Caravelle

I got to go on another boat. This time a trawler or dragger. This is the type of boat that environmentalists and bleeding hearts don't like. They literally drag the bottom of the ocean floor, killing everything and throwing whatever they want over the side. This is obviously destructive and not very nice to life, but just for arguments sake, it is a big ocean. This boat holds over 300,000 pounds of fish. The crew of 4 goes out for about 3-5 days at a time.

That's cold water down there and a big step over.

Fisherman in the galley

A man fridge?! A clean boat??!! This may be the cleanest fishing boat I ever see.

Engine room

Apparently a washer and dryer is a luxury.

Friend's boat the Shuyak

Abby napping with her balloon...such a sweetie!

Look mama, I got seaweed!

Hangin' at da beach! Got to get out, even if it's snow flurrying.

ITN film festival

Glorious beaches,

pretty wildflowers,

Eden-like picnic spots,

interesting, aka crazy people (cause if you're here, you're off in some way!),

and then the side of Kodiak/Alaska films and most TV shows don't show....

Lots of goings-on this weekend. In fact, with non-winter beginning, everything is starting to pick up pace. Last night I attended Island Trail Network's film festival - locally made films of Kodiak's glorious nature and activities - in lieu of attending an art exhibit in which I have pottery. I didn't want to miss the skiing, snowboarding, biking, mountain bike riding on snow covered mountains, fishing, fish enumeration, hunting, eco-challenge, surfing....all of Kodiak's splendor in short film!

Watching the films definitely made me realize how lucky I am to get to be here. Most people watch TV shows about dreamy Alaska. I'm living "the dream". I am really trying to make the most of what's here. I often visit beaches, I am gettin' tours of boats, meeting people and hearing crazy stories, living up to some of those crazy small-town rumors, and most definitely looking forward to "summer" fun. I like watching movies, but am more engaged in living life to the fullest, of course with Abby. I wanted to live in Kodiak long enough for her to remember it. She knows about sea creatures, sea lions, cold rainy weather, and island life in general, and that's pretty awesome.

Weekend Report

I haven't been keeping up with my journal - it's available online for the world to yawn over...

My weekend started on Saturday by being irresponsible, which is very unusual for Miss Responsible Me. I went out with co-workers to burn off some steam and ended up having a fun, but drunken night. One of the conversations with my popular bartender/co-worker was her attitude she has - respect is earned, it's not just given, and she don't put up with no shit, you'll be waitin' for that drink. I wish we would have had that conversation before, as I am the opposite. I assume people are nice and honest, and they aren't very often as it turns out. I am learning the hard way. It's just difficult for me to accept that people don't live by the Golden Rule. No one likes being ignored, lied to, stood up, etc. I am honest and very direct, so there just no reason for for being disrespectful. All I can say is karma is a bitch, and on judgment day, I don't think Jesus is going to say, "Yep, I totally understand you being a douche." Ah yes, the photo above.... I express my feelings in weird ways, like posing with heavy implements.

Anyway, back to bartender, she was asking all the fishermen she knows if I could get a tour of a boat, since I have never been on a fishing boat. We ended up on the Trailblazer (a Deadliest Catch boat). Going down the ladder at the cannery was scary. It was so slippery. The ladder is completely vertical and there is a about a 3-foot space between the boat and the dock, and if you fall in the freezing water....They had to get me gloves because I am total chicken when it comes to heights and it was low tide, so it was a bit aways down. I made it down and am glad for it. It's just a floating man pad, a plethora of visual eccentricities.

Sunday was really great, but I am not going to write about it, except I did see a cheesy kung fu movie. I like kung fu movies in general, and I got to go swimming as well, and some other things. I got plenty of exercise this weekend, which is nice.

On Monday, the rain ceased and Abby and I ventured downtown in the stroller to soak up the warm sun and then later we went to Kelly's private beach, where Abby got to play with her best friend Kori.

Big girl

Princess Abby! She talks a lot about how she's a big girl, growing. She talks about her arms growing, etc. Her verbal skills right now are super excellent, so we have entire conversations. They're about Dora and swimming and the playground...

Photographer Abby

Ok, so it's a fish toy, but she thinks she is taking pictures, which is so cute. I think I may try to get her like a super cheap, literal point and click so I can see her world through her eyes.

We were taking pictures together, and she was directing me, telling me to take a photo of the vacuum sweeper or her puzzles. I was sneaking in the shots of her.

This piece I have donated for my undergrad univ. for their big fundraiser.

I have been too busy to sit down and write. Lots of good and bad.

Were you looking for something?

I said "you'll catch a cold from the ice inside your soul."

Beach season

Beach season has commenced. It's light out until after 9pm....Super low tide last night. We got to see all kinds of sea creatures!

Gutskin

Back side. Twisting deer sinew together for the back and forth piece, and then artificial sinew for the running stitch. I need to work on the running stitch to make it more even obviously. I am learning.

Front. I am trying to make a small bag.

St. Patrick's Day

I think the kids had a wilder party than we did! An impromptu bath time, running around and jumping on the couch, lollipops and cookies, and a few fights!

Better than Indian Jones - Patrick is the real deal - an archaeologist in rugged Kodiak.

Yorkshire pudding.

Elk roast! Delicioso.

Even the dogs got some elk roast!

This St. Patty's Day was definitely the most eventful I've ever had. Started good, turned to tears, back to fun, to not good, to A-ok. I am tired of the roller coaster ride, but if life were an amusement park, I can't think of another ride I would prefer. Bumper cars are too jostling, merry-go-round makes me dizzy, water rides are eh, the cars you can drive are stuck on a track so you can't choose your own path, games of chance are too chancy, I kind of thought maybe a funnel cake stand so life would be sweet all the time, but too much sweet is a bad thing. For one, how do you appreciate the good times if that's all ya got!?

Abby's birthday card for Kori

She wrote the purple letter A below birthday.

Abby recognizes her name and "reads" books to me. Her memory is amazing. She has been doing a lot of funny things. When she sees a commercial, toy, TV show, etc. she'll tell me if it's for girls or boys - "That's for boys." "Boys don't like pink." "Pony's are for girls." She also asks if something is on sale and says "Oo, I want to buy that!"

Recent movies:

Red

Thirteen

Daddy and Them

Calendar Girls

Being Julia

The Claim

and a few more I don't recall....