COLDER

Minus 29.4. Its always that last point four that makes it feel cold.

Coping ..or not

Coldest temps of the year so far. Since taking the picture its dropped another 9/10ths of a degree so minus 22.9. The paper was full of hints about tricks to cope with the cold temperatures. Naturally the one that caught my eye said that eating spicy food would help ward off the chills. Good enough for me so I ditched the oatmeal and dined on huevos rancheros, refried frijoles and flour tortillas. Aye caramba.

HIGHLANDS PEARL OF THE SAN JACINTO

Just thought I'd share this picture. Thanks Doc and Terry, we now have a flag worthy of our adventures. Guess the bullshit flag is officially retired.

Its beginning to look alot like winter

Two nights in a row we have seen minus 17. The weather service says more cold weather is on the way. May dip into the minus 20's tonight. Plus the 20 - 30 mph winds are dropping the wind chill factor dangerously low. Wish you all were here!

Blizzard

Today I experienced my first snow blizzard, sort of. After snowing all day Christmas and part of yesterday, today broke sunny and clear. I spent the morning shovelling snow, again, and splitting spruce for kindling. About 2 pm I decided a trip to the gym on my off day was in order. Some cardio and a college football sounds like a nice Saturday afternoon right? I left the cabin and had no idea the winds were blowing 30, 40 and even 50 mph back toward Wasilla. While it was not snowing, the wind was driving all the new powder straight across the road. It was like driving through a wall of smoke ten feet high. Plus the snow was piling up in weird places making the drive an Alaskan version of Russian roulette. Several cars were in ditches or snowbanks. Bummer.

Heres a picture of our Christmas tree.

Merry Christmas

Wow. We went overboard on the white Christmas this year. Its been snowing hard since last night. Good thing we have lots of wood and yummy things to eat cause we are staying put today!

Champ had his good buddy Bear in for an overnight visit. Sorry Lester, deal with it. Our Christmas tree is practically white.

Barber Cabin

Saturday saw me and Champ headed south to the Kenai Peninsula for a weekend trip to the Barber Cabin. We picked up Ted and Linda in Anchorage (the big city only minutes from Alaska) and then headed to the trailhead at Russian River Campground. Temperatures were a balmy 27 degrees when we loaded up the sleds for the 4 miule hike to the cabin.

Hiking in we made excellent progress until we hit the winter trail. The going got slower as we were breaking trail most of the way. My new sled was quite an improvement over the old one and the rigging job proved to be perfect. No turnovers or lost loads.

By 3:30 we had the cabin in view. The married couple had not yet started physically assaulting each other so a successful trip. The cabin had recently been completely remodeled and was very comfy. Best of all, a wood shed full of spruce.

Later on we were joined by Jennifer and Josetta and Tippy. After a nighttime hike to pick up some gear the girls couldn't get all the way in, a dinner of Spaghetti and green salad, Champ and I hit the sack.

Still Cold

Minus 15 this morning when I rolled out of bed. Since the toyotomi oil stove is working again the downstairs temp was a bearable 53. The stove is set to come on when it drops to 51. A fire in the wood heater quickly warmed up the place. Outside it stayed cold all day. Warmest we saw today was minus 5. Used handwarmers on our stroll and they work ok. Filled up the inside wood bin and then cleaned house all day. Had been putting off doing the floors for awhile.

Weather musings

December has been a month of varied weather. Started off with cold below zero temps. It was January last year before I saw consistent below zero weather so maybe this is a portent of a severely cold winter. Then, the temps climbed back up to the 30's and we even had a little bit of rain. Didn't last very long and last week we again dropped below zero and stayed that way till today. Sandwiched in all these weather patterns were two heavy snowfalls. So far, we have had in excess of 50 inches. Last year was a dry year, with most of the snow coming late. So maybe this is a sign of things to come. Who knows!

Hook em

Thanksgiving was nice. Ate just the right amount. Whatever that means. It snowed most of Friday and all of Saturday and Sunday. Probably a foot or more of new snow. Temps had been pleasantly warm but last night the skies cleared and the mercury plummeted. Minus 12 this morning. Dropped another degree after I took this photo. We're down to less than 6 hours of daylight. Sunrise at 9:50, sunset at 3:48. Gotta get my vitamin d somewhere else for a few months.

