August 5, 2015: View from Peterson

Ok, so if we haven't established this yet, there are very few places that don't have incredible views. Here's the view from the parking lot at school. 

August 4: Stop signs are:

A. Red squares with white letters

B. Orange triangles with black letters

C. Red hexagons with white letters

D. Red hexagons with black letters

Is it any surprise I failed my first attempt at the drivers license test? Stop signs are octagons. Even in Alaksa. I chose C and got it right, and immediately after the test, I drove until I found the first stop sign and recounted the sides. Still 8. So even with the faulty test, I passed today on my second try. I am now an official Alaskan resident :)

**confession: so on this day I took a picture of my drivers license. Then I realized it's a terrible idea to post all that information online. Unfortunately it was the only picture I took this day. Sooo... Here is a picture of my license I took a few days later with the info covered. It's technically cheating, but I am not chancing a stolen identity for the sake of blogging :)

August 3: The incredibl(y lucky) Hulk.

Arthur likes to shoot Hulk with his nerf gun. Today, this happened, and I died laughing. Now, Arthur walks around saying "Shoot Hulk. Weeeeiner."  

August 2: working in the backyard.

I decided I should start teaching myself our math curriculum, so I "worked" for a bit outside in my sort of backyard. My house is next to a lake. I brought a camp chair down to the lake and read. I can do work all the time if it's this nice. (It won't be. I guess this summer is unusually sunny. The rain is sure to be coming!)

August 1: Salmonberries

Today was such a GREAT day. I joined a hiking group this morning and together we climbed Pillar Mountain. I met some great people. I noticed that elderly people on this island are machines. My mountain climbing abilities were put to shame by three retired men, one who was wearing jeans and an unbuttoned button down shirt.  (Well, it started buttoned but as we climbed higher and higher, the shirt slowly opened up to let in the breeze. I am inspired by how fit people are here.  Our guide, Hans, is retired and leads hikes all summer long. He was instrumental in the development of a lot of the trail maps in Kodiak, so he made an awesome guide, pointing out the landforms and teaching us about the history of the island.  I hiked alongside him and his girlfriend the entire way down the mountain and LOVED hearing his stories. 

After the hike I went Salmonberry picking with two girls I met. (Yay, I have friends!) I hadn't been legit berry picking yet here, and it's a definite Kodiak activity. Alanna, my new friend from today (I actually asked her on the hike if she wanted to be my friend. I have no shame), is making Salmonberry jam, so I donated all of my berries to her :). All I need to do now is go fishing and I can call myself a true islander. 

July 31: evening beauty

I can't say that night time over the water is as beautiful here as it is in Ludington (there is just something about Sunsets over Lake Michigan) but it's close! 

July 30: Sk8ter punk

This sweatshirt. So hilarious.