Christmas in the Dark 2010

We all enjoyed Christmas up at Crystal and Harry's house in Eagle River.  Things didn't go exactly according to plan as the electricity went off just before we arrived, came on four hours later just long enough for us to really see each other and take a quick look at the decorations and beautifully laid table, and then it went off and on again for the rest of the time we were there!  None of us was able to find out any reason for this although there were well-publicized outages that same day in Girdwood and Alyeska!

Still, a good time was had by all.  The Irish sliced up the ham and sauteed it in a frying pan on the stove.
The butternut squash (2.29/lb at Carrs), Christmas baked beans, and apple cake added a touch of VT and were a big hit!

Cheryl, Buffy, Crystal, and me all talking to our brother Bruce.

Sunset just as we arrived.

 

Unaaliq with A-1 Sauce.

The beautiful table by candlelight.

Crystal with the flashlight guiding us up the stairs.

Hallelujah Chorus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyviyF-N23A

Turn it up loud!!!    This has gone viral.

This is especially for my friend Bill.  As music teachers, we struggle to find creative ways to engage all students and I think this (which involves the whole community) is absolutely terrific.  We laughed til we cried when we watched this and then we watched it again!

Please note the bush pilot delivering everything to the village (not accessible by road), the wind turbine, the sea ice, Stuqpak (THE store which may or may not have items for purchase depending on the weather), and the white round building which we couldn't identify (sauna?)

Happy Holidays!

Alpenglow

The Chugach Foothills east of Anchorage, sunset, and my sister Buffy. P.S.  I don't notice the extra 10 seconds of daylight yet!

Eclipse photos from earlier this week

Here are some photos (some were taken by Buffy) of the full moon eclipse on the 20th.  We saw only part of it but as always, it was otherworldly.  The red sky was really spectacular.

Happy Solstice!

Today we celebrated the solstice.  After taking Buffy's dogs and cat to the vet which was chaotic, we decided to drive down to Beluga Point to watch the sunset.  It was a spectacular day and the Irish lad's first drive south of Anchorage.  It is one of my favorite places on the earth.

December 19

It is 9:30 am and cold and still outside.  Christmas lights are on in the neighborhood  looking festive and cheery in the blue twilit sky.  Soon we will be turning the corner into summer, gaining 5 or 10 seconds of daylight each day.  The full eclipse of the moon is tomorrow night and we should be able to see part of it.

Yesterday I finished our Christmas shopping.  I have always found it very awkward that this time of year should be so extremely busy when in fact it is a time to go inwards, conserve energy, and re-charge for the busy summer season.  There doesn’t seem to be any way around it however. 

Buffy and I headed downtown.  There were huge traffic jams everywhere including the entrance to Costco where traffic backed up for a couple blocks.  Sarah Palin (the quitter) was there to push her newest book.  The management had gone so far as to rent port-a-potties in case people wanted to camp out the night before but turnout was smaller than projected. 

We went downtown to Side Street for coffee.  I met Deb, co-owner and wife of the artist George.  I can tell that will be my favorite coffee place in ANC.  Then we joined Crystal at the Den’aina Center (northern Athabascan word meaning ‘the people’) to browse the big Native crafts fair.  It was terrific, I thought, with vendors hawking everything from honey and beeswax, qiviut (underhair of the musk ox) scarves, booster fund raisers, ulu knives, unique jewelry, and a whole lot more.  I found a source for local honey and beeswax and Matanuska Maid eggnog and cheese the Irish one might like, among other Christmas treasures.

Ken Lisbourne’s artwork booth was my favorite.  Crystal, who knows him well, introduced us.  This Point Hope Inupiat chooses very personal subjects depicting traditional Inupiat life, each with a story.  If pressed, it would be hard to choose a favorite watercolor, but one especially is really powerful.  A bowhead lies on the beach next to the people of the village of Cape Thompson, all dead.  The contrast between  dead people wearing cheerful, colorful parkas, was so striking, we had to ask him the back story and later I did some Internet research.  Dan O’Neill in his book The Firecracker Boys, has this to say:

In 1958, Edward Teller, father of the H-bomb, unveiled his plan to detonate six nuclear bombs off the Alaskan coast to create a new harbor. However, the plan was blocked by a handful of Eskimos and biologists, who succeeded in preventing massive nuclear devastation potentially far greater than that of the Chernobyl blast. An unprecedented account of one of the most shocking chapters of the Nuclear Age.

Kenny was only ten at the time but he remembers it vividly.  Apparently there is talk of a movie about this near-catastrophic event.

