HI everyone. I have posted a LOT of new photos so be sure to scroll down to Older Posts. I have had a great two days off and have mainly tried to be outside as much as possible. It has been sunny and I have walked a ton, around the spit and downtown Homer, and we biked into Cafe Cups last night, 12 miles round trip. I realized no amount of the Elliptical in the ship's 'gym' can simulate a real workout.  It was great to find a bookstore, healthfood store, and cute cafes for reading. It has been a very nice break and we are back to work tomorrow.  Survey until the 9th and then get underway for Seattle.  Arrive around the 16th and my honey comes in the 17th!  I am SO excited!!!  Lots of love! -Lauren 

What the inside of a launch looks like, where we spend most of our days running the sonar collecting data.

Where boats go to die...the Homer boat graveyard. 

So Alaska....

The cute Homer Spit shops. Lots of great locally made gifts. Lots of fishing places and an awesome pizza place...local and organic! Headed there tonight for my last meal out for a while. 

Cafe Cups...my first real meal out off the boat.  Pretty good-Hummus, local Halibut and Salmon, and a glass of red wine.  It's the little things! 

Iliamna Volcano.  We have been able to see it on most clear days. We are also near Mt. Augustine, which has been letting off a little steam!

One of the many glaciers of the Harding Icefield. 

Russell, in the Stern of a survey launch, during a hot beverage break. 

The Time Bandit, for you Deadliest Catch lovers. 

Me, about to put the CTD in the water. Knowing the changes in the speed of sound through the water column is key to determining exact depths. 

The cutest otter I have EVER seen. I am so in love with these animals now. This one hung out by our launch for a long time last week.  Photo courtesy of Daniel 'House' Hauerland, my coxswain that day. 

Sister Ships

This is the Rainier (back) and the Fairweather. The FA is our sister ship, meaning it is the same design and also is a hydro ship-so they do all seafloor mapping as well.  They are also mapping in Alaska, until November.  Right now we are in the midst of "Hyrdopalooza", which is when we meet up and survey in the same area.  Not kidding-it is an event with a name.  There is a funny rivalry between the two boats, Rainier thinks they are superior (do more work, work harder, take it more seriously).  And, they are :)  

THINGS I MISS

= (in no particular order): wine; surfing; sushi; healthy food; wireless; yoga space and classes; the beach; alone time; cooking; riding my bike

However, there are incredible new things about my job: Very cool fun people; seeing the coast of Alaska from a boat; living on a boat; not putting on any makeup, drying my hair, caring in general about that stuff...you get the idea; the soy hot chocolate concoction Russell just made me on the espresso machine (seriously); working hard and learning awesome things. 

I really do like NOAA so far (OK, not HR). It is nice to think I can do this for a while and then perhaps move around within the organization. I am trying to work my way back to a Charleston vessel (we have 2 there). I have asked this fall or spring to be on the Thomas Jefferson if possible, it is based out of Norfolk.  Close to the beloved fam and many of you!  The Rainier, which I am on, goes into the drydock for about 16 months starting Oct and so they may farm us out all over. 

I wanted to get on and write about how I am in remedial knot tying class but that has been outdone by my launch driving skills.  I drove the boat a few days ago in figure eights, no problem.  Trying to keep it on a survey line-forget about it!  The survey track looked like a snake slither.  The coxswain was laughing at me, but he was sweet and helped me get a bit better. 

I did yoga on the flying bridge tonight. I have done it on the stern by myself but tonight two guys wanted a little class after their workout. Teaching guys on the boat is a whole different world.  Case in point, when they were in one pose and I was telling them to breathe through the pose and I look up and one guy was giving the other the finger (for making him do yoga with him).  It was hilarious and fun, I hope they thought so too! It was nice to teach and keep that skill up. 

I love you all! Thanks for staying in touch.  

