BOO!

I am expecting Spiderman, Batman, a Tractor, an Angel, a Dragon, a cute little baby and two tired out Mom's tomorrow evening. These pumpkins are filled up with goodies and sitting here waiting. When my kids were young they participated in the door to door trick or treat night every year. I know many Christian people feel that it is wrong. We decided that it can be enjoyed as a family event so we all climbed into our van and stopped in the neighborhoods with brightly lit homes. Usually someone was at home to give out treats too, or if not, we got home early enough to catch the 100+ little people that came to our door every year. Mom and Dad allowed us to go trick or treating too. I remember one time when I was a little girl and my Mom worked so hard fixing me up to go out. She took a cloth diaper and tied it very snug around my face after she had cut holes for my eyes and mouth. Then she drew a face on it and combed my hair down around it, tied a scarf over my hair and the whole time she was softly laughing. Then she said, "Okay, you want to see?" She lifted me up to look in the mirror and I was so shocked at how awful I looked that I tore the mask off and would not go trick or treating even if it meant no candy for me. It's sad that now that many times our children are not as safe during this time of the year as we used to be when we were young. I hear of more and more parents bringing their children to or else planning an evening event that is just as fun for the kids in order to avoid making the rounds in the neighborhoods. Whatever you do tonight, make sure you all watch out for each other and make the evening fun for our little ones!

Fun-ji

Doug and I went out for a walk after it had been raining for days. The sun finally peeked through one evening and it was so nice, out we went. I stopped and took a picture of a perfect mushroom I saw. We continued walking. I noticed more mushrooms ---different mushrooms! I took more pictures. Now my interest was peaked. I would disappear into the trees and shrubs and when Doug would turn to talk to me, I would be in the bushes kneeling down taking another picture. Earlier that day, our neighbor's goat happened to come over. Doug had hooked him up to Chevy's long dog run to wait until we had a chance to walk him back. We did not expect the owner to show up to get him. It was such a nice evening, Doug got a rope, secured it around the goats neck and we started off to take the goat back home. I saw so many mushrooms as we went along! Soon Doug was pointing them out to me too. Huge ones, teensy ones. I took over 25 different pictures. Soon Doug left me far behind. When we got home I had wet, cold knees. Since that day, I have done some mushroom reading. I found out the climate has to be WET and at least 50º(F) cool, in order for them to flourish. Our fall weather is perfect for mushrooms. I learned that we don't have Alaskan mushrooms, there aren't Australian mushrooms, or Californian mushrooms, etc. Mushrooms appear to be native all over the world! Each decaying organism has it's own kind of mushroom. The mushrooms break down organisms into food that a tree or other plant can utilize to grow strong and healthy. One article I read at http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF11/1161.html told that according to Eef Arnolds of the Netherlands, there is a catastrophic decline of mushrooms in Europe. They don't know why, but think it might be because of air pollution, and this was written in 1993! I like to have mushrooms in my salad, on pizza and they are yummi in spaghetti sauce. Kind of sad to think these little things are declining. It is not evident here. This past fall, there were so many mushrooms and so many different kinds! I saw some with little bites out of them, maybe a mouse was eating them. I figured, that must be an edible mushroom but I would not want to try it. Bugs like them too for eating and they lay thier eggs in them too! bleah! The very showy mushroom, Amanita Muscaria is also referred to as the mystical mushroom. I have always been told they are poisonous and stay well away from them. I read online that some people smoke them and get high! Siberian reindeer have been seen eating them and squirrels store them way in their coffers! There is even suggestions that the Santa Claus and his reindeer story is related to smoking amanita muscaria 'shrooms. Something about Shaman's and how they delivered the red mushroom, and when reindeer eat them they --fly high! After our nature walk and after reading about the lowly mushrooms, I must say that mushrooms are alive and well in Alaska, at least it looks that way to me. ....but I am not a "fungal ecologist." There is a spider in this picture, can you see it?

