Weird Day!

Jennie, Lynn, Ed and Kevin went out fishing today.

I stayed at the motor home with the dogs. Worked on a jigsaw puzzle, then walked them at about 2. Walked the two little ones first, and it was really cold, so I came in and got gloves and changed to my flannel lined pants before walking Rusty. Walked him, then came back to the motor home. Ooops! When I changed into my warmer jeans, I left the key behind. I looked in all the cubbies to see if we had a key. No such luck. Checked the windows, only the one over the dining room table was open just a bit.

I went up to the office, to let them know I would be climbing in the window of my motor home in case someone saw me and reported it.

I tied Rusty to the motor home step, pulled the picnic table from Ed's site up to the motor home, and started to climb in. It was a real struggle. When I was almost in, Rusty untied himself from the step on the other side of the motor home, and I had to climb down and catch him.

I put the picnic table leg through his leash, got back up on the picnic table and tried again. While I was trying to get in, Schnicklefritz was determined to get out. I struggled with him, and finally reached in and grabbed the strap to my computer back and hooked him up to one end of it. I held onto the bag , and struggled to swing myself in, backwards.

After about 10 minutes---Success! I reclaimed Rusty, put the picnic table back in place, and settled in to work on my puzzle. I finished it about five, and the fisher people came back about 6. They got a few halibut, but like mine, theirs was not a wildly successful day.

Ed fried up some halibut for dinner--it was yummy!

They go out again tomorrow. Hope they catch more! And I am going to put a key in a cubbie before I walk the dogs tomorrow.

I am not sorry that I do not have a picture of me climbing in the window to post! :-)

Dinner in Ninilchik!

Interesting dinner in Ninilchik. Walked in, and before I even sat down, someone spotted my Gonzaga sweatshirt. I went over and chatted with her. She had a grandson who plays basketball of Mt. Rainier Middle School in Seattle--he's 12 (name Chandler John Michellick--I think). He dreams of playing basketball for Gonzaga. (Sounds like a smart kid to me!)

Then as we were getting ready to leave, 4 guys saw my shirt and called me over--"Go Zags", high fives all around. They were from LA--UCLA fans, but loved Gonzaga. Funny--they only remembered a game when we beat them, and I only remembered a game when they beat us!

Then while we talked a huge cow moose walked across the highway, into the brush and out on the other side.

And the chicken fried steak was good, too.

Fun night!!!

Seward to Ninilchik

Went into Seward today and then drove to Ninilchik.

First pic: Waterwheel, grinder and sign: "Moose Pass is a peaceful little town. If you have an axe to grind, do it here."

Pics 2 and 3: From RV park north of Seward.

Pics 4 and 5: Downtown Seward--Including Brown & Hawthorne Store--Alaska's oldest family owned business--from 1900

Pics 6 & 7: Mountains from Seward Highway Mile 12.

Pic 8: Cow moose in pond Mile 13 Seward Highway

Pic 9: Cow moose on hill Mile 117 Sterling highway

Met Ed, Jennie, and Kevin at RV park in Ninilchik. They go fishing tomorrow.

Anchorage to Seward (almost)

Spent the morning in Anchorage. Got the tire fixed

We went to the Anchorage Museum to see the Smithsonian exhibit. It was wonderful. It was the Grand Opening, so there were Inupiaq and Haida dancers.

We also did a quick tour of the permanent exhibits which we had seen before.

Then we drove from Anchorage to Hope and then to an RV park north of Seward.

PICS:

Turnagain Arm

Homer Social Hall 1902 still in in use

This picture is of a WWII war loan poster done by Rusty Heurlin. The original painting is in the UAF museum with another title. I disappointed that there were no paintings by Rusty in the Alaskan Art Gallery--I thought I remembered that they had one before.

By contrast they had about 15 by Sydney Laurence. UAF Museum has about 15 by Heurlin and about that number by Laurence. (End of Heurlin rant! :-) )

Anchorage!

Relaxing day in Anchorage. We had to get some meds for Rusty, so dropped them off.

Then we went to the Alaska Native Hospital to look at Native Art work. Incredible!!! Saw some amazing Eskimo and Indian dolls--most of which were not for sale.

After that a stop at the Mall, where some Native artists were demonstrating their art.

Then over to the Wells Fargo Bank---they have an incredible Alaskan art and artifacts collection. Must remember to go to other branches.

Then back to the vet to pick up Rusty's meds.

Then back to the campground to do laundry, wash dishes (we haven't had hot water in a campground for a while).

First thing tomorrow, we have to have a tire fixed.

After, we are going the Anchorage Museum (They just opened a new exhibit from the Smithsonian of hundreds or Alaskan artifacts) and a couple of other places to see art, then driving to Hope for the night..

Alaska Native Heritage Center

Alaska Native Heritage Center trough Inupiaq Whale bones

Inupiaq Dancers

5th major Alaska Native group:

Haida totem

Haida Dwelling

Anchorage!

Left Talkeetna this AM and drove to Anchorage. Stopped at the Alaska Native Heritage Center. Wonderful place.

Pics:

Dwellings of 5 major Alaska Native groups:

Yup'ik/Cup'ik

Inupiaq/Siberian Yupik

Athabascan

Alutiiq/Aleut

Last one in next post.

