Alaska Girl

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Crab Fest Pictures

Max, KPD's K-9

Jess and I ate a ton of King Crab legs. Mmm! Can't beat 'em!

Fun in the sun.

Survival suit races. Each team has to run down the dock, put the suits on correctly, and swim out to the float. Last legs out of the water stops the clock.

Kids were down swimming and jumping off the dock.

Spring has arrived on the Emerald Isle, and yes, that means rain and fog. But it also means brilliant shades of greens, blues, with colorful flowers blooming, too. Yep, I live in a beautiful place. Enduring the rain is tough, but when I remember that it's the reason for the vivid color, it's easier to handle. Besides, those "lazy" days are just as important for my sanity. And then, when the sun comes out, nothing can be better than driving out the road with country music on the radio, keeping an eye out for bears, deer, fox, or any number of other wildlife along the way. Another adventure I love is taking the skiff out for a day trip to one of the nearby islands for a picnic, halibut fishing, taking pictures, or all of the above.

I spent 3 days this week in EMD (Emergency Medical Dispatch) training. Information overload! It was a great course, and we had a good instructor who managed to keep us all awake (with the help of caffeine). I even learned how to walk someone through delivering a baby over the phone, among many other interesting scenarios, some being more violent and awful than others. But I am certified now, and as soon as I take the last test, will be good to go. The other change I'm working through right now is the switch from days to graves. And let me tell you, it's not fun. I'm exhausted! Today is going better than yesterday did (probably has something to do with the mountain dew and chocolate...), and I'm sure I'll adapt quickly, but my energy is gone for now.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Crab Festival in Kodiak, and Memorial Day!

Today is the last day of Crab Fest, and unfortunately, I'm working. However, I went down on my lunch break Saturday to try out Martha's food and watch the survival suit races, and then met Jess down there after work, when we stuffed ourselves with King crab dipped in melted butter, cotton candy, ice cream, and I can't even remember what all else. It's fun to walk around and see how many people you know. It's not a big festival, but the whole town comes out to celebrate spring. Last night I was back down there with her and her husband for scallops, tacos, popcorn, etc. We met up with several others from work, both on and off duty, as well as seeing many other friends along the way. If you haven't figured out yet, the two best things about Crab Fest are the people and the food. There were rides, but not fantastic ones, and they shut them down early yesterday, to get them loaded onto the ferry last night.
By far the best part about this weekend was that the weather was amazing. Other than the one evening where it drizzled a bit, and a few stretches of overcast skies, the sun has been shining. One of my friends found out the hard way that it was nice enough to get a pretty bad sunburn after being out on patrol all day without a hat. We now have all sorts of nicknames for him. :-)
I'm hoping to get some more king crab today, but even if I don't make it down, I'm content that I was able to fully enjoy the weekend. Have a wonderful Memorial Day, friends. So many of my family and friends are in various branches of the military, and I'm proud of each and every one of them. Enjoy your day off with family and friends, and don't forget to thank those who have served this country, fighting for our freedom.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Jewel Beach

Ah, the life-changing moment when you realize the true entertainment value of a weed! Over the past couple weeks I've been introducing Scott to a Kodiak girl's idea of fun: Puchki stick wars and bull whips. Puchki sticks make great swords (may the biggest, strongest puchki win!); and snapping the head off a large bull kelp with a long tail will turn it into a fantastic whip to snap at things. Unfortunately, he came out ahead with both. And to top it off, he had my camera and was filming my reaction as I accidentally clipped myself with the tip of the whip. While very embarrassing, it WAS funny.
Yesterday, after a Java Flats picnic at Sometimes Island, we headed over to find out where the trail head by the Buskin turnoff ended up. It was a beautiful, quiet walk through woods that were carpeted with a thick layer of lush moss, bringing us right out onto Jewel beach. We left with pockets full of colorful 'jewels' (otherwise known as colorful pieces of glass that the ocean has rounded off and formed to look cool.).
After a week of dreariness, the sun has shown up again! And the most shocking thing about it is it happened in time for the Crab Fest! As anyone here could tell you, it ALWAYS rains for Crab Fest. So to have an entire weekend of sun and dry weather is a newsworthy event! I have yet to go down and check it out, though I plan on having one of the guys take me down to watch the survival suit races on my lunch break. The Crab Festival may not seem like all that much, but for Kodiak, it's a time to get out and see all your friends and acquaintances, catch up on life from the past winter, and just to enjoy the fact that spring has arrived! Rain or shine, downtown comes alive with the excitement - rides, good food, and people everywhere.