No "Disaster" funds for us...

The City of Kotzebue recently requested disaster funds from the State of AK to curb the burden of snow removal that we've faced for the past month or so. And they were denied! Guess they'll have to step it up and just do the work themselves...I mean 6% tax on EVERYTHING should cover snow removal right?!


Our roads will look like this until at least July

After all our freak storms in February and March, the amount of snow here was quadruple what it usually is, and the City's trucks were lagging behind trying to remove it. They finally just gave up and pushed it in to piles around the streets.

There has been numerous accidents because of blind corners with snowmachines, trucks, BIG trucks, tractors, loaders, and pedestrians all vying for the best spot on the road. This week, they finally made headway with the removal.


Yep, that's one paved road submerged in water...

It was that, or flood us out.

For those of you who don't know, Kotzebue is AT sea level, and sometimes floods, frequently front street is eroding here and there, not as bad as Kivalina, but in the eyes of the "front streeters" its bad.

We basically live in a swampy area. Think Everglades, with permafrost underneath! My mom and dad's first "big purchase" after building the new house was a water pump. To pump water from their swamp to the lagoon about 200 yards away. They bought industrial sized hoses and a gas powered pump. Its been their saving grace for as long as I can remember.


Oh Pump, where art thou?

The school, since its so close to summer break (May 8th, YES) just forces the kids to walk on pallets to get to school and tells the parents to bring their kids with rubber boots! I mean its not their fault if the kids get we going INTO the school!

I know I rock my Camoflauge rubber boots whenever I wear them...which happens to be ALL THE TIME from now until about July...and maybe August with all this snow.


I need a snorkel kit for my 4-wheeler!

Our house is seeing minimal flooding right now, but the garage/man shop is going to be flooded for sure. Its not built on stilts like the house is, so Dean's got to think of something before long.

So, the City requested funds and Auntie Sara denied them, stating they needed more Data and proof that people's lives and safety were at stake. So, for now, we're all coveting my mom's pump and I KNOW, everyone's coveting my awesome boots!


Yep, I'm at work and these are my fashionable footwear...and my PROJECT board behind it...

I wonder if there's a girl scout badge for water removal? I also wonder if I planted that "Arctic Grass Seed" before it snowed...hopefully, because all this snow will be free watering for us and maybe this year we'll actually have grass!