The slick adventures of the Petroleum Jelly bandit.

And so he set off on an indefinite spree.  Cashing in on paybacks, his intention was to get back for the senseless assaults cast upon him.....no matter how long it took, or how long it went on......

As all good fables begin, so to will this begin with: 'Once upon a time'.  There was a man.  He was a boy.  He was a young man...trying to be a man, yet caught up in his boyhood like antics and tomfoolery.  He meant no harm, but would continually set out to play games and pranks on the people around him.  No care, no respect, no thought to how he made these people feel.  For why, he knew not.  Much less doubtful that "why?" ever even crossed his mind.  As a child he was probably exploited, picked on, a target himself....and for this he would make it his personal duty to wreak havoc on all whom he had access.  On all whom he knew he could have the upper hand on.  For the most part it was much like being in grade school again when he was around.  Your cocky buddy who would taunt and propel you.  But all fun has it's limits.  A concept this young man was yet to fully comprehend.

From small acts like spraying his co-workers with water while washing the company vehicle, and everything in between to the obnoxious  bite of a punch in your arm for attention, he was always essentially a little dick to people!  His actions mean, and his words sometimes bitter.  He was mean as a snake!  He never was one to give much thought to his actions, really.  He had a job as the grounds keeper and On Site Manager of a lodge.  A job laden with responsibility, to much time he would lay lax to.  Although liked by most of his friends and co workers, he carried a reputation as a slacker and a bit of a jackass, to which all who were around him would observe and comment.  Even the owners themselves were onto him.  All who were around him were very aware of his reputation, and they were very cautious to say the least.

Enter the man who would inadvertently become the latest unsuspecting target of this young mans silly and senseless shenanigans.  A guest to the weekly cookout dinner offered for all of the paying clients of the lodge each week.  A guest who frequented the weekly event every summer.  The husband of the Operations Manager of this lodge.  The Operations Manager who was the boss in charge of this young man struggling to be taken seriously in a world which he claimed as his own personal 'big top'.  The dinner which would begin a downward spiral in the safety and familiarity of this carefree little prankster and his comfortable surroundings.

The Petroleum Jelly bandit was a good man.  Meek and mild in his manners.  A professional with diplomacy in handling all affairs.  Doing deeds of kindness and caring for most people around him, the Petroleum Jelly bandit had a firm belief in life.  Simply put, "do unto others as you want them to do to you".  "Don't start none there wont be none".  "Don't step in something you cain't wipe off".  "Keep to yourself and let others do as they do".  But these beliefs would be tested this night.  They would be put through the gauntlet.  You see, the Petroleum Jelly bandit was not always the mild mannered logical thinking man that he is now.  In fact, until this night he was anything but the Petroleum Jelly bandit.  In times forgot, he was a rebel, a loner....the keeper of light for those who could not see.  He fought the good fight for those who had the disadvantage.  His past had seen plenty of action.  He walked softly yet carried a big stick....and he used it to!  Well rehearsed in holding his own in the face of adversity, this night this man of honer would be tested, by a young man who had none.

Minding his own business as he usually did, the honorable man enjoyed his delicious cookout meal.  He looked forward to this every week in fact.  Savoring the Halibut Olympia on his plate, his peripheral caught a foreign object, airborne, heading towards the lateral extension of his right eating utensil.  Thinking quickly, he adjusted the angle of the fork full of Halibut Olympia, just in time to avoid the flying mass landing in his food.  Now, deflected and still in mid flight, this foreign object was mobilized and headed for this mans shoulder.  As the man looked down on his shirt, he saw what equated to an insult.  A slap in his otherwise calmed face.  An attempted assault on his plate of food.  Someone flicked a piece of table scrap at him.  The man looked up to see the snickering grin of this little trickster across from him.

For a moment, his senses shut down.  All at once he flashed back to the school lunch room.  To the sounds of his 4th grade friends frolicking and laughing as they ate their lunches, flicking food at unsuspecting kids around them.  The man saw things that he had put away for a very long time.  Things that had scarred him as a child.  As he came out of this surreal and distant state, he heard only the laughter of his attacker, and the surrounding voices of those at the table making silent comments about what he had just done.  The one voice that stood out to this man, the one voice that brought this man out of his stuttered state of disbelief and shock was that of his wife.  Slow and almost drawn out, as if the speed of a tape reel had been cut in half, he heard the slowly muttered words escape his wife's mouth ".....oh, you are going to get it now....".  And so, from this single act, from this unprovoked attack on this mans plate of food, life would never be the same for this young man, this little trickster who found such entertainment on everyone else's expense.  For the young man who thought he was funny, life was about to forever change.

