More from Newcastle, WA

Here is the final "snowdown" from the Uncles at the "Castle"....send that snow our way, you can keep the wind :) Thanks for the updates, Uncle Frank and Uncle Mike

"This is the final { :-( } of my "Snow Rules In Newcastle" photo series.Note a touch of blue in the sky. The first, you may recall---shot onDec. 21--- showed a little over 8"; the Christmas Eve pic showed adepth 3" above the ruler. That pic, of course, didn't take intoaccount the 4" or so that had melted to that point. It's a sadday....kinda.UF Frank"

It's cold and windy here in Dutch, I took the 3 stooges to the spit yesterday in the cold and wind, and there were lots of photo ops...however, I was sooooo bundled up, I couldn't fit my camera in my pocket. Perhaps today...even though the weather is uglier than yesterday. The Northwestern and Maverick are are snuggled up out there...I'll venture out later today and snap some shots for the DC fans.....Cheers! Lauri

Another Eagle photo

Every time I walk outside, another photo op presents itself. These "cascading" eagles are just kickin' it on the cliffs behind my library. There are a bunch of nests up there, so eagles are aplenty. No matter how many I see, I am always in awe of them. They truly are magnificent....even when diving in the landfill, digging through garbage...hey eagles have to eat too.

Library Eagle

Back at work after a wonderfully Merry Christmas....we ate, drank and were in fact, merry! There are a couple of foxes who have grown up around the library and (shhhh, don't tell anyone, but I give them milk bones in the mornings)...I threw a few out there this morning, even though the foxes weren't anywhere to be seen...as I am sitting at my desk, I notice a flutter of wings (really BIG ones) out of the corner of my eye...it's eagles fighting over the bones....so I grabbed my camera and went out, by the time I got there, they decided the bones aren't worth fighting over, so they all left, but for one. He decided to jump up on the bicycle rack. So here are a couple of photos of my library eagle.

Christmas is another blog in itself. No snow, just wind....lots of presents though....I'll write more about Christmas later. Enjoy and Happy New Year!

Snow in Newcastle, WA

Thanks to my Uncle Frank and Mike in Newcastle, here are some beautiful snowy pictures and a little recap of the fun they are having....enjoy...meanwhile, it's 49 degrees here in Dutch Harbor, AK....when I moved here 10 years ago, I commented on the global warming effect and said " in a few years, Dutch Harbor will be tropical"...It's really happening...YIKES

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!

To clue in theviewers to your blog, which is really cool(!), Newcastle, as you know,borders Bellevue on the north and Renton on the south. Remember, about 3-4" has melted in the last few days, so we're looking at maybe a 16-17"storm total! UF (Uncle Frank)

Scott in Anchorage

Believe it or not, the photos taken by Christmas trees in Maui and the ones in Anchorage were taken in the same 24 hour period! Guess which tree I'd rather be in front of???? I do have more photos to share, but this one pic at a time nonsense is driving me insane....I'll load more tomorrow from my faster laptop. Please check back and thanks for your patience! Cheers! Lauri & Scott

Christmas in Anchorage

One at a time

Well, here's one for you

FYI

Just a tidbit for ya'll...in the Jan. 2009 issue of National Fisherman magazine, there is a photo of Andy Hillstrand (Time Bandit) Mike Rowe (Dirty Jobs) and Keith Colburn (Wizard) on page 28....I just happened across it and feel it is my duty to pass it along. Alaska Steve commented me and said I'm not the only one having problems uploading my photos. Whew! I thought it was me. Thanks Steve!

BTW, MJ in MD....what photo did Elmo send?

Another update

Hi everyone, I've been trying for what seems like FOREVER to post photos, but have failed miserably...I will keep trying, I really want to share them with everyone. It's been kinda crazy here the past couple of weeks, wrapping presents, getting ready for Christmas...our annual Christmas soiree will be held this Saturday night....lots of King Crab, beer, wine, hopefully some Champagne and of course duck farts....I'll take lots of pictures, which probably means nothing to you, as I more than likely won't be able to upload them. hahaha One of these days, I will inundate you with photos, you will be sick of looking at them.

All the boats are tied up and snuggled in for the Christmas and New Years holidays. I think I mentioned before that the crews for Opies will show up just after the New Year to get their pots ready. I'm sure they will be out partying too, so I will share stories with all of you of their antics, of which there will be plenty. So stay tuned and just so ya know, my New Year's resolution is to blog more often and share more interesting stuff. Let's see if I can pull it off.

Cheers! Happy Holidays and all that jazz!

Damn Internet Connection

As I am sure you noticed, there were no photos attached to my blog....hahaha The internet connection keeps timing out, so no photos tonight...I will try again in the morning...I hope the wait is worth it.

