The Weather is Not Cooperating

Today our park pilot gets back.  Yeah!!!! That means the fun gets to start up again.  First on the agenda moose surveys.  I am suppose to be out looking for moose right now while they are gathered together and the bulls have not lost their racks yet.  At the beginning of the week we had wonderfully perfect weather to go look for moose.  There was lots of fresh snow fall that makes viewing for moose in the air so much easier.  The skies were clear and there was no wind.  Perfect flying conditions except for one thing, our pilot has been gone for the entire month and gets back tomorrow. 

Yesterday of course, it warmed up to 40 degrees, melting all our beautiful snow.  There were strong winds all day with gusts up to 50 mph.  So awful conditions for moose surveys and for flying.  I did get a report that the Alaska Fish and game had surveyed two of my transects and counted 93 moose on one and 114 on another.  I wanted to verify those numbers.  But today the weather is iffy because there is still rain and freezing rain in the forecast and gust up to 40 miles an hour.  So who knows.

I was so depressed when I got home yesterday because of the weather.  I went upstairs to change out of my work clothes and looked out my window.  I saw large tracks going into the woods behind my house but from the upstairs window I couldn't tell what they were.  I called Craig in and asked him if he had walked into the woods.  Nope was his reply.  He then smiled and said maybe it was a moose.  That did not make me feel better and I had to hurry outside to see just what had made the tracks.  Well, it wasn't a moose.  I can't tell you how upset I would have been if a moose crossed my back yard and I didn't get to see it.  The tracks were from a large dog that has been lurking around the neighborhood.  Not even anything interesting. 

I got an email from the biologist at the Fish and Wildlife office telling me wolves were everywhere and asked if I wanted to meet to plan our trapping them in February.  I of course said yes.  At least it would be more interesting than spending my day in front of my computer.  Do you think the moose have some control in the weather just to keep me from seeing them?

The Competition Thickens

The competition for the best christmas display has gotten tougher.  The bank has placed garland and lights around every window.  I haven't been inside but I thought I glanced a tree inside as I walked by.  The AC and Eddies haven't gotten into the spirit yet but the post office is really kicking it up a notch.  Yesterday when I went to get the mail, lights had been hung around the outside of the building and leaning on the outside wall was a lighted train and in the corner a lighted mailbox.  Inside the table used to hold priority boxes was cleared off and a green table cloth was spread over it.  A container of candy canes sat on the counter.  I wonder if they are trying to bribe the customers. 

Money, Money, Money

So as the wildlife biologist for Katmai I have a lot of things I would like to study.  I would love to fly around in a helicopter looking for trumpeter swans that may be wintering in the park.  I would love to take a boat ride up our coast and look for raptors.  I would love to spend about a week at Novarupta and see what animals have returned to the area because last summer I got reports that there were hares there and that is the first recording of hares since the eruption in 1912.  I would love to go to Aniakchak and start studying the caribou or the moose or the bear population since they have not been done since 1984 and then only in the caldera.  But to do that takes money and lots of it. 

This week is budget week.  Each national park gets a base amount of money and then each department gets a junk of that then projects get decided.  I have some projects that have to be done for instance the camera project that takes pictures of bear and people density on the lower falls platform.  This number is used to decide where the bridge goes and how many seasonal staff may be required to get people across.  I also have to do annual moose surveys as they help keep track of how many can be hunted. 

Nationally all the park biologist compete for additional funding to do their projects.  Proposals for that are due the end of the Dec.  I am currently working on four for that.  A swan survey, as trumpeters have been seen in Katmai and that is an extension of their range and I would like to see if it is just a rare occurrence or a major shift.  I want to study wolverines so I am writing a proposal to do that, my boss wants me to look into doing a project to study the invasive animal species that may exist in the park.  For instance in the early 1900's fox farms were found all along our coast on the islands.  He wants to know if we have farmed fox relatives in our fox population.  And last but not least I want to get a citizen science app for peoples IPhone and Ipads so that when they visit the park they can record animal sightings with the app and help me collect more data.  Wouldn't that be awesome!!!  I could make all of you part of my biological team.  Of course that takes money.  Keep your fingers crossed that we get some of pot.  Or that I find a rare money tree growing in the tundra.

Looking for Wildlife

Yesterday Craig and I went on a drive.  We have our neighbors car for another week so we thought we would take advantage of it.  We drove down to Lake Camp which is ten miles away.  We watched for moose, caribou and wolves as we drove.  We were just about there when I spotted a large bald eagle in a tree next to the road.  We stopped got out and took some pictures.  It was a good find as he was a beautiful eagle.

