The One month Report....

"Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so love the people who treat you right. Forget about the ones who don't, and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said that it'd be easy, they just promised it would be worth it." Bob Marley


I came across this quote while searching the web for a pithy summation of the first month of my "Alaskan Adventure". These words, like many of those by reggae's most iconic figure, really ring true for me.

Zen philosophy keeps me rooted in the moment. "Be here now" has been my credo for a long time now. Nevertheless, "the unexamined life is not worth living" also strikes a chord within me. So periodically I pause to take stock of whatever path I'm on and where it might lead me. This is such a moment.

 The past thirty days have rocketed by! My work has been both interesting and afforded some degree of challenge. As the season gets into full swing this will continue and intensify I'm sure.

 Observing what goes on in this place, originally called Alaxsxaq by the native people, has been an experience unto itself. Hesitating to reaching any sweeping appraisal based on a small glimpse of this vast and mysterious land mass, some haunting impressions stand out.

 I've come in contact with what seems like an inordinate amount of "lost souls". Those fellow beings with blank stares and far away gazes. A good amount of them have been native in appearance but others have encompassed all backgrounds and heritages. The young Caucasian pounding feverishly on the shop door, insisting on entering, his head rolling around in uncontrolled gyrations comes to mind. The numerous  wanderers marching up and down the sidewalks shouting obscenities equally to everyone and no one. The groups of young people squaring off for violent confrontations in the empty parking lots. When discussing these matters with more "normal' folks they immediately cite the many dubious records held by the forty ninth state. The most alcoholics per capita, most domestic violence per capita, most rapes per capita and on and on. There appears to be a consensus of self-loathing going on. Everybody acknowledges the fact that litter is everywhere but just shrug in acceptance. All surrounded by incredible natural beauty! Needless to say, somewhat troubling to any compassionate human. I will keep looking for the positives. That is my nature.

I have met some very nice people as well. Most of them twenty-something in age, but seemingly more mature and jaded than what you might expect for that generation. I sense a helpless acceptance of their lot in life. Having not recently been in such youthful company it caught me by surprise. This quiet desperation.

More observations to come but now for an update of the daily grind. The work-week progressed nicely. Clear and the high twenties in the morning was the pattern until Friday when everything was coated with fresh white snow! About an inch and it stopped. No record yet.

Monday evening I tried desperately to watch the final game of the NCAA basketball tournament on the CBS Sports Website. We have a terrible internet provider on this end of town and the feed was frustratingly sporadic. Every fifteen seconds the screen would freeze as the buffering tried to catch up. From what I did see, I figured not much was missed. Kentucky won, just as expected by just about everyone.

Spoke to many friends and family members this week which is always welcome.


If it's Thursday...it must be Gwennie's! Enjoying tall Black IPA when the number and variety of individuals approaching the bar caught my attention. They were purchasing some sort of raffle ticket, filling in the lines and depositing them in a five gallon red can. When curiosity finally got the best of me I queried Carol the bartender. Handing me a brochure she explained that the brochure would answer all my questions.

Turns out for the last ninety-six years folks around these parts have had an ever increasing annual money pool now named the "Nenana Ice Classic".
The bounty goes to the fortunate party/parties that selected the very moment a tripod positioned out on the frozen water at the confluence of the Nenana and Tanana Rivers up near Fairbanks sinks into the water. It seems to be a big deal!
The rush was on because it was the last day to buy the tickets and everyone in town was sold out except for Gwennie's.Last year three lucky souls split over $300,000!
Now, not being adverse to a game of chance myself, I picked up a couple of tickets, briefly studied the statistics printed in the brochure and selected a couple of times. Into the red bucket they went. Wish me luck! You can follow the action on the website. http://www.nenanaakiceclassic.com/

Had another Patty Melt with the Alaskan Black IPAs and enjoyed the company in the bar. Interesting stories and banter from the regular patrons, most of whom are pilots of one sort or another.
Back at the shop the internet connection was good so I caught up on The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. A couple of funny guys that induce one to exercise the grey matter.

As I already mentioned, I awoke Friday morning to thirty three degrees and snowing. Even though there was a great deal of snow everywhere when I first arrived, I had yet to see it snow in Alaska. The fresh white coat cleaned things up a bit visually as well.
Forgetting loads of people get Good Friday off as a Holiday, I made the mistake of going to Costco to pick up shop supplies and such. Big mistake, but once you're in...you're in. Appeared to be half of Anchorage milling around in the joint. On the upside there was someone on every isle giving out free samples of just about anything and everything. So that was lunch.

The town needed two more inches of snow to break the all-time record. Saturday, April 7th they would get it, one hundred, thirty four and one half inches! I just happened to be in town to be part of that experience. So...I got that going for me. The snow lasted all day. Big cloud-like flakes wafting to the ground.

I bagged plans to go downtown to the Motorcycle Show and went to Coles Laudromat again as my clean clothes were far out numbered by the ones in need of a wash.
That task behind me I wound up at The Peanut Farm. Watched a replay of the Master golf tournament on a couple of the big screens, had a mediocre pizza washed down by a locally brewed ale. I was sitting at the bar and the gentleman to my right struck up a conversation. He was up here for a week or two, from Ft. Worth, TX installing cell towers to be used by the government only. In the name of "public safety". After we had talked for awhile something was said that revealed that I too was new to Alaska. To which he replied. "Really, I thought you were a local".  What do you think? Here I am standing by the, only recently able to be opened, back door.

I received a nice package from the Wilsons today! It contained the swag I would have received had I been back home to participate in the FFMC Spring Opener Ride. Thank-you Wilsons & Freeman!


Slept in a little and took a shower for  the second day in a row. A first time occurrence since I've been here. Reason being, Brenden invited me to an Easter Brunch at his and Nora's apartment. Nora being his lovely, young girlfriend originally from New Jersey. They did a great job feeding and entertaining a good number of people in a small area. I was impressed. Beginning the festivities as the guests arrived, we were charged with "hunting" for small, colorfully wrapped bottles of Champagne. Once found a Mimosa was the reward! The potato latkas were the hit of the food offerings. Particularly when David (a friend of Brenden and Nora's, not me) whipped up a really good hollandaise sauce to go on top. I enjoyed meeting all eight of their friends and was grateful to be included. A fine time was had by all! Happy Easter!


Later that evening I watched a free download of the classic film "Lawrence Of Arabia". Still holds up after all these years!

As the one month point of this saga approaching is when I found myself stepping back to take a look, so to speak. It has been quite a whirlwind since, as Phil says, "I took a leap of faith".

Treading water in the deep end of the pool waiting for whatever comes next. That analogy occurs to me as I sit staring at a large map of the world on the wall while eating meals. Pondering how nice traveling before passports were needed must have been. When the adventurous were driven by curiosity. In a world not being strangled by greed and fear.

They cleaned the gravel off the parking lot today. Very cool.

Some more snow shots.....

Ending a post once again with a shot of ol' "BEAR METAL" looking none too happy to be blinded by the snow!

Peace out.

chief