Alaska Journal 2011
Tuesday - Wednesday, April 19 - 20
809 miles through Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois
The four days we spent with Robyn, Eric, and Emma were very special! We savored every moment as a family of 5, knowing that the simple life of only one child would soon be just a memory after their twins are born. Indeed, Emma has spoiled all of us with her contagious happiness and easy going temperament. Dale and I managed to grab around 6 hours of Emma time by sending her mom and dad off for their 4th anniversary date afternoon and evening. That day was especially delightful for each of us; we cherished the rare opportunity for extra quality Emma time all to ourselves while Robyn and Eric enjoyed time all to themselves as well! We were all pleased! Another day, Dale and Eric had some neat guy time, getting the new family pontoon boat ready for it’s maiden trip on the Patuxent River. Fisherman Eric had carefully selected a kid friendly boat - before learning that not one, but two boys and their big sister would be future anglers! Emma and I waved goodbye to her mommy, daddy, and Grandpa as they took the "Sea Robyn" out to charge up her battery and break in the new engine, and then she and I had some more girl time together.
It was especially difficult to leave our family this spring knowing that Robyn is just barely half way into her pregnancy and will be facing numerous tests to monitor the twins’ development. There is some consolation in knowing that this year, our absence will be reduced to only 4 months and that I already have my airline ticket for August 15. I want to be available should she be needing some mama care for herself before her baby boys "Awesome" and "Bonus" arrive!
Tuesday was a very long day driving 400 miles away from the kids, through continuous rain across Maryland and West Virginia, and through heavy thunderstorms in Pennsylvania and Ohio. The rain stopped by the time we quit for the evening at the Walmart in Cambridge, where the local kids take advantage of the huge empty parking lot to race their hot rods and motorbikes! They tired of their kid stuff and left, but we were too tired to notice!
Wednesday was another long 400 mile day as we crossed Ohio, Indiana, and into Illinois finally quitting at another Walmart in Champaign. Though there was little rain today, the route has been inundated with recent heavy rains which have overflowed river banks with rushing muddy "white water." Farm fields are flooded for as far as the eye can see on both sides of the interstates. Combined with heavy head on winds, the drive is very tiring for driver Dale. We crossed into the Central time zone tonight.
Thursday - Friday, April 21-22
226 miles through Illinois, Wisconsin, to Brainerd, Minnesota
Bright sun and a pair of noisy Canada geese woke us this morning . . . time to hit the road and appreciate the first pretty day of the trip. However, being further north, the trees are still bare of leaf buds, and Spring colors are yet to be seen. We continue to pass flooded rivers and farm fields. A few Illinois farmers have added a row of 6 to 12 wind spinners to their fields, turning slowly and gracefully. We marvel at their gigantic size up close when they pass us on "oversize" trailers on the Interstate! Half way up into Wisconsin, patches of old snow remain on the sides of the road, especially beneath trees. Fields upon fields of snow covered cranberry bogs line the highway in the Cranberry Capital of the World in Warren, Wisconsin. We are noticing that as we travel northward, the cost of gas is steadily climbing. In upper Wisconsin, gas is $3.94! We will camp at Walmart/Sam’s Club in Eau Claire and stock up on supplies. We are grateful for the sunny day - so out of character for this trip so far.
Friday’s travel on I-94 to St. Cloud, Minnesota and north is again on a cold rainy day. The thermometer read 37 during the night, and reached low 40s today. It sure looks and feels like snow is coming! We are soon to arrive at the home of our friends Bob and Sandi in Brainerd, central Minnesota, where we will celebrate Good Friday and Easter with them and their daughter Nicole.
Friday - Monday, April 21-25
Resurrection weekend in Brainerd, Minnesota; 419 miles to Chamberlain, South Dakota
Each year since volunteering with Bob and Sandi at the LaVerne Griffin Camp in Wasilla, Alaska in ‘05, we have made their home a weekend stop on the way back to Alaska. We enjoy their friendship and look forward to worshiping with them at The Journey North, the Baptist church which began with Bible Studies in their home about 9 years ago and has grown to 5 services, soon to expand to 6, every weekend. The church meets in a decommissioned school auditorium which attracts young people, motorcyclists, and others who have no desire of stepping inside a conventional church building. But neither worship nor the preaching are watered down - and those young people are hungry for the Word! As special as the Sunday service was though, the community service of 11 churches attended by over 2500 people in the huge HS gym on Good Friday was even more amazing! Our OBX community services are exciting - this one was exciting also, but amplified in its size, volume, and impact. How refreshing that a large city in midland USA will allow a Christian program to be held in public school! If we couldn’t be at home for Easter or with family, this was the place to be!
On Saturday, our hosts took us up through Paul Bunyan country for an afternoon at the Itasca State Park. What began as a cloudy, numbing, drizzly day turned out to be a cool, lovely sunny day with a little sleet in between! The headwaters of the Mississippi River begin at this park; the museum and displays along the trails provide lots of interesting information about the magnificent river. We learned that a drop of water beginning its journey down river from the headwaters, will take 90 days to travel 2,552 miles before it reaches the Gulf of Mexico! The Minnesota Watershed drains 41% of the continental U.S. (31 states) and 2 Canadian provinces. The Ohio and Missouri Rivers are actually tributaries of the Mississippi River! Minnesotans are so ready for any sign of Spring - it has been an exceptionally long winter with fresh snow almost daily for months. Even the local deer have suffered. Sandi packed a wonderful picnic which we enjoyed while being bundled up in many layers for warmth. Positive thinking! We called it a day and returned home to their 4 lively dogs and dinner prepared by Nicole. In the evening, the spring peepers began their chorus in the small marsh downhill in the woods behind the house. Later, we watched 6 or 8 deer emerge from behind the neighbor’s, tentatively cross the street and trot down into the woods out back. Good signs for spring! Maybe there will soon be some green buds and even flowers!
Refreshed, inspired, loved, well fed, clean laundry and a refrigerator filled with leftovers, we departed our friends home Monday morning and are heading southwest through Minnesota on Route 23 into South Dakota. In southwestern Minnesota around Pipestone, large and small wind spinners stretched on and on for miles and miles on the left and right. They always intrigue us even though they are no longer a novelty to us. We are noticing groupings of large white waterfowl on distant lakes that we believe are swans. Having left urban Minnesota by late morning, we are enjoying driving through farming country. Trains hauling grain cars, trucks pulling farm machinery, small towns geared around agricultural themes, fields of grazing cattle with lots of calves - some staggering on wobbly newborn legs. We enjoy driving through rural farm towns - there is a hominess feel about them. Those fields that are not too wet have just been plowed under; there is still evidence of recent abundant rain in southern Minnesota and South Dakota. Some lakes in South Dakota have piles of sticks and straw looking like beaver lodges. On closer scrutiny, they turned out to be shelter for pairs of ducks or Canada geese which were perched on top of some of those mounds. We’ve not seen that before! We finally came to a halt around 7:30 pm at a mostly empty truck stop in Chamberlain recommended by our trucker host, Bob, overlooking the Missouri River and chowed down on a meal ready made by hostess Sandi! We are so blessed.
Tuesday - Wednesday, April 26-27
252 miles through South Dakota and Nebraska to Broomfield, Colorado
Waking up to light rain and 40 degrees, we busied ourselves for a new day. First things first, we drove up and down all the streets looking for a post office in Chamberlain. Then we crossed the Missouri River, remembering that it is actually a tributary of the Mississippi. Even still, it is an impressive major river! We are enjoying lots of Ring Neck Pheasants darting to and fro through the prairie grasses - beautiful birds! And a number of skunks, apparently not so quick, also on the side of the road. And small groupings of large white geese (turned out they were not swans!) on distant ponds.
Turning south off I-90 on to State 83 heading south, crossing southern part of SD and most of Nebraska and leaving all signs of civilization for awhile as we are driving through rolling prairie. We left the helpful tailwind back on I-90 and now we have cross winds as we drive due south. Our gas mileage has been ranging between 8.1 to 7.6/gallon. The hills and wind will definitely lower those numbers. But the scenery is nice, and the traffic - mostly tractor trailers - is negligible. Occasionally, we pass through small agrarian towns with interesting names: Murdo, Mission, White River, Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota and Valentine, Thedford, Stapleton, and North Platte in Nebraska. Later, after crossing into Nebraska, we are seeing wild prairie antelope grazing in the distance. Also small herds of cattle and horses spread out across the prairie. Even some old snow! It’s a peaceful pleasant day for driving. Cloudy but dry - in the low 50s. Quitting around 4, we camped on the edge of Sutherland Reservoir, part of Nebraska’s hydro power system that includes a second reservoir and 4 power plants that generate electricity and irrigation for the central Platte Valley. A Nebraska stone marker noted that the Oregon Trail ran through this region. We enjoyed a climb up the steep side of the dam and a brisk walk around part of the reservoir before dinner. With no other campers present here, this is definitely the quietest overnight RV stay yet! We slept very late this morning, awakened by chirping robins at 40 degrees. I am so grateful for continued improvement in my hearing!
Wednesday was a beautiful day for driving! In the morning, we passed dozens of wild turkeys scattered about in the field, foraging for food and strutting their colors for show. Sure wish I were prepared with my camera to capture them! They were beautiful. Soon after lunch, the flat horizon beyond the prairie was replaced with the first signs of the Rockies! As we near Denver, those mountains are growing before our eyes until we can appreciate their snowy crests. As we draw closer to our next stop, Lenore and Jim’s in Broomfield, we are excited about experiencing Spring again! Lots of trees heavy with white and pink blossoms - again!
Thursday - Tuesday, April 28 - May 3
Reconnecting with special friends and family
Knowing that our visit with Lenore and Jim would be briefer than usual, we immediately picked up where we left off last Fall, catching up on each other’s families, children, grand children. Their home has a revolving door, and over the several days we "camped" in their driveway, we enjoyed the visits of a sister and her husband, 4 grown grandchildren and their friends, and 6 week old great grandson Eli. Several family members stayed over in their "bed and breakfast," others came for visits or a meal, and another came for his grand dad’s guidance on replacing the brake pads of his just purchased pre-owned SUV. It was a very active household indeed! But the neat thing was that we have known all of their family for years now, and we enjoy watching them grow, graduate, and move on with their lives. As our friends are more serious now about preparing their home to put it on the market, there were many projects on their "list." While the men did lots of technical repairs, Lenore and I painted shelves, garden posts, weeded the flower garden, etc. Deep conversations are improved during some good ‘ole dirty work - as well as during snack time, meal time, trips for fetching supplies, etc.
One night, the four of us were invited for dinner at the home of my nephew, Eric and Jenny who live in the next town. Dinner with them has been a fun tradition for several years, and this visit was delightful with the entertainment of their youngsters, Audrey and Adam and family tales of skiing, travels, and plans for more adventure. We’ll not be able to visit many folks along our route this year due to my need to fly home in August for the births of our twin grandsons, thus we’ll miss the usual wandering we’ve enjoyed in the past on our return to the east coast.
The next visit was with my brother Dave and Betsy who live very near Lenore and Jim. Our timing for our Denver area visit going west this year was perfect because Dave and Betsy will be leaving for London in July where Dave will represent his university (Azusa Pacific University) as professor and mentor of APU’s students studying at Oxford University during the Fall semester. Dave and Betsy have such unusual experiences - topics for future conversations during future visits! Our visit was much shorter than usual - 3 nights and 2 days - but they made sure we had good quality family time with fun and handy man projects packed in between! The highlight was a trip on an old time steam locomotive on the Georgetown Loop Railroad built in 1884. It was considered an engineering marvel at that time as its "corkscrew" route, horseshoe curves, 4 bridges, and 4% grades combined to gain altitude in the Rocky Mountains. Initially it served the silver and gold mines between two towns, carrying miners and ore. The four of us, and Rocky their Golden Doodle pup (who is being trained as a service dog) enjoyed the train experience with many gorgeous scenic views. The day was ideal - sunny and clear which made the billowing steam from the engine especially photogenic against the mountains. We were prepared for the mountain chill with thermal clothing and coats supplied by our hosts. Half way through the loop, Dave, Dale and I stepped off the train and joined a small walking tour 500 feet into the Lebanon Silver Mine tunnel bored by hand in the 1870s. Our guide was very animated, informative, and excited about Colorado’s history and life during this period. The day was a double treat, especially for Dale who has always been intrigued about trains, (especially steam engines), plus he has wanted to tour a mine for years and never had the opportunity. It was an exciting day for both of us - fun and enlightening. To add icing to the cake, Dave and Betsy made a detour on the way home to take us to the Red Rock Park and Amphitheater at 6,450 feet above sea level where the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains meet. The sedimentary rock formation is spectacular in itself. And the amphitheater is "a geological phenomenon - the only naturally occurring, acoustically perfect amphitheater in the world." This amazing amphitheater and park, built by the CCC, opened for concerts and other performances in 1941; performances continue every year after Easter Sunrise services. (Now that would be a spectacular place to celebrate the Resurrection at sunrise!) Famous groups such as Peter, Paul & Mary, the Sting, the Beetles, Santana, John Denver, James Taylor, Chicago and more have performed on stage here. I cannot imagine what it would be like to be in an audience of 9,450 there enjoying concerts such as those, with no acoustical assistance! That night, as we were getting ready to turn in, Dave turned the news on and learned that Osama Bin Laden had been killed by a Navy SEAL team after years of tracking him and covertly planning for this day. It was an historic day in American history after nearly a decade of the Bin Laden led terrorist attacks on our soil. Not having been able to watch TV news for 2 weeks, we were glad to be able to catch the current news broadcasts.