Lake camp was pretty desolate.  No animals, no boats, and no people.  Just ice and snow and hare tracks.  We took a little walk hoping to see something but we were all by ourselves.  We decided that maybe we should go to dock and check out the river.  Again, not much going on in the way of wildlife.  There was a man out ice fishing on the river and he caught a very small fish while we were watching but not anything spectacular.  On the way back to the car we saw a red fox lying in a box in the back of a pick up.  It is trapping season here so we figure someone was checking their lines and the fox was the catch of the day.  It was a beautiful creature.  Now it will be someones hat or mittens to keep them warm in the below freezing temps. 

Not much was seen but it was nice to get out of the house as it was the first time in weeks we have been above zero.

Timely Mail Delivery

Back in September my granddaughter was selling magazines so I ordered a couple of them to support her school.  One of the magazines was just a typical woman's magazine that I love to read around the holidays for new ideas.  I got my first issue yesterday.  I was so excited until I opened it and the main title said "How to put fun in your Halloween".   Yep, I got my Oct. 17th issue.  So I guess I can expect my Christmas issue around Valentines Day. 

So I got to thinking how late is everyone elses mail?  I have been picking up the neighbors mail for her while she is gone and she got 2 magazines and the New York Times.  One magazine was The Weekly which was dated Nov. 20th so that is only a week late.  Her other one was dated for the 25th.  Yeah post office almost to the date.  Her New York Times dated the 20th.  Maybe my subscriptions will eventually get to me in the right month at least.  Another lesson learned in the bush, news does not travel fast.

Let the Competition Begin!

 Now that Thanksgiving is over it is time for the King Salmon annual Christmas decorating contest.  There is a business division and a residential division.  Last years winner in the business division was the post office.  This is serious business.  I went to get the mail yesterday and both people who run the office were busy as beavers hanging wreaths in all the windows.  There are glittering snowflakes hanging from the ceiling.  Lots of them.  There was a huge Santa in the corner.   They had hung twinkling stars around the poles outside.  This was all done by eleven am.  I am sure they are not finished yet.

Today I am going to a Christmas card making party.  I hear this is an annual event that is huge with all the women in town.  I even got an email on how it all works as you had to sign up for this ahead of time. I have not seen other decorations going up yet but I am interested in seeing what evolves.  I haven't seen anyone with Christmas trees for sale like you would see everywhere in the lower 48 but then again we are surrounded by spruce trees.  I, myself, just don't feel right about cutting down a spruce tree as the growing season is so short and it takes forever for the trees to grow. 

I have hung some lights around my window and I have a small artificial tree in the corner.  I usually go all out for Christmas that I could, maybe, be in the running for residential leader but all of my decorations are in the lower 48 with my husband.  So I guess I will be just an observer this year.   But next year.....

Black Friday in the Bush

All over the country people are rushing to stores for bargains for the holidays.  I just read 20 people were injured Walmart with  pepper spray during the opening this morning.  It is a madhouse trying to get to the items you want.  My sister in MN said she lasted 10 minutes than gave up.  Here in the bush things are quite the opposite.  It's 8am and by this time of day I have at least seen lights on in the neighbors houses not to mention a car or two.  But this morning it is still as can be out there.  I took the dog out and no one seems to be up yet.  I think they are all trying to digest all the food they ate from yesterday, like me.

Food may be expensive here but there was no lack of it yesterday.  We had a huge buffet to choose from and I just took small spoonfuls of everything but there was still so many choices that I stuffed myself.  It just made me sleepy so except for the fact that I missed my family, it was a wonderful day.  We will be eating left overs for a while.  Not sure what is going on around town as it is still totally dark.  Sunrise is after 10 am.  But I don't think I will read about anyone being peppered sprayed today.

Happy Thanksgiving Alaska Style

Today is Thanksgiving!  I usually make a huge feast for my large family but it is only Craig and I this year.  Not that I am not cooking just not as much.  I bought my groceries for our meal while in Anchorage and that I am thankful for that.  My turkey cost 78 cents a pound, here it would have cost me $2.78 a pound.  My potatoes were $3 for ten pounds here about triple.  My pumpkin was $1 for one small can here almost 4.  One pound of butter for my baking was $2 in Anchorage here $4.50.  Cooking a huge feast here could add up quick. It would not give me much money left to spend on black Friday (the largest shopping day in the US).  Wait I can only shop at the AC.  I can buy a body pillow for $99 or maybe a $5 dollar bag of holiday candy for $17.  Ahhhh life in the bush.

