Interesting Photo Gallery

I came across this photo gallery today... TMZ is not a site I frequent, but I thought this was interesting. It's a lot of stars I remember from when I was a kid (and several I don't) and it shows what they look like now.

Earthquake

Yesterday apparently there was an earthquake. John and I were at dinner. It was apparently a 5.0 near us. It felt like someone was walking heavily. Since our waiter was approaching, we figured it was just stomping... hmmmm, I guess it's good it wasn't scary.

My School

Today I went to visit my new school, Willow Crest Elementary School-- home of the Willing Wolverines. (The picture above is of the front of the school... obviously taken in winter.)

I was able to meet my new principal, Kristina Peterson, and was pleased with the impression. It was a brief visit--mostly to meet Kristina, see my classroom, and try to pick up some teacher's editions. The classroom has a wall of windows and a partial wall of coat hooks ;) I'm excited for the year ahead!

All In

Well, I must be living here now ;) All of my boxes have finally arrived! So now I'm just unpacking...

Comments Issue

Thanks everyone for commenting! It makes this a lot more fun for me... and I feel like I'm keeping in closer touch :) Thanks!

There is apparently an issue with the comments posting, however. I'm not sure what's going on, but in some cases the number of comments is wrong-- and comments are disappearing. So, please keep commenting and, if your comments disappear... hmmm, I'm not sure what to do... Anyone?

Being Safe with Bears and Moose

Critters in Alaska are BIG... okay, well, bears and moose are big. They're not just big... they are huge!! I figured I better figure out how to stay safe around these (not so gentle) giants. (Although, to be fair, I haven't seen one yet that isn't stuffed.) This also has safety information about being in nature in Alaska.

I found the following safety information at Kenai Peninsula.org

Safety

Common sense and respect for wildlife will keep most wildlife viewers safe; however, the Kenai offers opportunities to have closer wildlife encounters than intended and to find oneself in wild lands within a short distance of well-traveled highways. Investing a few minutes before heading out to review this safety information may help you to be better prepared to avoid uncomfortable or even dangerous situations.

Safety in Bear Country ALL OF THE KENAI IS BEAR COUNTRY Most people who see a bear in the wild consider it a highlight of their trip. The presence of these majestic creatures is a reminder of how privileged we are to share some of the country’s dwindling wilderness. Bears are curious, intelligent and potentially dangerous animals, but undue fear of bears can endanger both bears and people. Respecting bears and learning proper behavior in their territory will help so that neither you nor the bears will suffer needlessly. Keep the following "bear facts" in mind: BEARS DON’T LIKE SURPRISES If you are hiking through bear country, make your presence known—especially where the terrain or vegetation makes it hard to see. Make noise, sing, talk loudly or tie a bell to your pack. If possible, travel with a group. Groups are noisier and easier for bears to detect. Avoid thick brush. If you can’t, try to walk with the wind at your back so your scent will warn bears of your presence. Contrary to popular belief, bears can see almost as well as people, but trust their noses much more than their eyes or ears. Always let bears know you are there. Bears, like humans, use trails and roads. Don’t set up camp close to a trail they might use. Detour around areas where you see or smell carcasses of fish or animals, or see scavengers congregated. A bear’s food may be there and if the bear is nearby, it may defend the cache aggressively.

DON’T CROWD BEARS Give bears plenty of room. Some bears are more tolerant than others, but everybear has a personal "space" — the distance within which a bear feels threatened. If you stray within that zone, a bear may react aggressively. When photographing bears, use long lenses; getting close for a great shot could put you inside the danger zone. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS: WHAT TO DO If you see a bear, avoid it if you can. Give the bear every opportunity to avoid you. If you do encounter a bear at close distance, remain calm. Attacks are rare. Chances are, you are not in danger. Most bears are interested only in protecting food, cubs, or their "personal space." Once the threat is removed, they will move on. Remember the following: Identify Yourself Let the bear know you are human. Talk to the bear in a normal voice. Wave your arms. Help the bear recognize you. If a bear cannot tell what you are, it may come closer or stand on its hind legs to get a better look or smell. A standing bear is usually curious, not threatening. You may try to back away slowly diagonally, but if the bear follows, stop and hold your ground.

Female bears can be fierce defenders of their young. Getting between a female and her cubs is a serious mistake. A female bear may respond aggressively to any threat she perceives to her cubs.

