Hawaii

We left Anchorage with thoughts of surf and sun.  By the time we arrived in Honolulu, got a car, and checked in to the hotel, it was 10pm and Birdman was fast asleep in the car.  Kate and I ran to the ocean for a quick dip.  James woke up at 6am and ran all the way through the hotel and out to the beach.  

We hit Dukes for the kalua pork nachos and dreamy atmosphere.  Brian's parents joined us later in the afternoon and we checked into our Waikiki condo.

 Despite the lack of surf in Waikiki, we had fun spotting honu (sea turtles) in the water, swimming, paddling,

swinging from banyan trees,

watching fireworks, visiting our old watering holes, and stuffing our faces with foods we can't get in Homer, namely sushi.

Genki Sushi with touch screen ordering and speedy conveyor belt delivery was by far our favorite new dining establishment.

James's hotdog nigiri was hysterical.

We visited our old neighborhood and found that it was the only place to catch a wave this time of year.  Now I remember why we lived there!

Brian and I rented a couple of boards and surfed until our arms were too tired to paddle (not as long as you might think).  Kate caught some belly rides, but didn't want to stand...still can't figure out why?  James, not interested.

Kate belly riding

Bird doing some form of body surfing

We met up with quite a few old friends, including Warren from Long Beach, CA, now flying helicopters in Hawaii. The kids loved the air station tour and the Hideaway Club is always good times.

We saw quite a few rainbows, but this was by far the best as we drove home from Ewa Beach.

We hit the north shore for the Kua 'Aina fish sandwich, Dole whip, and Matsumoto's Shave Ice with azuki beans inside.  Everyone agreed no azuki beans next time. The waves were too big and blown up for us to surf, but we did find a protected cove where Kate could snorkel for the first time.

I'm not going to lie to you, it was a bit cold this day and I found myself putting on a long sleeve t-shirt a few times.  I was afraid we would all roast coming from Alaska, but in 10 days I was never too hot or tired of the sun.

Kate's mind was completely blown when we made it to Hanauma Bay for Oahu's best snorkeling a few days later.  She is the perfect age for cruising the coral reef with mask and snorkel.  James practiced using the snorkel in the pool before we left, so he enjoyed just standing and sticking his face in the water.

We drove up the east side and saw whales breach, took the kids to what we used to call Secret Beach,
and stopped for roadside coconut drinks and lilikoi.

On a quest for surf, we met up with our friend Jake from our Ewa Beach surf days.  We went to Pokai Bay on the west side and it was great to be away from the crowds and let our families hang out.

The kids having lunch with beach buddy Rell

I think our best day was spent at Bellow Beach.  It's the prettiest beach on the island.  In the morning, Kate, Brian, Pat, and I kayaked to the Mokulua Islands.  I've done it once, but never explored past the small beach.  We paddled past large sea turtles on the way and then walked around the rocky island to a small, but deep swimming hole.  We didn't take cameras on the kayak, so you'll have to just trust that it was super cool.

BK with Mokulua Islands behind

After kayaking, we joined Chick and James playing on the beach for the rest of the day.  We rented a stand-up paddle board and body board for more good times.

By this point in the week, James was master of doing "torpedoes" in the water.  He shed the life jacket and just played in the waves, often going under for what seemed like a really long time to me, but he absolutely loved it.

Mimi and Pop Pop even got to sit and read a little at Bellows Beach.  Well deserved, as we had them working pretty hard all week.

On our last night we stayed with our friends, Oahu's best hosts, Matt and Aja.  Getting to their amazing house was an adventure in itself.  It's about a 30 minute drive up a winding, mountainous road with hair pin turns to the middle of the island.  We arrived to a fabulous spread of food, great company, and a beautiful sunset.

We had spent all week taking the kids to all our favorite spots, so it was very cool to get off the perimeter of the island and see something new.

Coffee and morning view from Matt & Aja's lawn.

Kate figured out how to crack the macadamia nuts for roasting later

The next day we hiked the Pu'u Ohi'a Trail.  The kids loved the bamboo forest, and Kate was banging bamboo and making music the whole way.

