The couple that I am staying with recently left for a couple week vacation to visit their children/grandchildren in California. While they are gone, they asked that I feed their animals and water their plants. I am really happy that I can do this because they have been letting me stay there for free and this is at least a very minor way that I can contribute back. So the animals that I feed include some gold fish in a couple outdoor ponds, two little cats that also stay outside, and their chickens.
Feeding the chickens has been the funnest part. They have maybe 10 or so of them. After the sun comes up I just go over to their gated area, make sure that their water buckets are full and then throw out a couple containers of feed on the ground. While they are eating that I then sneak into their hen house and grab their eggs. As I do that, I always feel like I am stealing from them and I am sure they all know what I am doing and despise me because of it.
Their owners said that at times they have produced 10 eggs a day, but lately they have only been getting 5 or 6. I think they must have sensed a change, because on the first two days there were no eggs. Today I did get two though, so hopefully they are warming up to me.
In addition to those pets, these people have other wild animals that frequent their land. Now that it has gotten colder I see deer on their property on a daily basis. One day there was maybe a dozen deer in their front yard - I have never seen that many all together like that. They also have hawks that fly over and they told me that they used to have four little cats, but when they were really little two of them were swept up and taken away by the hawks.
They also have a lot of variety in their garden. They have the typical tomatoes and pumpkins and everything like that, but they also have potted lemons, limes, and grapefruit, they have rhubarb (yeah, we loved that about Alaska and it will be fun for us to grow that here too), a grape vine with huge bunches of both green and purple grapes on it, and lots of different types of flowers. It makes me excited thinking about what we will be able to plant once we are in our house.
Yesterday I decided to hike Scout Mountain. Scout Mountain is probably the tallest peak of the mountains that are close to Pocatello. It was only about 6 miles away from where I am staying so it was really easy to get to. It is 8,710 feet tall, so there are definitely a lot of peaks that are taller in Idaho, but it was still a good climb. The hike was about 6 miles each was with an elevation gain of about 2,500 feet. It took me about 3.5 hours to do (2 going up, 1.5 going down), so I was able to make it back in time to still get some work done in the day.
It is the peak that sticks up right in the middle of the picture in the distance.
It was a really peaceful hike. There was a small lake/pond on the way and several little springs that popped up out of nowhere. I was worried that with it being Labor Day weekend, the trail might be pretty crowded, but on the way up I only saw four other people (two that were hiking together and two that were on dirt bikes). Coming down I passed by a few more just hiking through the wooded area, but less than a dozen total. I left about 8:30 in the morning while it was still cool out (45 degrees). It remained cool all the way to the top. At the top it was really windy though, but I was able to find a good spot to sit on the side of the ridge out of the wind to have an early lunch.
Frog pond - it was really tiny
A natural spring.
All views from the top
While on the hike I saw several squirrels and crickets, but also hawks, deer, and cows. I am not sure what the cows were doing on the mountain side in a National Forest, but they were definitely roaming around through the woods. When I first saw them I couldn't figure out what they were just because I wasn't expecting them. I could tell that they were too short to be moose, but way too fat to be dear or elk.
It is hard to see them, but there were probably about 10 or so roaming in the open area in the middle of the picture.
Even though it is not Alaska, I am really glad that we have moved to a place where we can still enjoy the outdoors. I am not sure if I will do another hike next Saturday, but I will probably try to get in at least a couple more while I am here by myself. I can't wait to do these hikes with Rebecca and the kids though, I think they are a lot funner when you get to share the sights with the people you love.
I finished up all of the projects I wanted to work on today a little early so I decided to take a short hike. From my office window I have a good view of the ISU columns. On the middle/east side of campus there is a pretty big hill with four large Greek columns at the top. Apparently, in the 1960s someone was having a funeral home here in Pocatello torn down. Apparently, these columns were part of the funeral home and rather than get rid of them, he donated them to ISU. After spending a little while trying to figure out where on campus they should go, they finally decided to put them on top of Red Hill. Some time during the move process the top of one of them broke, so now there are three connected columns and one stand alone one.
View from my office window.
It was a pretty nice hike. Probably just a mile each way from my office with a good 360 view of Pocatello from the top.
North view from the columns. You can see the stadium on the right and my office building is right in front of it.
This is the south view from the columns. The place where I am staying is about two miles past where you see the highway.
This is the west view. You can see some of campus right below and then the old downtown area of Pocatello.
There was a trail that continued on along the ridge farther south so I hiked for probably about another mile. It was a nice way to break up my day. On the hike I saw a lot of dragonflies and crickets, but then also three hawks and a lizard. I even saw a wild cactus - I guess this part of Idaho maybe does count as a desert.
The cactus is right in the middle of the picture.
Maybe next week I will try to do a tougher day long hike up one of the surrounding mountains.
