Our Summer Guests

Whew, finally people! This is my third attempt at posting. Blogger rejected my first two attempts, citing some html gibberish that I didn't comprehend.

So this is my long, overdue blog entry. It seems the last month has been very busy. My brother-in-law, Tom, made his first trip to Alaska to visit us. He got here in time to celebrate my birthday and brought a gift, Dinosaur Jr. This guy is great! It was Tom, I think, that finally got me off of my '80's big-hair rock kick and introduced me to many different styles of "alternative" rock. This is one of the many advances in my mindset that I truly appreciate. Thanks Tom.

Tom, Susan and I toured Ketchikan. We saw the totems and went into the shops. We scored some great eats, of the likes of Cape Fox Lodge and Bar Harbor (our favorite). We hiked many of our favorite trails and Susan even got him out on the kayak. The weather was gorgeous and fun was had by all.

But wait, there's more. While Tom was here we were also dog sitting our friend Michelle's dog, Chloe. What a cute little Bassett. And she took a liking to Tom, too. So just try and picture the three of us and this unlikely team of hounds. It must have been amusing.



So, just as Tom was ending his trip, Nadia arrived. Nadia just needed an excuse to come to Southeast Alaska. You see, Nadia is an extreme boater, be it canoes or kayaks, and she and Susan enjoyed some awesome kayaking. I got a chance to go out some too and it was fantastic. The weather started to turn, so Nadia got the chance to experience the Southeast in its more typical climate. We can't complain, because we've had such a great summer. We've had literally weeks of sunshine which is unheard of. Nadia and I fished and caught, Susan and she shopped and bought, and we all drank and were merry.

So that catches up 'til about two weeks ago. There is still a whole lot more to talk about, but I'll save that for our next blog. Thanks for being patient on this one.

Cheers.

Ebb and Flow

There is a certain rhythm to life here in Ketchikan, an ebb and flow...of tides, tourists, seasons, salmon... It's a dance that you find yourself slipping so easily into and in such a short time that, before you know it, you can't remember the frenetic, exhausted, unorganized state you were in when you first arrived.


The tides here are celebrated. There are morning radio announcements letting you know what to expect, tide table books are everywhere, from restaurant counters to sporting good stores, and there is happy chatter all over town when the tides are at their highest and at their lowest. High tides bring the salmon into the streams, gives boaters access to areas previously unreachable and makes kayaking a breeze. Low tide ushers the salmon out, strands tourists in rented boats on sandbars that locals know to avoid which in itself brings the town great delight and offers hours of entertaining stories to be told at the local supermarket and watering holes. With the lowest of the low tides, hikes out to islands are arranged and treasure hunters comb the beaches and exposed sea-bed that hasn't seen the light of day in who knows how long.


Then you have the cruise ships and marine ferries that sail in and disgorge thousands onto the street. It's like a circus has come to town and then, just as quickly, the thousands are sucked back up leaving the streets quiet and expectant, waiting patiently for the next ships to come in. The locals are able to plan their town errands around the ebb and flow of the out-of-towners by picking up a local paper which prints an arrival and departure list of the expected cruise ships. You can also tune in to the local morning radio show which goes a step beyond the list of times to announce the actual number of tourists that are to be expected to be wandering aimlessly on the streets of our fair city.


And let's not forget the salmon. I have never seen such a cohesion of community as I've seen over the comings and goings of salmon. It's like a constant buzz in the air, talk of which kinds are running or who has seen what in the creeks. There are silver in the ocean but they haven't hit the streams yet but, woo boy!, are those pinks coming in strong! A school of orcas just came through so you'd have better luck fishing up Behm Canal. Hey, what kind of flies are the silvers hitting on? People stop each other in the street to find out where the hotspots are, information is passed among the locals in coded messages, secret fishing spots are actually shared...with relish. Heck, I don't even fish and I still catch myself peering with bated breath into every creek I cross hoping to catch sight of a spawning salmon.

Oh, and of course not a day goes by without a mention of the weather. The flow from seventy and sunny to fifty and pouring rain happens seamlessly and seems to bring a reassurance in its constant change. When the sun is shining, I couldn't count the number of people who make sure I know that rain is expected in two or so days time and when the rain comes, the talk turns to when we can expect the sun. There are no grumbles or complaints, just a sharing of information, because the locals know you just have to wait a bit longer for that sun to shine again.

