NORTH POLE, ALASKA

A belated post from May 19, 2017.  We found a very nice motel that had individual cabins so we rented a cabin for the night. This is Howard outside at about 11:00 PM --  I rented it via Travelocity and the ad read free wifi and breakfast available.  I went to the office after we got there to get the wifi password, which the desk clerk gave to me!!  Unfortunately, she failed to mention that their wifi was down and would not be working until Sunday when all the updating would be finished!!!  It would have been wonderful if I had known that earlier!!!!  So two nights in a row that I could not blog!!!!  Well --- better go to bed and worry about it later.

Howard is always up earlier than I am (nothing new in that department), so he went in to have breakfast only to find out that there is a charge of $14.00 per person for that!!!  Needless to say - we packed up and went to Denny's and both ate for less than that!  This place was very nice, very well done and very clean but I was VERY disappointed in the service and the way it was advertised!!!

OK - done with my rant in that department!!!

MAY 20, 2017

First job on the list for the day !!  Wash the car!!!  That Alaska dirt really sticks to things!!!

Now on to the NORTH POLE!!!

The sign says that Santa is on vacation --- so we had to sit in his chair all by ourselves!!!

BUT --- we found him wandering around in the store!!

    Now I am happy!!  He even has a real beard!!!  I am sure that his lap will never be the same!!!

And it is good to know that in spite of all the secular Christmas items for sale from ornaments to Santa Claus' there is a statement that says it all --- "JESUS is the Reason for the Season!!"

                                 A very heart warming letter to Santa from a concerned child.

I must admit that I was a bit disappointed in the North Pole as well!  I guess I was expecting the whole town to be like a Virtual Christmas Season but it was only in this one particular area that we found this --- we even stopped to ask a local where to find the Christmas Village and she wasn't even sure!!!

We have to give some people credit for trying.  We talked to the fellow that lives here and he says that people just drop things off for him and he is 'hoping' to start a business.  His plan is to build a shed this summer to house all this stuff!!!  I really think he better hurry and he has a LOT of work ahead of him!!!

We have seen so many beautiful small churches along the way, proof to me that God is alive and well, even in the remotest regions of Alaska. 

This church is located on the shores of beautiful Dot Lake!!  It was so peaceful here and a place where one could probably sit for hours and just bask in the beauty of the moment.

We are headed to Tok, Alaska - the place where we entered into the state a week ago.  We were driving down the road and saw a sign that said Tanacross.  Well, we should see what Tanacross is all about.  Down the gravel road and nestled in the trees is a remote Athabasca Indian village.  Well, there were a few guys outside and you know us --- we have to stop and ask a few questions of the locals.

Travis, the Athabasca Indian/Aleut Eskimo that we talked to for a while.  He invited us to go to see their burial grounds where the sign at the entrance said ' for residents only'.  We didn't get out and walk around but took a few pictures of the graves.

We asked him what the purpose of the fences etc, was and his response was that it is their way of having a headstone.  What about winter burials?????  He said they build a fire on the ground and that helps thaw the ground so that they can dig the grave.  He said that sometimes they have to dig in the frozen ground if the fire doesn't thaw it enough!

We also asked about Eskimos!!  They live WAY up north by Barrow and places like that.  He said that the Eskimos are also very rich --- they get dividends from the oil companies because the oil fields are on their land.

This is Donovan, an Athabasca Indian.  He saw us in the village and came over in his truck and offered to take us to the air strip.  This area was used during World War II and at the time there were 8000 people living in this area, making it the 6th largest city in Alaska and most were military.  Now it is used as a local air strip for fighting forest fires and things like that.  The village itself has a population of 144.

He told us that many years ago the Indians walked about 8 miles, one way, to a little church that was right by the river where they worshipped on Sunday.  Then they had to walk back - that is 16 miles round trip!!!!  Sadly, today, it is hard for people to drive a few miles to get to a church!!!

The priest that was serving that area would also have to walk across the Tanana River and at that time it was called Tanana Crossing --- the priest thought that was too long of a name so he shortened it to Tanacross and that is what is today.

Donovan taught us some Athabasca words so now when we see a moose we can say 'Dendeeg' or a bear is a 'Shuus' , the moon is 'lsaa' and the sun is 'saa'!  

Tseen ehh (thank you) tleen (friend) Donovan.   It was a pleasure to meet you! 

The view from the village!!!

Tok is 12 miles down the road and here we are!!  AND - just outside of town we saw a big rig rolling into the parking lot!!! Anker Trucking - Sumas, Washington!!!!  That is right next door to home!!  And Mark graduated with our oldest, Troy!

And once again we are reminded that ALL of God's great BIG world is actually really small!!!!  And there is a friend around every corner!!!

We are staying at the Golden Bear Motel in Tok, Alaska!!!

And no stocking hat to report tonight --- have to finish it first!!!