Speaking of movies, Jon Voight is in town filming a thriller.  There were pictures in Anchorage Daily News including one of a local seven-year-old lying in the snow.  It has been very cold this week and I can imagine how uncomfortable everybody was.

I have begun getting the voice back in shape using the Richard Miller exercises which always work for me.  It was not pretty but not as bad as I expected.  I haven’t really sung since June and with a voice as big as mine, it takes a while to get going!  Buffy says she could hear a few curse words coming through the door!  One thing with singing is you can’t skip any of the steps and you can’t over-practice in the beginning, even if you have a Type A personality.  The voice just stops working around the breaks and then just stops working completely!

11/11/10

We arrived in ANC at 1410 on Thursday afternoon.  I actually found our way through the city to Buffy's house from memory.  Fortunately she was home and able to welcome us!

We have been out of touch with everybody because the Net 10 phone we had for the US has a broken battery probably from being left in the truck at -8 for a few days.  The Canadian phone no longer works in the US!

Also, AT&T suspended my account for excessive roaming charges so I was unable to post.   We found out today I used 71 megabytes while in Canada and the charges were a wopping $1054!!!!!  I should have called in advance to get on an international plan but I didn't think about that.  Fortunately when we went today to get our AT&T phones, our great sales rep Bryan, sorted it all out and put us retroactively on that plan!

We have been getting things done, adjusting to the city, and I am finding myself tired before the day ends. 

It's great to be here, will post some of the 5000+ pictures I took on the road.

Saturday, November 6

We just learned we will get an extra hour tomorrow.  I love it when we Fall backwards one hour.  We have come through three time changes and have one more to go.

At Mile 0 in Dawson Creek, BC this morning we went the wrong way on 97 for 19 minutes when we finally realized the truck compass said south instead of north and the descriptions in The Milepost weren't matching up with the scenery outside the window!  I had been blissfully thinking I wouldn't have to navigate through Canadian towns and cities anymore and was concentrating on giving the lad interesting tidbits about the road and we were going the wrong way!!!  In my defense, I have to say, the Canadians are tightwads about putting highway signs on the roads, especially after merges.  (We went the wrong way in Grand Prairie for oh, 20 km, and had to go back but that definitely was not my fault!)  Anyway, we found the right direction (!) and travelled 300 miles or so to Fort John.  We were going to stay at a park 75 miles further on but they did not answer their phone, so it's a good thing we called before we left this area.

We have had a good ride all this time being able to hook up to water at parks.  It's kind of unbelievable actually, when you think it's November 6.  Well, all that came to an abrupt stop this morning.  We went to  bed hooked up to water at the park and woke up to no water and 26 degrees.  So that's that!  We will still be able to use the toilet in the trailer (with antifreeze) but will have to use bottled water for boiling tea water.  Luckily we have been able to find open parks because of the boom in gas exploration and workers staying in parks all year.   Some of these rigs are gigantic and have full size fridges and freezers outside!  They are also very well insulated for winter.

The occurrence that has really had a big effect on the Irish especially, is the onset of long twilit mornings and evenings.  It is barely light now at 9 am and was pitch black tonight by 5:30.  All that will change tomorrow with Daylight Savings Time ending, but for sure, daylight hours are diminishing.  I love the long twilights out here, something we do not have in the East.

We had two enormous, long passages down today which were quite scary for me, truthfully and two others which were not as bad.  In the chain up area, was a tractor trailer with pipes on the back of it, checking his load to be sure it was secure.  When you see a trucker do that, you pay attention because they don't stop for anything.  The Irish called this the Canadian Grand Canyon, a horrible twisty, steep, s-curvey, descent onto a bridge with grating (like the old Jamestown Bridge) into Taylor, the Energetic City.  Quite frankly I had to shut my eyes for a good part of it. The lad's comments about knowing he did not have full control of the trailer and wishing we had hydraulic brakes instead of electric, did not help.

The other bad descent was into the Prophet River and this one was terrible.  Prior to the descent in the chain up area, always an indication that things are going to be bad, we stopped to walk Pak.  There was a double over-sized trailer and pilot car checking things over. We tried to wait until he was done so he would be ahead of us, but he wasn't in any hurry.  4/5 of the way down the lad kept quietly remarking over and over that we had no brakes left.  I didn't think it was the time to talk so I just kept my feet smashed into the floor and prayed for a miracle.  When we finally got safely to the bottom and kept going, he said the brakes would be okay after they cooled down.  Personally, I would go to a brake place.  We had them done right  before we left, but I know we have a lot more of those coming up as we haven't hit the Rockies yet.  (That's tomorrow.)