Rest in Peace

Yesterday saw the end of my funny fowl neighbors. All three went to the chopping block in preparation for the holiday feast. I guess its for the best as the the big tom was just starting to get agressive, actually chasing Shanna around on occasion. Never thought I say it but I'm kind of sad to see them go.

Couple more inches of snow last night and more is on the way. Anchorage is reporting 29 inches so far this year and we've had more than that. Temperature is 15 and expected to stay in the teens for a few more days.

According to my light bill, the average temp last month (Nov 08) was 21. The average for the same time last year was 32. January and February averaged 11. This summer, one of the coldest in recent times, saw averages of 51, 56, 56, 53 for the months of June thru September. no wonder everyone felt like they got cheated out of summer.

Snow and then sunshine

Saturday just after I uncovered the wood to start moving it onto the porch, the snow started to fall. Oh well, I quickly covered it back up and went inside to watch football. Sunday the snow was falling even harder. Today, the snow has stopped and the sun is out making it feel way warmer than it is. Temperature is 23, but the sun makes it feel like 38, at least according to my weather station. Oh well, time to stack wood I guess.

More weather

Heres the lowest temperature I've registered on my weather station this year. Way colder earlier this year than last but the National Weather Service says the winter overall should be warmer in Alaska. Will we see a repeat of last year's minus 35? Something tells me we might. Snow last night and this morning. Wished the last wood was stacked and covered but I guess I get to do that today.

Good news, bad news

Well, not really bad news but the cold weather is hanging around a bit longer. Minus 6 as I type this at 11 am Friday. Fetch was definitely a short game this morning. Good news is I have another cord of wood ready to be split and stacked. Finished getting all the birch that the power company cut down this spring. Now my fires will have some staying power as the spruce burns hot but fast while the birch is a slower burning wood. Close to four cords total and I bet I burn most of it. Heck I've burned almost half a cord already! The stove stays lit for me to stay warm.

COLD WEATHER

One stays somewhat preoccupied with the temperatures up here in the far reaches of north Texas. This morning I knew it was gonna be a cold one before I even got out of bed. Sure enough, the downstairs temp was 45, on the inside, 8 below outside. Could be worse. The weather channel reported temps of 18 below at Big Lake, just 2 miles down the road. If accurate, that is a record low for this date, besting the previous low by one degree.

I fear I do not have enough wood!

Minus 4

Kind of chilly this am. Put off taking the dog out to play fetch as long as I could. The cold doesn't seem to faze him. In fact, after about 20 minutes he'll abruptly drop the ball and start wolfing down snow. Cools off his motor I guess, but by that time I'm ready to call it quits. Call me a wimp but when my fingers get cold, I head for the house. Today it will eventually warm up to plus five so my fingers are doomed. I need a pair of really good expedition type gloves!

Was a bit of ice fog late last night but fairly clear this morning. Gonna try to make salmon burgers with sweet tater fries this evening so will venture out later for the fixins. Bon apetit!

Holidays

Nothing like a good game of fetch to get the blood flowing on a cold snowy Monday morning. Course, if you chase a tennis ball face first into a snowbank, you have to be prepared to get a facefull of the white stuff. No worries for Champ who is partial to the stuff.

A friend reminded me this morning how much family and friends back home will be missed this holiday season. Almost sent me to the airlines to check flight schedules. Guess I'll stick to the original plan and head south in late January.

Speaking of holidays we have picked out our tree. I think it looks fine right where it is so if Santa doesn't mind leaving my stuff on the porch, I'll leave it in the ground.

Glaciers

Was digging around in my pics for some glacier shots. Didn't realize how many I had. This is Bear Glacier. Awesome!

Snow

The weather folks have been calling for snow the past three days and they were finally right. The white stuff started coming down yesterday afternoon and didn't stop till lunchtime today. About five inches of fluffy powder. Time to break out the snow shovel. Temperatures since Sunday have been almost warm. May have even got above the freezing mark yesterday.

Time in a bottle

Don't know how Jim planned on doing this but sure wish I could put some sunshine in a bottle. Save a bit of the stuff for the dark days ahead. We are down to just 8 hours of daylight and losing about 5 minutes daily! Makes for some long evenings.