View from the top of Mt Tantalus

We hit the beach for one last dip, had another fabulous dinner with our friends, and then headed to the airport.  The kids had trouble staying awake to catch the 10 pm red-eye flight to Anchorage. 

Farewell Hawaii, until we meet again...

Halloween to Christmas 2013

 

These photos of the kids are some of my favorites from this fall in the Homer Harbor.

Halloween this year was great fun because the weather was unseasonably warm (for us anyway), and our neighborhood is the hot spot in town.  James had his heart set on dressing up as Batman and he asked Brian to be Robin.  Brian quickly replied yes and the Dynamic Duo did not disappoint.

James was sick last year, so this is really the first Halloween he remembers.  He was full of exclamations all night: "Look at all this tricking and treating going on!"

Kate was going to be a werewolf, but at the last minutes decided to be a regular wolf, so I stitched up a red cape right quick and grabbed a basket of cookies, so we could be a team as well.

In addition to running cross country after school, Kate participated in a program called Girls on the Run.  It's geared toward promoting healthy choices and running for fun in girls grades 3-5.  The culminating event is a 5k run with an adult buddy.

Brian ran as Kate's buddy

Kate and her friends before the race

James is truly Kate's biggest supporter

. 

James, the official race starter, being held up to ring the cow bell

James running to greet Kate & Brian as they approach the finish line

Brian & Kate being interviewed by the local paper

When all the running ended, Kate immediately started in with the after school basketball program.  "I think I found my super sport," was her quote after one day of playing.  You have to admire the confidence.  God love her, she'll try anything.  

Kate has also been asking for a year now to take horse back riding lessons.  There is nothing organized here, so you kind of have to find someone on your own.  Lucky for us we finally did.

Kate beaming on her way to ring for the first time

 We just hang out on the bluff or explore the beach during Kate's lessons.  The scenery is outlandish.  This is a late fall sunset after horse back riding.

Kate riding bare back to stay warm

James has not been quite as busy.  We continued to bribe him to finish out the hockey season with the promise of Gatorade after each session.  He took a couple weeks of swim lessons this fall and added another afternoon of preschool, but we also spend a lot of time hanging out around the house.

 
James loves to make a puzzle museum.  That means completing every puzzle we own until the table and kitchen floor are covered.

December brought our first good snow, so I dragged Kate out with me for a ski at Sunset Loop.

There was more whining than I had anticipated.   In general, I prefer hanging out with Kate without her friends, but cross country skiing is a clear exception.  When she has ski buddies, she just keeps going without thinking about the work.

Brian about to throw down a margarita

In other winter news, Brian started to develop ice glasses for us modeled after the cocktails we had at the ice museum in Chena Hot Springs last summer.

In early November, we went to Anchorage for the weekend and outfitted the entire family with downhill skis. I also found a used pair of skate skis (not easy to do), so now we're all waiting for snow.  We finally got some good snow in early December, so we spent two weekends putting our new gear to good use.  There is actually a little ski hill on the Air Force base where we usually stay.  We went there first because they were also offering sled dog rides that day.

Kate was fired up for her ride, but I could tell she was trying to figure out when they would let her drive it

 Kate is very interested in mushing and completed her first real report on the Iditarod in school this year.  Although James went for a ride too, he said the dogs smelled and he preferred tubing instead.

James riding up the tubing hill in Anchorage

We also skied at another small hill in Anchorage before hitting Alyeska Ski Resort on our way home.  The kids didn't seem to forget much from last year and were zooming down the hill right away.  Kate looks for every opportunity to "off road" and try to jump stuff.  I'm pretty sure she can turn, but she prefers speed over technique.  Bird is a little more conservative and such a positive force on the hill.  Usually Brian skis right behind him, but it seemed he could really use someone to follow.  I skied slowly practicing my S turns down the mountain so he had a path to follow.  The whole way down he kept yelling, "You're doing a great job mama.  Good job with your turns mama."  Kate was at the chairlift in 30 seconds and waiting impatiently for the rest of us to make it down.
Not many photos as it was kind of cold and I don't like taking my mittens off, but here is one of Kate as a lone skier on the hill as the sun was starting to set around 4 pm.

