I Feel the Earth Move (Magnitude 7.0 Earthquake in the Aleutians)

We were shaken awake by a 7.0 earthquake this morning at around 7:25 HAST.

At first, I thought Ivan was trying to shake me awake and grumbled at him to stop... then I remembered he had already left for school. Even though it was a big one, it only lasted about a minute until it subsided into a gentle rocking motion thanks to the rollers under our house.

Anyway, off to school but I thought I'd share this very effective morning wake-up call.

Signs of Spring

We had a hard frost this morning, but by noon it had melted off into a beautiful clear day. These little droplets of water looked liked gems and sparked in the sunshine.

There's nothing more cheerful than these bright little flowers. Brown is rapidly changing into green all over, and the snow is starting to melt off the mountains.

Day 249: We Discover The Hatch

In Which I Make Eeyore Look Like an Optimist

"It's snowing still," said Eeyore gloomily. "So it is." "And freezing." "Is it?" "Yes," said Eeyore. "However," he said, brightening up a little, "we haven't had an earthquake lately."

- A. A. Milne

It snowed yesterday.* Yes, the yesterday that was the 2nd of May. Also, alas, we have had several earthquakes lately, including a 5.4 that work everyone up at 4 in the morning.

We are ready for summer.

*NB: It was not a lot of snow. It barely stuck. But still: snow and May are not supposed to be concurrent events.

Ruh Roh

Not cancelled yet, at least. Fingers, toes, etc.

Anchorage Tomorrow (Weather Willing)

Tomorrow we're scheduled to fly into Anchorage for in-service and a few days of R&R. We've had such horrible air travel luck (delayed twice) that I'm trying really hard to lower my expectations... but these are the things I am really looking forward to!

- A really fantastic salad with fresh produce. In an ideal world, there would be a Chop't location in Anchorage, but I'll take what I can get.

- Trees!

- Hopefully getting at least some of my textbooks to start preparing for classes this summer. And a Barnes and Noble trip for sure.

- Sushi.

- Spending a few days at Alyeska.

- Refreshing our food supplies at Costco and Fred Meyer. We actually have a ton of food in the pantry, but it is getting SO BORING.

- Fast internet!

- Going to synagogue

Bob Reeve High School / NEX

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A few weekends ago, we explored the building that used to house the island’s schools, Bob Reeve High School and Mt. Moffett Elementary / Junior High. In 1992, only two years before the Navy made Adak an unaccompanied post, a brand new school was opened closer to the family housing. Shortly after the move, there was an earthquake that caused significant damage to the Navy Exchange, which was then relocated to the old school building. Happily, the new school building is currently in use as the school, community center, Post Office, clinic, city office, library, church, and police station.

The building’s dual use history added an interesting element of industrial archaeology to our exploration. It was fascinating to see the layers of NEX detritus against the backdrop of the familiar architecture and organization of a large public school.

The welcome sign for the NEX has held up remarkably well, especially in comparison to the paint and the glass

 Much more after the jump!

Fish, Two Ways

Again, seriously?

It's like déjà vu all over again.

Taking Flight

Never fun when the view out the window looks like this.


Or when the Captain gets on and says to buckle in tight because the takeoff is going to be "squirrelly."

All went well though, and now we are happily in Anchorage, urban metropolis!


A few perks of island life:

1. The airport is a 2 minute drive (or 5 minute walk) from our house.

2. It's possible to check in and check bags without showing ID. TSA still makes you take your shoes off, though.

3. When your husband packs shaving cream and toothpaste in his carry on, the TSA agent offers to take it home for you because you babysit her kids . Perks, I tell you!

Cozy

 The walk is shoveled!

Hot cocoa has been made! (Complete with now-paid for marshmallows.)

Time to settle in for a cozy, snow-bound evening.

And a very happy first night of Hanukkah!

The Angry, Angry Sea

We took a walk down to the beach this afternoon. It was still snowing a bit, and definitely blowing. He got some funny looks from people driving by-- not much of a walking town. 

 I have never seen the sea so rough at this beach, which fronts Kuluk Bay, part of the Bering Sea.

 Usually there are at least 20-30 feet of beach, even at high tide. In the background are the Gannet Rocks.

 See the pallet? There were dozens of pallets and logs being tossed around. Definitely a day for beach combing when things calm down. 

 Pictures like this make it look deceptively suburban and populated. Maybe 4 of these 21 or so units are occupied.

It was a cold walk back through town, so we stopped at the store to buy some marshmallows for hot cocoa. When we went to check out, we realized we didn't have any cash on us. You know you live in a small town when the cashier just shrugs and sticks your receipt on a bulletin board with a dozen others-- it's not like there's anywhere to hide.

Winter is Here

 At the moment, we can't close the front door. Working on that part.

I love how the wind makes not just snow drifts, but snow waves.

And now, off to Saturday school. Unless of course it's cancelled due to the ongoing blizzard, which would be ironic because it's a makeup day for the last big windstorm.

From Here You Can See the Sea

Evening Stroll / Stargazing

We went for an evening walk up to the water tanks that sit above the town.

