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| A sunny day... | | We jumped in the car and went for a drive east, past the fish camp, today. Have to take advantage of these beautiful days! The ocean icepack extends about 1/2 to 3/4 of mile out and is only 3-5 feet thick...should be twice that:(
Global warming? | | Date Created: Feb 10, 2007, 02:17 PM |
| COULD IT BE? | | Date Created: Feb 10, 2007, 01:26 PM |
 What's that big yellow thing in the sky? Is that really the sun?? |
| Polar bear attack | | Date Created: Feb 07, 2007, 09:18 PM |
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| OUCH! This guy was REALLY lucky! |
| Arctic foxes and rabies | | Date Created: Feb 05, 2007, 05:18 PM |
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| We've had a big rabies outbreak over the last month with several folks getting bit. The foxes are really messed up, attacking anyone or anything (including the end of a shovel) that gets too close. |
| BIG WINTER STORM | | We just went through a really humdinger of a winter blizzard. Winds 50 to 70 mph and windchill factor brought the temp down to -70. The entire town shut down. All schools were let out early and city goverment workers were sent home. Everybody hunkered down...everyone except the fire dept., of course. We answered at least 3 calls in the storm. Not fun - not fun at all.
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The view out our window during the blizzard
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| Beer and Barleywine Festival | | Date Created: Jan 23, 2007, 04:13 PM |
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| On our way back from San Diego, we spent a few days in Anchorage...the 2007 Alaska Beer and Barleywine Festival was in high gear! |
| Cruising out of San Diego | | We're back in Barrow after a fabulous Mexico cruise. Acapulco, Ixtapa and Manzanillo were our ports of call. | | Date Created: Jan 22, 2007, 12:56 PM |
Carnival Spirit awaits its next load of customers
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Our stateroom suite
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Towel art
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Kicking back on the balcony!
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Easing into the dock in Acapulco
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A band is there to greet us
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Amazing food sculpture
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An ice dragon!
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Cheers!
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| HEADING TO SAN DIEGO... | | Date Created: Jan 05, 2007, 11:40 AM |
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| This will be our last blog entry for a couple of weeks. We're heading to San Diego to board the Carnival Spirit cruise ship for a trip down the Baja Peninsula and mainland Mexico...See ya soon! |
| Outside Brower's Cafe | | Date Created: Jan 05, 2007, 11:35 AM |
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| Jimmy poses in his new winter gear at the whalebone arch outside Brower's Cafe |
| HAPPY NEW YEAR | | Date Created: Jan 01, 2007, 11:39 AM |
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| The Omsteads wish you a wonderful 2007! |
| Holiday fireworks in Barrow | | The Eskimo village of Barrow turned out to welcome the New Year with a dazzling, thirty minute display of fireworks. People parked their cars on the frozen lagoon. Snowmobiles were racing all over the place. It was a loud, fun, free-for-all...all at 22 degrees below zero! | | Date Created: Jan 01, 2007, 11:30 AM |
| Living at 20 below | | We have had several days now where temperatures have been 20 below (or more) without the wind chill factored in. We are learning how to live in this extreme climate. I have a Fire Dept. vehicle and have been told to keep it running ALL day and ALL night. I can't turn off the engine until the temps get back up to around -5. The oil and internal fluids get so thick that you can really damage or destroy an engine and transmission. Since we have to respond at a moment's notice, we keep them running 24/7. | | Date Created: Dec 30, 2006, 11:31 AM |
First day of twenty below
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Third day was -60 with wind chill. My gauge reads 5 to 10 degrees higher. The sensor is only a few inches from the radiant heat of the building.
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Day four. The radio announcer said it was -38.
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The Ice pack is in!
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| COLD but still smiling for the camera | | Date Created: Dec 29, 2006, 06:39 PM |
 This is Todd...he's the North Slope Borough's new Medevac Specialist. |
| Electric neon blue sky | | Date Created: Dec 29, 2006, 06:38 PM |
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| The Barrow Search and Rescue hangar at around 2pm this afternoon. Yep, that's the moon you see up there in the sky:) |
| House fires In Barrow | | It has been a busy Holiday season for the North Slope Fire Dept. We responded to 25 ambulance calls and 2 house fires. The house fires occured just a few hours apart and really stretched the resources of this small, community department. We got a good stop on both fires and saved the structures. Not bad when it's -5 degrees outside and the hose lines freeze! | | Date Created: Dec 29, 2006, 06:21 PM |
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How we thaw, drain and dry the hoses
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Volunteer Chief Clancy conducts a debrief
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