Summer, Summer, Summer

Sunrise 3:24 a.m.   Sunset  11:59 p.m.

Hello from Central Alaska!  Summer is here.  Which explains why I've been MIA- I've been out playing.  Having fun, exploring the unexplored, by me, anyway.  And visiting some favorite spots, as well.

Since my last post we have seen and enjoyed Portland.  Loved Cannon Beach and all it's salty sea air.  We saw Goonies Rock, which is awesome, and admired trees, trees and more luscious green trees.  In Seattle we met up with friends for a drink before heading back to Fairbanks.  It was great to see Crystal and Ken, after working for her for a few years, it was nice to just relax and enjoy each others company.

After unpacking and reuniting with the furkids we settled back in life on the Last Frontier.  Memorial Day Weekend found us picking up our boat...FINALLY.  Brent has been anxiously checking the mail, the phone and the email every 3 minutes for weeks.  I have never been so glad to have to make a trip to Fairbanks in my entire life.  

Saturday we attempted to get out, but with 2 dump truck loads of gravel to shovel, we found ourselves working instead of playing.  Finally, late Saturday evening we managed to head out to our favorite area in the Donnelly area of lakes.  Of course, we knew that finding a free lake was going to take some time.  

Brent and the furkids tromped up and down dale and hill to find a free one.  And when we did, we all celebrated.  The dogs love to run, but don't love to be reigned in mid-sniff.  I mean, after all they may miss a rabbit trail...

Once we found an unoccupied lake, Brent set about inflating our new flotation device.  We were all excited, well, scratch that, Brent and I were excited to try out the new boat.  Unfortunately, Cash and Ches were more interested in gulping fresh lake water and swimming, swimming, swimming.  

In the interest of sanity, Brent and I decided that he and Ches would make the maiden voyage while Cash and I watched from shore.  So, they hopped aboard, we pushed them off, and about 5 ft. from shore Ches projectile vomited all over Brent and the new boat.  I wish I had a camera to capture the look on Brent's face.  Somewhere between sheer rage and udder disgust.  He maneuvered back to shore and we gave up the boat for the evening.

After indulging Ches and Cash in plenty of water play, we took off for home.  We were thoroughly enjoying the late night sun, lamenting a bit about how we "never see any buffalo" and voila!  As if sent to us, they were there.  Lots and lots of buffalo.

And then even more buffalo.  So we sat and enjoyed every bit of the experience.  They mulled around, interested, then suddenly stampeded off towards the majestic mountain range.  I wish they had stuck around a little longer.

As always the scenery near Donnelly is fantastic.  The mountains were out and proud, and waiting to be admired.

This is a photo of one of the forest fires burning near Delta on Memorial Day weekend.  Luckily we've gotten some rain, and the fires (and smoke) have subsided slightly.  It continues to rain, and hopefully it will work in putting out the rest of the fires in the area.

This is the sun at 11:15 p.m. on Saturday, Memorial Day weekend 2010.

We also grilled with friends, took in the local Memorial Day service at the cemetery, and picnicked and napped...and well, just enjoyed the weekend.  Oh, and lucky hubby worked, too.

This past weekend proved to be equally busy as the one before. Friday we were both beat and hit the hay early.  Saturday found me holding a Sassy party and readying the food, the troops and the camper for our first outing.

Saturday morning we woke to more rain, which was welcome, but irritating, and cooler temps.  Luckily in the afternoon it warmed up and we managed to get out and enjoy the cool, damp, but lovely weather.  All in all, the first night in the pop up was a grand success.  Despite the hundreds of pin-sized bloodsuckers preying on us in our sleep.

Sunday we headed for home, napped, played, walked, napped a little more.  Work, play, work, play.  The cycle of life, as it were.  Tonight we are getting more rain.  And while I know that it's needed in the area to help combat the forest fires, I can't help but dream a little dream, involving sun!

Happy Summer!

Preparing for Spring

Break up hasn't happened yet.  But I'm hoping, and wishing, and praying that it's close.  And that it gets over in record time.  Because I already I know what it's going to bring.  With a total of 12 feet in our household, I'm expecting a lot of mud.  I've already resigned to rolling up the rug, exposing the much-easier-to-clean bare wood, and I should probably break out some sheets for the furniture.  Just a little extra protection.  Uff da. 

We have been beautiful weather.  The evenings still dip low into the teens, but the days have been warming up.  The sun is shining and is sticking around long into the evening.  The hubby even goes to bed when it's still light out now.  It really is a nice break.  From the dark.  And  it makes the coming of spring, and Alaska's best season (in my opinion) summer, much anticipated.  The sun already feels warmer.  The parking lots, and our yard, have slick spots where the snow is warmed by day and frozen to slippery hardness again at night.  But it's all worth it. 

Brent was out this weekend, with the dogs and without the camera, driving in our favoritest of spots.  And spotted a lynx.   Broad daylight, perched on the side of the road.  He was pretty excited when he got home to tell me about it. 

