cold

 Five below this morning, winter is here without much snow. since the mechanic is home full time right now, he has kept the wood stove burning, it is so nice to have the warmth in the house, no need to double up on the clothes.  But I was needing just a touch of sunshine, so looked for a Hawaii picture to remind me that its not all snow and cold.

bunco

The group of ladies that I play bunco with are so much fun, I hear little snippets of their lives, there is no angry ugly talk, just smiles and laughs.  I think last night was a success.  Usually we share with the meal, the host has a meal plan and asks for items to be brought to share.  I thought it would be nice if they could just show up and have a good time, so picked breakfast for the meal, easy right.  My mechanic was awesome, he helped with all the preparation, ie cleaning, sewing and baking.  Then made sure the coffee was flowing, and prepared loco moco.  If you have never had loco moco it is a Hawaiian breakfast that will stick to the ribs.  Rice, hamburger patty, egg with gravy poured over it.  I thought his loco moco was better than any I had ever ate before, even though the rice was dry and the gravy was runny it was very good.  The non money winners got to take home one of the fabric leaves. Next month will be a white elephant exchange, oh what another fun night we will have.

just to blog

Bunco at my house tonight, I am not much of a party animal, so preparing for a fun evening of bunco is like work.  Stayed up way to late cleaning, got up way to early to bake.  Made a 8 fabric leaf bowls for a little something to take home.  I am sure it's all worth is because a good time will be had by all.

snow and winter wood

  The snow showed up a couple of days ago, not sure if it is here to stay for the winter, did get up to34 today, sure was a beautiful day out.   Took the dogs on a nice walk, haven't been able to do that for awhile.  Today was Alaska day so no workie for me.

The mechanic brought home a wood splitter, so that made fast work of the logs we had piled up.  So we are ready for winter,  with lots of warm winter fires, this pile is for the garage.  Looks like the mechanic will have plenty of time to have a nice fire going in the garage to work on projects, which he has lots of.

This pile is for the fire ring out side, and the right side is for the house wood stove.  I am not a wood recognition expert, but some wood is no good for the wood stove, hence the fire ring pile, some wood is better for the house fire, and some is ok for the garage so another pile.  The mechanic throws it into 3 piles and I stack it in the proper place.  We sort of ran out of room for wood by the house so there is also a nice stack out in the shed.  I think we touch the wood about 7 times before it gets burned in the stove.  First he cuts a log, it is put it the sled drag it home, put it in a pile, then is get cut into a stove size piece, put in the wood splitter, then in a wagon to the pile and then into the house box, then into a wood carrier into the house finally in the stove.  I've hear that when you cut wood you get warmed twice, well I think we get warmed a lot more than that.  I feel so blessed all around, living somewhere where we can get wood, healthy enough to be able to get the wood and a nice wood stove to burn the wood in.

Labs and Sticks

 Last winter there was a stack of wood on the porch for the wood stove in the house, the mechanic made sure there was always a bucket of kindling to use, well the dogs decided that the kindling was best for taking and playing with in the yard. 

 So this year I thought it would be nice to have something on the porch to keep the dogs out of the kindling, the new dog will even take the larger pieces to the yard.  These bird dogs haven't found a stick yet that isn't good for playing with.

So here is the solution a big wood box, which happens to have also been the mechanics toy box as a little boy.  What a good way to repurpose.  Oh and a nice big bucket of bird seed for the birds this winter.

movin on up

A big change at our house,  internet, and phone.  The phone company came today and hooked up a phone and wireless internet.  Oh wow I can use my computer at home, not sure the phone will get much use, but it's there.  I guess I could call the mechanic when he's in the garage.  Now when we get TV, like never, that would mean a modern home. 

Yearly Alaskan Adventure



                                                     cub fishing in the Kenai river

                                                         Richardson Highway

                                                                           pipeline

                                                     first sunny day of vacation

Our yearly Alaskan adventure, this year we decided to rent a motor home and drive the Richardson Highway, to Chena Hot Springs, Fairbanks, Denali park and Talkeetna.  I left home after work on Monday, drive to Anchorage, my granddaughter got dropped off Tuesday morning, we went shopping food and things for the trip, picked up the motor home at 1p, went and got daughter and grand baby, back to get my stuff and load the motor home, on the road 2 hours later.  We drove past one of the most beautiful part of Alaska to Glennallen, then up the Richardson highway drove til almost dark saw, sheep, moose in velvet and in ponds with a evening mist around them breathtaking.  Spend the night in a state park.  Next morning was the worse weather we saw and it wasn't bad, just a little chilly, but turned on the generator and heat soon with coffee and breakfast we hit the road again. 

