Musk Ox and Braided River

May 19, 2007

It got really cold again last night. Woke to 34 degrees!! Bright and sunny though. We will go to Hatcher Pass and the musk ox farm today.

This was a magnificent day. The weather was a perfect spring day. The weather was in the mid 60’s and it was bright and sunny. There were many young people in tank tops and shorts, I thought that was a little extreme!!!

We sent out to go to Hatcher’s Pass, a wonderful scenic drive into the mountains to an old gold mine. As we were driving we saw several signs for ‘Garage Sales’!!! Do you believe we had to stop!!!! We went to one that had so much stuff they let you fill boxes for $2.50!!! Of course Doug could not let a deal like that pass - he filled TWO boxes!! I kept telling him to stop because while he was filling the boxes I kept finding other things that ‘I just could not live without’!!! As my daughter said today when I spoke with her “this is a disease”!! Doug keeps saying if we were younger he would move here in a flash. It seems that 90 per cent of the people have junk yards!!! This has been one of his dreams, but I have always told him I would NOT live in a junk yard!!!!!

After our junk yard and driving expedition, we went to a Musk Ox Farm. It was really very interesting. The musk ox is not very attractive, bu6t they are very interesting and we enjoyed seeing them. They have an under growth that is called quiviat. It is the growth that is closest to the skin and they shed it in the spring. The farm collects it and then people in the local villages knit items to sell. The yarn is so soft, almost like mohair.

After we left the farm we went to an overlook along the highway and took some pictures of the Matanuska River. It is a perfect example of what they call the ‘braided rivers’ in Alaska. The rivers are rather dry right now. This is a surprise, since we expect rivers in the spring to be rushing. These rivers rush in the summer time, when the glaciers are melting!!! I just love learning about the differences in areas. We tend to think all the world is the way we are, whatever area we are in!!!

We were finally able to sit out and visit with other campers. The people next to us and on the other side, are here to help a Nazarene church put in a new kitchen at a building they just purchased. One couple is from AK and the other is from WY. This is a mission project for them!

Guess we will be going to church tomorrow! We went from a town that had no churches to a town that has one of every denomination that I have heard of and then some that I have NEVER heard of!!! We will probably go to the PCUSA church. It is one of the oldest in town and in an old log building. Doug is not happy that the service is at 11am!!!!