Something to Think About

If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to it.

Jonathan Winters

Thoughtful and True

I am a part of all that I have met.

Alfred Lord Tennyson

(Un)important Things

TAG! WHAT? I've been TAGGED!

This game is as easy as ABC, read on…

Rules

A. Mention the person who nominated you.

That would be AlpHa Buttonpusher at INduCed MEtaMoRphOsis
Thanks AlpHa B.

B. List six (un)important things that make you happy.

This part is very hard because everything I think of is important in it's own way. So here are some of my favorite (un)important things.

1. the breeze in my hair on a summer day
2. a drop of dew on a flower petal
3. the sound of my camera shutter as it captures the picture I see in my mind
4. the feel of sand between my toes on the beach
5. hard rock music (actually any and all music)
6. desert racing in Baja

C. Tag six blogs, state the rules & notify them with a teeny comment on their blog.

bateau de banane

untamed thoughts on ... Autism

E_M_Y Reviews

Land Surveyor, Nashville, Tn

The Rest of Your Mice

Career Changing in the Credit Crunch

It's a real bummer that I can't TAG everyone! But then looking up all of your blog URLs could take a really long time. Instead why not list your six (un)important things right here in the comment section. So . . . TAG, You're it!!!!!!!

Polychrome Pass Part II

Polychrome Pass is located inside Alaska's Denali National Park. The National Park is home to Mount McKinley or Denali which, at a height of approximately 20,320 feet, is the highest mountain peak in North America. Mount McKinley is more commonly referred to by its Athabaskan name Denali, meaning "The Great One".

Because print in the photo is way too small to read I have printed it here:

About 60 million years ago the mountain on which you stand and those across the valley were part of a low plain composed of deep beds of gravel covered by ancient plains and varied animal life. The plain was uplifted and folded into mountains. Molten rock pushed into the gravel and some poured out onto the surface as lava.
As mountain-building forces continued to push the land skyward, rushing streams stripped the slopes of most of the original sands and gravels. Some were mixed and fused by the volcanic rocks. The multi-hued lavas intrusive rocks and cemented gravels give the mountain its brilliant colors and inspired in early travelers the descriptive name "Polychrome Pass".

A Happy Thought

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!"

Robin Williams

Let Your Thoughts Flow

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.

Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.

The winds will blow their own freshness into you... while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.



John Muir

Thought for Today

If we don't change, we don't grow.

If we don't grow, we aren't really living.



Gail Sheehy

Seven Daffodils

Seven Daffodils

I do not have a mansion, and I haven't any land,
Not even one dollar to crinkle in my hand.
But I can show you morning on a thousand hills,
And kiss you and give you seven daffodils.

I do not have a fortune to buy you pretty things,
But I can weave you moonbeams for necklaces and rings,
And I can show you morning on a thousand hills,
And kiss you and give you seven daffodils.

Seven golden daffodils, all shining in the sun,
They light the way of evening, when our day is done.
And I will give you music and a crust of bread,
And a pillow of piny boughs to rest your head.

Get this widget Track details eSnips Social DNA

Seven Daffodils is an old folk song my friends and I used to sing around the campfire after we tucked the campers into bed. We would sing to lullaby the girls to sleep. One of my friends had this played at her wedding.

For some reason this song popped into my head today and just stuck there. If you want to hear it just start the player above.

Polychrome Pass, Part I

From the sign:

About 60 million years ago the mountain on which you stand and those across the valley were part of a low plain composed of deep beds of gravel covered by ancient plains and varied animal life. The plain was uplifted and folded into mountains. Molten rock pushed into the gravel and some poured out onto the surface as lava.

As mountain-building forces continued to push the land skyward, rushing streams stripped the slopes of most of the original sands and gravels. Some were mixed and fused by the volcanic rocks. The multi-hued lavas intrusive rocks and cemented gravels give the mountain its brilliant colors and inspired in early travelers the descriptive name "Polychrome Pass".

