'Alaska', Vote Obama

Snow from last year. I saw this during a hike.

It just never stops being funny. I've started yelling "Alaska" as an expletive instead of darn or worse. (This came from a blog about this past Sat Night SNL skit.) Thought it was pretty good.

GOLD MINE - Vote Obama

Here is a gold mine on the oldest road in Alaska.


from: Rolling Stone Magazine, Great Article
Palin's charge that "government is too big" and that Obama "wants to grow it" was similarly preposterous. Not only did her party just preside over the largest government expansion since LBJ, but Palin herself has been a typical Bush-era Republican, borrowing and spending beyond her means. Her great legacy as mayor of Wasilla was the construction of a $14.7 million hockey arena in a city with an annual budget of $20 million; Palin OK'd a bond issue for the project before the land had been secured, leading to a protracted legal mess that ultimately forced taxpayers to pay more than six times the original market price for property the city ended up having to seize from a private citizen using eminent domain. Better yet, Palin ended up paying for the fucking thing with a 25 percent increase in the city sales tax.

Vote Obama

FLUME- Vote Obama

A second picture of the flume. You don't see many that still work anymore.

Will Palin quit? Even republicans are asking her to resign. Sounds like many repubs do not want her to be part of a debate. I was talking to another teacher and she liked Palin as governor but her perception of Palin has clearly changed after this VP fiasco.

The McCain/ Obama debate, I feel Obama clearly won. McCain did fine though. I wish McCain would release his health records.

Vote for OBAMA!

Vote Obama

This is an old water chute from the mining days. Notice the clear blue water! It is so clear and blue! This is Juneau drinking water.


VOTE OBAMA!

Let Sarah Speak! Vote Obama

The picture is of Perseverance! It is a mining area just up the hill from Juneau. Great hikes. This is over the bredge pictured earlier. Great hiking, biking.

This is reaching utterly bizarre levels. She obviously is capable of speaking. Thinking, we're not so sure, but what the McCain team is doing is making her every utterance that much more important.

Honestly, this whole thing is mind-blowing to me. She has a better than 40% shot at becoming Vice President of the United States -- and yet, she's not capable of speaking to the press except under tightly controlled circumstances? Ever? All we can infer is that she is a lightweight of staggering proportions. (from a blog)

VOTE OBAMA!

MONEY - forex, VOTE FOR OBAMA!

Mendenhall Glacier: You may be sick of the place but I am not. The pictures make it seem much smaller than it is. I had a workshop and went to the Glacier for lunch. As I was driving up the road to it, i noticed- THIS PLACE IS HUGE! It is not small at all. No fish in the streams either - no bears. I was told of the place where 100 or so Eagles hang out though.

FOREX: I was talking to a gal from Eastern Europe who has been in the States for 8 years. I was told that when she came here $1000.00 US was worth $2000.00 Czech. dollars. She said that today, the same $1000.00 US is $400.00 Czech dollars. She said a foreigner used to make good money and send it home. She said now the people in her home country are thinking of sending her money. She blames Bush and the Republicans for the financial disaster. She said if McCain is elected she does not know if she can afford to live here. Our standing in the world is diminishing fast because of the Bush, McCain mentality. Foreign Countries are the ones who are loaning us money to fight Bush/ McCain wars though, we are making interest only payments.

VOTE OBAMA!

check out: www.pamyua.com NATIVE FUNK MUSIC

I hiked up the first road in Alaska. It is an old mining road in Juneau. It is over the bridge een in the earlier picture.

I went to a Native Music Event in Juneau and it was great!
Check out: www.pamyua.com They are amazing. They take native music and put in guitars, funk and soul into it. They sing in native languages as well as English.

NORTHCUT WOLF PACK was also great! They are 2 Juneau natives that rap and hip hop.
They too were great.

The ultimate message of stopping the use of plastic and the amount of plastics floating in the ocean is important. There is a pile of plastic the size of North America floating around in the ocean and the sea life are eating it. Not Good.

BAILOUT= $2333 for every man, woman and child VOTE OBAMA

This is a bridge to the drinking water for Juneau, as well as some excellent hiking and bike riding. (Update: The bear who kept visiting our school was put down.)

The 700 Billion billion is $2333.00 for every man, woman and child in the United States. Bush/ McCain have already committed us to 1.1 Trillion in bail outs before this 700 Billion. INEPTNESS IS STARTING TO ADD UP FOLKS AND COST YOU AND I A CHUNK OF CHANGE.
McCain is saying we cannot afford Obama? WITH MONEY COUNTING LIKE THE REPUBLICANS - WE CANNOT AFFORD THE BUSH, MCCAIN WASTED DOLLARS.

