Fall in the Air

I just came in from the pre-bedtime Chico walk and you feel that nip in the air . . . the salmonberries are gone by and there is only another week or two of good blueberry picking . . . the pink salmon have spawned out and died so that dog walk along the river smells like every salmon stream does this time of year - not nasty especially, just that earthy, loamy smell. The silver salmon are entering the streams now - much smaller number than the pinks but more flash and splash. The eagles are mostly somewhere else this time of year, off on eagle business, no doubt exploiting a phase of the island ecosystem I haven't seen yet. When my sister was visiting the herring were running so it was a time of whales and porpoises and seals aplenty, fattening up. Every time of year has its moods and smells and sounds, a book waiting to be read everytime you walk out the door. I love all the seasons out here - summers with all the impossibly lush greenery and winters with all the violence the Bering Sea can bring to bear on a treeless rock. Life is good . . . .

4 Days . . . . .

That's how long it took me to get this posted - the internet out here has been horrible! It is well known that Alaska has the slowest average internet in the nation, so you can imagine what it's like on an island sometimes. Remember that Youtube video of the Berrimilla? It took all night to upload. And - Wait! There's More! - I get all this stellar performance for the bargain basement rate of $142/month. That includes basic cable as we use a cable modem, but since I don't watch TV, it's all internet fees in my book . . .

So! We've been busy picking blueberries, averaging 40 cups or so per night. Along with salmon berries, our crab stash, and some salmon, the freezer is shaping up nicely. The pollock season is wrapping up and cod season is in full swing and there is beginning to be a fall feel to the air in the evenings. HOPEFULLY, it won't take another four days to get something posted, cheers - steve

Medicine Dream Concert at Unalaska High School

Let's see, Thursday night was berry picking - more berries that even the last post! - and tonight we went to the Medicine Dream concert. Those guys are fantastic! From normally too-cool and aloof high schoolers to grandmothers, this band touched every one's heart with their positive message, dynamic stage presence, and unique sound. The highlight for me was when one of the band members came off the stage with a hand drum and started circle dancing around the gym. By the end of the song, hundreds of folks had joined him, almost encircling the whole seated area.

Check these guys out here. For my friends in Anchorage that are reading this, they are performing at the Alaska Native Heritage Center at 7:30 on Monday, September 15th - go check them out, you won't be disappointed!

I'll post more pictures (probably of berries!) tomorrow - cheers!

Berry Madness!

Goldfish gets out from work earlier than I do and today she put that extra time to good use and found a new berry patch - just what we needed as our regulars were starting to be a bit picked over. You can see our results from two hours of picking tonight and from the quarter you can see these are prime! We dry them overnight after washing and then freeze them on cookie sheets prior to vacuum packing. The freezer is shaping up nicely!

Rest in Peace Mom (1934 - 1994)

Mom, it's been 14 years today and I know you've been watching but I hope you spend less time worrying, now that you have the big picture. Sure, old worries like one son in law enforcement, another in the military during Desert Storm, daughters being daughters - those worries have been replaced with keeping an eye on those new great-grandchildren as they learn to walk and to run and to drive and to love. Your angel wings must get a workout because along with the new additions the sons are still playing with guns and the daughters are still being daughters . . .

Mom, I would never think of trading the rest of my life for just five more minutes with you, that would be silly - I've got a fantastic life and I just talked with you an hour ago while I walked Chico along the river (unless I had, say, just three minutes left to live, then I'd trade - 'cause my momma didn't raise no fool). With that said, my most fervent wish would be that you give yourself a pat on the back - you done good Mom, your four kids are doing well, and more importantly we know how to love and we know family comes first.

We miss you Mom, today and always . . . . .

So Beautiful

My sister was with me when we saw this egg on the beach, I had forgotten about the photo. Besides my sister and wife (of course) this egg was the most beautiful thing I saw that day - more beautiful than the puffins roosting and making their funny noises, flying by with fish in their mouths as they beat their tiny wings like hummingbirds to keep their comically fat bodies aloft; more beautiful than the whale that went right by the beach and breached completely out of the water not more than 100 yards away. Their is something fundamentally perfect about an egg, a miracle of nature, even more so by virtue of its unbroken state on a hard gravel beach. There is nothing I could add or take away from the photo above that would make it better in my mind - it is a dichotomy of death and beauty, larger than a hens egg but smaller than a gooses . . . my sister looked away, no doubt mindful of the unfulfilled potential within yet even now as I post this, I scroll up and look at the egg again and yet again and try to decipher why it still thrills me to this day . . .

Busy, Busy, Busy!

It may seem like I've been in hiding but in truth things have been a bit hectic - the usual end of month reporting issues, blueberries to be picked, keeping a watchful eye on "our" Sarah Palin as she tears up the national scene, following the Berrimilla crew as they close in on their goal of reaching England from Australia via the Northwest Passage, and a recent birthday pushing me to the ripe old age of 45. All good fun but the blog time has suffered . . . and my Dad threatened to cry in his cereal if I wasn't a bit more regular . . . good morning Dad, love ya!