Dale busied himself with some handyman projects, while the rest of us busied ourselves with other exciting things such as trying out Betsy’s aerobic Wii, skyping with Robyn and Emma, watching the Christmas program DVD of niece Jodie’s children’s home school group in China, and hearing about Dave and Betsy’s 3 other children and 9 grandchildren. And before we knew it, we needed to leave. I will miss these special family and friends in September, but Dale hopes to stop by as he brings the RV back from Washington where he plans to leave it for a couple of weeks and fly east before Robyn’s "Labor Day”.
Friday, May 6
415 miles across the border to Red Deer, Alberta
Our morning was busy with last minute phone calls, e-mails, and texting during the last 120 miles before the border above Sweetgrass, Montana when we lost Verizon cell phone and MiFi Internet communication. We’ll be keeping our eyes open for WiFi hot spots while traveling in Canada so we can stay "connected."
We were third in line at the Canadian border crossing - behind a 5th wheel camper and a pickup pulling a fancy outboard motor boat. Each driver was interviewed for an unusually long time; each was directed to pull over and wait for inspection among many other waiting RV’s. It didn’t look very positive for RV’s, and we were apprehensive. It’s no fun having your personal space invaded and investigated by strangers, not to mention the great time delay while you’re standing out in the cold! We have "been there, done that" several times. But thank God, the officer was satisfied with our answers and directed us through! Thank you Jesus!!
The first hour in Canada, traveling on the only highway to Lethbridge (Rt. 4) , one might think he was still in Montana: large agricultural fields as far as the eye could see, giant multipurpose farm machines preparing, sowing and fertilizing bare earth all at the same time, groupings of waiting silos and granaries nearby, and occasional stockyards and feed lots packed with cattle. Sporadic gusts of wind are keeping Dale tense - never knowing when the next gust will push him over on to the shoulder. But it is not as challenging as the past few days were. We gassed up in Calgary, our first gas in Canada at $1.19/liter (or $4.60/gallon) and are pleased to see our mileage increase to 7.3 miles/gallon. Going through Calgary at 3 PM on a Friday in a 53 foot rig is challenging! We were not expecting rush hour so soon! But it gives us a chance to notice familiar businesses: Bed, Bath, and Beyond, Best Buy, Pet Smart, Staples . . . looks like home! We found our Costco, pulled into our familiar curb, and set up our "tent." I cranked up the generator to bake the last of Ervin’s sweet potatoes and had the salad made and table set in the time it took Dale to fetch a Costco ready-to-eat rotisserie chicken. One could get spoiled by this kind of camping! Settling in for a cozy movie on our first night in Canada.
Saturday, May 7
477 miles to Dawson Creek, British Columbia
Today is highway litter clean up day in Alberta - big time! All morning, about a hundred orange vested Canadians in groups from 2 to 20 couples, family groups and teen groups scattered for miles and miles up and down the highways from Red Deer to Grand Prairie leaving large filled orange bags off on the shoulders. An impressive demonstration of volunteerism throughout the whole province today!
Deciduous trees are beginning to put out their leaf buds up here in Alberta. Hawks sit on fence posts and bare trees, waiting for road kill. Domestic buffalo, elk, and llamas do look pretty strange standing around within their fenced grazing range. Cattle and horses are more the norm, with plenty of calves. We are seeing more random oil well head pumpers slowly working away in the middle of farm fields.
We decided, since it was Saturday afternoon, to detour around Edmonton, capital of Alberta and home of North America’s largest shopping mall and entertainment center. When we got to Whitecourt, we found a WiFi connection on the curb outside a large hotel and paused long enough to download emails. Signs for moose crossing are beginning to appear. So far no moose sightings, but we are watching! Arriving in Grand Prairie at 5 PM, we filled with gas and were pleased at the increasing mileage of 7.9 miles/gallon. There is just something about the lure of the town with the big red arch that welcomes visitors to the Alcan adventure. So we decided to push on to Dawson Creek where the Alcan begins - only another 86 miles. On that last leg of today’s drive, I tried out my "sea" legs while cooking rice in the microwave with the generator! Dinner was on the table 5 minutes after arriving at Dawson Creek’s Walmart, at 7 PM! Too our surprise, the WiFi of the large Day’s Inn next to Walmart reaches our RV! What a neat bonus for us! Only now, at 10:30 PM, the sun is setting. . . it’s time to begin acclimating to the extra long days!
Tomorrow, we plan to begin the Alcan with the hope of finding a little community church that Ms. Garmin tells us is about 30 miles up the road for Mother’s Day service.
Sunday, May 8
371 miles to Testa River Bridge #2 turnout
After 11 days of driving more than 4700 miles (plus a total of 12 days of visits for "R & R" with lots of family and special family-like friends along the way), we are just now beginning the Alcan Adventure - early on Mother’s Day! Mule deer are out along the road and scattered back in the fallow fields on this beautiful clear sunny morning. We were 1 ½ hours early for services at the little community church in Taylor. The only other option was Catholic mass. So we decided to go on to the next town, Fort St. John, which is a significant city with a population of 18,000! Ms. Garmin’s options were: Anglican, Christian Science, Mennonite, Evangelical Free Church, Presbyterian, and Missionary Alliance. She was holding out on the Baptist Church! We let her lead us to the Alliance church, arriving right at 9:30 AM - the time printed on the door! It didn’t take us long to learn that we were among the first to arrive because it was only 8:30 there! (Fort St. John does not adjust for Day Light Savings Time, and so their time is different from those communities north and south of them.) When our phone card failed several times on the pastor’s phone, a member loaned us her cell phone to call Robyn to wish her Happy Mother’s Day. It was a simple gesture on her part, but a huge blessing for us! Pay phones are a rarity nowadays!
We discovered that the Missionary Alliance and Baptist Churches are very similar in doctrine and worship style. During the hour’s wait before the service, I learned how the Alliance churches support their "International Workers," or foreign missionaries. Each church is now being asked to participate by sponsoring one "IW" in addition to their contribution to the global offerings from all Alliance churches. Today is a special day for this Alliance Church as it entered into a covenant with IW Lisa Rohrick as the church committed to pray for, encourage and financially support her for the next two years as she returns to the Fulani People group in Niger, West Africa where she has served for many years. Lisa was dressed in a long light weight cotton brilliant rose dress and kerchief, suitable for the Sahara climate. She passionately told why Niger was the worst place in the world to be a mother with high fertility rate for "women" ages 13-19 and high mortality rate for children under 1 year. Her presentation was enlightening and inspiring. Afterwards, we walked to a hotel nearby for a delicious Mother’s Day brunch buffet.
The remainder of the day was mostly sunny, with occasional spurts of rain - just beautiful for a Sunday drive! Fort St. John was the last town/city for 240 miles until the next city, Fort Nelson (population 5,000). There are occasional signs of civilization in between, maybe 60 miles apart, with population ranging from just the families running the business up to 100 people where more services are provided. These wayside stops may provide services such as a B & B, a diner, a seasonal motel, a liquor store, a small food store, a camp ground, a gas pump, and sometimes a post office. Some of those places have interesting names and memories, such as Buckinghorse (where we took refuge in the small lot of the diner during a snow storm in 5/03 and woke up nestled between 2 tractor trailers also waiting out the storm); Sikani Mountain and Pink Mountain (where our tow vehicle jackknifed when the RV lost traction climbing the steep icy incline in 10/04); Wonowon (which is at Mile Post 101 where we "camped" at a diner to recover from that harrowing experience and woke up sheltered by a school bus on the windy side).
Each side of the two lane Alcan has been mowed 25 - 50 feet from the shoulder to the edge of the woods to give drivers plenty of opportunity to spot unpredictable wildlife (particularly huge moose) that pay no attention to vehicles. Remnants of snow are visible back on the forest floor; for several miles, the west shoulder was still snow covered. Charlie Lake and others are still frozen over, while small lakes are only rimmed with ice. Small trees are still bare with a hint of red leaf buds getting ready to pop open. Brave mule deer come out to the road’s edge, eyeing us as we pass. We figure they are looking for salt left over from Winter road maintenance. The road is in amazingly good condition with occasional rough areas that rattle the dishes. There is almost no traffic this afternoon, but we are taking note of the few RV’s along the way - we may be seeing them again on this road. For fun, we have named those we see again and again - the hairy bachelor man, the couple with the small camper and 2 Great Danes, the fancy Florida rig, the Bounder with 2 dachshunds. We have fond memories of how we met Lenore and Jim, on the Alcan 10 years ago. We got acquainted with them as we "leapfrogged" up the Alcan often ending up at the same RV stops. They are now our special life time friends!
Gassing up at Ft. Nelson (prices climbing now to $1.429/liter or $5.41/gallon - gasp!), we realized that we can figure out the local time with the gas receipt. It is 4:45 PM which agrees with our watch which was set at Fort St. John. Now would that be Pacific Time Zone with Day Light Savings. . . or Mountain Time without Day Light Savings? No telling, especially since the sun is still very high in the sky, and will be for many more hours! It’s kind of hard to know when it’s time to quit for dinner or bedtime when your senses are telling you it is still afternoon! So we are still driving, beginning our climb up the Canadian Rockies, and noticing that suddenly the trees and grass on the shoulders are now green! Dale spotted a pair of Sand Hill Cranes, possibly separated from their flock because of an injury? A sow black bear and her cub are climbing the embankment toward the road ahead. Finally! 74 miles later, we found a perfect gravel pullout along the edge of the icy braided Testa River (it’s actually more like a creek here) at 7:30 PM Pacific Time. It’s very scenic with a mountain just across the river, totally covered with snow, at 65 degrees. There will be no artificial lights, street sweepers, noisy dumpster pickups, truck deliveries, late night hot rods, or trains to interrupt our sleep tonight! Traffic on the Alcan is more sporadic by now, and not bothersome. We are looking forward to a restful night!
Monday, May 9
Alcan Day 2: 428 miles to Teslin, Yukon
Very soon after leaving our spot on the edge of the Alcan, we have climbed to Summit Pass, the highest summit of the Canadian Rockies on the Alaska Highway at 4,250 feet, with a splendid view of snow covered rocky peaks. And then comes Summit Lake, still frozen and snow covered. Our guide book to the Alcan, The Milepost, advises us to be on the watch for Stone Sheep. Suddenly several Caribou are scrambling to get off the road as we round the bend on Stone Mountain! Good thing the camera is ready at a moment’s notice! Twenty miles further on and we have reached Muncho Lake, the most gorgeous lake on the Alcan (my opinion) because of it’s astounding clear blue and green water. Today, there is only a teasing hint of green showing around the edge where the ice is beginning to melt. Sadly, we have not seen Muncho Lake without its shroud of ice since ‘06, our last Fall trip on the lower Alcan; we later discovered the alternative route, the Cassiar Highway, is a more direct route to Washington. Muncho is the native word for "large lake" as it is one of the largest natural lakes in the Canadian Rockies. This spectacular mile wide lake stretches on for 7 miles as the road winds around it. The Alcan leaves Muncho Lake and soon follows the mighty Liard River northwest. By mid morning, we were noticing that the poplar and birches were green with leaf buds. We opted to skip the hike to the Liard River Hot Springs for a dip, and were glad for that decision as a heavy rain shower began just as were passing the park. Buffalo watch (for 73 miles on both the north and south sides of Liard River Hot Springs) paid off with 10 sightings: 4 or 5 isolated couples, a small herd of about 20 on the move with 5 calves hustling to keep up, another herd stopped to graze, and a few old shaggy guys hanging out separately, all alone. We can always be certain of seeing buffalo near Liard Hot Springs; however the probability of viewing other wildlife is questionable. Today is proving to be an exceptional day for seeing wildlife! And it isn’t over yet!
We later spied a Stone Sheep ram standing in the road ahead, licking up left over salt. Approaching him slowly, we discovered 4 more sheep, including a cute little one, on the side of the cliff. While his family was moving up to get away, the ram was totally uninhibited by our RV monster inching up until we were sitting only 12 feet from him excitedly snapping pictures! After that, without any warning, a black bear sow with 3 cubs appeared on the edge of the tree line. As quickly as he could, Dale turned around so we could watch them and get some good pictures from the opposite shoulder. While the sow was busy searching for something to eat in the dried stubble, her cubs were climbing a pine tree - until she wandered on. They quickly climbed down and scampered after her! How fun to pause and enjoy the fauna! Stopping at a pullout overlooking the icy Cranberry Rapids, we enjoyed our lunch while watching large chunks of ice break off with the force of the rapids and be pushed along down river. Providing additional sightings through the day were more mule deer further up the highway, an eagle perched atop the carcass of a moose, a hawk waiting for his next meal, and numerous flocks of what we have dubbed little "suicide birds" because they fly in tight clusters erratically back and forth across the highway close to the front of the RV.
