New Home???

Not finalized yet, but this is the one we chose! Three bedroom, 2 1/4 bath, one living, area/dining area combined.  It will be cozy!

NOPE - You can never have enough pictures of cute Koalas!

Can everyone spot him?  He actually ran across the ground in front of us.  They can move right along when they want to!

Australian Zoo Day

Yes - once again - we go house hunting and end up doing something touristy!  But it just doesn't get any better than this!!!

We visited the Australia Zoo yesterday.  This is the one made famous by Steve Irwin (Crikey Mate) and his family (Terri, Bindi and Robert) still participates in the shows every day.  It is one of the best zoo's I have been to for animal interaction.  They had a Tasmanian Devil on a leash, the Cheetah, the Dingos, a couple of lizards (OK - they weren't on a leash).  The shows were interesting and the animals VERY active.  We either hit the right day or they work with the animals more than any other zoo I have been to in order to make it interesting and to keep people coming back.  If you ever make it to Brisbane - this is a must do!!!

An Echnidna.  While no relation (to my knowledge) to a hedgehog, they sure look like one!

 Big Salty Crocodile.  Terri Irwin is standing just on the left.  They are trying to get the croc to strike.  They have several in tanks behind the stadium (The Croceseum) and I believe they use a different croc each day of the week.  That way they can control their diet and make sure they stay a little peckish.

 Dingos!

 A wombat.

 And should my Koala Hugging Career fail, I can always feed the Roos!

 Check out their claws (yes, I got a tiny bruise).

What I want to do when I grow up...

Bad news...

The owner's of the property we want to rent turned down our small pet request.   Housing is hard to come by here.  This means another couple of years w/o a puppy.  I'll have to take up a new hobby - such as travelling EVERYWHERE with RLT.  (He will be SO glad to hear this.)

Cost of living...

Apparently is pretty high in Brisbane.  For example, a 24 pack of diet coke in the local discount store is $25 AUD.  Guess I'll go back to drinking water - it's better for me anyway.  However, that price is better than the $4 you pay in a restaurant for a can.  A lot of the grocery store prices seem very similar to Alaska.  Regardless, I am going back to the US and stocking up on things like sunscreen, ziplocks, etc. so don't be surprised when there is an article in the Houston news about the run on dry goods at the local Wal-marts.

We have not yet heard if we have been accepted for the town house we put an application in for.  If we do get it, it is approximately 2 blocks from the path along the river, 4 blocks to a water taxi stop and about 4 miles from Robert's office.  He will have to drive through the city to get there.  It has rooftop access and you can see some of the city.  There is an SPCA close by for me to volunteer at along with lots of shops and cafes.  No yard though.  We will have to bring some AstroTurf in case we get a dog. :)

It is about 1/3 of the size of our current house.  MOST of our stuff will go into storage for the next couple of years.  We need to choose wisely on what we bring. and when we move again, it will be like having 2 different Christmas celebrations in one year.  :)  We go in a few minutes to measure the new space.  I should have pictures to post tomorrow. 

If we are turned down for a house, we have #2 and #3 picked out.  One is near the gov'ner's mansion and the other is an apartment on the river with beautiful city views.  The hard part will be which one to apply for.  I have a favorite but I am not certain RLT does...

More to come!

Aaaahhh - Spiders

As you are probably aware, Australia has some rather poisonous critters here.  I haven't done all of the necessary research to be able to recognize the venomous spiders and deadly snakes - that will come while sitting in the park after we move. 

Regardless, I saw some REALLY BIG spiders yesterday.  The golden orb spider can have a leg span of over 7 inches and a body almost 2 inches long.  They have gold bands on their legs. http://www.learningspark.com.au/shop/nt/gospider/index.html

Then there's the Huntsman...they like living in flat spaces such as under your sun visor in the car.  That will be tons of fun the first time I flip the visor down while driving on the left side of the road in Brisbane traffic and a (REALLY BIG) spider falls in my lap.  I believe we only saw dead Huntsman spiders yesterday - inside the houses.  http://www.mdavid.com.au/spiders/huntsmanspiders.shtml

The capper though was the GIANT spider on the deck of one of the Queenslander houses that had a huge web with a dead mouse in it.  I wasn't thinking or I would have taken a picture of it.  Luckily it was outside of the house and the agent assured us the house would be cleaned once a lease was signed. 

Btw - most of these homes don't have screens on the windows and many don't have air conditioning where you must open the windows to get a breeze. 

Day #3....

Now...where is that perfect house???

Somewhere in a city of 4 million, you would think we could find a place to live.  The leasing process is different here.  As a potential renter, you make an appointment with the manager, review the property, and if you think it is one you are interested in, you put in an application.  The owner then reivews all of the applications and picks who they think will be the most stable renters. I view it as a credit check on steroids.

Most of the houses here have hardwood floors.  At least the rent houses.  They are beautiful. 

On a different note, coffee here is VERY strong.  I get mine with 2 sugars and can't taste it what-so-ever.  I'm afraid to try it straight.  It is also expensive, but I figure in the long run, I will save money as it only takes 1 cup to make up for the 6-8 cups I drink at home.  :P

House Learings...

Houses in Brisbane are smaller and more expensive than Houston. I'm not that surprised about either item, except they are expensive enough they rent by the week.  For example, one of the houses was fairly new construction, 3 bedroom, 3 bath and 2 car garage.  They are asking 1300 AUD / per week.  That will be close to $70,000 US for 1 year.  Amazing!

We also discoverred there is no need to bring the oven roaster or the cookie sheets.  They won't fit in the ovens.  It is also good we came prior to packing to at least view the houses.  Even if we don't find a place this trip, I now know better what to pack and what to leave home.  Basic rule - leave most in storage.

I have been saying, we have too much stuff.  I have now confirmed it!!!

There is great public transportation here.  Busses, ferries, water taxis, trains, etc.   I hope to become a master at using the system so I don't have to drive much.

Still trying to find that perfect location where the commute will be short and groceries close (see driving comment from earlier :P).

The Next Adventure Begins...

Yes - WE ARE MOVING TO BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA!!!!

