We have arrived.

But before we arrived, we spent time in the Tacoma area with Nathaniel and Fala and Marie.  We went to a climbing wall in Tacoma and then had high tea.  We were looking for coffee and ended up at a nice teahouse.  We were quite under-dressed, but no one seemed to mind.  I guess running tights are the new thing in a teahouse.  Marie sang karaoke (she insisted I could not post a video of her rendition of “Let’s Get It On”).  She and Brad then sang “Three Blind Mice”.  I just ate scones and desserts while drinking tea.

 We found something FREE to do in Seattle—visit the botanical gardens.  Very pretty, even in the rain.  Brad spotted a turtle and insisted on saying hello.  As soon as we left, the sun came out!

 

  

Our boat made its maiden salt-water voyage when we put it in Puget Sound.  The day was beautiful and Mount Rainier was out in full force.  That is a beautiful mountain—maybe I’ll climb it some day.

 

Made the journey from the Seattle-Tacoma area to Anchorage and then on to Bethel.  It was clear as we flew in and the landscape is very pretty.  There were tall and very rugged mountains to the immediate west of Anchorage and then there was only tundra.  There didn’t appear to be any gradual sloping of the land—just and end. 

We have a nice 3 bedroom renal house for the time being compliments of YKHC (Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation).  We are in the Kasayuli area of Bethel and are about 3 miles out of town.   Our truck will be loaded on a barge on June 3 and may get here by the end of June or early July.  We don't have bikes either, so we will either walk or have to find some transportation.

   To the south, we have a view of the tundra.  There are wild blueberry bushes under the house and a small pond that Alex said he saw a beaver or muskrat swimming in (supper anyone??). 

We went grocery shopping.  It was a shock--$337 for less than a week’s worth of food.  We did buy some staples like flour, sugar, and honey, so maybe we can eat for 10 days.  Gas is $5.45 per gallon. 

 

      

We also went to the only cell phone place in town and will likely have to change our phone numbers.  We’re hoping to call customer service and see if they will be sympathetic to us.  I have a feeling we will have numbers with a 907 area code pretty soon.

I am happy to report that we have a post office box.  There is no local mail delivery here—you have to have a post box to get anything.  We tried to get our keys for box number 3370, but needed proof of a physical address.  This we found out after waiting in line (government offices are no different in Alaska!).  The hospital was kind enough to write a letter on our behalf stating we were living somewhere.  Don’t tell the USPS that the address in the letter is not the same as the house we are in.

Our goal today is to get to the DMV and pass the written test.  Alex and I both failed yesterday, but in our defense, we didn’t know we needed to take a test.  I need to brush up on the section that discusses what to do if you hit big game with your car.