Denali Excursion

Nate and I decided to trek to Denali National Park today. It rained on the way there and home, but the remainder of the day was mostly sunny.

This guy was on a tour bus that stopped next to our car....he has a distinct resemblance to my father!

Mountains (obviously)

We saw one mama moose and her baby. Here the mother is eating whatever grows on the bottoms of ponds. I'm told moose do that.

What a face!

Momma with her baby in the background.

We were told a large caribou herd came through just before we arrived in this area. We saw only this tired one.

Sunshine - finally!

Enjoying the dog days of summer - literally!

For the most part, our weather has turned favorable - we had sun Thursday, Friday, AND Saturday! There were rainstorms with thunder Thursday and Friday evening about 7 p.m., but the days were sunny. I find myself wanting to go outdoors and just stand out there, soaking up the sun. Evening temps continue to slip down to the mid 40's and daytime highs have been 65-72...just perfect in my opinion.

Friday evening I worked late and noticed a vehicle in the parking lot across from the office...I did a double take and there was a plane on a trailer. Don't know about you, but it was a first for me. I assumed it might be a first for you, too, so I grabbed the camera and snapped a photo for you to see. (I've decided to carry the digital camera with me all the time, because one never knows what we'll see that is photoworthy.)

After work Nate and I went exploring, looking for the local car raceway. Just as we approached it a downpour and thunder came rolling down on us. In the roadway ahead of us I spied a mother moose and her baby. I took a photo of the baby who had crossed the road into the trees with its mama, but stepped back out to take another look at what was coming down the road at them. Hence, the picture of the moose that isn't very clear.

This morning I woke early and went to work until about noon. I absolutely have to get caught up with the computer entries of our initial 40 employees as a co-worker from Sioux City was in Alaska this week and hired probably another 20 more employees. Those employees will need to also be entered into the computer system, files opened, etc. From what I'm hearing once we are fully staffed we'll have 120 employees.

I'm very happy to report that all employees who began their employment with us are still working and training. This group of staff is so blessed to have had four weeks to bond, learn our programs and each other and begin to work as a well-oiled team prior to our receiving clients. We expect our first client some time this coming week. We have referrals, however since most are currently in other placements in the lower 48 we don't really know yet how quickly they will be able to be transported back home to Alaska to begin their stay with us. Staff have been putting together furniture, making beds, practicing doing intakes with each other, learning which forms to use when, reading through policy & procedure manuals, learning how to clock in on the new timeclock system, and are antsy to put their training into practice. In a way it's like waiting for a baby to arrive.

Part of the reason I'm behind in getting my duties done is because others have multiple needs from me throughout the day. I feel like a dartboard for questions! smile~ They have questions as to how to log into the computer, how to do what they did yesterday so they can return to that place today, how to operate the copy machine, where this is, if I can go purchase this or that office supply, how to use the phone system, etc. The time at work absolutely flies by! Camilla commented Friday how I started the day with my desk clean and had multiple large piles of paperwork covering my desktop by 5 p.m. Gee, thanks for noticing!

Camilla called me today while Nate and I were having lunch at Quiznos, then she and Brian joined us. While we were eating my son, Sam, called, and we had a nice visit. He said he enjoyed his trip to Oklahoma last weekend with my parents. He commented that he's gearing up for his adult hockey leage which will start in October and how he's missing his two "key" players....that would be Camilla and me who kept score for the league every Sunday evening the past couple of years. At moments like that I wonder if I made the right decision to move to Alaska.

My dad e-mailed me a few (like 23) pictures of their new great granddaughter. Do ya think he's proud? She is certainly a beautiful baby. Once again, seeing all the pictures of the family who are so far away make me pause to think how very far away we are from them.

I spoke to Brittany on the phone the other night and she SO misses us. When she would get frustrated with her parents (or vice versa) we were always there for everyone to take a breather, and now she doesn't have that available. I sent her a small package with a few Alaska items, a letter, and a Hannah Montana billfold. Hopefully that will give her some comfort that we still love and think of her, and not make her miss us all that much more.

For those of you who are wondering, we still have the same e-mail address. Several of you have e-mailed your appreciation for the time I put into the pictures and keeping you informed of what's happening in Alaska. One never really knows what will be of interest to others, so I try to do a little bit of everything.

