Scamsters

Auntie got home from her three week visit with her daughter in Victoria, B.C. a couple of days ago.  She is now settling into her customary routine at home.  The customary part is unfortunate; but unfortunately to be expected. 

Yesterday morning mom got a call from a very distraught auntie.  Something terrible had happened to auntie's grandson in Anchorage.  Mom asked me to call her sister.

When I called, auntie was indeed very shook-up.  She had got a call from her grandson, Brock, who said he had been in an accident the night before after attending a wedding.  He had got busted for being just over the legal alcohol limit and was in the pokey.  Needed help with bail and an attorney. 

Auntie, who had been up watching tv all night, was understandably shaken.  She asked her grandson many questions - the answers not always being what she expected.  But her grandson was clearly distraught too.

Brock had promised to call back with more instructions on how to handle the finances.  Auntie wasn't sure what to do.

I told her I would check around and get back to her.  I checked the Alaska Court System both online and with a phone call. Brock was not scheduled for any court appearance and he had no open criminal cases.

I called the Anchorage jail and was told that Brock was not being held in custody in Anchorage or any other correctional facility in Alaska.

I called the Anchorage Police Department, the officer I spoke to was very helpful and said he would find out if the police had contact with Brock in the last couple of days.  He said he would call me back.

I called auntie back and told her what I had learned - which was essentially nothing.  She had spoken to Brock again - an even more discomfiting conversation.  Something didn't seem right...

At that point I did what I should have done in the first instant - call my cousin Brock.  He picked up on the second ring and said "What's happening, Cuz?"  He seemed cheerful.  He seemed composed.  He was obviously not in jail.

I explained the turmoil of the past couple of hours.  He was shocked.  He immediately called auntie.

I then called the Anchorage Police Department again.  Got the same officer who had written my phone number down incorrectly and had been unable to get back to me.  I explained the situation as it now stood.  He said that auntie had just experienced a phone scam that is very active at the moment.  Numerous instances in Anchorage.  He told me to file a report with the Juneau Police Department which I also did.

Then I called the local paper.  I hope they run a story of some sort to alert the elders.

The scamster was very accomplished - like a carney fortuneteller.  He was able to elicit enough personal info from everything auntie said to keep the story moving forward.  His tone was distraught - but similar enough to Brock's voice to be convincing.

ELDERS BEWARE!!!!!!

Finally, the next installment in the Alaska Coastal series:

An Alaska Coastal PBY on the runway at Juneau

The PBY is a really cool plane.  Originally developed as a long-range navy patrol plane, it found a niche in commercial aviation after the Second World War.  The plane was originally fitted with glass blisters on the waist - very useful if your job is to spot enemy ships.  Also not very waterproof and they were eventually removed by Alaska Coastal.  The tail fin has also been modified.

The PBY was a critical player in several naval engagements.  The British operated them in Europe and it was a PBY that located the Bismarck attempting to sneak back to the coast of France after she had sunk the HMS Hood and eluded the Royal Navy cruisers shadowing her in the North Atlantic.  Things took a serious turn for the worse for the Bismarck after being spotted by the PBY...

And in the Pacific a PBY was the first to spot the approaching Japanese at Midway. 

Like I said, a cool plane.

Another Roadside Attraction

My friend, Martha, is on a cross country adventure with her elderly white Labrador, Bailey.  They are driving from the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia to their new home on Whidbey Island, Washington.  On the road towing an Airstream.

The Bailey & Martha Mobile 

Martha and I have been texting.  Here are some excerpts.

Martha:  A wonderful couple from Baltimore my first night.  Invited Bailey and I to walk down to the lake and back.  Then to their campfire.  State parks allow no alcohol nor imported wood.  This couple had imported both, the wood hidden under tarps in their pick-up, the wine coolers masked by those foam wraps.

Tonight my neighbor and his wife are Tea Partyers.  Gave them three ears of corn and dismissed myself.