Nine degrees this morning.

Byers Lake

Saturday morning found us on the Parks Highway headed north to Denali State Park. Waiting for the sun to rise behind us, we watched the thermometer drop steadily. The minus 2 at Big Lake became minus 8 by the time we reached Trapper Creek. By then the sun was coming up and the views were spectacular. Mount McKinley and the rest of the Alaska Range had us torn between gawking at the view or watching the road. Its always a treat to see these mountains!

We reached the parking lot of the park by 1030 am. We loaded up the sled with firewood and donned our backpack and snowshoes and headed down to the cabin. By the time we returned to the truck for a second load, the rest of the gang had arrived. Seems they had to make an emergency stop for breakfast along the way. We quickly made our second trip down to the cabin loaded down with the many goodies we would later enjoy. After getting the cabin warmed up we headed outside for some recreation. As you can see, the lake is frozen solid already which made for some great skating and ice fetching. Temp dropped to minus ten but we stayed warm in the log cabin. The wood I brought in was well worth the effort. An excellent dinner of steak, roasted potatoes, salad, and apple pie, followed by some late night star gazing on the lake. A return visit is scheduled for January 24, 2009. Can anyone say 40 below?

Overload

Here's a shot of Denali or Mt. Mckinley. Believe it or not I see this mountain on the way to my PO Box if the weather is clear.


I've gone on numerous weeklong hikes with less gear than I'm hauling in this weekend. The old smokey for cooking steaks (Ted's bringing them in from Mr Prime Rib), a lantern, a mess of roasted potatos, a salad, a dog bed, a ton of firewood, and all the usual backpacking stuff. Oh yeah, a mug for the growler from Moose's Tooth (Thanks Larissa). Hopefully I will not forget something important.





Weather forecast has improved. Partly sunny skies and temps ranging from 12 to 25. Hope to see the northern lights on Saturday night.

BYERS LAKE

Headed to Denali State Park this weekend to spend the night at the Byers Lake Cabin. Was there almost exactly one year ago with my bud David. The cabin is a real sod roofed Alaskan log cabin situated right on Byers Lake. The lake should be frozen somewhat by now and there will be lots of snow on the ground. Forecast is for warmer temperatures and snow. I'll be toting in enough wood to stay warm, as well as the old smoky for grilling steaks. Hope to see the northern lights Saturday night.

The Beauty of Winter

Here's another snowshoe pic. A real fun descent of a rather steep slope. I'm to the far left. If you look close you can see Champ's tail to my right. If you click on the picture it gets bigger. The guy to my right has two legs, you just can't see one.

Still Cold

As if I really thought a day would make a difference. Minus 2 this morning at my place. Less than 3 miles down the road they were reporting minus 8. Oh well, the sun was out again so I took advantage and got in some more of the birch. Should of done it two months ago! Cold I was!

MINUS 1

Is it that time of year already? The thermometer says yes. Minus 1 in October. Global warming is not all its cracked up to be, at least not here in Big Lake Alaska. The snow was crunchy on our morning walk. Great cure for a runny nose, the stuff just freezes instead of running.

Return to Hatcher Pass

Hatcher Pass is one of my favorite places in Alaska. As scenic as it is in the summer or fall, its absolutely stunning in the winter. Today Champ and I had an awesome snowshoe trip climbing up about 1200 feet above Independence Mine. Temperatures at the start of our hike were single digits but the sun was out and warmed things up nicely. We followed a broken trail up a gradually sloping ridgeline to a spot near here for lunch. After lunch we headed straight down the steep snow covered slope on a more direct line back. Even with snowshoes, you were sinking to your knees with each step. It was especially tough on the dogs who joined us. In fact, there was one spot that all three dogs simply did not want to cross. Whining, we eventually coached them through.





Here's Champ giving me the eye for choosing the shortcut down. At one spot he disappeared complety under the snow, except for his nose. Alas, I was having a little trouble myself so the photo op was lost.

Brrrrrr!!!!!

