Summer in Alaska: Family and Friends Welcome!

SV High Endeavours (Thumb Cove, Resurrection Bay, Alaska)

This summer we have been blessed with three sets of guests/family: Jen's parents Dick and Kathy Burger, our "Oregon parents" Bob and Christine, and our Oregon pirate friends Chris and Kim. The following are some highlights and pictures from their visits:

BOB & CHRISTINE's VISIT:

Bob, Christine, Chris, and Jen at "Chinooks" in Seward.

Christine & Bob on SV High Endeavours, enjoying gin-n-tonics.

We spent a weekend with Bob and Christine in Seward, Alaska; where the SV High Endeavours lives amidst icy glacier waters and mountains. We had a great visit, drank many gin-n-tonics, and simply enjoyed catching up. In our guestbook, they wrote: "We will be back for more beauty, more joy, more laughter, more love." They were here in May and we are determined to show them Alaska in all 12 months - so we know they'll be back at least 11 more times!

MOM & DAD BURGER's VISIT:

Dad Burger at the helm, with Ma Burger as First Mate.

Some beautiful scenery from touring about the Kenai Fjords.

Dad and Mom Burger in Kenai, Alaska.

Next, my folks flew in from Wisconsin. It was a bit colder than they were expecting (it HAS been a cool summer), but they were great sports. We took the sailboat for an overnight trip out of Seward to beautiful Thumb Cove, where we sat at anchor overnight. We drove to the Kenai River, where we camped at "Kenai Vineyards" (Chris' folks place on the river) and watched too many eagles to count soar through camp. And we simply spent wonderful time catching up, enjoying mom's home cookin', and making grand plans for the landscaping that needs to be done on our yard! We saw a black bear, moose (mom ran into a baby moose one day), eagles, puffins, sea lions, and other Alaska critters. It was a FABULOUS visit and I think they'll be back next summer (with lots of long underwear!).

CHRIS & KIM's VISIT:

Kim and Chris in Resurrection Bay, Alaska.

Thumb Cove

Chris Taylor, Jen & Chris tanning on an Alaskan beach.

Chris Taylor sun-tanning on an Alaskan Beach in front of an avalanche.One mile stroll to hug a glacier (Exit Glacier, Seward, Alaska)

Chris and Kim Taylor in front of Exit Glacier, Seward, Alaska

Alaska Zoo: amazing unique moment of watching a Polar Bear swimming.

Next, our boating friends from Oregon, Chris and Kim, came for an extended weekend trip - Alaska is not THAT far away for a weekend trip. If you are not getting the theme of where we take our guests - we went to our boat in Seward! We spent a weekend of laughter out in Thumb Cove, where we enjoyed sun-tanning (YES, it was SUNNY!) next to an avalanche, throwing snowballs, napping on the beach, surviving an anchoring mishap (the keel needed cleaning anyway), hiking out to a glacier, and playing dice games in the cockpit. While they were here, excursions around Anchorage were also had - the Anchorage Air Museum, the Anchorage Zoo (almost all Alaska-found injured animals that are there for rehab), and simply bummin' about town and relaxin'. I also think we convinced them to sail their boat NORTH to Alaska, prior to heading on their planned journey SOUTH to Mexico in 2013. For those who don't know, we are planning to do some sailboat journeying in 2013 with the Taylors.

A few highlights from SUMMER in ALASKA...

Jen always climbing rocks.

Jen & Chris spending a moment in the sun (Thumb Cove, outside Seward).

Sailboat in background is SV High Endeavours.

May in Alaska: Here Comes the Sun

Things in Alaska are turning that wonderful light green spring color and the air smells sweet with blooms. Spring is here. I am writing this at 11:30 at night and the sky is a dark blue, but not black yet. By the time of summer solstice (June 21); there will be no darkness. This time of year, we tend to stay up too late and try to cram in too many activities into the 3 short months that are an Alaskan summer.

Chris and I had a ten day vacation and did some sailing in Resurrection Bay (out of Seward, Alaska). SEE PICS ABOVE. This was in late April and it was still a bit cold. We spent a couple nights anchored in Thumb Cove, watching the sun melt avalanches that cracked and groaned as they cascaded down the mountains surrounding us. Our plan was to sneak out into the Gulf of Alaska to Prince William Sound, a boating heaven. We got out briefly in the Gulf, seeing much wildlife (puffins, mountain goats perched on the cliffs, seals, sea otters, eagles) but then decided to turn back into the "safety" of Resurrection Bay when gale warnings tucked our tail between our legs. We nestled into a small cove on the side of an island, putting the anchor down for the night. But the gale came early. It was dark and we watched the fishing boats motor past, one by one, trying to outrun the storm. We had two choices: move immediately toward the safety of the town of Seward OR keep "anchor watch" (making sure the winds didn't blow us off our anchor onto shore) and leave at the first light of day. We chose the second option. It was a bit stressful overnight as we listened to the winds howling through the trees and the rigging of our boat. First light of day had us on our way for a long slog to the safety of Seward. One unexpected treat in an otherwise blustery day was when a pod of porpoise (similar to dolphins that look like mini Orcas) came over to play in our bow wave, jumping and splashing with us for at least a half hour. Our last few days of vacation were spent at the dock of Seward, getting to know our neighbors.