Elmer:  Just tell 'em you know Sarah Palin personally and I'm sure they'll bust out their best corn likker.

Martha:  Can't remember if I told you about the horses night before last.  The horses were included in the Ohio state park pet category.  Down the path from me was a couple in a tent, with horses tied and neighing outside.

Elmer:  Where are we going Wilbur???????

Martha:  I think they wanted in the tent.

Elmer:  Lol.  Now that would be weird - even for the heartland.  Probably wouldn't even play well in Peoria...

Martha:  Chlicothe, Illinois.  North of Peoria.  Had never heard of it, but it's here.  Tonight burgers and corn on the cob.

Elmer:  I have seen video suggesting that corn on the cob is a favourite of your companion.  And I'm sure she wouldn't turn-up her nose at a burger either.  

Corndog

Martha:  A black Corvette rolled beside me on the interstate.  On the side was white lettering:  "The Bones Brigade".  As it pulled ahead it was towing a casket on wheels.

Elmer:  Hmmm.  A Corvette...a babe magnet that has withstood the test of time.  A casket...not so much...  The driver (I'm assuming of the male persuasion) seems to be working at cross purposes.  This requires some serious thought...

 Roughing it...

Martha:  Minnesota!  Didn't have time and too hot for Bailey to check out the Museum of Grout in Iowa.

Elmer:  Ya sure.  You betcha.  Iowa was never on my list of places I needed to see.  But the Museum of Grout?  Well, that changes everything...

Stay tuned, gang! 

Teething Troubles

An interesting week.  Went to the dentist on Monday - a follow-up appointment for the doc to check on how my bone graft was doing after six months.  Answer:  Doing fine.  In fact, so fine that he offered to do my implant right then and there.  I said "Why not?"

Well, the "why not" turned out to be that the bone was still too thin for the implant.  He drilled right through the bone into my sinus cavity.

Having someone enter your sinus cavity via a drill bit is something I had not experienced in my 56 plus years on this earth.  I was loaded-up with novacaine and it didn't exactly hurt.  It was more like getting an electric shock.  I jerked from my toes to my nose.  He said "Oh!"  And I said "aarmyghad" or words to that affect...as one often does when one has a mouth full of dental appliances.

He looked at me and looked in my mouth.  He then Tisk-Tisked a bit. The nurse pulled some of the hardware out of my mouth so we could have a conversation - the upshot of which was it was time to suture me up, wait a couple of months for some healing, and then try something called a "sinus push" that would allow him to seat the implant.  Hmmmmm.  OK.... 

He gave me a prescription for antibiotics.  I got it filled and went home and took a couple along with a couple of painkillers I had in reserve from the original tooth extraction.  Slept for about eighteen hours and woke-up feeling more-or-less fine.

Still contemplating the "sinus push" scenario; but I'll probably go for it.  The missing tooth is a hassle - can't chew well on my right side and my bite is completely different from the way it used to be.

Another getting older thing....  And of course the "sinus push" will add a few thousand to the tab.

Shit.

In other news, just finished cleaning-up after supper.  Mom and sis came over for beef stroganoff.  It was tasty; but not on the top ten list as far as the elders are concerned.  Dessert was a hit however.

Got my lawn done on Tuesday and will do mom's and auntie's in the next couple of days - weather permitting.  The days are getting noticeably shorter.  It's only 8 PM and it's already getting dusky.  Shit, again.

So, on a more cheery note, here is picture number three of the Alaska Coastal series.

An Alaska Coastal Goose, Pan Am DC 6 and Pacific Northern Constellation

This is my favourite pic of the set.  I remember similar scenes like it was yesterday.  Only wish I had a better picture of the Connie.

Later gang!

Good Week in August

August is typically disappointing in this neck of the woods.  But by current-year standards the bar has been set pretty low and the month, to date, has been a pleasant surprise.  Actually got my yard work done under the sun and a  good walk and hike to boot.

