H o w e l l T r i b e

The End (But Not Really).

2009-06-26T16:21:00.000-07:00

We hugged Bob and Bebe goodbye and came back into the house. I filled the tub with hot water and rested motionless in a bath for some time, only my eyes and nose above water, my hair floating around my head, ears full of a deep, muffled nothingness, while something like this (see video) passed through my mind. After a good sob and an even better scrubbing, I hopped out onto the dense bleached-white rug with bare feet, wrapped myself in a thick, oversized towel, and sighed. Walking out of the bathroom, my hand grazed the wall-plate (with its three oddly arranged switches) to turn off the light in the natural way that only the master of a house would know. And in that humbled manner with which the cradle of the heart has a way of responding, the truth of the moment was tangible: We were, finally, home.

Homecoming

2009-06-22T15:42:00.006-07:00

After over 10,000 miles of travel all within the state of Alaska over the last six months, we're back in Charleston. Jim starts a 4-year oral surgery residency in just four days. Our wonderful parents picked us up at the airport and welcomed us to our home which they had cleaned and stocked full of food. The contents of the fridge were almost too much to bear: real milk (we've only had shelf-stable since last December), eggs, chips and hot sauce, Sarah's favorite pickles, Publix sandwich meat and cheese, cokes, fresh fruits and vegetables, slice-and-bake cookies. It felt like the final scene in Miracle on 34th Street, when the little girl has wished for a house and she gets it, table set for Christmas dinner and gifts under the tree. And you know what the best part is? When it runs out, we'll go to the store and get more. We couldn't have asked for a better homecoming, and we're so thankful.

Our Two Favorite Grills (4,521 miles apart)

2009-06-22T15:42:00.005-07:00

We checked our bags in Anchorage and took a cab to Bear Tooth Grill for one last plate of nachos before an all night flight to the east coast.

Bob and Bebe picked us up at the airport and took us to Hominy Grill in downtown Charleston for breakfast, 9 hours later.

A Five Minute Walk

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Anchorage. Transporting our stuff from South to North terminal (Alaska Airlines to Delta). "Nah, we don't need to take the shuttle. The guy said it was only a five minute walk." This was after we asked a homeless man for directions, trudged through a construction site, and dumped the whole cart of luggage in the middle of a crosswalk.

Hovercraft

2009-06-22T15:42:00.001-07:00

We got to ride on the 95 foot-long Hovercraft from King Cove to Cold Bay, where a short flight took us to Sand Point. The Suna-x cost $8.8 million to build and has a primary purpose of medevac-ing people to Cold Bay for a flight to Anchorage. It hovers about 5 feet above the surface of the water and can reach speeds of 75 mph.

We saw seven bears on the 30 minute ride from King Cove to Cold Bay.

"In The Loop" Article

2009-06-22T15:41:00.000-07:00

Laughing Gas

2009-06-22T11:59:00.000-07:00

Jim did some dental work on me this weekend (replaced amalgams with composite, filled a new cavity, buffed the leftover orthodontics glue from my teeth [we left Naples in a hurry]), and I have such a problem with sensitivity, he had to numb the whole mouth just to clean my teeth. All said and done, there were 11 lidocaine injections, leaving me with the feeling that I had a huge clown face drawn on (see video). Incidentally, there was no laughing gas involved.

Shower Curtain Hugs

2009-06-22T11:55:00.000-07:00

The situation has become severe. Shower curtain hugs (sneaking up on showering person and enveloping them in the shower curtain for a hug) are greatly to be feared. Signage was necessary.

Grizzly Bear

2009-06-22T11:46:00.000-07:00

Salmon season just started, but they aren't really running yet. Bears know it's time, though.

That's right, they don't see you. Pure stealth.

Morning cup of coffee, newspaper, and a quick stop to see a man about a dog.

Halooo.

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We're hoping this is a Husky-Greyhound mix, and not just some poor, starving creature.

