Merry Christmas

On a cold and windy day, sometimes the sun isn't able to shine through all of the blowing snow. Christmas day 2008 was like that. The swirling winds blew the snow all around. Big snow drifts were made and then unmade within hours. Even the hardiest traveler is wise to stay holed-up in his cabin on a day like this one. Regardless of the weather, Christmas in Alaska is best.

The other day Rafe and I went out to check traps and it was a good day. The day was windy, but warm and the sun shone like summer. Fresh snow was everywhere and new critter tracks littered the ground. After the big blow that we had all of god's creatures were out enjoying the sunshine. For trappers, this is a bountiful time because our target animals behave predictably and we end up catching some. On this day we were very fortunate to have caught one of the more elusive fur bearers in the north, the lynx. These pictures let you see some of the lynx's beauty, but they don't let you see the size of the animal. These awesome creatures have really long legs and huge feet. Their pointed beards and tufted ears are cool to see, but their teeth and claws are the features that remind you of the beast in this beauty.

Just another cat? Not even close! If this tom had his way he'd run far from here, but since he can't he'd like to rip Rafe's lungs out. You should see the video I shot of this guy's speed and ferocity.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season. I further hope you that each of you can appreciate what a gift life is and just how good our lives are. Some times folks start feeling bad because they miss loved ones at holiday time or they can't have life the way it used to be, but this is the perfect season to look forward. Enjoy life. If you don't enjoy the life you are living then change it. Be bold and be happy. Make good decisions so you don't end up like this lynx.

First Fox

As you may know, I have plied may hand at fur harvesting, which is also known as trapping and/or snaring. This is something I have wanted to do all of my life, but have never made it work for me. I am finally connected with the right people to learn this craft and the right conditions exist in my life for this activity to be possible, so I'm going for it.

Rafe taught me the basics of fur bearer behavior and how to make snares. Then he gave me a grubstake to help me get started and helped me choose and construct my first set. His efforts paid off for me, because I snared my first fox yesterday.

Here is a picture:



She is not the most spectacular specimen, but she is my first. With luck and a little skill, there will be many more.

I have also been learning about moose. The Fish and Game guys hosted a public meeting that described the how successful the ban on hunting has been in strengthening the moose population. I believe what they said because I have been seeing a whole lot of moose tracks. However, as my daddy says, "You can't eat tracks." Well, it finally happened. I bumped into moose. Man, those things are huge. This cow and calf had me so excited that I was shaking and had that wiggly feeling in my stomach. It was cool. If an out-of-season cow and calf make me feel that way, I wonder how I'll react to a bull in my sights?



I promised to write more about my new job and especially my students, but that will come in a few days. Sorry.

Reason for Thanks

For five weeks I've been giving my students reasons to think about and express their thoughts about the Thanksgiving Holiday. I have offered the Plymouth Rock/Pilgrim's and Wompanoag's story to them in the form of an alien invasion, an opportunity for charity and in its traditional form. I even gave them the story in a homeland security threat scenario, but what I didn't do was ask them what makes them feel thankful. At the time, I hadn't thought much about feeling thankful.

Well, the feeling of thankfulness came over me this morning as I ate breakfast and reflected on the holiday weekend. What came to me first was how wonderful my wife is. While I've been off, bombing around the tundra with my buddy Rafe, she has been patient and supportive. In fact, I got blood all over the bathtub and she never made a fuss. But, she doesn't have many opportunities to get out and visit people so I know she must be getting bored. I hope we can change this last part soon. Thanks Pam.

The second reason for my feeling of thanks was the ingredients of my breakfast. It was mostly the usual stuff, coffee, eggs, toast, and caribou back-strap. Did I say CARIBOU BACK-STRAP!? Oh yeah, I did. How did I get caribou back-strap, you ask?

Yesterday, I got a phone call from Rafe. He said "How itchy are you to go caribou hunting?" As a man who has been itching to go caribou hunting since I was 10 years old, I told him that I was ready to go whenever the opportunity came. It seems that he got a phone call from a friend of his about the whereabouts of a nearby caribou herd. So within the hour the two of us and another fella, Dave, were on the trail.