And it's in that ebb and flow of life that I feel most connected to the residents of Ketchikan. It is so strong here that I can only liken it to feeling as if you're witnessing the earth breathe in and out. I've been lucky to live in a variety of locales, urban to rural, and I have to say I have never felt this tie as strongly as I do here. Is it the unending wilderness that surrounds us, the vast ocean lapping at the shores, the small population gathered together in this small little pocket of the world? I certainly couldn't tell you but I do know that I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to experience it and join in this beautiful dance.

Adios Amigos!

People come and people go, but maybe not as much as in Alaska. It seems everyone is here just temporarily. Some come up to work and others to play. In the 5 weeks that we've been here we've met many people, but two sets of new friends have already come and gone. First there were the Tripp men. They were in the C-class across from us at Clover Pass. From the first day, we knew we would be buddies. You see, Don and his sons JR and Gary are up from Lolo, Montana. Yes, they're our neighbors alright. It was surprising, but nice, to meet others who were from your neck of the woods way up here. We quickly became friends, Susan became our Taxi to town (both for the guys and for me) and we truly enjoyed hanging out with them. They taught me how to saltwater fish and for that I am so grateful. Thanks guys for taking me out on your boat! I just wish I'd landed that 40 pounder!

Ketchikan General is a rural hospital in rural Alaska (is there anything else other than rural up here?) And because of the remoteness of the area, has to rely on travelers to fill its roster of PT's, OT's and Speech therapists. So needless to say, I am only one of several travelers here. Travelers are an adventurous bunch who tend to live in the moment and take advantage of their setting to maximize their experience. I got to know a traveling couple by the names of Damon and Megan. In only a few weeks I got to know this very sweet couple who have set off to travel the USA (and the world) together. I can see a little of Susan and I in the two of them and it was super fun working next to them at the hospital. I especially enjoyed Damon's sense of humor and infectious laugh, and I loved taking over Megan's small inpatient gym with my outpatient twice a week. We had a lovely send off last Friday night and we wish them a wonderful life together.

So Cheers to both sets of friends and hopefully our paths will cross again. Until then, take care and know that we have fond memories of all of you.

The Fourth Of July

This past weekend was perfect. We have been blessed with GREAT weather since we've been in Ketchikan. We had three days of sunshine and the temperature almost reached 80 degrees. My back began to feel better (see the fish blog) and we were ready to have a good, ol' fashioned 4th.

It began with me being off work, Friday the 3rd. So I went fishing for a half a day (so nice) and then we headed to town for First Friday and the opening of the Mainstreet Art Gallery. It was nice to see the galleries open late, just like in Missoula.

Saturday morning we got up early, made some espresso and watched Stage 1 of Le Tour de France. Then we were off for town and the Fourth of July Parade. The whole town was lined up to see the floats. Even the cruise ship passengers got excited as the classic cars and patriotic floats passed by. It has been many years since I've been to see a parade and it brought me back in time to the little parades we used to have in Sunnymead. For an hour and a half we could've been in Anytown, USA.

We got back to Clover Pass in time for their Annual, July 4th Fish Fry. It was all-you-could-eat Halibut, Salmon, sides and desserts. Yum, yum, yum! Later on we were serenaded to sleep with the sounds of bottle rockets and Roman candles, again reminding me of my younger years.

So I think it was a nice birthday celebration for our country, as seen from the perspective of the residents of our 49th state, which is celebrating its 50th birthday this year. I hope everyone out there enjoyed their 4th, too!

Our Front Porch!

Coming Full Circle

Because we live on an island in the middle of the Inside Passage where the humidity is decadent and rain is considered a close, personal friend, the produce here in Ketchikan has to be shipped in (and I literally mean "shipped"). And having grown up in, and then proceeding to gravitate to living in, sunny locales where "jalapeno pepper" and "navel orange" are considered normal eats and not some exotic requests from a cheechako (newcomer), Erik and I jumped at the chance (ok, I think I even might have pushed someone out of the way) to be able to participate in the one and only CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program.