By mid afternoon, it was time to break for a gas fill up at Watson Lake (at $1.349/liter, or $5.11/gallon) and a chat with Robyn using the phone card. It was the first time 18 month old Emma recognized our voices on the phone, and as we took our turn talking to her, she said "Grammy!" and "Grandpa!" and kissed the phone for each of us! How sweet! We’ll be calling that little girl (and her mommy) more often hereafter!
The weather has fluctuated from bright sun to rain showers repeatedly all day with even a sprinkle of snow several times to remind us of how vacillating the weather can be in the Spring. But I do believe that this has been our best Alcan day ever with so many wildlife sightings, amazing scenery, and fascinating weather changes. Last night the temp dropped below freezing - tonight, we are treating ourselves to the Yukon Motel Campground next to the Teslin and Nisutlin Bay Bridge and are glad for electricity and WiFi hookups
Tuesday, May 10
Alcan Day 3: 306 miles to north of Burwash Landing, Yukon
It’s another beautiful sunny day, minus the various precipitation showers of yesterday. This is definitely a perfect time to travel the Alcan! Our road traces the winding edges of still frozen large beautiful lakes. Left over etchings of crisscrossing snow machine tracks fade as the ice thins, erasing signs of a favorite northern winter sport. Marsh Lake is especially impressive as it stretches on and on for 20 miles! After reading in The Milepost that Marsh Lake becomes the headwaters for the mighty Yukon River, we wanted to stop and check it out (since we saw the headwaters of the mighty Mississippi River at Itasca State Park in Minnesota just over 2 weeks ago!). We learned that the Yukon River is nearly 2,000 miles long and is either the 4th or 5th longest river in North America, depending on which historian is reporting. "It is the principle river of both Yukon Territory and Alaska, draining three-quarters of Yukon Territory and a third of Alaska. It is also the focal point of Yukon history." Just 20 miles further north is Whitehorse, capital of Yukon Territory. This modern city sits on the edge of the Yukon River where Klondike miners of the 1880's dried out after running the famous Whitehorse Rapids. Miners named the place for the foaming rapids that resembled white horse’s manes. We discovered a little tent restaurant, Klondike Ribs and Salmon, in ‘07 when we spent many days broken down at an RV shop in town. It’s always fun to get a local dish here whenever we pass through to or from Alaska. Today it was halibut chowder, First Nation’s bannock, and elk burger - yummy!
Soon after leaving Whitehorse, clouds descended low over the St. Elias Mountains creating amazing scenery of gray clouds blanketing the mountain tops with snow showing through beneath them. There are some impressive stark black/white/gray contrasts that a professional photographer would have a ball with! Occasionally, a bit of sun teases us, then rain to clean the windshield for improved pictures, and later some snow. Our last stop for Canadian gas, thank goodness!, is at Haines Junction where it runs $1.399/liter (or $5.18/gallon). Hopefully gas in Alaska is a whole lot better! Wildlife sightings today include a herd of caribou walking down the road ahead of us, about 9 elk (several with white collars for radio tracking) on the shoulder, and several lone porcupines that closely resemble the small dried plants on the edge of the road.
Next is Kluane Lake, the Yukon’s largest lake (154 square miles) which sits at the base of one of our favorite Alcan landmarks - Sheep Mountain. In spite of the foggy cloud wrapped around and snowing on the mountain, we are still able to spot groups of the white specks of Dall Sheep on the southern slope, their winter and spring and lambing area. By now the snow is coming down pretty hard! In Destruction Bay (population 55), the road begins to get pretty rough all the way to the border. As we pass the first biker on the Alcan, we are extra glad for our heated home on wheels! A powdering of snow covers the ground ahead, and just after Burwash Landing (population 84), sleet began pummeling the windshield. So much for the beautiful sunny day for traveling! But it sure is interesting to be in the middle of quickly vacilating seasonal weather north of the 60th parallel! A perfect signal, at 5:30 PM, to stop at the next available pullout - with the Kluane River overlook on one side, and the Icefield Ranges of the St. Elias Range closely paralleling the road on the other side. The overlook signs inform us that these ranges include both the highest and youngest mountains in Canada. They are the largest non-polar icefield in North America. No wonder these mountains seem to loom over us up close and personal! We will be sleeping at the foot of these snow blanketed giants tonight! Our guide book tells us that this is the halfway point between Whitehorse, Yukon and Tok, Alaska. This is our last night on the Alcan.
Wednesday, May 11
Alcan Day 4: 315 miles to Camp Baldwin, Delta Jct, Alaska
Within the first 20 minutes of leaving our St. Elias turnout campsite, we were greeted by a plump ptarmigan sitting still on the side of the road, a lone male caribou, and 5 gorgeous white Trumpeter swans among a bunch of small ducks. What a great start on this chilly 28 degree day under heavy gray clouds! Driving this last leg of the Alcan is always the hardest on our bodies and the rig due to the concentration of frost heaves below the surface of the road. The Dawson Range to the east and the Kluane Range of St. Elias Mountains to the west received a fresh layer of snow dusting yesterday, as well as the ground around us. It looks as though God shook powdered sugar over the lower Yukon Territory yesterday! The further northwest we go, the more generous He was with the shaker! Spruce trees beautifully sport a fresh layer of snow while small deciduous willows, just beginning to put out leaf buds are frosted white.
A bald eagle sat in a white spruce tree overlooking the Alcan; later another swooped down across in front of us. A porcupine crawled off the highway as we drove past. Half a mile off the road, a moose and a pair of swans are sharing a small pond. When we reached Port Alcan border crossing at noon, we also crossed the last time zone and turned our watches back to 11. The friendly US guard quickly sent us through with a minimum of questions. It will be another couple hours before we’ll find a tower for the cell phone at Tok, but it sure feels good to be back in the USA! When we did reach Tok, we enjoyed chatting with Robyn and Emma during lunch, then quickly picked up phone and email messages.
Occasional snow spits fell on the last 100 mile leg of the Alcan to Delta Junction. Apparently Alaskan moose are less intimidated by traffic. Two stood in the middle of the Alcan, miles apart, both clearly waiting for us to stop and snap their pictures. We did, of course! Another pair of moose, closer to Delta, were not as patient, wandering off before we could get their picture. At 4:30, after washing off most of the Alcan dust and bugs from the Bounder and Kia at Delta’s only car wash, we headed to Camp Baldwin where we were greeted by a light snow flurry and a premature mosquito! Soon Pastor Dave came by to help unload the weighty Hobart mixer (our silent passenger, belted into the back seat of the towed vehicle for the 6,831 mile trip). Donated by North Carolina Baptist Men Disaster Relief and the bowl and blades by a western NC church, this mixer will be a wonderful aid in camp meal preparation! Dave told us that the church will be conducting its VBS training tonight at 6 PM - so we "hit the ground running!" We had no idea, but God did! His timing is truly amazing! It was neat to participate in the training and to be recognized by most of the VBS workers. It is going to be another exciting ministry in less than a month. About 9 PM, a yearling and an adult moose slowly passed our RV, walking between the fire pit pavilion and the bathhouse. Just checking out the new intruders. We feel quite welcomed back in Delta Junction by both friends and moose! Our moose family returned in an hour to graze on the near end of the field, entertaining us as they knelt to eat - perhaps, like us, they were praying for spring?
Thursday- Monday, May 12-16
305 miles to Wasilla, side trip to Anchorage, Alaska
We were glad for the electricity with another night below freezing. Before getting to work at the camp, we decided to make a quick trip down to Wasilla and Anchorage to reconnect with some friends. Driving south on the Richardson, we passed Donnelly Dome, covered with snow, and began our climb up through the Alaska Range and across Isabel Pass (3,200 feet elevation). Black Rapids Glacier and the buffalo range below, the Delta River bed, Rainbow Ridge, and other favorite landmarks are all covered in snow. Summit Lake at the Pass is a winter wonderland with everything buried in white layers. The glare from the reflection of the brilliant sun on the large frozen lake is blinding! Coming down out of the Alaska Range through Paxson, (the original entrance to Denali National Park), we watch snowshoe hare bounding into the brush, their feet still white. Soon all their winter camouflage will be gone. The snow has diminished as we approached Glennallen. On this beautiful clear day, the Wrangell-St Elias Range is more distinct than we have ever seen it before! We can see Gun Sight Mountain from Glenallen, over 100 miles away. The view gets even better the closer we get to Eureka Summit (at 3,322 feet). There we spied a lame moose limping with great difficulty in icy marsh about half a mile away. Passing through the Chugach Range, we discovered the Matanuska Glacier and surrounding mountains whiter than we have ever seen them before. There is no more snow as we move down into the Matanuska-Susitna Valley (Mat-Su Valley to the locals) even though the range around the Valley is covered. Lady Susitna and Pioneer Peak are beautiful in their white blankets.
Parking next to the four-plex apartments that has become our traditional Wasilla camping site, we were greeted by friends Rhonda and Wendy. We shared some good ole times with Sharon on Friday and Saturday while painting her living and dining rooms, hallway, and stairway. And we saw lots of friends at Big Lake Baptist on Sunday morning - such a warm church, so much like home! We left with plans to visit some other Wasilla friends later in the week.
We have planned to take a couple days to check out Homer during our short visit in the Valley as we will not have a chance to go down there in the fall this trip. Every year, Dale needs his Homer ‘fix’ before we leave Alaska, and this appears to be our only chance this year. However, because gas is $4.19/gallon here, this will be our first time to go down in the little Kia, rather than bringing our bedroom/kitchen with us. The first night of our Homer trip we stopped at friends Bonnie and Charles’s home in Anchorage. With the Anchorage Kia dealership available and our friendly B & B down the road, Dale opted to delay Homer one more day and have the timing belt replaced (a job long overdue). While that servicing is being done, he is re-plumbing and replacing the pressure tank on the water system for our hosts. Not a bad exchange - for the delay of one day we will have the peace of mind that the Kia’s engine is protected against piston and valve damage, and the bonus of a handy man job to keep him occupied while we wait! During the run to get tools and parts, we stopped by the Alaska Baptist Convention and chatted with another friend, Mike, who is Executive Director of the ABC. It’s amazing how many friends we have been able to reconnect with in just the 5 days we have been in Wasilla!
Tomorrow, if all goes well, we will go on down to Homer…
Tuesday - Thursday , May 17- 19
Side trip by Kia to Homer and Seward, Alaska
It is a breezy drive down the Seward Highway, past Turnagain Arm where a crowd of fishermen are catching "Hooligans" or smelt with long pole nets. The tide is very low, actually totally out further along as we drive past. Moose are common along both the Seward and the Sterling Highways. Thankfully, they seem to be content to stay off the road today, preferring the small lakes and marshes close by. Signs on the Palmer Hay Flats before Anchorage and on the Sterling Highway before and after Soldotna report the numbers of moose killed on the road (ranging from 170 to 270 accidents) since last July.
Ice on Summit Lake, at 1300 feet elevation, is breaking up around the edges. This mostly frozen lake nestled below the closely hovering snowy Chugach Mountains would be an artist’s delight. Add a magnificently built log structure using local trees, on the edge of that lake, such as the Summit Lake Lodge, and you'd think the picture came from a storybook. We agreed that to travel down to Kenai and Homer this time of year is much like traveling to the Outer Banks used to be in the off season. Few vehicles on the road, commercial places just opening, faster more personal service, etc. The beautiful blue Kenai River is very quiet now; in only a few more weeks, it will be crowded with fishermen elbow to elbow anxious to catch their quota of salmon. Arriving at the Homer overlook, we were pleased to see that although the clouds were settling down over the Kenai Mountains, it was still partly sunny on the Homer Spit jutting out between the Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay. But by the time we drove down on to the Spit, light rain commenced. At our familiar campground on the rocky beach, a crowd of young people were huddling around 11 tents at the high water line (I hope, since the tide was still out!). We drove past them in our Kia, thankful that it was they who would be camping there, and not us! The cold gusts of wind combined with rain at 42 degrees just does not feel like ideal camping conditions! Instead, we found a motel room at the Land’s End Resort on the end of the Spit. Our halibut/salmon dinner overlooking the Homer Harbor, where the end of the day harbor activities and the Alaska State Ferry and fishing boats were moving about, provided the perfect atmosphere for our mini vacation. TV’s renowned Time Bandit and the USCG Roanoke Island vessels were visible from our table. A trip to Homer isn't complete without walking up and down the harbor piers, checking out the fishing boats and smelling the salt air. Bald eagles can be spotted perched on the tops of electric poles, roofs, signs, or down on the muddy flats of low tide. We learned that even though the "Eagle Lady" is deceased, someone continues to feed the eagles scraps from the packing houses, drawing them back every year.
Wednesday morning was brighter, even under dark clouds, so we took the Skyline Drive high overlooking the Homer Spit, Kachemak Bay and Cook Inlet with the picturesque backdrop of the snow laden Kenai Mountain Range. We have enjoyed this view every year, and have taken many friends and family to see it. The view along Skyline Drive this year is very different: instead of bright rose Fireweed interspersed with woody Cow Parsnips live with buzzing bees of the summer, we see a lake with ice still floating on the surface. The Homer Spit is a really neat fishing settlement that attracts tourists, especially us. But this year’s tourist season hasn't begun yet - many shops and restaurants are still closed. This sleepy little village is very different from the bustling town we are accustomed to from previous years. Last night, we watched the tide coming in on the Cook Inlet in rolling waves. This morning, we sat on the rocky ledge beside the Inlet and enjoyed observing 7 Bald eagles scavenging in the mud nearly 1/4 mile away at the edge of the Inlet at very low tide. More eagles worked the water’s edge further on. Eagles are a pretty common sight here in Homer.
