Montana visit

went to montana to visit family, had not been for 7 years, took the time to do new activities, paddle board, Wild Horse Island, 9 mile hike up Six Mile, drive around the lake, and went to a museum.

Retirement

I am so excited, retirement is a reality. For so long I assumed I would work until I no longer would be able to work ie: really old, but life has change so retirement here I am. Future plans include, traveling, no more rushing a weekend to get back to work. Another grandkid on the way, more time to spend with them. Gardening, beekeeping, baking, but my most favorite sewing and quilting, there are many unfinished quilts in various stages, last winter while I was teaching someone how to make a quilt I started digging up projects to show, and was very suprised by how many were uncompleted. Be on the look out for lots of quilt pictures.

Vacation

The number one activity while on Maui is to watch the sun rise from on top of the mountain.  The process not so easy, get up at 3am, grab a cup of coffee and drive for 2 plus hours, be dressed for winter, it is cold, and I say that as an Alaskan.  Watch the sun rise over the ocean or clouds as this day was, but oh it's awe inspiring. 

After the sun rise the view is pretty special it is a volcano after all.

Even better when you have some company to share it with.

Then drive down the mountain a ways, stop at the Lodge and get breakfast.  Go back to the room get a nap, because it is on to #2 best activity on Maui.

Go to a luau, there is pit pig to eat, watch a show.

Then the sun sets on the other side of the island.  The rest of the time, enjoy the beach no camera needed. 

yearly girls Alaskan Adventure

 

 Granddaughter #1 picked this year adventure, she said we have to go to Juneau because it is the capital of Alaska.  Part of the tradition is to go somewhere in Alaska that we haven't been to before, I have been to Juneau a few times before, but it was nice to go again, and we did go to many places that I had not been to.  It was rainy the first day we got there but, then the sun came out and the rest of our trip was sunny and beautiful.  The local folks were very nice also.  I would think living in that busy place with all the cruise ships they wouldn't be friendly, but they were, one example when we were leaving, it was a short ways from the hotel to the airport so we decided to just walk, but up comes a lady in a ford explorer and say "you guys are going to the airport let me give you a ride."  So we all piled in.  That was so nice of her.

 

 Picture out the plane window as we were leaving Juneau.  The mountains, island and water are amazing.

 This is the fish hatchery, they have a window to see the spawning fish returning.  There was quite a lot of fish returning,  There was King salmon and Silver salmon.

 The touch tank is always popular, this one you were just suppose to put you finger on the sea creatures in the white floating tubs and not take them out of the tank, these brave Alaskan girls touched everything and took them out of the tank, broke every posted rule.

 This picture is from Douglas Island looking at the town of Juneau. And 2 cruise ships, one of those is the Disney ship.

                                               Saw a Montana flag, not sure why it was there.

 This is from up top the mountain, there is a tram that goes up there, there is a place to eat, a movie about the area, an injured eagle in a cage, gift shop, totem pole carving, and some trails to hike.  A great area to explore.

 

                                             Welcome to Juneau sign down town area.

                                                               The capital building.

                                                               Governors mansion.

                                               Glacier looking from Douglas Island.

                                         Tundra version of a Venus fly trap.

                         

                                                                     By a church

                             
 Looking at the airport.  It was a garden tour took a golf cart up this hill behind the airport area.

                                            Picture taken by the tour guide.

                                                       Porcupine in the tree.

                                    The brown spot right above the flowers is a baby deer.

                                Grand kids had to get their picture taken with ever bear we saw.

                                                             Flying into Juneau.

been a while

 Its been awhile since I blogged, I do enjoy the time spent, but I think since I lost my mom whom most of my posts were directed at I feel like no one read, so why bother.  Since they are a diary of sorts I guess I will keep it up.

On one of my drives to the big city, I stopped to take pictures of the inlet, the ice was moving so fast, it is such a pretty place and usually we just zoom on by, so a stop now and then is worth the time.

 A long weekend was spent down in Las Vegas, attended a wedding which had Elvis in the ceremony.  He was a pretty good Elvis.  Vegas has changed, not so much for kids, that and it was St Pattys day, who knew it is a 3 day party.  Live band on the streets were nice.  One down side, we stayed at New York New York with the roller coaster right out the window, so every 15 minutes screaming could be heard as they rolled past. 

I didn't make this quilt, one of the quilting ladies trusted me enough to quilt it for her, its going to be for her granddaughters graduation.  The quilt was huge a oversized queen.  There are many different elements to the quilt, and I was very nervous to quilt it, she is a amazing quilter and I am a beginner longarmer.  She did like the job I did and wants me to do another one, so I must have done OK.  The information I have read about longarm is that one develops their own style,  I see so many beautiful quilts, and wonder can I ever do that, an amazing longarm lady told me to just keep practising, so I will.

Merry Christmas

This year for Christmas I decided to make gifts for every one, spent a few months sewing away.  The guys got camo boxes, that go in the car, tote bags and knitted scarfs and quilts for the rest of the group.  So I made every one pose for a picture, my camera didn't take that great of pictures. 

                                     Love the look on the babies face while opening her presents. 

Time with family is the best, it is hard to get every one together at one time, but enjoyed it when all my kids were together.

more Nome pictures