Monday I was off to Fairbanks for a doctor's appt and he was out, playing, again.  He spotted 16 moose.  Yep.  16.  I swear, I'm wildlife repellant.  He has the best luck.  Ever. 

This week we plan to go look at pop up camper to improve our summer adventures.  When I say "look at" I really just mean that we plan to buy it.  Who am I kidding?  But it will be fun.  Brent already has Memorial Day (and every other weekend I think) planned out, for plenty of fishing, camping, and reading.  Yeah.  He threw in that last little bit for my benefit.  What he really means is I can bring a book along, in case I find a spare minute to bask in the sun and read.  Don't tell him, but I really don't mind.

The boat should be arriving in April.  Brent, for one, is UBER excited about this.  I'm looking forward to all the places we'll be able to go, but boats really do make me nervous.  Just another one of my chicken tendencies to overcome, I guess.  I'll let you know after the first trip, if I think I'll be able to do so. 

Hope that spring is coming to your neck of the woods. 

What's first on your spring cleaning list?

Happy March!

Our First Trip on the Tanana

There's nothing like waking up, grabbing a nice cup of green tea, sitting down at the computer and getting an email from home. Usually they come from my mom. Warm, loving updates of what she has planned for today, what they did yesterday, and so on. Today my note said "It's been RAINY and GLOOMY for days wake up and update". Gee thanks Dad. Love you too! lol.

This weekend we took our very first trip on the Tanana River. What a treat! I am addicted, and I love it. I don't know how to explain it, other than the scenery is breathtaking, and the water looks like chocolate milk. It's murky, silt-filled water, rolling and bucking, but it's majestic as well. We had a great time. The temps were cool, and though we dressed warm, it wasn't quite warm enough.

We took off about 6 p.m. and floated out on the Clearwater Lake to the Tanana River. Once we were on the river we headed over to the Clearwater River. Photo #3 is where the Clearwater and Tanana rivers meet. Can you tell a difference? It's unbelievable. This distinct line that you can see as you come down the river.

Once we were finished there we headed upriver to fish for burbot. The waters were a little choppy and bucky, but we sat, talked and fished. We went with friends from Brent's work, and their little dog Willie. We left Ches at home because of her love of water. I really didn't want to have to chase her downstream. Better safe than sorry.

The sun at midnight on Saturday over the Tanana

Willie the boat dog.

Tanana/Clearwater rivers meet

Bluebells on an island in the Tanana River

Low bush cranberries

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View from the island where we were fishing.

The guys fished for quite a while and we had a great time just visiting. When we were sitting still the air was warm and lovely. After a while we stopped at an island and jumped out to explore. What a treat! We saw wildflowers all over the island. The guys continued to fish with no luck, Willie played, I played with the camera and took some shots, we watched some geese mating and playing on a sandbar across the way, lit a fire, roasted some hot dogs and just relaxed. What a blast! I really cannot wait to do it again.

On our way home we stopped off on a sandbar where co-workers of Brent's were camping. It's the float that we were invited on, what a great set up! Plunked down on a sandbar, complete with screen house for a mess tent, and a genious idea for a duck blind repurposed as a porta-potty. Awesome! I cannot wait to get settled so we can go...someday. The bummer of starting over is that we have NOTHING. But we will. In time.

We got off the water about 12:15 a.m. on Sunday morning. I really think I could have stayed out there all night. I have been searching and searching for boats all weekend, but Brent is telling me that I can't have one until I have a job. Well, darn him for being such a buzz kill! Ha! I know that a boat most likely won't come until next summer, but man, I wish it would be this year.

When we got home we were frozen like little popsicles and fell into bed. I slept in on Sunday morning, then packed my stuff up and headed to Fairbanks. I went in search of a freezer for our upcoming fishing trip. Since Brent hadn't slept well, he decided to stay home. It was a great day for a drive. I will say that the Richardson in spring/summer rivals the North Shore Drive in autumn. It is beautiful! The fresh, lush leaves pop in shades of lime, with the Sitka Spruce filling in with bluer shades of green. It's really beautiful, and everyone should see it!

Yesterday we laid low. I had been wanting to try out a new recipe for scallop pizza. So I whipped up some crusts, arugula/walnut pesto, red sauce and scallops. Grilled up the crusts, and tried them out. Pretty darn good. I think I vote for the pesto, but Brent likes the red sauce, with some tweeking. Since we had plenty we loaded up crusts and all the fixings and took over to Brad & Rose's as a thank you for taking us on our little excursion on the Tanana.

Brent cleaned up the trailer, and groaned over it's bruises from the trip across Canada in January. But in all good news, it held up so well, even the tires, and though we'll have to replace them before long, the tires are still good for now.

This week we hope to find out if we will indeed be moving. If not, we'll adjust, but a little more privacy would be nice. Really nice. I am still waiting for the phone to ring, and I fluctuate between all thoughts positive and thinking that it may be decades before that darn phone rings! So, I keep reciting words of patience, we'll see if it works.

Have a very happy day!