Almost Heaven, West Virginia

I recently took a trip to Harpers Ferry, WV where I was a participant in the Natural Leaders Legacy Camp which is put on by the Natural Leaders Network. The Natural Leaders Network is an initiative of the Children & Nature Network. The camp connected 24 participants from all over the nation (plus Canada and Puerto Rico and Australia) who connect people to the outdoors in some way. We went through training that ranged from the Sierra's Club Inner City Outings classwork to community organizing to dealing with work scenarios. We also learned so much just from each other through discussions and from bouncing ideas off of each other. In addition, we got the opportunity to go kayaking down the Shenandoah River, which was fantastically amazing. Our kayak guide, Mr. Mike, was full of wisdom and loved sharing his quotes about life with everyone. All the people involved were truly amazing people with so many talents! I feel privileged that I got to spend time with them and now they feel like family.



Natural Leaders Fam

 

 

 Massage chain?... Yes, please!

 

 

Estrella!

My awesome home group.... Homegirls from the Northwest! Cawwwww cawww

 

With Temily, one very cool Canadian. Let me tell you, she felt like a sister from another mister by the end of the week!

 

 

Cassie! My account-a-bila-buddy! She's awesome & I'm glad we get to stay super connected =)

 

 

If you want to check out the very cool video (by Mr. Alvarado) that summarizies the week of Natural Leaders Legacy Camp check out the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49FLAzEjeXE

 

If you would like more info about the Natural Leaders Network check out their website at http://www.childrenandnature.org/movement/naturalleaders/ or their facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/#!/NaturalLeadersNetwork?fref=ts.

 

 

I am a Natural Leader =)

Hike It Out

I wanted to share some of the stories and pics from a few of my hikes that I went on this year around Kodiak. A lot of the hikes were repeats from last year but some were with new people and at a different time of the year so that gave me the opportunity to see familiar places in a new light. One of the first hikes I accomplished was with Laura, Sis Helen, & Rory up Pyramid (one of my fav's). A bonus was running into Shelly on the way down!

Footsies!

(This is the exact same pic I took with Heather when she came & visited me last year. Naturally I took this pic in her honor =)

With Laura & Helen

One Sunday I went on a Termination Point outing with Liz & Shelly which was great to have us all hang out again! I had missed Sunday Fundays with Shelly. It was nice to have a leisure hike plus get the chance to soak in your awesome company. Plus it was a nice sunny day which makes it a double plus!

The sassy Liz striking a pose 

 This was a photo op that wasn't necessarily for the look of the picture but I took it because I wanted to remind myself in the future of the wonderful feeling I had at this moment with these two ladies because I didn't want to ever forget.

The next hike entailed being called by my two friends, Patty Cakes and Mike, at 9 p.m. and telling me to hike the beastly Barometer with them. At first I refused but once Patty Cakes nicely told me to "suck it up and not be a pussy" I decided I couldn't be called such a name. I'm thoroughly glad I did it though. I kicked their butts up there and it was such an amazing view, but most of all it was great to hang out with those guys again! We had a lot of fun, especially for the surplus of laughing at Mike every time he fell down on our descent.

Patty Cakes & Michelle... enough said.

The view of Kodiak from the top of Barometer at about 11 p.m .

Well there are some of my top hikes this year. I hope to catch a few more in the next couple months since Salmon Camp in now complete. This season has been quick but a good one. It's nice to have a little breath time now though. I'll be sure to update you on my other adventures soon!



Ferry Kari

A month ago I was blessed to have the opportunity to go to Anchorage over the weekend. In all my time in Alaska I had never really spent any quality time in Anchorage, except with it's airport. So a couple months proir when I was getting "island fever" I was able to devise a plan out with my friend Adrian (AKA Cupcake), who would be driving back to the lower 48 to move there. I would ride up on the ferry (a new experience for me) to Homer with him then roadtrip a few hours to Anchorage where he went let me do my shopping thing and he would continue on his journey and I would later fly back to the island. The plan had a couple hiccups in it's execution but it was overall successful. I had such a great time shopping. It had been so long since I had been able to shop in actual stores! Ha! I was also able to partake in some great food at new-to-me restaurants. =) It was about 70 degrees while I was there as well, which is the hottest outdoor temperature I have experienced this whole year! This compelled me to buy a skirt at REI.... Worth it.

