the supposed bear sightings...

it's that time of year here where the skunk cabbage is poking through, the sun is playing hide and seek, and the "bear sightings" are beginning...no i don't mean real bear sightings...i mean those elusive "it looks like a bear, but really it's an old metal pipe" sort of bear sightings...those of you that live here know what i'm talkin' about...it's getting to be that time of year where the bears are gonna start meandering down amd begin by eating skunk cabbage and then move on to eating our garbage...but until they actually show up there are plenty of opportunities for sudo bear sightings...if you haven't had one of your own stop by and i can show you one of mine....it's not more than 20 yards from my carport...which is a much more reasonable distance than the one i encountered with an actual bear who took it upon himself to come on up onto my back porch just outside by bedroom window...

Soooo, I haven't been on here since sometime in 2006...A few months back I tried to log in and I wasn't able to but now I've broken back in and I'm thinkin' maybe I'll start writing again...lots has happened over the last couple years so I'm sure there's plenty I can rattle on about...to be cont.

...Dontcha Be A Grumpy

Be optimistic, dontcha be a grumpy, when the road is bumpy, just smile, smile, SMILE and be happy...This is the song I want to sing whenever I see a particular fellow student of mine. My first encounter with him was a few weeks ago on the bus. We got on at the same stop near UAS. When he got on he accidentally bumped into a lady. He turned to her and politely apologized. I thought to myself that was very nice because not everyone would do so. He seemed like a nice guy. He then sat down and I sat in the seat behind him. After being on the bus no more than 2 or 3 minutes I went to cross my legs and inadvertently bumped the back of his seat. Well, he proceeded to lean forward and turn his head and give me a crusty look. I mouthed, because he was wearing headphones, the words "I’m sorry," but apparently that was insufficient. He turned his head back and faced forward for a moment and then turned back around and gave me the same look. After being given a crusty look for what seemed forever I finally gestured to him in a way that said, "What?!" He then proceeded to turn back around, mutter under his breath, grab all his stuff, and move to a seat further forward. I thought to myself that the whole thing seemed extremely weird. I couldn’t fathom someone acting so angry over something so small and after all I tried to apologize. However, it got worse. For the remainder of the ride he continued to turn and stare me down. It wasn’t a glance or even just a dirty look. It was a look of attempted intimidation. The whole expereince was bizarre. I didn’t even know how to process the whole thing. Luckily my bus ride wasn’t very long and I was able to escape his bitterness, but it still puzzles me. At first I thought maybe he was having a bad day, but I have come to find out that isn’t the case. I see him on campus often and it is more the norm than the exception in his interactions with people. I also discussed it with another fellow student and friend and she has begun watching him as well and confirms that she has seen many encounters where he has acted the same way to others. A part of me wants to ask him what makes him so unhappy. This particular curiosity continues to plague and sadden me.

Promise

Well, the sun made a rare appearance a couple of times today amidst the downpour...here is one of our rewards for enduring the rain. Enjoy...

Jeepers, Creepers, Where'd You Get Those Peepers...

I know it sounds cliche but the eyes are the window to the soul. Have you ever looked into a stranger's eyes and gotten a real glimpse of who they are? Facial expressions can often tell us about a person, but one must keep in mind that a smile can be easily faked. The eyes however, can hide nothing if we are willing to take the time to see what they will tell us...what do you see?

Pretty in Pink

The Pitfalls of Planning

Do you ever wonder why you make any plans for the future at all? I do. You see I have repeatedly had the experience of my plans taking a 180 degree turn. In fact it has happened so frequently that I made a plan to NOT plan. Uh huh, you heard me right. No planning for me. Every time I come up with a grand plan I find myself looking back and wondering what happened to it?

For example, I moved to Juneau a year ago April. My first time to Juneau was the day I moved here. I stepped off the plane into this amazing new place and instantly fell in love. However, did I think three years ago that I would be living in Juneau AK attending University of Alaska Southeast? The answer is no, I would not, and yet here I dwell.

