Fall 2008

Hello,

The summer is officially over and we've had our first few of many snow falls. The snow level, more cynically known as termination dust, has already marched down to the city and it feels more like December than October. All of the peaks and trees are jeweled in a fresh coat of crystalline beauty and I've broken out the winter coat for the next 5 months. It was 23 degrees when I stepped outside this morning to go to work and for the third time this season, had to scrape my car windows, break out the snow-brush and go to work on my bug, which resembled a snow cone more than a car. Soon, I'll kick myself into gear and get the studded tires on for the season, but for now, I'll just be cautious during my commute to work. That said, this summer was great and we're sad to bid it farewell.

We were generously graced with a visit from many members of our families starting with Linda (Chris' mother) and my father in March during and immediately following the Iditarod. They were followed in July by our friends Kevin, Shaunna and Shaunna's parents from Idaho and last but certainly not least, my mother and her new fiancee, John who visited over Labor Day weekend. We enjoyed fishing in Homer with our friends and their family for a long weekend and were able to get caught up on all we've been missing in Boise. We took a number of road/hiking trips through the Alaska Range and down on the Kenai Peninsula throughout the summer. We are tentatively planning and looking forward to a possible trip up the haul road to Dead Horse/Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic Coast north of the Brooks Range and east to McCarthy and the Wrangel-St. Elias area next summer.

After fishing in Homer with our friends, we returned to Anchorage where I made a failed attempt to take Kevin flying (Shauna is not as fond of being airborn as Kevin is). The weather was fine, but the plane, (a Cardinal 177RG for those of you who care) was having mechanical issues. After my preflight, just as I was about to get departure and taxi clearance, the engine sputtered and died right there on the ramp! Planes are like that- they die from time to time and this was not the first time I had an engine go out on me. Unlike the first time I lost my engine, at least this went out on the ground in the safest possible place. I cursed at the plane and begged it to start, but in the end, even after I got the prop spinning, I opted not to go. Safety first, right? I guess that just gives Kevin and Shuanna another excuse to come back to Alaska and visit! We were very sad to see them go back to Boise and even managed to have them miss their flight out while procrastinating to get them to the airport.

My mother and John came up for a visit over Labor Day. There were a couple of 'firsts' for this visit. One, it was the first time my mother has visited us since we moved to Alaska over 2 years ago. Two, this was the first time Chris and I had met John and we instantly liked his pleasant disposition. He is a welcome addition to our family. With mom and John in tow, we went back to Homer for some R&R and along the way took a detour down Skilac Lake road, an 18 mile long bumpy dirt road that runs north to south along the Kenai Mountains in some of the most spectacular country in Alaska. In addition to seeing the crazy blue waters of the Russian and Kenai Rivers and Kenai Lake, we were treated to an up-close black bear sighting at about mile 3. The little guy (or gal) was grazing on ripe berries along side the road and didn't have a care in the world. S/he was only about 8 feet from the car door so we were able to get a really good look. Unfortunately, we weren't quick enough on the draw to get our cameras out and snap pictures. The little bear was really cute, but we also knew that his mama was likely nearby and that she wouldn't appreciate our intrusion into her cub's space. After a short time, the little cub loped off into the bush and we were on our way. Once in Homer, we caught some great views of the Harding Ice Field just before the weather turned for the worse. I had originally planned for us to catch a water taxi to the small town of Seldovia across the bay, but with the seas kicking up with white caps and pelting rain, we opted to just hang around Homer and visit the winery instead. We played cards, drank wine and scotch and overall had a very lovely time. We look forward to the next visit enthusiastically.

Chris has some big news! He recently accepted a job here in Anchorage with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and will finally be freed from his prison at home and forced monthly travel schedule. This weekend, he will go back to Boise for his last work-related trip. The two weeks seems like a very long time, but when he returns, he will have a whole week off before starting the new job will not have to travel like that for some time. I'm looking forward to having him both home and out of the house for work!

