Monday, May 26, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Breaking News....
Our tulips bloomed today and we have little purple flowers starting to show up in our ground clutter. It is absolutely beautiful today. 60 degrees with no wind or clouds. Squirt and I just got back from our evening walk and he is one panting puppy...literally!
Our first guests of the season left Sunday night. From the sounds of things they had a good time. However, I guess we scheduled too much for them to do as they LOST weight on vacation instead of gained. I felt really bad! More about our adventures when the pictures are ready this weekend.
The bears are definitely out now as evidenced by this article in the paper. It is sad the bear was shot and killed but it now associated food with homes and that is never a good combination. FYI, I am pretty sure they tossed the rug too.
Today's Alaska Daily News had a discussion of what to do when a moose dies in your yard. I particularly liked the suggestion to...
"Instead, property owners should haul their inedible dead moose to the dump ... Another option is burying the carcass in the yard..."
Now - there's a picture - Robert, Squirt and I trying to bury a moose in the yard deep enough every so dog, fox and wolf doesn't try to dig it up for a snack. (Now where did I put my backhoe?) I would probably go the "pay someone to do it" route.
I have had a couple people ask what we are paying for gas. Alaska now has the distinction of being the first state to average more than $4 per gallon...Yippee! We are paying $3.89 in Anchorage last I checked.
Our first guests of the season left Sunday night. From the sounds of things they had a good time. However, I guess we scheduled too much for them to do as they LOST weight on vacation instead of gained. I felt really bad! More about our adventures when the pictures are ready this weekend.
The bears are definitely out now as evidenced by this article in the paper. It is sad the bear was shot and killed but it now associated food with homes and that is never a good combination. FYI, I am pretty sure they tossed the rug too.
Today's Alaska Daily News had a discussion of what to do when a moose dies in your yard. I particularly liked the suggestion to...
"Instead, property owners should haul their inedible dead moose to the dump ... Another option is burying the carcass in the yard..."
Now - there's a picture - Robert, Squirt and I trying to bury a moose in the yard deep enough every so dog, fox and wolf doesn't try to dig it up for a snack. (Now where did I put my backhoe?) I would probably go the "pay someone to do it" route.
I have had a couple people ask what we are paying for gas. Alaska now has the distinction of being the first state to average more than $4 per gallon...Yippee! We are paying $3.89 in Anchorage last I checked.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Friday, May 09, 2008
Our first blooming flower of 2008
Yes - this was disappointing since I tried to rip this out last weekend...
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Another Year ... Another City Wide Clean-up Week
Hopefully, many of you have visited our beautiful State and have fantastic memories of the views, wildlife and people. If you have, chances are it was not during or just after break-up because it is UGLY.
As far as I can tell, this is the one downside to living here. Just before spring and green fully arrive, we go through melt. Everything is wet and brown because of all the gravel used during the winter and the mud created during breakup. We also have LOADS of trash uncovered.
For some reason, many people believe it is OK to toss all trash out of their cars in the winter. I don't understand why - maybe because it is easily covered up with snow? Regardless - when the snow leaves - the trash is everywhere. From 27.5 gabillion cigarette butts to full size mattresses, passports to wallets, paper cups to sleeping bags, used shotgun shells to wine bottles...it is all there.
Of course, we don't want of our visitors to remember trash and we really don't want to look at it so for the last 40 years, the city has organized a clean up week. For one full week, they provide trash bag and free drop off at the land fill. The residents and businesses provide the labor and today was my day to pick up trash along the road in an orange safety vest.
Picking up trash gives you lots of time to think about things like how sore you are going to be the next day due to the bending AND how to reduce the trash problem with heavy fines, jail time and prison work crews.
I am thankful our employer is willing to participate and let employees volunteer to help clean up the city. It does make an amazing difference. It is just sad we need to do this each year when the solution seems so simple...
As far as I can tell, this is the one downside to living here. Just before spring and green fully arrive, we go through melt. Everything is wet and brown because of all the gravel used during the winter and the mud created during breakup. We also have LOADS of trash uncovered.
For some reason, many people believe it is OK to toss all trash out of their cars in the winter. I don't understand why - maybe because it is easily covered up with snow? Regardless - when the snow leaves - the trash is everywhere. From 27.5 gabillion cigarette butts to full size mattresses, passports to wallets, paper cups to sleeping bags, used shotgun shells to wine bottles...it is all there.
