Life on the Rock

For my non-facebook user friends

2010-10-13T10:06:00.000-07:00

Not to take away from my beloved Elmo, but I have adopted a new baby....Pug, that is....a few people have requested photos posted to my (ex) blog so that they can see him for themselves.

I miss Elmo like you wouldn't believe and still find myself choking back tears almost daily. I still can't believe he is not here anymore....and Rio, I know they are together, frolicking about, chasing squirrels like there is no tomorrow.....I love you Elmo & Rio!

Here is the newest member of my family....he definitely keeps me busy and is truly a joy! (except in the middle of the night)....very smart & eager to learn!

Cheers!

Tribute to Rio

2010-07-07T12:55:00.000-07:00

Sherrie's dog, Rio, joined Elmo in heaven today. She went peacefully in Sherrie's arms. And at last she is not in pain, and happily romping around at the Rainbow Bridge.

Lola

2010-07-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

Hello friends and family! Just want to introduce everyone to the new addition to our family....Some of you may remember her from Jerry and Cecille, Dutch Harborites......Well, unfortunately they were unable to spend much time with her due to their demanding work schedules, so they let Sherrie take her and give her to my other sister, Cathy....let me tell you, she is totally spoiled already. So, anyone who knows Jerry & Cecille, please let them know, she is in very good hands....I'm babysitting her today for a little while, so that she can bond with her Aunt Lauri.

Here are some photos of her. Her name is now Lola (thanks to me!!!)

(the first few pics show her on my windowsill looking for Cathy)

Pics for the "Cuzins"

2010-05-22T18:33:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos taken last weekend, when Scott's sister, Bonnie was visiting from Minnesota....they are soooo out of order, but I feel the pressure from my "cuz" to post some pics...so here they are.... After visiting the Space Needle, Experience Music Project, Science Fiction Museum, Westlake Center, Kells, AND Pike's Place Market, we dined at Anthony's....'twas such a fun day, capped off with a delicious dinner!

View from Anthony's....spectacular!

Oh yeah, we also stopped at the Ballard Locks....the grounds there are amazing!

LOL Anthony's again....Bonnie was majorly impressed with the flowers! I can't blame her.

At the Locks, watching the bridge raise.

Pretty cool scuplture at the Locks....here are Bonnie and my gorgeous husband....great photo :)

At the Locks! (Does he look like he wants his pic taken? I don't think so....)

Fisherman's Terminal....the Ranger memorial and Captain Phil's brought some tears....

Speaks for itself :)

Bonnie, not quite ready for her photo to be taken...but my battery was dying, so......

Very emotional.......

Fountain at City Center, Seattle...that's Bonnie down there....looking really really small!

My wonderful husband, Scott and I at Pike's Place Market.....posing with a life-sized piggy bank...it holds approx. $8,000 in change, can't remember what charity it goes to....LOL although we did donate (damn, getting old sucks)!

My battery was dying and Bonnies card was full, so we took some select photos...this being one of them....

Bonnie and Scott......

We met Keri (formerly of Sure Fish, in Dutch Harbor, now living in Seattle) at Kell's Irish Pub for lunch near Pikes....

Bonnie at the "Market"

Bonnie and Yoda at the Science Fiction Museum....

Bonnie, Scott and the villian from "Terminator"...

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle posing with Bonnie at SFM

This was one of the only pics of Bruce I saw at EMP....I thought of Jane when I took this....Hi Jane!!!!!

Scott at top of Space Needle...(I hadn't been to the top since I was a little girl)....Amazing views of the city...I actually took photos panoramic style, but not sure if it worked out like I wanted them to, so I spared my viewers that agony :)

Before we went to EMP, Bonnie showed me one of the t-shirts she had packed and it was of Johnny Cash flipping the bird at San Quentin....Same exact pic!

It just wouldn't be an "experience music project" without "The King".....this one's for you, Sherrie ;)

Tower of guitars....look how little the people are standing by it...it's incredible!

The EMP building is a bizarre conglomeration of architecture....here are Bonnie and Scott standing outside one of the many different shapes.

Now onto the anniversary party at the "Pugh estate" (parent's house)...Frank in the foreground, Bonnie smiling so cutely for the camera.

Left to right....George Morgan (back-seater for my dad, in the SR-71 spy plane), Brenda Brindley (formerly of Dutch Harbor, she ran West Construction Bunkhouse, worked for USAFV, was a dispatcher for the DPS in Unalaska, and now lives in Sequim, WA)....Scott opening gifts...and my adorable mother, Deanna.

My dad, Tom, George's wife, Jan and Scott's sister Bonnie (my big fat hair ALMOST blocking them out of the photo)

Okay, so what would YOU put on a cake if YOU were throwing a party for YOURSELVES?????

Paul Cooper, Deanna, Sharon, and Cathy Cooper on the deck....

Michelle, Carrie (captain of boat out of Seward, AK), sister Cathy....Mike and Karla...

Love the Seattle skyline (taken from ferry)

Cruise ship and Space Needle taken from ferry.

This is Niles, my neighbors 7 month old pug dog....he found a strawberry and carried it around for awhile before he ate the whole thing!!!

I need to add a footnote to this post...

To Bonnie; I totally enjoyed your visit...... You need to visit WAY MORE OFTEN.....I love you Sis

To Keri: Ditto what I said to Bonnie....both of you totally cheered me up, after losing my baby, Elmo AND turning 50 all in the same week, was brutal. Thanks for the fabulous weekend :)

Finally to Scott: I had the best dog in the world, I have amazing friends and a terrific family, but the best of all is: I am married to the best man on the planet!!! I love you ;)

Tribute to my beloved Elmo

2010-04-29T16:57:00.000-07:00

My love of my life, Elmo passed away in my arms this morning. He went peacefully, thanks to the Winslow Animal Clinic here in Bainbridge Island, WA. It was the hardest decision I've ever had to make....I did it for him, his quality of life was not good, he had a tumor on his front leg, and while it could have been removed, the recovery time for a dog his age would have been long, and painful. He also had a large lump on his lymph node. There are tests that could have been performed, but I don't think he would have wanted to spend his last time on earth having blood drawn, surgery after surgery on various parts of his body. I held his face in my hands and told him how much I love him, and that I will see him again at the Rainbow Bridge....for those of you who are not familiar with The Rainbow Bridge, here it is......

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.

There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.

There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

I know in my heart that Elmo is waiting for me there...he is healthy and happy and probably chasing squirrels.

Rest in Peace my precious Elmo...and thanks for being my dog. I love you.

Return to Dutch Harbor

2010-04-28T11:03:00.000-07:00

Sister Cathy & ex-coworker Peat

Elaine & Cathy

Pam, my gorgeous husband, Scott & BFF Janbelle

Elaine & me (not looking so cute, but ever so cute in real life LOL)

Me & my darling husband :)

Smilin' Peat & me

Eagles on the Warrior (it WAS lunchtime)

Captain Scott & the Warrior

Mrs. Captain Scott & Warrior

Helllllooooo, where's lunch???

Great photo taken by sister Cathy out the truck window.

Sister Cathy at sister Sherrie's house

Rio (can her legs GET any further apart?) She is so darn cute!

CB and Cookie Dough at the Grand Aleutian hotel (Margaret's Bay Cafe)

Me & Cookie Dough

Pyramid Mountain.....never get tired of looking at this magnificent mountain!

Alaska Warrior tied up to and offloading to a tramper.

Easton Selle....absolutely adorable! He is going to be a linebacker in the NFL, I'm SURE of it.

My baby, Elmo and Rio.

Addilen Selle, she is absolutely gorgeous (just like her mom and grandma)

Had to sneak in a photo of crab pots ;)

And just in case you haven't had your fill of eagles (I NEVER get tired of looking at them)

I know this darling dog looks familiar to most of you....it's CHICO :)

And Chico's parents, Steve and Goldfish....I finally got to see their beautiful home. It is really nice, I'm impressed. They have done an excellent job making this house a home. Cozy, warm, inviting and beautifully decorated.

Another familiar sight......Steve's motorcycle :)

This is sad, the once World famous Elbow Room.....it's definitely seen better days.

And yet more eagle pictures....One of the things I miss most about Dutch Harbor is/are the eagles.....someone who will remain nameless said "they are just ocean rats"...I disagree wholeheartedly!

And more eagles......

Not done with eagle pics yet.

The Bishop's house just across from the Russian Orthodox church.

View from the Elbow room.

Russian Orthodox Church

There's my boy!

King Eider of Umnak with Kimo in the background.

Sisters.....Janbelle, Me, Cathy & Sherrie visiting Jan at Telalaska

Cathy at Memorial Park

Me sideways at Memorial Park

Elmo searching for his "prize" in Cathy's suitcase.

Three Dog Night

Is it a dog's butt OR an elephant face???

You'd think I would lose weight, with having 3 hungry mouths to feed.....but NOOOOO

Awwwww.....my what a big face you have!

Elmo with his "prize"

It was really fun going back to Dutch Harbor to visit, pick up my husband and my dog, Elmo....I was only there for one week, not near long enough to see everyone....I will always consider Dutch Harbor my home and will always miss it. As sister Sherrie said "the mud is in full bloom", boy she wasn't kidding. It snowed the first couple of days we were there, with that big yellow thing in the sky making an appearance here and there. I'm back to my new home now....Elmo survived the flights and is snoozing away in the living room right now. He has a vet appt. tomorrow morning, and I'm anxious to see what the doc will say. I'm hoping that with some good, quality vet care that he has at least a couple more years left. If he says his quality of life is not good, then I will do the right thing so that he doesn't suffer, I know he has slowed down considerably in the last few months, but don't we all slow down when we get older? I can't imagine my life without my beloved Elmo in it. He has brought me so much joy in the last 13 years, that is for sure. So, please say a prayer for him...thanks!

Misc photos & return to Dutch (YAY)

2010-04-17T11:40:00.000-07:00

Nephew Tyler....such a nice kid :)

My new favorite flower....."bleeding hearts"....they look just like hearts......

Aren't they fabulous?

My adorable Grandmother at her 94th birthday party in Auburn, WA.

She doesn't look very happy, but she really did have a good time.....her daughter, Karen is standing behind her (my Aunt)

Ciscoe Morris of "Gardening with Ciscoe" OMG, this guy is out of his mind, so much energy and is absolutely hysterical!!!

Me, with my new "girlfriends" at the Northwest Women's Show at Qwest Field in Seattle.

I've been meaning to post for some time now, but having just moved into a new place on Bainbridge, planning and packing for my trip back to pick up Elmo...time has just gotten away from me.....I will be in Dutch Harbor from the 20th of April until the 27th....Elmo will be moving to Bainbridge with me.....he just turned 13 and needs to be with his mommy AND somewhere where there is adequate vet. care....I heard a horror story about the vet in Dutch, allegedly he PUNCHED someone's dog (this dog had just had surgery on his paw)..and the doctor was seen punching him! I am still beside myself about this......So, animal lovers, be aware before you bring your animal to him for treatment...I know there aren't options there, but think twice before leaving your "loved one" with this guy!!!

Sequim, Bainbridge Island, Northwest Women's Show

2010-03-06T11:47:00.000-08:00

About a 1/2 mile from my parent's house is Gazzam Lake, pronounced orGASM.....surrounded by a wildlife preserve. It is really pretty, but more of a swamp than a lake.

Finally have been out enjoying some of what the Pacific Northwest is all about!

I have wondered since I relocated here why I hadn't seen any deer frolicking on my parents' lawn....we see them EVERY year and I have not had the pleasure of seeing any of them. In fact, mom used to get so mad at them, because they would come into her yard and eat the flowers right off their stems. (I thought it was a bit funny, but flowers really aren't that fun to look at when their little heads are snapped off, just leaving the stem!) So, I went to visit Brenda Brindley (she lived in Dutch Harbor for 16 years or so....aka "Pie Lady" and she cooked on the crab boat "Spirit of the North") She now lives in Sequim, WA....so here are some photos of the deer that wandered onto her property....we rolled apples to them (next thing ya know, there are 3 more!) They LOVE apples....(My pictures are uploading out of order....as usual).... Anyway, there are extreme numbers of coyotes that live in the wildlife preserve directly behind parent's property, and they are HUNGRY! We believe they have been eating the deer, especially the babies....just last night, my sister Cathy's cat was the main course. Another one is missing. We found tufts of "Eddie's" fur in her yard and she heard cats screaming last night. So sad.

