A Short Random Excert from me about Life!

Life rarely gives up the experiences in the way we expect them to play out. Sometimes the sense of timing appears to be a little off. But it is how we feel that really matters. I did not expect to get Port Clarence Alaska, but it did and it turned out to be one of the most growing experiences of my life. We cannot change who people are or when we get the opportunity to meet them. What we can do is enjoy every moment we can. No one knows what life has waiting around the corner for them. I always keep in mind that I will not be challenged with something that I cannot succeed at. As the people that know me best, some of my decisions have made life harder than it had to be, but then again there was always a reason when all was said and done. I am grateful for all that I have experienced. The good, the bad, the painful and the joyful all took part in shaping who I am today.

Home for the Holidays

Mom and Joe on Christmas Eve.

Uncle Patrick and I open the Helicopters.

Dad and I on Christmas.

Dad, Conner, Uncle Cam, Aunt Kathy on Christmas.

My Dads side of the family.


Cameron being ....... Cameron!

Allysa, Aunt kristi, Me and Chris.

I have heard the song many times or at least the words on the song. “There is no place like home for the holidays.” I can honestly say it didn't really hit me till now. I have worked during the holidays before and not been able to be there. Last year was the first time that I was not able to be home even if I wanted to. This years Christmas was incredible because I was with my family for the holidays. My family is crazy, they are borderline insane in some respects, but I love them nonetheless and would not trade them for any other family.

I spent Christmas Eve with my mother’s side of the family. My Uncle Patrick, Uncle Phil and Aunt Kathy came to our house for the night and a small gift exchange. Our neighbors Steve and his father Joe also joined us. Along with a few family friends that dropped by the house, it made for a very busy night at the Watt house.

Christmas Day was just as spectacular when I saw my fathers side of the family. I am not going to list them off because there are way to many. You know who you are. Dinner was great as it always is and the family was very entertaining. I cannot recall a boring family dinner with this group of clowns, scoundrels, fire crackers and wonderful people. The conversation is never planned, but it guaranteed to go in a direction that cannot be predicted nor controlled. On the upside of that, it is the most memorable part of the gatherings.

Most importantly, I was home with the family and our small family Christmas. Kensey was not able to make it home, but the dogs were here so they took her place. Just joking kensey. Hobie has forgotten about her completely! He is lying at my feet as I write. I got some new boots, a belt, a RC helicopter. I think it is a model of a Jay Hawk. It is the greatest RC gift my dad ever gave. Christmas was wonderful, I was grateful to be home, enough said. I cannot thank my family enough to making this holiday so memorable.

As for other news, the Air Station is Great. I am working with the Health Services Technician full time and just got qualified for the watch. I am not longer one in four, which is very nice. The crew is a good group of people. The commute is not the easiest, but what can I really complain about. I need to get into a regular gym routine again, but that will happen. Things were relatively hectic while I was getting qualified and now my schedule is a little more open. Time for some skiing, running, horse time, and just enjoying life.

I hope the Crew in Alaska is enjoying the desolate winter up there, it truly is a stunning and humbling thing. California is beautiful and I am enjoying the familiar scenery once again. Have a wonderful day and I will write soon.

The End of a Chapter

It is difficult to put into words the feeling of leaving a place like Port Clarence and Alaska. It has been a great adventure and like all things had to come to an end. As much as is gained by returning home to family, friends and those places familiar to me, there is something lost in the leaving of such a majestic place. I leave behind some lifelong friends and a place I will never forget.


The Sun Rises over the Arctic Landscape one more time before I go.

It is one of the most beautiful areas I have seen I my life. The arctic weather, the stunning landscapes., the abundance of wildlife and the dynamic seasons that make the place unique. It is hard to believe that is over already, my first duty station and lessons within the Coast Guard.

I flew out on a clear day, with beautiful clouds. The pilot took the coast the entire way down to Nome and gave me one more look at the landscape that has blessed my life. The dynamic colors on the ground as the snow is beginning o stick for winter. As the bay and ponds freeze, the beauty is not lost just changed. I saw the familiar yellow of the snow cat in the distance and the pilot took us close enough to wave goodbye; they turned the lights on for us. The sun rose in as we headed south and soon dominated the sky. The windswept shape of the frozen water as we flew low over the tundra and low rolling hills. I found myself thinking is I would ever see this land again. I did not understand the full impact of the moment until I was in it. I chose Alaska for it natural appeal. With all the challenges that came with isolated duty, I saw what I wanted to see the beauty of the natural world. I saw it for what is, a truly awe inspiring opportunity.

