Dutch Harbor Video

Here's a video of Pat's adventures in Dutch Harbor! It's a bit long, but it's all his clips put together. Amazing!

Happy Birthday!

Welcome to the world, Cambria Jane Penner! I know your mommy and daddy are so glad you are here and healthy! Be prepared for some possible confusion from your brother and sister! Don't worry though! I'm sure Toby and Mia will love you and teach you all the things you'll need to know! Siblings are the greatest things in the world (besides spouses!), and they'll be great! Try to sleep a lot in the next weeks so you can grow strong! I'll be praying for you and for your mommy, daddy, brother, and sister! I can't wait to meet you! I already love you!
Love,
Aunt Meli

DUTCH HARBOR

Ive just returned from twenty five days in Dutch Harbor where I served as welding foreman on an oil drilling ship. The picture below is of the Russian ship Kapitan Dranitsan . The KD is an ice breaking ship with a hull three feet thick. As it's name implies, it's job is to cut a path through thick sea ice so that the drilling rig can go through. We stayed aboard the KD while we worked on the drill ship "Discoverer".This is a photo of the bridge of the drill ship Discoverer. This ship was just remodeled in Singapore and is now in it's final stages of completion.


Above is photo of "Nanook", one of the ships in the fleet. Below is the derrick on the "Discoverer"
We were blessed with beautiful weather most of the hitch. The scenery was truly part of the pay! This is Dutch Harbor at sunrise. You might remember Dutch Harbor from the tv show "Deadliest Catch".


The Discoverer, center, is flanked by the Arctic Seal on the left and the KD on the right and behind. The "Disco" is operated by Shell Oil Company and is about 700 feet long. I would guess that the derrick is about 200 feet tall. The width of the ship is about 90 feet.
Tug boats were our transportation to and from the dock.

Penner Weekend Recap!

I'm driving myself mad waiting for Pat! He's coming home in 4 hours! Fortunately, I got some copies of pictures that Barry took on our weekend! In the net is the King Salmon that I caught! We left it in the net to avoid stressing him too much. We want them to spawn successfully!





Here we are, Halibut fishing! It started out calm and cloudy! Oh what a morning will bring! It'll bring big fish!!!





























































Rich had his Silver, and Monday caught this nice Rainbow!

A Few Photos

Yesterday, I went to the beach with my friends, Aaron & Stacey with their two boys, Justus and Keegan! The weather has been absolutely gorgeous lately, with sunny skies and 70 degrees.

This is Keegan, who just turned 1, enjoying the sand on the beach!

Justus was really having fun with the sand! By the end of the trip, he was wet and covered with sand from head to toe!

Here's a view of the yummy tomatoes that we grow at work! I've been enjoying them immensely, and took them over to Stacey along with zucchini, patty pan squash, another funky squash, cabbage, and cauliflower! She made some yummy vittles that my tummy wasn't used to!!! Fiber!

Going back to my dipnet experience! Here was the opportunity that I took to stand in the surf for 4 hours for this one, single fish. I was soaked.

I had to eat it, so here's my butchering of the fillets! I had to take pictures to show all those who know, to give them something to laugh about!

Busy Weekend

Yes, I'm stealing pictures from websites! I don't have my camera, so...! This weekend was a fun and busy weekend that began Friday night with the arrival of my cousins, Rich and Barry Penner. Despite their delayed flights and lost luggage, we were ready after 3 hours sleep for our Saturday morning Silver Salmon Charter! It rained a bit, and only Barry ended up catching a Silver, but Rich and I both caught Kings! Their season ended on July 31st, so we had to release them, but one of mine was about 30 lbs! I'm guessing that's about what the King on the right had of the guy on the left was, give or take!

Okay, no, this is not anyone that I know! Again, stealing pictures! Sunday was our Halibut Charter! We got a couple more hours of sleep that night, and made our way to Homer. The day started our cloudy, drizzly but calm seas. As the morning progressed, and the Halibut caught were thrown back for wont of a larger beast, the wind picked up, the sky cleared and the seas built! By noon we all had our limits of Halibut (plus Rich's very nice Silver Salmon!), and the seas had built to about 7'. As we were finishing up, we hit a wave about 10'! It was rather exciting, really! I had about a 30-35lb halibut, and the gentleman that filled Pat's seat, Derryk, caught a 60-pounder! Needless to say we had a fun trip, even though it was more of a half-day trip. By the time we got back to the spit (the docks in Homer), the day was gorgeous! Sunny and 68 degrees or so!

Monday, I went back to work, and the guys took a Rainbow Trout charter up at Skilak Lake, and brought home a Dolly Varden (sea-run trout) that I cooked up for supper before they headed for home! Whew!