This is kind of a rambling blog....if I could figure out how to post my images and then explain them, I would totally do that! I have more photos to share of this beautiful island and a couple of fun ones from the Northwest Women's Show....I will do that later....I'm off to the Bainbridge Island Flower and Garden show....where Cisco Morris (Gardening with Cisco) is going to be. I hope to meet him!

I hear Dutch is buried in snow! I won't rub it in, BUT it is beautiful and sunny here today and I hope your weather is soon to follow!

Cheers! Lauri

Discovery Channel show

2010-03-03T09:12:00.000-08:00

Not sure if anyone still reads my "ahem" blog...but tonight Discovery Channel is airing "Mayday" about that horrific Easter morning sinking of our Ranger. Just so ya know.....it feels like it just happened yesterday, but it's been almost 2 years....I know our dear friends that perished that early Easter morning are resting in peace.

It's showing from 6 - 8 pm Seattle time....check your local listings.

Resignation

2010-02-26T13:33:00.000-08:00

OMG, I officially resigned from the Unalaska Public Library yesterday, after an appointment with a pulmonologist here on Bainbridge Island. I am so sad to think I won't be returning to the place I called home for the last 11 years.

Dutch Harbor will always be special to me. I already miss the scenery, especially the eagles and foxes. Not to mention my precious dog, Elmo. He has elected to stay in Dutch Harbor with his cousins, Eider and Rio....living with my sister Sherrie and BFF Jan. I can't thank them enough for taking such good care of him. My heart aches for him.

I will be back to visit soon, probably in March or April as my husband is out fishing on the Bering Sea and I hope to be there to greet him when the season is over. We will then begin building our life together here in Washington.

Perhaps when I get my S*&^ together, I will blog about life on another "rock"....this one, complete with trees.

Cheers! Lauri

South Butt

2010-02-08T12:53:00.001-08:00

North Face is suing the maker of these......better get one while you can!!!

So sad

2010-01-23T13:46:00.000-08:00

I am so sad about the ACE cargo plane crash. Scott told me what happened (at least what he had heard) and my heart is just broken about the loss of the pilot and co-pilot. My heart goes out to their friends and families.

Peace :)

Happy New Year

2010-01-17T18:40:00.001-08:00

Santa was very good to us....
This is, by far one of the prettiest and most fun cars EVER!!!!

I'm slowly adjusting to life on another rock. Bainbridge Island is really beautiful...I almost feel claustrophobic with all the trees around, but I think I will get used to it.

Scott leaves tomorrow (Monday) for Dutch Harbor...this time taking the Juris fishing..it's going to be a long, cold, lonely winter with him gone. But he will get to see my Elmo and bring him his toy from me. Sherrie and Jan are taking really good care of him...thank God for them!

Well, I'll be going to doctor's here in the Seattle area and try to find out what the problem is and IF I will be able to return to Dutch and back to my job at the library. I miss everyone and everything (well ALMOST) about Dutch and will for sure return, if only to visit.

Happy 2010 everyone!

Sadness & excitement

2009-10-29T09:48:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems I've been paroled from life on the rock...I will be leaving Dutch Harbor probably in December of this year to move to ANOTHER rock....Bainbridge Island, WA ...

Doctor appt. yesterday went really well....I'm pretty healthy, but SOMETHING that lurks on my beautiful island wreaks havoc on my lungs, and I need to be closer to medical treatment. 3 medevacs in 2 years is enough.

I'm am soooo sad to leave my friends, my sister, my dog and all my patrons. I worked at that library for 11 years and it is so strange to think I won't be going back.

I will count on everyone continuing their blogs so that I can still "taste" the life out there. It was a fun run, that's for sure.....and with airline miles, and all, I can still visit.

I'll still be posting..just wanted to update ya'll.

Cheers! (PS Check back later, I'm going to drive over to the Palin house and snap some photos if I can get close enough)....LOL I feel like the paparazzi!

BOO~HALLOWEEN

2009-10-27T08:43:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone!

For the locals, I had ordered 2 halloween costumes hoping my husband would be in town, and that we'd win $300 like we did at the Sports Bar last year. Well, I won't be back until this Friday or Saturday and Scott won't be in town until the 2nd or 3rd of November...if anyone needs costumes, let me know. I have the woman's costume, men's costume, mens and womens wigs, makeup, accessories...EVERYTHING to make you up to look like beautiful, scary, sexy VAMPIRES!!!!

They are really beautiful and will fit most sizes. Comment me and we'll go from there.

See ya'll in a few days!
Boo!

Update

2009-10-26T11:30:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to touch base and let everyone know that I am still alive...feeling a bit better, and just wanting to figure out what is wrong, accept it, then treat it and get on with life.

Waiting on tests, drs appts., and treatment options. Thanks for all the warm thoughts, prayers and positive thinking.

I really miss Dutch, and hope to be back soon....

Hope crab fishing is going well, and that we will all soon have FRESH king crab legs in our belly's and that all of our boys come home safe and sound and a little richer for their efforts.

Have a great week everyone and thanks again for your prayers and good thoughts.

Cheers! Lauri

Fisherman's Halloween? Hey, Kodiak, you're going the WRONG way! Bella's first blogged photo...

2009-10-16T16:38:00.001-07:00

CD is BACK...lookin' all tan, AND she brought her new baby in to see me. She is ADORABLE as you can see. Her name is Bella. A little sweetheart...

As I was driving back to work from lunch, I saw what I THINK is the Kodiak (according to some, a new Deadliest Catch boat), BUT HEY you are going the wrong way, Kodiak! I couldn't see that far, so if this IS NOT the Kodiak, my bad and never mind LMAO.... (It IS the Kodiak and it WAS going the wrong way )....???

I watch Dancing With The Stars every week...and during the rehearsals, they showed Chuck Liddell wearing a t-shirt that looked like a Unisea Bar shirt...it said "the beatings will continue until morale improves"...so, ironically at the Grand during what was supposed to be Fisherman's Halloween, I saw this guy wearing a Chuck Liddell shirt...okay, well I thought it was funnily ironic...

The ONLY ghoul that showed up while I was there...can you guess who this is? The cute one COVERED in black, that is????

Fisherman's Halloween was a bust....they (DC fishermen) were supposed to show up at 7PM-ish...we were there at 7-ish and were getting ready to leave at 9:45pm....when a girl who works for OP swooshed over to our table and said "the Time Bandit guys are on their way in, and we need you to sign this waiver IN CASE you get caught on camera"...I said no way, we are out of here....Tawnja turned to someone sitting next to her and said "if they want this on camera, they are going to have to pay me"....LMAO Needless to say, we left...CB didn't even wait for the festivities (if, in fact, there were any?) So, that's the scoop....

Cheers!

You scare me!

2009-10-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

I don't want to start a big, fat political fight...just thought this was interesting...came to me in an e-mail. So, FYI everyone....(written by the former head of Proctor and Gamble)

http://snopes.com/politics/soapbox/youscareme.asp

Also, tonight is the Deadliest Catch Halloween at the Grand Aleutian....Since it's happening early, I will be attending, if the rumors I have heard turn out to be true...this will be a riot! Can't wait! I'll bring my camera for sure.....

Cornelia Marie & Fierce Allegiance

2009-10-10T15:44:00.000-07:00

I was driving past the Fuel Dock and saw the Cornelia Marie docked there as well as the Fierce Allegiance...I think the Fierce was in the first couple of seasons of DC....she's a really pretty boat.

As I was snapping these pics, Vanessa (Freddie's wife) was driving by, stopped and asked what I was doing...LOL I told her since CB hasn't been blogging lately, I better feed a few pics to his fans, that I am NOT a groupie...she just laughed...so enjoy! She also said they are filming like crazy, so the boys are pretty busy!

Tonight is the Batchelorette auction at the Harbor View Inn (formerly known as the Sports Bar)...I would LOVE to go...but 9PM is pretty late for me to just be going out....I'm usually headed to bed around that time, but you never know, I could be talked into it!

Eleven Years already!

2009-10-06T18:37:00.000-07:00

This photo is NOT of today's rainbow....I think this was taken in Oct. 2008 by my sister. The rock pictured here is called "Arch Rock"...I think CB mentioned and showed this in his blog at one time and wondered what it was called.....

I know that I have been neglecting my blog...really just nothing to talk about. I hope one or more of the bloggers snaps a few photos of the gorgeous rainbow arced over Dutch Harbor this afternoon...it is sooooo windy and rainy out, and I was just focusing on getting into my truck without the door being ripped off, that I forgot to take my camera to lunch/dinner with me. It is spectacular!

Town should be filling up with crabbers soon, maybe things will liven up a bit and there'll be something interesting to write about (or at least some fun, maybe incriminating photos to post?)....then again, I guess I need to get out more, to find out what is going on in town.

I'm just patiently waiting for my husband to come home...he left the 31st of August and won't be home again until mid to late October. Very lonely....At least Sherrie, Jan, & the dogs are here (and Tawnja is in town :), they are very good company.

Oh yeah, and today is the 11th anniversary of my landing in Dutch Harbor! 10-6-1998, I came for one year (at the most!) and it's been 11!!!! I love it here :)

Have a great week everyone! Cheers....Lauri

Banned Books Week 9-26 to 10-3-2009

2009-09-26T11:23:00.000-07:00

It's that time again....Banned Books week! Here is a sampling of the books that are on this years' list....

Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"...is not on the list for this year, but has been challenged and/or banned in previous years.

"Wicked" by Gregory Maguire There are concerns about the sexual content on a few pages of the book. "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult has been pulled from classrooms in Michigan...as it is "too racy for middle school students".

The entire "Twilight" series by Stephanie Meyer due to sexual content.

Here are a few of the titles from the 2008-2009 list of banned books.

Okay, this is a bit much...."The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss was challenged in a California Unified School district because the book "criminalizes the foresting industry"...And "The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Andersen (the edition with illustrations of bare-breasted mermaids was challenged in Texas School District because it was "pornographic" and contained "satanic pictures").

Okay, that was just a taste of the books on display here at the Unalaska Public Library....Visit your local library, check out a banned/challenged book, and make up your own mind. That's what America is all about!!!

Deadliest Catch Contest???

2009-09-25T10:54:00.000-07:00

Not one to spread rumors...BUT I heard from a good source that Original Productions held a contest...winners would receive a trip to Dutch Harbor, and the opportunity to go on a crab boat...Apparently (this is from a news story told on Flash! Unalaska), the winners were flown here to Dutch, and given $8,000.....bad news...there aren't any crab boats in town AND Original Productions hadn't arranged any accomodations for the winners.....more bad news, the Grand Aleutian Hotel was full due to the Alaska Museum and History convention taking place that same weekend.....the "winners" luckily had packed a tent and were all about camping, bummer is...their bags didn't make the flight with them, ..some of the locals in town put them up at Amaknak camp (not luxurious digs, I might add)......and took them hiking and out to the local "pubs"...

I went onto the local news site (kucb.org) but didn't find anything about this posted yet. From the same source, I was told that they did enjoy their stay here, in spite of Original Productions lack of planning.....

Nipple Rock

2009-09-24T12:57:00.000-07:00

Gorgeous streams of sunshine......

Bird Rocks.....

Everywhere I've ever lived, be it California, Washington, or Colorado, there has always been a "Nipple Rock"...(that's what I name it anyway) and Alaska has one also.....This is visible from the Dutch Harbor Post Office and is a fine specimen....really lives up to it's name, doncha think?

Pen Air, Clouds, Rocks, Ballyhoo

2009-09-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

Love these clouds....some are smooth and silky looking, while the others are all ruffled up! My dad was a test pilot in the Air Force (SR-71) and said that the clouds that look like little flying saucers are the most dangerous to fly through as they are like that due to the wind....

More clouds LOL

I found some of my favorite rocks in a box at my sister's house....she has warned my husband that all of his belongings are now out in the hallway, to make room for my rocks! LOL - he shouldn't laugh, it COULD happen! Look at the designs on them...mother nature is incredible!

