Sun up to sun down

The days are lengthening and our crazy pace continues with househunting, boat shopping and more. Days are currently 17 and a half hours long and gaining more than 3 minutes a day. Sunrise is about 5:25 am and doesn't set until 10:49 pm.

This weekend kicks off the summer season with Crab Fest, one of the most popular Kodiak events of the year. Robin and I plan to drive this year's float for the Refuge so stay tuned for what are sure to be some spectacular photos!

Al-Can highway photos

Here are some scenic photos from our move to Kodiak.

See pictures of St. Louis, Southeast Alaska, the Yukon and more!

Salmon camp

Today is my "official" start date as the Salmon Camp Director for Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. This is a summer science camp program for kindergarten through 8th grade. Started in 1996, this very popular program is the largest science-based camp in Alaska. It is one of the Refuge's top five environmental education programs in the nation.

Fortunately, I have three college interns to help me with a new group of 18 kids each week.

About the camp
More camp info
Alaska Geographic (camp co-sponsors)

Shotgun slinger

Ah, Alaska. Ya gotta love it.

I signed up as a volunteer with the Fish and Wildlife Service and they also hired me to be this year's salmon camp director! Whooo hoooo!!! One of the training courses is becoming "shotgun certified." Depending on how good of a shot you are, this enables you to either carry a shotgun to protect yourself in the field or carry a shotgun to protect yourself ~and others~ in the field.

The testing part is pretty fun, although my shoulder was sore after shooting about 30 rounds, including 8 big, powerful slugs. You have a stationary target: a bear poster stapled to plywood. You then test on a moving target: a bear poster stapled to plywood, rigged up on a pulley and it's coming at you! Aaahhhrrrgghh!

I actually qualified to carry to protect myself ~and~ others (although I'm not sure that is a good thing). Robin, of course, qualified to protect everyone.

Photos galore

• The Journey to Kodiak: Pictures of us: Our route: North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Colorado, Utah, Oregeon, Washington, Alaska, Canada and Alaska.
  
  
• The Journey to Kodiak: Friends and family: We didn't get pictures everywhere but saw many friends (and met some new ones, thanks to Robin's quest to 'meet new people'). Thanks to all for your hospitality!
  
  
• Roadblock in Wanchese: Let the move begin!
  
  
• Florida trip: A quick trip to warmer weather before the move to Kodiak.
  
  
• Bluefin fishing: Fishing with John, Carla, brother Tim and Doug while still in North Carolina (forget that Robin just had shoulder surgery!).
  
  
• Striper fishing: Fishing for striper with Doug.

Quotes from the Roadtip

"I like to meet new people."
Robin in response to being asked if we wanted to stay with the parents of my niece's husband. (We had never met the parents ever before!)


"We don't need any of that stuff."
Robin in response to being asked if we wanted any towels during one of our overnight stays. (He didn't want to be a bother to the parents we had never met.)


"There is no bad weather ... only bad clothes."
Our friend Paul from Haines, AK as we watched the snow/slurry fall during our beach picnic and campfire.

Top 10 Roadtrip Tidbits

1. The worst gas mileage was 4.8 MPG, going up an 8% grade in passing gear with our "light" load.
2. Most interesting thing in our "light" load: a set of bear claws being salted down and dried out. (From Robin's bear he got in December ... the paws had been in the freezer until the week before our move when Robin took out the claws.)
3. Another interesting thing packed was fresh bluefin tuna from Robin's latest 226 lb. + catch. (And some bear sausage and halibut, of course).
   
4. Bowling Green, KY gas stations are all owned by one person. This monopoly results in an extreme gas hike on Thursdays (you can set your watch by it). Within one hour, all the gas station prices in town went up 33 cents.
5. Do not, repeat, do not engage the border guards in Canada or in the U.S. in any sort of conversation other than the task at hand: getting across the border without inspections. It's illegal to take any sort of animal hide, rack (and maybe bear claws?) into Canada. In addition, this is not the time, repeat NOT the time, to ask about transporting firearms.
   
6. Red beer is a delicious drink. I tried it and liked it, plus the recipe is really easy: One glass of cold beer and some cold tomato juice to taste. It sounds nasty but it's really good.
7. Don't buy an atlas that is on sale. Robin found what seemed like a really good deal from Big Lots: $5 for a 2011 atlas. While looking up our route for Utah and Washington, we discovered that it was missing all the states that came after the letter "T."
   
8. Temperatures ranged from 84 degrees in North Carolina to -2 degrees in Frisco, Colorado.
   
9. We had snow in every state, including a record 5" in St. Louis, MO and white out conditions that forced us to pull over on the interstate in Oregon.
10. It is still colder in Iowa than in Alaska. This week it has been unusually sunny with blue skies and 50 degree temperatures in Kodiak, while Iowa has it 20 degrees and 4 inches of new snow!