Starting Work up...Well Sort of

The rest of my week in Anchorage went pretty well I don't have any complaints. On Thursday we all went out to the Glacier Brewhouse for just an end of week get together. I ended up having a beer (it was alright, I really am not a beer drinker but I felt I needed to have an Alaskan beer while in an Alaskan brewhouse), and a steak for dinner which was really really good, sometimes I still think about that steak. I definitely paid for it though...$35 later, oh well when in Rome.

That Friday we had a half day so I ventured around Anchorage a bit to get some supplies. I was able to find a fishing pole at the Army Surplus Store which was having their tent sale. They were liquidating all of their fishing gear so I got a really good deal on the pole and it is super nice. I think we are going to have some good times here. Then I met up with my co-worker at Wrangell, Peter, and we had lunch at Moose's Tooth, it is this bar that makes fresh pizza that is super good. Put it this way I had to drive around for at least 15 min just to find a spot to park and it was a good sized parking lot. After that I stopped at what is known as the Brown Jug to pick up some libations for my down time in box town. This was the largest liquor store I have ever been in, there were so many types of beer, wine, and liquor I had no idea where to start. I actually started getting a little paranoid someone would kick me out because I could decide and probably looked like an underage kid trying to figure out how to steal a bottle of booze. I ended up with some basic beers because I didn't want to spend a ton of time in the store. I think next time I am in Anchorage I will take dedicate some time to looking around that store. After the beer I went to the grocery store for food. Haha ok that sounds a little bad I chose beer before food, but there was a reason I wanted to wait to get all of the cold stuff until last due to the 4 hour drive ahead of me.

This is what happens when you have nothing
better to do_ Amy and Matthew

My drive back to the park went off without a hitch. I would say my time in Anchorage was pretty great on the whole as well. Although, I did have a lot of people trying to ask me for money everywhere I went. I think I need to stop smiling so much when I am walking around and develop the resting bitch face for moments like that ; )

After getting back from Anchorage I had three whole days off. I sort of didn't know what to do with myself I am not used to having time off for that long. Usually I have some papers to type or something to do for hort club or some other thing. I really need to set up a list of things I want to so see and do while I am here because I basically just did random things around box town. I made bread for a party we went to (it was so good), I bough car insurance (super fun), we started work on some raised beds for box town, played a few games, and watched a lot of movies.

This here is box town. I'm in box 2 with my roomy Amy
The darker box on the right is the kitchen and there is a
separate bathroom and a community room

This week we took a trip up north to the Slana ranger station and just looked around the park a bit and helped one of the rangers with some plant id. While on our walk we saw some huge bear tracks, they were about 6in across, I wish I would have taken a picture so you all could understand the size this bear had to have been. Not lying though, I am glad we didn't see it up close. Today we are doing flight safety training, it is so sooooo boring, it is one of those times where you are more or less hurting yourself in a horribly failed attempt to stay awake. Tomorrow and Friday should be a lot better though, we are going south to Kennecott for two days to do some land assessment so that should be cool.

Flat top mountain

This week is week two of my training, this time I am in Anchorage and training with the other Exotic Plant Management Team (EMPT) interns. We have learned about the various invasive plants that we will need to control and also learning how to get the GPS coordinates of the plant stands.

Yesterday after work a group of us climbed flat top mountain. I am pretty sure this was the first mountain that I have climbed, either way it is the first one I climbed while in Alaska. We had a ton of fun, although after a little way up the hill I was definitely breathing a little harder. I'm sure in a few months if I try it again I will get up with no problem. There is a pretty good trail up the mountain so that made it a little easier, but when you get towards the top there are a good set of boulders to climb up. Getting to see pretty much all of Anchorage was well worth it.

Trip to Valdez

On Saturday, 9 of the temporary works/interns took a trip to Valdez (which is along the coast, about 2 hrs south of where I am staying) just to pick up some supplies from the slightly less expensive grocery store and walk around a bit. On the way down we saw a bear; I have no idea if it was a brown bear or just a blond black bear we noticed it too late. Upon getting to Valdez the group broke up a bit and walked around the town. Myself along with two other people headed off to one of the thrift stores. I bought a small food processor, yay to making homemade hummus, seriously food is expensive.

After looking at that store and a few others we headed to a nearby hotel, which has a bar/restaurant attached to it, to get some food and a drink. We sat at the bar and had an interesting conversation with the bar tender, who turned out to be the owner of the bar. After a while he comes over shaking a drink and sets up three shots (we didn't ask for them). We asked what it was and I joking said I was a little scared but he told us to try them. After asking what it was he told us the name (it was Russian no idea what is was). After drinking it he goes “this is a $100 bottle of vodka.” I must say it was pretty good, but I was a little scared for a second I wasn't about to pay $20 for a shot or whatever it would have equated to. In the end we were about to leave and after having 5 beers plus the shots between the three of us he hands us a $10 total bill, saying it was the family price. We gave him a good tip because that was definitely worth a lot more than $10. That was a nice little surprise for trip. Don’t worry anyone none of us were on driving duty…thank god because that vodka was REALLY good ; )