"Axenia"

I can't post without adding a picture! That's sort of like the saying my hubby always said when he grew a moustache. "A kiss without a moustache is like an egg without salt." A blog without a picture is like ... A puppy without a lick! A star without a twinkle. A baby without a cuddle. An ark without a flood. A lake without a fish. A bouquet without a flower. You get the idea. So, here is the pizzazz for now: "Axenia" the Alutiiq Teddybear! A friend of mine just created her for me. She dresses teddybears and I suggested to her that I would love an Alutiiq doll. I sent her the drawing, on the left. She did some research then she sewed and beaded this beautiful doll for me. She worked so hard! I named the teddybear after my paternal gramma, Axenia. Vicki, the artist, lives in Idaho. She does beautiful work. I have not received "Axenia" yet, but she should be winging her way to Alaska real soon! I can't wait to look at every bead and the details Vicki sewed on to this bear. Speaking of looking, here's something else you may be VERY interested to look at. There is a wealth of information found on the Internet anymore! You can find out most anything about anything or anyone! This website was passed on to me by my son Kris. It allows visitors to view drivers licenses! You need to know a person's full name then you can view their personal drivers license data!!!! (Their REAL age and even their weight, hehehe.) Look up yours, see if you are listed. P.S. If you want to you can remove your information, if you prefer to remain as private as possible.

Last Night!

Our Northern Show

The lights first showed up as a large, bright band.

It spanned the whole northern sky.

We watched.

We rode home from Anchorage.

16 degrees F, 10:30 p.m.

We arrived at home.

Tending to the dogs outside.

Looking up and watching.

The show continues.

Just for us!

BRRRRR!

We go inside.

Sitting in the dark.

Watching lights dance in the woodstove.

Stoking the fire, quietly talking.

Aurora's keep dancing!

Around to the side of the house now!

Private livingroom show now!

We get up.

We watch from the window

We share our show here.

P.S. These pictures were taken within one minute.

They were really being showy!

Music Videos & Are You Musical?

Flying back from the village of Huslia

I found a site online that allowed free use of videos. I had put a link to the site but now am not sure I should since I had a virus alert here. SO I am removing the link. I will try to listen to the links on the left side again and if I receive another alert then I will remove the links, if it seems to work okay with my virus scanner then I will leave them.

UPDATE: I listened to the videos and did not get an alert, but since I am not happy with even getting one alert in the first place, I have removed the link and will remove the others. Just listen to "Angels", "He Walked On Water" if you have never heard them, if you get the chance to.

I love listening to Randy Travis and the links were some of his tunes that I have on a CD. It's funny how we are, or I should say how I am. I just assume that everyone else is like me or my family about a lot of stuff we do. Our family is musical so I figure other families are too. I've been asked, "Your family is musical? I reply, "Isn't yours?" The only one that does not play a musical instrument is myself --- but I sing. Usually when I am asked what instrument I can play, I say, "I play the stereo." I believe most people are muscial. It's inside of us just waiting to pop out in a wee note. We may not be SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIELADOSIOUS at it, but it comes with the territory of being human. Are you musical? No? YES you are! You can hum... or clap... or tap a foot. See! Doug is part of a group called Alaska Freedom Band and he plays the bass guitar and sings too. Sometimes I travel with him on trips and when I do, we sing duets. I like to tag along and would rather take pictures of the different areas they get to fly out to but, usually they ask us to sing too. I like to hear the band sing a song really, really well, and sing all their parts. Harmony, Tenor, Alto, Bass. Four parts and with much feeling. It is so impressive and touches my heart. The guys sing Country Gospel. They all play guitars. When they go out to villages here in Alaska the people love it, since they don't usually hear much special music way out there. While out in the villages there is usually a big potluck dinner some time during the weekend we are there. That's one thing they do well out there, cook! Most travel is on weekends since most of the guys have to keep jobs too. Doug won't be able to go on several upcoming trips because of his work schedule, he is bummed.

....humming.

Broken Things

I woke up early this morning.

I thought I heard my youngest son's truck running. I didn't see him yesterday, so since I was wide awake I got out of bed, dressed and hurried downstairs to say "good morning."

"Good morning," he replied, smiled and gave me a kiss on top of my head. (Both of my sons do that to their short Mom.)

"I didn't see you last night" I said.

He told me he had gone over to Tiffany's parents home for dinner and when he finally got up here he went straight down the hill to his little room above the wood shop without stopping in.

He said that his truck was not running right and didn't know if he would make it to work. I got a kiss and a hug from him as he left and then Chewy and I settled on the couch to snoozle while we waited for Marie to get up. (Marie lives here with us.) Just as I fell asleep the phone rang and it was Kris. He was having truck problems and he didn't know if he would make it back home. He asked if he could drive the Impala to work today.

I waited and then I watched as he nursed his truck all the way back the long driveway to the house. I opened the garage door to let him in. He hurried in with his coffee, got into my car, backed out of the garage and left.

