Frost on the Windshield

Learning the Ropes

The snow is here!!

But that means the ice is here too.  The snow is beautiful.  The perpetually icy roads aren't quite as stellar- but I'm figuring it out. I put a boat load of rock salt and sand in the back of my truck for weight/traction and that has made a huge difference.

Now that I've been here a few months, I really do feel settled in.  I know where I'm going.  I know how to get places.  I know where to direct students for help with things like scholarships and problems in their classes.  I haven't turned the wrong way on a 1way street in months.  I know how to get to Costco from just about any part of the city.  I also know about 8 different places to view the Northern Lights (one of which is the McDonalds parking lot not too far from my house- not the best place, but it works in a pinch).

But the last month has been heavy.  A lot of big, heavy problems that students have been bringing to the table.  Abuse, sexual assault, depression, suicide.  I've had a crash course in learning how to walk with students though issues like how to report and receive care after a rape.  (crash course really just being a fly by the seat of our pants, figure it out as we go, kind of thing.  Not the most preferable way to deal with issues like this).  And then a few days later, what to do when a student is suicidal.

I learned very quickly that I didn't know some seriously key pieces information here- and honestly, no one around me could give me the answers I needed.  So I've been on a quest to figure out this system.  Particularly, how to report rape in Anchorage and get proper care for the victim.

 Its not as simple as it sounds.

And its not something people talk about much.

I understand that.  It is uncomfortable.  And distressing.  No one wants to think about rape.  But avoiding the topic doesn't change the fact that sexual assault is staggeringly present in Alaska (and all over the world). Its more prevalent than you'd think- even in small communities in the Midwest.  In the US, 1 in 6 women have statistically experienced sexual assault (16% of the population).  In Alaska, that number is more then 1 in 3  women have experienced sexual assault.  That is INSANE!  39% of women!  I'm sitting in a coffee shop right now and can see 12 women in here with me.  Statistically, 4 of them have experienced sexual assault. And even more troubling are the rates of child sexual assault in Alaska, which are 6 times the national average.

So I've been on a quest for a plan.  What do I do when a student tells me they have been assaulted?  What services are available for them? How do you best report this to the authorities?  How do I get this information in the hands of other people who work with students (and the students themselves because they and  their friends are struggling with these same things) because I know that we are all woefully ignorant in this area.

I've spent time the last few weeks meeting with different services and organizations around Anchorage.  I've made some fantastic contacts, met with some interesting people who serve in this community and I finally feel like I know how to best advocate for my students when they tell me they have been assaulted.  I know what to do now. And that is such a relief.  Because, let me tell you, there is nothing worse then meeting with a young college student who just told you about the most horrific, terrifying thing in their life, and you are sitting there thinking "I have NO idea how to get them help.  Where do I start??  What do I do??" And having a couple ideas for next steps but not knowing how to help them start the reporting and care process.  And then essentially watching this girl dismissed by authorities.

Our world is so very broken.

John 1:15  The Light (Jesus) shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.   Praise the Lord there is hope, even when things feel so broken.

A Good Excuse To Be Late To Church...

So pretty much every Sunday here in Anchorage, I wake up early to go out and take pictures.  I've found that even if I don't get a chance to take many pictures throughout the week, this quiet time before most of the city is up and moving is the perfect time for me to spend some time outside.  Anchorage is a busy, packed city and my job is all about spending time with people (and I love it!).  But Sunday is the first day of my weekend, and early on Sunday mornings I find some nice, quiet, alone time. 

This morning I went out on a trail, took some fun pictures, enjoyed the quiet and the snow and the ice.  I was on my way to church, driving down the road, when I saw this:

Sorry Pastor Phil, but this was just too gorgeous to pass by!   TOTALLY worth having to walk into church late. 

Sunrise at the Creek

This picture doesn't even begin to do it justice.  Alaska is just to amazingly beautiful!

It Snowed!!

I woke up to snow this morning!! Yay!! I even got to try out my 4-wheel drive (there wasn't a ton of snow but it was super slushy- 4 wheel drive is amazing by the way!)

I even got to run to the park and enjoy the snow this morning before work.

stars

Beluga Point

I love eagles!

Pretty Fall Day

It has been rainy.  SOOOOOOOO rainy.  Grey and rainy and cloudy. 

Until all of a sudden, it the entire sky cleared and it was SUNNY!! Yay!!!

So It Snowed....

It snowed.  

In September.

And not like a little dusting.  It SNOWED.

The forecast was calling for snow throughout the day on Tuesday, and it did snow a bit- it was mostly rain but there was definiately some snow mixed in there, but it was warm enough that it wasn't sticking around.  So I settled in for the night thinking "It snowed in September!" but there wasn't any actual snow on the ground.  

I happened to look out my window about 2 hours later and saw that it was snowing- legitimately snowing.  Accumulation on the ground, flakes falling, it was great!  There was about 2" on my truck, I went out and took some pictures, it was nice!  But the air was still above freezing and I was sure the snow would melt by morning.  

 I was incorrect. 