Love, Me

Photos

As promised, here are some photos from MAUI....woooo hoooo! Life on the rock will be pretty fun in the next few weeks....Friday night is my work Christmas party at the Grand Aleutian hotel. Scott and I will be attending, and I hope there will be photos and fun stuff to blog about. I'll keep ya posted. I also want to mention that I do know Steve (asenseofplace63 blogger). I LOVE his blog, and his photos are excellent. Thanks for mentioning me Steve :) and tell Goldfish I said hello! I swear once there is something fun (or exciting) to write about, you can be sure I will report it. I recently came across a website that shows the inside of the infamous Elbow Room and there are items for sale on it (t-shirts, hats, etc.) I'll post the site tomorrow for those interested....I haven't gotten to the bottom of exactly whose site it is, but once discovered, I will reveal!

Update

So sorry I haven't blogged for awhile....there really is NOTHING going on in town....all the fishermen have gone home for the holidays....it's cold and snowy outside...makes for a white Christmas..

Maui was FANTASTIC! Would LOVE to move there...perhaps in the spring. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency in Ka'anapali...was an absolute first class joint. Unfortunately I ended up in the hospital with a lung infection, so got to check out the medical care at Maui Memorial, and I have to say it was great! Only lost a few days due to illness and I couldn't have asked for a better "nurse". Scott was wonderful, so understanding. He was sick the first couple of days, he got better, I didn't. But laying by the pool and snorkeling was just what the doctor ordered. When I have access to a faster computer I will post some photos of our travels. Scott got to "Meet the Parents" on Bainbridge Island too. They all got along well, thank goodness! Now if only the cuzins could meet him....How 'bout if we stop in MD on our road trip in June?????

We went to the "Harbor View Inn", formerly the Unisea Sports Bar for my friend Amy's going-away party Saturday night....had a BLAST! I have photos of that too, but alas my computer here is too slow to upload at the moment. Stay tuned for lots of photos to be posted....

Opie season opens on Jan. 15th, so I believe crew/captains/processors will be heading to town after Jan 1st and I promise I will get some photos of DC crew/captains as they arrive..oh yeah, tidbit for you....Capt. Phil did NOT go fishing for Kings....(don't tell anyone I let the cat out of the bag) LMAO

Love, Lauri

Temporary Parole

Well, I'm back from my temporary parole....back to serving time on the rock....I'll be blogging and posting photos from my Hawaiian vacation (Bainbridge Island & Seattle, too) in the next few days....I will be trying to find out the dirt on people and places here in Dutch in the meantime so that I can fill everyone in. Check back soon!

Halloween and a couple of scenery pics

Well, it was a wild Halloween weekend....Scott and I attended the festivities dressed as the Ghoul School Prom King and Queen....we went to a party at the Harbor View Inn and walked away with FIRST prize for our costumes. We walked away with $300....woooo hoooo The photos were taken with our bartender, drinking a duck fart, toasting the the girls in Baltimore! Love ya cuzins!

Attached are photos of us in full regalia (sp?)....and a couple of photos taken by the Queen of Dutch Harbor, Sherrie...

Enjoy!

Up on Ballyhoo again

Hi, Scott and I took the dogs for a walk up Ballyhoo last night. Rio (little girl face dog) hasn't been getting out of the truck up there lately...she is freaked out when they shoot guns to scare the birds off the runway. Well, yesterday she actually got out and was planning on walking up the mountain with us....but, just as she ran across the road, two loud BOOMS were heard and she bolted back into the truck. So Elmo, Eider, Scott and I went without her. Poor little thing, she was shaking in her fur! Enjoy the photos!

Lisa Marie

You saw it here first....attached is a photo of the Lisa Marie...a crab boat that will be featured on the hit series "Deadliest Catch". The other photos were taken from the other side of Ballyhoo...you may recognize the spit, well maybe not from this angle. It was another beautiful day on the mountain, although on the way down, the wind started picking up and just as we got into my truck, the rains came! Whew....

Well, my love of my life got home this morning, he is off the boat and officially on vacation....next stop, Bainbridge Island to get married, then off to Maui. Stay tuned to this blog as it will get more exciting....trust me, it will!

I'm back from my weekend...'twas a very quiet one, so this will be a very short blog. Yesterday morning, it was so beautiful, calm, a little cool, but pretty nonetheless. I decided to wait til it got light, then take the dogs up the mountain for some fresh air and fun. My camera failed to capture the magnificence of the white mountains against the crystal clear blue sky, but I've attached some photos anyway, use your imaginations please. I hope you enjoy them. I also hope something exciting and fun will happen. I like to keep my readers entertained. Some good news I would like to share.....my soon-to-be husband is back from fishing. He will be home (really home) tomorrow morning, for now he is docked along side a tramper, offloading his catch. I'm very excited to have him home....Yipppeeeee!

Correction

In my last blog, I stated that Sten is the Captain of the American No. 1....I apologize for this as he is the Captain of the NORTH AMERICAN....I ran into Sten and Eric at the airport at lunch today, and asked him the name of his boat. Embarassingly, I told him I wrote that he was the skipper of the American No. 1....but that I would correct it immediately. So, there ya go. Here is a picture of the three of us taken today....Eric and Sten are two of my favorite people. Nice guys!