Broken truck. I was pouring another cup of coffee and noticed the lights in the cabin across the lake were not lit yet. My son Klint and his wife Calli live next door (great neighbors!) and normally their place is all lit up by this time, so I decided I would call over there to make sure they were not oversleeping.

Ring! Ring! Ring!

I saw a light and and then my oldest son answered.

I said, "Uppy, uppy time!".

He laughed and said their alarm was not working right and thanks for calling.

Broken alarm clock. I sat and read, waiting for Marie to come downstairs before going to work.

"Sad news this morning," she said as she sat down.

I asked her what she had heard.

She got teary eyes and told me that a 23 year old mother in California took her three children down to a pier in San Francisco, undressed them then dropped them into the ocean. Six, three and one years old. (Story Link)

Broken mind.

A Child's Laughter All the bells of heaven may ring, All the birds of heaven may sing, All the wells on earth may spring, All the winds on earth may bring All sweet sounds together; Sweeter far than all things heard, Hand of harper, tone of bird, Sound of woods at sundawn stirred, Welling water's winsome word, Wind in warm wan weather, One thing yet there is, that none Hearing ere its chime be done Knows not well the sweetest one Heard of man beneath the sun, Hoped in heaven hereafter; Soft and strong and loud and light--- When the soul of all delight Fills a child's clear laughter. Golden bells of welcome rolled Never forth such notes nor told Hours so blithe in tones so bold, As the radiant mouth of gold Here that rings forth heaven. If the golden-crested wren Were a nightingale---why, then, Something seen and heard of men Might be half as sweet as when Laughs a child of seven. Algernon Charles Swinburne "Poems That Live Forever"

"Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the LORD." Psalms 31: 24

Comments Spam

Remembering the Flowers of Summer!

I took this picture in Fairbanks during the summer. The haze is smoke from a wildfire, which we seem to be having a lot of here in Alaska the last .. many years! The Miller's Reach Fire that went through Twin Lake (where we live now) and Big Lake eight years ago! Time has been flying! I was surfing blogs and ran across this one. Tetherd Cow Ahead: IQ I visiting Slim Pickins From My Brain and she was hit with comments spam. This blog is funny! If you ever wonder what happens when you check out blogging spam or any email spam, here is one story about it. Check it out, it's worth the trip! Note: The link is supposed to be to a blogger post named "IQ", for some reason it links to the comments of that post. Just scroll back up if the link opens up to the comments section, like it did for me. Our snow yesterday turned into a windy night and then today we had 40 F. Still was a bit breezy but not as bad as last night. The wind woke me up several times. The snow turned into little puddles and evaporated into the wind. Many snow machine riding dreams have melted along with the snow!

Bad Weather?

I was heading upstairs to bed and took my little ChewChew out to go potty and saw this big ring around the moon tonight! Dad said that bad weather was coming when he saw this. Rain, wind or snow. I can't remember which one. I got online to see what I could see about what others said. I read, bad weather. Seems every people have a prediction that they pass on about the ring around the moon. Do you? One interesting comment I read was, depending on how many stars you seen within the circle, that will be how many days until that change in weather gets here. There were no stars in this one, and the wind chimes are already chiming tonight. I will let you know if it .... snows, blows or rains and how many days. If the stars idea is right, then it should be here by morning! Good night!

Geocaching

Pioneer Peak in Palmer Approximately one hour from where we live.

Hiking around and finding treasures, does that sound like fun? It does to me! I am not very athletic or the hiking type but after reading at this site and checking out the geocaches placed in our area, I see that there are some caches that are an easy walk to get to. The first time I heard about it my daughter Marie was telling me about her very good friend Sarah and her husband were finding caches down in North Carolina. "Geocaching is an entertaining adventure game for gps users" explains Geocaching.com. "A GPS unit is a electronic device that can determine your approximate location (within around 6-20 feet) on the planet. Coordinates are normally given in Longitude and Latitude."

If you are like me you will ask, what is GPS? Global Positioning System. My family uses them when we go hunting to mark a spot we enjoyed being at or if they might want to return to it someday. Also to measure the miles we traveled on our 4-wheelers (ATV's).

I see there are a lot of caches in Alaska! Geocaching.com suggests that if you plan to set up a cache to put them somewhere that will be a cool place to end up at. Like a viewpoint, top of a mountain, awesome park, etc. It's the responsibility of the cache maker to check on it occasionally. Each cache is different. You can put different things into them and when you are visiting someone elses cache, you can take things but you are asked to leave something in return.

