Last Day in Alaska

7-30-09 Today was our last day in Alaska. After cleaning our accommodations at Meier Lake we packed our vans and Deacon Ann's car and headed for Anchorage. Dwight and Cathy took a van and headed directly for the airport to take Liz to her 11 AM flight. Ally, Nastia and Becca went along too for a day of shopping in the big city. Cathy caught a flight around 3 PM. The rest of us headed for Whittier to see the Prince William Sound. What a spectacular drive down the Seward Highway! Really hard to express as the mountains plummet straight down to the water. To get to Whittier you have to travel on the only single lane automobile/train tunnel in North America (I believe). Vehicle traffic actually drives straddling the rails. The tunnel changes directions every 1/2 hour and closes to automobiles when a train passes. The tunnel is 2.6 miles in length and perfectly straight. As we approached the tunnel we saw a black bear on the tracks about 50 yards from our car. Emerging from the other end of the tunnel we were in Whittier and another world. Heavy fog, rain, wind. There is a daily tide change of about 15 feet in height. The trip home treated us to a wild sheep perched on the cliffs along the road. We were able to meet the other van in Anchorage for dinner at the Arctic Roadrunner.

Now we sit at the airport waiting for our flight. It looks we will be about 1/2 hour late in our departure. See you soon in Virginia.

Time to Go

7-30-09 After spending the day in Anchorage yesterday, we enjoyed a potluck supper at St. David's and finally, Holy Communion. It is a bittersweet day, looking forward to seeing friends and family at home and hating to leave the glorious views of Alaska. We have made fast friends here with the folks at St. David's. Many hugs shared and a few tears shed. This morning, strangely, there is no view of the mountain from our porch at Meier Lake. Must be time to go home. Wash is in the washer and dryer as we are responsible for all clean up. We must scrub the bathrooms and restock all closets with clean linens before we go. We have our final prayer session and meeting at 9am so I must run. Love to all.

No mountains today. ??

Dog Days of Summer-Happy Trails Kennel

Our visit with Martin Buser, 4-time Iditarod champion, was a fun and furry adventure. We had a brief explanation of the Iditarod Race with Buser's son, Rohn, age 19. Our group was able to view the many awards Martin Buser has won over the last 20+ years in his trophy room. Rohn is a musher in his own right, coming in 36th place in the 2008 Iditarod. We were able to hold the week old puppies, pet the sled team, and have Martin entertain us with a 1-man show explaining the roles of the musher, the volunteer, and the veterinarian at each checkpoint of the race. When it was time for Martin Buser to hook the dogs up to his sled, you can't imagine the excitement (chaos) with more than 20 barking dogs, all eager to be chosen for this particular run. THE NOISE WAS DEAFENING because each of the dogs just had to be picked! They jumped and pulled against their harnesses as Martin attached them, one by one. Martin got on the sled and it took off like a shot, no wheels, just wooden runners and fast. In a few minutes, Buser completed a loop around the property and rode back into the parking lot. Whoosh! The teens seemed to each have a favorite - Becca chose Jefferson, Macson picked Otter, Nastia loved Caribou, and Alex couldn't get Yosemite off of his leg. Beware parents, they are being shipped separately to Virginia. Get lots of dog food now! Stefanie got an autographed card of Wolfie. Each member of our group received a free dog bootie, actually used during the Iditarod race, to protect the paws of the pooches. Ron found the doggy-sized hamster wheel and couldn't resist the temptation. The dogs didn't know what to think!