Night Light

2009-06-22T11:38:00.000-07:00

We're getting a little out of whack with all this light. It's 11 pm in this shot, and we're trying to go to sleep (of course it's a bit darker with curtains closed, but still). Circadian rhythm? What's that?

Jim Halibut Fishing

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Afterwards, we had a great big fish fry. Nothing like it.

King Cove

2009-06-22T10:38:00.000-07:00

Back in King Cove, everything has started to turn green. There are tender boats anchored everywhere in the cove (these are boats that anchor at the mouth of the cove, so they can take the fish from fishing boats into the Peter Pan fishery, so fishing boats don't have to come all the way into the cove).

Some People Are Hurtful

2009-06-22T10:29:00.000-07:00

Apparently, Sarah has extraordinarily small ears, as her family has enjoyed a laugh or two in this department at her expense for years now (staring at her ears, perplexed, then speaking towards one side with cupped hands "CAN YOU HEEEEAR ME?", asking if she had some sort of accident with acid as a child, also calling them "squirrel ears," to name a few). And she never can seem to get the Pen-Air foam earplugs to stay in for the ride (they're supposed to fit snugly in one's ear canal). Some people found it amusing to mock. Some people are hurtful.

Back To King Cove

2009-06-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

This trip from Anchorage to King Cove, we had to stop in King Salmon and refuel. We also stopped in Sand Point and Cold Bay before finally landing in the Cove.

Bob Rich Is The Man

2009-06-21T14:43:00.000-07:00

Remember the post Water Tower Restoration? Well, the man at left (Bob Rich) has stumbled upon it and informs us he owned the cabin for some time in the 1970s! He has stories about and pictures of it at this link. And yes, Bob, since we totally ripped the navy photo off your page, you definitely have permission to use any of our pictures you'd like. Thanks for the story.

Goodbye Denali

2009-06-09T08:18:00.000-07:00

Parting Jurassic Park-style shot of Denali

Talkeetna Again

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The Alaska Range

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Denali in full glory, on an uncommonly clear day

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Lake Revisited: Above: January; Below: June

All Fun & Games...

2009-06-09T07:46:00.000-07:00

Just to show you how quickly something that, by all appearances, is a good thing--can go bad.

Daytrip To Denali

2009-06-09T07:23:00.000-07:00

We took off on Sunday for Denali National Park, with a detour back to Talkeetna. We lived on cold Coca-Cola and Crunch bars until dinner at Mountain High Pizza Pie, enjoying the finest weather we've had in Alaska (accompanied by an almost empty highway, Jerry Jeff Walker, Old Crow Medicine Show, and a live ten-minute version of "Rain King" on repeat) for eight truly glorious hours of driving.

Goodbye, Adak

2009-06-09T06:40:00.000-07:00

Our favorite take-home word from Adak:

Liberate: to take what is not yours (but that which has not previously been claimed and presumably never will be) any item found, such as a cool old military sign, without discussion or exchange of payment for said item (and with swiftness, accompanied by a discerning sideways glance). Usage: "Yeah, I've been meaning to liberate one of those old charcoal grills."

We'll use it forever and think of you, Chris. Thanks. For everything.

2009-06-09T06:39:00.000-07:00

Almost Russia

2009-06-08T12:13:00.000-07:00

Куда пойти на мировую?

(where did the world go?)

Painted on the wall in the Adak airport (minus the little walking people), an illustration of our location. Da.

Tetanus Farm

2009-06-05T09:13:00.000-07:00

Adak's greatest untapped natural resource is Clostridium tetani. The cure for people who talk too much, Tetanus, causing lockjaw, is sure to be a major export in the future, as more populated regions will consume their relatively lesser yields at a faster rate. Scientists are working now with shelty dogs, hairstylists, and Joe Biden to test for efficacy and resistance.

Water Tower Renovation

2009-06-02T23:41:00.000-07:00

Our trusty guide proudly led us to this water tower-turned-hunting cabin out in the Adak backcountry. Coziest place we've ever seen (but in dire need of Mom & Dad's red couch)

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A "guest book" (note the rat tally--and forgive us for the visual, but these rodents are something else! Russian, and this one's a baby), with photos attached from caribou hunts based out of this very cabin.

