Legend of Sleeping Lady

This mountain is called Sleeping Lady, and I can see it as I drive down the hill toward our downtown Eagle River shopping area. I took this on the way to the gym one morning. The "head" of the lady is to the left on the mountain, and the body is from the chin of the head all the way to the right of the picture. Read the legend that has been passed down here since the 1930s. The origin of the legend is not from the native Alaskans but no one knows exactly where it came from. I copied this from the following site http://d21c.com/Alyaska/SleepingLadysLegend.html . So sit back and enjoy a piece of Alaska lore.

Once, long ago in Alaska, there lived a race of giant people along the shores of Cook Inlet. The land then was warm and covered with fruit trees of every kind. Woolly mammoths and saber-toothed tigers roamed the forests and beaches but did not harm the gentle Inlet people. Peace and happiness ruled the land. Especially happy were a young man named Nekatla and a young woman named Susitna, for they were in love and soon to be married. As the wedding day neared, the Inlet people eagerly prepared for the celebration.

But the day before the wedding a stranger burst into the village."Danger!" he cried. "Warriors from the north are coming! They roam from village to village, killing people, stealing from them, and burning their homes!" "Stranger, how do you know this?" someone asked.
The man's face clouded with pain. "They have destroyed my village, my family...everything," he answered. "Only I escaped. Beware, these people are cruel and crazed for blood!"

The villagers gathered in council. First one person spoke then another. Some thought they should quickly fashion weapons and attack the warriors. Others thought they should prepare to fight the warriors when they came to the village. Still others wanted to hide in the forest until the warriors passed them by. Nekatla and Susitna listened in silence their hearts deeply troubled. After everyone had spoken, Nekatla rose. "I, too, have an idea," he began. "But I do not know if there are people here brave enough to go with me.I say this: I will not fight these people and neither should you. We have few weapons, for we gave up the ways of war long ago. We've learned a better way, which is peace."

Many of the people nodded their heads in agreement. "Continue," the elders encouraged him. "I will not run away from this danger, for then the warriors will kill many more. This is my proposal: we travel north to meet them. We convince them to lay down their weapons and live in peace. We will carry gifts rather than weapons so they'll have no reason to attack us."And I am willing to go first."

It was a bold plan but the people agreed to it. All the men of the vilage would go. Immediately everyone began preparing for the dangerous journey north. By morning the men were ready to leave. Sadly, Susitna and Nekatla said goodbye on a hill above the village where they had spent many hours together. "We will be married as soon as I return." promised Nekatla. "I will wait for you at this very spot," answered Susitna.

Susitna watched thoughtfully, hopefully, until the forms of the men disappeared into the forested mountains. Susitna made ready to wait. She ran back to the village for her needles, knife, and baskets, then busied herself gathering nuts and berries. On the second day she tired of gathering fruit, so she cut roots and grasses to weave into baskets. This task amused her for many hours, but eventually she tired of making baskets, too. Susitna spent the third day sewing, for she was too weary to gather fruit and cut grasses. Yet she could not sleep, wondering if the men had succeeded in their mission. Perhaps Nekatla would return at any moment! But many days and nights went by, each more slowly than the last. Finally Susitna could no longer pick berries, weave baskets, or even sew. "I will lie down just for a moment," she said finally. And she fell fast asleep.

While Susitna slept, word of a terrible battle reached her village. "Nekatla was brave." reported a boy who had escaped. "He led our men to meet with the warriors. But as he and their leader were about to speak, someone threw a spear!Their men set upon ours and we fought until all our men were dead or dying, and many of theirs, too." The women and children wept to hear the names of the fathers, sons, and brothers they had lost.

When the women went to tell Susitna the terrible news, they couldn't bear to wake her from such peaceful sleep. Let her rest, they decided. Why break her heart any sooner than we must?And they wove a blanket of soft grasses and wildflower blossom, which they gently laid over her. May Susitna always dream of her lover, they prayed. That night all warmth and joy left the village. As the air grew colder and colder, Susitna settled more deeply into sleep. All around her, the fruit trees froze and died, falling like the men in battle. The tears of the villagers gathered into clouds and, in the chill air, returned to earth as Alaska's first snowfall. The snow fell slowly at first, one flake at a time, but soon it filled the sky, spreading thickly across the entire land. For seven days and nights the snow fell, until Susitna and all her people lay beneath a blanket of shimmering white.

