Winter 2009 may have arrived...

After a very sunny and warm summer, followed by a very pleasant fall...we think winter may be here as it is finally snowing. This is a picture from our little deck off the front room into the back yard. The fence on the left opens onto the Independence Park Greenbelt Trail System. Not sure I will be as excited about this snow when I have to go out and clean off my car tomorrow morning.

These were our Halloween costumes - Scary!!!!

Life is good - Mary's B-day is on Friday...we are doing a little getaway for the weekend to Fairbanks and Chena Hotsprings. Hoping to see the Northern Lights.

Looking forward the Sue and Susan's visit for Thanksgiving Week!

A friend on Facebook posted this today:

In honor of Thanksgiving, every day this month until Thanksgiving, think of one thing that you are thankful for and post it as your status. "Today I am thankful for..." The longer you do it, the harder it gets! Now if you think you can do it then repost this message as your status to invite others to take the challenge, then post what YOU are thankful for today.

For those of you who are not on Facebook (MOM)....Mary and I are very thankful for each and everyone of you and the richness you bring to our lives!

This week's activities

• A weekend of float tube fishing at DeLong Lake (located by the airport, about 10 minutes from our house)
• Nikan and Bruno get new Halloween costumes
• Moose traveling the neighborhood when we came home from work tonight.

It has been a busy week! I am leaving for Fairbanks on Thursday for the State Charter School Conference - returning home on Saturday in time to attend the State Principal's Conference in Anchorage beginning on Sunday...the cool thing is that my friend Wilma will be presenting at the Principal's Conference on Tuesday!

As usual Mary is busy, busy with work (and some play)!

Hope all is well with each and every one of you!

G

So Proud...

Congrats go our to Mary!!! I am so proud.

Today Mary was honored at the Outstanding Employee of the Quarter. The letter reads...

Dear Mary,

I wanted to take the opportunity to recognize you with an Outstanding Employee Award. The CTG Management Team recognizes that you are noted by BPXA client as a Project Manager you can count on. You consistently carry a heavy project load and deliver on each with excellence. Your contributions provide a meaning impact to CTG's business. You will receive......(a bit of money in your next check....)

.....Sincerely.....The big boss

Way to go Mary!!!!

Many are asking...Where have you been!

I apologize up front for the amount of time that has passed since my last post...life has been very busy as we moved from Seward, settled into our new home in Anchorage and I began a new job.

The summer was the best yet with the nicest summer weather possible, lots of fishing and visits from Danny and Emily, Amber and Cole, Paige, my mom (to help pack and garage sale queen), and Bob and Susan. Our extra freezer is so full that we had to give fish away to friends as we simply did not have the space. Part of that is due to our continued storage of Danny's monster Halibut and his success with snagging Red's in June. We will be making a delivery when home for the holidays.

Because Fall is the best fishing for Rainbow Trout...I may be out looking for a float tube today - lots of lakes close to Anchorage for trout fishing. Easy to go out after work with fishing buddies for an hour or two. And while Mary gets cold easy - I don't mind the 30-40 degree weather.

While I do missed the breathtaking views and wildlife of Seward (not that Anchorage doesn't have moose and bears...moose in our yard two days ago) we are settling into the flow of life in Anchorage. I absolutely love my new job. The staff is dedicated and wonderful, students are partners in their education, and parents are involved in decision making and problem solving. I am learning to navigate the fine line of working within the district structure and being answerable to a board of directors. So much more to say about this...but that will come.

We have joined a bowling league, I am trying to make regular trips to the Archery Range, making new friends, exploring the city and surrounding areas...and looking forward to winter activities. After the expert modeling by my mom, Mary and I had a successful garage sale yesterday (got me 1/2 way to my season hockey tickets - go Aces). Mary was able to expand her stained glass work area and I was able to set up an area for winter fly tying - in our heated garage! Still have a few boxes to go through and a garage sale to host in the spring...but the garage has space and is usable!

Finally - students at school planned and hosted a Quarter Carnival on Friday night. It was put together by the prom committee to raise some money to cover the cost of the spring dance. The highlight was the Pie Throwing booth. Kudos to all the staff members who agreed to be the "targets" for the evening - I was the last in the booth. Enjoy the pictures.

Check back next Sunday for an update.

The pictures are in reverse order...can't seem to get the "right order" posted...but enjoy.

The passing of a friend...

