THIS WEEK...

September 29 ~ Saturday
Two weeks since we've been home...hard to believe so long, but so short, a time. This week the camper inside became clean again...the sleeping bags and bedding were laundered...fireweed cut (still have more plants to cut ~ even two trees in the front~ and bunny tunnel dirt to dispose of)...and paper work started for Kelly for SSI and Medicaid (my main goal this winter: to help her obtain the help that she needs).
The house...a pathway exsists between camping stuff hauled inside...things hastily plopped wherEVer, but this weekend I'm hoping to have all stashed away in their respective homes. HOWEVER, I did get the main rooms cleaned before our small block party last night...made beans in a new Dutch oven (yum!), BBQ pork ribs, salads and one of the neighbors brought fresh tomatoes and potatoes out of their garden.
Getting back into the swing of church activities also. The bulletin and calendar are 'hot off the press' and the ingredients for smoothies are chilling for our breakfast brunch tomorrow...the 'kick-off' for ABLAZE!, an evangelitic program to light a fire in our hearts for spreading the gospel of Christ, our only Source of salvation. In Matthew the Bible tells us to "go and preach the gospel to every nation". How will they hear if Christians don't tell them!
Hoping to start a wall hanging on Monday...better get started on the above then...

ROAD TRIP

September 23 ~ Sunday
...to the friend's who drove to AK with us...and to our two son's and their families for four days. Caught up on their summer, drove to our old 'homestead', and just generally had a good time with our family (friends included). Will have to now get back to that seven letter word *REALITY*, a hard word to digest sometimes, but with winter around the corner a lot has to be done... church activities...and swimming ...and wood...and scrap booking (before forgetting who, what, when, where.~alreay know the why)...and (insert own 'reality')...before starting on winter quilting projects with my new machine. We did try it out this weekend...pretty impressive! Will have to try different things before deciding which variation will go with what quilt/wall hanging. "There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God." Ecclesiastes 2:24. God's people may enjoy their days working and laboring. "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men". Colossians 3:23. We are to have a joyful spirit since Christ has forgiven our sins and releases us from our burden of guilt. This is the freedom He gives us to live with a merry heart...even thru the realities that face us.
Time is always too short for these visits. Work...school...schedules get in the way, but all can be certain each are in my prayers.
Hint for the day: if the electric smoke alarm starts beeping during the night, first...call your mom, then unhook from ceiling and replace back-up battery for a good night's sleep.

IN THE SWIM OF THINGS...

September 18 ~ Tuesday
Busy day yesterday...dentist (unplanned)...shopping...swimming...waiting in offices...SO did not get the pick-up/camper/trailer unloaded, BUT today is another day! It's good to be back in the swim of things...well, most things. Swimming I did miss and am trying to increase my time in the water by 5 minutes each day...so far, an hour 25 min. Even sat in the steam room for a bit, but knew I'd be zapped if I stayed longer. Kathy...good friend who has lost 185 pounds in 2 years on Weight Watchers...gave me before and after pictures...amazing and she is soooo awesome and an inspiration to all of us who know her! She'll be having surgery to remove excess skin...one in Oct. and one in Feb.
We'll be leaving to visit our sons' families and the friends who drove up to Alaska with us on Thursday and for the weekend...doesn't seem possible it's been 3-4 months since we've seen them! If only winter would go that fast!
Will be in the swim of everything when we get back...subbing school crossing guard and lunch aide, church, quilting and playing with my new embellishing machine (a daughter-in-law and I will start playing this weekend).
Out to the camper I go...

HOME AGAIN...HOME AGAIN...

September 16 ~ Sunday ~ sunny to cloudy and a little smokey...
From the fires in central Idaho, making for a somewhat red sunrise and a reddish glow on the mountains...just beautiful! Didn't sleep much during the night, but was up before 6am to make the 7am Wave opening to do water aerobics for 1 1/4 hours with a couple friends that I've really missed, then the hot tub before grocery shopping and worship service at 9:30am, seeing my Christian family again after 3 months...always a warm welcome with hugs. Still, we'll be gone again this next weekend to see family 5 hours away...haven't seen them in over three months, BUT our youngest granddaughter will be starting Sunday School on the 23rd so will be worshipping with them.
This afternoon I started bringing things in from the camper...still have a lot to do, but had to also go thru three months of magazines and some mail...and make a grocery list. Tomorrow...Costco...