VOTE OBAMA!!! Give my Grandkids and my kids a break!

BUSH/MCCAIN BANKRUPTS THE US - Vote Obama

This picture is the trail on Douglas Island. It is so muddy, they have wood stairs and/or a wood walkway. The wood is very slick and I fell 3 times. It is super mud.

Bush/McCain Bankrupts the US! Every day the headlines are getting closer to that reality. McCain said just a month ago that he is ALWAYS FOR DEREGULATION! Suddenly, after the economy goes down the drain, McCain says we need regulation. TALK ABOUT FLIP FLOP. A TRILLION DOLLAR+ FLIP FLOP.

Vote Obama! Bush is working hard at being the worst President ever. McCain proudly votes with him 95% of the time.

VOTE OBAMA!

Drill our way to Independence? - VOTE OBAMA

Another evening picture when I was falling in mud on my hike.

We need to have higher MPG vehicles and hybrids, as well as alternative energies and we could even inflate the tires properly as well as tune up vehicles. THESE IDEAS WILL SAVE MUCH MORE FUEL THAN WE CAN GET FROM ANWR AND DRILLING! By the way, Alaska is sending most of its oil overseas. Only about 7% of the US oil comes from Alaska.

Natives: I lived 6 months with a Native Alaskan population. They live off of fish from clean waters, moose, whale and seal as well as roots and berries during that short season. IF THERE IS AN OIL SPILL, NATIVE PEOPLE WILL BE DIRECTLY AFFECTED - They cannot just go to the store to buy groceries. TheY live off the land. You (and I) cannot fathom a subsistEnce life, but these strong people do it year in and year out. It was 20 and 30 below zero for all but one month that I was in the village!

DO NOT FOUL THE WATER AND SOIL OF PEOPLE WHO RELY ON IT FOR SUSTENANCE just so you can drive your SUV! The Enron, Cheney, Bush, McCain Energy Policy was a total failure and just put money into the Big Corporations pockets! TIME FOR A CHANGE FOLKS!

Vote Obama! No Drilling in ANWR! It is time to go alternative! The same old Bush/ Cheney/ McCain ideas are wrong. Time to move forward!
Vote Obama!

Hiking - VOTE OBAMA

I happened to catch this shot when the sun broke through the clouds. I might also add that it was starting to get dark and the trail of boards was wet. Wet boards are slick and I fell 3 times in the mud. It is over 2 days later and my boots are still wet with mud.

Vote Obama

I could mention how the stature of the US has fallen with the Bush/ MCcain fools making decisions. Ineptness at a high level - the Bush - McCain way.

Vote Obama, BEAR STORY

Why have right-wing Christians for years vehemently condemned women for working away from home and also condemned teen pregnancy … but now they’ve embraced Palin? That’s the real hypocrisy. (Read this on a blog.)



Bear Story: Admiralty Island, Alaska. There are a lot of Grizzlies on the island.

A fellow teacher was telling me about his buddy got a deer on Admiralty. He was carrying the deer back to the boat and he got hit from behind. A grizzly had swatted at the deer and caught the fellows arm as well. The fellow stayed standing and the deer fell to the ground. The Griz had dinner and the fellow was lucky to walk away with deep cuts in his arm but alive.

The teacher wears a size 12 shoe. He was on Admiralty and saw a Grizzly paw print. His shoe fit inside the bear paw print. That would make one big bear. BEAR HUG ANYONE!

Palin, witch doctor : google it - VOTE OBAMA!

Another Rock Design at Mendenhall. Did you know that Native Indians had to go on a Quest to reach manhood. They would be put out for 2 weeks and they would have to fend for themselves. They would find a high spot and stack rocks to talk to their god and ask for a safe journey.

GOOGLE: PALIN, WITCH DOCTOR and see what comes up. I hope Hannity or Rush ask her about her witch doctor experience. I hear the good witch doctor will be in Wasilla soon for any who believe in Palin and her buddy McCain. I think McCain and Bush should go get a reading about now. Maybe they can get advice about Wall Street.

VOTE OBAMA

600 Billion for Iraq war, VOTE OBAMA

People make rock designs at Mendenhall Glacier.

