We've moved!

No, not out of Bethel. :) We've moved the blog to http://susanandmarshall.typepad.com/

A blog update

I'm researching some major changes for the blog right now. We seem to have hit our storage limit for photos so I'm looking at the possibility of moving the blog to a new domain, or even purchasing our own little space on the internet. I'll update with a new address soon. Thanks for being patient and very happy Thanksgiving weekend. :)

Full recovery

The Tibby relocation story has been pretty popular. I just wanted to show that he has fully recovered and is a happy Alaska cat now. We moved his tower in front of a floor-to-ceiling window and he spends most of his time on it. The configuration of windows in our place means tons of sunlight, and he takes advantage.

He keeps going going into the arctic entry to explore; I think he's looking for his patio. Unfortunately for him, there is no screened-in patio or pet door here! I finally took him outside since he was so curious. He immediately squirmed out of my arms and pawed at the door to get  back in. It's a bit cold for his taste. He loves the spot in front of the heater and has found every warm spot in the house. 

He also loves this window to watch the ravens outside. They're bigger than Tibby, so it kind of freaks him out. But he loves watching them fly around.

Anchorage Update

I know I've been really quiet recently. Nothing is wrong. In fact, we're doing great, but have just been really busy. We've been settling into life here and doing well. As I mentioned last week, Marshall was at a board review course in Columbus. On his way back, I met him in Anchorage for a few days. We finally left the airport! It's very pretty from the airport and even prettier driving around. It's a small city, but surrounded by mountains. We decided to spend one day sightseeing and the other shopping. 

Anchorage isn't very big and is laid out on a grid, so that made it simple to get around. Unfortunately, there isn't a ton to do this time of year. We missed the summer activities and the snow hadn't arrived yet for winter sports. So we rented a car and decided to drive down the Kenai Peninsula a bit, taking in the sights. Without much of a plan, we ended up driving to Seward and back. First we stopped in Whitter and played around with the camera. We finally saw some snow and pine trees.

in Whitter

Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel aka Whitter Tunnel

Whitter is a very small port town, but surrounding area is gorgeous. We stopped for coffee and saw a coyote run in front of our car. It's a good place for whale watching cruises, but we were too late in the season. The only way there by car is through the longest tunnel in the U.S. It was kind of freaky, to be honest. It looks like someone just decided to blow up a tunnel in the mountain; it's quite rustic. And it's a one-lane road that allows cars and trains. So there are specific times that the tunnel is open each way and for each vehicle.

We kept seeing frozen lakes and people skating on them. What was strange is that most of the lakes weren't frozen all the way through. The sunny spots were still watery and the shady spots were solid enough to skate on. Kind of odd to see people skating right next to large puddles of water. But we stopped at a shady lake and walked around. The ice was at least a foot thick so there was no fear of falling through.

Now, I wasn't super prepared for our outdoor outing. I foolishly wore sneakers and have a t-shirt on under my coat. I am a bit cold in the picture to the right! (We ended up shopping for winter clothes the next day and I now have a large array of long sleeved shirts and wool socks.)

Marshall was determined to walk on a glacier that day. We did our absolute best looking for a glacier, and found a beautiful one at Kenai Fjords National Park. But . . . the road into the park was closed. Rats! So we were limited to just taking a picture. We definitely plan to go back on a later visit. Plus, we need our stamp for our passport book. :)

glacier at Kenai Fjords National Park

Seward was a really small town and didn't offer anything overly special as far as activities. But again, I think we were between seasons. We did see a sea lion swimming around though (or at least, we think it was a sea lion. We never got a great look at it.) Like Bethel, the only places to eat were Chinese or odd multi-ethnic places. So we had dinner at a Greek-Seafood-Italian place. I ordered fish and chips and it was the best fish I've had in awhile.

Day two in Anchorage was a shop-til-we-drop day. And boy, did we shop! Due to the high prices in Bethel and cost of shipping, no one travels without shopping at some point. Most people plan a short layover in Anchorage on any return trip in order to fill a few suitcases or plastic bins (called totes). Alaskans can check three bags for free when traveling within the state of Alaska, so Marshall and I had 6 free bags between us. And we filled them; with the handy luggage scale we borrowed, we got each tote very close to 50 pounds.