For those who don't know or haven't heard of CSA's, OH MY GOD get out there and SIGN UP! This is the best thing since sliced bread! Basically, and in the words of the Local Harvest website who will do a much better job explaining this than I ever will, a CSA is a "popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. Here are the basics: a farmer offers a certain number of "shares" to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a "membership" or a "subscription") and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season. "

Our CSA is with Full Circle Farm in Carnation, WA and all I can say is I owe them my life because, if not for them and their lovely floatplane, I would be suffering for 4 long months and living on canned tomatoes and frozen green beans (I shudder just thinking about it!). The highlight of my week is picking up my box and ripping it open to touch, feel and smell all of the luscious, juicy, ripe gems that they were kind enough to send my way. I swear it's like Christmas, and I have a ritual of pulling out all of the fruits and veggies, laying them out across my counter, admiring them and then coming up with recipes and meal ideas for the week. And one of the best parts of being involved in this is that we've been given produce that I would never think to go out and buy. As much as I try to avoid it, I will admit that we always seem to gravitate to the fruits and veggies that we know and love whether I am planting my own garden or shopping at my local farmers market. With our CSA, we've had the chance to try pluots, baby bok choy, and rainbow chard and all at their seasonal best.

I am now, more than ever, looking forward to watching the progression of summer and that lovely, slow slide into autumn and seeing it all play out in the brown, waxed box of goodness coming my way each week.

Bight Me

So, let’s talk totem poles. One of the most iconic symbols of the Pacific Northwest, totem poles were used as cultural symbols for the Pacific Northwest tribes. They told the story of the family that they guarded, its history, lineage, legends and wealth. The artists that were hired to create these works of art were highly regarded within their tribe and the raising of the totem pole was always accompanied by a potlatch (a feast where the family would celebrate by giving away as much of their worldly goods as they could.).

As late as the mid-1800’s, there were hundreds of these masterpieces clustered around clan houses from the Puget Sound north along the Canadian and Alaskan coastlines. Unfortunately, when the missionaries moved in, the totem pole tradition moved out and it wasn’t until someone with a brain decided, “Hey, maybe we shouldn’t let this art form die” that the totem pole was rescued from the same fate as the dodo. So, in the 1930’s, the Civilian Conservation Corps started salvaging poles and hiring native artists to restore and/or replicate unsalvageable poles using the same tools and methods as their ancestors. The elder carvers passed on the skills to the younger carver and, thus, the totem pole was saved. Don’t you love happy endings?

Luckily, here in Ketchikan, there are two totem parks where you can go to view some of these historic totem poles and also witness new poles being created. One of the parks, Totem Bight Historical State Park, is just down the road from where we’re staying so Erik and I headed on over. I have to say, the setting is just beautiful. You wander through dense rainforest until the trail opens up onto this point with 3 totem poles facing the Narrows with the long house dominating the rocky bluff overlooking the water. It was so impressive stumbling upon it from the land, I can only imagine how breathtaking it would have been discovering it from the sea.

And for me, I’d say the most impressive part was the long house. To think it was constructed by hand using tools made of stone and bone is unbelievable. The smoothness of the walls and flooring, the detail of the carvings and the sheer size of both the long house and the totem poles are just mind-blowing!

I now have a much greater appreciation of these massive works of art and hope each and every one of you gets the opportunity to one day walk among these magnificent, monolithic storytellers. And for all of you who are sitting there scratching your head and wondering, What the heck is a bight?, you’re just going to have to keep on scratching! (Ok, kidding, a bight is just a curve in the shoreline that looks, shall we say, almost as if someone took a “bite” out of it. Hey, if you don’t believe me, look it up!)

ALASKA

We can't believe we're here! I am getting the same "pinch me" moment that I used to get when I first moved to Montana (and for about 2 years after). I just couldn't believe that I was there, or that I am here right now. We've been here for one week exactly. Okay, we actually arrived at 1 am last Sunday morning via the ferry, but close enough. The week has been busy with starting my new assignment at Ketchikan General Hospital and we have tried to get the feel of the town. Ketchikan is an interesting town. It's a mix of locals doing their local thing and hoards of tourists coming off of the cruise ships. It's a busy town. Downtown is right on the water and on Ketchikan Creek. It has a really cool feel, part homey, part Disneyland. That may frighten some people, but strangely, it works. Just be careful not to run over some octogenarian blindly crossing the street!


The entire road system is essentially one road running north to south. There are only about 30 miles of paved roads on the island and we are about 13 miles north of downtown at Clover Pass RV Park. I have either a 13 mile bike ride or van ride to and from work everyday. I am trying to ride at least 3 days per week to keep gas usage down and aside from the blowout I had last Monday morning, it has worked out nicely.