After about an hour of very cold, windy riding we found the herd with no problem. I didn't know it then, but the easy part was over. Caribou hunting is nothing like deer hunting. Everything happens very fast on a caribou hunt. The caribou herd heard us coming long before we saw them so they were ready for us by the time we got there. We pursued the herd over some rough terrain for a little while and we took our best shots. I have often boasted, in the past, about never making a less than perfect shot on deer and never using more than one bullet to kill a whitetail. I will be not be bragging like that about this hunt, because I used three shots to get the job done. My first shot was ugly, but fatal with time. Because I could get close and finish my bull, that's what I did. I rode my snow machine close and shot twice more; no point in letting it suffer.



Yep, it's a bull. The bulls already shed their antlers. One of the things I never understood about caribou was its body size and I guess I still don't. When you see them they look to be small. When you grab hold of one and try to move it, it is big and heavy. It is a hard thing to describe.

Anyhow, Rafe, Dave and I all ended up with bulls. After this compulsory photograph to commemorate my first caribou, we loaded them into sleds and headed for a wind break. The temperature was about 5 degrees with a windchill cold enough to freeze hell over so getting out of the wind was important.

I learned many things on this hunt. Rafe taught me how to quarter a caribou without gutting it and how to cape a bull so the hide has some value. I also learned just how good the knife my brother Craig made for me way back when still is.

With my old knife, I butchered that whole caribou without ever having to touch up the blade. And after I got home I ran the knife over a whetstone a couple of times and finished processing the whole animal. I've carried that knife for about 30 years and the reason is obvious. It works. That is the third thing I feel grateful for.



Old and beat up, but still does the job.

Lastly, none of this would be possible if not for good people. I have to thank Rafe for taking me under his wing and teaching me about trapping, snaring, and hunting Alaska style. Thank you. I look forward to as many more lessons as I can get.

Oh wait, wait, wait, did I mention that Rafe got me pulled over by the cops? That's right, we were putting in his lynx line today when a State Trooper in a Piper Cub (bush plane) on skis landed on the snow near us. The trooper checked our licenses, chit-chatted with us for a little while, and then flew off to keep Alaska safe for all humanity. I never would have imagined that a State Trooper in an airplane would come out of the sky and pull me over while I was riding a snowmobile. How crazy is that? I wish I had brought my camera... maybe next time.

Well, that's all for now kids. Until next time, may you have many things in your life for which you feel thanks.

Tough Fish

So, do you remember in my last letter I mentioned catching pike in a minnow trap that was set to catch mink? Well here we go again PLUS. In another tiny stream that doesn't really freeze, regardless of the temperature, he set another minnow trap, but this time my buddy caught some pike that were almost as long as the trap itself. Two pike, both were probably a little over two feet long. Not only did he catch more pike, but he caught a muskrat in the same trap, as well. Not one to turn down a free meal, my buddy decided to keep these pike, because of their good size.

In the sled they go and about two hours later we returned to the house. We spend about another hour unloading traps and such, when we finally get to the fish. I carried the fish inside the fur shed and I noticed that the fish were only almost frozen, not completely frozen. I put them on the table and noticed, or at least I thought I noticed, something strange. I thought I saw one of the fish move its tail. I mentioned what I thought I saw to my buddy and my he said he saw it too. Then the other one moved. Then they both moved. Those fish, though having been out of the water for two or three hours in near zero temperatures, were still alive!
Even the fish are tougher in Alaska!

Something New

For some people the words snow and cold are synonymous with the words misery and agony. For me and people like me snow and cold mean opportunity, freedom, and joy. For example, if it weren’t for snow and cold I wouldn’t be able to ride my snow machine, I wouldn’t be able to travel the tundra and the river, and I wouldn’t be learning about trapping and snaring.

In fact, I wouldn't have this little story to share if not for the cold. The tiny stream in the photograph is several miles from the river and doesn't seem to go anywhere special. I was with my friend as he checked his mink trap, the submerged minnow trap also shown. When he pulled it from the stream, we both got a shock. Instead of having a mink inside, it had pike. This was shocking because this stream is so tiny and pike are such big fish. Yet, there they were. If you are not familiar with what a pike looks like, then look it up.

