Wednesday, May 24th - You know when Spring has Sprung, because I'm too busy to update my journal! (Sorry!)

I can't believe it's been a week since I updated this journal. I apologize for the delay. It has been so incredibly gorgeous here in Fairbanks - 50s and 60s during the day - and we're now up to 24 hours of visible daylight. These long days just make me want to run, run, run. Rachael and I try to keep as busy as possible and the days have been flying by quickly.

Last Thursday (the 18th), Rachael and I drove into Denali Park. We would go everyday if possible (and if gas wasn't so darn expensive!), but Thursday was our last chance to drive into Teklanika in our private vehicle. It is now officially tourist season, and the buses are running. I do plan to take a shuttle into the park (a la tourist) this summer with my sister-in-law when she comes to visit. It will be my first time, and I know that there is even more splendor to experience further in the park.

It was a dreary and overcast day when we left Fairbanks, and we knew the mountain wouldn't be out. We were right. In fact, we had rain and sleet when we got into mile 29.5. We didn't see any moose or bears, but we saw plenty of small creatures: snowshoe hares, ptarmigan, and mew gulls. We did see several caribou, but they were way up on a hill and too far away to photograph.

		Tanana Valley Panoramic
	Ironically, our first moose sighting didn't occur until we got all the way home. This cow moose was helping herself to some dandelions on the side of the road. Some people were oblivious to her presence. Not us!

On Saturday, the LARS (Large Animal Research Station) had an open house, and the public was able to view the new babies. It was a fun day for kids with arts and crafts, birthday cake, and hands-on exhibits. Rachael and I were most interested in seeing the baby musk oxen. They were adorable! The mama musk ox was very attentive to her babies, and when they bleated for her, she ran quickly to their side.

The musk ox (Ovibos moschatus) is called omingmak meaning "the animal with skin like a beard" by Inupiaq-speaking Eskimos, a reference to the long guard hair that hangs nearly to the ground. Musk oxen as a species have changed little since the ice age and are perfectly adapted to live in their harsh arctic environment.

The soft brownish wool-like underhair, or "qiviut", has been called the rarest fiber in the world. Musk oxen are not shorn, as the time it would take for them to grow back their coat is considerable and would not leave them protected for the harsh Arctic winters. However, each spring they do shed their under-wool and it is hand collected (or it is combed out) for processing into to fine yarns and garments. Each year a musk ox will shed between 5 and 7 pounds of qiviut.

The woman at left is spinning yarn from qiviut.

You can read more about the LARS by clicking HERE.

Today, the Moving Wall is in Fairbanks. Rachael and I are planning to go down to Veterans Memorial Park and see it. I visited the Wall in Washington DC about 10 years ago, but have never seen the Moving Wall. It will be here in Fairbanks until the 30th, before moving to Wasilla, AK.

I have decided to try my *thumb* at growing some flowers. I made a visit to the local nursery and came home with two dwarf sunflower seedlings. One is a Teddy Bear Sunflower, and the other is a Pacino Sunflower. Yesterday, I went back and bought some Alyssum to plant in the same huge pots to cover the soil. So far, the seedlings are doing really well. I hope my luck continues so I will have some nice color on my porch this summer. I'll take photos once I get some blooms. If you don't see photos, you'll know my thumb wasn't very green.

Mom News: Mom had her first treatment with Avastin last week. This was her third chemotherapy treatment, but the first which included Avastin. Avastin is a targeted therapy. Targeted therapies treat cancer in a completely different way than chemotherapy. This type of targeted therapy is called anti-angiogenic therapy and the hope is that it will interfere with the growth of new blood vessels, which provide nutrients to the tumor. Her treatments make her very tired, and suppress her appetite - which is not good. She's lost a lot of weight and can't afford to lose any more. As with any battle against cancer, Mom has her good days and bad days. When I spoke to her this morning, she wasn't having a very good day. I hate that she's feeling so poorly - both physically and emotionally. Please continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers. All positive vibes are appreciated and welcome.