Low tide

Today we had one of the lowest tides of the year. It was a -4 tide, which I learned was -4 feet down from sea level...not out. The water was out from the regular shoreline was like 100 yards! We went out at 8:30 this morning and got to stay out for a few hours. We had fun with our friends laughing and finding critters. I had to go home around 11:30 to work on my English homework, but Wendy said she could take the kids home later so they could stay and play longer...and I could have some quiet time to work on my paper.

Brooklin was the dirtiest of my kids. She picks up everything and had goo and mud all over herself. She is not afraid to play in the mud. Here she is pretending to eat an eel...the kids found tons of them, and then a shot of a clam she opened. She only had to think for a minute how to get it opened...the same way the birds do it! She tried to pry it open, and then decided to drop it on a rock! Smart girl! She picked off the top shell and then inspected the gooey contents with gusto!

London is a little more like me. She will touch some of the critters, but doesn't like to get herself that dirty. I don't like to touch any critters...so she is better than me, but has her limits. Isaiah has no problem getting messy either. He found this starfish and also a crab and some eels.

You can see where the normal shore line is...and it is really far out there! The first picture is from the beach, and the second one was taken with my heels in the water looking back at the beach.

This boat was left high and dry when the tide went out...two hours later when the tide was coming back in, I took another picture of it refloating.

This is a heron. He is hard to see, but while I was watching him, he snapped a fish right out of the water.

The tide was so far out, that this person's crab pot came clear out of the water! It was really funny! The buoy didn't have any identifying markings on it (which is totally illegal), so when Caleb and his friend harvested the dungonuss crab out of it, I didn't get after them too bad. They left the bait, and actually added another fish head they found to the pot, so maybe that guy was able to catch more crabs after the tide came back in.

These are sea anemones. They are everywhere. In the water they look pretty. Out of the water they look like big, slimey, colorful, boogers! (and worse) They were really interesting...I touched one (on accident) and instead of the fingers being slimy, they were like tiny velcro. It stuck to my finger and I jumped! =)

We found several tiny crabs. Caleb is yelling at his for trying to pinch him.

You will have to click on this first picture...I caught a salmon jumping out of the water. They were jumping all over! The other is a shell from an urchine.

Some starfish...some big and some really tiny! Oh, and then a picture of me...haha! I actually took it after I got home. I braided my hair for pioneer day! =)

Tour of a Coast Guard Buoy Tender

Article from the Juneau Empire

The U.S. Coast Guard 17th District hosts its week-long annual District Buoy Tender Roundup in Juneau starting today.

This year's roundup brings seven buoy tenders from Kodiak, Cordova, Petersburg, Sitka, Ketchikan, Homer, Astoria, Ore., and Canada.

The event allows more than 250 Coast Guardsmen the opportunity to receive specialized training during the week in areas such as engine repair, buoy maintenance and first aid and allows buoy tender crews to exchange ideas and build camaraderie.

Due to the remote locations in Alaska where the cutters operate, the mission-essential training would be nearly impossible to complete otherwise and has proved successful for more than 20 years, the Coast Guard said in a statement.

Participating in the week of training are the SPAR, Sycamore, Elderberry, Maple, Hickory, Anthony Petit, Fir and Provo Wallis, which is a 209-foot Ice-Strengthened Medium Navigational Aids Tender from Canada.

The Buoy Tender Olympics will be held Wednesday at Coast Guard Station Juneau from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Cutter Fir will host public tours Thursday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Coast Guard crews aboard buoy tenders in Alaska service 1,250 navigational aids along 33,000 miles of coastline while actively participating in search and rescue, environmental protection and law enforcement missions.

We went down to the Coast Guard station this afternoon to tour the USCGC Fir. It was pretty neat.

The kids on the bow of the Fir



Didn't you know...
buoy tenders are so big, you can fit a whole cruise ship on their bow?!!

Lifesaver

Rope

This is on the crane they use to pull the buoys out of the water

I was really amazed that they could "park" these big boats so close together! They were literally inches apart!

Isaiah next to a buoy. They are a lot bigger than I imagined them to be.

Caleb in the control room

Isaiah sitting in the captain's chair.

Kids on the dock waiting for our tour to start.

Juneau City Museum

We got used to it being sunny...and it has been raining for five days now. We decided to get out of the house and go to the Juneau City Museum. I went there with Isaiah on a field trip a few months ago, but we didn't get to look through the displays, and London said she has been to it too. We kind of wanted to go so we could get the Treadwell walking tour guide that they sell in the gift shop...but also to see what else was inside. It is a really tiny museum, but it had a lot of good stuff in it. One of the rooms had toys and dress up from long ago. The kids played for 45 minutes in there! They kept coming out in different costumes and wanting me to take pictures. I didn't bring my camera (I really should keep it in the car!) and my phone was on the low end of the battery, but I was able to get three pictures of them in the dress up clothes. It was a fun way to spend our afternoon.

