Hi, and welcome to Alaska!  There is no other place like Alaska, and Interior Alaska has a real frontier feel about it, still.  People are friendly, and no matter where you are, you are in the wilderness of this immense state.  Here, man is the interloper, and the animal life is at home everywhere.  It is not unusual to see moose almost anytime of the day or night whether you live in town, or not. Fox are common on the streets of Fairbanks; so are beaver, and many other small animals.  We lived outside Fairbanks about 30 miles, in a very small community called "Two Rivers," and it was not unusual to see wolves and brown bear (grizzlies) along the roadways and near to homes all around us. 

I have to tell you that it takes some getting used to, to search the entire perimeter when stepping out of your front door, but it is a very necessary precaution that must be taken.  If you should leave the shelter of your door, and then be confronted by a moose or bear, you really stand little chance of getting away from them.  That is a fact of living in Interior Alaska, and while people are not frequently stomped to death or eaten right outside their doors, it does happen. 

However, Alaska weaves a magic all her own, and is undoubtedly the most majestic, beautiful and charismatic place in our country, and perhaps anywhere.  It is huge, and it is full of adventure.  The sheer magnitude of winter in this area, and surviving it, is awesome.

I have tried to include a lot of information about this great state on these pages, and you'll find out about the people and what they do, the animal life, and the activities that are common here.  You will find information about vacation places, about hunting, fishing and trapping; information about gold prospecting in Alaska, something still quite popular here. Commercial gold mining is still very much alive and well in Alaska, also. Jim and I are both gold prospectors, and through the message boards that Jim has put on the Internet, Alaskan prospectors are now communicating with each other as they have never had the opportunity to do, before.

Because Alaska is so very large (2-1/2 times the size of the state of Texas), it has very diversified topography, weather, and plant life.  It encompasses everything from rain forests to frozen tundra.

Here's a short look at some of the sections of our Index, below.  This will help you see just what is included in each section. 

About Us... This section will help you learn more about what Jim and I are like.  There are pages about each of us, and I am going to modify and put up a page about how we got together.  Because we met on the Internet, we get a lot of comments about that.  Here you can find out about us, our home, our pets, and our families.

Adventure... I sometimes think Jim's middle name is "Adventure."  And, I suppose that is partly why he moved to Alaska 33 years ago.  I love adventure, but I am much more timid than he is.  I have all these fears that must be choked down, such as; I am afraid of heights, speed, mountain roads, BEARS, and so on. So, sometimes he drags me with my heels dug in, but I go.  We both love to travel, we both love to explore out of the way places.  We love camping, we love gold prospecting, we love seeing how other people live; we love to watch birds and wildlife, and so on and so on.  On these pages I have written about some of our adventures in Alaska, and we have already made a number of short trips in Oregon since our move to that state in December 2003.  These stories are also in these pages.  It is here you will find out where we've been going, and what we've been doing.  Don't miss reading about my "Moose Attack" in Alaska.  That was really an adventure, and gave me a healthy respect for keeping my distance from a moose!  Missy, the cat, also participated in that adventure, and came away with a fear of them. She has protected our house from them ever since.  It isn't often you hear a cat growl, but Missy growls at moose!  Photo: This is of an iceberg in Growler Bay, out of Valdez, Alaska on a glacier tour boat.  A mostly all-day trip, it was great fun, very interesting, and provided more photo opportunities than we could take advantage of!  The icebergs up there are beautiful.  Even though the air was nippy, we spent most of the day outside at the back of the ship, so we could see the sites more closely.  One of the crew came out and brought out a piece of iceberg right off the glacier for us to hold... beautiful stuff.

Alaska... We love Alaska!  Jim lived there for 32 years, and although I was only there five years, and despite my poor health while there, we spent as much time as we could get away from work to visit many different areas of the state.  There is a lot of our country that I have never seen, but I don't think there is anything that could compare to the sheer beauty and majestic look of the state of Alaska.  First, it is just huge... much larger than I thought it would be.  On my Alaska pages you will find a lot of information.  There is statistical information for students, there are pages about the wildlife, the scenery, the towns, and much more.  A lifetime is too short to completely explore Alaska, so what I have to offer is a very small view of the state, but it is quite different from other places.  I hope you enjoy it.

Our Faith... these pages mean a lot to us, and were some of the most difficult pages I have done.  I have included my Testimony, and those of others.  A Testimony, in this case is much like what you would give in court; a true account of something that happened, a testimony.  In the case of being a Christian, it is often a recounting of the experience of becoming a Christian, but can also be an accounting of anything you wish to attest to.  It has very deep meaning, and reaches right into your soul.  It is not easy to write about, but whether you are Christian or not, it is quite a moving experience to read about, since it recounts an encounter with our Lord.

Genealogy... This section of my site probably gets more feedback from visitors than any other.  I put this section on the Internet in 2002, and within a year it led to the discovery of my father and his side of my family, people I had been searching for most of my adult life.  I have a brother and sister I did not know I had!  It also led to a cousin who had done extensive genealogy work on that side of the family (my Choctaw side), and it is mostly her work that I have put on the website.  Due to my bout with cancer I have not had much time to continue this research but am working to get back to it.

Gold Prospecting... I have separated these from our Adventure pages, because many people come to look just at these pages.  Jim and I are both gold prospectors, and have been, for some time.  I have been a prospector longer, having been one for 30 years, but Jim works harder at it now than I do.  This section has old pages, new pages, and all in-between.  The Alaska Gold Forums fall into this category.  Jim put these online more than two years ago, and they are doing very well.  They are message boards that have a lot of fascinating information.  Although he began them as a way for Alaskan prospectors to get to know one another, keep in touch, and share information, they have grown to include prospectors from all over this country, and prospectors from other countries as well.  The photo at right is the old gold dredge on Jack Wade Creek, near the Fortymile mining area. There are more pictures from this trip HERE!

Inspiration and Holidays... these are pages I have been adding occasionally ever since I first put this site up in 1998, and they are timeless.  It is hoped they will give you what you need, when it is needed.  I often visit them myself, for a boost.

Journal Pages... These pages began as most journal pages do, but have evolved into a journal of my fight with cancer. They also bring a lot of comment from site visitors.  It is in the hope that putting these pages online will benefit someone else caught up in the fight either as a patient, a caregiver, or the family member or close friend of a patient, that I have put them online.

Please note: While all the Alaska pages are intact in this index, the rest of this index page is not complete and up to date.  To see our current Index, please visit this page: http://www.marciesalaskaweb.com/

Having this weather icon is fun... you can see how miserable the weather would be if
you were living in Fairbanks, Alaska, every single day if you want!

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Marcia Foley

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