Spiekerfamily Website

Spiek-Out
A Spieker Family Newsletter
10/07/01
Page 4

4 engine. We put three pieces of wadding in the rocket. I launched the rocket at 5:10 p.m.

Launch #5: We did it on Sunday 7/29/01 also in the same field. This time we angled the rocket at a 70-degree angle to the south. We had another good launch, this time my dad did catch it by the shock cord about 50 yards northwest from where we launched it. It went about 550 ft in the air using a B6-4 engine and three pieces of wadding. It was 5:20 p.m. with clear skies.

I had a lot of fun this year with my first rocket. I learned lot about rockets and how they work. I learned how to aim them toward the wind and guess where they will land.

This is a short story from Alaska, The Greatland! Fish On!

By Jeff Slaughter

Sometimes, our tiny apartment here in Alaska's grandness seems too small for me
alone. Sometimes it seems even smaller for Sally and I. It's then I go out walking.

Often my wandering leads to one of Juneau's small boat harbors. On occasion, if it's late and dockside activity has slowed in the tarry night, I may be lucky to see some of nature's wondrous creatures we share this place with.

One chilly spring evening, a splish turned my focus to where a family of sea otters scampered out of the water, onto the dock. My movement startled them as much as theirs did me, and they slid back into the water. In a few minutes, mama stuck her head from the obsidian-glazed surface to look warily about. In a short while she climbed onto the dock, followed by three little otters, all legs and tails.

During another evening walk I marveled at the slippery antics of a harbor seal feeding on schools of small fish. The seal took no notice of me as surely the effort catching a few fish the size and speed of a dart took all its attention. With a flap of flippers the seal changed directions, swimming up and through a dense school of fish, mouth gaping. The grace, speed and agility of this mammal, more at home in the sea than on land, is something to witness.

On this day's walk though, pink salmon were running, returning to area streams and the hatchery. Schools gather, apparently lost, swimming around in the harbor. Many of these are fish raised and released from the hatchery a few miles up the road. It seems they have lost a refined sense wild salmon retain. I've been told fewer hatchery salmon return to streams where they were raised than

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Spiek-Out A Spieker Family Newsletter 10/07/01 Page 4
4 engine. We put three pieces of wadding in the rocket. I launched the rocket at 5:10 p.m. Launch #5: We did it on Sunday 7/29/01 also in the same field. This time we angled the rocket at a 70-degree angle to the south. We had another good launch, this time my dad did catch it by the shock cord about 50 yards northwest from where we launched it. It went about 550 ft in the air using a B6-4 engine and three pieces of wadding. It was 5:20 p.m. with clear skies. I had a lot of fun this year with my first rocket. I learned lot about rockets and how they work. I learned how to aim them toward the wind and guess where they will land. This is a short story from Alaska, The Greatland! Fish On! By Jeff Slaughter Sometimes, our tiny apartment here in Alaska's grandness seems too small for me	alone. Sometimes it seems even smaller for Sally and I. It's then I go out walking. Often my wandering leads to one of Juneau's small boat harbors. On occasion, if it's late and dockside activity has slowed in the tarry night, I may be lucky to see some of nature's wondrous creatures we share this place with. One chilly spring evening, a splish turned my focus to where a family of sea otters scampered out of the water, onto the dock. My movement startled them as much as theirs did me, and they slid back into the water. In a few minutes, mama stuck her head from the obsidian-glazed surface to look warily about. In a short while she climbed onto the dock, followed by three little otters, all legs and tails. During another evening walk I marveled at the slippery antics of a	harbor seal feeding on schools of small fish. The seal took no notice of me as surely the effort catching a few fish the size and speed of a dart took all its attention. With a flap of flippers the seal changed directions, swimming up and through a dense school of fish, mouth gaping. The grace, speed and agility of this mammal, more at home in the sea than on land, is something to witness. On this day's walk though, pink salmon were running, returning to area streams and the hatchery. Schools gather, apparently lost, swimming around in the harbor. Many of these are fish raised and released from the hatchery a few miles up the road. It seems they have lost a refined sense wild salmon retain. I've been told fewer hatchery salmon return to streams where they were raised than
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