I am finally starting to do the things that brought me to Alaska. Today I went out with the same friend as he put in his fox line. We only saw one live animal on the outing, an ermine, but saw some animal tracks that got us pretty excited. We saw moose tracks and wolf tracks and they were real close to the village. Pretty cool, huh?

Unless catastrophe strike again, there will be more to follow. Until then, pray for snow.

Life Before Bethel

I can't believe that I'm capable of such a huge oversight. I spent nearly a week in paradise and I didn't tell anyone about it. All I can do is apologize for not sharing Seward and Homer with you. Uh well, and show some of our photographs with you too, I suppose.

After our cross country trip from Indianapolis to Seattle, Pam and I set out to see some of what we missed last winter. Before we could enjoy ourselves, however, we had to pay our dues. The first challenge on our quest was buying airline tickets at a good price and then to rent an affordable car. We failed at both. Not only did we pay more than both of those services are worth, but we had to jump through 500 flaming hoops before we were ready to start our vacation. I hate traveling.

Once we were on the road, life was pretty good; expensive, but good. Our plan was to go to Seward and Homer, the two places that we didn't get to last winter. Our first stop was in Seward.

Like Valdez, Seward is another perfect place in the world. It's right on a major water way, Resurrection Bay, which is surrounded by huge mountains.

The one thing Pam wanted to do while we in Seward was do some whale-watching. The only problem with her request was that whale-watching season was over. You see, May and June are the best whale-watching months and we were there in mid August. Sorry, Pam. We did take a nature cruise, though. It was a half day tour of Resurrection Bay to look at the natural beauty of that place. Take a look for yourself:

If my memory serves me correctly, these are Stellar Sea Lions. If that's not right please don't bother correcting me. It will only destroy me self-esteem. Look kids! Puffins! We were on a really good boat for taking pictures, the bay was pretty clam for a breezy day, and we got really close to a lot of our subjects, but it is really tough getting high quality shots with a cheap camera.

These are some of the Harbor Seals we saw. It's tough getting their picture, because they are very shy.

And with being the home of some really cool animals, Resurrection Bay is also the home of some cool rocks that jump way up out of the water.

Back in Seward we saw some charter fishermen showing off their catch. Pretty cool, huh?

Oh yeah, I also found out how I'm going to spend my retirement years. Look at this retirement rig.

Is there a more beautiful sight on the Earth than a boat harbor that's surrounded by snow capped mountain?

We visited Exit Glacier and saw some other glaciers, but I'm getting tired of uploading photos so you don't get to see them. We also saw sea otters and eagles, but none for you this time. If you want to see more, tell me and I'll post them.

After we left Seward, we went directly to Homer. The four hour drive was long but beautiful. We saw a moose and some awe inspiring views of the Pacific Ocean. When we finally made it to Homer, we went directly out to the spit. The Homer Spit is a very cool, very touristy, but very cool place. I saw this little shop that I fell in love with. Not for the products they sold, but for the building. It is all logs with splayed walls and a pointy roof. I'd love to have a home like this.

All to soon the party was over and we made our way west to Bethel. Talk about contrast. Bethel is different in every way imaginable from the Kenai Peninsula. I like it in Bethel and I'll like it more when it snows.

Autumn is Here!

Some things happen very slowly in Alaska and some things happen very quickly. To be specific, winter happens slowly and the other seasons rush by. It was summer a couple of weeks ago and then, on October first, it snowed for the first time this year. Today's high temperature was 27 degrees and there's about two or three inches of crunchy snow on the ground and I saw someone driving a snowmobile today. This time last year I was in the hospital in Anchorage so I didn't get to see the tundra put on its winter coat. I didn't realize how quickly it happens.

Pam and I were out doing a little sight seeing today when we came upon some poor lady who had slipped and fallen on the icy road. While I got out to help this poor lady, Pam took this picture of a boat.

Obviously, heroic attempt to rescue this fallen citizen didn't impress my wife. Why do I try? In my frustration to find a way to wow my wife, I drove down to the Small Boat Harbor to see what was shaking and I spotted some things that don't always go together.

For example, I can't remember when I've seen a bulldozer parked at a boat harbor with the boats.