I have only one word for that -

YEA!

Robert is being transferred on his project and I am going to take a break and NOT work in an office for a couple of years to see if I will be able to survive in retirement.

I don't think that will be a problem.

Our house hunting trip will be the first time I have ever been to the continent.  Hope I like it.  :)

Anyway - this should give me time to start blogging again.  I hope you stop by to check it out periodically!

EGAG - Trying to change email addresses

WHAT A NIGHTMARE!

Hum...I must be taking the summer off...

OK - Maybe the middle 6 months of the year.

To everyone who has encouraged me to keep writing, I expect to return to creativeness in a few months...until then...thanks for the thoughts and have a great summer!

In Preparation for Vacation

This morning, we decided to go to a kolache restaurant for breakfast. Unfortunately, it was closed for Easter. SO, we decided to try the Colombian bakery right next door.

You know, the best way to learn a language is total immersion which is what we found this morning. With the clouds, drippy-ness of the day and the uncomfortably high humidity, I am sure this is what it will be like when we head to Columbia later this summer.

The food was excellent and everything we tried, regardless of size, was $1.10.

And we never did find anything but baked goods.

Happy Easter everyone!

We have Squirrels

When we lived in Houston in 2004, our yard was never visited by a single squirrel.

We are covered with them now and of course, we have a squirrel feeder for corn cobs. Not a fancy one mind you...this one is 2 pieces of 1X4 nailed together at a right angle with a nail to hold the cob. It is on one of the palm trees by the pool.

They still like bird seed better. We have a bird feeder hanging on a shepherd's hook. It initially started by the palm trees also but then we saw the squirrels use the sago fronds to get on the feeder. So we moved it. Then they used the patio chairs. So we moved it. Then they used the table. So we moved it. (Notice a pattern - the squirrel was winning!) The last location we caught them climbing the shepherd's hook itself. Now we have a lovely green circle of plastic designed to keep the squirrels from getting to the bird feed.

They can still get to it somehow (we haven't seen how yet) but at least they aren't on it so much now. The birds actually get food and the squirrels are eating the corn like they are supposed to.

Besides, when they really want bird seed, they can always go to the duck food in the driveway. I looked out the other day and there was a squirrel, lounging on his belly, back feet turned up and eating right along with the ducks. It's a wonder he didn't get stepped on or nipped.

One busy little squirrel is building a nest in the neighbor's yard. He is building his condo at the very top of a tree and should have a lovely view. Interestingly enough, he runs down to the bottom branches, breaks a branch off and then carries it back to the building site and weaves it in. (Of course to see all of this, I had to get the binoculars out. Wonder what the neighbor's thought...) Apparently nest building is very tiring as he would lay down on a lower branch periodically and just relax. But not for long and then it's back to building.

Can't wait to see the little ones!

Houston Rodeo Excursion

I had forgotten how big Rodeo is here. We had the opportunity to go to the Houston Rodeo a couple of weeks ago. I had never been. It reminded me a lot of a county or state fair with the carnival, food vendors and exhibits only it was WAY more crowded and I could walk around drinking wine as long as I didn't leave the grounds.

For the Rodeo part, we saw Tie-down roping, Bareback Riding, Steer Wrestling, Team Roping, Saddle Bronc Riding, Barrel Racing and Bull Riding. Those cowboys are crazy doing some of those events. If I remember right, the top three places in each event received money. In the Bull Riding event, of the 10 cowboys, only three stayed on the bull long enough to have the ride count which made it easy to see who the winners were.

I really enjoyed those events. However, the best was yet to come!

Chuck Wagon Races look like fun. I view it a lot like NASCAR or the Texas Highways. Hop on, wait for the gun and go as fast as you can in a circle!

The there was the Calf Scramble. This recipe calls for 28 FFA (Future Farmer of America) students, 14 calves, 14 rope bridles and 1 square drawn in the center of the arena covering about 1/3 of the floor. When the gun goes off, the students chase the calves around the arena and the first 14 that catch, put a bridle on and (sometimes) drag a calf back into the square, win a prize. (Unfortunately, I missed what the prize was.) The trick to this is the calves don't necessarily see the fun in this event. They had their own ideas about where they wanted to stand and look at the crowd and it wasn't necessarily from the middle of the arena in a chalk square.

But the best was yet to come.

What really ROCKS at the Rodeo is...

MUTTON BUSTIN'!!!

This event is SO much better viewed than described but I'll try.

All you need is several full grown sheep and 10-12 kids that weigh between 35 and 60 pounds. (I'm sure there is a release or two involved also.) Wrap the kids up in padding and helmets with face guards. Put one sheep at the far end of the pen (all the other sheep will follow the lead sheep). Place one child on top of a sheep and turn them loose. The kids are laying on the back of the sheep holding on to sheep's wool with the object being how far can they go without falling off. The winner this evening went almost the length of the pen but I think that was because he was too scared to jump off. He received a slightly bigger belt buckle than the other participants and can now proudly say he is a top mutton buster!

The Houston Rodeo is a great event as it is mostly done to raise money for scholarships. They have raised millions over the years and I am really glad I was able to attend. Next year we may have to get more tickets!

It's Squirt's Birthday

Yes - 13 years ago today - a great thing happened.

Squirt arrived into this world destined to make me a very happy dog lover.

He is reaching his napping years - wait - he has been there for quite a while now. A 20 minute walk suits him just fine and a daily squirrel chase keeps him young. He is losing his hearing but then so is Robert. :)

There is no doubt in my mind life has been much better with him and I am thankful for that.

Happy Birthday Little Buddy!

Humidity arrived!

I stepped outside this morning and couldn't breathe. Yes - it was a balmy 68 degrees and 118% humidity but not raining. And just look at the calendar...it's only January!

I knew this would happen...therefore we bought a tread mill for the really warm, muggy months.

The first one delivered to our house was busted. The second one arrived Monday night. We took the crate off moving the smaller parts to the upstairs combination guest / weight room.

Last night's goal was to carry the deck upstairs.

Well - THAT was way easier said than done!

