Back At CAP

November 14,

Mt. Vernon, KY

A little while since my last post. I've settled in the volunteer house here in Mt. Vernon, and have been doing home repairs with my partner Katelyn and our crew leader Kenny. Our first project was to help put siding on a new building at Camp Andrew Jackson, CAP's summer camp and Workfest headquarters. We've also built a couple of handicap ramps, and started a roofing job. No real exciting stories to share at this time, but I'm sure there will be some before I leave here next spring. I've just joined an acoustic duo, (now a trio) and have been practising with them for a couple of weeks.

Brave Mountaineer Conquers McKinley!

September 14

Denali, AK

...Okay, so it wasn't Mt. McKinley but I climbed it just the same.

The Interior

September 13
Denali Highway, AK

I took a trip up north into the interior of Alaska last week driving up through Anchorage, up the Glen and Richardson Hwys, and then across the 135 mile mostly gravel Denali Hwy, stopping halfway across at the Alpine Creek Lodge. I spent a week here working on framing up some rooms and putting up pine boards in the top floor of the lodge. On Sunday Kyle, an employee, and myself made a run up to Fairbanks to pick up some lumber. When you live in remote AK sometimes you have to travel four and a half hours one way to the nearest city to shop and get supplies. It was a scenic drive. Monday night I got to see the northern lights for the first time, but was unsuccessful in trying to photograph them. Today I hiked up to the alpine tundra and saw some caribou and ptarmigan. Tomorrow I plan on heading over to Denali Park and hopefully it will be clear and I can see Mt. McKinley.

A Cabin With A View

August 30
Anchor Point, AK

I took a week off from the llama ranch and spent it at another homestead located in between Anchor Point, Homer, and the Russian village of Nikolaesvk. I stayed in a nice little cabin overlooking the Anchor River, the Cook Inlet, the Harding Icefield, and China Poot and several other mountains across Kachemak Bay. The spruce beetle came through the area a few years back and decimated the spruce population, so they had replanted a lot of seedlings, mainly lodgepole pine and tamarack. I spent a lot of my time here trimming the lower branches. they also had a large strawberry patch which I took advantage of by baking a couple of pies and a strawberry shortcake. Abe and Kiki also make a pretty fine home brew. I also recieved the nickname "bear man" after my encounter with the brownie.

Thars B'ar In Dem Woods

August 28
Anchor Point, AK

Up until this point, in my two years of living in the foothills of the Appalachians in southeastern KY, three months in the mountains of NC, and last years travels throughout the west and now AK, I have not seen a bear in the wild. That changed this Sunday morning. I've been staying at a different farm this week (more on that later) and I heard of a neighbor sighting a couple of brownies (grizzlies) a few days ago on his way to go fishing in the river. So armed with my camera, and a newly acquired can of pepper spray I bought last night at the Gear Shed, I headed off through the brush to the Anchor River. It is said that when hiking in the back country you should wear bear bells and make noise, and shout "hey bear!" to alert the bears of your approach and scare them away. I scoff at such ridiiculousness for I WANT to see a bear so I quitely slipped along game trails along the river, coming upon fresh digging in the dirt, bear sign! A little ways farther where a side stream flowed into the river I spotted some buzzards and crows; a fresh kill! I found a good place to sit and wait along the bank against a cottonwood tree, but before I could even clear out a spot to sit a big brownie appeared at the kill sight and started eating. He stayed there a few minutes while I snapped some pictures and then picked up a piece of vertabrae and strolled into the bushes. Shortly after he playfully ambled back to the shore and ran a few steps in my direction, at which point I started second guessing my choice of the cheapest pepper spray and was wondering if I should have gone with the industrial strength, S.W.A.T. approved, 25 blast brand instead. Luckily though he veered back off into brush never to be seen again. On my walk back out after seeing the majestic beast, I whistled, hummed, talked to myself, and I may have even hollered "Hey bear!, hey bear!" a few times. I also couldn't help wondering about the carcass at the kill site. Was it a moose? Or perhaps a poor, foolhardy, midwestern tourist bent on seeing his first wild bear...

Prince William Sound

August 26,

Anchor Point, AK

Last week I took a day trip to Whittier and took a glacier cruise to Blackstone Bay in Prince William Sound. I saw some sea otters and Dall porpoises, but was dissappointed that none of the glaciers calved while I lay in wait with my camera on ready. It was a nice sunny day though.

Some of the cuisine I have sampled since coming to Alaska; (in alphabetical order)

alpaca, bear, halibut, king salmon, llama, lynx, moose, octopus, reindeer, and spruce hen. To answer your question Jerry, I haven't tried yak yet, but I assume it would taste like chicken.

To those of you wondering I will be returning to the lower 48 Oct. 2nd with a short layover at home in IN before wintering in Mount Vernon, KY.

