The Porch

Feb 1, 2013 by

The Porch

Welcome, Friends!

The picture here is a snapshot I took of an incredibly beautiful sunset near my house last week.

It’s the second month of the new year already! Will we see the groundhog’s shadow? You can actually watch the live broadcast at groundhog.org tomorrow. What’s your prediction?

My son Teko played in a hockey tournament last weekend in Kenai. Their first game was in an unheated arena and the temperature was -21f. I had some friends laugh at me at first when I showed up with my polar-explorer parka on. They weren’t laughing by the third period when they were shivering on the metal bleachers and I was toasty warm! It was so cold that when the players came off the ice for a shift change, they immediately went into a heated trailer to thaw out.

At Teko's Hockey Game

Teko’s team didn’t win the tourney, but the kids had a great time anyway. My son Kier is off on another five hour road trip to Homer for his tournament tomorrow.

We live in a huge state and if you’re involved in sports, you’re going to spend a lot of time on the road. Sarah, Heather, Molly, and I all spent countless hours on buses, boats, and planes traveling around Alaska during our playing days. Our parents sacrificed so much… now that I have my own kids, I can see why it was worth it.

Subscribe free to ChuckHeathJr.com and receive notice of each new post! Just enter your email address in the subscription box found in the sidebar and watch for a verification email.

Have a guest post you’d like to submit? Read about the details HERE.
 
To purchase a signed copy of Our Sarah, mail a $25 check (made out to Sally or Chuck Heath) to:
 
Chuck and Sally Heath
425 North Klouda Circle
Wasilla, Alaska 99654

 

Start your Amazon search here!


 

Related Posts

Tags

Share This

  • MaMcGriz

    Good morning, all.

    I can hardly believe it’s already Friday. Hope everyone’s headed for a fun and productive weekend. Mine will be exciting and glamorous. I’m doing laundry. :)

  • c4pfan

    One dedicated dad and son! I couldn’t even think of being in that cold!
    As for Groundhog Day, the only thing I like about it is the movie. LOL

  • ProudAmerican247

    Beautiful sunset, Chuck. Good luck to Kier in his tournament tomorrow.
    I predict Mr. Groundhog WILL see his shadow. Yup. Six more weeks of winter I’m afraid, (or MORE if you live here in Wisconsin!)

  • Lipstick

    What a great picture! Thank you.

    I posted this at P4A and reading your post with my research of late I know so much more about the geography you are mentioning. Along those lines….

    Any Alaskan readers or people familiar willing to give input to…..

    Kayaking trips around Seward, AK.

    I want to see glaciers & am looking at the Aialik trip or one
    that goes to Holgate Glacier. I have read that Holgate is much less
    visited so you don’t have all the boats around like going to Aialik. I
    like to avoid crowds & get an off the beaten path experience. Both
    trips are terribly expensive but I am willing to pay for a quality trip.

    Also, I have read Bear Glacier was nice but also read it wasn’t safe?
    Not sure of my info there but some outfitters offer trips there. I’m
    pretty adventurous.

    What kayaking would YOU do if you were a flatlander Texan gal who would only get one shot at it?

    I am very active and fit so I am not worried about the strenuousness
    of the trip. Although I might get a little sea sick in really high
    waves, not to many high waves at Galveston unless a hurricane is coming
    in.

    I am looking at these outfitters: Backcountry Safaris, Kayak Adventures Worldwide, Sunny CoveSea Kayaking, Liquid Adventures.

    I am not in love with any particular outfitter so any info or suggestions would be appreciated.
    Thanks!

    • chuckjr

      Hi Lipstick,

      One of the best kayaking trips I ever took was out of Whittier on Prince William Sound. Whittier is only an hours drive from Anchorage. You can rent a sea kayak… cheapest if you do it through Alaska Pacific University… get a map or guidebook, and do it yourself. We saw huge bird rookeries, massive glaciers, bears, whales, and we even had sea otters playing with us. It was an amazing three day trip. Even when the ocean got rough, we had a great time. So good luck!

      • Lipstick

        Thank you! I will research that!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Sue-Lynn/1831312967 Sue Lynn

    Did they win?…great pics Chuck Jr.

    • chuckjr

      Won one, lost one, and tied one.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1276108093 Katie DiFrancesco

    I can’t imagine being in -21 degree weather! Occasionally, we get -6 in the morning here in Rochester, but maybe only every few years!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1276108093 Katie DiFrancesco

    And as a result, the mother of one of my friends thinks I’m crazy for wanting to move to Alaska!

  • pete4palin

    This is where the action is tomorrow…

    http://www.groundhogcentral.com

  • chzn2bfree

    Does the fur around the hood serve a purpose (since it’s the only area covered) or is it style? Seems like snow/ice would cling to it, creating a colder affect. Authentic or manmade? Looks like a wild hairdo….