AND, SO ENDS...THE BEHIND TRIP

September 15 ~ Saturday ~ sun a-l-l the way from North Pole!
Hardly a cloud in the sky all 6 days on the road...have NEVER seen that in all of our 7 trips north. From Cashe Creek to Whitefish is about 11 hours driving time...a bit slower driving with a trailer. From north of Cashe Creek to the Shuswap Lake area the sagebrush is starting to bloom with yellow flowers...and from the Shuswap to Golden there are white and blue flowers along the roadside. Am wondering how the ginseng crops are fairing around Kamloops...all are normally covered whether to prevent sun damage...or bird damage...with a black mesh material, but most of the fields we see have weeds all the way through under the coverings.
In Radium Hot Springs people have turned out to wave as we go by, even are taking pictures! Seemed like there was a lot of older cars driving with us...all shiny and spiffed up. Kinda felt bad that we hadn't washed the p/u in a while...lots of bug splatters and not shiny OR spiffy. That'll teach us to wash the dirt off more often...and if that doesn't, then customs might! The border crossing was no hassle, but the guard did mention that if an agricultural agent had been around we may have had to retrace our 'steps' to Cranbrook (over an hour away) and power wash the whole outfit due to hoof and mouth, etc. that possibly may be in the soil, before stepping wheel on U.S. ground. That's a first for us! Usually it's...firearms...vegetables...fruit...you just never know! Anyway, God had led us safely back to our Whitefish home...so hard to leave both places...so happy to return to both!

THE CARIBOO~FRASER RIVER

September 14 ~ Friday ~ sun, sun, sun!
Just a bit foggy early, then sun all day long...AND 77 degrees! We started later than planned, having stopped at WalMart and Tim Horton's (good coffee and yummy ham and cheese bisquits...except this one only had the cheese...still yummy). Just walking back to the p/u when a BC couple drove up and stopped to inquire about Arctic Fox campers, so talked to them for about 45 minutes before leaving Prince George which is about 50 miles east of the geographical center of British Columbia, Vanderhoof. Nice drive, stopped in Williams Lake at their new tourist centRE, then back-tracked to the post office to 'post' a couple packages.
The Cariboo Highway ~97~ has a lot of history...and cool sounding names of towns to go with that history...Likely, Horsefly, Lac La Hache (meaning 'Lake of the Ax', named by a French Canadian coureur de bois or voyageur "becuase of a small ax he found on it's shores"), 70 Mile or 100 Mile or 150 Mile House (hamed for their distance from each other). The 100 Mile House was a stop for fur traders and later a post house on the Cariboo Waggon Road to the goldfields. The highway, at times, follows the Fraser River, quite historical in it's own right, as one of the routes to the Klondike goldfields. Arrived in Cashe Creek about 5pm and decided to call it a day and stay...for the third time...at the Brookside Campground...nice and neat again (maybe that should be BC's motto!). Don't know if we'll make it home tomorrow or not...maybe or maybe Sunday.

ON...TO PRINCE GEORGE

September 13 ~ Thursday ~ and sun again...never get enough of it!
Foggy in the morning, in bits and pieces, but blue sky above. Saw mushroom camps again on this stretch of Hwy 37...campers, tents, make-shift shelters....can be over a hundred different 'parties' searching for (I'm not sure which) mushrooms and have heard some species sell for many many dollars. Another beautiful drive, ending up in Prince George at the Blue Spruce RV Campground where we have previously stayed...clean and nice...AND SHOWERS ARE FREE *ALMOST UNHEARD OF*!!!

THE CASSIAR

September 12 ~ Wednesday ~ sunny all day!!!
Another wonderful day in the sun, driving down the Cassiar (Hwy 37), stopping at Meziadin Lake Provincial Park 98 miles north of the Yellowhead Highway 16...saw 4 black bears and a cow moose today, but they didn’t stick around for photos. Here the leaves have only started changing...the color of the day still being green. South of Iskut the colors really stood out with the spent fireweed and berry leaves a deep red and another...big...leaf a deep yellow. This is bear country...signs posted at the entrance to the campground and a warning in the Milepost. This can also be the living quarters of ‘the spirit bear’...a white black bear *not an albino*...habitat mostly to the SE of here, in the triangle NW of where the highways meet. The park is very pretty...on the lake...well kept (can see rake marks in unoccupied sites), as are all the provincial parks where we have stayed in British Colombia. Of course, no electricity, water, internet or phone...well, an internet phone that for $5 one can call anywhere in the world for 20 minutes, BUT... too late, the door was locked.