With my sense of direction (I don't really have any) I would need a guide to help me get to any of the caches. Sad to say, I can get turned around in our shopping mall, and it's SMALL!

Once a friend of the twins (Marie and Karla), Michelle VanderWeele suggested to Doug during hunting season that we come to their farm and hunt some cows (Doug had a cow permit that year). Michelle said the moose had been munching on their produce all summer.

So, Doug, Karla and myself went for a day hunt to the farm. The property we were going to hunt on was about a 4-acre plot of undeveloped woods that the VanderWeele's thought the moose probably were hanging out in during the day.

We drove there and after getting out of the car Doug begins to give us a few directions.

"You don't have to be quiet, just walk through the woods so the moose hear you if they are here, okay Karla? You just walk down the right side and keep going until you get to the end and come out on the open field."

"Okay," she says.

"Connie, you walk down the left side and do the same thing, come out at the end of the woods."

"Okay," I said.

He continued as he got his gun out, "Don't start walking until you see me wave from down at the other end of the woods."

We watched him walk quietly away, down past the woods and out on the open field, he turned around and then he waved. The great plan was we would stir up the resting moose and they would meander out of the woods to avoid us and Doug would have a clear shot.

I started walking and because I get turned around so easily, I began to make a slow circle instead of going straight! Karla walked just like she was told to do and after she got down to the end she joined Doug and they waited and waited for me.

I was coming, I thought so anyway. I found a scary place in the woods too. Looked like a foxes den. There even was little bones. I wondered if they could have been the remains of someones little dog or cat. I snooped around there and looked down into the hole but didn't see anything.

As I continued walking and climbing over fallen logs, I came across a heavily used trail and thought to myself, Wow! I wonder if Doug knows this is here? Finally, I stumbled out of the woods and didn't see Karla or Doug anywhere! Just houses! HOUSES? I turned back to look in the woods and see if I could figure how to get to the right end of the woods but by then I am thinking, which way is the right way? I decided I was on the wrong side of the FOREST, but I didn't even know what was the wrong side but where I was, definitely was not right.

I set my eyes on a bright side across the other side of the woods and headed that way. After I saw the farm field I walked out of the woods and looked down one end of the field (wrong way of course), then turned and looked down to the other end where I saw Doug! I was right back to just about the exact spot I started. I was not even a third of the way through the woods. I squinted down at Doug as he gave me the "what are you doing anyway?" body language sign.

That was just 4 acres, okay maybe it was more...?

The trail I found was the trail I was supposed to stay on but sort of got off of somehow. I made a big circle and came back to it. We didn't see any moose. I suspect that they probably saw us though.

My sense of direction is severely lacking. I have even tried to get a compass to point me in the right direction and it does not even work. It does not point North.... well not my idea of north!

If you are the follower type and you've lost your way, don't follow me... I am probably lost too.

I do know the Way to Heaven though and my Guide there won't ever get lost!

