As we were leaving, Robert took note of a wooden box little larger than your run-of-the-mill packing crate.  It turns out that someone had been living in there.  It was complete with insulation, a sleeping bag, a small stove, etc.  Robert commented that it was everything one needed---"Ahhhh---the good old days." "Like when?" I replied, "The GREAT DEPRESSION??!!" I found the box deeply distressing; it only made Robert happy.  He's remarkable in more way than one, that he is.  :)

      7/7/05 Of *COURSE* we watched the show during the contruction!  Shown is Robert, appropriately attired.  :)

      7/8/05 This reminded me of a scene (or two :) ) from "Independence Day.":

      :)

      7/8/05 This next one is more than a little interesting.  -Apparently, under the right conditions, one can the Jet Stream (Yes, you heard me right.  ;) ) . . . from the ground.  And apparently, Interior Alaska is pretty much an ideal place to see this:

      Wow.

      7/8/05 I believe it was the day before this, that Robert called and told me that he heard, "crackling within the wall" [of his garage].  This was the result of "wild currents," from an ongoing thunderstorm.  (The summer of 2005 was an awfully wild summer for thunderstorms in the Interior; in fact, we had a confirmed report of a ROTATING FUNNEL CLOUD.  Yes, I'm serious.  (!!!!)) The power held, that day, though.

      However, on this day [the 8th], the power did fail.  Thus we used the setup shown here.  This may well be "old hat"--if not routine--to some of the people reading this, but I found this almost incredibly cool.  :) :) There was a localized, gasoline-driven source of current, used by an electrical device, connected by a power cord.  I found this pretty astounding.  :) :) (Okay---I'm easily amused.  ( :) ))

      7/8/05 You are looking at a truly amazing piece of technology: a laptop---a DOS, dual, 5 & 1/4" drive laptop.  At one point, this was positively top of the line.  This really was a remarkable piece of machinery:

      7/9/05 The moment of truth. We spent some time---simply on constructing the wheels.  Here, was the very first test.  To my "physicist eyes," I couldn't see any wobble, to Robert's trained engineer eyes, there was only a slight wobble.  Last year, the wheels . . . *Chuckle* wobbled almost surrealistically when spun.  Shown is Heather watching this momentous and triumphant moment.