Days passed into years, and years into hundreds and thousands of years. For a few months each summer, warmth returned to the land, allowing birch trees and spruce and willow to grow. Grizzly bears, moose, and other new animals appeared, taking the place of the old. After a long time a new race of humans, smaller than the first, came to stay. Today Susitna still sleeps through the seasons, dreaming of Nekatla. If you look across Cook Inlet in the winter, you can see her covered by a snowy quilt. In summer, you see her resting beneath a green and flowered blanket.

It is said that when the people of war change their ways peace rules the earth, Nekatla will return. Then Susitna, the Sleeping Lady, will awake.

Mt. McKinley/Denali

This picture was taken from the same position in my yard with the same zoom lens I used to take the picture of our house in the previous entry. That picture was taken with the zoom in the closest setting and this one was taken with the maximum use of the zoom lens.

The peak of the Alaska Range is Denali or Mt. McKinley, the highest peak in North America. I did some research and the real name and original name was "Denali" which means "the great one". Denali is the name recognized by the state of Alaska. In 1897 it was renamed for President McKinley, but over time people decided that to rename a peak from the original indian one was not right and the name was reverted back to Denali. The peak is approximately 20,300 feet high and is located about 130 miles from Anchorage as the crow flies.

Denali is part of the Alaska Range which is visible from the edge of our yard on a clear day. (It would be visible from inside our house but trees around us are too tall to see the range.) When it is clear--usually not in the morning--we can see an incredible distance across the Mat-Su Valley, which is the valley pictured. The valley is bordered by three mountain ranges: the Alaska range shown above to the north and west, the Chugach where we live on the edge to the south east, and the Talkeetna Range which is between the first two mentioned on the east side. It is comprised of two valleys separated by two major salmon spawning rivers. The valley is 23,000 square miles and was carved out by glaciers leaving many streams and lakes behind. This is one of the few areas in Alaska that supports agriculture. It is on the edge of the valley that we attended the Alaska State Fair the week after we arrived here in August.

Enjoy another piece of our daily beauty.

Christmas Lights

Well, I included this picture because I took it with my new zoom camera from the far end of our yard just after a fresh snowfall. I love how the sun is shining on the house and the sky is blue in the background. The weather was bitterly cold (in the single digits) but the sun was out every day for almost a month as a welcome contrast to the cold. The other thing I had hoped to show was the Christmas lights on the house, but they are too small to show up in this picture...only in larger size on my computer.

Along the front of the house above the garage and porch and tracing each of the triangles in front are green Christmas lights. The gutters of our house and the facings of the roof are also green so they blend in really well. The reason I wanted to point this out was for an idea of holidays in Alaska…they put up Christmas lights here in early to mid October because it is too treacherous to do later. Our house still had its Christmas lights on it from last year. We made the mistake of not testing them until after the first snow and found that 4 lights were out. Shaun went and bought the lights and discovered first hand that he would have to wait until May (or June) to replace the three bulbs above the first floor. There is no way to safely get on the ice and snow covered roof pitches to change them. I guess when people can’t take the lights down until June and they have to put them back up in early October, most people here seem to leave them on their houses year round. Shaun says it is a mixed blessing...he hates putting lights up outside, but he also doesn't like them being on the house all the time. He says he is grateful, at the very least, that they aren't the dangling icycle type that are on one of neighbor's homes. AND we did talk him into adding garlands to the front porch, a large wreath, and some colored lights along the porch railing when the temperature warmed up into the 20s.

Cool Volcano Pictures

For my birthday this year (and Christmas and my anniversary and my husband's christmas and birthday and anniversary) Shaun got me this really amazing zoom lens for my camera. It is really big and heavy. I had been commenting that my camera didn't zoom in enough to take pictures of some of the things I wanted to capture. He said that if I liked taking pictures of Alaska, this baby would be just the thing to bring Alaska right to me. So on a beautiful couple of clear days I took these pictures.

