Biking in Juneau

I love riding the GT commuter bike that Brooke so graciously lent me for the summer. It's been so nice to pump the 8 miles roundtrip to work on south Franklin, back to Douglas every day. Especially after being stuck behind the wheel of a bus for upwards of 12 hours.
This July, we have been super spoiled with the sunny weather. It broke to the 90's after the 4th, and since the sun breaks and breezy cloudy skies have been steadily moving towards the mid 60's and 70's.

Yesterday the rains came.

They came with a vengeance that made everyone in Juneau almost snap out of their heat drenched dream state. The 50 degree raw moisture permeated everything, and the wetness came down hard and steady.
Eventually when all the passengers were let off the coach, I returned the bus to the yard, and at around 9pm, it was time for me to get on home. The other drivers crowded into cars, jammed bikes into trunks, and waited around for the last city bus.
I yanked on my wet Marmot jacket, pulled my beanie down, put "Hard Times" by the Stanley Brothers on my ipod, and hopped on the old GT northwesterly to Douglas Island.

By the time I cleared Franklin Street I was head to two soaked. My glasses began to fog, and the speed limit on Egan drive jumped up to 40. Cars started whizzing by me splashing water all over me saturating my work pants, socks, shoes. I began to forget where the ugly potholes were as giant puddles pooled over them. I clumsily drove right into a series of deep lacerations in the new pavement, tipping me off balance. I felt my body bump against a passing pick up truck throwing me to the sidewalk side of the highway, the bike collapsing under me and to the left. I heard honking, screeching, and felt a cold hard wave of gutter water wash over me like a tsunami.

I pulled the bike over and within what seemed like a nano-second, found the sidewalk. I sat there until the shock wore off...3 miles from home. I crawled painfully back on the seat and slowly shifted down to cross over the Gastineau Channel bridge and began to climb the long graded hill to 5th street.

Today, I looked at a car to buy. If it wasn't for the rust, I would have paid cash for it immediately. My biking days are limited...Juneau summers can be fickle, we'll be lucky to get another good stretch of weather again until next year.

New Job!

well after the greatest 4th of July ever, I managed to meet the right lady. Heather Ridgway asked me to more or less, apply to the Juneau Arts and Humanities council for a new opening as a part time art instructor at the Cedar Park community center in West Juneau.

So excited and gleeful about this new opportunity! Heather is great and these kids are so much fun and so engaged in the projects so far!
It's a temporary post, but I already love working in the Juneau community and spending 3 hours of my day twice a week getting messy, painting, and watching children create! It's great!

July 4th.

July 3rd in Juneau Alaska is a pretty magical night. The law states that it's illegal to shoot fireworks on any day that's not July 4th, so the city decides to set off a gorgeous display the night of July 3rd, because it gets dark so late at night. The entire city comes to Douglas Island, or the Marine cruise ship docks downtown to watch the 15 minute display. Normally I feel ambivalent to fireworks, yet in Juneau its different. The surrounding mountains create a special kind of acoustic effect where the "boom" from the exploding fireworks is bone shakingly deep. It's unreal.

Above, me, Ally, Erin, Andrew and Jr. Kane all digest delicious prefireworks salmon, ceviche, and fruit salad before heading out on the town.

I met up with "the masters" (newly graduated Masters in Teaching students Emily Waters and Chris Bacehowski) to watch the display on the city docks at Marine Park downtown.

The next morning I somehow dragged myself of bed and into a kayak spray skirt decorated like the AK state flag (with petticoat!) and joined the Juneau power ladies to help Erin hold the banner for their kayak drill team spirit group in the July 4th Parade. Erin and I held the signage and marched through downtown as the ladies twirled their kayak paddles and danced through the throng of watching Juneauites. The entire town was out on the streets for the parade! It was great. I think I saw everyone I have ever met in town...unreal. Erin on the left, me on the right.

getting ready for the parade. The weather reached 90 degrees!!!


After the parade downtown, Erin, Andrew and I took bikes across the bridge to Douglas Island for the parade over there. We ate Polish Sausages, fry bread from local frybread genius Garfield, and settled down at Island Pub for a still and spicy bloody mary.

Later after snacks and drinks I joined a boat party which transitioned to a house party on Douglas...met a bunch of great people, and biked home after the longest, funnest, and more tiring day ever. whew! The Juneau love affair continues....