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Cabin ceiling

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Water tower cabin atop hill in fog

Such An Sad Place

2009-06-02T22:44:00.000-07:00

Most of the structures in Adak are abandoned, with boarded-up doors, smashed in windows (weather or vandalism), and unhappy No Trespassing signs. In a village of 150 with housing for several thousand, it is the definition of a ghost town.

Bering Hill (shown in these and following photos) must have been crawling with people in its prime, since it held the barracks (not family housing), rec center, galley, prison, a movie theater, pool, gym, bar with dance floor, several restaurants, library, and news station. We toured it with Chris and Mami but can only share the photos without classified graffiti.

We think John Mercado said it best on September 20, 2008: abandoned and ravaged as it has been, it truly is, "Such an sad place."

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Bering Theater

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The Library

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Art

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The Kitchen

2009-06-02T22:08:00.000-07:00

There was a Baskin Robbins inside the rec center, with pink spoons littered across the floor and Kit Kat Blizzard ads posted on icecream freezers, a pizza joint with vinyl booths and plates still sitting out, and a stainless steel kitchen Laura would die for (we actually discussed the means by which we could extract and ship it to her house, wasted as it is here).

2009-06-02T22:03:00.000-07:00

Ptarmigan: The State Bird

2009-06-02T21:56:00.000-07:00

Ptarmigan change colors from light brown in the summer to snow white in the winter. There are two camouflaged here--John Reid'll find 'em.

Thumb Bay

2009-06-02T21:43:00.000-07:00

Boomer The Otter: Adak Island Safety

2009-06-02T19:52:00.000-07:00

A favorite coloring book with the kids: Boomer cautions against playing with unexploded ordnances and other dangers on the island.

Weapons Storage Facility

2009-06-02T19:37:00.000-07:00

Went with Chris, CHP (Community Health Practitioner) and OGF (Our Good Friend) to tour the old weapons storage facility. This is classified (so don't tell anyone), but this area in particular is rumored to have held nuclear warheads. It was manned by Marines (only the best when nukes are involved, of course). Note the double fence which formerly enclosed pacing attack dogs and the "Seven Doors Of Doom." Semper Fi, Dad.

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Clearly Adak

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Mt. Moffett, volcano

Great Birds Fly Alike

2009-06-02T18:50:00.000-07:00

Welcome To Adak

2009-06-02T18:28:00.000-07:00

We got to fly here on a big ol' Alaska Airlines jet made just for this flight--the front half of the plane reserved for cargo, the back half for passengers. There are two weekly flights to Adak, one Sunday and one Thursday (to put this in perspective, the electricity went out on the island last Thursday night, and we had to wait for a part to be flown in on Sunday to fix it).

We flew in from Anchorage on a clear day with a great view of the town and Mt. Adagdak in the distance. See all that housing? Only about 150 people live here, with housing enough for around 6,000.

At 1,200 miles southwest of Anchorage, Adak is the westernmost municipality in the US and the southernmost town in Alaska, and has coasts on the Bering Sea and the North Pacific.

The island is home to an abandoned military base used by Air Force, Army, and most recently, Navy during the Cold War. During WWII, there were over 100,000 people living on the island. In 1994 the base was downsized and lost most of its families (the school and family housing closed), and in 1997, the station officially closed, selling the facilities to the Aleut Corporation.

Anchorage Farmer's Market

2009-06-02T18:27:00.000-07:00

'Round Anchorage

2009-06-02T18:25:00.000-07:00

Only in Alaska.

Ditto.

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Reindeer dogs. Better (and bigger) than pig.

Fireweed Theater, Anchorage: $3 movies. We saw Nicholas Cage in Knowing (come on! A spaceship finale?! And THAT is why it was at the Fireweed), and left the theater at 1 AM while it was still this light outside.

Hooray For The Little Guy

2009-06-02T18:09:00.000-07:00

Saw these two asymmetrical scenes within a 48-hour period.

