#interior alaska

[alyssainalaska]

Hello

Hi, it's me.

My name is Alyssa and I don't know why I'm making this. Maybe to keep myself honest, or check back on my progress, or stay motivated or retain some memory or something. If you're reading this, you're probably either me in the future or my mom. Hey ladies.

Anyway, I moved to Southeast Alaska from North Carolina about two years ago. I got here with the intention of getting into seasonal work for a few months while I got away from a nasty relationship and figured myself out again. I had become a way-too-skinny helpless stranger to myself and sitting behind a desk wasn't really helping me untangle any of that. I was a crunchy little sad shell of who I used to be and I didn't like her at all. Honestly, she was an idiot anyway.

I knew when I was a kid I wouldn't thrive at a desk job. I used to announce that I would "never work at a desk," but whatever I hoped to do instead changed by the day. I abandoned that little girl ideology for awhile, but I'm happy to share that she's back and more obstinate than ever. The fiery little Junie B. Jones girl in me has the wheel once again. God help us all.

I did the whole "thing" you're supposed to do-- went to school, graduated on time-ish, rented my own place, got a big girl job and set to work typing my big girl emails. And then I typed more. And more. And eventually every day I would come to work, chip away at my emails, give some tours, and go home. Sometimes I'd get to do it from home, what a treat. Emails from the comfort of my living room until my (now ex)boyfriend moved in and then I was relegated to emails from my bedroom. I lived paycheck to paycheck supporting us both, even for awhile after we broke up, and I moved that man out of my house by myself (his shoulder was broken, wah) on the day that my grandmother died. He borrowed his other girlfriend's car to pick his stuff up and didn't bother taking out any of hers before letting me load up his. "This is my boss's car, I swear" (it was not.) Everything was like that. No wound unsalted.

While I wish that would've been the end to that nightmare, it, at the very least, served as a good motivator to work on getting both the hell and the fuck out of there. It took me a couple of months, but i finally balls'd up and started interviewing for seasonal work around the country. My first job in Alaska told me I could bring my dog and wouldn't have a roommate. Easy sell for me. I accepted the job a week and a half before starting, gave my almost two-weeks notice, moved out of my apartment, and came to Alaska with nothing but a single suitcase, a backpack, and my Labrador in a crate. Fuck it.

It's been almost two years now, and hell yeah to that. A couple of months into my summer job, I started applying to winter work. The first job I was offered was to coordinate tours for a dogsled kennel in the interior. Winter in Interior Alaska, why not.

I loved it, I took up cross country skiing, I learned how to drive in the snow and then how to drive a dog team, why not.

I've found that people have so much more grit here. They are so much more capable and self sufficient and live in stark contrast to the culture of abundance and over-convenience I came from. I realized I don't know anything about anything, actually, and I'd like to become much more self sufficient, especially in light of our current political climate. I'd like to homestead one day and I'll need to learn a ton of new skills before I can.

I used to think there was a lot I just wasn't capable of. Stuff I didn't understand and that nobody was going to teach me. But when I first came to Alaska I found a totally different perspective of women. I met the first man in my life who ever assumed that I was capable of something. He invited me along to chop wood with him and I brought a book, thinking I was just there for good company. Ha. Back home, I've seen men raise their eyebrows at me upon learning I could drive a side by side down a flat dirt trail or build a fire (even literally with a lighter). To say my book stayed in the truck is an understatement. This man handed me a pair of earplugs and a fucking CHAINSAW. "I don't know how to use a chainsaw," "Yeah, I'm going to teach you."

This is not a love story about the chainsaw boy. It's a love story about me and my own damn self. I chainsawed my little heart out, and when I was handed an axe to break up the rounds we'd just made, I chopped my little heart out too. We stayed at it for hours. I didn't complain but I didn't move fast either. I couldn't even walk the next day. It was the first time anyone ever assumed I could before they assumed I couldn't. I believed him and then proved him right, and myself wrong. It was earth-shattering to me to remember that whatever I don't know how to do, I can just learn. I know that sounds so dumb. But at that point in my life, I really believed I wasn't capable of much at all.

Now, all that is to say that I'm on a mission. I want to learn as much as I can and become as self-sufficient as I can become. Politically, this country is pretty fucking scary right now and I'd like to be reliant on less conveniences. I want to learn how to grow my own food. Raise chickens. Maintain a property. Buy a 4-Wheeler. Do I want to give up my Nespresso? No, not at all, and I don't plan to. And if you told my dad that I was going to learn all of this as an act of resistance or in pursuit of proving men wrong one day, he'd probably tell you that's the only reason I do anything. Maybe that's true.

