Great Land of Alaska

I'm certain that this small creek in Tyonek has a name, but I don't know what it is.

I'm sure that this small lake in Tyonek has a name, although I don't know what it is.

The gravel beaches of Cook Inlet near Tyonek.

Several more pictures of the Alaskan sunrise and sunset.

A cold January day along the Kenai River in Cooper Landing.

Snowzilla is a giant snowman that often appears in an Anchorage neighborhood during winters of sufficient snow.

A Grey Owl was hunting outside of the apartments one morning. I read that contrary to popular belief, owl cannot turn their heads more than 130°; however, this owl seems to be showing otherwise. In fact, I saw him at one point turn his head more than 180°.

A moose browses on some frozen grass near some frost-covered trees on a cold winter day.

Several houses and streets of Tyonek. Like many rural communities, the streets are all gravel.

The airport at Tyonek, like many other rural communitiy airports, is little more than a gravel strip only about 3,000 feet 914 meters) long.

The gravely beach of Tyonek with some houses in the background.

An old boat sitting on the beach at Tyonek.

A smokehouse sitting on a bluff near the beach.

Three of the youth we traveled to Tyonek with using some large driftwood logs to cross a stream on the Tyonek beach.

Some of our program youths and their friends contemplate crossing a small stream with the Tyonek cemetery in the background.

This was once a road through a small valley, but now is just a small foot trail taken as a shortcut from one road to another. It also passes a small stream and pond that is a popular fishing area in Tyonek.

One of the activities at the Open Arms Gathering included an obstacle course where the participants must wear a dress and carry a purse while running through the course, and flying kites.

Tyonek as seen from the air.

A decent collection of halibut from the waters of Cook Inlet. The two halibut to my left are the ones I caught.

I got my picture taken with Foxy, the mascot for the 2008 Arctic Winter Games, in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.