A beautiful day for a picnic

It was so beautiful outside, even after working a full shift at The Pub, I couldn't wait to get out and enjoy the sunshine with Stephen and the kids. The sky was clear, there was a light breeze, the tide was low, and the temperature hung around 70°F, 60°F in the damp shade of the forest.

Stephen made some sandwiches and packed them along with a bag of chips and some sodas. We loaded everyone into the car and made our way out the road to Starrigavin camping area. We picnicked in a small clearing that had an available table. It seemed everyone wanted to enjoy the weather, but even so it wasn't difficult to find a spot that felt secluded. We enjoyed our picnic dinner among the trees and flowers until the bugs chased us out. It was a good day for mosquitos and bumble bees, as well.

We headed to the bird-viewing platform and made the loop around the estuary. The kids ran around, picking spruce tips to suck on and checking out interesting sights along the way.

After we finished the loop, we decided to go back down to the beach and let the kids play on the shore. They spent an hour or so moving large rocks and playing with crabs, mussels, ans small mud fish they found underneath. Eventually, we all felt the day winding down and started for home again.

It's nice to live in a place where a 3-hour getaway can feel like a real vacation, where we can get lost in the wilderness for a short time and come back again with almost no effort at all.

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Herring Spawn

Really, there's nothing that can be shown or said to explain what the herring spawn means in town.

To the Tlingit, it represents the first opportunity of the year to harvest a traditional food from the sea. They cut hemlock swags and lay them in shallow water for the ever-so-particular herring to blast their sticky eggs all over. Later, the branches will be collected and steamed to loosen and partly cook the eggs, which are kept all year as a snack and an addition to a variety of dishes.

To the modern commercial fishermen, it represents a chance to get in on a very lucrative fishing season after a winter of indifferent fishing. The Sitka Sound Sac Roe fishery is one of the few derby-style fisheries still open in Alaska and brings a bunch of money, energy, and bustle to parts of town that have been laying dormant all winter. On the first day of the fishery this year, 5500 tons of herring were caught, enough to keep all of the local processors running 24 hours a day for two straight days.

Pair all of this with the fact that we're finally seeing sunlight for more than 50% of the day and the sun is out and the rain is less frequent and the temperatures are getting up to a balmy 45-50° and you have the start of an exciting time of year. When you further recall that herring are an important prey species to humpbacks and sea lions (and just about every waterfowl), someone with binoculars and a clear day and some caffeine can go all day without running out of things at which to gawk.

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Earlier today, the kids and I went out to one of our local park/beaches. The tide was really low, so we had fun stomping on the pebbles and looking for clam holes. After that, we pulled off to the side of the road where a few other cars were stopped. I'd glimpsed something in the water on our way out, and I'm glad I followed my gut on this one. When we got out and settled by the side of the road, we could clearly see a herd of sea lions (probably 30-35 of them) feeding in a mass. They would all submerge, then blast out of the water. This was mostly a quiet affair, being more about eating than about personal space. Every now and again, though, barks and bellows could be heard. About fifteen minutes into watching this, a humpback decided to invade the sea lions' space, so we got to watch a blow about 100 feet off-shore. The whale swam out of sight behind some trees, but we continued to hear loud blows until we moved on. We stopped at two more spots on the way home, viewing different whales and sea lions at each spot. In all, we probably saw 15-20 whales (some feeding individually, others obviously bubble feeding but too far away for us to see well) and more than 50 sea lions.

After being home for a while, I looked out the window and realized that the activity had drifted close enough to town (the predation follows the food, after all) that we could now see it from our living room window. Here are a couple of crappy videos for your enjoyment. Try if you can to disregard the chatter of a pair of completely disinterested children.

reflections: differences between being in Sitka and Cleveland

I'm aware that a couple of my recent posts may not have been as positive as I would have liked (products of exhaustion and travel), so I will attempt to keep this post more neutral or positive. This may be difficult, as I intend to compare the place where I grew up with the place that my family has chosen to live.

