Sail Away: Cruise Lines and AKontheGO

Here is an update on the cruise lines' preparations and precautions against the spread of any influenza outbreak, not just the "flu we're not supposed to call Swine flu"...click here to read all about it.

AKontheGO is trying to set up a family cruise this summer to explore just what the cruise hoopla is all about. Grateful thanks to Holland America Lines for giving me the scoop.

Not Just Running Away

Anchorage Mayor's Marathon mission statement, "I don't have to be fast to outrun a bear, I just have to be faster than you..."

And people Outside wonder why we're such good athletes...

I'm really only kidding about the running from bears part. Mostly.

Time to sign up for the annual Summer Solstice run! Check out AKontheGOthis week for details.

Dare We Even Think It.....?

Shhh, don't mention that it might be a promising summer ahead based upon the last 24hours of almost 60 degree weather. Yes, 60+ degrees.

One would think that we were recently liberated captives the way we carried on and fussed about in our yards and parks today. Even those with no yards or children made sure they got outdoors to enjoy Non-Winter.

Little Bear, Brown Dog, and I were outside from shortly after lunchtime until nearly 4:30 p.m. I checked the progress of my seed starts in the garage (they sit on the package of rice to give them more height and thus reach the light a little better), cleared out the garden plots (things are coming up on the southside!), then cleaned out the clubhouse. All things Non-Winter are stored there; from baseball gloves to backpacking gear to the all-important stash of bug spray. Good thing, as the skeeters were out and about this evening.

Bear took advantage of some tilled soil to return trucks and cars to the road system he built last summer. There is nothing so glorious as the sounds of a little boy working hard in the dirt. He tired out around 4 p.m. and had a snack under the birch tree before collapsing in a deck chair. If you look closely you can see the moustache of dirt encircling his mouth.

I hesitate to say it, but this one day of perfect weather almost made up for three months of crap last year.

And the dog? He ran after kids, his ball, and birds for three of those four hours, then joined me on a run after dinner. I have never seen a German Shorthaired Pointer run behind somebody. He is currently unconscious under my chair.

Yukon and I celebrated this fine day with a barbeque pork pizza and an IPA. Doesn't get much better than that my friends.

Wheels and Deals

Bicycling season, like growing season and sandal season, is short in Alaska. Unless one is hardy like my husband, who affixes studded tires to his mountain bike and rides year-round, the bikes owned by intrepid Alaskans usually spend nine months of the year locked in the backyard shed.

This weekend was the first true family bike trek of Un-Winter 2009. I say Un-Winter because after last summer's disaster weather, we have decided that our seasons are either Winter or Un-Winter.

Anyhow, with temperatures reaching a fairly humid 55 degrees, an afternoon pedal down to Cheney Lake seemed just the thing before winding down a Sunday. We dug out bike clothes, gloves, and helmets; pumped up tires and dusted off the trailer that Yukon will use one more summer for Bear before making him pedal his own Tagalong (bike behind his bike).

Bear loves biking with his dad. The two sing songs and chat about their day as the miles melt beneath their wheels. I just ride behind them and listen to the interesting comments that float back to me. "Daddy, moose are not nice to us" "Daddy, watch out for that hole." "Daddy, I saw someone riding without their helmet." (Good boy)

Playing at the little playground for a bit is Bear's reward for sitting stationary in a trailer for a half-hour while Yukon and I satisfy ourselves with a workout. On this day, Cheney Lake was still sporting ice on its surface, albeit slushy ice, but it reminded us that Spring and Summer are but fleeting moments in the seasonal calendar of Alaska.

Native Youth Olympic Games: Carrying on a Cultural Tradition

Native Alaskan youth are in trouble, figuratively and literally, as graduation rates plummet and statistics involving alcolol and drug use rise. Many kids, from remote villages far, far from Anchorage, are only following in the footsteps of their own disenchanted elders.

Many Native Alaskan-owned corporations are making great strides in their methods to combat the above issues. One of these, and perhaps the most successful, is through the Native Youth Olympic Games, held each April in Anchorage. Culture, Courtesy, and Cooperation, three values held in high esteem, and practiced as much as the physical events.

As author of the Games Guide this year, I was privy to the inside activities that go on around the state in preparation for these tests of skill and concentration. Designed to mimic the play of villagers in the North, the events showcase skills necessary for young men (and now women) to survive a hunting season in such areas as the Arctic, where knowing the stealthy approach of a seal hunter could mean food or starvation.

Events such as the Seal Hop, where competitors hop across a hard floor in the push-up position, using only their knuckles and toes for support (kills me to watch), One-Foot High Kick, and Wrist Carry all were inititally designed to provide both entertainment and skill-building for young Native men.

Any Alaska student grades 1-12 can participate, and yesterday's competition was the best of the best in high school grades. We had a blast mingling with families and event organizers, and felt as if we truly were welcomed into the fold of Alaska Native tradition.

Time after time we found our mouths agape as kids leaped, hopped, and shimmied their way around the floor of the hall. Incredible. And worthwhile.

What struck us the most was witnessing the incredible show of sportsmanship. No whining about judging errors, no bravado, nothing but respect and admiration for each other. Hugs and high-fives came from competitors and judges; had it not been for the officials' bright orange shirts, it would be hard to distinguish between the two.

The professional athletes down in the Lower 48 could learn a lesson or two from these kids.

Alaska Wakes Up

Springtime in Alaska means two things; longer days and waking animals. Our daylight begins around 6:15 a.m. and ends somewhere around 10 p.m., depending upon where one lives. As I type this, the sun has finally gone behind the treeline and alpenglow is slowly turning the mountains a lovely shade of pink.

Everyone gets a case of Spring Fever about now; with a week of sunshine behind us (except today) Yukon caught it and decided to take the afternoon off.

After lunch at Red Robin (Bear's favorite dining establishment because they have good chocolate milk) we took a trip to the south end of town to visit the Alaska Zoo. I figured this might be a good day, taking a cue from my sister who used to work at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. Animals are usually more active on the chilly days, and it was true this afternoon.

We saw the Siberian tigers prowling around their enclosure, caught a coyote being served her dinner, and even witnessed the brown bears coming out of their den. As you can tell from the photo, the big fellow didn't quite know what to do with himself. From what we hear, the brown bears have been out of hibernation for about three days and quite enjoyed the sunny weather. The black bears, on the other hand, have yet to emerge for more than a few minutes.

After re-upping our family pass and following Zoo trails around for a few hours, we headed home to a fire in the woodstove. It was that chilly.

A nice way to start the weekend.

It's the Golden Mine!

Little Bear's favorite spot in the WORLD is Hatcher Pass, 90 minutes North of Anchorage. He calls it the Golden Mine, and has been talking incessantly about it lately. So we'll feature it this week for AKontheGO. Let's GO!