Fences and High Tunnels

August 24
Anchor Point, AK

The other week Greg and I picked up a fencing job on a beautiful meadow overlooking Kachemak Bay. It was roughly 13 acres and we put up three strands of barb less wire and metal posts for horses. It was a fun job. The high tunnel greenhouse I helped Greg put up this spring is coming along nicely. Although it was a late start hopefully we'll get to harvest some produce before the frost comes, which they tell me is usually mid to late October. If you need any lettuce or beets let me know. It's been a nice summer up until about a week and a half ago, since then it's been raining almost every day.

WWOOFING and Roofing

July 30

Anchor Point, AK

This past month I've been a busy boy, busy boy. I've been continuing the WWOOFING ( Worldwide Workers On Organic Farms ) stint at the alpaca ranch, and I also picked up a roofing job at the boatyard in Homer. What was supposed to be a two week job somehow ended up taking a month, due in part to the laziness of our boss, and the complexity of the task at hand. We put new metal roofs on three 100 x 50 ft. shop buildings which had been sprayed over with a foam material. We finished the job Friday, and now with some cash in my pocket I feel more inclined to do some touristy things. Greg has been away this past month on a geological prospecting job in the mountains, and both he and the rest of the family left last week to visit family in the lower 48 leaving me as acting ranch manager. My typical day started at 5:30 feeding and watering the animals, tethering a couple llamas out on pasture, milking the goats, off to work, then checking the animals in the evening, getting the llamas in, gathering eggs, and milking the goats again, plus tending the greenhouse in my spare time.

By the way, you know you're in Alaska when the locals complain about the heat when it gets above 70 degrees, which has happened a couple of times already this summer : )

Moose

June 15

Anchor Point, AK

One night a few weeks ago after dining on bacon and cheese mooseburgers I was lounging around in the dining room getting ready to go down to my camper and go to bed when Greg's phone rang. It was the State Police reporting that a moose had been killed. Here in Alaska due to the high number of moose hit by automobiles they have a road kill list you can sign up for and whenever a moose is killed and it's your turn on the list you can get a free moose for the taking. Greg got the directions and we drove down the road a few miles to the site. This was not actually a road kill but a defense of life and property. It seems that a couple that lived in a cabin by a muskeg had been having trouble with an overprotective moose cow charging them recently. On this particular evening as the lady was returning home from work the moose charged her chasing her out into the muskeg before retreating shortly only to charge again. This time the lady pulled out her 44 magnum handgun she had been carrying for such an incident and stopped the moose ten feet away with a bullet through the neck. When we arrived she was still a little shaken, understandably, and her husband helped us field dress the animal to which Greg gave him a hind quarter, tenderloin, and back strap for his assistance. With it getting late and the weather sufficiently cool enough to prevent spoilage we decided to return in the morning to pack the meat out. When we returned in the morning and were about to haul the carcass out the moose calf appeared by the cabin calling for it's mother. Sadly it is illegal to try and raise the calf, or to shoot it, and not being old enough to fend for itself it will probably starve or become a meal for the wolves or bears.

A couple of eagles landed nearby also, hoping for a free meal of scraps.

Llamas, Alpacas, And Yaks, Oh My!

June 11

Anchor Point, AK

I've been at the Anchor Point Llama and Alpaca Ranch since May. Greg and Kathy raise llamas, alpacas, goats, chickens, yaks, and three horses. There daughter Teryn and her two young sons are also spending the summer here. Greg does some outfitting for hunters in the fall using the llamas to pack in the camping equipment to the campsite and to pack out the game. They also shear the alpacas and llamas for wool and do some spinning as well.

Homer

April 29 Homer, AK

It's been said that Homer is a "quaint little drinking village with a fishing problem." It's also said that "to live here you can't be all there." It's also known as a "cosmic hamlet by the sea." I agree with all the above. I bought a car and have been making a few trips into town. It's an older Saturn wagon, not a Subaru (which seems to be the car of choice around here) but with enough mud splashed on it I think hardly anyone will notice the difference. The folks here are quite... shall we say... eclectic, hippie-ish even. Like the gentleman who sat down beside me at a local watering hole Wednesday evening, where I went to watch an open mic night, and promptly asked me if I new about the New World Order, or the HAARP conspiracy, and started to list the reasons why we should impeach the president - my kinda people! He was wearing a tie-dyed poncho and a felt hat that resembled something worn by Buck and Roy on Hee-Haw, or maybe the Beverly Hillbillies. He was smoking a pipe and drinking a glass of wine... which seemed oddly out of place, and later got up with his guitar and did a mean version of Bongo Band. Or the gal I danced with at a contra dance last weekend - with her spiked hair, knee-length skirt over tights, and a tattoo of Joan of Arc in flames on her arm. With my untrimmed beard, sock cap, and flannel shirt I feel I am fitting in rather well. If only I had a pair of corduroy pants and a wool pullover sweater, like the kind you find at a thrift store, I would be accepted without question. Hey, I already eat organic food and make my own tea from tree fungus.

The snowshoe hares are starting to turn brown, could that be a sign that spring is on the way?