The war in Iraq has cost 600 Billion so far! That amount is going on credit cards because GW Bush and McCain don't want to increase taxes to pay for a war which WAS STARTED BY LIES! My kids and grandkids will be handed the bill. We were told it would be 200 or 300 million maximum to fight this war. Now the fools, have to bail out Wall Street to the tune of another few hundred Billion.

VOTE OBAMA - he can add and subtract! (I think the republicans missed the add/subtract part of math in elementary school.)

Porcupine, McCain/Bush Bailout - VOTE OBAMA!

I saw this Porcupine on the trail while hiking. As I got closer, he put his butt to me to give me some needles. I forgot about a picture until he was in the bushes.

$100 Billion to 500 Billion Bailout because of the inept Bush/ McCain policies of NO REGULATION! What kills me is that these people who are losing Billions are the brains Bush and McCain wanted to fix Social Security. The Bush/ McCain mental midgets are also the ones who have run the health care costs up. With the McCain health care package, we would have less health care and bigger bills.

VOTE OBAMA

Palin and Mendenhall Glacier

Palin has no foreign policy experience and is clueless. She only got her passport 1 year ago. She has only been governor of Alaska for 1 1/2 years, and her prior records are unsettling. PTA and hockey mom credentials are inadequate for UN affairs. Her candidacy for VP is another demonstration of recklessness by McCain and the GOP.
(This is from a blog I read - so true.)

There are other glaciers even bigger than Mendenhall. you have to fly or take a boat to them. Have a good Friday!

Bear on my street, VOTE OBAMA

I was just told that a bear was seen running down my street at 10 PM.

Mendenhall Glacier, Vote OBAMA

WASHINGTON MUTUAL IS ABOUT TO GO UNDER, as well as other banks. Bush and McCain policies have made this sad mess a reality. REMEMBER ENRON. The big boys walked away with a golden parachute and the average Enron worker lost big. No one ended up in jail. ENRON MADE OUR ENERGY POLICY Like $4.00 gas? Thank the Republicans like Mccain.

VOTE OBAMA! Reshuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic is not enough. WE NEED A NEW LEADER who actually will work for the average person.

I did a new hike at Mendenhall and here is a photo.

The bear was at school again yesterday. He was there before kids came but left as soon as staff stated showing up.

Bears - VOTE OBAMA!

Why Vote Obama? He will be better at alternative energies, solar, wind, wave and geo thermal than McCain. Obama will push for higher gas milage vehicles and electric as well as hybrid cars. By the way, drilling today will bring in oil 10 years from now.
We need to save energy way before that. (I lived with the Yu'Pik people in Bush Alaska and if there is an oil spill in Bristol Bay: The people I lived with would die. they survive barely by the salmon and animals of Alaska. If oil kills the animals, natives will die.

Bears: We had a bear at school again today. A mom brought her kids to school. She left her dogs in the car while she came into the school. The bear was at the car trying to get to the dogs. The bear left after about 10 minutes.

VOTE OBAMA, Bear Stories

VOTE OBAMA - McCain votes with Bush 95% of the time.

BUSH LIED TO GET US INTO IRAQ! It was said that it would cost 200 million. It is now over 20 BILLION, when you factor in the health care costs for those injured soldiers and the care they need for the remainder of their lives! WE WERE LIED TO ABOUT THE COST!
Bush and McCain are putting the wars on a credit card for my Grandkids to pay!
VOTE OBAMA!!

BEARS: A teacher was awaken at 2 AM last night. She looked out and saw two large papa bears tipping over the huge dumpster. They had a feast. The police came and ran the bears off. At 4 AM: The two Papa Bears and a Momma bear were eating. They were run off by the police. At 6 AM: A momma bear with two cubs were eating: She had to take her dog for a walk. The walk usually goes the bear route. The dog kept lunging toward the bears to play with new friends. The momma bear took offense and roared and charged toward the dog and teacher. The teacher got little sleep last night.
VOTE OBAMA!!!

Vote Obama, BEAR STORIES

Obama is for Stem Cell Research! mccain (mcbush) is against it. I know people with MS and other conditions and there are good reason to believe that stem cells hold the key to recovery. VOTE OBAMA! Vote for reason and compassion.

Bears: I had 4 people who had bear adventures this weekend! One lady said her neighbor took his garbage out and put it in the dumpster. While he was doing that, a bear came up and started sniffing his leg. He played like a statue and the bear went for garbage. This is next to my school.