Some rocks with colors in the middle of them...

More clouds....do you see a pattern going on here?

Sorry this one is so dark...this cloud formation looked like a submarine...I tried to capture it, but alas, I failed...

More of my favorite rocks.....I LOVE heart shaped rocks....the BIG one I found out the Shaishnikoff place out at Captain's Bay (it's okay because Ernie S. was with me)....I was beyond happy finding it.....

And more....I don't know what the story with the "alien" faced rock is...that's how I found it...and the ones with stripes and writing on them, I assume they were dinner ware on Navy ships???

More pretty fluffy clouds. Looks like a bird flying.....

Berries and fall colored leaf.

Looking down at the fuel dock.....you can see the Cornelia Marie docked here often during crab season....

View of the spit from the "signs" road on Ballyhoo.

Hello Grand Aleutian Hotel!

Airport

Pen Air taking off (I'm surprised this picture turned out this well).....

Taxi-ing for take-off (My photos always post backwards LOL)

Looks like Ballyhoo Mountain is wearing a hat!

Rest in Peace, Captain :(

2009-09-17T11:01:00.000-07:00

Captain Leon from the Alaska Victory passed away last night due to a heart attack...he was at home in Alabama. He was only 67 years old.

He will be missed.....please say a prayer for his family.

I believe he lived in Mississippi......not Alabama...regardless, We will miss him!

Scenery, Angry Cloud, Moldy Schrooms, Galene & Kris, Dutch Harbor Diamonds

2009-09-15T16:51:00.000-07:00

Moldy, mass of mushrooms....at least that's what I THINK these are...however, I don't recall seeing them before they turned into moldy ones.

Another clump of them.

It's Elaine along with Hoover and Cali...Eider ran down to greet them....I walked and then turned around and went back up to the balls with them.

The clouds were spectacular, they change so fast...it's hard to keep up with them :)

Chris Knutsen & Galene....Galene was just here visiting, Chris is the owner/captain of the F/V Aleutian Spray...he has been coming to Dutch since 1963!!!! He has seen it all, and is one of the funniest people I know. He tells stories that literally have you laughing so hard, you cry. Love him to pieces!

This cloud looks ANGRY! I thought of Mj in MD when I took this one....spooky!

I am a total Rockhound...I can't go 5 feet without having a pocket full of rocks....so I found these on Ballyhoo last night....the big one looks like a piece of brick, but it has rounded edges and deep scratches across it....the little one is real fun to rub....my thumb fits perfectly in that dark spot....I have no idea what kind of rock it is or what causes the dark coloring in the middle....I don't really care, I just am happy with them....LOL

When I got married, I was wearing old clothes, I borrowed a butterfly clip thingy from Mary, that was also blue...so there is my something old, something borrowed and something blue...I didn't have anything new...so my sister, Sherrie handed me a box with this bracelet in it....I LOVE it....it is made by a local woman here named Lori Lane...her business name is "Dutch Harbor Diamonds" and she made this with beach glass that she and/or her family collected.....so I thought I would plug her business (if anyone is interested in seeing more of her items, let me know by commenting and I'll take more pics of her other creations)...I have received alot of compliments on this bracelet whenever I wear it...so I thought I'd share with all of you.

Isn't it beautiful?

Another view from Ballyhoo, looking at the bridge to the other side and beyond.

More clouds....

Beautiful view from Ballyhoo, ever changing scenery from the same place....

Mushrooms on the way up....

The mountains are changing from deep, dark velvety green to a rust color, I guess that means fall is rapidly approaching...sigh!

Here is an up close look at the colors changing....

These are some miscellaneous photos from the last few days....My internet connection from home is soooo slow, I don't even put myself through the frustration of trying to blog from there....so I take a break from work and although it's not FAST, it's better than dial-up...

Cheers!

Windy Windy Windy! Safe Travels to CB! Welcome Back, Dan!!!

2009-09-10T10:08:00.000-07:00

The last couple of days have been soooo windy...gusts up to 50 MPH, I could hear the waves crashing on the beach across the street even with my air cleaner AND TV on! It was really pretty watching the whitecaps and the waves crash down along the runway....(please take notice of the bird(s) in the photos...)

I believe CB is flying out today, I wish him safe travels and can't wait to see his pics and read his commentary....

Welcome back to Dan and Dakota, happy you made it home :)

PS...Thanks to Mj for feeding my fish :)

End of the "Summer Reading Program" Party

2009-09-05T17:59:00.000-07:00

Today was the official end of summer....well, the Summer Reading Program anyway....It was really fun and we had a great turn-out....
Kaden Lynch was enjoying his "tat"....he got one on the back of his leg also...

You can see the delight on little Ms. Caudillo's face as she gazes at her tattoo.

Abbey Newkirk holding little Kinley Lynch....she is so cute!

Annamarie (library staff) cutting the cake (and smiling her head off!)

We had rock stars.....this is Max Robinson playing lead guitar!

Addilyn Selle hamming it up for the camera (I think that's ham in her mouth too!)

Dakota Baker looking so sweet (she really is a sweetheart and as cute as can be!)

Here is Abbey again, this time holding her own boy...Easton. He is a DOLL!

Linda Ellsworth made this great cake! The theme this year was Be Creative @ Your Library....the cake turned out looking AND tasting GREAT!

And YUM YUM! The spinach dip was to die for. Thanks to Mary Berikoff for making this....(I sneakily put a bowl in the fridge for myself, just in case it was gone before I got a chance to eat!) Shhhhhhh! Don't tell anyone.

Thanks to all the volunteers and library staff who made this party such a success....The Grand Aleutian Hotel catered some of the food, as did Planet Dutch (we had california rolls and egg rolls from them) Veggie tray, Fruit tray, meat & cheese tray from the Grand....hmmmm, why is it ALWAYS about the food????

Good Morning Sun...er Moonshine???

2009-09-04T10:52:00.000-07:00

Terrible pictures....but this is really the moon as seen from my apartment this morning..it was so gorgeous, I wish I could have captured it....this is one of those photos Alaska Steve was talking about.....I wanted to capture the beauty, but I couldn't tell they were blurry because I wasn't wearing my glasses...LOL

Anyway, today/night is the full moon.....be afraid, be very afraid!

Let's try this AGAIN!

2009-09-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

We went to Peking, in the back room...in the past, this room has been available for private parties.......Even though they set it up with tables for us, we are thinking it has been transformed into storage for the restaurant...oh well, we had a good time anyway! Look how the balloons are holding up Elaine's lapels...

"Gaze into the crystal ball"...wait, that's not what that is...it's a snow globe filled with Broadway Musical stuff (I think)...LOL it's of NYC.....she looks mezmerized, doesn't she?

Goldfish looking on, wondering what the hell is so funny????

And here is Derek....the only man among 8 women (that's the owner, James in the background). You are a brave man, Derek. (Keri and Sherrie behind Derek )

Keri is soooooo talented when it comes to making cakes (and other things as well, she is MULTI-TALENTED)...she made an I-Pod cake for Elaine....and in the top left corner, you see what looks like a bumble-bee.....it is the birthday chicken in disguise! How clever!

Cute pic of GF, Derek and Miss Birthday Girl!

Bye bye Warrior!

These pics of the Warrior sailing away posted backwards...LOL I wish he was coming home instead of leaving :(

There goes my little Warrior! Safe travels, honey :)

This is either the Alaska Spirit or the Victory....there was a small parade of FCA boats....the only one I can pick out of a crowd is the Warrior.....

I can't get over how big the mushrooms are....sorry if you are sick of looking at these....I'm not!

This is one of my very favorite pictures....I'm pretty sure it's the Exito (ex-crabber), which is now doing water sampling for Westward (correct me if I'm wrong, locals).

We had a pretty long hike, Eider was very thirsty and forgot his water bottle!

The next few photos are an attempt at a panoramic sweep from the upper road on Ballyhoo......

And the beautiful sunset!

Self-explanatory

Not sure if these are cranberries? Locals??????

View of the spit from across the street from Mary & Emil's house....such a pretty day.

More scenic photos, Warrior sailing & Elaine's b-day

2009-09-02T11:50:00.000-07:00

I was only able to upload these few photos, blogger is having a bad morning...so check back a little later for more beautiful scenery AND Elaine's birthday pics....Oh yeah, and a couple of my husband's boat "Alaska Warrior" sailing off into the well, ummmmm, wild blue yonder, yeah that's it! He certainly didn't sail off into the sunset, as there hasn't really been any sun out! Come on blogger, WAKE UP!!!! Sorry if the pics are a bit redundant.

Love the way the sun streams through the clouds...it's almost glowing!

Rio just LOVES to swim....too funny to watch, she looks like a sea monster when she swims!

I never knew carrots could be so YUMMY!

2009-08-29T12:27:00.001-07:00

Cora treated me to one of her homegrown carrots this morning...I must say I have NEVER tasted a better carrot (didn't even have to dip it in Ranch dressing!) She will be sharing with the kids today at Story Time, so I was only allowed one (I wanted more :)

I haven't been blogging lately....my wonderful husband has been home for the last two weeks. A totally unexpected surprise! We have been pretty lucky with our time together....now he is leaving tomorrow for 5-6 weeks! I will miss him sooooo much....

Hope everyone is having a great weekend...lots of stuff happening in town this weekend...Alaska Legistators are here, annual Women's conference is going on at the Grand today AND alot of events celebrating the 100th anniversary of Alaska Maritime Refuge are happening. Wish I didn't have to work today, so I could join in all the fun...but someone's gotta work :)

More clouds, sunsets, scenery

2009-08-14T10:36:00.000-07:00

What a spectacular view!

I can see the runway from my apartment window....

The sunset was beautiful...

Clouds for Mj

If you look really close, you can see the plane that just landed.

A ribbon of fog!

Look closely at this one, Mj...it's pretty spooky....

It was so beautiful, weather-wise here yesterday....I left work early (since I came in early :) and picked Eider up. Met Mary, Buck & son Alex on Ballyhoo and started our trek to the "balls". Mary wasn't feeling great, so she waited as Alex, Buck, Eider & I ventured onward. After reaching the balls, I looked out at the water and saw whales spouting and swimming around. I hurried back down, raced home, and looked out my window. Whales were swimming around everywhere! It was incredible. They were a bit too far away to photograph....but where else on earth can you watch whales playing in your front yard? I'm sure there are other places, but I feel like one of the luckiest people on the planet.....not too many can see whales in their front yards. It was amazing....here are some shots of the gorgeous cloud formations and the sunset...Enjoy and have a great weekend everyone!

Weekend photos (lots of them!)

2009-08-11T10:27:00.000-07:00

Schroom on Ballyhoo...doesn't really look that big in this photo..but, trust me, they are HUGE!

Eider, doing his part in the war against litter! (plastic water bottle in his mouth!) He actually dropped his rock in order to pounce on this bottle.

Beautiful fireweed just starting to bloom.

Huge container ship (Maersk) docked at the crane. You can see how foggy it is in the background.

Foggy shot of the fuel dock (where the Cornelia Marie often docks).

Tug boat towing a barge in the fog.

Another flowery, foggy shot from the other side of Ballyhoo.

Can't even see the "balls" on Ballyhoo....no planes lately due to fog...I think it's been 3 days since we had a plane in....Co-worker Annamarie has been stuck since Sunday, not even confirmed until Thursday! She's livin' it up in Anchorage....

My husband came in on Sunday (I got to see him for 3 hours, hanging out on his boat)....here he is leaving town :(

Mary & Emil had another one of their famous bar-b-que's on Saturday....they built an awesome fire pit in their yard (which I didn't get any photos of, DUH)...here is Emil with his "log"...LOL

Sweetie & her adorable son, Jesse....his hot dog is bigger than he is!

Johnny Bruce, son JJ, Mary & Emil drinking "Alien" tequilla...YUMMY! They said this came from Area 51....little did they know I worked there when I was employed by Lockheed...I was there from 1987 until 1989....Never saw any aliens, but I did see alot of weird shit!

And a close-up of the tequila..I have to admit, it was tasty...AND we didn't need training wheels. I only had one shot, that was enough!

Buck (guarding the food table)...Loren Starr and our host, Emil (that's Mary at the grill)

Bff Jan :) and Johnny Bruce!

