MEMORIES

Growing up on the Mission field definitely was an adventure. I remember going out with Dad and Mom on many grand adventures that at the time were not so grand but after the fact made great stories. I remember a few trips we took where we would come to a river where we would have to cross it using the Zambian mode of transportation. Many times this was a "Ferry" and I say that with quotations because many times it was a bunch of sticks tied together with rope, string or even grass. Then you would drive up on to it with your truck and you would trust that it would hold together as you pull your self across the river using a rope strung from end to end. Other trips we came to rivers where there was actually a metal "ferry" that looked somewhat like a boat and you would see that 4 Eighteen wheelers would drive on before you and you would be the last truck that would drive on the end with your rear tires at the VERY edge of the ferry. When you would exit the truck you would notice the LARGE gaps between boards that your vehicle plus the 4 other 18 wheelers would hopefully be supported by. The Zambian people always say there is always room for one more or one more Item. When you have said a prayer that your boat won't fall to pieces around you, the Ferry begins to shove off and then you have to face the facts that the waves are really bumpy and the ferry shifts and you think you are going to fall in to the crocodile and Hippo infested water. I must say I wondered many times if Tarzan would come to save me if I fall in the water. We never did fall in the water but it was an experience. Let us say the faith that you develop on those trips could move mountains.

Today I had a major Deja vu. The first barge arrived in Galena and that means another time where the whole community comes out to see it. Many people had stuff ordered and we actually had 3 barrels of gas or oil coming in so I went out to watch the activity and pick the barrels up. Well when I pulled up to the edge of the river I was seriously having flashbacks to my childhood of crossing many rivers with Ferries that were questionable. This barge was VERY QUESTIONABLE. It was PACKED so full that water almost flowed over it. There were crates and crates stacked and boats and cars stacked on top of those. A boat drove by on the river and I was afraid that the small waves it created would topple the whole barge and all the stuff would fall in the water. Keith's co-worker Wayne stopped by and we were chatting and he said ever so often there were times when things fell off the barge. It was then that I was thankful that all of our stuff when moving arrived by airplane and not by barge. The barge seemed very questionable and Kenton said this was a even better then other places he has lived in Alaska. I wish I would have had a camera but Keith had it in Fairbanks where he has been since Monday. Maybe when another barge comes in I can get a picture but I really wish I did have one to show how high it was stacked and how much stuff was on it.


Ok these were not the first barge pictures but Keith took these a few days ago and you can see how loaded it was!!!

1-2 inches of water over the boat and it still floats.=)

TRAFFIC JAM in Galena

Ok so you know the river broke up and saw some pictures of that. Well the next day Keith came home and told us that it was finally flowing and we could really see the ice moving down river. So we jumped in the car and headed to the river. I guess the break up brings people out of the woodwork because no kidding I saw about 30 cars driving on the road in town. All of them stopping by the river to take a look. I have not seen that many cars in Galena yet. Talk about traffic. An my goodness we even had to WAIT at a stop sign so another car could pass. I have been here 4 months and I think that has NEVER happened to me yet. =) Waiting at a stop sign is like waiting at a Red light in Florida they take FOREVER! hahahahaha I am just kidding. I was just laughing that Keith actually had to stop and wait for vehicles to pass. To think of what driving in traffic will do to our brains when we actually go into town again. Seeing more then 30 cars might just freak me out. hahahaha
I have no pictures if the 30 cars in Galena to bore you with but here is a video of the Ice floating by on the river and breaking. It was truly amazing. A bit of Rain got on the camera so it kind of messes up the picture but you can still see the point. What power the water has!

Yukon River Broke Up!

Ok the night after I wrote about waiting for the river to break up it did! We went to see it the next day and even though the ice has jammed and stopped floating, you can see where the ice is broken. It amazes me the power of water and how it can move 4 feet of ice and flip it on to the beach. The area where we had been walking only a few days before on the beach is now not accessible. The water level rose so high now. Look back a few post of where we are walking on the beach and you can compare what it is like now.

Ice Jam-this is actually where we had the Spring Carnival a few months ago.
Now there is Ice all over the beach.

River broken- this is the beach that we were walking on just a few days before
Kaden and I in front of the Ice Jam

5 feet of Ice on the beach

Kaden having fun with the Ice

Keith and Kaden with the Ice

Kings of the Iceberg!

Waiting for Break-up

In Alaska, the breaking up of the Yukon River is taken VERY SERIOUSLY!! So much so that there is a bet that is taken that people can bet what date and EXACT time that the river breaks up. They(not sure who THEY are) but They put a tripod out in the middle of the river and that is tied to a clock and when the river breaks and starts to move the tripod falls and pulls the string that stops the clock and who ever is the closest to the time wins the money that everybody put into the pool. People take this bet very seriously here. Keith and I did not participate but we await the break up of the river. We have been told it is a big sign that spring is almost here! We have been driving down to our small beach on the river where the water is rising and the Ice is breaking in small portions. It sounds so cool to listen to the small ice portions crashing into each other, I can't wait to hear the whole river making noise. Our beach is a nice section and though it looks brown the sand is very soft and fine. It will be nice to go when the water is not as cold as it is now. Even though the official tripod up river already clocked the time of the official break up there is a small break up bet here in Galena. Anytime it should be happening.

The river melting

Walking the beach

Kaden can not stay out of the water.

Did I mention this is at 9:00 at night!!!

I kind of feel like Moses waiting for the water to divide.=)

Hanging out with my boy

Ramos Family May 2010

Amazing Craft by Mommy!

Who would have thought that mommy saving the toilet paper rolls and taping two together would be the hit of the day. We ran out of Toilet paper in both bathrooms on the same day and I just happened to have 2 toilet paper rolls things, not sure what you call the middle but I had two of them. Anyways! We have been going out for drives to look for birds, moose and bears. Kaden has been using Daddy's big binoculars but he really has not managed to be able to see out of them. But Mommy had a BRILLIANT IDEA while about to discard these two toilet paper roll things. I would make him his very on binoculars. So when daddy came home Kaden insisted we go for a drive so he could test out his binos. It was really cute! He spent the day playing with those and who would have thought two things I was about to throw away would make him so happy? He is very proud that he has his OWN binos to look for birds and animals.