snow fall. Once again I was glad that I’d purchased studded tires at the beginning of March to get me through what was remaining of the winter. As I got closer to Anchorage I saw quite the accumulation of snow that wasn't there when I left on Friday. It had snowed 4-7 inches within the area 50-60 miles around Anchorage and in town. Once again, I missed it! I know…I’ll get more than my fill next winter!

Before I left Homer on Sunday morning I got footage of bald eagles soaring along a cliff .

Julie: On the way back home I stopped in Soldatna to get a picture of the Kenai River which was so thick with ice it appeared to be frozen solid. Unfortunately, the picture didn't turn out...too much white!

Until next time...

Alyeska Ski Resort

Saturday March 14, 2009 (posted 03-26-09)

Today I bit the bullet and got my Alaska driver licence and vehicle plates. I really wasn't ready to do either of these things because it felt like I was cutting the Seattle apron strings before I was ready. I went ahead with it because I thought it might be necessary to prove residency when I register to rent a community garden. I will be able to register on April 1.

After making the above mentioned changes I headed out to the town of Girdwood, about 30 miles southeast of Anchorage. Girdwood is home of the Alyska Ski Resort. My plan was to ride the tram up to the restaurant area, sit in a sunny spot in the cafe sipping coffee as I watched people and did a little writing.

I did the tram part but up at the top there is really not a good place to sit around and it was so cloudy that it was very difficult to actually see people through the cloud cover. At the resort, the tram is used by skiers and snowboarders and I was the only one without some sort of transport to strap to my feet so I could get back down the mountain. Needless to say, I felt out of place (hmm...par for the course for me!) but enjoyed the ride up. I'd hoped for some great pictures but conditions were not favorable.

Before riding the tram back down the mountain, I visited the Round House Museum and learned a bit about the history of the resort and the area where Girdwood is located. I also ate a very good lunch at the Seven Glaciers restaurant. When the bill came I'd been reimbursed my tram fare so my lunch of salmon bisque and pear, cranberry, endive salad was only $5 and that included a very good tip!

The road to Girdwood is along part of Cook Inlet called Turnagain Arm. Weather along that stretch is usually colder and much more windy than in Anchorage and the tides that occur in the area are extreme. They're called bore tides. I'll do some more research and tell you what I learn when I actually witness one and get some good video footage.

Until that time you'll have to do with this picture of the ice that forms in the mudflats of Turnagain Arm. There has been a bit of melting so the ice is not as thick as it can get. Even without a bore tide, the current is pretty fast. I think I might head out that way to go cross country skiing this weekend so hope to catch some good viewing.

Moose and Caribou for Lunch

Tuesday March 24, 2008: I ate moose and caribou for lunch today.

My boss, Tom, brought some moose and caribou meat that he'd prepared for a conference we were to have this week until Mt. Redoubt Volcano erupted Sunday night. Anchorage was spared any ash fall and as of this writing the threat level has been changed back to orange after being red since the first major eruption Sunday night.

The Alaska Volcano Observatory website is a good place to find the most up-to-date information about the volcano. http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/Redoubt.php. There are some good pictures on the site.

Enough of volcanoes, let's talk about moose.

Tom and his wife Shirley (she doesn't hunt) prepare moose and caribou with the exact same recipe so the sampling I had was a great taste test. Moose meat is lighter in color than caribou and is milder in flavor. Caribou is more the color of beef but with a little tint of red to it and I detected a very, very slight beef liver taste to it. I preferred the moose.

Here's a picture of Tom with the moose. It was the first one he ever shot and says it will probably be the last...hunting moose is a lot of hard work because of the terrain (muddy, lot and lots of walking...).


Tom did not hunt the caribou I sampled, it was from a friend of his. When I was here last summer I had wonderful sourdough pancakes and caribou sausage at Gwenie's. Now, that was good caribou. Very low fat and very flavorful. I might have to take my caribou in sausage form from now on.