I also came across this wolf, who graciously stopped and posed for me on my walk in to the cabin today. Perhaps he was looking for a snowshoe hare too.

Beach Time

April 15

Homer, AK

Not too much going on here, just tending to the daily chores at the homestead. I have been exploring a couple of employment opportunities though. I've also been searching for a car. I could have driven up but the 4200 mile trip might have been a bit much. I've caught a ride to town a few times with Patrick, and I have the farm Suburban available when not in use, but with gas prices at $4.34 a gallon here I need something more economical. I did go to the beach on Sunday. It wasn't quite the same as the sunny FL beaches I remember. I was hoping to check out the latest swimwear fashions for the summer but I didn't see any, that is unless you count the newest in The North Face fleece jackets, or Carhart knit caps. I did have the beach pretty much to myself, except for a few folks walking their dogs. I also stopped at another beach while I was in town on Wednesday, hence the sunny picture.

North To Alaska

April 3

Homer. AK

Arrived in Alaska at 1:15 local time on Thursday. I must admit I got some satisfaction flying across Canadian airspace. My wwoof host Paula picked me up at the Anchorage airport and we began the scenic 3 or 4 hour drive down the Sterling Highway to Homer. We spotted several moose and bald eagles along the way. Getting to the homestead at this time of year proves to be much of a challenge. A paved road winds it's way uphill out of Homer about 10 miles before turning to gravel. A little ways and the gravel turns to a dirt road, or should I say snow road. At this point the pick-up truck is parked at a neighbors house and the final mile is driven in on a snow machine (or as they're known in other parts of the country a snowmobile.) This will last until the snow melts, which will probably be within a few weeks, and then the snow road will turn to a mud road and the only means of transport will be foot power. I share a small cabin with fellow wwoofer Patrick, a MN native. Paula and Jon and their two children live in the main house which is off the grid, using solar and wind power and back-up generator for electricity. Our cabin has no such amenities, but quite a view. On the farm there are 3 milk goats, 2 horses, some chickens, and a pair of geese. Our first major task will be to bear-proof the fences. Hibernation is coming to an end and the bruins are sure to be hungry.

Workfest

March 19 Jackson County, KY It was a productive week at Workfest. It was good to see the familiar faces of employees and former volunteers of the Christian Appalachian Project, where I volunteered at 2006-2008, as well as meeting some new ones. Our project was to build a roof over a house trailer. My co-crew leaders were Jay, who has been coming to Workfest for many years, and Janean, a long-term volunteer in McCreary County. We had a group of seven college students as well as another volunteer and in four days had dug and set the 4x4 posts, built and erected 34 trusses, sheeted and tar papered one side of the roof, as well as some other misc. projects. It was a bit chilly and rainy the first part of the week, but on Thursday the sun came out, and yesterday the temp. reached 80 degrees; eat your heart out Minnesotans. On Friday night Janean and I, as well as some other volunteers went to the nearby town of Berea to take in some live Celtic music at a cafe there, and to attend the third Friday contra dance. Today I drove down to McCreary Co. and checked out the new volunteer house being built there, and got a little r&r before the next group of students arrive on Sunday.

77 Inches and Counting

February 27

Prior Lake, MN

It would figure the year year I chose to move to Minnesota has been the the second snowiest to date. And pretty cold too. I reckon if I can handle this weather I should do well in Alaska which, good Lord willing and the creek don't rise from all the melting snow, is where I'll be going next month. But first I shall return to the hills and hollers of southeastern Kentucky for a couple of weeks of Workfest; when college students and others from around the country descend upon Appalachia during spring break to repair homes for low-income families in the area.

Brrrr

January 21

Prior Lake, MN

Greetings everyone! It's -29 outside as I write this. I celebrated my birthday last night in low-key fashion, watching tv and indulging in a pumpkin pie I baked. This month I've moved from the confines of the city to a peaceful little farmhouse in the country. I've made a New Year's resolution to do some "Minnesota things", so earlier in the week I visited the Mall of America. I'm not much of a mall person but it wasn't too bad. A couple of weeks ago I toured the Schell Brewery in New Ulm, MN. At the end we got to sample a half dozen varieties of their products. My favorite was the Dark Lager. I also played basketball for the first time in about three years in a pickup game at a Catholic grade school. The old man still has the touch. I sunk a couple of cool 3s and assisted in a beautiful ally oop in which Fr. Adams completed by banking the shot off the glass. I did realize though that I could be in better shape. Luckily we had an odd number of players so there was one man sitting out, which I took advantage of on several occasions to catch my breath. I also think I pulled a hamstring. The game it was decided ended in a tie, (which was a fitting conclusion to a friendly game in a religious atmosphere.) If you're reading this Alex, I accept your challenge to a game of hoops; as long as it's half court... and we just play to 20... and you spot me 10 points. The cold winter has kept me indoors most of the time, but I would like to get out and try some ice fishing, or maybe some cross-country skiing. Keep warm everyone.