Spring Breakup and Snow in Valdez

 

     It is finally getting warmer in the Anchorage area and most of the snow is now melted. The transition from melting snow and ice to green vegetation is called "breakup". It lasts about 4 weeks and most Alaskans look forward to when it is over.  I do like seeing the rivers beginning to run and break through the snow. It looks like everything is beginning to come to life. Hopefully next week trees should be budding and we will see green grass too. Just in time for Kate and Jed to arrive. Kate gets here on April 30 and hopefully Jed will arrive then too. He is driving a trailer from Indiana to Anchorage. Kate said he was able to enter Canada today and has until April 30 to be out of Canada. I hope it will be an enjoyable drive even though it’s a very long drive. 

     We traveled to Valdez this past week to take some furnishings to the missionaries there. Valdez is on the east side of Prince William Sound, about 320 miles from Anchorage (5 hr drive). It is the terminus for the Alaskan Pipeline and has a lot of shipping and commercial fishing. We were able to see the pipeline off and on along the way. Instead of seeing any moose we had pipeline sightings. 

     Just before getting to Valdez where is a canyon that reminded me of Provo Canyon but more gorge-like and very beautiful. I was surprised to see there is a Bridal Veil Falls there. On the other side of the road is Horsetail Falls. Just like in Alpine. 

    It still looked like winter in Valdez. They get 300 inches of snow a year and even though it is getting  warmer, there is still a lot of snow on the ground and it is piled high. I don't know how they can stack it so high, bigger than a house. 

     It was interesting too to see a tsunami evacuation route by the church. With all of the earthquake activity the harbor towns also have a risk for tsunamis. It was low tide and quiet at the harbor when we were there. They have a lot of wood sculptures and totems around town. Especially at the Totem Hotel.

     We helped get the missionaries' things unloaded and then took them to dinner. They kept saying how nice it was to get out and talk to us. I think a long winter, and Covid on top of that, makes every one happy to get out and see people. We went to a Chinese restaurant, Fu Kung (Kung Fu backwards) and sent them home with a lot of leftovers. The only wildlife we saw the whole trip were 2 little rabbits outside of the restaurant. They were not even snow rabbits. The missionaries told us someone let the rabbits loose years ago and now they live in the wild of the restaurant parking lot. No seafood restaurants or moose sightings in Valdez. They say in the summer it looks like Switzerland with the mountains and lush forests. Elder Taylor is from Richfield and has been there since the first part of December. He is hoping he will get to see the green in Valdez before the next transfer at the end of May. I hope he does too. Elder Mobley (on the left in the picture) is from Ozark, Alabama. Everything in Alaska is new to him, especially snow. He arrived in Anchorage at the end of October and this was his first transfer outside of Anchorage. 

     The drive to Valdez was very pretty . We saw the Matanuska glacier about 2 hrs outside of Anchorage. It is the closest glacier to the road in Alaska. It is the flat ice field at the bottom of the mountains. You can hike on the glacier but need to use crampons on the ice. The young missionaries have gone as a group and had a great time. Maybe I can get family to go there for a snowy hike and no bears. Or Hatcher pass for a green hike with bears. 

     Everything about our trip went smoothly except for about 15 minutes of driving in thick fog at the top of the mountain range over Thompson pass. We had to go very slow and stay between the lines. We couldn't see off of the road but being that high I was afraid there was a steep drop off. Elder Taylor told us it is a scary drive in bad weather. Yes!! The next day the weather was clear and beautiful. The views were amazing. It looks like it could be the snow-covered Himalayas. It did have some scary narrow drops though. I thought how much we need to rely on the lines to keep us on the road and away from danger, especially when we can't see where we are. The commandments are like the lines on the road. They will keep us safe. That's a good home evening lesson! (We didn't stop for steep photo pictures. Sorry)

     I saved the best for last. I was so excited that all of our children were able to be together when Summer went to the temple on Friday and Joe and Collynn were sealed on Saturday. I love these pictures of Summer and everyone at the Draper Temple on Friday night.  The lighted blooming tree looks like the Tree of Life in Lehi's dream. 

     It was raining when Collynn and Joe came out of the temple on Saturday afternoon so no one got phone pictures. Scott took some with his camera and will send me some when he has edited them. I will post them when I get them. I did love the picture of all of my children together! I am so grateful that they are such good brothers and sisters. It was fun to visit on FaceTime with everyone (including grandchildren and Jane and Joy) at Collynn's house that night. It reminded me of when Elder Robinson and I had our young family and would go out and leave the kids in charge of babysitting each other. Even though we are now gone on a mission, they are still babysitting (taking care of) each other. 

And Lisa still likes to play with hair! She always did her sisters hair for family pictures. Now it's Spencer and Joy she worked on. Haha!

     This last picture is what it looks like at 10:00 at night. Sunset was at 9:45 but even after the sun goes down there is twilight for another 40 minutes. It will be long, long days in June. 

     Spiritual thought: A little about missionaries traveling to new missions or going home. It has been quite a struggle with Covid restrictions and changes. Two missionaries were returning to Samoa by way of Los Angeles, then they would quarantine in Fiji and then they could go to Samoa. They were on the plane ready for takeoff when they found out the flight to Fiji was canceled.  The missionaries had to get off the plane and return to the mission to figure out another plan.  They took it pretty well and it looks like they will have another flight in 2 weeks and try again.  Two other missionaries returning to the Philippines found out the day before that the borders were closed and they will need to wait another 4 weeks to leave. This week there is a sister missionary who is one of a total of five missionaries worldwide who received Visas to go to Brazil.  She needs to get Covid test results back in 40 hrs to make her flight. I hope I have scheduled a good clinic to get it done in time. It seems we pray that travel will go smoothly. Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't. But in the end it works out. I think the lesson I am learning is to do your best, be patient and in the end it will work out. It reminds me of Pres Hinckley who would say: "Don't worry! It isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out in the end. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us." The missionaries that got off the plane didn't get their luggage off in time so it had gone on to Salt Lake. The airline said it would take 1-2 days for it to be returned. An employee working in baggage in Salt Lake saw the bags, called the mission office and told them he would put them on the next return flight. They received their bags in 12 hours instead of days. The missionaries going to the Philippines had been scheduled to get the Johnson and Johnson single dose vaccine 2 days before leaving. The J&J vaccine problem delayed that plan. They were able to get the vaccine yesterday and feel glad they could get vaccinated before going home.  They don't seem to mind the delay too much for now. We will have to see how things go for the sister going to Brazil. Either way I know when we do our best and are patient it all will eventually work out! It helps that the missionaries have such a good attitude too about everything. They have a lot of faith and optimism. It is also a little hard to say goodbye. Now they have a bit longer to do that. 

     It will be hard to match last week. I don't mind if it is a little slower. I hope you all have a good week.

Love,

Elder and Sister Robinson