Back at Meier Lake

7-29-09 Good morning! Sorry we have not blogged the last couple of days. We have been very busy. The trip in to Denali National Park (Mt. McKinley) was fabulous. The weather cooperated once again. After breakfast at 5:30, our bus departed at 6:15 am. Our driver, Martin Brewer, was a veteran and told many interesting stories about his family and how he and his wife ended up in Alaska. Within minutes of starting our journey, 2 moose walked behind the bus. Fortunately someone in the back shouted to stop and we backed up to take a better look. Windows dropped and cameras appeared. When we moved on, the bus driver laid out a few rules including no hanging out the windows, no noises, etc. Seems we had broken most of them including some strange moose calls that were coming from inside the bus! (Mr. Hovermale had his new moose call horn with him.)
As the day progressed, we had many animal sightings. The bears were always very far away. We saw Dall Sheep but as they climb near the peaks of the mountains, they were just distant specks seen best with binoculars or a very long camera lens. Golden eagles and ptarmigan, the state bird of Alaska, were fairly easy to spot. The question of the day was, "Where is Denali? Which one is Denali? Our driver, Mr. Brewer, said that only 20% of people who come to the park ever see Denali due to the cloud cover that perpetually gathers at the mountain. Cathy Brown insisted that we would see the entire mountain. We had our best views, probably 80% of the peak, on our way in. We stopped at the Eilson Center, a small museum/rest stop of sorts which included a 3-dimensional model of the entire range along with panoramic views of Mt. McKinley(Denali) and its neighboring mountain. On display there was a pair of locked horns, from 2 moose who had battled and died joined at the horns. Our best animal sightings were definitely the moose and caribou. Ron was particularly good at locating animals at a distance. Looking down, down, down from the bus windows into the valleys below, we saw 2 people walking along a stream bed. Not too far behind, 2 caribou were following them. We said the caribou were stalking the humans...or maybe it was the other way around. After 6 hours, several rest stops later, we arrived at the Back Country Lodge at the end of the road...literally. By now we had travelled 95 miles into the park.

Here is a description from the Back Country Lodge's website describing the trip.

The more adventurous take one of the grandest drives on earth. Winding through the Alaska Range, deep into the heart of the Denali park, the "Park Road" offers opportunities to see Denali's famed wildlife: Grizzlies, Caribou, Moose, Dall Sheep, Wolves, and Eagles. And, should the weather smile upon you, above all of it towers Mt. McKinley (Denali) itself, the highest point in North America (20,320 feet). At the very end of the Denali Park road, past Wonder Lake, you'll find a unique enclave in the park known as Kantishna. This area is home to Denali Backcountry Lodge.

When we arrived, a buffet lunch was waiting for us. We had about 2 hours to eat and enjoy some activities at the lodge. While we relax, our bus windows will be washed to remove the dust from the gravel road. Most of us chose to hike or pan for gold in the Nenana River. Ron found some gold, a fleck perhaps, but still gold. Back on the bus after a beautiful 2 hours of sunshine and warmth. No need for our rain jackets on this trip! There are fewer stops on the return trip, however animal sighting still were possible. We were excited to see a caribou on the road ahead of us. Many of us were out of our seats and heading for the windows (or maybe the bus driver's lap) in a flash. We will attach some pictures of this caribou who stayed around and ate a few yards away, completely unconcerned about the busload of people gawking and snapping away with their cameras.
We wanted to see a wolf or a lynx but did not. We returned to our Denali cabin accommodations at around 7:15 pm. Together we drove to the town of Denali for dinner and shopping for souvenirs for our loved ones at home.

Flat Tires, Sunday Services and Off to Denali

7-26-09 I am writing this from the front porch of a cabin at the Denali Back Country Lodge. The wireless internet only works outside. We have just returned from a pizza dinner at the Panoramic Pizza Pub. What a fun place! All enjoyed some horseshoes, corn hole, foosball, and tasty pizza! The weather has fluctuated from rain to sunshine and back to a blue sky. We started off the morning with Johnny noticing that a tire looked a little low on air on his van. Turns out a nail was in the sidewall of the tire. Dave felt the shocks in the same van were "shot" so Johnny and Dick Moomaw drove to Anchorage to exchange the van for a new one while the rest of the crew celebrated the Eucharist at St. David's. Dwight's sermon was excellent. At the conclusion of the service, Cathy Brown presented thank you gifts to the parishioners with the help of Becca York, Ally Kuehm, and Nastia Donner. Our gifts included the navy blue scarves from the diocese of Virginia, Grace Episcopal Church plates, Episcopalian emblem car stickers, and pencils for all of the children of the church. We gave Maddie, the only teen, a Clarke County Eagles scarf and hat. She loved them!

"On the road again, just can't wait to get on the road again." Most slept on the drive to Denali which took us about 3 hours plus. Our little cabins at the lodge are sweet. Ally went running and saw a moose! The teens enjoyed time in the hot tub. Some experienced a bit of snow just a few minutes ago and a rainbow is overhead.

Good Quotes from the week - "The Blue Ridge is just a speed bump on the way to Washington compared to these mountains."

"This is a different kind of gold rush!" This was heard on our way to the glacier when we stopped at a rest area with only a few bathrooms.