It had to weigh 250lbs and you could only grip it in an awkward way and it had to go through doors on it's side. My arms are now a lovely shade of splotchy purple and brown due to the bruises.

By the time we got it to the base of the stairs, I was almost in tears and quickly rethinking this whole treadmill thing. There was NO way I was going to be able to get it up the stairs.

Luckily, our master bedroom has an alcove we were going to put furniture in. Now it houses the treadmill. (Just look at the money we saved with that maneuver! Plus we will be able to actually use the guest bedroom as a guest bedroom!)

Tonight's chore is to finish putting it together...after we carry everything back downstairs. Maybe by Sunday I'll be ready to try it. After all, we don't want to rush into these things!!! :)

Welcome to 2010!

I hope everyone had a safe and fun New Year's Eve! We did the standard stay at home again this year. I had forgotten what it was like in Houston on New Year's Eve. The firework mortars finally stopped about 2:30am this morning.

We have been off the last week and have done tons of work around the house. We have 2 boxes in the garage to unpack today and we will be officially finished. We are donating 12 boxes of goodies tomorrow and every flat surface on the 2nd floor has a stein on it. Thus the next big item to handle...where to put all of the steins. Never a dull moment here.

The ducks in our neighborhood now recognize the green feed cup used to poor out their kibble on the drive. I would like to think they recognize me and my voice but I get a lot more attention when I am carrying food. Squirt watches the ducks but normally leaves them alone. We have one goose that will chase him and he really doesn't like that.

May the new decade be even better than the last for you!

Merry Christmas to All!

OH the trials of living in Texas. OK - it's not just Texas. We will call it the South.

I had forgotten the joy of bugs. It didn't take long to remember.

We had the bug man spray before our stuff got here. Once our stuff arrived, I hand washed every dish in the house because the dishwasher was busted (which took 6 weeks to fix). Then I found little bugs in the silverware drawer.

SO I drug it all out, washed every dish and eating utensil in that cabinet again, called the bug people, drenched that half of the kitchen in bug poison and have been happy since.

Well - until Monday. That's when the fire ants showed up on the pantry floor. Sure enough, there is a little tiny pin hole they were coming through. Luckily, they were on a suicide mission and died once they reached the light. Very luckily, they never got off the floor and up onto the upper shelves with the food.

Regardless, we called the bug man, drenched the house again inside and outside with liquid bug poison and granules. Next step once everything dries (which is a challenge with our humidity) we will caulk that and no more bugs in the pantry.

AND THEN - I left my good tennis shoes out in the rain last night. Guess I'll get new ones at the after Christmas sales next week.

Even though there is a lot of griping above...I am still very thankful. I have a roof over my head, plenty to eat and a loving family.

And cooler weather today.

I pray you are in similar circumstances.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Oh to find time again to blog...

I know...I know...I'm behind! I haven't taken time to discuss the unpacking. Such as finding the rat trap in with the kitchen dishes. Or the broken dishwasher..etc. (I feel like I have gone back in time. Just guess how long it has been since I had to dishes by hand EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK!) Or the lost 6ft wooden ladder and Robert's missing wet suit.

We have most rooms except for the office ready to go. And then we start the garage.

I will get back to it one of these days!!!

Oh how I miss our goods

Like the bed...and table...and cooking utensils.

When moving with the comapny, your goods always lag behind you. Anwhere from 2-3 days to 4-6 wseeks. We are in that second cagtegory now.

Currently, we have the same air mattres we used when moving to Alaska. I remember in Alaska it worked OK. We tested it before we left. Bought it back with us in the meat wagon.

Something happened in the transfer.

Yes. It developed a slow leak.

Each night, I fill it with air (thank you Lord for the automatic airpump incorporated into the bed).

Each morning we are sleeping on the floor when we get up.

I would guess a minimum of two more weeks of this.

We did purchase a new love seat and recliner. I may be sleeping there soon!

Setting up a new house and wildlife pictures.

I always forget what it takes to set up a house when your stuff is 3 weeks behind you. We have no pots, pans, cleaning supplies, food, etc. and need to get by on minimal stuff so we don't accumulate too much extra stuff.

Trust me...we already have too much extra stuff.

We have made two runs to Target, sent Squirt off for a grooming session at PetSmart (he wasn't happy), grocery store (the produce is SO good!), got internet, cable, phones, new cell phones, Bed Bath and Beyond and still need to hit the furniture store and lumber yard.

Our house has a 3 car garage and we aren't sure all of the garage stuff will fit. It was hard getting the trailer and two cars in last night for Halloween. (See - too much extra stuff.)

I forgot to mention, we finally got a sturdy canvas tarp for the last two days of the drive. The previous three tarps had ripped to shreds and ripped open a box of stuff on the trailer. We left a path of powdered laundry soap and kitchen matches across Wyoming and Nebraska...

It is nice having a pool again. Temps here have been 75-80 the last two days with clear sunny skies. Very hot for a former Alaskan.

As promised in the title...here are some pics from our trip:

Sheep at Stone Mountain in Canada...Maybe they're Stone Sheep???


Caribou in the middle of the road...


Squirt after 5 long days navigating and guarding the car and trailer!

Happy Anniversary Robert!

Tomorrow is our 5th wedding anniversary. It has flown by. We have crossed the country twice and had numerous adventures. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Looking forward to another 50!

More Trip Moments

Yesterday we had great weather for driving. A little cool in the morning but 4WD wasn't required and good temps all day.

No...

Yesterday's issue was a local redneck who was passing in a no passing zone on a blind hill and when he (yes - it was a "he") crested the hill I had a decision to make. Do I want to go over the cliff (no guardrails) or do we try and survive a head on collision. Luckily, the VW bus the redneck was passing realized what was about to happen and ran off the road giving said redneck room to get back on his side of the road. BTW - I went with head on collision because it was a really high cliff.

I was a little shaken by the episode.

Today's weather was a little dicey coming from Kamloops to Osoyoos, Canada where we went through customs. There was a little black ice and snow/slush on the road but we put it in 4WD and made it just fine.