The sun rises at 4 am and sets at 10 pm, but it doesn't get dark until about 11 pm. We are SLOWLY getting used to going to bed and waking up to the sun. As an aside, the pups are still on Montana time that means they are raring to go at, oh, 5:15 at the latest. So we have begun going out for our daily hike at 5:30 or so. We are getting an hour plus hike in before everyone else has even put on the coffee.

And finally, the beauty. So far Alaska has not disappointed either Susan or I. After work on Friday we went for a drive on the other half of the road, south from town, and saw a pod of Orcas moving up the straight. One was very close to shore, perhaps 150 yards or so, and some of the others were breaching. Farther along the road we watched salmon jumping in a cove and we passed several waterfalls. Alaska is a wild place and the wilderness is a part of every one's life.


We are so excited to be here and will take this opportunity to make the most of this leg of our adventure. Stay tuned for more stories from "The Last Frontier."

PS. Our temporary address is: PO Box 985 Ward Cove, AK 99928

Brave New World

Creek St in Ketchikan

1500 miles, a five hour ferry boat ride and a night in the Walmart parking lot later and we have made it to our new city. Ketchikan greeted us with open arms and sunny weather and we couldn't be happier. Can you believe we're in Alaska?! Ha, we can't either!

There are so many new and exciting things to discover and with only one day to get a lay of the land before Erik started work this morning, we jumped right in. We drove from one end of the road to the other, checked out trails, hit the tourist areas downtown and watched the tourists from the cruise ships wander aimlessly. We tasted some local cuisine, tried to find a bike shop (no luck) and scoped out the best kayak launch sites (the best is right from our own backyard).

Oh, and one of the first things Erik did was get his fishing license as fishing fever is in full swing. He's even talking about giving up running and cycling so he can concentrate on landing the "big" one (I'll believe that when I see it!). I guess it didn't help to hear hourly updates on the King Salmon Fishing Derby that was taking place this weekend (for all of you fishing maniacs, and you know who you are, the winner landed a 44.2 lb whopper on the last day of the competition). I've noticed that when we meet people here, the first question is "Where are you from?" and the second is, " Have you been out fishing yet?".

And another thing I've noticed is there are bald eagles EVERYWHERE! Instead of seagulls, Alaska has eagles. And instead of roosters crowing, we woke to the sound of eagles chortling. Yes, chortling. There is a whole, umm, flock? of them in the trees above our motorhome and they sit out there and gurgle and chortle at each other. It's actually quite fascinating and is so interesting to listen to. I expected a shrieking cry and I get gurgles and chortles. In the evening, they decided to play and were swooping and diving and chirping at each other and it was like watching an aerial ballet. And they are so HUGE! Like flying dogs. I wonder if we'll ever get tired of watching them. I mean, do the people of Ketchikan take them for granted the way we take, say, pigeons for granted or will they always make you stop and catch your breath as they swoop and glide around you? It will be interesting to find out.




One thing I do know that I won't get tired of is the view from our "backyard"! Are you kidding me?! Just looking at the picture makes me want to grab my kayak and get out there. Clover Pass Resort is on a small cove on the northwestern part of the island and supposedly we are on the "sunny" side. With 200 inches of rain a year, I can't believe there is a sunny side but, hey, so far the weather has been beautiful, I have eagles dancing outside my window and the waters of the Inside Passage are just begging to be explored.

So, to all of you who sent us your prayers and good wishes for a safe trip...Thank you! And for all of you adventurers out there that want to visit a postcard perfect setting, we have an extra kayak to paddle and I'll race you to the water!

Libby Top Ten List

It's our last day in Libby and with Erik at work finishing up, I am sitting here with espresso in hand to complete our top ten all-time favorite things of this pretty little City of Eagles.

So, without further ado, here we go...our Libby Top Ten!

10) Libby Cafe - C'mon, that Apple Cream Crumble pie will go down in history!

9) Kootenai Falls and the Suspension Bridge - Ok, yes, technically these are two different things but since they share a parking lot and trailhead, I figured I could get away with it.

8) Riding the STOKR - Ok, people, don't get carried away, this is Erik's pick. For those non-cyclists out there, it is a 2 day bike ride and stands for Scenic Tour of the Kootenai River. 100+ miles later, Erik came riding home hungry and tired with a big grin and lots of stories to tell. I, on the other hand, elected to sit by the creek and read a book. You decide who the crazy person is!

