MERRY CHRISTMAS !!

What a day !
We have been blessed with a picture postcard view out our windows to help celebrate Christmas day.
Did it howl last night or what? The highest breeze clocked at the airport was 61 knots. Reading KoKon it would seem it was fairly quiet at Ish' place. Not so out here! The snow is between 1/2" and 5 foot deep thanks to the drifts and I have a 80ft cottonwood ripped out of the ground in the backyard. Fortunately it fell away from the house. All the neighbors that thought I was crazy for cutting down all those trees last year are re-thinking the method in my madness. But being a good neighbor I have offered to help them kill any of those fickle hearted cottonwoods that stand within landing distance of their homes and shops.
So now that holiday madness is behind us and all the worries we have left is how to return the stuff that wasn't quite what we wanted, doesn't quite fit, or isn't as cool as we thought, it's time to focus on the next big event. Yup, the party of the year is near.
Have fun, revel and rejoice, but reflect.
Is this world any better this year because of something you did or were part of?
Has any person's life be positively affected because of an action you took?
Is there one less homeless dog or cat in this world because of you? (Running one over does not count).
I , for one , will not make any resolutions for the New Year. I will, instead, take at least one positive action for the greater good. Perhaps that sounds like a resolution, but for it is not. It is a direction. Many of my family and friends consider me driven; and to a certain extent I am. So come a long for the ride !
I once read that if every person in this great country of ours volunteered 1 hour once a week, then the majority, if not all, of our nations problems could be resolved.
Wow; neighbor helping neighbor. The very thing that built this nation could help repair its broken dreams? Perhaps to simplistic? I think simple is good, and usually effective.
Think about it. Respond! Let me hear your ideas!
Lastly,
Is This guy Ron Paul to good to be true?
Better yet is he realistic?
More to follow...............................

Getting Close

Well it's Christmas weekend. Hopefully by now we are done trudging about town trying to fill last minute holiday needs. The Prez has granted a 4-day weekend to all the fed employees and most of the local businesses are trying to do the same.
So now that all this pre-season craziness in this world behind us, I say relax.
There is nothing going on today that cannot be fixed next week. After all Christmas is only a few days away. Why save all that good cheer and warm feeling for the one day?
Relax: I know we cannot fix all that is wrong in one day, and putting the fight off for a few days will not affect the outcome.
My mom would always smile when I asked what she wanted for Christmas. Then she would remind me that "Christmas is 365 days a year".
It took a long time for me to understand that sentiment, but son of gun, she is right!
Think on this. If we applied the same warm and forgiving feelings we all have at this time of year, to our daily lives what would be the outcome? Understanding & forgiveness?
History shows several times when warring factions have laid down their arms and animosities to acknowledge one sacred day. Why not extrapolate that to a daily frame of mind? Imagine what this world could be like.
Maybe I am just hopeful, maybe I cannot lose my belief in the greater good of man, maybe I am just another voice in the wilderness.
Whatever; I will not give up on the belief that any people can sit at the table and find common ground, seek resolutions, and understand that it is not win or lose, it is seeking an equitable compromise for all concerned.
Think on it, and try to carry the Christmas spirit in your heart all year long.
Just a thought.
Lastly: Hats off to the Womans Bay Volunteer Fire Dept. for bringing Santa to flats kids one more time. YOU GUYS ROCK!
Happy Holidays
Peace
Griff

Late night blandering

What a day.
A day filled with birthdays and funerals. Great joy slammed by life's realities.
No details; just a glimpse of the roller coaster we all ride. I really wanted to say something monumental, or at least thought stirring. My brain is spent, my soul taxed.
I leave you this.

KODIAK WINTER

Old man bent,
writhing in the wind,
young spruce struggles,
to survive March gale.

What else can I say.
Thank you Ish for reading
Peace
G.

Stuck in the big city.......

Yup , here I am stuck in A-town.
The land of christmas sales, slick roads, and crazy drivers!
I came over for a doc visit and have been trying to get back to the rock since 1100 this morning. Sure, I coulda came home llast night, but why? I decided to spend a Friday night in the the big city with a buddy, a bige plate of wings, and a huuuge glass of winter ale. OK, maybe we killed more than one glass of ale.
Anyways, we ended up taking his new love to a certain place of notoriety, cause she had never been, and was really curiuos as to what went on there. A couple of beers later she realized that men are not dogs and the place, known for bawdiness and beautiful women, was actually filled with quiet guys and a fair number of female spectators. Another myth bites the dust.
Turns out the new love of my buddies life grew up on our little rock and had moved some time ago. 15 years and a couple of lifetimes later she is back in AK, meets my buddy, and now they are about to embark on the happily ever after part.
Funny this adventure also proves that living on an island actually does make the world smaller. As we talked that evening we discovered a small group of mutual friends and caught each other up on some of their shenanigans since the mid eighties. All in all it was a great night, I have a new friend, my buddy is the happiest I have seen him a long time, and I wish them both nothing but the best for the rest of their lives.
So here I will sit, shopped out, beaten down, and optimistic about the flight in the morning.
I have read Ishmaels latest, thanks for adding me to your list Ish!
Peace
G.

