The ***OFFICIAL*** Weekend Singles' Thread -- "Alaska Singles Thread (January 05 - 07, 2007,)

various | 5th January 2007 | Proud_yank

[snugs]

The 49th State - The Last Frontier
by proud_yank

Having recently moved here, I thought an Alaskan Singles Thread would be pretty fun.

Alaska is the largest state in America, roughly twice the size of Texas (sorry Texas!).

Putting Alaska into perspective. The Aleutian Islands over California, and South-eastern Alaska over Georgia.

An interesting fact I learned the other day is that in addition to being the Western and Northern-most state, Alaska is also the Eastern-most state too. The Western tip of the Aleutian Islands is just West of the International Dateline.

Alaska can be separated into five regions. The Far North (Also known as the 'North Slope') extends from the Brooks Range (the Northern-most extension of the Rocky Mountains) to the Arctic Ocean. Here are some photos of the Brooks Range, and the North Slope region. Barrow is the most Northern city in America. For fun, here is Barrow's weather.

Most people in Alaska live in Southcentral Alaska (Anchorage), and then the Interior (Fairbanks). Temperatures in the interior are sometimes colder than in the Arctic. Western Alaska is famous for the finish of the Iditarod dog-sled race in Nome. Southeastern, and the Interior, are famous for the Klondike gold rush.

Juneau, the state capitol is located in Southeastern Alaska. As a staunch conservative, it makes me smile that the govt. is located somewhere that can only be reached by boat or plane :-).

The Regions of Alaska

There are lots of moose here, and you really have to be careful driving. In the winter moose will come down from the mountains, and casually stroll through downtown Anchorage. We had one right outside the front door of our main office today! Other animals here include caribou, grizzly, polar, and black bears, muskoxen, beaver, otters, wolves, wolverines, tons of birds, and lots of delicious fish!

Some other interesting info about Alaska....

At 20,320 ft., Alaska has North America's highest peak, Denali.
State bird - Willow Ptarmigan.
State fish - King Salmon.
State tree - Sitka Spruce.
State spore - Dog mushing.
State animal - Moose.
State flower - Wild Native Forget-me-Not.
State song - 'Alaska's Flag'.

Eight stars of gold on a field of blue -
Alaska's flag. May it mean to you
The blue of the sea, the evening sky,
The mountain lakes, and the flow'rs nearby;
The gold of the early sourdough's dreams,
The precious gold of the hills and streams;
The brilliant stars in the northern sky,
The "Bear" - the "Dipper" - and, shining high,
The great North Star with its steady light,
Over land and sea a beacon bright.
Alaska's flag - to Alaskans dear,
The simple flag of a last frontier.

Here are some of my photos that I've put online so far

[DollyCali]

Good for you.. you did the right thing for speaking your mind.

For this gent I think the issue is NOT maturity as much as value system. Just my thoughts.

[DollyCali]

I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Pursuit of Happyness.. such a warm fuzzy movie.. and it is a true story, which makes it even better!

[DollyCali]

I spent a four day weekend (labor day) a few years back with two single friends (one gal & one guy)... we all shared rooms & fun for the weekend & rock hounded/mine scrap pile scavenged the upper peninsula. BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY! and I loved the shores of Lake Superior.. huge pieces of quartz all around!

I brought home a LOT of material from that trip.

[DollyCali]

Great Links & Great Thread Elliot!!! thank you.

And your project of building a wooden kayak is impressive. I have seen some of those & frankly I would be afraid to take it out. I am so rough on kayaks.. the sturdy ones get banged up. I do a lot of down river/rocks kayaking & I guess the wooden like you will make would be better on lakes/ocean use.

Take pix along the way

[DollyCali]

Mama_bear is much too modest to mention but her hubby is a professional photographer (and she is pretty good herself)!

[The Mayor]

January 7, 2007

Who Am I?

READ: Psalm 8

What is man that You are mindful of him? —Psalm 8:4

The song "Who Am I?" by Mark Hall of the musical group Casting Crowns, begins: "Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth would care to know my name, would care to feel my hurt?"