Scanning the isle in Safeway, the man searched diligently for the one thing he felt would avenge him from the actions of the trickster at the table the night before.  He was quick and nonchalant , hoping that  Doug, who was posted at his work station in the pharmacy, would not see him purchasing this item.  The product that would find him relief in his frustration.  The product that carries an awkward reputation.  It is a wonder what the cashier thought when he placed a jar of Vaseline and a muffin from the bakery on the conveyor belt?!

Many people can't really say for sure what Petroleum Jelly or Vaseline really is used for!  Nobody really knows for sure what it is.  It has association in this mans mind with fence posts and such, and acts of injustice to dark places which no one speaks of.  But it is the main staple for this mans revenge....and a fence post will have nothing to do with it's use.  Now in his truck, with a new large container of Vaseline, the Petroleum Jelly bandit sets off to seek the vindication he so desires.  He sets off to begin his campaign of revenge for the foolish act cast upon him the night before at the dinner table.

That night, with swift resolve and pointed determination, the Petroleum Jelly bandit makes his strike directly in the heart of his aggressor.  He attacks the young mans sanctuary, his home base.  His trailer.  Totally undetected, the Petroleum Jelly bandit slips quietly into what is known as 'Trailer Acres', the lodges trailer facility for on-site staff.  The facility that houses the young pranksters summer home.  The young mans trailer otherwise known as 'the hole'.  And he strikes.  Quick, hard and with complete stealth, the Petroleum Jelly bandit leaves his mark.  The mark which will surely make the little dick think twice.  And as quick as he moves in.... he is gone without a trace.  The Petroleum Jelly bandit has struck his first blow!

The young man walked into the office almost forlorn.  With a look of disbelief he begins to tell the story to his boss, the Operations Manager, and to the office receptionist.  Apparently after returning from a fishing trip, he was going into his trailer and as he slipped his fingers into the door pull, he retracted with sheer panic and angst.  Someone had put "some kind of yucky stuff" inside the door pull!!  And then if that wasn't enough, he discovered, somewhat in the same fashion as the door pull, that someone had smeared the same "yucky stuff"on the backside of the the hand support used to pull up off of the trailer step!!  He just couldn't understand who did this to him, he stated to them both.  None of his friends would come all the way out there to do this kind of thing to him.  Both girls were oblivious and unaware that the Petroleum Jelly bandit even existed, much less had struck with his slickery justice, and could offer no suggestions and comfort to the confused and frustrated young man.  The little trickster had been tricked!

A similar attack would take place the following week from the Petroleum Jelly bandit, as once again he would inadvertently find himself victim of the little mans hijinks's.  This time being a cold stream of water poured slowly over his head as he sat, again, minding his own business at that weeks cookout!  This young naive and foolish man doesn't learn easily.  The response was once again the smearing of Petroleum Jelly on the door holds of the little dicks trailer door!  This second attack went without comment to anyone from the little man. Only a look of disdain and grief over who could be doing this to him?!  Days later...

....Nobody knows for sure how it went down.  It became known the next morning as he came into the office with a pouting grimace upon his head.  Apparently the Petroleum Jelly bandit had once again struck the night before.  This time the bandit lay attack on the young mans rig.  After picking up one of the lodge owners from the airport and bringing him to the lodge for his two week stay, the young man got into his Ford Explorer to leave for the night.  A Saturday night out to his friends.  A rainy Saturday night...and the Petroleum Jelly bandit must have known it was raining.  As the young man went to open his truck door....aghast!  His fingers slipped off of the door pull of his truck and the pull slapped back into position.  Once again this young man found his fingers cross contaminated with the 'yucky stuff' that was seeming to plague his life as of late!  Apparently shortly after cleaning off his door pull, feeling a bit defeated I imagine, he climbed into his truck on this rainy night.  As he started his truck he began to pull out of his space in front of his trailer, in the rain.  Sometime shortly after, he turned on his windshield wipers, in the rain.  I am not sure personally what happens, in the rain, when someone turns on their windshield wipers in which the rubber blades have been smeared with Vaseline....  But apparently the young man had a first hand encounter with this plight, to which you could probably see the word "sucker" emblazoned across the poor saps forehead......and the Petroleum Jelly bandit knew this.  He knew where and how to strike this little trickster.  And the office receptionist got the chance to watch in delight the next morning in front of the office, as the little trickster spent only lord knows how much time trying to clean off his windshield, with no luck at getting the 'yucky stuff' off.   Apparently the Petroleum Jelly bandit not only got the front windshiled wipers, but also the back window wiper.  We are not sure yet if the little dick knows that all the other truck door handles got it also....but he will know soon enough.

