Velvet!

So this is the reindeer Velvet that lives behind me. There is still argument about whether it's a boy or girl...I haven't checked. This is the reindeer that lives behind me and rides in the back of their truck. I'm still hoping to get a picture of me driving the truck with Velvet in the back!

Blueberries!

Last week post-call I went berry picking with my new friends Jen and Amy! Here they pick blueberries, Salmon berries, blackberries and cranberries. I picked about 5 cups of blueberries. It was a lot of fun but I was eaten alive by the mosquitoes. They are super tiny blueberries that are very tart, but delicious! I boiled mine down, added sugar and it's great over ice cream! We didn't see any musk ox but it was a great day picking!

Alice in Wonderland? Nope, Alice in Nome, AK!

NOME or NAME!

The origin of the city's name "Nome" is still under debate. The city's name may come from a point of land located twelve miles (19 km) from the city. Cape Nome received its name from an error, when a British mapmaker copied a map annotation made by a British officer on a voyage up the Bering Strait. The officer had written "? Name" next to the unnamed cape. The mapmaker misread the annotation as "C. Nome", or Cape Nome, and used that name on his map

9 mile hike. I was sore for a week!

Last Saturday I hiked Anvil Mountain. It houses the White Alices! The White Alice Communications System (WACS) was a United States Air Forcetelecommunication link system constructed in Alaska during the cold war. It featured tropospheric scatter links and line-of-sight microwave radio links. It was characterized by large parabolic, tropospheric scatter antennas and also contained systems similar to standard microwave radio relays.

The Alices ended up being further than I thought. I twas 4.5 miles one way. It was very dusty, leaving a gritty taste in your mouth. Although the Alices seem kinds of blah, they were really neat. In the past I guess you could go in and view them, but too much Asbestos has lead to them closing them down. I think it would be sad if they were torn down because they are part of history. It is a beautiful view of Nome.

Flamingos in Alaska?

A few interesting facts: people use old gold dredging buckets to plant flowers, just like we use barrel halves. Also, the hospital has flamingos outside in the garden. I suppose their little tail feathers are frigid!

Never trust a man in a bear suit!

There was a man dressed in a bear suit. It was literally the skin off the bear's back plus the head and claws with a zipper. He was posing for pictures. In addition, there were people dressed as gold miners and one man was the "judge" and pretended to hang people who committed crimes. In addition, he served the popcorn...and had a dirty surprise under his apron.