I've seen picnic tables and bait stores, food joints and taverns, but never a bulldozer. Something else you don't see is free life jackets, or Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs). Well, not exactly free, but free to use. In an attempt to improve boater safety up here, we have a "Kids Don't Float" program. This one of the stations set up to provide loaner PFDs. It's odd for people in the lower 48 see anything set up on the honor system especially a PFD loaner station. What's more, there's ice sickles on these vests.

While we were snapping this picture there were people breaking ice so they could get to the river and others were trying to get their boats out of the ice. These are some hardcore boaters.

This weekend was also our first Junior Native Youth Olympics meet and our first meet of the wrestling season. On Friday, I had my class in the computer lab when I got a big surprise. The whole Atmautluak JNYO team came waltzing in to say hello. They were all happy to see me and I was pretty excited too. Pam and I went to the JNYO meet. Pam got to see the kids do some native dancing as well as the sports events that are unique to NYO. Since some of my students were competing against some of my former students, I had plenty of people to cheer for.

It seems that as time goes on I see more and more friendly faces. This weekend I was warmly greeted by at least a dozen people that I met last year. Their hugs and handshakes genuine and heartwarming. Unfortunately, I had to answer the same question over and over. "Why didn't you come back to Atmautluak?" In my mind the answer is easy to understand, but when I try to explain it, it doesn't seem to make as much sense. Maybe I'll get to visit them in the village this winter.

I can't wait to see what happens next. Everything will freeze up soon enough and the tundra will become accessible to Pam and me. The real adventure will begin then.

Oh yeah, some kids in our school were asked which season most tourists visit Alaska and it took them a bunch of guesses to stumble onto the correct answer; summer. It took them so long because, to them, it is not logical to come here in the summer if you want to see the best of Alaska. They said winter is the best time to go places because that's when the tundra gets hard enough to go anywhere you want. So for your next Alaska vacation, visit during the winter and you'll get to see more of this great state because snowmobiles can go just about anywhere.

Stay warm.

To be an Alaskan Driver

It’s official, I’m an Alaskan. Well, at least that’s what my driver’s license says. The ink was barely dry when I used it to buy my RESIDENT hunting and trapping license and my grizzly/brown bear tag. All that’s left is to do is to go hunting.

My wife, Pam, and I took the written test for our driver’s license at the same time. Pam is really competitive when we do things together. She has that passive aggressive thing or maybe it’s a quiet hatred thing, whatever it is, she always tries to beat me; this test was no different. She studied all week when I was at work she even talked to the locals to try to get the inside scoop on the test and the testing conditions. She was much better prepared than I was and she knew it. So much so that she would taunt me with Alaska driving regulation trivia and little factoids from the statistical history archives. I have to confess that she was better prepared than I was on test day.

We arrived early at the license bureau and we waited. Using proven test preparation strategies, we successfully avoided any talk about the test or about our expectations. We were ready. Unfortunately, the test administrator was not. There is only one employee to service all of the drivers in Bethel and the 55 surrounding villages and she forgot her keys at home. Al glitch like that might rattle most test takers, but not Pam and not Jerry. We were still rock steady. We took the test and the agent graded mine first. I missed two questions, which is no big deal to me because I figured that is what I get for not studying enough. When it was time for Pam’s test to be graded she watched the agent grade the thing like her life depended on it. The agent drew one X and then another X. She paused and looked back at her computer screen. Pretending like I was reading one of those riveting information posters, I could see Pam out of the corner of my eye. A grin appeared on her face and she turned away. Knowing Pam I knew that she missed more questions than me. If she had beaten my score she would have said HAH! I beat you!, but there was none of that. As you know, I’m not one to stir up any controversy so I just quietly let the subject who scored higher die. NOT! Of course I arrogantly rubbed in the fact that I missed one fewer question than Pam. The next day I reminded her of the 4 second following rule and how the state of Alaska wants you to back your car. Now, I’ve gone to extremes by posting it on my blog. I know… I’m terrible.

I'm Back!!!