Call me Crazy, but I am a better man because of the experience of Alaska and the people I had the honor to serve with. I had successes and I made mistakes. I gave what I could, but learned to watch out for myself in the process. I suppose that with all that time to think, you get the opportunity to better yourself or just get by. No matter what you must face, you always have the choice in how you deal with it. In facing the challenges of the last year, I don’t think that I would have been able to get through without the simple but powerful words of my father, “You make it a good day.” Even with how hectic the last few weeks have been with getting ready to go, it still feels surreal to be leaving.

A view heading south from Port Clarence on the Coast.

Alaska from 35000 Feet.

With that said, Thank you to the people that served with me for the last year for making my adventure memorable. No matter what was happening at the station, it was the people that made it worth it.

When I first started this blog is was for family and friends, I had not idea it would mean so much to me to tell the world about this incredible part of the world. I am grateful that is brought smiles to those who read it. I give you my word that I will continue to write and do my best to keep in interesting.

The Sun Sets on Port Clarence.

Sincerly
Christopher J. Watt

Preparing to Transfer Out

My final orders have come through and the transfer process have officially began. After some leave time to get settled in California again, I will report to Air Station San Francisco. I look forward to seeing the family, although they will not be there when I arrive home. They are visiting my sister in Hawaii. Hopefully I will be able to catch up with some friends on the journey home. Still this place has a way of keeping things interesting.

The Alex Haley came in to the bay and their Helo gave the crew rides around the area. And once again, food provided for some good morale. On Friday Mr. Todd surprised us with the opportunity to take a ride on helo accompanying the Alex Haley in its Bearing Sea Patrol. The helo landed on the runway and took four people at a time to see the area. We did not go to close to the Alex Haley, but the spit looks very different from the air. I never saw the curves when I went down it on an ATV. Nor has it been clear enough to see from that angle since I have been here and in a plane or Helo. It was a fun ride. BM2 Peterson gave the aircrew some haircuts and the CO gave them a tour of the station.

As is has always been since I have been here, food is a source of morale. That may be the quality and variety or how we make fun of each other with the food. The pictures should explain it all. FS1 Chattin did not eat the bowl, Sn Miller did and claimed it was going to his biceps as he flexed. I think that he was serious, either way it was funny. I had a couple cups, not the best thing for me to eat, but they tasted great and that is what matters.


I am in the home stretch just getting the paperwork done and packing up my belongings to ship them off. Once again, I look forward to being home and seeing family and friends once again. I will keep you updated and see everyone soon.

The Work of a Changing Season

It has been a while since I posted, but it has been busy and productive while. I am still trying to find that mustard plant that Stephens found, 53 days busy work has come to and end and the weather continues to turn towards winter. The best news of all is that I received orders and can now begin the process of transferring to Air Station San Francisco. Yes I got the bay area, close enough to the family until A-school.

As for the other things going on, the weather is getting cold, the winds have picked up and we had the first snow of the season. It is sleet blowing in the wind at the station, but is sticking to the mountains in the distance. The beautiful colors of summer are all but faded and the wildlife departed. I suppose they don’t appreciate the twenty-knot winds and twenty-degree temperatures. The fog and darkness are enveloping the area and the sun sets tonight at 2058, which is a big difference from 2300. It is all right. The crew is still finding way to have a good time. When the weather clears up it gives us a chance to get out and have nice bonfire, Burn some cardboard, or slyly sneak around when we are putting up the snow fence. The bonfire was beautiful, I could not have asked for a better backdrop. It is getting more difficult to go outside because of the weather and the constant loss of sunlight as the days go by. We are losing approximately five to seven minutes of sunlight per day. The sun is rising at around nine and going down at around nine. Still twelve hours of sunlight, but that will change fast. Winter with all it brings is right around the corner.