It’s “For Real” This Time

It feels as if my move to Alaska has finally occurred “for real”. Even before the initial move I knew I’d be going back to Seattle within a few weeks to train my replacement at work. I looked forward to the trip because I had plans to see a few folks one-on-one that I felt I’d missed or just not gotten enough of before I left at the beginning of February.

It was good to see folks at F22 and ABL and I am glad to have been able to spend time with AK, CK, KMK, KWK, RK, JE, EC, MH, DW, JD, BT, BR and MFR.

In addition to visiting people Kyla and I went cross-country skiing, took Ryan with us to see Manhattan Transfer at Jazz Alley and Candis and I went sledding “in the Cascades”.


Check out the videos of the sledding excursion. Candis had a flippin’ good time!

TTFN, Seattle. See you in July!

Denali in the Winter

Oh, my goodness, Denali in the winter is Beautiful!

After getting my house all set up after the move and taking one full weekend to do nothing but sleep (Feb 14) I decided it was time for a road trip. I had studded tires put on my car and headed out of town on Feb 21. The plan was to go to Talkeetna, about 2 hours northeast of Anchorage out Hwy 3, the Park Highway. Because the roads were clear, I was almost to Talkeetna before I knew it. There was still so much of the day left that I decided to continue on to Denali National Park http://www.nps.gov/dena/ to take in the Winter Celebration.

The drive was beautiful and I felt, for the first time, how it is that people who move here for a short time would want to stay for much longer. I continued adding to my mental list of things I want to make sure I do while I'm here. There were a lot of snowmobile riders along the road, a few bald eagles but mostly quiet. I didn't listen to the radio or my ipod, just enjoyed the silence and the sound of my cars studded tires on the snow.

One of the great things about doing this adventure to Alaska alone is that I don't have to consult with anyone about my plans or get buy-in. As I got closer to Denali I realized that I wouldn't have time to explore the park unless I stayed overnight somewhere so I found a little roadside motel in Healy, just 12 miles past the national park entrance. More about that later.

After entering the park I followed the signs for the Winter Celebration. It was a small event. The Murie Science and Learning Center was open as was a reception area where visitors could have food and hot chocolate. The science center is adjacent to the area where Austin and other park concessionaire employees live during the tourist season and, as things would have it, the reception area was the cafeteria where he and I had our meals during my stay with him last summer. It still smelled like a cafeteria but it brought a smile to my face and proud mom tears to my eyes remembering my time with Austin last summer. My kids have led me to some great adventures and I am so glad that Austin led me to Alaska!

After looking around the science center, I decided to visit the sled dog kennels. After getting out of my car and walking up a road "fer a piece" I heard the dogs in the distance barking a bit. Before I knew what was happening the barks became howling that slowly built up from one or two dogs to what had to have been the entire group joining in. I started fumbling my near frozen hands in my pocket to retrieve my cell phone. I wanted Ryan to hear what I was hearing. February 21 is his birthday and I thought it would be wonderful to tell him during the call, of the beauty I was experiencing and attempting to share with him. By the time I was able to get the phone and make my fingers dial (without dropping the phone in the snow), the dogs were almost finished with their song. During our conversation, Kyla and Kelley called and Ryan conferenced us all together. It was good. Kelley had ridden one of his KLRs (Austin had the other) to Alaska last summer to ride back home with Austin after the tourist season was over. That makes 3 of us having been to Alaska. Now we've got to get Kyla, Alena and Ryan up here.

The dog houses are set down into the snow about 2 feet or so. Notice how they sit on top of their houses like sentries.

After visiting the dogs there was really not much else to do because I'd not really prepared for the trip (and it was getting dark) so I went to my motel room. The town of Healy was having a winter celebration of their own which included a chili feed and art show. As small town things may go, the art show was quite small but I spent a good amount of time talking with a photographer who has been in Alaska for 20 years. She moved from New Zealand and during the summer drives a tour bus. The chili feed was small and there were a lot of people there so I made the mistake of eating at the diner that was adjacent to the motel. It was true diner food and sat very heavy in my stomach throughout the night.