Talkeetna

Spending the night at Talkeetna. Talkeetna is the jumping off place for climbers of Denali and other mountains in the Alaska Range. It has a frontier, funky atmosphere. We ate dinner at the West Rib Pub and grill (pic). From the Milepost, I thought this was a fancy restaurant--but it really Alaska funky! (Loved it!)

My Gonzaga sweatshirt got attention, two guys commented on it--they were UCLA and UW fans, so we didn't agree about the Zags' prospects. We watched part of the LA game, but when it came to "garbage time" when Ammo might have played, the power went out!

Then I talked to a couple of Alabama fans who noticed my sweatshirt and had a nice conversation.

Now we're back at the campground relaxing.

Denali Wildlife

We saw 3 caribou not too far away (Aunt Martha caribou in the pic), a cow moose and two calves, several caribou in the distance, Dall sheep in the distance, and a willow ptarmigan.

The willow ptarmigan is Alaska's state bird. It changes colors--white in the winter and brown in the summer. This one is being some willows, but you can see it is in transition--white body brown head.

Denali!

Denali (Mt. McKinley)

The chances of seeing Denali when you get to the park are about 30%, but I have seen "The Mountain" every time I have been in the park (and many times from Parks HIghway, Fairbanks, etc.)

Denali makes its own weather. In these pics we went from pretty clear to partly covered. By the time we reached the 30 mile point on the park road, all that was visible was a little tip.

Denali!

Lots of pics from Denali Park. These are along the road. Pics of Mt. Denali and wildlife to follow.

Enjoying the moment!

Lynn was sitting in the captain's chair in the motorhome watching TV with his feet up on Rusty's kennel when Rusty decided he was a lap dog!

On the road to Denali!

We left fairbanks at 3 PM today. We are camped 8 miles north of Denali National Park.

PICS:

Our campground

View from the campground

Pics taken after 9:00 PM.

Daylight at Midnight

In the RV park in North Pole Alaska

12:12 AM May 18:

Outside--picture of the motor home with no flash.

Inside: Me watching Bill Cosby on Jay Leno talking about Lena Horne: "Racism is a waste of time!"

On the way back from Chena Hot Springs.

Me standing next to the Alaska Pipeline on the Steese Highway.

Cow moose at mile 27 Chena Hot Springs Rd.. She ran across the road and then into this pond. I was really glad to see her--I always tell people that we have never driven this road without seeing a moose and I can now continue to say this. :-)

Chena Hot Springs Day

Nice day at Chena HotSprings. Chena Hot Springs is 60 miles from Fairbanks and a paved road that winds through undulating hills covered wit birch, white spruce and bogs. It is great moose habitat. We always go there to see moose as well as swim at the springs.

We had lunch at the restaurant.

Pics:

Squirrel at the feeder outside the restaurant.

Bird at the feeder outside the restaurant.

Back view of the springs. The rock pool is my favorite pool. There are also 1 inside and 1 outside hot pool, and an inside cool pool for swimming. I am in the back under the fountain that adds cool water to the rock pool.

Me in the rock pool.

Graduation Day!

My niece Jennie, her husband and kids, and Aunt Carroll (my sister).

Jennie and her parents (my sister and brother-in-law)

Jennie, Lynn & me

Jennie receiving her Doctorate in Anthropology (Alaska Native Studies) from University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

It was a wonderful day! Lynn and I arrived at the graduation site at about 12:00 noon to save seats for the family of 12. The ceremony began at 1:20. I thought it would be deadly, with 1100 degrees and certificates being awarded, but it wasn't. It had a distinctly Alaskan flavor. The recessional was led by Inupiaq dancers, and many of the graduates wore typical garb of some Alaska's native groups. The student speaker was a music major, and her "speech" was rendered on the clarinet, with a medley of songs chosen to express the moment. It was wonderful!

There was a cake and punch reception afterwards, and then family and friends gathered at Jennie and James' house for a barbecue. It was a happy day!

Great day in Fairbanks!

It was a beautiful day today. We wandered around doing "touristy" things in the morning. Went to the new visitor's center, stopped at the unofficial end of the Alaska highway, had lunch at Soapy Smith's, did some laundry and ended the day at McCafferty's, a coffee shop owned by a classmate of mine (Class of '62, Lathrop High School, Fairbanks).

Today's Pics:

Favorite sign of the day outside the Yukon Quest office and gift shop. Be sure to click on it so you can read the small print.

Unofficial end of the Alaska highway.

Click on this one too. This autographed article (from the Fairbanks Daily News Miner) about John Stockton was on the wall of Soapy Smith's, a restaurant owned by Nick Stepovich. I knew John had married a Stepovich (an old Fairbanks family), so I should not have been surprised. Zags are everywhere! I was talking to a classmate of mine, also connected to the Stepovich's. His daughter graduated from Gonzaga 5 years ago--he said he never had trouble getting tickets to games when he was in Spokane---I am so jealous!

McCafferty's: Every Friday and Saturday my classmate June and her husband Bill (on the left) and their group Sand Castle play and sing at the coffee shop and we try to hear them at least once while we are there. Great coffee shop, great music, I recommend it if you ever get to Fairbanks. Try June's special Mexican sipping chocolate with cayenne pepper--rich and wonderful!