Alison and I cruised through the Gastineau Meadows above Crow Hill on Tuesday where we intersected the Treadwell Ditch Trail and walked west to the new Lawson Creek Bridge.  The new bridge is great - the trail not so much - still pretty soggy.

On Wednesday, we doubled-down and hiked the Windfall Lake Trail which starts on the east side of Herbert River.  The first half of the trail is ducky - boardwalk and gravel.  The second half is still a mite rough and muddy.  Worst bug day I've experienced all year.  But it's a relatively flat hike and the lake is quite nice - in a classic Southeast rain forrest sort of way.

In our rain forrest - the moss is not confined to the north side of trees...

As you approach the lake...the beavers make their presence known.

Eat Fresh!  Subway provides the vittles.

The cabin at the lake is very nice.

Tonight I hosted mom, sis, and their neighbor Mickey for supper.  Grilled flank steak...quite tasty and the banana cream pie was well received.

In other news, thank you, again, to everyone who contacted me via email or phone regarding Al Adams' passing.  An Anchorage TV station had a very nice segment on his memorial service.  Rest in peace, Al.

Albert P. Adams 1942 - 2012

My former boss, mentor, and friend, Al Adams, passed away yesterday morning.

Al was born in Kotzebue, an Inupiaq community north of the arctic circle, in 1942.

I worked for Al for almost a decade.  And I believe, without a doubt, that the transformational period in his life was the time he spent at Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka.

Mt. Edgecumbe was (and is) a boarding school for rural Alaskans.  It would have been a 100% Alaska  Native student body when Al attended.

Al was known to burst into the Mt. Edgecumbe "fight" song on the least provocation- or no provocation at all. "Fight, sons of Edgecumbe High School - something, something something..."  I do not remember the words; but I do remember the sentiment.

Education was very important to Al Adams.

Al came to political power in the Alaska State Legislature in very dramatic fashion.  He was a member of a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives.  He left his fellow Democrats and led a number of like-minded rural Democratic representatives to cross the aisle and form a coalition with Republicans to control the House of Representatives.  This urban Republican/rural Democrat axis controlled successive House organizations for much of the 1980's.  Al was the Chairman of the House Finance Committee.  And we had money to spend.

I had the honor of being one of the Chairman's honchos.  I was young and it was big time fun.

I learned much about politics and even more about human nature from working with Al and those lessons stood me in good stead for the remainder of my career in state government.

Al was very intelligent, charismatic, and generous.  He also had a well deserved reputation for being someone you did not cross without consequences. 

The picture below was taken this spring at the home of our mutual friend, Dave Gray. 

 

 Marla Berg, Elmer Lindstrom and Al Adams  

I thought I would have many opportunities in the future to have a drink with Al and laugh about old times. But it is not to be...

Al's obituary was well done.  Here it is:

On Aug. 13, 2012, Sen. Al Adams passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family.  

Albert P. Sikkiagruk Adams was born June 18, 1942, in Kotzebue. He attended Mount Edgecumbe High School in Sitka. Following high school, he attended the University of Alaska Fairbanks and RCA Technical Institute. 

The late senator lived a life of service and was known for a generosity of spirit and drive to help others in both his public and private life.  

To his family, he was a beloved husband, father and grandfather for whom family was the highest priority. He often organized subsistence hunting and fishing trips for his children, where he passed down traditional Iñupiaq skills. He coordinated all the logistics for these memorable outings and even served as camp cook, making sure everyone else was well fed. 

Whether dipnetting at the mouth of the Kenai, caribou hunting outside Kotzebue or visiting the fish wheel at Chitina, he let his wife, children and grandchildren know that they were loved and that they came first and foremost in his life.  

He was also a romantic and loving husband, planning vacations for his wife, Diane, to celebrate and share the milestones they achieved together as a couple. Travel was one of his favorite pastimes and one he loved to share with her.  