BEAUTIFUL DRIVE

September 11 ~ Tuesday ~ sunny...
AND BEAUTIFUL! A little fog off and on during the morning, but brilliant sun the rest of the time, so much so, the sweatshirt came off while riding. Found out the Yukon River doesn't have any ice on it so far! And the road sides are more green south of Whitehorse, altho the leaves are partly turning here, too. Found the Baby Nugget RV Campground 15 miles west of Watson Lake~YT is open...a few other RV's also here. Tomorrow morning will be decision time...we are a mile west of the Highway 37 juction, the Cassiar...or...the Alaska Highway, both about the same amount of miles, less than 50 in difference.
No pictures can be posted as no uploading can be done thru here...

GOING OUT

September 10 ~ Monday ~ cloudy to rainy.
Left Jim/JoAnn's a little before 8am on the way to Tok and Fast Eddy's, then on to the border with no problems crossing (we still have the burls!), arriving in Haines Jct. at 8pm and...WE FIND A CAMPGROUND OPEN! That's one of the problems of going to Alaska early or staying later...most campgrounds are closed. Being self-contained that presents no problem, but it's nice to be in an established place rather than at a roadside pull-out, which is frowned upon sometimes by those in authority.
The drive was beautiful with fall colors galore! Now the editing of the pictures will have to take place...love my digital camera!!! Snap...delete...snap...keep...
There are more RV's/campers than us on the road...mostly from Alaska and Canada, but the crowd has very much thinned out from the lower 48.
Haven't decided yet which way we will go back...over the Alaska Highway or the Cassiar...then, which way from Dawson Creek or Prince George, either going round-about to Bozeman/Belgrade or straight to Whitefish. Guess we'll have to decide later tomorrow...

STORIES OF THE HAUL ROAD

September 9 ~ Sunday ~ rainy.
Jack and Jim went to breakfast with a friend of Jim’s...and JoAnn and I went to breakfast by ourselves. After noon Jack and I went to Fairbanks for laundry and a little shopping, getting water, etc., then headed back to Jim’s to try to transfer the trucking video to a DVD...WHICH DID NOT WORK WELL AT ALL...but at least I have a few spots in the DVD where we can see just how the trucks were hauling those loads. There is also a frame of a couple caribou tipping their heads to the side to get their antlers under the pipeline...obviously, that has not bothered the wildlife in the negative. In fact, they will eat the grass under...and over the buried...pipe and Jim has even seen Dall sheep standing ON the pipe! Had a nice visit with Todd, both last night and tonight...and also saw Ben a couple times. These guys and the truckers can really ‘tell’ a lot of stories about their experiences...including being locked out of the truck in -20 degree weather with just shorts and slippers, having to wake another trucker for tools to get into the truck thru the tool box, crawl thru and push up on the sleeper bed...AND IN THE PROCESS LOSING SLIPPERS AND SHORTS...and the other trucker relaying this information to a cafe-full of their peers the next day.

MATERIAL ~ MODULE ~ DC-10

September 8 ~ Saturday ~ cloudy.
Slept in a little today...then traveled with JoAnn to Fairbanks for a bit of shopping at ‘The Material Girls’...a new fabric/quilting shop. Yeah, I did find some material to buy...and another pattern...and quilting magazines on embellishment sewing (remember the “machine that can’t sew my pants” that I bought at the Ninilchik fair?). Am anxious to try it out and experiment!
Had a very slow paced day...watched a mid-1980's video of Jim helping pull a couple huge heavy loads from Valdez to Prudhoe: one was two trucks pulling a truck with a HUGE module with a special low-boy trailer like a flatbed attached to a flatbed...at least 80 wheels...sometimes only 3 mph, the other a DC-10 with two trucks pulling and one pushing!!! Hoping to get a DVD of the video...(hint, hint)...SOON!

