End of Road Rally Thanks

I wanted to thank each and every one of you for your support for the First Annual End of Road Rally. Although the crowd was smaller than what was anticipated, the support and gatherings were well received. Thomas has indicated that he would like to extend the rally next year to include the 2 weekends. The 2009 HOG Rally will be in Fairbanks for the weekend of the 21st and we are hoping to get people coming or going to that. As my father-in-law once said,"I'll take a sandwich off that meal anytime." The longest day of the year is really the "sell" for this event. I believe we will only grow with each year. I read one rally had only 400 participants in 2003 and in 2007, they had 10,000. We could only hope....more staff needs:)
Good contacts were made. Rae Ann from Sweet Occasions, SCL, Lambert's Carriage Rides and myself are working on "wedding/event destination" ideas for our area.
We are slowly getting photos onto the website: www.endofroadrally.blogspot.com
I'm sorry I didn't attend the entire weekend as I heard Saturday was a wonderful party.
Thank you again.

Ruby Hollembaek
Organizer & Supporter

Destination Wedding & Hometown Reception

The new thing is destination weddings. I just watched a special on Martha Stewart's publicist and her Bahama wedding. I wished I could have made Cancun for my niece's lovely wedding but I have some great photos of it. Whether it is Maui or Mexico, the advantage of destination weddings is the fact that all is inclusive and taken care of. Often these weddings take place in a tropical location but others have also taken place in our own great state. Wonderful wonderful. How do you find these places? Just check online or make a call to someone you know who attended one of these gala events. Here are some photos from our son, Russell and his wife, Hannah, and their wedding on the island of Maui and photos of our niece's wedding & reception. Isn't June just grand?

4th of July in Seward

Jeanie Greene and brother Kenny Blatchford will once again MC the annual Fourth of July Parade in Seward, Alaska!

We invite YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR FOURTH OF JULY Heartbeat Alaska fund raising booth!

We will sell Indian tacos, salmon, rice and salad! Yum!
40,000 visitors are expected for the annual parade and Mt. Marathon race.
Sponsor Heartbeat Alaska through this fund raising effort. We’re having a booth on the Fourth of July in Seward! This exciting celebration attracts thousands to the beautiful resort town of Seward, Alaska on Resurrection Bay. We floated down main street two years ago in a beautiful float and made history there as one of the few Native floats ever to participate in that parade and what a cheering crowd greeted us! Call (907) 230-5104. or email at
indianshow@yahoo.com

KYESChannel 5 Anchorage, Alaska KTUU-TV Channel 2 Anchorage, Alaska KUBD-TV Ketchikan, Alaska KFXF-TV Fox Channel 7 Fairbanks, Alaska KXD-TV CBS Channel 13 Fairbanks, Alaska ARCSStatewideAlaska Rural Communication Services KSCT TV Channel 5Sitka, Alaska KATH TV Juneau, Alaska APTN Throughout CanadaCheck Local listings for channel # Tribal TelevisionSeminole TribeFlorida (5 reservations)Little River Band of Ottawa IndiansMichigan KSKCPablo, Montana Navajo NationNNTV 5

Happy Father's Day

For all those spending time with their memories,
Happy Father's Day
For those away from home and away from those they love,
Happy Father's Day
For those who are in a foreign country fighting for our freedom,
Happy Father's Day
For those who get to hug their children tonite and see their smiles,
Happy Father's Day

My father, grandfathers and great grandfather have been gentle spirits in my life.

I am grateful for that.

"To play music" is good = "atuqtuuraq" in Inupiaq Eskimo

Check out the Deltana Fair Music Festival Blog and spread the word

• Welcome all musicians and
  
• All types of Music
  
• www.lastfrontiermusic.blogspot.com
• Deltana Fair Website: www.deltanafair.com

Musicians have a gift, they bring us joy. Come out and enjoy yourself!

Up with the "sun" - "siqiniq" in Inupiaq Eskimo

Up with the sun. What does that mean at this time of year? We're nearing the longest day of the year. I can feel it, all seasoned Alaskans can. It's when the grass & leaves are still developing and the skies never really darken.