Of course, we don't want of our visitors to remember trash and we really don't want to look at it so for the last 40 years, the city has organized a clean up week. For one full week, they provide trash bag and free drop off at the land fill. The residents and businesses provide the labor and today was my day to pick up trash along the road in an orange safety vest.
Picking up trash gives you lots of time to think about things like how sore you are going to be the next day due to the bending AND how to reduce the trash problem with heavy fines, jail time and prison work crews.
I am thankful our employer is willing to participate and let employees volunteer to help clean up the city. It does make an amazing difference. It is just sad we need to do this each year when the solution seems so simple...
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
The Bears Survived Another Outing
Nope - I don't have a new black bear sofa throw. However, I am sure he brought home approximately 200lbs of mud on the ATV, packs and gun boot. All of the colors had turned into brownish gray. .
The funny part about the hunt was after they parked the ATVs and went up a hill on foot, a moose came by the and left a "deposit" right by the quads. They are probably lucky the moose didn't gnaw on some part! (Unless, of course, the quads were already covered in mud and the discriminating moose palette doesn't eat mud!) I am just glad he got home safe and sound!
My hunt however was more successful. I have new shoes and Squirt received a gourmet biscuit at a new canine store in town for being such a good guard dog all morning!
Sunday, we made our first (of many expected) trips to the nursery. Our tomato plants, cilantro and mint are hardening off as I type. Our chives are up and ready to use plus I found the first poppy flower just so close to blooming. All this means is I spent the rest of Sunday in the flower bed cleaning out the dead brush from last year. It actually took us part of Monday to finish. Just a few more days and dingy winter will be gone!
The funny part about the hunt was after they parked the ATVs and went up a hill on foot, a moose came by the and left a "deposit" right by the quads. They are probably lucky the moose didn't gnaw on some part! (Unless, of course, the quads were already covered in mud and the discriminating moose palette doesn't eat mud!) I am just glad he got home safe and sound!
My hunt however was more successful. I have new shoes and Squirt received a gourmet biscuit at a new canine store in town for being such a good guard dog all morning!
Sunday, we made our first (of many expected) trips to the nursery. Our tomato plants, cilantro and mint are hardening off as I type. Our chives are up and ready to use plus I found the first poppy flower just so close to blooming. All this means is I spent the rest of Sunday in the flower bed cleaning out the dead brush from last year. It actually took us part of Monday to finish. Just a few more days and dingy winter will be gone!
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Shhhhhhh! Be verrrrry quiet!
Robert's hunting .....Black Bear
Yes, I got up bright and early for a Saturday morning (although the sun was up), made a very spicy breakfast of hearty biscuits and gravy and waved goodbye to our hunter. Maybe we will have a black bear blanket by the end of the day.
Squirt and I will also be hunting today. We will be hunting for shoes. Apparently, the dry Alaska climate is hard on soles of shoes formerly used to a humid existence. I have had two different pair in the last month lose chunks of soles the size of gravel. Btw - this is very uncomfortable to walk on. Regardless, I had to put back change outfits twice this week because I didn't have matching shoes. Then I learned about the male bonding bear hunt....perfect timing for a shopping trip. Lookout mall, here I come...after my next cup of coffee.
Breaking News....
One of our friends still living in Houston is now a published author. He contributed to a book by Heather B. Armstrong a.k.a Dooce (of blog infamy). Congrats to Bill and the new book Things I Learned About My Dad
Yes, I got up bright and early for a Saturday morning (although the sun was up), made a very spicy breakfast of hearty biscuits and gravy and waved goodbye to our hunter. Maybe we will have a black bear blanket by the end of the day.
Squirt and I will also be hunting today. We will be hunting for shoes. Apparently, the dry Alaska climate is hard on soles of shoes formerly used to a humid existence. I have had two different pair in the last month lose chunks of soles the size of gravel. Btw - this is very uncomfortable to walk on. Regardless, I had to put back change outfits twice this week because I didn't have matching shoes. Then I learned about the male bonding bear hunt....perfect timing for a shopping trip. Lookout mall, here I come...after my next cup of coffee.
Breaking News....
One of our friends still living in Houston is now a published author. He contributed to a book by Heather B. Armstrong a.k.a Dooce (of blog infamy). Congrats to Bill and the new book Things I Learned About My Dad
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