NORTH POLE TO NORTH SLOPE AND BACK

Friday ~ September 7 ~ partly sunny.
3:30am...getting ready to leave with Jim for the haul road...leaving at 4am, going to the ‘load-up’ place and leaving by 5:20am with two trucks (over-wide at 11 feet) and 2 pilot pick-up trucks. Soooo exciting! Never thought we’d see north of Fairbanks a few miles. We drove, averaging 25-35 mph, thru beautifully fall colored country, going in to the Brooks Range to the top of Atigun Pass * 357 miles from Fairbanks*. My thoughts/mind picture of the Brooks Range changed drastically...not all rock except up high...due to red, orange, gold, green, and yellow foliage, of shrubs, grasses, trees. Photos cannot give justice to God’s creation!
Coming back took less time, of course, going 50-60 mph, stopping at Coldfoot for dinner before arriving at North Pole a little after 2am. So glad we had the opportunity to see all this...and Jim is a very good tour guide, explaining what and where things are: a woman who lived/homesteaded with her two boys just off the road...called Mule Skinner by the men who drove the road because she was made of ‘tough-stuff’; why the hills or parts of the road had gotten their names; where trucks, at times, run off the road; stories of truck drivers and what happened to them. I’d go again in a minute! The haul road, from the Yukon River to Prudhoe Bay (373 miles) was built in 156 days! It takes courageous people to traverse some of those miles, especially in the winter, some steep terrain and sharp curves along the way. There are pump stations that are like minnie towns that can feed/sleep the drivers who have to go so slow...or are stranded by weather or break-downs. The pipe-line runs fairly close to the road, back and forth, under and over...wherEVer the ground is the most stable...and not in a straight line, but kinda zigzaggy to off-set the expansion and contraction that takes place along the pipe. The northern lights even made a ‘mild’ appearance about 60 miles above Fairbanks...one thing I’d like to see during the winter here...and heard that between Prudhoe Bay and the Brooks Range is the place to be for a spectacular display.

THE LAST DAY

September 6 ~ Thursday ~ cloudy.
When we arrived yesterday at our land we discovered Chris had started the building of his 20 X 14 guest cabin...Zach is doing the carpentry, with Mark helping... looks really nice. The door is in the middle of the long side and we really like the look, plus, I’m thinking, there is more room for ‘arrangement’. This one will have two bunk beds against the back wall with the bottom bunk full size...kitchen to the left of the door...eating area to the right...and there still could be a small ‘bathroom’ in one corner. Mark later came over for dinner...the last time we’ll see him for quite a while. The little black flies were back ...yup, we had started a fire. Didn’t miss those pesky little things at Jeff’s/Janell’s. After Mark left Jack made sure things would ride well in the trailer while I stashed things away in the camper. After three months things accumulate in places where they aren’t suppose to be.
A light rain during the night...a dreary morning...in more ways than one.
Jack started our last fire...but I stayed in the camper...didn’t want little feet walking around in my hair...but he had company since Kim visited for a bit.

GOOD-BY'S AND TO POINTS NORTH...BEFORE SOUTH

September 5 ~ Wednesday ~ sunny!
I HATE GOOD-BY'S!!! Always have, always will... Said good-by to Tanner and Chandler last night...and Janell this morning just before she left for work. Not knowing if we'll be back next year due to some unforeseen circumstance makes it all the harder since they are such awesome friends! *I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. Ephesians 1:16.*
Plans are...leaving shortly for Talkeetna (waiting for Three Bears to open at 10am first)...for one night, then to North Pole for maybe a couple (1-3 days), arriving home in Whitefish by the end of next week...so...will try to write from North Pole before heading out. Don't know if we'll get to see Paul/Susan and family...left a message last night, but haven't heard back yet.
Asked Janell last night about song birds and she, too, has noticed the lack of them. Just missing their songs in the pre-dawn hour, waking me up, even in the lower level of our home.

GRIZ'S & REBEL'S FAMILY IS HOME

September 4 ~ Tuesday ~ partly cloudy.
Let the dogs out early this morning...no moose to be found...while doing laundry and getting ready to leave to do a bit of shopping before picking Janell, Tanner and Chandler up at the airport in the afternoon. Stopped at two quilt shops...and *FINALLY* selected several prints I had not seen before...Alaska/cabin style...and a couple others for a special project I'm planning. Even tho I started over 5 hours before the plane's ETA I was a bit rushed in the end. IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO DECIDE ON COLOURS, ETC.! Mom would be so proud of me! Not only did Griz have an exciting time while Adams were gone...so did they...Janell hitting a table with her knee...Tanner dislocating his finger playing football...and Chandler, whose head was hit with the back jeep door while loading the luggage for the ride home, BUT they did have a good time in WA in spite of all the bumps and bruises. AND, apparently, this had not been the first time either weiner had had a run-in with a moose...

OF MOOSE...AND DOG

September 3 ~ Labor Day Monday ~ sunny!
Adams’ DO have a resident moose...and... being the *self-proclaimed* protectors they think they are, one of the resident weiners decided to chase the young cow. Trouble is...the young cow decided to chase back and the “yips” turned into big whines as the moose kicked out at Griz. Couldn’t see anything wrong altho he was wet and cold, so think only a little shock-y...watched him all morning and he seemed to be ok...just hoping there are no internal injuries. Later morning he went out with me and jumped into the camper to see Jack...a relief to say the least!
Afternoon saw me at the fair again...seeing Cindy, Lindsay and Tera for the last time this year...and making the rounds for any ‘specials’ on the last day. Even found some! More raffles, too...but...no calls during the evening to confirm we had won anything, sad to say.
Griz was fine after his ordeal, even ‘breaking’ into the bran muffin zip lock and eating one...maybe should leave the door open for him tonight! These little guys have such personalities! Aside from loving carrots from the garden, they, (especially Rebel) love snuggling under their blanket, turning and tunneling, making sure it’s all the way around them. I’m thinking I’m going to miss them, too...