More About Friday

7-26-09 It's getting more and more difficult to keep up with the blog everyday. Our apologies. We are running a hectic pace as we try to fit more things into our schedule. We may need to break Friday, the "Sarah Palin" day, into a couple of entries. Sunday we head on to Denali. The uncertainty of Internet connectivity may put us out of touch for a few days. Sorry about that.

Although our original mission to the church fell through, our secondary work at the church is going well. The addition to the church is on hold as the construction plans for a required firewall have been stalled in the permits and approvals process. Our sign team has refurbished the St. David's sign on the road. The sign was in desperate need of some loving care; cleaning, painting and landscaping. The church had a plan to landscape around it that was six years old, so our team was able to bring that dream into a reality. The addition that is being added swallowed a big section of the original parking lot. Although a new parking lot area had been created in the construction process, it was in rough shape. Our team has moved large rocks and stones from the parking area itself and used them to make a rock wall outlining the area. We have also thinned and cleared brush, weeds and trees for general house cleaning and so that the church can be seen from the road.

Our final project at the church has been the planting of a community garden to serve as food ministry. Presently St. David's has a firewood ministry that provides free firewood for those in need. Many of the people that we have met have told us about how cold the summer was last year. It rained almost every day with temperatures only reaching 70 degrees twice the entire summer. One parishioner told me that they used their heat system every single day of the year last year. St. David's has a huge firewood pile (which we also helped to stack) in preparation for the upcoming winter. The dream is also to do the same with a vegetable garden to aid those who are in need of food. The dream that they saw and the one that we envisioned coming here were two vastly different things though. St. David's church and Wasilla are in the midst of a magnificent Birch tree forest. Lush would be an understatement. The church has seven acres of land and when Ralph took John on a hike to show him the intended garden area, John and ALL of our crew, expected the path to open up to a nice meadow or field or open area for the garden. But that was not the case. Ralph stopped in the middle of the Birch tree forest. This was the "garden spot". Our project took a giant turn in its scope. We rented a backhoe for the week and Ron became "the man" as he cleared a road to this garden area, knocked down trees and removed brush to cut a garden in the middle of the forest. What most of us thought was an impossibility is now nearing reality. The area has been cleared and leveled and topsoil spread.

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Gardens, Glaciers, and a "Good Looking" Governor

7-25-09 Yesterday was a full day. The garden is almost finished, we hiked on the Matanuska Glacier, and 2 carloads got to "meet and greet" Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin! With speedy drivers Johnny Milleson and Cathy Brown at the wheels of the first 2 vans to leave the glacier, 2 of our vans made it to Patriot Memorial Park in Wasilla where the annual Governor's Picnic was in full swing. (The 3rd van was stopped for construction on the road for more than 20 minutes and didn't make it to the event in time.) It was like a town festival with balloons and a crowd of people. Flags and pins were being given to the families of active duty servicemen and at the conclusion of this ceremony, Governor Palin shook hands and signed autographs. Cathy Brown spoke with Ms. Palin , offering greetings from the Grace Church mission group. Cathy also reminded her that she had met her in Leesburg, VA when she attended a rally carrying an Idaho sign. Mrs. Brown also invited Sarah Palin to attend church at St. David's. Ally Kuehm spoke to Governor Palin about the letter her dad sent to her about our mission trip to Wasilla. After a few moments, the security guards gently pushed Ally away and said it was time to move on. Sarah Palin spoke to Deacon Ann, calling her by name, even though they hadn't seen each other for 4 years. Becca said she wanted a handshake and when she realized it wasn't going to happen, she gently poked Sarah Palin on the back. Ilia was able to get a video of Ms. Palin, as she walked through the crowd with her bodyguards. The most exciting event for our group was when William Bigelow was able to shake hands with Governor Palin, saying it was a pleasure to meet her and was able to get a signature on an Alaskan Legislature pamphlet. William will have to tell everyone all about this when he returns to Virginia! When Governor Palin drove off in her own Ford Explorer, our teenagers joined the crowd of people running behind the car to wave good-bye.

