Gone Kayaking

Hi.  Today I am leaving on a kayaking trip with 3 other friends.  I was hoping to finish building my kayak and even have time to test it out but things just didn't go as quickly as a procrastinating optimist would expect them to.  So... I was approaching the fiberglass step, I got all ready for it... but then it was clear that I would be late and left behind from the trip.  After the trip I will go visit family in Idaho and see my sister get married.  Then I will return to Sitka, find some kind of job and finish the kayak.

Ttyl!

A Beautiful November Morning

It was a great morning to kayak into work today. Work on the kayak took a break for the weekend. Instead, I made key lime pies and went to the movies. There was also a Monthly Grind, I didn't perform but I did help on stage. Pictured below is where the kayak progress is at right now. I accidentally cut the strongback a foot too short. So I'm gonna run to the lumber store, pick up another 16-footer, and run and carry it back here. So, yes, quite literally "run to the store" and "pick up."

Kayaked to work

I'm going to blog backwards. I have so many blogs I want to do that go back to my visit home to Idaho this summer. I have a feeling if I work backwards I'll more likely get them done. So this blog will be the most recent one.

I finally started my kayak. The western red cedar that I ordered from an outfit in Hoonah finally arrived.  It arrived on the day I was leaving on the ferry to run in a race. Well, a couple days before my cedar arrived my friend and neighbor said she was selling her kayak. I thought it would be very nice to have a kayak that I could actually use since I had no idea when I would be able to finish my kayak. So I bought the kayak and she and I kayaked to work Wednesday. (She used her newer one that she had just bought.)

It was such a gorgeous day and it was supposed to be the last gorgeous day that we'll have in a while. We had nearly 2 weeks (I believe) of sunshine. It was quite overwhelming!

When I got to work, I was asked if I wanted to accompany a group from the high school hiking up Mt. Verstovia.  I said of course I did.  So, I have pictures from that, too.

Compare this picture to the bright green picture from a hike up Mt. Verstovia in August.

Pictured below is the path of kayaking to work. Some people asked if I live on an island when I said I kayaked to work. No, just kayaking along the shore; simply an alternative to taking the road.

Juneau trip number two

This time my trip to Juneau was for a SAGA orientation. In SAGA's program YABAH (Southeast Alaska Guidance Association and Young Alaskans Building Affordable Housing) there are only two Americorps Connections members: David and I. Since SAGA is based in Juneau and we work and live in Sitka, there was never an opportune time for an introduction to the SAGA team. Many Americorps members began their term the beginning of September and therefore it seemed ideal to invite David and I to Juneau for the induction. We stayed at a resort quite a ways out of town called the Eagle Valley Center. The center's water was supplied by a creek nearby. Everyone was advised not to drink the tap water and not to shower too often because the water was so limited.

It was a joy to meet all the people that were going serve in Alaska as a SAGA member. On Tuesday, we were all sworn in by Alaska's commissioner of education, Larry LeDoux, at Alaska's state capitol building. The rest of the week was filled with kayaking, downtown touring, glacier sight-seeing, and games and movies at the center. We played a lot of chess and a lot of cards.

On the way to Juneau

A little trail by the Eagle Valley Center

Getting sworn in at the state capitol building

A picture of Mt. Roberts and downtown Juneau

After taking the tram.

Mendenhall glacier.  Much different than when I saw it in April because the snow melted into a big lake!

Kayaking.

Out front of the Eagle Valley Center

The Eagle Valley Center