Barrow, Alaska

Well that was quite a trip. First of all we got to sit in the Prudhoe Bay/Deadhorse airport for 2 hours with the pilot telling us that we may not get to Barrow that day and they may has to unload the people going to Barrow or fly us to Anchorage. We sure hoped they would fly us to Anchorage in stead of unloading us because the guys would be able to come get us there whereas driving to Prudhoe Bay means at least 2-3 flat tires and a cracked windshield. But they finally deceided that we could go on and then we sure hoped they could get us back to Fairbanks because Barrow is not exactly the kind of place you want to be stuck at for a few days.



Here are Marrisa and I at the Top of the World. The temperture was about 36 degrees and the longer we were there the more the wind picked up. They took us on a tour of the town (not a whole lot there), but they do have the schools set up well for the kids with indoor swimming pools, tracks, basketball, etc. so that they can do sports in the winter, too. The tour guide said the coolest winter he could remember was the temp. was -40 with a wind chill that made it feel like -90. Buuurrrrr!!!!! That was the only day he could remember the schools being closed. We also got to see a baby gray whale that would swim up and down the coastline just off shore scratching the barnacles off of himself. We got to see him blow his spout and come up once in a while, but of course I could never get a picture when he did that, but it was still pretty cool to see one so close.

Well here it is!!!! Believe it or not WE DID IT!!!!! Marissa and I have now got bragging rights over anything that any of you all could do short of a space walk. We were first told that there wasn't time, but the driver kept assuring us that he would get us to the airport in time so we changed as fast as we could and ran down to the beach (remember that is was 36 degrees and the wind was blowing) and ran in. The driver told us it was a gradual desent, but he lied. We took a few running steps in and the bottom just went away and down we went. There is an official watching to make sure you are fully submerged and when I came up he claimed the top of my head had not gone all the way under (I know it did) and I had to go under one more time. We honestly can't remember if it was cold or not because it all went so fast, but I think the water was warmer than the temp. out of the water. But I tell you what I have not ever had anything so salty tasting in my life. And no, I did not drink it, but when you have it on your face some gets in your mouth just because it is on your lips. We thought that he had taken the other people on the tour back to the airport, but I guess they wanted to see it, too because they were all there and now there are pics of us on peoples cameras from Chicago, Australia and Illisnois. We got applauded when we walked into the airport and got razzed some that they were sure we had not gone all the way under and should do it again. My niece and I now have a bond and share something that I will never share with anyone else and I think that is pretty cool. Maybe someday my girls and I will come back and do this. What do you girls think?

I also get to tease my sister that Reagan calls me Oma even though Marissa keeps telling her that I am Aunt Janie. We finally got her to start trying to say Oma Janie because no matter what we tell her I am Oma. The way we figure it no kid can have too many omas.

Larry and Drew have not had any luck yet. They did see a cow moose, but no bull moose and no caribu. They will go out again this evening, but time is running out. I told Larry I had done my part by jumping into the Artic Ocean now it was up to him.

That is all for now. We will see what kind of trouble we can get into today.

Later.