There's somewhere between Manicured Nespresso Lover and Barefoot Crunchy Witch Woman that I want to land in. I don't want to be alt-anything, I believe in vaccines and science and getting shit done yourself if you can, and if you're qualified. I also believe that in this country, right now, it can't hurt to be skilled and self sufficient.

I'm renting a dry cabin (no running water, outhouse girlie!) in a pretty populated area, so there is certainly a limit to the projects I can take on, but someday I'll have the land to fuck shit up much worse, so I have plenty of time to nail down some basics. After all, I just learned how to check my heating oil levels in my house and that felt like some pretty big stuff to me. Baby steps.

Anyway, I guess I figured out why I'm starting this blog. If I can do it, you can do it. I'm genuinely not even very smart. Even if "you" is just me in the future reading this. We can for sure learn some stuff, and that's the whole aim.

[rabbitcruiser]

Summit Lake Pass, BC

The region [British Columbia Interior], which includes the Interior Plateau as well as various mountain ranges and the valleys between them, comprises everything inland from the Coast Mountains and reaching east to the Rocky Mountains and, in the northeast, British Columbia's sector of the Prairies, the Peace River Block. "Interior" is usually and properly capitalized but turns up in lower-case in various books and magazines. The non-coastal areas of the province are considered to be "in the Interior", although the sparsely populated regions of its northern half are usually referred to only as "the North".

The town of Hope, at the eastern end of the Fraser Valley and at the foot of the Fraser Canyon, is often considered the "Gateway to the Interior" and bears an entrance arch to that effect, though in practical terms the Interior does not begin until somewhere between Yale and Boston Bar, in the Fraser Canyon, or until the summits of the Coquihalla and Allison Passes. The boundary between "the Coast" and "the Interior" along the Highway 99 corridor is nominally between Whistler and Pemberton, as Pemberton is often described as being in the Interior, but from the inland perspective it is often seen as part of the Coast because of its wetter climate and close ties to the Lower Mainland.

There are many subregions within the Interior, some regions in their own right, and although there are no precise definitions, it is often broken up informally as the Northern Interior, the Central Interior, the Southern Interior, the Northeast Interior and Southeast Interior, and these names often appear in non-governmental organizations and company names as well as in government administrative districts and ministerial regions, and in weather reports.

Source: Wikipedia

[dailymothanon]

Yeahh still no art I’m putting my brain into cuz it’s still so so so hot up in Ak, it’s colder outside than it is inside currently and I’m losing my marbles, you could say, or going bananas, even, I’m flipping out too

[darkwood-sleddog]

when somebody on reddit is arguing with me about sled dog genetics, saying alaskans aren't a true type of dog and are just a mutt:

[leroibobo]

holy ascension russian orthodox church in unalaska, alaska.

though the current structure was completed in 1896, it used the timbers of an older church which was completed in the 1820s. it remained a site where russian missionaries preached to the local aleut population, who are today largely orthodox.

the iconostasis in the north chapel (third picture) was made by an aleut craftsman and dates back to 1824.

[arthropooda]

ANCHORAGE, AK — The Biden administration today announced its approval of ConocoPhillips’s Willow project, ignoring pleas from millions who called for the Alaska oil-drilling plan to be halted due to concerns about climate change. The Interior Department released a record of decision (ROD) that largely reflects ConocoPhillips’s desired project blueprint and ignores its dire climate and biodiversity impacts. Approval of the Willow project stands in stark contrast to President Biden’s climate goals and commitment to the Paris agreement.

Interior’s decision approves three drilling pads, which combined will produce 92% of the oil ConocoPhillips initially sought to develop, a staggering climate impact amounting to more than 260 million metric tons of greenhouse gases (GHG). The GHG emissions from Willow will equal that of 56 million cars driven for one year, or nearly 70 coal fired power plants operating for one year. This project is also intended to be a stepping-stone for future development.

