Recycling and Rainbows

Contrary to impressions that may get projected by Alaska, there is some environmental concern, at least in Petersburg. Perhaps that is because Petersburg is on an island and everything that gets thrown out ends up in a very limited area. So there is incentive to reduce the amount of waste that goes into the dump.

Recycling just isn't as convenient as it is in a progressive city such as Portland, Ore. There the regular waste service includes recycling service. Here, there is no such thing. Recyclables have to be taken to bins in the city, and the scrap paper has to be taken to the baler facility. But pretty much all recyclables are handled via these mechanisms.

One thing that isn't handled is yard and garden debris. So what do people do with them? If your property is located near the water, you just dump it onto the rocks and water and let the sun, rain, and tides take care of it. At least that's what I've seen now on two occasions.

And if you're looking for some garden mulch, find some beached seaweed and take it home with you to lay out on the ground. I've been walking to the church and one of the houses I pass by on my way has a little flower bed with seaweed on it, amongst the flowering plants -- something I've not seen until I came here.

One would think that after a while the scenery outside would begin to repeat itself. In some ways, yes, they do. But even though similar, it is never quite the same. We've had on and off showers, sometimes heavy today, and during one of the sunbreaks, were treated to a double rainbow. We hear that on rare occasions, a triple rainbow might be seen. I don't have a wide-enough lens to capture the entire rainbow from end to end.

There are hundreds and thousands of gulls that live on the beaches here. It is an amazing sight when they take off to flight en-masse. I was fortunate enough today to have the rainbow in the background.



This is the island that is directly in front of our apartment. Sometimes it's completely hidden in fog. At other times it's only partially obscured by mist and clouds. Sometimes it seems as if mist is being generated and rising from the island itself. And sometimes, with the sun in just the right place, the whole landscape seems to have a special glow.

Our unpacking process continues. The kitchen is now looking less like a morass of utensils, pots and pans, food, office equipment, and furniture, all thrown in and blended together. It's looking almost civilized.

By the way, if you are interested in sending packages to us, the best way to do it is to use the USPS Priority Mail Flat-Rate boxes and envelopes. You can stuff as much as you can into them and regardless of weight, the rate is the same.

We've been told by numerous residents that the mail service is just not very reliable here. So if it is anything critical, I advise using Registered Mail/Return Receipt. Our check for the cleaning deposit that we sent around two months ago has not yet shown up. I probably need to place a stop on the check and write another one...

Our week of prayer meetings this week have gone pretty well thus far. We've had two to four others joining us each night. Through the discussions, often going off on a tangent and way off topic, we've come to know and understand at least these individuals better. We are also understanding some of the incidents in the past that have resulted in some rifts. It seems, unfortunately, that in churches, no matter how small or large, people are hurt. I wonder: Is it possible to have a church where the group is so safe and relationships so secure that if someone does cause hurt, that the hurt individual, instead of disappearing and holding it in, can go to the offender and reveal the hurt? And where the offender can humbly admit to the wrongs done? I wonder... and hope.