Sharry Miller

Damalanche Overload

Yes, it's no longer just an avalanche. It's acquired it's own name: Damalanche, so called because it managed to effectively dam the Lowe River. Of course, if you've been wanting to drive out of town, I suppose you might amend that to Damnalanche. It's only been a week, but I'm sick of it already. I've heard nonprofit organizations, particularly those constantly fund raising in response to major issues, complain that Americans have a high tune-out... Read more →

Festina Lente

I love the random synchronicities that sometime occur in life. I just finished reading Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan (I highly recommend it), in which the main character finds out about a secret society which has been trying to decode Aldus Manutius' codex vitae (book of life) for over 500 years. The society's members believe that the book will give them the secret to eternal life. The society has a income-earning arm called... Read more →

Midwinter Sailing

BOB made an appearance today. I know you've met BOB, even if you didn't know his name: Big Orange Ball. Perhaps in your part of the world he's so commonplace that you don't give him the respect he deserves, but I know I am not alone in saying "All hail BOB!" when he shows his face in Valdez. He's especially worshipped after a streak of weather like we've just had. The weather forecast predicted that... Read more →

Thank You

First, I want to say thank you to those of you who commented on and shared my posts over the last couple of days. There's nothing that warms the cockles of a writer's heart more than knowing she has readers. It's even better to have evidence that the readers liked what they read. That you appreciated my posts enough to share and comment is quite a compliment. Thank you. And please, feel free to do... Read more →

Isolation

It's odd how isolating living at the end of a road can make you feel. For those of you reading this (thank you very much) who aren't familiar with Valdez, let me give you a little perspective. Our little town of 4,000 sits at the southern end of the Richardson Highway. There is no other road to here. The closest cities are Anchorage and Fairbanks, 300 and 350 miles away, respectively. We are serviced by... Read more →

Rescues

Monday morning dawned clear and sunny for the first time after a week of rain and ice. It looked to be a perfect day to mount a helicopter rescue. I guess there's no place to start but the beginning. On Sunday, January 12, my dear hubby Thane was caught in an avalanche. I haven't mentioned this adventure before now because Thane asked me not to. I think he was hoping to keep it quiet, but... Read more →

My Inner Child Deserves a Spanking

Do you ever have those moments when you hear exactly what you need to hear at the time you need to hear it? Sometimes it's a particularly apropos fortune cookie fortune. Other times it's a hokey picture and inspirational saying shared on Facebook. Today, for me, it was a blog post by Dar Hosta. In her weekly post today, Hosta referenced the writings of Leo Babauta of the blog Zen Habits. Most particularly, she talked... Read more →

To Valdez Glacier

The echo of the shot rumbled across the face of the mountain. I stopped and watched, sure I would see an avalanche roaring down, but no such luck. Apparently even large-bore handgun fire wasn't enough to set off avalanches under the current snow conditions. The conditions were perfect for snowshoeing, however. It was a beautiful day, which, according to the low standards Valdez residents must adopt, meant that it wasn't dismal and gloomy. Actually, the... Read more →

Happy Day

A plain white envelope with handwritten addresses. My name in black ink brought a little smile to my lips. Real mail, not bills or advertisements or junk, always makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up with a pleasurable tingle. Even better was seeing my friend Maureen's name in the return address. My hands were full of envelopes, but I was able to press the envelope between my fingertips, an action that... Read more →

It’s YOUR Potential

I’ve discovered an ultimate in multitasking: exercising my brain by watching Ted Talks while exercising my body on the treadmill. I love that the new treadmills at the Prince William Sound Community College fitness center give users the ability to not only access a variety of workouts, but also TV and the internet for their entertainment. The other day, as I huffed and puffed my way up a random variety of inclines at 3.8 mph,... Read more →