There is a huge upside to the new job- leaving the house, being here on a regular basis, conversing with real people instead of just our dogs and perhaps being able to leave work at work. The down side is that he now has to go buy a whole new wardrobe and shave more regularly. At least they won't ask him to cut his hair, but the boxer shorts and bathrobes may not cut it in his new, very professional office. So, off to the store he'll go. Another issue we'll have to resolve is shower time. I've been spoiled with being able to wake up 25 minutes before 8 o'clock and make a mad dash into the shower, throw on my clothes while leaving the house wet (or frozen) hair and still get to work on time (well perhaps a few minutes late, but still). I'm sure somehow, we'll make it work. Perhaps the biggest fear we both have in all of this transition is the amount of destruction that will occur when the dogs realize they've been left at home alone for the first time in over two years.

Lax has been to the vet twice this year for over eating and has managed to figure out the child locks on the doors. He's learned to distinguish between forks, knives and spoons, but still prefers spatulas and cereal bowls for his sink fishing expeditions. He has also developed a keen taste for uncooked Spanish rice and sea salt. It seems that no matter how sterile we leave the house, he manages to find something to eat. We shall see how he fairs when both of us are away during the day. In winter, we simply can not leave the dogs outside. The temperatures are just too cold with some days never even making it above zero degrees. So, we'll just have to wait and see. In the mean time, I'm considering purchasing stock in the "Good-Chef" company (manufacturers of cheap spatulas). Zev is an innocent bystander in Lax's shenanigans and usually serves as a go-to boy for Lax since Zev can reach the highest shelves and Lax is too fat and short to get to the real goodies. They are quite the dynamic duo of silliness and the poor cat just watches from afar.

In other Chris-related news, he participated in another bike race of sorts that's part of the "Frigid Bits" series. This one was an urban treasure hunt that required him to team up with another rider and required the use of a camera to document the urban adventure. There were no winners or losers in this race, but some of the items on the treasure hunt involved drinking at the Panhandle Bar in downtown Anchorage, photographing the rent-a-can at the university lake and otherwise just riding to ride. I had a good time in my usual support roll with Carlos, the event organizer and the dogs. There will be more races this winter and at least one of them is a very serious race- the Susitna 100. It is a one-hundred mile endurance race that falls in the dead of winter and will require a snow bike and a lot of survival gear for the cold and extreme weather conditions. Chris will likely start training for this race beginning in November and we're already planning a cross-Chugach range hiking trip from Anchorage to Indian, Alaska when the snow gets deep enough. This will help with embracing the cold, I'm sure.

As for me, I've been volunteering regularly at Bean's Café, a local soup kitchen. I am swamped at work and currently juggling at least 3 book projects (more on the way) and almost a dozen calendars that all need to be finished before the holiday shopping season begins. I have also started volunteering with the Civil Air Patrol and will be working toward becoming a search and rescue pilot over the next few weeks and months. My first 'mission' is shaping up to be an aerial ice-pack survey in coordination with the US Coast Guard beginning some time in November. It sounds fun and will require a lot of technical low-flying maneuvers to get good aerial images and measurements for the spotters. Other future missions may require ferrying cargo or medical supplies to some of the bush communities along the Kuskokwim and Yukon rivers (west of the Alaska Range), including an occasional trip to the thriving metropolis of Bethel, Alaska. I have two exams to complete (one written and one practical) and I think I'll pass both without too much worry. With my new volunteer status, came a new uniform.

My military issue CAP flight suit/uniform was obviously never intended for a woman under 5 feet tall to wear and even with a tailor, it will still be much too large and I have visions of being dubbed the little green smurf of our flight unit. At least it's winter so, there will be PLENTY of room for warm layers underneath. I will also have to replace my current well-worn and custom fit, but non-standardized flight/seat cushion with one more suited to CAP (to make sure I can see over the dash). With that, I'll end the update until next time… As winter progresses and the winter roads worsen, I'm sure there will be some funny moose stories and bumper car stories to share in coming weeks and months. As always, I love hearing from everyone.

Until next time,
Vered (and Zev, too)