Upon returning from vacation, we had our "Portland Parents," Bob and Christine with us for a week. We shared many adventures with them - from walking on a glacier to seeing a black bear by the side of a creek, from the Sea Life Center in Seward to the Anchorage museums. The best part was simply spending time with two of our bestfriends, enjoying great food (and gin and tonics), over stories and laughter.

I turned 30 this month as well. We spent my birthday on the Kenai River in Soldotna, a fishing community. There were no fish to be had, but it was neat to hike the riverbed before the river level rose and covered it. Chris' folks have a camper on the Kenai River and we enjoy spending time there in the woods. There's just something about watching the river water float by, the eagles soaring overhead.

We've been spending lots of time in our yard, cleaning it out and planting. Chris and I have both been busy at work. Only 5 more weeks and I'll be done with my first year of residency.

Spring Time in Alaska

Jen skating on the sheet of ice that coated Kushtaka Circle where we live. That's Chris' old Chevy in the corner of the picture and the Chugach Mountains in the background.




Chris hauling in our gear by sled to his folks' RUSTIC cabin in Willow, Alaska. We spent about 4 weekends there this winter. We ski or snowshoe in with our gear, heat the place with a wood stove, chop through the ice to get our water, and enjoy a wood sauna at night. No electricity. No running water. VERY peaceful! Sled dog teams (and the famous Iditarod race) often skirt across Vera Lake, where the cabin sits.

This was taken at 10:30 AT NIGHT on APRIL 25. All our snow had melted and then we had 18 INCHES in one night! This is in front of our home in Anchorage.







"Break up" is a time in Alaska when the snow melts, the ice on rivers and lakes begins breaking up, everywhere is a slushy mess, and it doesn't make sense to think about washing one's vehicle. The last month has officially been break up. Almost all the snow had melted in our yard. I had spotted a trumpeter swan on a nearby lake that had returned from its journey south. The city of Anchorage had put their snow plows away for the season. People are trading in their skis for their hiking boots and bikes.

Everything (and everyone) is waking up in Alaska. I have been doing my Emergency Medicine rotation in Soldotna, Alaska for the last three weeks; a rural town about 150 miles south of Anchorage. One night we had our first bear attack. When the man (who survived) was brought in, one of the docs commented, "Well, it's officially springtime in Alaska. Spring is marked by the first bear mauling. Summer is marked by the first fish hook injury." Alaskans have an odd way of marking the seasons!

This is also the time of the year when people are getting ready for the biggest run of the year. I'm not talking about salmon - I'm talking about tourists! Much of our economy is about tourism during summer. Stores and restaurants that have been closed all winter are opening with special events for the locals before the big tourist rush. The roads are being cleaned and cleared of remaining winter snow and sand. The road "scenic stops" with their outhouses are being dug out of the snow (only the top of the outhouse buildings had been sticking out all winter long).

Yesterday marked the first day of a long-awaited 10 day vacation for Chris and I. We were planning on taking our sailboat from its home in Seward, around the corner to Prince William Sound - boating heaven. The last few weekends have been spent "un-winterizing" our boat, getting the engine and water system up and running and the sails put on. The days had been sunny leading up to our departure date...then WE GOT 18 INCHES OF SNOW. We were outside at 10:30 at night in the light of the Alaskan spring IN SNOW. So, we've postponed our departure for a few days and are enjoying the time catching up on neglected house projects. We have nicknamed our home "BASE CAMP," as we use it for our adventure jumping off point, but are rarely here when we have time off.

We look forward to our visitors this summer, Bob and Christine, Chris and Kim, and Jen's folks. Get your "reservations" in early for next summer. We make a great base camp for exploring.

A Night of Obstetrics Call

PHOTO: Remember the "first day of school" photos that you usually had taken? Well, this is my very nervous, I-think-I'm-going-to-vomit, "first day of being a doctor" photo.

Again, I'm post call and thought that I'd write. I'm currently on obstetrics and had an interesting night.

My first patient came in and we began web-casting...to Iraq! The woman's husband was stationed in Iraq and could not be here for the delivery, so the hospital helped set up a webcast to his station in Iraq for him to watch and participate in the birth "real time." She did an amazing job, going "all natural," and he did an amazing job coaching her from afar. When the baby was finally born, you could hear the dad's sobs of joy mingle with the new mother's tears. Then he announced the name of the baby to everyone. It was a very special moment (as all births are) and I felt blessed to be a part of their experience by delivering their baby girl.