Weather
The most obvious difference between Sitka and Cleveland is the weather. Everyone who visits Cleveland in the summer from somewhere drier always comments on the oppressiveness of the humidity. Similarly, the winters are oppressive to people who live in warmer places. Sitka has daily temperatures of 45-65 Fahrenheit and 80-90% humidity on a regular basis. You'd think that Cleveland would be a relief after that, but it's the exact opposite. The key is that the high humidity in Sitka almost always results in drizzle or rain, whereas the warm humidity in Cleveland just hangs everywhere around you, inducing sweat. Also, we are all VERY acclimated to the cool.

Sun
18 hours per day versus about twelve. The big difference is that I've never sunburned in Sitka.

Wildlife
Wow. At home, we have eagles and ravens around the house all the time. We see some hummingbirds and sparrows or finches, but the big birds are about it. We don't live in the right places to be seeing deer or bears on a regular basis, and the marine life isn't visible from our house at this time of year.

In Cleveland, however, my grandfather's bird feeders have made this place crazy. At any given time, there might be two blue jays, a cardinal, a red winged blackbird, and a handful of sparrows all at one of the three main feeders. In addition, there will probably be a few squirrels preparing an invasion. The other evening, we saw a pair of young bucks walking through the front yard and across the street. This place really lacks large predators.

People/Stores/Radio/Family/Driving
OK, it's not even worth pretending to be neutral here. Sitka wins, hands down. I miss Raven Radio, I miss our grocery store, and I miss the people who have developed a caring small-town culture.

I constantly do Sitkan things while driving (forgetting to check the speedometer, stopping to let cars from side streets in front of me, waiting for pedestrians who don't expect a car to stop for them).

Going into Giant Eagle the other day was a shock. All that space seemed to result in no greater selection than at SeaMart - there was just more of everything on the shelves. In fact, there were a lot of places (in the veggie section, even) where our rural store that relies on barges and planes was better stocked than the one with daily truck deliveries. Even more amazingly, some of Sitka's prices were competitive.

Turning on the radio is a weird mix of nostalgia for the radio I heard growing up and sadness that most people simply don't know that radio can be done like it is at KCAW.

It is good to get in a lot of time with family. It's been two years since the entire families have visited, though, so there's a lot of relearning each other.

Scale
The biggest adjustment for me is scale. We've confined our visit mostly to a small area of the eastern suburbs of Cleveland so far, but this place is so much bigger than Sitka. Everything is bigger - the roads, the traffic jams, the stores, even the houses. Unfortunately, this means that people just don't know each other the same way as they do in a small town, so they talk to each other differently and are far more capable of pretending not to see each other. This was painfully evident at a Wendy's yesterday (one that I've been visiting with family members since I was in kindergarten or earlier and whose decor has not changed in that entire time), when the clerk at the cash register helped us make our order with as much personal care and consideration as a touch-screen ATM. It would be just as efficient and a whole lot cheaper (and possibly less impersonal) to have turned the register around and let us put in our own order without her there. I remarked to my father that all throughout Canada and small-town USA, we'd grown accustomed to service with a smile and the appearance of genuine care. Oh, well.

The Kids
Our kids really miss a lot of stuff about being in Sitka. A lot. However, they have a big back yard to play in here that is full of grass. They are excited about getting to the local pool and they have bikes to play with here (a huge driveway, flat sidewalks, and a walking/running trail are much easier to learn on than what we have at home). They do miss their friends, but exploring this house and spending time with family is still very exciting to them and they will eventually re-establish themselves on a daily schedule.

Summation
Ugh, sweat. I'll do another post soon about our first impressions on digging through my grandfather's house, but that's a completely different topic. In short, the man was interested in everything, maintained everything, and never threw anything away. Anything.

EFAGLEF

There've been at least four adult eagles buzzing the neighbors' house all day. I'm not sure if this is because of their chicken coop or something else.

Source of the post title: Joseph Franklin's Metric Alphabet

reflections: closing in on two years!

So I was sitting here, taking a break from visiting with relatives and preparing for travel, and I saw that someone was reading this post. I re-read it and was pleased to see how many things remain true! Here is the original post:

It's been nearly two weeks that we've been here, and I have some reflections to share.

It's amazing to live in a place like this. JoElle and I are constantly awed by the natural beauty of the Sitka Sound, the Tongass rainforest, the mountains, and the weather. We can look out our front window and see the Pacific Ocean, replete with fishing boats, cruise ships, and recreational vessels, Seren gets to watch planes all day taking off and landing at Rocky Gutierrez Airport, and we can walk to the back of the house and see a mountain covered in forest. Beyond the physical beauty of this place, there is so much more going on.