Oleanna

(Picture of blog's author in foggy Kodiak.) I just finished reading a book written by Joanne B. Mulcahy, "Birth and Rebirth On An Alaskan Island." It is the story of an Alutiiq healer, Mary Peterson. Besides reading about the wonderful Alutiiq midwives, I read about a healer or medicine woman that I actually went to see when I was a little girl, Oleanna. I would guess that I was probably five or six, not in school yet. I had been diagnosed with a heart murmur and had been sent to Anchorage for tests. I returned to the village and soon after, my parents did what they felt was the thing to do, they sent me to Oleanna Ashouwak's home which was in another village. I have always been stoic about situations that I find myself in and leaving home by myself and at such a young age had to have been traumatic, but I don't remember crying. After a few weeks, my parents were concerned about my being away from home alone and they sent my older sister to be with me. (burgundyrose). I can remember the day I saw her scrambling out of the plane! She used to get so embarrassed in front of people that her cheeks would get rosy red! I loved those rosy cheeks that day! (Oh, I still do, Sis!) I don't remember much about the "treatments" I received but can remember being scolded for getting ticklish when Oleanna was pressing my tummy and doing what I learned from the book is called "holding". She would keep her hand on my head as she moved the other around my tummy. Some people from Old Harbor (where I came from) called her a "witchdoctor". I don't even know if her care cured me. Mom said that I was a sick baby when I was first born so she had my Grandmother care for me and she made me drink tea. The book's author, Mulcahy, wrote that Oleanna had a village status that was similar to the male shamans. Oleanna lived in a village called Kaguyak. This village was further South than Old Harbor and was also wiped out after the 1964 Earthquake and Tidal Wave but never rebuilt. After Kaguyak, Oleanna then lived in Akhiok. I saw her when she lived in Kaguyak. She was originally from another abandoned village named Aiaktalik. I don't remember too much about being in the healer's home except for washing dishes and hiding from drunk people that stopped by her home. One time my sister and I crawled under Oleanna's (Pronounced Ol-yanna) bed and waited until the man left. My sister and I quietly listened and tried not to laugh when we saw the dust-bunnies rolling around from our heavy breathing. I heard Dad tell the story about a woman that took a young guy out of the village for treatment. He had been told he would soon die from tuberculosis and that there was nothing more that could be done for him. (Sent home from Kodiak Hospital.) He was very skinny and could barely walk to the skiff they left the village in. After the summer, when they returned, he was strong and healthy and lived to a ripe old age. The book includes a story like that about Oleanna. I think it is the same story Dad told but I didn't remember that it was Oleanna. The Healer's knowledge was passed on orally so lots of good information has been lost concerning health care when they died. It was not written down. The village Healer's and Mid-wives knew a lot about healing herbs. They used teas made from wild plants. I try to drink more tea since I can remember many of the elders drinking it, slowly. It not only calms me but it helps me relax. The book was interesting to me, maybe because I am from the area and maybe because I was part of Oleanna's life at one time. Healing is something we all will seek sometime in our lives, where ever we may be. It's interesting to read how people back then treated their health problems. I am thankful for modern treatments too, that knowledge is incredible but there is just something wonderful about walking out into the field and finding your medicine there, for free! Lifting my cup of herbal tea to all those that take the time to help others. God bless!

Tests!

Your Personality Profile

The World's Shortest Personality Test You are pure, moral, and adaptable. You tend to blend into your surroundings. Shy on the outside, you're outspoken to your friends. You believe that you live a virtuous life... And you tend to judge others with a harsh eye. As a result, people tend to crave your approval.

Oh! Oh!

I have a harsh eye!

I hope that tests don't make you testy 'cause I am going to do a few here.

Found them at Blog Things

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Your Fortune Is

The Wacky Fortune Cookie Generator He who thinks by the inch and talks by the yard deserves to be kicked by the foot.

Hey, that would not be very fortunate!

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Slow and Steady

How Do People See You? Your friends see you as painstaking and fussy. They see you as very cautious, extremely careful, a slow and steady plodder. It'd really surprise them if you ever did something impulsively or on the spur of the moment. They expect you to examine everything carefully from every angle and then usually decide against it.

Fussy? Me?

Cautious? Yes.... EXTREMELY careful. Dad always told me that when I was just a little baby, they set me on their bed and I fell off. They set me on it again and I sat STILL, so still that I would sweat, thinking I might fall off again.

Funny about the last paragraph... that's definitely me and my daughters know!

They say, gonna ask you one more time just before we decide to do it, in case you changed your mind again.

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Cheese Pizza

What's Your Pizza Personality? Traditional and comforting. You focus on living a quality life. You're not easily impressed with novelty. Yet, you easily impress others. Okay, I can live with that! Alright, what's next!

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C

How Observant Are You? You tend to notice the big things in life... But the details aren't exactly your forte [Hmmm... I thought that I was extremely observant. ] Details, details.... whatever!

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Your Superhero Profile

What's your Superhero Name? Your Superhero Name is The Snow Liberator Your Superpower is Chemical Your Weakness is Crystals Your Weapon is Your Turbo Claws Your Mode of Transportation is Kite I thought my super hero name was going to be Super Grammaloo.... Snow Liberator... [huh]. Chemical... like deficiency? Like in menopause? I do have a weakness for crystals.... beading crystals that is! I used to have a cat named Turbo and another one named ClawPaws. I think I would need a humongous kite to super hero here and there! Some of these tests are goofy, but fun!

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You Passed the US Citizenship Test

Could You Pass the US Citizenship Test? Congratulations - you got 8 out of 10 correct!

Yippee!

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Hey I love Hawaii!

Your Hawaiian Name is:

What's your Hawaiian Name? Iwalani Lanikai

Aww! That sounds pretty, wonder what it means? Okay I looked it up, it means.... Heavenly Seagull King!?