On another note...this is the first blog I've written in several months that I haven't backdated. It really was written right now! Yesterday I posted like 7 new blog entries, but posted them all with correct dates, so browse through the blog...there are probably several entries you haven't seen yet.

The Fawcetts

Our friends Robert and Chris Fawcett came to visit us for the day. They came in on the Zaandam at noon. Darwin picked them up, and they came to church with us. I made them halibut enchiladas for dinner, and they we went exploring. We went to the Mendenhall Glacier and walked around for awhile. We took pictures and had fun visiting in the rain. They were interested in seeing the mining ruins on the Treadwell trail, so we loaded up and drove over to Sandy Beach. On the way there, Darwin took them to DIPAC to see the salmon ladder. We spent an hour on the Treadwell trail. We walked up to the Glory Hole, and then through the ruins of the Assay Office and the vault. It rained on us the entire time, but we had a great time with our company. They had to be back to the cruise ship by 8:30pm so Darwin took them back, and I took the kids home to get ready for bed.

The Fawcetts are friends of ours from when we lived in Maui. Robert was our bishop for two of the three years we were there, and Chris was in Primary with me. They moved away to Yakima, WA a year before we moved back to Juneau. They needed a vacation, and decided to cruise the inside passage! It was great seeing them...even for just a few hours.

btw...they took all the pictures with their camera, so I don't actually have any to post... ! They said they would email some, so if they do, I will add a picture or two later on. =)

John Bytheway and Harry Potter 6!

Yesterday was great! We got to go to a special fireside by John Bytheway!! For those who don't know who John Bytheway is, he is a professor at BYU, and he is an incredible speaker. He has several CD's out of his talks and we all love listening to them. He happened to be on a cruise to Juneau, and was nice enough to give up some of his vacation time with his family, to give a fireside! Oh...and for those who don't know what a fireside is...it is just a casual church meeting. There is usually a speaker or two, but it is not as formal as church...sometimes they are at peoples homes. Anyway, he is like a mormon celebrity, and we were so excited to see him in person. His fireside was from 3:30 until about 5. We ran to Subway to get dinner, and then home to change to go and see Harry Potter 6!

Darwin and the two older kids walked to the theater at about 6pm (for the 7:30 showing) and I got the little kids showered and in jammies, and they went over to a friends house to have a late-over movie night.

The movie was really great. Caleb and Brooklin dressed up, and I wore the necklace I made for the 5th movie. I made Brooklin a sorting hat to wear, and she made herself a "Weasley is our King" t-shirt. We want to go and see it again but will wait at least a week, so we don't have to wait in line again!

The kids dressed up for Harry Potter 6.

My Harry Potter necklace.

Fishing with the family

This weekend was the Coast Guard fishing derby. We wanted in on the fun, so we took the boat out to catch us some big fish. Kids up to 13 can catch pretty much anything, but the adults are limited to salmon and halibut. In a few weeks, the results will be released at the Coast Guard birthday celebration picnic at Sandy Beach. I caught a halibut, and then got really sea sick. I laid in the boat on my stomach and listened to the kids catch two other halibut, some uglies and a quillback. We were gone most of the day. We all had fun...even though I wasn't feeling so good. Caleb caught a 19 lb. halibut and Brooklin caught a 14 lb one. Mine was a baby, and we threw it back. At the dock at Amalga harbor, Isaiah pulled out his "ugly pole" and tried to catch a chum. No luck with that, but he did catch (for a few seconds) a baby sculpin. It got away, but he was really excited about it.

Double sixes

Tuesday, we went to Lena Beach to hang out and collect small skipping stones to make a set of dominoes. It was a beautiful day, and we were able to see some porpoises jumping.

Today, the kids and I made a set of double six dominos! It was fun. Tomorrow they are going to paint the loads of other rocks they carried home from the beach. It was a beautiful day, and we even got a little sunburnt!

15 years

Darwin and I have been married for 15 years today. He bought me 15 white roses...and I bought him a new grill. =) We went out to eat at the little Mexican restaurant by Costco (love the beans and rice there...and pretty much everything else too!) The day was slightly subdued because we attended a funeral earlier in the day (I will post about that after this), but I'm so happy we have had 15 years together. I'm grateful that Heavenly Father helped us find each other at the right time, and that we were able to be sealed in the Boise, ID temple. I love being married to my best friend!

Funeral for Cameron Clark

Today, we attended the funeral for Cameron Clark. He is the 16 year old son of our friends Zane and Denise Clark. The chapel was full...clear through the overflow and onto the stage. It was so emotional. Cameron was a great kid and always had a smile on his face. The opening song for the funeral was "Scatter Sunshine"...because that is what Cameron did wherever he went. This is the first verse of the song.

In a world where sorrow
Ever will be known,
Where are found the needy
And the sad and lone,
How much joy and comfort
You can all bestow,
If you scatter sunshine
Ev’rywhere you go.
Scatter sunshine all along your way.
Cheer and bless and brighten
Ev’ry passing day.

