More Snow :)

We got another 2 feet of snow last night.  It brings our November total to 133".  Right now it's raining, we hope it stays warm enough so it doesn't snow more tonight!  I spent four hours shoveling and plowing this morning, then this afternoon the snow slid off the roof.  I'm attaching a couple of pictures of our "partly cloudy."

Hope it's better tomorrow as we leave for Juneau!   Love ya.  Dad.

Stuff

Just thought I'd write you an update.  We finally got the white shirts, still no sign of the monitor.  I guess we'll just write it off and consider it lost.  Bummer.  From now on we'll definitely insure and put tracking on anything we send up here. 

I put my origional drive back in the computer.  I figured since it was working in the external case it would probably work in the computer.  It is working fine so far.  All of my programs still work, I'm back to Windows 7, sure glad to have it working again.  Hope it keeps up.  We canceled our trip to Juneau to buy another computer, will probably still pick one up when we have to go in December.  It costs us about $400 each time we go just for the ferry and motel, so try not to go anymore often than we have to.  We also postponed our temple trip to Anchorage so we won't buy our snow tires yet, so didn't really have a good reason to go.  We have to go in December for a zone conference, so will stay an extra day and do that stuff then.

Is there any way to make a backup of this program drive and save my programs so I can transfer them onto a different computer when I get one?  I know the backup program only backs up data files.  But I would like to transfer my stuff onto my new computer if it's possible to do.  I know Troy used to have a program called "Ghost" that did it, but I don't have a copy of it anymore.  I think I left it in Idaho.  Don't know if it would work on W-7 anyway, it was for XP when I got my computer that's still in Idaho.  I did make a new backup of all my data, decided I didn't want to lose it if this goes down again.  I also kept the hard drive I took out with the basic Vista on it that I used to make this work then, just in case.  I also transferred all my data off this drive, but so far it seems to be doing OK. (for the last 3 days, anyway!)

Has been quite a week so far.  Bro. Cox that I'm fixing the tractor for went to Seattle for surgery, was having trouble breathing.  Problem with his tracheotomy.  Found he was two quarts low, so they gave him a blood transfusion.  Checked his wife while there, found she has skin cancer so she's going in for surgery tomorrow.  Then Angela Wilde, one of our young less-actives, got blood clots in her legs yesterday and was life-flighted to Juneau yesterday morning.  When she got there they told her that her father from here in Haines had died of a heart attack.  Of course she can't come home because of her condition.  The father used to be a member, but didn't like the church, joined another one and had his name removed from the records.  We're going over today to see if there is anything we can do for the family.  The mom also had her name removed, so don't know how she'll react.  Should be interesting.  Then Sis. Gilman that was to church but didn't look good was life-flighted to Anchorage yesterday afternoon with kidney failure.  She may have to go into extended care there so she can get dialysis three times a week.  An intersting day.

On top of all that, the branch president, President Lehman is leaving next monday to go to Seattle.  His wife hasn't been feeling well, they think she has a brain tumor.  They will probably be gone 6-8 weeks, so I get to run the branch while he is gone.  So glad we're here!  Definitely feel needed!  We did have a fun Halloween party at the church Friday night, carved pumpkins, frosted and decorated cookies.  We had twenty-two come, three familes who are less-active, a non-member.  I think they had fun, but none came to church yesterday.  Probably a good thing.  I spoke about missionary work.

Well, guess I'd better go get ready for the day. Hope you are having a good week!  At least WE don't have any snow yet!

Love ya. Dad.

Deep thoughts

Journal Oct 30, 2011

I have recently decided I need to write about some things that have touched me or that are just interesting in our mission here in Haines.

First I would like to write about the area here. I believe this is one of the most healing, beautiful areas I have ever been in. I have seen a lot of beautiful places in both the states and in China. Perhaps because I am living here, I am finding Haines healing to my soul. I believe the Lord send me here for me, as well as, for whoever else we are supposed to touch. We came in late summer and the mountains so impressed me. They are high, rocky and pointed. The tops contain white glaciers even in the summer. Waterfalls cascade down the sides of the mountains thousands of feet. Shrubbery and trees grow on the sides of the mountains and appear to be coming out of the rock itself. The power of the slow, tenacious growth of roots, combined with the trickling of rain in the crevices of the rocks cause huge boulders to break lose resulting in landslides. The majesty and the magnitude of the mountains make one constantly aware of the smallness of man. The mountains come steeply down to the edge of the water. There is very little beach and what there is, is rocky. The mountains are magnificent, powerful, and remind me that the power of nature is beyond human control.

The water that runs off the glaciers carries with it glacier silt. This is fine grey-blue silt that fills the rivers and changes their courses. Where the streams enter the ocean, a change of color can be seen seeping into currents. The silt is soft and acts like quick sand in many areas. Rivers here have powerful currents, 3-10 miles an hour. At times, fishermen sink in the sands or get washed down the river from these strong currents. Glaciers do not look like what I expected. They appear as snow trapped between canyon walls with waterfalls rushing from underneath them. The glaciers are huge. There is a blue reflection on the glaciers in some lights. These glaciers recede up the mountain as they melt. In sunlight, they are beautiful.

This is an area referred to as a Boreal forest. The trees grow densely together perhaps fifty to seventy feet tall. The soil is spongy from decayed foliage and pine needles. In areas where there has been a lot of moisture it becomes dangerous; because, it acts like quicksand. In these areas, it is called muskeg and must be crossed carefully. Trees often fall as the ground seems to be continually shifting, either from the wet soil or the steepness of the mountains on which they grow.

Animals are larger here. Moose make Idaho moose seem small. Foxes are twice the size of our fox. Eagles are larger. House cats are even larger by a third again. Maybe the harsh climate makes them more durable and creates a need to be hardier. Texas may brag because of the bigness of the land, but it has nothing compared to Alaska.

In the fall, there are no words to describe the beauty of the leaves. They are almost fluorescent in their brilliant yellows, oranges, and reds. I might mention that the colors in the flowers here are also exceptionally bright. I don’t know if it is the clean air, or the harshness of the climate that makes them so large and intensely colored. It is like they must have this great burst of color and size to validate their short existence. I can hardly grasp enough of the fall beauties. I want to sit outside and absorb them into my very being, reach out my hands and hold the sacred silence. I want to seal them in my heart to nourish me during the long winter to come. I could spend hours soaking in this beauty.

As the leaves fall, there is a grey, murky beauty that comes. One can now see out into the forest, fallen trees, and marshy areas. There is harshness to the environment, but also a promise of tenacious strength that transfers to the animals and people in this area. People here accept the harsh climates, the difficulty of transportation, the limited medical facilities, and survive. They are not whiners. They go on doing what has to be done. Accepting whatever comes. The winters are long and dark, but they know spring comes with sunshine, warmth, and beauty. The harsh winters give people greater appreciation for the short time when the elements cease their relentless buffetings.

I have yet to experience the winds. I guess the winds that blow from the north are cold and merciless. The winds from the channel bring wet snows of up to three feet at a time. Some winters there is up to twenty feet of snow. While the temperatures are more mild here compared to Whitehorse, it still drops to the low teens and down to minus 20. Some years it gets down to -40. Because the wind blows all winter, the wind chill and the moisture make a wet-cold that seeps into your bones and stays. The rain causes black ice to form on top of the frozen ground which makes driving hazardous. I am sure the area takes on a different kind of beauty in the winter which I will write about later.