4 dogs, a flaming grill, several humans, some boats and plenty of beer in a cooler a happy afternoon float down the Chena do make

The Bell+Howell BF977 mentioned in my previous entry captures memories of an afternoon float with friends down the historic Chena River.

Three dogs are in, just one more to add to the party. The grill is fired up and ready to go and the cooler is full of ice and a plentiful supply of tasty beverages.

 Approaching historic downtown Fairbanks where the famous and infamous E.T. Barnette accidentally landed and later founded Fairbanks.

That brown blip on the right is a statue commemorating the initial white settlers to the area. My Grandma and Grandpa Cathy and Marvin Jones have their names engraved on the plaque that runs around the statue, along with other pioneers who came up before statehood.

That's the new courthouse.

 This is where they're working on constructing a new bridge since traffic flow downtown is sometimes backed up.

Inter-group communication was sometimes a challenge since there were 5 boats in total, but we managed through shouts, gestures, and object throwing.

Haha! I see evidence of a photo taken with film to the right! 

Of course I ran out of film before Ed's epic swim across the mighty, raging waters of the Chena. Ed's the guy who looks like a pirate giving you the thumbs up. He is one strange dude. But then again, strange starts to look a bit normal after you've been in Alaska for a while.

All in all it was a grand adventure thoroughly enjoyed by all parties involved!

It's not easy being a vampire: A day in the life of Rowan Beraza

Following a schedule not unlike that of a vampire, sleeping betwixt the hours of 7am and 3pm, I have been keeping myself busy and out of trouble by working two jobs in an attempt to save up money for my fall travels. At 5:30pm I arrive at my first job with a local tour company that specializes in Arctic Circle flights and drives. My official title is Guest Services Coordinator. Right away I am handed a guest list complete with tour programs and a list of shuttle stops for me to make in order to pick up guests desiring to fly up past the Arctic Circle to a small town called Coldfoot, where they are met by a guide who takes them up to the even smaller gold mining town of Wiseman. According to the 2000 census the population of Wiseman is 20. I'm not sure that constitutes a town, or even a village. Perhaps it's a community? 

I park my car between the air traffic control tower and our 9 passenger, Piper Navajo Chieftain twin engine planes.
[I know, right? Listen to me sounding like I know the difference between a Piper and a Sasquatch!]

 When I was between digital cameras I took some photos with a Bell+Howell BF977 I found laying around the house using film that had been in the fridge since probably the '70s. Never heard of the camera model before? That's most likely because it's the cheapest "point and shoot" camera one could have found in the '90s. I don't think there's even a flash. But there is a panorama option. Now that's fancy. Maybe it wasn't the cheapest after all! I took this photo in blazing sunlight but I like that it turned out almost black and white looking, like a fancy effect people would try for.

The university is visible from our office.

After collecting my guests from their hotels, I give my guests a little briefing about their tour using a headset microphone in my van, a van which, incidentally, I always operate safely and smoothly. Once we arrive back to our tour office my coworkers and I take their bag weights, get their sack lunch orders, take payment for gift shop items they wish to purchase, show people on the map where they'll be going, and encourage everyone several times to use the restroom since all there is in Wiseman is a mosquito infested outhouse. Of course invariably not everyone actually uses the restroom until I'm calling out names to walk out with me to their flight. So we wait...

Then I take them outside and help them board their planes in a safe fashion. Any given night we can have between 0 and 5 planes going up depending upon demand.

This shot was taken at 11:30pm with the old point and shoot.

After they take off, I head into the office to organize the rest of my night's shuttle rides, create the Arctic Circle certificates for my 7pm flight guests, do some paper work, some cleaning, meet drives and flights, and shuttle guests back to their respective hotels. At the end of the night, generally between midnight and 1am, my air guests come back to Fairbanks. I go out and greet their planes, hand out their certificates in a ceremonious fashion, complete with clapping and handshaking, take my guests out to my van and shuttle them back to their hotels. I then have the ever so glamorous job of scrubbing toilets and vacuuming. On a normal night I get off at 2am. 4 nights a week I then head over to my hotel job where I work part time as a night auditor/front desk clerk until 6:30am.

Here are some more shots taken from around the office. Besides the first one they were taken with my new digital camera.

The midnight sun sneaks into the hanger from under the hanger door.

Shadows cast by a midnight sunset.

There are always planes coming and going.

Or staying for a while.

This little guy is my favorite.

The control tower is visible from our building.

 The sun at 2am.

At 11:30pm

And so a typical day, or should I say night, in the life of Rowan Beraza comes to a close.
The night crew wishes you a good day.

A weekend for the dogs: A drive to Nenana, Alaska with my dog followed by live music at the Howling Dog bar in Fox

My family and I celebrated summer solstice by giving my dog, Tara, something to wag her tail about: A drive to Nenana, Alaska, place of the legendary annual Nenana Ice Classic, stopping at all the scenic pull outs along the way to let her frolic as much as an aged dog can!

She needs a bit of a boost nowadays since her hind legs give out on her but once she's in she's a happy camper!

The interior of Alaska can be a smokey place in the summer and this weekend in Fairbanks was no exception. Driving by we saw the reason for all the smoke, yet another forest fire.

This couch has been on the side of the road ever since I can remember. I would love to know who put it there. It's been moved around a bit and redecorated over the years. It's always been a fun thing to keep a look out for on your way to Nenana.

Yes, people in Alaska are weird.

At last, after about an hour's journey, we arrived in Nenana. The scenic drive to Nenana has been a Beraza/Jones family tradition since I was a little one. Back in the day this gas station was a small, wooden A-Frame and it was the only place in the interior where my mom could get her favorite candy bar, the Zagnut. Now it's a sizable general store.

 

 Nenana is famous for an annual event called the Nenana Ice Classic. Early every spring a tripod is placed on the frozen Nenana river. The tripod is wired so when the ice breaks the tripod tips over, sending signals to a sensor. Residents purchase tickets to place bets on when exactly the ice will break and whoever wins gets what is generally a rather sizable sum, especially if there is only one winner. If people correctly guess the exact same time the money is evenly divided. If no one guesses the correct time exactly the closest guess wins. Neither I nor any member of my family has ever won despite having entered for at least the past 20 years. Clearly this event is rigged.

This is a small replica of the tripod that is used.

On our drive out of town we spotted a few teenagers playing guitar and singing a fine tune. I love Alaska!

 After a ride back into town and dinner at Silver Gulch, America's northern most brewery, I headed over to the Howling Dog Saloon to check out Foodstock, an annual event centering around live local bands with proceeds, in the form of $5 or 5 cans of food, going to the Fairbanks Rescue Mission.
Prepare yourself. You wouldn't want to bring your grandma here for a cup of tea, unless she rides a Harley, curses like a sailor, and smokes like a chimney.
The Howling Dog is a quintessentially Alaskan biker's bar.

Yes, that is a typewriter on the ceiling next to some caribou antlers. And yes, that is a black bra hanging from said antlers. I know. Classy, right?

The indoor stage.
But outside is where the real fun is at!

Fancy a game of horseshoes? I'll bet you $5 you can beat me!

Or perhaps beach volleyball is more your thing. Yup, that's real sand in the middle of Alaska.

I got out just in time to see one of my favorite local bands, The Mighty Untouchables.

People frequently ask me why I love Alaska. In the future when I am asked such a question I will simply show this photo.