Friday night at bedtime it was 10 degrees! Wow, made me wonder how cold it would be next morning. Turns out it warmed up overnight and the 17 degrees that greeted me wasn't too bad. Course, it was a balmy 51 inside. Just about cold enough to kick the Toyo stove on. Thanks to my magic spruce, I had a fire going in short order.

CHAMP

Something about the snow brings out the puppy in Champ. Here he lies squirming on his back in the white stuff on our afternoon walk. Completely happy or so it seems. With the snow and ice on the road, our games of fetch the ball get pretty funny. Stopping on the slick stuff is hard even when you have four feet on the ground.

Snow

Here's a pic of me snowshoing on Sunday at Hatchers Pass. The elevation is about 3500 feet and there's already tons of snow. We had some more of the white stuff last night. It seems that winter may be here to stay. Days are getting shorter. Sunrise is 9am and sunset is 6:30pm. Temps
this morning were right at freezing. So between the chill and the snow, Lester may have regretted his decision to "tomcat" last night. I'd ask him but he's sleeping the day away.











Here is a pic of the neighbors dog"Bear" enjoying the inside life on a doggie sleepover. He's about 12 years old but still pretty spry. Plus a world class blues howler!

HATCHER PASS

Here we go snowhoeing up to Hatcher Pass. The snow is already two foot deep, making for a pretty good workout especially if you are in front braking trail as I am in this picture. Believe me, I didn't stay there all day. A total of ten snowshoers were on this trip while ten more chose to ski the groomed trails at Independence Mine. Another great Anchorage Adventurers outing.

CARIBOU CREEK CABIN

Friday afternoon Champ and I motored down to Anchorage to meet up with Ted for the trip to Hope. By mid afternoon the sun was out and it was a pleasant 52 degrees. Of course by the time we loaded up and hit Turnagain Pass the rain started. No worries though because we had raincoats, right? And anyway by the time we reached the trailhead the skies were clear. Temp at 8:30 was about 35 and the winds were slight so not too bad.


The hike in was rough. Lots of water on the trail and mud. Add in the darkness and it made for a bit of work. Plus the grizzly sign was abundant so the senses were on high alert. There were supposed to be six of us on this trip but we were only two, and a dog. Champ in fact decided that he would hike in between Ted and I, abandoning point duties to Ted. On on occasion we heard a loud plop next to the trail, "What was that?" Ted asked. "Relax" I replied, "it was only Champ exploring the bush." The words were no sooner out of my mouth when I felt Champ brush my leg on the side away from the noise. Guess it wasn't him. After hearing the same noise several more times finally identified the culprit. Mr. Beaver. The beaver dams were everywhere and we must have been passing through a beaver work party, On the way out you could see their signs on lots of trees, trees that will not be standing in a few days.


Made it to the cabin at 11:30 only to discover squatters! Oh well they quickly made room for us and since there was room we invited them to stay. It was nice to have a warm cabin. Next day Ted and I found a nice size birch that had been recently downed by the wind. Cutting it loose, dragging it to the cabin, and then cutting it into lengths for the stove was exhausting so we ate lunch and once the fire was going, took a nap. Woke up after an hour or so when Holly and Stewart and Alexis came hiking in with there dog Emma. Pretty good hike in for Stewart who is 7 yrs old. Had a nice evening visiting and a warm night despite the rain/snow which started up about 7 pm. Was too warm till after midnight. Then I fought Champ for the sleeping pad and bag as he wanted both. Nice hike out the next day as the snow was falling in really big flakes. With daylight, Champ resumed point duties and even managed to find a few spruce grouse to chase. Emma went back and forth herding everyone along. Back in Anchorage the snow was falling pretty good. I was eager to leave the traffic and city behind.

MMMMmmmmmgood

Woke up this morning to see that the temps had dropped to 18. Hmmm. Kind of early for it to be that cold but you never know. Spent the morning enjoying a good book and some leftover homemade beef soup. I made it last night with buffalo meat and locally grown produce including turnips, cabbage corn and carrots. It was even better today than last night. Probably the jalepeno!



Sufficiently nourished, I decided to harvest a little more wood. By afternoon the temp had climbed to 28 so not too cold. Especially once you start cutting and hauling wood. My neighbor had a few really nice birch trees down so I took Jim up on his offer and cut them into four foot lengths and carried them home. I then cut them into 15 inch rounds which I next split twice with a splitting wedge. The resulting quarters are then stacked on the deck and covered with a tarp for use later this winter. This wood will be okay to burn by about February, just when it starts to get really cold.



