8/15 Random Arctic Climate Change News

http://www.care2.com/causes/no-sea-ice-in-the-arctic-in-a-decade-scientists-warn.html
No summer sea ice in a decade. Doesn't sound bad, right?
"Without the cap’s white brilliance to reflect sunlight back into space, the region will heat up even more than at present. As a result, ocean temperatures will rise and methane deposits on the ocean floor could melt, evaporate and bubble into the atmosphere. Scientists have recently reported evidence that methane plumes are now appearing in many areas. Methane is a particularly powerful greenhouse gas and rising levels of it in the atmosphere are only likely to accelerate global warming. And with the disappearance of sea ice around the shores of Greenland, its glaciers could melt faster and raise sea levels even more rapidly than at present."
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The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) rubber-stamped plans that rely on unbelievable assumptions, include equipment that has never been tested in Arctic conditions, and ignore the very real possibility that a spill could continue through the winter. The agency has failed to ensure Shell’s plans could be effective and that Shell has sufficient boats, resources and spill responders to remove a “worst-case” oil spill in the Arctic Ocean to the “maximum extent practicable.”  Even after Deepwater Horizon, Interior Secretary Salazar brushed aside concerns about Shell’s spill response capabilities, stating recently that “there is not going to be an oil spill.”
http://www.care2.com/causes/shells-inadequate-oil-spill-response-plans-threaten-americas-arctic.html
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As of Monday 13- Feds offer pipeline plan for Alaska's reserve:   http://newsfeedresearcher.com/data/articles_b33/alaska-salazar-plan.html

8/13 Dorothy

There is a lady who has a tent and a wooden lean-to on the other side of the parking lot who comes every summer and sells her birchbark paintings and small stitched together canoes and necklaces with stones that she makes herself. Her name is Dorothy.

Her house is up the way in the woods and sits back from the river. She and her husband made it themselves ten years ago. Her husband died a couple years ago.

She also paints. A couple examples below.

She also traps, tans and makes animal hide bags which she sells. Computer size bags and smaller coin purses made out of feet.

Notice the pistol. 

All the comforts of home.

8/5 Lynx and new art

You will have to excuse the fact I am not giving every day to this blog effort but for those who seem to following it, mostly close family I think, we went up the Ray River the other day in the new Evinrude outboard with Nikolas, co-worker from Omaha, and John Bollinger, staff maintenance, late (15 years ago give or take) of Chicago.

This is the mouth of the Ray and you can see the silty water of the Yukon mixing with the browner Ray water. 

We took a side channel on the Ray River which comes into the Yukon. Rivers like the Ray have what are called "braided" branches, which may or may not be former twists of the main river. For comparison the lower Mississipi has many of these, recognisable on any reasonably detailed map. Anyway coming around a bend we met up with a big cat. Sticking up from the green marsh grass it looked like a stump from far away with its tufted ears.

                                 

Lynx Canadensis is native to Alaska and Canada in Sub-Arctic Boreal forest.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynx_(cat)  

New art-pieces. Many motorcyclists come through everyday. Below that is the scene from my studio window.

                                 

7/28 Painting of Barge

"Up On Blocks"  - New Painting of Barge at Yukon River, finished 7/27

7/24 Willis Fireball

There's a fellow who came thru a few weeks ago who had some errands and traveling to do and came thru the other night again on his way home. He teaches on Little Diomede Island. Where is Little Diomede, you ask? It is across from Big Diomede Island on the International Date Line. In the middle of the Bering Strait.   

for more about the school-  http://fac-staff.seattleu.edu/gualtieri/web/little_diomede.htm

Willis Fireball is a folksinger as well. His website: willisfireball.com

Below a quote from another website about Little Diomede: 

"What I’ve always thought was interesting is that the houses on Little Diomede (above) face tomorrow. Due to the placement of the International Date Line, the Russian side is one of the first territories to start the day. This means folks on Big Diomede can also see yesterday."

http://www.nikolasschiller.com/blog/index.php/archives/2008/11/02/1542/

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Turns out Michael Palin has also been there for his series. http://palinstravels.co.uk/photogallery.php?id=436

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Here is Little Diomede with Big Diomede across the way. 

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=305196

7/22 Where Are The Salmon?

pictured: King Salmon

Further good investigative news on questions pertaining to the disappearance of Alaska's single most important natural resource.

http://www.newsminer.com/view/full_story/19487893/article-Team-to-tackle-problem-of-Alaska-s-disappearing-king-salmon-?instance=home_news_window_left_bullets
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http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/biologists-look-ocean-clues-alaska-king-salmon-collapse

July 22 From Both Sides Now

These are some clouds taken on a normal summer day.