Returning back up the Sterling Highway to the junction of Seward Highway, we decided to detour the 40 miles or so and go down to Seward while we are "touring." Although the partly sunny 50 degree Homer morning turned into a cloudy one with rain to greet us again as we descended down into chilly Seward at 41 degrees, it was fun to explore the town and the fishing boats in another harbor. Seward is another tourist hot spot just beginning to wake up. The Alaska Sea Life Center is a fascinating aquarium and ocean wildlife rescue center located on the shores of Resurrection Bay in Seward. There are several two story deep aquariums that provide a window to the sea, where visitors view puffins, sea lions, and harbor seals as they glide past, entertaining old and young alike. I am pretty sure the Stellar sea lion winked at me as he touched his tummy against the glass window on his way past me! A trip to Seward would not be complete without spending some time enjoying the marine life that we have delighted in while on several afternoon cruises in previous years. This year, we are enjoying these critters in a more rapid mode.
Friday - Monday, May 20-23
306 miles to Camp Baldwin, Delta Jct, Alaska
It seems that Wasilla/Anchorage has a bigger hold on us than we realized! Dale wanted to finish the job he had started for Bonnie and Charles; he completed the plumbing job in the laundry room but the wall behind needed dry wall, and the window needed trimming. What he hoped would be a day project turned out taking two days. So we remained "camped" in Wasilla next to the four-plex over the weekend, giving us extra time to have a pot luck dinner with Wendy and Rhonda, the ladies in 2 of the apartments. It was a perfect week, cool (in the 40s) at night and warm (in the 60s-low 70s) in the daytime. We enjoyed the arrival of spring during the 12 days that we were camped in Wasilla - the bare trees metamorphosed into fully leafed out green foliage. And the lawn began to green up. The scars on Pioneer Peak are still covered with snow; the Talkeetna Mountains seem to be melting faster than the Chugach Range. While Dale finished up in Anchorage, I weeded the flower gardens, and chatted with the 2 guys living in the other 2 apartments. Six toddlers at Miss Rhonda’s day care had their "field trip" experience of the day this morning riding in the ‘big car’ all the way to the end of the driveway. Then 12 little toddler legs climbed down the big steps, and we were on our way north on the Glenn Highway back up to camp.
The day couldn’t be more beautiful, with blue sky that shows off the still snow covered mountains so well. A pair of swans were enjoying a completely melted lake. The Matanuska Glacier is stunning in the bright sun, surrounded by lots of greenery! Beginning in the Chugach Mountains, it stretches on and on for 27 miles. We always look forward to viewing its 4 mile wide picturesque terminus each time we pass it! Contrary to popular belief, this glacier has remained fairly stable the past 400 years. Further on down the Glenn, we noticed a couple spelling out their names with white rocks on the cleared dirt incline at the side of the road. This "stone graffiti" is characteristic of the northern Alcan and Alaska. Soon after the traditional lunch stop on Eureka Summit where the view all around is of three gleaming white mountain ranges, we spooked a pair of adult caribou so close we could see the velvet on their large racks. Lakes on both sides of Eureka are all still frozen. The Wrangell Mountains are just the beginning of a large chain of tall mountains that runs into Canada. For some time, the Wrangells appear to be straight ahead at the end of the long straight Glenn Highway. Mount Wrangell, the largest active volcano in Alaska, is among those mountains. A sign tells us that "on cold clear mornings, steam can be seen rising from its summit." It is neither cold nor clear today, but we are enjoying the beauty of the Wrangells completely covered in snow.
Summit Lake on the Richardson Highway is white with snow covered ice, all 7 miles of it at 3200 feet elevation in the Alaska Range (not to be confused with the Summit Lake of the Chugach Mountains we enjoyed going down to Homer)! This is where we have taken each team from the Outer Banks; we are looking forward to taking our friends there in a couple weeks! Several times, we see the Trans-Alaska Oil pipeline as it snakes along the ground and disappears over the horizon. The zigzag pattern often seen in the above ground sections allows for pipe expansion or contraction due to temperature changes or movement caused by other forces, such as earthquakes. It had a good test during the 7.9 earthquake of 2002; it passed the test without damage. Next is the colorful Rainbow Ridge; the bright sun lights up the reds and greens of volcanic rock and the yellows and pastels of silt stone and sandstone. Not long after that, we found ourselves driving through the gate of Camp Baldwin, at around 6:30 PM. Delta Junction is significantly warmer than the Mat-Su Valley! There were snow flurries when we first arrived here 12 days ago - now it is 77 degrees! As soon as we got our motor home parked and hooked up, we took a tour of each of the buildings and hiked around the nature trail. Everything seems to be in order with the exception of an underground broken sewer pipe. Tomorrow is another day . . . some things should be put off after a good night’s rest! First things first: de-winterizing and getting the water running, then the septic after it dries up.
Ever since British Columbia, we have been noticing that the days were getting longer. At least we know to expect it now (such is the blessing of experience!). But it doesn’t make it any easier to go to bed at a reasonable time. After all, why quit when it looks like it is still afternoon? Now that we are up in the Interior of Alaska, the day has extended over an hour longer than down in Wasilla! Today, the sun rose at 4:03 A.M. and will set at 11:15 P.M.. with the remainder of the day being twilight! So the sun will be above the horizon 19.2 hours today (as compared to the 15.2 hours down on the east coast)!
Tuesday - Sunday, May 24-29
Opening camp and beginning cleanup
Dale was able to get the water running again and flushed out the water lines without problem - no broken pipes, thank God! While he de-winterized the water system, repaired the broken septic pipe, flushed the washers out, turned on the gas line and got the stoves and water heaters running again, I started cleaning the bathhouses, tackling the residual iron accumulation in the sinks and grit blown under the doors over the past 8 months. I am sorely missing Carol, my camp partner of the past two years! She will be having surgery next week, but is cheering us on from Texas. I realized that while her help with the chores was invaluable, I especially miss her companionship. Cleaning while chatting with a partner makes any job much less tedious - and quicker!
On Wednesday, I finished cleaning the bathhouses and washed the floors while Dale caulked a new very deep crack that runs the whole length of the dining room and kitchen. He was pretty sure he saw someone waving to him from the canyon below the dining room floor! How frustrating to see that much of the caulking that he had put into the crack had disappeared into the depths by Thursday morning. Remembering his nautical background, some 40 years ago, when he repaired our old leaky lapstrake boat with marine cording prior to caulking it, Dale spent all morning stuffing part of a 3 ply rope into the crevice and caulking it again. While it dried, he painted the floors of the bathhouses with a new coat of gray sealer. Meanwhile I began washing nearly everything in the kitchen that contacted food or beverage: all the pots, pans, trays, plastic containers, etc.
This is the first year that we have not found any evidence of mice visitation during the winter months. But much more aggravating than mice mischief is the mischief of two legged visitors! Our large empty Rubber Maid tubs used for a 50 pound bag of flour and 25 pound bag of sugar are missing. Also large plastic containers for bulk cereal, baked goodies, as well as an armload of restaurant size spices, the electric mixer and bowls, a large electric pancake griddle are gone! We are relieved (and rather surprised) that there was no vandalism or graffiti, but we are very aggravated! While pondering the mystery of the missing appliances and supplies, a family of moose quietly munched their way to within 25 yards from the kitchen door! Of course our camera was in the RV - between the moose and the kitchen! So Dale tip-toed to the RV to fetch the camera and then followed the cow and her twin yearlings (them on the back side of the chapel and he on the front side) in order to capture some good shots of them. We are also noticing yellow Tiger Swallowtail butterflies arriving on their migration path - more and more of them each day, a week earlier than last year. A few hours after the moose visitation, we talked with the VBS team while they were gathered together for dinner and to make travel plans. Their excitement is contagious! They’ll be up here in only 10 days!
On Friday, I finished cleaning the kitchen and pantry and prepared the floor for Dale who came through with more gray floor sealing paint. With the remaining paint, he covered the laundry room and snack shack floors as well. There is nothing like a fresh coat of paint on all the floors to make them look new again! Camp Baldwin is beginning taking shape nicely. Cabin #4 has provided plenty of excitement for girls of all ages over the past 2 years. Large ants would sporadically crawl out of a few holes in one wall over one of the bunks. Last year we tried several remedies for killing the pests on the weekends between camps as well as sealing them off. But all those attempts were to no avail. Today, Dale cut out a 2X2 foot section of the plaster board over the center bunk and woke a large colony of carpenter ants which had eaten half way through the 6X8 inch beam. With the colony exposed and moving about, he saturated them with ant spray and another product for carpenter ants and termites. Meanwhile, I cleaned Cabin #3 for the OBX ladies.
A smoke cloud sits over Delta Junction today - the result of the 5,000 acre East Volkmar fire about 25 miles from camp. Another forest fire burning for a week on Moose Mountain near Fairbanks is just about contained, but there are 15 other fires in the state. Like our friends down on the Outer Banks where a peat fire has been burning 3 weeks creating serious respiratory problems, folks here in the Interior are mindful of the poor air quality as well. How ironic that when the deep south is suffering from widespread flooding, other areas are desperately dry! We are praying for soaking rain!
Saturday morning, word came to us from the Director of Missions for the Tanana Valley Baptist Association that we will soon be visited by the new state fire marshal who promises to carefully inspect the camp before it opens in 3 weeks! It has never been inspected since it began in 1974; the state didn’t know this camp existed. Apparently he learned of the camp while attending an association church in Fairbanks where registration forms for Camp Baldwin were posted. He has made demands for fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, CO detectors, range hoods over the stoves, a schematic diagram of the layout of the entire camp, fees for every building, and more. We are wondering how soon will the state health inspector be on his heels!
With full expectation of opening, regardless of whatever obstacles the enemy throws at this camp ministry, we hung the camp signs on the entrance gate, put up the flag pole and raised the American flag on this Memorial Day weekend. Then we went to the farmers’ market at the junction of the Alcan Highway and Richardson Highway to join the town’s festivities of Friendly Frontier Days. Fort Greely’s band played the National Anthem and more jazzy tunes, while children jumped in the bounce house, and others paraded their dressed up pets for competition. There were a week old yak dressed in a T-shirt, several well dressed dogs and a rabbit. Needing to begin measuring for the diagram camp layout, we left before the afternoon pig wrestling contest and the lumber jacking began. Back at the ranch, Dale spent the afternoon on the camp schematic drawing, and I cleaned Cabin #2 for the OBX men.
Sunday at last - a day of rest! A dozen or more friends made from the past 3 years greeted us at First Baptist Church, Delta on Sunday morning. Pastor Dave gave a stirring message, and we immediately felt the hominess of this small church family.
Monday, May 30
Memorial Day
A church member, who is an engineer, walked around the camp with Dale fine tuning his schematic drawing for the Fire Marshal’s inspection and making suggestions for our preparation for that visit. Remembering a similar inspection at LGYRC camp in Wasilla, we rearranged the bunk beds in each cabin to allow for access to one window for an alternate emergency escape. In the afternoon, a couple dozen church members gathered for a cookout nearby. We enjoyed their fellowship and stories shared of family and friends who served our country from World War I to the current wars in the Mid East. It was a special way to celebrate Memorial Day and to honor our war heros. Later in the day, we went to visit the Native family who we have been ministering to for the past 3 years. We had learned that the 4 children have recently been removed by Social Services; we want to continue reaching out to them, but they were not home. Their salvage business which includes about 50 junked vehicles and mounds of aluminum cans plus the stacks of lumber from the camp’s original dining/kitchen building and other trash piled high around their dilapidated trailer gives their place the appearance of a landfill. Five noisy dogs each chained to his own dog house in the back convinced us that we ought not hang around long. But we will return in the hope of finding them and encouraging them during this time.
Tuesday - Wednesday, May 31 - June 1
Moose visitors!
Dale mowed the play field, repaired the hole in the wall where the ant colony was accessed, took gas lines out of the guest house, did more plumbing, added GFI receptacles where they were lacking, and more. I cleaned more cabins and made up beds for the VBS team. At the end of the day, while Dale was preparing dinner, I started out the door of our motor home with a bag of trash. Before I could open the door, right in front of me were two beautiful yearling mooses munching on low green branches and bushes 24 feet directly in front of the door! Just on the other side of the church van parked next to us. They moved very quietly, munching as they stepped slowly around the other side of the van, then the Kia. Then there they were right at the back corner of the RV. There I was, hanging out the door shooting pictures and whispering to Dale who was watching out the window over the kitchen sink. One moose heard me and lifted her head to look at me. Uninterested, she went back to grazing and her twin followed her, slowly behind the RV and then behind the camp garden. In awhile, they wandered behind the chapel, but within 20 minutes, they appeared again - this time at the front corner of the chapel near the RV pads. Not everyone can claim such dinner entertainment! The only sound they make is when they are munching in very close proximity. The last time we saw these yearlings was last Thursday when they were feeding in the same path with their mama. Today, they were venturing out without her! Then, 2 hours later, Mama Moose followed their trail, but she clearly was sans offspring! A local friend informed me that she is still keeping her eye on them, but giving them more independence until she cuts them loose upon her next pregnancy later this year. We have assured our VBS team that they would be seeing moose, so we are glad that this family is feeling comfortable with us moving into their grazing grounds.