Champ and I are headed out tomorrow on a weekend camping trip up the Resurrection trail out of Hope. We will be staying in a small cabin with a few others and enjoying the snow. I'll post some pictures when we return.

FIRST SNOW

We had our first snowfall of the season Sunday afternoon. It started slow at first, with just a few flakes mixed in with a light rain. Then it stopped for maybe thirty minutes only to return with huge fat flakes that quickly covered the ground making everything look christmassy. Its still early for thoughts of the yule time season but what can you do? Snow is predicted most of the week.

Champ and I managed yet another trip up Bodenburg Butte on Saturday morning. There was no snow yet but it was clear and cool. Its covered in snow now so another trip will be pencilled into the schedule. Its really pretty covered in snow. Heading out Friday for a weekend on the Resurection Trail. We'll be going in at night on Friday and hiking near the river to a cabin about six miles in. The river is still full of salmon so the possibility of bears will be there, but we'll stay together and should be okay. I'll be there until Sunday so I will miss the OU/UT game. Somebody please text me the score!

Autumn

We were blessed with a great weekend of weather. Saturday and Sunday were sunny and clear with temps in the low 50s both days. We took advantage and hiked to Eagle lake Sunday with the Anchorage Adventurers Group. A real neat area that I had not experienced before. Fall colors were stunning. A nice outing and I know Champ enjoyed the exercise. Once again, his hike was lots longer than the 12 miles the rest of us covered.

It's Official

Summer is now officially over. At least that's what the calendar on the wall says. The first day of fall and the chill already is in the air. Morning temps were right at 32. Sun is trying to shine and as I write this its warmed up to 41. Snow has been falling in the mountains for the past few weeks giving them a ice cream sundae look. Pretty soon they'll be a solid white. Wish I could send this weather down to the Texas Gulf coast so everyone recovering from Ike could enjoy a break from the heat and humidity. Also wish they could send me a couple of cords of oak from the abundance of wood littering the ground.

As I've mentioned before, we had a cold summer with only 17 days at or above normal temps. Everyone is curious as to what the winter will bring. We are down to just over 12 hours of daylight and the numbers are dwindling rapidly.

We had joy we had fun we had seasons in the sun...

But the sun seemed to last a bit longer down south. While Texas is gearing up for another hurricane, we are getting snow above 3000 feet. Looks like it will be a snow filled winter.

On the bright side, Sarah is back in Alaska so all is well. The billboards up here sing her praises. Kind of funny, like the mayor of Baytown, or Liberty, being on the ticket. If nothing else, it sure is interesting now isn't it. Obama or O Mama! Pays yo money and takes yo pick. Hillary is surely eating her heart out, don't you think? Bill, well thats another story.

Chilly Pete

Only had two days this summer over 70 so this is going down as one of the coldest summers in recent history. Spent Sat night sleeping atop Exit Glacier on the Harding Ice Field. Way below 70. Had hard rain, severe wind and the occasional snow flake....lovely weather. Felt good ...to get down. Saw bears, ptarmingans, marmots and the biggest porcupine I've seen. Pics to follow so stay tuned.

By the way, he was one of my favorite Rockets!

Sarah Smile

And she did!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

East bound and down...

Getting slowly settled into the old routine now that the summer guests have departed. By that I mean I am sleeping till 11 and then watching the tv all afternoon. Okay, maybe not quite 11 and not all afternoon as I am managing to get some wood cut as well. Way ahead of last year so I feel pretty good. Wonder if it'll be colder this winter than last. 40 below would be kind of neat don't you think.

Watched the Iditarod dvd tonight. Mackey is one tough customer, but then again they all are. Looking forward to seeing who wins in 09. Still a Mackey fan but I have helped train Jeff Kings dogs so my loyalties are split.

Rest in Peace Jerry Reed.

And then it was quiet...