The first is now my screen saver. The detail is really great when it is the size of the computer screen. The second picture is of the same volcano that is on the right of the first picture...only using my zoom. It is the first time that I got such an up close shot of it, and it blows me away that I am some 150 miles away taking this photo. The snow on it is so beautiful. When this picture is the size of my computer screen, I can also count airplanes at the Anchorage Airport which is just beyond the dark treeline in the middle on the left hand side of the picture. I love my new zoom lens.

Bald Eagles

A couple weeks ago, Barb, DD, and I were on the way to church. We were going to a later service that usual because the guys were out of town at a Boy Scout Merit Badge Lock-In. As we passed the VFW post in town we noticed all these cars pulled over to the side of the road, people inside the cars looking toward the VFW, and other people standing around with cameras taking pictures. We looked into the VFW parking lot and there, to our utter amazement, were more Bald Eagles than we had seen in our combined lifetimes. There had to have been at least 12-18 eagles between those flying around and those on the ground. There were also the biggest Ravens we had ever seen mixed in with the eagles. We were absolutely breathtaken at the sight. Some of those bald eagles were truly enormous!!! We raced back home and got my camera with my brand new zoom lens which was a birthday gift from Shaun. Then we raced back. The birds were no longer on the ground, but they were in all the tree around the area. It was sooooo cool. I got out and took a bunch of pictures. A person driving by told me that the VFW allows people to scatter their fish leftovers in the parking lot at certain times of the week for the eagles and ravens to enjoy. I plan on calling to find out when the next feeding is so that I can watch the whole process. It is apparently pretty amazing to watch all the eagles swoop in for their meal.

The first picture is of one of the many Bald Eagles perched in the tree tops. The second picture is of two Bald Eagles. I didn't know it, but eagles do not get their white feathers until they are at least four years of age. So this is of a young eagle and an older one.

Reflections in a Beaver Pond

Shaun and I went to the Eagle River Nature Center a couple weeks ago. This nature center is run by a non-profit group that helps maintain cabins, yurts, and trails within a section of the Chugach Mountains, the mountains which surround us on three sides. We went there to learn more about renting one of their cabins or yurts. There is no running water, no electricity, and all the supplies needed for a stay have to be brought in by the renter on sleds this time of year. After listening to the information, we then went on the 1 1/2 mile hike out to the cabin to see it for ourselves. Shaun took these pictures at the end of that hike. This is an active beaver pond that sits about 30 feet to the side of the cabin. Water for the stay can be drawn from this pond and purified for use. I knew Shaun was taking pictures with his camera and he had wandered a short distance around the edge of the pond. I didn't know what he was taking pictures of until later when I saw these downloads on our computer. I LOVE THESE PHOTOS. He really did a great job catching the feel of both the cold, the serenity, and the majesty of the location. We have booked the cabin for two days right after New Years...and we hope the kids will mellow to the idea over the coming weeks because right now they are thinking this is an adventure of which they would rather pass.

First Thanksgiving in Alaska-November 23

How strange it is to be so many thousands of miles away from family on Thanksgiving! Our kids' new cousins, Kieran and Clara, were being christened in Tennessee so Mom, Dad, two of brothers along with their wives and 8 children were all together for this holiday. My other brother, Tom, was visiting with his new girlfriend's family so he wasn't with the clan either. We had a nice day here and didn't eat until about 5 p.m. As the pictures shows, the sun was in the final stages of setting and the volcano just over Sullivan's head was glorious in the sky display. Too bad, everyone who didn't come to Alaska for Thanksgiving missed it. Anyway, we have so much to be thankful for this year...Shaun's job with BP, the kids are all adjusting well to our move, our family members--including extended family--are all healthy and doing well. We are richly blessed, and we thank God for this wonderful place we live.

Ski Trip to Alyeska-November 25, 2006

At the beginning of November we decided that we would take our first ski trip the weekend of Thanksgiving. The weather here had been really cold the month of November (highs if we were lucky in the low teens and lows in the negatives and often the double digit negatives) so we kept a close eye on the weather all week. The Alyeska ski resort is located in Girdwood, Alaska...a small town about 45 minutes south of Anchorage and about 1 hour and 15 minutes from our house.

