Saturday, July 31, 2021

July Randomness

The above photo is a good summary of the randomness of July. We spent quite a bit of time in the car as Stacia and Allie added more hours behind the wheel. AND I'm getting a jump start on their Brit Lit AP course. LOL 

WHAT are we doing with THESE?  I won't buy these again.                   

                               

Running partners...

Sasquatch? 

                                                             

    Allie got her driver's permit!!! 

                                                 You just never know what you'll find in a park. 

The "perfect" sledding hill becomes the perfect rolling hill in the summer. 

Grandpa helps me deadhead the flowers....

I didn't get out for as many walks as I envisioned...but I loved each morning that I did! 

A bit of inspiration of what is POSSIBLE - even in Alaska. 

Establishing routines to carry me through the seasons - winter is coming and I'm prepping to embrace it. I even bought a Happy Light this summer. 

Stacia loved cuddling with Jenna and Jeremiah James while I visited and putzed around with Elise. 

Careful readers may have noted schooling stopped. The girls worked through June on summer school and getting ahead for the upcoming year. Allie had a couple of more things she was catching up so she can move into her senior year strong. They worked HARD - without complaint.  We decided to break for July. It was a good call. This gave Allie's online school time to catch up with us, time for all to breathe....and be fully present at weddings, rivers, fish camp....and now August is beginning. 

It is unreal that July is over. WHAT? 

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

The Trip Home

 We spent a bit of time appreciating the "RV Resort" before head pulled up jacks...we didn't want to leave TOO EARLY....we planned to go to Arby's for lunch - a CoRielle dipnetting tradition. 


I love these edible planters at the front of each space. 

OK - this sign is funny. 

We hit the road after a quick picnic lunch at the soccer fields. There were quite a few fires last year. It is hauntingly beautiful to see the fireweed blooming in the burned area. 

Michael enjoyed sharing RV knowledge with Cory. 

Arielle and I had the boys in the truck. We made many more pit stops...in pretty places! It was good to ride together and have that time to catch up with each other. 


We arrived home late in the afternoon. Millie was happy to see Stacia - and the rest of us. 

We began laundry, unloaded...caught up with Will and Dad. Ate a bit of dinner...all the things. These girls are happy to be home - I think. LOL 

I didn't take photos on the 29th - Dad, Michael and I took Will to the airport. We ran a couple of errands and continued unpacking and stowing equipment.  

We have memories to unpack and store as well. 

I never managed to blog last years dip netting trip. It was overwhelming. I'm happy to say I did it this year....Can you believe July is over? 

Tuesday, July 27, 2021

Exploring Kenai Day 2

 There was so MUCH to explore and so little time...or at least CoRielle and I felt that way. ::snort:: The girls and Michael opted to have a later start at the RV. 

The rest of us decided to go check out a few turnouts, roads, and wildlife viewing areas we've driven past the past 3 years.  As we left the campground Cory said we were going to go find Caribou. A word about Caribou - they look like reindeer for the simple reason if they are found in the wild they are called Caribou and if they are domesticated they are called Reindeer.  We hadn't driven a 1/4 mile towards the wildlife viewing area when we saw a heard of CARIBOU. I didn't have my real camera. Cory zipped back to the RV, we corrected that oversight and found the herd again. 






Our day was off to an exciting spot. We drove around the coastline in Kenai and saw some BEAUTIFUL homes. We began to dream of having a townhome or property in a coastal town....We FINALLY pulled up to the wildlife viewing area we had planned for the morning. It was incredibly peaceful and beautiful. Green marshy area, the ocean, eagles...fish...If I lived in Kenai I would be in this spot with a cuppa tea and a book quite often. 
Baachan's fellow adventurers

This is the best I could do with my camera....Arielle put her phone up to the telescope and got a better shot. That didn't work with my lens.  If you look closely you can see the mountain across the inlet...this was one time the eye did a better job than the lens. 


Our next jaunt took us to the top of some bluffs overlooking the ocean...beauty everywhere we looked. 


I tripped over a little rope...

A bit more investigating led to the discovery of a way down to the beach. 

While CoRielle checked out the view, I walked along the bluff. I've since learned this was a very bad idea...but in the moment it was magical. Isn't that often the case? This tree impressed me. 

We headed back to the RV to collect the rest of our late rising adventurers. Our first stop was a local seafood restaurant. I think we appreciated the wildlife on the walls more than the food. ::snort::

We had looked at the map and saw an area labeled "lighthouse reserve." We set out to find the lighthouse. NOW, we COULD have asked questions...and discovered the lighthouse had been vandalized and one can't reach it...but there is little adventure in THAT. 

Michael stopped at LIGHTHOUSE Community Church and they knew nothing about a lighthouse. Our next stop was a shop and they told us about the vandalism. Since we were already in Nikiski they suggested we drive down to the beach and out to Captain Cook Recreation Area. We took both suggestions.  Doesn't this look like something out of Star Wars? 
It's an oil platform. 

We found oil platforms. We also looked for rocks, shells, and contemplated life on the beach. 

Allie and Michael take a beach side walk

Check out the fireweed..."they" say when it's fully bloomed we have 6 weeks until winter....it's not ALL fully bloomed. 


As often happens, we found ourselves needing to find an outhouse or such. We stopped at Stormy Lake. We had TALKED about geocaching today, but we didn't follow through. Can you imagine my delight to spot a geocache as we looked at the lake? Cory was a good guy and climbed up to get it - and put it back when we were done. 

Papa shows Benny the little, tiny, log...he wasn't overly impressed. Finding an eagle had such promise. Papa explained the process and we hid the eagle for the next adventurer to discover. 

I admit it's hidden a bit better than it was when we found it. 

Yes, we DID make it to Captain Cook Recreational Area. It was well-worth the drive. 


BTW, this little man told me, "Baachaan, You're a good little girl." He also told me I'm cute and I'm loved. All things I'm now happily repeating to myself.  I am cute. I am pretty. I am loved. I try to be good. LOL 

Oh, the views. 





See? They haven't bloomed to the tip top in this patch. 

Alas, all decided we'd best head back to the RV. Within minutes of getting home our friends asked us if we'd like to go to the pool in Nikiski. We didn't have suits....instead...Benny helped Papa and Daddy wash a few things out and take the nets apart. 

Cory and Arielle took the tent down. We all slept in the RV the last night so we would have less to do the next morning. 

Somewhere in here Cory and Arielle went on an outing. We were happy to watch the boys. They came back with a box of DRUMSTICKS. What a fun way to end this camping episode. 

We still haven't booked for next year - Josiah isn't sure about the tides. Ed isn't sure about the tides.  We'll be back sometime next July.