Petersburg!

So it has been exactly two weeks since Erin and I arrived in Petersburg. I started working the day after we arrived, had some stories in the paper that week (the paper comes out thursday morning), and this week (the 11th) filled the paper.

We arrived to an apartment that was not in the best shape. Unfortunately it was still being worked on (no sink) and the smell of smoke was overwhelming.





We were expecting two beds in the apartment, but they were nowhere to be found, so after a quick phone call south, our bed was being loaded into a container to be shipped up.

(HUGE shout out to my parents who again saved the day by taking our stuff down to Seattle. Erin and I are VERY appreciative and thankful)

We slept on an air mattress and cleaned the apartment from end to end. The sink was installed and tools moved out.

It is small but in an extremely convenient location, everything is within walking distance. I am one block from work, two blocks from the grocery store, and have had a great time being able to go home for lunch.

After hours of cleaning, it is in much better shape and we have unpacked most of our belongings.

Erin likes organization...




Our first dinner in the new apartment

Other than our housing predicament, the people we have met are amazing.

The second night, Orin, the pre-press/organizer/jackofalltrades at the Pilot invited us over to his house for wine and king crab, it was great to meet someone willing to hear our grievances and share the bounty of this great area.

We were fortunate enough to be invited to a potluck at the radio station, as well as another get together which involved a backpack FULL of King Crab!












The weather has been all over the place since we arrived.

The first few days it was overcast and raining, with two days of sun, we then had a beautiful day sunday driving down to the "end of the road," which is seriously a turnaround. We stopped a few times to take some short hikes to a popular fishing spot and a small lake.

Here are some photos.






We got back to town, and it started dumping snow.



Over the next day we got about 6-8 inches of snow that was quickly turned to slush by the rain, which brings me to a side note about Alaskan attire.

One of the first things we noticed about Alaskan footwear is the xtra-tuff boot.



These brown rubber boots are everywhere, we wondered if people knew any other shoe. Until the snow...

Walking around avoiding puddles and slush piles was quite the chore, and walking alongside some alaskans as they plowed through the puddles unknowingly I now realize why they are so prevalent. (I know what my first paycheck is going towards)

While I have been running around trying to put stories together, Erin has found a couple job opportunities in Petersburg. Firstly she found that she could be a substitute teacher in this town, as well as a position with the U.S. forest service. She has volunteered at the school a few days and is waiting to hear back on both.

Petersburg is definitely small, and has been quite a sticker shock. (Everything at the grocery store is about double the price)


After shopping just like i did in college (dented cans and everything), these four bags were over $100...

The first paper that I had stories in also had a picture of me and a little blurb (written by me), I have already had quite a few "aren't you the guy from the paper," experiences, which is kind of fun.



Here is me in my corner office.



Here are a couple of the wildlife encounters we have had...



Sealion...



Other notes:

We felt so spoiled by the hospitality that Erin and I made a curry dinner for eight of my co-workers and their significant others, on friday night. It was cramped in the apartment but overall a great success.