On Wednesday of Thanksgiving week the temperature was forcast to be in the 20s in Girdwood. On the Friday of Thanksgiving week, the forcast was changed to 14-degrees. We had invested quite a bit of money into proper clothing for everyone...long underwear, inner and outer socks, inner gloves for some, outer gloves for all, several layers of non-cotton shirts and jackets, coats, and disposable warmers for both boots and gloves. Shaun, Deb, Barb, and Dharma had their own skis and boots. Sullivan had boots and snowboard. Every had ski helmets (a must here--not only to protect the head but more importantly on a routine basis was that it kept the head and ears warm and dry) and goggles. We were all set, and decided that we would just brave the weather and see how the day went.

We arrived at 10 a.m. and signed the three kids up for two hour lessons. Barb, who had a bad first experience skiing last year at a resort that had more ice than snow, was really ticked off at Shaun and me. She kept telling us that we ruined her day, her weekend, etc. and that we were forcing her to do something she hated and that we were impossible parents. So we responded by telling her to be quiet and get out to her lesson. She and Dharma were assigned ski lessons to a ruggedly good looking young man with a five o'clock shadow who looked like he lived for the Alaskan adventure. Sullivan was given snowboarding lessons by a very cute blond who didn't let him get away with anything and taught him a lot. An hour later when we checked on all the kids, they were thrilled. Barb was grinning from ear to ear and had decided maybe this skiing thing wasn't all that bad. Dharma was doing great on the bunny hill. We met Sullivan at the top of the beginner chair lift when he was working his way down the hill for the first time. Let me tell you, the beginner hill is quite challenging. Barb and Dharma also took the chair lift up and came down a different beginner hill which is pretty lightly slanted until the end when it becomes quite steep. After lessons were over we had lunch in the cafe and met our neighbors who had driven in to join us for the afternoon. That was such a great decision because it gave our beginner kids some more advanced friends to ski with. The neighbors, Hannah (8) and Rachel (12), were such big encouragement to Barb, Sub, and Dharma. Dharma, who took over half an hour to go down the beginner slope the first two times and was scared out of her wits clinging for dear life to her dad or my hand, finished the day doing the slope completely independently and confidently. Barb decided that she liked to "go fast", but needed more lessons in order to be able to stop at those speeds. On one of her runs, she came down the final hill so fast that she flew past the stopping point, past the clubhouse, and across the snow covered bridge that lead back to the cafe and other chair lifts. It was so funny to see her wizzing by. She eventually came to a stop and popped off her skis to walk all the way back. But she was smiling the whole time. Sullivan was amazing to watch on the snowboard. He really had an awesome time and conquered the beginner hill. He can't wait to get back out on the slopes...good thing his Boy Scout troop has a snowboarding outing in two weeks and another one for three days over Christmas vacation.

Shaun and I had a great time as well. My legs hurt in ways I never thought they could, and I only wiped out once--on my first time down the beginner slope. It was scary to me, too. Shaun went down the slopes quite a few times without difficulty so he decided to move up to the blue (intermediate) slope. He rode the chair lift to the midpoint of the mountain and started off. Within a short time, he realized that he was in over his head. He wiped out bigtime!!! Then he sat on the slope looking down and wondering what to do next and how to approach his return to earth. A member of the ski patrol came by and asked if he needed a lift down the mountain. He thought about it and replied that he thought that would probably be a good idea. So he waited, thinking that one of the patrol would be coming on one of the snowmobiles he had seen around. To his shock and surprise, a guy arrived with a bright orange/red sled attached to him. Shaun climbed into the sled and the guy snowplowed Shaun all the way down the hill to the beginner slope where Shaun climbed out and skied the rest of the way to the bottom of the mountain. Shaun said, "I could have snowplowed myself down if I had known that was what they were going to do." He also said to me, "This never happened, and I will deny it because you have no pictures as proof." Darn.

Anyway, it was a great day. We closed the place down at 5:30 p.m. and went home to warm up. The next day we checked the internet weather site and found out that the high the day before had been minus 11-degrees. I guess we bought wisely because we had no idea it was that cold.

