My Trip to The Other Side of the Island

Greg and I went on a mission to another camp here on the island. It was a grueling 24 hours, but somebody had to do it. We went to do some minor procedures on the locals and ended up doing some preop and a dressing change. Next time we will get more patients than this trip. We have opened the flood gates (look out now). So we had a few moments to rest on the beach and see some of the aquatic life here. It was quite amazing for me as I have never been on an island and the beach that I have been to was in San Fransisco (cold). So we swam around the area and then they took us on a short boat ride to this rock in the middle of now where. We saw so many more things it was like we were in a finding Nemo or Areal movie. I was glad to see the beauty of the area.

This is Jolo as we left.

Here we are coming in to the camp.

This is the beach! Our beach.

We saw star fish at the rock then later came back to seeing them in our beach area. We released this one after it's photo shoot. Now he's really a star.

All in all we did have a good time and hope to get back soon to help those that have not.

I Love You Jenn

I had a little time on my hands. Hope this turns out good.

Enjoy!

Just The Guys

I have never worked in a place where there has only been guys and no women. This is very different and different than I thought. I can imagine that I do, but some of these guys get just as moody and the back biting is still present. Don't get me wrong we all get a long and we have a great comrodary too. I don't mean to imply that it would be worse here with women. But I think people tend to put a show on for the benefit of others. Anyway here are some of the guys with me at the end.

This is our fearless leader Mr. B for short.



Greg he thinks he's a surgeon or something like that.

This is our anesthetist he's hiding something...

This is our PA he is the dish washer here.

These screwballs are are shacked up here in the hospital with us for some reason.

And me I've lost 184 pounds on Jenny Craig!

We have a good group of guys.

Hurray I've Got Chips

Here they are ladies and gentlemen. The chips that took a long time to perfect. I tried baking, frying, and baking then frying. Nothing turned out as good as the frying alone. They were crispy and half way decent. Although the shells were too thick and made for a very heavy and crunchy chip it was still good. We had some old cans of cheese sauce with jalapenos which made it all the much better. So yesterday you saw me after working out here I am after eating those chips.

I'm the little one biting his butt (Got Fleas) sorry.

Grease Monkey

This little guy had an infection on his neck and we were able to clean it up a little. It looked like a giant run away zit. When we popped it there was a ton of puss that came out. He will be happy, I am sure when that thing finally heals. Here he is stuffing his pockets with toothbrushes and toothpaste. We gave away four cases of them.

So I have been working out this is me now.

What do you think? An improvement or not.

So my folks sent a package today, well I received it today and inside was a bunch of packing peanuts and this:

They say I am supposed to cut the tortillas up and fry them and voila restaurant style chips. I will have to try that tomorrow. I might bake them since all the greasy food has turned me into a grease monkey. By the way now all the cheese and salsa is gone.

Rain Storm

This was a spectacular rain and thunder storm. It reminded me of the Mid West. This storm rolled in and dumped a lot of water in three and half hours. We have a couple spots where the gutters are bent and the water just poured on to the ground. We also have tin roofs and the rain hitting that was what got our attention.

This place needed a rain Storm to come in and clean things up a little. The ditches get a little stagnant and smell a lot.

You Don't See This Every Day

You don't unless you live in the PI. This kid is probably about a year or so old. He has no helmet and nothing strapping him to the driver. How crazy! Well chill out this is the norm here. They even ride whole families together. Highest I've seen is five on one moped and that was on a bigger island with a ton of traffic. I don't think you even have to have a drivers license. Yet another reason to live here.

I was out the other night and took these pics of the little shops we have here on the camp there is four shops and a barber/tattoo place. One of the oddest things I think I have ever seen is the FROG purse. What it is is a frog that is relieved of its hide (all intact) then tanned. Then the strap and zipper are sewn into the mouth and voila a purse that used to be a frog. You think that's gross the pocket coin purse is a half of a frog (zipper in the mouth). Does anybody want me to bring them one? I think it will catch on in the states real soon. Jen will be sporting hers this winter.

Where's The Beef

I found the beef it is here on our camp! Not...these are the cows that have access to the whole camp. they eat anywhere. I don't know what they are going to do with them since they don't have very much meat on them and they are not milking cows.

So we were walking down to the Trauma center for the rededication (2nd anniversary) ceremony when we ran into the cows. We were supposed to do as many walk in minor procedures as we could. We walked in to the Trauma Center the Phils had already started doing a couple circumcisions and a mole removal. We hung out there for a while (no pun intended) then the surgeon and I were able to do a breast biopsy. It was still kind of weird doing the surgery in their facility, after the last case (appendectomy) and the lack of sterile technique, but we managed.