I believe my real Hawaiian name is Kani Malia. I don't know what that means though. Probably is not very impressive either!

Well that is enough tests, I need to take my poor puppy out for a walk now.

I hope you have a beautiful day!

Last of the Flowers

A Bouquet of Random Quotes

For You

All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today.

Life is a journey, not a home.

Jesus prays for me!

If you want to put the world right, start with yourself.

We like someone because, we love someone although.

One reason a dog is such a loveable creature is that his tail wags instead of his tongue.

One of the mysteries of life is how the boy who wasn't good enough to marry

the daughter can be the father of the smartest grandchild in the world.

'Twas her thinking of others that made you think of her.

When a man has a "pet peeve" it's remarkable how often he pets it.

The fellow who worries what people think of him wouldn't

worry so much if he only knew how seldom they do.

Housework is something you do that nobody notices

unless you don't do it.

Today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday.

Women will remain the weaker sex just as long as they are smarter.

Life is like licking honey off of a thorn.

If you don't enjoy your own company, why inflict yourself for hours on somebody else?

When you feel dog-tired at night, could it be because you have growled all day?

AND THE LAST..... (which Mom always said to her six daughters):

Pretty is as pretty does.

I never understood that for a long time either!

( All quotes were taken from "The Greatest Works of Jo Petty" )

Granddaughter Number Two

Grandkids are fun, I've heard that many times. I have taken a deep sigh occasionally when all of them end up here with just me to care for them because I am not quite sure if I can say that and really mean it. BUT... Grandkid's ARE fun when ONE comes to visit! At least the visit I had with my five year old granddaughter, Ashlee has been so far. Her Mom and Dad are off enjoying each other and celebrating an Anniversary they didn't take the time to do when it was the actual date. (In June.) I think it may also be a celebration of selling their home too. It finally sold and closed and it's a house in the past now. Anyway, back to my visit. Ashlee and I decided to go fishing after she got here yesterday. We had a bit of a snack before just so she didn't get hungry before I baked the pizza's we found in the freezer before we left. I hunted around the garage for the tackle box I have not touched all summer except to move it out of the way here and there. We could not find it so we pulled out a big ol' fishing rod with a big ol' fishing lure on it. Pulled off the dried-on fish eggs (one on each prong) and then headed for the dock. I didn't think we would get anything but I knew she would love being down there, looking into the water and playing with the dogs. We stood on the dock and took turns 'holding' the rod. "Your turn to hold it Grammaloo." It was sort of heavy for her and even for me. I cast the lure out as far as I could several times and thought I felt a nibble, but decided it must be the grass in the lake, which I was noticing ----seems to be a lot of grass out there! I was wondering about the grass and sort of watching the lure come spinning in when I saw two salmon chasing! I said, "LOOK ASHLEE!" She looked and we watched the two salmon chase the crazy big lure and then one took off and BIT it! I was told that they don't bite once they get into the fresh water! I was also told that if one does get a hook in the mouth of a salmon in freshwater, it's just an accident. But this guy... BIT! No bait either. "Oh man!" I thought, "Shoot! I don't want a big ol' spawning salmon!" It was pretty, but definitely red. I kept thinking of the words I had heard just a few days earlier, "those salmon are really good when you get them red like that". (For drying.) I finally got the hook out of the mouth and told Ashlee, "I don't want it." She says, "WHY? I love fish!" I said, "You and I can't eat that whole thing!" She says, "You can eat half and I will eat half." I leaned my head and looked at her. She smiled. So I put it back in the water and I held it as I swished it forward and backward until his gulps got strong again. We watched as it slowly swam off. "Awwwwwww...... ". Ashlee was so sad. Anyway, that was fun. We got a big fish but we did like my son in law does. Catch and release. Next time I am going to filet it and hang it on my front deck for everyone to see. Dummook.... dried fish. I love dried fish too! Ashlee slept with me in MY bed last night. I don't normally allow it but I thought, well, I let her older sister sleep with me once and I know that is why she wanted to sleep with me too. Okay, you can sleep in my bed. So I had a few heels in my back last night, but the sleep was pretty good anyway and she is happy she got to sleep with Grammaloo too! (Gramppa is away at work, two weeks away, two weeks home schedule.) Today we walked to the Point, then made lunch, then did a t-shirt her Aunt Marie bought for her to do. Iron-on transfers. I was sweating up a storm! She directed where each patch should be and I stuck them there with a hot iron. Right now she is asleep. We read books and she got sleepy and fell asleep. So did I. I am running out of things to do... maybe Mom will be here pretty soon... I think she just woke up.

