ALWAYS CHECK ON YOUR NEIGHBORS

At this time of year it is a good idea to look around the neighborhood before just rushing outside. More than ever, the springtime supply of young black bears in the Mendenhall Valley exceeds the territory where foraging for food is successful. So Blackie's solution is to come into residential areas and scout for unsecured garbage cans, Bar-B-Q grills, berry bushes , or any other treat available. Even a pantry in an open garage is an invitation to dine in high style.

Here on the newer end of Steelhead Street where not long ago a field of sweet, tender roots may have been appealing, it seems that a bear or two or three passes through every couple of days. An important trick to learn is to notice the critter before it finds you. Of these two pictures, the first shot was at the corner of the house across the street, and the second was on the porch at the French doors - doors which that family frequently use. If the door had been open, there is a good chance that friend bear would have invited himself inside to check for lunch.

Fortunately, these folk were not home at this moment, which is probably good. Usually there is a crowd of small kids swirling around the yard and in and out of those doors. Maybe part of the good fortune belongs to the bear since that bunch of little ones might have startled the bear more than it scared them. There are many kinds of wildlife around, but Bre'r Bear should always get the "right-of-way".

COOKIN' AT CAMP

It is always fun to look forward to camp, but when the primary bunch of campers are third graders, it is easy to look back and heave a sigh of relief. My son and his colleague teacher have combined their third grade classes for a three day outdoor school in the springtime for several years now. They use a Methodist campground about 20 miles north of their school which offers a lodge building with a commercial-equipped kitchen, cabins, and other typical camp facilities.

My role was to prepare the meals, although some of the lunches were pretty light-weight effort – the first came from home and the last was just sandwiches, snacks, and a bottle of water. Still, the 50 or so kids and 15 to 20 adults did fare well with most other meals, considering the rest of the menu planned beforehand by the leaders. First breakfast, for example, was 140 sausages, 12 dozen eggs scrambled, hash-browned potatoes, trays of toast, applesauce, and a choice of beverages. I heard it called pretty good eats for a bunch of kids. Fortunately, the kitchen had a large grill in addition to plenty of top burners, so the cooking which begin at 6:30 was finished and ready by 7:30.

One big dinner involved nine pounds of spaghetti which when cooked filled three huge baking pans. Over that I poured about three gallons of sauce with meat and herb flavoring. Dana prepared two trays of rolls with garlic-butter topping and two large tubs of salad. There was plenty for all 70 appetites and seconds for those who wanted more.

The family night beach cookout almost fizzled due to wind and rain, but with food brought from the camp and more brought “pot-luck” style by parents, everyone was fed and filled. although some of the planned activities were rained out and the S’mores were delayed until later and cooked over a Bar-B-Q kettle instead of a campfire. Seems like they tasted just as good anyway.

The camp purpose – Introduction to the Outdoors – was accomplished in style with the teachers and assistants, including parents, a few high-school students (briefly), and a series of well planned lessons about nature and the environment. There was little free time and the kids mostly had no chance or need to generate trouble of their own. All in all, it was impressive to see how mature fifty kids who are mostly only nine years old can be when they have specific standards and rules in place and know how important their cooperation is to the success of the adventure. These teachers are to be greatly admired and are worthy of much thanks from students, parents, and school staff.

The whole effort, three meals a day with snack breaks morning and afternoon, couldn’t have been done without many willing hands. My greatest helper was the amazing Dana, my daughter (in-law) who filled an amazing role in the planning and shopping for meals and in helping her hubby juggle the thousands of details such a camp involves. And thankfully, several hard-working kitchen helpers – members of the Juneau Church of Christ - came to camp at various times to help with meal preparation and clean-up. I wouldn’t have had time or strength to do it all on my own. These volunteers have my heartfelt thanks and gratitude.

Everyone seemed to have a fine time. With classes, games, visiting speakers, campfire songs and skits, and a hike in the woods all the students were busy, involved, and usually loud with joy and excitement. Even the frequent announcements and instructions were accompanied with songs and humor. There were no “owies” requiring more serious attention that balm for mosquito bites or band-aides for scrapes. Glacier Valley School administrators and personnel can be justly proud of this week’s “Camp Work”!! All the participants earned “A”s for a job superbly done!!

VISITING OUR GRANDSON AND HIS PARENTS

My bride and I are going to be in Juneau for a few days. Those of you who know us already can easily guess why - Eli. On our first full day here we attended a big retirement party featuring grilled salmon - literally the first of the spring kings - and deep-fried halibut, ribs, and all the best trimmings done to absolute perfection! This event was held in the rustic wood and corrugated tin buildings of the Thane Ore House (BTW, Please be careful how you say that name) .

