Kenai.... Yipppeee - The Sun Is Shining.....

Left Ninilchik this morning visiting the Russian Orthodox Church. There is no other church like this in Alaska, built in 1906 over the graves of three missionary monks who came to the Kenai area in the mid-1800's. There has been 1 service in the past 20 years to celebrate the feast day of St. Nicholas, the 3rd century bishop of Myra (in modern-day Turkey) and namesake of both Kenai’s chapel and of the missionary monk buried beneath it. Igumen (a Russian Orthodox monastic title) Nicholai established the Parish of Kenai in 1845 and became its first priest when the site of the present town was occupied by the Russian Fort St. Nicholas. Nicholai and his assistant Makarii Ivanov are best remembered for distributing a smallpox vaccine in Dena’ina villages struck by the disease in the 1860s. Nikolai died in 1867, and when Ivanov followed him ten years later, the two were buried along with an unknown third monk in the yard of the original church.  (info from internet)

It is wonderful with the sun shining, the views are stunning as we drove along the coast to Kenai about 50 miles north.  We are doing the Wal-Mart thing tonight in Kenai before heading to Soldotna for another night. Soldotna is a whopping 12 miles southeast of here for tomorrow night. Sun is expected to shine tomorrow, also.

Now the "situation".... rain is expected to move back in the coastal region next week. Laura and her companions want to go to Valdez. I can't see driving there to sit in the RV, in a $55 a night campground, while it rains. Even with the light drizzle it just takes away from viewing the mountains on the other side of the bay. Rain is in the fore cast until July 4th (70%-90% each day). 

Am thinking of parting ways on Tuesday, June 27th when they leave for Valdez area (from there are heading out of Alaska so we would be parting ways anyway soon). Gonna follow the sunshine heading north to Wasilla (second time there) for a night then have the oil and filter changed before heading north toward Denali Mountains.

So many RVers on the road it will be hard not to be around people. I just gotta get out of my comfort zone and get out to meet people when I park. 

Anyway...... goal is to follow the sun as much as possible, try to have Verizon connectivity as much as possible and to see Santa when I hit the North Pole.

Good Note:  Crack in windshield is still holding and the 3 chips have not increased..... WooHoo!

Stay Tuned........

Russian Orthodox Church and Graves -- it is on a cliff overlooking the bay

Front of church

Listing of groups in the cemetery

Old house close to church still standing

View of bay from church - clouds still cover the mountain tops.

To show that people are still being buried in cemetery -- lots of Russian descendants in area -- our campground host appeared to be of that heritage and about 35 years old.

Another view of the bay on our drive to Kenai

Part of the old Russian village - buildings standing in good condition and new houses in are same area.

Linda, check out this cool greenhouse complete with Christmas lights still on. Be great in our back yard.

And here I am -- in Kenai