tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85367194619763919752024-03-05T01:41:57.492-09:00Samara and Aaron's Alaskan AdventureUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger188125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536719461976391975.post-48002414111179021232010-05-08T23:41:00.001-08:002010-05-08T23:53:18.391-08:00May in AlaskaThe updates are coming fewer and fewer. Sorry. That doesn't mean it's not still an adventure here in Alaska.<br /><br />How's the temperature where you are? Today it reached 70 degrees. And you know what it looked like outside?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvuudHMtCHzdj_tVtyGWruYBZbUVE6_geGGc3XzBFzzBnFYn1hyphenhyphenoqMUMkM4rNwSMXINUHs9e5NHJXrLNIjZ-mnvUuwiadPEmtAI7y23NfxcFoGBgNfJ1TUfol37KQqWKZ6tgb4K18slK88/s1600/still-snow1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvuudHMtCHzdj_tVtyGWruYBZbUVE6_geGGc3XzBFzzBnFYn1hyphenhyphenoqMUMkM4rNwSMXINUHs9e5NHJXrLNIjZ-mnvUuwiadPEmtAI7y23NfxcFoGBgNfJ1TUfol37KQqWKZ6tgb4K18slK88/s400/still-snow1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469174108611508834" border="0" /></a>Yeah, that's snow still on the ground. In May.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgVYrO4FwYSiIvbdlpwhuNr9Xp7fUEK8TUc5VUVwtCGPnYg-yKnYCeOlYpri2eXE5ITqjsetFdYAYSBdCsnGczSwRxeYwKW-0ESRgZXw0lJfVncY_9L8-rEZyA8xeZK_3ctThxUPLg6pn/s1600/still-snow2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgVYrO4FwYSiIvbdlpwhuNr9Xp7fUEK8TUc5VUVwtCGPnYg-yKnYCeOlYpri2eXE5ITqjsetFdYAYSBdCsnGczSwRxeYwKW-0ESRgZXw0lJfVncY_9L8-rEZyA8xeZK_3ctThxUPLg6pn/s400/still-snow2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469174111100773938" border="0" /></a>And it's all over the place.<br /><br />Oh, and I'm cat-sitting Atticus again for Anthony and Erin.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVjQcXiFRApQPVF_ZK6gjPF1GvDKACF8RVWHiAJMmB2X_e-QBJmdeBzi1Z9y3ETu7rD7MvL4RBMwz9V8oWIP1rB4Zj0cwzWK71SbskSUT8mkX_QMcrf04kIdeXwEdFD0xBTazb2EkKn1f/s1600/atticus.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVjQcXiFRApQPVF_ZK6gjPF1GvDKACF8RVWHiAJMmB2X_e-QBJmdeBzi1Z9y3ETu7rD7MvL4RBMwz9V8oWIP1rB4Zj0cwzWK71SbskSUT8mkX_QMcrf04kIdeXwEdFD0xBTazb2EkKn1f/s400/atticus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469174123954056562" border="0" /></a>Apparently he likes high places that he doesn't know how to get down from.<br /><br />Oh, and for anyone that hasn't heard, Samara is back in Kentucky. I guess that makes this "Aaron's Alaskan Adventure" until September. :)Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14628587410994319563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536719461976391975.post-68256205489558382632010-04-17T14:13:00.004-08:002010-04-17T14:34:20.412-08:00April in AlaskaYou might be wondering, in your warm places, what April is like in Alaska. Well, today is April 17th, and here's what it looked like outside.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOpHyh6UpwR-7iZ6H7KrHdS1IoLU9lYcdKb01-ZBrnovw1hGOrkN2zz2ZNVtBVNc2SkqLLX4GcHk7soB6gvcygCb-hGhcJx5-q0XScrtCAQnB7y6ku0WGIw-cva-ExDAyAroAMnKW0FBjm/s1600/april-snow1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOpHyh6UpwR-7iZ6H7KrHdS1IoLU9lYcdKb01-ZBrnovw1hGOrkN2zz2ZNVtBVNc2SkqLLX4GcHk7soB6gvcygCb-hGhcJx5-q0XScrtCAQnB7y6ku0WGIw-cva-ExDAyAroAMnKW0FBjm/s400/april-snow1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461234213946191858" border="0" /></a>Better clear the snow off the windshield.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQPJzplroIvtC_o6iyIQaFZzARM-HpDDPwvNzddeisR2D7I6fo_UeTgvfZNg_I3AYBPM7muoWvAWxoioN6B8fdRmY8KN4GNpzRmwCNM206pCVQ9UhzxUbgBv8TKbOO7L4h6dkzPDFXviKk/s1600/aprilsnow3.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQPJzplroIvtC_o6iyIQaFZzARM-HpDDPwvNzddeisR2D7I6fo_UeTgvfZNg_I3AYBPM7muoWvAWxoioN6B8fdRmY8KN4GNpzRmwCNM206pCVQ9UhzxUbgBv8TKbOO7L4h6dkzPDFXviKk/s400/aprilsnow3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461234211148483810" border="0" /></a>Fresh snow on the trees, and plenty of old snow on the ground.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbW1xOdRCI_H-pdBJyIzVPcli35NDz55qBYAhyPO6AEvi9KD9277NAXgoPPhoUnADd0B6BlKeE3vFLvXsV2BfaTQ6GguhGP3ssGjgb32NCJ_rmsZ55ZidDDjG5BIzAS8Huha7i7ub26-Z/s1600/aprilsnow2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbW1xOdRCI_H-pdBJyIzVPcli35NDz55qBYAhyPO6AEvi9KD9277NAXgoPPhoUnADd0B6BlKeE3vFLvXsV2BfaTQ6GguhGP3ssGjgb32NCJ_rmsZ55ZidDDjG5BIzAS8Huha7i7ub26-Z/s400/aprilsnow2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461234202497160898" border="0" /></a>And a big slushy rut in our driveway. Whee!<br /><br />Just last weekend, we were hanging out in the house when our neighbor Grant called. He said there were moose outside. Sure enough, a cow and two almost-grown calves were cutting through the yard.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy1zRRsf-qyCwiMDIgzegX-RTg97TDUSu_QtkCC-ertMd5SvH7YR09C1tWS7slpjkqDWI11mi_fYQKE7Yh7HREEs7Qg00HS2m5DG_wh4iGgCimaWoPJkUADzsmgoQFbYGGX7XdjADDr3KL/s1600/mooseyard1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy1zRRsf-qyCwiMDIgzegX-RTg97TDUSu_QtkCC-ertMd5SvH7YR09C1tWS7slpjkqDWI11mi_fYQKE7Yh7HREEs7Qg00HS2m5DG_wh4iGgCimaWoPJkUADzsmgoQFbYGGX7XdjADDr3KL/s400/mooseyard1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461235252677420514" border="0" /></a>The two calves are making a break for it--we're less than a hundred yards away, on the porch.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74yNc-IwV0vqpTlci-QmkRqzr1t6VtKjo9uN0NboN2XzzCjtgMefsRF82bkUUJuv11qtvw3meX2ARUn7ZsnZiZndFqljft61e6RUkm7_MkDV5UdxC6D8HVYam0gqGAqk2189IbRwuoxg8/s1600/mooseyard3.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74yNc-IwV0vqpTlci-QmkRqzr1t6VtKjo9uN0NboN2XzzCjtgMefsRF82bkUUJuv11qtvw3meX2ARUn7ZsnZiZndFqljft61e6RUkm7_MkDV5UdxC6D8HVYam0gqGAqk2189IbRwuoxg8/s400/mooseyard3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461235264083020178" border="0" /></a>Hanging around, looking back at us.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1X4TsAuPaRE3So81rO3iuubTDILvWJPug-S7_SiK-gzVwGJ4nhmZJ8IHXzWsimozgnL5GB0FQdAhYHKfVP1PYd0MCNpXtZoiSihNaTqV09v6XgjfTMJDfLAc6vxD5GrpP23wjuBKxTIyL/s1600/mooseyard2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1X4TsAuPaRE3So81rO3iuubTDILvWJPug-S7_SiK-gzVwGJ4nhmZJ8IHXzWsimozgnL5GB0FQdAhYHKfVP1PYd0MCNpXtZoiSihNaTqV09v6XgjfTMJDfLAc6vxD5GrpP23wjuBKxTIyL/s400/mooseyard2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461235261419173522" border="0" /></a>Grant was making moose noises from his porch, but they weren't fooled.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2iOI4bqhDdv0EEXaRU7iRzQPOms-BQ1b8sxYImDpXjn22vZC66cK-Wrqy-cJLVwUeUi4gvHFuefQNuUjUFoiPyAs44mb4AeCCheZCvnHxDNwWDjil9gsC1S2CjnYa93vucEX4hRqxz-LQ/s1600/mooseyard4.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2iOI4bqhDdv0EEXaRU7iRzQPOms-BQ1b8sxYImDpXjn22vZC66cK-Wrqy-cJLVwUeUi4gvHFuefQNuUjUFoiPyAs44mb4AeCCheZCvnHxDNwWDjil9gsC1S2CjnYa93vucEX4hRqxz-LQ/s400/mooseyard4.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461235273132543122" border="0" /></a>Now it's time to hide out in the woods.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfOSafVDBw4bHK0qhAjhiCZT1tGWdRjhWFXpklRzPCNUwXVBkvv2HFqFrHf1x4QrRRUH-zhqijVDA8o-OlPaANVa3e4a7PCjBZ5UxOb0Wr55BrZPXjxOtGgI4GAKVypSFZ03qP9T079NMT/s1600/mooseyard5.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfOSafVDBw4bHK0qhAjhiCZT1tGWdRjhWFXpklRzPCNUwXVBkvv2HFqFrHf1x4QrRRUH-zhqijVDA8o-OlPaANVa3e4a7PCjBZ5UxOb0Wr55BrZPXjxOtGgI4GAKVypSFZ03qP9T079NMT/s400/mooseyard5.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461235271321081218" border="0" /></a>And there they go--the most common view of a moose: from behind!<br /><br />I had my rifle, but it wasn't moose season, we were in town, and they didn't charge us. So no moose for our freezer!<br /><br />And finally, some even cuter pictures. This is our niece Chimmy. Her name isn't really Chimmy and she's not really our niece, but in Yu'pik culture, you don't really have to be related to someone to be related to them, and every kid gets a nickname.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpTHD2jZRsRgs0bK5Epn_DEYbHtwokXsL7FUA6QjaZxaK6LYwPEcJNlQuozclcOC8HAmP_RL3bN2v8lK6Ses0H0odKruSmCRdB0MDHil2KdejZ3sPo_25Al0km2M3y3c9421Oju-C5OSzb/s1600/samara-and-chimmy2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpTHD2jZRsRgs0bK5Epn_DEYbHtwokXsL7FUA6QjaZxaK6LYwPEcJNlQuozclcOC8HAmP_RL3bN2v8lK6Ses0H0odKruSmCRdB0MDHil2KdejZ3sPo_25Al0km2M3y3c9421Oju-C5OSzb/s400/samara-and-chimmy2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461236572361413970" border="0" /></a>Samara loves Chimmy.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUsIn6FS60rjxl9mkVk0f7DxZkj_w_prpdG6bIRtAGhHJYvFnE_G2DqXrdFjC0tK6nTFNHCfYgvWXUSsNazJn4mCDHpi5FAH2IYrvQcmfjFZXH5xhkf_D2q0_6td-Jys6hDzIb7gmVRg1W/s1600/sleepy-chimmy.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUsIn6FS60rjxl9mkVk0f7DxZkj_w_prpdG6bIRtAGhHJYvFnE_G2DqXrdFjC0tK6nTFNHCfYgvWXUSsNazJn4mCDHpi5FAH2IYrvQcmfjFZXH5xhkf_D2q0_6td-Jys6hDzIb7gmVRg1W/s400/sleepy-chimmy.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461236579122824386" border="0" /></a>And this picture was taken just minutes ago. She's sleeping, but she wasn't really happy about the whole camera-flash thing. Such a cute baby!<br /><br />There's your April update from Alaska.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14628587410994319563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536719461976391975.post-68382337438023684062010-03-01T09:11:00.005-09:002010-03-11T22:50:34.307-09:00Bush plane to King SalmonLast month, I had to make a trip to King Salmon with is across the bay from Dillingham for work. This was the first time I had ever been on a bush plane and I learned 2 things from the experience:<br /><ol><li>Bush planes are cold...VERY COLD. I could see my breath for all the ride.<br /></li><li>It is REALLY scary being in a tiny, cold plane.</li></ol>This is my coworker and good friend, Jessica. She was 8 months pregnant and flying in a bush plane. She's kinda crazy like that, but I am super glad she came with me because I had a good time with her.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1o4MV2EmI5yW1S0Bq1XOkCj8P8XNEjyG55G_aGzjEFQBWUc57bzISlndunudzFGFG_-MkzipxoJhoq42Mrn0qIDimBo85f3AZbiy-Y_EH6mXs22ajNdAXWesFd5SEeMmYIWNvYhyphenhyphenNrlFS/s1600-h/100_0616.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1o4MV2EmI5yW1S0Bq1XOkCj8P8XNEjyG55G_aGzjEFQBWUc57bzISlndunudzFGFG_-MkzipxoJhoq42Mrn0qIDimBo85f3AZbiy-Y_EH6mXs22ajNdAXWesFd5SEeMmYIWNvYhyphenhyphenNrlFS/s400/100_0616.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443729940595258114" border="0" /></a>This is our pilot, Robert. He was nice, but I really expected him to keep his eyes looking forward instead of looking down at the water.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEits4nitWdDtz9NKQaZT5Pw2ydRgacbzkFnuk3r1btN4QG837iYzHL90rylWQLDRoL699aXfNAqP8ZeN5kDe-DhGjJhHRBhXPBlMcVnJSKZWcWdITM_DRWTPD3mVONrnVSkxvkFfkl1h24f/s1600-h/100_0617.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEits4nitWdDtz9NKQaZT5Pw2ydRgacbzkFnuk3r1btN4QG837iYzHL90rylWQLDRoL699aXfNAqP8ZeN5kDe-DhGjJhHRBhXPBlMcVnJSKZWcWdITM_DRWTPD3mVONrnVSkxvkFfkl1h24f/s400/100_0617.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443730014083551426" border="0" /></a>You might recognize me. I'm the one who wanted to pee my pants even before I got on the plane. You'll be glad to know that I didn't actually pee my pants. I think Jessica was thankful for that as well.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNJqOtXtzpcVtPrKnIH6lDS_1zKOxvjxSILsFS_hURIFjjh27hTE5wuppaUg5da4nyP82Ek6mKTCE9ywMesuSr5Meah0MNP_md09R776bR-PHoNA_uEBk5pgA0S6wnwzDbUoKhTv9Rtzhi/s1600-h/100_0623.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNJqOtXtzpcVtPrKnIH6lDS_1zKOxvjxSILsFS_hURIFjjh27hTE5wuppaUg5da4nyP82Ek6mKTCE9ywMesuSr5Meah0MNP_md09R776bR-PHoNA_uEBk5pgA0S6wnwzDbUoKhTv9Rtzhi/s400/100_0623.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443730390678668722" border="0" /></a>This is us taking off.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtBoyAQ4xn6Ejqa4F57BGZkNgLciGRuH2IBzCCAuRifReCuNzgi7xeixMLvxGtGpsM71IkRkJR_MohrpvSeyBRSuP4CAOpae1wnfAgkU4mvhOTn1ajAsmliQlBZ2D0Ihzp1tqTz2_jfRzv/s1600-h/100_0619.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtBoyAQ4xn6Ejqa4F57BGZkNgLciGRuH2IBzCCAuRifReCuNzgi7xeixMLvxGtGpsM71IkRkJR_MohrpvSeyBRSuP4CAOpae1wnfAgkU4mvhOTn1ajAsmliQlBZ2D0Ihzp1tqTz2_jfRzv/s400/100_0619.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443730112665023074" border="0" /></a>This is Dillingham as we were flying over it. It's not very exciting, but it's our tiny town and I think if you look closely you can see the McDonald's sign--just kidding. We don't have one of those.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJdsgVCZ2fhpUVvWOySCDLwa7B7H7G-NuReW3F4wulaazGvHH3HLqRGDfF8_IpAzHhXsyt0qompTDQAlUVRoPnclvN-t5f7bEunJLiUFTU9cf6Y-jWmTuTQmtKpIRuTmxOomsXOJ8s57b/s1600-h/100_0620.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJdsgVCZ2fhpUVvWOySCDLwa7B7H7G-NuReW3F4wulaazGvHH3HLqRGDfF8_IpAzHhXsyt0qompTDQAlUVRoPnclvN-t5f7bEunJLiUFTU9cf6Y-jWmTuTQmtKpIRuTmxOomsXOJ8s57b/s400/100_0620.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443730370611615986" border="0" /></a>Pretty water. It might be the Nushagak, but I can't be certain of that.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3EsDWhj-D5UBC0QQHQ_VEcUyhLokz4ajdJ-xLNu62PgxhzVw4smyida_GX4hTCrQHzv432SvWMusrUhgGUOa66fl44_7f4dP4gE5g_2X-bKb1Edc6ge1TnAjj3qDOutY1VXU0vszn_jmv/s1600-h/100_0625.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3EsDWhj-D5UBC0QQHQ_VEcUyhLokz4ajdJ-xLNu62PgxhzVw4smyida_GX4hTCrQHzv432SvWMusrUhgGUOa66fl44_7f4dP4gE5g_2X-bKb1Edc6ge1TnAjj3qDOutY1VXU0vszn_jmv/s400/100_0625.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443730613356089794" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtaRXsVF8rMwQ2sTMMeWGeH6mTp7pkZVZAOyT-BIzzmhlVbPkYoyF06vLGXB-3HSf7NLYwAbIHIlrUh2IgaLqZsan4__sMypkVENC-0TJCwv7NsssIXZuNkfezQXhdMOk0zo_y-LguvYUS/s1600-h/100_0622.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtaRXsVF8rMwQ2sTMMeWGeH6mTp7pkZVZAOyT-BIzzmhlVbPkYoyF06vLGXB-3HSf7NLYwAbIHIlrUh2IgaLqZsan4__sMypkVENC-0TJCwv7NsssIXZuNkfezQXhdMOk0zo_y-LguvYUS/s400/100_0622.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443730384195199874" border="0" /></a>Look at all of our pretty snow. Whee!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja8PZkfMHt_KR2lceWRJZ9AcKjUXQ6uzBELwtfvaVboLTuXk_Z6IS2BUGcDIG_2mqNYN0Q8KPvHRTfnbqlMw5RBtSBIyc8V42qG5zFr_V3Z-JM_wYoDaz79NO4j0yG461dQdlFM5DeLy27/s1600-h/100_0621.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja8PZkfMHt_KR2lceWRJZ9AcKjUXQ6uzBELwtfvaVboLTuXk_Z6IS2BUGcDIG_2mqNYN0Q8KPvHRTfnbqlMw5RBtSBIyc8V42qG5zFr_V3Z-JM_wYoDaz79NO4j0yG461dQdlFM5DeLy27/s400/100_0621.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443730378217181234" border="0" /></a><br />We had the privilege of eating at the D&D restaurant for lunch and dinner every night we were there. It was pretty good food and the only place open. And for the record, D&D is in the neighboring town of Naknek, not in King Salmon. But they are about 15-20 miles away on a 2 lane road which is mostly straight-a-way through the flats.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6epu3XdfuxZayM2YV1D1ZaiIza5w0f6s56blSBczJY_vg8rTLa_GMwQaqBHJv6KsCb_G8f_41u3hyphenhyphen0y39nnr5GU4zvDsPugmJVOfxu2dcJvoGzF1xec6zhqlMstbjUg8nduKA-kU-ZSp0/s1600-h/100_0626.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6epu3XdfuxZayM2YV1D1ZaiIza5w0f6s56blSBczJY_vg8rTLa_GMwQaqBHJv6KsCb_G8f_41u3hyphenhyphen0y39nnr5GU4zvDsPugmJVOfxu2dcJvoGzF1xec6zhqlMstbjUg8nduKA-kU-ZSp0/s400/100_0626.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443730617268084978" border="0" /></a>Even in Naknek the food is kinda pricey. I got the French dip one day and it is $17.95. WOW! One night the prime rib was the special for like $29.95 and I ordered it, but I didn't know that the police chief of the area was going to buy dinner. I felt kinda bad, but it was a pretty good prime rib and he was a lot of fun to have at dinner. He was a real nice guy and I was glad to have the opportunity to chat with him about the area.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihg1oeuIOd8ZEyoGKtaZxoPjrBlS1a_i0ZlSSAbJER1tKAIj3ckb1OMUxU2cXWXv0SowgHAgoijkxykH5cgaTwKN_rpbkWLQF05g_LQTXB5hJUdywtQ2nHAuJQCEjJoTQw2xtTb7WhiZLC/s1600-h/100_0628.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihg1oeuIOd8ZEyoGKtaZxoPjrBlS1a_i0ZlSSAbJER1tKAIj3ckb1OMUxU2cXWXv0SowgHAgoijkxykH5cgaTwKN_rpbkWLQF05g_LQTXB5hJUdywtQ2nHAuJQCEjJoTQw2xtTb7WhiZLC/s400/100_0628.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443730626918743442" border="0" /></a>All in all, it was a good trip. I really enjoyed the people in King Salmon and Naknek. They had some good things going on over that and I am glad I got to have the chance to do this.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536719461976391975.post-67075705407575841272009-12-27T15:14:00.005-09:002009-12-27T15:31:45.979-09:00Christmas PicturesChristmas was a pretty sedate affair at the Baker's Alaska compound. Here's a brief update in pictures.<br /><br />A few days before Christmas, Aaron decided to shave his beard. It had gotten pretty bushy...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHn2mCH3eYJ5tz9yoxBaXplTnfuXK9GxT3QPE96wd754iFIWO5z8Vw4iNeDn0Dq8-EduyTZKsdOCWHmzlAE6LCcc6zvdPPPmmiCDi1xLbB28bC07AK-HkU7dPEi8NXJ8ffXeI25pgL3Oq/s1600-h/beard.jpg.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHn2mCH3eYJ5tz9yoxBaXplTnfuXK9GxT3QPE96wd754iFIWO5z8Vw4iNeDn0Dq8-EduyTZKsdOCWHmzlAE6LCcc6zvdPPPmmiCDi1xLbB28bC07AK-HkU7dPEi8NXJ8ffXeI25pgL3Oq/s400/beard.jpg.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420074577886566898" border="0" /></a>The "after" picture was a little blurry, but here's a picture of us on Christmas eve after we opened all our presents...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Tc2q5qZ1DQVUsskTpsOfp4V5K9VKESDYpPrnD2GEMO2QcuuD9LwDM-CITY-Op5R8tc5flVjk-7h_xvynZtsaIvLNNUqsmhrTpIML2xKcWjFGmwBCbnUGAN6fX75jLHKatWA18Te84U8h/s1600-h/christmas.jpg.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Tc2q5qZ1DQVUsskTpsOfp4V5K9VKESDYpPrnD2GEMO2QcuuD9LwDM-CITY-Op5R8tc5flVjk-7h_xvynZtsaIvLNNUqsmhrTpIML2xKcWjFGmwBCbnUGAN6fX75jLHKatWA18Te84U8h/s400/christmas.jpg.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420074578061571762" border="0" /></a>Aaron is clean-shaven, and we're covered in a pile of goodies from our friends and relatives. Thanks everyone!<br /><br />We have a guest for Christmas and New Year's Eve. It's our friend Atticus.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjdGxajav8KbJLm6eyOH_J_Tu9UePCfQEsN3sGK9wJUSjoOxjpjEaj3pfPc2PyZH3WmrwBeOIzE2tcpAbKMexnQ-H-uJr71ebk-a0qbhaSat2dTlmIqVZTCsQLn96WQmtk7xE3Y1rpBfC/s1600-h/atticus.jpg.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjdGxajav8KbJLm6eyOH_J_Tu9UePCfQEsN3sGK9wJUSjoOxjpjEaj3pfPc2PyZH3WmrwBeOIzE2tcpAbKMexnQ-H-uJr71ebk-a0qbhaSat2dTlmIqVZTCsQLn96WQmtk7xE3Y1rpBfC/s400/atticus.jpg.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420074581026054306" border="0" /></a>Atticus belongs to Erin and Anthony, who are in Kansas for the holidays. So we're cat-sitting. He's a pretty good cat and has gotten used to living here for a bit already. He does seem to know how to open the freezer, though, which is strange. We taped it shut for now. (With the bright green duct tape that Aaron got for Christmas!)<br /><br />For dinner on Christmas day, we went to Ginger and Terry's house. (Ginger is Samara's boss.) Their daughter Aurora was there, along with their (former) foster child Lauren and her sister Ayla, as well as one of Lauren's friends. Here's Lauren (on the right)...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfhqA3nUSiZC0Y3_uMmAEPb0j9c7phxjJhpJOZZRlAiuAv6yWa2VViOOnwURjT5EI9-lgnWG9j332rz2S5jWh9JEkSCBVC4KJwWvsVgQ4dci4MiFdVn_iShE6dZncwef7OXIN38RdZ0HoL/s1600-h/dinner1.jpg.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfhqA3nUSiZC0Y3_uMmAEPb0j9c7phxjJhpJOZZRlAiuAv6yWa2VViOOnwURjT5EI9-lgnWG9j332rz2S5jWh9JEkSCBVC4KJwWvsVgQ4dci4MiFdVn_iShE6dZncwef7OXIN38RdZ0HoL/s400/dinner1.jpg.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420076078646341090" border="0" /></a>Ayla acting silly...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9yovfllqHYbbwjCNpnRUTYy2cq6OGo3SQqaE3Qtukpdp87XYSta_KdaxKdZjD1zMeF2TBnlXzr0tAzfMiJtMHN-X6cNQ7ZM6h4pslgGGusZSAR9XsRX-VIprQEusyhDbxriGmhMNms5dZ/s1600-h/dinner4.jpg.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9yovfllqHYbbwjCNpnRUTYy2cq6OGo3SQqaE3Qtukpdp87XYSta_KdaxKdZjD1zMeF2TBnlXzr0tAzfMiJtMHN-X6cNQ7ZM6h4pslgGGusZSAR9XsRX-VIprQEusyhDbxriGmhMNms5dZ/s400/dinner4.jpg.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420076090373274946" border="0" /></a>And Aaron and Aurora acting silly...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAGQdv17bO17lziB6OcKahAXYrgib3Sv18Uq8U4T_04fsP8DKMqlQHG9-OSM-XqAVdqPBdpbRBoejbDxjxTLlnFzj9Ktfn0usxN9FTKNChH42rRmlqaZjfri1ENGVa0Pt4fqfPJPmBLjdW/s1600-h/dinner3.jpg.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAGQdv17bO17lziB6OcKahAXYrgib3Sv18Uq8U4T_04fsP8DKMqlQHG9-OSM-XqAVdqPBdpbRBoejbDxjxTLlnFzj9Ktfn0usxN9FTKNChH42rRmlqaZjfri1ENGVa0Pt4fqfPJPmBLjdW/s400/dinner3.jpg.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420076083585418834" border="0" /></a>It was a nice dinner. Ginger and Terry made a ham, as well as mashed potatoes, salad and a wonderful diced cranberry dish. Samara brined and cooked a turkey, which came out great. Soaking the turkey in brine overnight before cooking is a great way to keep it moist!<br /><br />The rest of our holiday weekend has been pretty tame. Aaron went next door and played some video games with Tim, we watched marathons on TV, and slept a lot! On Sunday, we felt like we needed to get out of the house, so we went to the shooting range at the dump.<br /><br />Samara wanted to test out the new lighter trigger pull on her Glock. (The new trigger connector was an early Christmas present from Aaron.) She says she likes it much better now, and she's getting pretty good at hitting targets. Saramay apparently got a .44 magnum revolver for Christmas from her dad, so there may be all-girls shooting trips in the future.<br /><br />Here's Samara shooting her 9mm...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9tZxSrKLIxr5pkvnKu-HW9fAqkwOJKEJzL6pV9X_bWLK7RHen_qTI_MlWna5Y2ndhAvCs81zIrfWf_QlFvHY7L30szJfxfS8G5ef0sg6VMJ7e1CX66RGo6DG6-8Xv4F7dz4hZcASRQ2y/s1600-h/samara-glock.jpg.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9tZxSrKLIxr5pkvnKu-HW9fAqkwOJKEJzL6pV9X_bWLK7RHen_qTI_MlWna5Y2ndhAvCs81zIrfWf_QlFvHY7L30szJfxfS8G5ef0sg6VMJ7e1CX66RGo6DG6-8Xv4F7dz4hZcASRQ2y/s400/samara-glock.jpg.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420077471778941010" border="0" /></a>If she ever gets tired of her job at SAFE, Samara could always apply to be a Dillingham cop. She's a natural with the Glock, and they definitely need the help!<br /><br />Well, Happy Holidays everyone! Hope you got everything you wished for. Now it's time to do some dishes, hang up the laundry and exercise on Samara's new Wii Fit. (Sorry, she won't let me take a picture of her doing that!)Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14628587410994319563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536719461976391975.post-57855428790432778582009-12-06T20:09:00.004-09:002009-12-06T20:20:50.522-09:00More snow picturesWe haven't been updating the blog recently. Basically, what you're getting is more snow pictures.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkyoJ2PyiwojB1qrvWdU0YBDZdJUTa7xKPOUOAxhQT3Ll9iEgcvkUSdw8mSp2xT8Xf_znGg3N_ehjas3eYGnu179cyXRi3fWUB1z5qNR1poB7xxp_o9T0FV5v9q0-htBbAMnfxExnePxp/s1600-h/icicle.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkyoJ2PyiwojB1qrvWdU0YBDZdJUTa7xKPOUOAxhQT3Ll9iEgcvkUSdw8mSp2xT8Xf_znGg3N_ehjas3eYGnu179cyXRi3fWUB1z5qNR1poB7xxp_o9T0FV5v9q0-htBbAMnfxExnePxp/s400/icicle.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412358291928762370" border="0" /></a><br />Check out our amazingly long icicles.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-hxlx2Iu_jajIx4WaJGN0gOAjalxatjnHzsoQTAwrRQI0GXox_iu1QMVj24p_54V8KjZec1Hf2aCMr5PuFfzBNVJe3N9Y6otOX1Z01Y5rLlLYLZT6sV2ZO3fxiTd_FW9NWZQJS-WPgwR/s1600-h/snowy1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-hxlx2Iu_jajIx4WaJGN0gOAjalxatjnHzsoQTAwrRQI0GXox_iu1QMVj24p_54V8KjZec1Hf2aCMr5PuFfzBNVJe3N9Y6otOX1Z01Y5rLlLYLZT6sV2ZO3fxiTd_FW9NWZQJS-WPgwR/s400/snowy1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412358296896393234" border="0" /></a>Sometimes there's snow to clear off the car in the morning.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHaY9ClZwBhhBIg4Eun9N3GKkAUwlNj1bTDuhTZ7CiybDuIhkV-0XlxKojmai90MW6QqnZToH-e-Rx3GMPnCSVRKaRpOowWEDa4A-TzJyBdq8BU37P4jgpDl4p59DY2fM3PXQJjRB2sTd/s1600-h/snowy2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHaY9ClZwBhhBIg4Eun9N3GKkAUwlNj1bTDuhTZ7CiybDuIhkV-0XlxKojmai90MW6QqnZToH-e-Rx3GMPnCSVRKaRpOowWEDa4A-TzJyBdq8BU37P4jgpDl4p59DY2fM3PXQJjRB2sTd/s400/snowy2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412358297592248290" border="0" /></a>Sometimes that requires a shovel and a beaver hat.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6_bZR7F0eUKuyXjpBk-EGwsDYT4Hr8nfzpkqWnSnW46-3AUhTA28mF-T5rnRnbsIGImYDTImfNfGzrbZOnpf1Q0Dq4MygrZ7ojvQhIsUWr3gyQsrPbueCkAvImvf9Nn9a7UBEL-5iEmD/s1600-h/snowy4.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6_bZR7F0eUKuyXjpBk-EGwsDYT4Hr8nfzpkqWnSnW46-3AUhTA28mF-T5rnRnbsIGImYDTImfNfGzrbZOnpf1Q0Dq4MygrZ7ojvQhIsUWr3gyQsrPbueCkAvImvf9Nn9a7UBEL-5iEmD/s400/snowy4.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412359289009190690" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl0eVE04Wzn_-Nssvt-uAwJIvszFqLymzpMLI0FPo8JLg1r0UIdSOKYvMa9nqY-Yf2fC3TRMiyNaWVj6ONoMPM31rpqM2spyk1f9XRE1jPt2X4KooUrMRCngFbgFsNkG6yjwU2tEC9X5ZW/s1600-h/snowy3.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl0eVE04Wzn_-Nssvt-uAwJIvszFqLymzpMLI0FPo8JLg1r0UIdSOKYvMa9nqY-Yf2fC3TRMiyNaWVj6ONoMPM31rpqM2spyk1f9XRE1jPt2X4KooUrMRCngFbgFsNkG6yjwU2tEC9X5ZW/s400/snowy3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412359284373513394" border="0" /></a>This weekend the snow actually melted quite a bit because it was rainy and warm. Now our driveway is just a sheet of ice. I can't wait for more snow.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14628587410994319563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536719461976391975.post-53436540473603739212009-11-03T17:24:00.003-09:002009-11-03T17:31:47.250-09:00Winter Freaking WonderlandThe snow was late this year. Last year, we had feet of snow by this time.<br /><br />This morning, when I got up and went to work, the ground was dry. No snow. Not even frost on the windshield.<br /><br />By the time I got home from work today at 4:30, my house looked like this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkTjdqff9KFA2l0CBqznyYi5Xj7IFgCyobDOf-92HowhUncvXT2094Phkwxo3p_cbmQGlNFYXPzTF_olMN2h3Kmq_v8yjpzmnOekQ9rHHX4D9YYEjD4Yn3Sh5GRi1R1Fo5fjmXXN2aZrww/s1600-h/first-snow.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkTjdqff9KFA2l0CBqznyYi5Xj7IFgCyobDOf-92HowhUncvXT2094Phkwxo3p_cbmQGlNFYXPzTF_olMN2h3Kmq_v8yjpzmnOekQ9rHHX4D9YYEjD4Yn3Sh5GRi1R1Fo5fjmXXN2aZrww/s400/first-snow.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400069865165189330" border="0" /></a>Yeah, that's a good couple of inches, with the wind blowing drifts up to a foot deep.<br /><br />Ahh, Alaska.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14628587410994319563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536719461976391975.post-982188957374731872009-11-01T15:06:00.011-09:002009-11-01T15:34:54.124-09:00New Orleans<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc82uJjm4L5nMIxvYabErAHxwUVtKi7LL6hcmC64yhzAOZv925JCI9b-SRZJXBGTrM5pOQHTpDe7glHr9VTbrIgE5LL5PMPz6zAOEzvox3hYo2DysTWVPDQdTqWtRHdagj4kd0BAG3IfdQ/s1600-h/100_0527.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc82uJjm4L5nMIxvYabErAHxwUVtKi7LL6hcmC64yhzAOZv925JCI9b-SRZJXBGTrM5pOQHTpDe7glHr9VTbrIgE5LL5PMPz6zAOEzvox3hYo2DysTWVPDQdTqWtRHdagj4kd0BAG3IfdQ/s400/100_0527.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399295307658290978" border="0" /></a><br />I recently went to New Orleans for a work related conference. I was fortunate enough to be able to spend a few days down there before my conference started. I got to meet up with one of my cousins that I hadn't seen in 15 or so years. And we had a few days to hang out and run around the French Quarter.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKB6U9DYXjVxWUKp93np3ujQ5uD41BrZiX5-tFKvr20FQupEsAFNduAaOxOYxiX6bbC1LPmibvJvcjLWnoZcfwic2I-muRswC-EbVn4fuxc5X7lHu03MDpZYZ-zKfWsDaT2PnQgvkn9ZYO/s1600-h/100_0477.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKB6U9DYXjVxWUKp93np3ujQ5uD41BrZiX5-tFKvr20FQupEsAFNduAaOxOYxiX6bbC1LPmibvJvcjLWnoZcfwic2I-muRswC-EbVn4fuxc5X7lHu03MDpZYZ-zKfWsDaT2PnQgvkn9ZYO/s400/100_0477.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399293012602979138" border="0" /></a>This is Kyrstin, my coworker, eating alligator for the first time. She told me later that she didn't really like it. To me, it tastes kinda like chicken. I thought it would taste fishy, but it doesn't.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEjSBTt6jEa7L8OqSMxFasGsasYRPwIYrnECdrUMz1Twd54qdxcCybctj0P_aQjXmTzzDg_xVYq7eK1XIGFAD7iW7HevU_xQEDC3pRBI72ra_0TQDPjaw6Hci9nHgnhNroVluXoB5lJKyG/s1600-h/100_0479.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEjSBTt6jEa7L8OqSMxFasGsasYRPwIYrnECdrUMz1Twd54qdxcCybctj0P_aQjXmTzzDg_xVYq7eK1XIGFAD7iW7HevU_xQEDC3pRBI72ra_0TQDPjaw6Hci9nHgnhNroVluXoB5lJKyG/s400/100_0479.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399294725454580194" border="0" /></a>This is my cousin Gina. She live up the road a way in Mississippi, but she made the trip to come for a visit. She was a lot of fun and I hope to get a chance to go down there for a visit sometime next year.