There has been a lot of work in preparation for this winter. We already filled the fuel tanks, but are in the process of filling the potable water tanks and prepared the pond for water collection next summer. This entailed putting up all the snow fence that the weather or muskox tore down. We did all we could, but ran out supplies to repair anymore. I begin my departure work tomorrow and that will take a while, but for the most part, we are doing winter projects like carpeting rooms and painting.

SN Fuller sneaks behind a snow fence.

The sun rises late over the snow fences and ponds.
FN Masters burns cardboard.

I have been writing a story about being stationed up here to submit to Coast Guard Magazine and that has been one of the reason I have not blogged recently. It is a lot work to write a story for a magazine versus blog writing. I am trying to keep that personal touch to it, but maintain professionalism at the same time. It is a good learning experience. I was able to get a picture of a log flight during summer; If you were wondering what we see every three weeks. There is one of winter in a much earlier blog.


Other than working, bon fires, writing, duty days, inspections, tank filling, and several loran and engineering repairs this place has been pretty slow. Now it gets a little slower due to winter, that desolate beauty creeping back in. I will keep you updated on the progress of my transfer and look forward to California, the family, the dogs, friends, and all the things I missed in isolated duty. Have a wonderful day and I will blog again soon.

KPC Survival

When we get in trouble in the harsh Alaskan Wilderness we look to MK3 Stephens for advice on how to survive. In the following Example, he shows us how to make fires and cook foods when we have nothing but a knife and some wood. In fact he could probably make a fire out of rocks if he had too. He makes Behr Grills look like a hairless cat in the snow.

A Survival Lesson from MK3 Stephens!
When you get lost in the Harsh Alaskan Wilderness, here is what to do.

Use a Knife and Small Tinder to start a small fire by shaving a piece of wood creating very small pieces that will light easily.

Shelter the root of the fire the best you can while you create heat by wood to wood friction or use of rocks. Whatever is available is fair game.

Once the flame is started add larger pieces of wood or fuel to increase the size of the fire. Is that a Lighter?

When the fire is large enough, ensure you have enough fuel for the duration and cook the food you were able to collect. Hot dogs grow out of the ground at Port Clarence.

And Condiments Too!

Victory Dance!

He starts out with a knife and a stick to make some small shavings to catch first. As he carves them down it makes heat that will ignite them. If that fails, there is always cardboard or paper lying around, according to Behr Grills. When the fire magically starts you blow on it a little to give it some airflow and have all the tinder catch. Once you have the flame large enough you just keep adding fuel until you can cook on it. Stephens prefers the up close and personal touch by cooking with the knife, but you can always carve another stick if you don’t want to get that close. If you happen to have a larger fire nearby then you can start your small “personal” fire and then add burning material started from the larger fire. He appeared to find a lighter and too, so I suppose a lot of survival is just luck. But back to the cooking part of the survival plan. Once the food is cooked you can always count on finding a mustard plant in the wilderness. These are plants that grow bottle of mustard; there is also a counter part for ketchup and horseradish. Once all is said and done, the fire is build providing warmth and the ability to cook. It is time to do the most important part of survival. To warm your body up before you go to bed, perform a victory dance with a very large stick for all to see.

Speaking of the wilderness of Alaska. I got the opportunity to go the Teller, a village across the bay from the station. We were fortunate enough to have an absolutely beautiful day and calm waters. The reflection of the sky was glistening off the water as we cruised across the bay. The dramatic Cliffs in the distance leaving their shadow on the bay and providing the first view of actual cliffs that I have seen while stationed here. We went there for the career day and it went quite well. Teller itself was nothing spectacular in regards to the architecture. The School however was very impressive. The computers were all new Macintosh computers and laptops. I never had that as a kid at school. The school always struggled to get decent computers for the staff or a computer lab. The kids here have an opportunity to learn. I cannot speak for life experience growing up in a small village, but I would venture to say that access to technology and the internet, would enhance their education and worldly knowledge. It was surprising to see the quality of equipment at the school.





The season is getting a little darker now. There is no sun at 0230, it is setting around 2230 now and rising around 0750. The only downside to this change is that the summer is coming to an end. I can’t complain, the sunset from the beach was absolutely gorgeous. It was taken looking south as it was getting dark and we were at the campfire that we built.