A New Day

7-24-09 Sorry we didn't post yesterday. We worked the entire day to finish the sign project, which looks awesome by the way. The garden project is moving forward with fencing to be installed today. Ron broke the backhoe, the front wheel bearings disintegrated and work ground to a halt. The teenagers picked up the slack and wheel barrowed dirt and carried brush away. We've started begging the locals for rocks. Who would have thought we'd run out of this abundant natural resource?! We asked the auto body shop across the street for some of their rocks to help with all of our rock walls. The kids piled into Lonnie Kelley's pick up and quickly stripped their property (Read parking lot) of all rocks less than boulder size. Whoo hoo! We came, we saw, we conquered. (The rocks anyway.)
After a delicious lasagna dinner (Bette's recipe) we visited a college chum of Cathy Brown's. On the way there, we spotted 2 LARGE hares sitting plop in the middle of the road. They were CUTE but not necessarily wild Alaskan bunnies. The debate is on. Were they pets on the lam or true wild Alaskan rabbits? We'll enclose a photo and you decide. Cathy's friend Roxanne and her husband Steve came to Alaska to teach in the public school more than 30 years ago. Their home is a true Alaskan showplace. Both of them are artists - Roxanne is into fabric arts and photos. Steve creates wooden furniture, walking sticks, and canes out of Diamond Willow trees. We were delighted to hear about growing up in the remote village of Bethel and McGrath from Roxanne's friend, Valerie. More later.

Please forgive the fuzzy pictures. We took the photos from inside the cars and the rabbits were moving quickly.

MOOSE! We win!

7-22-09 Dave, it's not Thursday yet! While you were blogging, we were hunting Sarah Palin. Johnny had a hot tip about where to find her house. Ron had a brand new moose call horn which he bellowed out the moving car window. The combination of Ron and moose calls did not score us a view of Sarah Palin but instead ....a MOOSE! Bette screamed, Lee followed suit and was in Bette's lap with her camera in a flash. Bette said, "Johnny back up, back up!" not knowing there was a car right behind us! Lee jumped out of the van and stealthily started to sneak up on the moose. You could hear Ron in the background saying things like, "Put a tree between you and the moose." or "That Lee is crazy." all the while blowing his moose call horn. When the moose decided to move into the taller grass, everyone got out of the car and walked into the grass to see her. She seemed unconcerned that we were tracking her every move. All of this happened at 10:00 at night which looks like 3:00 in the afternoon at home. When we got back to Meier Lake, Alex was practicing his driving with Dave McGuigan and almost everyone else was in bed. Now it is just past midnight. Elizabeth Brown has just arrived from Hawaii to spend some time with us. Bette whipped out her lasagna recipe and a bunch of us made the dinner for tomorrow night. It is finally "dark" here. Time for bed. Night.

Every Day is Fall Here

The last few days have been very fall like here. Day time temperatures in the lower 60's. The last few mornings have been cool with just a few sprinkles of rain here and there; then clearing in the afternoon and evenings. If you like fall weather, tonight has been spectacular! Cool temperatures with a slight breeze under a partly cloudy sky that is blocking a bright blue sky and sunshine. Presently it is 10:15 pm and it looks like early evening back in Virginia.

In case you're wondering, it never gets fully dark here. Even at 2, 3 or 4 am there is still light. We've been working pretty hard though, so sleep is needed and capable by all.

Time for bed. Lights ouuu......still on. Oh well.

Competition, Even on a Church Mission Trip

It started on the way to the airport. Stephanie and Becca playing yellow punch buggy. Any yellow vehicle they saw on the road counted so many points. But if the vehicle had writing on it or some other characteristic it didn't count. Then memories of playing the alphabet car game on family vacations. That's intense competition stuff. As the trip has continued, new versions of vacation competition emerge every day.

Now that we are in Alaska, game is on full bore! Who will see the first moose, bear, eagle, musk ox, Dall sheep, salmon? Eyes are intense all the time. The search is always on. The "girls" think (Yes, I say think because it is unconfirmed!) they saw a moose running from the lake the other night while they were sitting on the porch. Ilia hits that big jackpot yesterday spotting the eagle. I can't deny that one. We even have pictures of it. The first glacier si ghting just 20 minutes before that. And marmots! That's right, marmots. Have you ever seen a marmot? Not me, but every one else has.

