Journal of David Atlee @ Frozen Designs

David Atlee designs and builds websites, takes photos, plays with digital design and writes stories about odd things.
 
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    Alaskan Volcano

    Sunday, March 29th, 2009

    As some of you may know from previous postings I am attempting to go traveling across Alaska be it a month or three, money and job depending. As part of my ‘keep myself motivated’ plan I have been watching the Anchorage News website feed for a few months now. It’s been interesting to see what makes the news in the states biggest city with estimated population of 279,671, which is only around 50,000 more than Southampton.  Such news articles include the day a woman drove her car into a coffee stall after a police chase, according to eye witnesses she made a real mess of the coffee stall.

    But recently the volcano Redoubt has been the centre of attention and has been erupting.  From what I have read there has been little or no damage to homes or loss of human life. But I could be wrong. Ash has settled over Anchorage, nothing that windscreen wipers can’t handle though.


    Redoubt Eruption March 27 2009 from Bretwood Higman on Vimeo.
    This is timelapse footage of the eruption and is interesting to watch, but what blew me away is some of the photos.

    Bretwood Higman / groundtruthtrekking.org via AVO

    Electrical Storm during the eruption of Redoubt Volcano - Image courtesy of Bretwood Higman / groundtruthtrekking.org

    The Electrical storm is amazing, I have seen it in movies. But honestly always thought that alot of it was down to artistic license. But this photo proves me wrong. I so wish I had been there to see that, surely a once in a lifetime experience to be remembered for ever. Time to look at my Alaska plan again!!!!

    Visit Bret Higman’s journal for more impressive Alaskan journeys and photography.

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    Alaskan Dreams

    Thursday, March 19th, 2009

    This is a bit of thoughtful journal entry. I’m watching ‘The Natural World’ on BBC iplayer (what a wonderful thing it is), its about the life around the Alaskan shores, how the plankton bloom provides so much life in such a hostile environment for not only around the oceans, but it provides half our oxygen. It features seal lions, orcas, humpbacked whales and many more sea creatures and plants. I went to Alaska many years ago on a snowboarding holiday, I had an awesome time, excellent people, awesome snow and amazing wildlife. I went on a whale spotting boat trip and by amazing luck saw a pod of orcas. It was a truly fantastic experience and in the last year decided to makes plans to go back there for a real adventure.

    I got made redundant 4 months ago and lost a lot of motivation about living where I do, so decided it was time to get off the rat race for a bit. I planned to rent out my flat, move back with the folks, find work and save up. Then 2010 take 3 months out to travel Alaska. See the islands and seas off the southern coast, travel up north to Barrow and the artic circle to see Polar bears and then get some snowboard time in back in Girdwood, where I was before.

    Not a bad plan all in all, but has fallen short with the current economic climate, the finding work thing has not gone so well. Luckily life in Southampton has improved personally and I found work back at the Coastguard from where I once left. It has opened opportunities to experience the world of journalism, which from my writing perspective is awesome.  The downside is that if I follow this path then the whole Alaskan trip would need to be reworked as I would have to stay in my flat and it would take longer to save up and I expect only to be able to take a month off work with out risk of unemloyment on my return.  Still a month is month and a job is a job.

    I hope that freelance web work will help with the Alaskan fund, I get one of two potential perm jobs at the coastguard and my writing amounts to something. In the meantime I have stories to write, photos to take, friends to be with, a girl to cuddle and journal to write.  It’s all good and dreams can come true with the right perspective.

    So as I blow my nose which is either the result of a spring cold coming on or the scene of the mother sea lion trying to awaken its dead baby on the rocks after it had been killed by a passing storm. Who knows, but I am off now to be creative, either photos or a story, which ever grabs me first.

    Have a marvellous evening all :)

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