Nate and I have become more accustomed to our small apartment. It will be nice to know where we've stuffed things. The other night I wanted to bake a cake mix that had been leaked on by some mysterious sticky substance during the move. For the life of me I couldn't find my measuring cups to measure the water and oil. I improvised, using an 8 oz. glass and guesstimated. The finished product was absolutely awesome...I got lucky there! Yesterday I was looking through a tower of plastic drawers we have in the bedroom (because it fit there) and guess what - I found the measuring cups in with the drawer of kitchen spices. I haven't lost it, folks, just making do with what we have to work with!

We have talked about moving to a larger place, but figure we're money ahead to stay here. We're paying $600 a month for rent, including all utilities. It's nice to not have to worry about using too much water, staying warm in the winter without going broke, etc. In discussing rent with co-workers, one co-worker says that they pay a certain amount and also pay for electricity. The downside is that everything in their apartment is electric - heat, water heater, etc. Another co-worker informs me that sometimes heatinging an apartment in the winter can run as much as $1000 a month. Ouch! If we were to move into the apartment we were looking into leasing prior to moving up here we would be paying $1400 a month. Doing the math, by staying where we're at we are "saving" $800 a month which just so happens to be about the cost of one round-trip airplane ticket back to Iowa. Sounds motivating to me!

We planned on going to a community theater production tonight, however once we got there they informed us that they were having problems with their lighting, so the show was canceled. We discussed plan "b" which was to go to the car races, however the clouds looked very threatening, so we came home and watched the Olympics. It did rain a bit, but nothing like the past couple of nights.

Another accomplishment this week was to get an appointment with a physician. Many doctor's offices practices in Fairbanks are not accepting new patients. I was informed by one of the larger clinics that they were accepting new patients only if they were referred by a physician or were a relative of a current patient. I ended up calling Sioux City and my doctor's office called Fairbanks with a referral. About six weeks ago my physician put me on a medication and informed me that I need a blood test done before September 1st to see if the medication is doing as it is supposed to. Also about six weeks ago I developed a scratchy throat and cough which occurs at the most inopportune time and especially acts up at night...to the point that I will sleep for 30-60 minutes, then wake up hacking and gaggin....all night long! This has been going on for six weeks! Camilla checked out the side effects of this new medication and guess what - scratchy throat and cough are side effects. I SO would love to stop taking the med so I can get some sleep, but have come this far that I really should keep taking it until I get in on August 29th and get the bloodwork done. I find that I fall asleep much faster in Alaska than I did in Iowa - now if I could just stay asleep!

The photos of the birds were taken today at Creamer's Field. http://www.wildlife.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=refuge.creamers Nate and I stopped by this location 3-4 evenings ago and there were about a dozen birds total there. Notice to those of you in the lower 48 - the birds have begun to migrate and are heading your way!

Anchorage Excursion

Cargo heading to the airplane.

On left - a harpoon. On right a "filter" from a whale's mouth. Wish I had more info on the filter, but don't.

Cargo being loaded onto airplane. Note passengers sit in the back.

Mountains as seen from Anchorage airport.

Anchorage as seen from plane.

View from plane of the sun peeking up through the clouds.

View from plane - Mountain peeking up through the clouds.

Sunset as viewed from plane.

Typical view of Alaska from the air...lots and lots of water and pine trees/green.

A few details on our Anchorage excursion. We flew ERA airlines which was an experience more like pre-911 than 2008. I'm not sure why, but with ERA there is no going through TSA/security and carry-on baggage does not need to comply with TSA regulations...read no limitations to small sized containers of liquids (shampoo, water, etc.). In a moment of mother-daughter bonding I told Camilla 'this is the way flying used to be'.

Our flight back from Anchorage was equally unfamiliar. Camilla and I were the first two on the plane and were quite surprised to see single seats on each side of the plane, with a total of 15 seats. There weren't any overhead bins for carry-ons, and when we walked down the aisle there was a rise in the floor over some gear - similar to what one might expect to find in the seating area over the rear wheels of a bus.

Camilla and I settled in the back two seats and enjoyed seeing the sunset. We received the safety talk from the co-pilot who then turned aboutface, sat down, strapped in, and we took off. There wasn't any door between the cockpit and no restroom. In between snapping photos we could observe the pilot and co-pilot sharing a snack of some sort in a clear, plastic bag. Most of us complain about the TSA regulations, yet it felt unfamiliar for everything we've become accustomed to absent. (I realize that was pretty strange grammar...forgive me I have a tension headache that I can't seem to shake this morning.)

Camilla's RN Board Results

Camilla and Brittany following Camilla's graduation from Western Iowa Tech..also Camilla's parents' alma mater.

Camilla having her photo taken after receiving her diploma.