In this song, Hall compares our lives to "a flower quickly fading, here today and gone tomorrow . . . a vapor in the wind." He reflects, "When we understand how small we really are and how awesome God is, then God’s love becomes bigger to us."

I am reminded of David’s question in Psalm 8. When he considered the heavens, the moon, and the stars, he was amazed by the God of the universe who created them and holds them together. In awe, he asked, "What is man that You are mindful of him?" (v.4).

Why are we the object of God’s love and care and thoughts? In his song, Hall answers the question this way: "Not because of who I am, but because of what You’ve done; not because of what I’ve done, but because of who You are."

Who is God? He is love. What has God done? He gave His only Son Jesus to die for us and pay the penalty for our sins (1 John 4:7-9). No wonder we want to shout with the psalmist: "O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!" (Ps. 8:1,9).

Father, thank You that You have made us the object
of Your love. We are amazed at Your forgiveness
and grace. Help us to see ourselves as small
and to marvel at Your great love.

God loves us, not because of who we are, but because of who He is.

Bible in One Year:   Genesis 18-19; Matthew 6:1-18

[DollyCali]

PINGING ALL THE REGULARS... INITIAL COMMENTS/RESPONSE TO KRUNKYGIRL BUT POSSIBLE DIVIDING OF GROUP BY AGE IDEA IS PRESENTED at bottom....

NEED YOUR FEEDBACK



whoa - I am out for evening & someone is getting chased away!!! Not good!

.. hi there.. and good morning Krunkygirl/all…

some of us here are MUCH older n you! really! and we have been there & done that etc. Just the Young's(under 30 types) don't trust us.. they will some day & they will be the ones offering suggestions to the next generation as we do now.

Not sure what exactly happened as I didn't read the thread but I would encourage you to stay as we examine “options”.

We are all ages/stages here.. various careers, dispositions, ed. levels & as you noted.. many with screen names that are quite hard. I give you credit...Two of them I cannot spell & normally don’t ping unless it is on the official list

BTW... great pix on your profile page & I commend you on your svelte look! And I lived at the beach near Jacksonville (Neptune beach) when my ex was on carrier in Mayport. I Love that area & would consider it(or where you are) to settle in near future

you are not the first to suggest possibly a second thread or somehow two singles.. one for older/been there crowd & one for younger. Maybe 40 as the break off point..maybe younger…35.. I think that is NOT a bad Idea actually. the ones in the 35-40 age group could actually swing back & forth….and be on both ping lists. I truly don’t know everyone’s age.. I know a couple that are under 25 & some in 40s & some who are well past that milestone..

At this point, I don’t have the time etc to set this up.. but think it is a great idea as others might have an interest also. It makes good sense. If the YOUNGER group wants a sep thread, that is great.. --- a wonderful idea. Sometimes life experiences & pre or no pre marriage might be the determining factor in which thread to participate in. ABSOLUTELY NO HARD FEELINGS & INSTEAD ENCOURAGEMENT. No one will check ID’s so one needs to go to the thread where they think they fit. Both groups would no doubt get more participants as the conversations would be to their liking

I have noted regularly when the younger participants are sharing on a thread, the older stay away & vice versa.. I get FReepmails regularly from folks who say the group is too young for them to feel comfortable & then I get notes from some saying the group is full of old people & they don’t feel comfortable. I guess it just depends on the thread of the time..

All up for suggestions, comments.. And the more I think of it, it might be a great idea!

Snugs is doing the scheduling now for the next few weeks.... and so this is a good time to look at options. We could schedule just this next month & go with break in Feb.

Snugs & I are BOTH in the "older" category & so I guess we could continue this as the older thread & if the younger ones one to take off with a under 40 thread, that would be great. a couple of you would have to take charge, time, responsibility to do this & we would have to work on the ping list & essentially do what I have done. Believe me, it doesn’t happen all by itself.