I just couldn't take it any more. So I took nature into my own hands and I went out and found me a moose siting. Even got a picture of it. And while I was at it, I got me a wolf siting. Just don't tell anyone I Photo Shopped the wolf's water bowl and chain out of the picture. But the moose siting, that one is real. No Photo Shop there. The pressure is off now. The competition is over for me. I'm on vacation easy street now. :)

Experiencing Nature

7-21-09 The beauty of nature is apparent everywhere in Alaska. Around every corner and every turn there is something new and "awe" inspiring. Hatcher Pass, the view from our windows at Meier Lake, the view of the mountains when driving in Wasilla, each new sight better than the last. A visit to the stream, rushing, cold, and crystal blue. We started our adventure looking down at the perfectly rounded boulders placed as stepping stones for exploring the area. Then our attention was sent heavenward when Ilia spotted the bald eagle. The eagle seemed to be mocking us while he ate, turning his tail feathers in our faces. As we got back in our vans, the majestic bird flew away.

The view in downtown Wasilla.

Late or Early?

7-21-09 Good morning. The phone rang this morning. Dave's school called to ask when he'd be back to work. I thought it was 7:10 am so I splashed water on my face and ran to the kitchen area to help cook breakfast. I would be late and have to apologize. Upon arriving, I was surprised to see no lights on and no movement. Usually by this time most of us are up. Some I know are up each day at 5 am, Alaska time. Turns out I am blind without my contact lenses. When I checked my watch it must have said 4:50 am. How that translates to 7:10, I have no idea. Going back to bed. Lee:)

Meier Lake at 5 am.

It's Almost Midnight in Alaska and it's Not Quite dark yet

7-20-09 Just a few more words about the day. We had early rain but by around 3pm, the sun came out and we realized tonight that most of us have a little sunburn. Several of us returned to Hatcher Pass late this afternoon so Ron, John and Dave could experience the beautiful vistas and amazing climb. Today was a much different day to climb. The temperature was 51 degrees and at the top, the wind was BLOWING! We experienced a little wet snow on top while waiting for the teens to return from their explorations of a peak at a higher elevation. We hunkered down in a small stone dugout which sheltered us a bit from the wind. On our way down the mountain toward Meier Lake, we stopped to experience a crystal clear, rushing stream. Those adventurous ones among us climbed from rock to rock to put hands or toes in the water. Ilia Donner then pointed out a beautiful bald eagle perched high on chimney-like rock formation. We watched the eagle best when using John's binoculars. We returned to a feast of Alaskan King crab and salmon. The salmon was prepared by Barbara from St. David's - caught fresh just a few days ago. The evening was completed with communion and finally, an echo prayer led by Alex Milleson. We all stood on the back deck of the conference center and shouted to the high heavens! We love Alaska.

I Once Was Lost But Now Am Found!

7-20-09 We spent the morning searching for Thelma Moomaw's wedding band. Dick had given it to her over 47 years ago. We turned camp upside down searching everywhere. Later, while at work cleaning and painting the church sign, Thelma discovered her ring in her work glove. These were the same gloves that had been carefully shaken out and searched by several of us earlier. Thelma was delighted to have her ring back. We thank God for the miracle of the ring.

The Hard Work and Fun Continues in Alaska

7-20-09 Ralph is in charge of communicating project decisions for St. David's Church for the vestry. We have enjoyed working with him to accomplish great things!

Kim, Bette, Thelma and Carolyn have made great progress on the sign.

Several parishioners stopped by to help out or bring us treats. Thank you, Molly, for the cookies.
Look at how cute her daughter Chloe is!

Mr. Robin McCormick has stopped by everyday to spend time with our mission team with his cute pink poodle, Nicole. Today Robin brought everyone some sodas and a wonderful Alaska hat!
What a generous and thoughtful gift! Here is a picture of all of us with Robin wearing our spiffy new hats!

Sunday in Alaska

7-19-09 : Sunday morning took us to St. David's for a fabulous breakfast and inspiring morning services. Thank you gifts were presented to Father Paul Klitzke, Deacon Ann, and other members of the church by Cathy Brown, Stephanie Nicholson, and Ilia Donner. The church then provided some lunch which allowed us more time to get to know the parishioners of St. David's. Our mission team met with key members of the church to further discuss their vision for how we can help them complete projects that have been in the works. We have already learned so much in our exchange with their congregation.

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE - A List of What We Are Thankful for Today

1. Hot running water and an afternoon nap

2. Breakfast and the nice people at St. David's

3. Communication

4. For our safe travel in the state of Alaska

5. Laughter

6. The lake and friends

7. How easy it was to develop relationships with the people of St. David's as we worshiped and ate meals together

8. The Klitzke Family invited us for a true Alaskan meal at their home. Delicious!

9. We met Wayne Curtis, Iditarod musher and his dog, Grissom.

10. The people of St. David's thanked us for helping them and that made us feel good.

11. Thankful that the Red Team didn't have to cook today!

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Our mission is not one of building a church of walls but instead building relationships in our hearts for all. We are mending and rebuilding with our enthusiasm.