Kate at Alyeska

After two weekends of downhill, Brian and I went for a ski in Homer while the kids were in school.  He was gone so much last year that he hasn't seen all the trails in town yet.  There was quite a bit of grass and sticks poking through the snow, but still decent skiing.

Jessie dog and I at the McNeil Lookout

Christmas crept up quickly as we were preoccupied with skiing.  It took us two trips out, but Brian found another great tree this year.  It was enormous, but we probably won't have another house with this much height, so we figured why not.

 It was also wet, super heavy, and even bigger than we thought.

Once we jammed it in the door and got it in the stand (no small feat), it was perfect.

Kids decorating the tree

James making another toast and tossing back more eggnog

The kids had a variety of holiday concerts and performances including singing with Pete the Cat,

 being the cutest shepherd ever present at the reenactment of Jesus's birth, and

ice skating.

When Christmas Eve rolled around, I felt negligent that our kids hadn't seen Santa.  I shouldn't feel too bad though because they were both too lazy to write him a letter.  Then, we saw a flyer that he'd be at the ice arena in a few hours so decided to squeeze it in our busy day.

James skating with his chair and trying to catch up to Santa

Santa skated for a while, then sat while James told him he wanted a new zebra stuffed animal.  I honestly can't even remember what Kate asked for (a Hexbug I think).  Thankfully, they didn't ask for much at all (probably because they have a ton already).  It was the first Christmas we've ever spent without traveling or hosting company.  I thought it would be a little slow and  lonely for me, but in fact it was quite lovely.

James opening presents

Not too long after Christmas, I drove all the boxes and Christmas trash to the dump, we packed our bags, and headed for Hawaii!

The eagles are now inside the transfer station.  Can you find all 4 in this photo?

Typical Homer

Our fall has been pretty routine with the kids' schedules and afterschool activities.  The ship has been around a lot more this fall, partly because of the way the schedule works and partly because government sequestration means no money for fuel to go anywhere.  For a year now, I've been compiling a mental list of things that are funny and/or uniquely Homer.  I fear if I don't write this down, I might forget some of it in a few years.  Warning this will be long and will lack photos.

Generous Spirit
The community has a very generous spirit and way of recycling the local dollar through a variety of fundraisers.  It is not uncommon to see a spaghetti dinner to raise money to cover the medical bills for your neighbor.  The singer Jewel is from Homer, and she raised money to attend a private music school by having a concert with her dad at the High School 20 years ago.  This fall, our gym had a 24 hour fitness event to raise money for a young mother and member who passed away unexpectedly.  Gym members raised $10,000 for the family.  Since Homer has only 5,000 residents, the money donated is amazing.  People gave money to go work out at 3 in the morning.
There is a community wide event called Share the Spirit to coordinate food and gift donations for Christmas  (Side Note: There is not a lot of Happy Holidays here.  Even in the schools, it's pretty much assumed that everyone celebrates Christmas.).  For the past two years, we have enlisted the support of other Coast Guard families to adopt a local family.  When I went to drop off the gifts last year, I was blown away by the generosity of the town.  The entire high school commons was a full of food and there were hallways devoted to the adopt-a-family donations...bikes, sleds, and gifts galore not to mention the traditional holiday dinner.  Anyone can just show up in the morning ready to help sort, wrap, and organize the donations.  In an effort to be more hands on, I signed up Kate's Girl Scout troop to wrap gifts this year.  Admittedly, they were not the nicest looking gifts, but the girls enjoyed helping and seeing the whole process.  Earlier in the fall, the girls decorated the tags with gift requests that would hang from trees in the local stores.

