CJ & Autumn Miller

Lately we have been having a lot of good clean fun. You may be wondering what in the world we could be doing out here to have so much fun, but I contribute it to great company & creativity. Here are a few examples:

• Birthday scavenger hunts involving all party guests following clues on 4-wheelers through woods, rivers & arrive at the lake
• Pie potlucks to celebrate people
  
• Turning a normal trail running workout into a wild raspberry & high bush cranberry picking adventure
• Drive in Movie (fly in, walk in, boat in)- in an aircraft maintenance hangar, popcorn included
  

Sunday afternoon I got a call from the Vorans asking if I wanted to go berry picking with their family. CJ was busy flying passengers from Nondalton to Anchorge, & I joyfully agreed. How did they know I had been reading my Alaska Wildberry Guide and Cookbook all weekend? Better yet, how did they know berry picking was one of my most favorite simple pleasures?
The Vorans & I along with the Kroenkes traveled south on Lake Clark via boat in search of a blueberry hill. It was a wonderful sunny ride & probably the warmest day in Port Alsworth so far. We recognized two boats along the east shore & met up with other berry loving friends. We walked through the tundra filling our buckets & chatting to keep the bears away. Around 8pm when the children were wet from playing along the shore we assembled to share smoked salmon & trail mix. That night we raced the boats home with full pails & blue stains on our knees.

On Wednesday CJ & I celebrated our third wedding anniversary. I made CJ an apple pie, but other than that we didn't plan much because we knew we would be in town soon & could go to a nice restaurant together. Conveniently, on Wednesday we were invited to a party at a friend's house. It was a fancy party & they flew in a chef from Benihana in Anchorage. We rode our bikes to the party, feasted on fresh sushi, & met lots of new friends. It was a perfect way to celebrate!
        Today, Friday we fly from Port Alsworth to Anchorage via Lake Clark Air. We have dinner reservations at Glacier Brew House in Anchorage with Mike & Ana. Late tonight we catch the red eye flight from Anchorage to Chicago. Christy will pick us up from the airport Saturday morning & we will spend the day with her & Jeremiah. Sunday we drive to Michigan & the wedding festivities will begin. Luke & Paige will get married Friday & we are super excited to celebrate the occasion with them at Gull Lake!

CJ flew me into town Friday during his training flight in the newly refurbished C-206. We had a leg first to Illiamna to drop off lumber & pick some children up for a wedding When we arrived at Merrill field in Anchorage CJ was the first pilot to use the new runway & all the construction men were cheering & taking pictures of us as he landed. We made sure to give them a thumbs up as we taxied by.

        My LeTourneau room mate, Jennifer was in Anchorage for the day after touring Alaska on a family vacation. I was able to spend the afternoon & evening with Jennifer, her husband Kyle & her sister Stephanie. I picked them up in the Subie & showed them all my favorite places so far in Anchorage. We had lunch & milkshakes at the Snow City Cafe downtown, walked along the ocean at Elderberry Park, visited Northern Lights Avionics for a GPS part, had a mystery trip to the Alaska Wild Berry chocolate factory where we saw the world's largest chocolate waterfall & pet reindeer, shopped at several outdoor & hippie stores & wrapped it up with dinner at Uncle Joe's Pizza. I loved catching up with Jennifer & Kyle. After moving to a new place it is so nice to spend time with people who know you well, despite the embarrassing stories that always surface!
         I was able to spend Friday night at Liz's house which was a blessing. I met her house mate & her parents visiting from Oregon. Liz works at LCA's anchorage office & I often talk to her on the phone while dispatching, but never really get a chance to ask how things are going, so it was fun to spend time with Liz as well. I drove Liz to the airport early Saturday morning (both of us with coffee in hand) & began my Fred Meyer & Costco shopping. I was able to get a good amount of groceries as well as a hair cut before catching the 4:00 Navajo flight back to Port Alsworth. The other passengers were tourists & captivated by the glaciers, waterfalls, mountains, volcanoes, rivers & lakes as we flew low through Lake Clark Pass. It reminded me to be thankful for my home & the beautiful plans the Lord has for us, always beyond my own imagination!

Cinematographers & producers from National Geographic flew into Port Alsworth today to film a new series called Alaska Bush Pilots that will air this winter. They are doing a piece on Lake Clark Air & we were asked to be involved. CJ & I borrowed waders & suited up this morning for a rainy day of fly fishing. We traveled in the float plane & landed on Lake Illiamna & Crosswind Lake. Glen Jr. & Jeff gave us fly fishing instructions & we spent the day refining our technique. The National Geographic camera man recorded our adventure as well as the bears we encountered along the way. 

          I walked to work today at 6:45am with coffee in hand. At our breakfast table CJ & I watched the fog creep down the mountain & into the lake valley. All morning flights were delayed & the traffic radio was quiet. Things got hectic in the dispatch room around noon & everything happened at once, but I survived with thoughts of an outing with the girls. Amanda & Jael went with me this afternoon to the best coffee shop in Port Alsworth, Bush Gi'ls Espresso Loft. So what if it is the ONLY coffee shop in PTA, it is still the best & a real treat.  Plus, the opportunities are endless... you can walk in, boat in, or fly in for your favorite cup of joe.
          This evening the drastic weather change made it seem like a new day; CJ & I went for a kayak around the bay island. Teco ran along shore & was successfully worn out. We had a small scare after arriving back home. CJ said he lost his wedding ring in the lake during the paddle & was a bit panicked. Luckily he thought to check first in his toolbox & it was still there from his maintenance shift earlier today. False alarm!