It is still beautiful up here no matter how challenging it may get. The natural beauty may not always be obvious, but it remains with us year round if you are willing to look for it.

Respecting the Adventure

I have respect for many things. The incredible scenery, the abundance of wildlife and people I am stationed with. We may give each other hard time or get a little aggravated at times. We may need to get a break and just be alone. That is true anywhere you go. Most importantly, we have respect for one another.

We do our job, and what we have to do to deal with our current situation. The longer I am here I can see that everyone trying. We all have out challenges, but we are there for each other while having a good time. No matter how hard we are on one another, we do it with respect in mind. More importantly it is how we deal with it. My father always told me the only thing we can control is the way we react to something. To some degree, we all partake. This is not to say that there is not some authentic conflict, but these are handled in a respectful manner regardless of severity.

As for the morale side of our relationships here, they are diverse. You have ET1 and FS1 constantly making fun of each other. FS3 taking the cap to MK1’s water bottle because his is broken. Stephens filling someone’s water bottle with a random liquid, or adding a copious amount of salt to it. Making fun of Stephens vocabulary or spelling. What was that word, “hapens?” The EPO mistaking sweet potatoes pie for pumpkin, then going after FS1 for not informing the station. He also put a sign in the pie to make sure everyone knew it was not pumpkin. It all happens randomly. One of the things that keep me going, is not knowing what is going to happen that day.


Unfortunately that may be an electrical fire that disables the fire alarm system, but so be it. At least something unexpected happened that day. I never know when there will be a beautiful sunset, or the weather will give us blue skies. All I know is that I don’t know. It all comes down to respect for that situation, for that person, or for whatever challenge we will have to face that day.

I suppose that one of the beautiful things about life is that we are all imperfect and are going to make mistakes. The test is how you deal with it. Again like my father told me on many occasions, it is not the trouble you get into, but how you get out of it. This was the lesson to story of how he accidently filled the sewer system with concrete.

On a side note, my first poll is in this blog. Does this character on the stations Wii resemble me? It was kindly made by one of my shipmates as a gift so I would have a character on the Wii. “It” plays golf well, but I don’t believe it is within grooming regulations. It all in good fun, and provides some good laughs when people walk through the movie lounge.


I am currently waiting on orders, and will keep every one informed when I find out. I can’t wait to see the folks, my little sister Kensey, the Extended family, my friends and the dogs. Until I transfer out of here I will be enjoying every moment and appreciating the experience of this part of the world.

A Sharp Contrast to Winter

I can’t say that I dislike any season up here. Okay, winter has it’s challenges but as I have said before, it has a desolate beauty to it. The incredible thing about our few months of summer is the change. Where we would have no life in the tundra around the station during the darker winter months, there is an abundance of wildlife anywhere you go during our summer. Whistle pigs otherwise known as marmots as my mother pointed out, Duck, Foxes, Muskox, Caribou and a plethora of small mice and birds.

The life on this isolated tundra has given me the opportunity to see animals I never thought I would see or even be Close to. I was about 50 feet from a Caribou buck, and less than 30 from the lead bull of a muskox herd. That is when I am thankful for the 300 mm zoom lens. I can still get a picture without having to get to close. They are all wild and all unpredictable. I didn’t realize how fast a caribou herd can move until I chased them down for about a third of a mile taking photographs. I was up on the cliff or should I say ledge so I was moving with a little stealth. Unfortunately they had my scent so they knew I was there. Nor did the wind shift help, it just put my scent right to them. All was well, I still got some decent photos. Did I mention how much I appreciate the freedom of the summer season? It is so nice to be able to get out and away from the station. I have gone as far as 14 miles away from the station. Down the spit and to the main land. As nice as our facility is, cabin fever sets in sometime during the winter.

After I made my way back to the quads, Chief and I went farther down the beach just to catch the Caribou herd running into the wetlands. They are herd animals, not very brave, but fast. I attempted to get more photos once they were over the rise, but I could not move over terrain fast enough as rough as it was. We saw a muskox herd in the distance as the caribou ran to the coastal bay and then followed the water. It was very cool to see. A little farther down the beach we saw the lone Caribou Buck. He was not nearly as afraid; I got fairly close to him. He was keen enough to run through the pond teasing us the entire time. He probably knew that I was just a photographer and not a hunter. If the hunters at our station would have seen him, he would not have lasted very long. He is a very beautiful animal.

