Alaska with Audrey and Lance, part 2: Beluga Point, Buckeyes and a li'l mo Moose

Days 3 & 4: Ohio State, Turnagain Arm, Twilight, moore moose and the beginning of an obsession

Saturday morning we awoke early and went to a local sports bar to eat breakfast and watch the biggest football rivalry in college sports: Ohio State vs Michigan. Lance is an avid Ohio state fan and graduate (I think). In fact, he's such a big fan he once again wore shorts to go watch the game. (Don't know if he intended the shorts to be a means of rooting for his team, but it sure seemed extreme enough to me to be  an act of Buckeye support.)

Short story short, the Buckeyes didn't have it in'em that day and came up with an "L" on their record against the Michigan Wolverines. Booo. A sad Lance makes for a san Nathan too.  

Later on that day, because it so so crystal clear and beautiful outside, we took a drive down to the Turnagain Arm. This is a inlet of water just south of Anchorage that is about 30 miles long. With snow-covered mountains on both sides and the road hugging the winding topography, it is for sure my favorite scenic road ever. 

Turnagain  arm, looking out toward the inlet

The tid was in at the time, but the water had so many frozen areas and some fresh snow fallen on it that, from this picture, it hardly looks like what you'd think ocean water might look like.

Audrey, in her Buckeye garb

We stopped at a fun pull off known as Beluga Point. There's a rather large island thingy that you can climb out and around on (during the summer when it's warmish). But even from the road the views are great.

Part of Beluga Point visible behind us

We never stayed out of the car long since it was fairly windy and quite chilly that day.

This pic shows how the road sits between water and steep mountain side

On to the main reason why Audrey really came to Alaska - Twilight. Since the second of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight movies hit theaters, Audrey and Heather have seen them together in the theater. As far as I know, this wasn't really planned, but it kind of happened, and now there's precedent for coming to AK to see a movie. I don't know...ask them. It's something fun, and they've bonded over the glistening shirtless muscle rippling ware wolves of Team Jacob.

Heather got them matching shirts to increase their geek-hood

Personally, I'm team Alice (*wink*). I think my friend Robert is with me on that one.

In protest to the teen sensation now turned 20-something-sensation books and movies that are the Twilight series, Lance refused to see the movie and instead went and saw The Muppets.

Dakota, rooting for the Buckeyes

One of the evenings they were here, we introduced Audrey and Lance to a knew card game called Dominion. As was expected, they liked it. But I didn't realize just how much they liked it. Because of the nature of Dominion and it's popularity, the creators have put out several expansion sets to the game, increasing the amount of options for differing games. When Audrey and Lance were visiting, we had just the one base/main game. For Christmas, I got one expansion, which is exciting and adds lots of cards to our game.

Now, before they even left AK, it became apparent that Audrey intended to buy Dominion for herself. Then, I read on her blog that she and Lance were enjoying playing Dominion in the weeks following their visit. Later I read that over Christmas she was sad, because no one wanted to play Dominion as much as she did. Still later, I read something that said a weekend was spent playing a Zelda game Lance got and lots more Dominion.

In preparation for a family trip in March, I recently sent an email out asking folks to bring a few games. I offered that if my sister can bring her base Dominion game, I can bring my one new expansion, and we could put them together. The response I got was somewhat comical to me and evidentiary of an obsession. She told me not to bother bringing my game, that since Alaska, she has acquired not 1 or 2 or 3, but 4 of the Dominion games and consolidated them all into one large box, which I hear can probably hold 2 more Dominion expansions. I cracked up as I read the email knowing my sister and how she loves to find a good thing and really "get in" to it. Nonetheless, I look forward to lots, AND LOTS, of Dominion during our family trip.

Their last day in Alaska, we took them to see a few last sights around town. The above picture is from the overlook at the Flat Top mountain hiking trail head. It's hard to tell, but over the cliff you can see the greater Anchorage area and the ocean/Cook Inlet beyond it. (Perhaps you can click on the picture to enlarge.)

The coldest Lance has ever been

This one cracked us all up. A description directly from my sister's blog: Note that we have on hats and gloves and appropriately heavy jackets. However, our legs are only protected by simple pants/jeans. At this moment in time, we are near the top of Flat Top Mountain just outside Anchorage. It is snowing and the wind is blowing fiercely. The temperature is definitely below zero. We stepped out of the truck and headed to an overlook (that’s ocean you can see in the background), and near froze in the three minutes we were outside, despite the heavy coats.