Noble endeavors

You may notice a new link in "my faves". It is mountainsformelanoma.com
So heres the story behind this cool web site.
Several years ago my best friend was diagnosed with stage three melanoma. Pretty scary stuff, after all , we have been kicking around together since we were 14, led similar life styles, had the same bad habits etc.
My buddy would come up and visit our home at least once a year, we fished, drank, told stories, all the stuff good friends do. We have weathered girlfriends, wives,ex-wives, losses and wins for 30 years, always backing each other up and never judging.
Then one day he is standing on the back deck having a beer with me, after a hard day of killing fish, and he tells me he has a spot on his shoulder that is being looked at. I am stunned, but he assures me its no big deal, just a simple cut and test. I nod, and fetch a couple of cold ones. On my trip to the cooler, I remind myself that my bud would not have even mentioned this if it wasn't worrying him.
So when I return, I fill him with tales of the guys I was stationed with in Florida that had been treated for various forms of skin cancer and how they all turned out fine.
We relax and watch the kids run around the backyard.
I watch his daughter, tan and hair so bright , she looks like a little sun all unto her own. Daddy's looks and mommy's fire, one heck of a combination. I say a quiet prayer that she has her dad around for a long, long time.
The spot turned out a lot worse than we anticipated and Kenny started down the long road to recovery. The next couple of years would be filled with phone calls, e-mails, and prayers. Thank the Lord he has recovered and now has started a new quest. He is raising money to help fight this horrible disease.
He is escorting his 9 year old daughter around the world and attempting to set a new record for the youngest skier to ski all seven continents.
So check out his web site, if nothing else it has a lot of cool pictures from all over the world.
Their next adventure is Antarctica and they leave next week.
Good luck and Godspeed my friend.
Noble endeavor #2:
The Pillans fund raiser is today at 400pm @ the Mecca. Great food and killer tunes for the entire family. Thanks to Clifford, Bill, & all the volunteers who made this happen. I LOVE THIS TOWN !
Peace
Griff

WTF

Could someone plueeze explain what we accomplished with this borough assembly absenteeism debacle. All I heard was excuses and threats.
OK the assembly person in question had to answer to the march of the state judges interpretation of our local ordinance, and that has obviously rendered a result.
But what really was accomplished?
I'd like to think that we have learned a valuable lesson. This painful process has shown the chink in the armor of our political protocols.
My question is this; is the assembly going to seize this as an opportunity to improve on deficient rules, or just move on and hope for no further litigation?
My spin;
The law is the law. Accept it and move on. I f the law is not acceptable , then change it. However; until it is changed , you must adhere to it. It is really that simple. I commend any person who steps up an offers their availability to public office. It is a job of minimal appreciation and arduous hours,if you do it right, and a few of our assembly members are doing that, then you will draw the admiration and the condemnation of the people you represent.. Ms. Lynch & Mr. Friend are doing that, they read, they study, and they weigh in with an informed and educated opinions. Hats Off!.Just when I am ready to toss my "oh well" hat in the ring , they show a depth of responsibility that I had only dreamed of. We need more of this .
Frankly, it is time to elect officials who represent us , that will be confrontational, who are willing to step out of the status quo, and say WTF?
If we do seek change, how can we enact it?
Think on this..
Question authority,demand real answers, real solutions, and act on them.
Carpe diem Bro.
Peace
Griff

I'm back........

Just got back from a whirlwind tour of Kenai.
I was privileged to take the St. Mary's boys basketball team over for the A.C.S.A.A. tournament. WOW! It was a great set of games. We lost the first game to the hosting team and had to battle our way back to the finals bracket.
The guys played hard for six games over two days. Our last attempt at the finals ended in a two point loss, leaving us in 3rd place overall.
If you ever want to experience the will to win, I would recommend coaching a team like ours. These boys played a game, rested an hour and played the next, until they could not run any more.
If you ever played team sports then you know the old mantra of 110%; well let me tell you, the team gave that and more!
I am as proud of them as they are of their trophy.
Our girls team walked in and took 1st, defeating an undefeated team not once, but twice. Hats off to them and coach Ferris!
I am blessed to have had a season filled with these young athletes, and I look forward to next season!
An aside......
I have gained a lot of personal growth from my volunteer activities in our community. Whether it is coaching, reffing, or the volunteer fire dept. I have met and gotten to know a lot of folks that my life would have been devoid of otherwise. I am richer for it.
There a only so many hours in a day, so many days in a week, or so many breaths in a life. None of us can honestly say that we have time, in our hectic lives, to volunteer.
A good friend of mine once said, " We don't have time to volunteer, we make time".
He is correct, and every day I try to remember that. Once I thought, "what am I teaching my children?", is it that I am to busy for them?
Nope, now three grown women and a teenage boy later, I have been reminded that I showed them the importance of giving back.
We are fortunate to be here, it is our responsibility and duty to leave this place a little better than it was when we drew our first breath.
What else is the true measure of success?
Good Night,
Peace
G.