Stopped at Santa Claus house in North Pole.  Drove until we reached Chena Hot springs, got checked in and hit the pools, there is a indoor pool for kids, and a outdoor pool for adults only.  The outdoor pool has some really hot spots and 2 water features.  Had a campfire with hot dogs and our favorite smore's.  Next morn daughter went to the pool again and the grand kids and I walked around.  Packed up and hit the road again, off to Fairbanks were we spend 2 night, one day at the Fair which was a really good fair.  Oh I forgot I hit the quilt stores one in Delta Junction 2 in Fairbanks and one in Talketna that is in a gift shop.  After Fairbanks we drove until Denali Park spent the night there, that was the only bit of rain we had.  In the morning we drove into the park a little ways, got to see an old cabin that the park rangers use, then we drove to Talkeetna which I had never been to, grand kid said her favorite part of the trip was Chena hot springs because they had a pool, and Talkeetna, daughter liked Chena Hot springs said she is going back.  Then finished up the day driving back to Anchorage, cleaned the motor home and returned it the next morning. 

Of course everyone wants to see a bear on their Alaska trip.  Well I didn't see one until I was driving back home and two cubs were fishing in the river with momma watching them.  It was the first time I had seen a bear fishing, the bears were a traffic stopper and lots of photo's taken. 

I sure enjoy this yearly tradition of touring Alaska.  I figure my granddaughter is going to be able to have her own travel show by the time she grows up she is going to be well versed in Alaska, and she figured out that her name and Alaska has lots of A's in it. 

said I'd never do

As a child growing up my dad had many different jobs, one of those was a garbage truck driver.  I remember getting to go in the truck with him and we would go to different houses and locations to gather garbage, he would always look to see if there was anything good.  I still have a tin-type photo album that he got from a trash can.  My mom would say that he would bring home more stuff than he took to the dump.  So I do have a fear of being a garbage collector, since I am under the belief that it could be used for something else or still good.  My mechanic will go to the dump and bring stuff back.  I guess it's bound to happen at some point, but I went to the dump and there sat on the ledge where people put the good stuff, a sewing machine, so after I tossed the bags of trash I put that sewing machine in my jeep, I don't even know if it works, but it is downstairs with the rest of my sewing stuff.  Can't make the picture print right now, so maybe later.

this and that

Every year I told myself to go take a picture of these flowers they grow in the spring on the banks of the creek behind the house, there hadn't been to many sunny days this spring to take flower pictures, but I did get down there and get a few shots, really do need sunshine to take flower pictures. 

This precious little gem got to come down and visit, didn't get to spend near enough time, we went and played bunco, she enjoys watching all the ladies and the game, was good the whole time, we had Asian food, played outdoors on the deck overlooking the river and the sun was shinning, I sure enjoy the bunco ladies.  Back to the little one she can stick out her tongue and make airplane noises, so funny.

This little fellor was so cute, he/she was running back and forth jumping on momma, trying to get her to play, but momma just wanted to eat the tall grass, I tried to get closer for a better pics, but even though momma had her head down in the grass she was well aware of where I was and didn't let me get close, off into the woods they ran.

The lady who drops of the charity quilts came to get them so had to get a pic, they sure were nice quilts, I hope that the kids who recieve the quilts can feel the love that surronds them.  That lady is moving away, so not sure if they are going to bring me more quilts or not, I hope so I enjoy doing the work for that group.

hands

A 3 part story.

I remember hearing a story about a husband that wanted to divorce his wife, at the hearing the judge asked her if she had anything to say, and she stood up showing her hands, and telling the judge how these hands had cooked his meals, washed his clothes, raised his children, the tired scarred hands had done all that for the man she loved.  (I am sure there is more to the story but that's all I remember).

Part 2, most of my life I have been taken for a younger age than I really am, not saying it's my good looks or anything like that, I just think it's mostly part to clean living, I have never put a cigarette in my mouth, or ever been drunk, I am sure the cancer and a bad marriage or two had the most to do with aging.  When I worked at the airlines, there was one pilot that was quite the ladies man (or so he thought, he got into a lot of trouble with sexual harassment) but when the subject of my age came up he said let me see your hands, when he looked at my hands he guess my age correctly.