My next patient was a Thai woman, a culture that tends to labor very stoically and quietly. The Thai culture views things in terms of temperatures. Labor is a "cold experience," whereas post-partum recovery is a "warm experience." She had a bulging bag of waters, so we decided to rupture them to increase her contractions. At the same time, she asked for ice to bring on labor (part of the Thai "cold experience" of labor). I'm not sure which worked (the ice or the rupturing of membranes); but VERY suddenly the baby was crowning and I wasn't quite ready. I had to throw on gloves and climb onto the foot of the bed to deliver the baby, just barely making it and getting covered with all the messiness of delivery in the process! Afterwards, she was continuing to bleed too much for my comfort. So, medically trained, I gave her a few medications to firm up her uterus and stop the bleeding. However, she calmly asked for hot tea (part of the "warm experience" of Thai healing). Shortly after, her bleeding decreased. So, I'm not sure if it was the ice or the rupture of membranes that brought on her labor. And I'm not sure whether it was the medications or the tea that stopped her postpartum bleeding. It could really be either, and who am I to say. There is much mystery to medicine and health.

My third delivery the dad wanted to be involved - not just "cut the cord" involved, but "get in there and help deliver the baby" involved! I was excited about helping him have the experience of joining with his wife to deliver their baby together. He was a very "tough" Marines guy, but when she started pushing and he saw the head coming down the birth canal, I thought I was going to lose him to the floor. We were standing side-by-side and I took his hand and placed it on the baby's head, at which point he relaxed but also started to tear up at the wonder of it all. I placed his hands on the baby and guided him as he delivered their baby immediately up to mom's chest. They both dissolved into tears of joy and I couldn't help but water up. I quietly delivered the placenta, cleaned up, and left the room; leaving mom and dad alone with baby. A while later, the dad approached me at the desk and was profusely thankful for the experience. It has motivated me to try and get the dads as involved as they want to be in the birthing of their child.

During the final delivery of the night, after the head and shoulders of the baby were delivered, I took the mom's hands and placed them on the baby's body. She then pulled the baby out from herself onto her chest, delivering the baby herself. I talk to the moms beforehand and offer this option (if all is going well with the delivery and the baby) - many get excited about the idea.

Ultimately, it is always the mom that "delivers" the baby. I just feel lucky to share in the moment by facilitating the process.

Greetings

PHOTO: Jen & Chris in the Chena Hot Springs Ice Hotel near Fairbanks, Alaska. This is a year round ice structure that has an ice bar, ice rooms with ice beds, etc. Notice that I am drinking an appletini out of a glass made of ice! The weather outside was -40 degrees. We also went into the outdoor hotsprings under the Northern Lights.

This is the first entry of our new blog. I've been wanting to create a place to post stories, pics, etc since moving up to Anchorage, Alaska.

I'm currently post-call after a 30 hour sleepless shift at the hospital...which somehow seemed to me the perfect time to take on a new project! Chris says that I always tend to do new projects at the most inconvenient times, such as when I brought home 20 plants and decided to pot them all the same night that I was flying out for a conference. Hmmmm....

We purchased our first house (that is our first LAND house, as our first home is our sailboat High Endeavours) this year. It is a simple ranch on a court off a side street that is nestled in the foothills of the Chugach Mountains. We have ski trails out our backyard and moose in our front yard. The house needs some serious up-dating and it is keeping Chris quite busy. I'm not sure quite where he learned how to do house projects, but he has been doing a great job and I just smile when he tells me that he's "punching a hole through the wall" or "going into the ceiling to do some wiring." I have ZERO skills in this area and am baffled by it all. But it is coming along great and we have a guest room ready for guests - but make your "reservations" early, as this summer is already filling up!

Our Anchorage address is: 8620 Kushtaka Circle, Anchorage, AK 99504
Our home phone: 907-929-1189
Our cell phone: 907-242-7868

Our "real home" - our sailboat, High Endeavours - is in Seward, Alaska. This is about a 2-3 hour drive south from Anchorage on the Kenai Peninsula. Even though a city named Anchorage should have...an anchorage...it only is used for large ships. So, our boat has found a home in a mountain surrounded harbour in Seward, noted by Sailing USA to be one of the "top 10" sailing destinations in the US. We try to get down to see her on a monthly basis, as the snow and ice builds up and creates horrible weight on her. In April, we have a 10 day vacation where we plan on sailing over to Prince William Sound for some exploration.

I have been BUSY with residency, which has been difficult as I have not been able to "keep up" with family and friends as much as I'd like to. I am working 80 hour workweeks with a few 30 hour shifts in there. I'm learning a ton and am very happy that I chose this program and the speciality of family medicine; but I am also beginning to get a bit worn out. This first year is the most brutal. The second and third year have fewer long call shifts in the hospital. I work between two hospitals (Providence Hospital and the Alaska Native Medical Center), our clinic (where I have my own patients), and various locations throughout the state (Bethel, Soldotna, Dutch Harbor, Nome, etc). The program's focus is to train "frontier family docs," which goes one step beyond "rural."

Chris has been busy with house projects, boat projects, and working at REI; where he was recently promoted.

That's all for now. Will write more soon,

Much love,

Jen