It was so funny, because once we got back into the warm truck, Lance took a moment to reflect saying, "I think that's officially the coldest I've ever been."

"Hurry up and take the #*$& picture!"

What's funny to me is how long I usually like to stand and take in beautiful views and what not. But we literally were only there long enough to snap two pictures and scurry away like warm blooded North Carolinians cowering from the bitter cold.

A good sign when searching for moose

We hadn't had a close or clear moose sighting yet, and it was their last day, last chance. Luckily, on our way to another lookout point we came across this young adolescent male, most likely freshly out on his own away from mother.

Bulwinkle's younger cousin, me thinks

Not far from our moose friend, we took in this view of downtown from across a little water.

That evening was their time to depart. After they packed, we said goodbye, and dropped them at the airport. Audrey and Lance, I'm so glad you got to see Alaska in the winter, covered in snow and majestic. Hopefully, you'll one day get a chance to come during the wonderful summer, and we can show you all kinds of new awesomeness. Thanks for coming, and we miss you already.

Alaska with Audrey and Lance, part 1 Thanksgiving and Hatcher's Pass

Well, my sister, Audrey, and Lance came up to visit us over Thanksgiving. I was SOOO excited for her to come to Alaska and to just get to spend time with them.

(By the way, sorry guys for taking SOOO long to blog on your visit.)

One thing I love about these two is, they are "floor people"

After the ~12 hour trip spread over three flights, they arrived the night before Thanksgiving. The airport pick up area was packed, and the pick up event itself was rather uneventful. We inched along in a traffic huggermugger, Audrey and Lance walked to us, we loaded their luggage and jumped back into the truck trying to fight traffic just to leave the airport. It was cold and snowy out. Lance arrived in Alaska wearing shorts.

DAY 1: Thanksgiving

At dog park, missing Nugent right about about now

On Thanksgiving day, Heather had to work the first part of the day, so Lance, Audrey and I took the dogs to our favored dog park. This outing was also a trial run of their cold-outdoor clothing. If I remember right, the temperature this day was somewhere in the low single-digits.

I just love this pic Audrey snapped of our two dogs taking off after a stick

We walked to Conner's Lake, which was completely frozen over, and unless you'd been there before, you probably wouldn't even know it was there. We all walked out over the lake, the dogs romped and Audrey played in the snow flakes!

My sister and her snowy flakes!

T'was this day, we had our first moose sighting. It wasn't a great sighting as we couldn't really make him out, but you can definitely tell he's there.

They don't hide very well in this environment, just look like big dark brown spots

After the dog park, we came home, cooked a bunch of food, Heather got off work and we enjoyed a super Thanksgiving feast along with a few of our friends whom we had invited. Good times were had by all.

DAY 2: Hatcher's Pass

The next day, Black Friday, we got up early and geared up to go snowshoe hiking in Hatcher's Pass. It's about a 1.5 hour drive to this popular hiking location north of Palmer, AK. Almost there, we had a second yet dodgy moose sighting. It was snowing hard and the light was very flat. It was tough to see him, but the camera shows he was there.

Bulwinkle, up the hill from the road

We rented and borrowed 4 sets of snowshoes and polls to trudge around in for the day. Hatcher's Pass is a vast area in the Chugach Mountains with peaks nearly 360 degrees to hike and lots of places to explore. For us, it was completely covered in snow. The surrounding mountains were hidden and the light was so flat we could barely decipher, at times, the terrain in front of us.

An old mining town in Hatcher's Pass

We were so worried about being cold this day we came prepared: lots of snow gear, hand and toe warmers, extra hats and layers stuffed in a book bag, and double socks on our feet. Our formerly Alaskan uncle who's a bit extreme when it comes to 'preparedness' would be proud.

Heather was worried about avalanches all day

After all our preparations for cold weather and keeping warm, turns out hiking in snowshoes is hard work. About 10 minutes into the trekking, we stopped and all started shedding layers. I was sweating like nobody's business within the first 30 minutes, after going it alone up a steep embankment.