John, Sally, Dave and Bette meet with Ralph from St. David's.

We visited to the Iditarod Headquarters in Wasilla.

Nastia and Ilia chat with Iditarod racer Wayne Curtis at

Rev. Paul Klitzke's home. Wayne and Paul are friends.

We meet Grissom, Wayne's lead dog for the Iditarod.

We also met Cim Smyth briefly at Paul's house.

Cim Smyth finished 5th in the Iditarod this year!

A Good Day-A Long Day

More beautiful weather. More projects. We're learning about mission and what it means to serve others. Is it about the doing of deeds or the relationships built? Is it about bricks and mortar or serving the needs of a community of faith? A little bit of both. The backhoe arrived at 1:3o. Ron, John, and Dave worked on clearing a path for parishioners to walk safely from the parking lot to church. Refurbishing the church sign at the road is in the works. We were pleased to share communion and dinner at Lake Meier with Father Paul, his wife, Sarah, and their 2 beautiful children . St. David's deacon, Ann, has been a blessing to work with thus far. We seem to share common goals.

A drive to Hatcher Pass, approx. 13 miles from camp provided us with the beauty of God's creation as most of us have never seen it before. The climb was somewhat precarious but the view at the top was worth it. A few of the teens went "swimming" in a lake with their clothes on and later "played" in the snow between some craggy peaks. Dwight looked up at one point and asked, "Is that safe?" The children were just specks at the top of the mountain.

We saw a few prairie dogs and tonight, a moose was spotted at Meier Lake. The girls screamed, the moose hollered, and departed for the next county. A duck family with tiny babies has adopted the beach here. Life is good. God is good.

The Rock Wall

The rock wall we built yesterday is growing. With the help of the backhoe, some improvements were made and some of the larger rocks were able to be moved.

Day 1 in Wasilla - Rock n' Roll

7/16/09 -Very late for us (1:30 a.m.) but only 9:30 Alaska time. Reverend Klitzke and Mr. Galloway welcomed us to the Meier Retreat Center. Reverend Klitske is a young, energetic pastor with many responsibilities. Mr. Galloway is the director for Meier Lake's Retreat Center. (Episcopally owned like Shrinemont.) Most of us were asleep by 4 a.m. EST. We were all dreaming about moose, bear, and what to do if you encounter one. Whisper to a moose and he'll run away. But sometimes...he'll charge you. If this happens, put a tree between you and the moose! The good news is that a moose will usually charge once then lose interest. The bears are a different story. We have been told to sing or whistle loudly, travel in groups, and if all else fails, throw away your back pack as a diversion, then lay flat on the ground and play dead.


7/17/09 -News update. We drove over to St. David's this morning. We were met by church member, Mr. Hinsler who told us that they were waiting for a permit to build a 2-hour fire wall. Our focus then switched to landscaping and community garden construction. We ordered a backhoe to help us prepare the site for the garden. Our group hit the floor running! We proceeded to pick up and move 5,000,000 rocks from the construction site to the new parking area for an erosion control containment wall. The rocks were rounded river rocks, some resembling perfect dinosaur eggs while others seemed more boulder-like. It is our belief that the rocks were rounded and deposited by glaciers. Bette pocketed a few for her yard in Berryville. Look out, American Airlines, that will be one heavy bag! We worked from 10 am until around 4pm. It was such a beautiful day that the lake was our next destination. Canoeing, paddle boating and for the very daring, swimming in the refreshingly COLD lake. Much fun was had by all!

Hey we made it! Sorry for the blog delay. After doing positive wireless connectivity tests in Berryville and Dallas (although not enough time to blog in Texas) we were not so lucky in Alaska.

After arriving at Meier Lake Conference Center around 10 pm Alaska time (2 am est.) we had time to regroup, eat and get ourselves setup but no time to figure out why the wireless was not connecting. Friday brought breakfast, a day of work at St. David's church, a little play action on the lake and wireless connectivity this afternoon.

So we should be in full blog motion. More to come later now that I know it works.

Macson and Alex spend a little time with the first family at Dulles.