Hey! Are we on the right blog? There's Goldfish & Chico at the "Balls of Ballyhoo"

We had quite the showing, I think it was Saturday on Ballyhoo....Goldfish, Chico, Sherrie, Hoover, Renee, Eider, Me & Buck...as long as we kept the dogs moving, there weren't any fights...oh yeah, Pam then showed up with Kimo....he likes to get in the other dogs' faces...and he also likes to hump them (doesn't matter if they are females or males...)...so, they get a bit irritated with him....but it all went well.

The cloud shots are for Mj in MD...I know she loves the cloud shots...so, here ya go, MJ!

I love how the rays of the sun come down in this photo....the sun really does exist!

More rays of sunshine...keep that sun shining!

Sherrie, Buck & Eider almost at the finish "post"....

The long, long road to the balls! Love the cloud formations in this photo....

More clouds for Mj.

Me & Buck on our way to Ballyhoo...

What a fun weekend! Despite the sun not being out very much, the barbeque was fun, Elaine was MIA up in the tundra behind Westward Seafoods, drinking her lips off and oh yeah, golfing in the Tundra Classic...haven't heard any stories about the goings-on that happened, but I'm sure we'll hear something soon.

Have a great week, everyone!

Flowers, a slug (ugh), Elaine, Hoover, Nephews

2009-08-06T18:04:00.000-07:00

My darling nephews, Steele and Tyler....they just got in from Seattle and are going fishing on a long-liner. Sherrie brought them by the library to say hello to their favorite aunt :)

I spied Elaine walking Hoover across the street from our apartment building and snapped her photo without her knowing it. Well, then I yelled to her and she saw me, so I'm not very sneaky :)

Pretty flowers and bottle brush on my walk up Ballyhoo (where I got soaking wet in the rain)...believe it or not, I was the ONLY one up there...no one else wanted to walk in the rain. It was quite refreshing...

Buttercups...one of my faves :)

Gross slug on cute yellow flower.

Salmonberries are starting to change colors...it's funny to watch my dogs eat them right off the branch...and of course, they always want the one you are going for....little pigs!

I thought this photo would turn out better, but I like it anyway.

If you look real close at this one, there are rain drops dancing on it's leaves...was so pretty!

Fireweed, barely starting to bloom....

I love this picture...so simple, yet beautiful!

Clouds & Fog

2009-08-04T10:39:00.000-07:00

Beautiful drive to work this morning...clouds were really low, then blue sky above! This was taken at the Dutch Harbor post office...happy I had my camera with me :)

Who wants to go to work on a day like this???

Oops I uploaded this one twice....note to self: don't talk on the phone while uploading photos :)

Ballyhoo Mountain with a skirt of fog around her base....so pretty.

Another shot of Ballyhoo with her skirt of fog on.

Ballyhoo completey encased in fog....

Same shot, LOL just a little closer.

Roll of the dice & a couple of honey-dos

2009-07-29T12:11:00.000-07:00

So, Scott was scheduled to come home (to offload) on Monday, and we were keeping our fingers crossed that he would be done at the tramper and to the dock at 6PM on Tuesday, so that I could pick him up and take him home for the evening, and hopefully he could spend the night. Well, things weren't looking too good...They arrived at the dock (before offloading) at about 2PM Monday to have some crane work done (I went to the boat and got a quick kiss :)...the work took a couple of hours, then they headed to the tramper to offload..that usually takes about 24 hours...so it would have been perfect timing...offload, then to the dock around 4PM on Tuesday...

Well, they ended up finishing the offload early, thereby arriving at the dock at about 3PM Tuesday...they have to fuel, get groceries and do some general things to prepare for the next trip, about a 6 - 8 hour timeframe. It wasn't looking good for a sleep-over...Well, the Gods smiled upon us, because they were waiting for a new observer to fly in, and it was too foggy, so the plane stopped in Cold Bay and were sitting there on weather hold...I prayed they would just cancel the flight, knowing the Warrior could not legally go fishing without this observer...

Our prayers were answered! The plane canceled! Yay, I have never been happier to hear Pen Air canceled a flight! So, it was a roll of the dice and we won! I picked Scott up at 6PM, and took him home....for the whole night! It was so great to have him home, really hard to drop him off this morning, knowing I won't see him again for at least 10 days....Such is the life of a fisherman's wife.
I only had 2 "honey-dos" for him...tie the plants up, so they aren't dragging on the ground...he did a fantastic job!

AND....screw some hooks in above the closet, so I can hang my ball caps up there...I wanted my hats out of my way, since we live in a studio apartment, space is very limited.

I can't post any more photos of our time together...I don't want to get arrested....know what I mean, Lori wink wink!

Ballyhoo, Flowers, Schrooms & Pomegranate mojitos

2009-07-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

A group of eagles feasting on some fish that a boater left on the boat ramp...They were getting pretty aggressive with each other...

More feasting eagles.....

And more....

Eider in the tundra with his rock...he's just about to roll around on it...you'd think that would hurt!

Not sure what type of flower/weed/plant these are, maybe some type of bottle brush? But they are an interesting specimen.

The dreaded putchki...it is nice to look at despite all it's badness.

Pretty yellow flowers....

This one is for Marja...I just love this photo.

More cute flowery things.

And more pretty flowers....

Purple flower...LOL as if you need me to tell you that :)

Schrooooooms!

Now, THAT'S a huge mushroom!

Pomegranate mojitos...YUM YUM!

Emil & Mary....they taught the bartenders at the airport bar how to make Pomegranate mojitos...with FRESH mint! Yummy!!!!

Patriotic beach glass & Weather layers

2009-07-24T10:37:00.000-07:00

With all this talk of beach glass lately, I realized it had been a long, long time since I had been beach-combing. So I decided to take Eider and go to "Glass Beach" last night and search around...it was slim pickins' thanks to CB, CD & others, I have to find another secret spot....I parked my truck and saw a woman walking towards "my" beach and thought to myself, who the hell is infringing on my beach combing adventure. Turns out it was Angela Jones, who was thinking the same thing about me. LOL....if it had been anyone else, I would have had a problem, but we enjoyed sifting through the rocks together and catching up...I found these three pieces and thought to myself, how patriotic...red, white & blue....my new favorites!

My first attempt at photographing my finds....

In these photos taken out my window, I tried to capture the layers of weather. It looked alot cooler in person, hopefully you get the idea. I just LOVE my view from my apartment. Look how small that boat looks next to the tramper.

Here are the layers of weather...like I said it was way better in person.

Summer's Bay antics & my new love

2009-07-22T11:13:00.000-07:00

Flowers growing out of the side of a mountain...so beautiful (on the road to Summer's Bay)

This little goofball didn't know what the heck I was doing...I drove past him, then backed-up to take his picture...he started to fly away a couple of times, while I fumbled with my camera, but decided he wanted his picture taken. Funny look on his face.

Alex chasing after Eider. Eider decided he wanted to go visit the fisherman at Summer's Bay and beg for a treat. Alex caught him, thankfully!

Love this name for fireworks....unfortunately I left before they shot them off...had I stayed, I would have joined the rest of 'em in a bottle of tequilla, more than likely would have woken up still at Summer's Bay!

Alex wearing the latest in fashion....he had just gone swimming, and headed to the fire to warm up!

Crazy kid! Swimming in the lake at Summer's Bay....Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Sweetie was throwing a stick out in the lake for Eider....he didn't have to swim as the lake is so shallow....Eider knows how to chase and fetch, just doesn't know how to "bring it back".

Sweetie's adorable son, Jessie....who is giving me his fake smile :)

Bonnie, Mary & Buck. Bonnie is Mary's friend and they hadn't seen each other in 15-20 years. She is visiting from Spokane (Cheney), WA....

Buck Eider and Alex....Buck and Eider think they are Lion Kings!

Eider and his new rock....

Emil & Mary by the fire....awwwwww!

Mary and her "Busch"....LMAO

Sweetie keeping the dogs entertained.

I'm in love (with a vacuum cleaner!)....This Dyson is the BOMB!

More on Putchki....warning: it's graphic!

2009-07-14T12:22:00.000-07:00

"Aleutian Putchky (wild celery) is a dangerous plant if it's juice contacts your skin when the sun is shining.

This plant's juice goes through photosynthesis when exposed to the sun, causing chemical burns as shown in the picture. It is painful and takes a week or more to heal.

Please do not chop it or cut grass or tromp through it unless you are fully protected by clothing. If you are exposed, wash the skin immediately in soapy water. Do not pop the blister, Benadryl may be used and can be purchased over the counter. Aspirin will also relieve some of the pain. The best thing is to avoid it altogether.

The season for eating the inner celery stock after peeling it is in the young plant stage only. When it gets over a few feet tall, it becomes too bitter to eat." (Char Gisvold)

CB mentioned that the Putchki is blooming...my eyeballs knew it was blooming....what a weekend...everyone must have thought I was partying (or stoned) all weekend...red, watery, itchy eyeballs...Anyway, Char Gisvold (I think she works with the Ounalashka Wellness Center, correct me if I'm wrong), posts this photo and warning every year around town and in the library...so I thought I'd share it with everyone...just to give you an idea of how awful this stuff is!

Story time, familiar faces

2009-07-11T15:11:00.000-07:00

Ashley (Dennis Robinson's beautiful daughter)...Great to have her back in town!

Ryder Baker

Cora and granddaughter, Dakota Baker

Connor's mom, Caroline & Max's mom, Kristine.

Max Robinson & Connor Parret (they are so cute!)

Not a huge turn-out for story time, due to birthday party's and other happenings around town....Connor Parret (sp?) and his mom Caroline Fogg are back in town. So happy to see them...they are in the process of selling their house here and moving to the lower 48 (maybe Oregon?)....so, here are a few pics of the children that did show up...

Ballyhoo, Kimo, & Sushi

2009-07-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

Elaine had Tako (pronounced Taco)....when she ordered it, I was like "hey I didnt' know they had tacos here!)...I was hoping they had fish tacos....no such luck :(

Bitchin Roll....OMG, it is sooooooooooo good!

Pam had the Rainbow Roll...isn't it pretty?

We went out for sushi at Harbor Sushi after our walk up Ballyhoo....YUM!

Kimo (Pam's dog), found a stick and laid down right in the middle of the road to chew on it....isn't he cute?

Hey, where's your other ear?

I didn't know these came in yellow AND white! Beautiful!

Okay, CB put me in my place...LMAO, so here is the scoop on my activities....Walked Eider up Ballyhoo.....the landscape is so pretty, green against the blue of the water. I tried to capture it's glory in my photos, but once again, no justice was done to it's beauty....

Then, Pam, Elaine, Jan & I went to Harbor sushi for dinner....YUM!!! Pics are kinda out of order, deal with it.

And how was your evening?

CD and I are BORED!!!

2009-07-09T16:08:00.001-07:00

CD came in to take her test (she has until tomorrow! Nothing like waiting til the last minute!) We were talking about how no one has been blogging, and decided there must be NOTHING going on, therefore nothing to blog about.....

Anyway, she is here at the library taking her test, how's that for boring????

4th of July antics, Maureen & Rich, dogs

2009-07-07T11:04:00.000-07:00

We had such a good time on July 4th! Mary and Emil are great party hosts, the food was amazing, and the company the best! The fireworks were incredible....excellent job!

I want to say hi to Rich & Maureen Smith, (they live in MN). Rich and Scott were partners in crime in their younger days.....I was happy to meet them and hope to see them soon!

Eider and Elmo, aren't they adorable? Eider saw how comfy Elmo looked, and decided to copy him.

I just love this picture......

Elmo eventually got irritated by Eider copying him, and got up and off the couch! You can see the irritation in his eyes....

LOL My fireworks photos left alot to be desired....

Awwww, that's what America is all about....Alex Berikoff showing his patriotism.

Michelle Arriaga (what a shock to see her!) and Emil on the beach.

There he goes again, showing his true colors.

Pam and Tawnja enjoying the party at Mary & Emils.

Our gracious host, Emil.

Tawnja having a blast!

Ryan Bruce teasing Buck!

Pam enjoying the food. She had just returned from hiking to the TOP OF BALLYHOO! Way to go Pam!

