Juneau Spring/Summer Update
Boy! It has gone from one extreme to the other here in Alaska. The reason for the long gap in the blog post is the weather. There was nothing but a very cool, wet time for what seemed like several months then in the space of about two weekends, the weather was nice and I, along with everyone else, was busy with all kinds of adventures. The first major adventure was hiking up one of the mountains here in Juneau. I went with a coworker and we hiked Thunder Mountain (named such from when there are avalanches it would cause the mountains to “thunder”). It was such a fun and exciting adventure to hike the mountain and see the amazing views of Juneau. I had the opportunity to fly my drone and get some pretty amazing pictures that I have included. It took all day to make the hike and man was I sore afterwards. It was such a unique Alaskan adventure! The following day, I went on a helicopter tour! We flew up, landed on top of the Mendenhall Glacier, and rode a dog sled pulled by actual Alaskan sled dogs! I took a video of the flights (Video 1, and Video 2) and took a few pictures up on the glacier. A highlight was getting to see 3 week old sled dog puppies! It was so much fun, wetting my appetite to pursue something that will hopefully bring some more amazing adventures in the future. Time will tell how things develop.
One of the other things that has been keeping me busy was studying for my FAA Part 107 exam, which I passed. In layman’s terms, I got my drone certification and can now fly drones commercially! I am super excited to see what new opportunities this will bring!
With the very rainy, fairly cold summer thus far, opportunities for adventures, flying the drone, etc have been limited. Everyone is looking for some nice weather to enjoy the summer and get out and about doing things, realizing Fall weather is around the corner. Something I have been participating in is an event called Walk Southeast. It is encouraging folks to get out and get fit by walking, running, cycling 297 miles–the distance between Juneau and Ketchikan. This has been both fun and exhausting but has allowed me to get back into my fitness/weight loss routine. I am on track to complete the event.
Fourth of July provided a fun adventure of fireworks at midnight (July 3). I attended the celebration with a coworker and his family. We made the decision to view the display from the cruise ship dock which was super awesome because we were almost directly below the fireworks and hearing them echo off the mountains surrounding downtown Juneau was really neat. I am sure you might be asking, “Why fireworks at midnight?” Well, I have heard several answers, but I will give you the two that I have heard that make the most sense to me. The first one is that during the time when there were multiple active mines in Juneau, the miners would only get the 4th of July and Christmas off from working in the mines, so by having them at midnight, it would allow the miners to see the fireworks and be able to get rest for work. The other reason is that from midnight to around 3:30 a.m. is the only time during the summer it is dark enough to have the fireworks. I am not sure which is “the” answer, but my guess is that it is probably a combination of both.
One of the last big news events is also a bit of a contest for you the readers. I have been blessed with being able to acquire a 2025 Jeep Gladiator; however. I am having a dilemma. What do I name the truck? Jeeps have to have a name. So I am asking for your help with suggestions for a name for this new vehicle.
I believe I have gotten you caught up on what is happening in the Last Frontier. Hope you will enjoy the photos.
It is my hope that everyone is doing well, dealing with the heat and humidity and enjoying the summer. Just think, Christmas in July is just around the corner. Please let me know if there are specific prayers you need.
A trip down that direction is being planned, so please reach out to Mom for details and scheduling visits. 🙂
Best wishes for happy summer days.
I’m so happy to hear from you. Amazing journey and amazing photos. As far as the jeep name- what ever you want it to be. 😀
Sounds like you are living your best adventure – son happy for you… keep praying for Pastor Nathan as he deals with his epilepsy diagnosis and the challenges it brings.. I think the Jeep looks like midnight…