Thursday - Friday, June 2-3
Serious shopping spree!
We began the day with a trip to Fairbanks - Dale driving the school bus that FBC Delta had passed on to the Tanana Valley Baptist Association to use to transport campers to and from churches from Fairbanks south to Delta. I followed him in the full size church van which we have been loaned for the summer. By the end of the shopping day (9 PM), that van was absolutely packed out with nearly $2,000 worth of food, health, and cleaning supplies, replaced appliances and articles stolen from the kitchen, and more. Then we picked up 3 summer missionaries in Salcha who arrived earlier than the rest of their team. Pastor Mark offered their services for 1 ½ days at the camp. Having just arrived from Tennessee and Alabama in the wee hours this morning, they were somewhat rested and anxious to see some of Alaska. The hour plus drive down to camp was thrilling to them as they saw 3 moose, 3 fox kits, 3 swans, the snow capped Alaska Range, and walked in the dry bed of the braided Delta River.
Saturday, June 4
Welcome Manteo VBS team!
In the short amount of time these three summer missionaries were with us, they accomplished most of the tasks that still needed to be taken care of before camp opens; cleaning several buildings, moving flammable equipment away from building exteriors, stacking firewood near the fire pit, cutting up fallen trees and clearing the nature trail, and more. Both their servant attitude and their excitement about a ministry new to each of them were refreshing. With the new camp’s donated 20 quart Hobart commercial mixer and a 50 pound sack of flour, I had a blast making 200 yeast rolls, 16 dozen oatmeal cookies, and 8 large mixed meats meat loaves! Saturday afternoon, we delivered the kids back to their base church in Salcha on the way to Fairbanks where we picked up some more camp supplies in plenty of time before our friends - the Manteo VBS team - to arrive at the bewitching hour of 1:35 AM tomorrow! They have called us at each airport layover to report on their progress. Their 16 hour journey is nearly over - only a 2 hour drive down to Camp Baldwin remains before their weary bodies can drop into their waiting bunks.
Sunday, June 5
The OBX team works through jet lag!
The OBX team got to see a moose and some Trumpeter swans sleeping with their heads tucked under their wings as we brought them "home" to camp from the airport and a pair of black fox kits wrestling on the edge of the road. The travelers were amazed at how light it was when we left the airport at 1:45 AM (sunset was at 12:17 AM!), and it was getting lighter the closer we got to Delta Junction (sunrise was at 3:22 AM!). With time out for a number of photo opportunities, we finally arrived at camp shortly after 4 AM. Pastor Boanerges led us in a prayer of thanksgiving in Spanish, and I sort of translated it. After getting our weary guests settled in to their cabins, we unloaded supplies from the van and fell into bed soon after them. Minutes later, it seemed, we were summoned by a knock at the door by a restless North Carolinian needing coffee! Following a stirring communion service, there was a pot luck lunch at church, and each OBX team member met the Delta VBS teacher that he/she was assigned to. Together they decorated their own classrooms and reviewed plans for the coming week. Not bad for having had about 2 hours of sleep!
Monday - Thursday, June 6-9
Big Apple Adventure, working at Camp Baldwin, and sightseeing
Vacation Bible School is a wonderful outreach ministry for First Baptist Church Delta Junction which reaches many community children who are not a part of this church through Awanas the rest of the year. "Big Apple Adventure" ministered to an average of 70 plus children, many from unchurched families. Some of the OBX team were asked to share in the teaching; others assisted the lead teachers in other ways. The Samaritan woman at the well, dressed in Bible garb (AKA Sandy from the OBX), appeared first thing in the morning. She told the children how she met Jesus and what He did for her and her neighbors. Boanerges, our Hispanic Mission Pastor from home, also on the VBS team, used a DVD to share with each of the classes in the missions room his story as a missionary first to Belize and later to North Carolina. Reluctant at first to attempt to share in his broken English, he was delighted to discover how attentive and respectful the children were. The following days he led the children to repeat after him the memory verses in Spanish and was excited that they all wanted a turn. I was pulled from my duties with the babies and toddlers of the VBS workers one day to substitute for the missions teacher, and Boanerges helped with John 3:16. By the end of the week, through the ministry of the Word with songs, teachings, and efforts of all of the workers, two unchurched children came to faith in Jesus! Praise God! The church will soon be following up with their families.
While the rest of us were in VBS, Dale and Bryan began the roof over the back deck of the recreation building. The other 3 men joined them after VBS Monday and Tuesday, while the ladies washed windows and screens in the dining hall, kitchen, guest house and chapel, weeded wild flower gardens, and pulled weeds around the center buildings. Later in the week, some of the men installed smoke detectors and new fire extinguishers in every building, and glow in the dark Exit signs over every door in preparation for the coming Fire Marshall’s inspection. The ladies labeled every extinguisher with required information. As far as we know, the camp is ready for a positive evaluation by the inspector; we are awaiting his next contact. Many times during the week, a pair of yearling moose would visit camp or the entrance road thrilling our OBX guests. With hushed excitement, they would shoot scores of pictures as they marveled at the size of them and the momma cow that would occasionally visit, well behind her twins.
After VBS on Wednesday, we took the team south on the Richardson Highway enjoying the colorful Rainbow Ridge, bright pink wild sweet pea flowers on the Delta River bar, and the distant Black Rapids Glacier. We explored the bumpy road leading to Gulkana Glacier, but opted out of walking the final stretch to the glacier. After many stops along the way for pictures of moose, a beaver dam and lodge, the Alaska oil pipeline, gorgeous scenery, and more, we finally arrived at Summit Lake at the top of Isabel Pass. Our southern friends were surprised that much of the lake is still frozen in mid June! Some of them had their first ever out house experience (a must for everyone who visits Alaska)! Knowing that a wild buffalo herd can sometimes be seen on the dry river bar of the Delta River, all of us were on the lookout for them as we departed Summit Lake. One of our false sightings led us fairly close to a place where we could climb up onto the frozen Delta - ice 3 feet thick! It was so thick that the lower portion was a lovely blue in color. I just enjoyed watching my friends having a ball walking on such thick ice - possibly the next best thing to walking on a glacier. At one point a large chunk of ice broke off the edge (away from where they were) dropping off into the river with a loud crash, similar to the calving of a glacier on a much smaller scale. In that area we also noted moose and sheep tracks and bear scat - but not those creatures! Not much further down the road we actually did spot the buffalo herd and enjoyed watching them with binoculars. We had seen a domestic herd near camp earlier in the week, but seeing the wild herd was more exciting even if they were further away. We also spent some time watching a pair of moose slowly work their way across a marsh with a couple ponds a little ways off the road.
I had a few opportunities to observe our team in their respective classes on the days when there were extra helpers in the nursery. It was neat to watch Howard and Tim doing crafts with the children! And Carol teaching kindergartners; Sandy performing on stage for all the children and workers; and Dee Dee, Poogie and Mary Lou helping in very large classes. Each of us were placed in roles outside our comfort zones, but not to the degree that Boanerges was. It was exciting to watch his confidence and excitement grow with the team’s encouragement to practice his English and the interest of the VBS children as he talked with them. Dale asked him to lead the team devotions the last evening at camp - in English. He, and we, were amazed by his first ever message totally in English. He preached with much passion and we understood him. He said that he had prayed that God would bless the team with his English; afterwards he praised the Lord for giving him the words just as he needed them. It was a wonderful confidence builder for him, and an encouragement for us! Then, being our last night at camp, we celebrated a fun and fruitful week with s’mores around a campfire. And as the day was winding down, God blessed us with a beautiful double rainbow over the camp!
Friday, June 10
VBS concludes; More sightseeing
Bryan and Dale finished the roof project during the last day of VBS - perfect timing! Following the family picnic at the close of VBS, the team helped take down all the decorations of New York City. Then hustling back to camp, they quickly loaded the van up with all their luggage and sleeping bags. And we were off for more sightseeing and souvenirs on the way up to Fairbanks, 110 miles northwest on the Richardson Highway, stopping at Rika’s Roadhouse, the Santa Claus House with his reindeer out back at North Pole, the Knotty Shop, the University of Alaska - Fairbanks, Fred Myers, and more. FBC Delta treated the team to a special buffet dinner at the Alaska Salmon Bake in Fairbanks’ Pioneer Park - all the King crab legs, salmon, cod, and prime ribs you can eat. What a meal! It did not take long for all of us to literally drop onto our sleeping bags when we finally arrived at Faith Baptist Church where the men slept on mats on the nursery floor and ladies on sofas in the youth room. Not especially conducive for sleep, but we did rest 4 hours until 4:30 AM Saturday, and with the van repacked by 5 AM, we were ready to begin an amazing adventure to and through Denali National Park.
Saturday, June 11
Manteo friends experience a perfect Denali day
We were up at 4:30 AM, dazed but moving quickly. The van was repacked and we were on the road within 30 minutes! We had breakfast at the "northernmost Denny’s in the world" and then were on our way to Denali National Park, some 130 miles south of Fairbanks. It was raining as we left Fairbanks, but gradually the clouds parted and as the sun broke through, so did another double rainbow! What blessings did our Creator have for us next? Not long afterwards, the Great Mountain herself also "came out" from under her shroud of clouds! Because she is so tall (20,320 feet) and white with snow all year, she can be seen on clear days from great distances, when the clouds cooperate. We spotted her more than an hour before we arrived at the park and thanked God for the improving weather for this special expedition. The weather held out for the whole Denali tour - not only was it sunny, but the thrift shop coats the team had picked up were really not necessary as the day progressed! We have never experienced such a mild visit through the park in the dozen or more trips we have enjoyed there!
We had an exciting day of wildlife sightings, beginning even before the tour while we waited at the bus stop. A cow moose, closely followed by her month old calf, slowly crossed the parking lot in front of the visitor center, perhaps a hundred feet from where we stood and disappeared between parked cars into the woods! What a perfect introduction to the next 8 hours of viewing wildlife in their own environment!
Our bus driver, Mary, did a superior job telling us about the park’s history, and interesting points about the changing alpine ecosystems and weather, various animal habits and habitats, migration patterns, and other facts about each critter as we encountered them. There weren’t many other park visitors on our bus, giving us the flexibility of changing seats for better photo shots. A bilingual Peruvian couple was on our bus, giving Boanerges a bit of respite from his week of immersion in English! Every passenger watched intently for wildlife, each anxious to be the first to call out "stop!" Mary Lou gets the gold star for the most sightings of our group. She spotted a herd of 9 caribou resting on a lower level and later a lone Caribou laying on the snowy edge of the river where he could escape tormenting mosquitoes. I believe all of us would agree that her sighting of a lone Grizzly bear way off among a clump of bushes was the highlight of the day. We watched him slowly move toward our bus, hungrily eating new grass and leaves. Mary, the driver, explained that we needed to whisper while windows were open for photography, not only so as not to chase the critter away, but also to prevent its acclimation to human voices. Moose and bear, for example, become dangerous to humans when they have become accustomed to our voices, making them feel more comfortable in our environment and removing that natural protection that shouting should have in an unfortunate encounter. And so for 15 minutes, Mary Lou’s lone griz crept toward us, until he got about 35 feet away. He glanced up at the bus, and I felt like we even made eye contact! It was exciting and very hard for us to stay quiet, when we wanted to shout "Wow!" But we managed to contain our excitement with only whispers and lots of clicking of our camera shutters. He was quite large, but another grizzly later on was considerably larger! This must have been Grizzly habitat because within sight of the lone grizzly were a sow and her two cubs grazing in a clump of bushes.
Way off in the distance, I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye and yelled "stop!" It turned out to be a wolf moving away along the ridge of a hill below us. Mary said that wolf sightings are pretty rare. Tim spotted a bachelor band of Dall sheep, close enough to appreciate their beautiful curling horns. More commonly, these intriguing sheep are seen at high altitudes out of reach of their predators where they appear like little grains of rice. We saw them at the edge of the tundra line at the top of the mountain. We enjoyed watching ground squirrels darting back and forth, disappearing into holes at the edge of the gravel road as we came close; they are the bottom of the food chain in Denali - tasty little snacks for everyone else! Four Golden eagles soaring on the updrafts over the side of a forested mountain, hunted together. We saw a few Snowshoe hares with their longer hind legs, no longer camouflaged in white fur. Mary explained the population fluctuations of the hares - how their increasing numbers (up to 3 litters/summer) are self limiting as their major food source (willow bushes) is depleted. The lynx population, major predators of the Snowshoe hares, increases as the hare population increases. But as the hares run out of willow and become prey, the lynx population falls off as well. Thus the lynx and hare population cycles are directly linked with one another; this year both are pretty scarce in the park.
