Working abroad this past year in New Zealand, I was asked several times if NZ reminded me of Alaska. The quick answer is "yes" (or in Kiwi English, "yeeah"). The real answer is much more complicated. Looking out the office window, I see a slice of sky beyond the massive pile of snow, from which more...
Fri, 03/09/2012 - 10:42am
Editor's note: Polly Crawford was a reporter and associate editor of The Peninsula Clarion from 1985-1988, when she wrote "Perils of Polly." She also has written a series of "Peril" columns about Australia, Asia, and Central America. Her perils continue in Argentina and Chile. Driving in a foreign c...
Fri, 03/09/2012 - 10:31amThis time of year I do more armchair fishing than any other kind. Thanks to cyberspace, I enjoy vicarious treks to the tropics, where I can fish without breaking a sweat or worrying about malaria or venomous snakes. I also like not spending money, not having to be vaccinated and not having to sit in...
Fri, 03/09/2012 - 10:21am
My pants, socks, and boots are soaked. I'm tired and slightly embarrassed. I don't think I could scream "Cheechako" any more than I already do. I successfully got the government vehicle stuck in the snow which didn't appear nearly as deep as it was first driving into the abandoned parking lot. Can i...
Fri, 03/02/2012 - 10:43am
Editor's note: Polly Crawford was a reporter and associate editor of The Peninsula Clarion from 1985-1988, when she wrote "Perils of Polly." She also has written a series of "Peril" columns about Australia, Asia, and Central America. Her perils continue in Argentina and Chile. Before my sis...
Fri, 03/02/2012 - 10:33amQuestion: What fish that's native to the Kenai River was featured in Charles Dickens' first novel? The Dolly Varden char is native to the Kenai. Dolly Varden, a woman known for wearing brightly colored dresses, was a character in "Barnaby Rudge," a Dickens novel. Her name was the origin of the name ...
Fri, 03/02/2012 - 10:22amKenai National Wildlife Refuge is recruiting campground hosts for Hidden Lake Campground from mid-May to Labor Day this summer. Hidden Lake Campground is the Refuge's most popular campground located on beautiful Hidden Lake and tucked away off Skilak Lake Road. To give you an excellent idea of how r...
Fri, 02/24/2012 - 10:34amEditor's note: Polly Crawford was a reporter and associate editor of The Peninsula Clarion from 1985-1988, when she wrote "Perils of Polly." She also has written a series of "Peril" columns about Australia, Asia, and Central America. Her perils continue in Argentina and Chile. Did someone s...
Fri, 02/24/2012 - 10:29amWhen I was young and knew everything, I thought camping in a war-surplus tent was just ducky. I don't know much anymore, but I do know that cabins are more comfortable than tents. Much as I'd like to, I'll never forget a deer hunt on Montague Island during a rainstorm of biblical proportions. It wou...
Fri, 02/24/2012 - 10:24amIn the days of sail, ocean travel was dangerous. Thousands of shipwrecks from that era litter Earth's oceans and beaches. Sailing ships weren't for fun and games. If you were part of the crew, your work was hard and hazardous. Falling from the rigging or being washed overboard by a wave were common ...
Fri, 02/17/2012 - 9:57am