The Harvest Continues

The salmon berries are fading but the blueberries are coming on strong! Goldfish's Mom has been a regular in the berry patches this past week and is hauling her hard earned booty back to the mainland tomorrow, all vacuum packed and frozen. It was great having her visit and we hope she comes back soon!

Congratulations to Alex and Crew!

For those of you that haven't been following their blog , Alex, Kimbra and Corrie have successfully sailed over the Northwest Passage and are now poised by the South tip of Greenland in preparation for crossing the North Atlantic to England. They are only the 26th small boat to ever complete this passage and they have had big adventures since that evening in June when they were in our living room! They are three of the most unassuming, friendly and competent folks I've had the pleasure of meeting and Goldfish and I wish them safe passage on the final leg of their journey.

For all adventurers, armchair and otherwise, I'd urge you to consider contributing to the Berri's voyage here - Alex is entirely self-funded, he is definitely not a corporate type. I'd consider it a personal favor if you did, as Goldfish and I have, and consider it well spent. For any that haven't, take some time and catch up on their blog as they had a front row seat this summer to one of the most gripping stories on Earth - the melting of the polar ice caps - complete with swimming polar bears far from shore.

The video is of the Berrimilla leaving the Small Boat Harbor in Dutch Harbor, the morning of June 29, 2008. Picture this 33 foot sailboat sailing from Australia to Dutch Harbor, then over North America to Greenland, and now on to England - how did YOU spend your summer vacation???

Cheers, Steve

Olympics Closing Ceremony

The evening of the closing ceremonies I pedaled my mountain bike over the pass, 14.6 miles from doorstep to doorstep with a big hill in between. The most bizarre transformation occurred over the course of all that television watching - towards the end I found myself grabbing a pair of binoculars and watching a pair of sea otters playing in the East Channel in front of the house (while a commercial was on, of course!). What I realized is that the world seen through the television had become my new reality, and what was happening in my own front yard had become something distant and foreign. Biking the pass kicked my butt (and involved a fair amount of pushing the bike on the steeper sections), but it was my way of reconnecting to the island.

Goldfish's Mom flew in this morning for a few days and seems to be having a great time! And I'm back blogging - I'll be checking in on everyone soon!

Not to be Outdone by My Sister . . .

Some of you might remember my sister took a photo of an eagle posed similarly when she was visiting last month. I just wanted you all to know I too was capable of capturing "poetry in motion" . . .

The dang Olympics are wearing me out, and to my regulars I apologize, I'll be back soon and will be visiting your sites to get caught up! I blame Goldfish for this - I hadn't watched them since Carl Lewis was breaking records but now I'm hooked and we're making plans to be in London in 2012 . . . .

The Berries Are Here!

I'm starting to see a few more vehicles on the side of the road, drivers off in the bushes loading up on nature's bounty. This island is truly a berry picker's paradise - Goldfish came home from walking Chico last night with this haul and tonight we're both meeting up after work to pick to start loading up the freezer. I eat local berries 3 or 4 times a week, year round, and the best benefit is the gathering!

Life's Twist and Turns

When you reach a certain age - and those of you of that "certain age" know what I'm talking about - you can look ahead and make predictions on where your working life is going to lead. You've had enough jobs to know what you're good at and enjoy doing, and you may even be in that job you can see yourself doing until retirement. The fun part is to look back on your earlier years and marvel at how you ever ended up where you are today.

I went to college for chemical engineering, then teaching, then industrial instrumentation, then anthropology. If I knew every bit of what I know today and was somehow able to start over and magically graduate from high school again and enroll in college, I would STILL not know what I want to major in, and I would STILL accumulate hundreds of credits in classes that I enjoy. I don't regret a single moment spent in a college classroom, at six different colleges. But honestly not a single class has ever helped me much in the workplace.

I've spent about equal time between earning a living with my hands and earning a living with my head - I need both parts in my life, and if I am employed using my hands then I usually focus on intellectual pursuits in my off-time; if I sit in front of a computer, I try to be more physical and hands-on in the evenings. The one thing I know for sure is I never could have imagined 25 years ago that I would be working on an island in the Bering Sea - but maybe I could have . . . . between the military, managing a grocery store, multi-craftsman at a college, and managing a small business, I also worked herring in Bristol bay and on a salmon boat in Cook Inlet. The outdoors and the sea have always been a draw for me so maybe it was inevitable I would end up here, site of the last great sustainable fishery in the world, at the busiest fishing port in the United States. Surrounded by mountains and all that you've seen on this blog, an endless Discovery Channel happening outside, waiting to be discovered. What a strange, twisting trip it's been . . . .

How 'bout Those Olympics?

I missed half the opening ceremonies because I took a motorcycle ride out to Morris Cove and walked on the beach. Tonight, I missed the first hour of coverage because I was in the spare bedroom installing bike computers on our bikes, but gradually I'm starting to get sucked in and have a feeling I'll be parked in front of the dreaded boob tube more than my usual couple hours a week, at least for the next couple weeks.

Goldfish is a huge Olympics fan - crazy, rabid, off her rocker-type fan (sorry sweetheart, but can you deny it??) so if I'm going to see her while the flame is lit, I'd better start getting familiar with the athletes and events . . . .