REFRESHED ~ RENEWED

September 2 ~ Sunday ~ partly cloudy/sunny.
"It is well with my soul..." He who knew me before the world was formed has given refreshment and renewal. St. John LCMS, Palmer and Lamb of God LCMS, Wasilla provided this refreshment through the Word and Sacrament. Both taught law and gospel...both were friendly. St. John has over 800 souls...Lamb of God has about 130...both were more or less traditional...Lutheran Worship and praise hymns...both have VERY talented pianists! A 'wrong turn' let me discover the churches...coincidence? I think...KNOW...not!
Went shopping a bit before heading back to Adams'...then rearranged/cleaned (just a little) the camper (had to find places for the items bought at the fair). Then sat with one weiner dog's nose behind my back while the other snoozed under Jack's legs, watching movies...

4-H LIVESTOCK AUCTION

September 1 ~ Saturday ~ Pouring rain to partly cloudy.
The rain came down 'in buckets' this morning after I came in to let the 'weiners' out of their little houses. Actually, it started 'in buckets' and proceeded to barrels...for about an hour and a half, then sprinkled most of the morning, so took the umbrella to the fair and even decided to wear shoes, remembering how mud and Crocs don't mix. HIGH NOON ~ the start of the 4-H livestock auction. It's fun to watch how the bidding proceeds...not to mention the auctioneer's antics! Some really get into what they are doing! One is a policeman in Anchorage and also the head councelor for the 4-H...told how he works with troubled youth and these youth are outstanding members of society with their work ethics and disipline. Tera's steer sold for the unheard price of $7.25/pound! Bought by an equipment dealer, CMI, who sells to AIC, David's employer. Later, Cindy and I spent time together cruising the fair while Jack and David celebrated the sale. Today was e.l.e.p.h.a.n.t e.a.r (I'm sticking with the funnel cakes next time) and gyro (good, but I've had better)-eating time. Found some really neat journals and photo albums, all made out of natural fibers...the sale helps support schools being built in foreign countries. Now to find a place to store them while driving back to the states. Finally found David and Jack at the car races, still celebrating. The Weiners were soooo glad when we returned!

ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE CENTER~ANCHORAGE MUSEUM

August 31 ~ Friday ~ partly sunny...which means~partly cloudy.
It's Anchorage day with Cindy...Alaska Native Heritage Center, Anchorage Museum, Glacier Brewhouse, The Quilted Raven, Wal-Mart, DQ...zoom, zoom, zoom... Although we used the coupon 2fers for the center and the museum, the displays, tours, and presentations would be well worth the full admission. The Heritage Center had demonstrations on native dancing, games, beading, making clothes (even a parka out of the crested auklet bird's skins!) living quarters (making the entrance only big enough for a pregnant woman or a big man, BUT NOT FOR A POLAR BEAR~the only bear who will hunt man for food~and contrary to popular belief, only live in the far north of Alaska). The Museum had a lot of artifacts in The Alaska Gallery...clothing, boats, harpoons, equipment for whale processing, guns, art (paintings, masks, carvings, blankets...)...time frame from the very early days until modern time. Alaska's Native people ar divided into eleven distinct cultures, speaking twenty one different languages (brochure)... Athabascan, Yup'ik, Cup'ik, Insupiaq (remember that polar bear?), St. Lawrence Island Yupik, Aleut, Alutiq, Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian...all divided into 5 geographical locations, mostly depending on climate.
The Glacier Brewhouse...very delicious albiet more expensive than, say, McDonald's...try the Jumbalia Fetticine ($12.95 and well worth every little morsel), but we don't recommend the waffle cone sundae at DQ...probably stick with the ever so yummy peanut buster parfait (speaking from personal experience??? Maybe...) A very fun and enjoyable day with Cindy! Kinda slow on the way back to Palmer...wreck traffic for about 20 miles...at about 20 mph. Later evening Jack took Janell, Tanner and Chandler to the airport for their flight to Yakama, WA and a wedding. I heard the fireworks from the fair, but didn't see them... and quite short-lived, so glad we didn't go just for that tonight!