7 June, 1999

Monday, June 7th, 1999

I am staying at a very nice bed and breakfast on the Chena River in Fairbanks, thanks to Renee Crain, project coordinator of ARCUS (Arctic Research Consortium of the United States), which is a non-profit organization that provides support for arctic research. The proprietor left a note on the door telling me which room and bathroom were to be mine for the next few days, and the door was unlocked, so I settled right in. I didn't need to wait for morning to appreciate the view outside my window, which is of the river and many conifer trees; I haven't seen them for awhile!

I got to sleep in until 8:30, and then had a leisurely breakfast served to me by the owner, Steve Mease. It was very nice to sit and chat, and I was beginning to feel like I was on sort of a retreat, so I was getting pretty relaxed and not in too much of a hurry to call Renee to get started. But, when we finally got together at 11 am, we headed out to purchase hip waders and rain gear. Hip waders are not easy to find in a men's size 4 in Fairbanks, funny as that may seem! As Renee said, "Don't people with small feet fish, too?" But we tracked some down at the second outfitter we visited, and then headed to the ARCUS office where I got to meet the Executive Director, Wendy Warnick, and some of the other ARCUS staff. I also was able to meet Dr. Richard Radtke, an oceanographer with the University of Hawaii who has an arctic research project soon to begin in Greenland involving a type of fish called a char. Another teacher from Hawaii, Ann Zellinger, will be working with him on this project in August. You can link to Ann through TEA's (Teachers Experiencing the Arctic and Antarctic) web site also!

We also made it to a bookstore and the Alaska Public Lands Information Office as well, to get additional information on Barrow and Alaska. By nighttime, I was worn out, but was having a hard time getting to sleep because it still looked like the middle of the day outside! Tomorrow is another full day ahead - the days are going so fast already, even with 24 hours of daylight!

Hope everything is going well for all of you too! Michele Hauschulz

The view from the Chena River Bed and Breakfast in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Inside the office of the Arctic Research Consortium in Fairbanks.

Michele Hauschulz writing journals on a computer at ARCUS.

The view from my bedroom at the Chena River Bed and Breakfast. This picture was taken near midnight!