The final sighting of wild life other than your typical marmot roaming around the station was the muskox herd sleeping about 150 feet from the station. I had to get some photos, especially because they were relaxed and I could get close without alerting them. This time the wind and the location of the door were on my side. A single mother a young were grazing and lead bull was asleep. I got to about 50 feet from them before one of them alerted the lead bull. He gave me a quick stare down before he became more interested in the females around him. He was not getting very lucky.

Whenever I find to time to get out which is whenever I can. I cannot deny the beauty of this place. It is much harder to see in the harsh weather of winter, fortunately I can rest assured that it is just hiding. As for the challenges of being in isolated duty, the sights and opportunities outweigh the limitations.

I am glad to see that others have found my blog enjoyable. It is hard to believe that starting next week I will be at the top of short timer board. Meaning I am the personnel that has been here the longest. It has been a long tour, but it does not feel that long. I suppose that I should enjoy every moment I have left up here. I can only hope that others are enjoying their life as much as I am.

Coast Guard Day

Today was a very important day. Known to the world as Coast Guard Day and it is the services birthday. The day we consider to be our birthday is the Fourth of August 1790 when Alexander Hamilton commissioned the construction of the first ten cutters. These vessels became known as the Revenue Cutter Service and eventually evolved to he modern Coast Guard in 1915. As the original ten cutters were to collect tariffs, we are no longer known for that. The modern day Coast Guard served the public by providing Search and Rescue, Maritime Security, Environmental Protection, Maritime Law Enforcement and Aids to Navigation. I suppose that is a little more responsibility than just collecting revenue. Enough of the History Lesson, I just wanted to give you a little background on the significance of the day.
Now to the more relevant part of what we did to celebrate. First we did not work, and slept in late. I didn’t because I did P90X at 0500, but that was by choice. We then did a Celtic competition of strength and might followed by morale boating, wiffle ball, paintball, board games and some partying in the connex. I kept myself busy and participated in the Celtic Games, wiffle ball, paintball and the board game. I wanted to go out on the ATV’s but no one else wanted to go out. So we played a game of Axis and Allies instead. It was fun to work as a team and win the game.
The Celtic Games consisted of four competitions. The first was the dumbbell carry. They had to be carried about 70 feet to the line and then back. That is not so easy with a 100 pound weight in each hand. The second was the 25 pound weight thow. Just throw the weigh as far as you can. Third was the Iron Cross with 20 pound dumbbells. You will recognize it from the photograph. The final was the pebble toss to hit a bucket after you had done everything else. After all was said and done there was a tie for third, so we created one more challenge. A combination of the first two events with a sprint added to the end. It was an overall fun event to participate and watch.
The rest of the day we had to do something athletic, so we decided to play wiffle ball. After the event was piped and the teams selected, we took to the area we designated in for the diamond. Nothing fancy, just between the buildings. I was a fun game with a final score of thirteen to seven, the underdogs taking the victory. We had to repair the bad midgame with some duct tape, they just don’t make that equipment very tough. After the wiffle ball game a group decided to do some paintball. It was fun, I got shot several times, but it did not hurt as much as I remembered. Maybe I am just tougher now. We had four on four teams. Pojar and I chose teams because we had not played before. Pojars team won three out of four times. It was still fun. I got to shoot paintballs at the XPO. I made the mistake of not calling when I was running out, and got shot several times in the first game. I learned by the last game that if I called out that I was going, my teammates would cover me. I almost got Chief Casey and Miller. Miller got me in the end though. It was a well-placed shot. Later that night I got a call from Cash to play Axis and Allies. I suppose I was “voluntold” to play. That was all right because it was a fun game and the allies won. The world was saved from the Cash and Nearpass. It was equally fun as risk, just different in regards to strategy. As the evening settled on us, we had a jam session and a party in the connex. A little beer, some live music and people just having fun.
That is how we celebrated. I hope that even if you did not know about Coast Guard Day, you had a wonderful day wherever you were. That you found something to celebrate and be thankful for.