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjqbjS-qHpniaUKtCls0yFsoJMSawDFkRfVkBtp3XcsQq6RV4xy6HthUc2A2Q6GE2M-K9l01vpYXlpKiu7X8w4MCQ86t5eAVrtowZRy7IrHo_wWxX3FHR3STcxD1YirPrT_bBf4Ac00Utg/s1600-h/100_0483.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjqbjS-qHpniaUKtCls0yFsoJMSawDFkRfVkBtp3XcsQq6RV4xy6HthUc2A2Q6GE2M-K9l01vpYXlpKiu7X8w4MCQ86t5eAVrtowZRy7IrHo_wWxX3FHR3STcxD1YirPrT_bBf4Ac00Utg/s400/100_0483.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399293208609251890" border="0" /></a>We took a carriage drive around the French Quarter at night. It was really pretty and we stopped a couple times for drinks. It was neat being able drive though and get drinks. It was also neat walking around with fruity frozen drinks in our hands.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisL0_92oFS41PJlVRpRhVWvwAXFIqvHRyvDPdb-Fz9DOTjFMzlFvNurEm344SnlwPg8qFUPrz7ice6OV06vG2sWwzy00UWA6fGsOHCYgFVxmcOgRZbeAo3I8_Gtls0eIbC_FtSepvo5JaA/s1600-h/100_0497.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisL0_92oFS41PJlVRpRhVWvwAXFIqvHRyvDPdb-Fz9DOTjFMzlFvNurEm344SnlwPg8qFUPrz7ice6OV06vG2sWwzy00UWA6fGsOHCYgFVxmcOgRZbeAo3I8_Gtls0eIbC_FtSepvo5JaA/s400/100_0497.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399295029758327410" border="0" /></a>On one of the nights, Gina came down with Aunt Lynn and we all went to Emeril's restaurant for dinner. The wine was good. The food was great and the company was beyond compare.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3x64MOrn89kBhGUMvz3au26yS4FOJP2tojG4WKy3CKrwdzMdfLmBAkf9-FCxCFMJQ1cNSDRpLgfs0clPeMehr-tCfgiw_8AV6rfvruigni1KrejkKmZIA_3K4FLSBLw5wFm_ueG0P2CjF/s1600-h/100_0492.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3x64MOrn89kBhGUMvz3au26yS4FOJP2tojG4WKy3CKrwdzMdfLmBAkf9-FCxCFMJQ1cNSDRpLgfs0clPeMehr-tCfgiw_8AV6rfvruigni1KrejkKmZIA_3K4FLSBLw5wFm_ueG0P2CjF/s400/100_0492.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399294873896365778" border="0" /></a><br />The conference was good too, but who takes pictures of that? I learned a lot and it was a great experience. But the best part was visiting with Gina and walking around New Orleans.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536719461976391975.post-74089222309351615132009-10-19T17:17:00.002-08:002009-10-19T18:28:02.266-08:00Long-Awaited UpdateI've been hearing from various people for a while that they were still watching our blog, waiting for new posts. It's been over a month and a half since we've posted, so I guess it's due.<br /><br />Samara started a post about our vacation to Kentucky, but it didn't get finished, so I'll start by describing that trip.<br /><br />We moved to Alaska at the end of August in 2008. We finally made it out of Alaska for a visit to Kentucky in August 2009. This was the first time we were able to visit the lower 48 in over a year. This was big, at least to us it was.<br /><br />We left on August 26th. We were on the 9:30pm flight out of Dillingham. When we went to check in, they told us that the flight was going to make a stop in King Salmon. In case you don't remember King Salmon, <a href="http://samaraandaaron.blogspot.com/2009/04/there-and-back-again-by-ruby-burrows.html">I had a bad experience the last couple times I was forced to go to King Salmon</a>. We then went home for a while and started walking to the airport at about 8:50. As we were getting closer to the airport, 2 airport attendants yelled towards us asking if we were on this flight. We told them we were and they asked us to hurry so the plane could leave earlier. So we boarded the plane at 9pm and we were off to Anchorage.<br /><br />It wasn't easy getting back to Kentucky. We had to fly from Dillingham to King Salmon, to Anchorage to Seattle, to Chicago, to Louisville then drive to Winchester, pick up a car and drive back to Lexington. It was a long trip. I will spare you the details of flying the red eye with 2 screaming children and the long lay overs.<br /><br />When we landed, we were greeted in Louisville by our good friend Amanda. She was sweet enough to pick us up, take us to dinner and loan us a car for the duration of our stay. As we cruised us to Winchester to pick up Amanda's spare car, I saw my little brother, Michael, at the stop light. I yelled towards him and we got a short visit with him before we left for Lexington where we proceeded to pass out at our house.<br /><br />One of the first things we did when we got up the next morning was to eat at Chik-Fil-A! Mmm... fast food chicken.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5GU9nHUwGn2i0JLBavthM9UldNT6H5-vUVgpfrPGn4MhMly6DrM5q6nPeflnwxofLl_u1zaNHW_3RD8P7TPZXknOi4xEZ4So62xUaLV2f-V5OCJtrI-Z7vXio2SGMzqDgi2y2ZtAQFnyR/s1600-h/P1030966.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5GU9nHUwGn2i0JLBavthM9UldNT6H5-vUVgpfrPGn4MhMly6DrM5q6nPeflnwxofLl_u1zaNHW_3RD8P7TPZXknOi4xEZ4So62xUaLV2f-V5OCJtrI-Z7vXio2SGMzqDgi2y2ZtAQFnyR/s400/P1030966.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394491623412019474" border="0" /></a>Samara even bought a Chik-Fil-A tshirt.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63Yn1XEd7SVmGt74Dw5WJV6bvJ3FFKIitXsVoNPizvEheMyqNXnczZZVgeSAVGjtNeXxN3Z4uehjRiiHqYaXQe45n9YlhS9QTj88EwsN4DxgjMj1NH4rLzh7hSmx0hle4BIKikpgwNpsr/s1600-h/P1030964.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63Yn1XEd7SVmGt74Dw5WJV6bvJ3FFKIitXsVoNPizvEheMyqNXnczZZVgeSAVGjtNeXxN3Z4uehjRiiHqYaXQe45n9YlhS9QTj88EwsN4DxgjMj1NH4rLzh7hSmx0hle4BIKikpgwNpsr/s400/P1030964.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394491603214502722" border="0" /></a>Hooray for chicken!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ZnGodU7rZqDYP-26hSBP7v0NlyrSZhrJSY-eU0Jir9VR4lMMA4KB8KhrfbV-3zt6MNStb7n1t4mn0DioUcSoR95QcrzMtzr9oWs-kG9ai_oM1xRQ4fx_XLKBENC3gGZbRRO3669aZOTd/s1600-h/P1030965.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ZnGodU7rZqDYP-26hSBP7v0NlyrSZhrJSY-eU0Jir9VR4lMMA4KB8KhrfbV-3zt6MNStb7n1t4mn0DioUcSoR95QcrzMtzr9oWs-kG9ai_oM1xRQ4fx_XLKBENC3gGZbRRO3669aZOTd/s400/P1030965.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394491611442544194" border="0" /></a><br />Friday, we did a little shopping and were suppose to meet up with our friends Scott and Kirsten to celebrate their son's first birthday. We couldn't find the park for the party and ended up having dinner with Ann and other Anne. Later in the week, we did meet up with Scott, Kirsten, Violet and Wip.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiAHfzR4v9D5-0UUwSYm9jjGLEBC_08847OeCkuKUK56-N-1xSDY0-6nZIb7VK70A1LFZTMZSHU1Jqw81rfdNYTRHsCHCKaa3al9ekg1smzNJlFrMbZSPkhTzrMB7mW7jE0wltRIFm6RRT/s1600-h/P1030986.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiAHfzR4v9D5-0UUwSYm9jjGLEBC_08847OeCkuKUK56-N-1xSDY0-6nZIb7VK70A1LFZTMZSHU1Jqw81rfdNYTRHsCHCKaa3al9ekg1smzNJlFrMbZSPkhTzrMB7mW7jE0wltRIFm6RRT/s400/P1030986.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394492859481402898" border="0" /></a><br />On Saturday, Aaron's parents and sister came up for a visit. Aaron and his dad worked on Ann's car while the girls went shopping. It was a good visit with them and Natalie got to visit with the kitties. She was more excited to see the kitties than she was with us. I can't say I blame her. Pippin is such a sweet cat and Eve is just as naughty as ever.<br /><br />Here's Ann's car, in partially disassembled form.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDJI8f-eBq1MvEUX6lJCuAAfsoi6_bVXwPa5IboAv1N88urj1ymqqiGJNHOGhTRMhTUQZTtS8Ftmgs8WprwYTcQ3JAxbcNja9tcsJogDT44ZQNBCXAf-BxlRm_rhUCveyusW8XwG1E9jRq/s1600-h/P1030973.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDJI8f-eBq1MvEUX6lJCuAAfsoi6_bVXwPa5IboAv1N88urj1ymqqiGJNHOGhTRMhTUQZTtS8Ftmgs8WprwYTcQ3JAxbcNja9tcsJogDT44ZQNBCXAf-BxlRm_rhUCveyusW8XwG1E9jRq/s400/P1030973.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394492851969637730" border="0" /></a>Aaron and his did get Ann's car put back together and running, which was good. I think they enjoyed spending time together on that project.<br /><br />We visited with a lot of our friends over the rest of the week that we were in Kentucky. I snapped this picture of Aaron eating ice cream with some of the boys.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbF7GT8muemD8zGOnVLQz-i70gi_i8kZwzj54W4UG2Jo9bfhWc_k_DGOGeO4WDbtwkLSlycACtHOr9aPjPF2zt3RnqnLCXclZzVyTvcLkdEmUuBSbN6LUL16Fmk7RLVJdcuCqVfLWPGVQC/s1600-h/P1030988.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbF7GT8muemD8zGOnVLQz-i70gi_i8kZwzj54W4UG2Jo9bfhWc_k_DGOGeO4WDbtwkLSlycACtHOr9aPjPF2zt3RnqnLCXclZzVyTvcLkdEmUuBSbN6LUL16Fmk7RLVJdcuCqVfLWPGVQC/s400/P1030988.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394492868462474674" border="0" /></a>Of course, I got a few shots of some of those boys in their drag outfits, as well. We spent a lot of time hanging out at Pulse Nightlife in Lexington. Two of our friends are the owners, and they've built a really nice bar/nightclub.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbIsHIM0ae7VTAa8U-bryS-r3gNuB3YLWyfinMctd-3pLR9sfhlrXVio9ho_zqdfltfJF2WWa1xyWdWK5WTDF-61lvBrr6VwBMmK2obBw-BxQjE_m9FW876PWyhM9FOqc0Lub642fAfNMw/s1600-h/P1030970.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbIsHIM0ae7VTAa8U-bryS-r3gNuB3YLWyfinMctd-3pLR9sfhlrXVio9ho_zqdfltfJF2WWa1xyWdWK5WTDF-61lvBrr6VwBMmK2obBw-BxQjE_m9FW876PWyhM9FOqc0Lub642fAfNMw/s400/P1030970.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394494840262039570" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOunQJx_dQrvyYTrv5QFUgRN5pxM018hsfHpEtHyvDIuAKHllZt1TrMtkEQWXt_iCw82Zgk7iKsRzEOvqwaPzcMTpVESmrNkvc5CokzYCE47vLgRIVmrt_fY0HP7qgoLs4Pb5BS1kgJX_K/s1600-h/P1030982.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOunQJx_dQrvyYTrv5QFUgRN5pxM018hsfHpEtHyvDIuAKHllZt1TrMtkEQWXt_iCw82Zgk7iKsRzEOvqwaPzcMTpVESmrNkvc5CokzYCE47vLgRIVmrt_fY0HP7qgoLs4Pb5BS1kgJX_K/s400/P1030982.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394494845009618370" border="0" /></a>Another thing did during the time we were in Kentucky was hook up with our tattoo artist and get some new art. Aaron got a flying skull on his arm, which we didn't snap a good picture of yet. Samara got a tattoo that people either understand or don't: bacon in a frying pan on her leg.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0y2Y1OJgk7_J53ihl6qfHqnVVVGroQ9AZq3AjcA_cSq59dz2Rl461vwX52iWjUoGtebj-_MJkZrwFsxH5m7NOEro7q_vRHDnFk_kYzKhWMmiEo5BMecf0ki_qjGwePPLwJa8fqbTYtt-6/s1600-h/P1030994.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0y2Y1OJgk7_J53ihl6qfHqnVVVGroQ9AZq3AjcA_cSq59dz2Rl461vwX52iWjUoGtebj-_MJkZrwFsxH5m7NOEro7q_vRHDnFk_kYzKhWMmiEo5BMecf0ki_qjGwePPLwJa8fqbTYtt-6/s400/P1030994.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394494850156874018" border="0" /></a>The real reason for the entire trip to Kentucky was that Aaron needed to get sworn in to the Kentucky bar. So we went down the Kentucky capitol in Frankfort and did the whole official deal.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnVOUDz-iR7nRB-iiERj8rzV4m8MAyd4vtMKtnVaoY-aCF7J7ASEOxDIUuQPdmoU0jsO0JxV2b5Iw_KAFY0L9uMm_Ipesh0qHiHXpVKNNAtYzcGGeD4DTo5qoRrCzBJyEENljD7ABA5Uqu/s1600-h/P1040003.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnVOUDz-iR7nRB-iiERj8rzV4m8MAyd4vtMKtnVaoY-aCF7J7ASEOxDIUuQPdmoU0jsO0JxV2b5Iw_KAFY0L9uMm_Ipesh0qHiHXpVKNNAtYzcGGeD4DTo5qoRrCzBJyEENljD7ABA5Uqu/s400/P1040003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394494859097234802" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpXr7EUDFZsDWwsJILw76yx-1B3mryWVhIv__0nwzZfoGV96-4HZEGcza8TBHraWVYdxnP3tEf8cyCT42mQ87dIqwvLbBfiuVPbNGoFowjYPinWRgHheG2iNe-k2Qcr2vTtZpbWxbHSO_/s1600-h/P1040005.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpXr7EUDFZsDWwsJILw76yx-1B3mryWVhIv__0nwzZfoGV96-4HZEGcza8TBHraWVYdxnP3tEf8cyCT42mQ87dIqwvLbBfiuVPbNGoFowjYPinWRgHheG2iNe-k2Qcr2vTtZpbWxbHSO_/s400/P1040005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394494866595620834" border="0" /></a>That's it. Now Aaron can practice law in Kentucky.<br /><br />We paused for a few pictures in the stately capitol building. Isn't Samara cute?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNKGWbz7kEYcZLtQeglX_Pgk4zypuuIZlp6maVb1Aes5YruvZ4JhX5mRIAy9cTUz87Wm_vJwlrAqxShiN6MIYtdV5rV_37y_OdxnakGrWGOTiLbgWSp6sYcy2Nsq2xUteCXHyWRHSGUv11/s1600-h/P1040011.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNKGWbz7kEYcZLtQeglX_Pgk4zypuuIZlp6maVb1Aes5YruvZ4JhX5mRIAy9cTUz87Wm_vJwlrAqxShiN6MIYtdV5rV_37y_OdxnakGrWGOTiLbgWSp6sYcy2Nsq2xUteCXHyWRHSGUv11/s400/P1040011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394497624990920210" border="0" /></a><br />Check the credentials on our famous Kentuckians.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie7KV9NJ-ubMuFEMKlrWhYnlmJxZG0cOjSUqQzIEE0wMEBFPQ6_jFPAl3EEZlMbWXhB5UlQUYtt0yIY53u6kJCSi4vTg7K4ad4LmOE_OH4MZU9ki6x4iQIX12eO_6RHi4KiKvh9DDd-e08/s1600-h/P1040016.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie7KV9NJ-ubMuFEMKlrWhYnlmJxZG0cOjSUqQzIEE0wMEBFPQ6_jFPAl3EEZlMbWXhB5UlQUYtt0yIY53u6kJCSi4vTg7K4ad4LmOE_OH4MZU9ki6x4iQIX12eO_6RHi4KiKvh9DDd-e08/s400/P1040016.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394498182378415698" border="0" /></a><br />And what's a trip to Kentucky without a tour of horse country?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfmviy_DAerTrvvVe8dOjp8TLCf-defNW16dqq9U7EDvXqYhv9Rjgwtmc7XTV39xzQEORnytKH7DHVpQ1_jYM-aIcBiIkzfXCadVFOpaeaJzML-klDE7kPyUlk9LJnLHI8H6XUzuvURmR/s1600-h/P1040017.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfmviy_DAerTrvvVe8dOjp8TLCf-defNW16dqq9U7EDvXqYhv9Rjgwtmc7XTV39xzQEORnytKH7DHVpQ1_jYM-aIcBiIkzfXCadVFOpaeaJzML-klDE7kPyUlk9LJnLHI8H6XUzuvURmR/s400/P1040017.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394497637011011154" border="0" /></a><br />Samara had a visit with her mom and sister (who was about to pop!).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3a-D7WAX7OZanQGJdDwGRQd5Wa5RRiruOY_pCP8bGkTlAe9-A4Xgf34k0cvpehXNmrKR0Uo_lZZxwCbvoNeo_zfGDleRg96Cgv4lMX1-ruhLtxy74z-P1JRI4rekgyD0CFFotitscuvmX/s1600-h/P1040057.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3a-D7WAX7OZanQGJdDwGRQd5Wa5RRiruOY_pCP8bGkTlAe9-A4Xgf34k0cvpehXNmrKR0Uo_lZZxwCbvoNeo_zfGDleRg96Cgv4lMX1-ruhLtxy74z-P1JRI4rekgyD0CFFotitscuvmX/s400/P1040057.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394497641518499922" border="0" /></a><br />On the second weekend we were home, Aleks and Jenny drove up from South Carolina to visit with us. Our first outing was a nice trip to the Pioneer Festival in Winchester.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3rs6Z_BmoREz3aDIgwMjmSeSnsPFlPk7bAEaDgOcohDnKt7sOllOPDGwqCK_o0o_yOzilfmCLPNQj2WHbT4pcvd6CztNl-Vt7JFRIMZLDIE25bM7pnPnCR_q2LCP_KbjRsn0NUqAMvS8t/s1600-h/P1040150.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3rs6Z_BmoREz3aDIgwMjmSeSnsPFlPk7bAEaDgOcohDnKt7sOllOPDGwqCK_o0o_yOzilfmCLPNQj2WHbT4pcvd6CztNl-Vt7JFRIMZLDIE25bM7pnPnCR_q2LCP_KbjRsn0NUqAMvS8t/s400/P1040150.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394497652235653154" border="0" /></a>Al was very excited about the Pioneer Festival.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTmy3s5p8GYWKYKRoVOvtl7u06m4fEDQmt6zHt5ZVr4kPNgR9HM7NsCHWdvXNZ6gj-gT51wtnRIssZre2mr2_NRMr2QbZ0SNWtUrlhzvA6i_su2XO_AGcsYzzcjfFJKTyqXIPC7qn0whRi/s1600-h/P1040151.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTmy3s5p8GYWKYKRoVOvtl7u06m4fEDQmt6zHt5ZVr4kPNgR9HM7NsCHWdvXNZ6gj-gT51wtnRIssZre2mr2_NRMr2QbZ0SNWtUrlhzvA6i_su2XO_AGcsYzzcjfFJKTyqXIPC7qn0whRi/s400/P1040151.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394499632982695666" border="0" /></a>Jenny, maybe not so much.<br /><br />But we did do other fun things while they were there. Mostly alcohol-related. First, there was the winery.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgB-xU_AH3pEW5Tr8ncoAauy6Mcn4t0SFK8hfnra3iMs-5rC99f6APJKefs6KlbXmf94lzfNUVR4VDWW7CfkoUspPWVQX-wXLE2e-zoKWRe-KQs6IBUiBjMqE1aJJPEnt1A_Abw8W5TbEl/s1600-h/P1040153.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgB-xU_AH3pEW5Tr8ncoAauy6Mcn4t0SFK8hfnra3iMs-5rC99f6APJKefs6KlbXmf94lzfNUVR4VDWW7CfkoUspPWVQX-wXLE2e-zoKWRe-KQs6IBUiBjMqE1aJJPEnt1A_Abw8W5TbEl/s400/P1040153.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394499637548210690" border="0" /></a>Then, we checked out the distillery.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5kapApY-x5os2MGo5NgnDpsgFUMwsKCTGaniT7d-Xpp65Ja5Xl9U310HOB8tV3shIfCAOguhaGpYsK01uIfj_GLeegpdguEJFupwcljufOewOFLRbiqsTmzwlDEMOi3OI3r-sCQNvKCb/s1600-h/P1040161.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5kapApY-x5os2MGo5NgnDpsgFUMwsKCTGaniT7d-Xpp65Ja5Xl9U310HOB8tV3shIfCAOguhaGpYsK01uIfj_GLeegpdguEJFupwcljufOewOFLRbiqsTmzwlDEMOi3OI3r-sCQNvKCb/s400/P1040161.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394499646518932498" border="0" /></a>The free samples were better at the distillery.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu-OrnVGJISSmKdXHlJ-h5HUHiwqgofssSAnZleV0alEKyrY0-4FXOnvLXstWIYD2SUsBOjzWhiIVaUHNYXcTua8HXpsUwldkKvk8ORz-crbSjtZ_ajQIDpFN97ANe4g3RdI1fiUcCF_2-/s1600-h/P1040165.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu-OrnVGJISSmKdXHlJ-h5HUHiwqgofssSAnZleV0alEKyrY0-4FXOnvLXstWIYD2SUsBOjzWhiIVaUHNYXcTua8HXpsUwldkKvk8ORz-crbSjtZ_ajQIDpFN97ANe4g3RdI1fiUcCF_2-/s400/P1040165.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394499652087987298" border="0" /></a>I'm sure there was a lot more we did while we were in Kentucky. We saw a lot of our friends, but not everyone, unfortunately. (Sorry Matthew and Hideko!) The flights back to Alaska were better than the flights down. We got to go straight from Chicago to Anchorage, instead of stopping in Seattle. We also had an overnight layover in Anchorage. We crashed at our friends Nathan and Trevona's place. We even got to go out to eat with their daughter Sailor.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqFJLbcRsO0P5sbRuzb9Pl7v04wdhBMIrIrkwBcBGC_HZ776XI8QsE18eQPzJFhy5LkZBLNGhJIsOMLoX7ypMuOQOBEVhZ4f860neH63QExvFBa00T9C4axjey2Q4Kt0pk8l0BhBLmBH3F/s1600-h/P1040168.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqFJLbcRsO0P5sbRuzb9Pl7v04wdhBMIrIrkwBcBGC_HZ776XI8QsE18eQPzJFhy5LkZBLNGhJIsOMLoX7ypMuOQOBEVhZ4f860neH63QExvFBa00T9C4axjey2Q4Kt0pk8l0BhBLmBH3F/s400/P1040168.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394499658898219378" border="0" /></a>She tried all the different foods at the Yak'n'Yeti, which is pretty amazing for a kid that young.<br /><br />We got back a while ago, obviously. What have we been up to since then? Well, mostly business as usual. Aaron is still working at the courthouse and doing Deputy Magistrate duties on weekends. Samara is still working at SAFE and trying to teach kids not to commit domestic violence. Aaron cut some wood for the steam, bought a big game tag for bear and replaced the water pump on our Canyonero. He's living the Alaska lifestyle. Samara's big news is that she got to go to Anchorage and then New Orleans on a two-week training conference extravaganza.<br /><br />This is the part of the post where we promise to make better efforts to update our blog. Well, we'll try. But no guarantees.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14628587410994319563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536719461976391975.post-41239276460090832602009-08-26T18:28:00.006-08:002009-08-28T22:13:57.884-08:00Moose HuntingThis past weekend, I went moose hunting.<br /><br />I'm lucky to have made friends with Tonya and Rich. They've been instrumental in more than one of my authentic Alaska experiences: commercial fishing in Ekuk and now moose hunting on the Snake River.<br /><br />After hearing all the locals getting excited about the beginning of moose hunting season on August 20th, I expressed my interest in moose hunting to Tonya. She told me that Rich was going moose hunting the first weekend of hunting season. I got invited along with her, the girls and Rich down to their cabin on Snake River, which comes off Snake Lake.<br /><br />I'd been to Snake Lake before in the winter on a snowmachine, but I had never been all the way out to the lake in the summer. Let me tell you, it's a pretty big difference from the frozen, snow-covered lake that I'd seen before.<br /><br />In preparation for my hunting trip, I packed a backpack full of old clothes and made sure I had soft-point bullet for my Mosin rifle. Then I went down to the N&N Market and bought my resident hunting license for $25. (Hooray for being here a year and finally being a real "resident"!)<br /><br />Now there are actually two moose hunting seasons in the fall in Dillingham. One is a regular harvest hunt, which requires you to take a bull with at least 50 inch antlers. The other is a Dillingham-resident-only hunt that starts earlier that allows you to take any bull moose. To participate in this hunt, you have to get a permit from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Under the permit hunt, you have to report back whether you kill a moose or not so they know how many animals were harvested and how many people hunted. I picked up my permit for free at the ADF&G building.<br /><br />While I was preparing to hunt, everyone I talked to seemed to think that it was a foregone conclusion that I'd get a moose, since I was hunting with Rich. Apparently he's got a good reputation for getting his moose. I already knew from talking to Rich that he is a self-described lazy hunter. Moose often weigh hundreds and hundreds of pounds. Shooting one deep into the bush is a nightmare once you realize that it all has to be cut and carried out of the woods. Most locals try to shoot one as close to their boat as possible so that the packing is minimized. Rich doesn't want to shoot a moose any farther than a few hundred yards from the river. That sounded perfect to me.<br /><br />You may be wondering why I bothered to get a permit for a moose. After all, Samara and I don't have a big deep freezer and we couldn't possibly eat an entire moose. Well, to be honest, I didn't expect to harvest a moose for myself. Rich was planning to get one for his family, but he's done enough hunting in his life that he didn't care if I did the shooting. I got a permit just in case I got to be the one that dropped the hammer on the moose.<br /><br />On Friday, Tonya and I cut out of work early and did some quick shopping before meeting Rich at the landing at the end of Snake Lake Road. We had just enough time to stop on our way over the mountain so that I could sight in my rifle. At 25 and 50 yards, three quick aimed shots resulted in groups small enough to put a bullet solidly in a moose's vitals, so I was good to go.<br /><br />We got to the landing and met Rich and the girls in the skiff. It's a small aluminum skiff with a outboard jet motor. It steps across the lake pretty well, even when there's a bit of whitecaps. Where it really shines, though, is when we get into the river, which is pretty shallow. Without a jet, you can't run the Snake River without running the risk of tearing up your outboard's prop.<br /><br />Rich and Tonya own acres of land out along the Snake River. They've built a cabin right on a small bluff overlooking the river.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUGvBW7s2q8A1TSu_V-Mwws4uRBsMbdg4TU0VydkdrzSFUKDWQCkkiCYmisPHd66PLUbjEWiUTaFIqCHayeQzbxD4WfVIKctBZGqgs1M1oV9YpGOrnkomMJUc8PvmqyayNvvi4feJHi4j/s1600-h/P1030913.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUGvBW7s2q8A1TSu_V-Mwws4uRBsMbdg4TU0VydkdrzSFUKDWQCkkiCYmisPHd66PLUbjEWiUTaFIqCHayeQzbxD4WfVIKctBZGqgs1M1oV9YpGOrnkomMJUc8PvmqyayNvvi4feJHi4j/s400/P1030913.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375261701806220514" border="0" /></a><br />They laugh about how rudimentary it is, but it is actually pretty comfortable. It has a main floor and loft, with a wood stove for heating. There is a nice gas grill outside for cooking, as well as being able to cook over the fire. There an outhouse (with an actual toilet seat) and plenty of chairs to lounge around in. When you're relaxing in the wilderness, what more can you ask for?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7G98HCVKXNbFkCqeA61T3frhQ91FQlrVUy0Aor3l3Ycw8bePWi-GsSRNaYWJw4K1hiSbwU55tdoUCFbL4UX4qE4sOPFG5il-_ol6KsXKtenAz5rcWrketRnu9tcn9w5M1oZviyewgnkGD/s1600-h/P1030921.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7G98HCVKXNbFkCqeA61T3frhQ91FQlrVUy0Aor3l3Ycw8bePWi-GsSRNaYWJw4K1hiSbwU55tdoUCFbL4UX4qE4sOPFG5il-_ol6KsXKtenAz5rcWrketRnu9tcn9w5M1oZviyewgnkGD/s400/P1030921.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375261711487288994" border="0" /></a><br />Of course, Rich has his big boy toys out there. Not satisfied with just a 4-wheeler, he actually has a D3 bulldozer for blazing trails. Besides the skiff, he's also got a canoe for paddling the river.<br /><br />After we got our stuff unpacked and dinner started, we went back up the river a little ways so that the girls could do some fishing. This river has lots of red salmon this time of year, which don't tend to bite much, and tons of world-class rainbow trout, which definitely will bite when you use salmon eggs as bait. I actually managed to catch a few fish myself on this trip (which we threw back, of course). I caught some rainbow trout, which put up a good fight. I also got a red salmon on the line, who seemed to just want to give up once I hooked him. One of the girls hooked a silver salmon, which made Tonya pretty jealous. She's always wanted to get a silver salmon on a fishing line, as opposed to the way she normally catches them in a big commercial net. This 6 to 7 pound silver wasn't going without a fight through, and finally broke the line before Rich could get it in the boat.<br /><br />After a dinner of pork loin and potatoes, we got to bed. I slept in my sleeping bag on an army cot next to the wood stove. It was pretty cozy. The dogs, two big labs, slept downstairs with me.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZbEO4IO-DYKwn1gDKG8uW07NMZbBIG41H7UcYXIRjycxz6RhOcM6CuRk1Kn3jqcxZak_QDTJxw8aC-Puk9v9XpoJVc0troiNjTa7H-OXbBGtKfOViCVEqkji1qXqFdm1wA86OkrLEKqHd/s1600-h/P1030953.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZbEO4IO-DYKwn1gDKG8uW07NMZbBIG41H7UcYXIRjycxz6RhOcM6CuRk1Kn3jqcxZak_QDTJxw8aC-Puk9v9XpoJVc0troiNjTa7H-OXbBGtKfOViCVEqkji1qXqFdm1wA86OkrLEKqHd/s400/P1030953.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375262590802795474" border="0" /></a><br />The twins, Rich and Tonya all slept up in the loft in their beds. Like I said, not too primitive. Rich even had a generator to run for lights and radio once it got dark.<br /><br />Rich set the alarm for early Saturday morning and we got up before the sun even rose. We got our gear together and took the canoe down to the river. I was hunting with my Russian surplus Mosin Nagant, but Rich hunts with an old 7mm mag Savage bolt action. His rifle looks rough. The bluing is practically gone from the barrel and there's an old sock wrapped around the stock that he uses to cover the scope. To get it ready for hunting season, he douses the thing in Marvel Mystery Oil and lets it drain off.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisj_dNElYSWWGtgDqnimghEfHlYTr4o-XCgohnyK5ISlGvLBMEVRzHdAv2UABhYi7RP0GfplFPcnWgiOI8gT98riPrq7KwmkEegAy4v8jDqavzeJuQGDBXudquIMNeOjli-draZLA4HjuD/s1600-h/P1030916.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisj_dNElYSWWGtgDqnimghEfHlYTr4o-XCgohnyK5ISlGvLBMEVRzHdAv2UABhYi7RP0GfplFPcnWgiOI8gT98riPrq7KwmkEegAy4v8jDqavzeJuQGDBXudquIMNeOjli-draZLA4HjuD/s400/P1030916.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375261710454384674" border="0" /></a><br />He's had a lot of people laugh at that rifle, but he can make some amazing shots with it. He says the first two shots are always extremely accurate, and after that, the pencil-thin barrel starts to heat up and the shots wander all over. He told me that he once won a few bet with a customer that he was helping his brother commercial guide by hitting a wounded brown bear just behind the ear from over 500 yards away with his ratty old rifle. Still, I thought it was pretty funny that my half-century old surplus rifle looked like the prom queen leaning next to his old Savage.<br /><br />Saturday was a rainy morning.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFAnRp_PczQM3E00vGdwV3fSJcBD-KD6skw6_g4q5FT8EGrrXpn5Zhl86tu8rGonY7nLy6xdqSZIm1uAzKH7BwaGaRPrSgHo6gyRF9xNpK9-Iwl16C0F5OOrp1ikhCEjI5DN_gjoh_GPEq/s1600-h/P1030922.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFAnRp_PczQM3E00vGdwV3fSJcBD-KD6skw6_g4q5FT8EGrrXpn5Zhl86tu8rGonY7nLy6xdqSZIm1uAzKH7BwaGaRPrSgHo6gyRF9xNpK9-Iwl16C0F5OOrp1ikhCEjI5DN_gjoh_GPEq/s400/P1030922.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375261721400303682" border="0" /></a><br />We paddled down the river, watching for moose in the trees and over the tundra. The rain seemed to be keeping them all bedded down, though. Rich saw a cow in the trees at one point, and we found the spot a little farther down river where she'd crossed and left tracks.<br /><br />I got a great picture of Rich with one of his classic expressions on his face. He looks like I just asked him how many legs a moose has.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivtyD9S0l4EZwNOnLOl2EdPWG3ln_82dX_wjnqJpD26U983kuf4h3T311MYnnijXyTn6TDgGOkrk6YtXRdIFL09H0A3ah3SoSVKmScUzW62OinxXc74pAM5vsYfihqvZ4MEACQELi50Wms/s1600-h/P1030924.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivtyD9S0l4EZwNOnLOl2EdPWG3ln_82dX_wjnqJpD26U983kuf4h3T311MYnnijXyTn6TDgGOkrk6YtXRdIFL09H0A3ah3SoSVKmScUzW62OinxXc74pAM5vsYfihqvZ4MEACQELi50Wms/s400/P1030924.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375261726408356530" border="0" /></a><br />As we paddled down, we passed a bald eagle's nest, with the baby eagle still hanging around even though he was getting pretty large. We also saw the mother and father flying around the area.