Icewind's Ramblings

In my travels around this beautiful state I have the opportunity to experience some interesting & oddly incredible things.   Some places it reminds me of stepping back in time or in some cases third world countries.   My company’s mission is to change that bringing clean water, sewer service, & clinics to those villages. The weather this winter has been brutal at best & one of the places I fly in & out is Kotzebue.   Enjoy their recent weather in a blog from one of the locals. http://finnskimo.blogspot.com/2011/02/seriously.html Ice

This week is “spring break” in Alaska and the kids are out of school. Normally one thinks of warm balmy breezes and maybe going on that first camping trip of the season or possibly heading outside to play for long hours.  These were the things I did years ago growing up in the southland but it seems things are a little different here in the arctic. Spring break here has the kids hunkered down close to a fireplace with the television going or maybe away from everyone in their room on the computer playing some game with a tropical setting so far away from the realities outside their window.  For those who can brave the winds and cold there is the ‘dress code’ of Alaska . . . Carharts with jackets or insulated bibs to keep warm.  Gloves and sockhead type hats to keep frostbite at bay as well as ‘bunny boots’ or Sorel’s to keep your feet dry and warm.  Kids are kids’ so playing outside during spring break is expected and another of those somewhat different experie...

It has been a mixed week here in the far north as work has accelerated getting ready for the upcoming construction season.  Many meetings trying to sort through which projects will have funding and for those that do quickly moving through the winter time preconstruction activities. Part of this process is making material lists of every part and piece to be built.  Literally it is figuring out exactly how many nuts and bolts will be needed.  All of the equipment that will be installed is ordered and shipped to make the limited barge season schedule.  For many of these villages there may only be two barges that dock bringing with it 98% of things the village will need for the next year.  This could be food, clothing, heating fuel, construction materials, snow machines (most villages have no real roads so not many ‘vehicle’s’ are there other than construction ones), and anything else that you could think of.  It is a different world and if something misses...

Here is just a little fun quick post that happened yesterday. Winter has finally set in with frigid temperatures arriving early this year with below zero readings coming before the normal January or February time frame of normal years. It does not seem there is Global Warming happening here in Alaska at least not right now as the whole state seems to be getting blasted by Father Winter.  It was minus 20 yesterday at a friend’s house and we were around minus 14 here this morning.  With the snow falling now it drives the moose down from the mountains and into the neighborhoods for the winter where traveling and walking is easier on the plowed roads and walkways.  This big bull moose was in my neighborhood yesterday morning and walked into an apartment complex a couple blocks away.  When found it seemed like he might be trying to rent a warm spot for the winter as he was standing in front of the resident manager’s apartment on the small entry deck. I th...

I’ve had this one tucked away for many months now debating when to post it as I have moved away from some of my earlier funny but questionable musings.  But I do feel it is a subject that many experience but may never have thought to ask . . . Well that’s why I am here to help . . . your itchy butt expert who took two years of research without any government grants to give you this insightful information. Have you ever needed to scratch your butt in public but there were too many witnesses?  Well I have a solution for you for just about any situation. Icewind’s Guide on “How to Scratch your Butt in Public (without unwanted stares)”. 1. The Wall Approach - Slowly back-up towards the closest wall possible. Then, take desired hand & move it towards the itchy buttocks.  Scratch uncontrollably, until its better. 2. The Pants Approach - “The Back Pocket” carefully reach into the back pocket of your pants.  Slowly itch the desired cheek and act like yo...

I saw these couple of weeks ago and thought it was kind of cute so I figured I would post something sooner or later. I think all of us at one time or another knows someone or has had to deal with a few of these people. I don’t have time to write tonight so this is my (_zzz_) tired ass heading for some much needed sleep. Do any of these fit you? Hopefully not but just in case here goes: (_!_) a regular ass (__!__) a fat ass (!) a tight ass (_*_) a sore ass {_!_} a swishy ass (_o_) an ass that's been around (_x_) kiss my ass (_X_) leave my ass alone (_zzz_) a tired ass (_E=mc2_) a smart ass (_$_) money coming out of his ass (_?_) dumb Ass (W) Presidential ass (I couldn’t resist for those out there who feel this way) Ice

