Designing Daughter

lookit the pretty . . . and change your links . . . Lessa has gone and done it again. She's upgraded me to WordPress. I'm still learning the ropes - well, yeah, since she JUST did it - so this site will remain active with the pointer to the new home.

See you there.

and, thanks Lessa!
>..<

Augustine Update

Augustine is restless - check out the webcam

Do check out the link behind the button above - fascinating pictures of Augustine. It is pretty cool to see the difference in the mountain - prior to this eruptive phase and now. Lots of beautiful white snow before and now Augustine's flanks are covered with gray ash.

Very cool pics, though. Be sure to check them out.

And, in case you were wondering how far the moose family is away from all this - you can see on this page. The map shows all of the volcanoes that are near the Kenai Peninsula.

We have seen eruptions in all of the mountains marked in red since we have lived here. I think the only one that covered us in ash was Augustine back in '86. The wind favored Kenai in the other eruptions - carried the ash to Anchorage.

This disrupts commercial air flights as you might imagine. Even the puddle jumpers between Anchorage and Kenai aren't flying right now. I imagine that if there are no more eruptions this morning that ban might be lifted. Alaska Air cancelled 28 flights yesterday. One couple took a taxi (!!!!) from Homer to Anchorage - that's over 200 miles - can't imagine the fare. They hoped to be able to make their flight out of Anchorage, but were told it wouldn't fly once they arrived at Ted Stevens International Airport. Poor guy - he wants to so badly get to Seattle to see the Seahawks play today. Doubt that happened.

When Redoubt blew back in '89 I was in Las Vegas taking part in a bowling tournament. Hadn't been watching the news while I was there. As I was leaving the hotel I called hubby to tell him I was on my way to the airport and he laughed and asked "don't you know what is going on here?" Well, duh, honey. Of course I didn't know! So he filled me in. Told me I probably wouldn't be able to get home that day.

At the LV airport I was told I could stay in LV because there were no flights going into or out of Alaska at that time. What??? No way! I did NOT want to stay in Vegas. Get me as close to AK as you can. So they sent me part way - to Seattle - where I met with the same dire news. No flights in or out of AK.

But my nephew was at the Seattle airport - he was on his way back to AK on leave from the Navy. His airlines had given him a hotel the night before and would that night as well. I took him up on the offer of the other bed in that room. We went back to the airport early the next morning to be met with the same news - no flights. Sigh! Also the news that they had now determined this to be an act of God and would therefore not be giving out any more hotel vouchers. What?!!!

So we "slept" on the settees and chairs in the airport. This was before 9-11 and there were still lockers to be found in the Seattle airport. I locked up our luggage so we wouldn't have to lug it all around with us.

I spent the next three days bouncing back and forth between airline desks - standing in long lines trying to get a flight out of Seattle for my nephew and myself - and for my sister (his mom) who had been visiting her husband's family in Ohio and who was expected in Sea-Tac by that fourth day.

Did I mention that this was just a few days before Christmas???? Now, I'm pretty good natured and I really was enjoying myself there. Nephew and I took the bus from the airport on day 2 and visited the Space Needle and stretched our legs a bit. But even good nature stretches thin after a bit - esp. that close to a treasured family holiday.

I teased the folks at the desks that if we were all still to be there on Christmas I expected a tree, lights, turkey and the trimmings, AND presents! They smiled and said "next!"

Finally the day came when they said come get a FIM (flight interruption manifest) from your airline and go to Alaska Airlines to get a ticket for the next available flight. I parked nephew in the line and went looking for Sis who was arriving at that very minute from Ohio. I grabbed her and rushed her through the airport to the line where nephew was inching towards the desk. Phew! Made it - got all three of us on that flight - and I slept all of the way home. I was exhausted.

Nephew later told Sis when she asked how it had gone that "Aunt Moosie can talk to anyone anywhere about anything at anytime!!!" He was so glad to have been rescued by his mommy. ;-) He caught a ride back to Kenai on a paper delivery truck - a ride Papa Moosie arranged for him. Sis and I spent one more night in one more airport and flew down the next morning.

The Anchorage airport (quite a bit smaller then than it is now) was FILLED with people who were doing the same thing that we had been doing in Seattle. Sprawling and sleeping in awkward positions and trying to keep upbeat about the delay.

This was back before my internet days. I did not have as many friends then that I do now. TODAY I would be able to call upon some of you to beg a bed for a few days until the furor died down. Back then it was only stay in the airport. I think the churches and other organizations missed out on a way to be good stewards. This was all over the news - it was well known that there were thousands of people - okay, probably hundreds of people - stuck in that airport. They could have been there offering shelter, sustenance, friendship. Instead I had to pay $5 a day to take a shower (do they still have those in the Seattle airport?) and numerous quarters a day to move clean and dirty or not so clean clothes into and out of the lockers. Thank God I had some money left from Vegas - I hadn't done much one-arm banditing and so had come home having only spent money on food during the tournament stay.

