We're ready!...(we think)

Friday, November 4th

Look for the moon rising over the mountains in the top-right corner

Winter is here and we are ready...at least we think we are. Lori keeps saying things like "I'm freezing" and "it's freezing here" and I try to help by saying "no...not yet you're not" and "no...it's not cold yet". I don't know if I am trying to convince her or me that it is not cold here...yet. Although yesterday, our high was 29, the low was 21 and the 15 mph winds made it feel like 10 (which, don't tell Lori I said this...is FREEZING!!).

Time to make the donuts

We also got our first real snow of the year this morning. We woke to about 4" of cold, dry powder and it was still coming down. Lori had to go to work at 6am (time to make the donuts) so Spaz and I walked her to work where we had a kind of "welcome to winter break-in". We were almost there when, at the exact same instant, we both hit a patch of ice, our feet went flying out from under us and we both landed side by side on our butts, laughing (we thought Spaz was laughing at us too but she denied it). Let the "winter in Alaska lessons" begin. I took this shot when Spaz & I got back home.

It's mine cause Lori is making donuts

We got our winter home ready and have settled in. The owners left for Arizona on Oct. 18th and we have made ourselves at home. It is right downtown and has this incredible view of the Lynn Canal (which is not really a canal) and the mountains on the other side of the fjord. The house is huge (2 stories) but when we both are home we seem to have this power struggle over a certain few square feet - the bay window with one chair and the million dollar view. At least when Lori is at work, I win. 

Check out the Lynn Canal at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynn_Canal

That arrow points at our winter home as seen from the Lynn Canal (before the snow)

"Island Girl" sits in the snowy marina looking out of place

As always in life, we all have to take the good with the bad in everything. 

The good...great view, big house right downtown.

The bad...big house (hard to heat), and sits on a steep street out front. 


It's a little intimidating to think of getting up and down when the road gets icy but we can walk anywhere we might need to go.

Getting it out should be easier

We got the MLS ready for winter just in the nick of time. We had planned to store it in the warehouse out at the fish cannery but discovered at the last minute that the door was too low to fit it into. We ended up putting it in the barn at the state fair grounds that was used to house the farm animals. That door was a pretty tight fit also but we managed to back it in without wrecking anything and we should not have to worry about it until April. When we went to move it from the Hitch Up all the locks were frozen over with ice and I had to hold burning matches on the keyholes before I could get the keys in. It was the next morning that we woke to 4" of the winter's first snow...just in time!

"Eldred Rock" lighthouse in the middle of the Lynn Canal

As part of our get ready for winter plan, we decided to go to Juneau and do some major shopping. Juneau is the capitol city of Alaska and probably the only US Capitol that you can't drive to. It is about 80 miles down the Lynn Canal from Haines and is serviced by the Alaska Marine Highway Ferry System. The Eldred Rock lighthouse is about halfway between the two and was built in 1906. It has some cool history and this is a great link if you want to know more about it.

http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=828

The ferries are really pretty nice. They have an indoor deck up front with lots of windows and reclining movie theater type seats and a few booths with tables. They also have a movie room where they show a free movie and a cafeteria where you can get breakfast, lunch and dinner. They have cabins for rent and a partially enclosed lounge deck aft with electric heaters where you can "camp out" for the longer voyages, like the 3 day trip up the inside passage from Bellingham, Washington to Haines. All the vehicles are parked below decks and you can not be in your vehicle while the ferry is under way. It is really amazing to see the size and quantity of vehicles they pack into the car deck, from motorcycles to semis with giant trailers.

One of the guys we met at the RV park this summer is Frank who lives in Juneau. He is a well driller and every year for the past 17 years he brings all of his equipment (including his 5th wheel ) up to Haines where he spends the summer working and living in the Hitch Up RV Park. Since we were planning to take our truck to Juneau, he paid our way in exchange for hauling some of his equipment home for him. It costs about $100 each way for a 21' vehicle aboard the ferry.

Had to back it down the ramp into the ferry (easier than the MLS)

Looking at Haines as the ferry returns

The 4 hour ferry ride is spectacular but the real reason for the trip was... survival. We spent 2 days shopping for food and winter wear at Costco, Walmart, Fred Myers and the "mall". We could save a LOT of money buying groceries in Juneau and we had the truck loaded by the time we headed home. As an example, a 12 pack of soda is almost $10 and a regular size bag of chips is $6.50  in Haines. Almost all food is about 30% more in Haines and a trip or two like this per year is standard for almost all locals. We also needed some new winter gear if we were going to survive until spring without going into hibernation. 

We got back to Haines just in time for me to get a call saying that they needed me to go back to Annette Island ASAP for a couple of days. The job had been shut down by the state until they did some mapping that the state insisted they needed done. I left the next morning and got home on Halloween afternoon, just in time to see how Alaskan kids trick or treat in 30 degree rain with 40 mph winds...they didn't...not one kid came to the house and we had to eat the candy ourselves.

So far, we have really enjoyed the first snow of the year, despite busting our buns. We took a long walk with Spaz who seemed to act like a puppy and loved it. We walked to the Elks club for the Friday night burger feed, best burgers in town (but not 5 guys) and then to the Fogcutter bar for a couple of beers. The next day we took a drive, made it up and down the street without crashing and gave Lori her first driving in the snow experience. Now, she is even ready to tackle the hill without fear (ok...maybe a little fear).

So, we're ready for winter...we think. Time will tell just how ready we are. I know this much......... we are going to enjoy it! 

We are not going to hibernate through it, even if it looks like Spaz is planning to.

This has NOT been rotated !! She's on the couch !!