Customs / Immigration went well. After answering 200 questions (what, where, when, why, how far, any horns, any new dog food, any firearms, any purchases in Canada, opening the doors, opening the hatch, etc.) it looked like we were good to go. Then the customs agent asked one last question...what's in the meat wagon?

Well, cleaning supplies, emergency supplies, 2000 rounds of ammo.

After the agent picked his jaw up off of the ground about the amount of ammo we had (which you can carry up to 5000 rounds), he decided to call it in. He told his superior we were moving from Alaska to Texas and had ammo. I was waiting for the superior to say - Alaska to Texas with only 2000 rounds??? That's not enough - search them. Anyway, they let us go without further waiting or searches.

I am sorry to say we will probably be replacing our windshield. After three winters on Alaska roads (where they use gravel instead of salt for ice) and driving the Alcan twice (where they use gravel instead of salt), we have approximately 3279 chips in the windshield. Several nice new ones from this trip. I'm just glad we didn't replace it prior to the trip.

In case you are curious, the most we paid for gas on the trip so far was somewhere around the Yukon Territory and British Columbia Canada territory line. It was $6.20 a gallon. It was an $82 fill up.

I don't think I'll add up how much we spent on gas. I'm just glad to see it under $3.00 a gallon!

AlCan Challenges

Day 1...Anchorage to Tok

On a bright note - the moose stopped by at Sheep Mountain to wave good-bye - what a nice send off - and totally unexpected!

Back to day one challenges...Gale force winds going through the Mat-Su valley. Snow on the road at Glennallen making it a little slick and leaving cell service 60 hours. (Yes - I had withdrawals. However, Robert had a much worse case.) Snow falling at the Canadian Border where we spent the night. We had to get gas about ever 175 miles. (Pulling the trailer through the mountains uses LOTS of gas.)

Squirt mostly slept in his bed.

Day 2...Tok to Watson Lake

Woke to snow on the roads. Made it through customs. Found the gale force winds again. (We are going into winter - WHY are the winds blowing from the south?) Squirt slept most of the day on my lap or in his bed. Ended the day in ice fog and 32 - 33 degrees. Got here after 12 hours or so. Glad we have the 4WD but how much gas are we using?

Day 3...Watson Lake to Dawson Creek
Started the day in freezing rain - luckily that only went on for about 150 miles before it warmed up enough to help the roads. Spent most of the day in 40's t0 50 degree weather. Fish is still frozen. Squirt slept on my lap the entire time I wasn't driving. He got sick. Doing his laundry now. Based on the prices in Canada, I certainly hope the dollar is doing well against the Loonie. We saw caribou, sheep and several buffalo on the road. Once again, we did see a moose but it was dead on the side of the road. (We have never seen a live moose in Canada...) Robert thought about taking the rack off of the moose except for the jail time that would be associated with it. (That and the rack wasn't that big. :) ) Good GRIEF we are going through the gas.

Our second running of the AlCan highway was successful. I had forgotten how absolutely beautiful the drive is. The mountains are exquisite and the wildlife sightings special. It is even better when you have the entire road to yourself. So what if it is slick here and there. It is worth making the run in the fall.

Squirt however is pretty sure we took a wrong turn.

Our last day in Anchorage - but we will be back!

Yep...they took container #1 away yesterday and now container #2 has arrived. We should be done by mid-day here. Don't know if we will leave tonight or tomorrow.

It sure has been fun and we will miss living here. Houston, of course will have new adventures and I do plan to keep writing and not change the name of the blog.

We don't know where we will go from Houston but we do know someday we will be back in Alaska with a cabin on 50 acres or so. Just have to find the right 50 acres!

We lost our neighborhood moose calf this morning…

Since Robert was home and the packers were there, I decided to go to work this morning. About mid morning, Robert called and said, “Hey, I just met the ADF&G representative!” (ADF&G being Alaska Department of Fish & Game.)

Of course I said – “What’s up?”

Well…I guess the packers were ready to work on the long rifles and Robert had to go downstairs and open the gun safe. He then left them and went back to the kitchen to work. Pretty soon he heard…

Ka…BOOM!!!

OK. Think about the situation. He just opened the gun safe, turned it over to people that normally don’t use guns and heard a gunshot. That would freak me out.

He ran downstairs, opened the garage and asked if everyone was OK. The crew chief said they were fine and the noise came from outside. WHEW!

So, Robert went outside and there stood the rep with a gun in his hands. Sadly, he had to put down our neighborhood moose calf today because someone had hit it with a car and broke one of his legs.

What a sad way to leave the neighborhood. Hopefully she will have twins next year!

Packing day #1

Has started...4 more to go!

It finally happened!

After three long years of waiting patently (OK maybe not so patiently)...a moose is bedded down in our yard right outside our living room window.

I put Squirt out for one last run and heard the tell tale crunching of brush next door. Sure enough, a moose was stripping the branches of our neighbor's trees. I went to the end of the deck, sat down on the chair (dripping w/ rain water) to see what would happen next.

She was a little unsure about us - after all - just last week the Great White Hunter Dog of the North had charged and she had to defend herself from the 12.7 lb Whirlwind of Destruction and she could tell he was out again.

BUT safely confined to the deck.

She eventually snorted, hopped the decorative log fence and laid down.

We decided to leave her in peace and watch her inside.

It makes me wonder if she was one of the calves raised in the neighborhood over the last couple of years. Maybe even the one I saw when it was only 5 hours old our first Spring (born across the street from our house). It would be so cool if she came back to have a calf here next Spring...

Countdown...

5 days to pack off...

11 days to getting in the car and driving south...

Winds are blowing like crazy now...our for sale sign has tipped over as well as one of our planters.

The other day, we were sitting on the back porch eating dinner and Robert said "look at how low that eagle is flying!"

Sure enough, I looked up and saw a big bird headed right for us. You could hear his wings flap. Only it wasn't an eagle. It was a raven with a biscuit stuck on it's beak camouflaging itself as an eagle.

I'm really going to miss this place - well - except the ravens!

Squirt - Protector Extraordinaire

With the house on the market and a showing today, Squirt and I had to get up and get it all pretty - make it look as good as we can for a quick sell. One of the required items is to sweep the leaves off of the deck.

