Hey Ya'll,
It has been a while since I sat down to write. I can hear a big sigh from some as they realize the break is over.
We have been a bit busy as of late. I started my new job with public health as the Immunization Coordinator and eventually the school nurse for not just the schools in Kotzebue, but the whole region. I am still trying to find my a-- with both hands and a flashlight and probably will be for a while. I never knew there was so much to immunizations not to mention the multitudes of screaming rug rats I am responsible for sticking with needles. I am enjoying the change though. I was in the new job for one week when Patty and I took a one week vacation that we had scheduled. We went down to Anchorage for the second week of the Fur Rendezvous festival which is a big affair in Alaska that culminates in the start of the Iditarod. We stayed at the historic Anchorage Hotel which is downtown right at the start of the race. The first weekend we were there, there were sprint races by dog teams which were about 20 mile runs. All throughout downtown there were booths and tables selling everything from grilled hotdogs and reindeer sausage, to hot beverages, to furs-whole, in pieces, or made into all types of garments. There was a rent a fair in town with a beautiful view of the snow covered mountains that form part of the Anchorage bowl. At the fair there was a trailer set up that auctioned furs to the general public as long as the fair was in progress. There were also ice sculptures in town which we did not get a chance to see. During the week we spent a lot of time looking at houses as we do everytime we go to Anchorage as well as doing a lot of shopping, (we shipped 180 lbs with Alaska air cargo which included our Easter candy) and a lot of eating at as many different places as we could. It snowed quite a bit while we were there keeping the Sammartino tradition of bringing changing weather wherever we go alive. Christy told us it had not snowed for weeks before our arrival. It is interesting as you travel in Anchorage during and after a snowfall. The fools there do the same stupid things drivers do everywhere. It snows and is slippery so everyone slows down and is careful right? Good on paper, just not in real life. Seems folks here play bumper cars in bad weather too. Anyway, while driving downtown after a snowfall there were 4 wheelers with snowplows in front clearing the public sidewalks. Small businesses were clearing their walks with either a snowblower or shovels.
The second weekend on Saturday came the start of the Iditarod. This is a dog sled race that goes 1049 miles from Anchorage to Nome over a period of a couple of weeks. There were 89 teams from around the world and it was as much like Mardi Gras as Alaska can get I suppose. The media was there in force along with the Anchorage police, some equipped with their police snowmachines. The race began about 10AM with musher's starting every two minutes. Each sled carried a passenger at the start. These folks bid money for the honor and this is where a fair amount of the money for the race is generated. They travel a few miles out of town and then are picked up and trucked out of Anchorage for the real start the next day. The race started on March 6th and continues as I write.
Anchorage is kind of like New Orleans in that it is surrounded by the mountains and Turnagain Arm and this is called the Anchorage bowl. It is a growing city with limited space to build. The big difference is that much of Anchorage is still wooded with bike, hiking, and skiing trails, lakes and ponds abound, and there are huge tracts set aside for parks. It is also bordered by two military bases which keeps much of the land wild. The bowl supports moose by the hundreds if not thousands. We did see one on side of a busy highway majestically trotting along in the snow, spouting great gouts of steam from both nostrils as it traveled. We did put a bid in on a beautiful two story house that was accepted and I have to say there were moose droppings on both sides of the house (no, we have no plans to move there-at least not anytime soon, maybe never-Christy and Shawn will live there, it will be a place for us to stay on travel there, an investment, and a tax break). You gotta love a place that instead of rats, roaches, or the occasional raccoon, has thousand pound animals roaming loose. Christy works at Providence hospital, the largest hospital in the state located in the middle of the city. There are signs posted at all the exits stating to look for moose on walking out the door. Moose generally do not bother people but can be ornery and dangerous, especially if the worlds smartest animal acts like the worlds stupidest.
Patty left on Sunday but I had to stay in town for a conference Tuesday and Wednesday concerning my new job. We parked in the outside lot to drop her off at the airport and within 100 feet of an entrance there was moose droppings. I stopped, looked around and noted that for probably at least a half mile around there was nothing but concrete, buildings, cars, and airport. Oh well, guess we don't have to worry about getting bitten as with rats, squirrels, raccoons, snakes, ants.........just stomped (imagine trying to run on the ice with a thousand pounds of Bullwinkle in hot pursuit!).
I came home on Wednesday night and was glad to return to the routine here in the little big city of the northwest arctic. I also made a last minute run to Costco, a version of Sam's, just before departure and crammed an Alaskan suitcase (a large plastic container taped with duct tape) with premade Greek and spinach salads, croissants, fresh pea pods, avocados, portabella mushrooms, and other assorted fresh items. We are now busy trying to eat up all the fresh stuff before it goes bad. I do go back to Anchorage for another two day conference leaving Wednesday night and returning Friday night. I spend the weekend at home then fly out the next Monday for a four day stay in Selawik, on of our larger villages with almost 1000 people. This will be my first trip to a village and I am looking forward to it.
We caught up on daily chores and bills yesterday and took a ride today on the 4 wheelers. The temps have warmed up a bit with today's being 28-30 above zero, partly cloudy, with a 10-15 mph wind. Even though it has warmed up it is still rough on the face. Daylight now is from daybreak approximately 6:30am with total dark around 9pm. The northern lights were out last night and were beautiful. I am longing for the days after thaw when we can get down the beach, build a driftwood fire, and listen to the sounds of the waves gently breaking on the gravel beach. That's when it is really hard to imagine we are where we are-a mere speck in this immense arctic wilderness.
Take care all,
Carlo
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Last updated:
08/29/05