Murph (Alpha Welding) and the infamous Johnny Bruce hamming it up for the camera.

Ryan Bruce (like father, like son)

Photos finally :)

2009-07-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

Scott's sister Mary and Mom, Pat.

Wwe saw alot of wildlife on our cross country trek....they aren't that easy to photograph, though...This little "dear" crossed our path on the way to my parent's house.....

Anyone remember the "pie lady"? Brenda Brindley lived here for 15 years....left 3 or 4 years ago for greener pastures in Sequim, WA...I surprised her and showed up at her work....she cried!

Eddie the cat, and his buddy "Cyclops", the one-eyed black cat have been watching us (mom, Scott & I) every night, making a drink and settling in our chairs on the deck.....apparently they couldn't wait until we got up so they could steal our chairs....they did this every night, I'm thinking as soon as they heard the tinkling of the ice in our glasses, they took up residence!

Scott and my adorable mommy on the deck for an evening cocktail.

Tyler, Cathy & Steele (nephews and sister).

My father, Tom and my husband, Scott.......

Scott and I at an official "Eagle Crossing" Clearwater Hotel and Resort.

Don Knoblach (look familiar anyone?) and Scott at Don and Crystal's house in Pillager, MN (Don and Crystal both worked at Magone Marine in Dutch Harbor.

Crystal and Don Knoblauch at home in Pillager, MN.

Me and my step-son, Anthony....he's a doll!

Anthony, Scott's sister Bonnie, and my Scott.

Anthony and Scott's mom, Pat at Mary's house.

Scott and his mom, can you tell how happy she is????

Scott and sister, Boo!

Scott enjoying the good life.....scotch and a good cigar....sigh!

Back in Dutch

2009-06-30T17:26:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

I am back in Dutch and back at work. The husband has gone fishing.....it is strange how, for 1 1/2 months, we were together 24/7, how I got used to having him around.....getting to reach out and kiss him, or hold his hand anytime I wanted to. Now he is gone, not coming home for dinner, not waking up in our bed, he's just gone, cold turkey, just like that! I am very sad, happy to be home, but wishing Scott was here. Now my sister AND my BFF are leaving for Mexico on Thursday! It's just not fair....LOL (just kidding, of course).

I will post more photos and stories about our trip tomorrow....getting back into the swing of things is taking longer than I thought.....

Seems I missed something while I was out...what happened to Unalaska Steve's shoulder? I wish him a speedy recovery...and hope the surgery proved successful...

Cheers!

Photos

2009-06-05T06:26:00.001-07:00

Awesome 2010 Camaro rented here in Minnesota, what a sweet ride!

Ass Gaskets: new and improved.....push a button and voila! No more effing around with those when you are about to pee your pants.... (I just thought this was a GREAT pet rock idea!)

Toilet with the new and improved automatic gasket!

Scott and the submarine "Torsk" Inner Harbor, Baltimore....I couldn't go inside because of claustrophobia...Scott said it was very tight quarters.

Hard Rock Cafe, Barnes & Noble, Inner Harbor, Baltimore

Aboard the USS Consitution.....really cool ship that fought in the Civil War.

Correction thanks to Cath! USS Constellation was a 38-gun frigate, one of the six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794. She was distinguished as the first U.S. Navy vessel to put to sea and the first U.S. Navy vessel to engage, defeat, and capture an enemy vessel. Constructed in 1797, she was decommissioned in 1853.

Cousin Lil and friend Dave...having too much fun!

Cousin Margaret having just as much fun.

Maryland Crabs! Messy, but yummy!

Scott and I at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, NJ.....

Craig, Catherine & Scott at party at Craigerine's house....had a blast!

New cousins-in-law....Scott & Catherine.....

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....future crab fisherman? Lil's son, Matthew...

Atlantic City & the Mall of America

2009-06-04T07:52:00.000-07:00

Hi, Forgot about going to Atlantic City...we heard Donald Trump was having financial difficulties so we went to Trump Taj Mahal and donated to him via slot machines...I think he will be okay now. Thanks Catherine!

We took the train from Baltimore to Chicago, spent 4 hours in the Chicago Union Station, now we are at the Hyatt at the Mall of America in Minnesota! Soon I will be shopping my lips off! Can't wait....

I'm prepared to post photos but now can't find my camera cord (be patient people)....my husband (that still sounds weird) is out getting us a rental car.....he knows where that damn cord is....so photos coming soon!

We are having a blast! Thanks to the Garitty clan: Catherine (her husband, Craig); Marja & Richie, & beautiful Gracie; Michael & Judi and darling Carlee; Lil, handsome Matthew, & adorable Rebecca; and Margrock......you ROCK!!!! More gratitude to my darling Aunt Carol and wonderful Uncle Lyle...we enjoyed our visit more than you know. Scott fits in perfectly and can't wait to visit again!

Okay, found the camera cord, now batteries are dead....I'm a NIGHTMARE! LMAO

I'll be back! BTW: LORI, Where are you?????

Baltimore, DC, Union Station

2009-06-02T10:04:00.000-07:00

I finally got to a computer! Well, not really, but have a 3 hour layover in Union Station in Washington, DC....it has been a whirlwind so far....left Dutch Harbor on the 25th, got to Seattle at 12:30AM, spent the night at the Coast International Hotel, flew to DC the next day....stayed the night there at the Hyatt Regency, Crystal City, Arlington....cousin Catherine picked us up from there, and we headed to Fallston, MD (just outside of Baltimore)...Catherine took a few days off and it rained all day Wed....I'm getting my days mixed up, but we visited my Aunt Carol and Uncle Lyle in Joppatowne, MD...had a rip-roaring party at Catherine's house Saturday night, needless to say, Sunday was a day of rest.

On Monday, my Aunt Carol dropped Scott and I off at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore..it's so awesome there. The USS Constitution has been restored and is docked there, available to the public to go aboard and explore. I'll write more about that later and post pictures. I'm not allowed to plug anything into these computers here.

Anyway, Union Station is HUGE!!!! Will post photos of it later as well. Our train leaves here at 4:05 (luckily we purchased first class tickets on the train, so I am in the VIP section, blogging away!)...we arrive in Chicago tomorrow morning (Tuesday), that takes about 17 hours, thank god for sleeper cars (oh, yeah and club cars)...gotta go (Mcdonalds is here)...I'll write more later.

Hope everyone is having a great summer so far!

Fresh Cut????

2009-05-22T17:36:00.001-07:00

I wonder if they come in different colors.

I wonder about the fragrance.

I wonder if it would help to put those preservative packets in the water.

I wonder if they bloom.

I wonder if they would look better on the kitchen table or in the entry.

I wonder if they're cheaper by the dozen.

I wonder if they come in long-stemmed.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

2 days & a wake-up

2009-05-22T12:37:00.000-07:00

OMG, where does the time go?

I can't believe I am leaving in 3 days! I meant to lose 25 pounds before we left....I don't know if I've lost any weight, but those nightly walks up Ballyhoo have certainly helped....my pants seem to fit just a little better....and I started tanning a couple of nights ago...so my fat rolls are tan now...which looks so much better than white fat, right girls?

Have a great weekend everyone!

Feed the animals!

2009-05-21T10:38:00.000-07:00

On the news this morning there was a story about flood victims asking for help feeding their animals, the flood happened so fast, there wasn't time to save the dog/cat food. I called the SPCA this morning to offer help .... Apparently there are some feed stores in Fairbanks we can purchase food from, and the Civil Air Patrol will deliver the food to Tanana. I know there are alot of dog people on this island, so let's help them out.

The SPCA is e-mailing me the information and I will pass it along if anyone wants to donate. Thanks for your attention....here is the link to the story:

http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=10400498

Thanks!

Here is the e-mail I received from the SPCA...I will be sending in a donation at the close of business tomorrow...if anyone wants to donate, here is how it can be done. My boss wrote me a check for $25.00, so if anyone else wants to donate through me, don't hesitate to contact me:

Urgent Dog Food Needs Due to Flooding on the Upper Yukon. The Alaska Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (AKVOAD) desk at the State Emergency Coordination has validated the need for dog food for the communities of Circle, Eagle, Stevens Village, and Tanana.

The estimated total need is for 8,000 pounds per week for the foreseeable future. Many of the villages will need dog food until the salmon arrive in July. There may be additional needs for dog food in other villages as the word comes in.

Dog food can be donated several ways. The most urgent need at this time is for dog food to be staged out of Fairbanks.

1. Drop off at the Civil Air Patrol hanger in Fairbanks at 3855 S University Avenue (East Ramp, Fairbanks International Airport). During working hours the dog food can be dropped off inside; at other times drop on the pallets outside the hanger.

2. Order (credit card) dog food from a store in Fairbanks and ask them to drop off the food at the Civil Air Patrol hanger in Fairbanks.

a. 49er Dog Food Store in Fairbanks (907) 488-4999b.

b. Coldspot Feeds. (907) 457-85553.

Anchorage: Drop off at the Alaska Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASCPA), 549 W International Airport Rd (907-562-2999) Deliveries ONLY Weekdays from 10AM to 4PM.AKVOAD will coordinate delivery from Fairbanks and Anchorage to the affected communities.

On Tuesday, May 19, 1,500 pounds of dog food was delivered to Tanana by the state and 2,400 pounds of donated dog food was delivered to Stevens Village by the Civil Air patrol.

AKVOAD has a general need to help with un-met human needs due to the 2009 floods. AKVOAD is accepting donations to the “2009 Spring Floods” account at any Alaska USA Federal Credit Union.

Additionally, checks may be mailed to:

AKVOAD (Alaska VOAD)
2535 Crestwood St
Anchorage, AK 99508

Thanks for getting involved!

Countdown

2009-05-20T15:14:00.000-07:00

The countdown is on.....only 5 days until Scott and I leave for vacation. We are flying to Washington, DC.....staying in Baltimore at cousin Catherine's house, heading off to Atlantic City for a day or two (depends on how much we WIN)....then Amtraking it to Minneapolis (Mall of America: Here I come!)....then I get to meet my new in-laws (YIKES!) They live just north of St. Paul (White Bear Lake)....then we Amtrak again to Seattle....I'll have my laptop with me and hopefully will be able to document our travels.

I'm VERY excited to meet my new sisters-in-law...not to mention new stepson (he's 18), and mother-in-law.....okay, quite nervous too.....

That's all for now....have a great Wednesday everyone!

More from Ballyhoo (the other side of it)

2009-05-16T12:26:00.000-07:00

An eagle soaring overhead....so graceful....

Kinda far away, but it really is an eagle....

We went up the "signs" road after our nightly trek to the "Ballyhoo Balls"....look how green it is, yay, summer is ALMOST here! Ooooops, did I just jinx us? Sorry :)

Another beautiful shot from the other side of Ballyhoo...you can almost see the Grand Aleutian.

Looking out at the spit, this Coast Guard Cutter is so white against the beautiful blue water.

Another shot of the same thing, just not zoomed in.

The crane.....I'm in awe of this gigantic machine.

Up past the balls, there is a loop that winds around and passes this bunker....it's used for some sort of electrical thing-a-ma-jig.

Eider got into a scuffle with some bramble....he likes to chomp on a branch and rip it out of the ground....don't know what he has against them, but he dropped his rock to attack it.

Beautiful view from up there....

The gun range....they are redoing the range, can't wait to go shoot my gun this summer!

Keri, Kali (sp?), Elaine, Hoover, Pam and Kimo on their way down as I was on the way up. Rita from U.S. Travel joined Kathleen and I (along with Eider & Buck...not pictured), so our little Ballyhoo Ball group is growing...Where was CB, Cookie Dough, & Alena!? Must have missed them ....wink wink!

Dogs, Sunsets, Fog, & Other Random Photos

2009-05-15T11:08:00.000-07:00

We meet on Ballyhoo after work everynight with our dogs...here is Kathleen, Hoover, Kimo, Buck (Mary & Emil's dog) & Eider with his beloved rock....

Elaine (Hoover's mom) & Pam (Kimo's mom) on the way back down the mountain.

I was trying to capture the fog in this photo (doesn't do it justice)...

A shot of my apartment building from Ballyhoo....it was a really pretty day, just a bit misty.

The Grand Aleutian as seen through the fog from atop Ballyhoo...Hi CB :)

Another attempt at the fog....