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIDEXrIOXeAQqGofrF8-raLaH10VhGmBsinaKp96KkSQ5GHbpprj6hkJCmasQ9j-RXq4w1jEjx_qC65nB7DrpJe9kAw1wiBxWI0LBN7OQkpGetVKFIf-IeNd1wsLnwIAKTVBKWcAHxmkNG/s1600-h/P1030959.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIDEXrIOXeAQqGofrF8-raLaH10VhGmBsinaKp96KkSQ5GHbpprj6hkJCmasQ9j-RXq4w1jEjx_qC65nB7DrpJe9kAw1wiBxWI0LBN7OQkpGetVKFIf-IeNd1wsLnwIAKTVBKWcAHxmkNG/s400/P1030959.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375262609363401186" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyeJTBHzJ8YFYiC_2tKkLNbmiJyXs16myt6ZqWBd46ISNJskE9aX6Y7VIsaFte1YvP1LNA6oAsTMu55BflqZOoII9zXcjG33dbOZY1RF9LV5DQ3TQj9PeYSsspDbYWKjIZZ5bdknYlSp5B/s1600-h/P1030960.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyeJTBHzJ8YFYiC_2tKkLNbmiJyXs16myt6ZqWBd46ISNJskE9aX6Y7VIsaFte1YvP1LNA6oAsTMu55BflqZOoII9zXcjG33dbOZY1RF9LV5DQ3TQj9PeYSsspDbYWKjIZZ5bdknYlSp5B/s400/P1030960.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375262615828826370" border="0" /></a><br />A little past the nest, we turned off into a slough that went back up and let out near the cabin. It was a long and winding waterway, and there was plenty of chance to watch for moose as we paddled along in the spitting rain.<br /><br />After a while, we hit a beaver dam, and had to portage the canoe across. We took that chance to look around a bit, and saw some bear tracks, as well as a bunch of moose tracks. Rich figured they weren't very old, and indicated a cow, calf and a bull. That's when he decided they must all be bedded down because of the rain. There was a beaver swimming around the pond behind his dam, and when he saw us, he slapped his tail on the water and dove.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUKKiOf4cX1IHjZJ4oiTAevZHjbFZI6MunIblEQOy9SpNqiXYXwS7La0lrwyqnS9n-SlGFhT8bLQFSz8_r8tE7htuRcdx_Kk_8SVdfm-VdepgciqpfW_AaJxei5dEzDiEH9UtIwtFCpLen/s1600-h/P1030925.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUKKiOf4cX1IHjZJ4oiTAevZHjbFZI6MunIblEQOy9SpNqiXYXwS7La0lrwyqnS9n-SlGFhT8bLQFSz8_r8tE7htuRcdx_Kk_8SVdfm-VdepgciqpfW_AaJxei5dEzDiEH9UtIwtFCpLen/s400/P1030925.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375262001419340546" border="0" /></a><br />Before long, we got back on the water and headed further up the slough. There were some more beaver dams, but they had all been broken and the water was pouring through with no sign of the beavers.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDExwH8V40mfC9HEJ2KpIu-OVD7noTub6MpDPCixvgTLFP8weS0v5sDbys9fV-KjbB2Wp71ksgjBvsCqMJuCaLN41DCBSMTO0SKdZGvUr6XEI1O4o3od-QJ4n4Hs9C8fXWICKurEEjkHWN/s1600-h/P1030929.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDExwH8V40mfC9HEJ2KpIu-OVD7noTub6MpDPCixvgTLFP8weS0v5sDbys9fV-KjbB2Wp71ksgjBvsCqMJuCaLN41DCBSMTO0SKdZGvUr6XEI1O4o3od-QJ4n4Hs9C8fXWICKurEEjkHWN/s400/P1030929.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375262005615141634" border="0" /></a><br />We saw plenty of ducks during this time, but no moose. The slough put us right back up at the foot of the cabin, which was nice because it was getting to be breakfast time.<br /><br />Rich and Tonya sure do eat well when they're in Ekuk or out at the cabin. We had bacon, eggs, toast and southern-style hash browns. After a nap, we decided to take a little fishing trip. We packed up the twins and Tonya, then headed up to the lake to another fishing spot.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7p_rMwdKSWqCddkZSG70sD2k8gXVebD5jdfmvHQiZd8vHTzzhhU5LOdosvAcqGBcXUJOjWRAcBLSM-elDUpDOtAWuORL8o1XVxX9DdqtIkfD58wk2wg9fm2sqJUKiy_tEA5SzVUFg6OeN/s1600-h/P1030933.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7p_rMwdKSWqCddkZSG70sD2k8gXVebD5jdfmvHQiZd8vHTzzhhU5LOdosvAcqGBcXUJOjWRAcBLSM-elDUpDOtAWuORL8o1XVxX9DdqtIkfD58wk2wg9fm2sqJUKiy_tEA5SzVUFg6OeN/s400/P1030933.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375262008741262034" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGeBXjw1gX03xZUEXhkfMR3k6f_MIkrM2yJyRRCn-KK8YsBk4NpMRAtTFa5RQXlvhw1xxbCCXMD9wmqBSduGqqauT-EyMQjCp4CVuzBVWHu7chG4a6fJSj711TwJwJUZeAIo8Ubn8bU9AA/s1600-h/P1030935.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGeBXjw1gX03xZUEXhkfMR3k6f_MIkrM2yJyRRCn-KK8YsBk4NpMRAtTFa5RQXlvhw1xxbCCXMD9wmqBSduGqqauT-EyMQjCp4CVuzBVWHu7chG4a6fJSj711TwJwJUZeAIo8Ubn8bU9AA/s400/P1030935.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375262017421627010" border="0" /></a><br />After crossing the lake and finding the creek outlet we were looking for, there didn't turn out to be any fish hanging around.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7ii1c83A-qZXvWpGVAnPvDwUoweAt7mQ08pGMddClKbszbOBTe6QmneMuv5QnjLcswM4euUVp6lZV245rSoQURXYDKYwmDVqSdSEYmPe308TNNlXnHOhomaKfAdTRC0TS_PD4tFOf4gt/s1600-h/P1030940.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7ii1c83A-qZXvWpGVAnPvDwUoweAt7mQ08pGMddClKbszbOBTe6QmneMuv5QnjLcswM4euUVp6lZV245rSoQURXYDKYwmDVqSdSEYmPe308TNNlXnHOhomaKfAdTRC0TS_PD4tFOf4gt/s400/P1030940.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375262301651934306" border="0" /></a><br />There was a fat seagull, an otter, and lots of views of the pretty mountains, though.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqk6jAoU1Y9iHYt2mk3CEUuiZENjoFGmBDrI86c70oU_0pDmVvz12BWLdTHJdpV4PmCwB-XdRFdtPJRQ5GH1axtJE-BPXpDLnr5ZuSwhwmpo6DUX9_wgo2mXMTCDegMvfDZZYcZRsudeqX/s1600-h/P1030936.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqk6jAoU1Y9iHYt2mk3CEUuiZENjoFGmBDrI86c70oU_0pDmVvz12BWLdTHJdpV4PmCwB-XdRFdtPJRQ5GH1axtJE-BPXpDLnr5ZuSwhwmpo6DUX9_wgo2mXMTCDegMvfDZZYcZRsudeqX/s400/P1030936.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375262021508032178" border="0" /></a><br />Pretty quickly, we headed back down the river.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicZsr1GqZXksMNxD9x2MVBq19KBDx3PEqWEHZ0kHNt3DAYpFyp4K4aT1iwSS9pQih8HBhrjYMiTtbOzjP3DMrHmpcKJ6d_3qq40CrZ41R0ZCSfsmV8oatEo6Y4se9FIlGa6Y1o5GvTP4HR/s1600-h/P1030942.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicZsr1GqZXksMNxD9x2MVBq19KBDx3PEqWEHZ0kHNt3DAYpFyp4K4aT1iwSS9pQih8HBhrjYMiTtbOzjP3DMrHmpcKJ6d_3qq40CrZ41R0ZCSfsmV8oatEo6Y4se9FIlGa6Y1o5GvTP4HR/s400/P1030942.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375262304222813538" border="0" /></a><br />We found a better fishing spot and threw a few lines in the water. The girls really enjoy fishing, especially when it's so productive. They catch plenty of nice rainbow trout on the Snake River. It's always really easy to spot the red salmon as well.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTwKLn_pw1kw5EhGePvY6UFkWu4orsJdyfBrwBryaeezrK2ebBNPvM8CjJOcWJDY4ZFHYzr6U_0tL8xiX9X1E3tKiDoz9L91jIo1YXAfsYDngRF2zZKHPEWlv7H8Ep3m4eZzXb8jLlRRrR/s1600-h/P1030944.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTwKLn_pw1kw5EhGePvY6UFkWu4orsJdyfBrwBryaeezrK2ebBNPvM8CjJOcWJDY4ZFHYzr6U_0tL8xiX9X1E3tKiDoz9L91jIo1YXAfsYDngRF2zZKHPEWlv7H8Ep3m4eZzXb8jLlRRrR/s400/P1030944.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375262315625539762" border="0" /></a><br />Later that evening, we decided to take another try at the moose hunting. Rich and I took one of the girls, Caiti, and floated down the river in the skiff for a little ways, watching for moose.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgssdIRHa_batYsyzf5YLztwe7_3kF1bCbCrk_0dnPtt8gjux9C-2mIJgcN1DqD-VxfZ1jojKIPoP8HqQJqs-_10RUHqdwNmWY-cBC4gBTAlJoL9bGiBTX9zbpwx_b2bfGum-ayiOWqxXbT/s1600-h/P1030948.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgssdIRHa_batYsyzf5YLztwe7_3kF1bCbCrk_0dnPtt8gjux9C-2mIJgcN1DqD-VxfZ1jojKIPoP8HqQJqs-_10RUHqdwNmWY-cBC4gBTAlJoL9bGiBTX9zbpwx_b2bfGum-ayiOWqxXbT/s400/P1030948.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375262319834404034" border="0" /></a><br />Even though the rain had let up, we still didn't see much. Rich got off the boat and did a little stalking in the woods while Caiti and I fished.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92IWU19ZzBHbblhGLT0YzIbYMOHqlkclgRR6QnPUI6ghNZs7mhWGQmLZEvRRvcP9zoEaP1auin2CI1Hz-IB5q-wKKeXv2xKm4W9LHfDxD9ZV1RgyCQbO8fOC7ykB7vu5Xn25vfht-DO9F/s1600-h/P1030947.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92IWU19ZzBHbblhGLT0YzIbYMOHqlkclgRR6QnPUI6ghNZs7mhWGQmLZEvRRvcP9zoEaP1auin2CI1Hz-IB5q-wKKeXv2xKm4W9LHfDxD9ZV1RgyCQbO8fOC7ykB7vu5Xn25vfht-DO9F/s400/P1030947.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375262324636962338" border="0" /></a><br />When he got back, he said he'd seen a bull off the tundra, but when he tried to stalk closer, a swan took off and blew his cover. The bull disappeared into the woods. Since we weren't likely to get a moose that night, we did a bit more fishing and headed back.<br /><br />That second night, I was plenty tired and slept well! Sunday morning, we got up early again and Rich and I took the other twin, Shari, with us on the moose hunt this time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmAxpXtyBnUu8K94WYvwUQD_il152k7H_tfR0r1ILWpfJeokk2uC9jxPl3CIDSEwGXA0_MAMMOnQ4EGsqQ5HbrhN0A2gkAu7vTwyy4GDSx5592KAkM24MlU5x1mdWo57i6RdWHwa5p-QR/s1600-h/P1030955.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmAxpXtyBnUu8K94WYvwUQD_il152k7H_tfR0r1ILWpfJeokk2uC9jxPl3CIDSEwGXA0_MAMMOnQ4EGsqQ5HbrhN0A2gkAu7vTwyy4GDSx5592KAkM24MlU5x1mdWo57i6RdWHwa5p-QR/s400/P1030955.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375262599495962690" border="0" /></a><br />We floated down to the spot where Rich had seen some moose before and got out to look around. Rich found a shed antler, so he scraped and banged it on a tree for a while. That got one bull curious enough to peek his head out of the woods, but he was still way too far to shoot. We waited for a while along the shore for moose to show themselves, but didn't have any luck. There was one seriously pissed-off beaver hanging around our skiff, slapping his tail in the water, so we headed back up the river and did a bit more fishing. Then it was back to camp for breakfast.<br /><br />That afternoon, we got all packed up and headed back across the river to home. It might not have been a productive hunting trip, but it was a pretty good fishing trip, and the views of the mountains and Alaska wilderness were amazing. I really enjoyed getting a chance to get out into the bush and away from the hustle and bustle of Dillingham, such that it is.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAvlo0yC87iGY5O7XudK3giCayvfoIfMGdiBmkyHsHWSdDUjWB1n_c3BgWs7ptDdZNFy09MQsf07heooZmx5M84_mn-_KqBMmLMyNuA096oJU_pUFf6-oG2egfZQTQayXCfjl7hvY4WdO5/s1600-h/P1030957.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAvlo0yC87iGY5O7XudK3giCayvfoIfMGdiBmkyHsHWSdDUjWB1n_c3BgWs7ptDdZNFy09MQsf07heooZmx5M84_mn-_KqBMmLMyNuA096oJU_pUFf6-oG2egfZQTQayXCfjl7hvY4WdO5/s400/P1030957.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375262602613543842" border="0" /></a><br />I hope to get another chance to enjoy Snake River before winter, but if not, I'm sure I'll be back the next summer.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14628587410994319563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536719461976391975.post-9804257548994766402009-08-26T14:01:00.002-08:002009-08-26T14:14:08.986-08:00A trip to KentuckyWe leave out of Dillingham tonight and we expect to arrive in Kentucky late tomorrow night. We're looking forward to fountain drinks, shopping, going out to eat, visiting family, visiting friends and acting like huge tourists. Aaron is getting sworn in to the Kentucky Bar while we are there so he can get a job in Kentucky when we move back. I'm looking forward visiting people and I might even get to meet my new baby niece, if she is born before I leave. I can already tell that this visit is going to be too short.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536719461976391975.post-74689605483456806182009-08-10T22:49:00.003-08:002009-08-10T23:02:29.062-08:00Use Caution When Operating Power ToolsI'll preface this blog entry by saying that I'm fine now and there's nothing to worry about.<br /><br />I say that because this blog post is about me doing something stupid and hurting myself. I don't want anyone to be in suspense and worry about the outcome. I'm fine.<br /><br />On to the story...<br /><br />Last night about 10pm, I decide to do a little metalworking project. I sit down on the front porch with the angle grinder and the piece of metal in my lap and get ready to cut a piece off of it. Instead of putting the damn piece of metal in a vice, I'm holding it in one hand and the angle grinder in the other. Why I thought it was a good idea to work with an angle grinder one-handed in my lap, I'll never know.<br /><br />I'm cutting along, doing fine, and the cut-off wheel catches in the metal and rips over it and into my knee. I pull up my pants leg, and I've cut a hole in the side of my knee. It's not really bleeding, but it was a good 3/4" long cut, which was stretched open maybe a half inch. I could see subcutaneous fat, but I guess I missed any tendons or major blood vessels. Very lucky.<br /><br />I hop inside and have Samara grab the band-aid wash (Bactine). I irrigated it and stuck a paper towel on it and head off to the ER. Like I said, it barely bled at all and it wasn't even really hurting. I just knew it needed some stitches. Dr. Stout numbed it up with a local anesthetic, revised the edges where the grinder had left it dirty, cleaned it and stitched me up. Four stitches and a new tetanus shot was all it took.<br /><br />They didn't give me any pain meds, because to be honest, it didn't really hurt. I took some Tylenol at home, but then I woke up in the middle of the night in pain. Couldn't get back to sleep until the next dose of Tylenol kicked in.<br /><br />I called in sick for the first half of the day today, but managed to go to work for the second half. I was limping because it was sore. By the end of the day, though, I was used to walking on it again and wasn't limping so much. I'm staying dosed up with Tylenol and Ibuprofen.<br /><br />I think, all in all, that I learned a very valuable lesson for very cheap. No real damage, but it could have been bad. Now I'll be smart enough to work safely with my grinder. I'll be using two hands and a vice from now on!<br /><br />I have pictures of my knee, but I won't post them, because it's gross. E-mail me if you're morbidly curious to see the before and after. (Yes, I got a before picture at the hospital.)<br /><br />Here's some pleasant pictures instead, of Samara and I sitting in the booth at the Muddy Rudder, waiting for our dinner.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhykO1NkOZ1o3ADyaVT7knLvzqdtdPSDcUj6zIQ_PSo4e78b9-yEktREvIKTsPlGDe0RveRZABQbMyu2LRUPCoJfc6lWeT9Wu-1nT03e0-yrzlEg5kyO14uSDIp3zUddWu2Q49HYW35E2-l/s1600-h/aaron-rudder.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhykO1NkOZ1o3ADyaVT7knLvzqdtdPSDcUj6zIQ_PSo4e78b9-yEktREvIKTsPlGDe0RveRZABQbMyu2LRUPCoJfc6lWeT9Wu-1nT03e0-yrzlEg5kyO14uSDIp3zUddWu2Q49HYW35E2-l/s400/aaron-rudder.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368597600114731186" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgShFZRAr3lYHqZ42MzjNjq1H8GbBngrGKMyaCRs9zzUxq0_Fb8_7pgnfllI7xcX_oCl4XJy_kZz0IxY-be3tQQXtdJN8frI5Md1IzeUB_vwMw9JbqXMK7oF8SMbbVBg-OfUOxtG_fxKYgB/s1600-h/samara-rudder.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgShFZRAr3lYHqZ42MzjNjq1H8GbBngrGKMyaCRs9zzUxq0_Fb8_7pgnfllI7xcX_oCl4XJy_kZz0IxY-be3tQQXtdJN8frI5Md1IzeUB_vwMw9JbqXMK7oF8SMbbVBg-OfUOxtG_fxKYgB/s400/samara-rudder.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368597601852522914" border="0" /></a>So I'm thinking of a new tattoo, right above my knee, that says "Use Caution When Operating Power Tools." What do you think?Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14628587410994319563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536719461976391975.post-13048822996149813012009-08-06T08:24:00.013-08:002009-08-06T09:22:34.100-08:00Moving, vandalism and other things that have happened<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJRfWtG2nJxOFxxvC9M6heL82k7CqUB1XDA_Zig6iUyP6SDUQENVUQWksQp3TnMKKdZqtunr-uDfYrpSDQenuDlVNMbHR6-b843C2SGomKGUesfVh9w60nmwLoWjL9bhLg5rKsgeDF8qDW/s1600-h/aaron+in+bedroom.bmp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJRfWtG2nJxOFxxvC9M6heL82k7CqUB1XDA_Zig6iUyP6SDUQENVUQWksQp3TnMKKdZqtunr-uDfYrpSDQenuDlVNMbHR6-b843C2SGomKGUesfVh9w60nmwLoWjL9bhLg5rKsgeDF8qDW/s400/aaron+in+bedroom.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366896442033686898" border="0" /></a><br />First, I realize we haven't blogged in over a month. There is a good reason for that--we're pretty lazy and we were in the process of moving from our posh <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Dillingham</span> Apartment to a cozy house by the airport. (You understood that cozy meant small, right?) Anyway, we were taking our time moving since the house needed some fixing and we are now property managers for that place and 4 other houses. Aaron fixed the moldy floor and put down new peel 'n stick tile down.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQKbU3A74ZIDQ7HFsq0v2QJhNMpJi-4DljW_hQ3TSokxq1po7vFCYt33ihMyu_C8Y5sUKdqV6qxoa-w1jtXPE1O5qVM6VdxZbXqNnOTOmX5JUq_SCURlYxlPDzyyl9Be5o2hF6_TJOTE2/s1600-h/Aaron+in+house.bmp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQKbU3A74ZIDQ7HFsq0v2QJhNMpJi-4DljW_hQ3TSokxq1po7vFCYt33ihMyu_C8Y5sUKdqV6qxoa-w1jtXPE1O5qVM6VdxZbXqNnOTOmX5JUq_SCURlYxlPDzyyl9Be5o2hF6_TJOTE2/s400/Aaron+in+house.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366896715933043266" border="0" /></a><br />It looks pretty good. And We painted just about every surface of the house that could possible hold paint. I think we did a pretty good job. Now the only problem I have is storage. There is almost no storage space. No closets, very few cupboards and as it turns out the washer and dryer doesn't work.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1MH0TFbwTkeS_gHZ6W9QKdkmj3s-_ensJ4pFlnj2PmdhwneMnWjO718J8spv5Gc2z8q8yPrvy_2mzUlNXAhyphenhyphen668N6dxCLweKAiJ7hCTec4pGHK0erQkuHmxlSG4gr1Uy0ehNKMYQML7Im/s1600-h/aaron+with+washer.bmp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1MH0TFbwTkeS_gHZ6W9QKdkmj3s-_ensJ4pFlnj2PmdhwneMnWjO718J8spv5Gc2z8q8yPrvy_2mzUlNXAhyphenhyphen668N6dxCLweKAiJ7hCTec4pGHK0erQkuHmxlSG4gr1Uy0ehNKMYQML7Im/s400/aaron+with+washer.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366896990868856146" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEfs27Hbr7feTvhyphenhyphenDW59_RG4QMSAqG9pend4a93jEfgJc0yWwMRY7jPZRiAkNuyOMSqKS3fW3YEduSF7Qw21ti39I9dkDQaNcWs9CRCNEQfBgXXrQrzbsE_pRoNxMWt7jHtAEOlW04bGUK/s1600-h/bathroom+floor.bmp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEfs27Hbr7feTvhyphenhyphenDW59_RG4QMSAqG9pend4a93jEfgJc0yWwMRY7jPZRiAkNuyOMSqKS3fW3YEduSF7Qw21ti39I9dkDQaNcWs9CRCNEQfBgXXrQrzbsE_pRoNxMWt7jHtAEOlW04bGUK/s400/bathroom+floor.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366897264573237042" border="0" /></a><br />But free rent, you can't really do too bad with free rent.<br /><br />As it turns out my coworker lives in one of the rental properties we manage. This is how the not-so-harmful vandalism started. I had extra paint from painting all the walls, so I thought it would be cute to paint some of the rocks in her flower garden.<br /><br />So she painted some rocks in my driveway and around my porch.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5XANeK-FFHmYELPKYs93f6DSL0ShaYZtzWZAmRUbC7XFjTvPcSv1Uivx0BC9xZ2AOWIyeEiQoNfM0SaQyhGRkiP-3odTp3-8mgkS-mKXizV4a7DY_7Wz84j1GTCJdmzckho2rIs3BNAHO/s1600-h/purple+rocks.bmp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5XANeK-FFHmYELPKYs93f6DSL0ShaYZtzWZAmRUbC7XFjTvPcSv1Uivx0BC9xZ2AOWIyeEiQoNfM0SaQyhGRkiP-3odTp3-8mgkS-mKXizV4a7DY_7Wz84j1GTCJdmzckho2rIs3BNAHO/s400/purple+rocks.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366899407861983986" border="0" /></a><br />So then I painted her bird house and the side of her porch.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4C-Mvee5_cvT7NTQeLfLCi1Djl6Sxc5beyKNbA9u-znMN4aVezM4Jah3zuORjL_bzVb37QpxqNIlr8mfMM7krq73cbrwL5TlGbL5B6sy4XysoY17TgJeQm2GCFFFscic7vlDHDZFQ9O4l/s1600-h/birdhouse.bmp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4C-Mvee5_cvT7NTQeLfLCi1Djl6Sxc5beyKNbA9u-znMN4aVezM4Jah3zuORjL_bzVb37QpxqNIlr8mfMM7krq73cbrwL5TlGbL5B6sy4XysoY17TgJeQm2GCFFFscic7vlDHDZFQ9O4l/s400/birdhouse.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366898986584904786" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoaT2O91dl5Sdlkp3TVBmRT6FXShpWZ5C_e20bx34tdACvI435aXlChleTiA0CW4RReV7P3oK2wf5lbnBXKOX-IxdFZk2GTaSVTSvP7JXuFCuEw9WRlQghjNjPPGuuxiN99JCcuNipYLyx/s1600-h/porch.bmp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoaT2O91dl5Sdlkp3TVBmRT6FXShpWZ5C_e20bx34tdACvI435aXlChleTiA0CW4RReV7P3oK2wf5lbnBXKOX-IxdFZk2GTaSVTSvP7JXuFCuEw9WRlQghjNjPPGuuxiN99JCcuNipYLyx/s400/porch.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366899202523828034" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And she glued magazine ads to my newly painted red door--they came off, the paint was dry and not harmed.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYI_lIfN0ZzSoRgjkyvhMWJbfopqzLL6jan4c39AOWJxOYFdU4FUPbsIIsKImF6tu2-2sI5OiEBaimIVeAJWywe17zFotIF666qtyH6HeZ87gI4Qzneq5PKG3kDydS47s8zR8QoXnK8GD7/s1600-h/red+door.bmp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYI_lIfN0ZzSoRgjkyvhMWJbfopqzLL6jan4c39AOWJxOYFdU4FUPbsIIsKImF6tu2-2sI5OiEBaimIVeAJWywe17zFotIF666qtyH6HeZ87gI4Qzneq5PKG3kDydS47s8zR8QoXnK8GD7/s400/red+door.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366899715844153890" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So then I painted clam shells and glued them around her door from. (Sorry I don't have pictures of this.) But this has been going on since before we moved it. I am hoping that we will call a truce soon or else the houses are going to look pretty funky and not in a good way.<br /><br /><br />In other news, we made it through the summer <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">solstice</span> and the sun is starting to set earlier and earlier every day. I have proof that there is a moon, which I was starting to doubt for a while.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9QCi-5cDYClWert9akyutsWo0Ujc1ZkqRZTAmp0tE_AFjSFvGlEcIlbfD8BwRrS-wwNgrXmGk4RdBgQwvxfI2SEe3tC9DuKGebrWxugnLay008xrOIlwSKb2Sazws5AaSGxrspl6y_83/s1600-h/moon.bmp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9QCi-5cDYClWert9akyutsWo0Ujc1ZkqRZTAmp0tE_AFjSFvGlEcIlbfD8BwRrS-wwNgrXmGk4RdBgQwvxfI2SEe3tC9DuKGebrWxugnLay008xrOIlwSKb2Sazws5AaSGxrspl6y_83/s400/moon.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366900189217250706" border="0" /></a><br />Aaron and I took a drive out to the harbor while the weather was still good and we actually got to see a sunset. It was probably close to midnight, but we hadn't been awake to see a sunset in a few months. It's seems wrong to stay up until 2am to watch the sun kinda set.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTA7s5PAOZ8ixLXtgQ1ZlPStgLIbt_7n2wpqSUTLMZHGl7UK6dplPnmVbRzbi55ly4lQUj73xnwDhh1d22IfBp1Y3C2Y5YIzndUBI6k4SMKXoC9Cmtk16NaJNqrl_kQ7URdr7kGZOZPWBM/s1600-h/sunset.bmp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTA7s5PAOZ8ixLXtgQ1ZlPStgLIbt_7n2wpqSUTLMZHGl7UK6dplPnmVbRzbi55ly4lQUj73xnwDhh1d22IfBp1Y3C2Y5YIzndUBI6k4SMKXoC9Cmtk16NaJNqrl_kQ7URdr7kGZOZPWBM/s400/sunset.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366900033625239938" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536719461976391975.post-42255293903150524582009-06-29T21:36:00.017-08:002009-06-30T19:04:24.687-08:00I Survived a Weekend Fishing in EkukThis past weekend, I went commercial fishing. The Clerk of Court, Tonya, had invited me to come out to Ekuk where she and her husband Rich, and two daughters fish for salmon commercially with set nets. I really didn't know anything about how commercial fishing worked, but I was willing to help out and have a little working vacation in order to learn.<br /><br />My parents left Thursday night for West Virginia, and I left Friday night after work for Ekuk. Of course, first I had to buy a 7-day commercial crewmember license, some raingear, boots, and a sleeping bag. I packed up all my clothes and gear, and picked up some groceries for Tonya and Rich.<br /><br />Ekuk is a small community on the southern edge of Nushagak Bay. I think it might actually be on the Bristol Bay, which is what the Nushagak Bay empties into. Dillingham is on the north shore of Nushagak Bay, on the narrow end near the Wood and Nushagak Rivers. Ekuk is across on the south shore and around the end of a couple of points. (Straight across from Dillingham is a village called Nushagak, and then you can often see Clark's Point farther out. Ekuk is around on the other side of Clark's Point.) No one lives in Ekuk year round, except for the winter watchman at the cannery. Everyone else just goes there to fish. Some of the cabins are pretty nice, but others are a step above a trailer. It doesn't really matter. If you're there, you're there to fish.<br /><br />To get to Ekuk, you fly or take a boat. That's about it. Besides me, Tonya's friend Jeanine and her dog Karma were also going for the weekend. We caught a ride on Bristol Bay Air, which is run by the lone pilot of the operation, John Paul. He's a good pilot with a well-maintained aircraft. But it's a small plane.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQpWrRTbxorYxChfsNMz1w_MxzCW-VOsL9D8DnrInPc9yVybvdzjnXIxLzrLTZ1VzcpxYH-B-zrpoz4-rByxpypQRQlFjQkatOosT2muTc33YwjfrCS7pm0LX8rQo1J8nE_iaSGt6T5CFc/s1600-h/P1030773.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQpWrRTbxorYxChfsNMz1w_MxzCW-VOsL9D8DnrInPc9yVybvdzjnXIxLzrLTZ1VzcpxYH-B-zrpoz4-rByxpypQRQlFjQkatOosT2muTc33YwjfrCS7pm0LX8rQo1J8nE_iaSGt6T5CFc/s400/P1030773.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353298153199965794" border="0" /></a><br />Samara dropped me at the airport at around 5pm, and I met up with Jeanie, her dog, John Paul and his other passenger. We walked through the gate and loaded our gear right onto the plane.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4D6M_qdlpA3N-nsEiOc6FEyxVDeFWP0l2w139-4rfcQKNVjrcakelzSfcCn4RBxOCCVA82lOlYQBWbe-OeZR7dzHbk4_DlqqKDlhXjwSWleF4uC1THIhqjF6LxsmngbkCCxZOzXxUn8P/s1600-h/P1030775.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4D6M_qdlpA3N-nsEiOc6FEyxVDeFWP0l2w139-4rfcQKNVjrcakelzSfcCn4RBxOCCVA82lOlYQBWbe-OeZR7dzHbk4_DlqqKDlhXjwSWleF4uC1THIhqjF6LxsmngbkCCxZOzXxUn8P/s400/P1030775.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353298157259442434" border="0" /></a><br />John Paul gassed up, we all jumped in, and he taxied around to the runway. Pretty soon, he throttled up and we were into the air.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE8JMsg175nF1bQpp2csT4YATiG5PxyXf6TBE_i0ymFcAEq1aPPnIzL8siTo9B_YCe5fbAANrwOdCxSnA661cescCdS83mLi18k330ZXNZMHu56GvkDlVDcRQWLw6TzpzoOePBEElQxUPD/s1600-h/P1030778.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE8JMsg175nF1bQpp2csT4YATiG5PxyXf6TBE_i0ymFcAEq1aPPnIzL8siTo9B_YCe5fbAANrwOdCxSnA661cescCdS83mLi18k330ZXNZMHu56GvkDlVDcRQWLw6TzpzoOePBEElQxUPD/s400/P1030778.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353298162493370418" border="0" /></a><br />It was neat to see Dillingham from the air as we took off. I didn't mind flying in the small plane at all. There's plenty to see when you're at 700 feet and cruising, and it felt perfectly safe. It's a ten or fifteen minute flight across the bay. There was plenty to see.<br /><br />I spotted the hospital at the end of Kanakanak Road, then boats in the bay headed out for fishing.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlanSZykf9oo5HWz6O8qTdgonngtpHgEX_GCuqkErjO89IygOM5s5FD4wqem6X2uaHVkG9eOqjl0GQDheuUfaUEpu7OxofYsheSDB6EMinQ4W6ohhdOONHryf_NRHYBTSwwSqux-BKaTA/s1600-h/P1030786.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlanSZykf9oo5HWz6O8qTdgonngtpHgEX_GCuqkErjO89IygOM5s5FD4wqem6X2uaHVkG9eOqjl0GQDheuUfaUEpu7OxofYsheSDB6EMinQ4W6ohhdOONHryf_NRHYBTSwwSqux-BKaTA/s400/P1030786.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353298165928806146" border="0" /></a><br />All these little boats run drift nets to catch fish out in the bay.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xkM3MzjcHMe29PnIfbcKbMq9FthIUAOKw_vpJ0VmwUCwjV3AKTl3Tn3JHouFuY8nBzoUALras1MXgtu2JQf7ceHduAd1QCUlQ1MMfHcFeOmTWkhElpMBPhvMMr94CD2V6h3GQfQ7kOOA/s1600-h/P1030791.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2xkM3MzjcHMe29PnIfbcKbMq9FthIUAOKw_vpJ0VmwUCwjV3AKTl3Tn3JHouFuY8nBzoUALras1MXgtu2JQf7ceHduAd1QCUlQ1MMfHcFeOmTWkhElpMBPhvMMr94CD2V6h3GQfQ7kOOA/s400/P1030791.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353299104746806578" border="0" /></a><br />We flew past Nushagak, with its giant white orthodox cross on the hillside.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfikip8J2OVK4nPvHCvrUoIKhnSWR1ahpDbOAJ57TV3I-qkKQN3-RYBJpgzlhpBtypF2PEziCpj_OC9ysVH3qsHLOBaiMZtIFpMpD_xxkvygTiTZ5oWM_woW0TPEGoMulSgAL6fGdDg8Z_/s1600-h/P1030787.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfikip8J2OVK4nPvHCvrUoIKhnSWR1ahpDbOAJ57TV3I-qkKQN3-RYBJpgzlhpBtypF2PEziCpj_OC9ysVH3qsHLOBaiMZtIFpMpD_xxkvygTiTZ5oWM_woW0TPEGoMulSgAL6fGdDg8Z_/s400/P1030787.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353298169032525042" border="0" /></a><br />Then we passed over Clark's Point, which has quite a few people by the name of Clark still living there. There were a lot of boats just off the shore there.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkXaZQfoEm5Cy2fR7p7h5ieVRSn8RyVbqJbbiGCyy1yLrzIFMF7T-XU6BFY-6Z6OEWiK7ekX9bS4oKJZm7j-Xgn5s8e8XdKJ_qwlNY8I5GVp9Obho-xNvzLzYQBI66nYutAF5AvHBmBO8/s1600-h/P1030793.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkXaZQfoEm5Cy2fR7p7h5ieVRSn8RyVbqJbbiGCyy1yLrzIFMF7T-XU6BFY-6Z6OEWiK7ekX9bS4oKJZm7j-Xgn5s8e8XdKJ_qwlNY8I5GVp9Obho-xNvzLzYQBI66nYutAF5AvHBmBO8/s400/P1030793.