I am very sad at the loss of a friend and employee (former) who was killed last night on the Seward Highway. Her husband and she were returning for a vacation on Kodiak when a truck crossed the center line and hit them head on. Her husband is in critical condition. Her passing is a tremendous loss to her family, friends and the district.

Ann was one of the smartest, caring and ethical person I have ever encountered. I will miss her and I keeping good thoughts that Bruce will come through this and heal with time.

I am reminded how lucky I was in January. Love you all - Ginger

From Seward to Anchorage

Bruno and I are enjoying our final weekend as resident's of Seward, Alaska. The house is packed and the beds have been sold. :-) We are sleeping on the couch and doing last minute preps for the renters.

I was very thankful for my mom's visit as her help was invaluable in getting things ready. She was a pro. I am ready for the rain to stop and it is one thing I will not miss. However, there are many things I will miss, including my nightly visits to the docks when the charter boats come in with the day's haul. I will also miss the instant beauty from my front door and the walks on the bay looking for sea otters and whales.

I will also miss some of the wonderful people I have meet in Seward. It has been a great three years but the time has come to move on.

Should have some pictures of the madness in a few days - waiting for mom to send.

Transition summer in Seward

This is what my good friend Sue calls it - "The Transition Summer." Packing is in full swing and I am looking forward to my mom's arrival this week to help get me to the end...including a yard sale. Because I start back to work right after the move (the next day) I do wish elves would come in and do the unpacking - of course I would than have to "find" everything.

I finally got pictures posted from summer visitors. There were so many I just picked a few - Enjoy the slide show below.

Back to packing - I am happy to report that the basement is completely packed (including bathroom and bedroom). Now working on the main level. Weather in Seward is still pretty good, although rain is surely on the way. I have been in shorts for weeks and it was 59 when I went for my morning coffee.

Movers come on the 27th of this month so back to work.

G

MJ and life

Mom mentioned the other day that I have not posted in a very long time...the summer has been very busy with visitors, new job and getting ready to move. Today's memorial service to Michael Jackson seemed like a good day to begin again. Later today I will do a brief update of life and post some pictures. Hope every one is well.

Michael Jackson

I was unable to watch the memorial service for Michael Jackson today but Mary recorded it for me. I am still a bit bewildered that he is gone at such a young age. Seems like he had more to do...

I have been reading facebook posts and it seems that it was a good tribute to a talented man. It must have been difficult to be MJ having been in the public spot light his entire life. His superstar status made it difficult to live a normal life particularly when the media spins all events to "sell" their programs and shows.

I trust that the tribute today was fitting for all he gave to the world through his music and works. The most impressive gestures over the past couple of days have been Liz Taylor's decision to not attend the service in order to mourn her close friend out of the spotlight. She is a classic.

The "Reds" are in

Thinking this is a good rule to live by...The best way to avoid hearing "You should have been here yesterday" is to fish every day!

For those who have not yet heard - the big news in our lives is my anticpatated move to Anchorage this summer as I have taken a new job. I have accepted the principal position at Highland Tech High Charter School. I am very excited about this opportunity and the end to a 16 month weekend commute between Seward and Anchorage.

More later - Ginger

Spring has arrived in Seward (and Anchorage)

Nikan, Mary and Bruno
Seward - May 10, 2009
View from the bay back towards our house

Resurrection Bay - May 10, 2009

Humpback Whale in Resurrection Bay - May 10, 2009

Ginger waiting her turn to go at The Bike for Women - May 3, 2009

The Bike Ride - for Special Olympics Alaska

Please help me acheive my fundraising goal of $500 dollars to participate in a 59 mile Bike Ride for Special Olympics Alaska.

Just a Saturday...

Spring breakup seems to have arrived as the temps hit 40 today. Lots of puddles in and around the ice. We are up to over 13 hours of daylight - currently dusk outside (9:30p). The Great Alaska Sportman's Show was this weekend. Something we look forward to every year as the latest and greatest in outdoor gear is unveiled.

Ginger and Bruno at the Pug Party. It was Bruno's first 'party,' he was a little overwhelmed and needed the security of his momma. Of course Nikan was tearing it up with his friends. And Mary was being social with the people.

It was also the last visit from Bruno's previous family and it was a little emotional for us both.

We sold the drift boat two weeks ago and this is the replacement water vessel.