On Saturday, we had to rush through the first Farmers Market of the summer so that we could get over to the library in time for a children's program. I've been to many farmers markets before, but never one where you could buy fresh-caught seafood, sea asparagus, and salmonberry jam in addition to the usual fresh breads, locally-roasted coffees, and fresh produce. I just made dinner tonight out of black cod and sea asparagus from that market, and it was amazing (not intended to be self-congratulatory). Side note: if you like to cook fish and haven't tried black cod, DO IT. It's creamy and buttery and amazing, and almost the same size fillet and cooking time as you're used to for salmon.

We have yet to meet an unfriendly person here. Almost nobody here wears a tie to work. When they say "Alaska formal" means jeans and a collared shirt, they really seem to mean it. The only thing you need to say to get twice the help you were already getting (which is usually already twice what you'd get in the contiguous 48) is that you're new in town. That immediately leads to questions about where you live, how much you like it, and a sincere wish that you'll stick around. I've been asked a few times what brought us to Sitka, but never once have we been asked that in an incredulous tone. The people here know how good they have it, and are simply interested in knowing what excuse you have for living in such a great place.

Seriously, we've been pleased to find almost everything we've found here. Good Asian food and Mexican food restaurants that deliver, electronics shops where you get real help from the knowledgeable staff, great parks, tons of places to walk or run or bike or simply sit and relax and watch the activity around you. The drivers on the biggest road on the island will actually stop of their own volition to let pedestrians cross the street! For a brief while, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to indulge two of my favorite vices here, though. In my mind, there's little better than a good local microbrewery and an old (think Big Lebowski) bowling alley. Before we left, I looked on BeerAdvocate and Google and everywhere else I could, and it seemed like there was a chance that a brewery might exist in town. The other day, we located it! Baranof Island Brewing has only been in business for part of the summer according to its staff, but it is worth knowing of! When I stopped in, they were out of three of the four brews that they normally keep on tap, but their Baranof Brown Ale was almost perfectly balanced for me: thick (not watery at all), smooth, a bit creamy, with plenty of malt and only enough hops to keep it tasting like beer. This is the beer I kept hoping that Prescott Brewing Company would figure out how to make.

I'm still looking for a place to bowl in town. If we can't find one, we may have to build one. Until then, I can settle for a place that's 99% perfect.

Since then, I can assure you that my impressions remain almost exactly the same. I've learned to live without bowling (although Seren is excited about trying again when we're in Cleveland!) and I haven't had as much time for beer. We'd love to be able to buy a house or some land here, but the prices are so high that it's difficult. We still love the people and places and restaurants and local businesses, and the new additions have made things even better. We've also made some great friends, several of whom we never would have crossed paths with in any place other than Sitka.

On the whole, we're doing pretty well here. I wouldn't recommend Sitka to everyone, but it sure seems right for us!

Sitka Farmer's Market July 16, 2011

Watch for a picture of our Seren & Porter eating pickled asparagus and then keep watching to see all the fresh produce and cool stuff grown and made in our own community!

Special thanks to Emily Bender and Raven Radio KCAW - Sitka for taking these awesome pictures and releasing this great slideshow!

Whale Park Adventures!

It was a beautiful day on Friday, so the four of us took Nika out to the Whale Park to picnic, take in the scenery, and do some creature-watching.

The gazebo where we ate is one of four at the park. The concrete whales are popular for climbing children.

A small squirrel came to watch us eat from a safe distance.

After lunch, it was down the steps to the shore.

There are a lot of steps to get down there.

Climbing on the rocks.

A tide pool with starfish of every color, lots of pretty green anemones, and seaweed. All the black in the foreground is a bed of mussels.

Starfish pile!

Seren touching a starfish.

The view across the bay.

Anemone and seaweed in a mussel bed.

We discovered that Nika's not a half-bad climber, but she was sure tired when we went home.

Soon it was time to climb back up the steps and head back to the car.

Porter wanted to ride the whale one last time before getting strapped into the car.