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353299108083162210" border="0" /></a><br />Pretty soon we started banking hard as we flew over Ekuk. I could see houses and cabins dotting the beach as we banked, and although I didn't realize it at the time, I could see the runway as well.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLx-qMiXSmwXTuG9zCn0hXpLfWcLr-d0NGzDDM6ySM3XwMDWOgBo5OSGP98bSVPXPJkbZAVeUmjXaG-fmb5KyFiX53mXcI0RJcqnYOTRkS3DGnj2Raw7HO4oeZ6tOIFpDQIaZXCHjU-AME/s1600-h/P1030795.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLx-qMiXSmwXTuG9zCn0hXpLfWcLr-d0NGzDDM6ySM3XwMDWOgBo5OSGP98bSVPXPJkbZAVeUmjXaG-fmb5KyFiX53mXcI0RJcqnYOTRkS3DGnj2Raw7HO4oeZ6tOIFpDQIaZXCHjU-AME/s400/P1030795.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353299118685393186" border="0" /></a><br />We went out and flew over the beach, and could see people down there fishing as the tide went out. Quickly, we banked back around parallel to the beach and started coming in for a landing. All I could see was tall grass out either window as we touched down on a gravel runway about as wide as a two-lane road.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlox3qyNEQf9yrnQhyImpt2DKhFiGbhk33aY2hn7AV_ZkoEO4neVnfK-mlhNaj-liGvlQaX-8_dl1eH10OxzHgPuAnTmXOvFuF5_-yL5MysT1F3MqjpGdQY0hHH1diB2Q74D0nXW12SPY0/s1600-h/P1030798.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlox3qyNEQf9yrnQhyImpt2DKhFiGbhk33aY2hn7AV_ZkoEO4neVnfK-mlhNaj-liGvlQaX-8_dl1eH10OxzHgPuAnTmXOvFuF5_-yL5MysT1F3MqjpGdQY0hHH1diB2Q74D0nXW12SPY0/s400/P1030798.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353299122762600418" border="0" /></a><br />It even narrowed and curved towards the end. Not a big runway, for sure.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGheDmM_vkvtf7yQt2MfyrSjHHO2d3qRpxBGeou2zfMnvNlJz86cSaEXxXKWwkVL8lxj1_r7HZr1PZm_l2dF_VgbOSegQlCIGBl-WkBhAKuX1TfdPOWlzrmo3MSIllX-TLkmaIo2MrMW2m/s1600-h/P1030799.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGheDmM_vkvtf7yQt2MfyrSjHHO2d3qRpxBGeou2zfMnvNlJz86cSaEXxXKWwkVL8lxj1_r7HZr1PZm_l2dF_VgbOSegQlCIGBl-WkBhAKuX1TfdPOWlzrmo3MSIllX-TLkmaIo2MrMW2m/s400/P1030799.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353299126298998834" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5KrkQE7SKIrtvTyMUcb8gplEkFcC9nb67Jh1_EbxW1b6pVZ8IruCx3gub3updOPanb5L_PTLVRj66LnIe0yfKz6Av2vGBydhdazlkYkiZmoL9RdQolTPuQow-yhABDCTZs6ywXpDzzeZ/s1600-h/P1030800.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5KrkQE7SKIrtvTyMUcb8gplEkFcC9nb67Jh1_EbxW1b6pVZ8IruCx3gub3updOPanb5L_PTLVRj66LnIe0yfKz6Av2vGBydhdazlkYkiZmoL9RdQolTPuQow-yhABDCTZs6ywXpDzzeZ/s400/P1030800.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353300989281487314" border="0" /></a><br />After we jumped out, we unloaded our gear from the nose and tail of the plane, along with Tonya's boxes of groceries. We wandered over to the cabin, but no one was home. I went back and ferried everything from the plane to the cabin. (It was only a couple hundred yards.) Inside the cabin was a note that they had fish and we were welcome to come down to the beach.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKQ9cx_193SLTDhzFcVr3ptN3aGSQBA7fB3p9uR_edsy-VjWxvNpHdOvjH9MpsnBaPRJMgIeRLNNJCL2o0QwroNiRe-eiew_qmkz-Lmz8BOGWpXObkG8F36vpVVcgdfE8vMDU_b03rHzh/s1600-h/P1030804.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKQ9cx_193SLTDhzFcVr3ptN3aGSQBA7fB3p9uR_edsy-VjWxvNpHdOvjH9MpsnBaPRJMgIeRLNNJCL2o0QwroNiRe-eiew_qmkz-Lmz8BOGWpXObkG8F36vpVVcgdfE8vMDU_b03rHzh/s400/P1030804.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353301005265048786" border="0" /></a><br />We got our gear on, and I got Jeanie to take a picture of me in my clean raingear. This was the last time I bothered to wear the jacket all weekend, but I wore the bibs every time I went down to the beach.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdplKtnAC-MT272zA80gxnKuhyphenhyphenKSOIc7IL-NSVRjkv2o1SdZj0AA9phFeenlSBxHKfrD3IWqTKV52rEkIQtB6HTb8icDgaVWTwohufqQQ3KOv4OaxwPs5qBTp3Dqlikq1xeQji75KP6N7/s1600-h/P1030802.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdplKtnAC-MT272zA80gxnKuhyphenhyphenKSOIc7IL-NSVRjkv2o1SdZj0AA9phFeenlSBxHKfrD3IWqTKV52rEkIQtB6HTb8icDgaVWTwohufqQQ3KOv4OaxwPs5qBTp3Dqlikq1xeQji75KP6N7/s400/P1030802.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353303217432148178" border="0" /></a>I took a look around Ekuk, but there's not a lot to see.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLeOa6H0nbBZ_CSLWJT9bu9cqNuRJq_9HawSjUIN7hyphenhyphenW_RPdiSTeF16d-ipNFlgRAaA8TJ2hI_RqsquyQDdiDFd-Jl1h2wNroStu8wvW320DwzH_BSk7dy33v6ABkSdZxMKJObeWZ2-_X/s1600-h/P1030808.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLeOa6H0nbBZ_CSLWJT9bu9cqNuRJq_9HawSjUIN7hyphenhyphenW_RPdiSTeF16d-ipNFlgRAaA8TJ2hI_RqsquyQDdiDFd-Jl1h2wNroStu8wvW320DwzH_BSk7dy33v6ABkSdZxMKJObeWZ2-_X/s400/P1030808.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353303904937520722" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZBpbfXdyb1YOnEOsvvMR2Awyh0TXtN72ceF1Mz8OBRZI9530e2sBQKI89ZfZHulph9Wi0wmexGybKPjFp-jFZFYoQON8fFamIzLUV2dm6vxSTaqGZDN750YObxdPs0kXgDU9qb7064Zt/s1600-h/P1030807.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZBpbfXdyb1YOnEOsvvMR2Awyh0TXtN72ceF1Mz8OBRZI9530e2sBQKI89ZfZHulph9Wi0wmexGybKPjFp-jFZFYoQON8fFamIzLUV2dm6vxSTaqGZDN750YObxdPs0kXgDU9qb7064Zt/s400/P1030807.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353303895370366610" border="0" /></a><br />Once we had our gear on, no one was driving by to hitch a ride with. Instead, we started walking. Tonya had told me they were only about a half mile down the beach. She lied. They were three or four miles. Thankfully when we got part of the way there, someone stopped and gave us a ride. We sat in the back of a dump-back fishing truck with our boots in icy water. (It keeps the fish fresh.)<br /><br />When we got down to the site, they had already picked all of the fish out of the net and we ready to throw them into the truck. We helped them do that and then headed back up to camp.<br /><br />At this point, I should probably stop and explain a little about how set-net commercial salmon fishing works. You get a site permit, then you get some nets. The nets are 50 fathoms long and about six feet wide. Along one side of the net is a line with floats spaced along it, called a cork line. On the other side is a long heavy line called a lead line. At either end is a bridle, which is basically a two-by-four that keeps the net spread open. You hook rope to the bridle at either end. Just like subsistence fishing, you have an anchor out in the ocean and two sets of pegs up on the beach. When you want your net in the water, you put rope on either end of your net, which runs down from the pegs to the net, then from the net through the anchor, and back up the beach to the other pegs. Fish swim into the mesh of the net, get caught by the gills, and then sit there in the water until you pull the net out. You pull the neat by loosening both ends of your lines from the pegs and hooking a cable clamp onto one rope and pulling the net in. When you want your net in the water, you pull the other rope to run it back out.<br /><br />Most people use a pickup truck to pull their gear in and out of the water. Not Rich. Rich uses a Maruka tracked vehicle.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJisVAippxeWNn5c9AfihRFbSsbG5KlPRsQRZnI49uF5WaOlsMLTxX8gLFn15NxS1kse4gvfI_hAkihAcOIv4nbkceTWrfOeVFICZUKTNFpzCQFYHQy2YBwhOZYlcrIXTbH2jOvDNRYhzB/s1600-h/P1030810.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJisVAippxeWNn5c9AfihRFbSsbG5KlPRsQRZnI49uF5WaOlsMLTxX8gLFn15NxS1kse4gvfI_hAkihAcOIv4nbkceTWrfOeVFICZUKTNFpzCQFYHQy2YBwhOZYlcrIXTbH2jOvDNRYhzB/s400/P1030810.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353303912346003394" border="0" /></a><br />He can run it way out into the mud without sinking in and it will pull anything. Gear will break before his Maruka does. It makes it much easier than using a pickup truck to pull gear.<br /><br />Once the gear is on the beach, everyone goes along the net with a small hook like a bent nail with a rubber handle. You use that to pull on the holes in the net and get the fish out. Salmon have gills and little fins under their bodies near the gills, and they tend to get stuck in the net right there. They can't get pulled out if the mesh gets stuck in the gills, so you need the hook to pull the mesh away from the gill as you work the fish out. Sometimes a fish gets so far into the net that it's easier to just pull it through. I like those.<br /><br />Anyway, you pull the fish out and then throw it up above the net onto the beach in piles. Once they're all out of the net, you load them into the back of pickup trucks (preferably with a dump bed), put some slush ice and water over them, and drive up to the cannery to make a delivery.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUkUccCEbZBTUC9c8Yjo41rcXHCSufnQy8qYXcOCWu5M9crbWeRHFinm9Xs4Gmwvd7qT1l3LS6iwLIcRXstXyd6zOXX2dV5L7Y8Kqr4smni5QtcrhzPqq6TtVl6_UBjwyBC2OTh5WlFbi/s1600-h/P1030805.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUkUccCEbZBTUC9c8Yjo41rcXHCSufnQy8qYXcOCWu5M9crbWeRHFinm9Xs4Gmwvd7qT1l3LS6iwLIcRXstXyd6zOXX2dV5L7Y8Kqr4smni5QtcrhzPqq6TtVl6_UBjwyBC2OTh5WlFbi/s400/P1030805.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353301009987294434" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi79ViZvl8XWVFrryGzuk5XZDHoGQOJzT6Oz5OmdHhXoU5Uy_23MPDvqJBiHMQfJflDSHi5FQHPxHZVp9P0J31NcXHZBUJSw9cNp7zRwGFHRYF_oIVr51982tD4MSDYrtSTe8-OMTKFfXkw/s1600-h/P1030803.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi79ViZvl8XWVFrryGzuk5XZDHoGQOJzT6Oz5OmdHhXoU5Uy_23MPDvqJBiHMQfJflDSHi5FQHPxHZVp9P0J31NcXHZBUJSw9cNp7zRwGFHRYF_oIVr51982tD4MSDYrtSTe8-OMTKFfXkw/s400/P1030803.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353301002360086610" border="0" /></a><br />The cannery offloads the fish into hoppers and weighs them. You get a ticket with the weight and your permit info, and they pay you later based on the price per pound.<br /><br />The fishing season is very dependent on the escapement of salmon. You have to make sure there's enough salmon going up river to spawn for next year, so the Department of Fish and Game tells you when you can and can't fish. They're called openings. When it's open, you fish. Except, of course, that in Ekuk there's one damn cannery. So if they get overwhelmed, or if they're not happy with the quality of fish, they may tell you to stop fishing. You have to do it, pretty much, because if they won't take the fish, then there's nowhere to put them and you can get a serious ticket from the wildlife troopers for wasting fish. A lot of fishermen would love to have the foreign markets come in to buy fish, since they'd pay more and could handle more volume, but so far the fishery is closed to foreign markets.<br /><br />So we helped load fish that first night and then delivered them. Then it was back to the cabin for dinner of BLTs. They eat pretty good at fish camp. We went to bed before too late, and we were back up at 3am to set more gear. You get two tides a day, and the tides dictate when you can fish. I didn't have to get up, but I was there to learn, so I accompanied Rich, Tonya and their crewmember Kali down to the beach. I had to ride in the back of the truck and it was a little cold, but I learned how to set gear.<br /><br />Then it was back to bed for about 5 hours, and then we got up to fish again. That morning when we pulled the gear, there was about 850 pounds of fish in the net. That wasn't bad, and it gave me a pretty easy introduction to picking fish and loading. After we pulled gear, we set it right back out again and then went back for breakfast.<br /><br />A little later in the morning, we went back down to pull the gear again. Here's everyone getting ready.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJMYq_W_yazMJqpozrsYQG7bjr6hi2TfcGDnM9ccHoCQgcKC5whHkG8lA2mEEw0WDNL2yQIYU99_0s28RXQ-TtfXs3hftX-C16Syl3HfzMPc43KVtDTTObKKPr1NElKsD9NeXXB8PvlMDx/s1600-h/P1030809.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJMYq_W_yazMJqpozrsYQG7bjr6hi2TfcGDnM9ccHoCQgcKC5whHkG8lA2mEEw0WDNL2yQIYU99_0s28RXQ-TtfXs3hftX-C16Syl3HfzMPc43KVtDTTObKKPr1NElKsD9NeXXB8PvlMDx/s400/P1030809.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353303906338470834" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQS2J9TJC9vive3ng75c0glB5_JXExOiSfBFpySEqwJB5TcZZ2zw8ewVO-0EpZENAo27GH8GV9j4wrNNZdjWF0kunwVaCZphkW3ho3VBXKEuTbAVDZYqT4ToD5wSO7FzuYG0K6-t1zJpbE/s1600-h/P1030806.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQS2J9TJC9vive3ng75c0glB5_JXExOiSfBFpySEqwJB5TcZZ2zw8ewVO-0EpZENAo27GH8GV9j4wrNNZdjWF0kunwVaCZphkW3ho3VBXKEuTbAVDZYqT4ToD5wSO7FzuYG0K6-t1zJpbE/s400/P1030806.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353303888790767218" border="0" /></a><br />Sometimes you pull it on the incoming tide and sometimes you pull it when the tide is going out. It's harder to pull on an incoming because as you pick fish, the tide is coming in, so you have to be fast before the tide covers the whole beach. It comes in right up to the bluff at Rich's fishing spot.<br /><br />When we got there, the fish were hitting the net like crazy. Rather than pull the gear right away, we sat down and watched them swimming into the net. Rich and Tonya drove back up and brought down a second truck and some snacks. We relaxed and just let the fish do their thing.<br /><br />Here are some pictures of our morning fishing adventure.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZAlDWqGiBk7Ku_DmNvNmG2VeIcYqa9pSieFZjHCP4EqklHkTCPwM6UvpgQY7utRHzN2PR8HCfbSs_i45EPVdJYwsEON0K6DGRBOBlKOmMSgIhjrjixlnPX-s0QhgVfPLpQC08iRtllppx/s1600-h/P1030812.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZAlDWqGiBk7Ku_DmNvNmG2VeIcYqa9pSieFZjHCP4EqklHkTCPwM6UvpgQY7utRHzN2PR8HCfbSs_i45EPVdJYwsEON0K6DGRBOBlKOmMSgIhjrjixlnPX-s0QhgVfPLpQC08iRtllppx/s400/P1030812.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353312144269517554" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidiGxdIbjHxtY6pvxOHd7mKgvmVVyznEXVU-WNhoAGk2mawO2Fe9_hLrYuCNrzvXFvxDUbi5jd-Amhgm8cc0nnxnGt9jwVa3YlLdnA-i6ymOBQE5ndXHpKnLkQGfH7dTWBi3AMPV5XQrW/s1600-h/P1030813.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidiGxdIbjHxtY6pvxOHd7mKgvmVVyznEXVU-WNhoAGk2mawO2Fe9_hLrYuCNrzvXFvxDUbi5jd-Amhgm8cc0nnxnGt9jwVa3YlLdnA-i6ymOBQE5ndXHpKnLkQGfH7dTWBi3AMPV5XQrW/s400/P1030813.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353312150200564738" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVG1pkJMHWfyhJgOE6PVQcsfGD-FQdB-28f9IIyopfkmP2Kr7H9wDTQHag6MW6e6BqvNXD6QqEJ7RNlZsoUPrb2tVkGexP724Aux0mULJ-NH6me8S1c69bDU51kUDdewwNkyhU8MU_buh/s1600-h/P1030816.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVG1pkJMHWfyhJgOE6PVQcsfGD-FQdB-28f9IIyopfkmP2Kr7H9wDTQHag6MW6e6BqvNXD6QqEJ7RNlZsoUPrb2tVkGexP724Aux0mULJ-NH6me8S1c69bDU51kUDdewwNkyhU8MU_buh/s400/P1030816.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353312159615394018" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijr5vvG7zgtCFqZX1v_GcXILRBrYH3tRaBZ3j0yrfFLLK_Dt3JeosxWSSRqW7UmooEUHiwKlBH0uL9vHxXNaOdtgRoxEAruvF6YLgMU_Rt0z4hSPjQ3weY_S92UgCGG2Ia3JNYjrZ66F3J/s1600-h/P1030815.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijr5vvG7zgtCFqZX1v_GcXILRBrYH3tRaBZ3j0yrfFLLK_Dt3JeosxWSSRqW7UmooEUHiwKlBH0uL9vHxXNaOdtgRoxEAruvF6YLgMU_Rt0z4hSPjQ3weY_S92UgCGG2Ia3JNYjrZ66F3J/s400/P1030815.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353312155070361842" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRjeOOn03_8uIvyfrVWaI7-sNHuEaKn_uWSkdhG7yGJLMe3zvTVPrzFsqhH_tpMI9IVB2S43BA9NW9oi6onZpFpJLyyGDNH_j-RgqsUUIQtcVP6_G59xAbRIieXyFyQuBflixgC7yKpsOa/s1600-h/P1030817.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRjeOOn03_8uIvyfrVWaI7-sNHuEaKn_uWSkdhG7yGJLMe3zvTVPrzFsqhH_tpMI9IVB2S43BA9NW9oi6onZpFpJLyyGDNH_j-RgqsUUIQtcVP6_G59xAbRIieXyFyQuBflixgC7yKpsOa/s400/P1030817.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353312161494698450" border="0" /></a><br />It was low tide then, and once the tide had turned a little, Rich pulled in the gear and we picked 3200 pounds of fish. (Well, to be fair, that included a pile of fish that fell out of the broken tailgate at the next site down, which one of the crewmembers there told us we were welcome to.) That was more of a workout, but I was getting better at picking fish.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiewyN5ZLA4tDMhO5FtHGCd5TL4qudmtfB1EJVw_-FzfMWoBrzp34n28zh0Cnbs-Qk68FX4PXe6fvRgC3iqIXKhbxTbpHpuNokChsmhdGGdrh7h9-w-xPpU5Vg1gntrJ-y6OssPYSLMRghA/s1600-h/P1030819.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiewyN5ZLA4tDMhO5FtHGCd5TL4qudmtfB1EJVw_-FzfMWoBrzp34n28zh0Cnbs-Qk68FX4PXe6fvRgC3iqIXKhbxTbpHpuNokChsmhdGGdrh7h9-w-xPpU5Vg1gntrJ-y6OssPYSLMRghA/s400/P1030819.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353313842649174098" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHS4hJD_P7C3LegT_CBiLIUgQc3xuOgL8x4IAlXMoi2tTOSOmZ8nbPtVwSs7FUtPzqgb23JPFVXtpMN7GvoD2JLZO4Dlx7ZjgtTFjO-DQvgB1h3o8tGvHLxo9qliUnqvfUmEglS4sQJVwf/s1600-h/P1030820.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHS4hJD_P7C3LegT_CBiLIUgQc3xuOgL8x4IAlXMoi2tTOSOmZ8nbPtVwSs7FUtPzqgb23JPFVXtpMN7GvoD2JLZO4Dlx7ZjgtTFjO-DQvgB1h3o8tGvHLxo9qliUnqvfUmEglS4sQJVwf/s400/P1030820.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353313852371097234" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK2jCtf7UHmVwBsHPe6DL3BxPUKHBm8ljdDL1L2bMsC31wQcO9eyIST56sCJm-K-0mwCrb1XtvfrKbpnGYLfR4nWO2XjPZWijEaE0vAa_2fjpvo2ISug374p-gvQHqLSKxaJ7DQOM36Ugt/s1600-h/P1030821.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK2jCtf7UHmVwBsHPe6DL3BxPUKHBm8ljdDL1L2bMsC31wQcO9eyIST56sCJm-K-0mwCrb1XtvfrKbpnGYLfR4nWO2XjPZWijEaE0vAa_2fjpvo2ISug374p-gvQHqLSKxaJ7DQOM36Ugt/s400/P1030821.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353313856807407730" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OGGCxiqxsey6qW4xpMVIVPTizyODj6lC-C7REJIVYbEBC_FDWFJTLSpOOMamO8xDyTGsP2qFk157GVEcjg53cFpe90m1TEEh113pu3wCBaXJ6gotbPvRqeZ8v9Te_qD9xbp83zhdRM3I/s1600-h/P1030826.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OGGCxiqxsey6qW4xpMVIVPTizyODj6lC-C7REJIVYbEBC_FDWFJTLSpOOMamO8xDyTGsP2qFk157GVEcjg53cFpe90m1TEEh113pu3wCBaXJ6gotbPvRqeZ8v9Te_qD9xbp83zhdRM3I/s400/P1030826.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353313860316366706" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikx_V06kjf5NXc-B7HVXD8pUfevnooHG_L4hHPuNJyY_Hyy3EEsT0yZ0dWH_xPogjuIafE-96aOU7bWf2fYp4RKRKICSAl0wyY4CCKHitgP7P5vtMSgjwH2yCFF5Mo-zrqzTOjgcFbR8s/s1600-h/P1030828.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikx_V06kjf5NXc-B7HVXD8pUfevnooHG_L4hHPuNJyY_Hyy3EEsT0yZ0dWH_xPogjuIafE-96aOU7bWf2fYp4RKRKICSAl0wyY4CCKHitgP7P5vtMSgjwH2yCFF5Mo-zrqzTOjgcFbR8s/s400/P1030828.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353313868176047922" border="0" /></a>I went with Rich to do the delivery on this load.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhVLD4XVl3VtyPXuvjsC2GWqlSEHKbolDv_NQ-69WWb8Y8KPDxfxcCjue0UyF8LLYSu6noY6QiaxTfffrXbJqZv_ufq00688V0FopL9psSGfTjPX15ucIhQjpkBRNm-wLc8v462FzSyHQ1/s1600-h/P1030830.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhVLD4XVl3VtyPXuvjsC2GWqlSEHKbolDv_NQ-69WWb8Y8KPDxfxcCjue0UyF8LLYSu6noY6QiaxTfffrXbJqZv_ufq00688V0FopL9psSGfTjPX15ucIhQjpkBRNm-wLc8v462FzSyHQ1/s400/P1030830.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353315460879919330" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSat0teDFa3SkxX-uSXt7-vA-Ss6k0Us6JTG68MH5FB1HNU23EY3yx_d-ewyjEvzW8rN7FXcSX2gz-1Hv21Q_ClS49RImkOaFgDmFBUXFVm9_NQx8JpyKLVSieggwLzj5eFPZwyr0L567N/s1600-h/P1030835.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSat0teDFa3SkxX-uSXt7-vA-Ss6k0Us6JTG68MH5FB1HNU23EY3yx_d-ewyjEvzW8rN7FXcSX2gz-1Hv21Q_ClS49RImkOaFgDmFBUXFVm9_NQx8JpyKLVSieggwLzj5eFPZwyr0L567N/s400/P1030835.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353315467258593730" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARYvsQp-JVtzDenPSTGtidOylfHR8wAnNwVTzG-ICs1hiPXquvZglGRbxXi9DdjdoO4sGzRbNWo8RvZ3O44doUQx29DGw-6wJ7m9Yprk5OhnkASU_tPqmpF3t3AYaohYJD0qZgqxKkrJW/s1600-h/P1030836.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARYvsQp-JVtzDenPSTGtidOylfHR8wAnNwVTzG-ICs1hiPXquvZglGRbxXi9DdjdoO4sGzRbNWo8RvZ3O44doUQx29DGw-6wJ7m9Yprk5OhnkASU_tPqmpF3t3AYaohYJD0qZgqxKkrJW/s400/P1030836.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353315471032017602" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLw4Bgy-RlyFQ6JZAqK-Lwk5O-CH1zgpFJsWbAhFVu7bTurk6LR-ThLAlpLwcuUk08qyk9FBC4BQ0K6HaMHAHCiPPEcXBwKCixzjlbRd96IF4D8odIpdaKAUL9Y7uOIjF8m5b4aXLLn9Ca/s1600-h/P1030837.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLw4Bgy-RlyFQ6JZAqK-Lwk5O-CH1zgpFJsWbAhFVu7bTurk6LR-ThLAlpLwcuUk08qyk9FBC4BQ0K6HaMHAHCiPPEcXBwKCixzjlbRd96IF4D8odIpdaKAUL9Y7uOIjF8m5b4aXLLn9Ca/s400/P1030837.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353315467919289218" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2qZFW47Etxp-YMZx7K9kkVoDLmKvB3FaRFj3V9ZIoEmmgy36aefeTPq3OF7GkUAlaAgSa35K4pD69Vb8FgBDTx_GnhDXItO4LdEiHWhyphenhyphenc-1mLjaEFxGtNWv42i-7UFmsVFVGR1iB08Wae/s1600-h/P1030838.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2qZFW47Etxp-YMZx7K9kkVoDLmKvB3FaRFj3V9ZIoEmmgy36aefeTPq3OF7GkUAlaAgSa35K4pD69Vb8FgBDTx_GnhDXItO4LdEiHWhyphenhyphenc-1mLjaEFxGtNWv42i-7UFmsVFVGR1iB08Wae/s400/P1030838.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353315472390597122" border="0" /></a><br />We went back up to the cabin and relaxed for a little while and had dinner. Rich set gear again a bit later.<br /><br />It was a good thing that we did relax a little. I ate both porkchops and steak, along with rice and cabbage salad. I went back for thirds.<br /><br />At around 9pm, we went back down to check the gear. The fishing was looking pretty good. Rich was running the Maruka and Kali and I were standing by to put the cable clamp on the line to pull in the net. Tonya was standing by to loosen the rope at the other end. When we went to pull the gear, everything went a little crazy. The bridle snapped as Rich went to pull, then when we were running around trying to get the clamp on the cork line to pull the gear in, it slipped off a couple of times. The cable clamp swung around and got caught inside the track of the Maruka and Rich ran it over with the inner wheels a few times before we got it out. It was broken then, and we had to scramble for another cable clamp. Finally, Kali and I jumped into the surf, and I held up the cork line while she popped the cable clamp on it. We pulled the gear up onto the beach a bit at a time that way until all of the net was above the water line. I was panting and out of breath by the time we were done.<br /><br />That's when we realized why gear was breaking. There were a lot of fish in the net.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-bp06LW1LkkfGSh1w6J7-GBTOsYS93wOuvLumuZdrT1KXS8plh9t8kauGinGTV3GXs2mFIL3KxTZbo6SlC3m36ebzPeU7wqMqv4kGyA9hyphenhyphenrkcLAu-ibo2NrWOVc7nHJ8DlQ78_Msz8Ml7/s1600-h/P1030839.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-bp06LW1LkkfGSh1w6J7-GBTOsYS93wOuvLumuZdrT1KXS8plh9t8kauGinGTV3GXs2mFIL3KxTZbo6SlC3m36ebzPeU7wqMqv4kGyA9hyphenhyphenrkcLAu-ibo2NrWOVc7nHJ8DlQ78_Msz8Ml7/s400/P1030839.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353317448367091970" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1YW0yugEnqm7rc9nT-RIX8raHqKBoY-i03mis9sqAeORL07tLN9jZWomQLZ7nJQQLZla08YZ3oOjZsG6DppoLTZ-frjNqXJfAN5miOujYCl7z1s0vWzCGFJ3b_YEQwEeL4iv_YGiPjhLD/s1600-h/P1030840.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1YW0yugEnqm7rc9nT-RIX8raHqKBoY-i03mis9sqAeORL07tLN9jZWomQLZ7nJQQLZla08YZ3oOjZsG6DppoLTZ-frjNqXJfAN5miOujYCl7z1s0vWzCGFJ3b_YEQwEeL4iv_YGiPjhLD/s400/P1030840.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353317453875834274" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25ukHYLEOHUmGHD6ycoNnCCrRX6zH4OnA917kHGArX2Blwjp2lkpqzYmH9lbAsvhOAB3dJjTNOUbKboHjYUvKRYeNm_VDDVbZqfR18173d91VVNsbyyyLj_tyzkvnIIgGh2ZwNf6IFlN9/s1600-h/P1030841.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25ukHYLEOHUmGHD6ycoNnCCrRX6zH4OnA917kHGArX2Blwjp2lkpqzYmH9lbAsvhOAB3dJjTNOUbKboHjYUvKRYeNm_VDDVbZqfR18173d91VVNsbyyyLj_tyzkvnIIgGh2ZwNf6IFlN9/s400/P1030841.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353317457754691586" border="0" /></a><br />Rich estimated 10,000 pounds at first, but that estimate went up a few times as we picked at the net for 3 hours to get all the fish out. Luckily it was overcast and we had pulled the gear up into the runoff from the creek nearby, which meant the fish sat on wet gravel and didn't bake in the sun. It was after midnight when we got all the fish out of the net. We seemed to pick forever, even though we had one of Rich's cousins, Garth, as well as Tonya, Rich, Jeanie, the 1o-year-old twins Caiti and Shari, Kali and me all picking.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSN_BlZe6MfYxb3taqr13hCJaQKy59aKYdjvB0Uoq9_WSpHbdYWaHAbqP8CqDaGqlDmySYdtXsvTBRj5VJ8UHm_wOSB2AIDb05F0jI4-scjmBDSD377r2IJG7U5zByA8dEfGPz5N761Xv/s1600-h/P1030843.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSN_BlZe6MfYxb3taqr13hCJaQKy59aKYdjvB0Uoq9_WSpHbdYWaHAbqP8CqDaGqlDmySYdtXsvTBRj5VJ8UHm_wOSB2AIDb05F0jI4-scjmBDSD377r2IJG7U5zByA8dEfGPz5N761Xv/s400/P1030843.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353317466434527666" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8RXaeknfzvik5DSapfPvkIpvT7ashbvC5NN16jvYfXz6rytx7EMbRpp8K-x9-sBCVfwfggFmevXj2cTiSFTl2_FF0V5oPrlh_i4ZFwho2QesnftUSAiuk1nCn9RlfIxbeNj34j7YAnbk/s1600-h/P1030847.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8RXaeknfzvik5DSapfPvkIpvT7ashbvC5NN16jvYfXz6rytx7EMbRpp8K-x9-sBCVfwfggFmevXj2cTiSFTl2_FF0V5oPrlh_i4ZFwho2QesnftUSAiuk1nCn9RlfIxbeNj34j7YAnbk/s400/P1030847.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353317470658400034" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYJRKWqcJre_p2y49OnrM7o0oeEYigUlbY9_pzzati2ZfeHbE7YVCxNdIi8RG5EGNA5u2LVkeAAMrj_5mLa3jnzk-3DHngNGhhi1aBxxyc8oL6pyhP4wPVUnoOiWCwrLCdTpWjRe1DQh4/s1600-h/P1030848.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYJRKWqcJre_p2y49OnrM7o0oeEYigUlbY9_pzzati2ZfeHbE7YVCxNdIi8RG5EGNA5u2LVkeAAMrj_5mLa3jnzk-3DHngNGhhi1aBxxyc8oL6pyhP4wPVUnoOiWCwrLCdTpWjRe1DQh4/s400/P1030848.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353320483359308658" border="0" /></a><br />Another one of Rich's cousins came along and brought his truck, so that we had 4 trucks full of fish to take to the cannery. That was good. Throwing all those fish into the backs of the trucks probably took another hour. When all the fish was offloaded, we had pulled 15,326 pounds of fish on a single pull of the net. That's the second biggest pull Rich has ever made and he's been fishing with his family in Ekuk since he was a toddler. I'm glad I was there for it.<br /><br />We celebrated with some drinks and sitting around chatting for a while afterwards, and didn't get to bed until 5am.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivMylksNDlRlmJDIE1Molk8nVydSiCbTZ0qDsnjaqfuXYYiUNECOppa7wnKgWtfnNblEl3h3uWuaRYwFnz9j_J0gM5yXFNtBfK97hKiSfxk_NvgWsdi3UO4lO21Dh4Gi_ddFE0HFPs9kRX/s1600-h/P1030850.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivMylksNDlRlmJDIE1Molk8nVydSiCbTZ0qDsnjaqfuXYYiUNECOppa7wnKgWtfnNblEl3h3uWuaRYwFnz9j_J0gM5yXFNtBfK97hKiSfxk_NvgWsdi3UO4lO21Dh4Gi_ddFE0HFPs9kRX/s400/P1030850.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353318530647813714" border="0" /></a><br />Thankfully the cannery had cut us off from fishing for a bit, so we all slept in Sunday morning. Then Jeanie and I hung around all day waiting for our ride home, since we didn't know who we were going to ride with at first, then once John Paul agreed to take us, he had other flights to make, then fish to pull at 8:30pm before he could fly.<br /><br />When we finally got onto the plane, it was probably 10:30. John Paul was in a hurry and said he had six people to take back to Dillingham. Three of us, the dog and John Paul took off from Ekuk and landed almost immediately on the runway in Clark's Point. We all got out, unloaded our gear and waiting will John Paul flew back to Ekuk and got more people. Turns out that one of them was a pilot for Grant Aviation, who had a slightly bigger (small) plane at Clark's Point. He loaded Jeanie, her dog, and two guys from National Geographic out here to write a story about fishing, and me into the plane and we flew from Clark's Point to Dillingham.<br /><br />Samara had been waiting for a little while by then, unfortunately. Worse yet, I couldn't smell myself apparently. As soon as I got in the car, she said I stank like rotten fish. She had to pull over and barf almost right away. I felt pretty bad, but I jumped in the shower and washed my clothes as soon as I got home.<br /><br />I was pretty worn out Monday at work. I almost fell asleep at my desk. I have a lot of sore muscles and some sunburn as well. Nevertheless, I got a fishing experience that was at least as hard as what those guys do on Deadliest Catch, according to Rich, who has fished crab before. It was worth the pain and smell. I really enjoyed myself.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14628587410994319563noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536719461976391975.post-31599738896544564952009-06-29T20:29:00.007-08:002009-06-29T21:30:17.576-08:00Cannery TourIt's been a few days now since my parents left. They flew out of Dillingham last Thursday evening, and were in West Virginia again by Friday morning. While they were still here, we tried to do a few more of the touristy things in Dillingham.<br /><br />One of those things was the tour at the Peter Pan Cannery. It was a nice tour, but at two hours long, it was also hard on my feet. Natalie, Dad, Mom and I learned a lot about fish processing, though.<br /><br />We started out by getting some lab coats and hairnets to wear.