A parent told me that they watched 2 teenaged bears wrestle in their backyard and they just watched. She said it was quite entertaining. She kept the kids in the house

Bear story - VOTE OBAMA

I saw a bear yesterday. He asked me if I had a raincoat he could borrow. I told him sorry but mine was too small. He just walked off sad.
Yesterday, Sunday, was a downpour all day long.

The Women Against Palin Rally had 1500 women and the Pro Palin Rally had 1000. That was in Anchorage. The anti palin rally was pretty much spontaneous, not planned. As more information gets out about Palin and Mccain - the worse they look.

NO BUSH CLONES IN THE WHITEHOUSE!! Bush has screwed up this country enough!

VOTE OBAMA

Vote Obama

Vote Obama! Enough of the macho - kick ass crap. Bush lied us into Iraq. Palin is wrong to say Al Quida was in Iraq at the beginning - Not True. No Weapons Of Mass Destruction either.

Even Iraqi leaders are saying it is time to pull troops. That is what Obama is saying.

We need to get rid of the Bush/Cheney mentality - VOTE OBAMA!

The fog was everywhere Saturday Morning. It is cold when you are in fog.

**Note: I had no intention of going political but I did not make my views known more when Bush ran and we now have an economic meltdown. Bush is bad and McCain will be more Bush policies. My Grandkids do not need to pay for the Mistakes of Bush and clones. Sorry if you think I am a raving loon but honestly - the lies and distortions of the republicans get old fast. WHEN WE GO TO WAR - HAVE A REAL REASON and pay for it! Don't take away kids and the elderly health care and then tell my grandkids - YOU GET TO PAY FOR THE WAR IN IRAQ!

fog

Another fog shot.

Raining today. I will go on a whale hunt today. I am told that the whales have been seen down the road. I will check it out. Sleeping in a bed is so great! The couch and floor works for a while but not long term.

fog

The real danger here is not a bear! The real danger is fog. When hiking and the fog rolls in, it is easy to get on the wrong path and get lost. That is the word I got last week. When the fog happens and it happens often, it is pretty quick. Where ever you have lots of rain, you have fog.

I am going to buy bear spray though.

No fish in the stream

This is a fuller picture of the ski basketball area.

BEARSl I went to check the streams yesterday and saw no fish. There were no bears either. I had talked to someone who said you find bears where you find the fish and/or berries. Suddenly, we find a bear at school.

Yesterday, I went to to a garage sale close to school. At apartments the dumpsters on wheels had been knocked over and dug through. Seems to me the bears can't find salmon and enough berries so they are hitting garbage.

We need another fish run. The bears I have seen look healthy but they are still hungry. They have to fatten up so they can hibernate.

basketball area with skis/ VOTE OBAMA (for my grandkids)

This is on the way to the ski area.

I am bothered by those who are saying McCain is a great patriot and will continue the fight in Iraq. WE GOT INTO THE WAR BASED ON LIES! We should not be there. Afghanastan is falling apart and we do not have the manpower pull out a win there because we are over stretched. IRAQ AND Afghanastan have wasted lives and money. We are putting BOTH WARS ON CREDIT CARDS, to be paid by my grandchildren. We have many thousands of wounded veterans who will cost billions in health care costs.

If you like the way Bush handles wars, health care, fuel costs and the economy - You will love McCain. ! I AM VOTING FOR OBAMA!

Every Alaskan got $3300.00

$3300.00 per person was put into banking accounts a midnight last night.

I picked up a hitch hiker and he said he was going to get his money and go to the store as soon as they open.

Any person who has been in Alaska for a year gets this money. (I can get it next year at this time.) If a man and wife have 8 kids, that is 10 times $3300.00 or $33,000.

$2100. is for the energy fund. The oil money that comes in goes into an account and a few percent of the interest is sent back out to Alaskans every year. This year it is $2100.00 The other $1200.00 per person is a energy rebate. Because the fuel and fuel oil costs have gone up this past year, SARAH PALIN, decided to give everyone $1200. to help fund the fuel needed to get through the winter.

So kids and parents are hitting the stores and car dealers are having sales. I was in Costco and I heard people saying "I am going to buy that TV" as they pointed to the big ones.

Spending frenzy as well as Sarah Palin Frenzy in Alaska.

Bear on the playground!

Bear on the school Playground! That is a first for me. We got the kids off the playground and watched him from the school. The bear went back up into the woods, which are just above the school. I live just a mile away from school and I am up against the same mountain.

It rained again today! As soon as I got on the road to school - rain. It is supposed to rain all weekend.

The picture is from Douglas Island looking at Juneau. My school is only 5 or so blocks from where I took this picture.