It was about 8:30 and grey this morning due to the rain (making leaf sweeping even more of a challenge) and I let Squirt out the gate on the deck into the yard and started sweeping.

I didn't know there was a moose munching on the birch right around the corner. Squirt did however.

Since living here, I've come to discover, moose have an incredible ability to camouflage themselves. We have a new paper delivery person and you never know what door the paper will be at in the morning. Not 5 minutes before putting him in the yard, I had stepped out the front door looking for the paper. I had to be about 6 feet from the moose's nose. She didn't say a thing, didn't move, stopped eating and hid behind our birch tree. That's probably when Squirt saw her first.

Squirt didn't say anything either.

As I said, Squirt went into the yard and I was sweeping. The next thing I hear is Squirt barking, something heavy stomping on the ground and low, deep, grumbling, growling noises.

Isn't it interesting what you think about when in a crisis. Over the last 3 years, we have seen moose in the yard 30-40 times.

I have never seen a bear in our yard but I know they have wondered through and that was my first thought.

Oh NO - Squirt surprised a bear. What am I going to do?

Then I saw it was a moose.

Then I thought, what am I going to do?

(BTW - there were probably some expletives intermixed between the "what am I going to do" statements but no need to re-create that!)

I have never heard a moose make that type of noise before. Normally they don't vocalize unless it is during rut and they sound different then. This must have been a defensive sound. I'm sure the moose would feel good knowing I initially thought of bears when hearing her.

Anyway, Squirt had run up behind the moose, started barking and the moose had turned and started grumbling and stomping. Luckily, Squirt was fast enough to get away from her hooves. He ran across the yard and the moose looked at me and turned back to munching on the tree again.

Of course, Squirt wouldn't come to me. He was too busy strutting around the yard marking territory.

Both considered it a win.

However, when we saw momma and baby later this afternoon (pictures above - not the same moose from this morning - I know because these two were watching our escapades from their bedding spot across the street) Squirt opted to keep quiet.

Maybe Squirt learned an important lesson today. (I doubt it!)

What a beautiful weekend!

We found a house last week in Houston - YEA!

We spent the weekend fixing this one up to put on the market (anyone want to move to Alaska - we have a great house for sale!).

It was 65 Saturday.

We saw a pod of Belugas Friday!

We saw 3 moose Saturday in the neighborhood!

We saw 2 sheep and an eagle Sunday (not in the neighborhood). However, we did see 2 moose in the neighborhood!

Little nippy on Sunday.

TERMINATION DUST ON MONDAY MORNING!!!!

And it just marched right down the mountains Monday night. None in the yard yet. It was supposed to hold off 4 more weeks! Someone apparently didn't get the message!!

Thank You Karma!!!

We lost the bid on the last house and found a better one closer to the office! I feel much better about this now!

Back to Houston

As many of you may know by now, we are not moving to the Middle East but instead, back to Houston, TX. We recently went there looking for and bidding on a house. We found a very nice one, way far from work so the commute won't be pretty (uglier for Robert than me). But it is only 3 years old, has a pool and 3 car garage.

We drove around our old stomping grounds, checking out how much has changed and the answer is LOTS. Some good, some still to be determined.

Of course, all of the driving around, the people, the cars, the stoplights, malls, shops, restaurants, etc. made me realize once again how very hard it will be to leave Alaska - the weather, wildlife, native art, skiing, hiking, ATV riding, scenery and overall grandness - it's a perfect package. We have enjoyed it so much and do plan on moving back in retirement if not sooner. We will have a couple more Alaskan adventures...selling our house and driving back to Houston - this time in the winter.

Of course Houston will also have adventures and I plan to continue to write about them. I have also decided not to change the blog name - just my bio. I was actually called a "local" not to long ago by a "local". I'm no longer a Cheechako...now a Sourdough! :)

2009 State Fair - Really Big Veggies!

I love seeing these things at the fair...

...A 14lb puff ball mushroom...


...Really tall sunflowers (see the one almost touching the roof??)...


...A 22lb radish - a new Alaska record...


...A 146lb watermelon...


...A 125.9lb world record cabbage


...A 594lb pumpkin - note the new world record white rutabaga weighing in at 82lbs and the red beet weighing in at 24lbs...


...And a big kale for decoration...

Squirt LOVES the UPS man...

We opened the door tonight to pick up the package and this is what Squirt found...

Where else but here...

I was out with Squirt tonight for our evening walk when my cell phone rang. A friend of mine had free tickets to a concert at a grand re-opening of a local bowling alley. Her husband got sick and she invited me to go. I said - Sure!

After all - how many times to you get to go listen to the Beach Boys on the spur of the moment!

It was to start at 8 and we got there about 7:30 or so, grabbed our lawn chairs and headed into the bowling alley parking lot where the tents were set up. I think there were approximately 600 people. The weather was perfect - probably about 55 degrees with a strong southwesterly wind. A light jacket was the only thing needed.

Of course...I didn't take the camera...who would have thought they would let those in. Oh Well...next time...

I did notice as we were leaving all of the patrol cars ready to corral the rowdy fans. (I don't think there was much "rowdy" going on - but then, I wasn't over by the beer tent.) At one point, my friend said something like this being an older crowd...since many of their songs were written before I was born...I had to agree.. :)

I still enjoyed it, sang along to some great music and say thanks for the opportunity!

The Bear Rug is Here

Finally...after months of waiting...it is finished! As you can see below, Squirt wasn't too sure about it. In fact, the first night, we had to go check on it as we went by going to bed to make sure it hadn't moved. THEN the next morning, he stood at the top of the steps pointed toward the bedroom, sniffing to see if it was OK. I had to turn on the light for him to go check to make sure the bear hadn't moved. In fact, for 5 days in a row, I had to turn the light on each morning for him to check to make sure the bear hadn't moved. Luckily...it hasn't moved.

Now we just have to make sure our new house has a place for it to hang!

What a Beautiful Moose Morning

As the days get shorter :( and we slide towards winter months, it is always a lot of fun to see a mother moose and her baby.