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2YleHXIrpgpt4UP6ohvuanTxn-216B4FRzZOjTYTZ6Hk6LPy08mcUBrNMuVuhNlFpwz-IZjZt22lfw-q6lgdukPlauvmvwXgAC-lfbMIaJMQxib3Bx3uG06YsqlnZtjOl5OBgMstiEW1w/s1600-h/P1030731.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2YleHXIrpgpt4UP6ohvuanTxn-216B4FRzZOjTYTZ6Hk6LPy08mcUBrNMuVuhNlFpwz-IZjZt22lfw-q6lgdukPlauvmvwXgAC-lfbMIaJMQxib3Bx3uG06YsqlnZtjOl5OBgMstiEW1w/s400/P1030731.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352977006145448898" border="0" /></a>There were a couple of old men from New Stuyahok in the net loft, working on putting nets on the cork lines.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhooyc4uhqAATOto02BgmNy3AR5PnvlUI50ABV6DIA73u9p2tO7KxzHljgrjzL_PesWO_0V0zy0qGB_LWsGo_4zmoRu_-1CfxkMfxypjS1f7FIxrBb_I_VXO7rrBYNJbRY7I48eI34oJFKK/s1600-h/P1030729.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhooyc4uhqAATOto02BgmNy3AR5PnvlUI50ABV6DIA73u9p2tO7KxzHljgrjzL_PesWO_0V0zy0qGB_LWsGo_4zmoRu_-1CfxkMfxypjS1f7FIxrBb_I_VXO7rrBYNJbRY7I48eI34oJFKK/s400/P1030729.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352977007663824354" border="0" /></a>The cannery is very old, and so some things, like the decks, are interesting. Giant slabs of lumber for the dock.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyxp-L-qqFhldBRs1_kdctmNJX7OKSeE6sLz3W02bJa1v1hXnnY4FDnOL5vwV7V8FuRz0YASEgsNsvC9HynVQa1qzo5HvrWYBzIqk3s5VD0NxxcgGgGNiLJ6IbCKehJJJK3qA0dfrzmKwk/s1600-h/P1030733.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyxp-L-qqFhldBRs1_kdctmNJX7OKSeE6sLz3W02bJa1v1hXnnY4FDnOL5vwV7V8FuRz0YASEgsNsvC9HynVQa1qzo5HvrWYBzIqk3s5VD0NxxcgGgGNiLJ6IbCKehJJJK3qA0dfrzmKwk/s400/P1030733.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352977012748936418" border="0" /></a>They also use an old Model A Ford to pull around their welding rig.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM5RWnBAwTBVwBCqBhylQCmuUpwfmnFFMKRsE0RsRfoQGRrIbYCWmQAhM4OyzvUx7JJUucVkBwJUNPPbQp2hfFPIJ7hG8XUgUEj1ZxI2RURYeC_Yc0vBiqw7MzcOY64mki-P88V_1JX-0r/s1600-h/P1030732.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM5RWnBAwTBVwBCqBhylQCmuUpwfmnFFMKRsE0RsRfoQGRrIbYCWmQAhM4OyzvUx7JJUucVkBwJUNPPbQp2hfFPIJ7hG8XUgUEj1ZxI2RURYeC_Yc0vBiqw7MzcOY64mki-P88V_1JX-0r/s400/P1030732.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352977017129631394" border="0" /></a>The boilermen have decorated their bike.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKFxxDxEIbTPz00IIc-dryLkQtfhJ6c-VvpXKs0lJT2lF2Ua3taAAnfEGokM6AoipGoUMvBhmQCHUbmuHr26UU4EEL0SKHsmATBKhpRHH8cCG6t0OhutV9hOLVbEP3znMw1tvQzZnXAQfF/s1600-h/P1030736.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKFxxDxEIbTPz00IIc-dryLkQtfhJ6c-VvpXKs0lJT2lF2Ua3taAAnfEGokM6AoipGoUMvBhmQCHUbmuHr26UU4EEL0SKHsmATBKhpRHH8cCG6t0OhutV9hOLVbEP3znMw1tvQzZnXAQfF/s400/P1030736.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352977018884531394" border="0" /></a>We all looked great in hair nets.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCGUIqbwBaEFQDHWllEHpDCGpzgXZgqk1gdTWxQpHuv6peiKv5j7kPJ7G0jb3hpxFLW6Ys6Nw7_ICUJaqddxKCrvgjorcSTLms46AwJShCw889_SN_nwr3UnJBwwbRMQuiPO1qBPsnz_xi/s1600-h/P1030737.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCGUIqbwBaEFQDHWllEHpDCGpzgXZgqk1gdTWxQpHuv6peiKv5j7kPJ7G0jb3hpxFLW6Ys6Nw7_ICUJaqddxKCrvgjorcSTLms46AwJShCw889_SN_nwr3UnJBwwbRMQuiPO1qBPsnz_xi/s400/P1030737.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352980447221488786" border="0" /></a>Even Dad and Mom.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhelWQ6PO2mec9rkLOOsvs9qI9Q3hJsMw4mRBCYQE8wkKVsL1S9OgXgnMUYs3Vsw9ODvxIJwj4RM_K126spuxaN9oiyO5CaKcFMze6trx5nAkN08x1-h5LFHXsYSBTKRoXh3EMe_pm84C_H/s1600-h/P1030738.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhelWQ6PO2mec9rkLOOsvs9qI9Q3hJsMw4mRBCYQE8wkKVsL1S9OgXgnMUYs3Vsw9ODvxIJwj4RM_K126spuxaN9oiyO5CaKcFMze6trx5nAkN08x1-h5LFHXsYSBTKRoXh3EMe_pm84C_H/s400/P1030738.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352980448927601666" border="0" /></a>We saw where they filet the fish and vacuum pack them for shipment.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ5fZz96YYYV0UtNIpqwa8ECb2YjZE8OrQKWO_SAPYkdtgFasGWLJhGtHWy1lD3W7SrWjmQ7drmQewzSOvZzBpqytqGv2RtGMJZx094kYI4MWr9Oe_ASnsewvoAWLvhJS48QfVWh-pdMKY/s1600-h/P1030740.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ5fZz96YYYV0UtNIpqwa8ECb2YjZE8OrQKWO_SAPYkdtgFasGWLJhGtHWy1lD3W7SrWjmQ7drmQewzSOvZzBpqytqGv2RtGMJZx094kYI4MWr9Oe_ASnsewvoAWLvhJS48QfVWh-pdMKY/s400/P1030740.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352980455022076130" border="0" /></a>We also saw the huge warehouse where they store things like cans for packing salmon into.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVeuFH-TfNkab9fkRU0zFvozTZtnbYFhyphenhyphenrNCle3hlMWnzojZIsWJceLFDkNJW_v2RrgNkioZSIAjFCSwXx_2rwi_-Pjoh9SC5R2s1CWLqSlKd4dvygli7I8mEc__AtYn6cbhmInqwSH9lA/s1600-h/P1030748.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVeuFH-TfNkab9fkRU0zFvozTZtnbYFhyphenhyphenrNCle3hlMWnzojZIsWJceLFDkNJW_v2RrgNkioZSIAjFCSwXx_2rwi_-Pjoh9SC5R2s1CWLqSlKd4dvygli7I8mEc__AtYn6cbhmInqwSH9lA/s400/P1030748.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352980454109426114" border="0" /></a>They have to replace pieces of the floor periodically with new beams.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtdeqnJudWGjH2_jyVWk_nHyVOYjeXJ3S4AhH-ONepJ00B9M92zoSU0N0toA463PzQbMbzPtH88Z4T8Kdpd0Aa0nuUXwRLLBiolncf8RydmUtnk3AHtxy-5mloTTNOCGVz_qFXl4s-lxS/s1600-h/P1030752.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtdeqnJudWGjH2_jyVWk_nHyVOYjeXJ3S4AhH-ONepJ00B9M92zoSU0N0toA463PzQbMbzPtH88Z4T8Kdpd0Aa0nuUXwRLLBiolncf8RydmUtnk3AHtxy-5mloTTNOCGVz_qFXl4s-lxS/s400/P1030752.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352980459501356610" border="0" /></a>There were boats coming up to the cannery to offload salmon.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1_NNzL_M24FFNC8dWJf0GEjHKHxWW4D8i-sT4DaNrUYkwTAeIb8bkJ6zzVYsYDBPJibIXtg5MBEm-cHF6xuQdTasXpPTv1aNsVULLbTjDZnzRZApXIwat-smhW5eIbS5RLW0_AoLw9wsJ/s1600-h/P1030756.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1_NNzL_M24FFNC8dWJf0GEjHKHxWW4D8i-sT4DaNrUYkwTAeIb8bkJ6zzVYsYDBPJibIXtg5MBEm-cHF6xuQdTasXpPTv1aNsVULLbTjDZnzRZApXIwat-smhW5eIbS5RLW0_AoLw9wsJ/s400/P1030756.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352983057654068466" border="0" /></a>And more boats steaming by.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPr2lhyQwhBw6EDSON2e0ZB1DmAdo0A3gjUQjGrqI-hB_iPUTvTSzi2D-QkJ06sEtRPZwkPbsgHLAI2U94T18xTIgg9r9-w4r14el4iJKFsMaQ37Uyg68GX4TinD7vTu7oG3RKJ0DRXjNB/s1600-h/P1030757.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPr2lhyQwhBw6EDSON2e0ZB1DmAdo0A3gjUQjGrqI-hB_iPUTvTSzi2D-QkJ06sEtRPZwkPbsgHLAI2U94T18xTIgg9r9-w4r14el4iJKFsMaQ37Uyg68GX4TinD7vTu7oG3RKJ0DRXjNB/s400/P1030757.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352983057114734818" border="0" /></a>Drift net boats are interesting.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdUPuKiJSIhLOK_EtTfErAAfN14eT75lsTuJK7rIJC6-KzQ091dScdRVVjfPQRzyRejfS9fgAzS3A5opnhPPCCu-1rC5qCxhj_gugksA_no6OIsbdLen0AZeum4ZpJKG-gAEX6tOgRMTso/s1600-h/P1030762.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdUPuKiJSIhLOK_EtTfErAAfN14eT75lsTuJK7rIJC6-KzQ091dScdRVVjfPQRzyRejfS9fgAzS3A5opnhPPCCu-1rC5qCxhj_gugksA_no6OIsbdLen0AZeum4ZpJKG-gAEX6tOgRMTso/s400/P1030762.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352983065098010770" border="0" /></a>They had some local girls working for DNR. They were measuring fish and taking scales for DNA samples to learn more about where the various salmon come from and where they go to spawn.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4zeX3TP39FTxTRdH3RBbUDXMYH3GU4655w2i-DtCMu3ao3w7J2iyA1nvi5XE8MsMZpCeYbIZrGHxQtosOer_AORD7ZDm2_nnkawNzSV9U4LJOHZ3n0LNw19eaaSoBP_HIc7e-_x_p1TN7/s1600-h/P1030759.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4zeX3TP39FTxTRdH3RBbUDXMYH3GU4655w2i-DtCMu3ao3w7J2iyA1nvi5XE8MsMZpCeYbIZrGHxQtosOer_AORD7ZDm2_nnkawNzSV9U4LJOHZ3n0LNw19eaaSoBP_HIc7e-_x_p1TN7/s400/P1030759.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352983062155518482" border="0" /></a>We also saw the machine that cuts off the tails and heads, and then uses a roller to smoosh out the guts.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWKT43mNOUXzCBOboQeUqdbsysFv6lgo1KmZY0QRvVe1cAYWCxc2_rRm_iL-Nr8dYMN6kpRZcapWhw7XHdiXibqGbFMfjzyYB3K9g-PjBqW9ru-0Eesk5n5ILUJkAJIFEYYZAck_RUhx3R/s1600-h/P1030765.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWKT43mNOUXzCBOboQeUqdbsysFv6lgo1KmZY0QRvVe1cAYWCxc2_rRm_iL-Nr8dYMN6kpRZcapWhw7XHdiXibqGbFMfjzyYB3K9g-PjBqW9ru-0Eesk5n5ILUJkAJIFEYYZAck_RUhx3R/s400/P1030765.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352983067456366018" border="0" /></a>The canning line was pretty interesting. Once the cans are sealed, they're rolled into the ovens in big carts.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCX6i5kv19WsL9ymbqpzpsynkngLg9xCrkYsmM3kQMY312wXZ_DsKHbIV_7JseYLcqXaMNa04ODx2cFtame7PlHr9O1tuSD0a-LBUYYSo3hzmO8yLgIBkp2ZcKVNvrJ_Z37Lnxg7r0vBr/s1600-h/P1030769.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCX6i5kv19WsL9ymbqpzpsynkngLg9xCrkYsmM3kQMY312wXZ_DsKHbIV_7JseYLcqXaMNa04ODx2cFtame7PlHr9O1tuSD0a-LBUYYSo3hzmO8yLgIBkp2ZcKVNvrJ_Z37Lnxg7r0vBr/s400/P1030769.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352986571358603858" border="0" /></a>And then when they come out, a big machine picks up a whole bunch at a time with a magnet and puts them neatly on a pallet.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg36lJ9FXTLCIcFzjZpodgaL5-bvGP67ngsHcC8aCMWo2A9yP6c3J9UK1a3oSMAkjEMzbo-MFrhjFV42ND4PXv2evMK612MWFe7vI0I6kdk0XBpB3_ACjswh6nKgbYPumqxRytS1DbQ3Zk/s1600-h/P1030770.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg36lJ9FXTLCIcFzjZpodgaL5-bvGP67ngsHcC8aCMWo2A9yP6c3J9UK1a3oSMAkjEMzbo-MFrhjFV42ND4PXv2evMK612MWFe7vI0I6kdk0XBpB3_ACjswh6nKgbYPumqxRytS1DbQ3Zk/s400/P1030770.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352986574583604466" border="0" /></a>I probably should have written about the cannery tour earlier, as now I'm forgetting all the highlights. I hope the pictures give you some idea. After the cannery tour, we had dinner at the house of Samara's boss. She, her husband and children are nice. It was another good opportunity for everyone to eat fresh salmon (and some pizza, which Natalie liked).<br /><br />The day that they left, mom did get one last chance to walk down towards the beach and enjoy the view.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qBD5_a5UbYgxLcMtFXGcyZ-6AAvqRrRcn_JTbkMrU-9ZE7yH5VbjNMQMQy1nfNdfIYATZJT_VIsJiArQ1e5a8Hm6rz8qHeVlUarUjXL1Q1WRmYRsjGYwu11UeOf1ejq9euKWjY88luy6/s1600-h/P1030772.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qBD5_a5UbYgxLcMtFXGcyZ-6AAvqRrRcn_JTbkMrU-9ZE7yH5VbjNMQMQy1nfNdfIYATZJT_VIsJiArQ1e5a8Hm6rz8qHeVlUarUjXL1Q1WRmYRsjGYwu11UeOf1ejq9euKWjY88luy6/s400/P1030772.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352983989643530322" border="0" /></a>Overall, the weather stayed overcast and rainy for their visit, but I think that my family had a good time visiting Dillingham. It's certainly a different place to live, and they got to see all the highlights, from the lakes and mountain views, to the moose and bald eagles. They got to experience the Bristol Bay fishing season by watching subsistence net fishing and eating fresh salmon. Not your typical vacation, and a long way to fly to see us, but we were happy they came.<br /><br />Somehow, though, I don't think we'll be able to convince them to take the flight again before we move back to Kentucky at the end of next year.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14628587410994319563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536719461976391975.post-59369910740508022812009-06-23T14:58:00.005-08:002009-06-23T15:19:09.245-08:00Aleknagik Lake and a Moose!Samara had to return to work today, but my family is still here visiting. Today we decided to take a drive out to Aleknagik Lake and see the view. There's not a lot to do out there, but it's a really pretty area. Since the weather was okay (cloudy, but not raining), we headed down the 20 mile road to the lake.<br /><br />Before you get to Aleknagik Lake, there are a couple of small lakes on either side of the road. We stopped and took some pictures there.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4MFuz_IBtAGYoMVwEAfuN5D2NQ4g9-0i2ZwaxGAg1ootxoEsdUPWXotnQmDvm_2PyjhiST19ZvKBsO0hgrPDA9AhfzIVlRB0ZZU-qZexCj9rbJS5abuVriL4nPrnMZ7iU-t5mfkf-6Cw_/s1600-h/small-lakes-b.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4MFuz_IBtAGYoMVwEAfuN5D2NQ4g9-0i2ZwaxGAg1ootxoEsdUPWXotnQmDvm_2PyjhiST19ZvKBsO0hgrPDA9AhfzIVlRB0ZZU-qZexCj9rbJS5abuVriL4nPrnMZ7iU-t5mfkf-6Cw_/s400/small-lakes-b.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350663055904804194" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05f5cLSIaaedTTxO_D17nZ8lvkdoVn24ECld8bdxp9FvfReIUiMeYUVq8a6oEioekpwWVgrF-ycv3wMC-8BZpN0pJW0aYfkPD2Iujak9HDsIxj0vEmhSoxahJIOwkY2t1C5xuhb8hkLkx/s1600-h/small-lakes-c.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05f5cLSIaaedTTxO_D17nZ8lvkdoVn24ECld8bdxp9FvfReIUiMeYUVq8a6oEioekpwWVgrF-ycv3wMC-8BZpN0pJW0aYfkPD2Iujak9HDsIxj0vEmhSoxahJIOwkY2t1C5xuhb8hkLkx/s400/small-lakes-c.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350663061744799410" border="0" /></a><br />Then it was back on the road for the next mile up to the lake itself. Natalie really loved it. We took a bunch of pictures. There was a great view of the lake and surrounding mountains, and plenty of people were ferrying their groceries and whatnot across the lake to the City of Aleknagik on the north shore. There was also a float plane parked near the boat ramp.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBJmTprYVUBongHMD_WhKfNDJykWyDxVMrgwtuZdymuClr8LOzBj3KKkKyudYODzCNyctQZQ_yIiUx87542sniuulNEtJmxQnj1UTGG9OyS7DdLsCTZDM89YBt9IbOeIqsw8qlvfYvNZWc/s1600-h/aleknagik-b.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBJmTprYVUBongHMD_WhKfNDJykWyDxVMrgwtuZdymuClr8LOzBj3KKkKyudYODzCNyctQZQ_yIiUx87542sniuulNEtJmxQnj1UTGG9OyS7DdLsCTZDM89YBt9IbOeIqsw8qlvfYvNZWc/s400/aleknagik-b.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350663064780217042" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvS5UchPHolwWk96ayA2LYYkUILyrPcH-xcDg7N4g__tsP_qs16I33XLo1DDkWkRQfMQXvfHBe4vasy1pHD6RcDCCCFKbEz9ohx4pQDtLy3PGaGukHnW_wsQQk7eJfYT4UfOgjq_kVktLZ/s1600-h/aleknagik-c.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvS5UchPHolwWk96ayA2LYYkUILyrPcH-xcDg7N4g__tsP_qs16I33XLo1DDkWkRQfMQXvfHBe4vasy1pHD6RcDCCCFKbEz9ohx4pQDtLy3PGaGukHnW_wsQQk7eJfYT4UfOgjq_kVktLZ/s400/aleknagik-c.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350663069019772546" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_GRFPB739C679RtWNTu0NtOf2x-Tmx3_I-_AwXqF5uWkFenJ66uHFFT9FBavLCYcI7Y0dQ_0kPPVGspNI4rEmku6ecK6od_NCkW47cYPzSDstpikPGCiyWXNqqTx9OFmZLb0fa-j22oR/s1600-h/aleknagik-e.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_GRFPB739C679RtWNTu0NtOf2x-Tmx3_I-_AwXqF5uWkFenJ66uHFFT9FBavLCYcI7Y0dQ_0kPPVGspNI4rEmku6ecK6od_NCkW47cYPzSDstpikPGCiyWXNqqTx9OFmZLb0fa-j22oR/s400/aleknagik-e.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350663070041194098" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqm9WTU9sHKkoC47fgCkl11wTtmZvWqqcSCSYM6Fi9nk2NgQwpvseajY5kB6qr5fUQTFocBu_aY1P5Q9hINDC0G4OAElX7vvWpvF_6PbuO0aqZKTFv90xDeOsGrTCcds4lj-yofwmctgO7/s1600-h/aleknagik-f.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqm9WTU9sHKkoC47fgCkl11wTtmZvWqqcSCSYM6Fi9nk2NgQwpvseajY5kB6qr5fUQTFocBu_aY1P5Q9hINDC0G4OAElX7vvWpvF_6PbuO0aqZKTFv90xDeOsGrTCcds4lj-yofwmctgO7/s400/aleknagik-f.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350663834553830466" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAoGGiFf6aB0enZdSFakvxqi2Vxd96jOEeG31vaLw75sUVgbzRIbZeAxNusrieED51oFkUDHQX5jagVy-9QsZgcpkPCzdZJzAUkZr4yOQJN1iJzyXx2rxAaFaIxsI7hiSl8jAcia_q3IC/s1600-h/aleknagik-g.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAoGGiFf6aB0enZdSFakvxqi2Vxd96jOEeG31vaLw75sUVgbzRIbZeAxNusrieED51oFkUDHQX5jagVy-9QsZgcpkPCzdZJzAUkZr4yOQJN1iJzyXx2rxAaFaIxsI7hiSl8jAcia_q3IC/s400/aleknagik-g.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350663837279225922" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-XMfqzlcCbpcFElIcJpONraooFsTtB0TOBH_Dr2YNKOjL3saRy9WfXOH5t9ymPGuI1hyphenhyphen6YzBO__3QGN_k6Hs2zPBPQ0lfeoozdFLQ_KyYtTPaENu4tYqQpHG1MhjyU8gZHAHBfvxdiVmM/s1600-h/aleknagik-h.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-XMfqzlcCbpcFElIcJpONraooFsTtB0TOBH_Dr2YNKOjL3saRy9WfXOH5t9ymPGuI1hyphenhyphen6YzBO__3QGN_k6Hs2zPBPQ0lfeoozdFLQ_KyYtTPaENu4tYqQpHG1MhjyU8gZHAHBfvxdiVmM/s400/aleknagik-h.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350663843644650818" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDlCfviLlZnMyswiNvVbidl3oxYE_QWv4rXMPxE4FG1yzM-fhTK6QpH520cSV57I7p_RAHWCpCyJqZS4GU_smRHV9wzVLOqkFYIbnkagwSysBrEvty5FYcy6p2XZiaXxO230Ulh0HhM0h/s1600-h/aleknagik-j.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDlCfviLlZnMyswiNvVbidl3oxYE_QWv4rXMPxE4FG1yzM-fhTK6QpH520cSV57I7p_RAHWCpCyJqZS4GU_smRHV9wzVLOqkFYIbnkagwSysBrEvty5FYcy6p2XZiaXxO230Ulh0HhM0h/s400/aleknagik-j.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350663842860792258" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEEkMB-rNi7YYSximq1eFeInBhf7wG4cPyfMXn4oOcrE-OwCBT9FulEG7vjxZ6nOzx_fp1BQI3KN5v9k1KjxJcxFZ_GT2A2-zGbslp6Eo7PBvmQzjsY-G1OjUXeYflNgf3OJiL3S4r-ZlZ/s1600-h/aleknagik-l.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEEkMB-rNi7YYSximq1eFeInBhf7wG4cPyfMXn4oOcrE-OwCBT9FulEG7vjxZ6nOzx_fp1BQI3KN5v9k1KjxJcxFZ_GT2A2-zGbslp6Eo7PBvmQzjsY-G1OjUXeYflNgf3OJiL3S4r-ZlZ/s400/aleknagik-l.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350664541928196946" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHHmSRLXLsVGO1CycwEvbRQR_zWgu5nXD8dW5XBt6TcvBOOKov0toj-I9v1ZgFzjbIQGNIbX91O37-2Y4KWbllRKqoDPXDMtM5bsAp5LkqMmKmXVwLvYH_u2ycixGNcIgWAlzDGYh7CxaR/s1600-h/aleknagik-n.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHHmSRLXLsVGO1CycwEvbRQR_zWgu5nXD8dW5XBt6TcvBOOKov0toj-I9v1ZgFzjbIQGNIbX91O37-2Y4KWbllRKqoDPXDMtM5bsAp5LkqMmKmXVwLvYH_u2ycixGNcIgWAlzDGYh7CxaR/s400/aleknagik-n.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350664548183266914" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyRc1g6n6aqSl71yK-bXtLnWrKdWtO-Uo0DiDgGBcLL5PEug2uaDfTfRpmfDNyguT4kXVRm1vN41OocSX7W5Cg5Pshf3inOpuXpHWh2aicq01HLz6NOx21Drx8Ul4QbnuUi4m-mNpGnX6Z/s1600-h/aleknagik-p.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyRc1g6n6aqSl71yK-bXtLnWrKdWtO-Uo0DiDgGBcLL5PEug2uaDfTfRpmfDNyguT4kXVRm1vN41OocSX7W5Cg5Pshf3inOpuXpHWh2aicq01HLz6NOx21Drx8Ul4QbnuUi4m-mNpGnX6Z/s400/aleknagik-p.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350664548421866146" border="0" /></a>On the way back into town, we were cruising right along when I came over a hill and there was a moose and her calf. Natalie was very excited. I only snapped a few pictures before they trotted off into the brush, and mom wasn't able to get out in time to get a good picture with her regular film camera. Here's the two pictures I took in regular size and with close-ups.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_VAhr21JK3AjdbBammDlphg-9sl22i8GpTt9fgvhSkP569BbxCw18pKfx9yLR9o3LHToVX9Xc6IyY-K_TYE3jRGb5Nm4cjS_GCPkWMWMOR1SqS8TRsdWtbNTH2uvsMFqF79BpUjsKEbco/s1600-h/moose-a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_VAhr21JK3AjdbBammDlphg-9sl22i8GpTt9fgvhSkP569BbxCw18pKfx9yLR9o3LHToVX9Xc6IyY-K_TYE3jRGb5Nm4cjS_GCPkWMWMOR1SqS8TRsdWtbNTH2uvsMFqF79BpUjsKEbco/s400/moose-a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350664557008735810" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwqgVIgM6gXdic18-QbRBzlqqiGehEazCkM1oVtpUI472GJEHH7yJnPMyES3rQW7pYWW8FrJr6RfKaiiyMfPWOSdjuIyi2xWKBNtz6uHdcUvXV2UrUmSUslK50AlWT5lyR1ssGiUw147iu/s1600-h/moose-b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 298px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwqgVIgM6gXdic18-QbRBzlqqiGehEazCkM1oVtpUI472GJEHH7yJnPMyES3rQW7pYWW8FrJr6RfKaiiyMfPWOSdjuIyi2xWKBNtz6uHdcUvXV2UrUmSUslK50AlWT5lyR1ssGiUw147iu/s400/moose-b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350664555907345234" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuoyiE31R_uU72pceN3yxud_KNOmq0TT3YpFEietpeubkVG0mlIOA4sBFNsl96lwO7Ezpfx0my8YNYVehFa5fWtE47965sbxLdtA56y8ooNh4HdOhPnCVQslZwnW9a83ymGvZ1H73PO24-/s1600-h/moose-c.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuoyiE31R_uU72pceN3yxud_KNOmq0TT3YpFEietpeubkVG0mlIOA4sBFNsl96lwO7Ezpfx0my8YNYVehFa5fWtE47965sbxLdtA56y8ooNh4HdOhPnCVQslZwnW9a83ymGvZ1H73PO24-/s400/moose-c.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350664959339307106" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8iVJR9DzbPjnZKTUIESGT95oqMClM4Y6Gjn65ZfSMnYYMoxLY_ki9TTES6uGY5GO42xgExcxya8hr28AZA_4KtdlpLGdUCHVhGKZGKJ5S6JnaTzmkUMHfF_zp9J5wZSiTKSwd2M2eGn7/s1600-h/moose-d.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 244px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8iVJR9DzbPjnZKTUIESGT95oqMClM4Y6Gjn65ZfSMnYYMoxLY_ki9TTES6uGY5GO42xgExcxya8hr28AZA_4KtdlpLGdUCHVhGKZGKJ5S6JnaTzmkUMHfF_zp9J5wZSiTKSwd2M2eGn7/s400/moose-d.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350664957726783218" border="0" /></a>That's the second time I've seen a moose and calf on Lake Road. This time it was right outside the Dillingham city limits. I'm usually pretty unlucky in being able to see wildlife, so I was worried that Natalie wouldn't get to see a moose while she was here. I shouldn't have worried so much. My luck has turned, and moose are all over the place now.<br /><br />We're headed down to culture camp to help Samara out with teaching the local kids how to do things like clean and cut fish for smoking. I hope to get some more pictures down there.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14628587410994319563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536719461976391975.post-37866223858314147802009-06-21T20:41:00.006-08:002009-06-21T22:09:28.832-08:00A Visit From My FamilyWe're enjoying a visit from my parents and sister here in Alaska. They flew up here to Dillingham all the way from West Virginia. It was a very long flight. They left very early in the morning on Wednesday from Charleston, West Virginia, flew to Cincinnati, then Seattle, from there to Anchorage and finally to Dillingham. They arrived at 5pm our time, and were plenty tired from the trip.<br /><br />I took them for a quick trip around the town, and it didn't take long for them to see most of Dillingham. They've been enjoying the stay. But of course, the most exciting part is the sightseeing outside town.<br /><br />We took a trip down to the end of Wood River Road for a view of the Wood River, the fishing boats and the mountains.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkBKwkEE6ooaqZyU874iVo8L9peLV0Ckavwq0CJX5cdL2M7X4Sn3CEcxU8AFvG-BG51M7KZSKQ12fZoklF293xacQuwIyOzPWEYXQMyh1iqV9pU7aNdR3Ac9BhclLkEsjOOBGpSRfrbBqi/s1600-h/P1030659.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkBKwkEE6ooaqZyU874iVo8L9peLV0Ckavwq0CJX5cdL2M7X4Sn3CEcxU8AFvG-BG51M7KZSKQ12fZoklF293xacQuwIyOzPWEYXQMyh1iqV9pU7aNdR3Ac9BhclLkEsjOOBGpSRfrbBqi/s400/P1030659.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350014980969422818" border="0" /></a>There was a boat unloading some fish there. And Natalie immediately wanted to take some pictures of the mountains.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiluVNLRwg4j0FK5c97aVZgWwaj_znlQYsONZMB_QuVSR3y5tTSeqOBmj1h5IvDJTTAV6QzdU8cQCXjvdI6wWKyJCn5bvLfgeqBgkFGB6RLvT_9LB42P4OujwbRCk27iv1vmdj5FcIZq4ml/s1600-h/P1030662.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiluVNLRwg4j0FK5c97aVZgWwaj_znlQYsONZMB_QuVSR3y5tTSeqOBmj1h5IvDJTTAV6QzdU8cQCXjvdI6wWKyJCn5bvLfgeqBgkFGB6RLvT_9LB42P4OujwbRCk27iv1vmdj5FcIZq4ml/s400/P1030662.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350014986771474178" border="0" /></a>We had a pizza for dinner at the Windmill Grille. It's not the best pizza ever, but the pizza is one of the better options on the menu at the Windmill Grille. Samara and Dad both enjoyed an Alaska-brewed beer.<br /><br />The next scenic stop was Kanakanak Beach, to see if any folks had caught fish in their nets. We didn't see many fish, but we did get some nice pictures of the family at the edge of the Nushagak Bay.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0s1smNGKzRgC4iO-MzMF_0niGelFZOacg8WkdshaGflmhqVZPCLexoPLAa33WKdZwBUtNxzD9NsaMgxGW-I2M23SoqjX-CWKcs8FtSUH7yJj0dhv7elMDSA7GscXKc6o8HsYXtHFcw5EQ/s1600-h/P1030666.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0s1smNGKzRgC4iO-MzMF_0niGelFZOacg8WkdshaGflmhqVZPCLexoPLAa33WKdZwBUtNxzD9NsaMgxGW-I2M23SoqjX-CWKcs8FtSUH7yJj0dhv7elMDSA7GscXKc6o8HsYXtHFcw5EQ/s400/P1030666.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350014985784408850" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYpuuBt3Y5kH4zt4KkIPoNooCQxicCwm2sjsEBX_5w65oa7aFpyG9ZzgWmt2IX0_GbgMfoc1H-FtcSD5jFp0CRDv_XXIsGFg3P9SfBuKFHPPD9o3LouJeN_u3EbP3tAF0jhnQuJL_ApY_Z/s1600-h/P1030669.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYpuuBt3Y5kH4zt4KkIPoNooCQxicCwm2sjsEBX_5w65oa7aFpyG9ZzgWmt2IX0_GbgMfoc1H-FtcSD5jFp0CRDv_XXIsGFg3P9SfBuKFHPPD9o3LouJeN_u3EbP3tAF0jhnQuJL_ApY_Z/s400/P1030669.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350014987834474594" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8iUS7mb7EKEkcdI-lZJwi06lSnRnbi_JWa8-axBv1avPjCyL5tF_TMombDZEjOOqIld2vE53lAhEaxeGlPWg4AJjLtbPodf1J6B62tUNLs08SM6omFjTgjSxf30py-KmRGj0w08zr8wMT/s1600-h/P1030671.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8iUS7mb7EKEkcdI-lZJwi06lSnRnbi_JWa8-axBv1avPjCyL5tF_TMombDZEjOOqIld2vE53lAhEaxeGlPWg4AJjLtbPodf1J6B62tUNLs08SM6omFjTgjSxf30py-KmRGj0w08zr8wMT/s400/P1030671.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350014995236906498" border="0" /></a>Kanakanak Beach also gives a slightly different view of downtown Dillingham.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHux3DwMao7aNDwnd8da5SoPs02bjI8PZXB46N_bdDZxWcLRudeQwSH0w9p-ZNbxSW3ObgO7zVp3PijlfBF18lBI81USwFFNJtpiy-8GzobeDK5fOEgBzorYPdvEeYnq_Fk3HMrj6DdAm/s1600-h/P1030672.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHux3DwMao7aNDwnd8da5SoPs02bjI8PZXB46N_bdDZxWcLRudeQwSH0w9p-ZNbxSW3ObgO7zVp3PijlfBF18lBI81USwFFNJtpiy-8GzobeDK5fOEgBzorYPdvEeYnq_Fk3HMrj6DdAm/s400/P1030672.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350016092835413634" border="0" /></a>I think one of the best sightseeing trips we've taken since my family got here is up Snake Lake Road. This is where Anthony and I started our hike when we saw the brown bear. Natalie especially wanted to head out there. We drove up Snake Lake Road to the lookout point. Everyone was pretty impressed with the view.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh934C96Wyu_YMoDS8tDeAf-YONqXkpCxdBtWCN3trjl8RhkzZSuAM1Ek5lvWv91tgBF7Y1wBBqWSe8JYcYYcbeOf4wC0Y-_e7lT6cBfUzH9AftijMZm-2v3GAU7YSAugjG4kXtpSQo6bKa/s1600-h/P1030679.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh934C96Wyu_YMoDS8tDeAf-YONqXkpCxdBtWCN3trjl8RhkzZSuAM1Ek5lvWv91tgBF7Y1wBBqWSe8JYcYYcbeOf4wC0Y-_e7lT6cBfUzH9AftijMZm-2v3GAU7YSAugjG4kXtpSQo6bKa/s400/P1030679.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350016098270293378" border="0" /></a>These are some pretty good pictures of the mountains around Dillingham, which don't usually photograph well.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTB6rDumNfswsPgohy3YA638hfhFcHLCd17qnknI1CoPrGnEeM0I5I4PdnnoWvUmIXR6zJAJr4RMDL-_lUKOF6pFYrvYv42ixals-dbfLDP9uKOCmJZOEDROspVFGe3KIXg0Y0BceSLFJ/s1600-h/P1030680.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTB6rDumNfswsPgohy3YA638hfhFcHLCd17qnknI1CoPrGnEeM0I5I4PdnnoWvUmIXR6zJAJr4RMDL-_lUKOF6pFYrvYv42ixals-dbfLDP9uKOCmJZOEDROspVFGe3KIXg0Y0BceSLFJ/s400/P1030680.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350016099692353618" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLqLhDklJ2uZBPbC5Wgc2ChilqqK6o3L8vXzL8O1hRPCira5-w3RaR6njUSrJHwXBVQaI_WjL2G5PEvaBC2QaGX9J5P6XWDgc-OND2d-7vCWOGY3wqMsOCLeLQ6OCZxwqQrwdseDp-VFt/s1600-h/P1030683.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLqLhDklJ2uZBPbC5Wgc2ChilqqK6o3L8vXzL8O1hRPCira5-w3RaR6njUSrJHwXBVQaI_WjL2G5PEvaBC2QaGX9J5P6XWDgc-OND2d-7vCWOGY3wqMsOCLeLQ6OCZxwqQrwdseDp-VFt/s400/P1030683.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350016105935755698" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JGiqo8f6_bLXLJ1mEoU3a__TqPtfWsPdVDEcYq1t2ALU2IH4Dc5aDYDzIviwucSa1aYs06Wde-yNC2WmL-E_9M3SZrjxQM6H-dm9N4FD3RMPYbVZZc4CUpAbVdkj8_OF4RDMuaiZrTnM/s1600-h/P1030684.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JGiqo8f6_bLXLJ1mEoU3a__TqPtfWsPdVDEcYq1t2ALU2IH4Dc5aDYDzIviwucSa1aYs06Wde-yNC2WmL-E_9M3SZrjxQM6H-dm9N4FD3RMPYbVZZc4CUpAbVdkj8_OF4RDMuaiZrTnM/s400/P1030684.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350016104658785218" border="0" /></a>It has been pretty cloudy for the whole trip, but at least no one is getting sunburned. We went farther down Snake Lake Road and got a good view of the lake.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx5GuoAmIrxqeEj26nTGjUA9sD7tWlg5lKlcLaHCa6fMbScW9N0Aamc89G7icxaDGrywV4M3k6UjKpK5atx8zKRp8cNW945GZ2OtcZzszXmj8DctSa3dIzCKawR_bkc59Qg3bDqQvM0xls/s1600-h/P1030687.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx5GuoAmIrxqeEj26nTGjUA9sD7tWlg5lKlcLaHCa6fMbScW9N0Aamc89G7icxaDGrywV4M3k6UjKpK5atx8zKRp8cNW945GZ2OtcZzszXmj8DctSa3dIzCKawR_bkc59Qg3bDqQvM0xls/s400/P1030687.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350017169705972450" border="0" /></a>Our next restaurant trip was to the Muddy Rudder. It's a favorite of mine, and I think everyone else liked it as well. Natalie really enjoyed her milkshake.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5tOx23TOe1Emx5aBMAtZ9dgbiGVAdHuqTgVngFlxFABORBJECuA2xgSVT2o-XskUuy2_IT0Qm9W76vYv-BzvAHkbVRcxvTjKtSm3L0LRPp0mdYHaUn55eNP3HG5O8xOhwRkoYsE_k4SVS/s1600-h/P1030688.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5tOx23TOe1Emx5aBMAtZ9dgbiGVAdHuqTgVngFlxFABORBJECuA2xgSVT2o-XskUuy2_IT0Qm9W76vYv-BzvAHkbVRcxvTjKtSm3L0LRPp0mdYHaUn55eNP3HG5O8xOhwRkoYsE_k4SVS/s400/P1030688.