Whew, what a month August turned out to be. Had a really good visit with the HJS group. A weeks worth of backpacking with Doc and Champ followed up by Denali and Seward and the fair with TJ and her brood. Last but not least David Paula and the story lady were mixed in for good measure. I enjoyed seeing everyone and hope all had a good time. Eight people in my one bath cabin and everyone got along....who says you need a big house. Just got to remember to be the first one up for the bathroom, shower etc...

After seeing everyone off (kind of) at the airport Friday night, Champ and I grabbed some much needed sleep and then headed for the quaint village of Hope AK. Climbed Hope point Saturday and had a really sunny beautiful day. Larissa and Jessica and I then camped out on the river enjoying a dinner of reindeer sausage and smores.

Enjoying the labor day holiday by doing mostly nothing. Getting everything clean and dry and ready for next weekend when I will spend Saturday night sleeping atop Exit Glacier on the Harding Icefield. Sounds cold just typing it.

One time at Band camp.....

A Box of Puppies







Got the old HJS gang here. Spent a week backpacking with Doc, and just returned from a Denali trip with David Paula TJ Schaey Jacob and Terry W. aka the story lady. Weather was unbelievably nice. Clear and sunny with just a bit of chill in the air. Of course, being from Texas they all froze.

Will try to update this later with more pics and stories. Will take the time now to mention our visit to Husky Homestead, the kennel of four time iditarod champ Jeff King. Got to meet Jeff and his middle girl Tessa, as well as a number of the dogs. Lots of fun and educational too. Who would have thought he trains mushing dogs by having them swim pulling a paddleboat. Of course they wear doggie wetsuits.

Mooseghetti

That was for supper last night. Very much like lean hamburger only with a richer taste. Tomorrow we will see how Moose Tacos compare, and then Wednesday it'll have to be Moose Burgers.

Today the sun is out so I cut and split wood. Should have one cord split and stacked by days end. Way ahead of schedule compared to last year.

The Highlands contingent begins arriving Wednesday night. It'll be two funfilled weeks of backpacking, car camping and fair going whilst they are here. Hope the weather stays decent.

How about those French? Gonna crush the Americans. HaHa.

Bear With Me

Haven't posted any bear pics in awhile so here are a few. The incident of bear human encounters seems higher this summer than last. Lots of hollering about the need for the "gov't" to do something. Here's one vote for them doing nothing to the animals. Its mostly a people problem.

Summertime sum sum summertime

Company is gone and with him the good weather. It rained last night and the forecast calls for a weeks worth of rainy, overcast, cold weather. Lester finally returned after spending the last two days "outside." Must of been some kind of cat protest against the Russian sleeping in his bedroom. Anyway, when he heads inside and does a mini hibernation, you kind of expect crappy weather. The Texas contingent would do well to bring some nice weather with them when they visit later this month. Have some wood ready to split so if the rain stops that will be the day's project. Still pretty sore from Tuesday's hike. The only bad thing about hiking up a steep trail for 41/2 miles and 5200 feet is the trip down. Still fighting a head cold which would probably go away if I quit sleeping outside.

Well then...

Sergei and I had a great visit. After getting him cleaned up and fed Tuesday night, we dayhiked Pioneer Ridge yesterday. Weather was clear and warm as we started up the 4.5 mile climb to the ridge. In about 4 hours we reached the top, having climbed a distance of 5200 feet. A quick lunch was enjoyed as the wind picked up and the temperatures shot downward. Going down was lots quicker, but the knees felt the strain. Champ did his usual extra mileage and slept like a baby last night. Had lots of clouds as we got above treeline but still had a few glimpses of the Knik Glacier. Too bad I forgot the camera.

THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING, THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING

Well, actually its just one of them. And to be honest, Sergei has been here long enough that he's part American. That would be the part that likes pancakes. Anyway he's here in between hikes in the Wrangells while uber guide Carl trolls for more clients in Anchorage. Carl is a great guide, seems to always know the easiest way through the willow or alder, and trains his bears to be polite to a fault. I highly recommend him.

Hopefully the weather will allow us a decent day hike, in between resupplying Sergei and washing clothes etc... He's not much for TV but I'm thinking maybe we could rent Red Dawn, or the Rocky episode where he kicks Drago's butt.