Mt. McKinley was totally visible when we came to the first possible place for observation - and she was magnificent! We knew we were blessed to see her even before Mary told us how special it is to be among the small percentage who can actually see "the Great One." By the time we got to Polychrome Pass, clouds were beginning to come in around her, and at Eielson Visitor Center, 66 miles into the park where we turned around, she was totally enshrouded in a cloak of white clouds. But the sun remained out, and our return trip was eventful with sightings of more critters between little cat naps. We picked up several backpackers on the return trip. One told us of his hike up a mountain by himself where he enjoyed his lunch looking out over the splendor of the park in solitude. Oh to be so young, athletic, and brave! Several others had seen the grizzlies and flagged down the first bus that came along. They didn’t want to be anywhere near a sow bear and her cubs! They were wiser park visitors!
Leaving Denali National Park, we returned the 130 miles to Fairbanks for a very late dinner at Chili’s. Then while enjoying cones of Alaskan flavored ice cream (like Aurora Borealis with cranberries and blueberries) at Hot Licks, our favorite place for such treats, we all shared with each other how God had encouraged each of us during the experiences of the week in VBS, at Camp Baldwin, and in Alaska. We all agreed that while God had stretched each of us in roles outside our comfort zones, we found Him right there beside us helping us in various ways and developing our skills and confidence. Some shared new personal insights gained this week, many expressed desires to return on another mission trip. Everyone agreed that they have a greater appreciation for the beauty of God’s creation as they enjoyed magnificent Alaskan scenery and wildlife. As camp pastor Mark has said in the past: God works in us before He works through us. I believe each of us experienced that truth this week.
We were sorry to leave our home folk off at the airport around 11:30 PM, but already they were focused on families and home! Their journey back to the Outer Banks would take around 17 hours adjusting for time zones: boarding in Fairbanks about 1 AM Alaska time and arriving in Manteo about midnight Eastern time. And they began already exhausted from a full week in Delta, followed by a long day at Denali with precious little sleep in between. But what a wonderful week we all shared! Our 2 hour drive back to Camp Baldwin was quiet and rather anticlimactic. We were kept awake on the drive home with more moose sightings and the two little fox kits scampering up the hill where we saw them a week ago on the team's arrival from the airport.
Sunrise on Saturday was at 3:07 AM and sunset was 12:34 AM Sunday morning, increasing daylight over 26 minutes since the team’s first day a week ago. Today was 21 hours and 26 minutes long in Fairbanks, with a gain of 4 ½ minutes over yesterday. Summer will officially begin in only 8 more days with the Summer Solstice - the longest day of the year.
Sunday - Saturday, June 12-18
Building a handicap ramp in Anchorage
Delta’s children, with their youth leaders, sang a couple of their favorite VBS songs from the Big Apple Adventure during morning worship. Such excitement! Too bad the Manteo team couldn't have been there with them. They were missed!
As we were leaving Anchorage 3 weeks ago, Mike Procter, Executive Director of the Alaska Baptist Convention, asked Dale if we could build a handicap ramp at the office. Needing to open Camp Baldwin quickly and prepare for the Manteo team, we could not take the time to do it then. With the team gone and a week and a half before the first camp opens, we agreed to go back down to Anchorage and tackle that ramp. Meanwhile, we learned of a small church down there that wanted Delta’s VBS materials and props. So after worship service, several men helped us remove the 3 bench seats in the church van and load the wooden/cardboard taxi and most of the decorations prepared by very creative members. After adding Dale’s carpentry tools, that van was really loaded down!
Monday morning, we drove the 340 miles down to Anchorage to deliver the VBS materials to Mt. Zion Baptist Church. We finally arrived at the home of Bonnie and Charles just in time for dinner with her son Mickey and his wife, Anna (our camp directors in Wasilla from ‘02-‘05). I’m not sure how we would have been able to build that ramp had it not been for the gracious hospitality of these dear friends who live just a few miles from the ABC office!
Mike had arranged for 2 former International missionaries to help out: Butch, a church planter in Venezuela and Alan, recently returned from Lesotho, South Africa. We met Alan’s wife and their 2 nine year old African sons, adopted from an orphanage. Their mission stories were fascinating! With Dale leading, the four of us built the ramp in 2 ½ days of intermittent rain interspersed with some bright sun and temperature in the mid to upper 40s as we finished up Thursday morning. The ABC staff came out to cheer us on from time to time, keeping us supplied with coffee, water, and encouragement. We left Anchorage glad that we could do that job for the Convention between our primary roles at camp. How neat that God would time our availability for the ramp construction to coincide with the end of Delta’s VBS and Mt. Zion’s need for the VBS decorations! And provide nearby lodging and gas funds for the journey too! It never ceases to amaze me how He reveals Himself to us with such intricate details.
As we were saying goodbye to the staff in the ABC office around 11:45 AM on Thursday, Sylvia interrupted our conversation to ask if I felt the building shake? She said we had just had an earthquake - I felt nothing! But I did hear the building creak briefly. Later, I learned that the earthquake measured 5.2, was 35 miles southwest of Anchorage, and 30 miles deep, causing no damage. I also learned on-line, that there were more than 20 very small earthquakes in Alaska that day, which is typical for every day up here. I had no idea!
The drive between Anchorage and Delta Junction on the Glenn and Richardson Highways is always a beautiful one. This time, we were surprised to notice fresh snow on the Chugach mountain peaks as we were leaving Anchorage, making them especially pretty. As we arrived back at Camp Baldwin, some 8 hours later, our 8 summer missionaries and camp pastor/director Mark were playing an active game of tether ball. They were here at camp for counselor training which gave us all of Friday to get to know them and learn their camp names. This year, each of us is identified by a type of cheese: Dale chose "Limburger" and the kids named me "Supa" for super sharp cheddar! We’ll see how long it takes for us to remember everyone’s name, especially each other’s! We had a chance to learn the kitchen dance together as we prepared the next 4 meals for our "camp staff" without any help. Now all we need to do is multiply those efforts by 3 beginning next Wednesday when our first camp begins for kindergartners to 2nd graders.
Saturday is shopping day, and we headed up to Fairbanks in the now empty van to stock up on groceries for the first camp. Fairbanks is all a buzz about Solstice which is actually on Tuesday. But celebration will begin early with the Midnight Sun Run tonight and a huge street party and music festival on Sunday.
Sunrise on Saturday was at 2:58 AM and sunset was 12:45 AM Sunday morning, increasing daylight over 26 minutes since the team’s first day a week ago. Today was 21 hours and 47 ½ minutes long in Fairbanks, with a gain of 21 ½ minutes of sun since the OBX team left a week ago!
Sunday, June 19
Father’s Day
A wake up call on Father’s Day by our "favorite" daughter, Robyn got us off to a great start for a special day. Following stirring messages during Bible study and the worship service, we celebrated with a buffet brunch at the Snow Hook Lodge on the Alaska Highway. In the evening, a Delta family gave an excellent in depth mission presentation on the culture and their life and work in Indonesia the past two years as principal and teachers in a Christian school for missionary and local children. Wealthy Muslims and Buddhists send their children there to prepare them for eastern colleges, knowing that it is a Christian based curriculum. What a golden opportunity to share the gospel! We had heard their presentation as they were preparing to leave their comfort zone for the unknown in Indonesia in ‘09, so were excited to hear of their experiences. They have renewed their commitment for another two years.
Monday - Wednesday, June 20-22
Final preparation for first campers
Dale installed the new water heater in the guest house, mowed the field, and more while I baked deserts ahead for our first campers and began to plan my next Alaska theme lap quilt. The summer missionaries and Mark returned to camp for more training, role playing, and other preparation for the arrival of the children. They prayer walked around the camp, prepared their individual cabin devotions. Bless their hearts, they are both nervous about their roles and excited to get started! There is much energy and expectation in the camp! We are ready!
Wednesday - Friday, June 22-24
Mini camp for kindergartners to 2nd graders
Twenty seven children arrived with great gusto - 14 boys and 13 girls. It was the first camp experience for nearly half of them; a few had never been away from mom overnight. Our counselors were already prepared for such needs of the youngsters. But they were not prepared for the sad stories behind many of the children’s home situations and relationships which wrenched their hearts. Camp Baldwin’s mission is to give children of the Interior a week (or mini-week for the littlest ones) of unconditional love, time to be kids in a safe environment with trusted caring adults, physical and creative activity, lots of fun, and most of all, opportunities to learn about the One who cares about them more than anyone else and who is always with them. Older children learn how they can have a loving relationship with Jesus and/or grow in their walk with Him. These truths are shared every chance that comes up while the campers are with us.
The first craft for these children was to draw faces on the soft stuffed dolls made and donated by the WMU ladies of Ocean View Baptist Church on the N.C. Outer Banks. They heard the simple gospel as they made salvation necklaces for their own dolls. Then they drew faces on both sides of their dolls; a happy face on one side because they knew Jesus and a sad face on the other side because they had not yet heard about His love for them. The girls immediately loved their dolls and had fun personalizing them. The boys, to our surprise, also got into the craft, however their art work and play time was a bit more bizarre. It was fun to watch all of them interacting with their own dolls in their unique ways! The boys flew their dolls like airplanes with all the sound effects, while the girls cuddled their dolls and chatted with them.
It rained most of Thursday - the mini campers’ only full day at Camp Baldwin. The girls used the carpeted insulated classroom for their morning activity (stepping on balloons tied to ankles of each child until only one un-popped balloon was left) while the boys used the dining hall for the same activity. Meanwhile, we were on the other side of the serving counter preparing lunch to the sounds of popping balloons and happy shrieks and laughter reverberating off the concrete floor and bare walls! Balloon volleyball over a row of chairs and jousting giants were other fun inside rainy day activities. I love the sounds of happy children! And the sounds of silence when the activity is over!
We are impressed with the resourcefulness of Pastor Mark (a.k.a "Colby") and the 8 summer missionaries. While Dale and I were preparing dinner on Thursday, Colby paced the kitchen floor, scratching his head and mumbling something like, "what am I going to do with 27 children for evening activity in the rain?" Suddenly he stopped short and said, "I’ve got it! We’ll have an indoor carnival!" He called his summer missionaries together in a huddle while the campers were eating, and they brain stormed ideas for fun stations for the 4 groups to rotate through, all under cover utilizing the newly roofed rec building porch for dart board with balloons; the campfire pavilion for air soft target practice supervised by Colby himself; the chapel/classroom for ring toss; dining hall for buckets and ball toss; and an ingenious strong man feat where instead of hitting a target with a mall to ring the bell, the campers used the mall to hit a 2x4 resting on a ladder rung, lifting the other end of the 2x4 up to hit a garbage can lid and making the noise that signaled success. The littlest girls got to jump on the 2x4 instead. The summer missionaries designed the stations, then some manned them while others led the cabin groups from one game to the next. And I ran back and forth between the 5 stations photographing as many of the different groups competing in as many of the games as I could. It turned out to be the best carnival ever - the children and adults all had a blast! Even rain will not spoil camp fun!
Friday morning, like Thursday, began in the mid 40s, however the sun broke through and the day warmed up. And so the summer missionaries were introduced to one of Camp Baldwin’s favorite games: water fights! A loud cheer went up when Colby announced to the children that after cabin devotions, they would have water games! One of the guy counselors asked Colby, on a scale of 1-10, how wet should he expect to get. Colby replied, "30!" Camp Baldwin does not lack for water fun, even though it is not on a lake or river. Water fights are so much fun for the children and counselors. When the trash cans were drained of water and everyone dried out, they had their closing praise and worship time followed by our traditional hamburger picnic. Before we knew it, the Delta parents and the Salcha/Fairbanks bus arrived, and they were gone! The 8 missionaries, switching roles, became a super willing cleanup team, helping us turn over the camp in record time! Expecting a heavier load with the absence of our partner Carol this year, we discovered that our increased numbers of college volunteers has filled in the gap nicely. In addition, Colby’s daughter Rachel was another kitchen helper and "go-fer" for all of us! Our God does supply all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus! Philippians 4:19. We were unsure how we would be able to manage all our duties this year with just the two of us, but this first mini camp reassured us that we will manage fine with His provision of extra hands!
Saturday - Sunday, June 25-26
T-3 Camp
After a full day of shopping in Fairbanks for the next camp, two guests arrived in the evening. Lorinda and James, students from Eastern Texas Baptist University. Having just helped to lead the annual week long T-3 leadership training in Anchorage, they came here to mentor 4 local high school youth who attended that training. T-3 (Training Teens Today) prepares Christian youth with leadership skills that they will take back to their churches and help minister in an area of their choosing: praise and worship; technical skills such as power point, video, audio, etc; or various serving ministries. With Lorinda and James as mentors, the four T-3 teens were given a chance to practice some of their newly learned skills on their own friends as the leaders-in-training of a free overnight camp for the middle and high school Delta kids. Sunday afternoon, Camp Baldwin was ringing with the sounds of those teenagers and pre teens (quite different from the sounds of the little campers of last week)! As the only overnight adults, we kept an eye out till midnight after which our ears continued to stayed tuned till 3:30 AM when the lively campfire fellowship finally broke up! The four teen leaders had a chance to organize teenage outdoor games, guide devotions and worship, and to share their testimonies. Seeds were planted with unchurched friends, some who have never been to camp are trying to work out job schedules to be able to come to high school camp in a few weeks, and both youth and college leaders had some good opportunities to practice new leadership skills for ministry! It was a very productive weekend on many levels!