Heavy duty inflatable, folds to the size of a medium suitcase, weighs 100 pounds (when inflated), holds 3-4 people (1000+lbs).

This will be perfect for floating the upper Kenai River for fly fishing. :-)

Monsters vs. Aliens - The Movie

Monsters vs. Aliens Review...

Although a predictable story Monsters vs. Aliens was a pretty cool movie. Theater's offer a 3D and non 3D version of the movie - I suggest paying the extra 2 bucks and enjoy the 3D version. The special 3D effects helped this movie stand out from the others. I can't say it ranks up there with Monsters Inc, but it is a good animated flick none the less.

Mt Redoubt (continued)

It has been an active few days for Mt Redoubt. After an eruption at approx 3:30pm and 7:30pm yesterday there was enough ash falling in Anchorage to close the International Airport leaving many people stranded coming and going. We have friends in Vegas who probably can not get home today? (Just heard they will make it to Seattle but can get no further)

The ash is significant enough in Anchorage for people to be wearing face masks. Also, contact wearers have been told to wear their glass as the ash can scratch your eyes if it gets under your contacts.

The biggest threat for the peninsula came on Thursday when we had a couple of "big blows" in the morning after school had begun. This was a problem because as luck would have it, the winds shifted and were blowing directly across the peninsula. Seward (east) is a distance from the volcano (but closer than Anchorage (north)). The emails were flying from the district with constant updates. I found this very helpful as I made some minor language changes and forwarded updates to my staff. The impact on Seward has been minimal but that could change at any time.

Mary is headed back to Anchorage today so she will be in the "thick of it" - sorry could not resist the pun. We are prepared with masks and goggles. I posted the Alaska Volcano Observatory link under "Favorites" on the right. This will give you easy access to the latest information. Click on the "Puff Ash Cloud Predictions" - This will show you the current wind direction and where the ash will go. The colors represent the height of the eruption - most eruptions have been 30,000 t0 60,000 ft.

Finally as you hear news about the eruptions and ash fall - all the "agencies" have agreed on the following terms to describe the ash fall.

Trace Ash - (weather service will issue "statements") is less than 1/32nd inch of ash
Minor Ash - (weather service will issue "advisory") is 1/32nd to 1/4 inch of ash
Substantial Ash - (weather service will issue "warning") is more than 1/4 in of ash

Anchorage was at "warning" last night.

Check back here regularly for updates - Ginger

Mt Redoubt: Eruption 1:30a - 03/38/09 - This is lighting from the eruption

Mt Redoubt: Eruption 3:30p - 3/28/09

Mt Redoubt: Eruption 3:30p - 3/28/09

Latest on Mt. Redoubt

Current information:
1. Since Sunday night at 10:38 PM ADT, there have been 5 major explosions/eruptions at Redoubt lofting an ash cloud up to 60,000 feet high. The cloud has moved primarily NNW from the volcano dropping ash in the Upper Susitna Valley (http://radar.weather.gov/radar.php?rid=ahg&product=N0R&overlay=11101111&loop=yes) in the Skwentna area as shown on the map.
2. The webcam located 7 miles from the summit has failed along with the local webicoder. The others in the immediate area are functioning.
3. Although 19 flights have been diverted or canceled since the eruptions began, most are operating normally and Ted Stevens International airport has no immediate plans to close at this time.
4. The history of Redoubt Volcano is to erupt over many months. That is what the USGS expects for this event at this time.
5. Winds are still carrying the ash plume north over the Susitna Valley, and minor ash fall has been reported in Skwentna, Trapper Creek, Talkeetna, and Willow.
6. No ash is expected in the Anchorage area in the immediate future so there are NO expected office closures or service interruptions at this time. Notifications will be sent should that situation change.

Mt. Redoubt- Eruption

Mary in Anchorage: Just before going to bed last night I saw a late news alert that Mt. Redoubt had erupted at 10:38 pm AK time. Kept an eye on things till about midnight and awoke to news that it had erupted 5 times overnight. The latest:
2009-03-23 07:46:00
The eruption of Redoubt volcano continues.Ash plumes generated by the explosive bursts so far have all drifted to the north.Ashfall advisories are available on the National Weather Service site http://pafc.arh.noaa.gov/volcano.php
Some ashfall north of Anchorage and they are expecting only a slight amount of ashfall here in Anchorage. However, wind conditions change constantly so we just need to keep watch. Kenai Peninsula and Seward may see more ash then Anchorage, so I will let Ginger update on that situation. No worries for now! Schools, work, etc are open.