POWERLINE PASS BACKPACK

Spent the weekend hiking and camping in Chugach State Park. Friday afternoon, Champ and I hiked Flattop Mountain with a couple of 7 yr olds, their moms and their dogs. Alaska 7 yr olds "boing" alot and stay on trail just slightly more than the dogs. They are crackerjack rock scramblers for sure.





Friday evening we met up with another group for a weekend trip to Green Lake and Powerline Pass. Weather was dry but windy, gusting 20 -30 mph pretty much all weekend. We camped in a beautiful setting just below the pass at Green Lake. Saturday we attempted Avalanche Peak but the wind and the clouds turned us around short of our goal. No worries. Its all good, as they say.



The Moose above actually blocked the trail on our return Sunday morning. His breakfast was more important than our getting home. The middle picture shows the pass. The final pic is Champ taking a midday snooze and making sure none of the other dogs get at his doggie treats.

Thanks Sheila!

QUESTIONS THAT HAUNT ME!

If you have sex with a prostitute against her will, is it considered rape or shoplifting?

Can you cry under water?

How important does a person have to be before they are considered assassinated instead of just murdered?

Why do you have to "put your two cents in"... but it's only a "penny for your thoughts"? Where's that extra penny going to?

Once you're in heaven, do you get stuck wearing the clothes you were buried in for eternity?

Why does a round pizza come in a square box?

What disease did cured ham actually have?

How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?

Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby" when babies wake up like every two hours?

If a deaf person has to go to court, is it still called a hearing?

Why are you IN a movie, but you're ON TV?

Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?

Why do doctors leave the room while you change?
They're going to see you naked anyway.

Why is "bra" singular and "panties" plural?

Why do toasters always have a setting that burns the toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat?

If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a stupid song about him?

Can a hearse carrying a corpse drive in the carpool lane ?

If the professor on Gilligan's Island can make a radio out of a coconut, why can't he fix a hole in a boat?

Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours?
They're both dogs!

If Wile E. Coyote had enough money to buy all that ACME crap, why didn't he just buy dinner?

If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, what is baby oil made from?

If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?

Do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune?

Why did you just try singing the two songs above?

Why do they call it an asteroid when it's outside the hemisphere, but call it a hemorrhoid when it's in your butt?

Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him for a car ride, he sticks his head out the window?


"The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;they just make the best of everything that comes along their way.. "

Who'll Stop the Rain

I'd vote for him as would lots of Alaskans. Friday's good weather was just enough to let us know what we've been missing the past many days. Saturday the rain returned with gusto. It rained all day and most of the evening. My evening dog walk required wearing my Seattle Somrero Rain Hat. Champ was not fazed by the weather but Bear acted like he wished it would stop. Bear is the neighbors dog, a big Alaskan Husky about 11 years old. He goes with us most days but is happy to walk at my side, marking his territory about every ten feet. Champ has the energy of the young and ranges ahead, hurrying back to check on us when called. Good for him as this makes our mile walk a three mile race. He sleeps better this way.

Managed to cut split and stack about 1/3 cord Friday. Forecast is for some more decent weather Monday and Tuesday so maybe I'll make some more headway. With summer being so cold, no telling what fall and winter will bring.

Today is kind of iffy looking. Not raining now but not real sunny either. Neighbors brought the geese back from wherever they wintered last night. The old matriarch still doesn't like me. I've given up trying to befriend her. In fact, last night I beat her to the punch by hissing at her!

Global Warming

Not sure the local weather supports the theory (sorry Al Gore) as we are headed for possibly the coldest summer on record. Coldest summer being the one with the fewest days at or over 65. Half way there as summer is dwindling fast. So far we have had 7 days at or above 65. The fewest on record is 16 days. Snow up in the Chugach last night while we have been getting rain pretty steady the past week. Rainy and 47 this morning. Good sleeping weather but I am all caught up on my sleep. I need some wood cutting weather.

My neighbors went dipnetting over the weekend. Lady luck wasn't with them. They did manage 7 fish, but Jesse stabbed herself with a knife so they had an unscheduled stop at the hospital for staples. They gave me two nice red salmon steaks which I cooked Tuesday night. Very fresh and tasty. As the pictures above show the rest was "canned." The jalepeno adds a nice touch.