Now that we are 4 days into summer, our days are shortening. Most Alaskans are not too pleased about that as it indicates that their long winter is coming! Sunrise today was at 2:59 AM, and sunset was at 12:46 AM on Sunday, making the length of day 21 hours 47 minutes. All of which to say, that we in Delta Junction lost 1 minute and 37 seconds of daylight today!
Monday - Friday, June 27-31
Third and Fourth Grade Camp
Twenty seven more youngsters, their counselors, pastor/director, and our teen helper filled the camp with more excitement, all arriving Monday afternoon. Being older children, their activities, recreation, crafts, Bible lessons, and questions reflect their growing up as do their increased energy, appetites, noise level, and later bed time! Tuesday was a rainy day, all day long, with occasional breaks of drizzle. Swiss, our counselor guitarist, gave a little rainy day drumming lesson on the newly roofed rec shack deck using croquet sticks padded with rags and a 55 gallon drum, a rubber garbage can, a cardboard concrete core, and blocks of wood. He taught them rhythm first and then added syncopation; Camp Baldwin pulsed with the beat of his band! Another rainy day activity was to make hula hoops out of black ABS tubing and wrap them in colorful surveyor’s tape. So when the rain lightened up some, 27 Alaskan kids were out on the field in their multicolored hoops, spinning them or using them like jump ropes. It was a clever way for them to use up some excess energy. We have noticed that Alaskan children do not seem to care about getting wet! We figure they take advantage of every summer day, rain or shine, because the season is so short. Interior Alaskans don’t complain too much about the rain because it is sorely needed to either prevent or control wildfires; the wildfires in our area are contained at last. Thank God for that! By Wednesday afternoon, the clouds moved away. As the sun broke through, bringing the temperature up to 70, Colby took advantage of the chance to hold water fights. And soon the field was active with squealing and screaming children and counselors chasing each other with buckets of water with water splashing everywhere! The last two nights their evening activities were playing Wells Fargo and Capture the Flag in the woods behind our RV and the chapel. Though they are out of sight, we can hear the excited sounds of children calling and chasing each other as they race through the woods.
One morning, before anyone else was moving about in the camp, as I was reading my Bible, I happened to glance out the window. There behind the RV were two moose - a cow and her growing calf! To our knowledge, since camp began last week, the moose have shied away from camp. So it was neat to see them back.
The week hasn’t been without illnesses. Several of our summer missionaries, unaccustomed to activities in damp chilly conditions have been able to ward off sore throats with Airborne and prayer; one was banned from her cabin to the guest house where she was "jailed" during the week until her fever came down. Then there are those late night calls of a timid rap on the door and a request for Tylenol or cough drops. Thank God we have had no serious mishaps so far.
Between the fun activities, there were teaching moments, Bible stories, camp fire praise and worship and skits from the Bible. One of the girls placed her faith in Jesus this week and others have raised some deep questions with their counselors. This has been a week of searching culminating in the opportunity to release painful experiences to God at the final campfire devotions.
Monday - Friday, July 4-8
Fifth and Sixth Grade Camp
Dale went in to Fairbanks on Saturday for a van load of groceries and other supplies alone, giving me some free time to make 9 dozen yeast rolls for the freezer, ready to raise and bake for next week and then to begin assembling the sweat shirt quilt that I started a month ago. Sunday afternoon, Dale quickly mowed the play field under dark clouds, barely finishing before the heavens let loose with a torrential downpour! In the afternoon, 2 car loads of Koreans from Fairbanks came to check out the camp prior to their weekend here early in August. It was a relaxing weekend.
Twenty eight enthusiastic fifth and sixth graders arrived on the Fourth of July for their week at Camp Baldwin. As in the previous weeks, many campers return every summer. It is fun to watch these kids grow up from year to year! I’m impressed to see that fewer kids are needing medications for asthma and ADHD as compared to previous years! Two Russian brothers came to camp this week and seemed to fit in pretty well. There are both Russian and Ukranian populations here in Delta Junction, and I’m told that they do not mix well. Most of the girls and women are easily recognized by their language and their clothing (skirts and kerchiefs) as they shop in town. One Russian fellow has purchased property on the camp entrance gravel road and is beginning to clear it. We are looking for an opportunity to befriend him with the hope that we can be good neighbors.
During the week, 2 gentlemen from Salcha volunteered an afternoon to build a permanent rustic fort in the woods for the campers’ air soft games. The campers assisted in carrying pieces of the old fort and lumber to the site in exchange for a free trip to the snack shack. It was a win - win opportunity for the kids as by the last day, they were able to enjoy the new fort and have their candy bars too! That evening, with all that sugar in their system, they were really wound up! So their camp skits, traditionally reserved for after camp fire devotions, were rescheduled for earlier in the evening - at midnight! So we stayed up to watch, having been invited by several of the children.
After KP duty each night, I have a few hours to work on my quilt in the dining hall with the sounds of gleefully screaming campers back in the woods playing "capture the flag" or Wells Fargo." I need to be available for band-aids, ice packs, Tylenol, etc and to give 2 campers their bedtime medications when they finally settle down for campfire worship. My station in the dining hall also gives me the opportunity to hear about different cabin skits, which they have been planning and practicing since the beginning of the week. And it puts me in the right place for campers and counselors who need props or costumes for their secret skits. Or mending their jeans. I feel sort of like mom for the counselors or grandma for the campers as they would they would come to me, one or two at a time, tell me about the skit and leave with bowls, bread, pillow cases, or something else necessary for their skit. They had my curiosity so peaked that I convinced Dale that we should stay up and go watch. They were very creative in their skits, coming up with how the animals might have felt about being cooped up in the ark for 40 days; meeting a bear in the woods and trying to remember instructions they learned about encounters with the wildlife; a rendition of how camp food treated their systems with plenty of sound effects (in jest of course!); and dozens more hilarious presentations. Four of the counselors paired up - 2 guys and 2 girls - and they made and ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, as a pair. One stood behind his/her partner and with arms reaching around the one in front, using the Braille technique and wearing plastic serving gloves, they made the sandwiches and fed them to their partner in front, making such a mess and wearing more of the pb&j than a toddler would! What a riot they were! I don’t know when we have laughed so hard and so long!
It is a joy to be in the midst of happy children. The major purpose of camp is to minister to the children emotionally and spiritually. Many of the campers are hurting children; our goal is to love them and point them to Jesus while enabling them to enjoy a week free of the challenges, abuses, fears, and responsibilities of home life. Pastor Mark/Colby and his counselors have been doing that in cabin devotions, group worship, and one-on-one time every day. Colby’s messages to them during the evening campfire messages have been focused on God is, God loves, God guides, and God heals, applying the gospel to their lives. During the week, 4 children gave their hearts to Jesus, and at least 3 more made other important decisions in their Christian walk. It was a very fruitful week! Glory to God!
Monday - Friday, July 11-15
Junior High Camp - 7th and 8th grades
After another typical weekend of shopping for groceries in Fairbanks on Saturday and preparing some deserts ahead for the coming week, we added the first part of jelly making to the routine. After church on Sunday afternoon, while Dale cut tops of oodles of fireweed all around the Delta Junction back roads, I got a bunch done on my quilt. Then we plucked blossoms off stems way late into the night while watching 2 movies in the RV. With counselors arriving Sunday night for the next week and camp beginning on Monday, there was no time left to process the flowers. So we froze them in ziplock bags in portions appropriate for making batches of jelly one day by and by.
26 young teenagers joined us this week, and we began the cycle once again on an older level. These older boys prefer air soft and more active games over crafts. So while they worked on finishing touches on the fort, the girls made beaded bracelets. All of them enjoyed their games in the fort or the archery range nearby. Again, the hula hoops were a hit for all of them. Days are cooler now with temperatures in the mid 60s, dropping to the mid 40s at night. While we didn’t have heavy rain during the day this week, most of the week was cloudy, drizzly, and cool. But the campers were able to enjoy an afternoon of water fights. One girl, who had twisted her ankle, wore clear rain gear (a hooded jacket and matching pants) to keep her ace wrap and the rest of herself dry while still enjoying the water battle. Pretty smart kiddo!
Junior High campers look forward to their "solo time" when Colby gives them scriptures to read in search of answers to questions that he poses to them. For half an hour, the camp is totally silent while teens find their own secluded place somewhere in the camp to have their one-on-one time with the Lord and their Bibles. It is really impressive to observe these kids scattered alone on benches, lawn, steps, by the fire pit, in the chapel or dining hall, under a tree, or wherever else they can be alone to pray and read their Bibles. At least 2 campers responded to the gospel this week, trusting Jesus personally, including a Mormon boy who came as a guest of his friend. We were surprised to learn that the largest Mormon church in the state of Alaska is in the little town of Salcha! The only other church there is Salcha Baptist Church where Colby is pastor. How neat that a Mormon boy has heard the truth and trusted Jesus because his friend cared to invite him! At least 8 other campers committed to deepening their daily relationships with their Lord as well. Praise God for ears that heard and hearts that were open to His love and grace!
For some time now, Colby has been designing a giant foosball table with the goal of having 2 cabins competing against each other. Dale began building the structure of a 12 foot long table, and laminated one surface with counter top material. He stripped 3 broken tables for rods and other parts. When he wasn’t in the kitchen, he was working on the table, moving his location as the table began to take shape. The counselors and campers were excited as the table developed.
Days have been getting shorter and noticeably darker at night now. Sunrise on Friday was at 3:57 AM; sunset at 11:39 PM with 19 hours, 42 minutes of daylight, losing 5 minutes of light each day now. A nice pink sunset colored the sky during a campfire worship this week. How nice to see a little darkness and color in the sky again!
Monday - Friday, July 18-22
High School Camp - 9th through 12th grades
Twenty-one high school youth began the week; another unchurched girl arrived late Tuesday night. There is a reason that God sent her to camp, having just moved up from the Outside and knowing no one but her sister with whom she will be living. She is now making good Christian friendships who will help her transition into her new school - which will be starting in only 3 weeks! This is an especially needy group of youth . . . Many of the kids are from very difficult circumstances, some resulting from unfortunate life’s blows and some from the effects of their own poor choices, or both. Their stories just break your heart! They so desperately need the message of Jesus' love for them, His pursuance of them, forgiveness, and hope. All we can do is pray for them and for their counselors, and love them with the love of Jesus and keep on keeping on in the kitchen! We have all we can do to get through the day maintaining the backstage while Mark is doing an excellent job on the front stage working directly with the campers and discipling the counselors. He is directing his devotionals, chapel and campfire messages right at their needs, telling them about the hope and future they can have in Jesus through His forgiveness, His gift of salvation, and a personal relationship with Him. He is encouraging them with assurance that Jesus is present with them all the time even when bad things happen or when they mess up. This may be the biggest week - certainly the most difficult! As backstage staff, we pray during the week that the Holy Spirit is preparing their hearts and minds to hear truths that they so desperately need, that the counselors will discern how to encourage them, and that the teens will respond to those truths. (By the end of the week, 2 boys trusted Jesus personally and 4 others rededicated their lives to Him. Others made commitments to begin their own solo devotional time, to increase their prayer time, and to begin going to church. God sure was busy this week!)
Rain was the norm for the first half of the week. Rain and chill, with temperatures in the 40s at night and getting all the way up to the upper 50s during the day! When the bright sun greeted us Wednesday morning, everyone’s morale and energy level improved amazingly! Camp just isn’t camp if the kids can’t have their water games. So the water barrels were filled during their solo devotion time, after which the water fights commenced with much laughter and shrieking! And when the barrels ran dry and the counselors realized that it was the last day of water games for their summer, they added a new spin to the sport. They had a good ole time belly flopping onto the soggy lawn and sliding 20 feet or so on their bellies and backs, splashing water and mud with total abandon. Immediately, the campers joined them and for awhile, it was hard to believe that these young leaders would soon be sitting in the finest universities of the south in another month. But for now, they enjoyed blending in with the high school crowd, slaphappy and carefree. Oh to be so young and limber again!
Thursday and Friday were more absolutely beautiful sunny days - even a bit warm! Eight guys carried the completed foosball table over to the back porch of the rec building under the new roof, and Dale began installing the 24 rods and the new plastic men that he had ordered last winter. There was much excitement early in the week when it was rainy, but when the sun came out, the new game was pretty much forgotten. Understandably so. Cabin competitions will wait till next year!
It's hard to believe that Camp Baldwin season of 2011 is over for the kids of Tanana Valley Baptist Association.
Saturday - Sunday, July 23-24
Last weekend to complete some projects
On Saturday morning, with tears and prayers, we sent 7 of our counselors off to JAM Camp (Jesus, Arts, and Music) at LaVerne Griffin down in Wasilla; Gouda remained behind with earlier airline tickets. We have grown close to those 8 college kids who are excited about serving the Lord and wanting to grow in their faith walk. So as they were driving away, we suddenly felt like our nest was emptying again! And then there was the cleanup in their wake, and more memories of that part of the emptied nest years ago!
