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.