7) Old US Hwy 2 Interpretive Trail - We stumbled upon this trail on our second day in Libby. It is the old highway from Libby to Troy that some hardy folks carved into the mountains in the late 1800's so they had a place to drive their Model T's. Geez, I'd have a hard time riding my mountain bike on portions of it so how they got those old cars up and around some of those corners is beyond me. The sense of history and being able to see pictures of the road in its heyday and to see how little sections have changed today is really neat. There are still wheel ruts in the granite roadbed and the old handcarved granite curbs and metal guardrails meant to keep the speeding hooligans on the road. Surrounded by cedar forests with glimpses of the Kootenai River below it truly is a beautiful trail.

6) The donuts at Rosauers - Ok, I'm blaming this one all on Erik! (Lori, do you see what I'm up against?!)

5) The Panoramic Cabinet Mountains - Libby is surrounded by one of the most beautiful mountain ranges I've ever seen. Ok, the Missions and, of course, Glacier still capture my heart and, yea, the Alps around Brienz, Switzerland can make you pause but, wow, those Cabinets are a sight to behold. I can't count how many times I've been out hiking, looked up and stopped dead in my tracks. Absolutely breathtaking!

4) Sitting by the creek at the end of the day - I think the picture says it all.

3) The miles and miles of endless wilderness and hiking trails - What an amazing feeling it is to know that I could start down a trail and keep walking for weeks and never see another person. While poor Erik was working, the dogs and I did our best to check out as many trails as we possibly could. And for a budding trail runner, it was the ultimate joy to be able to get out and huff and puff, sweat and curse, fall down, roll around, stumble to my feet and keep up the asthmatic wheeze and know that no one had to witness my humiliation. In all seriousness, the twists and turns through this mountain paradise actually made me a better runner as I just had to keep going to see what was around the next bend in the trail.

2) Red Dog Pizza - So, you make the turn where you see the sign saying "Yaak" with an arrow pointing the way, wind up through the forest past some old homesteads and you'll come upon this nondescript wooden building on the right at the bend in the road. No sign out front just a neon "Open" in the window. If you can figure out where it is, you will be able to experience pizza nirvana! Thank you, thank you Sara and Marci for sharing the secret!

Sara, Marci, Bob, Erik and me preparing to dive in

And, now, for our NUMBER ONE pick.....drumroll please......

1) Site #13 at Woodland RV Park - I know, I know that doesn't seem very exciting but you really had to be there. We fell asleep to a gurgling creek every night, played drunk frisbee on the grass after having our famous homemade margaritas, hosted dog parties almost every day, watched deer, pileated woodpeckers and various other wildlife stroll right by our windows, and enjoyed our morning coffee under towering pine trees. It really was a little slice of heaven!

Now our time in Libby is drawing to a close and I have to say I am a bit melancholy about leaving. I do want to send out a warm hug and big thank you to our new found Libby friends: Sara and Jay, Marci and Bob, Jeff, Leslie, Jim and, of course, Bodie and Diesel (Woodland Park's resident canines). We do hope we'll cross paths again!

Now, I'd better go and finish packing......next stop, KETCHIKAN!

Our First Houseguest

Nadia and Her Huckleberry Flapjack

We've been on the road for awhile now and, though there are MANY things we love, one of the things that we don't love about our gypsy lifestyle is not getting to see our friends and family very often. Since I'm a horrible phone and email communicator, it makes it seem that even more time and distance separates us from our loved ones as we cruise on down the road.

Well, imagine our surprise when we call up our good friend Nadia to see if we can crash with her for a couple of nights for a whirlwind trip to Missoula, and she says that she was hoping to come up to Libby and get a taste of motorhome life! Are you kidding me?!

We had such a great time and, though it was MUCH too short, Erik, I and the dogs thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I can't speak for Nadia as she elected to sleep on the full-size pull-out in the living room which happens to come with her own half-bath and the luxury of falling asleep to the babbling brook outside...and the snoring of three dogs inside but I'd like to think it wasn't too traumatic for her.

It was a couple of sunny, sparkling days of good food, good wine, a paddle on the river, a misguided trail run (sorry about that, Nadia!), beers at the VFW Club (yes, I stayed home and manned the fort on that one), and even a quick paddle on the Kootenai River. Oh, and the event that topped off the stay for Erik? Nadia's suggestion we do a tour of the local diners and see which had the best breakfast. We only made it to two (Henry's and Libby Cafe) before we ran out of steam but what a blast!

Thank you, Nadia, and we'll keep that pull-out warm for you just in case you do decide to make the trek to Ketchikan. We miss you already!