Hitchiking
Hitchhiking in Alaska is still en vogue.  Since there is one road in and out of town, there are often people standing, hoping to catch a ride.  East End Road runs out the back of town and about 20 miles up toward to head of the bay.  Many people hitch in and out of town that way as well.  Summertime finds college students and hippies hitchhiking all over the state or just from one end of town to another.  For a small town, we have quite a few taxis as many people here live without a car.  Brian has dabbled in picking up hitchhikers, but I have not.  It's not even the fear of murderers so much as it is the smell of patchouli and body odor.  I considered picking up some young girls on a trip home from Seward once.  It was before we bought movie players for the car, and I figured their stories would be a hoot for me, and I could ask them to entertain the kids.  In the end I feared they would stink too much, and they did have a lot of bags (and most likely a guitar). 

Kate, tired of hanging with me last summer, asks to thumb a ride home

Equally as popular, but a little more high brow than hitchhiking, is using the local radio's Ride Line.  Several times a day, in conjunction with the Bushlines, you can either call in that you need a ride (almost always to/from Anchorage) or that you are offering a ride.  The messages left are read on air and sound like this:
"Someone is offering a ride to Anchorage this Tuesday. Two seats available and looking to share the usuals" 
OR
"A ride is needed from Anchorage for one person this Friday.  Will share the usuals."
I've always wondered what the usuals are.  Obviously fuel costs, but why plural?  I wouldn't be surprised if it was fuel and pleasant conversation. 

Communication
So, the Bushlines are offered 3 times a day and they precede the Ride Lines.  Bushlines are messages of 25 words of less that will be read on air.  They are used to communicate with people who have radio, but no phone or internet.  Messages sound like this:
"Thank you John & Leigh for the awesome moose sausage.  See you next spring.  Love, Buttercup."
"Don, please call when you can.  Your mother is ill.  Rose"
"Gigi and Frank. We miss you.  Please come by for a visit and we can share some mead.   We'll  leave the light on for you."  (Okay I just put that in because Tom Bodett is from Homer and may even still live around the block from us.)
It seems to me there are many more Bushlines in the summer when people are living in cabins across the bay and up toward the head of the bay.  But people here do communicate differently.  The newspaper and the radio play a huge role in getting out information.  If you want to know what's going on in town, you need to hit the bulletin board at Two Sister's Bakery or K-Bay coffee, buy one of the two local papers and read the What's Happening Around Town section.  This is sometimes the only way to hear about events in town.  In just over a year, all four of us have either been photographed or quoted in the paper.  See Kate's best photos below.

Another one of our favorite radio shows is the Tradio.  Actually I'm pretty sure it's called the Flea Market now, but I prefer Tradio.  People call in to buy and sell stuff.  It's like Craigslist for those without internet (or crazy people).  Calls sounds like this:
"I have a whale bone scrimshaw piece, real nice, with ET on it and I'm asking $150.  My number is 299-3458"  This guy is for real.  He calls in all the time, and yes he is talking about the extraterrestrial from 1982.
"I am looking for studded tires, size P2015/70R, for my 1999 Subaru Forrester.  Call 435-8761"
"I have 50 pounds of moose meat, slightly freezer burned, that I would like to give to someone if they have some fish to give to me."  You see now how this works as you're not allowed to sell or even trade certain items.
I called in one day looking to buy a play structure for our yard with no luck.  I'm afraid to think how many times Brian might have called in to buy and sell.  I prefer not to ask, so long as he didn't buy the gently used composting toilet I heard about the other day.


Money
As a town full of small businesses, it's no surprise that it's difficult to use your American Express.  A few of our favorite spots, The Bagel Shop and K-Bay Coffee, didn't take any credit cards for a while until they were a more firmly established business.  I found myself unable to pay and very embarrassed one morning.   I ordered a pound of coffee ground up, I selected a few bakery items, and poured myself a cup of coffee to go.  It should go without saying that in Homer, you are encouraged to bring your own coffee mug from home when getting a coffee to go whether at a drive thru, the farmers market, or a more typical coffee shop.  Anyway, the barista, who more than likely has a Masters in Philosophy, said,
"I'm sorry we don't take credit cards."
This is unfortunate because I don't carry cash, so I responded,
"I'm so sorry.  Can you hold the pound of coffee?  I'll give back the scone that I didn't take a bite out out of, hit the ATM and be right back."
"No worries," he tells me "Take it all.  Come back and pay later." 
"I'll be right back.  How much again?"
"Please don't make a special trip, and just tell us what you had when you get back.  We don't write anything down."
"Okay because actually I will pick up my son from preschool, hit the grocery store, and then the ATM."
"Don't worry.  See you later."
This is in no way unusual.  There are several coffee shops and bakeries that serve you and just ask that you stop by the counter on the way out and tell them what you had and pay before leaving.  It takes some getting used to, especially when I often leave dining establishments under duress with arguing kids and a threatening look on my face.   I always push the issue a little and pay first so I don't forget, because that's happened too, and then I have to drive back apologize and pay.  I do appreciate the sentiment and implied message that we live in a thoughtful, honest community.

