Some Discussion Of My Home State

Discussion in 'History & Geography' started by Don Alaska, Jan 9, 2019.

  1. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
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    It was a 4.1 richter, but we are still a little hypersensitive. Russia (not USSR) sold Alaska to the U.S. in part to keep the British from getting it. They were having trouble supplying their colony, and were having to hire merchants in California to supply food to Alaska anyway. The Canadians didn't want it, mostly because they were having troubles of their own supplying British Columbia and there was a move in Vancouver at one time to secede from Canada and join Alaska as a territory of the U.S. Canada punched the railroad through the mountains eventually, so the problem of supply was solved. Remember there was no Panama Canal then, so supplies had to come by ship from the east coast of Canada or Europe, around one of the Capes (Horn or Good Hope) or through the new Suez Canal (from Europe). Canada DID save the salmon in the Southeast part of Alaska at one time. Canners from Washington state and California decided to come up and block the rivers to harvest all the salmon at one time (no thought for the future) and Canada sent their navy in to open the rivers so Canadians could harvest a share of the fish. It is regulated by treaty now.

    I think Alaska is best as part of the U.S., but there are those here who want to be their own nation since so many in the Lower 48 want to keep Alaska as the "Largest National Park".
     
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  2. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    Hoping you are doing okay and no more aftershocks ! It looked like there was one that was 4.1; but I was having trouble telling for sure where it was at up there.
    My step-daughter lives in Palmer. Are you anywhere close to there, @Don Alaska ?

    Your driveway picture reminded me of mine when I lived in Idaho . I think it was maybe only about 400’ long, though, but still a lot of work to get plowed out in the winter.
    Here is what the property looks like, and you can see the driveway coming in to the house and my old trailer.
    On the left is where the Bonneville power line goes through, and the substation is just across the road from their right-of-way.
    My son and daughter-in-law put a larger house on the property and just use my trailer as a guest room, and my son’s ham radio shop.

    8D8DF464-2A5F-4307-9636-9A32A5EC9352.jpeg
     
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  3. Thomas Stearn

    Thomas Stearn Veteran Member
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    How long did/does it take you and your shovel to clear the snow? :D
     
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  4. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
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    T
    The 4.1 was what hit while I was typing, but I was on the 2nd floor, which amplifies it a bit We are about 50 miles from Palmer.
     
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  5. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
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    For many years I used a riding snowblower as that was recommended by the previous owner of this house. He said he had tried everything else, and he had to bring in a bulldozer when things got really bad. My old snowblower wore out, so I bought a big walk-behind snowblower, but I found that was simply not large enough to do the job. Now I use a tractor and it does an okay job, but my youngest son was a better tractor driver than I am, especially since my back injury, but so far I have been able to make do with the tractor. If we are still able to stay here, I may have to buy a 3-point snowblower for the tractor...or just hire a professional to plow it when needed.
     
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  6. Thomas Stearn

    Thomas Stearn Veteran Member
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    Thanks, Don. You may have said that before but because I just learnt that you'd moved to A. from Georgia which is quite a distance I wondered what made you do so? Love, job?
     
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  7. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
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    @Thomas Stearn I have been an "adventurer" for much of my life, and I had always wanted to spend time in Alaska from boyhood. I was offered jobs in earlier days, but, upon doing research, I found that there were few unattached women here. I decided I couldn't live anywhere that didn't have many single women, I decided I had to wait until I had one of my own to take with me. After having been married for 12 years and having 4 children, I was offered a job that would move the family and provide housing at a very discounted rate. It was an offer I couldn't pass on, so we packed up and moved from the south of Georgia where it was 85 F. (~29.5 C.)to the Bering Sea Coast where the temperature on arrival was -20 F. (~-29 C.) so there was a bit of temperature shock for the children, who had never lived where it was so cold but they adapted within two weeks.
     
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  8. Nancy Hart

    Nancy Hart Veteran Member
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    My family drove to Alaska for a summer vacation in 1960 with a pickup and camper. I was about 15. A good bit (I think all) of the highway from Dawson Creek to the Alaska border was gravel road then. There were stories that you had to take lots of spare tires with you, but we never had a problem.

    We drove to Fairbanks, then back down to Valdez. Not enough time to go to Anchorage. The salmon were spawning at Valdez. It was August. The road to Mt. McKinley was closed at the time. I believe it was washed out. We wanted to drive a little closer to it. The road stayed far away from the mountains, but I understand why it was built that way.

    So we saw some of the mountains on the Valdez route, and some of the flat land toward Fairbanks. I remember the trees kept getting smaller and smaller the closer you got to Fairbanks. Funny the things you remember when you are young.

    It's a beautiful state, Don.
     
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