World Beard & Moustache Championships

2009-05-24T13:28:00.000-07:00

The championships were in Anchorage, with winners presented at the Farmer's Market on Saturday. A few of our favorites:

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Goodbye Whittier

2009-05-24T13:08:00.000-07:00

Buckner Building

2009-05-22T00:50:00.000-07:00

The Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964, also known as the Good Friday Earthquake, significantly affected the town of Whittier. The quake itself lasted 5 minutes and remains the most powerful recorded earthquake in North American history, registering 8.4 on the Richter scale (by the way, Alaska has twice as many earthquakes per year as all the other U.S. states combined). An ensuing 43 ft. tidal wave devastated Whittier, and 14 of the town's 30 permanent residents lost their lives.

Construction of the Buckner Building (the only other large structure in Whittier besides Begich Tower, where we stayed) was completed in 1953. Meant to house thousands of troops and their families after the post-WWII discovery that Whittier was strategically located to be a deep ice-free port and railyard for Alaska during the Cold War, the building was abandoned after suffering Good Friday's damage. This left empty, at the time, the largest structure in Alaska, inside: a movie theatre, bowling alley, school, pool, gym, jail, and housing.

It has since been colossally looted and vandalized, a canvas on which delinquents tattoo very poor poetry (incredibly, they find the post-huffing self-restraint to reserve some paint for obscenities). Grizzlies find it an accommodating location for hibernation, and there have been several alleged sightings of "Bloody Bob" (we didn't have the pleasure).

We headed in with a (weak dental) headlamp, a non-video camera which only allows 2 minute clips of action, and 2/3 of our party unsure of their commitment to exploring the most interesting forgotten edifice we've encountered. Apologies and enjoy.

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Won't You Guide My Sleigh Tonight

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A Whittierite takes an evening stroll around the block with a pet reindeer on leash.

Tunnel Town

2009-05-22T00:29:00.000-07:00

Nicknamed "Tunnel Town," Whittier has a complex system of underground tunnels leading from building to building throughout town.

A Richard Scarry Scene

2009-05-22T00:22:00.000-07:00

The view from our window has us looking for Lowly Worm sweeping the streets and Huckle Cat flying a plane wearing a scarf and goggles.

Dental Denomination

2009-05-21T23:44:00.000-07:00

With the dental clinic set up in the church because of lack of space in the clinic, Jim and Mami cared for patients beneath a wreath-encircled photograph of Jesus in the late 60s (we know that's when it was because that's when he started to get a receding hairline and that distant look in his eyes). On that note, and in the name of truth--before leaving, Jim stole a copy of Our Daily Bread from the brochure table and replaced it with a children's dental coloring book called, "My Teeth Like It When I Drink Milk" (but really one daily piece of bread, especially if it's whole wheat, won't hurt your teeth, either).

Begich Tower

2009-05-21T18:37:00.000-07:00

Bizarrely, 90% of Whittier's 100 residents live in this building, Begich Tower. It also houses the post office, grocery store, clinic, city offices, and other businesses. Maybe they got the idea from an older structure in town, Buckner Building, which was once considered "the city under one roof" (see upcoming post regarding). We got to stay on the 14th floor in the Honeymoon Suite, with a great view of town. Never saw another person on our floor. We won't mince words--it was creepy.

Welcome To Whittier

2009-05-21T18:29:00.000-07:00

The Tunnel

2009-05-21T18:20:00.000-07:00

The first of many eerie things about Whittier--a one lane shared railroad/road tunnel, the only road in to Whittier, and the second longest highway tunnel in North America at 2.5 miles long. One may drive one way for 15 minutes an hour, the other way for 15 minutes an hour, and not at all the other 30 minutes of that hour (reserved for railroad traffic). It closes altogether at night.