I DO understand the younger folks feelings. (trust me, it goes both ways) When I was your age, I didn’t normally hang with folks my parents or grandparents age & now, I DON’T hang with those who are my son’s age! Yes, for meetings, political stuff., occasional light conversation, . but – no - for regular closer friendships.

It makes sense!

Let’s use this thread for the discussion. Leaders of new group must come forth, volunteer & be ready to take charge = to do the organization & maintenance. The problem with the thread when I commandeered it, was no one was really doing it responsibly, with any planning or organizing. It was hit/miss. Sometimes not a thread posted & the ping list was not kept up well. There was arguing who was in charge. ONE OR TWO MUST BE IN CHAGRE..


So for bottom line. (I tend to ramble a lot like a good ADDH) This thread WILL continue. It will be considered the “older” group. If the younger group wants a thread, they are free, lovingly encouraged & supported in doing so.

Okay?

[DollyCali]

Thanks Rus,.. I am still amazed how some think "it all just happened by itself"..sigh. But if you must defend a position w/o God I guess you do grasp for straws in explaining a LOT of things in life.

Appreciate your sharing with us here.

[tillacum]

Morning Dolly. I was born and raised in Alaska. I flew in and out of Alaska for years. Did my schooling in the south 48.

[rzeznikj at stout]

you have mail...

[Mama_Bear]

(and she is pretty good herself)!

Awwwww........thanks, Dolly.

Thackney, I know your photography advice had more to do with saving one's hide and less to do with technique (although, judging from what you have posted on this thread, you are a good photographer yourself!). I have a healthy respect for wild animals, no matter how cute and cuddly they look, especially my namesake, bears. ;-)

My son had to go to Anchorage last spring on business. It was his first trip up there and he said, as far as sights went, all he wanted to see was a moose and a glacier. He saw both and went home happy.

This is outside of Anchorage in the middle of April - look at all that snow!

[MountainDad]

Hi Dolly!

I personally wouldn't mind if there were two singles threads or not. I don't get to participate as much as I'd like, but I find what I do read here very entertaining.

Since my son got home from Iraq, got married and is now making me a grandpa, I better be put in the "older" catagory!

[Mama_Bear]

I am like you ...love warmth &: the sun & think I would be VERY depressed most of time if I lived in Alaska..

The long winter months of darkness would do it for me. I get cabin fever just thinking about it. But, the scenery is breathtaking and I so admire the pioneer spirit of the year-round Alaska residents (the college kids that go up each summer to work at the tourist spots not included, LOL).

Thanks for the ping. I do enjoy this thread, even though I've been married like......forever. LOL.

[A knight without armor]

Fine with me. Knowing me, I'd still stick my nose in the young whippersnapper group from time to time. But it sounds like a grand plan.

[thackney]

Yep, April usually has us with our new tradition of our Easter pictures. We are from Texas and always went outside to take a picture of the girls in the Easter dresses by the flowers. Moving to Alaska made a slight change in that tradition.

[rzeznikj at stout]

Back by popular demand... Link

[Mama_Bear]

Oh, my goodness! That gives me the shivers!

Being from Texas, the Alaskan climate must have been difficult to adjust to. Where in Alaska do you live? When you were posting on my Alaska tribute last year(?) on the "A Few of FR's Finest" thread, you probably said where you live in Alaska, but I can't remember now. I know I've seen those precious little girls before. :-)

[Dmitry Vukicevich]

Was I out of place in suggesting what I did??

No, it is a hard and courageous thing to stick with the truth. I would have appreciated your concern if you had said this to me.

[Mama_Bear]

Nevermind, your profile page answered my question. I see you are in Eagle River.

[thackney]

I would be VERY depressed most of time if I lived in Alaska

I get cabin fever just thinking about it

You cannot stay inside huddled under a blanket thinking "it is so cold, it is so dark, it is so cold, it is..."

The place is more beautiful in the winter, the moose come down from the mountains, the trees are lacy with frost and snow. You have to get out and enjoy it.

Thank you for letting me share with you. It is a wonderful place.