LIFE ON THE EDGE (August 23-September 11, 2022)

 

   Our time in Alaska, 165 straight days, has come to an end!  The final three-week segment was spent in Juneau.  We enjoyed the fellowship of the wonderful folks at the Church of the Nazarene and took advantage of every opportunity to experience the beauty and ruggedness of this great state. 

   The Tongass National Forest, the Mendenhall Glacier, Douglas Island, and so many other places will forever be etched in our memories.  My love for nature was a driving force in spending as much time as I could outside in both rain and sunshine.  I was able to have close encounters with black bear, observe spawning salmon, fish for, and catch, Halibut and King Salmon, and have eagles, porcupines, and bear in our back yard.

Add to this the many wonderful Alaskans that we met, and you have a mix of ministry and adventure that made for an amazing 86 days in the capital city.

Douglas Island, Alaska

                                     

                                              REFLECTIONS

It seems like when you are in Alaska you are always on the edge of something amazing.  You can't wait to see what might lie around the next bend of the road or trail.  There is a continued sense of anticipation.  It is certainly so when you find yourself on a small bridge crossing a stream filled with spawning salmon in the middle of the forest.  It is especially so when you are alone and have no cell service.

I stood totally alert, with my head on a swivel, as I watched the trail and the stream in hopes that a bear would decide to have a fish dinner.  I really hadn't imagined the tension I would feel when, it dawned on me that, I was alone with no bear spray or weapon.  There was always someone else on the narrow bridge hoping for just a glimpse of a big bruin.  But not tonight!

As darkness descended on the mountain, and it falls quickly, I calculated my hike time back to my
car.  Maybe another ten minutes.  Then, it happened.

On the windless day, the top of a tree about 100 yards away began to shake.  Could it be?  Now the trees shook with increased intensity, and I knew that something big was making its way closer and closer.  I stood poised with my camara, but not poised in my emotions.  

Suddenly, the somewhat slow approach was aborted and here she came full speed ahead, charging through the stream and trying to catch a tasty Sockeye Salmon.  Snapping branches and
throwing shards of water into the air, she rushed through the cascading water.  Now, less than twenty yards from my, now seeming less than secure, viewpoint, she skidded to a halt and continued walking slowly my way.

She ambled under "my" bridge, directly beneath my riveted feet, her silky deep black fur dripping wet and hanging in the shallow water.  She continued her journey as if I wasn't even there.  In another minute she was gone from sight.

Sometimes life comes at us the same way.  We find ourselves wanting a challenge and yet, when it comes, we find ourselves saying "What in the world am I doing here?"  However, as frightening as life's adventures are sometimes, they can become incredible moments of abundant reward.  If we never take the chance, the risk, we will never experience the blessings.

IT'S A ZOO UP HERE! (August 1-22, 2022)

Morning breaks on the meadow

 

Our third three week stay in the great state of Alaska proved to, again, be a memorable segment of time.  It was highlighted by many wonderful encounters with the wildlife of the last frontier and incredible times of interacting with her citizens. After 145 straight days in "The Last Frontier", I can honestly say that I have not grown tired of her allure. 

With only three more weeks to go before returning to the "outside" I am trying to cram in as much outdoor time as I can.  Weather has been a mix between drizzle, heavy rain, and brilliant sunshine, but none of it has stopped me from taking treks to look for wildlife or to fish.

A remote campground near the "end of the road" was the perfect spot for a church family camp.  It was the perfect blend of my two callings: to the ministry and to the wilderness.  These days, regardless of the weather, have been perfect days. They have been days of joy and fulfillment.

REFLECTIONS

I have been reflecting on all the different critters I have seen while here in Alaska this time so here's a pictorial list (may have forgot a couple)

Eagles

Seals

Sea Otters

Moose

Dall Sheep

Black Bear

Steller's Jay

Porcupine

Artic Tern

Raven

u

Puffin

Beaver

Blue Herron

Halibut

Sockeye Salmon

King Salmon

Chum (Dog) Salmon

I did see some black tail deer but couldn't get a photograph.  All in all, a fairly sizeable sample of the wildlife of Alaska.

NO TIME TO WASTE (July 8 - 31, 2022)

King Salmon

 

Whereas, our first three weeks in Juneau, Alaska were almost entirely sunny and bright with temperatures bumping 80 degrees, the past three weeks have been totally the opposite. Southeastern Alaskan weather arrived and has yet to leave.  

Back Yard Black Bear

Fourteen of the twenty-one days were socked in, cloudy, day-long, rain events.  Four more days were cloudy and only three days could, in the most generous sense, be classified as "sunny".  Temperatures struggled to reach 60 with most days ranging in the 50s.  

Average rainfall for July is a sizeable 5.14 inches.  With two days to go before the month is over, we stand at 8.66 inches. Thus, the realization that we are indeed in a "rain forest".

Back Porch Berries

In spite of the inclement weather, Juneau proved to be special place to be. Between fishing trips (Halibut and Salmon), bear watching, berry picking, rain-gear hiking, and church activities; we were blessed time and time again.