Dining at some of our favorite eat now, pay whenever establishments.

"Mom, what does your coffee mug mean?  I don't get it."  

You would have loved to be a fly on the wall for that conversation. 

Homer also loves to offer payment on a sliding scale.  In high school and college, I'm pretty sure this would have made me throw up a little in my mouth, but for some reason it just seems right for this community.  Using the honesty system, many events in town allow you to pay based on what you can afford.  Two examples include massage therapy and Kate's HOWL (Homer Outdoor Wilderness Leaders) activities.  Admittedly, I am intrigued by reduced price massage therapy.  I usually treat myself to a massage once a year around my birthday.  It's wonderful.  I always think I should do this more often, and the masseuse here told me all about the benefits of frequent body work.  She even offers payment on a sliding scale, but somehow I cannot bring myself to take advantage of this.  I can afford it, I'm just cheap and prefer to hoard our money for future travel.  I do sometimes wonder though, how low would she go?  I mean it would be physically and mentally really good for me.  We are, however, so unbelievably lucky to have the Coast Guard lifestyle.  It's not for everyone, but Brian cares about his job and in turn they pay him well.  No complaints and no reduced massages for me.  As for Kate, I can pay anywhere from $20-40 for each day she participates in HOWL.  Just drop her off with whatever you can pay.  ????   I'll admit I paid $25 once and then I started signing her up online which is a bit easier and guarantees her a spot if the fishing or hiking trip were to fill up.  Online, you must pay $40.  The message is, if you can afford internet in your home, then you can pay the full amount.  We got our moneys worth with Kate's halibut catch though.

In The Home
Before moving here, another Coastie told me to buy good socks because you have to take your shoes off everywhere and expect last minute birthday invites.  This seemed like odd advice as I was packing up the house in Connecticut, but it couldn't be more spot on.  The kids keep a pair of classroom shoes at school, so they can take off their boots or outdoor shoes as soon as they enter the classroom.  It is unheard of to wear your shoes in someone's home.  I remember when the moving truck showed up I was worried about the movers tracking dirt all over the new carpet we paid for, but even the movers removed their shoes. The cable guy was equally as courteous when he came to install cable. 
At the high school pool, all swimmers and parents leave shoes in the lobby to keep the locker room and pool deck clean.  At the school's movie night, everyone drops their shoes at the door to keep the gym floor clean as well.  I love it!
Kid birthday parties here are more low key than the lower 48.  Verbal invitations or those hand written on torn out notebook paper, sometimes with only a day or two advance notice, are commonplace.  I think 36 hours is the shortest notice we've received.  When the school sent home a notice of parent conference date and time two weeks in advance, another mom asked me why on earth they would send the letter home so early. She was almost put off that the letter arrived a whole 2 weeks before the conference.  Unfortunately, the town is equally as lax on RSVPs, so you never know who is coming.

