August 15, 2009 ~ Saturday
It's raining...we are damp...we are at a campground in Talkeetna...we are hooked up to electric...we are charging batteries that were low...we are drying out...we are happy. We are also right by the RR and the airport so can see the bus/train transfers and small planes and helicopters taking off/landing. Talkeetna is the 'jumping off place' for climbing Denali and for the air/boat tours of 'the mountain' and area. This past Monday we met some friends from MT who we haven't seen in 13 years. They had a few hours layover before flying out that night after a cruise up the inside passage. It's soooo cool to see/meet people up here, help them with their sight-seeing...and even give them some fresh picked Alaskan blueberries! Tomorrow we'll be seeing friends who live in Palmer and in a few days go to their house for salmon and halibut just caught in Kodiak a week ago! I'll be picking more blueberries (reminds me of huckleberries...a party in your mouth!) this next week, either in the wet and rain or with the mosquitoes and little black flies. OK...I'm going to have to bite the bullet and walk in the rain to "beautiful downtown Talkeetna". It's a must...

August 9, 2009 ~ Sunday
The C-PAP came in the mail on Friday…now no more snoring, BUT maybe that would have been better the last two nights because I’ve had really weird dreams…ugly ones, in fact. After returning home on Friday I picked blueberries with the mosquitoes…and there are many more, of both. Next time…a mosquito jacket from Freddy’s. Saturday was a beautiful day! High wispy clouds…just sat by the fire with the little black flies (can feel them stomping on my head, in the hair)… reading ‘A Land Gone Lonesome’ by Dan O’Neill…a VERY GOOD book about the author canoe-ing down the Yukon River from Dawson City to Circle City, siting important places and true stories of how the trappers, natives and people/organizations have lived and ‘shaped the land’…organizing maps/receipts…and eating crackers/cheese and sipping WINE. Just really roughing it… Tomorrow we’ll head into Wasilla, do laundry, etc. and meet with our friends fresh off a cruise ship. They’ll be flying out in the evening, but hopefully will be able to see Denali from the Anchorage area. Today started out rainy…and looks to continue…so will probably read and go thru brochures again, taking out exactly what I want to keep.

August 6, 2009 ~ Thursday
So...running out of propane isn't a good thing...fridge doesn't run...no hot water...no coffee~the reason we are in town. AND no C-PAP yet so will have to come into town again tomorrow to check on that. Did check as to the whereabouts of my pkg. I had sent in late August of lat year to a friend here to try and sell...she did get it, but don't know if any sold this year or not as she had customers just at that time. Cruising isn't something that a lot of people are doing these days...

August 5, 2009 ~ Wednesday North Pole last weekend…celebrated Jack’s brother’s birthday on Saturday and Sunday we drove to Salcha to visit our nephew and his family. While there we cut and peeled three diamond willow walking sticks and went to the back 40 to take photos of the old homestead…fallen in cabin and a moose smoker. George Parks highway…Monday we left for our land by Talkeetna, stopping first for Bun on the Run sandwiches (yummy) and NO cinnamon rolls, stopping at Nenana and buying ice classic 2010 tickets (over $300,000 for the person/person[s]…split… who guess the closest time when the ice starts going out in April or May), going thru smoke until just 25 miles north of Denali Park, then seeing ‘the mountain’ in all it’s God-given grandeur…not one cloud!!! 20 out of 100 people see Denali while here…we’ve been in the 20% everytime… We have cell phone service…most of the time…at 39066 S. Malispina Loop! Monday night…Jack’s C-PAP quit…can you say SNORE???!!! Called Norco in Kalispell and they’ll send a loaner this week~YEA!! For a month~HUH??? Might have to go home early because of said situation. Tuesday we sat around the fire (hardly any bugs)…read...had a good relaxing time…visited with Kim (neighbor across the road who built our road) and Mark (the resident-do-whatever-work-there-is-to-do-person). Wednesday it rained…so started the generator and sorted pictures to post…also went thru all the brochures from the trip, weeding out things not needed…and…visited with Kim… The trail toward the back of our land that we cut 2 years ago is no more…over-grown with Devil’s Club, fireweed, grasses, little saplings, ferns…and mosquitoes, which I’ll find when I start looking for blueberries. The fireweed is probably 3/4ths done, the ferns starting to turn a lighter green, both starting into fall-mode…

August 2, 2009 ~ Sunday
We're still in North Pole...still sitting in smoke...still having a pleasant time with everyone. Jack's brother celebrated his 72nd BD yesterday...today we will go out to our nephew's place, 40 acres with diamond willow they want cut. He was married a year ago...just met his wife and she is soooo nice! Their little one is 7 weeks old...yup, I've held, fed, changed, rocked to sleep...just something that's really hard for me to do...NOT! Talkeetna tomorrow...AND...on the 10th we'll be meeting some friends whom we haven't seen in 12 years! They now live about 4 hours south of us in MT...but must come all this way (on a cruise) to see each other again.

July 31, 2009 ~ Friday
Fireweed...the aftermath of a fire...whole mountainsides ABLAZE with deep pink flowers...and with every turn of the road even more vibrant. That's what we saw following the excavator load up the Steese highway on Wednesday...that and miles and miles of trees/mountains in the distance. Well, that is, AFTER mile 60 about because before that the trees along the road were too dense...so it's pavement and no sight vs. gravel and beauty. Going up was slow...coming back, faster. There are...COUNT THEM...only three spots to stop for 'resting' and when you're in a pilot vehicle you DON'T stop unless the one pulling the load does. He didn't...until he arrived at mile 114, his destination.
I saw three moose that day...two bulls, one cow...all in beautiful shape...and HUGE!
Yesterday Jim and Jack went east 5 hours to pick up a rock truck, piloting on the way back to Fairbanks. I took the p/u/camper into Fairbanks and refreshed everything...did laundry...shopped a little.
Today ???? Still smoky...

July 28, 2009 ~ Tuesday
Happy Birthday, Amanda, day after tomorrow!!!
Only saw two big planes go over this evening...must admit tho I was in Fairbanks for the better part of the day...so more could have taken off.
We're going up the Steese tomorrow with Jack's brother who will pilot a load up to mile 114 from Fairbanks. Circle is on the Yukon River and at the end of this hwy, but we won't be going that far. We'll be headed to Talkeetna one of these days. It's so nice not to have (mostly self-imposed) schedules...just go with the flow.
It's been fairly warm here...in the 80's the past couple days at least, but nothing like the NW...triple digits in Seattle and Vancouver. In our little Lucy's town it's raining and cool.
Little Lucy...boy or girl we don't know, but our 3 year old grandson named the baby (our 6th grandchild) Lucy 2 or 3 months ago. The little one will be born the first part of Sept and all is going well...