Sr. Hi Camp, July 19-24l

We started off the week of High School camp with a raspberry picking excursion. The berry canes were as thick and prickly as Texas blackberries, but the raspberries, although smaller, were thick so despite the drizzle we picked in earnest .

Later we cleaned the berries, added vinegar and set them aside to make vinaigarette.

High School youth were more casual in their activities. They enjoyed the water fights and water slide, hunting and hiding in the woods and all the other activities that were shown in previous blogs.

These girls are making journals with mosaic covers.

Here the boys experiment with sticks for drawing some of God's creations that they brought indoors out of the rain.

On of the girls was quite successful painting the Alaskan mountain range.

Others just enjoyed the opportunity to bask in the rare sunshine.

The temp early in the morning has been in the low 50s. staying there with rain. When the rare sun has shone, the temp quickly rises to 70.

Lynne caught me cleaning out the basement storage area of my RV in preparation for traveling to Wasilla.

Some of the high school youth ended the week with a prayer circle.

Saturday, after camp cleanup we drove to Fairbanks for groceries for the following week, pastors' families' camp.

Fairbanks was celebrating Golden Days. This marks the 100th anniversary of the death of
Felix Pedro, the gold miner who
discovered the first gold in Fairbanks.

The float holds a mama moose and a calf made out of spruce burls. they are wearing life vests as a reminded of safty afloat.




Many floats represented fronteer days, as did this one with the Sweet Adelines who entertained as they paraded.

What a mode of transportation. We've seen several bicycle riders along the highway. As I entered the library, I saw a young man park his loaded bike outside. He is now on a mini computer next to me.

Cheri, this one is for you. Even the hobby cars in Alaska are bigger!

That is a girl sitting on top of 07.

Here is a more typical mode of early transportation.

Fort Wainright was reprsented with a squadron and modern transportation.

Look closely. the liscense plates are TEXAS.

We were courious to see some of the World Eskimo Indian Olympics.

Unfortunatly my camera was too slow to catch atheletes in action.
How do like the coaching job this daddy is doing?

I journaled extensively about the events including the ear pull, seal hop, ice jumping, and high kick.

I'll elaborate later.






Natives from across the state and Canada exhibited hand crafted articles for sale. The paintings in the background represent some of the games and events.

Miss Artic wears a kuspuk, beaded earrings, a Native style crown and had on fur mukluks

The athleletes were compeating in scissor ice hopping beyound these boys who were waiting. Ice hopping is a complicated series of jumps, combining a standing long jump, landing one one foot, a scissor-like foot excange, another long jump landing on the opposite foot, and a final jump to land on both feet without falling. The winning male jumper exceeded 37 feet. The goal is to develop the balance and cordination to jump cracking ice floes without falling in.




Sunday morning was clear and cooler. This magnificant view is of the north side of the Alaska range with the first snows of autumn.

The broad braided Delta River is in the forground.

The picture was taken from the parking lot of First Baptist Delta.

Yes, summer is over although the fireweed are not in cotton.

Our camp moose is back with larger antlers than last year.

As the camping season winds down, I'm preparing for other volunteer opportunities and for book signings.

Stay tuned!

Jr Hi Camp. July 10-18

Saturday started a new week for us. The weather was warmer at the farmers market where I visited with Katie whose husband is an excellent potter. He fires hand thrown pottery in a propane fired kiln. She sells delicious home baked goodies.

Thirty five members of the Fairbanks Chinese Baptist Church enjoyed camp for the week end. The two older girls had attended camp the previous week and were excited to show their families around, and to intorduce Sassie to little sisters.

Sunday evening Lynne and I cleaned blueberries and rhubarb in the kitchen of their motor home. We froze the results for later jelly making, but saved enough out for strawberry-rhubarb pie.

The strawberries came from a tiny Russian lady we met at the farmer's market.

Lynne caught me swatting mosquitoes while picking stems of fireweed flowers.

Later we plucked the blossoms from the stems, washed and boiled them to freeze for making jelly.

Junior High campers arrived on Monday for a week of fun, fellowship and inspiration.

Because their games, water sports and other activities are similar to the previous weeks I didn't photograph them.

Dale's building project is sto add a deck to the back side of the recreation building. Here I'm helping him lay the floor while Lynne mans the camera.