Which quickly turned into a dusky walk. That little bright spot above Ivan's head to the right is Jupiter. Below it is a snow-capped mountain, barely visible.

And then a night walk. This is the view from the water tanks-- the lights are the occupied houses, and some of the airport and port buildings too. The darkness really emphasizes the extent of the abandoned and disused buildings.

As we walked and the sky darkened, the stars started to pop out. It was a completely clear and quite cold day, and we saw so many stars. Although the island is great for stargazing in terms of light pollution, the clouds mostly prevent it. But tonight was perfect. We could see dozens of constellations, the milky way, and shooting stars.

It was nice to get out of the house, get some fresh air, admire the vast universe, and throw some wishes out to the cosmos.

Outside The Front Door

Three unusual things were waiting outside our door yesterday...

 A caribou bone (tibia?), presumably left by a dog. Otherwise a really weird message.

 An exceptionally large raven.

 And an eagle on the defunct light pole. The clouds in the background were warning of the awful weather that has blown in. Wind and rain and more wind and more rain.

Who then dive-bombed me. 

 The eagles (there were two) were big.

 Eagle and raven are not the best of friends.

 Seriously large.

(Ok, this is terrible, but we're running a bit low on meat and I can't help but think that those legs might taste mighty fine. Eagle drumsticks? I know, I know, it's a felony...)

An arch look from the light pole.

Something that did not show up this Sunday: the plane, for the first time since we've been here. It was quite foggy in the morning, and apparently that wreaks havoc with the weather equipment at the airport.  It was especially frustrating for those who were hoping to fly out, because the fog had completely burned off by the time the plane was supposed to land. The designated weather observer (who could have relayed this information to the airline in an official capacity) is off-island at the moment, so no plane until at least Thursday-- though with the weather how it is at the moment, who knows. 

Apparently September and October are the best weather months out here. We've been lucky to have some really gorgeous days, but now it's time to get ready for consistently bad weather. We're ready with rain gear, warm layers, and sunny dispositions. It's also good to remember that above the clouds, it's sunny and beautiful up there. When we flew in this August, it was bright and sunny above, but the island was wrapped in a later of clouds. Somewhere, always, there is sunshine.

Bonus pictures from our Sunday evening drive after the jump. Another eagle, and Candlestick Bridge at dusk.

In Which I Become a Barber (and Ivan is Brave)

Before

Supplies

During

 

 

 

 

 

 There is no barber shop on the island, so hair cutting is a strictly do-it-yourself affair. I've managed to dodge the issue by growing my hair out, but Ivan likes to keep his hair short (and he was getting quite shaggy). He was brave to entrust clipper duties to me.

Want to see the results?

Holy Earthquake, Batman - Magnitude 6.9

Yeah, we felt that one.

(Screen shot from USGS)

6.9

33km S of Tanaga Volcano, Alaska

2012-09-26 23:39:58

51.583°N

178.200°W

40.5

The devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake was a 7.0-- not much more than this one. It went on for at least 30 seconds. The whole house was shaking, drawers were rattling, and you could hear and see the earth moving outside. I'm listening for the tsunami siren, but not hearing anything. Everything is built to be very seismically safe; as far as I can tell, there was no damage. Does seem that the phones are out, though the internet is chugging along just fine.

The island is a pretty seismic place-- ring of fire and all that. There are minor (< 3.0) earthquakes almost daily, and we had a 4.3 the other day that was definitely noticeable. The screenshot above (from the Alaska Earthquake Information Center) shows that one, and also how seismic Alaska is in general. Just another part of life out here in the Aleutians.

The Westernmost Mezuzah in the United States, a Fish Club, and a Surprise

You're looking at the westernmost mezuzah in the United States-- unless an airman on Shemya has one, which is pretty unlikely. It's already helping the house feel more like our home.

We're a little short on tools out here, so we had to find a hammer substitute. As sure as I am that our mezuzah is the westernmost, I am 1000x surer that it is the only mezuzah to ever be mounted with the aid of a fish club.

An hour or so after we mounted the mezuzah, we heard a knock on the door....

Plane Day

Sundays and Thursdays are plane days here on the island. Plane days mean people coming and going, mail, and packages, all of which is pretty exciting when you live on an island with about 150 people (no one really seems to know an exact number, and it varies a lot) and one retail establishment, where a half gallon of milk costs $9.56.

I'm a little obsessed with milk these days. Sadly, there's none coming this plane day or anytime soon. But there could be, which is a comfort. Both the husband and I are avid milk drinkers-- odd for adults, but there you have it. While some might have ensured that a case or two of beer was among their chilled goods, we each packed two half-gallons of fresh milk. His is already long gone, and he's moved on the Hershey's Shelf-Stable (which you might have caught a glimpse of here). Unfortunately, it doesn't come in lactose free, a requirement for this life-long lactose intolerant. So I am carefully rationing my last 6 ounces or so.

Thus far milk is the only physical thing I really miss and desire, though I'm sure that there are many cravings and longings to come. By December, I'll definitely be desperate for a haircut, Starbucks, a Chop't salad, and the sun. In the meantime, it's good to learn to live with less, and to exercise patience, waiting for plane day and the USPS.

Long live Alaska Airlines!