The other two memorable ones were because we didn't expect them.  One went into Pink Mountain and the other into Big Beaver Creek.  These death defying descents were never a problem for me before because I wasn't towing anything. 

We had a good dinner at the park here and are settling in for the night. 

The pictures will have to wait until I have a stronger connection; they aren't loading.

When the Going Gets Tough...

Hard couple of days. 

Yesterday we went from the Great Falls KOA intending to go to one of the two Good Sam parks, west of Calgary, a thriving city. 

The border crossing was a breeze and took perhaps 45 seconds.  We were both stumped when the matter of fact Customs officer asked us for the plate of the truck, which neither of us knew.  We scrambled for the registration held in my sweaty palms along with our passports, insurance cards for truck and trailer, and vet information, and were quickly on our way.  He kept calling us guys, which reminded me of Ming Tsai's Food show on CreateTV.  He cut me off when I started to inventory my kitchen knives (which technically could be classified as Firearms and weapons), saying that was not what he was interested in.  He did not blink an eye (or charge us) when I reported we were carrying six bottles of wine and one bottle of VT Maple liqueur.  I was dying to add that some of these were gifts, but I bit my tongue.

We had some trouble in Lethbridge as the Canadian road signs are exactly the same size and colors as posted speeds and much smaller than in America and I now need corrective lenses to see up close and far away!  We almost got lost in Lethbridge, but came safely through without a wrong turn.  The Irish was a bit upset that we had missed the truck route though as there probably wouldn't have been as many red lights.

Then we discovered our Net10 phone we had specifically purchased for emergencies and finding RV parks and directions on the advice of our friend, does not work in Canada, although all information we have says it does.  The Trailer Life program with directions and parks is not completely up to date we had already discovered, and one of the parks in YYC had a big long message on the answering machine that pertained only to people who were looking to store their rigs for the winter and wanted us to leave our phone number and receive a call back.   

So we decided to look for a Flying J and a WalMart to purchase a throw-away phone.  Long story short:  we ended up driving through YYC at rush hour as twilight fell and the Flying J address in Airdrie was incorrect so by the time we got there, we had passed it.  So we drove on to Olds, AB, a pleasant town of 7200 and parked in the WalMart for the night.

The throw-away phone was much more expensive than anticipated but the vegetables in the SuperCentre were not.

We had few lights as we discovered the trailer battery does not re-charge while driving so we were conservative and went to sleep early.

Today, although we got up at 7, it still took us two hours to get stowed as we are much farther North and the sun did not rise until 9:23!!!  I told the Irish that when we finally arrived in ANC, he would be completely acclimated!  I don't think he believed me.

Today's journey brought us around YEG, a thriving city of over 1,000,000 and to Grand Prairie.  Because of the terrible roads (bumping and grinding on the cement) we were fighting the sunset as we arrived at Country Roads RV.  We are in a pull-through spot and will easily access the highway tomorrow and will head for Mile 0 of the AlCan Highway in Dawson Creek, BC!!!

It is noticeably cooler although fall has been stupendously warm for all.  We are out of the prairie (which the Irish hated) and into rolling hills.   We have yet to cross the Rockies.

It has taken its toll driving so late in the year.  I definitely was unprepared for the growth and sprawl of nearly every town since I last drove this stretch which was admittedly a very long time ago.  I did not recognize Whitecourt at all or any other little stopping point.  I will be disappointed if Dawson Creek has been spruced out of recognition.

The Irish is stressed with towing, unfamiliar turf, the enormous tractor trailers which would not be allowed down South, and the poor condition of the concrete roads which have taken a pounding from the overloaded tractor trailers.  I am stressed as navigator, not being able to find open RV parks or good directions and now I have a new phone to figure out!  My students will laugh at me because they know I am telling the truth here as last year they helped me with my digital camera and MP3 player which came with no directions.  So we had a good dinner and are spending a quiet evening decompressing.

Off bright and early in the morning for Mile O of the AlCan!

In the Wind Again

It is Tuesday, November 2 and we are halfway to Anchorage!  The meterologist last night announced that tractor trailers and other high profile rigs should re-consider driving today.  The Irish REALLY hates driving in the wind.  I hate it too, but he is the one doing all the hard work.  We were 40 mph, top speed, through western MN and most of SD when it was windy. 

My brother relates he could only manage 35 mph through Alberta in the wind with his big 3/4 ton pickup and belongings trailer in 1992!  That was a long time ago and still a fresh memory for him.  

My older sister reminded me of the time we were camping in FL as young 'uns when our trailer was the only one standing in the morning because Dad tied it down.  All the others blew over.  Thank you very much!!

