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Hikers walk along the Ptarmigan Lake trail on Sunday, May 22, 2022 near Seward, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

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Out of the Office: Coming back together

Maybe it’s the sunshine or maybe it’s the revival of activities that were shuttered during COVID, but the…

Mills Creek, May 11, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

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Out of the Office: Gratitude

On May 11 this year, just past 8 a.m., the day started cold

Hope, Alaska on May 14, 2022. (Courtesy of Sabine Poux)

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Out of the Office: Hope

Working in journalism is draining for a lot of reasons. We’re constantly taking meetings and phone calls, trying…

A LifeMed helicopter waits on June 10, 2014, at Central Peninsula Hospital in Soldotna, Alaska. The author took a medevac flight in May 2013 in a similar helicopter. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

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Out of the Office: Planes, trains, automobiles and helicopters

Every new Alaskan has a bucket list of things they want to check while living here (hopefully, a…

A pair of sandhill cranes feed Friday, May 8 at Green Timbers on the Homer Spit in Homer. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

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Out of the Office: Earth Day is bird day

Celebrate Earth Day every day by growing close to nature.

The west fork of the Moose River in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, March 23, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

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Out of the Office: Precipice

On Oct. 31, 2021, I ran down to Headquarters Lake in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge hoping to…

A hiker rests near the peak of Near Point Trail in Anchorage, Alaska, on March 20, 2022. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)

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The pitch for Anchorage

My first time on the Kenai Peninsula was a solo trip in the late fall of 2020. When…

Some heart shaped rocks appear as bands of quartz. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

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Finding heart rocks

Like love, heart rocks appear when you’re not looking for them.

The view from the van on Sunday, March 13, 2022. (Ashlyn O'Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

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Out of the Office: Of cars and cliches

It’s cliche to say that the journey is more important than the destination.

Skiers take off for the men’s 40K freestyle race at Sunday’s Tour of Tsalteshi event just outside of Soldotna on Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)

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Out of the Office: Back in rhythm

At the beginning of February, I began reading “If Beale Street Could Talk” by James Baldwin.

My mom Alex Botello, my aunt Melissa Botello, myself, and my aunt Kim Davis take a photo in Talkeetna on Friday Feb. 25, 2022. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)

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Chasing the lights

My mom loves looking up at the night sky.

Mt. Redoubt can be seen across Cook Inlet from Diamond Ridge on the Marathon Ski Trail on Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021, near Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

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Out of the Office: Falling in love with Diamond Ridge and winter

Since winter lasts from October to May on Diamond Ridge, you’d better love winter.

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Out of the Office: It’s all about ‘give and take’

My fiance and I on Monday celebrated our third Valentine’s Day together with a trip to city hall.

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Out of the Office: Catching COVID

I caught COVID a couple of weeks ago and it sucked. I’m not sure how I was exposed,…

The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, Nov. 3, 2021. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

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Out of the Office: Best ski of the year

Memory is strongly tied to place. That’s why I can never take the ski from Arc Lake to…

Camille Botello and Benito hike in Denali National Park on Sept. 18, 2021. (Ashlyn O’Hara)

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Out of the Office: Furry friend

Adventuring in Alaska has been much better with my fur buddy.

Michael Armstrong, seated, in sled, gives his mother, Sylvia Jander, the unique Alaska experience of driving a sled-dog team in February 1989 in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo by Jenny Stroyeck)

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Fill out the squares of the Alaska Adventure Bingo Card

Moose, bears, sled dogs wolves, whales oh my: Alaska offers many adventures to check off.

Homer New reporter Sarah Knapp admires Alaska's beautiful landscape during a trip to Anchorage. (Photo by Ashlyn O'Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

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Out of the Office: Sticking to New Year’s resolution

I’m still trying to find out where I belong in Homer.

The moon sits above Mount Redoubt on Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021 near Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

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Out of Office: Chasing sunshine

The winter solstice fell on a beautiful Tuesday last month. I woke up to flickers of sunshine peeking…

Ski trails. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak)

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Out of the Office: Skiing doesn’t have to be perfect to be good

“You know,” he said, “we used to groom the ski trails by packing them down with snowshoes.”