Camilla receiving her diploma.
Taken at Camilla's nurse pinning ceremony. Sam, Grandpa Lawrence, Camilla, Grandma Lawrence

The test results are in, and I'm very proud to say Camilla is now a registered nurse!

Alaska Rainforest

It continues to rain and rain and rain in Alaska. Nate commented last night that he would be more inclined to think that we're in a rainforest in Hawaii than Alaska with all the rain and cloudy skies we've had. Come Sunday I'll have been in Alaska three weeks and I can recall all of three days that were sunny. The locals comment about how unusual the weather has been this summer, stating they normally have 2-3 weeks of temps in the mid 70's to 80, and have only had one or two near 70 degree days so far this year.

Prior to coming to Alaska I read that the vegetables in Alaska grow to enormous sizes due to all the sunlight they receive. Well that didn't happen this year. Overall vegetables are equal to or smaller than what grows in Iowa. I must say everything is very lush and green, and the threat of forest fires is definitely low, which is a good thing since Alaska is covered with evergreen trees.

Many young children wear rubber ankle-calf high boots during this weather, something that is uncommon to see in the Midwest. Even some adults wear them. They come in all colors and even some with patterns. I'm guessing that in the spring of the year when the snow melts it gets muddy underfoot for an extended period of time, so that's probably why they own boots.

The cloudy, dreary weather may be preparing us for the darkness of winter. Several people we've talked to indicate that we need to look into getting a light box which simulates sunlight and the impact it has on preventing depression and the winter blahs. I've done some research on the internet to learn why, when, and how they're used. The Mayo Clinic has a good website explaining SAD and the use of light boxes: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/seasonal-affective-disorder/MH00023. Just may need to check into getting one if I feel the need.

Camilla's and my trip to Anchorage was okay, nothing fantastic. We flew there and took the hotel shuttle back and forth, so our "window" of viewing of Anchorage was rather limited. Unlike Fairbanks snowcapped mountains can be seen from Anchorage. Like Fairbanks, it was cloudy and rained some while we were there. Darn it anyway! We didn't see any wildlife there, however there was a PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE MOOSE sign outside the hotel, so they must have moose in the wooded area just off the parking lot. On our way back to the airport the van driver informed us that his next stop was to pick up someone that had caught a salmon while fishing. Salmon are saltwater fish and Fairbanks isn't near saltwater, so unless we travel to do some fishing that won't be happening.

The food program training was similar to Iowa and Nebraska's, which stands to reason since it's a federal program. The forms that are used are different, but otherwise things are the same.

Camilla took her registered nurse state boards - results aren't yet back yet so we don't know if she passed.

We attempted to catch a 5 pm flight from Anchorage home, but the plane was full, so spent 5 hours waiting for the next flight. I took some pictures which I'll post later. (Camera is in my office so I can take some pix of the facility and today's open house.)

Today, 8-8-08 is our open house for BGH. Several staff from the Sioux City office are here doing everything from sharing their cooking skills and coveted dessert recipes with our new chef to conducting interviews to cleaning bathrooms (no housekeeping staff hired yet) to a little bit of everything else. It's nice to see familiar faces, and nicer yet to know that when they have to make the long trek back to Iowa I can drive the 3 minutes and be home.

I've continued to receive a few e-mails from Iowa (I try to not call it "home", as Alaska is now our home) which are greatly appreciated. It's nice to hear your comments so I can blog about things of interest to you - in particular that you are enjoying the photos.

I received a special e-mail from the gal who experienced the serious brain trauma in a fall this summer. She is home from the hospital and recuperating well. Praise God for the healing he has done for her! Everything in Alaska is still so new and mostly work-oriented so it is good to hear from loved ones. Keep those e-mails coming.

Fairbanks, Alaska pictures

The apartment we live in. We're on the bottom floor...2nd and 3rd windows from the right are our bedroom and living room/kitchen.

These people have not only the trailer from a semi, but chairs on top of it as well.

Typical view of a street in Fairbanks. Houses are set amongst the trees.

Quilt at the State Fair. It represents a trip to the beach the quilter, her two sisters and mother took last summer.

Another quilt from the State Fair.

Another quilt from the State Fair.

Sunday Excursion

I'll have to remember these pix appear in reverse order from selected. Here's the 4th moose we saw.

Momma moose and her baby.

Momma moose has an owie on her back leg.

Chena River we crossed several times.

First moose we saw.

Brian and Camilla in front of antique car at Chena Hot Springs Resort.

First model of snowmobile (called snow machines in AK) - Polaris mfg. in 1959.

Massage therapist cabin in Chena Hot Springs Resort - note thatched roof.