Polychrome Pass is located inside Alaska's Denali National Park & Preserve

Look Close and Think About It

Every exit is an entry somewhere.

Tom Stoppard

Your Wildest Thoughts!

You can’t experience success beyond your wildest dreams until you dare to dream something wild!

Scott Sorrell

The Arctic Tundra

Everyone talks about saving the rain forest, and I agree they need our protection, but does anyone ever mention saving the tundra?

The Arctic Tundra covers about twenty percent of our planet's surface, it is a vast treeless land primarily surrounding the North Pole. There are small tundra areas in Antarctica but because of the extreme cold the ground is usually covered with ice and snow. The ground of the arctic tundra is permanently frozen about one to three feet down so trees cannot grow there. The bare, sometimes rocky, ground supports low growing plants like mosses, lichen, and small types of willows. In the summer after the top layer of permafrost melts it is very soggy and is covered with lakes, bogs and streams.

So, you ask, why should we be worried about such a barren, desolate place?
The tundra is one of the Earth's major carbon dioxide sinks. A carbon dioxide sink is a biomass which takes in more carbon dioxide than it releases. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Usually when plants die and decompose they give off carbon dioxide but because of the short summer season in the Arctic the plants do not decompose. The remains of plants thousands of years old have been found in the tundra. Through this process the tundra traps the carbon dioxide and removes it from the atmosphere.

The tundra is a very fragile environment. So yes, let's save the rain forest but let's not forget about the tundra.

Thank you. Class dismissed, time to party.

Earth Day Thoughts

When one tugs at a single thing in nature,

he finds it attached to the rest of the world.

John Muir

I have posted more photos of Alaska Wild Flowers at Through Squirrel Eyes

Earth Day Visions

Turnagain Arm outside Anchorage Alaska

When Animals go Bad!

We have a scanner in our home to listen to the local police, fire, power utility, etc. Most of the time it is just routine chatter but once in awhile it is a bit out of the ordinary and catches my attention.

In our area power outages are frequently caused by a small animal climbing the utility pole and getting between the phases which will trip a breaker and of course the electricity stops flowing. The usual culprits are squirrels but sometimes a larger animal is to blame. Under normal circumstances the offending animal, on receiving an intense electrical shock, will be thrown off the pole but not aways. Sometimes the body must be removed.

I have a theory about the squirrels, I think they draw straws to see who will sacrifice themselves for the entertainment of the others. They like to see all the activity when the humans arrive and try to figure out what happened.

This is the conversation I heard this morning on the scanner between the local power company's dispatch office and one of their linemen.

Dispatch: This is Dispatch.

Lineman: Looks like the cause of the outage was a raccoon. It's still on the pole. I'm going up to get the body down.

Dispatch: OK, cause is a raccoon. Dispatch out.

There was a pause of about ten minutes.

Dispatch: This is Dispatch.

Lineman: Uh, . . .the . . . uh, raccoon woke up. He was not . . .uh, dead, repeat he woke up. He is . . . . uh, not very happy. I'm going to need some help, can you send a crew.

Dispatch: The raccoon is alive and you need a crew?

Lineman: That is uh, correct, I need . . . uh, help. The raccoon is angry.

Dispatch: The raccoon is angry . . . and you need a crew?

Lineman: ............uh, correct!

Dispatch: I will get a crew out to you. Dispatch out.

About thirty minutes passed.

Dispatch: This is Dispatch.

Lineman: We've been trying to get the raccoon down . . . he was very . . . uh, angry. (through all the background noise I thought I heard someone say something about "really big, sharp claws") We couldn't get near him. He finally came down on his own. Power has . . . uh, been restored.

Dispatch: Raccoon came down on his own and power has been restored?

Lineman: uh . . . correct.

Dispatch: Dispatch out.

I'm sure there was a crowd of squirrels sitting on the sideline nibbling on nuts and watching this show. All those big grown humans, with all their trucks and equipment, running around in circles and being held at bay by one raccoon!