Around Town
Homerites love to drive around town with their dogs in the car.  I am sad (for the interior of my car) to admit I have joined in as Jessie dog rarely sails with the ship anymore.  One day I left the grocery store and opened the back of my Subaru to find it contained a different dog.  There are so many dogs and Subarus in town that it's easy to open the wrong car.  I would guess that at any given time 1/3 of the cars in grocery store parking lot have dogs in them.
The theatre in town of course shows movies, but also presidential debates and the Superbowl.  I'm not sure if people go for the comraderie or because they don't have a tv.  Most likely the latter.
The book store, as you can imagine, is a Homer hub as it's the only place to buy tickets to any show or performance from the local dance recital, to the high school musical, or even Homer's famous Nutcracker.  The book store also has a local author section that is easily 1/4 of the store.  I've only read a couple of local authors so far, but people here all have crazy stories of how they got here or what it was like growing up in Homer in days of yore.  There are even quite a few novelists.  I haven't gone there yet.  Not sure Alaska sci-fi is my thing.

Theatre
This year marked the 25th year for the Nutcracker ballet in Homer.  I use the word ballet loosely as you don't have to dance in order to be in the Nutcracker.  I would say there are 5-6 people who know something about ballet and I believe 2 are flown in to perform.  There are lots of kids in the performance and the costumes are recycled from year to year. Kate's buddies are mostly rats, mice, and goats.  Goats?  Last year, I believe the paper claimed the show was infused with "steampunk" (is that a thing?) and of course some modern music.  This year there was a LED hula hoop number in the dark and the Russian cossack dancing always goes over well as there is a big Russian connection in Homer.  I truly appreciate that Homerites keep the show interesting and vary it year to year.  James loved it last year at 3 years old, and has a continued love/hate relationship with the rat king.  He talked about him for weeks leading up to the show this year and had to go on stage afterwards to meet the man behind the costume and have his picture taken. 

Possibly my favorite Homer oddity is the love of burlesque shows.  At least twice a year there is a burlesque show held at a local dining establishment, usually Alice's Champagne Palace, but they are closing, so Wasabi might have to pick up the slack this year.  Sometimes it functions as a fund raiser for...hockey?  Council on the Arts?  I honestly can't remember, but I am intrigued and plan to find out a little more about the scene.   My neighbor is often the event emcee, so I'm sure she could tell me more, but I feel like I will need to experience it.  I wonder if it will include marimba playing and drum circles.  They don't seem bawdy enough, but it's difficult to imagine a performance in Homer without them.  I will be sure to do a post on the Bait & Tassels (Homer's Burlesque Troupe) when I have some first hand knowledge.

Russian Old Believers
There are three Russian Old Believer communities on the outskirts of Homer. The woman are easily recognizable for their colorful, satin dresses.  Married women also wear head coverings.  The men wear beards and typical Russian shirts.  When I first arrived, I imagined their community to be similar to the Amish until I watched the dress I was admiring jump into an Escalade and peel out of the farmer's market parking lot.  Old Believers separated from the Russian Orthodox Church in the 17th century as a result of reforms being implemented at the time.  Many of these communities later fled the country to avoid persecution. The villages near us were established within the past 50 years as many Old Believers moved here from a larger Old Believer community in Oregon.  Below are some photos of the cross country team from Kachemak Selo village.  They joined Kate's Girls on the Run program for a 5k run this fall.  The dresses didn't seem to slow them down any.

Resourcefulness
People here are really resourceful.  Not everyone has the money to buy what they need/want, but also we do not have the merchandise available in Homer.  In true homesteading fashion, some people will hold on to anything in case it might be useful later.  One day last winter, I was driving Kate to school when I saw someone peddling a bike and pulling what looked to be a trailer behind.  It's an active community and people just put on fat tires and headlamps to ride around town in the winter, so that's not surprising.  What blew me away is that the trailer was a bench seat from an old mini van somehow fashioned into a bike trailer. All three kids were wearing the seatbelts too!  I've seen similar contraptions while skiing.  Some can afford the skjorning belt and ski trailer.  I even know someone whose son cuddles under a caribou fur to stay warm as she will ski in any conditions.  But many people opt for rope and a sled.  I have also seen an infant car seat with runners on the bottom.  This must be part of what Brian loves about Homer.  He is so (rightfully) proud to have built the kids' fort out of recycled materials.  In the past couple of years, Brian has attempted several kayak carts/trailers with old bicycle tires and strollers, so he fits right in here.