Dear 73201.3124 (sorry don't know your name),

I just missed you on Adak. We were there 64-66. Reeves Aleutian Airlines was
our life line to the world. We looked forward to the twice weekly flights
that brought mail, packages. (I mail-ordered 80% of my purchases) The only
store on the island, the Navy Exchange, hadn't figured out yet that there were
women and children on the island!

When we were there, Bob Reeves was one of the pilots and his daughter, a
stewardess. (clad in stretch pants & parka) I remember Reeves took out any
unused seats for cargo. I once flew with live chickens in a crate behind me!

In an effort to make up for my not birding while on Adak, two years ago, I
went to St. Paul Island in the Pribilofs (via Reeves!) in June. The terrain
was similar and we saw some really neat birds nesting in the cliffs - Crested,
Least & Parakeet Auklets, Red-faced Cormorants, Tufted & Horned Puffins,
Kittwakes, Murres, etc. (I won't talk about the accommodations and food)

Michael P,

I know about all the various things to hang feeders from. (Actually it's too
bad Adak didn't have a tree to hang a feeder in as there were no squirrels!)
Only a window feeder might have worked as the cars literally drove all around
your house. The windows didn't open and there was no seed available. I would
have had to use "people food". We were limited in weight on what we brought -
no furniture - only clothes, dishes, etc. - the barest of essentials and one
car which would not return, having been subjected to the violent cyclonic
type winds (Williwaws ) which sprung the doors, filled the car with snow,
water at various times. We had no garage. The school bus also drove right up
to my door on those REALLY windy days and I hung on to my kids as I passed
them over into the bus. On the REALLY REALLY windy days, school and work was
cancelled! At he other extreme were the relatively few warm, dry, calm days
when the Commanding Officer declare a holiday so everyone could enjoy it.

Although I was ready to return to "the real world" after 18 months, I enjoyed
Adak. The wildflowers were beautiful. We had whales, sea otters, salmon &
Alaskan King crab. Our two young daughters could go anywhere on the island
with no fear. The school was good for the younger kids. We had great friends
and neighbors. It was an adventure.

Joan Macdonald
Issaquah, WA