So Much Can Happen In A Day With No Night...

"Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now.” -Mark Hansen

Well folks here I am nestled into scenic Anchorage, Alaska (http://www.anchorage.net/). My temporary home for the next month and a half before I head out to my new teaching assignment in Quinhagak (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinhagak%2C_Alaska). I'm staying with my brothers right now, who have rented, for next two months only, an unfurnished apartment. Actually, lets just say its alternatively furnished with a plethora of hiking, hunting, fishing, camping, running, skiing and climbing apparel and equipment. Greeting you as the door swings open is the fragrant aroma of the beginnings of a small grassroots 'private commercial' salmon packing plant, muses Josh. As you enter this two bedroom sportsman's paradise you will find any number of items strewn about haphazardly, though always careful as to fling the wet gear in a manner that would lead it to dry out quicker. As I type my waders are hanging in the front window drying and serving as make shift curtains. Only paper plates and plastic cups don the counter top (yeah, yeah, not a surprise to those of you who were fortunate enough to experience the Skime household on the farm in all of its glory) with the exception of the new food saver vacuum sealer. This handy contraption is an absolute must if you plan to keep 7 people's limit worth of Halibut and as many nights and days as the boys can physically stay awake to fish and catch their limit in the Kenai River worth of red salmon (http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/FishCounts/). I'm fairly certain that without the food saver, we'd all be pedaling salmon patties at lemonade stands. The box from the fancy sleeping bag has now been recycled into a garbage can. Our fridge is teeming with these expertly sealed fish and it has spilled over into friends' freezers as well. I have found coolers make great tables and chairs and to boot come in a variety fun colors. We don't need curtains because it doesn't get dark right now anyway (more on the whole solstice phenomena another time). And the only thing found worthy of hanging on the mantle is a poster mom snatched from the sporting goods store where, coincidentally we are now VIP members, titled "Handling Bear Encounters" (http://www.wildlife.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=bears.bearfax) well, and my Midnight Marathon Medal (again more on that later). Of course Mom has seen to it that everyone is armed with bear spray or more, (forget the fact that she was the first one to come face to face with mama bear and 2 cubs and she forgot her spray in the car) before we make the trip down to the river. Finally, my thermarest sits in the middle of the floor as a welcome mat daring guests to sit down and try just try to take in what appears to be some one's garage shaken, turned upside down and emptied into their living room.

1 Samuel 16:7 "The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."