Finally! A little time to write. Since my last post, I have traveled widely, visited people I haven't seen in decades, and worked hard. Now I'm back in Alaska and back in the classroom.
Going back to Indiana was the last thing I wanted to do. However, it was necessary if I was to see my family again. After the long, painful year I had just lived, I was ready to see my loved ones and enjoy some rest.
Rest, however, was not on the agenda that Pam had planned. But first, I had to wrap up family business. The business had to do with my deceased brother's estate. As always, I try to find the positive part of every crummy thing that happens in life. This time, it was easy to find the good parts. My Brother Ronnie made the trip north from Arkansas to help Craig and I finish up Gug's business. I had not seen Ronnie since the day Pam and I were married in 1982. I had forgotten what he looked like. It was like meeting a new person and that's a good thing, because as kids we fought constantly. We spent several days at my brother Craig's house. We fished and swapped lies and, of course, imbibed generously. When it was time to hit the road, Ronnie and I drove to his home in Arkansas. It felt good to see some new territory and to see where my brother lived. I would like to go again some day.
No sooner did I get home and it was time to travel again. This time it was with my family, my wife and kids. We had a great time in Tennessee and Kentucky and I deeply enjoyed spending time with my kids.
After the gallivanting and whooping it up, it was time for me to find a job. Remember, I resigned from a perfectly good job in the bush so I was unemployed and the clock was ticking. I spent a month and a half looking, enquiring, and being rejected before I finally got a job. After searching widely throughout Alaska's school district, I decided to look at the district I just left. I couldn't believe my eyes. There was an opening in Bethel, Alaska for a Sixth Grade teacher. I discussed it with Pam, who was definitely coming with me this time, and we decided to go for it. The district welcomed me back and restored my sense of worth as a teacher.
I am entering my second week of school and things are coming together beautifully. I am impressed with my students and I am finding Bethel to be a bit of an oasis. My Bosses and co-workers are fine folks and I have a lot of support. There will be more on this later. For now, I bid you peace and happiness.

One Crazy Year

It's about 8:30 on Friday night. I'm looking out the window of the Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage, Alaska. The mountains are, as always, an incredible view. I wish I could be deep inside them with a tent and a fishing rod.
The contracted school year is over. I've elected to not renew my contract and their was a great outcry of disapproval by the parents of the children in my class. I have heard people say that they want to beat me up because of my decision to leave. I agree. I feel like a failure. I want to stay and teach school to the students of Atmautluak, Alaska forever, but I don't feel that I can do that and serve my family too. I am torn.
I have had some wonderful experiences with the folks of the delta and I've been invited to have many more. I've hunted and fish with some of the friendliest people I've ever met and I liked it.
On a totally different note. This is the end of my first year in Alaska, but not the end of my Alaska adventure. I'm going back soon to do all of the things I missed out on in my rookie year. Hopefully, I won't suffer any more deaths in my family or any more life-threatening illnesses so I can get on with the business of living in the bush. I hope to get back early enough to do some subsistence salmon fishing and to have a successful moose hunt. Only fate will tell if I make it or not.
Until later, Jerry

Winter Carnival

Winter is rapidly winding down and spring is on the wind. Winter, however, has left us a gift that will not be going away soon. Snow drifts! This makes coming and going a little more challenging than normal. The snow removal chores are endless because we are at the apex of the windy canyon of buildings. Even going to work is a little more difficult when the snow drifts are like quick sand.

My house is the one on the left with the bridge. The handrail is about eight feet off the ground. That gives you an idea of how much snow has blown in front of my door.

With spring right around the corner, it's a perfect time to celebrate winter one last time. What better way than with a dogsled race. In this photo, a bunch of elder women gather to watch the grand kids race their dogs down the river.

One dog is all it take to get these 65 pound kids zipping along. Notice how low we are compared to the boats that are up on shore. When the ice breaks up in April and water returns, this river will be 10 feet deep again and barges will come again.

The carnival seems to have uncorked the positive energy well in everyone. People are out walking more and there is more happy chatter and laughter than during the darker months.

This good energy is very evident in the classroom. The kids are more cooperative and more mischievous. The rule infractions in the classroom have skyrocketed. More of my kids have been in detention this week than any week previous to this. But it's okay, because spirits are lighter and everyone seems a little happier.

It is on this happier note that I will leave you. Until next time, enjoy winter while it lasts.

One post script note: The pictures are dark because I'm a lousy photographer and not because it's always dark here.

To write or not to write

I have been putting off this entry for some time. I recently suffered a loss in my family that had a tremendous impact on me. I think it will take several months before the idea of what happened sinks in and I am able to deal with it in a positive way.