A little later in the day the group met up and we headed to the store for the supplies. Then we went across the bay to see the fish hatchery. When we got to the other side we stopped to look around and got to see some sea otters. This was the perfect time to scan the water with my binoculars (Thank you Marc for 

loaning them to me, I have found them handy many times already…and to everyone else, no I am not using them to creep on people). I was able to locate several sea gulls, a few arctic terns, a raven getting attacked by some pretty annoyed crows, and I heard a bald eagle, I couldn't find it though (sad days). During my searching I kept seeing these darker birds, but they were just too far away for me to see them properly. After at least 15min of me following these birds

willing them to land closer, three of the birds landed close enough in the water for me to get a halfway decent look and a picture. With a little investigation I found out they were harlequin ducks, they are pretty sweet looking

After taking some pictures around the hatchery we all headed back, stopping along the way to catch some cool pictures. Then we hit a little snag, there was a tree on the road. So all 9 of us got out along with some other drivers and started trying to move this tree. A tow truck just happened to be going along the road so we were able to hook up a strap

Harlequin duck

to the tree and he pulled it off of the road.

I would say that was probably the most interesting day I have had here yet.

Pictures thus far

 Trip to Alaska

 First moose of the trip

 Me and Clifford

 my Alaska family the Kiekintvelds
Thank you so much guys

Drum Mt.

Matanuska Glacier

 box #2=home

All here and moved in

Today I started work at the park. I have some training to get done here. Real riveting material,  but it has to be done so oh well.

I drove in yesterday from Anchorage, it was an awesome drive. I got to see a lot of the land. I saw my first glacier too, which was pretty sweet. I stopped for gas though and it was $4.81 a gal!?!?! Im glad I didnt have to gey that much gas but it was a bit of a shock, I should have checked it before I got gas. I just wanted to make sure I had enough gas, but I would have been fine. Note to self dont stop at that gas station anymore.

Along the way there was a moose that was right along the road. I plan on keeping an on going animal sighting list. I am sure I will see a lot by the end.

A Car Named...

So yesterday I was calling about cars and one guy stops me and says "you have the weirdest accent"..."I mean that in the most respectful way." Haha he said it in a nicer way, but still. I sort of didn't know what to say, um thanks?

Today was a day of firsts. To start I woke up to an earthquake, first one I have felt. It was fine though nobody was hurt and I'm pretty sure nothing fell. Then I woke up and continued my car search. I found one yesterday that seemed pretty good, but I wanted to sleep on it an see what was up. I went back today and decided it was good enough for my purposes. This is the first car I have purchased on my own, aww I'm finally a big girl...well sort of...maybe...idk. It is a 99' Subaru Legacy in cranberry red.

The main thing is that a dog obviously was in it at one time and did not like being there. There are teeth marks on the window sills in the the plastic/rubber and bite marks on the emergency brake lever, really just anything that was sticking out and plastic. The seats are fine though. I think it need a name that suits its canine origins. Does anyone have and suggestions?

After I got the car I did a little driving around Anchorage and some needed shopping done. At the grocery store I had my MSU Horticulture shirt on and this guy at the check out was sort of staring a me weird. He finally asked if I went to Michigan State and I told him I did. Then starts just going on and on about how he went to MSU and was from Okemos. I thought it was pretty cool he was from there, but I sort of felt bad about the people behind me waiting to pay because he was sort of ignoring them. But then he says, "I love being gay because women aren't threatened by me so I can just talk to them about anything. Those other guys could never do that." He pointed at his co-worker after saying this haha.

I have...wait for it...arrived

When all was said and done it took me 15hours to get to Alaska (it was supposed to be 10). But hey look on the bright side, my bags didn't get lost and I didn't have to spend the night in the airport.

Travel can be sooooooo annoying

So I get to the airport and both of my checked bags are overweight. That's ok I got rid of some stuff all is good.

Next onto TSA check-in, all is good although my stuff is falling all over. You all know how it is.

I get to my gate everything is on time yeah...oh wait they are delayed leaving detroit to get to GR and I have to go get a change because I will miss my flight. So I get up and my water bottle falls and opens spilling most of my water, but only the floor suffered.  All is well when I talk to someone, I can get on a different flight to a totally different city and will actually get to Anchorage sooner. Hey sounds good to me.

But wait, Mother nature is throwing a storm at Minneapolis (which I where I have to go). Now we r delayed, but all is well I will still have 20min to get to my flight and the terminal is right next to the one I am getting off (I made sure). Plus they were able to move me close to the door so I can get off right away.

But Wait! Now the flight is further delayed and I am going to miss my connection to Anchorage. So I go back up again and my water bottle opens and spills all down my back and backpack. Not to mention, now I wont be to Anchorage until 2hours later than I was originally supposed to get there and now I get to wait for 3hours. Oh well it happens.

BUT WAIT! I dont actually have a seat on the plane I just have to hope one opens up or I get to spend a lovely night alone in the airport whooooo! :(

So that is where I am at right now. Just chilling at the airport.

Best quote while here was made by an older man yelling to his wife "No place needs to be this big" as they run by and the wife is more or less leaving him behind. Haha its the little things :)

My trip will begin this Thursday, when I fly out of Grand Rapids. It will be about a 10 hour trip total. Gotta love it.