What a year it’s been so far:

If we still lived in Juneau, this is where we’d still be parking our Subaru wagon.

Last week, the Soobi would have been buried under this:

Our pals have at last found a home for themselves in our old neighborhood of Juneau, Alaska.

Jorden and Bret close on this sweet pad on the 14th.

Congratulations!

This is our pal, Pat.

After having lived in Little Port Walter (known by those in the know as Club Fed) for a few years, our pals Pat and Jen have moved back to Juneau with their little boy, Bruno.

Now, we don’t get to see them as often as we’d like but seeing as you’re visiting us @ Lofto this week, we’ve dedicated today’s post to you : )

We’ve missed you!

Some cool facts about Pat:

Subsequent to being a Rasmuson Fellow, Pat initially worked as a research analyst at the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission where he reported on aspects of diverse Alaska fisheries including Pacific cod, weathervane scallops, Pacific herring, and horsehair crab. Since 2001, Pat has worked as a research fishery biologist for the National Marine Fisheries Service at the Auke Bay Laboratory in Juneau. In his primary role, he studies the effects of commercial fishing on benthic habitats. These studies, utilizing both submersibles and scuba, have varied objectives from simple habitat typing to manipulative studies identifying effects of trawling at varied intensities.

Pat is also involved with other work that is attempting to determine growth rates of two species of sponge and two species of coral. These studies will help managers understand habitat and fishery interactions and allow for sustainable fisheries.

Those interested in checking out some of Pat’s work can find a good start here.

Some cool facts about Jen:

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Our pals, Sean and Becky Janes, gave Andy Summers and his son the tour of Southeast recently via their outfit Above and Beyond Alaska. That’s Sean on the right in the picture below.

Highly recommended if you’re thinking about making it out to the Last Frontier – but of course, we’re biased:

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• Flash
• | QuickTime
• | iPod

Tag isn’t just a documentary, it’s a chad-calease-made odyssey on the subject of a game that touches everything we do.

Enjoy the trailer.

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Power is flowing from the Snettisham hydro dam once again!

Returning to the renewable energy source means Juneau folks no longer face the temporary increased cost of living [53 cents per kilowatt hour versus 11].

Since the avalanche in mid-April, Alaska Electric Light & Power has been supplying the entire city with electricity from diesel generators, thus, the dramatically increased rates.

Fortunately, this didn’t last as long as anticipated. What a good thing for both locals’ pocketbooks and lifestyles, which have been hamstrung in order to avoid electric bills that no one could afford. I can’t imagine paying upwards of $500 for what is usually around $100.

Now you can all plug everything back in and take energy for granted again like all the rest of us!

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