Love this shot of Hoover...he likes to lay down in mud puddles....look at his face...we call this "chillin' his willy"....

Awwwwww....who doesn't love a good mud bath?

This funny eagle is in a dumpster at OSI....

These eagles are the lookouts for the one in the dumpster....they do a good job...

This is the sunset taken from my apartment...this is what I HAVE to look at every night. Poor me ;)

Another pic of the sunset...it was soooo much prettier in real life.

And another....

Okay, so I kinda went crazy with the sunset.

Elmo has a new daddy!

2009-05-12T11:17:00.000-07:00

I'll edit & caption photos later....Baltimore cousins are after me to post the photos...Enjoy! We certainly did!

My birthday & Mary & Emil's anniversary

2009-05-06T18:42:00.000-07:00

Scott & Sherrie had a brand-new stereo installed in my truck with all new speakers AND a sub-woofer (I think that's what they are called) I think they heard our music out at Summer's Bay!

The start to any good party....tequilla shots for everyone! (We went through 3 bottles of tequilla)....hey my birthday is on Cinco de Mayo....would you expect anything less?

Melissa and Elaine enjoying the festivities.....

Buck the dog eyeing the shots! Down, Buck, down!

It was Emil & Mary's wedding anniversary also....Keri brought them 2 (different kinds) bottles of really nice tequila...it was yummy!

Marinated t-bones & rib-eyes....delish!

Jan, Mark, Scott & Sherrie chowin' down...

Mary marinated scallops (from the Bering Sea, of course) in lemon pepper and crushed garlic...OMG, they melted in your mouth!

Keri & Jan enjoying themselves

Sherrie & Mark, after a couple of shots...Sherrie doesn't usually do shots, but it was a special occasion...

Jan, Sherrie & Mark stumbling home from the party.

Smooooooooooooooooooooooch!

Alex (Mary & Emil's son) & the scrumptious cake Mary & I made for ourselves...white cake, with cool whip, pineapple, vanilla pudding & strawberries...oh, so delicious....

WOW!

2009-05-03T16:04:00.000-07:00

It is beautiful out today...that's all I wanted to say!

Carry on...

Scott's B-day....Trojan springs a leak....time for Viagra?

2009-04-28T11:04:00.000-07:00

The beautiful Becca serving a delicious Secret Recipe carrot cake made by Jan...'twas yummy!

A blurry (perhaps we were drunk?) Scott & Lauri (by the way, big hair went out in the eighties!)

Isn't it time to ask about Viagra (Scott's birthday present from Emil & Mary) LOL

The whole Motley Crew at the Grand Hotel....I had Bering Sea Halibut, Scott had Elk (Ick)

A great time was had by all!

And finally, get your minds out of the gutter! The Trojan is a boat!

Elmo in La-la land

2009-04-24T10:28:00.000-07:00

Elmo had to go to the vet yesterday....just for a standard check-up, but, the doc found that his teeth needed cleaning...so, they anesthesized (sp?) him, and cleaned his teeth. When Scott and I went to pick him up, he was sprawled out on the floor, all four legs spread out underneath him...he couldn't stand up, although he tried, he was on linoleum and it was too slippery. The vet and Scott had to slip a towel underneath him and hoist him out to my truck. (He weighs 92 pounds) It was soooo sad to watch. Anyway, here he is in all his glory (I had to give him a "prize" since he was such a brave little soldier)...When I was a little girl, after a dentist visit, my mom used to take me to McDonalds for lunch...since we have no McDonalds here, I gave Elmo a toy with his name on it. What a little trooper!

I only have "ice" for you

2009-04-22T11:19:00.001-07:00

Foxy stopped by the library to say good morning :)

Gorgeous sunset, as seen from the "Hog Island View Estate"...

I want to know what is going on in my freezer when I'm not looking? Maybe I don't want to know :)

Oh yeah, my landlord has informed me that those pesky upstairs neighbors of mine have been given their notice to move out by May 1, 2009!!! Yahoooooo She told me that they probably won't be going quietly....imagine that!

Coming Home!!!

2009-04-17T10:31:00.000-07:00

Well, things have been a bit more peaceful in the apartment....the landlord threatened the "elephants" with eviction, so we'll see how long the silence lasts. It's amazing how much better one feels after one has had an uninterrupted night's sleep. I was told my new refrigerator is "on the water"...well, they didn't say "new"...I will raise hell if they ship a used one out to me. But I really shouldn't pay interest on trouble that hasn't happened yet. Think positive, Lauri!

Bad news....my darling 93 year old grandmother had a stroke on Wednesday....my mother says she is coherent, and recognizes everyone...but is paralyzed on her right side. She is an amazing woman...lives by herself in her own home, and has a cat named Suzi. Mom said she is very worried that no one is feeding Suzi. They assured her that she is being well taken care of. I pray that she recovers from this...but things will probably never be the same, she was so independent. God Bless her.

Good news.....fishing season is over for my Scott!!! He will be in cell phone range by noon today, and home tomorrow night. The boats will be tied up until fishing begins again in July. It will be great to have him home every night!

The weather is not too bad....CB has a good chance of making it in today.... I wonder, though, has he ever had a layover in Cold Bay??? It's all part of the adventure of living out here, it happens to all of us at one point or another. I hope he doesn't have to experience it this time, though...we need him back!

I have to admit, I watched "that show" the other night....I know most of those guys and I still like some of them. When watching Neal and the guys pull that prank on Mike, I noticed the jacket Neal was wearing....When I was dating him, he bought himself and me those jackets. I still have mine (have never worn it) and am going to sell it on eBay...I will NEVER wear it, but it is a pretty nice jacket....anyway, I just thought it was funny to see him wearing it. He's ALL about the fame....

Have a great weekend everyone....I know I will (wink wink) (that's for you, Lori :)

Okay, I'm back again

2009-04-15T18:23:00.000-07:00

I must have logged on here a hundred times to blog...even had interesting stuff to write about....then I would get sidetracked and have to read every last word of all the other blogs, by the time I'm done, I totally forget what I am going to write about....

So.......I'm back at work, enough said about that hahaha! I'm looking outside and the weather is beautiful...a huge change from yesterday and this morning. Yay...can't wait to get off work and go enjoy the weather. Elmo and Rio should enjoy their afternoon walk, since I didn't take them yesterday (they have access to a yard, so I don't feel too bad).

The apartment situation is another story. I finally dragged myself to "that store" for some groceries...spent over $100 on 3 bags of stuff..got home and realized HEY my fridge is not that cold...took the bags to Elaine's, and called our maintenance dude. He came over and tweaked it, it got a little colder, but not as cold as it should be. I was told by him to clean everything out of there and he would come over on Monday and defrost it all the way...mind you, it was NOT iced over....he had to take the back panel off (from the freezer) and thaw that out. At 9PM Monday, I turned the fridge back on and by Tuesday morning it was a little bit colder....I was told that one would be shipped and I should be refrigerated in about 3 weeks. I'm gonna have to eat stale peeps and pop tarts until I have chill again! (Just kidding CD and Alena!)

Tuesday (my first day back at work)...I woke up a little early, raring to go (okay, not RARING), but ready to go to work....NO HOT WATER!!! I had to put jammies back on, put my boots on, de-ice my truck and drive to my sister's house to take a shower...it sucked big time! But I made it on time...if ever there was a day being late would have been justified, Tuesday was it!

Then this morning at 5AM, we were awakened by the fire alarm in the building....I grabbed my purse and cell phone....banged on Tawnja's door (in case she was sleeping through all the fun)...and went down the hall to wait for the okay to return to our apartments....we still don't know what happened, just that the boiler room (directly across the hall from my apartment) had flooded. Tried to go back to sleep, didn't happen.

One more rant and I will close.....I called the girl upstairs the day I returned from Anchorage to ask her to please please fucking PLEASE have a little common courtesy and keep the noise down.....and she said "my daughter just woke up from her nap"....it was 8 AT NIGHT!!! She should be going to bed, NOT getting up from a nap....I give up!

And how was your week? :)

A Wild Ride

2009-04-11T00:35:00.000-07:00

Where do I even begin? First of all, I'm back in Dutch, thank God....and want to thank everyone who sent their prayers and good thoughts to me...I felt the love....even through the morphine, I felt the love. It felt lovlier for some reason LMAO....seriously tho, Linda, Spencer, Amy, Shirley, Frank, Roger, and our very own Katherine....not to mention the lovely Jane and her darling husband, Richard....thanks so much for visiting me, really lifted my spirits and meant alot to me. Thanks for taking time out of your schedules to visit. I will relay some stories about my little "adventure" soon....no photos (even tho I did have my camera there, I couldn't figure out in my drug-induced haze what would make a good photo op....everything seemed funny to me).....I'm still not out of the woods though, more doctor visits in Anchorage, allergy specialist in Seattle, then go from there......Hopefully won't have to go on disability leave from work, but it looks like that is the route I may have to take. So, I have some decisions to make, hopefully the one I make won't entail leaving this gorgeous island that I call home. I love it here and my best friends and sister are here, not to mention, the infamous Elmo (whom Sherrie will NOT let me take) he wouldn't be happy anywhere else. The question IS....can I live somewhere without being able to see him whenever I want? I think not.....so, as you can see I have some decisions to make....I'll be throwing some out there and asking what ya'll think, k? My wonderful husband to be will suppport whatever decision I make...what a guy! So, stay tuned for the next installment of General Hospital.....Cheers!

Peaceful co-existence, my ass!

2009-03-25T02:25:00.000-07:00

About a week ago, my fiance, Scott got to come home for a few hours (I picked him up at the dock at 10PM...and had to have him back at about 1AM)....the elephants upstairs chose that night to get drunk and beat the shit out of each other....they were screaming, bashing into walls, their 2 year old was crying and yelling her head off....I picked up the phone to call the police, and Scott stopped me. The last thing he wanted to do with our short time together was deal with drunken neighbors and police statements, etc. I finally relented and banged on the ceiling a few times with the broom handle. That didn't stop them. I was furious to say the least. They were still at it by the time I returned from dropping Scott off back at his boat. I assume they slept all day (while I went to work, exhausted....) Since they slept all day, it's only natural that they would be up all night that night banging around....I finally called them and asked them to shut the hell (not that nice of a word :) up....they quieted down for a bit....but not completely. Strawberry Hill, LLC recently purchased this apartment building from FTS (Factory Trawler Service) and the office manager visited Dutch Harbor, and she came by my apartment. I told her (again) about the problems with my upstairs neighbors...she, in turn told me that she had spoken with them and told them it is everyone's right to enjoy a "peaceful co-existence"...I whole-heartedly agree....I'm pretty peaceful and quiet.....just ask my neighbors.

Well, I haven't been feeling too good, so I went to the clinic today and was diagnosed with severe bronchitis (luckily not pneumonia) and have to stay home for a couple of days to rest and recuperate....NOT possible with these people living upstairs, even after running into the "mom" outside, and telling her that I would be home for the next couple of days and perhaps she could explain to her daughter and b/f, that they have a sick neighbor, so they need to be quiet. Well, the fact that I'm up blogging at 1:30AM should tell you how that worked.

Anyone know of any apartments for rent on the Dutch side?

Library Story

2009-03-23T16:02:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to upload photos of my sister Sherrie's 50th b-day party...but can't upload from here (big surprise) so.....

When I first started working at the library, it was housed in the Burma Rd. chapel...nice building but very small....anyway, upstairs is where the paperback exchange shelves were located....a little boy, probably about 7 years old went upstairs and was just browsing....my bosses office was around the corner at the bottom of the stairs....well this little boy had a handful of books (some hardcover, some paperbacks)...he proceeded to throw them down the stairs...one bounced and landed just outside Dan's office...he was NOT happy....he read this kid the riot act about how and how not to treat books! That little boy was scared, you could see it in his eyes! I bet you anything, he has treated books with the utmost respect from that point forward. As everyone should......I called the library (today is my day off) and told my co-worker to write this particular patron's name down, and to place a ban on his library account.....thanks for bringing this to light, CB! It's hard enough to keep a good selection of material in the library (alot of things are stolen, believe it or not)...it's people like CB that restore faith in human beings.........

