1st Visitors- Musk Ox Farm, Palmer, AK (June 5-16, 2011)

2 female musk ox

2 female musk ox

musk ox mothers and babies

Jon with Lincoln the Musk Ox

a musk ox shedding its qiviut


Two of our good friends from Wolf Ridge, Sarah and Jessie, paid us a visit in Alaska for about 11 days. It was great to spend time with the two of them while exploring the Kenai Peninsula, Anchorage, and Palmer. Some of our adventures included the following:
1. Visiting a musk ox farm in Palmer where they are attempting to domesticate the musk ox. Domestication of this particular animal will take about 250 years! They are used for their hair. Their hair, called qiviut, is extremely warm, but light in weight. Native women buy the qiviut from the farm and make hats, scarves, etc., which they then sell. Musk ox are said to have been around since the ice age.
2. Multiple moose calf sitings.
3. A quick hike to Thunderbird Falls near Anchorage.
4. Walking the beach of Captain Cook State Park to the Swanson River during low tide, where we saw many eagles, semi-palmated plovers, and lesser yellow legs. We also entertained ourselves by throwing rocks from one side of the muddy river bank to the other.
5. A hike along the Upper Kenai River Trail for a gorgeous view of the river and mountains.
6. TWO trips to Homer. You've got to love Homer! Walking the spit and checking out sea creatures, eating delicious sea food, sampling local wines and meads, walking the docks, and watching fishermen and women fillet halibut.
7. Geocaching in Kenai. Some great caches!
8. Walking up to Exit Glacier in Seward, AK. Which, by the way, has receeded a ton since Jon and I were last there in August 2010. Sad but true.
9. Fishing for sockeye salmon in the Kasilof River with our awesome fishing boots. Unfortunately, we did not catch anything. It's still an early run for sockeye.
10. Clamming at the Ninilchik Beach. There were so many clam dipples, which is a divet in the sand indicating the presence of a clam. They were all over. We could have been out there during the entire low tide digging for them. And then of course cleaning the clams.
11. Eating halibut, rockfish pizza, mussels, crab legs, salmon (both grilled and smoked), elk burgers, pear pizza, and homemade clam chowder.
12. Being swooped down on by a nesting goshawk at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. There was a bit of cursing as we hustled out of there.
13. Attending a Peninsula Oilers Baseball game. They are a local minor league team that play just kiddy-corner to our school, Kenai Middle. Scoop, the mascott, really liked Jon.
14. Watching Mount Redoubt, an active volcano smoke, just across the bay from our home.
15. Visiting our first ever cupcake bar and chowing down on our cupcakes during an earthquake! No damage, but it went on for a good 5 seconds or so. Our reaction was continuing to eat our cupcakes!
16. Visiting reindeer at Wild Berry Park in Anchorage. Reindeer are domesticated caribou. We also saw the world's largest chocolate falls and a 20 foot rock man (inukshuk). Inukshuks are rock structures created by people living in the tundra. Inukshuks were created as landmarks, used for hunting and navigation.
17. Enjoying so much sunlight!!!


June 17, 2011:
sunrise- 4:34 AM
sunset- 11:38 PM
end civil twilight- 1:48 AM
begin civil twilight- 2:23 AM
25 minutes of complete darkness

June 21, 2011 (summer solstice):
sunrise- 4:34 AM
sunset- 11:39 PM
end civil twilight- 2:00 AM
begin civil twilight- 2:14 AM
14 minutes of complete darkness