Barb Turns 14

Barb had a group of friends over for a bowling party and then a cookout (her dad cooked out while they all stayed warm inside out of the snow)/hangout time at our house. When it came to cake time, they decided to revert to 1 year olds and asked if they could eat the cake with their hands. For a moment I wanted to say, "Heck no. You have utensils. Use them!" But then I thought, "Who will this hurt? Why not just let them go at it?" So I agreed and they dug in. It was fun and funny to watch. Barb got the grubbiest and really enjoyed being silly.

Turning 14 is a big deal in Alaska because it means being old enough to get a driver's permit. We found this out back in May when we knew we suspected we were moving here. I was trying to find SOMETHING about Alaska that Barb could look forward to. When we came up on our househunting trip in June I picked up the drivers manual for her and gave it to her to start studying. She told everyone that the day after her birthday (which was on a Sunday) she was going to go take the drivers' written test and get her driver's permit. I told her that she better start studying. So she did...the Saturday before her birthday!!! She read the whole manual as we drove to and from skiing. Sunday she had us ask her questions. Monday she wanted to go take the test. We got all the paperwork together, went directly to the Division of Motor Vehicles, and found out it was closed. UGH. So we did the same thing on Tuesday when the place was open. The test is 20 questions on the computer and a score of 80% has to be achieved. As soon as a person hits 80% the test stops. Alaska's test is quite difficult, so I had been warned before I took my test. And it took me all 20 questions to get my 80%. One of the questions was what is the minimum car insurance required in Alaska...I'm sorry...I have been married for almost 18 years and my husband deals with that and hands me my insurance card and tells me we are covered. Yippee! BUT, I made sure that Barb knew because I had no clue. Anyway, it only took her 17 questions to get her 80%. She came out with a big grin from behind the testing booths saying ever-so-calmly "I passed. " I stood up and said "What! You passed! You weren't suppose to pass. I'm not ready for you to pass. You're only 14!" (Of course, all with a big grin and a hug.) and the people in the waiting room just chuckled and some said "I know what you mean!" becuase they had either already been in my position or were about to be. So, on Tuesday, Nov. 29th, 2006, Barb got her permit as shown with her signing her paperwork above. I drove with her once around a cul-de-sac in our neighborhood, and Shaun has driven with her almost every day. She already has more experience on snow and ice than I had when I went away to college. Awww....the adventure continues.

Department Store Snow

Have you ever been to a department store and scene the fake snow that shimmers and glitters like little crystals? Have you ever thought "Why do they make it look so fake. Snow doesn't really look like that." Well, as Shaun discovered and pointed out to all of us, the snow looks like that in Alaska. When it first falls, it looks like the white fluffy snow that you would see anyplace. But, as the cold or wind or something hits it, the snow actually begins to shimmer. Crystals form on the top layer of snow, and everywhere the snow begins to sparkle and glimmer like a million tiny diamonds catching the light. Even at night the snow glows in the car headlights. Whether we spent time gazing at the snow covered terrain or simply were catching it in our sights as we traveled from here to there, the sight was really breathtaking. Who would have thought that mere snow, the tiny crystals of snow, could be so beautiful. We all take the time to look at the snowey vistas but this requires looking at the snow itself and being awed by its shape and beauty. About 10 inches of new snow has fallen since we took the above pictures in the beginning of November, so we have momentarily lost the amazing crystalline snow. But the shimmer remains: like God stood in heaven and opened a jar of white glitter and poured its sparkling contents all over the snow.

Halloween in Alaska

This was a first for us...Halloween with over 8 inches of snow on the ground. Dharma wanted to go as a witch and actually hid under her bed when I told her she had to wear her snow bib and boots and borrow her brothers black jacket to go outside to Trick-o-treat. She said "witches wear skirts and stockings and pretty shoes NOT snow gear!!" After almost a half an hour of her refusing to come out of her room, I told her that our neighbor's daughter was ready to go and if she didn't come out she would miss going around with her friend. That convinced her. I made the cape that afternoon so that it was sparkley and long and blended in nicely with her snow gear. I still think she looked awefully cute, and she had a great time going around with her dad. Barb, on the other hand, went in a mini skirt, stockings, a light jacket, and heels (she bought her costume with another neighbor's daughter and dressed at their house), and almost died of the cold...Not literally...but she was freezing!! Sullivan dressed somewhere between the two extremes. But, only Dharma was warm and dry when she came home.