Mary

Spring Break 2009

The weather in Anchorage the last couple of days has been wonderful. On Thursday, Mary went with me to the archery range. She agreed to step up to the plate and give it a try...sounded like a better idea than it turned out to be - my bow is left handed (and too small) for her. On her first arrow the back string (which has a 32lb draw) slapped her elbow on the way forward - I have never seen a bruise like the one she has on her elbow. She says it doesn't really hurt but it sure looks like it should.

Yesterday we went for an easy cross country ski - easy because we were going snowboarding today. The easy ski turned into 2 hours - but the day was beautiful, warm (26 degrees) and clear. The trail took us along the Cook Inlet and views of the mountains across the Inlet were unreal.

Today - snowboarding at Alyeska (nice day - warm 25 degrees). A two hour lesson (private as we were the only two adults there this morning for lessons - YEA) - we did pretty good - I trust that I will get better with time and practice. (and a few more falls)

Chocolate Guinness Cake w/Cream Cheese Frosting

(birthday cake for a friend)

Spring is in the air!

Aero Garden (Cherry Tomatoes (2 types), Basil, Dill)

Tomatoes in the making!

I am waiting patienetly

Too Cool!

Aero Garen (from afar)

Daylight Saving Time

After a long winter's darkness - I am so excited that it is 7pm and still daylight! Still have some darkness in the morning but that won't last long. :-)

Snowed today and promptly warmed up to 35 degrees!

The "boys" enjoying their new Costco bed

Sunsets...

Saw a beautiful sunset tonight in San Diego. Enjoying my visit with family and friends before the NASSP Conference begins in a couple of days.

Missing my family back in Alaska - hope they are enjoying the sunny 35 degree weather.

Wish I could get my Treo to sync with my computer so I could post a picture!

New Car

Pictures of the "replacement" vehicle...Mary did a great job researching the safest small SUV's on the market today. The choices were Subaru Forestter, Honda CR-V, and the Toyota Rav4.

We never got to the Toyota...the Honda CR-V met both Mary's safety requirements and my need for hauling "cargo." We are both happy.

Bruno waiting patiently in the Artic Room while I take pictures.

Black w/black interior

Beautiful Sky

I find that dusk is my favorite time of day. The white mountains against the super blue sky looks like a painting. These pictures were taken on Saturday with the full moon rising. Enjoy - Ginger

Mountians across the street from our house

Mt. Marathon (behind our house)

Positive vs. Negative

It's snowing again (negative?) but that means we have warmer temperatures (definitely a positive)

Have a great day what ever your weather is today.

A big hello to the science class at Standley Middle School!

They are using the links in the blog to stay up-to-date on the happenings of Mt. Redoubt.



Here are the links again:

Recent Earthquakes
Mt. Redoubt - current activity

AeroGarden

I got an Aero Garden for Christmas - in the front are two types of cherry tomatoes; in the back are Chives, Basil, and Dill.

The pot on the left is edilbe lavender I picked up last summer

Mt. Redoubt

This week brought us about a foot of snow which has again made for a winter wonderland. This morning we awoke to clear blue skies. There is a noticeable difference in the amount of daylight as it is currently 9:30am and the sun is up. On the other end of the day, darkness is not coming until around 5:15pm.

We are on volcano eruption watch at the moment. What we know is that the volcano, Mt. Redoubt, is going to blow we just don't know when. Mary and I went out yesterday to get some supplies such as NOAA approved face masks and goggles. Today will will stock up on fresh water, batteries, and extra dog food. I believe we have enough dry food to last the suggested 5-7 days. We also need to get trash bags out and ready to cover all of our electronics (TVs, computers, printers, etc)

If I am at school, the district has a plan to get all students and staff home within a 2 1/2 hour window (of course I will be the last to leave but I only live a mile from school). This time frame will allow every one to get home before any major ash fall. Mary is in Seward but her company will also be sending people home. I have included some links below on Mt. Redoubt and what is happening.

The earthquake we had last weekend was directly tied to Mt. Redoubt's activity. Alaska has a number of volcano that are still active (who knew).

Recent Earthquakes
Mt. Redoubt - current activity

• check out the map: top center to see where Mt. Redoubt is located
• check out the bottom right pictures titled Ash Trajectory Forecast this is what we are watching...where do they expect the ash to go based on current wind conditions

A Moment in Time...