So the conclusion of this 3 part story is, recently when I am doing something with my hands I look down and say in surprise who's hands are those. 

snow

Feel like it's the same theme this spring, SNOW, I drove to Homer yesterday after work, went to a quilt show, then visited at a friends house for a bit.  Was going to meet up with another couple for a bite to eat and show them the boat, he likes to sail.  While I was on the phone with them, when I was inside the grocery store,  deciding where we were going to meet up, she says "I think its snowing out side", I looked at the people in the store and could hear and see lips saying snow, so I walked to the window and looked outside sure enough it was snowing.  My smart phone is acting up so I couldn't take a picture with that, so dug out the camera and it had a dead battery so couldn't take a picture with that.  Oh well just take my word for it, at least this time, Springtime in Alaska isn't 40 below.

Vacation

I have a few days off from work, good thing I am ready, my computer broke at work and they sent a new one, well lots of updates and different looking stuff, and a new upgrade on the system that is used. to much change at once for my non computer brain.  So by the time I get back from vacation hopefully a computer person will have some time to walk me through some things.  Was going to fly some where for a visit but that didn't work out, so I am going to spend a birthday with son #2, who is going to be 30 and I can't believe it, when I asked him what he wanted to do he said "arnt you suppose to do something special on your golden birthday" I looked at the calender it said 30 and he is going to be 30 and I about dropped when did that happen how did he get to be that old and I didn't even realize it, which really means I am getting old, yuck.  For the remaining days of my vacation I am going to hang out with the mechanic on the boat, hope we actually get to go boating and he doesn't make me work on the darn thing the whole time, not really complaining I am one very fortunate gal.

Spring time in Alaska

Today is April 7, 2012, and it's snowing.   Two weeks ago it was 9 below in the morning, spring really is on its way, but winter is not letting go with out a fight.  Got 2 packages of bee's ordered, wasn't so sure I was going to do that again, but it is a hobby, I am sure $100.00 a ounce is really not cost effective shopping, but there is more to having bee's than that, the bee's should be here on the 13th.  All is well so haven't been blogging much, hopefully with summer there will be more pictures and activities to share.  I have spent lots of time of the snow machines, was out 2 nights ago, but the snow is hard packed and was a nice ride just a bit rough. 

last saturday

 Last Saturday I took the day off work and went on a snow machine ride, it was a fund raiser for cancer patients, quite a success full event, they raised allot of money.  We made costumes for the event we were abominable snowmen.  There is also a bra contest, this bra wasn't in the contest, the theme was wild and woolly, we were woolly and the bra girl was the wild.

                                                         This group was the smurfs.

                                         This is my snow machine, I put pink bows on the back.

                         There were 102 women that rode and each group had a cabana boy with them.

                                                                        The celebrity.

The guy that lead us on the ride got off the designated trail and took us on a few side trips, this was a knob that has a great view of the area we rode.  There is lots of snow this year so it was a surprise to see dirt, guess it's kind of windy up there.  After wearing that white suit all day, the last leg of my day was to go back to my car and I almost felt naked with out the suit, they sure were nice and warm. 

little road trip

                                     
                                                            Matanuska Glacier

                                                                    Long Lake

There is a new project in the garage, found on craigslist, and some more stuff to go with the project was also found on craiglist, but this part was up in Tok, 500 miles away from home.  So after work we drove north, spend the night in Anchorage, drove the rest of the way next day, got some dinner, hotel room, watched a movie, spent the night.  Then the plan was to get breakfast at 7am when the cafe opened and hit the road, well it is official, we have turned into old people, because at 4 am we couldn't sleep any more, so got ready to leave stopped at the gas station for coffee and hit the road at 5am.  Which was nice because the drive didn't take up the whole day, took turns sleeping and got the Anchorage about noon, got to visit with daughter and grandbaby for a few hours before the rest of the drive home.  Some one at worked asked me if I went to Anchorage for my days off, No I said drove to Tok, they were suprised, because it's not a weekend destination.  I enjoyed the whole trip as you can see it was a beautiful sunny drive there.

my hound

My ole hound took her last walk, 1/26/12.

Because they are eager to please, loving, intelligent and confident, they make a splendid companion dog for an owner willing to give them proper exercise. Because this breed requires intense exercise to match its energy levels, Walker hounds cannot settle for mere walks in the neighborhood. (copy from Internet)

It's hard to lose a companion that was there for 13 years.  She was always aware of where I was and never left me, never ran away from home, and was always happy to see me.  I am relieved that she didn't suffer, that she was still able to get around and old age wasn't so hard for her.  I knew she was not going to last much longer but was hoping she would still be around come spring.  I am going to miss her lots.

I'm cold

it's been cold here, I know it's Alaska and not suppose to complain about the weather, but it's been cold, the highest temp I have seen since the 14th is -9.