On the bright side, I learned some things about my remaining family that I really like. There is a generosity in my family that I had forgotten about. It is like the Yup'ik value of sharing. The people here have always had to share whatever they had to insure survival for all. Like the Native Americans of the eastern U. S. these people share bounty and famine equally. My family showed me that we too share in this way, though I have been too distant for too long to see it.

A Fond Farewell to 2007

I haven't seen my kids for five months and I miss my family terribly. In spite of that, Pam and I chose to spend the holidays here in Alaska so we could enjoy each other's company and see what winter looks like in the north. We were not disappointed.

Our plan was to get the proper clothes and equipment for the climate then head out onto Alaska's road system to see what we could find. We like to make as few reservations as possible. This way, our sense of adventure is heightened by the uncertainty of our future. We did reserve a room and a car initially and we were invited to stay with some friends in Fairbanks, but beyond that we planned to wing it. Two full weeks of doing what we want to do and nobody to tell us we can't.

I arrived a full day before Pam so I had some freedom to do what I wanted. Having been without fast food and adult beverages for five long months, you can guess where I went as soon as possible. If you said McDonald's then you know me pretty well. I enjoyed a Big Mac and fries like I was at the last supper. If there had been a Burger King nearby, I would walked over and eaten a Whopper too because that is comfort food to me. With supper complete, I moved to phase II of returning to normal. Luckily, there was an adult beverage store within walking distance of McDonald's and my hotel, so I strolled inside and grabbed six cool hoppes beverages and returned to my hotel. I retired to my room to enjoy some cable TV and beer. After a while my tummy began to growl. It (my tummy) remembered seeing a pizza shop on the way to the hotel so off I went. We had pizza and beer and cable TV at midnight. Ahhh, paradise!

I was refreshed and ready to receive my sweetie from the airport. The first few days were spent figuring out Anchorage and the surrounding areas. We went to the movies and to a hockey game along with some local sight seeing. We visited, or tried to visit, Portage Glacier, but we couldn't get to it so we decided to visit Whittier instead. This is the strangest little town I ever seen. Whittier is a little community, literally, tuck into the northeast corner of the Kenai Peninsula. To get to it by road you have to go through a tunnel. As we drove around Whittier, I noticed that there were no houses. There was no place to build houses either. There was the port and its buildings, a school, a hotel, an apartment building, and mountains. I later learned that all of the residents live in the apartment building. I haven't decided if that is cozy or weird or smart. It has an interesting history and I recommend doing a Google search on it some day when you are bored.

This is the tunnel to Whittier.

The time for us to go north was getting near so we went shopping. I normally hate shopping, but this time was different. We were buying cold weather clothes! I would finally get to see Pam wear a hat and boots and snow pants. This was great, as Pam is notorious for under-dressing for the weather conditions. Finally, I get choose what Pam would wear and she agreed that she would wear whatever I chose. Sweet, sweet revenge! As it turned out, Pam liked all of the stuff that I chose and she looks good in it too. So much for revenge.

We headed for Fairbanks. After driving for an hour or two (or maybe 3) we saw the sign for Talkeetna. This seemed like the perfect time to have lunch and I have heard that the scenery in Talkeetna is incredible. The rumors are correct! What the rumors didn't tell us was that the best hamburger in the world also lived in Talkeetna. We ate at the understaffed, but very pleasant, West Rib Pub and Grill. This place is quaint and loaded with photos and memorabilia from expeditions on Mt. McKinley.

We continued north forever! We saw a few moose and countless gorgeous mountains and rivers. We also saw countless snowmobiles. It was Saturday and the Alaskans were out enjoying their weekend. However, it was soon dark and we no longer saw anything. The last two or three hours of our trip to Fairbanks was on dark, icy, and mountainous roads. I'll never to that again.

