Observations In The Evening

It is evenings like these in which I fall in love with Alaska all over again. There is something about taking a short walk at 10:30pm in the still lit night, fog has settled over the surrounding peaks. There is a mist in the air. It's cold moist breathe cuts through any permeable layer as the wind gently pushes it across your face. You don't know whether to put up your hood, or keep it down. Broken sprinkling of snow show on mountain edges as they slowly reveal then disappear in the evening fog. It's hard to believe that yesterday it was 85 degrees during lunch, and now it is 40. In town today it was 68. While driving back into the mountains, you can smell the rain just as it is visible on the range in front of you. As you ascend, the air turns cool; moisture cuts through your skin. At first it is a sprinkle, then a light shower. The dust dances as droplets try to dampen it's dry erred surface. Soon, the dust dances no more. The rain stops, leaving a chorus of birds chirping in the blue dusk. This is Alaska. It's unpredictable at times, but yet lovely. If you stop and observe, it has a way of branding your mind with memories and you fall in love with it.

Camera couldn't get a clear shot with the mist.
Fresh snow on Victory peak.

Goodnight from Alaska.

Grace & Peace,
Daryl J. Howard

Knolling

Good morning from Alaska. It is evident that spring has set in and summer is fast approaching at Victory. Over the weekend, last remnants of ice broke up and melted off the lakes. Trumpeter swans, have taken residence in shallow lake; beavers scavenge the shores of Index lake; while the crisp morning silence is broken by the call of a lune. It's also a comfort to see the little death machines (mosquitos) have dwindled in numbers. The name may sound odd, but after you have been awoken out of your sleep by the high frequency hum of this tiny irritant, and as you watch a freshly swatted fiend rise back up to strike again, you start to give them fun nicknames.

One clear sign that summer camp is around the corner is the now pieced together dock at waterfront. Tuesday a group of us went down to waterfront and moved the dock pieces into the water. With many hands makes light work. This is true when it comes to the dock (if you have all the pieces), and moving hay in the barn.

One little interest of mine is pocket dumps, EDCs and knolling. Within the last year this has perked my interest. I blame my frequent visits to Tested.com to starting this spark of interest. It was all because they mentioned knolling and I had no idea what it meant. What is knolling you may ask. Well, it is a form of organization and inventory. You put away what you are not using, then organize everything that you are using. I'm not OCD by the definition, but when doing a pocket dump or showing off an EDC (Every Day Carry), you can't help but knoll.

Pocket Dump: EDC 001

I've recently been digging into Paul's letters to the churches. It is interesting to see how the first church grew. Paul's corrections and affirmations in His letters show how each group of believers had to inventory and knoll what they believed and were practicing. This is true about where I am right now. As I have had to adjust to life and work in Alaska, I've had to leave behind and put away things that aren't important or pertinent to what I am doing, then inventory and put everything else in its' place. The experience isn't easy by any means. Though there are physical things that were left in PA and things that I am looking to dispose of right now, there are many spiritual and life plans that need to be sorted out and evaluated. I'm just blessed to have such a great group of believers around me that I can dialog with, and hear sound advice or get some much needed prayer. I shared on a podcast question of the week that this next year is going to be a defining year. This year is going to reshape who I am. I'm not sure where this life knolling is going to take me, but I'm sure God is enjoying looking at the EDC He is creating in me.

Grace & Peace,
Daryl J. Howard

April Thaw Brings Mud

To quote the poet Robert Plant

“We come from the land of the ice and snow, from the midnight sun...”
Plant wasn’t talking about Alaska, but fitting words for Alaska. 

Ice breaking up on Shallow Lake

The thermometer memory shows the low at 31 degrees during some point in the last seven days and a high of 77. Interesting swing in weather we are having. Daily walks to work in the morning have me either wearing a light jacket or a technical fleece. By lunch, it is sometimes returned home and placed on the coat rack.  

Kenai

The road to Miracle Lodge

Looking back toward Alpine & Kenai

Miracle peeking through the trees as I walk to work

Miracle Lodge

There is a certain convenience with living where you work. From Kenai (my rustic Alaskan bachelor cabin) to desk is a short walk that takes only a handful of minutes. A far cry from the half hour commute in PA. The surroundings have greatly changed since driving through the gates in late March. Roads around camp were snow-packed for the first few weeks. Stepping off a path meant getting into snow as high as your knee in areas. Then came break-up and the mud. You can tell where you have driven by the color of mud on you vehicle. The roads at camp have a silk grey color. A less saturated color compared to the light earthy brown color from the Kenai driveway. Driving to the end of the airstrip and back toward wilderness campout will yield a tan colored earth. The kids doing a donation car wash loved the muddy vehicle I blessed them with, and evidence of my journeys were washed away.

A moose by off the side of the airstrip

Work is starting to take form. There are a few project request forms chilling in the processing file.
Unlike many forms of work where you can just get a cup of coffee or a small soda to give yourself a boost when feeling burned out, design work gives mental fatigue. Adding more caffeine only worsens creative block. As the work starts to come in, I have to start tracking my mental hours to map how much fatigue I am putting on my mind. There are times where I will leave the office and retreat to a place of refreshment. Then, in the evening hours, my creativity will catch a second wind, and the creative process continues. 

This week welcomes in another milepost in the journey we take here at Victory. Outdoor Education groups started to arrive the evening of Cinco de Mayo. For two weeks different school groups will come through our gates. Some students will be familiar with the surroundings. As past campers, they will share memories with classmates. And in return, classmates will return home wishing to return to camp with friends. For others, this may be the first time they have ventured this far out of the “city”. No matter the amount of familiarity or not to Victory, Outdoor Ed is a great tool to teach kids about the outdoors, as well as showing them a place to escape for the summer. 

Many ask what it is like to go through the light change here in Alaska. Not like popular belief, Victory is in an area that doesn’t go through periods of no sun or all sun. When I arrived in late March, the sunlight was almost identical to that of Pennsylvania. As each day went on, we gained 4 to 5 minutes of light. Now we have the sun set around 9:15pm, and it rise back up around 7am. During Summer Solstice, the sun will dip behind the horizon, though it will look like dusk during the midnight hours. It’s a little hard to get used to as my body won’t shut down till late, then wants to get up around 5am right now. During the winter, it will be a different story as we will lose direct sunlight for a few weeks. For your viewing pleasure, here is a shot of what it looks like at 10:45pm (no touch-ups to the photo).

Outside Miracle Lodge looking down into the conference side of camp

I'm thank all of you for your continued prayers and support. Though it is taking some time to adjust to the work I do here, it is a blessing serving here. And yes, I know the title doesn't rhyme. 

Grace & Peace,
Daryl J. Howard

A short hike can yield some great views