And the raccoon? He was just looking for a quiet place to sleep.

Something to Ponder

Look deep into nature,
and then you will understand everything better.

Albert Einstein

A New Week, A New Thought

There are always flowers
for those who want to see them.

Henri Matisse

Dawson City, Yukon

There are strange things done in the midnight sun

By the men who moil for gold;

The Arctic trails have their secret tales

That would make your blood run cold;

The Northern Lights have seen queer sights,

But the queerest they ever did see

Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge

I cremated Sam McGee.

Robert Service
The Cremation of Sam McGee

In the year of 1896 gold was discovered in Rabbit Creek, an event that changed the history of the Yukon forever. The discovery triggered what was probably the world's greatest gold rush stampede. Nearly 100,000 souls descended on a muddy pasture which by 1898 would be a modern town called Dawson City.

Today it still represents the adventure and character that was the Klondike Gold Rush. The streets of this city inspired world famous authors like Jack London and the poet Robert Service.

Moving Forward

We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.

Walt Disney

Thought for Today

Every moment is an experience.

Jake Roberts

Something to Think About

Things are only impossible until they're not.

Jean-Luc Picard

The Raven Steals the Sun

The common raven is larger than his cousin the crow, he also has a heavier beak, a shaggy throat and a wedge-shaped tail.

Inuit, meaning person, is a general term for a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Alaska, Canada and Greenland.

The raven appears in many Inuit legends. One legend describes an argument between the raven and a fox. When the earth was young and light had only just been created, the fox and raven argued over the situation. The raven, who sees better in the daylight wanted sunshine all the time. The fox, one the other hand, preferred to hunt at dusk and wished for the light to go away. A compromise was reached and the time was divided into dark and light periods.

When the missionaries arrived bringing Christianity to the native peoples the legends and myths faded but are still told as part of their history.

The Raven Steals the Sun

A long time ago the Raven looked down from the sky and saw the people of the world were living in darkness, he was most distressed by this and wished to correct the situation. He knew that the Ball of Light was in the possession of a selfish old chief.

One day the chief's daughter came to the river for water. When the Raven saw this he turned himself into a spruce needle and fell into the river. The chief's daughter drank the spruce needle in the water.

She became pregnant and gave birth to a son, which was the Raven in disguise. If there had been light the mother would have seen her child had the raven's beak.

The chief and his daughter were very happy to have the small child in the house and played with him all the time. The chief, being a happy grandfather, spoiled the boy and gave him gifts.

There was a bladder which had been blown up and hung on one wall. The Raven knew the Ball of Light was inside the bladder.

One day the baby cried and pointed to the bladder. The chief gave the boy the bladder to play with so he would not cry. As soon as the Raven had the bladder he turned back into himself and carried bag up as high as he could fly and threw the Ball of Light into the sky .

From that time on, we no longer live in total darkness.

For Your Thoughts

The man who has no imagination has no wings.

Muhammad Ali

In Flight View Anchorage Alaska

NENO'S AWARD

A very wonderful surprise. Argentum Vulgaris at Tomus Arcanum has presented my little blog with Neno's Award. Thank you AV for the honor.

NENO'S AWARD

The award is:
1) a dedication for those who love blogging and love to encourage friendships through blogging.
2) to seek the reasons why we all love blogging.

Why I love blogging? I have always enjoyed writing and photography and this is a great outlet for those pleasures. But more importantly I have discovered an incredible group of people in this community who encourage creativity at every turn. Most everyone reading this know that I am having fun so I will bore you no longer by running on and on.

The aims of this award:

1)As a dedication for those who love blogging and love to encourage friendships through blogging.
2)To seek the reasons why we all love blogging.
3)Put the award in one post as soon as you receive it.
4)Don't forget to mention the person who gives you the award.
5)Answer the award's question by writing the reason why you love blogging.
6)Tag and distribute the award to as many people as you like.
7)Don't forget to notify the award receivers and put their links in your post.