Bear on the playground!

Today, we had to get all the kids off the playground because a bear came onto it.

It was pretty exciting! It is Friday and the we did well. We had only minor incidents, even with kids who had major incidents last year. We are getting off to a good start.

No rain this morning, yet!

I even see a patch of blue outside.

Yesterday, the rain stopped and I told a student, you get recess with no rain!
By the time we got outside, it was raining pretty hard.

This might be an illusion.

Sunset last week

Still Raining here so I put up a picture I took when we had sun.

Palen Story: Sarah Palen as mayor had raped women pay for the lab tests needed. The costs were $300.00 to $1200.00 per person. This bill on top of getting raped.
They needed the tests to be done for going to court.

Animals are walking through town in twos

IT HAS BEEN RAINING LIKE CRAZY! Wild Animals were seen walking through town in 2s! They were all trying to get on a cruise ship out of here! The captains name is Noah.

The picture was taken last week when we had a rare Sunny day.

Douglas Island Docks 2

Same shot as the last one but a little closer. I try to take pictures when it is not raining.

Douglas Island Docks

This is about 2 miles from my apartment and about 6 blocks from my school.

Mendenhall Glacier

This is the same photo, just using the close up feature of the camera.

What we see of the Mendenhall Glacier is just the front. What you and I do not see is the 12 to 15 miles of ice which make up the glacier. It is shrinking, but it is still big. All of the rain, will sure melt the ice away.

Hiking

Saturday was beautiful and I hiked up to Mendenhall Glacier. I hiked the far side and came within a mile or so. You can actually walk on the Glacier when you go this way. Next trip, I will allow more time.

Cruise ship docking

I thought I should throw this one up since I had it coming in to dock. With this, you can compare it to the float planes, etc.

Story: They had to hold a ship for at least 1 extra night because someone got lost on the Mendenhall Glacier last week. The person was found but the ship was held up waiting for the passenger.

I was at the library when the ship arrived. The library is on the 4th floor, on the waterfront.

Raining harder and harder today!!!!!!

The picture is looking out my front room window.

Today, it started with rain and got worse and worse. I went for a hike anyway but got drenched. Not even the bears were out. I guess this is what the summer was like - rain and more rain.

I am sure glad I got out yesterday. I was supposed to get a futon today but that will have to wait until the rain stops.

A bear story

A little boy (my student) came to class Friday and he would not sit down and kept saying call home. I took him to my room and I called his dad while he wandered. The dad asked if he was grumpy and I said, "Yes." Dad then explained that the boy was up at 5:30 in the morning because their 3 dogs were barking like crazy. A bear was outside he house and would not leave.

I let the boy work in my room with another little girl who was having a hard time getting to work in her class. Both kids went back to their classes for lunch and did well all afternoon.
The week ended well at school.

the picture is of a cruise ship coming into the dock. They are huge.

Native HipHop

We had our first sunny and beautiful day for a week and I went for a hike on a new trail at Mendenhall Glacier. On the way, a para called and insisted I attend a Rock The Vote concert later in the day. Both of my paras are in bands and they were both playing in in the Rock the Vote. I promised I would go since I did not go to the last 3.

It was a great hike but I did not make the glacier because I had to get back to the concert. I got to hear the paras band, which were great. I ALSO HEARD NATIVE HIP HOP! I got a copy of their CD. I never thought I would like hip hop but it would have been perfect for Emmonak. I was totally impressed. I then stayed around for the rest of the bands and they were so good.

I had no idea how much talent there is here in Juneau. I had no idea that the people I worked with were so talented.

Float Plane Landing

Float Planes land here all the time. I am at school and see the float planes out the window.

The dock in juneau

The float planes land and the huge cruise ships dock here. I like to go and check it out.

1st day of school in Juneau!

Today went well for my first day teaching in Juneau. My students came and I had them go into regular classes. They are used to going to a special class. The kids did well. I have two para-educators who are great. The day raced by. I was in and out of a variety of classes and helping to settle down a few kids. I am very impressed with the staff and students. It was a good day for the first day.

4 foot of ice here 100 years ago

It was raining, all day long. I felt like a hike so I went to Mendenhall. I saw a bear but no camera. I also took a new hike that was easy and great. I saw momma and baby bear tracks on the hike. I need to go back and get pictures because I did not take a camera this time. I did not want to get it wet.

This picture shows where the ice from Mendenhall was 100 years ago. It was 4 feet thick this poinr. It is about 5 miles away from the Glacier.