[boardwalk-absurdist]

reverse snowbird vamps that travel down south in the summer to escape the midnight sun

mass vamp bat migrations to the other hemisphere around the equinox so they always have the long nights

we need more vampire stuff that’s set really really far north on the planet. the potential… we don’t have any sunlight for a couple of months every year so they would literally be able to walk around during the day and no one would know…

[i2-xmf]

[beingjellybeans]

Cowrie Grill celebrates a decade of culinary excellence

In the shopping and entertainment haven of Promenade Greenhills, Cowrie Grill stands tall as a beacon of culinary excellence, celebrating a remarkable 10 years of serving discerning connoisseurs and food enthusiasts alike. What was once nestled within the historic walls of The Manila Hotel has evolved into a destination for exquisite cuisine, maintaining its legacy as an epitome of fine…

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #24

June 21-28 2024

The US Surgeon General declared for the first time ever, firearm violence a public health crisis. The nation's top doctor recommended the banning of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines, the introduce universal background checks for purchasing guns, regulate the industry, pass laws that would restrict their use in public spaces and penalize people who fail to safely store their weapons. President Trump dismissed Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy in 2017 in part for his criticism of guns before his time in government, he was renominated for his post by President Biden in 2021. While the Surgeon General's reconstructions aren't binding a similar report on the risks of smoking in 1964 was the start of a national shift toward regulation of tobacco.

Vice-President Harris announced the first grants to be awarded through a ground breaking program to remove barriers to building more housing. Under President Biden more housing units are under construction than at any time in the last 50 years. Vice President Harris was announcing 85 million dollars in grants giving to communities in 21 states through the  Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing (PRO) program. The administration plans another 100 million in PRO grants at the end of the summer and has requested 100 million more for next year. The Treasury also announced it'll moved 100 million of left over Covid funds toward housing. All of this is part of plans to build 2 million affordable housing units and invest $258 billion in housing overall.

President Biden pardoned all former US service members convicted under the US Military's ban on gay sex. The pardon is believed to cover 2,000 veterans convicted of "consensual sodomy". Consensual sodomy was banned and a felony offense under the Uniform Code of Justice from 1951 till 2013. The Pardon will wipe clean those felony records and allow veterans to apply to change their discharge status.

The Department of Transportation announced $1.8 Billion in new infrastructure building across all 50 states, 4 territories and Washington DC. The program focuses on smaller, often community-oriented projects that span jurisdictions. This award saw a number of projects focused on climate and energy, like $25 million to help repair damage caused by permafrost melting amid higher temperatures in Alaska, or $23 million to help electrify the Downeast bus fleet in Maine.

The Department of Energy announced $2.7 billion to support domestic sources of nuclear fuel. The Biden administration hopes to build up America's domestic nuclear fuel to allow for greater stability and lower costs. Currently Russia is the world's top exporter of enriched uranium, supplying 24% of US nuclear fuel.

The Department of Interior awarded $127 million to 6 states to help clean up legacy pollution from orphaned oil and gas wells. The funding will help cap 600 wells in Alaska, Arizona, Indiana, New York and Ohio. So far thanks to administration efforts over 7,000 orphaned wells across the country have been capped, reduced approximately 11,530 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions

HUD announced $469 million to help remove dangerous lead from older homes. This program will focus on helping homeowners particularly low income ones remove lead paint and replace lead pipes in homes built before 1978. This represents one of the largest investments by the federal government to help private homeowners deal with a health and safety hazard.

Bonus: President Biden's efforts to forgive more student debt through his administration's SAVE plan hit a snag this week when federal courts in Kansas and Missouri blocked elements the Administration also suffered a set back at the Supreme Court as its efforts to regular smog causing pollution was rejected by the conservative majority in a 5-4 ruling that saw Amy Coney Barrett join the 3 liberals against the conservatives. This week's legal setbacks underline the importance of courts and the ability to nominate judges and Justices over the next 4 years.

[lovestampede]

Laundry Room Laundry A large, elegant laundry room with a dark wood floor and a double-bowl sink, recessed-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, granite countertops, a gray or ceramic backsplash, beige walls, and stacked washers and dryers can be seen in the photo.

[valentinonelson]

Re Digitize PSP

[readingbookelf]

Pink Cheeks - Spencer Reid

Summary: You share a room with Spencer while on a case in Franklin, Alaska.

Pairing: reader x Spencer Reid

My Writing | Join my taglist

Franklin, Alaska. 

Literally the end of the world. The middle of nowhere OF the middle of nowhere. One of the smallest towns you’ve ever had a case. And oh so cold. To top it all off, there aren’t enough rooms for the whole team, meaning you have to bunk up. 

