ARIZONA TO ALASKA

Last Updated: 7:33 AM GMT on November 08, 2009 — Last Comment: 7:55 AM GMT on November 08, 2009

	GENERAL DISCUSSION

Posted by: joealaska, 7:33 AM GMT on November 08, 2009

The contest for the HIGHEST WIND GUST IN DECEMBER is pretty simple. No need to choose a date. Just MPH (deal with it UK). You can enter anytime until DECEMBER. You can even change your entry if you feel you have been foolhardy. UNTIL DECEMBER. Gust will be measured on my weather device. Installed correctly or not.

I will be gone 2 weeks late in December, but the device tracks all data.

Any disputes will be resolved by random decision.

The 4 early entries, subject to changed mind, range from 89 to 124.

Today we were a bit slow, although we delivered a nice order to our friends at the Coast Guard. A boat that just came to dock today. Almost 400 feet long, but held up by the wind. The wind wins.

We were done with everything a bit early, so we all took off. As we were leaving one of the guys said our Freezer #2 was acting up. As in NOT WORKING. I called the local technician and asked him to check it out. He was at the GRAND OPENING of the new store here. Grocery, hardware, automotive, liquor. Hey , the four food groups. What else is there? They had a barbecue going with a nice turnout.

So he checked it out. TROUBLE. We have 3 vans for freeze storage at -15. In the last few months we have replaced 2 of them. This is the last old one. We can fix or replace, so we will work on it.

BUT, stuff was thawing out. Like desserts. We took out all the ice cream STUFF (hate to get technical). Prepared foods, seafood, frozen vegetables, and lamb. I called the only 2 guys available, and we are back within a half hour. Maybe a 1000 boxes, or a bit more. Weighing 20-60 pounds each. Stacked low and high. Tight, awkward positions. I easily could have called the boys and said DO IT. Not me. I had to be there.

It took a few hours. And I was sweating like a pig at 35 degrees. Should sleep good tonight.

It is now dark at 6:30. When I pulled in Hoppy was waiting. We had a short conversation, then I fed him. NO BOWLS. The last one was taken yesterday and was EMPTY! .... FARFLE!! DAMN him.

I just checked the bathroom window to the FEEDING PORCH. When I turned on the lights, 2 figures scattered. One came back right away... HOPPY. The other was a stranger.

Freight coming in? Yes, Dutch Harbor is THE most productive fishing port in the US. Combine that with the fact EVERYTHING comes in via plane or boat. We get a lot of freight. The big processors, and all the vessels. Some of the containers could be empty, to take in frozen fish.

Do I love it here?... YES. Hey, no job is perfect. NOWHERE is perfect. What I got here is a great job in a unique place most people will never see. Like Anaktuvuk Pass. THAT is the point!!!! By itself, this is probably the best job I have ever had. The ONLY negative is that it may not be a permanent commitment. But what is? Especially nowadays. My idea of a PERFECT job would be to be here 9 months, and 3 months in the lower 48.

I prefer the unusual, and I certainly found it here.

Late breaking comment responses...

Regarding that first contest... It became very obvious that I was in a judgement call situation. I said the winner had to call the first accumulation of snow. WHAT is accumulation? I should have said ALL ground was covered. But guess what? Even today would not have qualified. Its that damn wind, NOTHING accumulates. It blows away. Full accumulation has still not happened. You are right Dave, today was close. When I realized it was a bit vague, I leaned toward the first day that could be interpreted as so.

BACK OFF! The next one is pretty clear cut. And they will continue that way.

I have 2 porches. One is facing north, one is south. When that wind is howling, the north porch is out of the question. Even if I could open the door, and hold it, I cannot photo. The lens is immediately covered. When I go to the south porch, the sound is completely different. From hammering ROAR to muted swooshing. But that is all I can offer. I want to capture the sound, and it will happen. But the circumstances will have to be perfect. Hey, it is a long winter.

Those pallets of STUFF? It could be fish filets, or surimi (for imitation crab, or mainly sent to Japan). It could be fish meal, for many uses including pet food for Hoppy. But is all going out of Dutch. Most to Japan / Asia. Or the lower 48.

The same container vessels that bring our freight leave with full containers of frozen fish product. It goes EVERYWHERE. When a forklift leaves with a pallet of boxes, it goes to a freezer van. That van may sit here awhile in storage, but eventually it ships out. Often when the price is right, as it becomes a marketing of commodities thing.

I have some video of BIG BOAT OFFLOADS. The new dock here, KLOOSTERBOER, services American Seafoods boats. 400 footers. It is pure PRODUCTION watching that offload. Watching a 40 LB box coming down the conveyor every 3 seconds, for 25 hours, being palletized and wrapped. Then put in freeze storage. Hoping THEY put up a camera soon....

But for right now, I got the footage. Youtube tonight.

That is all I have for now.

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	BIG NIGHT AHEAD

Posted by: joealaska, 7:10 AM GMT on November 06, 2009

I was up at 5 AM because Fluff was yakking up a hairball. But the wind was at it again, so I would have woken anyway. The house was shaking. I checked the wind gauge and it was about the same as last night, high gust was 63. The wind has been straight from the north. If it changed to NW it would hit the device unimpeded. Instead, my house runs a little interference. Hoping we get it installed this weekend properly.All day we had a series of snow squalls move...

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	ITS A PERFECT STORM FOR FISHING

Posted by: joealaska, 4:47 AM GMT on November 05, 2009

Last night was interesting weather, tonight could be the same. It woke me up at 5 AM, after I went to sleep at midnight in almost dead calm.The highest gust my device measured was 64 mph. Today at some point we got another at 65. It was warning me of a fast drop in barometric pressure late last night.Talked to my landlord who says he will have time soon to remount the device, but weather is now the factor. Bought some brackets to mount it to the building today. ...

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	WEATHER AT 11

Posted by: joealaska, 7:56 AM GMT on November 04, 2009

So last night we got POUNDED. Maybe 80 mph winds. Slamming my windows. Making me wonder if they may break. Not sure of that wind speed.TODAY, I wanted to know. My landlord had been busy at work, so he was unable to install my weather station. After last night, I wanted to know what was happening. Weather was supposed to continue. For the next few days.Today I talked to the landlord, and he agreed to let me set it up temporarily. He had a piece of pipe to ...

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Updated: 7:57 AM GMT on November 04, 2009

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	POST HALLOWEEN

Posted by: joealaska, 6:27 AM GMT on November 02, 2009

Have you all heard about the new largest cruise ship in the world? WOW.OASIS OF THE SEAS. Built in Finland, on it’s maiden voyage to Florida (surprise).As tall as a 20 story building, it has telescoping smokestacks. It needed them, as it had less than 2 feet of clearance under a bridge in Denmark. After they were retracted..There is an indoor theater that seats 1300. An outdoor ampitheater seats 750, with an ocean background.It is FIVE TIMES as big as The Tit...

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