Hi everyone. I thought you all might like to see some photos of the work I do out here.  We have 6 launches, though a sonar fell off of one yesterday. Not good! Everyday most of them go out and survey the seafloor. With launches we can get in shallower water than with the Rainier.  This is one being lowered.  I have to learn the lines, how to drive the launches, all kinds of stuff.  I drove yesterday for a bit.  We have lots of safety training and drills frequently.  But the main goal for me right now is learning to survey.  Getting a good return signal from the bottom takes some manipulation.  I will load more photos of Homer and boat life soon, but they really take a LONG time on the ol' ethernet.  Life is pretty good, we have time off the 28th and 29th-I am so excited.  We are now surveying in Kachemak Bay outside of Homer but are at anchor.  So at least I can see land, which is nice.  Hope you enjoy the photos, I would love to hear from you!  Lots of love-Lauren 

Here (above) is a launch being lowered from its cradle.

...and she's in the water and ready for a day of work. 

Oh the life...here is where we work after we come in from the launch, which is out 8-5 surveying.   Or I work in here all day and then process the data that comes in from the launch at night.  

And finally, an awful photo of me in my glasses. They take some getting used to! So here I am unshowered after a day of work, on the stern. By the way-it is about 8:15 pm in this photo!

Hi All,

If you want to see more about what the ship is like, and what we do, go to: http://www.profsurv.com/magazine/currentedition.aspx and scroll down to: "Feature: Surveying at Sea", the second article. I need to get back to work but will post some more pictures soon. I went out in a launch yesterday, a small boat that does sonar. We have 6 launches and they are small and really cool-just a little cabin in the bow where we work. That way, we can survey in shallow waters where larger boats, such as the Rainier, can't go. It is a long day, 7:45-4:30, and then a survey meeting immediately following, and then usually some processing of the data after dinner. I found it very tiring to be rocking all day but learned a lot and loved it. Today, I am on the ship to do plain old processing and continual catch-up on learning (reading the standing orders of the ship, getting all of the logistics done etc.). Hope you are all well. Miss and love you-

Lauren

Leaving Kodiak for Homer. View off the bow. 

Leaving Kodiak, that is Barometer on the right just in front of the sun. I am not sure how or why we managed to pick the hardest hike on the island. But it was worth the sore legs. 

Matt and Tony, relaxing at the Rendezvous after hiking for some beers and good food. Very interesting place filled with funny locals. Like the one we first met with one eye, a fused neck, and a serious affection for the GB Packers, loyalty shown by the tattoo of a GB helmet on her forearm.  She just started surfing-in Alaska!- after 20 years as a fishing capt.  My fish tacos rocked. 

Our new local friend Matt and his dog Jackie, hiking back down. 

Me on the top of Barometer

First Days

Hello friends

Well, the first few days have felt like a few weeks.  The first day felt like five days.  But then on Sunday your mother came so that was just like a normal day.  Sorry-inside joke for the fam that you too can enjoy if you watch Steve Martin's The Jerk. 

But really, this trip has been crazy so far.  I travelled all day Saturday and our plane took off from Chicago 6 hours late but I still made it to Kodiak that night and stayed up to learn a little about the ship, though I felt delirious.  On Sunday a guy named Tony and I went hiking on Barometer. We had some trouble finding the trailhead and found some locals who led the way and we ended up hiking with them then entire time.  It was incredible; straight up from sea level to 2500+ ft. Once at the top we had a 360 view that the pictures just don't represent accurately, to be expected though. Never the less, I will post some for you all to enjoy. 

Yesterday I had to hang on the ship for a work day and we took off around 8pm, steamed all night and arrived in Homer this morning. 5 boats launched to do work today but I am on what is called night processing, so I will be starting work around 1pm.  Until then I have a few more logistical things to take care of and will perhaps hit the 'gym' for the first time.  I am so incredibly sore from the hike that I will see how I do.  This will be a rough post for a while but hope when I have a bit more time and am settled in I can post some maps and more interesting things. 

I love you all very much, and miss you tons. Please keep me posted on life-I love getting emails. 

Love, L