I also would like to pass on the award to the following blogs:

1. Libertine @ The untamed thoughts on ...Autism
2. Christine @ Now What
3. AlpHa Buttonpusher @ Induced MetaMorphosis
4. Jenn @ Jenn's Corner Table

5. Charmine @ My Favorites
6. E_M_Y @ E_M_Y Reviews

Harbor at Seward, Alaska

Seward, Alaska is located on the Kenai Peninsula. The harbor if filled with both fishing and tour boats.

Resurrection Bay and nearby waters offer majestic glaciers and an abundance of wildlife. Nature has shaped islands, fjords, and pristine coves along the mountainous coastline. Visit Kenai Fjords National Park, one of the great beauties of America's national park system. Shorter tours of the waters closer to home offer sea lion sightings and rookeries. You will see colorful puffins and curious otters , maybe even a Humpback or Killer Whale (Orca).

Something to Think About

Trust that little voice in your head that says "Wouldn't it be interesting if...";
And then do it.

Duane Michals

Noblesse Oblige Award

What a wonderful surprise, my little blog has received the Noblesse Oblige Award. And it was presented to me by fellow blogger and loyal supporter, Libertine.

It was a little less than a month ago that I first met Libertine through her blog The untamed thoughts on ...Autism. Her spirit and passion captured my heart on the first read. Her writing style will draw you in and wrap you up in the words. I encourage all to visit The untamed thoughts on ...Autism. Libertine has been honored with the Noblesse Oblige Award.

The recipient of this award is recognized for the following:

1) The Blogger manifests exemplary attitude, respecting the nuances that pervades amongst different cultures and beliefs.
2) The Blog contents inspire; strives to encourage and offers solutions.
3) There is a clear purpose at the Blog; one that fosters a better understanding on Social, Political, Economic, the Arts, Culture and Sciences and Beliefs.
4) The Blog is refreshing and creative.
5) The Blogger promotes friendship and positive thinking.

The Blogger who receives this award will need to perform the following steps:
1) Create a Post with a mention and link to the person who presented the Noblesse Oblige Award.
2) The Award Conditions must be displayed at the Post.
3) Write a short article about what the Blog has thus far achieved – preferably citing one or more older post to support.
4) The Blogger must present the Noblesse Oblige Award in concurrence with the Award conditions.
5) Blogger must display the Award at any location at the Blog.

The Road to Here, what has it achieved up to this time? I would like to believe it has opened a few minds to new thoughts and ideas. I hope it has created a few smiles. My wish is for it to spark creativity in others. I believe it has grown from a simple collection of stories to a dialogue with my fellow bloggers.

Alaska's Portage Glacier, April 13, 2009
Tranquility Precedes Chaos April 8, 2009
Camp Dexter April 2, 2009
A Lesson in Persistence April 2, 2009
Ulu, March 25, 2009

I am passing the Noblesse Oblige Award to:

1) RoRofusion: Such a delightful mixture of recipes, crafts, photos all rolled together with wit and wisdom. I always look forward to her Thought for the Week.
2) When I am Rich: Lots of fun, a little quirky, always upbeat and inspiring. Should be a must read for all.
3) My Blog Around The Corner: By The Blogger Around gives us poetry, music, photography and lots of fun.
4) .TUNING: .sarilicious (Sarah) provides a peek into her life through a mixture of color and words. She will dazzle your senses and might even teach you a thing or two.
5) DQ's Windmill: Donna gives us music, humor, maybe a cup of tea all with a touch of Zen. You will always feel welcome when you visit.

Thought for Today

Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.

Carl Sagan

Alaska's Portage Glacier

Portage Glacier is located in the Chugach National Forest on the Kenai Peninsula. Glaciers are formed from compacted layers of snow and they move in response to gravity and pressure. I have always been fascinated by these slow-moving ice giants.

The photos you see here were taken in the mid eighties when the glacier's face was much closer to the visitors center. Those big chucks of ice you see are icebergs from the glacier. If you look at the last photo the glacier is visible on the right hand side just above the parked cars.

