Day 8 Of Our Alaska Adventure, March 23rd

Snow. Snow. Snow.  

That is what we saw when we woke up again in Valdez.  

Last night the big bus that was taking all the librarians to the conference center, hotels, restaurants  and other places around Valdez got stuck in the snow behind our hotel.  You can see it in the back of this picture.  

So first I watched the little plow get stuck too and then the BIG BIG tractor plow come to get it out.  

When we went downstairs to take Mom to the conference again there was this sign on the front door of the hotel. We looked for people to pick up along the way.  

You can see the huge giant snowflakes falling at the Valdez Convention and Civic Center.  

Mom went to listen to my new friend Susan Ballard speak about how to be the best teacher librarian you can be. Mom told me that she loves what Susan has to talk about and can't wait to do things she said. 

                                        

At lunch, Mom and the other librarians listened to an author and poet speak.  Mom loved listening to her read from her books at the Authors to Alaska Luncheon.

Her name is Helen Frost and she has a cool website here.  Mom bought a few of her books and she cannot wait to read Salt when it comes out this summer.  

Mom and I also met author Caroline Arnold at the conference.

She came up to Mom yesterday and told us that she has quite a few of her books in StarWalk Kids Media. She is friends with Seymour Simon, just like me.

She signed A Warmer World for me.  I am excited to share this with my class when we get back.

Mom and I looked in our MackinVIA to see what eBooks of Caroline's were in StarWalk Kids Media too.

In the afternoon it was time to head to the airport.  Even though it was still really snowing hard the flight wasn't cancelled so we had to pack everything up and head out there. 

The Valdez Airport is very very small.  We made friends with Linda.  She rented us the truck that we drove this week.  She is super nice and I liked seeing her again.  She gave us the internet code when we waited so I could get it on my iPad.

After waiting for almost 2 hours, they told us our flight would not come.  So we went back to Valdez.  

It was snowing REALLY BAD again and the roads were not good.  But it was pretty.  

I was SUPER EXCITED because I wasn't ready to leave yet and I knew everyone was going to "The Fat Mermaid" for dinner!!!!  YAHOOOOOO!  

I was so happy to see all of our Alaska librarian friends and Susan too.  :)  

At "The Fat Mermaid" they had lots of wood stacked up inside.  It was to keep the place warm in the winter.

Dad and I had pizza with reindeer on it.  I wondered if it was really a reindeer.

I was so happy to be in Valdez for another night.  

One funny thing that happened (well not really funny but kind of funny) was that Susan lost one of her snow cleats or "Snow Grippies" as we called them too.  She lost it walking to "The Fat Mermaid" in all of the deep, deep snow.  She was going to look for it and guess what....

She found it and sent me this funny picture of her holding her "Gripper"!!!!

By the time we got back to our hotel the snow was piling up super high on the roof in the front.  It looked like it could fall any minute.

I put my head back to catch the GIANT snowflakes.  It is so wet that it feels like rain.

I liked dancing around in the snow too....It is slippery with all of the ice underneath so it is perfect!  

Tomorrow we will try to get out on either a charter bus over the Thompson Pass or on the big ferry through Prince William Sound to Whittier and then to Anchorage.  

I can't wait to see what we will do.