What do King Salmon residents do on Thanksgiving?  Not really sure but at ten this morning there is a turkey trot walk/run of six miles.  Not sure I want to participate in -19 degree temps but we will see.  We are heading to the neighbors for dinner at 2.  I was asked to go to my bosses house also where they are having moose and turkey for dinner.  We won't be watching any football as pregame starts here at 8 in the morning.  Maybe after dinner we will go look for wildlife.  Who knows I just plan on relaxing and enjoying friends and family for the day.  May your day be filled with things that bring you Joy.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Cold Day to Become an Alaskan

Today the temperature with the wind chill was - 60 degrees.  Wind were blowing 50 mph all day.  You could not be outside long without something freezing.  So what do you do on such a day?  You go get your driver license. 

When I moved from Minnesota to Louisiana and I went to get my new license all I had to do was turn over the Minnesota one and pay $21 and smile and I had a Louisiana License.  Not that simple in Alaska.  First there is a questionnaire you must fill out.  Next a test is printed out for you to take.  It contains 20 questions and you need to get 16 right to pass.  I got 18.  Not sure what questions I got wrong but my test was full of penalty questions about what happens to you when you don't follow the laws and I really didn't study that but the laws themselves.  Silly me.  But I am glad I passed.

Next in the process is you have to show your birth certificate.  You would think that would be enough.  Nope, next you have to show your social security card.  Not done yet, next you have to show proof of residency by showing them a utility bill with your name and address on it.  Then you pay your $20 and smile and get your new license.  I am assuming all the security is because starting Jan 2013 I will be able to get the oil money that is given to all Alaskan residents but it is a lot of security for a plastic card that I carry around and don't need except to fly as I don't have a car.

Have You Seen the Wolves?

Have you seen the wolf pack that is in running around town?  That is the question everyone is asking.  For me the answer is no.  The postmaster saw one behind the building.  She just saw one.  Someone hit a wolf on the King Salmon bridge.  The King Salmon bridge is an old wood bridge that is need of repairs that crosses King Salmon Creek and it is just wide enough for two cars to pass.  So there isn't much manoeuvrability to avoid an obstacle.  Just a side note, if the King Salmon bridge were to be closed we would have no way to the post office except to cross the creek or to get to Naknek.  People are hoping it will fall apart so that the state will fix it.  But that would mean the kids here would have to be flown to Naknek for school.  Only in Alaska!

Back to the wolves.  One of the people who live on the other side of the airport said she saw 5 wolves in her front yard.  I would love to see the wolves but so far they haven't made it here.  We have been seeing a few foxes.  We had one in the back yard.  Craig went hiking and had one come up behind him then follow him on the trail for a while.  We had another sitting outside the office all day yesterday.  Then last night you could here one yip but we couldn't see it. Funny my dog barked at the snowplow but slept through the fox making noise.  Hopefully the wolf pack will visit our neighborhood soon.

The Beauty of Winter

Yesterday the snow had stopped falling and we had six more inches of fluffy white stuff on the ground.  It looked like we were in a Christmas Card.  Everything was sparkling.  Then I went outside to shovel.  Low and behold one of the neighbors were all ready out cleaning off her driveway.  I was shocked.  It was the first time I had seen someone else out doing that besides me.  She was however the only one I saw get out and shovel.  I did see a couple of four wheelers pull out of driveways and head off but just the two of us removed the snow.

I went inside when I had finished and all of the sudden my dog started barking.  I went to the window to see what had her riled up and I saw a strange creature going down the road.  It was large and powerful.  I had not seen one yet here or in Anchorage.  It was a snowplow.  Did I have you going for a few minutes?  Yes a snowplow actually went down the street.  Not once but four times.  I am shocked as I thought they didn't exist in Alaska.  I guess you have to have 6 inches of snow or more before they come out. 
One thing I am surprised by is that there are no snowmobiles out.  In MN and ND they would be out in this amount of snow.  Yet I haven't seen one.   I know they exist as I have seen them stored.  Wonder how much snow we need to have before they come out.  I am also wondering if we have enough snow for the snowshoes to come out because I would love to get out on the tundra for a hike.

What a Difference A Week Makes

Last weekend we had a strong storm go through.  Wind speeds were over 50 mph and rain, sleet and snow fell.  Then during the week the temperatures stayed below freezing.  Last week after the rain stopped we went to look at Bristol Bay as the tide was to be 8 feet over normal high tide levels.  Waves were 12 feet high.  It was amazing. 