Darwin was his scout master when we lived here in Juneau before, and was asked to speak/share a memory at the funeral. Brooklin also participated in the youth choir. They sang "I Know that My Redeemer Lives"...it was beautiful. I am grateful for the plan of salvation and the knowledge I have that death is not the end. I know that our spirits lived with God before we came to earth, and I know that when we die we can return to live with God and be reunited with our loved ones. Our prayers of comfort are with his family.

I have included the article from the newspaper and Cameron's obituary.

Friday, July 03, 2009

Story last updated at 7/3/2009 - 10:05 am

Teen dies after fall on Mt. McGinnis

'It's just a shame that a young kid had to lose his life over something like this'

By Eric Morrison | JUNEAU EMPIRE

The body of a 16-year-old boy who went missing during a hike Wednesday afternoon on Mount McGinnis was recovered Thursday.

Alaska State Troopers have identified the boy as Cameron Clark. It is estimated that Clark fell between 700 and 1,200 feet down a snow chute on the north side of the mountain while attempting to recover his backpack, Trooper Chris Umbs said.

"It's just a shame that a young kid had to lose his life over something like this," Umbs said. "It's just one of those things that's an accident and you hope that it doesn't happen again."

Clark's body was found just after 9:30 p.m. Wednesday with forward-looking infrared, an imaging technology that can detect body heat up to a few miles away, said Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters. Weather and the terrain delayed the recovery on the 4,228-foot mountain located near the Mendenhall Glacier.

"It was highly technical to get to where he was. They didn't want to chance putting any of themselves at risk," said Umbs.

The search began Wednesday afternoon, when two friends he was hiking with reported Clark hadn't returned from a descent to retrieve his backpack.

"They didn't see him fall, they didn't hear anything, but he never came back and he didn't answer to their calls," Peters said.

Troopers received a call at about 2:15 p.m. that the teen was missing.

The state troopers, SEADOGS, Juneau Mountain Rescue and Temsco Helicopters launched a search shortly thereafter.

Search and rescue workers were dropped off partway up the mountain due to poor visibility and hiked to an area near the summit, where they met the two other teens at about 5 p.m. They were found uninjured.

Rescuers were sent to recover the body at about 6 a.m. Thursday.

"They were dropped off about 500 feet below where his location was," Umbs said. "They went through snow and ice to get to his location."

Rescuers arrived at the body near the 3,500-foot level of Mount McGinnis at about 9 a.m.

"After locating the body today it's very apparent that he had a horrendous fall," she said Thursday.

Clark's family could not be reached for comment. The boy attended Thunder Mountain High School and was a runner who had won the Ben Blackgoat Memorial Perseverance Trail Run more than once, according to Empire archives.

Cameron Hal Clark

Juneau Empire

Lifelong Juneau resident Cameron Hal Clark died July 1, 2009, on Mount McGinnis in Juneau. He was 16.

A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. today, July 8, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 5100 Glacier Highway, near Western Auto.

Born Oct. 27, 1992, he enjoyed being outdoors and loved skiing. When the weather warmed up and he couldn't ski anymore, he could be found riding his bike, or on any nearby trampoline, hiking, camping or playing ultimate frisbee, his family said. Years ago, he participated in and won many trail and road races with the Southeast Road Runners.

He was preparing for a Chilkoot Trail hike with his scout troop and was very close to achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. Along with his active lifestyle, he made time to receive a number of scholastic achievements and awards.

"He will be greatly missed by all those he loved and who loved him," his family said. "His exuberance for life and his bright smile will always be remembered."

He is survived by his parents, Zane and Denise Clark; brother, Ky Clark; sister, Kiera Clark; grandparents, Hal and Marlene Clark, of Rigby, Idaho, Larry Arseneau, of Vancouver, Wash., and Mary Ann Arseneau, of Poulsbo, Wash.

In lieu of flowers, his family would appreciate a written thought or expression of a positive experience you have shared with Cameron, or a donation to Juneau Mountain Rescue, Inc., P.O. Box 21282, Juneau, AK 99802.

Airport trail

We decided to get out of the house today. There is a wetlands trail that goes around the backside of the airport that we haven't been on since we moved back in Juneau, so we loaded up the backpacks and headed out. It was really hot out today and sunny! We had fun just being outside.

This is a panoramic from a spot on the trail. I stood in one spot and took five pictures, then photoshoped them into one. The trail is straight...but it looks parallel in this picture.



Half way down the trail is this big old fallen tree.

Brooklin and Caleb on the trail.

This is the little shelter we stopped at to eat our lunches...it is right next to the big fallen tree.

These purple flowers are called fireweed. They are everywhere...and I think they are beautiful.

This is the end of the trail. The kids climb on this root clump for awhile before we headed back.

There were these really pretty blue dragonflies at the end of the trail. This one held still long enough for me to get his picture.

This is a picture of the water runway for the float planes to take off and land on. It is at the beginning of the trail, and is right behind the regular runway.

Shadow shapes

Reflection

Brooklin at the end of the trail