Wouldn't This Be Nice

I found my new home here in the PI.

Although it was raining it was still hot and humid!

We took a trip to the next camp over and did a clinic for the populace that has cleft lips and cleft pallets. Seven showed up and we needed 30 we will do another before the doctors that will preform the corrective surgery show up in July. Some of them were very bad and had bilateral clefts on their lips. I didn't want to take pics as everyone else was and though that I would spare them the agony. Hopefully we will be able to get them fixed up.

The surgeon and I were able to do a little lipoma removal too. This is what we removed from the back of some guys neck.

So this is me under a coconut tree. We also brought some home to eat, but don't know how to get in to them. We will figure it out soon.

Say hello To My Little Friend

I found this little guy when I moved one of the boxes in the ER. He fell off the box on to the exam table and couldn't jump down from there.

Hope I don't get warts.



I released him in the ER, there are too many predators out there that would eat him in a second. I hope he doesn't crawl across someones face as they sleep. There are probably worse things that crawl on us as we sleep.

Gecko Peeping Toms and Master Results

I finally caught up with those guys here they are. This is what we see every time we enter the bathroom at night. They like to loiter in there for some reason.

I also have been waiting to hear if I made Master Sgt. The result is in and no I did not. This is the answer Jen and I have been waiting for. I will finish my masters degree in management and retire. So in reality I will have master one way or another. My goal was to finish twenty years in the military and I am just about done with that one. Many of you may not have known but I went to basic training the day after Jens birthday so her birthday was a celebration of my nineteenth anniversary this year in the AF. And Jen will be twenty as well for all you wise acres. Less than a year until I can retire now. This is getting very exciting to say the least. I still feel/act like a kid. The only thing that gives away my age is the top of my head. Where has all the time/hair gone. Can anyone tell me?

Thank YOU!

We had some very scary things happen when Jen and I were on Skype yesterday. I am OK and so is everyone else on the base. There was an attempt on the Governors life, it was foiled to an extent. His body guards were wounded a little. The explosion and fire fight were right out side of the camp. Jen was a little scared and shaken when she heard it. I thank you for your prayers and well wishes.

The picks are of the crowd and military outside of the hospital.

We as the surgical team had to go down town to help. Everyone was OK, but a little shaken up. This is the fastest ride I have ever taken in a Humvee.

Thank you again!

About That Time...

I think it is about time I explain my blog name. Sometime ago I was investigating this old building by the Matinuska River in Palmer Alaska. I was so excited that I talked to the owner about it. He allowed me to go in and check out the place. I wanted to turn the place into a luxury B&B. It didn't turn out, the owner backed out of negotiations and I was unable to secure funds. I would have been able to Finish the project with $1 mil. Unfortunately nobody had the vision that I saw in this place like I did. I wasn't supported outside of my immediate family. I still have the mind set to do a B&B but it will have to wait obviously until after I retire. I have one year left and then I am throwing in the towel. I will be done with my Masters in Management too.
I have a lot of exciting things going on in the near future. I can hardly wait. I look forward to returning to my family from the PI and spending lost time with them, then I will get in to all these future endeavors that I am planning.
One thing that I have always wanted to do is write a book. You may have noticed that I do a fair job on this blog. But I am currently in the final stages of a children's bed time story. I can't wait till it is done and out on the streets. You will have to look for it on Lulu.com. Rochelle is doing the art work for the book. She is very good at that. In fact she sketched the B&B as it would have looked when completed on a poster board when I presented my idea to the top dog at Alaska USA. He basically said come back when you have grown up. The proposed B&B is at the foot of the mountain that you see in the picture it is called Lazy Mountain. You can go back in the history of this blog and see all the fun I had when that was going on in my life. I believe March time frame of 08.
That in a nut shell is why my blog is named INN The Wilderness.

Have You Ever...

Have you ever seen an avocado this huge? I haven't and they are about five times bigger than the ones they pawn off on us in Alaska. We are going to have some serious Guacamole...oh wait no chips I guess we will just have to eat it out of the bowl. I love avocado so much I have been tempted to just eat it like an apple. I will tell you how it turns out.

We haven't had a rain storm in some time now, but a few days ago there was some clouds in the distance and thunder to boot, but no rain. today the same thing and this is what it sounds like when doves...oh wait wrong song. I love a rainy night, I love to feel the rain on my face as the thunder lights up the sky. Well, thunder doesn't light up Lightning does. You may not hear the thunder or the clouds for that matter but I have some other shots too.