This morning as I was out watering plants, I heard little trees being destroyed and looked over 2 houses and there they were - just enjoying the heck out of the leaves.

I was so glad to see a new momma moose here as I am pretty sure the one we have been watching the last 3 winters was shot this year about a mile away because it was threatening a person (for interfering with her twins).

What a good way to start Friday!

Danger Avoided!

We went out to Kincaid Park today to walk. Since my ankle is still weak from Thursday's outing, I didn't want to go on uneven dirt with hidden rock trails today and Kincaid was the perfect answer.

And what a walk it was!

We saw 6 moose - 2 bulls, 3 cows and a calf.

We even did the one thing you are NEVER supposed to do - accidentally of course - we got between a momma moose and her calf. She was eating beside the path and when we tried to pass her, she walked across the path in front of us, heading off into the woods. Squirt was woofing and waving at her. But she walked away and didn't even act too upset.

Little did we know, when we came back by later, she had a calf bedded down opposite of where she walked to. The first time, she was trying to distract us from her baby. It worked! We saw the calf on the return trip. It was a cutie.

Naturally, the camera was in the car.

Look Look - we are actually having summer!

Yes - we have been in the 80's (which is brutally warm at night for us - remember - no air conditioning!) and sunny for almost 3 weeks now. Our tomatoes are growing nicely, the petunias in the hanging basket are 1/2 way to the ground and I am actually getting a tan! We have even picked and eaten a strawberry form our plants. (Yes - one strawberry - but more are coming!)

Vegetables this year at the fair should be HUGE!

Needless to say, every chance we get, we are outside in shorts and tanks!

Another First...

Sitting here watching the news another first for living in Anchorage....a severe thunderstorm warning. What a surprise considering I think I have only heard thunder once since moving here. Luckily, it is for a community 45 miles northeast of here. Although it did rain at our house today...just after the windows were finished. ARG.

Squirt and I headed out today. I packed the bag with bear spray and granola bars and we were off. We went to Glen Alps for a hike and ended up going about 6 miles round trip. We saw 1 bull moose lunching just off of the path. He stayed around long enough for me to get the camera out and snap a pic. Hope it turned out.

We also saw a grouse with chicks. She was REALLY upset at us being on the path and pulled to old wounded wing act to help hide her chicks. Squirt fell for it. I couldn't get the camera out fast enough to get the babies though. They were tiny.

We also saw a vole running around...and one dead one. No pics.

After walking, we drove to Girdwood looking for Belugas. None to be seen. Squirt wasn't a lot of help en route looking for them. He slept the entire way down and back.

Then it was back to Anchorage for lunch/dinner - Moose's Tooth Pizza. Now that we are moving - I can't get enough of it!

Happy Summer Solstice!

Time to go for a bike ride...we have hours of daylight left! I think the sun sets around midnight-30? tonight?

Where has the blogger gone...????

Getting the house ready to put on the market...painting, culling items and the big ugly one - doing a household inventory for the move. We own a lot of stuff. Oh - and she does still have her day job earning doggy kibble money.

Will be back one of these days with regular posts...in fact, I have to tell you about the rabbit dinner.

Moose Babies!

Another sign of spring...look at this family - they are adorable!!!

ADN moose video

How fun to watch!

One less moose predator!

Robert was very successful in his bear hunt this weekend! The moose over at Beluga are that much safer now! :) This guy was over 250 lbs and is between 2-4 years old (we are guessing - will know more after ADF&G seals it!). Robert took it with one shot - hit both lungs. It will make a very nice wall hanging! Squirt wasn't really sure about it. He didn't attack it like he did the grouse.

What a beautiful day!

It is sunny and warm (47 last time I checked)! No wind - no jacket - a shorts day already! Plus there were 3 moose running around the neighborhood this morning providing entertainment while I was eating my bagel. What a GREAT way to start the day.

Squirt has company this week. Petey, a tiny little Yorkie is staying with us for a couple of days. I think he weighs about 3 lbs. I love watching the dynamics between the two of them. Squirt is very laid back and willing to share everything - for a time period. Then when Petey doesn't understand the time period is over, Squirt goes and lays by the wall and pouts. Or when Squirt is getting attention and Petey doesn't want to be on the same lap, he turns his back to you and stares at the wall. Petey normally lives in the country is not used to the nightly "city" noises - cars / people etc. That first night there was much growling and barking, to the point I'm pretty sure Squirt even told him to be quiet. Squirt made up for it though by barking at him the entire day on Thursday. No rest for the guard dog!

With us setting record temps this week (upper 60's), I started cleaning out the flower beds. I almost waited too long as there are a lot of things budding and spouting. Unfortunately, I clipped a volunteer lilac bush. To make up for it though, I sacrificed one of the soaker hoses. Chopped it right in two. One less thing to move!

We have a black bear and her two cubs hanging around the neighborhood now. Guess it's time to take down the bird feeder!

Rude Awakening!

Yes - at approx. 5:45 am, the door to the bedroom started rattling and the bed was shaking. Of course by the time I was really awake and coherent (OK - awake - coherent happened about an hour later after coffee), I realized we were having an earthquake. (Either that or the house was seriously haunted all of a sudden.) I immediately checked on Squirt. He was asleep. And then it was over.

What a good guard dog! He knows the difference between the door rattling from an earthquake vs the wind blowing. Wind blowing door rattling generally causes guard duty barks. (I guess he isn't one of those animals that warns of potential natural disasters.)

Anyway, I had all the chores done, grocery shopping and breakfast over by about 8:30 this morning. BTW the quake was centered 19 miles ESE of Anchorage and was a 4.0.

Luckily it wasn't the volcano as ash would come our way today. Here are a couple of pictures of it from my office last week. Too bad it is so far away for the camera. The view was pretty impressive. There is a steam / ash cloud coming out of it in these.

Squirt does cartwheels!

Yes - little circus performer that he is...

We went for a walk last night and upon reaching our driveway I took him off leash to run from the sidewalk to the door. Well he missed the door and zoomed straight up the cement stairs into the raspberry patch. He was looking for Buck, Owen and Ford, his under the fence, nose to nose buddies.