Over the years the face of the glacier has retreated and now the only way to get to it is to drive further up along the lake and take one of the sightseeing boats. Glaciers are monitors of climate conditions and highly sensitive to climate change.

Please forgive the quality of the photos, these are from old 35mm slides that have traveled all up and down the West Coast. I have tried to enhance them as much as possible.

Fantasy of the Flowers

Thoughts of Spring

If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom,
maybe your soul has never been in bloom.

Audra Foveo

A Simple Thought

Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn’t know you left open.

John Barrymore

With Nature Be

Walk along the river bank, listen to the trees sing softly in the gentle breeze, allow your mind to wander and be free.

The SquirrelQueen's New Blog

Everyone who has followed me for awhile knows I really enjoy photography. I am by no means a professional photographer, I just know what I like when I see it through my camera's viewfinder.

I have started a second blog with photos I have taken in the past and those I am doing now. I always love to hear you comments and suggestions. The link is below and there is also a link on the right hand side of this page.

Through Squirrel Eyes

Thank You,
SQ

Something to Think About

Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet.

Roger Miller

Nature Endures

Look what I found in the middle of one of my flower beds. I having been raking leaves, pulling weeds and generally trying reclaim the beds from winter's wraith. Not only is there a thick layer of mulch but underneath that is a layer of weed guard. It had to be a struggle but this little fella worked his way through and presented his lovely colors for all to view.

Thought for Today

The most effective way to do it, is to do it.

Amelia Earhart

The North is not Always Frozen

Most of the Alaska photos I have posted here have probably convinced you that it really is the frozen North. Parts of Alaska are quite nice during the summer months. The Matanuska Valley is a large agricultural area growing a variety of vegetables.

A friend of a friend took me for a flight over Anchorage. The city's population at that time was about 230.000 which was a little less than half the state's population.

Tranquility Precedes Chaos

Thought for Today

Nothing is as real as a dream. The world can change around you, but your dream will not. Responsibilities need not erase it. Duties need not obscure it. Because the dream is within you, no one can take it away.

Tom Clancy

Memories of Nome

Just a few random memories from the trip to Nome, Alaska and a week at Camp Dexter.

A River of Fish: I was out gathering firewood, no trees but lots of shrubs to provide some wood, and walked down to the lower part of the stream. You've heard people say "it was so thick you could walk across" well I have never seem so many fish in such a small area. Swimming side by side, bumping, pushing against each other and fighting their way along. This was not a very deep stream so the top layer of fish were swimming half out of the water. Incredible sight.

Walking on the Tundra: We did a lot of hiking around the surrounding area exploring for as long as the light of day would allow. We saw gold dredges abandon to the elements. We came across a mine shaft and, had it not been for the fact we had a group of children with us, we probably would have explored it further. I remember the terrain was soft as we walked and filled with small flowers.

Bear Alert: We had been told a mother brown bear and her cubs had been seem near our camp. Anytime we were outside we would keep a careful watch. What I did not tell you about our camp was that we had no running water. We had volunteers who would bring us supplies along with drinking/cooking water. As for little things like washing our faces or brushing our teeth we relied on a nearby stream (a different smaller one than where I saw the fish). I remember we would take the girls down to the stream before bedtime so they could wash up. As they brushed their teeth we stood at a slightly higher point a few feet away and kept bear watch. Fortunately we had no problems.

The Helicopter and the Mystery Cargo: Towards the end of the week on a really foggy, overcast day we were out walking. We the noise of a helicopter just overhead. About that time the fog cleared briefly, most likely from the wind produced by the helicopter blades. What we saw was the helicopter with a very large cage suspending from a cable. Between the fog, the whoop, whoop of the helicopter, and at that time a somewhat remote location it was a very eerie experience. Never did find out for certain but I'm reasonably sure they were relocating a brown bear that was getting a little too close to the local area. If not your quess is as good as mine.