Yesterday, Craig and I went to see what the bay looked like after our week of cold temps.  There were no 12 foot high waves as a matter of fact there were no waves at all.  The water was frozen.  You could see open water off in the distance but in our view was mostly ice.  Close to shore huge sheets of ice balanced on top of one another.  We saw a black object on the ice but far enough away that we could not make it out.  We wondered if it was a seal or walrus.  Then the snow started.  Huge flakes whirled around and you could see an ice fog forming where the ice met the open water.  It was time to go.  By the time we got home the snow was really coming down and it came down all day.  So today's plan is to shovel out.

You Have to be Tough to Live in Alaska!

Yesterday it was 3 degrees outside when I went to work.  My neighbor is in Belize until the 4th of Dec and has lent me her car to use.  Being it was chilly outside I wimped out and took her car.  I got to the office and opened the car door to be bowled over by a horrible smell.  The smell of sewage backing up somewhere.  Up the stairs and in the office and the smell followed.  I checked the bathroom and it wasn't from our office.  I wasn't sure who to call so I waited for someone else to handle the problem and I tried to ignore the smell. 

Eventually, the land lord was called and the bathrooms in the shops below had backed up.  His solution to our smell problems was to go around the building and open all the windows.  Now if you have been following me the last few days, you know that the building has been cold all week.  Now with a temperature of 3 degrees we have to work with all the windows opened.  I sat at my desk with my furry hat on my head and my down jacket on with cold feet and legs as I didn't bring snowpants as I drove to work.  I would have had my mittens on but I can't type and wear mittens so my fingers were freezing.  I tried to not stop typing so that the movement would keep them warm.  But still it has hard to concentrate between the smell and the cold.

11:30 came around and we rushed next door to Eddie's for Tator Tot Friday and warmed up in the heat of the restaraunt.  After lunch I decided that since I had worked late two nights this week I would go home early.  It was nice to be in my warm house without all my outdoor clothing on.  I love winter but there are limits to what one can stand.  I hope everything is fixed by Monday but to be safe I will take ALL of my winter gear.

Helping Me Find the Moose

Yesterday I arranged to go to Anchorage the first week in December.  I am taking a two day statistics course,  Not very excited about that but necessary.  Then I have two days of meetings with the Boreal Partners in Flight group. Should be fun as it is birding information.  Then I was asked to spend a day running errands for the office while I am in town.  Not a problem there.

The meetings are taking place on the university campus so I will need to stay in the mid-town area instead of the downtown area like last time.  So I was asking people the best places to stay and everyone said the same hotel.  Then, knowing I am constantly looking for moose, everyone was telling me where to go to make sure I see one.  Now picture the place you think you would find moose in Anchorage?  Got that picture in your mind?  Was it the Applebees parking lot?  Three different people told me to go to Applebees for dinner as there are always moose in the parking lot.  I was also told that I could find moose in the car dealship on the edge of town. 

I am a biologist.  Moose are suppose to be in the woods.  But I am desparate to see a moose.  So I am going to visit Applebees in December and see if I can see a moose.  What is the world coming to that I have to visit a restaraunt to see wildlife.

Cold Weather Outside and Freezing Inside

It has been another cold day with the wind blowing at 25 mph or more all day and the high is at 14.  But when you can't get warm in your office it is getting bad.  Our office is in a run down old building with windows that don't shut all the way, another window is covered with wood and air leaks around all the window.  We have people wearing winter coats and snowpants to keep warm.  I am lucky in the fact that my office is a cubicle in the center of the building.  I have no windows that the wind blows through.  But today I spent the entire day plus and extra hour an a half in our conference room which has the boarded up window.  Plus I was running stats with my boss all day on bear management reports. We have statistically proven that in the past 20 years the number of bears at Brooks Camp has gone up and the reports of bears being aggressive to the staff have also gone up.   Then I got even colder when I walked outside.  Not exactly the kind of Alaskan adventure I was looking for and winter is just beginning.  No wonder every one goes some place warm for vacation during the winter. I think I am going to have a hot cup of cocoa on not think of any thing dealing with numbers. 

Only in Alaska

Only in Alaska does the sun come out and the temperature drop.  Yesterday the temperature was 13 degrees when I went to work.  The wind was blowing and luckily behind my back.  I made it to work in record time.  I wonder why?  Maybe because I was trying not to get cold so I did not stop and study tracks or watch for birds or enjoy the view and the quiet.  As much as I enjoy the sound of the wind through the trees I do appreciate warmth a little bit better.