Along for the evening was a major reason for this trip; of course, we are going to enjoy some "grown-up" time with Eli's Dad and Mom too. Of all the activity in the huge room, and all the super food, it was the balloon on the centerpiece which gave Eli the greatest amusement as he jerked and battered the captive toy without mercy. Poor Grandpa took quite a hammering in the process.

After sourdough pancakes the next morning, Dana and I joined several others in a helicopter adventure to see and experience a glacier up close and very personal. The outing was part of an early season fundraiser in behalf of breast cancer research and honored a late member of the company which provided the outing. The first ice shot below was taken during the flight up Herbert Glacier from near its base to near the mid-point below the towers a couple of miles above us.

Each glacier is a river of ice which flows slowly down it's own valley reacting during the descent according to the landmass under the ice. Where the underlying land is steeper, the ice bends and shatters into ragged and jagged forms and ice falls; on a more level base the upper surface is flatter and allows the pilots to set down where it is safer for the passengers to walk around and view the ice and environs in detail. It's a truly unique and special experience.

Dana and I were assigned seats across the cabin from one another with strangers between us, but consequently we both had window seats for near perfect viewing. My portrait of her as a flyer hints at the fun we both shared in this excursion. We will long remember our newest friend, Herbert Glacier, just a few miles north of Juneau's airport.
Next week we will be helping with several days of "outdoor camp" for Geoffrey's class and other third graders from his school. I'll be camp cook for about 65 kids and 15 adults. Watch for future photos featuring this great educational activity.

EAGLES ARE ALWAYS A THRILL

A truly majestic eagle flew low over our place Sunday afternoon.

Friend Jim and I were in the orchard area busy taking down a dead tree, so I didn't get a photograph to share. In fact I was a dozen rungs or more up a ladder cutting off limbs so we could fell the tree safely without destroying a fruit tree or two in the process.

Later I checked my "bird list". I record all the birds I have seen anywhere on this property and over the years, the list has grown to seventy two different species which have at least briefly "stopped", i.e. perched or fed at least briefly in passing. Another much shorter list includes the kinds of birds that have flown over the lot without stopping to visit. Sure enough, sometime in the past twenty-one years another eagle made the fly-over list, but I don't remember it.

I will remember this one, however, because it was so low and slow that I could look it in the eye, so to speak. In Alaska this would not be an event, of course, but here it is quite unusual. If I had not been clinging to the tree and ladder for support I think I could have easily counted the wingtip feathers. In any case, I could not have used a camera if I had foolishly climbed to ladder-top with one in hand. We saw the eagle soar past again a short while later although it was further away and higher up.

Birds are just one impressive testimony of God's infinite creativeness, and I never tire of enjoying the variety and detail of color, form, function, and behavior of the birds around me.

TULIP TIME IN WASHINGTON

We spent the end of last week visiting friends in Bellingham, WA. Getting to know Betty's 1st grade classmate and her hubby has been fun. One of our excursions was to enjoy the local Tulip Festival by visiting the renowned fields of an emigrant from Holland, William Roozen, who has made thousands of acres in the Skagit Valley bloom with scores of kinds of tulips and related bulb plants.
The fields and grounds of the Washington Bulb Company are truly stunning when in full bloom. All the varieties are on display, and visitors - by the hundreds while we were there on a Friday - can order their favorites to be delivered ready to plant in the fall. After seeing so many instant favorites, that's what we did, and the bulbs we selected are going to arrive in early September.

All across the yards and gardens are scores of beds of dozens of kinds and colors of tulips of multiple varieties. In fact the numbers of different shapes and designs of the tulips surprised me even more than the amazing range of colors and color-blends. On this sunny day, one of the interesting effects was seeing the glow and iridescence of sunlight shining through the tulip petals. Various vending stations allowed visitors to purchase cut flowers, bulbs to plant in the fall, tulip related products of many artistic sorts, potted flowers, and gardening supplies. The store with many more products was so full of folk that shopping there was out of the question.
With bed after bed of tulips everywhere to enjoy, and a large crowd everywhere to contend with while we viewed and visited, I actually was so busy and intrigued that I did not take as many photos as I should have or could have. Still, I think the samples shown here are a nice representation of the showing and sufficiently explain why thousands of visitors from the entire Seattle to Vancouver B.C. corridor were expected over the weekend.
Here are the three of our crowd with the signature Dutch Windmill behind them. Even in the yard areas shaped flower beds with fascinating assortments of colors continued to capture the attention in every direction. Outside the display area and across the surrounding fields could be seen acres of reds and lavenders, yellows, and purples which must represent tens of thousands of bulbs in bloom nearly as far as the eye could see.
Next year I will be more interested in visiting similar farms in the Woodville, WA, and Wilsonville, OR, areas. If you like flowers in massive display, come along with us. Remember to bring your camera.