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350017174504187506" border="0" /></a>Dad had a seafood alfredo, Natalie demolished a cheeseburger, Mom had the grilled halibut and Samara and I both ordered the fried halibut sandwich. Definitely a recommended dining experience in Dillingham. Too bad they're only open in the summer. I miss it all winter long.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEWO4dtQIx_Jb2-gi25sjPypql6eJtLT2VXHDjN52atjkpC38nZ3qT9Nr0Fgzd6G2eV45imq-oW5N63ScXiQio6hpfMZwSWZE7WgT83uYeKuIKE3qPyfViyxXvfK1tVJVUTdzE0jr63Aq_/s1600-h/P1030691.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEWO4dtQIx_Jb2-gi25sjPypql6eJtLT2VXHDjN52atjkpC38nZ3qT9Nr0Fgzd6G2eV45imq-oW5N63ScXiQio6hpfMZwSWZE7WgT83uYeKuIKE3qPyfViyxXvfK1tVJVUTdzE0jr63Aq_/s400/P1030691.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350017178603652402" border="0" /></a>The family have all been taking pictures as well, but those are most of the pictures I've gotten. We also went down to the beach at Snag Point, below our apartment, and collected a ton of sea glass. It all seems to wash up there when people throw their glass bottles over the side of the boat. You can find lots of rock-tumbled, smooth pieces of glass all along the beach. We picked up a bunch!<br /><br />I also introduced everyone around at the courthouse, which was nice. They got to see my office. Natalie, Mom and Samara went shopping at the gift shop at the airport. We also took a tour of the Sam Fox museum. It had some neat history of the Alaska Natives, local fishing and prehistoric animals native to the area. It's a small museum, but not bad.<br /><br />We also checked out our new digs. Samara and I are moving to a cheaper place to live, out by the airport. (It's quite a bit cheaper--it's free!) We'll be managing the property for the absentee owner. The place we're moving into will take some work to get into shape. I might even be able to get dad to help me out a little while he's here.<br /><br />Natalie has been keeping her eye out our window for a bald eagle that lives on the bluffs. We saw him out the window one time, but since then only dad has been lucky enough to spot him again. I took a few pictures from the bluff tonight, but all I could see was boats and seagulls.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJrN8Ys7d5W5pSbz3fPBi94r3j0QW6Ic3Qzpy4I2eUvnQfCmtWuGeUux0t19k2Vd8bkPVusOzSk_2QtPMiUG-RLcs0ZEoANku6AnQ8CTaesmay_C4TZP_PeiP_xkIIva3XtPT-LtiB8ivd/s1600-h/P1030693.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJrN8Ys7d5W5pSbz3fPBi94r3j0QW6Ic3Qzpy4I2eUvnQfCmtWuGeUux0t19k2Vd8bkPVusOzSk_2QtPMiUG-RLcs0ZEoANku6AnQ8CTaesmay_C4TZP_PeiP_xkIIva3XtPT-LtiB8ivd/s400/P1030693.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350017180516622306" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUIbLwIl93M7iS3eRqlJFt5hVQCRwrAY5nvNUc1pUhUzvk9pPHOiON5H68BXCi1k2YNm6FUYAjZ9n9bZdlmkfUd1J7R7SvaHTnKIUgi8Z71HrcYE_g9SYlWeoCvl5Db78ULFZ1nVHwuwsR/s1600-h/P1030696.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUIbLwIl93M7iS3eRqlJFt5hVQCRwrAY5nvNUc1pUhUzvk9pPHOiON5H68BXCi1k2YNm6FUYAjZ9n9bZdlmkfUd1J7R7SvaHTnKIUgi8Z71HrcYE_g9SYlWeoCvl5Db78ULFZ1nVHwuwsR/s400/P1030696.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350017185483406482" border="0" /></a>More pictures as we have time. The family is here for another few days--they don't leave until Thursday. We haven't even gotten out to Aleknagik Lake yet, so I can guarantee a few more pictures then!Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14628587410994319563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536719461976391975.post-60517231762321238132009-06-15T21:33:00.010-08:002009-06-15T22:16:01.745-08:00Beach BBQ with the cops and boozeThis past Sunday was the Court house Beach BBQ out on Kanakanak beach. The court people invited everyone that helps out the court including the local cops, troopers, the district attorney, the prosecutor, the judge, the court clerks and all the families of each. (I invited Erin because Anthony is still in Fairbanks.) I have to say this is the first time that I have been to a beach bbq that when the cops came, they didn't come to break up the fun. No, they were there for some pretty good potato salad and bbq chicken and ribs. This is also the first time that I have been to a beach bbq with booze and the cops didn't take it away and issue tickets. (In case you were wondering, you can drink in public here.) It was a balmy 60 degrees with the wind blowing. I got some sun on my face that or wind burn. The wind was blowing that today. But the sun was shining and it was looking to be a great day.<br /><br />Tonya's husband rich manned the grill, while Aaron manned the bonfire.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSG0tSGmMt-VTj1nUm4Nv8lMSpmGh3XmUPvH5KH9FR0fuD_KOML95JMqdZnUxBP8ayHD04KSMlErB37PiWrMl1deDoY5D6_wnlEETZ05xTAnSQ7hm9Yh5HN-y3pj0jdoZUJCCMPMYVtwdr/s1600-h/aaron.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSG0tSGmMt-VTj1nUm4Nv8lMSpmGh3XmUPvH5KH9FR0fuD_KOML95JMqdZnUxBP8ayHD04KSMlErB37PiWrMl1deDoY5D6_wnlEETZ05xTAnSQ7hm9Yh5HN-y3pj0jdoZUJCCMPMYVtwdr/s400/aaron.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347801029723737458" border="0" /></a>Erin and I walk along the beach to watch people pull in their nets and ask stupid questions like "Does it hurt to get bitten by a salmon?" (They have teeth!) That of course leads to them asking a question, "So, where ya from?" When I say Kentucky, I know they are thinking of the Kentucky Fried Chicken commercials and wondering. Meanwhile, I am taking pictures of the ulgy, muddy salmon they are pulling out of their nets.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFD6jpgVu85FqcWX51J09m0xqq5jfCqayV1HTve36viPwlJ6KhGkhVVvZNTkeQpLfUZ5kZB2BSb4T9zYZm-HtprCc2kyaSrF36z4rRDeTfDJsCydo-_aaGzv0ODxw0NbzRluzPcpnlBprB/s1600-h/dog.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFD6jpgVu85FqcWX51J09m0xqq5jfCqayV1HTve36viPwlJ6KhGkhVVvZNTkeQpLfUZ5kZB2BSb4T9zYZm-HtprCc2kyaSrF36z4rRDeTfDJsCydo-_aaGzv0ODxw0NbzRluzPcpnlBprB/s400/dog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347802479418008034" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >I am told this is a dog salmon. It doesn't have a beak or a red stripe indicating a king salmon or a red salmon.<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdcgw0Ev0qMgfuruEd4TmkQrlW4kV7GDhQUG52r9mhigXe1-fRajLcOWU3BsHGQ-tIs8-hWqJiIR7m-lIRS_dr53nIwF89WM1NQziAEd4jBI4mAeKLu9mVPNmuGALxZzYkn7mMTodSuoyR/s1600-h/king.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdcgw0Ev0qMgfuruEd4TmkQrlW4kV7GDhQUG52r9mhigXe1-fRajLcOWU3BsHGQ-tIs8-hWqJiIR7m-lIRS_dr53nIwF89WM1NQziAEd4jBI4mAeKLu9mVPNmuGALxZzYkn7mMTodSuoyR/s400/king.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347802878276436658" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I have no idea what kind of fish this is. If it had whiskers, I would say catfish. See how little I know about fish!</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" > </span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5n3JEVpvECmArDT-Gvm4rW6A0gcVUFyeOXbQX_nvWU5KlrHwyvVDtARGxIWjTFb98P7XRSGPL85KAzCvzn58PTRjPC0EzYPcTIVTOvbwc6tOXxAVtApy-DfC00aNh76QmrLAk6zWQnMXm/s1600-h/salmon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5n3JEVpvECmArDT-Gvm4rW6A0gcVUFyeOXbQX_nvWU5KlrHwyvVDtARGxIWjTFb98P7XRSGPL85KAzCvzn58PTRjPC0EzYPcTIVTOvbwc6tOXxAVtApy-DfC00aNh76QmrLAk6zWQnMXm/s400/salmon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347803724008284818" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Again, do they bite? While you can't really tell, they are still flopping</span></span>.<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> It makes me nervous and twitchy.</span></span><br /><br />We walk back down to the bonfire where Lori and the new cop in town are chit-chatting about the differences between living in a big city and living here in Dillingham. You'll notice that since he is in uniform, he is only drinking sodas. (I wanted to point that out.) Other people were having a nice beer with their ribs, but not Dillingham's finest.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45ljyOq7mpJYDJcQvV3tybsV3pQw_GSZ6V0-GuPg547nhw9thuwBybMdsINeWI7-k5rKb_U5KEDPuQKXkH25yW74XNz-XpneDEvwUMieNt-5GcaR9tLYjKWOglxjv89A_s3-NittTEZut/s1600-h/lori.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45ljyOq7mpJYDJcQvV3tybsV3pQw_GSZ6V0-GuPg547nhw9thuwBybMdsINeWI7-k5rKb_U5KEDPuQKXkH25yW74XNz-XpneDEvwUMieNt-5GcaR9tLYjKWOglxjv89A_s3-NittTEZut/s400/lori.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347801218185942210" border="0" /></a><br />Rich finally has all the ribs and chicken cooked so he sits down and enjoys the fruits of his labor by the fire. He did a really great job. Also note that a lot of people are wearing hoodies. It was cold and windy.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9pp3_3aWVLz4zK_VsS1JJmJI3-cJzPL53V4jYNOIZe3WaZ5shJQN0VCxKEzKjIZosB1WDCkrebfC_ix4qZcfcq54SkL3P_W2rUjqX0rzJBKQLsTeAmFUeWMw1ZMaPZC5anxdN-6wZ6C6/s1600-h/rich1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9pp3_3aWVLz4zK_VsS1JJmJI3-cJzPL53V4jYNOIZe3WaZ5shJQN0VCxKEzKjIZosB1WDCkrebfC_ix4qZcfcq54SkL3P_W2rUjqX0rzJBKQLsTeAmFUeWMw1ZMaPZC5anxdN-6wZ6C6/s400/rich1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347801766138855250" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF5kDnT09QPcSEXD9x89UHKQ2ecOdK-h1JeDdB7v3s3MaVlNRPaXTu7fHl2skcdAXSFEpbkR2ICP5EGwieovg5VTt9Aa9Ynpaf6vNNVNyx_oO_GZLqEkFSL2G_p0prEhP4Nr27OWPA6gjt/s1600-h/rich2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF5kDnT09QPcSEXD9x89UHKQ2ecOdK-h1JeDdB7v3s3MaVlNRPaXTu7fHl2skcdAXSFEpbkR2ICP5EGwieovg5VTt9Aa9Ynpaf6vNNVNyx_oO_GZLqEkFSL2G_p0prEhP4Nr27OWPA6gjt/s400/rich2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347801902635581538" border="0" /></a><br />I forgot to mention that this was the same beach and the same nets that not 2 weeks ago a beluga whale got caught in the nets. I know this may upset some readers, but that whale did not go to waste. Since the whale couldn't be saved, it was distributed to memebers in the community. We were hoping to see the whale, but by the time we got to the beach, there wasn't much left of it. I won't post any pictures of the close ups, but let me assure you, there was little left of it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbYO94wicKrj5cJgzg7KILMqb58d0lTRE_ArkYrBljr7uO_TIyqVmaOxDQTNrr40VQjp7tn8zCd6dL3jcCFsTF7NAUPe-eJGf7LSsR9uXuqkKTMc5Xycvf4buEwCz-L6yL9VSahTWBHoN/s1600-h/whale.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbYO94wicKrj5cJgzg7KILMqb58d0lTRE_ArkYrBljr7uO_TIyqVmaOxDQTNrr40VQjp7tn8zCd6dL3jcCFsTF7NAUPe-eJGf7LSsR9uXuqkKTMc5Xycvf4buEwCz-L6yL9VSahTWBHoN/s400/whale.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347802078493119234" border="0" /></a><br />We also saw a bald eagle. At least Aaron thinks it is. I thought it looked like a vulture. You can decide.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6xLXIrQDXxLXYb-GnyD0w_cLheqT_Ipd3b_hdHghV8USY-VCgW4hQOT09ihmvlgVKuXs3MgnAGZwR0D66Yy0WaZeXdXvOdrGWt_Atu3tDfJ_OIAa-K18ErnXmFHe63D63TdX1PIR63H4y/s1600-h/eagle.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6xLXIrQDXxLXYb-GnyD0w_cLheqT_Ipd3b_hdHghV8USY-VCgW4hQOT09ihmvlgVKuXs3MgnAGZwR0D66Yy0WaZeXdXvOdrGWt_Atu3tDfJ_OIAa-K18ErnXmFHe63D63TdX1PIR63H4y/s400/eagle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347801034307565026" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536719461976391975.post-58192303810924704822009-06-07T23:18:00.006-08:002009-06-08T00:15:11.246-08:00He wasn't exactly Paddington bear.We had a birthday party for Saramay yesterday, and Anthony was antsy the whole time we were there because it was nice outside and he wanted to go for a hike to scout out places for fishing. I promised him that I'd go hiking with him all day today.<br /><br />So today, we got our packs together and went hiking. He has a few places that he wants to scout out to see if there's any good trout fishing, but I convinced him to head for a place off Snake Lake Road that we had been on snowmachine before. It's a bit off of the road itself, but it's a nice little valley with a stream where there's usually lots of moose. (Except, of course, when I've been there, but there have been moose every time Anthony went without me before.)<br /><br />We drove out (Aleknagik) Lake Road towards the start of Snake Lake Road. As we were driving out there, with his dog Sofie happily sleeping in my lap as we drove, we came up over a hill and there was a moose right in the middle of the road. It was huge! It was actually a mother with a calf, which was much smaller. The calf was about the size of a Great Dane and the mother was as tall as any thoroughbred I've ever seen. It was a seriously large animal. Anthony's camera was still in his backpack, so we didn't get any pictures as they trotted off into the woods. It was pretty neat, though, and the closest I've come to a moose yet.<br /><br />We turned off onto Snake Lake Road and drove up to the overlook point. This is a little area of broken rock to the left of the road. The road itself actually goes up and across the side of a mountain, so there's always mountain on the right and a drop-off into the valley to the left. The overlook spot is on the left and gives a great view of the area. Anthony took a panaramic picture of it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrkZwoR0871CR2rOMtHEuBm8GwiF5Ajgf1pzPM9iMgNfiIeFuR5R9c4xVHJB9IR5V60ruXU5fZwg-k5P4jzbZu5wYSUb3VIE4c3Q0ktT1EtD0bBDAST9SqlWiBj6hK6t0purpJbo2bRyYW/s1600-h/pana-from-road.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 91px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrkZwoR0871CR2rOMtHEuBm8GwiF5Ajgf1pzPM9iMgNfiIeFuR5R9c4xVHJB9IR5V60ruXU5fZwg-k5P4jzbZu5wYSUb3VIE4c3Q0ktT1EtD0bBDAST9SqlWiBj6hK6t0purpJbo2bRyYW/s400/pana-from-road.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344861914995530674" border="0" /></a><br />We got unloaded, both of us with our packs, me carrying my single-shot shotgun and Sofie bounding along beside us. The stream we were headed to is about 2 miles down from the road. First we had to get down the hill through a lot of brush. It's really slow going through this stuff, but we made our way from clearing to clearing and got down into a wooded area with alders and spruce. It was easier going then. We saw a lot of moose scat. At some point we came across some scat I didn't recognize as moose, and there was a lot of it. Our educated guess was that it was bear scat, so I put a slug round into the shotgun, which I had been carrying empty.<br /><br />As we came down through the trees, we could see open country to left, so we weaved out there. It was really marshy tundra, though, so we moved back into the trees a bit. After a few minutes of walking like this, we came out into the open again and it was less marshy. I had Anthony wait up for me and as I caught up to him, I turned around.<br /><br />A flash of brown caught my eye, and I pointed it out to Anthony. It was a grizzly bear. I would have estimated from memory that it was about 300 yards away, but we measured with Google Earth as well, and it said it was more like 1/4 mile. No matter what the actual distance was, it felt close. We were in the open, with trees to our back, and the bear was across the open area.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg98OTge78_scjUQx-ddmemTSpCyFL7sU1SSeeY9RAqDiyo_16aE76bxC6Kx3Ci42JWbrWtYFd192C_OjHyrWXabvc-_RTP4dAs6v2Q5dOUtfynejzjCli6wBBdeMNTJu-6iI6KTIIxB0nw/s1600-h/bear1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg98OTge78_scjUQx-ddmemTSpCyFL7sU1SSeeY9RAqDiyo_16aE76bxC6Kx3Ci42JWbrWtYFd192C_OjHyrWXabvc-_RTP4dAs6v2Q5dOUtfynejzjCli6wBBdeMNTJu-6iI6KTIIxB0nw/s400/bear1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344862213175215250" border="0" /></a><br />He was lumbering along as he was coming down off of the ridge between us and the road, and while he was travelling parallel to the road, he wasn't walking perpendicular to us. In fact, as he was coming off the ridge, he seemed to be pointed straight at us.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkx1iOQqcWG88Mf1jnFOPoT-90q3ocrnE1nJZKyGVPTBiuN6forLo0MUFcaUN4I80Q3kICLiScJDzZISZo-DFy0VdCjwZH59kMTDaLR8H0m_WsqswCgcIHnXaN4ydg2AhTU3ihKRl1XSMX/s1600-h/bear2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 227px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkx1iOQqcWG88Mf1jnFOPoT-90q3ocrnE1nJZKyGVPTBiuN6forLo0MUFcaUN4I80Q3kICLiScJDzZISZo-DFy0VdCjwZH59kMTDaLR8H0m_WsqswCgcIHnXaN4ydg2AhTU3ihKRl1XSMX/s400/bear2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344862456517672482" border="0" /></a><br />We immediately froze, and Anthony took off his backpack and clipped Sofie to it. He started his camera rolling in video mode, and unholstered his .45 pistol. I held my shotgun ready just in case. The proximity of such an enormous, powerful animal made me really nervous, and he kept lumbering along mostly perpendicular to us, but closing the gap slightly. Anthony and I were immediately afraid that he would run into the trees that we just came through that were now to our left as we faced the bear, and then we would lose sight of him.<br /><br />The wind was in our faces, so I don't think that the bear actually knew we were there, so the first thing we did was yell really loudly to try to get its attention. On the video Anthony shot, you can hear us yelling, but the bear doesn't even seem to notice us. He is still just moving at the same angle to us, towards the trees. Anthony suggests that I fire a shot into the air to startle him. I tell him that I'm switching to buckshot, so that I don't waste a slug in case the bear comes towards us. Then he says that he could fire a shot from his pistol. I really didn't want to waste any ammunition for the shotgun or his .45 pistol, though, so I tell him that I'll fire off a round from the .380 pocket pistol that I was also carrying.<br /><br />In the video, you can hear Anthony say that he's going to cover his ears. Then I pointed the little pistol into the air, cover my closer ear with one hand and fire off two rounds in fairly quick succession. A split second after the first shot, the bear's head snaps up and he looks in our direction and then begins running full tilt perpendicular to us and into the woods. I had to recock the pistol because the magazine slipped out a little, and then I fired a third shot into the air. The bear just keeps running for the woods.<br /><br />(Anthony got a video that's about a minute and a half long, from the time we see the bear, yell at him, and then finally shoot into the air and scare him off. It's about 30 megabytes, though, so I made a shorter clip (3.5 mb) that starts when he suggests shooting in the air, and ends when the bear hits the treeline. It's a bit shaky, but watch the bear's head snap up as it hears the first shot, and look how fast it runs.)<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA76ZOaLcXhkSWrmxfDstR-gPsrhQWchvSMzceFsoJ_khBrLdYOvn0GzMKE_EWNrtLaYNGi5PvZf4Terr35fJI2p1b9IJejC9v4pZ3Uq0xHCoZ8Ko9ZBU7eWmtsxpKG1Ykd1YsUD9w2Owi/s1600-h/aaron-river.JPG"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyW5JGAIgUvQPkoDfPaUHhG-bJkqrUfl5O9aVGJ0tJ4rGicuyZi5hWxIsJaYqf6V9e55gaPsqyzu04zi4kj3Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></a><br /><br />As soon as the bear hits the tree line, we decide to head in the exact opposite direction, through the open tundra where we can keep a good eye behind us. Anthony let Sofie loose, and she immediately began running towards where we last saw the bear. We both yelled for her as we headed the other direction, and she quickly realized that we weren't going to follow her towards the bear, and ran back to us.<br /><br />Anthony looked back as we were moving across the tundra and said that he saw the bear heading back the way it had originally came, up towards the road. That didn't really leave us any good options for turning around and going back to the car right away, so we headed further out into the bush towards the stream.<br /><br />We found the stream easily. Anthony took a nice panoramic shot of it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLfsmprb3Uo6J6Kuvg31tDQQJKpybRsZAVwsvV6LHuXhr3Y_IlmKJuxEy4oHlKCBkj5q4cGSOAcoSFn-FywgR2NalBYXy007Smsa50qjcGIckTYKQFqgPUV2PZfDnPR4DKpKQHQVg3E7Ad/s1600-h/pana-river.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 90px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLfsmprb3Uo6J6Kuvg31tDQQJKpybRsZAVwsvV6LHuXhr3Y_IlmKJuxEy4oHlKCBkj5q4cGSOAcoSFn-FywgR2NalBYXy007Smsa50qjcGIckTYKQFqgPUV2PZfDnPR4DKpKQHQVg3E7Ad/s400/pana-river.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344859558187384530" border="0" /></a><br />We planted ourselves down in the valley next to it. Anthony scouted around for some good fishing spots while Sofie and I relaxed for about an hour.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA76ZOaLcXhkSWrmxfDstR-gPsrhQWchvSMzceFsoJ_khBrLdYOvn0GzMKE_EWNrtLaYNGi5PvZf4Terr35fJI2p1b9IJejC9v4pZ3Uq0xHCoZ8Ko9ZBU7eWmtsxpKG1Ykd1YsUD9w2Owi/s1600-h/aaron-river.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA76ZOaLcXhkSWrmxfDstR-gPsrhQWchvSMzceFsoJ_khBrLdYOvn0GzMKE_EWNrtLaYNGi5PvZf4Terr35fJI2p1b9IJejC9v4pZ3Uq0xHCoZ8Ko9ZBU7eWmtsxpKG1Ykd1YsUD9w2Owi/s400/aaron-river.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344859561476753218" border="0" /></a><br />When Anthony finally got done looking around, we packed back up and headed back out of the valley. At the top of the ridge, there was a game trail and we saw some fairly good-size bear prints, but the camera battery was dead, so we didn't get any more pictures.<br /><br />Almost as soon as we got into the trees to cross back over to the open tundra, Anthony found a giant moose antler that had been shed. We looked around a little for the other one, but there was just one. He lugged it all the way back to the car. It was a pretty good find--definitely an Alaskan touch to decorate their house. Apparently people find them in the woods all the time when the moose shed them.<br /><br />We kept to the open tundra for the entire trip back to the car, except when we got to the mountain itself, where we had to crawl and scramble our way through brush that even a bear would probably avoid. I was exhausted by the time we reached the car again, and very happy not to have seen our friend the bear twice.<br /><br />I think our little episode with the bear was scarier when it was happening that it really needed to be. Like I said, when we checked the distance on Google Earth, it said it was actually 1/4 mile away, but it sure didn't seem like it at the time. Also, if the bear ran 30 mph, which I understand they can when they're charging, it could have reached us in less than half a minute. That would not have given us much time to shoot and reload a single-shot shotgun, if it became necessary. Then again, even brown or grizzly bears are usually skittish around people unless they have cubs or you surprise one by walking right up on it in the bush. We were in the open, so that was probably the safest situation. Nevertheless, it was both scary and pretty amazing.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14628587410994319563noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536719461976391975.post-77951141106105779992009-06-04T13:23:00.002-08:002009-06-04T13:46:59.080-08:00Our 6th AnniversaryYesterday was our 6th anniversary. We celebrated by taking a long lunch at the local hot spot known as the Muddy Rudder. Aaron ordered the halibut sandwich and I got the patty melt. We then went home and played internet and watched tv before we had to head back work. I then stayed late at work due to a all staff meeting. When I finally managed my way back to the house, we had company. And then we went to go look at some new and different rental property. We then drove to the local grocery store for slushies. All and all, it was a pretty good day.<br /><br />There was this one year, we were pretty poor. I think it was about 3 years ago when Aaron and I both were in school and for our anniversary dinner we went to Long John's Silver. It was super cheesey, but it didn't matter. We were in it together and I knew that we weren't going to be poor and in school forever. Now, we're out of school and not as poor, but still poor and very happy.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536719461976391975.post-42870796532578780722009-06-02T17:42:00.000-08:002009-06-02T17:49:53.975-08:00Deputy MagistrateI am now a judicial officer for the State of Alaska. My deputy magistrate certification arrived last week while I was out of town, and I was sworn in today by Judge Torrisi.<br /><br />I just have to do five hearings while supervised by a judge or magistrate and then I'll be doing weekend arraignments by myself once a month.<br /><br />A year out of law school and I'm working as a judge before I've even tried a case.<br /><br />Not bad.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14628587410994319563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536719461976391975.post-63204966386526707892009-05-31T00:36:00.000-08:002009-05-31T00:47:29.772-08:00When is a 5-year adjustable rate mortgage a good idea?When is a 5-year adjustable rate mortgage a good idea?<br /><br />When you're me.<br /><br />The conventional wisdom is that when the market is good, you should just get a 30-year fixed rate mortgage to take advantage of the low interest rates by locking them in. When we bought our house, the market was good. Not great, but good. Nevertheless, since we were buying just as I was going into the first year of 3 years of law school, we opted for the 5-year ARM. Adjustable rate mortgages give you a fixed rate for the first few years, and then they vary each year after that. The rate is lower for the initial period. We figured we'd probably sell our house once I was out of law school for two years, so the 5-year ARM worked for us and got us a lower rate.<br /><br />Little did we know. I did a dual-degree program and took 4 years to finish school, and then we went to Alaska for 2 years. So our mortgage rate is adjusting this year, and we're nowhere close to selling our house.<br /><br />I got the Notice of Intent to Change the Interest Rate on Adjustable Rate Mortgage from our bank today. Scary stuff, right? Our rate is gonna go up like everyone fears, right?<br /><br />I laughed out loud. Our rate is tied to the 1 Year US Treasury Security Weekly Average. Our initial ARM rate was 5.375%. The new rate for this next year is 3.25%.<br /><br />What can I say? Sometimes you step in shit and come out smelling like roses.<br /><br />Our new mortgage payment is a fiver short of $300. (That's down from $350.) We'll keep paying the $400 we always pay, of course, but now that'll be more money going towards our principal.<br /><br />Hooray for the economy being in the crapper!<br /><br />(As you probably surmised, Samara and I returned safely from Fairbanks. The flights were uneventful, we took most of the day off from work on Friday, Dillingham has turned green, I went hiking with Anthony, and then today we had dinner with Erin, Anthony and Saramay. Shaping up to be a good weekend so far, except for a little rain.)Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14628587410994319563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536719461976391975.post-43376862152371950822009-05-28T21:15:00.032-08:002009-05-28T22:37:53.782-08:00Stampede Trail Hike (Into the Sort-Of Wild)I made good on the promise I made in yesterday's blog post. Today I hiked the Stampede Trail in Alaska's interior.<br /><br />First, some background. Samara is here in Fairbanks for training, and I just decided to come along with her so that we could spend some time together outside of Dillingham. We arrived in Fairbanks a few days early and did some shopping along with various touristy activities. When I asked people what we should do in Fairbanks, more than a few folks thought it would be a good idea to drive the couple hours down to Denali National Park and do some hiking. Samara and I had actually planned to do that, but she ended up getting sick on Tuesday. It just didn't seem like such a good idea to take a really long drive when she wasn't feeling well.<br /><br />There isn't a bookstore in Dillingham, so we picked up a lot of new books when we first arrived in Fairbanks. One of the ones I picked out was Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer. This is a true story about a young man from a good family, Chris McCandless, who took up a vagabond lifestyle, traveling around the United States. His ultimate destination was Alaska, where he ended up in Fairbanks. From there, he traveled down to a road outside Denali National Park called Stampede Trail. This road was built by mining companies in the 1960s. It's a 50 mile road to nowhere, and about halfway down this road is an old city bus that was put out there to provide shelter for the miners using the road. Chris went out to the old bus alone and tried to live off the land. He arrived in the spring, and by the beginning of fall, his body was found by some moose hunters. He had starved to death, despite apparent success in hunting small game and gathering local roots and berries.<br /><br />The book contained a map of the area.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_fr721MvTM-RwKvlDqRldHpWic6shhT3CaFGaBM2CGSc8ebr4ZKMA3XEbbRuVgAV0pQoEMt73Quk0m5sFojWhfyTFZfONbc_OCjeMMtmCmeTn-4uZCO-wiuAMZTeh8uQdOv7oPYj6V5Zz/s1600-h/P1030596.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_fr721MvTM-RwKvlDqRldHpWic6shhT3CaFGaBM2CGSc8ebr4ZKMA3XEbbRuVgAV0pQoEMt73Quk0m5sFojWhfyTFZfONbc_OCjeMMtmCmeTn-4uZCO-wiuAMZTeh8uQdOv7oPYj6V5Zz/s400/P1030596.