There are perks to living in such a small town...for example, my work (library) is only 3 miles from my home....there are 2 stop signs that I must stop at on the way to work. Rush hour consists of having to wait for more than 2 cars to pass....however, once in awhile I do experience road rage. The maximum speed limit here is 30 mph, and when there is someone (usually a taxi) in front of me going slower than 30 mph, I feel enraged. hahaha I commuted for years from Lancaster, CA to Los Angeles, 60 miles one way in bumper to bumper traffic....trust me, I know about road rage. When I start feeling that rage build up inside me, all I have to do, is gaze out over the mountains, or at the moon shining on the water and all negative feelings leave me...it is so beautiful here, raw beauty at it's finest. The photos I attached to this post were taken from the top of Ballyhoo (as close to the top as I could get without actually climbing a mountain ;)....I take my dogs up there every night, it benefits me as well as them.

I also ran into my friend Stein (Eric) Nyhammer at the library...you may remember him from Seasons 1 & 2 of Deadliest Catch...he is the Captain of the Rollo, and last year I believe he was on deck of the American No. 1, skippered by his (and my) friend Sten Skaar. Enjoy the photos and tune in later for more of life on the rock.

Just a quick shout-out to Catherine from Phil Harris...he said "you can run your fingers through my hair ANYTIME!!!!"

Katmai photo

Here is a photo of the Katmai I came across....it turns out our friend, Cedric, was on the boat and has been confirmed as being one of the bodies recovered. He used to work on one of Sherrie's boats, and was a really nice guy. He will be missed.

Katmai

A sad day in Dutch Harbor....a 93 foot processor sank in the remote Amchitka Pass, 100 miles west of Adak. The Katmai was on it's way to Dutch Harbor with a full load of cod....They recovered 5 bodies, rescued 4 survivors, and are still looking for 2 crewmembers. Here is a link to an interview with Phil Harris, Captain of the crab boat, Cornelia Marie. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the crew and family of those lost.
http://www.kirotv.com/video/17787152/index.html

Watering Holes

Another subject that comes up quite frequently is "now that the Elbow Room/Latitudes is closed, where does one go for a drink?" Well, while we do miss the Elbow Room/Latitudes, there are a few other places to throw back a few beers....the first is our home away from home...aka the "Office", aka the Airport bar and restaurant, it's close to home and we feel comfortable there. Next is the Grand Aleutian Hotel....the atmosphere is akin to a piano bar, they have open mic night every Thursday, and comfy chairs, not to mention wireless internet for those who choose to drink and blog (Not this blogger though ;)...finally there is the Harbor View Inn, formerly known as the Sports Bar. They just completed a remodel of the place, and it's not as cozy as it was before...they are trying to "class up" the place. I had to remind them that even thought the place LOOKS classier, the clientele doesn't. So, that's the story on that....Enjoy the photos and stay tuned for more (hopefully not as boring posts). Oh yeah, tolerating the long, dark days of winter? We sleep ALOT...hahaha and visit the aforementioned "watering holes", drink ALOT of duck farts, and if the husband is in town, SNUGGLE UP WITH HIM...if he's not, grab a warm, fluffy dog, a down comforter and plop on the couch.

Spiders, bugs and snakes

I've been asked about spiders, bugs & snakes living on the island....one of my favorite things about living here is that there aren't any snakes, very few spiders and not too many bugs. I've found some pretty scary looking spiders in my bathtub, and some scattered bugs around, but NOTHING compared to the lower 48. There are no snakes (that I'm aware of)...there are flies, and they are HUGE...bumble bees are gigantic here, and mosquitos are quite large also. There are rats (big ones) from what I've heard, but luckily I have NEVER seen one. There are foxes, eagles, ravens, some really cute ducks.....adorable otters, an ocassional whale, lots and lots of sea lions, and porpoise (porpi?). I took this photo at the spit, Elmo (my dog), Eider and Rio (Sherrie's puplets) and Scott (love of my life). Enjoy and keep checking back for further adventures of my life on the rock.

Photos

Just a quickie to upload some photos....weather here is nasty today, rain mixed with snow, slush and WIND....it's ICKY!

Fall colors

Here are a couple of photos of the "changing colors", Dutch Harbor style....Enjoy!

My First Time (blogging, that is)

Hello, Due to a request from my cousins in Baltimore, I am starting a blog to document my life in Unalaska/Dutch Harbor. I moved here ten years ago (landed on October 6, 1998), intending on staying a year....well, ten years later and here I am. I've worked for the City of Unalaska since Nov. 1998...as a library assistant, great job, though I am a bit burnt out (dealing with the public is NOT my favorite thing to do). I'll write more later, and post photos and update everyone....I hope they aren't disappointed living vicariously through me. It's really not that exciting of a place to live.