The Kennicott after it landed us in Homer

Cupcake peacing out to Kodiak

Kodiak, the Emerald Island

 The famous Salty Dawg Saloon in Homer

In downtown Anchorage

And sadly my camera died before I could take anymore pics of Anchorage.....

It was a must needed mini vaca away from Kodiak and was well worth it, even if it left me a little sleep deprived. As great as this summer has been, it has been sad having to say bye to friends that I've made over the course of my time in Kodiak. I met a lot of them this winter when I was solo in representing the Refuge in the seasonal department and I didn't have many Refuge peeps to hang out with. I had a lot of great times with these guys & lady that I wouldn't change for anything. Now I'm just happy to have friends all over the U.S., so I always will have someone to visit no matter where I'm traveling at at that time! =)

With Laura, Stefan, & Texas prior to their departure

Thank God for all the new friends I've made and the old friends that continue to bless me. I look forward to the many adventures that await me and cherish my favorites from the past. For reals, I'm one lucky lady for ALL the people that are in my life, whether I met them in Montana, Oklahoma, Kodiak, or any other random place.

And can I get a what what for Pitbull coming to Kodiak!!!! 

Ahh... Catch Up Time!

Okay wow, as a blogger I am failing big time. So it's time to catch everyone up! I've been busily working as the director of the camp that I was an instructor for last year; it's been pretty fun seeing kids from last year and new faces as well. The instructors for the camp and other seasonals for the refuge came in early May. It was weird to think that that was the position that I was in exactly a year ago! Liz, a coworker from last year and friend, returned to the rock as well, so it has been great to have a good friend back in my life. The SC instructors went through training, prep, and currently we have been through four sessions of camp and on two village trips. Below are some snapshots I took from the training weeks in May, seeing Kodiak through the eyes of someone(s) new to the place....

Out on a boatin excursion 

Learning about Ft. Aber

Mossy tree/ Dr. Suess tree

Shelly enthusiastically posing on the wrap-up trip of training out at Fossil Beach

Whale watching on a rainy day

This summer has been an interesting mix of people in my life. It included my refuge family that I grew to knew last year, my coastie friends that I hung out with this winter, and new faces working for the refuge this summer, plus church and other local peeps from last year. It's been going pretty fair here in Kodiak, can't complain about the view. Time is blazing past me though! Is it really mid-July!? I feel like it should be late April! Anywho, like I mentioned previously, I have been on two village trips for work: Larsen Bay and Akhiok. I went to Larsen Bay last year so it was nice to be familiar with the village. Ali (one of my wonderful camp instructors) and I were shown great hospitality by some people there and were given the opportunity to relax in a hot tub and eat some good salmon and halibut. It was like I was on vacation and not work! Ha! We did work though, and the children were really great! We had kids ranging from 2-15 yrs of age. We were suppose to fly out on a mail plane there but were given the pleasant surprise of going via float plane! Ali was stoked, which I could completely understand considering I was in the same shoes last year. Here are some pics that share that experience in Larsen Bay..

 Leaving Kodiak on a float plane

Got to love living on a beautiful remote island sometimes

Larsen Bay cannery

With Ali!

The cannery at Larsen Bay, pretty neat little place..

Enjoying the hot tub & view

Larsen Bay 2011

Larsen Bay 2012

I thought it would be neat to take a pic in the same place as last year and I'm glad I could share them both with you =)

Well I've catch you up some but I have way more to share and that should be coming soon. Hope you are all well and that you have a blessed day.  =)

Why not kayak?

Since I've last blogged pretty much all the snow on the lower ground has melted and Kodiak has had some beautiful sunny days this last week! On Thursday it got up to 57 degrees and it was such a gorgeous day and the Super Shelly asked if I wanted to go kayaking in her place with Ryan & Todd. She's amazing! So I headed out to Chiniak with Ryan and I think the pictures pretty much speak for themselves (even though they don't quite give the real deal justice)......

Epic sea arch with a bald eagle perched on top

Ryan & Todd with the sun going down on them 

Out on the water with Ryan

So whenever Ryan & I were heading out to Chiniak he told me the true mission of this kayaking adventure. His buddy Todd, who we met out there, had recently been finding all these fly swatters washed up on local beaches with sport teams logos, therefore we were on a mission to find some more. Which Todd was the only lucky one who found one on this outing. To check out all the teams that have been found and where at check out the Google Maps site he created: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=210625863445654072298.0004be6f8339a69c1e43c&msa=0&ll=57.701212%2C-152.369385&spn=1.297394%2C3.532104

Yeah, it's pretty ridiculous.