I told him to come back down to the door...twice...and the second time, he realized I was serious and came running back toward me full bore - forgetting about the steps.

I am not exactly sure what happened...did he slip...get a paw caught...is just a natural acrobat, but he actually did a fully extended, back legs over his head flip over 4-5 stairs and landed in the driveway.

I started toward him, calling his name and he kind of looked up...looked around...almost like he wondered if anyone saw him, jumped up and ran straight toward me.

I told him he was too old (12 years) to be doing those things and he was lucky he didn't break his neck! Thank goodness.

Tonight up on returning to the driveway, he went directly to the door - no raspberry patch shenanigans!

A new challenge...

Go ahead...try doing sit ups holding a 20 lb weight and finding out after it's too late the dog is standing on your hair.

Ow.

And by the way...

We have fresh moose prints in the yard and fresh tree limbs down...wonder how we missed her...

As promised...the tale of the snow thrower...

Entering into this break-up season marks our third full winter in Alaska and so far, I had no reason to be responsible for clearing the drive or sidewalks with the snow thrower. Luckily, Robert was here each time it needed to be used.

That was, until a couple of weeks ago.

Yes, as soon as he got on the plane, it started to snow and didn't stop until about 4-6 inches later. Of course, I didn't know this until the next morning which happened to be a Monday. GREAT - I will have to come home from work shovel the deck, clear a path in the year and figure out the snow thrower. Good thing I am always up for a challenge.

I believe our first winter here, I had approximately 20 minutes of instructions on how to run the thrower. Ever the Grasshopper, I had my scrap of paper and wrote down the 8 important steps I would need to know (neglecting to mark where the steps went from "how to start" to "how to stop"). Then I went back inside, filed my piece of paper for emergencies and promptly sat down in front of the fire.

Now it was time to pull out my scrap of paper and put it to good use.

1. Fill with gas - I opened the tank and it looked like there was gas. No need to do that.

2. Wheel to outside - completed

3. Plug in - Now where do we store the electric cord. If I was a cord I would be right around here. Hum...OK - I'll just use an extension cord.

I get the nearest 60 foot, heavy duty, heavier than the dog, extension cord and plug it in.

4. Choke to the right - wonder which button is the choke? Well, there is only one button that has a left/right - I'll guess that one.

5. Idle bar up - Good thing the choke wasn't up/down.

6. Prime 2 times - got it.

7. Push start button - why isn't it starting? Stupid machine. Simple instructions, where did I go wrong? Double check steps 4 - 7. Are the other neighbors shoveling? Wait - what if I push the choke the other way...Oh good - it started.

8. Choke down low...good grief - this thing isn't running well. Oh- that must be how to turn it off!

We're running now! Too bad the snow is so wet that it just clumps up in the chute.

Are the other neighbors shoveling? Looks like about 20% of them are. Guess I won't - it will melt in a few days.


Happy Easter Everyone!

This morning's Redoubt Eruption

Yes - Robert got home with 6 hours to spare from his business trip before it blew again...

The Alaska Volcano Observatory has some cool pictures on it this morning. (I may not feel this way if the ash was coming to Anchorage.)




Speaking of him travelling, I have a snow thrower story for you all...but the Sportman's show comes first!

So much for pretty snow...

If you click on this picture to make it larger, you may be able to see the volcano (Mt. Redoubt) - it is the white mountain where there should be sky. This was taken from my office.



And this is what all of the snow looks like now...



We have a fine dusting of ash everywhere and 40 mph winds to go with it. Mt Redoubt has been erupting periodically for the last week (19 times so far?) but yesterday was the first day we had ash here. And believe it or not, it smelled like sulfur. Who would have thought the smell would travel 100 miles??

NOW I have to figure out what to do to clean it up...if anything???

On a separate note, Robert and I are leaving Alaska. The company is transferring us to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. We are sad to leave this wonderful place but an exciting new adventure is getting ready to start.

And just think of the future blog fodder!

On something again - totally unrelated - a picture of several of our hoary redpoles. They go through the thistle!

The sound of a volcano...

There I am, laying awake in bed just after midnight, wondering when Squirt will get up for his nightly drink and how long it will take me to get back to sleep when I heard...

PFOOOM

PFOOOM

PFOOM, PFOOM!!!

and here is the associated thought process after hearing the noise...

Haven't heard that here before in March and why is the bed shaking? Earthquakes don't normally sound that way that I have heard. In Oklahoma or Houston, Texas, that sound would have signaled someone setting of mortar style fireworks.

But here...

when it is 15 degrees out and nothing specific to celebrate???

Is a moose on the deck? Did a bear find the bird feed - they're out you know...?

HMMM.... I wonder if the volcano blew...

I then get up, get dressed, head downstairs, make Squirt go outside just in case ash is headed our way, check the volcano web site and sure enough, we are condition red - whatever that means.

I head back upstairs to let Robert know I think the volcano blew and we both head back downstairs to check the web site again to confirm, then call a couple of friends so they are prepared and get the house sort of ready for ash fall. Robert plugs the 9 inch air in-take in the garage (there's enough air leaks that this one is good to plug for a couple of days) and I tape up the windows by the electronics. (Having learned in the hurricanes in Houston that there is such a thing as too much tape.)

Sure enough - there were 5 different explosive eruptions last night and it is still going on. We did have to work today because ash went the other direction from Anchorage - thank goodness.

So how many mother nature phenomena have Robert and I been through?

Tornadoes
Wind Storms
Hail Storms
Blizzards
Earthquakes
Hurricanes
Floods
Drought
and now a volcano

so what's left besides a Tsunami and Sand Storm???

Regardless - I'm leaving the windows taped for another couple of days!

Looks like Redoubt is blowing!

Volcano information page.

Time to hang up the harness

The most well known dog in Alaska, Larry, is ready to retire...


Only 13 mushers left on the trail to finish!

It's not all fun and games...

Some on the Iditarod trail don't have quite as good a run as the winner...

troubled run

I am so glad more didn't perish including the musher...

Mackey and his team do it again!!