Don’t Run: You can’t outrun a bear. They have been clocked at speeds up to 35 mph, and like dogs, they will chase fleeing animals. Bears often make bluff charges, sometimes to within 10 feet of their adversary, without making contact. Continue waving your arms and talking to the bear. If the bear gets too close, raise your voice and be more aggressive. Bang pots and pans. Use noisemakers. Never imitate bear sounds or make a high-pitched squeal. If Attacked If a bear actually makes contact, you have two choices: play dead or fight back. The best choice depends on whether the bear is reacting defensively or is seeking food. Play dead if you are attacked by a brown bear you have surprised, encountered on a carcass, or any female bear that seems to be protecting cubs. Lie flat on your stomach, or curl up in a ball with your hands behind your neck. Typically, a bear will break off its attack once it feels the threat has been eliminated. Remain motionless for as long as possible. If you move, and the bear sees or hears you, it may return and renew its attack. Rarely, lone black or brown bears may perceive a person as potential food. Fight any bear that follows you or breaks into a tent or building. Fight any black bear regardless of circumstances. In most cases, bears are not a threat, but they do deserve your respect and attention. When traveling in bear country, keep alert and enjoy the opportunity to see these magnificent animals in their natural habitat.

BEARS ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO EAT Bears have only about six months to build up fat reserves for their long winter hibernation. Don’t let them learn human food or garbage is an easy meal. It is both foolish and illegal to feed bears, either on purpose or by leaving food or garbage that attracts them. Cook away from your tent. Store all food away from your campsite. Hang food out of reach of bears if possible. If no trees are available, store your food in airtight or specially designed bear-proof containers. Remember, pets and their food may also attract bears. Keep a clean camp. Wash your dishes. Avoid smelly food like bacon and smoked fish. Keep food smells off your clothing. Burn garbage completely in a hot fire and pack out the remains. Food and garbage are equally attractive to a bear so treat them with equal care. Burying garbage is a waste of time. Bears have keen noses and are great diggers. If a bear approaches while you are fishing, stop fishing. If you have a fish on your line, don’t let it splash. If that’s not possible, cut your line. If a bear learns it can obtain fish just by approaching fishermen, it will return for more.

Safety in Moose Country Moose are common year-round throughout the Kenai Peninsula. In addition to roaming the backcountry, they often venture into towns—where they munch on ornamental trees, stroll down suburban streets, and bed down beside houses. Local residents have learned to live with and (usually) enjoy the presence of these magnificent critters. Moose are not inherently aggressive. However, an angry or frightened moose—weighing hundreds of pounds and equipped with a repertoire of powerful kicks and stomps—can be a lethal force. Each year in Alaska, more people are injured by moose than by bears. Enjoying moose safely means understanding some basic rules of etiquette.

Give moose plenty of space—at least 100 feet. When you encounter a moose, make sure both you and the animal have options for a digni- fied, safe retreat.

• Give moose plenty of space—at least 100 feet. When you encounter a moose, make sure both you and the animal have options for a dignified, safe retreat. • If a moose doesn’t yield as you approach, give it the trail. • Never get between a cow moose and her calf. • Watch carefully for signs that a moose is upset: if t raises its hackles (the hairs on the top of its shoulders), pins its ears back like an angry horse, or licks its lips repeatedly, you’re too close. Back away slowly, keeping your eye on the animal. • If you are charged by a moose, keep a tree or other large object between yourself and the animal. If you are in the open, run away—moose do not usually chase for very far.

Although it’s not nearly as remote as some regions of Alaska, the Kenai Peninsula is a much "wilder" driving experience than many are accustomed to. Many roads—even the major highways—are narrow, steep, and winding. Some sections have no services for dozens of miles. Weather conditions, especially in fall, winter and spring, can change quickly and dramatically, and roads can be extremely icy or snowy in the cold seasons. To ensure a safe trip, plan ahead. Familiarize yourself with your route ahead of time, and carry good maps. It’s a good idea to bring along an emergency kit that includes food, warm clothes, some sort of signal device, and first aid materials. A cell phone can be a lifesaver, but be aware that cell phone coverage is not uniform on the peninsula. If you’re traveling in winter, add a shovel, blankets, ice scraper and extra warm clothes to your kit.

In response to a claim that this offered "too much information" I truncated out the "Ways to Die of Hypothermia and Giardia".

Happy 4th of July!

FROM JULY 4TH, 9:13AM

Happy Independence Day to all! I hope this finds you well.

We are enjoying the cool :) --if not the drizzly weather :(

I'm a big fireworks fan. I love to see them on the 4th of July, and the fact that it's not 100+ outside is a definite perk to enjoying them.

Of course, currently the sun sets at 11:35pm-- and that is "setting" in the most liberally applied sense--it sets to twilight. So, how do you have fireworks in the land of the midnight sun?! You have a midnight fireworks show!!

. . .

