bear-proof data backup, reindeer meat, and beaver blankets

on my day off over the weekend, i went to the library and was flipping through this magazine creatively titled "alaska" -- reading about how these tiny chickadee birds can survive the -40F winters in fairbanks and how beavers have shaped alaska (by having to constantly be gnawing on something so their teeth wouldn't overgrow) more than any other animal -- when i heard, "hey maria." before looking up, i thought, "well, this is strange because i only know like, 2 people in town." but it turned out to be one of my clients from work on a group outing to the library. she then said, "i swear i'm not stalking you, but this is juneau for you!" guess it's a much smaller town than i anticipated.

anyway, as interesting as the articles in the "alaska" magazine were, the advertisements were just as interesting, if not stereotypically exotic.

my nerdy engineering self perked up at this ad:

"fail-proof, freeze-proof, quake-proof, wave-proof, bear-proof, fool-proof data backup" by Alaska Communications



Then there was this "luxury" beaver blanket that provides "ultimate warmth":





and this brief article on reindeer (for real) meat that costs $25/lb:





my co-worker took me to explore more of the town these couple days since tuesdays and wednesdays are our days off (don't ask). we went downtown yesterday and saw the alaska state capitol, which looks like an apartment building from the back:

the rear view of the Alaska State Capitol. apparently, as Urbanist wrote on Epinions.com about juneau: one could always "join the natives in a worry that's gone on for 20 years, but which seems freshly worrisome with each new dawn: the capital move. Juneau, the capital of Alaska, has no connections to the Alaskan mainland except by air...and sea. Juneau has roads, but they don't connect to the continent's road network...As a result, relatively few eyes are on the Legislature as they do their business. You can't really have a proper rally on the Capitol steps when you have to fly your crowd in from Anchorage at $600 each. Besides, the Capitol, which is smaller than most lower-48 courthouses, has only about four steps, after which you're in the street, where it's raining. And since the street in front of the Capitol is barely two lanes wide, it's hard for the press to get a good camera angle anyway. A nice situation for Legislators, really, but an obvious nuisance for Alaskans who live up on the mainland. So for decades, Alaska has pondered a proposal to move the capital to a more central location, a sunnier spot of real estate a bit north of Anchorage. Once again this fall, Alaskans will vote on this scheme, though the costs of such a massive project are always a deterrent. Even if this year's measure passes, it's unlikely that the capital will move anytime soon. What's certain, though, is that Juneau will continue to fret about it."

too funny. To see the entire hilarious review, including "how not to be a tourist," see "When Seattle is Just Too Sunny..."

After the capital, we drove past cruise ship docks preparing for the summer and all the local businesses closed for the winter, and soon found ourselves on a narrow 2-lane at the foot of a mountain, 2 miles of which were considered an "active avalanche area," where signs warned "DO NOT STOP." along the way, we probably passed about 50 very cute waterfalls, some frozen, some running down green moss-covered rocks:





today, my dear co-worker drove me 15 miles on the other side of town to this hidden sanctuary, the Shrine of St. Therese by juneau's own Pearl Harbor. it was a island-like area by the water and the cultivated paths ending in a small chapel and several wooden cabins seriously felt sacred. it was right at the end of sunset -- the first time i've seen sun in many days -- but i sinfully left the camera at home, and could only grab a second-rate picture with my phone:


meditating by the water

must return here soon.