Frozen by the realization, you don’t notice everyone has run off to their rooms with their roommates until Spencer clears his throat next to you. 

“Looks like we’re sharing,” he says while blushing. 

“Right,” you whisper following Spencer to your room. 

—

You both halt in the doorway taking in the small room. 

The interior is one wooden cliché. In the middle of the room stands a thick wooden queen size bed in the middle of the room accompanied by antlers hanging on the wall of the headrest. There’s carpet on both sides of the bed. Big windows at one side of the room so you can take in the view. There’s just so much wood. It’s like living in a tiny cabin. 

“How cliché,” you mutter to yourself before asking Spencer which side of the bed he wants. 

“The right one if that’s alright,” he softly answers. 

You nod and move to the left side, dropping your overnight bag on the bed. 

The air between the two of you is a bit uncomfortable as you both get ready for bed. After crawling under the covers, you let out a content sigh at feeling the weight of the blankets.

“This bed is too comfortable. I may have to work the case from here,” you exclaim dreamily. 

Spencer lets out a chuckle while crawling under the covers himself.

“I’m sure Hotch will understand,” he replies. 

—

When you wake up the next morning, you feel a heavy weight resting on your chest and something tickling your chin. A frown settles between your brows while you slowly open your eyes. And that’s when you see what’s causing the pressure on your chest: Spencer Reid is cuddling you, his head resting on your chest. 

A heavy blush settles on your cheeks. Afraid to move, you slowly stretch your fingers towards the night stand where your phone is. Knowing your alarm is bound to wake you any minute now, you want to silence it before the moment is ruined. 

Just when your fingers brush the side of your phone, your alarm starts blaring, startling both you and Spencer. 

Spencer rubs the sleep from his eyes and takes you in, more specifically how close you are. A blush spreads on his cheeks and he starts stammering. 

“It’s alright, Spence,” you chuckle before getting up and kissing his cheek.

—

When you get downstairs for the team breakfast, Spencer still has a faint blush on his cheeks. It’s like it's taken a permanent residence on his cheeks. You sit down next to each other, taking the remaining seats.

Derek, who has an eye for detail when you don’t want him to, immediately comments on Spencer’s pink cheeks: “What’s got you all blushing, pretty boy? Something we should know?”

You pat Spencer’s leg in support and start piling your plate with yummy goodies. 

At last there’s something good about Franklin, Alaska.

Taglist: @asunshine15 @teti-menchon0604 @unstablekay @esposadomd @electricthunder @fxckinxbritsx @bi2simps @kristendanwayne @legendary1sblog @friendlyneigborhoodghostpal @jadeloves6smut @jadelikes6smut @daisydark @10ava01 @ceruleanrainblues @classyunknownlover @cj-ghostemoji-destielpie

[olowan-waphiya]

https://ictnews.org/news/us-promises-240m-to-improve-fish-hatcheries-protect-tribal-rights

The U.S. government will invest $240 million in salmon and steelhead hatcheries in the Pacific Northwest to boost declining fish populations and support the treaty-protected fishing rights of Native American tribes, officials announced Thursday.

The departments of Commerce and the Interior said there will be an initial $54 million for hatchery maintenance and modernization made available to 27 tribes in the region, which includes Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska.

[northameicanblog]

Valdez Glacier, Valdez, Alaska: Valdez Glacier provides breathtaking sights and a glimpse into the local history and culture of the area. Known as the All- American Route, gold seekers traveled over the glacier into the interior of Alaska during the Gold Rush of 1898. Valdez Glacier is a 20 mile valley glacier located in the Chugach Mountains and terminates in Valdez... Valdez is a city in the Chugach Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. Wikipedia

[loudclan-clangen]

Loudclan - Lore!

This is gonna be a long one, so buckle in!

Loudclan is one of 4 clans that live on a large swath of land on the coast of South Central Alaska. Here's a map and some more details about them:

Loudclan camp is located on a flat ledge atop one of the smaller mountains in the range. They were named for the roaring rumble of the mountain's frequent avalanches and landslides. While prey is never frequent in Loudclan territory, their higher elevation and sloped ground means that the snow doesn't pool like it does down in the valley, and thus they never really run out of prey either. In the cold months the clan cats sleep in the many small caves around camp, insulated with wool from the dall sheep and mountain goats that live in the clan territory. In the warmer months, many take to sleeping out in the open, enjoying the sun warmed rocks, but this can lead to epidemics of heatstroke due to the lack of cover on the mountain. Loudclan cats are said to have excellent balance compared to the valley clans.