The cast and crew of Camp Dexter July 1984 outside Nome, Alaska.

Thought for Today

We need not to be let alone. We need to be really bothered once in a while. How long is it since you were really bothered? About something important, about something real?

Ray Bradbury
Fahrenheit 451, 1953

Blonde Moment Revisited

Did you know that the University of Paris X-Nanterre has done a study regarding the effect of blonde females on the male of the species? You would think there would be more important subjects they could research but, whatever.

In this study the researchers found that a man's mental performance drops when he encounters a fair haired female. The men in the study were given general knowledge test before and after viewing photos of a variety of women. The researchers found that after seeing photos of blondes the test scores dropped.

The scientists concluded that the men's mental performance drops because they believe they are dealing with someone who is less intelligent. In other words, they were unconsciously driven to "think blonde".

So does this mean if my husband makes a mistake he can blame my blondness? If he does something really, really stupid could it be that my blonde tresses caused it?

If he is cleaning a gun after a conversation with me and shoots himself in the foot, did my hair do that?

When this study becomes general knowledge will men all over the world rush out to find a blonde so that when they get stupid they will have someone other than themselves to blame?

Wait, I just had a thought (OK, I know I really opened myself up for all the jokes with that comment).

My blonde sisters, do you realize what this means? We can take over the world.


All we have to do is infiltrate male dominated corporations, countries, etc.and talk to the men in charge. Then while they are doing really stupid things we step in and take control. Ooh, think how easy it would be!

The so totally cool blonde-inhabited Scandinavian countries might present a challenge but we will just invite all of them to join our cause.

Maybe we could get a spokes person for our cause, no a spokes blonde, someone famous, maybe Paris Hilton or Jessica Simpson.

Blondes unite, world domination is possible!


I want to thank our fellow blogger Mags for providing the article about this research. Be sure to check out his blog at http://fromnewyorktoyou.blogspot.com/

Thought for Today

You can't have a light without a dark to stick it in.

Arlo Guthrie US Folksinger

640K ??

640K ought to be enough for anybody.

Bill Gates, 1981

I saw an ad today for one of the new 1Terabyte hard drives. I glanced over at the little Mac SE on the shelf next to my current computer. This one came from a yard sale several years ago but it is the same model as the first computer I ever used back in the mid eighties. At that time I thought it was the greatest thing since, well I'm not sure what that would be but it was great. I could not believe how much information it would hold. And at the time, before Internet by the way, I thought it did everything very fast.

Fast forward to the present time. I have a little flash drive on my key chain with more memory than my first three computer's hard drives combined.

The computer I am using now has a Core2 duo cpu, mega RAM, a 1GB video card and it is connected to a cable modem. I think it, click the mouse, and I am there. But what is a little disturbing is that my current system (and we built this one less than a year ago) is already obsolete.

It is never enough. I want it all and I want it now.

I want a computer to have more memory, be faster, and take up less space. I want tomorrow's technology today (or when the prices get low enough that I can afford it and still be able to buy groceries).

In 1981 Bill Gates said 640K ought to be enough for anyone.
Let's see, if
1024 Kilobytes = 1 Megabyte

1024 Megabytes = 1 Gigabytes

1024 Gigabytes = 1 Terabyte

1024 Terabytes = 1 Petabyte
etc.

640K should be enough? Sorry to tell you Bill, but you were wrong. Of course you've figured that out by now. Now if you could just do something about Vista.

Thought for Today

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity.


Albert Einstein

Save as Draft

I went into my Posting file to work on a story I started earlier today and looked at the long list of stories sitting in the file. About half have been published and you can read them here on my blog. The other half are still in the "draft" mode. Save as Draft

Some of them I have edited and I'm just not happy with what I have written. Some I started and they are still sitting there, no changes, nothing.
Am I the only one who has what sounds like a really great idea for a story then writes a few lines, no it's just not right, and saves? Save as Draft

Am I the only one who rewrites a story over and over again until it bears no resemblance to my original thoughts?