Stay tuned for some really fun photos of the birthday party.....Have a great Monday everyone!

Warrior at the Tramper

2009-03-18T14:49:00.001-07:00

APL container ship....I'm amazed at how big these ships are....

There's my Captain hooked up to the Tramper! Yay, cell phone range :)

Warrior offloading it's catch to the Tramper "Sohoh".....look at all the ice on the Warrior...Scott said his crew has been pounding ice all day! Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Are you HAPPY now, CB?

2009-03-18T11:08:00.000-07:00

This is what I want the weather to be doing.

It's all CB's fault that our spring weather has sprung back into WINTER! I'm happy you got your wish, CB...but let's warm it up a little, k? Thanks!

Saturday night was a BLAST....Tawnja and I had planned all week to go to the airport for drinks and pulltabs...We donated ALOT to that pulltab mission...it benefits the local Lions Club, so we didn't mind losing that much. Okay, I'm lying, we were pissed! LOL I know, I know, that's why it's called gambling....after losing our money and having a few drinks...we decided to grab a cab and head over to the Unisea....had a fantastic time.....hobnobbing with the Unalaska bloggers, drinking duck farts (which I had no business drinking, I was already "gone")....but they were delicious...just ask CD...It was great seeing Martha again....I almost didn't remember her! Russell from the Time Bandit was there, I had no idea he is no longer on the TB, now a deckhand on the Wizard! Hmmmmm, I know there's a story behind that....and Crosby and Lynn....what nice guys they are!

So, my wonderful fiance is at the Tramper now (in cell phone range YAY)....offloading his fish and should be at the dock at 8PM....I get to kidnap him and take him home for about 3 hours...hmmmmm whatever will we do with that time...I'm sure we'll come up with something. I can't wait to see him. I love it when he is in cell range....that way, every little thing I can think of to call him, I do! Oh, the little things in life :) I'm going to take a drive out there in a little bit and try to snap some photos of the Warrior tied up to the tramper....I'll post them if I am successful...

Fox photo for Lori

2009-03-14T11:55:00.000-07:00

Here is my fox....I was eating my leftover lunch from yesterday (1/2 of a turkey/tortilla wrap) when I noticed fox eyeballs on me. I grabbed my camera and cut up 1/2 of MY 1/2 and threw it out for him.....FINALLY I got a not-too-blurry photo....isn't he cute?

Graffiti - Dutch Harbor Style

2009-03-14T11:00:00.000-07:00

Here are some random photos taken over the last year or so....see, we have graffiti here too...I saw telltale signs of Elmo having had a spray paint can in his paw...but he swears it wasn't him!
The last photo is taken from Ballyhoo looking down upon the airport.

Making S**T Up

2009-03-11T14:23:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite photos of Elmo....what a sweetheart!

I know I haven't posted in a week or so...cookie stopped by the library today and mentioned it. I told her nothing was going on, I have nothing to talk about...she said "make something up". I could make a whole lot of stuff up....but don't have the energy. I was sick for a couple of days last week...still had to come to work though. I came in at 9am on Saturday....I was back home in bed by 9:45am that day! I didn't feel horrible, just under the weather, but I knew if I didn't take care of myself I would regret it. So I feel alot better now...

My husband to be got to come home on Sunday night for about 3 hours, we made the most of that little bit of time (wink wink) ;)....then back to the boat for him....it's soooo sad leaving the dock when the boat is still tied up, knowing he is sooo close, yet, he may as well be a million miles away. He should be in about every 10-12 days...and if it's timed right, I'll get to kidnap him for a few hours each time.

What else, let's see....the weather certainly is weird, I thought for sure when I woke up this morning, CB's wish for "one more storm" was going to come true, it was snowing....but now it's as beautiful outside right now as I've ever seen it. Perioidic snow squalls come and it snows like crazy (big fat snowflakes)...then stops just as suddenly. Sorry, CB....on a brighter note for CB...I ran into Phil and Jake (or Josh) at the airport during lunch, so that means the CM is at the dock. I'm sure we'll see some photos on his blog very soon (if they aren't up already :).

Thank goodness Katherine is back....finally am well enough to get my hair cut and my "natural" highlights reapplied.....Whew!

Okay, I'll make up more stuff later for cookie's amusement....til then....have a great HUMP day!

Mar Gun on the rocks!

2009-03-05T15:36:00.000-08:00

I just heard from a reliable source that the Mar Gun (Unisea or Trident boat?) went on the rocks up near St. Paul....don't know all the details, only that the crew is safe and sound. Whew!

The boat apparently is on it's side....poor thing :(

CB's storm and the Plague?

2009-03-05T10:44:00.000-08:00

I talked to CB (when he gave me the SleepMD) and we were commenting on our unseasonably warm weather....he was pretty upset because he wants just one more good storm...well, we had a little one (I hope for his sake, we get one more GOOD one)....it's pretty out right now, a light dusting on the mountains, and the sun decided to show it's face....I have to tell you, I moved here in Oct. 1998 from Los Angeles.....I was working 3 jobs (A.C. store, Museum of the Aleutians (before it was built) AND the Unalaska Historic Preservation Commission)....I was gone from early morning until late at night. It sucked, but I was new in town and needed the money. My dog, Elmo, was NOT happy with me...One night I came home to find he had packed up all of his stuff, along with one of my pillows and had it stacked up by the front door as if to say "I'm moving out, you don't spend any time with me anymore"...I was like, okay, fine you can move out, but you are NOT taking my pillow! The next day I quit one of my jobs and started coming home at a reasonable hour. Elmo decided not to move out. Anyway, that first winter was the worst winter Unalaska had seen in 50 years! Or so the elders told me. I am from LA....I thought, I can't do this, I barely had winter clothes, mini-skirts and tank tops were my wardrobe...I really had to scramble and find warmer clothes (I had a few warm things, that were layered over my LA clothes)....Well, I made it through that winter....and fell in love with this place that first summer....my second winter here was even worse than the first! 19 feet of snow accumulated....I felt like I was living in a snow maze (The Shining, style) YIKES! But I made it through that one, too. And the summers here so make up for even the worst weather. I guess my point is...you never know what the weather is going to do here...so keep the faith, CB!

I was reading Alena's blog and have to say I finally had to sucumb to my illness and take the day off yesterday, as I was feverish, nauseous and felt all-around ICKY! The entire library staff, except Cora are sick......Cora had to come in and work a full shift on her day off yesterday. I would have taken today off too, but Annamarie and Peat are both sick. Annamarie will come in late, so that she can close. So, to our local readers, we will try to provide the basic services, but can't guarantee a sunny disposition.....we'll try, of course, but we are not feeling good....our apologies in advance....

Have a great day everyone!

Aleutian Islands of Alaska: Living on the Edge

2009-02-27T17:55:00.000-08:00

What a gorgeous book! We just received this in the library today and I had to immediately leaf through it. The pictures are stunning.....I haven't read the entire thing.....but it seems all islands are included with stories and photos accompanying them. Gert Svarney (Alena's beautiful grandmother), Sharon (Alena's beautiful mom), (there's even a photo of Alena's sister out at Humpy Cove), Katherine McGlashan (Cape Sarichef Salon), even April from Akutan and her husband are pictured in it! Lots of boat pics, eagles, otters, all kinds of sea life...
It is available at Barnes & Noble......which is where our first copy came from...we ordered 4 more from our regular ordering spot....this one will be available for perusal in our Alaskana room (reference only, to be read here)....When we receive the others, I will put 3 in our general collection for checkout! So for you locals, come on in and take a peek.....

So, check it out! Enjoy!

Fox who lost his socks

2009-02-27T11:10:00.000-08:00

I went to check the book drop this morning and noticed two little white items in the grass...upon closer inspection, I realized it's a pair of socks. Okay, I know the tomorrow we are celebrating Dr. Seuss' birthday here at the library.......and it makes for a good rhyme...but how in the world did a pair of socks get there? How does one lose their socks? If anyone is missing a pair of socks, they are here....I will be tossing them into the garbage soon, so claim them fast if they are yours...if you do attempt to claim them, before they will be released to you, you MUST tell the story of how they came to be there. Thanks!

BTW....HAPPY BIRTHDAY (yesterday :) to Goldfish.....hope it was terrific! What are you now...25????

Ponderings

2009-02-26T12:39:00.000-08:00

Every time I hear about a boat in distress, my heart sinks and my stomach is in knots...it's been almost a year (Mar. 23rd) since that awful phone call telling my sister that the Ranger is sinking. I'll never forget that horrible morning...especially when the news came that Capt. Pete Jacobsen and Mate David Silveira perished. It still brings tears to my eyes. Sherrie's birthday is Mar. 24th, the day after the Ranger went down. We will try to celebrate her 50th this year....all the while celebrating the lives of those lost on that Easter morning. Rest in Peace, dear friends.

So, my heart soared when we found out that the whole crew of the Icy Mist were back on dry land, the Coast Guard is amazing in my book and when I run into a group of them, I always try to thank them for protecting us and saving our friends' lives.

Yesterday's wind storm was crazy! I have been reading about all the happenings due to the wind. Steve's blog, CB's blog, April in Akutan. WOW...I was pretty sheltered here at the library, didn't even want to go outside.....thank God no one was injured, it's a miracle in itself, with all the stuff flying around. Today more than makes up for yesterday...it's is spectacular. I'll try to get out and take some photos of the beauty today......if I don't we can all rely on CB and Steve to capture it for us :)

I'm pretty proud of the award presented to the library. I didn't even know we were nominated, or that we were way up there until Pipa from Channel 8 came over and interviewed Dan....she pointed the camera at me, and I had to remind her, I do not like to be filmed. She immediately panned the camera down to my fingers which were furiously typing away on my computer. Don't know if they made it onto Flash Unalaska. The City Council gave our library a framed 49 star flag as our "award"...we asked for another 1/2 time person, (I wanted a raise ;), we got a flag. Go figure. I started working for Dan Masoni in Nov. 1998....the library was located in the Burma Road Chapel...we had 2 shelves of books & 4 really crappy computers (we now have 15 internet access computers)....we moved to this building in August of 1999. Our library is bursting with books, DVDs, VHS (YES, I said VHS!), kids movies, kids books, magazines, newspapers....we are passport acceptance agents, notary publics....not to mention, TWIC information central. It's alot more than checking out books and my boss and the people I work with are amazing. So, thanks for the shout-out, Steve!

I'll write more later, just hadn't posted for awhile and had to get some things out there. Have a great day, everyone!

(I FINALLY got a good night's sleep last night....the fiance was in town night before last, we didn't get much sleep, LOL...so I was dog-tired last night, I think I got 6 full hours YAY!)

Thanks and a few notes

2009-02-24T10:53:00.000-08:00

First of all, I want to thank CB for the SleepMD...I took some last night, and was gently drifting off to sleep, unfortunately the elephants upstairs decided to have a circus at 11:00PM...I finally had to call the police...who showed up at 11:15, asked them to keep the noise down...okay, drift off again ALMOST, 15 minutes later, they are doing laundry! They were up all night long, banging around....I have had it! I called my landlord and asked that they do something about this. It's either us or them! I'll keep you all posted....

Second, Congratulations to Catina, Brandon and Auntie Katherine, and hi to little Hayden!...really happy to hear everyone is healthy and happy! Can't wait to see the little guy....

Thirdly, the Polar Bear Run (walk) was alot of fun, it was great to see everyone, and it's the first time in a long time that the weather has been decent. It was really cold, but not like years past. Congrats to everyone who finished. I had Eider with me and he is not easy to control on a leash (too much excitement, I guess) At least he didn't poop right in the middle of the raceway, whew! My BFF Jan, Eider, her granddaughter Addilynn and I walked as far as little Addi's legs would take her and then went back to watch the "real entrants" cross the finish line.

Fourth and last of all....my honey will be home tonight....so hopefully my lack of sleep tonight will be for a different reason, wink wink!

Have a great day everyone!