Chena Hot Springs lake. The water coming from the center sprinkler was very cold. Water in the lake is about 90-100.

Trees forever and ever.

Drive from Fairbanks to Chena Hot Springs.

This morning Nate and I went to the Salvation Army Church here in Fairbanks. There were less than 15 people in attendance. The pastor said that normally there are 40-50, however several of their members are on vacation. We chose this church because the newspaper indicated the title of the sermon was to be "God's Promises in Marriage". Somehow we didn't get that out of the message.

It was an interesting experience. There is a large bass drum on the floor in the center of the first row of chairs, with the words written on it "EVERY BEAT FOR JESUS". The pastor's young son thumped on the drum off and on throughout the hymns which were played on the piano.

Their hymnal has words only, so it was a bit difficult to follow the tune to a couple of the songs. We were greeted warmly and invited to their Tuesday evening Bible Study and back to church. I informed them that we were visiting various churches in the area and to not be disappointed if we didn't return next week.

Brian and Camilla returned to the First Methodist Church we attended last week, only they went to their 9:45 contemporary service. One of our co-workers sat directly behind Camilla and Brian and went out of her way to greet them and help them feel at home. Camilla commented the postlude was so loud that it prevented any conversation. In contrast, there wasn't any postlude at the church we attended.

After church Camilla texted me and asked about lunch. We decided to have a light lunch at home and go to Chena Hot Springs, http://www.chenahotsprings.com/index.php?id=home a resort 60 miles northeast of Fairbanks. Brian and Camilla went along with us. The drive up was very pretty. The resort was very muddy as it appeared it had rained there prior to our arrival. We bought a family ticket for 10 entries and went into the outdoor pool. The changing room there had all of one 6' long bench and probably 25 lockers in which you could put your belongings. We arrived just ahead of a group of approximately 15 Asian women. We all packed in there like sardines trying to keep our clothes off of the sopping wet floor. Fortunately they had signs that in 2009 they plan on building a new bath house.

The water was very warm and refreshing, however I could have done without the algae in the water that seemed to cling to our skin. Nate is looking forward to returning for another hot springs experience. As for me, I think I'll enjoy the scenery during the ride up and back. It should be a beautiful drive when the birch trees begin to change color.

The drive back was interesting, seeing a total of 4 moose. The pictures above are of the moose we saw as well as some of the sites along the roadside.

When we returned we ate dinner at the Salmon Bake at Pioneer Park http://www.co.fairbanks.ak.us/ParksandRecreation/PioneerPark/. On the wall there is a quilt that is probably 12' wide x 10' tall. It is of mountains, pine trees and the wildlife of Alaska. Following dinner we checked out the gift shop and encountered a couple of tour groups. I noticed the name tag on one woman indicated she was from Sioux Falls, SD. I struck up a conversation with her. Her group flew to Anchorage, and will spend 12 days in Alaska, then take a bus ride back to the Midwest.

Tomorrow it's off to Anchorage for a couple of days.

Thanks to those of you who indicated you enjoyed the photos...I'll keep them coming as long as you indicate you're enjoying them. After all this adventure isn't just about us, it's about keeping our friends and loved ones in our hearts and sharing the adventure with you.

Pix enroute to Alaska

Note: I posted two times tonight - this is part 1.

Believe it or not, this is part of the Alaska Highway and went on and on and on for about 40 miles!

Snowcapped mountains.

One of many bison in a herd who literally took over the road.

Black bear

Reindeer

Internet Access 24/7

These are some pics I took on the way to Alaska.

We got the internet hooked up this morning - woo hoo! No more trying to outguess the neighbors and what time they are on so I can hitch a ride and post.

Thursday afternoon at work I was sitting in my office and someone hollered "MOOSE!" We hopped up from our desks to see a mother and baby moose directly across the road from our facility. I'd heard that the pair had frequently been seen in the early morning at the corner by our office, so wasn't expecting to see them out of their normal hangout. We took a brief moose pause, then went back to work. My desk is on the front (west) side of the building, overlooking the main entrance and across the road from an empty lot which has many small trees..sometime I'll have to remember to take my camera to work and snap some photos to share with you.

Friday over my lunch hour I got my Alaska Driver's License. It cost $20 for 5 years. It feels weird having an Alaska driver's license, having an Iowa DL for my entire life. The Alaska licenses have a small red heart on the license to indicate organ donor. They have posters at the DMV indicating all the body parts that can be donated...including the skin, bones, etc. I had always thought of organs and eyes, but not skin and bones.

