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Homer
Alaska
| Week ending 8 Nov |
Poll-watching - Election Day finally
arrived - a little anticlimactic for us since we voted a couple
of weeks ago, but it meant that the push was over and there
would be no more ads on TV. Bob had volunteered to be a
'poll-watcher' which consisted of looking over the shoulders of
the poll workers, helping them clean up, asking a few questions,
and generally verifying that our precinct was 'clean'. His
conclusion was that the workers were honest and transparent and
the process was clean. Election
results - Of course we were happy that Obama won across the
US, even though he lost in Alaska by a healthy margin. Of
more interest locally were:
- US Senate seat - Too close to call
- US House of Representatives -
Close, but it looks like the Republican won, even though
Berkowitz, the Democrat, won in our District.
- Alaska House - Our Democratic
candidate, Phillip Alderfer, looks like he will lose to the
incumbent.
Clearing out - With the election behind
us, the lease on our rented space expires and so we had a couple
of days to vacate our furniture, equipment, and supplies.
We donated a bunch to the Salvation Army and will keep the rest
to use another day.
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| Weeks ending 22 Nov
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Greenhouse/Woodshed - Now, with lots
of spare time we have finished the essential parts of the
structure - it keeps the firewood out of the snow and provides
some storage space for tools and the like, in the Spring (or
sooner, weather and finances permitting) we will add siding and
glazing so that it blends in with the house. So check the
progress to date.
 Wood cutting - And then comes the
character-building part of living in a cold climate. Since
propane is $4.00 a gallon, and heating costs >$600/month on
propane, we have taken to scouting the property for downed trees
- and due to insects killing the spruce there are plenty, for a
couple of years anyway. So, with Bob wielding a chainsaw and
maul, and Judi loading and hauling the wood we have put a cord
or 2 in the shed awaiting its turn in the wood-burning stove. |
| Week ending 29 Nov
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 Thanksgiving
- We were fortunate to be invited to friends' house for
Thanksgiving, and 10 of us showed up at Sean and Gerri's who
live high on Diamond Ridge with a million $$ view. With a
150° view that has Kachemak Bay on the left
and Mt Augustine (an active volcano) on the right it is
stunning. About 10 of us shared turkey, stuffing, salads,
wines, and desserts too numerous to mention. Most guests
had cruising experience so sailboats were a frequent topic of
discussion - politics was not!.
More firewood - And hunting and gathering for stuff to burn
continued as temperatures dropped into the single digits.
Decision Time - Finally, after the State
of Alaska counted all of the early and absentee votes we were
thrilled to hear that
Mark Begich
has been elected to the US Senate to replace the 40 year
incumbent. We have met Mark several times, and attended a
few of his fundraisers and really believe his focus is
consistent with ours, particularly on environmental issues.
Time will tell how effective he can be in Washington, but
perhaps he can help move the focus away from "how do we get
Federal funds to subsidize our lifestyle" to "how do we
change the the way we live so that all people need fewer
resources?". |
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