All in all it was a quiet, relaxing day. Peggy cared for Joey the cat, and watered the garden and flowers planted around the property. She also gave me a hair cut, the first since we left Omaha. We took a walk around the neighborhood around 9:00 p.m. with the sun still brightly shining.
We have noticed a significant increase in mosquitoes since our return from Denali. It was inevitable, but it had been pleasant outdoors without them.
June 10 Not much new to add. Another nice weather day in the Mat-Su Valley! Peggy went to the laundromat this morning. I stayed (whew) on the premises as we are expecting a client to bring in a Cessna to be converted from wheels/snow skis to floats.
Had lunch and then washed the pickup. Afterward, I took an empty LP tank to be filled. Peggy exercised Joey the cat during which the Cessna showed up. Peggy and I opened the gate to let the plane in and directed the pilot where to park it. Afterwards we watered the flowers and the garden.
This evening we watched TV and then went for our nightly walk. Tomorrow Grant and Debby should return from their stay at their cabin.
Forgot to mention that my 95 year old father has had some health issues lately. As a result he has been moved from assisted living to a nursing care facility. We are fortunate that my sister is a retired RN and has been with him to see to his care. I am indebted to her for her help for dad, her expertise, and the fact that she lives about 500 miles away from him so has not been at home much.
June 11 Grant and Debby flew back from their cabin around 7:30 this morning. We visited with them about their good time out there. Grant was busy getting planes prepped today for their summer on the water.
Peggy's cell phone's screen took a dump. It is psychedelic looking. Reluctantly, she called Verizon only to find out it is covered under the 1 year warranty! A new cell phone is being shipped to her. She's relieved to not have to pay for a replacement since we thought the screen was not covered, and we hadn't taken out insurance. To celebrate, we went out for pizza! WooHoo!!
Our evening walk was nearly cancelled by a 15 minute rain shower. However, by 9:00 it was over, and we walked a new part of the neighborhood seeking a new route to the ice cream shop about 1/2 mile away. We found our way, but the shop closes to counter customers at 8:00. After that it is drive-thru only. We were bummed. I suppose Peggy could have ridden on my shoulders to see if they would serve us.
The mosquitoes were quite ravenous on our walk. We probably lost a little weight through our blood donations to the little suckers! If there is a breeze they are not present. We need some Nebraska wind up here.
June 12 Another nice weather day here. We did some shopping and then drove part way on the South Knik- Goose Bay Road which parallels the Knik Arm of Cook Inlet. There are several places along it to visit. We may drive this again and stop at things like the Iditarod Museum. We also found that the price for fuel in the area was 15-19 cents cheaper so filled up the pickup with diesel for $3.99.
Since we didn't get an ice cream last evening we did the drive-thru. YUM!
At the end of the work day for Grant, we joined him and Debby for a cold drink. Ahhh! It's very relaxing and fun here, and we continue to count our blessing for having this opportunity to stay with them. I see that AARP has placed Alaska in a tie for 2nd place as a worst state to retire in. The harsh climate and high cost of living are given as reasons why. Fortunately we haven't really experienced the harsh climate, but there is a higher price for goods here but not what we would consider out of line for any other high traffic vacation area in the lower 48 states.
June 13 Peggy woke up this morning not feeling quite good, so she lazed around until noon when she perked up and asked, "Where do you want to go?"...a good sign. We jumped in the truck and headed out on the Knik Rd/Goose Bay Rd.
Our first stop was at the Iditarod Visitors Center/Headquarters where we watched a movie about the Iditarod Dog Sled Race. The road from the Iditarod led us to the Lake Lucille State Park. A short walk to the lake from the parking lot resulted in us getting bit and pestered by mosquitoes. We then drove to the Palmer Hay Flats Wildlife Refuge where a short hike took us to an overlook of the tidal flats of the Knik Arm of the Cook Inlet. From there we continued to the old town site of Knik and on to the end of the road at the Goose Bay Airport.
On the way back towards Wasilla, we turned west and headed to the Little Susitna River Wildlife Refuge, a popular fishing location. We were to pay $5 for the entrance fee, but the gatekeeper let us in for nothing as the river is at near flood stage and very muddy. This has prevented any fishing for king salmon there. He said to come back in a week or two and the river will be down, running more clear, and the fishing should be good. He also recommend we stop at a Wasilla tackle shop to find out what the fish are biting on.
This was a good afternoon of exploration. We learned more about sled dogs and mushing, and got some insight into salmon fishing. Peggy seems to have made a good recovery from her morning ailment.
June 14 Whoa! My phone rings at about 8:30 this morning...I way over slept...and it was my fishing buddies Bob Jenkins and John Thomsen on the phone. They are part of the annual fishing crew that I'm usually a part of. They are in Minnesota fishing and called to say "Hi!". Wish there was a way to will that cast of characters up here to Alaska so we all could go halibut and salmon fishing together.
We've decided that the Wasilla Chamber of Commerce should hire Peggy and I to be in charge of the weather. I guess this 70º and sunny weather we're having is somewhat unusual as it can be much cooler and rainy. An Anchorage TV news station is even starting to count the number of days they have been at or above 70º!
We've decided that the Wasilla Chamber of Commerce should hire Peggy and I to be in charge of the weather. I guess this 70º and sunny weather we're having is somewhat unusual as it can be much cooler and rainy. An Anchorage TV news station is even starting to count the number of days they have been at or above 70º!
Peggy called Lisa Carleton, who is a sister to Jolene Johnson. Jolene and Peggy worked together at Paddock Rd Elementary School for several years. Lisa has lived here in Wasilla for about 7 years. She was nice enough to come and pick Peggy and I up and take us to the Noisy Goose in nearby Palmer, AK, for lunch. It was fun visiting with her about her family and about living in Alaska. It seems no one up here ever gets tired of the scenery and wildlife. And yes, Jolene, she gave us the inside scoop on you, so we have the goods on you now! :o)
Peggy and I have the rest of today and the weekend to loaf about as Grant and Debby have decided to stay and not go to their cabin. Life is so hard on us up here!
I took another picture of Anderson Lake with the Talkeetna Mts in the background. It is amazing how they have changed since we arrived here. Here is a picture taken around Memorial Day compared to today's photo.
Memorial Day Weekend
June 14
Peggy is a happier girl now. Her new phone came in the mail and has been activated. That's the good news. However, Alaska is all non-Verizon so connections are roaming on the Alaska cell system. Verizon data is not transferrable through it so she is not able to download her contacts. Guess I know what she'll be doing over the next day or two!
My phone keeps beeping with weather watches and now a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for the Omaha area. Hope everyone back home stays safe!
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