Nate had Friday off so he took my van to the Chrysler dealer and got the rest of the winterizing done. We got an engine heater put on in Sioux City, but were advised by the locals that we also needed water, oil and battery heaters. Nate hopes that for the sake of the money we've spent on heaters we have a chance to use them. At car dealerships license plates can also be purchased in Alaska. Nate had to get my signature before the license plates could be purchased, so that will have to happen another day. He tried to do it today, but the dealerships are closed on Saturdays.

About the heaters...when the temps here dip low (-40 to -60 has been reported) if you want to drive you need to plug in your vehicle. Our apartment building has outlets for our cars, and throughout the parking lot at BGH there are posts with outlets for this purpose.

When we woke up this morning the sun was shining, so we decided to go to the Tanana Valley State Fair. We stopped by Camilla and Brian's and left off some of our items for storage, then traveled to the fair together. Nate and I got caught up in the vendor building while Camilla and Brian moved on. Normally at fairs I'm not swayed to make any purchases, however the cooler temp (mid 50's) must have worked to the vendor's advantage. I purchased Oxy Balls and Dryer Magic (washes laundry without using detergent), Infinte Aloe Skin Cream (www.infinitealoe.com) AND....yeah, big spender...several fragrances of aroma sensations aromatherapy oils (www.aromasensations.com). The oils are supposed to be good for specific conditions, such as headaches, relaxation, snoring, relaxation, insomnia, basically you name it. During the moving process I found that I missed scents the most of anything...they enhance my relaxation and give me peace.

They had a Taste of Alaska exhibit at the fair where they served Alaska grown vegetables as well as reindeer sausage and moose sausage. Alaska Grown is a prominent theme here, as are t-shirts and sweatshirts with Alaska written on them. I checked out an Alaska t-shirt the other day and discovered (go figure) it was not even made in America. No purchase there!

We went through the small animal building and took a look and touched sheep, rabbits, etc. The animals we saw at the fair were the same one would expect in Iowa. The weather, however, was MUCH nicer than 1st of August fairs in Iowa. It did drizzle lightly while we were there so Nate pulled out the umbrella.

We didn't purchase any food at the fair...turkey legs cost $7.50, caramel apples $6.

Nate picked up a brochure to volunteer at the March ice sculpture event. I'll keep the blog updated with their website so you can enjoy it too. Several IA BGH employees were in Fairbanks in March 08 and saw the sculptures, saying they were phenomenal. They harvest the ice in December, carve them, and put lights behind them. I'm told people from all over the world come to see the ice sculptures.

As we left the fair we noticed a co-worker standing in the parking lot...it was nice to see a familiar, friendly face.

As we experience Alaska we recall all of the signs that pointed to our coming here. Two years ago we attended a AAA seminar about Alaska. The couple said that the best time to go to Alaska is when you have plenty of time to spend here..and I guess we have plenty of time to spend since we're living here.

With these cooler temps I looked for my jeans and discovered I left them all behind in Iowa so after the fair we stopped by Value Village where I found two pair for a grand total of $6.00! Brian and Camilla left the fair much earlier than us, but we "found" them at Value Village.

I called my parents in Iowa this week and learned that they and my son Sam will be traveling to Oklahoma soon to visit my new grand niece, Avery. I've seen pictures of her and she is a beautiful baby. Her 5-year old big sister, Alexis, is crazy in love over Avery, something we were all concerned about. When mom mentioned they were going to OK, I had my first pangs of "wish I could go with you/missing the close proximity to my son and parents". I'm sure this won't be the last time.

We are still new enough to Alaska that we feel like tourists. Speaking of tourists, there are several tour buses that drive by our BGH facility and our apartment. Not sure why, but every time I've seen them they've always been empty. Fairbanks is a huge tourist area and prices reflect it.

The big news in Fairbanks at the present time is the flooding. They have received 1/4 of their annual rainfall in the past week. Several bridges are nearly overflowing and it is still raining on a regular basis. Some people have been forced to evacuate either due to flooding in their homes or roads to their homes/cabins being flooded. We are probably 20 blocks from the nearest bridge/body of water so don't have to worry about flooding, only earthquakes.

Monday Camilla and I fly to Anchorage...I planned on driving, but was informed it would be cheaper to fly than to drive, which I found to be true, not to mention saving 12 hours of driving vs. 3 hours of flying. I am required to attend the National School Lunch Program training and Camilla will be taking her registered nurse state boards. I'm already familiar with the Iowa and Nebraska food programs, and it's a federal program administered by the individual states, so will be learning the Alaska requirements.