See, on a clear day there'd be all manner of beautiful-ness behind them, but not this day

A look-down at our get-up

 We hiked around the mining town for a few hours and then took a trip down the board walk to the mouth of the mine.

At the mouth of the mine, Audrey being silly, me sitting on railing

There were several feet of snow on the ground. It was fun just to fall into it, and it caught you perfectly and gently like an expensive memory foam mattress or something.

Heather decided to beat me whilst I lay on my expensive snowy mattress

I just love capturing this side of my sister on camera 

Were it summer time, that railing he's leaning on would be as high as his shoulders

Another sighting of She-Heather! Watch Out!!

I think, by the end, we hiked about 3 hours. That was enough, because we were definitely tired afterwards. What cracked me up, was the surge of energy that overcame Lance come time to head to the car. The whole day, he took up the caboose, following the other three of us quietly. But once we pointed toward the car - zoom - off he went. The picture below is Lance, at this point way ahead with his sights set on warmth and a place to sit. He eventually got so far ahead he was out of sight. Unfortunately, he didn't have the keys, so once at the car he had to wait a good 10 minutes before we caught up. 

I think Lance is what you would call..."indoorsy"

After having some hot chocolate at a little restaurant thing and almost getting the truck badly stuck in the deep snow on what is probably the worst and stupidest road in the world...we started back home. Finally, then, it began to clear up a bit, and you can start to get an idea for the kind of place we spent our day.

I love the colors the sunset created

That evening we enjoyed Thanksgiving food again and got some needed rest.

To see what Hatcher's Pass looks like during the summer, click here.  Also, here's a picture of the mouth of the same mine we visited but during the summer. Gives some perspective on how much snow was under our feet.

Up next in part 2: More moose viewing, the creation on a Dominion obsession and the coldest Lance has ever been!!

A way to go

For two weeks now, I have been the new Bereavement Services Coordinator for a hospice organization in Alaska. So far, it's going well. I had the privilege to have worked here this past summer while I was a resident. During that time, I served as the interim chaplain of sorts while they transitioned from one chaplain to another.

My job is to see to the bereavement (grief) needs of family and friends after our patients die. These services have many different forms; however, part of my job is spending time with and counseling those who are experiencing particularly complicated or at risk grief, and during these times I get to function basically as a chaplain (which i'm trained for).

The office is a good place to work. The organization is growing steadily, which means there's plenty of work to be done by all, includinga a 4-month back log in bereavement work that hasn't been done! (Job security for me, I guess.)

Recently, one of our patients died (I know, big surprise for a hospice organization), and the nurse thought the patient's wife needed a bit of extra support. So, I went to the house to spend some time and walk with her through, at least, her first bit of time grieving. But this blog is not about that time. It's about how he died.

I've been to a few different seminars or whatnot on death and dying. And to get into the perspective of a grieving person, presenters often have participants do certain exercises which engage our sense of loss. One exercise was to draw a picture of how we want to die. For the majority of people, the answer is similar. We want to die at home, in our bed, with our loved ones around us and without pain/suffering. (Consider trying this exercise yourself. Just answer the question: When you die, who, what, when, where and why?)

The night before this patient died, his elderly wife was trying to stay up to take care of everything, the busybody she is. But her husband, now bed bound, insisted she come to bed, because he sleeps better with her nearby. "He made sure to give me a hug, and he kissed me saying, 'Good night sweetheat,' like he always does," the wife told me through her shiny and watery eyes. He went to sleep and died during the night.

But his wife didn't realize. She got up and went about her morning routine, assuming her husband was sleeping in. Even their live-in care giver, when she peaked her head into the darkened room, thought the patient was sleeping peacefully. It wasn't until the nurse showed up to do her routine care that his death was discovered. The nurse said as soon as she turned on the light she knew from his coloring he'd been gone for several hours.

But, what a way to go? In bed next to his beloved sweetheart this man transitioned from this life to be with God the way most people want to do it--in bed, loved ones near, without pain, at home. Talk about a way to go.

I'm glad to be a part of an organization that helps provide people with a peaceful and dignified death. I've been present for numerous tragic, heart-wrenching and just plain ol' not-peaceful deaths in the ER that involve chest compressions loud noise, anxiety and pain without the presence of loved ones. It's nice to see the other side of the spectrum.