Summer in Alaska

Since Em and Dave headed back to PA, Charlie and I have laid relatively low enjoying all that Homer and the Kenai Peninsula have to offer.  That being said, this post should be relatively short; a quick update to avoid any back-up that could occur as things pick up at the end of this week.  That’s right, Mom and Pop Funk are about to make an appearance in The Last Frontier!

As July suddenly turned to August it is hard to believe that summer will soon fade into fall.  You can still feel the hustle and bustle of the Alaskan summer, but cooler weather and rain have moved in and made us much more aware that seasons change quickly here and new activities will accompany these changes.  Since local summer activities are still abundant we are trying our best to participate in as many as we can. 

Of course we enjoy perusing the Homer Farmers Market.  It is no Lancaster County market, but they do their best to grow fresh produce that consists mostly of humongous leafy greens, herbs, and hearty root vegetables.  They do have a seafood stand, delicious salsa, colorful floral arrangements, and many other craft/miscellaneous stands that make it easy to find something to buy.  The market is open each Wednesday and Saturday, but doesn't open until 3pm on Wednesday and 10 am on Saturday…that is kind of weird, don’t you think?!  Regardless, it is a nice summer staple. 

We are often tempted to eat out on Tuesday and/or Thursday due to dynamite dinner deals at Alice’s Champagne Palace - $10 Burger N' Brew, $12 Tacos and Tequila.  Alice’s is a local restaurant that has lots of character, great music, and unique theatrical performances.  We love it.  You’ll probably see Charlie wearing an Alice’s t-shirt some day.

Alice's Champagne Palace = Classy (in our book, that is!)

Fridays are often quite busy here in Homer.  First Friday of each month is dedicated to celebrating local artists with open houses at the various galleries downtown, the small local movie theater plays new releases, and live theater performances are ongoing at Pier One Theater.  Local musicians are never bored playing each Thursday through Sunday at several restaurants and bars.  Especially unique for a small town is a summer music series put on by the Kenai Peninsula Orchestra.  They have multiple performances in several locations throughout the Peninsula and consist of non-professional musicians who vary from expert to mediocre.  For two weeks they hold free “Noon Time Tunes” at a variety of locations, Monday-Friday.  Charlie and I made both Friday noon tunes – an informal violin and guitar performance and a more formal father/daughter keyboard/saxophone duet.  All of this live music has stirred up my internal love for music and I have dusted off my violin, playing more in the 2.5 months we've been in Homer than the previous year! 

On Friday, August 2^nd there was a last minute contra dance held in an old boat repair shop.  But we were unfortunately unable to attend the contra dance due to a prior commitment.  The Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies hosts a free community event every Friday (“Fantastic Friday”).  On August 2^nd Charlie and I were the speakers, talking about how to enjoy popular outdoor activities without getting hurt. Despite all of the other things to do in Homer on a first Friday, a great group of about 10 people showed up enabling an interactive presentation with great conversation. 

Very Official.

Following a successful Fantastic Friday we treated ourselves to a day of live music and fun at Salmonstock.  This was a 3 day music festival held in the tiny town of Ninilchik, AK (population <1,000), about 45 minutes north of Homer.  It's a newer festival hosted by the Renewable Resources Coalition and Foundation.  The festival is a celebration of fish and music; the cause is to raise awareness and provide education related to protecting Alaska's natural resources and the peoples livelihood. The hugely controversial and political topic on the top of their list is opposition for a proposed Pebble Mine Project in the Bristol Bay area.  Bristol Bay is home to one of the world's largest wild salmon fisheries and a mine located in this region could greatly affect the fish that depend on these waters and its unique habitat.  Similar to oil companies, the developers of the Pebble Mine Project provide studies and ensure that measures will be put in place to protect the land and avoid disturbance, but the reality is often less ideal than the picture that they work so hard to paint.  Needless to say, it is a hot topic but was not shoved in your face at the festival.  It was mostly about bringing people together for a great weekend of music.

Best souvenir ever!
Kleen Kanteen cups.  The cup that keeps on giving. 

Headlining that evening was Trampled By Turtles.
An amazing blue grass band from Minnesota.
(Can you spy the hand painted salmon on stage?)

A large part of Homer’s art and music scene is the Pier One Theater, which I briefly mentioned above.  It's been around since 1973 and we felt it was important to see what this small wooden playhouse had to offer.  I can't imagine the theater seats more than 100 people which allows an intimate experience.  The show we had tickets for was Johnny B.'s "Rhythm of the North" described as a multi-media performance with audience interaction.  Johnny B. is a Homer resident, composer, and pianist who has been performing since the 1950's, playing in every state, Canada, Europe, and Japan.  He recently composed the soundtrack for a children’s movie about Alaskan animals and used parts of this video as he performed as a one man show at Pier One Theater.  Johnny B. turned out to be a great story teller specializing in boogie-woogie.  It was definitely a unique show filled with toe tapping and laughs. 

Random? Yes.
Entertaining? Yes.

When we aren't listening to some form of music or doing something physical therapy related we are either watching Netflix or doing something outdoors.  If you don't have Netflix you are seriously missing out, just an FYI.  

We were antsy to hike a trail Clayt and Laura told us about when we first arrived in Alaska and the weather allowed us to do that the last weekend in July.  Skyline Trail is labeled as being 1.5 miles one way.  As we read a bit about the trail we found this distance to be controversial.  The hike is a steep one requiring some scrambling on loose rock.  We both agreed that it felt like more than 1.5 miles and sure enough our trusty GPS told us we'd hiked 2.2 miles one way.  That trail head is definitely telling a lie.  

Incorrect mileage markers won't wipe the smiles off our faces!
Chillin' in the clouds.

Enjoying the view of Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.

  

We were psyched to find out that Homer has a disc golf course, so we hit that up one Sunday afternoon.  

What a stud.  In a field.

This past weekend was spent in Soldotna visiting friends, celebrating the arrival of adorable Hudson Marshall who arrived 3 weeks early (congrats Melissa and Brady!), tasting great brews at the Kenai Peninsula Beer Festival, and camping out while we still can. 

The sun really sets these days!
This was taken around 10:30 pm.  No flash needed.

This "short" and “quick” blog has turned out to be a bit bulkier than I expected, but I have to end with a special CONGRATS to Elaine, Chris and Kiera Dougherty as they welcomed Dilan Mae Dougherty into their family on August 5^th.  We are excited to have another niece and can’t wait to meet her!

Welcome Dilan!