This is a pretty cool bucket of cookies. I picked up at the commissary they usually don't have much but they do have a lot of booze. They had four pallets as tall as me of Rum and another hard liquor. The bottles cost about 60P and the same size radiated milk costs about 200P go figure. The cookies are OK but a little stale. Don't know how long they have been there. Talk to ya later.

Thanks For Your Support

You are all so wonderful to be willing to support the deployed guys here. We don't have the comfort of home except for the generous packages that do come in. One guy from Hawaii gets stuff literally everyday. He usually shares which makes for good times.

I have noticed a lot of people using Skype, I believe you can punch in my name in and do a search. I will bet money that I am the only Dale Wilderness out there. Last night Jenn's father got a hold of me, we didn't talk, but his contact is in my list now. The video is not always good. Sometimes we will stay on for 2 or 3 hours and other times 1 to 2 minutes. It is hit and miss. Thanks again and enjoy some more pics from the PI. The motorcycle above has a side car and they are everywhere here. It will cost about 20 P for a ride to the other side of town. 50p:$1

Would You Believe?

Would you believe for some reason my computer is not downloading the pics I don't know what the deal is. Any way I just got back from the local Phil hospital. There seems to have been an altercation of sorts. We had to fix up some of the guys and ship one out. Not a fun night, besides the fact that the hospital doesn't have A/C. I sweat my bald head off out there (keep on track with me).

So any how here is the bounteous gifts from the old country a bunch of snacks. MMM yum yum. Thanks mom and dad. I got the packs in 7 days why does it take 3 more days to get here from AK?

So I was at the latrine again with my camera (keep with me here guys) and found this huge bug. It looks like the beetle from A Bugs Life, so I took some pics and asked for its autograph. He gladly signed and went on his marry way. Come to find out it really wasn't him in the first place and I soon found out from some freinds who laughed at my expence told me that the beetle from the movie is actually in Europe on vaction. Now I have a worthless pic of some beetle I don't even know.

I enjoy the sun but not the heat that goes with it. I took Jen out in the back yard with me the other day and talked to here via Skype. It was nice but I sweat in 65 degree weather.

So any one else want to join me on Skype look me up when you get downloaded. Then give me a holla.

Couple Little Friends

I was able to catch a couple peeping toms on film, but than again here I am with a camera in the latrine. That's not so weird? Right? Anyway enjoy a couple of geckos, just a couple of the thousands here. Usually I am entertained by at least one when ever I eat dinner running on the wall by the TV in the DFAC. They are the coolest little guys ever, they are a lime green almost transparent.

Sea Shells By the Sea Shore or Something Like That

I found these here by the Hospital they are used in the cement and barricades. I think they just scoop up what ever they can right out of the ocean and use it to build with; there is more coral than anything and literally tons of it. I have some good pieces of that and will show them some other time. I was amazed that these weren't destroyed like most all the others that I have seen. There are little surprises all over here. So Jen agreed that when the Target comes here that we would retire here and live amungst teh shells. It won't be too long since they now have two in Alaska!

Can anyone make out what kind of shells these are. I know the pics are hard to see.

Pics of Me and My Honey

So this is a little late I tried to put this on last night but web went down anyway enjoy...Jen is going to be super tired tomorrow she and I talked on Skype from 1400 my time to 2000hrs, that would be 0400 for her. What a bill...NOT! It's all free anybody with a computer can download it and use your web cam and mic to talk it is great. Dad you need to go to Skype.com and follow the instructions. it is super easy and fast. It is a great way to see people that you haven't in a long time. So if you are interested then let me know and I'll give you my Skype name. So I wanted some pics of Jen to put on my blog since she has so many on hers, this is what she sent me.

I love her so much. Oh I also got her package yesterday it took 10 days from AK. It was a very nice surprise to see notes from Shell and Myssy. I miss those kids! So here is the progress on my work out I said I would get you some pics of me before the six pack and after. It is really coming along I am following the Bill Phillips program somewhat. I need to stop eating so much and yesterday I didn't pay for my next weeks meals at the DFAC. So I won't have so much grease intake. I do the aerobics portion every other day usually the elliptical and rotate lower body and then upper body the other days the workout that got the most the week prior gets the break the next. So I do upper on Tue then Thur I do lower and upper on Sat again. The next week lower, upper, lower.

Any how get signed up on Skype so we can chat. Maybe if you are interested I can help you with your workout plan.