Am I the only one starts a story but stops in mid sentence Save as Draft then comes back in two days only to write a few words and then save it again?

Am I the only one who edits and then reedits until the words turn into a blur before my eyes? Still not pleased, so you say you will get to it later?

Am I the only one who gets a story to the point where I think it is ready for the world to see, has the mouse arrow poised about the "Publish Post" button and then my finger freezes and will not click the mouse button?
Save as Draft

Are there hundreds, or thousands, of stories floating around in the vast void of Blogger space?

Think of all the lonely written words, think how abandoned they must feel. Do we care? Do we visit them? Do we give them any hope of being published? Do we? Think about it! Do we? Save as Draft

I am calling all my fellow bloggers to join in the effort to set the words free!

Go to your Posting file now and release all those lonely stories. Release them from their drafty prison. Set them Free! Free! Save as Draft

Thought for Today

Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.


Napoleon Bonaparte 1769-1821

The Bunnies Attack

In our last episode I had arrived in Nome, Alaska. I was there to work at Camp Dexter which was about ten miles north of Nome.

When our campers arrived we took them on a quick tour showing them the mess hall and their sleeping quarters. Dexter was a Girl Scout Camp so we would be doing some of the usual scout activities. One of those activities would be flag ceremonies. We taught the girls all the proper etiquette involved with raising and lowering a flag. We planned to start and end each day at the flag pole. We would do the pledge of allegiance, maybe sing a song or two, and take care of any announcements that need to be made.

On the second morning we were having our ceremony and things were going smoothly, so far. The flag had been raised, pledge said, and we were now talking about the activities planned for the day. I was telling them about the hike we would be taking and what they needed to bring when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a movement.

This is brown bear territory and we had gotten word that a mama bear and her cubs had been seen in our area. Needless to say no movement near the camp went unnoticed.

Again I saw something but before I could turn around one of the girls started to giggle. I looked around and a very large rabbit, or rather a hare, was hopping towards us. Not too far behind him was a second one. They were very big with large hind legs and huge back feet.

There are two types of hares in Alaska, the snowshoe and the Alaskan hare, or tundra hare, which is common on the Western coast of Alaska. The Alaskan hare is larger than the snowshoe and weighs from 6 to 12 pounds and is 22 to 28 inches in length. The "snowshoe" name comes from the large hind feet which adapts them for the deep winter snows. Being summer these hares were brown but come winter their coats would turn white.

Do you know the difference in a rabbit and a hare? A rabbit is born blind and hairless while a hare is born fully furred with eyes open. A newborn rabbit will not even open it's eyes for 7 to 10 days, a newborn hare is able hop and leave the nest almost immediately.

We watched the tundra hares until they hopped out of sight. Then we spent most of our time on the hike trying to find tracks with the hope of seeing more of them.

Thought for Today

Don't worry about the world coming to an end today.

It's already tomorrow in Australia.


Charles M. Schulz 1922-2000

Camp Dexter

Camp Dexter is about 10 miles north of Nome. The photo above is of the entire camp. Three Quonset huts, a flag pole, and latrines. You can tell from the sign at the entrance that the weather here is a little harsh.

We arrived the day before the kids to get things set up and learn the lay of the land, so to speak. There would be three of us there for the week. We had a volunteer acting as a cook, and myself and Lisa.

When we met Lisa and I realized we were both camp directors. Now the director of a camp deals mainly with logistics and day to day operations and for that reason doesn't get a lot of time with the children. But pulling from our days as actual camp counselors we put our heads together and came up with a good lists of activities for the week. We will survive.

There were three Quonset huts. For those not familiar with Quonset huts and to save a little typing I pulled this from Wikipedia:

In 1941 the US Navy needed an all-purpose, lightweight building that could be shipped anywhere and assembled without skilled labor. The George A. Fuller construction company was selected to manufacture them. The first was produced within 60 days of contract award.
The original design was a 16 by 36 ft (5 by 11 m) structure framed with steel members with an 8 ft (2.4 m) radius. The sides were corrugated steel sheets. The two ends were covered with plywood, which had doors and windows. The interior was insulated and had pressed wood lining and a wood floor. The building could be placed on concrete, on pilings, or directly on the ground with a wood floor.