I also see people bicycling and running along our roads. It's amazing how these Alaskans get out there and do these daily runs/treks. It's such a short season to do these in decent weather up here. I see that the Anchorage women's triathlon and the Eagle River triathlon is over. I also read about bike events too. Soon, the Deltana Fair will have the Pipeline Run in the Late Nite Sun. That will be Friday July 25, I believe about 8 PM. Check out the Deltana Fair site at www.deltanafair.com and I've helped them put together a blog for their Deltana Music Festival which happens during that time: www.lastfrontiermusic.blogspot.com These people work tirelessly to put on this fair, parade and events so if you'd like to assist in any way, call 895-FAIR or email info@deltanafair.com .

The same goes for the Chamber of Commerce, they'll be having a 4th of July celebration. Give them a call if you'd like to volunteer or help sponsor. 895 - 5068

Happy Summer to all you folks out there!

Music, Toy Run, Comic and more at the 2008 End of Road Rally

http://www.ganglymoose.com/meat.html

Meet the moose!

They'll be playing Saturday night at the End of Road Rally!

Dave Parks, John Knechtel, Kliff Hopson & Michael Dattola

Check it all out at www.endofroadrally.blogspot.com

Music: Simple Folk Uprising": Thursday

Nat' Country Recording Artist Jeff Pyatt: Friday

Comic Ryan Wingfield: Saturday night

$25 for vendors, $25 to get you in for the 4 day jamboree or $15 daily

Musicians welcome!

Alaskan Adventure Ends in Fall of a Lifetime

While camping in Valdez, Scott and Russell had a more eventful trip than planned. Getting across the water, setting up camp and spending the days & evenings in Southcentral, things took a turn for the worse. After Scott took this photo from the top of this mountain, hill or whatever you want to call it, he descended ~ held on to trees and branches and then it happened. One hold wasn't secure and he plummeted 10 feet, hit his head on a rock and flew end over end and finally rolled to a stop about 240 feet from the top. Russell was his hero. He took care of his dad, wrapped his head wound in a t-shirt and escorted him for 2.5 hours through water onto a raft and finally a cabin where they waited the night for their boat to pick them up the next day. Scott was very lucky, the Valdez Hospital took good care of him as he got many many stitches in his head and spent an extra night in Valdez.

Alaska is a place of beauty. If you don't venture you, you don't risk the chance of getting hurt. But the lesson here, never go out alone on an adventure, bring a 1st aid kit and purchase a GPS & satellite phone (our next investment). Happy camping!

The photo of Russ in the foreground shows the island they camped on. You can just make out their red/grey tent in the background.

Don't let the "mosquito"carry you away = "kiktugiaq" in Inupiaq

The grass is green, the leaves are out & so are the flies and mosquitoes. We, in Alaska, always say that the first mosquitoes are the largest but the slowest. It's when the small little critters come out later that get 'ya.

Solutions over the years for mosquito dope - repellent?

Avon Skin-So-Soft used for years but you're left smelling pretty stinky & it's oily. However, I'm not sure if they still have the same ingredients but parents often used this on their children as it had less chemical toxins.

Repellent with DEET - the more deet %, the more potent but also the more chemicals

Burn Buhach which is the celebrated insect powder of choice. It's about $15 a can and is made up of Pyrethrins 0.9% and is manufactured in Washington state. Burn a quarter size powder on the bottom of your empty juice/soda can and leave the tent or house. This will kill every mosquito quickly. Air your room out and you're good to go. It's also used for ants, flies, roaches, fleas on animals, lice on chickens, gnats and plant aphids. I grew up with this & for a short time, you could not longer find it on the shelf but it's back!

My daughter also uses one of those outside propane units to ward off mosquitoes.

Have a great time outdoors this summer and remember, when complaining about the bugs...it's alot worse in "the bush" or by the water, so if you live out where you are not in these elements..consider yourself lucky. I think of those poor animals in the Alaskan summers who have swarms of the mosquitoes flying amidst them 24/7.

I hope we don't have a bad hornet year either. There's been times when we've collected gallons of them in our containers-catchers. So anyway, enjoy being outdoors and don't let a mosquito carry you away, mentally or physically.