At ten am the sun arose.  Yes I said ten am.  I am losing more light everyday.  I was thinking about this on Sunday.  There is a Moose hunting season in Dec.  By that time the amount of Daylight is going to be very short.  Hunters must hope that they get their moose in the first hour of daylight or they better have a great headlamp to be slicing and carrying meat out of the woods.  Anyways, the sun cam out and the temperature dropped.  By 2 pm wind chills were -23 and the temperature was 7 degrees.  By 5pm as the sun was setting the temperature was still 7 degrees but the winds had died down some.  Wind chills were at -15.  I accepted a ride home as I would have had to walk into the wind all the way home. Over night temperatures have warmed up.  Thats right while it was dark the air warmed up.  Can you explain that to me?

Doesn't Anyone Shovel Here?

Yesterday morning I awoke to find the ground all covered in white.  I love fresh snowfalls, the way they make everything shine.  So I did what I have been doing all my life after a snowfall, I went out shoveled the driveway.  I not only shoveled my side of the driveway but my neighbors side also.  The whole time I was outside I never saw anyone else with a shovel.  I saw a couple of cars pass by but no one shoveled.  I never heard a plow go by. I got the driveway clear and went inside to get ready for work.

On my wonderful walk to work, I hardly saw a car.  I think two passed by me as I was walking.  After the storm this weekend the road had these wonderfully large patches of ice and now they were covered in snow.  Still no plow.  I did see a plow on the runway at the airport.  Thanks goodness.  I am not use to such a lack of road care.  Since a major crash here may mean months before you get your car back as pieces have to be shipped in I would think that keeping the roads clear would be important.

At lunch I took the office mail to the post office.  Still the roads had not been plowed but they had sanded the roads.  I guess that is something.  This morning the road outside is still snow covered on top of the layer of ice.  I am not sure what I am missing?  Don't they shovel snow here?  It was the same way in Anchorage.  After each snowfall you never saw a plow.  This could be a very interesting winter. 

Winter Ecology

I would like to tell you that I had an exciting day yesterday but unfortunately even in Alaska there are boring days.  I did however read a very good book called "Winter an ecological handbook" by James halfpenny and Roy Ozanne.   It was about how plants and animal and humans change and exist in winter climates.  It was quite interesting and I thought I would share some of things I learned in it with you.

the most important thing to worry about in surviving winter is food.  Throw the three meals a day plan out the window.  According to the book you should eat something every hour.  If you are going to be outside for a short time the food should be high energy.  If you are going to be outside for an extended period it should be high fat.  Another reason to love winter, you get to eat every hour.

Never stay outdoors if you are in poor health or your energy levels are low as it puts your body in a need state before exerting yourself.  

Next thing to worry about is your water balance.  We lose large amounts of water to cold dry air.  Just by breathing in cold air, warming it up in our lungs and exhaling the warm air with our moisture in it, we can lose 1 to 2 quarts of water in a day depending how active we are.  A dehydrated body is more susceptible to exposure injuries.  Who knew huh?   We should be drinking a gallon of water a day to prevent winter dehydration. 

Here is a fact I did not know when your body gets cold the digestive system shuts down.  So if you start to show signs of hypothermia you should eat chocolate as it gives the body a quick fix of sugars which can be turned into energy quickly for the body.  Tea with honey or hot chocolate also work.  So always carry a Hershey bar with you when you go outside.  Shivering is the first sign of hypothermia.

Hope these few facts help you survive your winter. 

Field Trip to the Bay

The storm has ended this morning and it is back to being quiet.  Yesterday was something else.  Strong winds blew all day long.  The power went out shortly after 7am and was out for six hours.  Rain, sleet and snow pelted the house the entire time.  The wind howled and circled around the house.  After four hours of no power and the house starting to cool off I crawled in bed and took a nap.  I woke up in time for the power to come back on.

Though we had power in the afternoon and the snow and sleet had ended the wind kept blowing.  It turned all the moisture on the ground into shear ice.  Instead of ice grippers I may need ice skates to get to work.  I live on a dirt road but with all the ice on it, it now shines like glass.  I decided that it wasn't a good day to be out so I started to bake cookies.  I had the dough made and was filling the pans with drops of delicious batter.  Trying some out of course. (bad weather does not help eat a healthy diet) when I got a call from a friend asking if I was interested in going to the bay to see the waves before the sunset.  The cookie dough was left there on the counter and I rushed to put on my gear. 

The road to the bay was sort of clear of ice.  We were the only ones on the road so we drove around the icy spots as best we could.  The wind was trying to blow our little car off the road but my friend did a great job of driving.  We got to the bay and parked the car.  I opened my door and was met with a blast of icy cold air.  We estimated that the wind was blowing about 45 mph.  You could feel the salt spray as it hit your face in icy pelts.  We had to walk against the wind down to the beach.  Walking carefully so as not to trip on the ice, I had to lean into the wind to walk.  It felt like my face was about to be wiped clean off.  I held my hat to my head and bent lower and continued walking to the beach.

