The "Morning Mountain" report June 30 9:15 AM

              Valdez          Wilmington
Sunrise   4:19 AM          6:03 AM
Sunset   11:24 PM          8:27 PM

Definitely more like Valdez of 2011

Recap of Flag Day, June 29

The day started out overcast and calm. It stayed overcast and calm.

Kite making at the Convention Center

As usual for Valdez, everyone gave it their best shot. There were a few kites that made it up - sadly the trick kite demonstrations were cancelled due to lack of wind. 

The afternoon "Reggie" report

Evening music, food and beer.

Square dancing - not as big a crowd as usual.

Chamber music square dance band

A short video - sadly not a "do-si-do" selection

We saw this bike in The Totem Inn parking lot.

We thought we'd top off the day by looking for bears. All we saw were gulls - lots of gulls.

The "Morning Mountain" Report June 29 8:35 AM

Valdez                           Wilmington
Sunrise   4:09 AM          6:02 AM
Sunset   11:24 PM          8:27 PM

Dreary day for The Kite Festival

More Facts about Alaska

General
We have areas that get

• 24 hours of daylight
• 24 hours of night
• 3 million lakes

How big are we? Very big!

• 586,400 Square Miles
• We are 2 times the size of Texas
• We have 29 volcanoes
• 33,000 miles of coastline!
• 1,400 miles North to South
• 2,700 miles East to West
• Over 1/2 the world's Glaciers
• 55 miles east of Russia
• We are the only state to have coastlines on three different seas.
  Arctic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea.

Records

• Record high temperature: 1915 +100 oF
• Record low temperature: Tanana -78 oF
• High tides of 37 feet
• Snow: 24 hours; 62 inches
  1 year; 974 inches (Thompson Alaska, near Valdez) (known locally as The Pass)

Mountains

• Mount Denali: 20,320 feet (Tallest in North America)

• Mount Elias: 18,008 feet
  Foraker - 17,400 feet
  Bona - 16,500 feet
  Blackburn - 16,390 feet
  Sanford - 16,237 feet
  Vancouver - 15,700 feet
  Churchhill - 15,638 feet
  Fairweather - 15,300 feet
  Hubbard - 15,015 feet
  Bear - 14,831

Islands (largest)

• Kodiak - 3,588 square miles
• Prince of Wales - 2,770 square miles
• Chichagof - 2,062 square miles

Lakes (largest)

• Iliamna - 1,000 square miles
• Becharof - 458 square miles
• Teshekpuk - 315 square miles
• Naknek - 242 square miles

Longest River

• Yukon - Total of 2,300 miles, 1,875 in Alaska

Wildlife

• Kodiak Bear; 1,400 pounds, 11 feet tall
• Polar Bear; 1,400 pounds, 11 feet tall
• Grizzly Bear (Brown Bear); 800 pounds, 9 feet tall
• Moose; 1,350 pounds, 5 feet high to shoulder
  Antlers span; 72 inches

History

• Purchased from Russia in 1867 for under 2 cents an acre.

Valdez Events Schedule for Independence Week

(I just updated this morning's "Morning Mountain" entry - I added some photos of Alaska's state bird, tree, etc. and links to famous Alaskans)

Can't wait for the Pink Salmon Decorating Contest on the 6th!

The "Morning Mountain" report June 28 8:50 AM

                          I just added something new - "Blogs I follow". Actually there is only one, "Arash's Recovery" - a moving and inspirational diary of a young man learning to cope with a spinal injury. It's more than that, it's his absolute determination to walk again. To me it's motivation for anyone's 'darkest days'.

                 Valdez            Wilmington
Sunrise      4:08 AM          6:02 AM
Sunset      11:25 PM          8:27 PM

The mountain is MIA this morning, and we are having something unheard of in Valdez - a thunderstorm. It is an "event"!

Hopefully it will clear up for tomorrow's Kite Festival. It should be a fun day and a good photo op.