Being our first massive shopping trip, we were overwhelmed and exhausted by the end. We also did a ton of running around, comparing prices and checking store inventory. Next time will be easier now that we know what we're doing. We bought a ton of winter clothes, tools for our garage, baking supplies and some random odds and ends like batteries and wiper blades for the car. And we shipped one item directly from the store. Anchorage stores know how to deal with bush shoppers, which was so nice. We bought a table saw that was just too big to check on the plane. The store drove it over to the Alaska Airline Cargo office for us and we paid for the shipping once it arrived. Easy peasy.

Getting it all packed and then checked in at the airport was a pain, but was so worth it. We have so much now that we wouldn't be able to buy in Bethel or would cost us three times as much. It was a successful trip. However, even though there was fast food for Marshall and Starbucks for me, we were both really happy to get back home. The traffic, stop lights, crowds, and strip malls were all a bit too much for us. I felt much more relaxed arriving home and only have one stop sign between the airport and our place.

Anchorage is pretty though! :)

At long last . . . Anchorage

After more than a handful of trips connecting in Anchorage, Marshall and I will finally leave the airport! I'm meeting him there for a few days so we can sightsee and shop for winter coats. It looks like a beautiful city from the airport; I'm eager to finally see it from a different perspective. :) We'll post pictures when we return.

Ice on the Kuskokwim

Temperatures have been dropping so we stopped by the river to see if any ice had formed. It hasn't frozen completely, but it will very soon. It's gorgeous right now. 

We also saw a bald eagle riding on one of the ice flows! Unfortunately we only had the phone so our picture isn't very clear. Even though we live only minutes from the river, by the time we returned with a camera, the eagle was gone. Word got around though; we saw quite a few people pull up to the river bank looking for it.

We've had to scrape ice from the car windows for the past week and had snow on the ground this morning. It warmed up a bit so the snow melted and we have major fog right now.

Marshall and I getting our first taste of travel being affected by the weather; he was supposed to fly out a few hours ago and has been delayed multiples times. The morning flight was canceled and we aren't sure about his flight yet. At least he had a long layover in Anchorage; his flight out of Anchorage isn't scheduled until almost midnight, so he might still make it. Apparently this is par for the course on flying in and out of Bethel.

I love my cat

I love my cat. I love my cat. I love my cat.

But I will never, ever, ever, fly him across the country again!

Some of you have heard the saga of bringing Thibodeaux to Bethel, but I will regale the rest of you now. I have recovered nicely and Tibby and I are no longer traumatized. ;) Keep in mind, I had researched all possible scenarios and decided (with the vet's advice) to carry him on the plane. Cargo was a bit too iffy. No offense to people to have no choice in that, but I didn't want to put Tibby below the plane in a place with little temperature control. Particularly since we were flying from 90 degree Orlando to 30 degree Bethel. Our vet prescribed some sedatives and we were all set.

A big shout out and thank you to my friend Jason for taking care of Tibby for the last few months. Most of you heard us refer to Tibby being at camp; he was staying with our friend and well taken care of. Even had his pet door for the screened in patio. Spoiled, I tell you.

The big day arrived, and I picked Tibby up from Jason's at 5 am for a 7:30 flight. Flying in and out of Bethel is a major challenge. The only major connection is Anchorage and there are only 2-3 flights per day. Due to the schedule and time zone, leaving Bethel typically means flying overnight. However, coming from the east coast, I was able to fly during the day and arrive that evening. With layovers, I think it came out to about 19 hours total.

Gave Tibby the first dose of sedative and he was supposed to be drowsy by the time we got on the plane. Not so much. The sedative had virtually no effect. I'd heard that might happen, and of course it did. So he meows his way through the airport. I have to carry him through the metal detector while his carrier went on the scanner. He is a little freaked out, but ok at that point. I had decided to use points to upgrade to first class on the Orlando-Seattle and Seattle-Anchorage legs so we'd have more room and be comfy. So keep in mind through all of this, I'm surrounded by people who are expecting a very nice flight.