Once we finally reached the beach I had to turn my back to the wind so that I could warm up my face but not for too long as the sight was to amazing.  Twelve foot waves smashed upon the beach.  With each roll you could see the land erode away.  The water was higher than I had ever seen it.  It was right at high tide.  The tide here can rise 15 to 30 feet on a normal tide but NOAA said that high tide would be eight feet higher with the storm surge.  Normally there is a nice drop to the beach as most of the shoreline is sandy cliffs but yesterday the water was over half way up the side of them.  I tried to take picture but my bare hands were freezing in the wind and water.  I put my camera away and we walked back to the car with the wind basically pushing us all the way. 

We made one more stop before we headed back to the comfort of our houses.  We stopped at the city dock to see how the river was doing.  Naknek river was definitely flowing backwards.  Water was high and part of the road had been washed away from the storm surge.  A tug boat was tied up to the dock and it was rolling up in down in the waves so much that I was getting seasick just watching.  We had quite a storm and the land around us was taking quite a lot of abuse.  Then in minutes I was back home eating hot cookies from the oven trying to warm up from our field trip.  The storm was better observed from my window then out in it but it was an adventure.

The Storm is Here!

I am sitting at my computer trying to write and the wind is howling outside.  Rain is beating against the window and freezing at the same time.  The power has blinked on and off twice in the last half hour.  The house is creaking and shuttering against the storm.  If I was still in Louisiana they would be calling this a hurricane but here it is just a storm.

It started yesterday morning with a beautiful snow fall.  Then the snow got heavy with water as the the temperatures began to rise.  Huge wet snowflakes gently fell.  Then it turned to rain.  Heavy rain and the wind picked up blowing the rain almost horizontal.  On and off the rain fell last night.  This morning the wind isn't just blowing it is demanding attention.  I may end up in Oz if this keeps up. 

There are high tide warning for the beach and there is some demented part of me that is wondering what the beach in Naknek is looking like.  I was also thinking that going to the beach after a storm like this might me interesting to visit.  Did the storm wash away enough of the cliff side to expose a dino bone?  Did the high tides wash in Tsunami debris from Japan?  What does the bay look like and how high are the waves.  I am also wondering if 284 and Tundra are safe within their newly dug dens and fast asleep as the storm rages.  I have time to think about all these things as I am not about to venture outside in the storm today!

Prepared for the Storm

When I was in Anchorage, I spent a lot of money on food to fill my shelves for the winter season.  I had two totes that I filled to the 70 pound max and a smaller 20 pound box of food that I mailed to myself before I left.  Then when I came home I had a tote box full of meat, one full of dairy and produce and another filled with new warm clothes and more food.  Yesterday the mailed items arrived along with two boxes of food I had ordered from Amazon a month ago.  Good thing it was my turn to get the mail for the office so I could use the work truck to bring it all home.  I spent the night reorganizing cupboards to get it all on shelves.  The shelves are now are bulging and I should be good for a while I hope. 

Today we are suppose to get a very big storm.  It is suppose to be snow and freezing rain and lots of wind.  25 -30 mph in the morning with expected gusts up to 50 mph and by evening wind speeds will be 35 -50 mph with gusts up to 70 mph.  This will be my first real storm in Alaska.  Good thing the food arrived.  Who knows how long it will take to before planes fly again.  And I have the next three days off so I am just going to snuggle up with my wildlife reports, enjoy my Anchorage treats, and watch the wind blow.

Just a side note:  Happy Veterans Day to all those who give up their time to protect ours!  Thank You!

Tator Tot Thursday

Are you celebrating?   Here in the office it has been declared tater tot Thursday.   During the winter everyone from the office has lunch together on Fridays and has cheeseburgers and tator tots at Eddies.  But tomorrow is a holiday so we are celebrating it today.  This is the first week of this yearly tradition.  I have been told it is one of the ways to beat the winter blues.  I haven't felt blue about winter because one I love winter and two we hardly have snow on the ground.  Everyone was complaining about how awful the weather was yesterday but I thought it was great. 

Walking to work the ground was icy but there is wonder in the stillness of the dark.  I did wear my ice grippers yesterday but I don't think I really needed them.  I had a traveling companion for a little while, a small fox quietly exited the trail ahead of me, stopped and stared then continued on in the same traveling direction as me.  He was no more concerned about me as I was of him.  Just two beings enjoying a walk in the quiet of the morning.