So, after living here for a year I was convinced that I would remain here. I planned to finish school at UAS Juneau and teach up north forever. At the age of 26 I had grown accustomed to a single life and the freedom to go when and where I pleased (even if that included packing up all my stuff and moving north to AK.) I pictured myself remaining that way for the rest of my life. Then again as I said before I should NOT plan. I settled into this idea and then out of nowhere came a man. I was entirely blind-sided by the whole thing. When I least expected it I found something I had resigned to put on a shelf, the prospect of marriage and kids. You might be wondering why that’s an issue or at the very least why it veers too far off my plan. I could just alter the plan enough to incorporate a husband and kids, right? Seems simple enough except there is one glitch...He lives in Hawaii. Yeah not just down the street or across the valley. Nope he lives across an ocean. This is EXACTLY why I should never plan.

I’m not sure if this phenomenon about planning is solely mine or if others have shared the pitfalls of planning as well. It is always intriguing to me how life takes such wild turns and I can’t help but wonder if we were able to know how things would turn out would we still follow through or instead hide our heads in the sand?

Beauty and Awe

Well, today was one of those days that makes all the rainy ones worth while...it was beautiful! I have a theory...here in Southeast AK the sunny days hold a much higher value than they do down south in the lower 48. Why? Well, because they are so rare. Everything is so much more magnificent and the colors so much more bright. The rain doesn’t bother me and in fact most of the time I actually like it. It makes for cooler weather which I am a big fan of but nonetheless days like today just put a smile on my face. I stand in wonder of the beauty of Creation and the artistry of it’s Creator.

Xtra Tufs...Hmmm

And today’s weather will be.....RAIN! Yes, it’s another wet day in Juneau. This is the price that we must pay to live in one of the greenest places on earth. I suppose it’s a given that there will be much rain when living in a RAINforest and yet people seem to be shocked and appalled...hmmm. So, due to the excessive rain one of the staples in the wardrobe area for most Alaskans is the notorious Xtra Tuf...aka the Alaskan running shoe, flip flop, dress shoe, etc. Yes, the Xtra Tuf serves all purposes here. I walked my roommate’s dog yesterday (in the rain) and after I got dressed and was walking down the street I realized something...I was wearing black silk long underwear, a denim skirt and of course...Yep you guessed it....my Xtra Tufs. I know what you’re thinking what a goofy outfit. Who wears long underwear, a skirt and brown rubber boots (the kind commonly seen on fishermen)? Well, the answer is me and you know something here in Alaska it is part of the fashion. Now, if I were to walk downtown in a city like say Seattle people would look at me like I was a fashion disaster. In Alaska people don’t bat an eyelash because it is so common and fashionably accepted. I actually like my Xtra Tufs in fact. The interesting irony to that small detail however is this...when I first moved here I swore I would never buy any of those UGLY brown rubber boots. Well, I guess I ate my words because not only did I buy them but I love them. So, today's lesson...never say never. I should have learned that lesson long ago due to the fact that I have eaten my words many a time but apparently in this area I am a slow learner.

Beauty in the Rain

"It's raining, it's pouring"

‘It’s raining, it’s pouring, but there’s just no time for snoring’…Here in Juneau AK one must not stop for rain. If we were to stop what we were doing and go inside whenever the heavens decided to cleanse us then we would all be hermits holed up in our homes. I guess that means that Alaskans aren’t very sweet because we definitely don’t melt in the rain. We treat it as part of the reality that is Southeast AK. There are times when it can be a bit much to endure. Twenty plus days of continual rain can try ones patience. For some it is easier than others. There are people who truly struggle with the well being of their mental health due to the perpetual gray skies but there are others who aren’t bothered by it for the most part such as myself. I moved to Juneau AK a year and a half ago. I had never been here prior to the day I stepped off the plane. I had previously been to AK but never Juneau. AK is a place of magic and wonder to me and here in Southeast artists and writers alike try to express its magnificence. I would tell you that it’s beautiful but it is almost sinful to describe it in such a inadequate way because it will never explain what AK is truly like to behold.