It seems sometimes I live within my own inner sunset. This winter has been colder than normal and we are finally breaking this subzero freeze that has had us in its ugly grasp for the last two weeks. Things have been almost in the brutal range as there have been pipe freeze ups, water main breaks, house fires, and accidents all over Anchorage and we have had things in the ‘better than them’ category at only minus 25-30 below zero. The interior of Alaska has been in the -50 to 75 below for almost the same time period. This cold spell is coming sooner than the normal mid February time frame and seems our normal twenty degrees is a thing of hopes and dreams now. We will get through the winter so the fun of spring and summer can begin. Summer last year was a cold and cloudy affair. I only hope things will return to normal for another great fishing season. Recently, there have been kids getting signatures for a variety of causes around town and out by my house. ...

I have worked for the Hughes Service Center for the last four years The cold has crept into Alaska over the last couple of days making things interesting again. The interior is even colder with their temperatures around the minus 40˚ to - 60˚F below zero. On top of that some areas are getting high winds for the next two days. Texas and Louisiana has their hurricanes but for most people I think they could not even fathom hurricane winds at 40 below. That probably puts the wind chill factor below minus 100+ below zero. That’s Alaska tonight and I do not see the Weather Channel or Today Show doing any live broadcasts from here. They’re wussies I guess as I talked to one of my contacts in Fairbanks earlier today who said several people came into his store wearing shorts. Yeah, we are slightly off kilter here. I had several who made comments to me today about wearing my Hawaiian shirts at minus 20 below. I told them “it’s a dry cold” but really it was colder than...

We had our company Christmas Party tonight so I’m getting in late with not much time to write. It’s snowing tonight with some strong winds blowing snow all over the roadway making driving home a slower process than usual. I made my first visit to the new Target which opened in October here in Anchorage as it is less than a mile from my house. Easy access and a new Kohl’s and Lowe’s are both almost finished so we seem to be coming out of the dark ages here in the Arctic with the ‘big box’ stores. All we need now is the Red Lobster and Olive Garden that has been talked about for years now but never built. Speaking of Red Lobster . . . I still wonder why they spend the thousands of dollars on television commercials here in Anchorage when it’s about 1,500 miles to the closest location. I was in Target in search of a cable I needed for my iPod and was wandering aimlessly around the store (get it? Target? Aimlessly? Ha! Ha!) looking for the part I needed. I...

There are certain images of Alaska that are embedded deeply within the American consciousness . . . images of sentinel pine trees frozen in time; of glaciers blanketing the peripherals with giant walls of white; of huskies hopping through a snow drift, the tips of their fur crystallized and glistening. But when it comes to the authentic Alaska , these icons are merely the proverbial tip of the iceberg. Here is part 2 of Alaskan Vocabulary to get you in tune with some of the topics in my blog and to enhance your experience if you travel to our great land in the north. Iditarod : Known as the "The Last Great Race on Earth". From Anchorage, in south central Alaska, to Nome on the western Bering Sea coast, each team of 12 to 16 dogs and their musher cover over 1150 miles in 10 to 17 days. Ice fog : Is what occurs when water vapor meets bitter cold air that can't hold any more water in 10 seconds or less. Water cooled that fast forms tiny ice particles. Collectiv...

Somewhere at the jumping off point at the north end of the earth . . . the edge of what's known. Where I'm going is another plane ride away on Kodiak Island , where there are 3,000 brown bears and around 10,000 humans. I had flown into Kodiak Island a couple of years ago and had written down some thoughts and filed them away. It’s funny sometimes how you come across a few things here and there that are bits and pieces of times past. Do you do this also? Put a few things on paper and put them away so that later on when you find them it will trigger a memory or event. It is nice sometimes as the surprises they bring can almost put you in the mind frame as if you had returned there . . . if only for a brief moment. Here in Anchorage I'm four time zones from Peachtree Street where I used to hang out, 1,500 miles away from Seattle , as far north as Helsinki , and farther west than Honolulu . It’s true, look it up on a map as it is a great trivia ques...