Well, I have now been in Pocatello (and away from Rebecca and the children) for two whole weeks. It seems like so much longer than that! I have been able to get settled into a routine and now that classes have started, I am hoping that time will go by a little faster. Just 9 more weeks to go!
While I have been here in Pocatello my main mode of transportation has been my bike. That is partially because the only place I really go to is work (which I ride my bike to), and partially because the first week and a half here I didn't have a car. i am grateful that my parents have let me use theirs while I am waiting for Rebecca and the kids to arrive.
Riding my bike has actually been pretty fun. Over the summer I started looking around for a new bike, knowing that I would need something good to get up the hill we live on. My brother-in-law Bob helped me pick a road bike out from bikesdirect.com. At first I felt a little wobbly on it, but it is a lot faster and smoother than any bike I have every had in the past. Plus, it looks pretty nice - often when I am at a public place like the grocery store or the library, people provide me with compliments about it.
In the mornings I ride to work as the sun is just coming up. I often see rabbits run from the road as I whisk by. I also drive by a couple cemeteries and the air is cool and fresh and it is a nice peaceful way to start off my days. In the evenings I am usually riding back to the place where I am staying in the dark. I drive along some neat rock cliffs (up about 20 feet, so not dangerous) and even though it is dark they are fun to look at as I ride by. In total I average about 15 miles per day (10 if I just go to and from work, but some days I have put 20-30 miles on it).
This is the back side of the cliffs. I ride along the other side where the base of them is just 5 feet away from the road.
One evening I was in my office and it was about 30 minutes before I was planning on heading home. I looked out the window and saw some really dark clouds and then started to hear some thunder. I decided to leave right away to see if I could beat the storm. For most of the 5+ mile ride, the storm was just to my left. I would see the lighting and hear the thunder almost immediately, so I new the storm wasn't too far away. I was pedaling at top speed the whole way. For the last mile I turn off the main road and start heading up a hill. That was when the storm caught up to me. About every five seconds lightning would strike in the air right above me. Luckily it wasn't touching the ground. As I passed one house someone yelled out the window "don't get hit by lightening!" Already worrying for my life, some unkind thoughts ran through my mind. Luckily, I was able to yell out a big "thank you" instead. When I finally made it, I had to stay on the porch for about 15 minutes catching my breathe and enjoying the beauty of the storm.
I wish I took this picture. This is what it looked like though as I was riding home. The whole sky would light up like it was mid-day when they were striking right over me.
Anyway, I have built a small bond with my bike over the past couple of weeks and I am trying to think of what I should name it. If you didn't already know, we give names to lots of our things. For example, the car that I had when I was dating Rebecca was a red SUV that we named Ruby. Rebecca's car was a black 2 door that she had named Jimmy. Our silver Caravan is named Silvia. And my mom's car that I am now using is a blue Malibu that I have named Marabelle. So here are some possibiliteis for my bike. Send me an email or leave a comment if one sticks out to you.
Jimmy II - since this bike is black and sporty, it matches Rebecca's old car pretty well. Turino - that is the model name of the bike. Nightrider - I know the black car in the show was named K.I.T.T. and the show was actually named Knight Rider, but Nightrider sounds so much better to me. Plus it is often dark out when I am riding to and from work. Black Stallion - too bad it runs off man power instead of horse power Hill Crusher - think Foe Hammer or Goblin Cleaver (famed swords from the Hobbit), but the enemies that my bike slays are hills.
That is all I have come up with so far. Let me know if you have any other ideas.
This weekend I went down to Utah to see my parents one last time before they caught their flight to the Philippines. I know my parents are excited to go, but I still think it is a big sacrifice to give up their time to serve in that country. We are excited to hear what kind of adventures they will have and are really proud of them for going. We are also grateful for the example of missionary service that they are setting for our children. They will be gone for 1.5 years, but luckily they will get to call and Skype every once in a while with updates.
It was also nice to be able to spend time with them and Nathanael's family after my first week and a half alone in Pocatello. On the Saturday we did a fun hike, some shopping, and some games. They had Pass the Pigs and it had been a long time since I had played that game. On Sunday we went to church and did a walk around their neighborhood. It was also fun to see Nathanael and Mary-Anne's children and play with them a little. Since they are close in age to Elliott and kind of Agnes, it helped me imagine what they might have been up to over the weekend. Nathanael and Mary-Anne made some wonderful meals while I was there and so that was a nice break from the microwavable dishes that I have been having.
Our last few weeks in Alaska were fun, but also pretty
hectic. We had to sell most of our stuff, pack up what remained, and close on
our house. On top of that, my parents, and two sisters, and Rebecca's brother,
and his wife and child were all visiting. It is crazy how it all worked out. I
think Rebecca's brother was the first to make plans to come visit. Then my
cousin announced her wedding for the same weekend and so some of my family
wanted to come up the same weekend. And then we let them all know that they
would have to sleep on the floor because we were going to be moving and all of
our stuff would be gone by then. I am really glad they all came because we had
a lot of fun and it was a good way to finish up there.