Sleepless in Dutch

2009-02-21T17:54:00.000-08:00

I haven't slept for days! I am a sleeper, I love to sleep....I have maybe had 5 hours in the last 5 days, so very unlike me. Thursday night I took a Unisom (they always help) at 9:30pm, by 11:30pm, I was still tossing and turning....so I took ANOTHER Unisom....nothing...I lay awake all night. On Friday morning I got up, showered and was lost! I could NOT function, so I took the day off, thinking I could really get some sleep...I was sooooo tired...I absolutely could not sleep. Last night, Friday, I think I got about 2 hours of real sleep...only reason I think that is, I remember dreaming...Am I going through menopause? Do I have too much on my mind? Am I stressed out? I don't know the answer. I just know that if I don't get some sleep soon, I am going to lose it.

Exercise might help? I walked up Ballyhoo Thursday after work with the dogs, so that didn't help....going to try walking again tonight, then I am going to stay at my sister's house (in my old room)....and see if a change of scenery will help. Maybe heavy drinking will help, I know I will pass out and not get the REM that is essential to one's well-being, but unconsciousness sounds so delish! I will be walking in the Polar Bear run tomorrow, sleep or not! (Unless the weather is really crappy, right Gigi?)

Today started out really icky, weather-wise, but it's pretty nice out right now. I have about 55 minutes until I get off work....things could change drastically by then. Pray that it doesn't...and pray that I can get some sleep tonight (my next post could get ugly, if not)!

Enjoy!

Beautiful

2009-02-19T10:29:00.000-08:00

(Since the fox photos won't upload, here are some eagles to entertain you.)

When I left for work this morning, I was in awe of how beautiful it was. The crescent moon was shining, the mountains were glowing a beautiful pink, and the wildlife was scurrying about. I pulled up to the library and saw one of my foxes.....one of the ones I've known since he/she was a baby. The eagles are everywhere, with a few ravens mixed in. When I went to check the book drop, I noticed the other fox that grew up around the library....I had to race out and take some photos...they turned out a bit blurry, but here they are...aren't they cute? The reddish colored one was injured some time ago and one of his back legs just dangles most of the time, this morning I noticed he was holding up his right front leg and it looked swollen to me. I hope he will be okay, I know his appetite hasn't been affected. Have a great day everyone! PS...I loved Steve's blog and photo from this morning...he is one of the few on the islands with a tree in his yard. (Blogger isn't letting me upload this photo, so ya know I'll keep trying :) Keep the FAITH!

WTF?

2009-02-17T10:47:00.000-08:00

My hilarious cousin, Catherine, sent me this link in honor of my previous WTF? blog....you HAVE to see this and you MUST have sound....warning: graphic language...not for the kiddies!

I laughed my A** off! Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AyVh1_vWYQ

Christmas puppies

2009-02-16T20:38:00.002-08:00

Okay, I haven't got it down yet....but aren't they cute in their Christmas costumes..yeah, I know, another entry in the "Why we hate people" category...

One more try

2009-02-16T20:38:00.001-08:00

Okay, blogger is being very selective as to the photos I upload....so I'm gonna try to figure out why and remedy the problem. Have a great week everyone. I'll be in touch! Cheers!

HELP

2009-02-16T20:26:00.000-08:00

LMAO....okay, it must be me.....are my photos too big? Some of them upload, and some don't..I'm pretty computer literate (yeah right, some of you are saying)....I'm gonna try again. Do I need to photoshop them and make them smaller? I just don't know. I'll keep trying. Keep checking back, please. CB, HELP!!!!!!

CRAP

2009-02-16T20:18:00.000-08:00

This is pissing me off BIG TIME! I can't upload photos!!!! WTF???

More testing

2009-02-16T20:15:00.001-08:00

I have some great photos to share, but it's not cooperating with me...don't they know who I am??? It's only letting me upload one at a freekin' time....so enjoy them one at at time with me...the Christmas one is Dan, Elaine and my seester, Sherrie at our annual "soiree"...

Testing

2009-02-16T20:06:00.000-08:00

I just got hooked up with cable modem internet....testing uploading photos....bear with me..k?

King Eider & Real Alaska Woman

2009-02-14T12:16:00.001-08:00

Kathleen (a teacher here) and I TRY to walk everynight after work....she usually has to pee about 1/2 way down the spit...well, it's winter and this IS Alaska, it's COLD....that doesn't stop her, that's what I call a REAL ALASKAN WOMAN!

My sister's dog, Eider (King Eider of Umnak) is in love...with rocks, that is....he carefully makes his selection (he likes the really big ones)..carries it to a nice spot, drops it, noses it around, rolls around on it, barks at it....then picks it up and does this over and over and over again. It's quite funny to watch....Here is his "Valentine's Day Eve" rock...he carried that one up and down the spit. Usually he will drop it and find another one...this one was "special".

Chili

2009-02-11T18:36:00.001-08:00

Ta Dah!

Enough

2009-02-11T18:18:00.000-08:00

Okay, enough about that stupid woman for a bit! On to more important things....like.....MY LUNCH....Mary has done it again, yummy steak chili in a bread bowl. I really should avoid the bread and just eat the chili, but hey, if I walk after work, is it still that bad? I think NOT. Plus, I only had a couple of bites of bread, dipped in chili, of course! (blogger is NOT letting me upload photo of chili bread bowl)...I'll try later, take my word for it, it was a work of art.

I don't know if this is for the public's ears yet...(I really CAN keep a secret, that is, if I KNOW it's a secret) Mary is closing the Crab Pot Deli on the 28th of Feb. I don't know whether to cry or scream or BOTH! I will be crying on the morning of March 1st, I know that for sure.

She is going back to work on her Broad Bay Adventure Camp....from what I've heard, it's ALOT of fun, dirt bikes, fishing, camping...just lots of good old fashioned outdoor Alaska fun! She has a website for the camp www.broadbayadventures.com She said if it's not up and running right now, it should be in a few days. She's pretty excited to get back to this, even though she will miss serving the best damn seawiches & landwiches in town! Best of luck to Mary.....

Sounding Off

2009-02-11T10:45:00.000-08:00

I watched part of the interview with the octuplet mom last night...and the more I listened to her, the more disturbed I became....My burning question/concern is this....babies NEED their mothers nurturing, especially premies...how can one woman possibly nurture, hold, love, 8 babies? The answer is she can't....those babies are not going to thrive, they need way more attention than their mother is able to give them. Not only the babies, but her other children....CPS needs to step in and find other homes for at least 6 of those babies....also, she DID have plastic surgery to look like Angelina Jolie...look at the photos of her before all of this. The ones with her other SIX children...her lips are smaller AND her nose is bigger. This woman is delusional, she needs treatment!

Okay, I'm done now...had to get that off my chest! Anyone else care to comment?

Correction

2009-02-06T10:57:00.001-08:00

I posted a photo of "Elaine & Jimmy Arquette"....need to clarify...it's Elaine Herr & Jimmy Arquette....they are not married, nor are they brother and sister...just so ya know! (Elaine's available, wink wink)...

Party pics

2009-02-06T10:38:00.000-08:00

Dave, Unknown Partyer & Mark

Elaine & Jimmy Arquette

Larry Hendricks & John Fox

Norman (Captain of the Poseidon) & birthday girl!

Aftermath

Tawnja, Pam, Elaine, & Lauri

We had alot of fun celebrating Tawnja's birthday (1-31-09)....dinner, drinks, & great friends converged on the Grand Aleutian's Cape Cheerful bar....

Los Angeles Times Article

2009-02-05T11:34:00.000-08:00

Read this story.....

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-dutch-harbor5-2009feb05,0,7377007.story?page=2

This is the link to page 2, sorry.....you can figure it out....Love that Jen Shockley!

Windows we look through

2009-02-04T18:37:00.000-08:00

Someone e-mailed this to me, and I thought it was worthy of posting here....I'm leaving to walk my dogs, so these are my parting thoughts....Cheers!

A young couple moves into a new neighborhood.

The next morning while they are eating breakfast,
the young woman sees her neighbor hanging the wash outside.

'That laundry is not very clean', she said. 'She doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap'.

Her husband looked on, but remained silent. Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry,
the young woman would make the same comments.

About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband: 'Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this?

'The husband said, 'I got up early this morning andcleaned our windows.'

And so it is with life. What we see when watching others depends on the purity of the window through which we look.

Weekend

2009-02-04T09:54:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a weekend, I know it's Wednesday....but my weekend is Sunday/Monday...Saturday night was Tawnja's birthday, so we all went to the Grand for cocktails (duck farts), and appetizers...yummy seared ahi, coconut shrimp (my fave)...it was really fun. I do have photos, but alas forgot my camera today. Sunday, of course was Super Bowl. I unintentionally wore Arizona Cardinals colors, so I had to root for them. Didn't really care who won, I happened to win $100 1st quarter score...YAY AND The Boss at 1/2 time was incredible....I've always been a Springsteen fan, in fact, I think he was put on this earth for me. We just never met....Scott understands this and is okay with it (well, ALMOST okay)....

Sherrie got in last night from Seattle....we were sweating it a little, due to reports of a huge storm coming our way, not to mention the Volcano wanting to erupt any second...she coulda been stuck in Anchorage for a long time. Luckily it didn't happen.

It has been insane at work! No fish means processors aren't working, and with nothing to do and no money, they frequent the library to check their e-mail, check out books, etc. These people come in from all over the world, and don't get me wrong, I like (was gonna say love, LOL) my job....but the viruses they bring in from wherever they are from, all mingle with each other and it's hard to fend off. They are coughing, sneezing, blowing their noses, wiping their noses on whatever happens to be in front of them...I am CONSTANTLY washing my hands and using hand sanitizer as well as spraying Lysol around...I don't mean to offend anyone, I'm just susceptible to colds and flu....one of my co-workers has been out sick for almost 2 weeks, the cook at the Crab Pot Deli has been out for 2 weeks...I just don't want to get sick...HELP! I started feeling icky last night, feel a little better today, but I can feel something a-brewin...any suggestions to ward this off?

Oh well, my point was, the last thing I've felt like doing is getting on the computer, so I haven't blogged for a few days. I will get back into it....post some photos and pray I don't catch a bug.

Have a great week everyone!

Sunshine!

2009-01-30T11:18:00.000-08:00

Haven't seen the sun for awhile, but it's rising as we speak.....I tried to capture the beauty of the sunrise, but my photos don't do it justice....it's freekin' beautiful out right now!

Woo Hoo

2009-01-29T22:21:00.001-08:00

Neal Hillstrand and a friend's kids (Anchorage)....

Oh my Elmo! Isn't he cute?

Dan, Elaine, and sister Sherrie at our annual Christmas "soiree"....do they look like they are having fun?

I finally got hooked up with hi-speed internet....testing uploading photos...enjoy! I've selected some of my favorites from the past few years...I hope you like them...I'm going to upload ALOT more, if this works....bear with me, ya'll!

News of the Weird

2009-01-29T22:21:00.000-08:00

I feel the need to ramble....

First of all, today was one of the strangest weather days I've seen since I moved here 10 years ago....Since I left my house this morning at 8, I think I saw all 4 seasons.....to see them all at once is way weird.....look to the left, sunshine; to the right, blowing snow; straight ahead, rain; to the rear, leaves changing color (okay, we have no leaves, but you get the idea). I have to say, cookie mentioned something about bike riders riding in this weather....I saw a guy jet skiing in the small boat harbor waters yesterday...OMG that's extreme sports! He was having an absolute BLAST.

Second of all, there is NOTHING on TV tonight! I actually watched Kath & Kim and found myself laughing out loud....someone help me!

Third of all, cookie, you have some nerve trying to entice your readers to join you in working out...with a name like COOKIE DOUGH. Oh yeah, JAG #7 is in the mail. ;)

Okay, I'm done rambling now....I'm gonna try to find something to watch and prepare for tomorrow's challenges..perhaps I should be doing yoga or Pilates to preparefor tomorrow, instead of flipping through channels, in other words, find a way to spend my time, not kill it....

Suicide at Priest Rock?

2009-01-29T15:04:00.000-08:00

I just heard from a local fisherman, that a crewmember on the Arctic Fox commited suicide by jumping overboard going around Priest Rock....a fellow crewmember got into a survival suit & jumped in the water, and apparently the suicidal guy pushed him away....he also refused to grab lines that were tossed to him.

How terribly sad, and what a horrible way to die....it's bad enough when it's an accident but what a way to kill yourself..

Prayers go out to his family! Maybe now, he can rest in peace?