I just had a visit from Beth, Scott, Lindsay, and Derek from Chattanooga. We had a chance to tour all over the state, hitting up Homer, Soldotna, Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Denali National Park. I think everyone had a great time and though I'm fearful of stealing any of Scott's thunder, I did include a good picture of a puffin he took while he was here, as well as a picture of the first bear I had seen that we saw on the highway up to Fairbanks. In other news, I have two roommates now that work at the Center for the summer, so my apartment is a little more lively now. My folks will be visiting later this month and for the first time, I'm seeing a green side of Alaska. Most of the swow, except the mountaintops, is gone, and there are budding trees and green grass. And I now am working in the avian department some at the SeaLife Center, just once a week for a few hours, working on a research/breeding project with some northern seaducks called Eiders. It's been a lot of fun and I'm getting to learn a lot about them, which is neat...I used to get to learn a lot about disability insurance. I finished Crime and Punishment as well (Dostoevsky) and recommend it highly. I especially appreciated a very redemptive ending and a strong theme of the Christian idea of salvation through suffering, especially considering the author. That's all I've got for now...until next time.