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341113244255910882" border="0" /></a>The road on the right side is the highway to Denali National Park. Stampede Trail (now known as Stampede Road) goes west from the road, just north of Healy. Some important landmarks to note on the map are Eightmile Lake and the line indicating the end of the maintained road. There are a few rivers that cross the trail, and none have bridges. The abandoned bus is about 10 to 15 miles off the end of the maintained road.<br /><br />I didn't honestly think I would make it all the way to the bus, but I figured that if I drove down there to do a little hiking, that it might be an interesting experience. So when Samara went to training at 8am this morning, I got in the car and drove down to the Stampede Trail. It's a two hour drive, and I had to be back around 5pm, so that only left a couple hours for hiking each direction (in and out) of the trail.<br /><br />It was a beautiful drive down towards Denali.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXbQEdCDfzTus4ybmQFpa_sMC_MntT4bXN7I_EKDoOWfUaHtCNgSrhxlEIV695EKqQxcgjqVrNJn8NWz8-6unTYcK4eRH0spI4G6w-vt4-Y-zBq-n5DXzNR_sMcltvKe9-3Fie3SCSnvU/s1600-h/P1030497.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXbQEdCDfzTus4ybmQFpa_sMC_MntT4bXN7I_EKDoOWfUaHtCNgSrhxlEIV695EKqQxcgjqVrNJn8NWz8-6unTYcK4eRH0spI4G6w-vt4-Y-zBq-n5DXzNR_sMcltvKe9-3Fie3SCSnvU/s400/P1030497.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341114688375097938" border="0" /></a>As I got closer, I could see the mountains in the distance.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZCdQjmRe8pZgv47tDXFGOzRzskQtG4TurIasqJjoFwZlgesA6oKXlpQEYYOJMTA6lf-QvV4Gcmk2Ed-lOmXAnCevTaWh0dKYo8tOwrOZ73aGbjUxpgXZrZMB2RlqQDDBE5rjHUarlSsn/s1600-h/P1030504.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZCdQjmRe8pZgv47tDXFGOzRzskQtG4TurIasqJjoFwZlgesA6oKXlpQEYYOJMTA6lf-QvV4Gcmk2Ed-lOmXAnCevTaWh0dKYo8tOwrOZ73aGbjUxpgXZrZMB2RlqQDDBE5rjHUarlSsn/s400/P1030504.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341114871365298386" border="0" /></a>In about 2 hours, I reached Stampede Road.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrU8liFFUNVTlnYiNLGWGYuNEOQ0ddJf1lgRysWsA3TC25XPp991dDy2J7zwONm4o1HU7fIobgHZE1JsRY05OyEhym11seucB8Rrd88MoAEj-2TRH9_vFvclIVdQPBAAXRTEciYkVw9jbc/s1600-h/P1030505.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrU8liFFUNVTlnYiNLGWGYuNEOQ0ddJf1lgRysWsA3TC25XPp991dDy2J7zwONm4o1HU7fIobgHZE1JsRY05OyEhym11seucB8Rrd88MoAEj-2TRH9_vFvclIVdQPBAAXRTEciYkVw9jbc/s400/P1030505.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341115030336653426" border="0" /></a>Stampede is paved for the first few miles. I noted my odometer and figured I'd make it about 10 miles in before I had to park and walk the rest of the trail. The paving actually gave out after 4 miles or so, right after a little hippie commune/bed & breakfast called Earthsong. After that, it was all river-rock gravel.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAmpiju-J5o0zSMn_6UE-PE585lQK_BmCc_AuMXw990mnX9NoXbpstuqM6iIVUKHkvPfF6Mr1v_bgd7NKYpAtYBynhdfGTx7H8L1icaIzw583tLNWhjz7bR6oNFkMiK7MHLlObUxLObdy/s1600-h/P1030510.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAmpiju-J5o0zSMn_6UE-PE585lQK_BmCc_AuMXw990mnX9NoXbpstuqM6iIVUKHkvPfF6Mr1v_bgd7NKYpAtYBynhdfGTx7H8L1icaIzw583tLNWhjz7bR6oNFkMiK7MHLlObUxLObdy/s400/P1030510.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341115537358016210" border="0" /></a>It's beautiful country. Of course, I only made it to about the eight mile mark before the maintained road ended. (You could probably guess that based on the name Eightmile Lake on the map.) It went quickly from a two-car-wide gravel road to a single-car gravel road with large potholes filled with water. I stopped at a little pull-off right before the road went to a single-car width and parked.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSN6RTqI5jUNivv_12W4112VPVH5rbDg8-RD917SPwu6kkUQVEZ-WeGIBw7KnBZmJcEyOgP297T1ek8cpZFbBNOnbfmzAW9Dm_uwVvdqKjF_9Rci83Fowy5rwAfpVpnuTjc5Ydzj7ZjZM6/s1600-h/P1030512.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSN6RTqI5jUNivv_12W4112VPVH5rbDg8-RD917SPwu6kkUQVEZ-WeGIBw7KnBZmJcEyOgP297T1ek8cpZFbBNOnbfmzAW9Dm_uwVvdqKjF_9Rci83Fowy5rwAfpVpnuTjc5Ydzj7ZjZM6/s400/P1030512.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341116034826469010" border="0" /></a>It was definitely a good choice to stop there. As you can see, our white rental car is not a four-wheel drive monster. I'm pretty sure I wasn't even supposed to take it off the paved road, but considering how many gravel parking lots there are in downtown Fairbanks, I don't feel too bad about going down Stampede Road as far as I did.<br /><br />You can see my equipment leaning against the car, there. Here's a closer picture.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil0vC_1oaUWjUQsVUeFuTnHwLoXX4TWipz_AbiMQTg7Bxa6DeRNwBul4sBuamQOYVfqkgO8sILhTrQZg9WT9D_clUWPO8dsb4_4LRN6IPj6u_djzB4d8NXqST8aG2VNYcSl-HwHbKNoF_5/s1600-h/P1030513.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil0vC_1oaUWjUQsVUeFuTnHwLoXX4TWipz_AbiMQTg7Bxa6DeRNwBul4sBuamQOYVfqkgO8sILhTrQZg9WT9D_clUWPO8dsb4_4LRN6IPj6u_djzB4d8NXqST8aG2VNYcSl-HwHbKNoF_5/s400/P1030513.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341116038525040482" border="0" /></a>The backpack was on sale at Sierra Trading and it's a great bag. Samara bought me the carabiner and carabiner-handled coffee cup that you see clipped on. I have a filtration water bottle and regular water bottle packed inside, along with lunch, a change of clothes and a jacket. The shotgun is a single-shot H&R 12 gauge. I packed buckshot and slugs for bear protection. That might seem a little silly to those of you sitting in your living rooms in the lower 48, but I was hiking alone in an area where brown bears (grizzlies) and black bears are both abundant. (In fact, that's what a lot of people go to Denali to see.) When Samara told someone at her conference today that I was hiking Stampede Trail, they expressed concern about bears. That made me feel even better that I made the investment in a shotgun. (Which, by the way, was an amazingly good deal. Just over $100 for a gun that provides bear protection, and I can also take it duck or grouse hunting in Dillingham.)<br /><br />At this point, it was a little after 11am, and I started down the trail.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPT0S9MXQD0c0dDmuju_hH7wLCTk9pN7mInuyf1rrDCC3Ei4oIRacR4EgIN_TW-_9JuMsoD7neTLGMpOdxqRRqq-6Qx-hWAY1RkrC1DiTlw-lzBzkhHPzBh-BR2OSZgKuREfX9b8PNW4Ux/s1600-h/P1030515.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPT0S9MXQD0c0dDmuju_hH7wLCTk9pN7mInuyf1rrDCC3Ei4oIRacR4EgIN_TW-_9JuMsoD7neTLGMpOdxqRRqq-6Qx-hWAY1RkrC1DiTlw-lzBzkhHPzBh-BR2OSZgKuREfX9b8PNW4Ux/s400/P1030515.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341117735828878562" border="0" /></a>As you can see, it was very muddy. I had to dodge around some pretty big puddles, some of which took up the entire trail. It was fairly easy hiking, though. I had almost expected the road to simply end and have to pick my way through the overgrowth. I was worried about actually being able to follow the old trail. I needn't have worried. If I'd had four-wheel drive or an ATV, I could have driven the entire route I took.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2QboSocsxUycwjVH5L-jPUPUyI70-Cbj3iDvLY415j4KO3livBs-EGLDy70WXMbNe0wch4JyhiEMcI1AioLT2WMSKd3LSFLFRyyuLLMjRXgNYX_zALN6XcVkI62_jW9fNbAVjZIGu_avD/s1600-h/P1030517.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2QboSocsxUycwjVH5L-jPUPUyI70-Cbj3iDvLY415j4KO3livBs-EGLDy70WXMbNe0wch4JyhiEMcI1AioLT2WMSKd3LSFLFRyyuLLMjRXgNYX_zALN6XcVkI62_jW9fNbAVjZIGu_avD/s400/P1030517.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341118306640813362" border="0" /></a>The scenery was, obviously, very pretty.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Xk40vy-REzQftAd2eiOMCYwq5DEY1shWpyodF5KZ7oxwc1sKXBAATWcxsyN5Flm3BE7o8QXj3kgtYQFhS_c80MojAkcD2i0dDXJrFPjtwWCnltZZo0Ij5uOpt0L40f_-xUXUw3LLTptn/s1600-h/P1030518.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Xk40vy-REzQftAd2eiOMCYwq5DEY1shWpyodF5KZ7oxwc1sKXBAATWcxsyN5Flm3BE7o8QXj3kgtYQFhS_c80MojAkcD2i0dDXJrFPjtwWCnltZZo0Ij5uOpt0L40f_-xUXUw3LLTptn/s400/P1030518.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341118310976256946" border="0" /></a>There were rolling hills and mountains to see at first, but before long, there was a lot of brush on either side of the trail. That's when I started seeing small game.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJ4p1oaqv7_bNMb-xxvbCcyoNINrhB41eQFGxh56g82euyQUOqCgIDy4-2NJgVOTkZ0XPdnx27RG9qWb_C1qwVPtsyyN4aS7Frh2LP1quRvEnd1RuCuZ7DyOQ6hIASMLULrNdGskjiMeO/s1600-h/P1030521.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJ4p1oaqv7_bNMb-xxvbCcyoNINrhB41eQFGxh56g82euyQUOqCgIDy4-2NJgVOTkZ0XPdnx27RG9qWb_C1qwVPtsyyN4aS7Frh2LP1quRvEnd1RuCuZ7DyOQ6hIASMLULrNdGskjiMeO/s400/P1030521.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341118724378975026" border="0" /></a>See it? How about a little closer...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiiGDNz9yyHtev4QS6UKSPiD5rh6HL3ki1nXtjKsWACM0Nbl2KjwSWF57hq_OI4tUJFNXgP7My5nEpQln_8qNjqPNexBDIiQB5Rw1mu6uXSCmItrHVyTdzayDNiXV0913N3bYAYCOdVH6G/s1600-h/P1030519.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiiGDNz9yyHtev4QS6UKSPiD5rh6HL3ki1nXtjKsWACM0Nbl2KjwSWF57hq_OI4tUJFNXgP7My5nEpQln_8qNjqPNexBDIiQB5Rw1mu6uXSCmItrHVyTdzayDNiXV0913N3bYAYCOdVH6G/s400/P1030519.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341118723260008258" border="0" /></a>I'm no expert, but I believe this is a spruce grouse. It was skittish enough to run away if I approached too quickly or too closely. Nevertheless, I got within five feet of one of these guys. I should think it would be easy to take these guys with a shotgun using birdshot, or even a .22 rifle. They're the size of a small chicken, so they should have a decent amount of meat.<br /><br />One thing I noticed as I was walking along was that some of the trees seemed to have a fair amount of missing bark. My educated guess is that the moose were eating the bark before the plantlife around here starting greening up.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid7vhg903aXH9RwTc5DqzUfIJesR_yNYEBPCoAt1W-1AlCmJH5cnCWSJCa2fuXIEASsLgHpx9CcRKuwhrpHv6w3qOEO2kp60Y9WZEwreudWiRNT7hBQ7S3ztksKFHUGzJd1p1N-Zf5_90f/s1600-h/P1030522.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid7vhg903aXH9RwTc5DqzUfIJesR_yNYEBPCoAt1W-1AlCmJH5cnCWSJCa2fuXIEASsLgHpx9CcRKuwhrpHv6w3qOEO2kp60Y9WZEwreudWiRNT7hBQ7S3ztksKFHUGzJd1p1N-Zf5_90f/s400/P1030522.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341119926552028322" border="0" /></a>As I came down the backside of a hill, I started to get a nice view of the hills off to my left.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkILgU5A41n7STEYThB7ItuVc_Mj32mb5IOJgTfKj2SB_ou2Nud7vPg4_OCDLCrw6KI91Kgcn8tqg9jOYlOo71wx4kjnwHe2ywV4F5WuNw7By3zGvXx8VOoV93Yf3FlB0TVOvEiD1YtusU/s1600-h/P1030525.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkILgU5A41n7STEYThB7ItuVc_Mj32mb5IOJgTfKj2SB_ou2Nud7vPg4_OCDLCrw6KI91Kgcn8tqg9jOYlOo71wx4kjnwHe2ywV4F5WuNw7By3zGvXx8VOoV93Yf3FlB0TVOvEiD1YtusU/s400/P1030525.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341120213826761762" border="0" /></a>There was a creek running beside the trail as well.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPaRXNno9wCVTf3YGuNtKVx7VK6csffKbQqWOQfElrJCb_4q1Ju9lNRQ3bxvl7Y-bWgtk3fpf8vI9BFXr8pF888YJkhCrCOrNUCA0VrKW28o1iCzgYep03RTunt9nh4c1ZLbVhK6P3vTl/s1600-h/P1030526.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPaRXNno9wCVTf3YGuNtKVx7VK6csffKbQqWOQfElrJCb_4q1Ju9lNRQ3bxvl7Y-bWgtk3fpf8vI9BFXr8pF888YJkhCrCOrNUCA0VrKW28o1iCzgYep03RTunt9nh4c1ZLbVhK6P3vTl/s400/P1030526.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341120221434416706" border="0" /></a>I didn't see any actual beavers, but I did notice some beaver activity. This tree appeared to have been downed by a beaver.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx26H5cTKFi_seJOq7AWKDunF17zLevDC4-Z028K2oOisoZBfVexqnxeIvPzVLlCkSS2O-Kb8bwPtuZeXHrYesrxbrXU-mcG_rODsERnudRiFufV1z-LwRemG1eiyF1SOAbG_8rskRPzQO/s1600-h/P1030530.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx26H5cTKFi_seJOq7AWKDunF17zLevDC4-Z028K2oOisoZBfVexqnxeIvPzVLlCkSS2O-Kb8bwPtuZeXHrYesrxbrXU-mcG_rODsERnudRiFufV1z-LwRemG1eiyF1SOAbG_8rskRPzQO/s400/P1030530.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341120546887785986" border="0" /></a>There was plenty of evidence of human activity on this trail, but this tree clearly wasn't chopped with a hatchet or axe.<br /><br />Speaking of evidence of humans, I wasn't the only one on the trail. After I'd gone a little ways, a guy came down the trail behind me on a mountain bike. He surprised me, to be honest. He stopped and chatted for a minute. He had just moved up to Healy and was going to see how far down the trail he could bike. We discussed the relative merits of a shotgun versus pepper spray for bears. While I'll spoil the end now and tell you that I didn't see any bears (or any large game at all), I'd still rather have a shotgun in hand than pepper spray in my backpack if I were to come across a large brown bear.<br /><br />The other evidence of human activity on the trail was the ATV tracks that followed the entire course and the fire pits that I stumbled across somewhat regularly. There was also evidence that folks liked to camp down this trail. Someone had taken a home-made pickup camper and dropped it off into the woods.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjqbp1yEe1_doGwihbeb_u6oxKCHXYvBjz1-TXgQbIhBeLBCnBWkFGWlpyJ863lwafxmPQnDZfBvqXCoHaUic24EkzFh28qXVzIstvnhqul1_rjNvUqBo5-FTSEVvMUS0pEitlg9dQWHrm/s1600-h/P1030532.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjqbp1yEe1_doGwihbeb_u6oxKCHXYvBjz1-TXgQbIhBeLBCnBWkFGWlpyJ863lwafxmPQnDZfBvqXCoHaUic24EkzFh28qXVzIstvnhqul1_rjNvUqBo5-FTSEVvMUS0pEitlg9dQWHrm/s400/P1030532.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341121552891938050" border="0" /></a>It was just twenty yards off the trail, across a small creek.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglUwPBqLBDHyltFZaqEWGG7_T4aaX8ISUEpdfyDsLuo3MDtP8VuOly4UNP4UC3C6DnjS6g1M0Qa08k6gtInGNWsWnEo47K9YIiQs25FOJJmeUFYW5WmKV0qDbI0PQh79_DPJPw-bOt4-7n/s1600-h/P1030533.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglUwPBqLBDHyltFZaqEWGG7_T4aaX8ISUEpdfyDsLuo3MDtP8VuOly4UNP4UC3C6DnjS6g1M0Qa08k6gtInGNWsWnEo47K9YIiQs25FOJJmeUFYW5WmKV0qDbI0PQh79_DPJPw-bOt4-7n/s400/P1030533.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341121556474919138" border="0" /></a>As I went on down the trail, I saw plenty more small game, such as this hare.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvuknYroEDPBbTXMO-za75cligI41kjXhGkviIU5yqFAx2XfKUfUWEnB9VkVyWV9JNZq9c4071lJWP4pwY52RefwAjs-fuEtZUXR1X3D8wls0znzW8C5v5hFEPF1SxcLrZj4Fuubu5Hs5p/s1600-h/P1030535.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvuknYroEDPBbTXMO-za75cligI41kjXhGkviIU5yqFAx2XfKUfUWEnB9VkVyWV9JNZq9c4071lJWP4pwY52RefwAjs-fuEtZUXR1X3D8wls0znzW8C5v5hFEPF1SxcLrZj4Fuubu5Hs5p/s400/P1030535.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341121825471468738" border="0" /></a>I saw a few of these. Just as in Dillingham, they're turning from winter white to summer brown. They were skittish, but only if I approached quickly. The other small game I saw were a couple of squirrels. I'm used to eastern gray squirrels. These guys were brown, and they were pissed off that I was in their territory. Both squirrels I saw chittered at me loudly and stood their ground until I was very close.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-McSN4HkjGE6pOMkgb-qF-DYyLyRKgbmAvFbK6mPXFGXx14JZt8GBS53BlhNIXY-rkMZ8s3pfHP0gr8Pqm7Ws8wcBfCPC0Y9D-gj3bqtoBgd-ZFEALCLEm9ihPaCQDXE_ZBcMtyyJ_GP/s1600-h/P1030539.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-McSN4HkjGE6pOMkgb-qF-DYyLyRKgbmAvFbK6mPXFGXx14JZt8GBS53BlhNIXY-rkMZ8s3pfHP0gr8Pqm7Ws8wcBfCPC0Y9D-gj3bqtoBgd-ZFEALCLEm9ihPaCQDXE_ZBcMtyyJ_GP/s400/P1030539.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341122285560676994" border="0" /></a>I ran across another makeshift campsite.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3rftgACvyi4qIJYDfSvAlGRJ87f9eikwhxHYT52gScusb3HnwB9Vqshhrl8HC_7oYIU0-QXkExbJb6572ooh-YrdVIosuNi6E_kgYoJxs_tNLYElF2dzntbCyHfNJhOkT_SZsK_4zuiXT/s1600-h/P1030540.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3rftgACvyi4qIJYDfSvAlGRJ87f9eikwhxHYT52gScusb3HnwB9Vqshhrl8HC_7oYIU0-QXkExbJb6572ooh-YrdVIosuNi6E_kgYoJxs_tNLYElF2dzntbCyHfNJhOkT_SZsK_4zuiXT/s400/P1030540.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341122473023819282" border="0" /></a>I don't know what this area was like when Chris McCandless walked in here in the early 1990s, but it's hardly the most remote area of the Alaska bush any more. I guess it probably wasn't that remote when he was here either. That's one reason it's so sad that he starved just 30 miles or less from a main highway.<br /><br />After a bit, I started to run into places where the streams and creeks crossed the trail.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoj461cO__Xxoqf1WeaaP4wNj1U2YpzhPHrW5Zk5muXXcHn7tTVjsR2EmFk4KqERLRbKNuvLIsYC_RfPMHjQOK5rQA_QOz7CzvhqmaGg6VObhuF8a3cO2XSTOfnYOhOyjS8tWCVSUHk4WA/s1600-h/P1030543.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoj461cO__Xxoqf1WeaaP4wNj1U2YpzhPHrW5Zk5muXXcHn7tTVjsR2EmFk4KqERLRbKNuvLIsYC_RfPMHjQOK5rQA_QOz7CzvhqmaGg6VObhuF8a3cO2XSTOfnYOhOyjS8tWCVSUHk4WA/s400/P1030543.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341122894215889570" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtputJblecjdLu9Qi1vhnysZ2LopdBgfycCxnotGIldNHanYk3Bl1lqBtoDwXz8FxYbWb6HkCRtlQ2E8kTlglooadkc3gDm6zhTIkqafE19EVxJC0Z7A3cSGzb1n5W0UudTcAlCSpERSe/s1600-h/P1030544.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtputJblecjdLu9Qi1vhnysZ2LopdBgfycCxnotGIldNHanYk3Bl1lqBtoDwXz8FxYbWb6HkCRtlQ2E8kTlglooadkc3gDm6zhTIkqafE19EVxJC0Z7A3cSGzb1n5W0UudTcAlCSpERSe/s400/P1030544.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341122900101866210" border="0" /></a>I don't know if any of these bits of water were the ones marked on the map. In all honesty, since I didn't reach the bus or any other definite landmark before turning back, I have no way of knowing how far I hiked. I did hike for 2 hours in, so assuming an average speed of 1.5 to 2 miles per hour, we can assume I made it 3 or 4 miles past the end of the maintained road. That should have gotten me past the first stream marked on the map and possibly to the Savage River. I know the rivers flow quite differently depending on the season, but I just don't know if I really reached any of the ones that are actually on the map.<br /><br />It doesn't help that the map is probably outdated. For at least one section of the trail, a creek had decided that it would take the path of least resistance and route itself over the actual trail.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi327E6uNbblvV-O8SR5VnF9wchUFkw1m1xfzvPyeO-FsArlvwiHHXi7QJ1bPaDin1WXWudx7qqYcc2zXPQ2Gm7G3ejM1Fbk6fcaT9YgOvpy-sb92qzoOqMwV5ggFrrMFMleQID2hOL3y6S/s1600-h/P1030545.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi327E6uNbblvV-O8SR5VnF9wchUFkw1m1xfzvPyeO-FsArlvwiHHXi7QJ1bPaDin1WXWudx7qqYcc2zXPQ2Gm7G3ejM1Fbk6fcaT9YgOvpy-sb92qzoOqMwV5ggFrrMFMleQID2hOL3y6S/s400/P1030545.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341122898791999346" border="0" /></a>I had to take a detour through the pines off the side of the trail.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywmckY4XPyqXOeljBqJSYGyOpiGXSUKxWFv3_gRpcdAWzkaT-vBrDkhtfu2iRdpL8v2ROBNLIJdIkfPZ3f9q8dPt2uZt-PBW773JPZ4PefQ1p88OQCkL0KK2ESY5B5IcslaeQsSJIFJv3/s1600-h/P1030546.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywmckY4XPyqXOeljBqJSYGyOpiGXSUKxWFv3_gRpcdAWzkaT-vBrDkhtfu2iRdpL8v2ROBNLIJdIkfPZ3f9q8dPt2uZt-PBW773JPZ4PefQ1p88OQCkL0KK2ESY5B5IcslaeQsSJIFJv3/s400/P1030546.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341124036176498050" border="0" /></a>There I encountered another angry squirrel. He surprised me, but not enough to need to use any buckshot on him. He sure was loud and angry, though. If he'd had a shotgun, he probably would have used it on me.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8Fv_18sFZfEbMoz7ScQjiZAOdWjro8E06cLThzx7IVu6M3TVSdheKhc6E0xLM2qvtqF2XvgAx7xuzl9hDRCZsFJ7AS2svQNT35Xwwtu7F0c2qt0MxqcFVRfH-WhxGAlFrf190iovogqI/s1600-h/P1030547.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8Fv_18sFZfEbMoz7ScQjiZAOdWjro8E06cLThzx7IVu6M3TVSdheKhc6E0xLM2qvtqF2XvgAx7xuzl9hDRCZsFJ7AS2svQNT35Xwwtu7F0c2qt0MxqcFVRfH-WhxGAlFrf190iovogqI/s400/P1030547.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341124265564176146" border="0" /></a>I had planned to hike until 1pm and then turn around. I passed the mountain biker coming back my direction, and he asked how far out I thought the abandoned bus was. Apparently he knew about Chris McCandless, and had wanted to see the bus. He didn't get that far, though, and he was moving much faster than I was. Shortly after we parted ways again, I reached another stream crossing the trail.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjpJkIoaVBK1EZJZpbhbrXYzwb-RHq-34zaZfr5kMh-32uSmn-bS_8VwRgrosRwX2jU5cgQCGpgu8AVK7Sw5wpTjP2j7ZoEZCslA2SZM1-hANV2EwuLe7nyjUzd-KFlJnnj_QiJ8ZQ70H/s1600-h/P1030551.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjpJkIoaVBK1EZJZpbhbrXYzwb-RHq-34zaZfr5kMh-32uSmn-bS_8VwRgrosRwX2jU5cgQCGpgu8AVK7Sw5wpTjP2j7ZoEZCslA2SZM1-hANV2EwuLe7nyjUzd-KFlJnnj_QiJ8ZQ70H/s400/P1030551.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341124849597852370" border="0" /></a>Given the time, and since I knew I wasn't anywhere close to the bus, I decided to have a little break and then turn back.<br /><br />I stopped for lunch next to an old firepit that was on a bank just above this stream.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTlFuMjyh6UOUz46IgWUYadm2Cx-_QCGpPaZ9ZfMZk4gKsDS0bBYcMuubxKJCbN68XnVRF2ATdI4O3Fuq-qQ3Nhp8oV1i1vuKPQGFOaIndhfacGx7ok1laIu9tM3cazMCMCBhxIoSqJZSF/s1600-h/P1030554.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTlFuMjyh6UOUz46IgWUYadm2Cx-_QCGpPaZ9ZfMZk4gKsDS0bBYcMuubxKJCbN68XnVRF2ATdI4O3Fuq-qQ3Nhp8oV1i1vuKPQGFOaIndhfacGx7ok1laIu9tM3cazMCMCBhxIoSqJZSF/s400/P1030554.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341125178941893298" border="0" /></a>It was a nice view from where I sat and ate my sandwich and chips.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGaTTj1kPsP4KG274VzdiJwUHHPfelU-r7qZuKgX0ie_zxGP6QpIrZkpVkFbg3igFwFpUbGDoGdNLcb6Z6Ty3C28UyhrjqNmvMDAsgL1-35srjI1JTd5K5OPPfa-p8pu1Aoz_ZVQESfIHf/s1600-h/P1030555.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGaTTj1kPsP4KG274VzdiJwUHHPfelU-r7qZuKgX0ie_zxGP6QpIrZkpVkFbg3igFwFpUbGDoGdNLcb6Z6Ty3C28UyhrjqNmvMDAsgL1-35srjI1JTd5K5OPPfa-p8pu1Aoz_ZVQESfIHf/s400/P1030555.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341125185347765922" border="0" /></a>I had read online that this wasn't a very beautiful hike and that Denali was a better choice. I disagree. Sure, there weren't lots of mountains, but it was still a very pretty area. I think the locals would rather discourage people that are only interested in the area because of the bestselling book, but I think it's worth the hike to see such a notable area.<br /><br />Here's me at the turnaround point.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4mhO72ylAXQ8-V2smKPegJpnCXPe6yjde2-EcBJPFetD8P1Jy7atYvfMEeXdiyaH-gE_isdXmmgCrfZ80XU7BEEEho-JYMfmPx_jSzAlh1lg8MlhpNZE4FtaHlwK7SHdLM0hk4TCYQBh/s1600-h/P1030558.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4mhO72ylAXQ8-V2smKPegJpnCXPe6yjde2-EcBJPFetD8P1Jy7atYvfMEeXdiyaH-gE_isdXmmgCrfZ80XU7BEEEho-JYMfmPx_jSzAlh1lg8MlhpNZE4FtaHlwK7SHdLM0hk4TCYQBh/s400/P1030558.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341125712537099922" border="0" /></a>As I was hiking back, I saw a couple of ducks sitting in a stream, but they took off before I could get their picture. Still, the stream itself was pretty.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8hLgAtjKWi3wAAIXdU4Py-lUZGEqm3PBDSLGwsFd7x9NUCf0D5hHask0cZtj9X6UCMA4TvCIqJLYV-tYED9vAuEnpsHsCqJDqYbdjkQkR39BrUUCKfYhlw90Mk0Di1T58c2ZQSvXwdJO/s1600-h/P1030561.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8hLgAtjKWi3wAAIXdU4Py-lUZGEqm3PBDSLGwsFd7x9NUCf0D5hHask0cZtj9X6UCMA4TvCIqJLYV-tYED9vAuEnpsHsCqJDqYbdjkQkR39BrUUCKfYhlw90Mk0Di1T58c2ZQSvXwdJO/s400/P1030561.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341125960807201106" border="0" /></a>I took some pictures of a couple of piles of scat that I crossed on the trail, but Samara says scat isn't very photogenic and that I shouldn't post it. So I won't. But my guess is that it was moose scat, and that it was old.<br /><br />On the way back up, I was glad I had turned around when I did. My right ankle started to get really sore and I was slowed down considerably. I did see another spruce grouse on the way out.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZHV8fp1Nzsxx0wtiSk3GL1Bkm-TsdFupMJfPwYquL6m-tPgFBpByTWMLxiqEpr38dEjgE6mtSeuiGUAqBf9iLhwSfbBdaQ1Kt7zpz7VwOMnn1NtjwqY-0Uu8C4aZhA60vVo0-mrAQZDRx/s1600-h/P1030572.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZHV8fp1Nzsxx0wtiSk3GL1Bkm-TsdFupMJfPwYquL6m-tPgFBpByTWMLxiqEpr38dEjgE6mtSeuiGUAqBf9iLhwSfbBdaQ1Kt7zpz7VwOMnn1NtjwqY-0Uu8C4aZhA60vVo0-mrAQZDRx/s400/P1030572.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341126435814692578" border="0" /></a>I also saw some tracks. The first ones I think were moose, and Samara agreed at once when she saw the picture.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2RO9PSRS8nqP1iWwEiMR6TippbZx9A0zD50wZGv6QF0ixZuLnAIhVMNaB1wE8QpAt27qTrPKVJEbTa0VWWrwMkFOdlgOL7gZ6hlJGwPcL-t_hQWv2u2LnwJ-1_0CmWJvPLH-67qk_Dh8b/s1600-h/P1030575.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2RO9PSRS8nqP1iWwEiMR6TippbZx9A0zD50wZGv6QF0ixZuLnAIhVMNaB1wE8QpAt27qTrPKVJEbTa0VWWrwMkFOdlgOL7gZ6hlJGwPcL-t_hQWv2u2LnwJ-1_0CmWJvPLH-67qk_Dh8b/s400/P1030575.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341126716336284658" border="0" /></a>The second set were bear, I think. They're very faint, so it's hard to tell. I'll post them anyway, and you can decide for yourself.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoADzYbiV5lMGFcSDzElOaz3rLKy62m9QNMSQzRVHMFSow9_WgXuwKjZWICs_0WFK5CI24GRBSPDhOwsyXRl6As3JyN4DgUi-0orcn3Mj9M5nvL-dcPQo4yDIo-8tpopWxmJjmKANJ7Szl/s1600-h/P1030580.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoADzYbiV5lMGFcSDzElOaz3rLKy62m9QNMSQzRVHMFSow9_WgXuwKjZWICs_0WFK5CI24GRBSPDhOwsyXRl6As3JyN4DgUi-0orcn3Mj9M5nvL-dcPQo4yDIo-8tpopWxmJjmKANJ7Szl/s400/P1030580.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341126722688954450" border="0" /></a>There are two tracks in that picture, running diagonally from bottom left to top right. You can see separate toe prints on each one. (Ignore the obvious ATV tracks at the bottom right of the photo and concentrate on the fainter tracks in the middle.) I compared those to some images online, and they certainly could be bear. I didn't see any actual bears, though. Of course, between the mountain biker running the trail ahead of me and me yelling out "hey-yup" every few minutes, I hopefully scared off any large predators. I didn't have any desire to see a bear up close and personal.<br /><br />When I arrived back at the car, there was a great view of the mountains to the south in Denali.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq3lDxzaHbyq4Le2MIeew64eqFE0s_jx51kegZZG8_zgJrVVdnwy6ORzFW59cOzH8nwb94Vplmzu18VkFsZewGHyGodjWBklECL0MT5VTwtfG-J8rwsEjDUQDvA9ugpGhupnCfvDi6GiX7/s1600-h/P1030583.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq3lDxzaHbyq4Le2MIeew64eqFE0s_jx51kegZZG8_zgJrVVdnwy6ORzFW59cOzH8nwb94Vplmzu18VkFsZewGHyGodjWBklECL0MT5VTwtfG-J8rwsEjDUQDvA9ugpGhupnCfvDi6GiX7/s400/P1030583.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341127825514227586" border="0" /></a>The mountains were really big compared to the ones we get in Dillingham, and unlike the ones around Dillingham, I was able to get a better picture of these.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeld_3y47uF7YH-TksBiecE_Ck9oax4-zT5ZYiYRwVHxiHjnnm5WCCH99XikgwQ20Um2ph8cR6OnigqDhzrhwTPTg0BLktyKDGDW-tf_AhnR3fcxD6dxq_oE1si8SowEXBgPZ7O1PgL9CQ/s1600-h/P1030585.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeld_3y47uF7YH-TksBiecE_Ck9oax4-zT5ZYiYRwVHxiHjnnm5WCCH99XikgwQ20Um2ph8cR6OnigqDhzrhwTPTg0BLktyKDGDW-tf_AhnR3fcxD6dxq_oE1si8SowEXBgPZ7O1PgL9CQ/s400/P1030585.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341128077530188146" border="0" /></a>It threatened to rain on me all day, but it never quite opened up. I was thankful for that. The clouds looked ugly a couple of times, though. I wore a jacket for the first hundred yards of the trail, but I stripped down to my t-shirt after that. My pack actually made my back sweat a lot, and the pace kept me warm enough, even though it was a cooler day.<br /><br />I took a picture of the note I left on the dashboard of the car. Even though Samara had told me that she was going to call the Alaska State Troopers if she didn't hear from me or see me by 6pm, I wanted to be on the safe side.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0woQbr-_ThBBr9MtHFqRTCLADf1zy3e4A1js6dsds9l-PsDGfVN49VsnwxAsakVW13W_WVFTP7PItUPS99IkqTyrX_SmRneGBqcXt53OEhxQAVeBFu-PwuoCny0bgGeHNRocH02xluhq/s1600-h/P1030587.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0woQbr-_ThBBr9MtHFqRTCLADf1zy3e4A1js6dsds9l-PsDGfVN49VsnwxAsakVW13W_WVFTP7PItUPS99IkqTyrX_SmRneGBqcXt53OEhxQAVeBFu-PwuoCny0bgGeHNRocH02xluhq/s400/P1030587.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341128797552543634" border="0" /></a>I wrote that note on the back of the author's bio page from Into The Wild (which I carried with me for the map it contained). If Chris McCandless had left a note like this for someone, perhaps he wouldn't have died a mere 30 miles from help. Better safe than sorry.