Is it any wonder that I am a pretty laid back traveler now? I have no problem with 1 hour delays. I have very little problem with 4 hour or longer delays. I enjoy sitting back and watching people. I think back to those four days in the Seattle airport and I smile - because I know that sooner or later I will be back home in Alaska - where the volcanoes rumble and spit steam and sometimes ash - where the lupine grows in the summer and the fireweed tells me that winter is coming - where my grandbabies are growing like little weeds and await me with hugs and kisses - where my heart has found a home.

Ahhhhhlaska.

Rummmmmmbbllle

Augustine is restless - check out the webcam

Two days ago they called it a "burp" because it was just a little poof of steam.

This morning? KABOOM!! Ash headed eastward toward the west side of the Kenai Peninsula south of Kenai. All that to say that unless we get a big wind, we should not get any ash . . . . THIS time.

Augustine is listed at Code Red for now - was just downgraded to Yellow yesterday afternoon and then THIS. ;-) Ahhhhlaska.

We had a supervisors' meeting yesterday afternoon to tell us how we should act should an eruption occur - save the equipment!!! If we are at work - stay there - shelter in place. If we are at home and we are supposed to come to work - come to work!!! There are NO unneccessary personnel at our location. ;-)

Well, we live in Alaska. Alaska is a volcanic state. We've been through this before. We'll be just fine.

Pass the dust mask, please. (Thanks, MaryLou. We have some)

have a great weekend everyone, and please, pardon Augustine's burp. ;-)

Meet Zeke

The second Soldotna Neighbors column was printed today. Meet Zeke, an 18-year-old metalsmith. He heat treats knives using old bolts and springs from cars and other interesting places. Go and read all about this young man:

He and his brothers and sisters are all so polite and respectful! They are a joy to know - as are their parents. His dad is my pastor, and his mom is a neat friend.

Do you like blonde jokes? Have fun and don't blame me - I'm just the messenger.

heh
>..<

sunstruck

Two nights in a row with gorgeous sunsets - this shot was taken on the second night, January 6th.

This is the time of the year when we are treated to such gorgeous displays. The clouds lower over the mountains and the sun just barely peeks through as it gives us its last halooo. Wouldn't be nearly as pretty without the clouds, now would it?

Comfortable?

I'm comfortably warm - even though the temperature outside hovers near the freezing point.

I have clothes on my back - even though I would like them to be of a smaller size.

I have shoes on my feet - and several more pairs in various stages of wear around the house.

I have many modes of transportation - two feet, two motorcycles, a car and a van, taxis or transportation service.

and, if I ever get to feeling the teensiest bit sorry for myself, I just go over and check out Reporting from Honduras, a journal of a group of Belmont University students on a mission trip. Won't you go on over and see it, too?

beachprint

I was walking (very carefully) on the beach below Kenai - getting some sunset shots. As I walked back to my car I noticed several boot prints that had been iced over in the sand. Hmmmm - he seems to have had much larger feet than mine!

Brookston Scavenger Hunt Challenge #1, Week 2 of 13 "ICE"
Week beginning 1.7.06 - Photos Due by 1.13.06

BONUS POINTS AVAILABLE: 1 pt. if the ice is outside.

Alaska Neighbors

Over the Sunset Mountains . . .

and to the east . . .

The newspaper photographer was there ahead of me with his great big honkin' camera. You can probably compare shots tomorrow by going to the newspaper's website. His will be bigger, better, clearer. But mine ain't so bad considering.

Now, for the opportunity mentioned in this post - Let me introduce you to the me behind the moose:

Soldotna Neighbor Columnist posts first column. This was in the newspaper Tuesday and posted to the net afterwards. It is set up like a blog, but I don't have much control over layout or that type of thing. However, comments are open, and I invite you all to go over and check it out and leave a note if you care to do so. (I don't think they are overly monitored - the comments, that is - but we will see, I guess.)

With my next columns I plan to post photos of the subjects in the blog, although they will not appear in print. However, the do post a photo of ME next to my columns - heh.

And, yes, I am the Soldotna columnist - this despite the fact that I live in Kenai, nine miles away. I was asked by the editor if I would mind going out of my neighborhood (i.e. comfort zone) to meet and interview others. ;-) big grins.

Get to know some of the folks who live near me - check out the rest of the Neighbors' columns, too.

Enjoy, all.

>..<

Bubble Ball

for the
challenge:
Something Bubbly - extra point if alcohol involved.

Sorry - teetotaler - but, how's this one??

Can't let Lessa and the grandkids have ALL the fun, right? After all they were sort of the beta testers, doing the 10 week trial thingy and all that. So, now it is Gramma's turn, too. yay!