A third volcano is erupting out here and there is a fresh crop of pumice washing ashore, some of it right in front of the house. Tonight Chico and I went for a nice long beach walk before bedtime, he is on the couch now sighing dramatically because I haven't turned in . . . . cheers, sorry I haven't posted as much and am behind on comments and reading blogs - it's the Olympics!

Evening Remembered

I took this photo when my sister was visiting and I am posting it mostly to tease her - we were walking home along the beach frontage road after taking oodles of pictures of eagles and her camera batteries were all completely dead. The lighting behind the Russian Orthodox Church was getting really interesting and I took a couple shots and poked fun at her for not being prepared . . . . it was wonderful having her out for a visit - so Sis, how did your church photos come out? Ohhhhhh, that's right, ead batteries . . . . :o)

Another World

The sun and fog were combining to create surreal landscapes all over the island when I got off work today so I headed out to explore. I had a tough time picking a photo out to post but felt drawn to this one - sometimes you just have to be there to experience things in person. I know I live in an amazing place but I've traveled all over the United States extensively and feel anyone can walk out their door and see something amazing. Life happens outside . . . . .

I had a wonderfully productive evening; I washed and waxed the truck, walked the dog, finished assembling Goldfish's bike, got in two motorcycle rides (one over the pass), lots of quality time with Goldfish, and trimmed up my shaggy beard. In the foreground of the photo are the sand dunes by Summers Bay. Cheers everyone, get outside and discover something amazing today . . . . . .

Waiting for Salmon

I rode out past Humpy Cove tonight after work and this youngster was sitting on the little bridge across the creek. He's keep one eye on me and every once in awhile he'd check the creek below for new arrivals, fresh from the ocean on the last high tide. The salmonberries are just starting to ripen - should be good picking when Goldfish's Mom comes out in two weeks!

Random Bird Brainage - Chapter 1

Goldfish and I went to dinner at a coworker's house tonight; fish tacos, beans and rice, mango and banana crepes and good conversation made for a relaxing evening. Now I'm poised at the emotional summit, distantly aware of the enormous amount I need to get done in the next 24 hours but not ready to commit to the task just yet. In this state of mental neutrality I thought I'd throw up some tidbits of Alaska Steve trivia for general consumption . . . . .

1. In case you haven't figured it out, this blog's primary purpose is to give my Dad something to read in the morning when he eats his cereal. It's a tiny bit more complex, perhaps - there is a son in Anchorage; a son in North Dakota; a brother and sister in Maine; and a sister in Idaho in addition to my Dad in Maine eating cereal - but more than anything, it is the thought of my Dad not having a post to read that will drive me to commit that 20 minutes to getting something up, no matter how long my day has been. Case in point, it's after midnight and I need to be up in a few hours, and here I am . . . . a blog is just simply an efficient and elegant way to stay in touch with friends and loved ones. I have also made a few new friends along the way that I like and admire and would have never met off-line.

2. I have nothing to sell and no agenda to push. When I was growing up my Mom and Dad would generally cancel each other out at the polling booth, and I'm a product of that - I'm not the most conservative member of my family but neither am I the most liberal. As are many Alaskans, I'm a member of the Independent political party but do not necessarily vote along party lines. I am most passionate about issues I feel I can investigate first hand and effect a change in such as North Pacific / Bering Sea commercial fishing policies.

3. With that said, I have nothing but admiration for folks that blog to educate, illuminate, and advocate their position. I love regional blogs that are often the best source of news in that particular area, I love blogs with photos taken by the blog author, and I love blogs that follow grand adventures. You might be surprised to know I only read just a handful of blogs regularly - that is due to time constraints, not a lack of interest. I do generally investigate and bookmark the blog of anyone who takes the time and trouble to leave me a comment, and I plan on linking to more of those blogs soon. I've been blogging for three years now and I can't imagine stopping, and I have few ideas for additional blogs for the future.

Enough bird brainage for now, cheers . . . . .

Ulatka Head

Ulatka Head is the portion of Ballyhoo farthest from the airport. These were taken when my sister was here - in the top photo she is on the top of a bunker looking down the cliff and then Chico and I are completely upstaging her in the bottom photo. This bunker is maybe 300 meters from the bunker in the photos from my last post. Saturday night Goldfish and I walked Chico at this same spot under completely different weather conditions, looking for a reported beached whale on the rocks below Ulatka Head; we could barely make out the anything as the whole area was in the clouds.

Tonight Care Bear came over and showed us her vacation photos and trimmed up our herbal garden. Work is pretty intense this weekend with end of month and it's still rattling around in my head so I can't think of anything clever to say . . . . .

Rest Day

After a really busy month of July I declared a productivity holiday this evening and stayed in, reading and napping. I've got a million projects and the end of month reporting looms on the horizon but tonight was pure self-indulgence. Bro, great to talk to you at lunch!

These are a couple pictures taken on Ballyhoo when my sister was here; just beyond where she is sitting is a very long sheer drop to the Bering Sea. This a wonderful spot to watch the fleet come in, whale watch, or just find peace from a busy day. My sister connected with the spot right away - what an obviously ocean gal is doing in Idaho is beyond me . . . .