Although he led a very public life, he also was a man of many unsung good deeds on a personal level. Many people did not know that he kept cash in his vehicle console to give to those in need, or that he provided meals to those who were hungry. At Christmas, boxes of turkeys would arrive at Bean's Café and money for holiday goody bags would arrive at the Friends Church. The individual recipients never knew who had lent them a hand.  

Even as his illness progressed, he cared for others and tried to ease their worries with humor. He wanted others to be comfortable and to enjoy life. He put people first and was always prepared to serve them. He believed in God, in a higher power, and was a teacher and mentor to many.  

Publicly, the late senator's service to his beloved state improved the lives of those he represented in rural Alaska. His long career in public service began in the late 1960s and included eight years in the Alaska State House beginning in 1980, during which he represented District 37, which included the communities of the NANA/Maniilaq and Arctic Slope regions. From 1988-2000, he served in the Alaska State Senate, also representing the Bering Straits/Kawerak region. 

Following his retirement from the Alaska State Legislature, Sen. Adams served as president of Adams Management Services and worked for the Northwest Arctic Borough and North Slope Borough as an advisor, sharing his understanding of state government and how it could help the people of rural Alaska.  

In 2003, he began a new career as a lobbyist with a focus on representing rural and Alaska Native interests. He again provided a powerful voice in Juneau and Washington, D.C., drawing on his years of state legislative experience. He brought the same passion to lobbying that he had as a legislator, always saying those he represented weren't his clients, they were his people. He tirelessly promoted the continued successes of Mount Edgecumbe High School because of the valuable opportunities it provides to develop relationships between talented young Alaska Native people. 

Sen. Adams' hospitality to his peers, staff, clients and visitors at the capitol is still remembered to this day. His door and telephone lines were always open to Alaskans, no matter where they lived. He worked hard to guarantee that rural Alaska gained its fair share of state funding and joined his colleagues on statewide efforts that benefitted all Alaskans.  

An astute lawmaker, he was a master at understanding politics and state finances and chaired the powerful House Finance Committee during his eight-year term in the State House. He served 18 years on the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee and 12 years on the Operating Budget Conference Committee. He served on other key committees that helped protect subsistence and bring needed infrastructure and social services to rural Alaska.
He fought hard for the establishment and continued existence of the Power Cost Equalization (PCE) program; convincing the Alaska Legislature to establish an endowment to fund PCE in perpetuity. 

Prior to his legislative service, he held other positions as president of Kikiktagruk Inupiat Corporation and executive vice president of NANA Regional Corporation. He also served on numerous boards including the Alaska Airlines Advisory Board, Arctic Power, Mount Edgecumbe and NANA Regional Corporation.  

He was preceded in death by his mother, Sarah Seeberger; sister, Vicky Bartholme, and his father, Frank Scott, and his much loved aunts and uncles. 

He is survived by his wife, Diane Adams; sisters, Adra Distefano, Sarah Scanlan and Darlene "Red" Seeberger; children, Al "Sonny" Adams, Guy Adams, Herb Adams, Michelle Merculieff, Thomas Adams and Luke Adams, and 10 grandchildren.  

A memorial service will be in Anchorage at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2012, at ChangePoint, 6689 ChangePoint Drive in Anchorage. A reception will follow.
Funeral services will be at the Kotzebue High School gym at 1 p.m. Friday, Aug. 17, 2012.
The family extends heartfelt thanks to Al's many friends and family who offered their assistance during his illness and who came to visit, called, brought food and sent messages of love and support. 

Memorial contributions may be made to Beans Café, 1101 E. 3rd Ave., Anchorage, AK 99501.

You were a good man, Al, and I will miss you.  Rest in peace.

Derby Weekend

Well, the Golden North Salmon Derby is underway this morning.  I will not be participating; but I sure have lots of memories of the derby from my early years.  My dad LOVED the derby - it was Christmas, New Years Eve and the Fourth of July all rolled into one.  And he actually won the damn thing in 1967 - one of the high points of his life, I'm certain.

