NINILCHIK~STEAMING MOUNTAINS~PIZZA

June 29 ~ Friday ~ sunny/windy.
Well~just a little steam right now, but Mt. Redoubt and Mt. Illiamna were a very pretty site across the inlet today...will try to see Mt. Augustine (closer to Homer) tomorrow from Ninilchik beach. Augustine (steaming) did spout off in 2006~but was just a belch. These three volcanos are in, what is called, the Ring of Fire...easy way to remember them...AIR.
Blooie called this morning and they are already back in MT, headed to Livingston today. The border crossing proved to be eventful. The authorities were looking for a Stanley*middle name different*Adams so proceeded to frisk and search (Stan will add this to his many tales) while 5 border agents stood guard, but then apologized when they discovered Stan was not a person (of their) interest.
Cindy is busy with fund-raising for the Wolverine BB team in Ninilchik, the rodeo or 4-H in previous years...baking those YUMMY cinnamon rolls, making 'from scratch' lemonade, flipping burgers or making pizza. She and a friend have 'Pizza Friday'~call-in for 'made to order' pizza~for four hours each week, May thru October. In June alone they cleared over $2000 for the BB team! Quite a support from Ninilchik which has only 777 people.
The area was settled by the Russians many years ago and still has that ethnic influence. Many...MANY...fishing charters are based here and at Deep Creek. The Kenai Peninsula Fair, dubbed the "biggest little fair in Alaska" (where I won the 63" barrel, 20 pound pistol...face is fine...haven't shot it yet, but LOOK OUT DIRTY HARRY!), is held the third weekend of August, just in time for the participants to attend the 2nd week of the state fair in Palmer (HUGE vegetables!) for their rodeo competition and livestock showing.
Ninilchik and Deep Creek are known for their king salmon and halibut derbies, 'producing some of the largesst trophy halibut found in Cook Inlet, including a 466 pound unofficial world record sport-caught halibut.'(Milepost 2007)
Saw just one plume of smoke from the Caribou Hills fire NE of here which has burned over 70,000 acres, mostly due to the spruce beetle's rampage throughout the peninsula. The firefighters will be leaving shortly as their work is mostly done...a very dangerous, but rewarding task for them and the rsidents. Numerous cabins were lost, but no lives.