And the memory of the wind in Cabela's parking lot in Mitchell is still right there.  What an ugly sound and a terrible feeling.

So I think we will stay here one more day in this protected spot.  The Irish has the signs of a cold which started in Michigan at the club with all the second-hand smoke and the forecast calms down tomorrow morning for all plains areas, including Alberta.  There is no guarantee that the two campgrounds in Lethbridge would be open or that they would be protected by trees like here.  We want to enjoy this trip!

Yesterday we got the oil changed, gassed up, and went shopping at an Albertson's - a very nice store that reminded me of a Shaw's.  The Irish says this company also owns Trader Joe's, a favorite of mine.  At the oil place, there was a guy from Dutch Harbor and in the campground someone is staying in one of the cabins with AK plates.  Great Falls is one of the main travel routes to AK and I imagine locals see a lot of AK traffic.

We were going to have our first campfire of the trip, but it was too windy and unsafe.  I boiled the last of the potatoes - Yukon Golds- from Mountain View Stand in Newport, VT along with two patty pan squash from the campground here and sauteed steaks.  The sure do have great meat out here!!  Re the YG's:  I can see the hoopla from the foodies for this potato which holds its shape. The first night we were here I harvested broccoli and we ate that.  There are vegetables everywhere and campers are free to harvest as long as they are ripe.  What a great place!  We have apples to eat and some raw veggies but we are in pretty good shape to cross the border. 

 

 

Great Falls KOA, protected from the winds!

Pak running through the prairie grass. Big Belt Mountains in the background, outliers of the Rockies.

Mullein plants (great for earaches).

There are also woodchucks here.  I haven't seen them but I have heard them emit a high-pitched scream, a warning to others as we noisy humans and dogs walk by.

October 31 Great Falls KOA

OK, so this isn't really a C/G picture, but I couldn't resist!

Swiss chard

What a beautiful spot this is!  It is one of the most beautiful campgrounds I have ever seen.  There are gardens everywhere with vegetables, berries, flowers, shrubs, and roses everywhere.  We went 190 miles from Bozeman KOA to Great Falls KOA yesterday.  We thought it would take around three hours but it took six because of three enormous mountain passes we climbed up and then down which were stunningly beautiful.  The down parts were rather scary and long, primarily because we think we are overloaded. 

Once in Great Falls, we travelled down 10th Street for five miles in Saturday afternoon traffic getting nearly every red light.  I had called ahead to see if the park took trailers as the advertisement seems to cater to tenters and those who want to stay in one of the cabins.  I should have realized though that that meant that the roads would be tight inside the grounds, and they were.

We weren't able to get settled in and unhooked to do an oil change before everything closed so we decided to stay here til Tuesday morning and then make a run to the border.  Also we have to get rid of our vegetables and fruits by then. 

So last night the lad started a spaghetti sauce made with Pom marinara sauce, ground beef, and garlic and we had p-spaghetti for supper along with broccoli from one of the gardens that also had cabbage and kale.  It was an early night for both of us. 

Pak and I took several walks on the two Nature Trails here.  There is an enclosed dog run where dogs can run free, a pool with a water slide, two Kamper Kitchens, laundry, interesting and very clean Family Shower areas, free firewood, many small cabins, many tent sites, and lots and lots of gardens.  Flowers are everywhere which still remain beautiful although the gardens are pretty much spent.  I can only imagine how lush, colorful, and green this place is in Summer!

I'd like to do a small bit of exploring tomorrow in the area but I will be content to recharge and try and figure out our northern route.  Up til  now we have been pretty casual about stopping but it won't be as easy farther north as there won't be as many places open. I don't like traveling in the dark as it is too easy to get lost, miss a sign, miss animals, and you just don't see anything.  The lad likes to drive at night and enjoys the interactions with the truckers who pass us.  (Everybody passes us!)

The weather has  been stunningly beautiful and warm.  Yesterday we hit 63; it is 59 here now with a wind blowing.  That's another reason we are staying:  the winds are supposed to pick up and the lad and I both hate driving in the wind.  I don't think he will ever go  back to eastern SD again.  That was just miserable and scary when the wind picked up the back of the trailer four times in the parking lot of Cabela's.  We later found out they gusted to 71 mph!  So, although the winds are only supposed to gust to 25, it's more than we want.

Pictures

The big Uhaul our friend drove.

Last shots of the Kingdom

Lake Memphremagog

114 South

Nicely packed cubboard.  (Note the fluff, Buff!)

When are we going???

We saw fields and fields of unchopped corn-strange to us for so late in the season! 

We saw a lot of these on the road; some gave us room, some did not.

These monstrosities were everywhere!