Huge transport planes have been flying low over the tree tops.

I was told that these practice flights and touch and go landings at Eielson
Air Force Base are a part of the Red Flag training manuvers.

For crafts one day I asksed the kids to bring something God created, not man made. We then drew with charcoal from the fire pit and with twigs and tempra paint.

This young artist had brought a mosquito and did an excellent job of drawing it with a stick.

Another day I demonstrated landscape painting and the campers painted with water colors outdoors.

The Youth Pastor of first Baptist Delta, Levi, and his wife Jessica had their first child, a boy.

Baby Eli was born on the Fourth of July.

Lynne and Dale had the camp names of Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head so I had to make their name sakes.

Friday morning, the last breakfast is alway an "eye opener"!

Now how did this get in here twice?

Campers enjoyed the hamburger picnic.

Notice the typical Alaskan dress on the girl closest to the yellow post. Sweatshirt, shorts and sandals.

Saturday we made the 100 mile, two hour trip to Fairbanks for groceries.

On the way we stopped in North Pole to visit Santa and Santa Claus House.












After Sunday School our Sunday Service was a combined community service with members of four or five of the local churches. We met under a large tent with brilliant sunshine after a night of rain.

A mixed praise band led the congregation in song. Pastor Echo
hawk, a Pawnee led the welcome. Dave Becker, pastor of First Baptist, Delta gave the message.





While Dale manned the grill cooking hamburgers and hot dogs for a crowd of over 200, Lynne and I managed the three ladened tables of food.

Hours later, friends said good by, gathered up kids and empty food containers and expressed what what a good time was had by all.

After a short nap, Lynne and I defrosted fireweed juice and made jelly.


What a busy week, fun week end, and now to get ready for High School Camp.

5th & 6th grade, July 5-11

This week has been an epecially busy one. For crafts Ms. Ellen, Lynne and I helped the campers use corn cobs as printing rollers to print on t-shirts.

Of course a lot of paint got on the kids, tables and all over the plastic serving gloves that they wore.

Two of our counselors, Brooke and Etan, celebrated birthdays.

We all joined in for birthday cake and ice cream.

These two guys have just returned for third or fourth helpings and had to be turned away.

Don't worry they made up for it at snack shop time!

Lynne is in the process of baking over 14 dozen dinner rolls.

Some were served for dinner, others were made into Baldwin Breakfast Biscuits with egg, ham and cheese.

The girls spent the night in tents. During the night Sassie began to bark. We heard dogs in the distance, growing closer. The girls insisted they were wolves right outside the tent.

Could be.

After a night in the woods, everybody is ready for piles of homemade pancakes and sausage patties.

It seems like all we do is cook, clean up, wash pots and pans and then start over.

This photo is turned sideways!

We are preparing potatoes for a crowd.

Most days we start in the kitchen around 7:30 a.m. and retire, dead tired, about 8 p.m.

Sometimes there is a short afternoon break for crafts.

After potato peeling, John a junior counselor, empties the peelings into out garden.

The orange mesh and Sassie have kept the moose out. Our tomatoes are growing,but there has been so much rain that the sun has not been out, (inspite of the sun not setting).

The tomotoes are slow to ripen.

The computer had a glitch so the rest of the entries for this week are on the previous blog.

Until next week. Stay Cool!

5th and 6th grade camp

Hi all. All of a sudden the wirless won't let me add any more pictures, so I'm going to send this and try a new blog with additional Pics.

These boys are just returning from an over night in a tent in the woods.


The boys as well as the girls enjoy hiking, exploring and cutting diamond willows to carve.

On Thursday night we had Adventure Cafe. The kids enjoyed dining with unusual center pieces and ate with a variety of kitchen utensels.

Will she make it to her mouth with mashed potatoes and moose meat loaf?

Friday's final breakfast, found campers exhausted from out door games that lasted most of the night. There is still light, twilight, all night long, so ofcourse they don't want to sleep.

Our final mealn on Friday is a noon hamburger cook out.

This daughter of Alaska is heading home with her granddad on the most common means of transportation.


Wish I could ride!

Alaskans, like all kids, love water games. Here they play waterballoon toss.

Now I'm going to send this and try another blog to finish up with pictures.

Stay tuned.