Tongass National Forest Trail

                                              REFLECTIONS

Juneau Inlet

When the sun shines, the area around Juneau, Alaska is as picturesque as anywhere you can imagine. The sparkling water, the deep blue sky, and the surrounding lush pine filled mountains, make for a bunch of "Wow" moments. Yet, the rainy, overcast, can't see the mountain days can be just as interesting. A huge black bear can stroll through your backyard, the raspberries by the back deck can ripen and beg to be picked in the constant drizzle, or dozens of eagles can decide to put on an aerial show as they buzz the inlet looking for dinner. The halibut and spawning salmon don't care if it's raining, they're wet anyway, and if you don't mind getting a little damp you can reap some big rewards.

It's the "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade" theory!  Aside of everything mentioned afore, the rainy days can give you an opportunity to read ("The Wolf Man of Alaska") or to take a long nap, listening to the dripping of the eavestrough.

All things being said, that's just the way life is. Why squander it complaining! Well, I'm off to walk inside the church.  While I make my laps I'll be praying for my family and friends. No time to waste!

Alaskan Halibut

DEAL ME IN (June 15 - July 7, 2022)

 Mendenhall Glacier

 

Juneau Church of the Nazarene

     After a couple of days of R@R in Anchorage, we took the short flight to Juneau.  Juneau is the capital of Alaska and is the only capital in the United States that is "off the road".  If you want to visit this picturesque city, you have to either fly in or catch the Alaska Ferry.

For the last three weeks we have been learning our way around the area and getting to know the people who call the Juneau Church of the Nazarene home. We are here until they get a pastor or until the end of September when we need to return south for fall and winter adventures.  

We could be in the Last Frontier for six months!

REFLECTIONS

When people learned that we were going to be serving in Juneau there were usually one of two responses.  First, the area would be absolutely beautiful with mountains pressing in on three sides and the bays, inlets, and ocean on the other.  Secondly, it would likely rain almost every one of the 101 days that we would be there.

The first response has proven to be completely accurate!  It may be the most beautiful city that I have ever visited.  I wake up every morning surrounded by steep mountains; some

covered in lush shades of green blanketing the cliffsides and others rocky and still snow covered in early July.  Whether it's the harbor in downtown, filled with cruise ships and sea planes, or the vast forested oceanside, the beauty is everywhere.  Add to that the many hiking trails (keep an eye out for bears) and the majestic Mendenhall Glacier and you have one incredible vista after another.

The second response, which should have put a damper on things, has failed to materialize!  Of the 21 days that we have been here only two days could be listed as cloudy, and the remainder were sunny and warm.  Now, I know that it could turn around and rain for much of our remaining time, but we have thoroughly taken advantage of the sunny, deep blue skies, these last three weeks.  Even if we get an even split between the "good" and the "bad" days, it will be far better than we imagined.

One thing that I am learning as I grow older is to enjoy the "present", the moment, the experience.  I am learning to accept whatever I am dealt and to play out the hand the best I can.  Sometimes, like these past three weeks, you pick up the cards and think this looks like a winner.  You try hard not to smile but it is almost impossible!  Other times you eagerly view the cards only to find that the hand isn't at all what you had expected.  Your immediate reaction is "well let's get this over with and move on."

Our lodging in Juneau, Alaska

What I am working on is to try and stay in the "now" and enjoy both hands.  That way, when I come to the end of my road, I hope people will say that I traveled it well and that the end was as beautiful as the beginning. 

 I just looked out the window and it's starting to rain but that's okay.  It just means more water cascading over the numerous giant waterfalls that brings fullness to the steams that will host the salmon run in a couple of weeks.  It's all good and I am smiling inside.

End of the Road

A PHOTGRAPHIC JOURNEY THROUGH ALASKA WITH FRIENDS (May 16 - June 14, 2022)

 

Eagle River, Alaska

Usually, this blog is a written recall of events along our way but this one will be photographic odyssey of our past month in Alaska.  After finishing our assignment as "pulpit supply" in Anchorage and before our tenure as "Interim Pastor" in Juneau, we had about a month to spend relaxing and traveling with friends.  These photographs will chronicle those days and paint a picture of the beauty and wildness of this great state.   

If a picture says a thousand words, then this will be my longest blog ever.  Here we go!

Ninilchek, Alaska (Bald Eagles in Nest)

Denali on a rare perfectly clear day

Richardson Highway between Glen Allen and Valdez, Alaska

Landscape just outside of Seward, Alaska

Valdez, Alaska with our traveling friends, Wes and Marcia Bittenbender

Harbor in Valdez, Alaska

The Dicers in Girdwood, Alaska, at the Alyeska Resort

Dall Sheep on cliffside along Turnagain Arm

Sea Otters outside of Homer, Alaska on the Bay of Alaska

Moose in Denali National Park

Big Lake, Alaska (Hour Glass Lake at Camp Maranatha)

Eagle River, Alaska (Black Bear)

Dicers at Horse Tail Falls (Richardson Highway near Valdez, Alaska)

Seldovia, Alaska (remote Island village)

I could post several more but I figure that fifteen should be enough to give you an idea of the 3,000 mile journey we took during these fourteen days.  (pick a photo and comment if you like or ask any questions you have)