It is amazing how you don't realize how long it stays dark,  Every day we lose about four minutes of daylight but I hadn't really been paying attention until yesterday.  The sky was dark until about 9:30 and by 5:30 we were back in the dark.  We still have 41 days of increasing darkness and the thing about so much nighttime is that you want to go to bed a lot earlier than normal.  I guess that makes up for wanting to stay awake past normal bedtimes in the summer months. 

What is in the Woods!

Yesterday after work I took Camille (my dog) down to see what the King Salmon river was doing.  It was cold and below freezing all day so I wanted to see if the river was freezing over.  The shoreline of the river was covered in ice and large pieces of ice filled the flowing water heading down stream.  It was so quiet you could hear the echo of the water under the ice.  I took a few pictures then Camille and I headed home when she stopped and stared into the woods.

I did not see anything but Camille did not want to move.  I stared into the alders trying to see what she was seeing then I heard the snapping of a twig.  I got excited my heart started pumping.  Could this be the moose I have been waiting to see.  Another twig snapped.  Maybe it is a wolf or a bear.  I continued to watch with Camille who suddenly let out a bark.  Still I could not see anything.  Camille's tail was up and the fur on her back stood straight up.  More rustles came from the brush.  I began to get a little nervous as I still could not see what had Camille so worked up.

Then I heard the jingling of metal.  My first thought was okay Santa's reindeer are in the woods but no it was just the neighbor dog Cody running loose and carefree.  Disappointed I petted Cody and Camille and I headed home.  Another all most adventure in Alaska.

The Ice Grippers Have Come Out

When I left Anchorage two days ago it was snowing and everything had three inches of snow on top of it.  It was beautiful and added to the scenery.  When I got home I didn't pay much attention to the landscape as it was dark.  But yesterday in the light of day I noticed we have no snow.  We do however have a nice layer of ice on the ground.  When I got to work I noticed that people had their ice grippers with them.  I not sure I am ready for ice grippers yet but I am thinking about it.

Two of my favorite sounds are the wind through the trees and ice crunching under your feet.  My walk home last night I crunched a lot of ice.  I had a wonderful time.  I decided that I would go to the river and see how it was doing since the roads were freezing.  King Salmon Creek was awesome.  The banks were covered in hills of white ice and chunks of ice were flowing with the current.  The river was moving ever so slowly,the floating ice tinkled as it passed by.  So maybe we don't have a blanket of white yet, but there is beauty still to behold.

Home from Anchorage!

I am back in the bush.  King Salmon's snow has all melted which is sad since Anchorage got 3 inches before we left.  Pen Air was up to full form.  Our flight back was cancelled and we were bumped to another flight which left a half hour after we were suppose to leave which wasn't bad but then there were mechanical problems and we didn't leave until an hour or more after we thought we were going to leave.  The flight was okay but when I got to King Salmon I realized that our suitcase did not arrive with us.  Hopefully today we will be reunited. 

At the airport last night we were laughing at how everyone in Alaska travels with tote boxes.  We had three and a suitcase.  Each tote box filled with food for the bush.  We however traveled light.  I guess I have a lot to learn about power shopping for the bush.  Most people had 3 suitcases and at least five or more totes.  Alaskans must make Rubbermaid very happy.  I did have two totes shipped over so I am trying to be Alaskan. 

It is good to be back in King Salmon.  Though we had 20 mile an hour winds when we got home.  But I like the wildness and the quiet of King Salmon where Anchorage was a loud and noisy city, with a couple of lovely walking trails.  Though I did enjoy the ice cream very much.  Today I go to work writing reports and grant proposals for next years projects.  What should I study?

No Moose Anywhere

Okay!  I am upset.  I was told that if I wanted to see a moose I needed to come to Anchorage.  I was told they were everywhere.  Lies all lies.  I hiked four hours in the largest trail in the city.  It was beautiful.  Snow covered the branches of the spruce trees and birch trees shined.  We saw other hikers out in the weather enjoying a walk.  We saw bikers with their large, fat tires made to ride on snow and ice.  We saw a raven and magpies.  We even went off the trail to walk towards a wetland and nothing.  Just the noise of the cars off in the distance and the planes overhead.  No large mammal of any kind lurked in the park.  I don't care what the Anchorage visitor guide say about moose being all over town.  We saw no moose.  We saw a sign warning us to watch out for dog sleds.  We did see one lone husky chasing after its master while he ran down around the trail.  We hiked over a bridge that covered a small half frozen stream.  We hiked until we began to get cold and the skies turned dark.  On the way home we saw a moose crossing sign along the highway.  WE SAW NO MOOSE!!!!!!