What an incredible set of athletes! Lance Mackey has once again won the Iditarod sled dog race (which I have watched religiously this year)! He made it to the burled arch with 15 dogs (several of them were rookies this year) dropping only one which is also amazing. (local news story)

Just before arriving in Nome, he stopped and took time to rub each dog and tell them good job. Coming down Front Street, his new lead dog, Maple, was a little hesitant with all of the people and she stopped, turned right and dumped his sled. Oh well, things happen - he switched Maple with Larry who has done this several times and knows the routine. After finishing, he didn't celebrate until he had once again, taken a kibble snack to each dog and told them good job. He loves his dogs.

Speaking of several times, Mackey has now won 7 races since 2005 which were over 1000 miles each. That's 7000 miles alone on the back of a dog sled (just think how many miles in the 4 years he has run in training).

Lance has joined a very elite group with his 3-peat this year...the great Susan Butcher and Doug Swingly. Rick Swenson is the only person that has 5 Iditarod wins under his belt. Can Mackey join him? I can't wait until next year!

Waxing Poetic and the Reindeer Run

In case you haven’t figured it out OR are new to the blog, I am a dog lover. If the world were made according to my rules, some of them would be, no one is allergic to dogs, dogs don’t get rabies and dogs are allowed to go anywhere humans do. That is why I love this time of year in Alaska. Dogs are center stage for a couple of months between the weight pulls and mushing competitions. Dogs live to do what their humans ask of them and a dog’s unconditional love continually amazes me.

That being said, who doesn’t like a good reindeer run. :)

We were a little too close to the finish line this year and couldn’t see as well…(having been at the start and finish – I know EXACTLY where to be next year) but still the excitement and show was fantastic. People actually started lining the streets over an hour before the start for front row viewing. We had a former astronaut in the mix this year and about 2-3 times the runners. Oh – and they ran 9 reindeer per heat instead of 4-5.

It went smoothly for the most part. One reindeer got confused and went the wrong way. That was exciting trying to get him/her caught and corralled.

A couple of people accidentally ran into the corral instead of beside it.

Two handlers got poked by antlers.

And I think only one person fell during the run (on the icy streets) – but no injuries.

My only criticism of the entire event would be I thought it a little tacky to park the reindeer right next to the reindeer hot dog stand.

Pictures to follow - and maybe movies!

Fur Rondy 2009

I love these three weeks of the year in Alaska and this year so far, the weather has been exceptional. Yesterday, it snowed all day long - a light, fluffy fairy tale snow. (Of course we had to shovel it later but it was worth it!) The temps were perfect for outdoor events - 26 to 28 degrees. And BEST of all, Iditarod starts Saturday!

We spent about 4 hours out and about yesterday taking in the Fur Rondy activities. There were some beautiful pelts to be had and some were going for low prices - the economy has hit the fur trade. We bid on a couple of beaver pelts but lost out on them. It was tough to let the silver fox fur go by. They had some lynx also but those were going for close to $300 and we didn't need one that bad.

This is a wolf pelt.


We also watched some of the sprint dog races. The dogs are so amazing. They pull up to the starting line and jump, bark, yap, etc., the announcer counts down and they're off. It is perfectly quiet. All you hear is the sled runners gliding across the snow. The dogs are running - concentrating on going as fast as possible loving every minute of it.



We ended the day at the dog weight pull. Once again, these dogs are amazing. The smallest one we watched was 37 lbs and if I remember right, that dog pulled 570lbs if not more. The largest dog there was a 210 lbd St. Bernard. We didn't see his final pull as we left before the end of the competition but we did see him stroll across the finish line attached to 740 lbs as if it didn't exist. I am sure the winning weight for the large dogs was well over 1500 lbs and it is possible it was a lot more.

This little Australian Shepherd was amazing. Look at how low to the ground she is. I think this was her last successful pull of the day.


Another smaller dog showing fine form.


This dog, Yeti, looked like a giant teddy bear.


Here is Riley - this is one of the dogs we have seen the last 3 years.


And then there was this dog who didn't want any part of the weight pulling stuff. It would take 7 minutes 13 seconds to hook him to the sled and 4.3 seconds for him to pull the weight. As soon as they pointed him toward the sled to hook him up, he went down and either rolled over or dug in. It was hilarious!





Payton - the big, 210 lbd boy...


Today's excursion is... The Running Of The Reindeer! I can't wait!

Fur Rondy's almost here!

Yesterday was "Meet and Greet" the Fur Rondy sprint mushers. Robert and I atteneded the event and didn't say hello to a single musher.

However, we played with LOTS of sleek mushing dogs and one kennel had puppies. 6 week old cuddly, sleepy puppies available for holding. They were so sweet. What a perfect Saturday afternoon. (Squirt wasn't of the same opinion - he had to stay in the car and when we got back, Mommy smelled like another puppy. He was a tad put out.)

We also stopped and got 2 fishing, one hunting license and one brown bear tag. Robert's getting ready as I type to meet up with his hunting buddy John to go hunting up North. Really they are just going to ride the ATV's (it is 3 degrees this morning) but if they run across a grouse, coyote, wolf, black or brown bear, look out. Buckshot or bullets will be flying.

Ever being supportive, I got up and fixed a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs biscuit and gravy breakfast this morning to send him on his way. Once he leaves, Squirt and I just might go back to bed.

Since I won't have a car today, the two of us will be here doing chores...all the fun things like laundry, dishes and TAXES. I realize I would be more than welcome on the excursion, I am just not excited about going in the cooler weather.

It may just be a great Facebook day!

MMMMM...MMMMM...Mooooose Chili

We tried a new delicacy last night – Moose Chili. It was pretty darn good. It received a “2 paws up” from Squirt. Ok – he just like the moose meat and didn’t try the chili. (FYI – 2 paws up means he is sitting on up straight waving his front paws begging for more!)

A friend from work provided the moose as long as we provided the chili. It cooked up just like 90% lean ground beef and honestly didn’t taste much different form normal chili. No game taste or chicken taste. Pretty tasty.

Robert is off to hunt Sunday. It is still open season for grouse, wolf and bear (except the bears should be sleeping!)