Here's a pic Todd took with the swatter he found. What a great find! Haha



So there's some of that adventure. I still can't get over how beautiful it was and how great of a time it was. Things have been crazy around here, getting ready for the summer crew to get in! It's almost been a year from when I first made my appearance here in Kodiak, hard to believe! I'm looking forward to the summer though and for the return of some dear friends. =)

So blessed =)

March Madness

Wow, I've been seriously slacking on my blog, it's been a whole month! I marvel at how fast time goes, it is hard to believe I've been here in Kodiak for almost 3 months already. Well I will get you caught up on March then... Let's see those creepy Coasties that I went snow camping with and barely knew ended up becoming some good friends of mine. Laura & the guys went underway just four days ago and I'm already missing them terribly. It was especially hard yesterday because we had been hanging out every Sunday, dubbing it Sunday Funday. And yesterday I just took a nap and caught up on my correspondence. I most definitely miss Sunday Funday, but I wish them a safe & fun time out on the water. They will back beginning in June so I will get my Sunday Funday back! =) Plus I just realized I have no pics with them! I'll get some in June...

Before Sunday Fundays began I usually start Sunday off with church, then an adventure with Shelly. One day Shelly, Laura, Ava, and I went cross country skiing, which was a first time for everyone except Laura. It was a bit windy (and chilly for me because I dumbly forgot to put on my thermals) but we still enjoyed ourselves!  I only fell down two and a half times...

Laura leading the pack

Wind blown

Another thing knocked off the bucket list =)

The following Sunday we were going to go XC skiing again but they were all out of rentals, so we went for a winter walk in the lovely Fort Abercrombie State Park. Texas had a friend visiting from Washington, Clare, and I decided she had watched enough March Madness basketball on her vacation so she came along with Shelly and I! Clare was fun to have around because 1.) it's nice to have another female around the guys, 2.) she can dance like there's no tomorrow, and 3.) she's my new best friend. 

 At Ft. Aber, Shelly fulfilling her promise to a little boy of laying in the snow for a full 2 minutes

With BF Clare

Shelly & I, we love our adventurous Sundays! =)

The Kodiak refuge also decided to put on the first annual Kodiak Brown Bear Days, which was a week long event in March. That also kept me pretty busy. It was fun but the staff most definitly had a little celebration at the end of the week! Other exciting news: I officially got hired on for the summer here, I will be director of the camp I was an instructor at last year. I'm excited for another wonderful summer here in Kodiak! Plus you know what else that means for you... more blogs. =)



I Work Out..... Or At Least Snowshoe

Yesterday I was given the opportunity to snowshoe for the first time, which is most definitely something I wanted to do this winter. I went with Super Shelly & Guide Leader Ryan... or in other words Shelly (the awesome lady who is the reason I came to Kodiak in the first place) and her husband Ryan (also pretty cool). It was such a gorgeous day it was impossible to stay inside, I mean seriously there wasn't a cloud in the sky. We went up Old Women's Mountain, which I went up plenty of times this summer and is a simple hike up but this was the first time I ever went up it when there was snow! And there was quite a bit of snow as well, the normal trail wasn't always clear but we just snowshoed the beast like it was nothing. =)

Upward bound

The view was so spectacular from the top and it was so nice to be out there. Plus it was extremely peaceful. It was quite the experience to be somewhere you were familar with and it look so different but yet still be utterly beautiful.

 With Shelly up on the top, enjoying the exquisiteness

 Shelly & Ryan!

Hello moon, hello Kodiak =)

 Ryan had a little sledding fun

 Going past the frozen lake, the same lake I went swimming in with Liz & Elsa this summer

My fav. Womens Bay reflecting the sunset

This last pic was taken as we were going down the backside the Old Women's which was quite the experience. We tried a short cut which was a little steep so we ended up sliding down a little bit but it was all good because fun was achieved. We also saw a lot of ptarmigan (AK's state bird) in their winter plumage so that was cool. (They were too far to get a decent shot, sorry). I guess I forgot to mention that Lily (Lisa's dog) was with us also. She had a blast and was helpful by retrieving the sled for us!

Shelly started singing the song "Sexy and I Know it" which got stuck in all of our heads for the whole 5 hours we were out there. So this is our "I work out" photo. =)