Last night we (John and I, Joe from law school, and Brian the intern) went to Eagle River. This is a city about 10 miles north of Anchorage. Up at Eagle River we grabbed dinner and then headed to Lions Park (not the critter, the people).

We arrived at about 9:30pm-- found a parking spot (we were pleased with ourselves) and began checking out the festival. There were 6 historic army vehicles, which were especially interesting since Joe is in JAG and previously served in the army. He gave us the running commentary. Then, we looked at the 6 food booths... found the one dessert place and lined up. We got a funnel cake (cooked in a cast iron skillet, yum) and settled on the grass. Now it was about 10:10pm... hmmm, now what? They had a sky diving demonstration (John called it a parachuting demonstration, since there was very little diving) and then... nothing.

In Arizona, fireworks are illegal... for good reason. They are highly flammable (one time at the fireworks show in Payson, Mom and Dad had to climb in the passenger's side of the jeep to drive our car away from the ember-caused fire on the driver's side of the car). They are dangerous (as all the public service announcements when I was a kid illustrated-- you don't want to lose a finger, do you?). And, the little known aspect, they are OBNOXIOUS in the hands of teenagers. Since fireworks are illegal in Arizona, if someone uses a sparkler (awesome), he/she is discreet. Here, where they are legal, you have kids throwing these snap packs (I'm not sure what they're called... they look like CapriSun packages. They explode and make a loud popping noise.) near everyone. What the *#@? (Don't bother to figure it out-- I didn't actually have a three letter curse word in mind... can't even think of one... was just trying to really make my point... you know?) Seriously?? Where are these kids' parents? I couldn't decide if I was being very logical or really old. Hmmm. I almost got out my whistle.

Needless to say, by 10:45pm I was done sitting on the grass watching overly indignant preteens spraying silly string at each other (and innocent bystanders, like Brian).

When I was a kid, my dad always wanted to leave sporting events early... to avoid the traffic. I never got it! I mean, we watched the whole game, and now, with 2 minutes left, you want to go?? That said... some part of Dad has sunk in. While I never really leave games early (unless I just want to leave), I have absorbed this sixth sense for parking-debacles-yet-to-come.

So, around 10:48pm, I began to get squirmy... not just tired of the teenagers, but thinking of our car at the back of the park's parking lot off the 1 main street in and out of the town.

By 10:55pm, we were packed up. We didn't want to completely abandon ship (that would be lame), so we walked up the hill to the Wal-Mart. (Notably, this Wal-Mart is on a hill overlooking a park and a beautiful mountain and is stylized in Arts and Crafts. Not your average Wal-Mart... we were all impressed. Big excitement up here.) There we bought Yahtzee and some cards. We figured we could play a game. When we left, the boys, but mostly Brian, tried to convince me the Wal-Mart slope was the ideal place to watch the fireworks. But there was the niggling fear of getting trapped in the parking lot... not in the prison-sense, but the "this is taking too long"sense.

We headed back to the car and onto the main road (aptly named Eagle River Road). About 10 cars were pulled off on the side of the road... right there. My parking beacon said this was the answer. So, we sat on the side of the highway above a glorified ditch. It was a perfect place to see the fireworks. It was a fun show. The weather was cool and the drizzle picked up right as the show ended. Can't ask for much more... plus, I got my first Alaska State Bird bite ;)

Happy 4th of July! I miss you.

PICTURES: fireworks from the side of the road (top left); John, Joe, and Brian--from front to back (top right); view of the festival from our seat on the blanket (middle left); view from the Wal-Mart (bottom right)

Sourdough

Sourdough is important here.

The bread has wide availability... more so than anywhere else I've been. (I would have thought San Francisco would win!)

Sourdough is also a term for people who were born and live in Alaska. So, you see a lot of reference to Sourdoughs or things with "Sourdough" in their names. Now for a bit of history-- Originally, Sourdough was a term given to veteran prospectors from Alaska or Northern Canada during the gold rush. They were so called because they used sourdough to make bread in the prospecting camps. Kinda cool, huh?

Anyway, I picked John up for lunch today. We went to Peggy's, which is a diner well known for its pies. (They have like 20 pie options... a big deal if you're not (and don't have) Marie Callendar's.) We decided to have breakfast. John and I got 2 dishes and split both. We first had chicken fried steak. I'd never had it, but liked it. Their gravy was good; so, I'm thinking they might have tasty biscuits and gravy. The second dish was... get this... sourdough pancakes! Craziness!! I've never even heard of sourdough pancakes. I love sourdough bread and was super excited. ... YUCK!! They were disgusting!! They were sourdough. To begin with, they were chewy (like couldn't cut them with a fork... imagine a pancake you couldn't ply apart with a fork!!), but they were also truly sour-- not like sour cream, but like Sour Patch Kids. Ugh! It makes me quake and my stomach turn to think of it. So, I tried adding syrup, thinking the sweetness would cover it up (doesn't it always?). Instead the syrup just made the sour seem more sour. So, the verdict is DO NOT try sourdough pancakes... unless you're not hungry! When we were leaving, I noticed their marquee (the kind with the snap-on letters) had sou ugh pancakes-- read to me: So, you UGH pancakes!!