Driving South from Anchorage

2009-05-21T18:09:00.000-07:00

A Prized Encounter

2009-05-19T13:42:00.000-07:00

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Stephen

Dave

Frannie

Clyde

Sandra Dee

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As part of a class, I got to go to the Brother Francis Shelter for the homeless in Anchorage and wash feet. Having just made it through an Alaska winter outdoors, one man told me he hadn't taken off his shoes in over a month (though he was the same man who thanked me profusely when it was over, concluding with, "God bless you, and God bless California.") Sparing you pictures of the feet, above and below are shots of some of the souls whose acquaintance I now greatly treasure.

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William

Lillian

George and George

Ten Pounds Of Party In A Five Pound Bag

2009-05-15T23:14:00.000-07:00

Laura was a glowing bride, sweet, happy, and fun, all at once. There were too many fun pictures from the wedding to pick just one, but a short video is just right. If it seems like an Ode to Matthew Hubis, that's because it kind of is. Really, Matthew, thank you for embodying the East Coast Party Band's motto, "ten pounds of party in a five pound bag." That's the most we've enjoyed watching someone's moves since Pee-wee Herman saved himself from the biker gang dancing to Tequila in platform shoes.

South Carolina Heart-Clutching Moments

2009-05-15T22:19:00.000-07:00

Buying a watermelon at a roadside stand and letting big ol' Arnold carry it to the car.

The fact that Dave was the first and last person we saw in South Carolina.

Publix. Seriously, why do other groceries even try? (Except the Pig, of course).

The way country music sounds so much better in South Carolina than anywhere else in the world.

The live oaks arching over Maybank Highway on the way to Kiawah.

Throwing the frisbee with Dad, Sullivan's Island, first beach day (so many days left to be together).

Watching Josh Summers and Laura Mills become "The Summers" (overlooking the 18th hole on the lawn of Kiawah Island's River Course clubhouse).

Going to the Mt. Pleasant farmer's market, listening to Triple Lindy ("foot stompin' booty shakin' newgrass") and the smell of kettle corn.

Sitting in our Bay Club den into the wee hours with Dave after he picked us up from the airport, eating single serve Motts apple sauce and laughing in the way that only he could make us laugh about measuring tumors in mice at MUSC.

Getting to be with Mom for the first Mother's Day in years, and finally finding just the right sweetgrass basket (made by Matilda) at a Mt. Pleasant stand for her mother's day present (and seeing her love it).

The fact that the Pat Patten family drove up for an impromptu reunion.

Seeing Dad play with Keelie the same way he played with me when I was her age.

Getting a sunburn (so much that aloe and an oscillating fan were required).

Watching Matthew Hubis dance solo to the East Coast Party Band at the Summer's wedding, with his poor wife Emily resigned to shaking her head and saying, "I know, I know..." (see video above).

The new South Carolina license plate.

Going with Uncle Pat to get Dunkin Donuts for Mother's Day breakfast on Sunday.

Eating watermelon with the Patten family by the pool in a thunderstorm.

People saying hello to us when passing, for no apparent reason other than the obvious civilized tradition by which one acknowledges a human being within a few feet of oneself.

Being at Poe's on Sullivan's with Alice and Dave, Blue Moons with an orange all-around.

The smell of a saltwater marsh just before rain.

Finding a "Stick with Strom" campaign t-shirt at Goodwill.

Getting caught on Sullivan's, far from our towels, in a downpour, running with Mom and Dad to the car, watching beachgoers flee for cover.

The truth that "partly cloudy" in Charleston means "mostly sunny."

South Carolina

2009-05-15T18:41:00.000-07:00

We have sat, many a time, in our ever-changing settling spots here in Alaska, and played our "South Carolina Playlist," which always makes us lean back, close our eyes, and take a deep breath of the smell of memory, like a drug.