The middle Quonset hut was the mess hall and was set up with tables, chairs, a wood stove and a big table to prepare the food. Our cook would sleep here so she could get an early start on breakfast each morning.

Another of the huts was filled with cots and also had a wood stove. This is where our campers would live.

The third one was empty and we decided that's where the two of us would sleep. We finished getting everything ready and finished up the week's schedule. Since the kids would be arriving early the next day we thought we better get some sleep. Both of us were experienced backpackers and had done our share of camping in cold weather. We both had mummy bags with low temperature ratings. We would sleep warm tonight. But then how cold can it get, it is July?

Did I mention that this Quonset hit did not have a wood stove for heat. That's important because even though a sleeping bag will keep you warm at some point you have to get out of the bag. The next morning when I woke up and crawled out of the bag . . . it was bloody COLD. It's so cold I can see my breath. We grabbed shoes and jackets and retreated to the mess hall.

Standing in front of the wood stove with mugs of hot coffee we revised our plans. One of us would sleep in the mess hall with the cook and help with breakfast and the other in with the kids. Being in with the kids meant we would have to build a fire and make sure the girls were warm. We decided to take turns and switch places each night.

We have now learned our first valuable lesson. The two big bad camp directors from the lower 48 are not quite as tough as they though they were. Even our long list of credentials didn't quite prepare us for Nome. But we will survive.

Our campers will be arriving soon.

A Lesson in Persistence

An update on the daffodils. I posted a photo earlier showing them before they bloomed. In the time since I took that shot these little guys have been covered by snow, pounded by rain and hail, and subjected to high winds. But here they are in full bloom. Way to go!

Thought for the Day

`The time has come,' the Walrus said,
`To talk of many things:
Of shoes -- and ships -- and sealing-wax --
Of cabbages -- and kings --
And why the sea is boiling hot --
And whether pigs have wings.'

Lewis Carroll
Through the Looking-Glass

Destination Nome

North to Alaska

"Where the river is winding,

Big nuggets they're finding.

North to Alaska,

North, the rush is on."

If you want to get to Nome you have to fly there. Located on the Seward Peninsula in northwestern Alaska, Nome is the center of transportation, commerce and government for the area. The main industries are gold mining and tourism.

The city of Nome is at sea level and surrounded by rolling hills of tundra. Even though it is filled with a variety of wildflowers, berries and other plants the landscape is primarily treeless because of the permafrost.

In the summer of 1898 gold was discovered on Anvil Creek. By the winter news of the discovery had reached the outside world and the next year Nome had a population of 10,000. Also in 1899, gold was found in the beach sands along the coast at Nome which brought thousands more to try their luck. In 1900 a tent city was erected on the beaches. The Gold Rush was on.

Legendary lawman and gunfighter Wyatt Earp was among the thousands to arrive in Nome at that time. It is said he and his wife Josie came to "mine the miners".

Over the years most of the gold rush era buildings have been destroyed by storms and fires.

When I arrived in Nome in July 1984 one of the first things I noticed was all the small tents set up on the beach. It seems folks are still looking for gold in that black sand.


The streets are not paved and the sidewalks are wooden, it was a little like stepping back into the Wild West. I stood in front of one of the building and could almost visualize Wyatt and Josie strolling along these very streets.

Almost like being in the Wild West execpt there were cars and trucks everywhere. Even though you have to fly into Nome there are about 300 miles of roads winding through the countryside. One of those roads is the Nome-Taylor Road which tomorrow will take us to Camp Dexter.

Does anyone else have "North to Alaska" stuck in their head?

Sunny Patch of Flowers

Just some pretty flowers to brighten up the day.