Ghostclan camp is located in an abandoned mining town build over a grassy wetland. They were named for the strange, empty buildings that they live among. Food in the wetlands can be unpleasant, but not inaccessible. The clan spreads out into several different buildings during the warm months, but during the winter the clan retreats from the deep snows of the valley into the mines, where they are shielded from the cold by several feet of dirt along with their collection of scavenged twoleg fabrics. The dusty interior of the mines seems to be bad for their lungs, however, as Ghostclan cats seem to be more prone to illnesses than the other clans. Ghostclan cats are said to be able to sense oncoming earthquakes with their sensitive paw pads, knowing when to retreat from a tunnel before it caves in. They were the first to discover the Black Water Pool, and feel that they have some kind of special connection to it, deeper than that of the other clans.

Shadedclan camp is located at the lowest point in the valley, in the largest clearing of the dense evergreen forest. They were named for the shade provided by the needled branches of the trees lining their camp. In the summer, Shadedclan's forests and meadows provide the most plentiful prey, but in the winter the snow piles far higher than the head of a cat, and their territory becomes near barren. This means that the clan must vacate their normal dens, moving instead into the branches of spruce and pine that they have learned to weave together into a network of dens and walkways. They tend to have larger paws with extra toes to help them traverse the deep snows when necessary.

Freezingclan camp is located among the heaps of man made boulders that line the shore. (It's called rip rap it's basically a bunch of big rock chunks that they line the shore with to keep it from eroding.) They were named for the harsh winds that batter their territory regardless of the season. While the rocks are hospitable for few creatures besides certain shorebirds, the ocean is always plentiful, and for those who are willing to trek across the ice, even the inhospitable frozen water will give way to a plentiful meal. Due to the small spaces considered to be actually livable amongst the gaps in the rocks, Freezingclan has no dens, and cats instead sleep with their family units deep in their personal nests of feathers, dried seaweed, and driftwood. The wind, while biting, can be helpful, blowing the snow deeper into the valley and not allowing it to settle over the camp. Freezingclan cats claim to have harder paw pads than the other clans, needing them to keep from cutting themselves on the sharp rocks. They are also the only clan to not worship the Black Water Pool, instead believing that their ancestors live in the ocean, reborn as the creatures of the sea.

Due to the extreme nature of all of the clan's territories, they have an unspoken agreement that borders are pretty much just loose suggestions. So long as you don't get too close to anyone's camp, or travel ridiculously far into someone else's territory, you're not breaking any rules. Of course, this doesn't mean that no disputes arise over territory, in fact, if anything, it actually makes territory disputes worse as no one can agree on how far is too far. The clans also often trade items exclusive to their area in order to obtain similarly scarce items from other clans.

Each clan (minus Freezingclan) is led by a "leadership team" made up of the Leader, the Lead Healer, and the Lead Mediator.

The Leader is considered to be the closest to Starclan, and receives six lives by being completely submerged and drowned in the Black Water Pool. Afterwards they wash the oil off and receive the mark of a paw print from the Lead Healer as a sign of their approval. The Leader can receive prophecies and visions from starclan on occasion, but if they wish to speak to them directly then they have to sacrifice a life to the Black Water.

The Lead Healer is tasked with being the caretaker of the clan, and receives three lives the same way the Leader does. All healers keep a consistent layer of oil on the lower half of their body, once dried and hardened it acts as a pseudo-apron, protecting the medicine cat from possible infectious material and keeping them from spreading germs to their patients. The Lead Healer rarely receives visions from starclan, and instead focuses on interpreting omens seen in the real world. They may also sacrifice a life to speak directly to starclan.

The Lead Mediator is something of a balance to the other two. They do not receive any lives and are in fact banned from touching the Black Water. It is their job to make sure that the other two leaders do not become so distracted by starclan that they become blind to the struggles of their living clanmates. The Lead Mediator wears a decorative collar to signify their position, and will never receive visions or omens of any kind.

The Leader's closest living relative is called the Heir, and is marked by a streak of oil on their forehead given to them by the Leader. Upon reaching twelve moons old, they take the position of deputy. The other two leaders also have heirs, who are often asked to advise or assist them, but they do not hold official positions or markings.

Whoo, okay, I think that's all that I wanted to say, anyway, hope this clarifies some things and that you enjoy reading it! Follow up questions are welcome, as always!