The songs? James Taylor singing "Carolina In My Mind," (the Patten family sitting in front of a fire after a chicken and mashed potatoes dinner at the old place on the east side of Greenville, falling asleep quizzing each other on The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Pupus looking on protectively), watching my Dad lean against the stereo with closed eyes listening to Steely Dan's "Do It Again," "Give Me Just A Little More Time" by Chairmen of the Board (Clemson spring break on Sullivan's Island, Station 22, shagging with buddies), Elvin Bishop's "Fooled Around And Fell In Love," (Caesar's Head nights the first year we were married and living in a tool shed, the baseline and tinny beat drifting from open windows to the hammock with a view of the stars through treelimbs), Nanci Griffith's "Wing And The Wheel" (back porch cigar-smoking and grape juice from wine glasses late nights with Katie and Emily, talking about what college would be like) "Every Time You Say Goodbye," Alison Krauss (a rainy day drive to Taco Casa and a quick look around Half Moon, then home for a nap). In short, we miss South Carolina, and getting to go home in May was like a dream.

Meeting Cinco

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Q: What do Beethoven's most famous symphony, 750 mLs of hard liquor, the amendment which allows someone to remain silent under oath, and little Bobby have in common?

A: They're all fifths.

Spent time with Bob, Bebe, Emily, Robert, and Bobby (Robert Lewis Howell V) in Vancouver during our vacation. He's a great mix of his parents, and (our favorite part) has his great grandfather Jimmy's prominent forehead, just like his Uncle Jim. Bobby has strong hands with long fingers (we're banking on world-renowned pianist). Bobbylove defined? To know him.

Above Anchorage

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Got a great view of Anchorage from Flattop Mountain.

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Joani--you won't believe this, but, we finally bumped into Alaska Joe on our way down Flattop Mountain above Anchorage. We knew it was him immediately, since you had described him as a "rugged meerkat of a man."

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A couple trips to Bear Tooth and our favorite lunch place, Arctic Roadrunner (Local Burgerman), and our stomachs were reacquainted with meat digestion. It was 65 degrees and sunny in Anchorage, and in this particularly cheesy sunglasses shot, we were sitting outside by the river relishing bottomless coke, fries, and burgers (extra pickles).

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We picked up our freight at the Alaska Air cargo dock. It'll be in storage in Anchorage for the next couple weeks.

A Little Stir Crazy

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Being stuck in Sand Point for an indefinite amount of time felt kind of like being trapped in a broken-down elevator. But we found plenty of diversions.

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Waiting for the weather to change, we pulled out a 1000 piece puzzle of a fishing village in Nova Scotia and went to work. Sarah started on the sky (bad choice, very discouraging), but Jim finished the edges and part of a boat by midnight. He was up the next morning at 6 am hovering over the thing with a cup of coffee.

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We made four trips to the Sand Point airport, four days in a row, before a plane could finally land to take us to Anchorage. This is Unga, the next island over, behind the fog. The way they determine whether or not a plane will be able to land is by visibility of Unga. These planes fly by sight, so if it's too foggy to see over this part of the island, they won't land (in the first three attempts, we could hear them flying over and turning back each time, as we jumped up and down flailing our arms and yelling). In King Cove, they have a similar setup. One time, they had missed so many planes, they were instructed to all park their cars near the end of the runway and turn on their headlights. Reportedly, the plane was able to land. We already had everything packed for our next two month travel, so we left it at the airport each time (no sense in lugging 1100 pounds of equipment back and forth).

Aleutian Olympics

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Aleutian Olympics Awards Ceremony

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Door prizes included donated items from local businesses, which (until the day before the games) was only two single shatter packs of cod from Trident (which I was fully aware would get quite an "oh boy!" reaction from the kids--though it is a pretty spendy prize). Thankfully, at the last minute, Cut 'R Loose Coffee Shop donated six single scoops of ice cream. I made up the certificates for prizes, adding on the ice cream one "but only if you walk there," since this is supposed to be all about health. Tribe chiefs carried around score cards and received points for every event completed, and the

top three tribes were

awarded gold, silver, and bronze trophies (spray-painted rocks) and an Alaska state flag, all to the tune of the Olympic Theme.

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Sand Point's finest (Mike and Chief) brought their grill and barbecued chicken for lunch. The school cook, Juanita, rounded out the meal, and Mary Mobeck made a cake.