Catching up here in Naknek

Snow drifts almost to the windo at the clinic.

Had to climb over these to go visit a friend.

Almost has the cabin packed in like an igloo!

The road out to Pederson's point. Went to see if we could spot the caribou, but no luck today.

Looking across at South Naknek and the semi frozen river.

Even the school walk is drifted over, but the kids still go out and play at recess! What a tough bunch!

Frozen waste land!

More drifts and white beautiful snow.

I really want this sled! Wonder how much shipping would be to send this home?

Drift of snow right out my front door.

The tundra is just a sea of snow!

Mystical and erie at the same time.

Let it Snow.....

Red sky at night sailor's delight........

At first glance this could be the old piers on the Spit in Sand Point..but it's part of the Peter Pan cannery here in Naknek. One thing I have discovered here so far is the sunsets and sunrises are absolutely spectacular despite the absolutely brutal winds and cold. Sand Point had wind mind you, but here they have WIND AND EXTREME COLD, I'm talking below zero already and when the high gets up to 14 during the day I can feel the warmth!






















It only took a few minutes to see the sun sink behind this breaker, but by then my fingers were frozen and stiff and all I could think was "hot chocolate, hot chocolate."

The Naknek River opens into Bristol Bay and Bristol Bay opens into the frigid waters of the Bering Sea. I'm sure you watch Alaska's Deadliest Catch and see how rough and violent the seas are during their crab fishing seasons. Well that's now and the wind is as violent here and will be bringing ice on the water as the temperature continues to plummet throughout the winter.

The tide seems to change rapidly and after one close call and rising tide, I decided viewing from afar was best and safest!!

Each cannery here puts their boats into dry-dock and they are just waiting for the harsh winter to take it's toll before the short fishing season arrives and begins in early July.

The roads become ice rinks pretty quick with snow build up, melt, rain and the show "ice road truckers" have nothing on us down here.

Another great sunset..what more can you say?

The river is freezing and thawing daily and the ice floats I see today can be gone tomorrow or the entire river frozen all the way across.

More ice floats...

Another far away view of the mountains I miss.

One of my favorite shots on the way to work...all I need now is to be curled up nest to my husband and a warm fire!!

Knocking around Naknek

Well, what a lovely day to get out and drive around and see the neighboring sites. Very few mountains and if there are any, they are wayyyyy over there!!


















This is South Naknek across the river that I am looking at. Even in the background a lonely cold volcano stands watch...it's not Pavloff though:(

And what a flat straight stretch of road this is....miles and miles of flat tundra between Naknek and King Salmon.

Another view of Naknek and the canneries that line the Naknek River. I hear this sleepy little town of 400 swells to over 10,000 in the summer with the Red Salmon season that runs for a few short weeks. WOW!!
So many new sights to see, but on a walk I spied some old familiar ones, too....

like a lone ptarmagin in mid-winter change.

A pretty surf and sea grass over here on the Bristol Bay side. The water is a gray silt from the glacier run-offs, a far different color than the Aleutian Blue around Sand Point.


















I don't have to worry about buffalo here, but there are bears here, wolves, foxes, and oh yeah....the brown dog!!


















I inhereited this guy with the cabin I am staying in, he comes in at night, eats, sleeps by the Toyo stove and once nightly gets up to drink from the toilet then retreats back to the stove side. In the morning he leaves and fends for himself during the day only to return to my porch every night!!
























And the ever present self-shadow...recognize me?!?!


















A summer fish cabin for set-netters during the summer fishing season.



















No that isn't a cross for a grave next to the cabin, but a clothes line for drying fish or anything else needing drying!























And after that beautiful clear blue sky, I woke the next morning to another first...4-6 inches of fresh COLD powder fell and the temperatures continued to plummet for the next few days...oh boy do I need some warm clothes and especially a heavier coat! Oh where o where is my down parka??? I feel a care package coming!!

Update to My Wanderings

Okay, I know I have a lot of followers and folks who are interested in Alaska. So here is the scoop on what I've been up to, where I am and where I am not....

















I finished my contract for Eastern Aleutian Tribes and decided I would see what the rest of the state had to offer for an adventure seeking Nurse Practitioner from the south. SO, I packed up, shipped all my rocks and stuff home, and layed low for 3 weeks for a well deserved break, warmth and some quality time with family. I then boarded a plane and came back to the great state and wound up in Naknek by way of King Salmon.

















So here I am, Aleutians I am not, for an 8 week site visit. Already I have walked along the beach, picked up a pocket full of rocks washed up from Bristol Bay, and experienced this heaven forsaken beast called a VAN that is half Mercedes and half Dodge...totalling one big POS!!!

The beach here in Naknek is clearly marked.......individuals claim rocks for their boundaries for fishing permits.....let's see someone try to move it!!!

The beach is even used by vehicles for shortcuts through.... the beach?!?

I'm living in a small but quaint cabin and have made friends with all the neighborhood dogs and am on my way to another adventure. Who's coming with me??