<br /><br />On the way out, I got another good picture of Eightmile Lake. There's a small cabin at the edge of the lake on the right.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6m3-t8Cr7_VdYD6tdJNztJ-e1Ncht6ZWMTO_6SSeiS-UiPNn_Agp6e9YT6eYWIXYz_EKAQn9WAMrY6xWtRAqhjs5EmBbZEsYLnMvScb2uiBZqB5AgJNk9BsVTbSiXGefqTsDa4xCWWDgS/s1600-h/P1030590.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6m3-t8Cr7_VdYD6tdJNztJ-e1Ncht6ZWMTO_6SSeiS-UiPNn_Agp6e9YT6eYWIXYz_EKAQn9WAMrY6xWtRAqhjs5EmBbZEsYLnMvScb2uiBZqB5AgJNk9BsVTbSiXGefqTsDa4xCWWDgS/s400/P1030590.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341129217164429154" border="0" /></a>I also got at least one good parting shot at the mountains as I was winding my way back down Stampede Road to the highway.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlXkCVWS58kBr3sALB-CFAQV_tu15Xa3w6eBSJbIsDPr192pS0z3Vgoc4mqeQttHe2R7PJB32Nx6IwUlaXF7-T2hWkkQPA2ILC2SDzQxCZi6cE0lOQZmL3NjDX7-Ry0vQzXWqohMdZnMOc/s1600-h/P1030589.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlXkCVWS58kBr3sALB-CFAQV_tu15Xa3w6eBSJbIsDPr192pS0z3Vgoc4mqeQttHe2R7PJB32Nx6IwUlaXF7-T2hWkkQPA2ILC2SDzQxCZi6cE0lOQZmL3NjDX7-Ry0vQzXWqohMdZnMOc/s400/P1030589.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341129486352634434" border="0" /></a>I wasn't even off the Stampede Trail when Samara called me on our pre-paid cellphone. (There was no cellphone service after the maintained road ended, so I left the phone in the car, but as soon as I hit the maintained road, I got service again.) I left her know that I hadn't died and was on my way back to Fairbanks. It was a smooth trip back, and I arrived by 5pm. I took a nice hot bath to soak my ankle and wash off all the 40% DEET bug spray I was wearing. (Mosquitos are killer here!) After that, we ate a nice dinner at Chili's. (I actually miss chain restaurants--I'm definitely not ready to go "into the wild" for good.)<br /><br />Tomorrow we catch a 6:15am flight back to Dillingham via Anchorage. We've enjoyed our mini-vacation in Fairbanks, and I hope you've enjoyed reading about it. Cross your fingers--we're hoping that when we get back to Dillingham, it'll be as green there as it was here in the interior. Then maybe you'll get some hiking-related posts from Dillingham.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14628587410994319563noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536719461976391975.post-9922165681808257692009-05-27T22:17:00.003-08:002009-05-27T22:21:04.991-08:00Fairbanks Vacation - WednesdayNot much to report for Wednesday. Samara did her first day of Cultural Recognition blah-di-blah... whatever it was called. (You know, her seminar on how not to be the white oppressor.) She was gone from 8am until dinner. I ran around town and did a little shopping, but nothing too exciting to speak of.<br /><br />I did finish reading Into The Wild, about the guy that lived in a bus up here in the Alaska bush and died of starvation. Turns out that the bus he lived on isn't far off the beaten path, and is between here and Denali. So while Samara is at her training tomorrow, I'm going to drive down there and do a little hiking to see if I can find where the guy was living. It should make for an interesting blog post with some pictures. It will also let me try out some of my new hiking equipment.<br /><br />I'd post more, but the wireless internet at the Pike's Landing cabins doesn't reach to the actual cabins. I'm sitting outside right now to get internet access, and it's gotten kind of chilly.<br /><br />More tomorrow, I promise!Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14628587410994319563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536719461976391975.post-36478224506152347462009-05-26T17:51:00.006-08:002009-05-26T18:37:12.595-08:00Fairbanks Vacation Days Two and ThreeMonday was Day Two in Fairbanks. We didn't end up seeing a movie on Sunday. We just did a little shopping instead. After we got back to the hotel, we realized that sleeping was going to be harder than Dillingham. The sun sets after 11:30pm here, and rises again around 4am. We never see the night.<br /><br />The bed at the Extended Stay was less than great. We both woke up Monday with hurting backs. We slept in for a while, then went out and had some breakfast. At Taco Bell. Well, we did get up late, and Taco Bell is something Samara really misses in Dillingham. After that, we drove around a bit and found a tattoo shop and salon right next to each other. Samara wanted me to get a haircut, so we stopped in there first. Since it was going to be a fifteen minute wait, we went next door and spoke to the guys at the tattoo shop. One of the guys there really admired my sleeve--Scott should be proud. He said it was the best work he'd seen from outside his shop.<br /><br />Pretty soon we went back over to the salon and I got my hair buzzed down for summer. Samara likes it short, and I like Samara, so it's a pretty good haircut, I guess.<br /><br />Next activity for the day was a little canoeing down the Chena River. Chena River runs through downtown Fairbanks. We rented a canoe near Pioneer Park and paddled downstream to the Pump House restaurant, where the canoe rental folks picked us up. They said it would take at least two hours, but we were done in about an hour and a half. I guess we're fast paddlers.<br /><br />Here's some pictures from our canoeing trip.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxv4TFQTudIaeYVPwfllUBzm1s-DUR5Je5AeBt7XeWS7uyfD8VhdtOzsT-3_KR3WneVNOrzCuu26WZykoyK4cAQTzBYpLrnuqVe20cuuDPna40Tkf2KMc_qDmtMiaaBHOLDCf7OJsWKZs1/s1600-h/P1030454.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxv4TFQTudIaeYVPwfllUBzm1s-DUR5Je5AeBt7XeWS7uyfD8VhdtOzsT-3_KR3WneVNOrzCuu26WZykoyK4cAQTzBYpLrnuqVe20cuuDPna40Tkf2KMc_qDmtMiaaBHOLDCf7OJsWKZs1/s400/P1030454.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340323250528755762" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWm0AcoVAhM1muxedTv1a9Jo_w4k3oRP5X-UmRiZY48Dnrkg7sqrRTCtzQCzuUsLjhgAll7KHFztV3HI8cICJumQBlmej4Mz7vkiMynszytAWL3XSGfdOIxruY29SBf0edswDeb4lPOKt3/s1600-h/P1030456.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWm0AcoVAhM1muxedTv1a9Jo_w4k3oRP5X-UmRiZY48Dnrkg7sqrRTCtzQCzuUsLjhgAll7KHFztV3HI8cICJumQBlmej4Mz7vkiMynszytAWL3XSGfdOIxruY29SBf0edswDeb4lPOKt3/s400/P1030456.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340323255930066882" border="0" /></a>(Samara would probably want me to note that her swimsuit in this picture is covering her lower back--that's not her butt. She seemed to be displeased with this picture when I took it.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglFHtlrX34PwyJTwKjP_732rGV4Kmo_bdaI-dQMAVel-O876i8r_s5hJtgmuJDXF6PZjr-3MUTK6j2DTbZrEJxLRxnOmtbg5YRfmheYVlApmtTJuYLBWaRFp83rsrpHpaxJG-Db_qdcET-/s1600-h/P1030457.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglFHtlrX34PwyJTwKjP_732rGV4Kmo_bdaI-dQMAVel-O876i8r_s5hJtgmuJDXF6PZjr-3MUTK6j2DTbZrEJxLRxnOmtbg5YRfmheYVlApmtTJuYLBWaRFp83rsrpHpaxJG-Db_qdcET-/s400/P1030457.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340323259435467922" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cXU21bfXjw0sY_8uyI6ADujQtajesVmD1JoUSruCf7ow7xlGXwuWMiYp_VWqEkMrUBNbg5vPkjhOCFFYccKvIzLGgSHIo2xlicBESPposXoU2LwCsjqK0Tb7qijOwr1FT7vxoJPQS-7m/s1600-h/P1030460.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cXU21bfXjw0sY_8uyI6ADujQtajesVmD1JoUSruCf7ow7xlGXwuWMiYp_VWqEkMrUBNbg5vPkjhOCFFYccKvIzLGgSHIo2xlicBESPposXoU2LwCsjqK0Tb7qijOwr1FT7vxoJPQS-7m/s400/P1030460.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340323260806726162" border="0" /></a>Since Samara was in the front of the canoe, she got stuck in most of the pictures. But I was there too!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxK4fMApWv9_oiLBnIJ2RKoLLQFOpZ4OyR1CSLri6oT9lK0PecKq8ubY7QhvlRI9EZ00j1indAu9mi7NXswQij1z1RVIup5hastCgNUAOestfISZ_XuHrCBm8gO0Dmk5NMAosnRX23rZEf/s1600-h/P1030463.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxK4fMApWv9_oiLBnIJ2RKoLLQFOpZ4OyR1CSLri6oT9lK0PecKq8ubY7QhvlRI9EZ00j1indAu9mi7NXswQij1z1RVIup5hastCgNUAOestfISZ_XuHrCBm8gO0Dmk5NMAosnRX23rZEf/s400/P1030463.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340323260350633506" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgue2m1vq4EZ0hH5cC8hOvXiUIGazc9DIxCiod3IE9rVCfbln1ACBs1iUjsRNEzCDXD_TJNrcBohvTlqtlS0y-l5_F8FuXOo7xk2VN7qu3RQQrqpKcPdszHh_56Pll2UcLIf6RmztdJRDgl/s1600-h/P1030466.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgue2m1vq4EZ0hH5cC8hOvXiUIGazc9DIxCiod3IE9rVCfbln1ACBs1iUjsRNEzCDXD_TJNrcBohvTlqtlS0y-l5_F8FuXOo7xk2VN7qu3RQQrqpKcPdszHh_56Pll2UcLIf6RmztdJRDgl/s400/P1030466.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340323808225817906" border="0" /></a>We saw a sternwheel boat on the river.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY43MkXVnYvzpFzCNB7mXuw047HjwPfTDapJVtMnouofyHZyF0zkSF-s5eIHeoMgM0cVBJsrdyln9af6DREugxX7SSsZFDowh3l7rN-0mv4py4uHZTNTI3fxEG5hbyQOvx5srsaC9U6xP5/s1600-h/P1030470.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY43MkXVnYvzpFzCNB7mXuw047HjwPfTDapJVtMnouofyHZyF0zkSF-s5eIHeoMgM0cVBJsrdyln9af6DREugxX7SSsZFDowh3l7rN-0mv4py4uHZTNTI3fxEG5hbyQOvx5srsaC9U6xP5/s400/P1030470.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340323811167540978" border="0" /></a>And a float plane took over from the river and flew right over us.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVZvlC1INyB4DTdNevJBuqPDyY5vmL7dzyYBuK2CrwstdZHOuZkxFm6xPoSATyHE7PYYgxq1Mi-nMj3aWucbihEAiJT1NTz5-EGhCAivi_leWTRNCxvhVon5H6JG0zb_BNo4qvipPjOdA/s1600-h/P1030471.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVZvlC1INyB4DTdNevJBuqPDyY5vmL7dzyYBuK2CrwstdZHOuZkxFm6xPoSATyHE7PYYgxq1Mi-nMj3aWucbihEAiJT1NTz5-EGhCAivi_leWTRNCxvhVon5H6JG0zb_BNo4qvipPjOdA/s400/P1030471.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340323816494726402" border="0" /></a><br />After we did the canoeing thing, we decided to take a trip to Chena Hot Springs. This is about 60 miles up the road, through the Chena State Recreation Area. There's a little resort there that has a hot springs. It costs $10 to swim all day. The drive was probably the nicest part.<br /><br />In fact, as we were driving through the Recreation Area, I saw my first up-close moose! It was on the left side of the road, just grazing, and I saw some brown movement and slowed the car down. It took Samara a minute to get her camera out of her purse, so the best picture I got was of its rear end headed into the woods.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYoMjZeZYLra_JU3AXrVVW6dbMBU7ub5sEy2xwhwlZH1kSXPb6MmVBMvX1OyhxlOPlje4Lir2BKXdaQeQZcQYDPrlrsXcWZkiccS5PllXGRsMlSIjRwYMAIC07ZdgDFyvTuupSZWblZF6A/s1600-h/P1030474.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYoMjZeZYLra_JU3AXrVVW6dbMBU7ub5sEy2xwhwlZH1kSXPb6MmVBMvX1OyhxlOPlje4Lir2BKXdaQeQZcQYDPrlrsXcWZkiccS5PllXGRsMlSIjRwYMAIC07ZdgDFyvTuupSZWblZF6A/s400/P1030474.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340323819895713186" border="0" /></a><br />The Chena Hot Springs Resort is at the end of the road. The very end. It seems to cater to the tourist crowd. From the signs, I'd guess mostly Japanese tourists.<br /><br />We saw some horses tied up when we arrived. I guess you could take a trailriding trip.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCPuvUdlDSsiNu487hMLtF25qnU4ikF6wHdXdhK-nqQ99yvVl6QPIIkjaYJQKRd3CLdtProu5OrDjri1UV9BCu2nQVNmBNaf6eESYCx255Z9umvvddvesCGY7AbK0YHEP0A3qqhLUNATea/s1600-h/P1030477.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCPuvUdlDSsiNu487hMLtF25qnU4ikF6wHdXdhK-nqQ99yvVl6QPIIkjaYJQKRd3CLdtProu5OrDjri1UV9BCu2nQVNmBNaf6eESYCx255Z9umvvddvesCGY7AbK0YHEP0A3qqhLUNATea/s400/P1030477.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340323824808290146" border="0" /></a><br />As we walked down towards the hot springs, we saw the ice skating pond, too. Guess it's more impressive in the winter.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGwK0aocH7QtQvXWb2kVH5-7NvNkdzDS-McYju2z427aJPpY3Qe8Fv6ruxw6kxoKeEzXllGUllbPa8WBsjfn0ZERhpPxQcCejfa8E5GmLrjw6pMeqXLGUndIY_jLQehyvcQwBhRoUrnfE/s1600-h/P1030479.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGwK0aocH7QtQvXWb2kVH5-7NvNkdzDS-McYju2z427aJPpY3Qe8Fv6ruxw6kxoKeEzXllGUllbPa8WBsjfn0ZERhpPxQcCejfa8E5GmLrjw6pMeqXLGUndIY_jLQehyvcQwBhRoUrnfE/s400/P1030479.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340324177039404722" border="0" /></a><br />The hot springs itself was nice. They had an indoor pool, two indoor hot tubs, one outdoor hot tub and a hot spring-fed rock pool. The hot spring pool itself was about 106 degrees. We couldn't stay in it for very long.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFhXxLSg5ZdiX4JIyCIcFiK43RSo-GkinZBvmi_XJaaEK6Fp8opDckQ4gFpHP4OsgwOZEX0HaKfkmdtB-ReMmuqhHwXuI6FyKkQuKWq_YOuIhbZplgzedj6cFZ0SfgRjTECLKdqdslxCAE/s1600-h/P1030480.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFhXxLSg5ZdiX4JIyCIcFiK43RSo-GkinZBvmi_XJaaEK6Fp8opDckQ4gFpHP4OsgwOZEX0HaKfkmdtB-ReMmuqhHwXuI6FyKkQuKWq_YOuIhbZplgzedj6cFZ0SfgRjTECLKdqdslxCAE/s400/P1030480.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340324180800833458" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7oFgNu01fbwB2EvIye9dHGCtwPfrwVMesk_QlE_9E7Y5Fmq_H5QqAMhNO94_hQu0m84E1GmEwJi4uAOFNceFsQDFRLiLQDImyqkreHsAlAZc4wzJxW4KHB9-9n0Wm9VQY9tCNL0HUdbN/s1600-h/P1030481.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7oFgNu01fbwB2EvIye9dHGCtwPfrwVMesk_QlE_9E7Y5Fmq_H5QqAMhNO94_hQu0m84E1GmEwJi4uAOFNceFsQDFRLiLQDImyqkreHsAlAZc4wzJxW4KHB9-9n0Wm9VQY9tCNL0HUdbN/s400/P1030481.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340324182632317602" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqokG91c6_yU2GZNdHgvYabf7LV3ic6cYXvW1HR_uVnt5y-xyLSBV7i65LgyfgMEguRnVs66H2IyMPJ3UDskJRg90ZqW8VJSjX5yz9m2zVjKezmYMr-L5a9cOoNZQ_UYvVbiWnzX9TZgA-/s1600-h/P1030482.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqokG91c6_yU2GZNdHgvYabf7LV3ic6cYXvW1HR_uVnt5y-xyLSBV7i65LgyfgMEguRnVs66H2IyMPJ3UDskJRg90ZqW8VJSjX5yz9m2zVjKezmYMr-L5a9cOoNZQ_UYvVbiWnzX9TZgA-/s400/P1030482.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340324190509753490" border="0" /></a><br />We hung out there in the Chena Hot Springs for maybe a hour, and then headed back towards Fairbanks for some dinner. On the way back, we saw some funny road signs.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEierOzYi6c9zmC5aO_clQjav4b-yMFjvUDlcmgOKV96VtuN1tUmerDEadCSLQpHepbewXgV_1vGu8FyDH8r7tSwJ-o1CAVzAe-Oaq8wnbbFIYqYflO3-GluJe5F2Az8TMeisZFpUzTFSahs/s1600-h/P1030485.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEierOzYi6c9zmC5aO_clQjav4b-yMFjvUDlcmgOKV96VtuN1tUmerDEadCSLQpHepbewXgV_1vGu8FyDH8r7tSwJ-o1CAVzAe-Oaq8wnbbFIYqYflO3-GluJe5F2Az8TMeisZFpUzTFSahs/s400/P1030485.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340324195539143474" border="0" /></a><br />We called our friend Ricky, who went to college in Fairbanks, and asked him where we should eat for dinner. He recommended Brewster's, but they turned out to be closed for Memorial Day. We went back to the hotel and got out the phone book. We decided we had to try the local barbeque place.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYS_fNGuA-JHuGzT9inIM5qsyozOobzDiyBi4ui6z5fNp5pHsCuVy3k6AuFK9lyIf-51x3WsdBnBF-1AMtRWjQgd2LVeYU2OEUXWn4JMYjMaKAkIUEG_oL9L30cedk4tdoSwYVmGm2Mkp/s1600-h/P1030486.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYS_fNGuA-JHuGzT9inIM5qsyozOobzDiyBi4ui6z5fNp5pHsCuVy3k6AuFK9lyIf-51x3WsdBnBF-1AMtRWjQgd2LVeYU2OEUXWn4JMYjMaKAkIUEG_oL9L30cedk4tdoSwYVmGm2Mkp/s400/P1030486.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340324455373637266" border="0" /></a><br />It is advertised as the world's northernmost southern barbeque. I suppose it is. It was pretty good food, as well. For the price, in fact, it couldn't be beat. We had a lot of leftovers to take home with us.<br /><br />After dinner, we passed on the movie for a second time and did a little more shopping at Fred Meyer. We picked up a DVD to watch in our room. We made it about halfway through the movie before we both decided it was time to just zonk out.<br /><br />Either the light or the bed was worse the second night. Samara and I both had trouble sleeping, and she was pretty sick during the night. In fact, she didn't feel well at all this morning. We had planned on taking Tuesday to drive down to Denali National Park, but the prospect of two or three hours in the car each way was just too much with Samara feeling bad.<br /><br />Instead, we started off with a trip to the northernmost Denny's for breakfast. Every Denny's is the same, let me tell you. This one wasn't too great. After that, we checked out our new hotel, the Pike's Landing Lodge. They told us we could check in after three o'clock. So we decided to do a bit more shopping. We got some blackout curtains and dog treats for our friend Saramay. Then we decided that we'd go ahead and watch a movie today. We saw the new Star Trek movie, which was pretty good. Not the best movie ever, mind you, but fairly entertaining.<br /><br />At that point, it was nearly three, so we went back to our new hotel. They really pissed Samara off, because she was sick, the room still wasn't ready, and they walked off when she tried to ask about switching to a different room. So we took off for another hour and drove around Fairbanks.<br /><br />At 4, we got back to our new hotel, and Samara talked to the manager. She was really apologetic, which helped Samara's mood a bit. We got our room, which is actually a single-room cabin by the Chena River. It's nice, and the curtains do a much better job of keeping the light out than they did at the Extended Stay motel. I left Samara taking a nap and went out for a stroll.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3DtwecuvEjeIKlnUq4UULV8iD47thdFTTZlTf2oUvs5xdGRcso0SEdUiWaBIWud7sgGAww33x0iIOXNKCVhVZty1Igtixe5gJJQ8ID7neEgql-E4k_qpKoddwtZL3Oe7mRpMEzSBP4mWV/s1600-h/P1030488.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3DtwecuvEjeIKlnUq4UULV8iD47thdFTTZlTf2oUvs5xdGRcso0SEdUiWaBIWud7sgGAww33x0iIOXNKCVhVZty1Igtixe5gJJQ8ID7neEgql-E4k_qpKoddwtZL3Oe7mRpMEzSBP4mWV/s400/P1030488.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340324456771703202" border="0" /></a><br />There's a little pen with baby ducks in it, called the Duck Hotel. They have a pen with a little pond, a little house, and a coin-operated feeder. I had some quarters to feed the ducks, but the machine was empty. I guess someone will feed them.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdAbZvYTS245APju2T-EfZKOI-zVgwqF1narqaoltGmRNw71lj28FCnmbx-cqBOzGy2-9-9RqXVyGBEp8CiIpe-KBUsMon5eMhkeI9QDuaF7AZGcDmFAjWmP2bbmBKNPKQcL-IIEli499P/s1600-h/P1030490.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdAbZvYTS245APju2T-EfZKOI-zVgwqF1narqaoltGmRNw71lj28FCnmbx-cqBOzGy2-9-9RqXVyGBEp8CiIpe-KBUsMon5eMhkeI9QDuaF7AZGcDmFAjWmP2bbmBKNPKQcL-IIEli499P/s400/P1030490.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340324462652177874" border="0" /></a><br />I took a picture of the river near our hotel.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ebA_qbtK_Dw1MGcpJ5prFo59qzBXgdT5d499lId5Q7rCsGJ9i9-ChmQ4vXpF2c1Df8hEzPEz_0ihe027HQ2SgqPVNXmVXOEq-nKCnkEje07molFLawq9Vb137unxU9HvWKMhOhAqcJ5h/s1600-h/P1030492.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ebA_qbtK_Dw1MGcpJ5prFo59qzBXgdT5d499lId5Q7rCsGJ9i9-ChmQ4vXpF2c1Df8hEzPEz_0ihe027HQ2SgqPVNXmVXOEq-nKCnkEje07molFLawq9Vb137unxU9HvWKMhOhAqcJ5h/s400/P1030492.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340324464226056242" border="0" /></a><br />Tonight we'll probably try eating at Brewster's for dinner, since they should be open. Tomorrow and Thursday, Samara has training all day. I'll probably do some shopping around town and whatever else suits my fancy.<br /><br />As far as vacations go, this one is so far, so good.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14628587410994319563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8536719461976391975.post-72446078420935205172009-05-24T17:01:00.004-08:002009-05-24T17:27:49.999-08:00Fairbanks Vacation Day OneSamara and I are vacationing in Fairbanks. We left Dillingham early this Sunday morning and arrived this afternoon in Fairbanks, in the Alaska interior. Samara has training here on Wednesday and Thursday, but until then, we're just here to have fun.<br /><br />We both woke up early this morning, before our alarm. Anthony drove us to the airport, and we got there an hour early to check in. Samara always gets flagged by TSA for an extra security check. It really pisses her off, and we have no idea why it happens. So we had to stand there the extra few minutes while they called someone to clear her to fly.<br /><br />The flight from Dillingham was okay. We sat in the exit row right over the wing, and it's a Saab turboprop plane, so there was a fair amount of buzzing vibration from the engines. They give you earplugs, if that gives you any idea what kind of flight it is. The plane sits three to a row--one on one side of the aisle, and two on the other. I got a window seat, and although I didn't take any pictures, it was neat to get a bird's eye view of Dillingham as we left.<br /><br />Samara bought us some new books while she was in Anchorage last week. I had already read one, and started the second before we left on our trip. I finished the second one on the Dillingham to Anchorage flight. That left me a little time to just stare around the plane. Honestly, flying on a Saab turboprop is kind of like taking a Greyhound bus with wings. They do provide in-flight service, though. Soda and bags of made-in-Alaska potato chips.<br /><br />We got into Anchorage and got off the plane fairly quickly. With these small planes, they just park you on the tarmac and you take the stairs down and walk across the asphalt to the airport. Once inside, we went straight for the baggage carousel. At Dillingham, they gave me both my boarding passes and checked my bags through to Fairbanks. Since Samara was flagged, she only got her boarding pass for her first flight, and they said her bag wasn't checked through. So we were waiting for her bag in Anchorage, but it didn't show up on the carousel. She asked the nice baggage ladies, who told her that she was checked through.<br /><br />Upstairs we went to the Alaska Airlines check-in and waited in line. My boarding pass said 12:25 was the flight to Fairbanks, and it was already after noon. I was worried we'd miss our flight. Samara got her boarding pass for Fairbanks, though, and the girl said we had plenty of time. Turns out that it wasn't departing until 1:10, and didn't load until 12:40.<br /><br />We had to take off our shoes, pull out my laptop, take off our jackets, and Samara had to throw away some hand lotion so that we could go through security. PenAir is definitely our favorite airline. You don't have to go through any security at all to get on their planes, either in Dillingham or Anchorage. But Alaska Air, you gotta go through the TSA folks. Samara was convinced that she would beep in the metal detector, but it was me who beeped. I had to go into a separate little glass cubicle and the guy patted down my baggy pants. Dunno what he thought he'd find.<br /><br />I left my shoes off after that, and we cruised on down to the gate for our flight. Then we realized we had plenty of time, so I put my shoes back on and bought some magazines to read on the Ancohrage-Fairbanks flight. I got a Shooting Times and The Economist. Samara just laughed at me.<br /><br />The flight to Fairbanks was on a jet, which was more comfortable, quieter, and had lots more people. It probably took longer to load and unload the jet than we were actually in the air. The flight is less than an hour. We only got water or juice and a small bag of peanuts. Lame. PenAir is definitely better, even if you do have to wear ear plugs.<br /><br />Once in Fairbanks, we got our luggage pretty easily, and then Samara stood in line forever to get our Ford Fusion rental car. We drove out of the airport, and realized that we didn't actually know where the hotel was. It's the Extended Stay, and thankfully Fairbanks isn't that big. We drove right by it. It's right next to a Fred Meyer store. It's not the nicest hotel ever, but it's okay, and the small indoor pool does seem to be working. Also, we got it for $43 per night on Priceline. Not bad.<br /><br />After getting our stuff unloaded, we decided that 3pm was long enough to go with nothing to eat except airline food all day. We drove down the strip and found a Wendy's. Besides the fast food Samara has flown into Dillingham on her trips, this is the first time I've eaten fast food in 8 months. It was yummy. But they didn't have air conditioning, and Fairbanks is hot compared to Dillingham. It's almost 80 degrees here. After eating our lunch, we decided to drive down and explore some more.<br /><br />I can't say much except that Fairbanks doesn't seem to have a lot going on. Between the rental car and its strange new car smell, the flat terrain and strange city, I felt like I was in Oklahoma for some reason. It was like vacation flashback, or something.<br /><br />On our way back to our hotel, we stopped at Pioneer Park. This is a public park with free admission that was first set up for some kind of expo in the 60s. They have old cabins turned into museums and gift shops, as well as various restaurants and park stuff there.<br /><br />This is me outside the entrance, with a little train going up overhead in the background.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZnR_5hDw9hTwIXXpUxxaVwP0Sqx-YRWwRgYTKc-nwW87RfYs0-AM1KIGX1k-4LuNF_8tWd1yQCNdfmu4H6110po66GH6_1aYyL8meG3Ww62zfsi7xIdVnW69xfMZf1R12D3KP2DkT-Eq7/s1600-h/pioneer-a.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZnR_5hDw9hTwIXXpUxxaVwP0Sqx-YRWwRgYTKc-nwW87RfYs0-AM1KIGX1k-4LuNF_8tWd1yQCNdfmu4H6110po66GH6_1aYyL8meG3Ww62zfsi7xIdVnW69xfMZf1R12D3KP2DkT-Eq7/s400/pioneer-a.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339565823383969954" border="0" /></a>There's a big paddlewheel boat that's been turned into a museum with boring dioramas here.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1XGlM9WuqkIA_kne3kMvioB48t6vIqiY1B7kOMwBOV4wB2wEDWH_t-bSlDGa3c-GAgzfIcvCZ3proL7Y93YZc9OW1dht4OWDE_tw_XnZxXGasap-eeQ9um3KrP9M4wZDojhcOUMbcB584/s1600-h/pioneer-b.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1XGlM9WuqkIA_kne3kMvioB48t6vIqiY1B7kOMwBOV4wB2wEDWH_t-bSlDGa3c-GAgzfIcvCZ3proL7Y93YZc9OW1dht4OWDE_tw_XnZxXGasap-eeQ9um3KrP9M4wZDojhcOUMbcB584/s400/pioneer-b.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339565824563149010" border="0" /></a>Whee, boat!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLP82WcZhYHlHaFLeDCTITOckOn7vuVbVqE7uNBouIMYEwZDxi0XpBTXnIZXuxzhS3seawuRDtQOpQhLs6-b519yOX9EgP5Qw2P9MHybPrUCvpXCw8stefl26EXYUA1Cmca6ZEgL2RNwn3/s1600-h/pioneer-c.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLP82WcZhYHlHaFLeDCTITOckOn7vuVbVqE7uNBouIMYEwZDxi0XpBTXnIZXuxzhS3seawuRDtQOpQhLs6-b519yOX9EgP5Qw2P9MHybPrUCvpXCw8stefl26EXYUA1Cmca6ZEgL2RNwn3/s400/pioneer-c.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339565827390343586" border="0" /></a>Samara is relaxing outside a gift shop.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyB4pHl8s12iBlmRklZSLcwCAioUzdKomgFt_Dbj9T603qAPL1QMiSgoO0aY6Y_ySZyIhMn1YSoK7aRGALD7jxW6sTVjOmgqQ1da7N_8kPtmokkseFLgaVWtY3u7nKWBuQegdiLWoJ7spy/s1600-h/pioneer-d.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyB4pHl8s12iBlmRklZSLcwCAioUzdKomgFt_Dbj9T603qAPL1QMiSgoO0aY6Y_ySZyIhMn1YSoK7aRGALD7jxW6sTVjOmgqQ1da7N_8kPtmokkseFLgaVWtY3u7nKWBuQegdiLWoJ7spy/s400/pioneer-d.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339565829950774450" border="0" /></a>Doesn't she look nice? Compare that to my scruffy mug outside an old church.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgawisiHTQWjDBm-M6HJo_FDSw5y_glScGNN46_NHFmGSI5htEb53CwlZn_EIzWnWronlnOObUAkApsjCY8-0KQxTRodmo4n4nU31XzUpM0tzpo8op2I-Ui_5aWNm5DbxqFIozhXzKDzjc0/s1600-h/pioneer-f.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgawisiHTQWjDBm-M6HJo_FDSw5y_glScGNN46_NHFmGSI5htEb53CwlZn_EIzWnWronlnOObUAkApsjCY8-0KQxTRodmo4n4nU31XzUpM0tzpo8op2I-Ui_5aWNm5DbxqFIozhXzKDzjc0/s400/pioneer-f.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339565832487700194" border="0" /></a>Samara talked me into buying her some ice cream.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVoIPq4emD86TCO7eDLdunPLDoacOJM6p1c6JMRmc-UuPP_kjjOIr_l0MDuwQ-IYrMcuj66A8lb7mQWV2yzq3tlOSvXFODza-KiVScWRuVt_jF6EgY-sgP4M7xdUqTGoHNdyQxixHdNWY/s1600-h/pioneer-g.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVoIPq4emD86TCO7eDLdunPLDoacOJM6p1c6JMRmc-UuPP_kjjOIr_l0MDuwQ-IYrMcuj66A8lb7mQWV2yzq3tlOSvXFODza-KiVScWRuVt_jF6EgY-sgP4M7xdUqTGoHNdyQxixHdNWY/s400/pioneer-g.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339565932771362354" border="0" /></a>It was okay, but we didn't finish the tiny cup. Then we walked around a bit more and went back to the car. On the way home, I stumbled onto the place I wanted to rent a canoe from. You can rent a canoe and go down the river here for a few hours and then they pick you up. It seems like a fun thing to do, and if the weather holds, we'll probably do that tomorrow or Tuesday.<br /><br />We're back at the hotel now, and Samara is napping away. I think flying takes it out of her. She had a headache and some nausea. We're talking about taking in a movie tonight. The new Star Trek is out, and that seems like a good bet. It's been 8 months since I've seen a movie in a theater, too.<br /><br />It's actually been 8 months since I've done a lot of "civilized" things. This should be an interesting trip. Stay tuned.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14628587410994319563noreply@blogger.com0