Snow accumulation, possible ash fall

We are so close to having ash fall, one wind shift and it's over.  The volcano has gone off somethinglike six times today.  Now there's ash fall warning for Anchorage, etc.  Sorry folks up there, but I am not hoping for the wind to change, unless it's in the version of a pineapple express - above freezing would be nice.

King of shoveling

Shawen Jr. shoveled for five hours yesterday. The time was needed to complete his PE requirement, so we're not mean!

Four feet of snow!

This drift is way taller than Abby.  Keep in mind she is standing on about another 18 inches we haven't cleared.

I was all amazed at our neighbor's car being buried, see MINE behind Abby??? Notice the mirror and antenna? It's totally buried. She's standing on about 3 1/2 feet of the stuff. When I walked out to the car my foot was at about mid-window as I hovered over the car.

Our neighbor's car buried.

Last Hurrah!

This is officially the most snow I have ever seen.  Our neighbor's car is almost completely buried. (I'll post a photo later, when it's light out). The snow comes up to mid-window and the front end has disappeared into an abyss of snow.  There is a snow drift at the bottom of the stairs that comes up to my shoulders.  

Redoubt volcano erupted, pictures of ash fall

Car stuck on Rezanof causing a backup.

People actually trying to dig themselves out.

Just kidding! Kodiak did get several feet of ash in 1912, so really it' not so funny. We just got dumped on with a few feet of snow.

Spring? Well, not yet!

I can't wait for warm beach weather! It might be hard to convince Abby there's no swimming.....

but she can enjoy splashing in her ducky tub - quack, quack, quack, quack.

Off we go

Another winter activity has been going to Food for Less downtown and letting Abby run around when it's too cold outside. I am not sure what the people who work there think, but no one has said anything to us yet! As you can see, she only wants to shop for products with babies on them (diapers, toilet paper).

Delving into the ink

With winter full-on and me being terribly ill I have been reading a bit lately. I didn't read anything but US Magazine during my college days as I spent so much time reading hard core art history literature. After graduating I began reading Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody mystery series. I have been working on that ever since! I don't read much in the summer, and in the winter it was taking me about 7 weeks to read a book (1/2 hour, 4 nights a week). I have been reading more, so I'm averaging 5 weeks now (1/2 - 3/4 of an hour, 5 nights a week). Okay then, anyway, I love how "Amelia" speaks and writes - it's perfect hoity toity English! In case you didn't know, the series is about how Amelia travels to Egypt to pursue her love of all things Egyptian, particularly pyramids, falls in love with an archaeologist, and how the couple and their kids keep getting wrapped up in murders and crime.

I usually just keep going with the series, but the last time I was at the library getting my next installment I ran into Charles Dickens' section. I have seen several cinematic versions of Oliver Twist, and each one has varying story lines. For example, in Roman Polanski's version Bill Sykes accidentally is hung after a long chase with Oliver, where as the Masterpiece Theater version (c.2007), written by Andrew Davies, Sykes is haunted by Nancy's "ghost" and then hangs himself. More curious is the whole plot that the family who ultimately takes Oliver in is his mom's former love and her sister(!), which was not at all in Polanski's version. I am curious to know what is written in the book, so I decided that I would change paces for a moment.
Spoiler - Sykes accidentally hangs after the chase and Oliver is reunited with his mom's family as I read in Wikipedia.

Picture Impossible III

Photos of Abby will look like the above for the next year.  As soon as she sees the camera it's "baby, baby, baby" because she wants to see the baby, i.e. pictures of her on the camera.  When she doesn't see the camera she moves so fast everything is askew.  The above was taken with the setting of taking photos of motion with the little running man icon, apparently the little running man runs slow, because it is too slow of an exposure to catch Abby.

Note the painting behind her.  You ask, is that a strange deranged clown?  Why yes, yes it is.  My grandfather, James Leist Sr. was an accomplished painter.  His paintings were mostly in the style of Netherlandish landscapes and still lifes of the 17th and 18th century, but this painting, which is rumored to be a self-portrait I believe was not a favorite among the family.  It is not a "pretty" painting, but it reveals his sensitivity and acute observation of the world.

Okay, it took me all day of taking photos, and I finally got one where Abby is not throwing a fit over the fact that I won't give her the camera! This is at Mill Bay beach. It's great that she can walk now. The problem is chasing her! She insisted that she wanted to go into the water.

Kodiak Hospitality

All the people I have met in Kodiak on a regular basis amaze me at how open, hospitable, caring and kind they are.  Unbelievable really that so many nice people, like the co-worker and his family I mentioned in the previous post, live in one town.  

A women who used to do what I do at my job invited me to their 10 year anniversary party last night.  I don't know them well, so I wasn't going to attend, but she made a point of calling me and inviting me. Abby, Shawen and I had a great time and I am so thankful they let me enjoy their happy family and friends for those few hours.  

I could go on and on with examples of Kodiak kindness, such as Kodiak Kindness, and how everyone was so supportive with Abby's birth, well, it goes way beyond supportive.  Anyway, I am lucky to be here with these uber cool and nice people.  

Yak yak

Why no entries? Is my life too boring? No, but it's not necessarily worth writing about - work drama (which has momentarily been resolved), arguing with Shawen, wondering what we will do for dinner.....doesn't seem worth documenting. Except, my co-worker did ask me if he could put a link to my blog on his blog, and I was thinking to myself - WHY?! Then I realized that it would at least force me to write more, although, he would be a topic quite often! (not that there is anything you could say bad about him as he is the coolest person) BUT, for example, today I mentioned to Shawen how they are going to try to eat locally only - he already hunts and they have a garden, but taking it a step further. This angered Shawen. He saw it as unrealistic. However, I disagree. It's not unrealistic for them. It is obviously something I cannot do as I am not out tromping up mountains with a gun (may be I should be!), nor is there much space for a garden, but I have always tried to collect local berries, mostly unsuccessfully as all the spots I know are already raided. It's a nice thought, growing and harvesting your own food....but I doubt I will ever have the capacity (money and space) to ever do it.

Why eating close to the source may be hard for some - Okay, fishing, you have to have equipment, possibly even a small raft, a car to transport that raft, for canning a pressure cooker, and a freezer. Hunting, must have a gun or bow and arrows, other gear, and again a freezer. Garden, have to have space at minimum, or in my case build raised beds - takes $$$. Harvesting is a possibility, but somehow I have a feeling certain people will not want to eat seaweed and nettles. Jr. has expressed an interest in salmonberries, so we'll see about more berry gathering. Shawen's point was that for people with not so much money and space, how can we eat locally when we can't even buy local goods (fish, meat)? It is illegal to sell your subsistence meat and fish is more expensive here than back home. We do buy Alaska potatoes though!

This aspect of not having money and space I think is a concept that some people do not seem to understand. I get a little miffed at the comments of how much there is to do in Kodiak in the winter for example. I usually do not yield to the harsh weather here. I still get out. I took Abby a walk last night and I assure you I got several nasty stares and two comments about taking babies out in such cold!!! But unless you have $ for skis, a place to keep them, and a four wheel drive vehicle to get you there, yes, outside winter activities can be limited here in town (especially when the indoor activities are closed when I am off, e.g. the touch tank and Refuge). But like I said, I get out unless it is really extreme. Alright, I have beaten this topic with a dead deer. I said my peace.

On a side note, Abby started daycare this week with a Spanish speaking care provider. I wonder if she will pick up the Spanish?