Away. Away. Cast off the dock lines! Full steam ahead! The lines are coiled, put away snug for the summer. We are leaving Valdez, heading west. The salmon are running, Coho and Chinook. Mountains, bears and berries. Endless variations of … [Read more]
City Withdrawl!
Once in a great while, Alaska is not the place I want to be. On a morning such as this, when the boat is again disheveled like a frat house on Sunday morning, I am easily defeated. I long for a Sunday in a big city. I want to retreat in the warm, … [Read more]
Kerplunk….
Swimming is good, Swimming is great. Don't swim if it's too late or if you just cleaned your plate. Swim in the sun, Swim for fun. Swim in the buff, but not when it's rough. Swim to stay trim... Put on your Coppertone, but at … [Read more]
Nisa’s Dilemma or “Battle of the Mat”
We have been trying for some time to train Nisa to use a "potty mat" (a green welcome mat) on the boat for those times when it is impossible to take her to shore to do her business. All of our attempts thus far have been a total failure. Maybe not so … [Read more]
Return of the Sun
Snow fell almost solidly for 6 weeks, then with the parting of some far away curtain, the snow stopped and the sun appeared. It shines down on us, everyday, for the past 10 days, like some benevolent god. What a miracle. Each day the sun climbs a … [Read more]
Night
A few unbelievable statistics: In the past 6 weeks over 250 inches of snow fell in Valdez. Snowplows work night and day moving snow. In places the piles tower more than three stories tall. 60+ inches of snow smothers the grass in the front yard. All … [Read more]
A Little Nod from the Hometown Press…
The Summit Daily News shared our heidy-ho with the people back home. What fun! Take a look. … [Read more]
Christmas Eve Skiing
After a pair of false starts in the past few days, days spent slogging rather than skiing, we finally started to skiing in earnest! Today we went with Jennifer, Lance and Charis to an area on Thompson Pass called Vertigo. The snow was great, the … [Read more]
It Snowed..and Still is!
The crew and 30+ inches of snow...time to shovel! There has been some debate going on in this household over the past few weeks. You see my father and his wife, Susan, are coming to Valdez for the week between Christmas and New Years. The question … [Read more]
Home for a Season
Here we are, finally settled in Valdez. We cruised up the Inside Passage over the summer, knowing all along we had to cross the Gulf of Alaska. We wanted to do it by summer's end. That didn't happen, not even close. When Labor Day passed and we were … [Read more]