Enter the flight. Tibby yowls as soon as we got on the plane and is placed under the seat in front of me. I would soon wish for loud meowing as my biggest problem. About an hour into the 6 hour flight, he poops and pees in his carrier. I didn't realize this until later. Breakfast is served. I of course have the window seat and am stuck in said seat with my tray down, precariously set with food and coffee. Tibby proceeds to scratch at his carrier and thump on the seat in front of me. It's a racket that I can only pretend to ignore.

Then the woman in front me turns to tell me that my cat scared her. I apologize, thinking his thumping was just a major annoyance. She then mutters, "He's out, by the way." WHAT? Yes, Tibby has clawed a hole in his carrier, the creme de la creme of carriers, darted under this poor woman's legs, and is now nosing around at the cockpit door. I may have responded with an expletive. The flight attendants are not amused as they they to make breakfast with a renegade cat running around. One of them yells at me to get my cat put away. I am stuck in my window seat with no access out so I beg her to just grab him, promising he won't bite. She yells that she is allergic. Even better.

As Tibby makes his way up the aisle to explore, the man beside me grabbs him; thankfully he was really nice and not skittish around cats. I hold a squirming cat as the flight attendant proceeds to yell at me more to get him back in his carrier. I mention the gigantic hole. I stuff him back in, holding the hole shut, not a long-term solution by any means. She returns with some duct tape from the pilot. Good idea, but this does nothing beyond appearance. I end up holding the carrier on my lap for the remainder of the flight, another 4.5 hours at this point.

Remember how Tibby messed himself in his carrier? I soon realize this and figure that was his whole reason for escape. He's a fastidious cat, so that completely stressed him out. Without going into too many details, I clean it up as best I could without making it really obvious (using a leftover Starbucks cup I had on hand). Unfortunately, the stench of cat pee is something that will wake the gods, so we suffer the whole flight. Particularly since it leaks on my pants the entire trip. The flight attendants make faces and comment on the smell the whole flight. I am mortified and miserable, Tibby yowls in misery, and there is just nothing that can be done; we're in the air with no way to improve the situation. So I hold onto the carrier and pretend to sleep; at least I donn't have to see the flight attendants' sneers for the rest of the flight.

Seattle. Thank goodness I had a 4 hour layover. I bring Tibby into the nearest bathroom and basically take over the baby changing area to clean us both up. I chase him around the sink area a bit during this process. I figure we can just make it rest of the way if he calms down and I get a better handle on the duct tape situation. I pick a quiet corner, work on the makeshift hole repair a bit more and try to relax. Next thing I know, Tibby is out again and running around the terminal. I finally grab him from under the nearby row of seats, filled with people of course.

OK, so Plan B. I head out of the airport and to the taxi stand. I just need to find a pet store. The cab driver refuses to take me anywhere without an address, and the guys running the taxi stand can't seem to work their smart phones to find me an address. I point out to the cab driver that he has GPS and won't that direct him to a pet store? Apparently not. We're at a standstill. A cat pee scented standstill. I run over to ground transportation and see a young employee working on an iPad. Hallelujah! I am so happy I could cry at this point. I am given the address to the nearest PetSmart and convince a cab driver to take me there and wait while I buy a new carrier. Tibby is still meowing loudly.

I burst into the PetSmart and basically demand their strongest strong carrier. Of course, they tell me that the lovely destroyed Sherpa I have in my hand is the best one out there. Well, it sucks! So I just buy the cheapest one there is, transfer Tibby over, and head back to the airport. I of course left the stinky awful carrier behind. It wasn't even worth trying to get a refund; I would have rather burned it.

So the new dry, sweet-smelling carrier saved the day. The angry, pitiful, yowling kitty was now quiet and relaxed. We hung out in the airport and he didn't make a peep after that. He just looked around, napped a bit, and just chilled. The next two flights were heaven. Not a sound from him. He only freaked out again when we arrived in Bethel, but I don't blame him one bit. We arrived to cold rain and wind, exiting the plane via stairs onto the tarmac, and had to wait for bags in a tiny, loud airport. Any Florida cat would have freaked out a bit. But he did great, even after being soaked in cold rain and riding in a cab home.

He was thrilled to see Marshall and his cat tower, and has been a snuggly, happy cat every since. He spent a few days following us around, but is back to his usual antics now. We're are so happy he's home!

And yes, that is a homemade cat-sized and -themed quilt below, courtesy of his Grandma. :)