Independence Day weekend in Sitka - pictures ahoy!

If there's one thing Sitka knows how to do well, it's to throw a big celebration and party. This time around, we got to enjoy our first July 4 parade in Sitka as well as Seren's first time ever marching in a parade! There are plenty of pictures here, so I'll just do the rest of my writing as captions. Be sure to make it all the way to the end, even if you don't study every picture or read every caption.

We attended the July 4th booths at Baranof Elementary School on two different days (they were open from Friday through Monday). In addition to fry bread, hot dogs, Filipino food (mmmm), and other "carnival" food, there were booths raising money for a few local organisations through games. We worked the booth for the preschool/child care center we've used this year and the kids got to play on the playground a bit.

Saturday night, fireworks started at 11:30. The neat thing about Sitka's geography is that we have two islands separated by an ocean channel and almost all of the population lives on Baranof Island. This means that the fireworks can be shot off of Japonski Island and people can congregate almost anywhere they want on Baranof (or the bridge) for great views and awesome echos. We chose a spot at Totem Square downtown and were treated to some spectacular reflections as well as a bar fight!

Sunday morning, our friend Cassidy invited us over for brunch on his liveaboard boat (we suspect he's lonely with Stefanie away at school stuff). Kids don't float.

...but Porter does look cute lounging on the back deck!

Seren got chilly, so she borrowed one of Cassidy's sweaters. She looked like she belonged in a Dana Carvey/Kevin Nealon sketch.

The kid has freckles!

Due to me deleting the picture of Seren in the parade, this is the best it gets, so you get two pictures of her and her bike all decked out. She had a great time participating in her first parade ever.

Jo made the wig two Halloweens ago and it got TONS of comments along the parade route. The outfit made sense for the group we were with.

All Sitka parades run down the main street, Lincoln Street. This particular parade started at the Sheldon Jackson campus, meaning that it was probably about a half mile parade.

You know it's a big parade in Sitka if the Coast Guard does a flyover in formation. For my money, the MH-60s are the coolest thing flying in the military right now, and this is consistently the most exciting flyover I've ever seen.

In keeping with Sitka being selected as a Coast Guard City, the honor guard and Air Station crew started off the parade. I'll narrate the rest of the pics as appropriate.

Yes, Captain America apparently works on the USCGC Maple.

Sitka Mountain Rescue, our local search and rescue service, shows off all of their gear. That's a physics teacher up front.

Alaska Day re-enactors, much like re-enactors anywhere else.

Civil Air Patrol. In a state where aviation is a way of life, this is a great way for teenagers to get in the air, possibly leading to a professional career.

Filipinos!

Fortress of the Bear brought their pony. I guess their more famous residents weren't parade safe.

This is the group we were with. The gold-fendered wheel is on the bike formerly owned by Alice Machesney, a local eccentric and minor celebrity. Alice died just before we got to town last year, but her memory very much lives on. She was known for rowing to town and riding her bike year-round as well as having a massive grin and a love for polka music. There's a triathlon in her honor (row, bike, play accordion) and the bike shelter at the Raven Radio Cablehouse is dedicated to her. This group is raffling off her bike in order to raise funds for a sculpture at the bike shelter. Early in the parade, I heard someone on the side of the road mention that seeing Alice's bike was the best part of the whole parade. Their invitation to marchers asked for kids, wheels, and wigs!

Allen Marine - our local boat builder, tour operator, and small-vessel cruise company. I probably forgot something they do, but they're everywhere in town.

This may have been the float that got the best reactions from most of the audience. 21 babies born since September with their 21 moms (and a mom-to-be, from what I heard).

It may not have been Follow The Fold, but they were definitely working their tambourines!

Yeah....I don't know either.

Smokey kept getting hugged. It was pretty funny.

The National Guard has a very small presence in town.

It's not a parade if you don't end with the fire trucks. In this case, every vehicle in the fire department!

This last one's out of order, but it's so fun I think it makes the scrolling worthwhile. At the halfway point in the two-week senior high camp, Sitka Fine Arts Camp put on a show that makes it clear that these kids really understand what it is to be Sitkans, even on a temporary basis. Work hard, play hard, and really don't worry about letting your hair down because everyone else is just as weird as you are.