One of the reasons I'd decided to stay overnight near the park was so I could possibly see the Northern Lights. I'd read that the the best time to catch them is between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. so before I fell asleep I set my alarm for 11 p.m.

I woke up when the alarm went off and looked out the window for a while. Nothing. I set my alarm for 1 a.m. I woke up when the alarm went off and looked out the window for a while. After a very short time, through the leafless trees, I saw what I can only describe as a fan of light starting from the horizon line and going up into the sky. I caught my breath...could this be it!

It was really cold and very windy outside so I wanted to be sure I was seeing what I thought I was seeing before I got all bundled up and went outside so I intently watched the sky through the trees. Ahh, it happened again! I scrambled to get dressed and bundled up. Boots, coat, hat, scarf, gloves, room key, then out the door I went. I decided it was nuts to stand out in below 10 degree weather with the wind howling so I sat in my car. What a smart lady I am...my car has a sunroof!

I sat in my car for 20 minutes and nothing more happened except that the wind kept howling and the snow kept swirling around. I'd not started the car because I didn't want to disturb people so after a while went back to my room. Once inside I went to the window to watch from the warmth of my room and I saw the fan of light again!! Every time I move my head there was a fan of light! What's going on, I wondered.

Well, didn't I feel silly and laugh out loud when I realized that the "fan of light" was caused somehow by the window itself. The snow whirling around might have added to the illusion but I certainly got a good laugh out of the whole thing. Those of you who know me won't be surprised by this event.

If I'd known, I might have prepared a little by visiting the Northern Lights forecast website: http://www.gedds.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast/. This is someone elses picture of what I didn't see:

Anyway, the next morning, just before sunrise, I left to go home. As before, the drive and scenery were wonderful.

The picture here was taken close to the Denali Park entrance. The river looks like it is frozen clean through.

The town picture is that of the boarded up shops of what is a bustling business area during the tourist season. When the season is over the street lights are turned off and the town is boarded up. There was a bit of construction going on though.

Also on the way home, several miles beyond the park entrance, I saw a couple small herds of caribou pawing in the snow for food, crossing the road and leaping through the snow. Before I realized they were caribou I was whisper narrating video on my camera saying "OK, I'm looking at a herd of moose...they're trying to find something to eat under the snow...". After I realized the animals were caribou, I felt quite stupid and didn't want anyone to ever see the video so I erased it, which was a shame because it was great footage, and decided to tell you all about it instead!

I was pulled over for close to 20 minutes, watching them.

It was a near-perfect first road trip.

I've enjoyed sharing with you!

I'm Here!

I arrived in Anchorage one week ago and began settling into my new home. It is a very small studio but is full of light and the view is as wonderful as I remember. My place is perfect for one person...I'm so glad I found it! Right now the tide in the inlet is going out at a fair clip, carrying with it large amounts of ice, there are low clouds over the Alaska Range and there is activity at the rail yard.

My commute time to work varies, depending on whether I go swimming in the morning or not. If I don't, it takes me less than 10 minutes to get to the gate at Elmendorf AFB and 10 more to my building. If I decide to go swimming I have to add 10 minutes to the commute because I have to enter the base through a 24-hour gate.

I'm having a lot of new experiences, primarily due to working at a military base. First of all, I've never been called ma'am so much in my life! Also, every morning at 7:00 a.m. (0700, for those using military time-speak) revelry is played over base loudspeakers and people are supposed to stop what they're doing and "take a moment". People are even supposed to pull over to the side of the road and stop driving! I experienced one day when I was on base at 7:00 and at 5:00 p.m. (wink...1700)when the National Anthem was played. It's actually kind of a cool tradition.

I'm learning the lay of the Anchorage and am look forward to heading out of town next weekend. This weekend, though, after all the activity in my life over the last several months, I'm staying home to catch up on sleeping, reading and cooking.