A way cooler blog...

I really wanted sweet potato fries tonight. (We ended up at The New Peanut Farm. It was a neat Sports Bar... not quite Zips, but the booths had personal tvs. They also had 40 beers on tap--more on beer in another post. We sat inside, because it was a bit chilly. They seemed to have a pretty creekside area though.) In my search for sweet potato fries in Anchorage, I came across this other blog, which is way more interesting!!! It's called Anchorage Gourmet, and it's very cool if you want to check it out. I'm definitely going to try cooking the sweet potato fries and possibly the porkchops. I'll keep you "posted".

Grocery Carts

Okay, my confession... I don't put my cart back in that corral-thing. I don't-- unless it's close, like really close.

That doesn't fly here. No one has come to beat me up or anything, but EVERYbody else puts their carts back. Alright, maybe not everyone, but 90% of people here put their carts back. It's unreal... and the peer pressure continues!! So now, I am a cart-put-er-backer.

It'll be interesting to see what happens in the winter!

Speaking of winter, I think all the salt and snow takes a toll on the carts. Most carts here (except the cool plastic ones at target) have some rusting, especially by the wheels and are actually even more rickety than the carts in Arizona.

Alaska Points Score Board

As of July 8th at 9:52pm--

ALASKA POINTS SCORE BOARD:

Tracy-- 60 points
Dad-- 40 points
Mom-- 200 points
Andrew-- 40 points
Kyle-- 312 points (over-achiever)
Margo--30 points
Amelia-- 30 points (10 for post plus 20 for opening an interstate point market)
Wanda-- 40 points
Sandy-- 20 points
Erin-- 30 points
Andrea--10 points
Kerry--30 points
Chris-- 10 points

Fire Island Yumminess

This bakery, Fire Island Bread, is nearby our house. It's very tasty. We've tried muffins, scones, and danishes... they've all been delicious, if not a bit pricey. If you visit us, we can take you there. (That's a bribe.)

Best Shoes Ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Most of you probably know that my feet are constantly at odds with shoes. I often wonder, "Why do shoes hate me?"

When I came up here, I wore flip flops (good plane shoes). In the frenzy to leave, I forgot about other shoes. When I got into my bag, I found I had tennis shoes (good, but not for going somewhere nice) and winter boots. Hmmmm... not great options. So, I went to Fred Meyer (yes, there are other options; I was there shopping). I found some Keds (leather, so no repeat of the canvas shoe fiasco of 2003). I also found some sandals. I tried on a few: Tevas, Nevados, etc.

I chose Nevados-- and they are awesome. I got the "Focus Sandal". They are squishy and supportive. They have a soft layer that hits your foot on the inside of the suedey part. I love slipping them on to go out to the garbage; but, I can also go jogging in them. The only bad thing is that they're a little too big... I got 8's, but probably needed 7's. They only have full sizes and, at least these, were a little big.

They also have hiking boots; so, I'm totally going to avail myself of those too :)

Sorry to be a walking ad (he he--walking), but they're so great!

62 degrees and a Tank Top

You will not believe it. It's 62 degrees in Anchorage today... okay, that part you should believe... but, I'm wearing a tank top!! It feels so nice :) It's breezy and brisk, but in the sun a tank top is just right.

People here are saying they wish they could have more warmth... that it's not summer without heat. Ha! I say... I'm not missing 110 degrees one bit. (There's lots I do miss, but the temperature is not one of them.)

John says I'll understand the lure of heat when it gets to December. Hmmm, probably true... but for now, I'm loving the weather.

The Apartment: Still no pictures, but...

Aside from the fact that I managed to incorrectly use at least 2 punctuation marks in the title, this post is the layout of our apartment. We are the downstairs unit in a 2 story house. The 2 stories are completely separate. (So, what's shown here is all ours-- there's another "apartment" above us.) I still don't have pictures (though I'm optimistic one of these boxes will have my USB cable), but did a completely non-scaled (yep, amazingly the bathroom isn't larger than the guest bedroom) depiction of the apartment's layout. Hopefully this helps you picture where we're living. I'm currently in the living room if you need me to be really specific. ;)