You never know how precious life is until something bad happens...I was in a serious automobile accident Tuesday afternoon on my way to Soldotna for a work meeting the next day. The good news is that I was able to walk away without serious injury. The details are below...

The accident occurred between mile 38 and 39 on the Sterling Highway (4 miles from the Y) just before the Davis Creek Bridge heading towards Cooper Landing. I hit a patch of black ice and was unable to successfully correct the slide. The momentum carried me off the road into the rock face. The impact propelled me into the air where I proceeded to topple end over end while also rolling. I hit the ground twice before coming to a stop upright on all four wheels. The passenger side of my car sustain the majority of the damage and I was able to immediately exit the vehicle.

It is important to note that bad things can happen even when you are doing the right things - I was not speeding, not playing with my iPod, not on the phone and had both hands on the wheel when I hit the ice. I felt the Great Spirits of my ancestors wrap me in their protective arms as I became airborne and for this I am forever grateful. Besides being alive and relatively unharmed, I am most thankful that I did not have a passenger in the car as I am not convinced that that person would not have been injured.

For the most part I am doing ok, soreness mostly. Mentally I am working things out. Mary come into town on Wednesday. Fortunately she has a job that allows her to work from home and can stay in Seward for a few days while I regroup.

Today is Friday and I am on the mend. Soreness was the worse today but should now start to get better. First day without a headache and I am less foggy then the previous 3 days. Life is still good, this was just a major bump along life's path.

Love you all - Ginger

I had to brush the snow off - but here are the pictures we took when we went to empty the car today. While the car is totaled it did not look as bad to me today as it did on Tuesday. Go figure...

Note that the driver's side was relatively untouched.

Inside passenger side

Passenger side of the car - first bounce was on the front end, second on the roof

Back end - driver's side where I hit the rock face. The back axle is bent and the bumper is slightly detached. This could have been a lot worse as I was expecting to take the full force on this side when I hit the rock face.

Roller Derby in Anchorage, AK

JENeticlly EVIL #7666 - Team Captian of Dirty Polli's - Rage City Roller Girls - Roller Derby. Fun, Fun, Fun Nite!

Pacific Ring of Fire

Just after getting out of the shower this morning there was an earthquake somewhere in the area. Reminded me of being in Hawaii for Darren and Erika's wedding when we woke the day after the wedding to the hotel building shaking.

My second thought (because my first was "I think we are having an earthquake") was "great just my luck to be found in the ruble naked." :-)

The link is not so much to check out the info on wikipedia but to check out the picture on this site of the "Pacific Rim - Ring of Fire" (in case you are not sure where it lies)

Pacific Ring of Fire - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This link keeps track of the earthquake activity in Alaska - they do not yet know that magnatude of the earth quake that just occured in the Cook Inlet.

Alaska Earthquake site

What a day!

Snowing!!!

Finally...with a temperature of 22 degrees, it is currently lightly snowing in Seward. YEA! Feels like a heat wave.

Approaching Coldest Days On Record...

If you have been following the weather here in Alaska, you know that we are experiencing one of the longest cold snaps on record. We are talking multiple days of minus temperatures across the state.

The windchill factor has contributed to the bitter cold in Seward. In Anchorage it is just darn cold. We are still hoping for "snow anytime now." However, I am discouraged by the clear skies.

We have a home Nordic Ski Meet in Seward on Saturday. I am sooo loooking forward to standing outside at Mile 12 for this event. Just so we all understand - the temp at Mile 12 is about 4 degrees without the windchill. We can hold outdoor events as long as the temp does not drop to minus 10. We can only hope.

Here is another dilemma - diesel buses do not run to well in this cold, so some schools are prohibiting their athletic teams from travel in a northern direction, which makes our ski event the best option - how crazy is that!

Enjoy the pictures!

The bitter cold which is fueled by beautiful, clear blue skies has produced some spectacular sunrises and sunsets. This is at the end of Nash Road looking back towards Resurrection Bay (and Seward to the right, not in this picture)

Nash Road looking across the frozen meadow towards Resurrection Bay

Between Anchorage and Girdwood, Dall Sheep can often be found...on the way to Anchorage last Saturday we were blessed to find 9 Dall Sheep trying to satisfy their hunger. Generally I see one to three, never this many.

Check out those horns...