We found the home of our friends with no trouble and we were safe and cozy in Fairbanks. We had a laundry list of things to do and see in Fairbanks, most of which we did. Pam had two places that she had to visit and this was not negotiable. We were going to visit North Pole, Alaska. This is a tourist must see. I have never seen so many things made in China that scream American commercialism in one place. The things they sold were beautiful and Christmas-ee and priced right, but I was more interested in the kid's books for some reason. That was a fun store, but right next door was an outdoor exhibit of ice carvings. We paid our money, put on our brand new cold gear, and had a look. The mercury was at about -10 degrees, which is good for ice carvings, and our fancy clothes did exactly what they were supposed to do; keep us warm. We were in awe of some these fantastic works of art. Here are a couple:

There were many more, but you'll have to go there and see them for yourself.

The second place on Pam's list was Chena Hot Springs. The resort and pools are about an hour and fifteen minutes out of Fairbanks at the end of the road. We were visiting at a peak time for the hot springs as this is the time when many Japanese and Korean couples visit the hot springs with the hopes of conceiving a son under the Aurora Borealis. There were a lot of people there but it wasn't crowded like I'd feared it would be. We had plenty of privacy and the water was HOT!

Yes, that's snow and mountains in the background. The pool is outside and the temperature was about -5 degrees. The water temperature varied, but it was well over 100 degrees in the cool spots and probably 110 in the hot spots. Chena Hot Springs,too, has a fun history... look it up.

When we returned to the house, our friends invited us to the fireworks on New Years Eve. Since it is almost 24 hours of daylight on July 4th, they have the fireworks show on New Years Eve when it's dark by 4:30 P.M. We dressed in our finest cold weather clothes, filled thermoses with hot cocoa, and carried lawn chairs to the University of Alaska at Fairbanks campus. Once there, we talked, sipped hot cocoa, and watched a beautiful fireworks show. I had never seen fireworks against a snowy backdrop before. I highly recommend it.

After about four days in Fairbanks we headed south again. This time we were going the long way; to the east through Delta Junction and Glennallen. Our plan was to break the longer drive up into two parts and every mile would be in the daylight. On the way to Glennallen, we saw mountains and mountains and moose. This mom and kids groups was a pleasure to watch.

While we were in Glennallen we got a wild hair stuck and decided to take off for Valdez. This was another fine idea born at the spur of the moment and without any regard for planning. We took off in the morning and had a fantastic drive through the Chugach Mountains. It's tough to drive safely when you're gawking at all of the pretty scenery, but we made it without mishap. After we spent a little time in Valdez we realized that we had screwed up. Because we hate to plan and develop an itinerary, we didn't have enough time to see everything and do everything that we wanted to do in Valdez. There are four hiking trails and seven glaciers that we missed because we didn't have the time. I guess that means we'll have to go back again. While we were in Valdez, however, we saw otters and eagles and lots of boats. Valdez is a beautiful place in the world and I will return again and again. In fact, I'm going to send my re'sume' there even though teachers never leave the Valdez school system. Have a look:

All good things must come to an end and it was time for us to head west toward Anchorage. We drove through more mountains and valleys and saw many, many more spectacular sights. We stopped and got gas at a cute little place in the middle of nowhere and then this happened.

It seems that the car we rented couldn't burn all of the bad gas that we bought and it quit running. We were broke down more than 100 miles from Anchorage and the nearest town was about 30 miles from us. To make matters worse, we were in a mountain pass, next to a cliff in a rock slide zone, on a curve, and it was, of course, below zero. HOLY CRAP!!! We rented a brand new car to avoid breakdowns. So how did this happen to us? What luck? Pam and I know luck, because the luck of the Irish was smiling on us. We had a cell phone signal! Within minutes we were talking with a real human being at Budget Rent a Car. The folks at Budget promised to get to us as soon as they could, so we waited. It got real cold real fast so put on our fancy cold weather gear and waited some more. As we waited I remembered that TV commercial, so I talked to Pam about not smoking, not taking drugs, and not having sex until she was married. It was time well spent. As we waited and talked, car after car and truck after truck stopped to offer help. We were cold and we were way out in the boonies, but we were not scared that anything bad would happen because there was plenty of help if we needed it. After three and a half hours our rescuers arrived. They gave us a new car and sent us on our way. As mishaps go, this one could have been much worse.

Safely back in Anchorage, we got ready for the final leg of our trip; the departure leg. Once again I found myself waiving goodbye to my favorite person in the whole world, my wife Pam. I hope that was the last time I have to say goodbye.