During the meetings I attended this past week I heard reports of moose throughout the state but I must say I think they are teasing me.  I was asked when I reported on the moose in Katmai, what is the largest group of moose you have seen?  Boy was I am embarrassed to say one.  Then I was asked if it was a large bull.  Nope small year old female.  How sad is that.  I have 24 days left until I start flying around counting moose.  I sure hope that I won't be wasting my time.

Best Place to Study Science

I have just finished a week of trainings and presentations from people doing scientific studies in Alaska.  Wow, what a week.  I got to talk to other national park biologist and will be working on proposals with some of them to get funding for a wolverine study.  I teamed up with a biostatisian and we are going to try a new way to monitor birds in the spring.  I worked with a GIS database operator to create an app to collect moose data, of course one of these days I am actually going to have to find the moose in Katmai. 

I also learned a lot about the volcanoes of the area and where lava is stored in the ground.  I learned about glaciers and their disappearances.  I learned that as we lose glaciers, the ground is rising.  In some areas 6 - 8 cm a year.  I learned about ice events and now know I can expect at least two a month from now until Feb.  I learned about sheep movements, peregrine falcons of Kenai Fjords and harbor seals of Glacier National Park.  I learned about caribou movements and who is eating them.  I learned about volcanic soils and what is starting to grow on them.  I have listened to reports on wind conditions and changing tidal patterns.  My head is full of facts, ideas, and things I now have to work on.  It is so full of science that I need an adventure.  Today I am going to spend the entire day exploring Anchorage. 

30 Second Interview

I would love to tell you about some adventure I have had here in Anchorage but I have not had one.  I have attended meetings all day then by the time I get done and have my it is dark outside which doesn't lend to sightseeing.  But I did have a very good training session today on how to relate science to your audience.  One of the last exercises was to promote yourself in less than 30 seconds.  You need to include who you are, what you do, why it is important and why you love it.  So here is my 30 second promo:

I am Sherri Anderson and I work as a wildlife biologist for Katmai National Park and Preserve.  I get to work with animals and birds and see how they relate to each other, other animals, the land they live on and how they react to the visitors of our great park.  Then I take this knowledge and I compare it with other biologist to see if there are concerns or problems with the animals that we should worry about.  I also get to tell you about the amazing creatures I work with so that you may fall in love with them too and help me protect them and their habitat.

Weather Bullitens and Future Projects

Weather report last night contained blizzard warnings and high tide activities.  It was a wild night in town.  There were gusts of 60 miles and hour and as it howled through the streets of Anchorage and made it hard to walk in a straight line.  The sound of it outside our window was quite loud.   The weather however did not stop the states biologist making plans for the next season.  I have a meeting with the biologists from Kenai Fjords, Lake Clark and Denali today to talk about a joint wolverine project.  The wolverine is one of the least studies species of all predator species and the four of us would like to know about the populations existing in each park.  Tomorrow I meet with the biologists to talk about how we want to study bald eagles in the future.  This training has been a great place to toss around ideas and get feedback from other people who may have studied the same species or trying to decide the best way to do the same thing.  However, I have not been able to be out exploring Anchorage.  My family went to the Natural History Museum and said it was great.  I did however make my first trip to Cosco and bought a tote load of food to send home.  Not quite the adventure in town I was hoping to have.

What Can I Say About Anchorage

What can I say about Anchorage?  I haven't got to see much of it- yet!  I was in meetings all day yesterday and when they ended we were having quite the snow storm.  The snow was beautiful.  We walked down to the marine trail but the tide was out and with the snow and the cloudy skies you could not see much to enjoy the walk.  I have not seen the moose they advertise in the city parks but to be fair the marine trail is all I have been on.

I have seen the seedier side of Anchorage.  I have seen the drunks in the alleys and people lurking behind garbage cans, smoking something other than cigerettes.  I have been approached by a few panhandlers and yelled at by some of the unfriendly natives.  Anchorage is like a lot of the very large cities across the US in a state full of beauty it is hard to believe the same city scape is here as in it is in say Houston.  Just not in the magnitude.  Today's game plan is to go to meetings all day while Ken and Craig hit the museums and then we are going to start shopping tonight.  We did finally find a DQ last night and I savored every bite.  We had lunch ar Arby's yesterday and I have to say that it just didn't have much taste compared to all our home cooked meals.  I felt the same way about McDonalds the day before.  I really don't think they are very good anymore.   Sorry corporate america.