I woke up to a solid 6" on my truck.  The city was covered (well all of Anchorage got snow but I apparently live in an area that usually gets more because I'm right on the edge of the Chugach Mountains.  Lucky me.)  The kiddos in my neighborhood made a full-sized snowman. 

Most of the snow had melted by the time I was able to take pictures much later in the day, but the snow has arrived.  Probably not to stay, but it did make an appearance! 

Good thing I like winter!  And have 4 Wheel Drive!

Autumn in Alaska

So Autumn comes early in Alaska (surprise, surprise).  The leaves were on their last legs in Anchorage this weekend- but I was a bit farther North this weekend and surprisingly, the colors were still at peak around Wasilla!  

This weekend our Native Alaska college group, Arigaa, met up with other Arigaa groups from Fairbanks and Soldotna, as well as a few elders.    We had a ton of fun.  There were great speakers, lots of time for fun and canoeing, great food and lots of great NATIVE food.  No muktuk this year (bowhead whale skin and blubber) but we had tons of smoked salmon, fried halibut, moose, caribou, and of course frybread!  We all had a blast catching up with old friends and meeting new people. 

After the retreat, I went up to the mountain I usually go to to take pictures of the Northern Lights to get one last look at the Fall Colors (the news says snow is in the forecast later in the week...).  I'd never actually been up to this place during the day (its actually the parking lot for a trailhead) but it sure is pretty.  

Northern Lights

I will never get sick of the Northern Lights.  Seriously.  They are just spectacular and pictures will never do them justice. 

Last night, the sky was full of lights and they were dancing directly overhead!  It was spectacular. 

 Both of these pictures are facing SOUTH!  That's how amazing the show was last night!  The sky was so full the southern sky had the most activity!

Fall in Anchorage

Sunset at Point Woronzof

Flock of geese flying over the Cook Inlet at sunset:

Chugach Mountains: 

Campbell Tract Park:

Eklutna Lake

Today I visited Eklutna Lake. Its only about a hour north of Anchorage and it is beautiful.  It is a glacier fed lake so the water actually looks teal when the light hits it.  Seriously- I didn't adjust the color to this picture to make it look that blue!

Camping!!

It's no surprise I like a good camping trip!! 

This weekend, my co-worker and I packed up 12 of our student leaders and went camping!  It was a fabulous time of worship, instruction, hilarity, good food and a lot of fun.  There was canoeing (hello- that is my FAVORITE).  There was target practice (I had to laugh as we were packing up to go- the pile of weapons continued to grow as each person arrived.  I told my coworkers- in my last job like this we worked hard to DIS-arm the students!)  There was caribou sausages cooked on an open fire.  There was also fresh shot grouse!  Gotta love when we are in the middle of a Bible study around the campfire and one of the students is sitting there, paying attention of course, but he is field dressing 2 grouse he just shot.  Side note- fresh shot grouse is YUMMY!!

Labor Day and Belugas

I was walking on the beach with some students on Saturday.  We were talking and laughing and all of a sudden I heard "huuuuuuuuuuu" (ok its difficult to spell what it sounded like- imagine someone with COPD inhaling loudly right beside you).   I turned and looked- and it was belugas!  Right next to me! They were so close, you could hear them breathing!  They were so close, it felt like you could just jump right in there with them- although that would be an incredibly poor choice!   A good sized pod of whales were just swimming up the shoreline. 

The students I was walking with were all excited. One had never seen whales before.  The rest kept saying "you NEVER see belugas here!"  Everyone keeps saying that- You never see Belugas at Point Woronzof!  But  I've seen them there twice now!  Maybe these people who never see Belugas here just aren't paying attention!

Anyways, hoping you all had a lovely Labor Day!  I had a nice, restful day and then went to a friend's place for moose burgers. YUMMY!!! 

Beluga

I went to check out the sunset again tonight at a park at the end of the airport runway.  I'd been there before, but got distracted by the mama moose and her calf and didn't really pay attention to the sunset so I decided to try it again. 

This time, I got there and there were a pod of Beluga Whales breaching right off the beach!! I mean like less than 100 yards from the beach (the tide was very high).  It was amazing!!  You could see a spout, then the top of the head and the back would come out of the water- some times even the tail.  This pics aren't fabulous- I mean they kind of look like the Loch Ness Monster- but seeing it in person was fabulous!

Other people watching the whales said they had lived here 25 years and never seen whales at this beach (or this close to shore).  Usually you have to drive quite a ways down the Seward Highway to get a glimpse of the whales- the inlet that surrounds Anchorage is the sea but it is a long ways from the open ocean.

One of these days I'm going to go out to this place and really just enjoy the sunset- but I'm enjoying all the random animal experiences I've had there!  A plain old sunset might just be boring!!! Or maybe not:

And a view of Anchorage:

Good Morning!

Sunrise at Potter Marsh.  Winter is coming though! There was snow on the mountains the last few nights and ice on the boardwalk Sunday morning. 

Berry Picking

Some of the students I work with went went berry picking on Friday.   It was a blast!  Every other time I went berry picking we would just walk out onto the flat tundra; but in Anchorage berry picking means climbing a mountain first! 

 There weren't a ton of berries to be had but we had fun regardless!