We actually sent all of our kids on the airplane with my
parents and sisters. Then Rebecca's brother left the next day. Then we had one
last day to pack up all of our remaining stuff in a uHaul and clean the house
so it was ready for the new people. We even cleaned the carpets and touched up
the walls with paint where needed. That was a stressful day. Finally, we set
out on the road at about 3 or 4 in the afternoon. It was a little later than we
had planned, but we were going at least. We both felt a little sad leaving. We
had a lot of great memories from living in Alaska and from the past 5 years in
our home. It had been a great home for us, and it was weird to leave it
behind.
Our Anchorage Home
Rebecca and I right before we left
Funny story - a couple of hours before the kids flew out we
finally told them about the note we received from the previous owners about the
ghost of their nice grandma living in the basement (there was a previous blog
post about that right after we bought the house). When it was time for the kids
to walk through the house one last time and say their good-byes to it,
Christian didn't want to go downstairs without holding my hand. It was funny
because his bedroom was down there for the past four years. I hope I didn't
ruin the good memories of the house for them by telling them about the letter.
On the first day we drove up to Tok, Alaska. That is the last
city that you hit before entering into Canada. I think this was my favorite
part of the drive. We saw a huge glacier that looked like a giant river of ice
and snow that stretched on for miles. There were lots of twists and turns in
the road, but it was so beautiful going up and down the mountains. That night
we just found a parking lot, laid our mattress down, and slept right there in
the back of the uHaul. It wasn't actually that bad.
Last night in Alaska (Tok)
driving through the mountains
the huge glacier
grizzly bear
Our comfortable sleeping arrangements - it was nice to be on our own bed at least
We left kind of early in the morning, and before we even got
out of the town we saw a huge grizzly bear sitting down in the grass. We did a
really long drive that day and listened to a few audio books. My favorite ones
were from the Diary of a Wimpy a Kid series. Rebecca liked them too, but she
thought I was really weird with how much I was cracking up listening to them. I
can't remember where we stayed that night, but it was just a tiny little town
with like one store and a gas station. By the time we got in everything was
closed and so we just parked in a gas station parking lot and set up our
mattress in the back of the truck again.
We got a little sleep, but were awakened at maybe four or
five in the morning by someone revving up his dirt bike up and down the street.
It became quiet for a little bit and we tried to go back to sleep, but just a
few minutes later I heard some yelling right outside our truck. I woke Rebecca
up and told her we had to go. When we got out of the truck we saw the guy with
the dirt bike having on argument with some other guy a little ways away. When
he saw us he started to run over and in an angry, kind of crazy way, tell us
that he had something in his eye and he wanted us to get it out. He wasn't
having any problems with his eye earlier when he was yelling at the other guy
so I told Rebecca to hurry and getting in the truck and lock the door. After
seeing her safely in, I ran over to my side and we took off as fast as we
could. I feel bad for not helping, but the way he asked for help and his body
posture in approaching us made us feel like something was not right.
I am glad that we left early in the morning though because we
saw a ton of animals within the first couple of hours of driving. I think we
saw almost 20 bear, some moose, a fox, a coyote, and herds of bison. It might
have been that evening that I saw Bigfoot too. Rebecca was asleep at the time
though so she cannot confirm my story. We had a short stop in Whitehorse that
day, but kept on going after that. We did find a cheap hotel that night a
little outside of Edmonton so we could get all cleaned up for church the next
day. In fact, after the motorcycle guy incident we stayed in hotels every night
for the rest of our trip.
Bigfoot crossing the street. You can tell that is him, right?
Okay, here is the video in better resolution, maybe it was just a bear. I think it was a black bear, but it seemed really big still. So the video still isn't very good. I just can't seem to get it to upload in as high of definition as I have it on my iPad. Sorry!
Sign Post Forest - there were thousands of these signs that spanned all around the block
Driving to church on Sunday
Bison
After church on Sunday we crossed the border back into the
states and it was good to be back on American soil again. With the motorcycle
guy, and seeing Bigfoot, and everything else, I realized how much different
Canada really is from the U.S. :) For real though, having driven for those
three really long days in Canada it did help me realize how far away Alaska
really is from the rest of the U.S. We stayed on the Montana/Idaho border that
night and then the next day we met with our builder and tried to make as many
different decisions about the home that we could while we were there. It was
exhausting and I didn't think it was very productive because there was no way
we were going to be able to decide on the floors, and tiles, and cabinetry, and
everything else in just the half day we were there. We did get to see some of
the other house our builder has built and we are glad that we found them. Here
is there website if you want to check out some of their homes: http://buildguardian.com/
The next morning we unpacked our stuff into a storage unit,
turned in the truck, and made the drive in our van back to Washington. It was a
fun trip and I am glad that Rebecca and I got to do it together. We were both
glad though to get back to our children and were happy to finally have a break
from sitting in a car 12 to 15 hours a day.
