Our Alaskan Home

Life seems to be compiled of a mosaic of mini-experiences and explorations. Sometimes I take for granted that these might even be remotely interesting to anyone. With the combination of writer’s block and the need to appease my known faith readers, Janis and Sarah, I decided to write about some of the simple things that make up our life.

Ninilchik

We have come too really like the little town of Ninilchik. I haven’t actually done any historic research yet, but I do know that it was originally a Russian settlement. Today’s descendents can still be found in the small Russian village at the mouth of the Ninilchik River. Overlooking the village is a unique little Russian Orthodox Chuch which sits majestically on a bluff above the village.

The scenery from Ninilchik is nothing less than spectacular. I personally consider it second only to Homer. Granted, I haven’t been many places in Alaska yet, but I can’t imagine it gets much better. Facing west and set high on the tall bluffs surrounding the Cook Inlet, the panoramic view consists of achain of mountains and picturesque sunsets reflecting off the water. I’ve only ever seen such beautiful sights in magazines.

The business district itself looks pretty lame by appearances. Its hosts many fishing charters closed in the winter, a store, a couple half-hearted cafes, a library, a gas station, a community clinic, and a post office. Recently we came across a real treasure. Thanks to a grant by the local tribe, we joined the Ninilchik Wellness Center last week. I had heard about it a month or two ago, but based on my impression of the town, I was sure it would be pretty lame as well. I was so wrong. The center is fully supplied with all kinds of exercise equipment, including cardio, weightlifting, boxing, and yoga equipment. ALL FREE! I like it!

Ninilchik School is also found there. From what I hear, it is not somewhere I want to work or have my grandchild attend school, but it does sport another jewel; a swimming pool. Although we haven’t used it yet, the plan is for Rick to go with Sarah and the kids for a preschool session on Wednesday. That should be right up his alley.

Rick has also become active in the meeting in Ninilchik. He heads there on Tuesdays and Thursdays and really seems to appreciate going. Later today we plan on going to a pre-Thanksgiving Dinner. I can hardly wait.

I am sure that the more we hang around, the more we will find to do in this sleepy little town. It’s only six miles from our house and has the cheapest gas on the peninsula. In that regard, it is one of the many parallels I have observed in comparing it to life in Wisconsin and the six miles to Hertel, another sleepy little town.

Our Alaskan Home

What’s it like where I live? The description in short would be cool, (we miss the wood heat), but comfortable. We really like the location because it is only 18 miles from my work, (just like in Wisconsin), and about 26 miles from SJAB’s (Sarah, Jesse, Auden, and Brahm). One of the most awesome things about the location is that we can walk less than a block and up the hill on a four wheeler trail to get an awesome view of Mount Redoubt and the Cook Inlet. It is breath-taking each time I see it, and it never looks quite the same.

Settled only about a block off the main road, among the black spruce on Rachel Road, (Rick always loved the name Rachel), is the three bedroom house owned by Ray Frank. The exterior of the house consists of a bright yellow door and a siding combination of two sides of cedar; two sides tar paper. In all fairness, tar paper and/or Tyvek is a common decor for housing here, so having the cedar on two-sides brings is rather nice.

Our landlord, Ray is probably one of the nicest people I have ever met. Having him around has been instrumental in giving Rick something to do. The seventy-four year old bachelor lives only several yards away in the small house he and Rick have been slowly remodeling from a workshop into living quarters. I’ll write more on Ray in another posting.

The two steps to the house lead to that bright yellow door that opens to a simple but cozy house. The kitchen and living room area are well-lit (when there is sun) and well furnished. We recently made the addition of satellite TV to help Rick maintain some sanity. The rest of the house is unremarkable. It is nothing special but does serves the purpose. We basically use only one bedroom. Another is used for storage and crafts, and the third is what Auden refers to as her room. The bathroom is small, but it is big enough to meet our needs. The water is hot, and the shower head Rick got at the thrift store is used a couple times a day to replace Rick’s therapeutic hot tub. It’s not quite the same, but seems to do the job.

Though we can see neighbors in three directions, there are tree situated in such away that it is easy to feel that we are in the middle of the woods. The view from our bedroom, where I do most of my writing, is the best. All that can be seen is the moderately wooded backyard. From this point of view, it is easy to imagine that our Alaskan home is in some more remote location. That is, if it weren’t for the sounds of the drilling.

Yes, it’s hard to believe that less than a couple miles away is a drilling rig. It’s not for oil, but for natural gas. The rig seemed to go up overnight, and the low hum can be heard beginning around five in the morning and ending about eleven at night. It is not loud, nor annoying, just ever present. It is a sight to see, especially at night when it is lit up like a Christmas tree illuminating itself to protect any marine and air traffic. Drilling is a big part of Alaska. The majority of Alaskans have sing the mantra, “Drill, baby drill.” This too is another topic for future postings.

All in all, it is a blessing to have found this place. Not only because it affordable with Rick bartering work for some of the housing cost, but because there is so little stress. It’s small and we don’t have a lot of stuff. There is basically little upkeep and no chores putting pressure on our time. We find there are two sides to that coin, I have to admit I am enjoying being lazy, but it is easy to get bored, as well. That when I need to be reminded that it was all part of the plan. We wanted time to write, work on getting healthier, read, and see the kids when we can. This little place on Rachel Road gives us the opportunity to do just that. Who could ask for more?