Season’s Greetings 1994

 

As most of you know a lot has happened for us this year. We finally made the long planned for move to Alaska. We left Chetek on June 11, waving goodbye to a group or friends and family that saw us off. Gloria's mom rode along as far as Idaho and Washington where she stayed for a month and visited with Gloria's sisters. We visited with Gloria's two younger sisters for a few days at each place and then headed down to California where we spent three days with Roger's sister, Nancy. Then, heading back up to Washington, we picked up our trailer and began our trip up to Alaska. We took the Cassiar Highway to the AlCan Highway. The trip was beautiful and we didn't have any problems. We arrived in Sterling, Alaska on June 26.

     The first month in Alaska, Roger, Gloria and Mike stayed in a small, 16'x24' cabin that some friends of ours had found for us. For the next six weeks, Carissa was down in Homer taking care or Gloria's Aunt Ruth while her Uncle Ted was fishing. Gloria and Roger used that month to begin their job search. Roger began working for a taxidermist around the middle of July and Gloria was hired at a women's crisis center in Kenai the end of August. At the beginning of August, we moved into a two bedroom trailer m Sterling and Carissa and Mike started school around the 20th of August.

     Roger is self-employed and is doing contract work for Northland Furs and Taxidermy in Soldotna. Soldotna is twelve miles away from Sterling. He really is enjoying the work and the people he is working with, a neat couple named Leon and Lee. They are partners and Leon runs the taxidermy business and Lee runs the fur business. Lee is a very talented and creative seamstress and makes some gorgeous fur and leather creations including some Mukluks she designed. Roger is also meeting a lot of new people as the taxidermy shop is always a busy place during the summer when the tourist are here. When Roger isn't working, he has been fishing, fishing, and fishing. We lived on fish the first two months we were here. First, there was the run of Reds in the Kenai River; next came the Pinks, and lastly the big Silvers. We didn't have an opportunity to fish for Kings as you need a boat to catch them. Now that winter is setting m, Roger has been doing some ice fishing and catching Arctic Char on some small lakes around Sterling.

     Gloria was hired on full-time at LeeShore Women's Resource and Crisis Center in Kenai as a direct service advocate. Kenai is about 25 miles from Sterling. The drive isn't too bad but now that there is snow on the ground, the roads have been getting worse. At the end of October, Gloria started working the midnight to 7:00 a.m. shift. Needless to say she is hoping to find work elsewhere and has been sending applications to the State of Alaska. Hopefully something will come up within the next few months.

 

      Bill is in his third year at the University or Wisconsin in Madison. He is doing really great and we're very proud of him. He is working two jobs as well as attending classes full time. He is staying with his grandfather in Madison, but is talking or moving into an apartment of his own in the near future. Bill is planning on coming to visit us next summer when he is on a break from college. We miss him a lot and are looking forward to his visit, while he is here, we are hoping to take a one day cruise to see the Kenai Fjords.

      Carissa is a sophomore at Skyview High School just south of Soldotna. She has a lb mile bus ride three days a week and the other two, Gloria drives her down early for Jazz Band. Carissa is in Choir, Concert Band, and Jazz Band. At the Fall Concert she had a trumpet solo and will be playing a few trumpet solos at the Christmas Concert as well. The middle of December, she has another solo to play for the Madrigal Feast. We are all hoping to go and hear her play for that. 8he has made a lot of friends since school started and has adjusted well to the move.

      Michael is in sixth grade at Sterling Elementary School and only has a two mile bus ride to school. Roger and I have been taking turns walking or driving the kids the third of a mile to catch the bus as it is still dark in the morning when they catch the bus. Mike has been really getting into different sports since the move here. He learned how to play soccer when school first started and now is playing basketball and learning how to play hockey. He has also made lots of new friends and is enjoying his new home.

      Speaking of new homes, we made an offer on a house in Sterling in November and it was accepted. This is the third offer we've made and were excited when we finally could agree on terms and a price. The house is rustic looking and was built by the owner. It sits on a very private 11 acres, has a greenhouse and several other out buildings including a coop for chickens or pigs, two huge sheds full of what the owner calls "treasures" and what most people would call "junk", but we agree with him and think that is part of the charm. Roger and Mike will be busy for a long time exploring and discovering what and where all the treasures are. The house has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a full basement, and an attached two car garage. We are excited for our friends and family to come and visit. We close the deal on January 30, and will be moving m on February 1. Gloria is thrilled about the greenhouse and planting a garden.

      So far, as of the end of November, we have had quite a few snow falls and we have heard that we already have half of last year's total snow fall. By the end of September, all the tourist are gone and the Peninsula has taken on a small town feel. The traffic is much less and when we go places, we are recognizing more people we have seen before. It's great and we are happy we have made the move. With all the snow, everything is breathtaking. We still have about six hours of daylight as of December 3, but the days are getting short fast and we're looking forward to seeing what dark Alaskan winters are like. I'm sure by February, we will be ready for some sunshine. We still don't have a TV and have no plans at this time of getting one. He all have our own library cards and have been doing a good deal of reading and card playing. It has been wonderful! We do have a very used stereo that Leon gave us and Gloria bought two little speakers at a garage sale for $15. We are still sleeping on the floor, but hope to find some furniture at garage sales next summer.

     We nope all of you are well and we look forward to hearing from all of you soon. The post office has become a central part of our lives and we are always happy to get letters from "outside" (what Alaskan's call the lower forty-eight). Have a Merry Christmas and may the New Year bring you all you wish for!

 

Roger, Gloria, Bill, Carissa, and Mike