P.S. No time to check for blatant errors... !

Warming Trend

Old Harbor Lagoon I took this picture of the Old Harbor Lagoon when I was there several years ago. Sitkalidak Island in the background.

We have had a very nice fall. It has been warm. Here in Houston we have had frost once, maybe twice the past week and it was light. I remember when our kids were in school, the first day of school was usually very cold with heavy frost everywhere! Now we have enjoyed warm temperatures - above freezing- longer and earlier in the spring than we used to. MSNNBC 's "Arctic ice melting faster as temperatures climb" (Link included) news article has pictures of the diminishing sea ice. Associated Press reports that the Arctic sea ice is "20 percent less than the average of end-of-summer ice pack cover measurements recorded since 1978." That has to be contributing to all the flooding down South and in Mexico today.

I remember the predictions someone gave of how the Earth would someday be flooding everywhere. The article I read included maps of the lands predicted to be swamped with water. I don't even remember who wrote it or who predicted it, but I always remember the maps. Most of Florida ended up being part of the Gulf! I can't help but think of that article when I look at pictures of New Orleans standing in water. Maybe New Orleans and the South should rebuild with houseboats! They can paddle away, paddle to the grocery store, paddle to Micky Dee's, paddle over to the neighbors. Just think, no more grass to mow! I see there is a new storm troubling the South again.

Here in our corner of Alaska, Twin Lake is higher than it normally is, and it has been since early spring! We thought it might be from a very industrious family of beavers at the outlet of Twin Lake. We checked earlier in the spring but didn't find a beaver dam.

Right now, it looks like we will have another warmer than normal, sunny, and windy day here.

Weather Summaries for Alaska: The Old Farmer's Almanac weather predictions for Alaska. Farmer's Almanac.com - Weather Summary for Alaska

Did You Remember?

We voted...

...but I felt like this swan about who to vote for!

I guess I didn't pay attention to the ones running so we got online and did some reading about who was running and what they said. I did know the Propositions and how to vote there! I voted to add a tax to our out going resources. I always wonder about all that gravel heading into Anchorage!

These cute little guys were in my email this morning. Little ChewChew's! Born yesterday. I am sure you can get one if you are interested. The spotted one looks like Chewy when he was a baby shihtzu!

This is what a big one of those little guys will look like when they get big and mean like Chewy. (NOT!)

Satisfied

When I look on my children I smile. What wonderful gifts children are. There is nothing they can do to change that they are my children and that I love them. Sometimes they do things that make me so happy and sometimes they do things that make me so upset. Do I stop loving them either way? No. I can be made happier with them or I can become disappointed, but I never can not stop looking at them as mine. If you have children, you know how it is, even when they disappoint, inside your heart you say, "Awww, my baby." I thought I would comment on yesterdays sermon today. We go to Wasilla Bible Church. We try to go every Sunday morning, sometimes we don't make it because of trips here and there but every Sunday we have committed to being there. Yesterday, Pastor Larry spoke on how God is satisfied with us when He views us through His Son. Not because of any of our sacrifices, but because of Jesus Christ's sacrifice. God is satisfied. This sermon evolved from the needs for members to share in the cost of moving to a larger building. We now meet together at Wasilla Middle School as the remaining funds for building and the actual building itself are being met. Larry has spoken on giving for several Sunday's. He came to the conclusion that the word sacrifice shouldn't be used in relation to our giving. Especially the idea that by giving sacrificially we will get in better standing with God. Our sacrifices are not necessary in order to please God. Jesus Christ's sacrifice is the only sacrifice that will please God. Jesus Christ sacrificed all, God is pleased completely. He gave an illustration of his son making a CD for him of music that he enjoys. Larry said that he is already satisfied with his son and nothing he can do or say can make him more satisfied, but he can do things to please him. He likened it to why we do what we do in service to the Lord. We don't go to church on sundays, or give, or enter ministry because it will put us in better standing with God, but because it pleases God when we do things that He loves. A sweet smelling savor. The sermon was excellent. If you are interested you can listen to our Pastor online. (Link provided.)The sermon I am referring to is 10-02-05 Theology of Christian Sacrifice. Oops, I published before I was done typing. Well, check out the sermons, Larry is a very good Pastor.