Some facts about Alaska

Entered the Union: Jan. 3, 1959 (49)	Capital: Juneau
Origin of Name: from the Aleut word Alyeska, meaning The Great Land.
State Nicknames: The Last Frontier • Land of the Midnight Sun"
State Motto: North to the Future	State Flower: Forget-me-not
State Song:“Alaska's Flag”	State Bird: Willow Ptarmigan
State Fish: The Giant King Salmon	State Tree: Sitka Spruce
State Marine Mammal: Bowhead Whale	State Mammal: Moose
State Sport: Dog Mushing	State Gem: Jade
State Fossil: Wooly Mammoth	State Mineral: Gold
State Insect: The Four Spot Skimmer Dragonfly
National Forests: 2 • State Parks: 100+
Famous for: Majestic Wilderness, Scenic Cruises, Gold Rush, Oil, Fishing
Famous Alaskans: Benny Benson (13-yr old designed state flag), Vitus Bering (explorer), Susan Butcher (sled-dog racer), Carl Ben Eielson (pioneer pilot), Joe Juneau (prospector)

Here 's a link to a video with"Alaska's Flag" with the words

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXduAfqo6s

Here is another video featuring actor and songwriter, George Holly - the first part is a native prayer to the tune of "Alaska's Flag" and then he sings the state song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=fvwp&v=sa51FuyNjYw

Giant King Salmon

Bowhead Whale

Dog Mushing

The Four Spot Skimmer Dragonfly

Wooly Mammoth

Forget Me Not

Willow Ptarmigan

Sitka Spruce

Jade

Gold

Moose

Benny Benson      - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Benson

Vitus Bering         - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitus_Bering

Susan Butcher      -  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Butcher

Carl Ben Eielson  -  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Ben_Eielson

Joe Juneau            -  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Juneau_(prospector)

The afternoon "Reggie" report June 27

His family is not home to let him in, and he is not amused -

in part because the clouds are gathering.

Definitely a pasta night.

Michele asked about poverty in Alaska. The most current comprehensive data I could find is from 2011. Here are a couple of sites-

http://articles.ktuu.com/2011-11-29/poverty-rates_30456953

http://www.spotlightonpoverty.org/map-detail.aspx?state=Alaska

The disparity between the indigenous people and the "rest" of Alaskans is marked.

Here are statistics for Valdez/Cordova from the 2011 census report -

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/02/02261.html

The Alaska population in poverty by city - be sure to note the names and populations 

http://www.usa.com/rank/alaska-state--population-in-poverty-percentage--city-rank.htm?hl=Valdez&hlst=AK&yr=3000

Valdez is fortunate to have the pipeline, commercial fishing, tourist fishing industry, and the cannery as employment opportunities. There is also the Alaska Permanent Fund or PFD. In 2012 each Alaskan citizen was given $878 yearly oil wealth payout. There's no state income tax in Alaska, but residents must pay federal taxes on the PFD.

The "Morning Mountain" report June 27 9:05 AM

Anyone reading this for the first time - we're not always this boring (?) - scroll down to the Blog Archives on the right and find another day.           

Valdez               Wilmington

Sunrise   4:07 AM         6:02 AM

Sunset   11:26 PM         8:26 PM

First foggy morning in a while

Meli's checking out the blog.

Guess she thinks it's boring!

The "Morning Mountain" report June 26 8:20 AM

I think I may have made it easier to comment - here's hoping.

Valdez                          Wilmington
Sunrise  4:06 AM          Sunrise 6:01 AM
Sunset  11:26 PM          Sunset   8:27 PM

Another beautiful day in the neighborhood -

The "Morning Mountain" report, June 25 8:20 AM

Our days are getting shorter!
Valdez                         Wilmington
Sunrise   4:06 AM          6:01 AM

Sunset  11:26 PM           8:27 PM

This is it for today! The only other photos would be me sitting at our little table working on this blog, me unpacking, Jeff working, and both of us catching up with all the things that need catching.