Hi All,

For this first day in standard time the three of us, Don, Jan and I had a wonderful adventure. The weather could not have been better, considering the time of year. We had anticipated possible rain or heavy fog and were met with sunny skies, a slight breeze and ocean views, that were spectacular.

Fort Ross, or simply Ross, or the Ross Office as the Russians called it, was quite a site to see. It was apparently building materials for the time were rudimentary at best, but the end results were formidable, though I would imagine quite cold during the winter months. The quarters which were provided with heat only had one heating source and it was often very inadequate for the size or shape of the buildings. But as with most historical locales, it had a flavor, style and poignancy which set it apart from other ordinary places. The log buildings were deep and rich in color and it was obvious matching the wall boards on the interiors was quite difficult. In many rooms odd bits of wood were carved in unusual shapes to fit the need.

I was able to capture the manuscript of a Russian, K.T. Khlebnikov who wrote a diary of his voyages to and from Russian and his experiences in California at the Ross Office and his interaction with the people of influence in California, including our own local notable, General Mariano Vallejo. That was rather surprising. It should be interesting reading despite no quick reference to any earthquake activity in the manuscript. These comprised the years from 1800-1837 was translated 150 years later and made available through the University of Alaska.

Of course the best part of the entire day was meeting our fellow board member, Jan in Santa Rosa and getting to know her and finding we liked her very much and found her a wonderful addition to our field trip experience. I hope in the days which lie ahead we will spend many more fruitful and enjoyable times together. I'll leave room for Jan here to comment on her experiences today.

Petra