Suddenly we were free with no camps to prepare for, and all the rest of the weekend was clear for the first time! With previous plans to meet Mike Procter (Executive Director of Alaska Baptist Convention) and his wife Rebecca for dinner in Fairbanks, we made our last trip together to town for camp and personal errands. Then the night was free for some good fellowship followed by a few hours at the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics demonstrations, final competitions, and awards. One of the major purposes of WEIO games is to connect native youths from the circumpolar areas of the world with their ancestors as the events have their roots in traditional hunting and survival skills. The games are, according to the WEIO booklet, "a snapshot of some of the skills and abilities - including strength, endurance, balance and tolerance for pain - that were required to survive in the unforgiving Arctic and subarctic climate." These competitions are timed with the conclusion of Fairbanks’ annual celebration of the Golden Days, reminiscent of the days of the discovery of gold in 1902 which began the settlement of the city. This year between 150-200 athletes and their spectators are celebrating the 50th anniversary of WEIO.
This was not our first time to watch these unique native Olympics, but we did get to see some events for the first time, and marvel at the strength and abilities of those young people! A tall young man from Nome demonstrated the Bench Reach which tests strength and balance. While he knelt on the edge of a padded bench, a volunteer sat on the back of his lower legs. He leaned forward as far as possible to set an object on the floor and then returned to the original position without touching the floor with any part of his body! He won the gold medal earlier this week - tonight his bench reach demo was 62 inches! The Neck Pull was demonstrated by 2 women; the one from Greenland won. "In this event, two athletes lie on the floor facing one another in a ‘down’ push-up position. A looped leather strap is placed around the nape of their necks. Participants rise to the push-up position with hands and feet touching the floor. The object of the game is to pull directly back with the neck, forcing the opponent’s hands across the line, or the strap off the neck. This game mimics two walrus fighting and is a test of strength." We watched the One-Foot High Kick competitions, one of the premier events of WEIO, where the athlete jumps off the floor using both feet, kicks a suspended skin ball with one foot and lands on the floor using that same foot, demonstrating balance to the judges. Half a dozen male and female athletes competed as the skin ball was raised a few inches at a time, until a young man from Noorvik tied with the world champion at 9 feet, 8 inches and a teen girl from Wasilla tied with her own previous world record at 7 feet, 8 inches. The final competition we watched was the Men’s Blanket Toss which "has been part of whaling feast activities as long as people can remember. The event uses a blanket made of several walrus skins with holes on the edges so that rope can be looped all the way around for handle grips. The contestant stands in the middle of the blanket and is tossed into the air. With a strong, coordinated effort from the pullers, the person being tossed can get as high as 30 feet in the air and lands on his/her feet without falling down. This is similar to a trampoline, with the only difference being that people are the springs and they can move to catch an errant jumper. The athlete who jumps the highest with the best form and balance wins." Volunteers were called for to be the pullers around the skin blanket - at least 50 of them were needed so that the blanket was visible only at the moment when the athlete was actually tossed up high into the air. One of the athletes, a scraggly bearded man, did some amazing flips on his way down and landed on his feet!
The games, as amazing as they were, are only part of the WEIO celebration. There were also dance performances that depict stories with their hand and body movements while singing about their cultural events in their native language to the rhythmical beat of their walrus or seal skin drums. The women wore colorful kuspuks and fur gloves to enhance hand movements; the men wore beaded leather garb. The event was attended by Alaskan, Greenland, Siberian, and Canadian Eskimos and Indians. Native made kuspuks, skins, beads, fur boots, and more were worn by many spectators and vendors of native arts and crafts. Former WEIO queens meandered among the spectators in their native garb with their regal sashes. As always, an evening at the WEIO is a fascinating and enlightening opportunity to share in the largest cultural celebration in Alaska.
Sunday, our last one in Delta Junction, was a time to bid farewell to friends at church. In the afternoon, Dale and I made 8 more batches of Fireweed Jelly with flowers we had frozen last weekend. We really got the whole process down to a teamwork so that we could process 3 batches at a time, each at a different stage using 2 stoves, 4 pots, 3 timers, 3 sinks, and lots of counter space. The whole process took us only 3 hours from start to clean up! In the evening I finished all but the last detail of my quilt. It was a weekend for bringing projects to a close.
Monday - Wednesday, July 25-27
Pastors’ Family Camp
Dale cut a solid core interior door blank down in size to fit the kitchen pantry doorway Monday morning and installed it, adding a dead bolt lock. He’ll be storing the Hobart mixer and other items that are subject to burglars when he returns in the Fall to winterize the camp. Meanwhile, I finished the quilt, finally - just in time to enter it in the Deltana Fair on Tuesday!
Camp Pastor Mark and his wife Sandi with their 5 children joined by Pastor Bryan from Fairbanks and his wife Rebecca with their 3 children arrived for a few days of family camp - R&R for Mark after a long hard season as camp director. Each family towed a small motor boat with the plan of fishing in a nearby lake. However, a thunder storm ended the day and heavy rain ensued all night, lasting until late afternoon on day 2. They were able to enjoy a fishing outing late that night, but it was way too wet to pick blueberries as in previous summers.
The weather has been mostly rainy all week, and cooler with temps ranging from the upper 40s to low 70s. The length of day is shortening by 6 minutes every day; on Wednesday, Delta’s day was down to 18 hours, 29 minutes with sunrise at 4:34 AM and sunset at 11:03 PM. Sadly, there is no hope for me to see an aurora this year.
From before we set out for Alaska in mid April, it was our prayer and many others’ prayer from around the country, that many souls would be won, renewed, and blessed through the ministry at Camp Baldwin this year. I do believe this season was more fruitful than previous ones. I would love to have been able to observe the spiritual battles beyond our awareness that were being fought here at camp! Being aware of some big ones reminded us of the countless ones we were unaware of. Scripture assures us that God’s Word will not return void. And so it is now our prayer that seeds of faith were planted and that what our campers heard, read, and sang about will impact their lives forever. It definitely has been a different summer up here for us - way more physically demanding and exhausting than ever with only the 2 of us on staff! Yet God gave us the energy one day at a time to do what needed to be done, and occasionally we had the help of a couple of teen counselors-in-training and summer missionaries with beverages and serving. We learned new organizational skills as we fine tuned our team work! What a privilege it has been to be a part of God’s ministry here at Camp Baldwin with an amazing team of young NAMB summer missionaries and their director. It’s hard to believe that this season is over!
Now, while Dale is plastering the service room walls, I'm beginning to focus on my next role in Maryland! As I begin packing for my flight down to Washington DC on Sunday, already I'm realizing that I'll not be getting any more rest than I have had this summer! Yet I'm depending on Philippians 4:13 again. And the joy of being with Robyn and Eric and all their babies!!!!
Friday - Sunday, July20 - 31
Deltana Fair; Lynne leaves Alaska
A cow moose showed up near the entrance of camp with a young calf! We have noticed them several days since the camp became considerably quieter! Friday was a full day of finishing up on laundry, packing, cleaning and organizing the RV. It seemed strange to be packing up breakables for the drive out in the Fall, knowing that I will be missing that trip. We finished some end of the season organization in each of the camp buildings, and Dale spent a day and a half mudding the service room for the fire marshal’s visit. We laugh now at the chaos prompted just before camp opened when he announced he would be coming to inspect this camp that somehow missed the state’s radar all these years. After installing about $1500 worth of new fire extinguishers, smoke and CO2 detectors, illuminated exit signs, etc, and making other changes, we waited for him . . . all summer long! He never showed up! Thankfully, camp operated without any interruptions and our campers were better protected. We had done our part to comply with every regulation that we knew of. We will be ready for a possible encounter with him next year.
The Deltana Fair opened this morning; fair sounds and megaphone speakers can be heard through the woods about a mile away. By mid afternoon, we were ready to take a break from our projects and check out the fair. Our first stop was the one room Quilt Exhibition cabin, where colorful quilts of various designs were displayed on both sides of several room dividers. It didn’t take long to locate my "Alaska Scrapbook" quilt with a red second place ribbon attached to it! Two other beautiful Alaska theme quilts were also there, each with blue ribbons. Quilting and other needle craft are very popular in Alaska during long dark winter days, and quilting classes and gatherings are a fun community function in Delta.
We left Delta Junction Saturday morning, after dropping off our last huge egg carton at the Farmers’ Market for our friend Katie who sells her own eggs in the community. The drive down to Anchorage, a beautiful as ever, is my last scenic drive in the north. Fireweed blossoms in Delta have nearly reached the top of the stem, yet the closer we come to Anchorage, we have noticed that the blossoms are still at mid stem. And so much more abundant, and taller with larger petals! People are aware of soon approaching Fall in Delta with cooler & darker nights, browning foliage and roadside grass, and little growth of lawns. Dale has not needed to mow our playground for 3 weeks in spite of all the rain we have had!
We spent the night at Bonnie and Charles’s home (our own personal B&B) - my last visit with these special friends. Dale will have one more visit before flying out in another 10 days. Sunday morning, we drove up to the Mat-Su Valley for worship at Big Lake Baptist where we had a chance to bid many friends farewell for another season, followed by lunch with Sheree and Ron. In the afternoon, Robyn called with news that she had spent the afternoon with false labor which eventually stopped! (We found out later that baby Martin had turned breech, so that the twins heads were side by side!) Nothing like a little extra sense of urgency as I head east! By 8 PM, I was kissing Dale, Bonnie, and Charles goodbye at the airport and waiting to board a flight overdue by one hour to Houston. With only 35 minutes layover for the final leg of my flight to DC, I was pretty nervous about making my connecting flight. As it turned out, I was the next to the last passenger to board in Houston, just 5 minutes before taking off! Whew! Thank God for perfect timing!
Monday - Tuesday, August 1-9
Lynne joins Robyn and family & Dale finishes at camp
Robyn was there Monday morning at Reagan National Airport waiting in her beautiful maternal form. And gasp! It was serious summer time with temp in the upper 90s and very high humidity! Lovely pink crepe myrtles and lavender lilacs are everywhere! I had forgotten these beautiful flowering trees, having not seen them for the 11 years that we’ve been summering in the far north.
On Tuesday, with Emma at day care, I accompanied Robyn to Washington, DC for her next ultrasound, obstetrician’s appointment, and non stress test each of which she passed. Now both twins are in breech position, and her doctor scheduled her for a Cesarean section for August 30 - unless labor should begin earlier. Jo has grown to 4 pounds, 14 ounces and Martin is a whopping 7 pounds, 2 ounces for a total baby weight of 12 pounds! No wonder their mommy is so uncomfortable! By Friday, they reached the 35th week and we are thanking God for keeping them this long in the womb! Following all her medical appointments, we enjoyed a wonderful baby shower/luncheon given by her coworkers. How fun to finally get to meet some of Robyn’s many supportive friends!
Little 20 month old Emma remembered me this visit, but for the first week, she has been quite clingy to her mom. She has figured out that something is afoot! But by being able to help out with some domestic chores, laundering, folding, sorting lots of baby clothes, etc, I have been able to free Robyn up to focus more on her little girl. Robyn and Eric have been able to get away for a dinner date one night, and a Sunday afternoon/evening boating trip with 2 couples which gave Emma and me time to bond over floor play, bath times, dinner and bed times. One day, we 3 girls visited the community pool together; possibly I’ll have the chance to take Emma there for other dips after her brothers arrive, perhaps even baby swimming lessons. Emma’s day care provider took vacation Monday through Wednesday this week, giving Emma and me plenty of time to bond while her mommy continued to work from home. We spent the morning at a neighborhood kiddie park and an afternoon in the library working puzzles and speed reading dozens of books.
Robyn has also been doing an admirable job of transitioning me from the OBX beach/rural Alaskan girl to the ways of her city life. She has given me errands around Waldorf, and from Eric’s office in Anacostia near DC and to meet her at the park and ride. This is significant for me as I have only once before attempted city driving and gotten very lost. So far, so good!
Up at 5 AM Wednesday morning and taking a sleepy Emma with us, we all headed to Children’s Hospital for the final echo cardiogram. Having been up since 2 AM with what she thought might be contractions, Robyn was quite ready to hit the road. Consultation with the pediatric cardiologist after the echo cardiogram was very encouraging. The team does not expect that baby Jo will have to be transferred to Children’s Hospital after delivery at George Washington University Hospital nearby. They expect that he will be able to remain at George Washington University Hospital with his twin Martin where they will be delivered. They project that the surgery to repair his heart defects can wait until he is 4 months old. That word was such an encouragement especially during what seemed to be early labor. Since her obstetrician advised her to go home, rest, and call when contractions increased to 10-15 minutes apart, we left Eric off at work and went home to wait. Those contractions eventually slowed down and we all got some rest. Tomorrow, we’ll be seeing the obstetrician for an early appointment. . . Time will tell. Hopefully, not much time, and yet we do want Jo to have every chance to grow in utero.
Meanwhile . . . back at Camp Baldwin, Dale has been busy hosting the Korean Retreat over the weekend, and then generally straightening up the grounds, cutting down a leaning tree that had been blown over during the week long Delta winds up to 80 mph, taking down camp entrance signs, etc. The temperature is reflecting the end of the season with 60 degrees one morning and 38 degrees the next morning. He left Delta temporarily for Anchorage and will be flying out late Wednesday night, to arrive in DC Thursday afternoon. This is a time for family to be together and supportive. Will he make it in time for the big event!