Back in the day the derby would commence each morning with a "starting gun" at Auke Bay, Tee Harbor and Douglas.  Boats would go careening out of the harbors at a high rate of speed - amazing no one was ever killed.  I remember one year when we went tearing out of Auke Bay - right into a fog bank that reduced visibility to damn near nothing. Dad was convinced he could stear to Portland Island by watching his wake and maintaining a steady course.  Uh huh.  I was skeptical as I noticed our crew, Don Bland and Jack Darnell, wandering from one side of the boat to the other - our wake was as crooked as a dog's hind leg.

We cruised on for awhile and long after we should have spotted Portland Island dad gave up and stopped the boat.  We sat there for about three hours until the fog lifted - the time spent watching boats zipping by aimlessly.  Very amusing so long as you weren't rammed by one of the bozos in the other boats.  One guy stopped by us, got out his chart, pointed into the mist and proclaimed "Shelter Island is over there."  Off he went into the fog...

Needless to say alcohol played a significant role in the festivities.  Don and Jack were dad's employees, fishing buddies, and also serious tosspots and they certainly held their own in this drinking and fishing biathlon.  I will always remember Don on the bow of the boat dancing around singing "When You're Hot You're Hot" a popular tune of that year.  And I have rare photographic evidence of this occasion.

Good ol' Don Bland rocks out

My dad was not much of a drinker - at least by the standards of his contemporaries.  A notable exception was the evening after he won the derby and his buddies came over to the house to continue the festivities.  I recall dad sitting in the kitchen seriously baked and announcing every few minutes to anyone and no one "I'm the King."  Indeed.  Things got a little dicey, however, when Don's wife, Dooley, plopped down on his lap and announced "Elmer, I'm so proud I could just pop my buttons."  Mom was not amused...

Ah those were the days...

I spent a lot of quality time with dad on the boat during my early teenage years.  Here's one of my favourite pictures from that era.

Dad on the Linda M. - he was about the age I am today

Finally, the second installment in my Alaska Coastal series. 

Today this is a retail center called Merchant's Wharf

Have a great weekend everybody - and good luck to all you derby contestants!

Alaska Coastal

Well, company gone.  The house feels pretty empty; but my last guest, Mr. Milnes, left a satisfied customer I do believe.  He was a hiking fool.  He managed all the trails downtown - Mount Juneau, Perseverance, Granite Creek and Mount Roberts.  And amazingly enough he only got drenched on one of the trips...

A bonus of his visit was a gift from another old classmate, Sandy (Kendler) Spickler.  Her dad flew for Alaska Coastal Airlines back when we were kids.  She discovered some old shots of Grumman Gooses, PBY's and even an old Bellanca sporting the Alaska Coastal colors.  I posted them on Facebook last week; but am going to post them here too - one at a time.  So without further ado here is installment #1 of the aforementioned Bellanca sitting in front of what is now Merchants' Wharf but was then the hanger and headquarters of Alaska Coastal.  This was mostly likely taken in the early 1950's - a mite before my time on this disreputable globe.  The Bellanca was the predecessor to the DeHavilland Beaver that became so popular around here in the 1960's.

Alaska Coastal Airlines Bellanca - way cool!

While I was working on the airplane pics I noticed a few blogworthy pics from this season that I had not previously posted. Here are a couple of birdies in the Sandpiper family.

A Lesser Yellowlegs - quite common on the Dike Trail walk

 Think this is a Western Sandpiper - but wouldn't bet the farm...

Also a couple of pics from the Jensen Arboretum I visited again last month with Joan and Alison.

Two serious gardeners...

A Gold Chain Tree - I think I need one of these...

Did the customary mowing chores on a couple of brief non-rain occasions and also a fair amount of cooking.  Made a big pot of Chili which I will slowly work my way through and some baking.  And last evening I had mom, sister, and nephew over for a halibut feed.  Hadn't had any halibut this year and it was mighty tasty.

Later gang.