You see, the kind and sweet receptionist enjoyed this moment to whcih she was laying witness to.  She too has fallen prey to this jackass a few times.  He sprayed her with water several times while she was doing her work on the grounds.  He duct taped her truck antenna.  You see, the Petroleum Jelly bandit knows better than most how much this young man is in need of a serious reality check.  He needs to develop the common knowledge that the Petroleum Jelly bandit lives by.  The creed he lives and breathes.  "Don't start none there won't be none".  "Leave people alone and they will leave you alone".  No, this young man chose to 'step on something he can't wipe off'!  The Petroleum Jelly bandit knows no bounds, and will show no mercy to this brand of trickery.  He will avenge the receptionist and every other innocent employee of the lodge.  he will continue to defend himself from such unwarranted attacks.

And so he set off on an indefinite spree.  Cashing in on paybacks, his intention was to get back for the senseless assaults cast upon him.....no matter how long it took, or how long it went on......  The Petroleum Jelly bandit lives infinately!  Stay tuned.....lessons not learned will yield stories to tell, and tales of woe to prevail unto those who choose trickery over common decency towards their fellow man!

Bless you fallen solider.

We have found ourselves in the midst of rainy daze!  It seems like most of June and so far July has been either rainy or just cloudy.  There have been a few sunny days and lord knows we have basked in the rays whenever we have had the chance.  The good thing is the fauna and the flowers have received their fair share of regular watering....and we have as well.  But when I listen to the news and hear that the Eastern seaboard is sweltering, all of a sudden 60 degrees with a chance of rain seems divine!  But this is not why I am writing this post tonight.

Tomorrow is July 8th.  To some this means nothing, still to others this means 4 days after the 4th of July.  To me this means the sixth year of a void in my life.  The sixth year that my life and the lives of all of my family have been adversely affected by the sudden and tragic loss of my young cousin, TJ, William River Emanuel.

William River Emanuel IV, 19 Army, Specialist Based: Schweinfurt, Germany 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division Supporting: Operation Iraqi Freedom Died: July 8, 2004 Samarra, Iraq Single Gender: Male Hometown: Stockton High School: Enterprise Alternative (Clovis) Burial: San Joaquin Catholic Cemetery, Stockton

I will take this opportunity to just not say a whole lot.  What words can describe the feelings and emotions that my family....the families of so many others.... have dealt with and had to endure these 6 six lost years.  I am proud of him and what he did to secure the freedoms of complete strangers.   His ultimate sacrifice to help guarantee our freedoms, you and I, would live on....a concept that I fear so many people have let slide, and even more importantly we must never forget.  Most especially in a time when those very freedoms are being jeopardized by such carelessness that these present times are witness to.

I included some links and my only hope is that you will take a moment to honor TJ, and maybe learn just a little bit, about the young man, my cousin, who died for such an honorable cause.  Freedom!

From Record archives: Army Spc. William River Emanuel IV, July 2004 | Recordnet.com

Army Spc. William R. Emanuel IV - Honor The Fallen - Honoring those who fought and died in Iraq and Afghanistan - MilitaryTimes.com 

God bless you 'T', we love and miss you so much!  God bless America.

You showed who your what....???

 The first bloom of the seasons 'wild roses' which grow wild throughout the property.

It is difficult to believe that so many days have passed since the last post.  Somebody said it once before, it is really hard to want to sit and write when there is so much to do here in the summer months.  However, several marks have passed in the past month.  June 13th found us looking at our 3rd year now since we moved here in this remarkable and spectacular place.  I have to say we both are still are very happy with our decision to move here and do not regret it at all.  In fact this year found us finally starting to really feel like this is home.  It is so hard to explain, but it took some time to adjust to a new life, and even more to our new surroundings and just the simple fact that this is 'home'.  I think it has to do with the many things we have done with the place for the past 3 years now.  There has been some kind of transformation here constantly.  Be it mini renovations on the inside, mechanical maintenance or improvements, grooming the outside property....hanging the the things on the outsides of the doors, house walls...the things that signified 'home' in Dorrington.  We are so blessed to be here and to have the utter beauty and peace that surrounds us and our home.

 A summer solstice sunset, June 21st....at 11:45 PM!

June 21st came and went, the summer solstice!  The longest day of the year.  On the 22nd we lost 19 seconds of daylight, as we now begin the period of the year where we will slowly lose our daylight.  Something about that mere fact that strikes us both very oddly.  Mind you, it was no different in California.  We gained daylight and lost it....everyone everywhere in the world does!  But something about this place that makes it very different.  My estimate of it is that there is so much more definition to the seasons.  With the sun being out only about 5 hours in the winter months, it makes it an absolute necessity to appreciate and grab hold of the sun being out for 22 hours in the summer!  I think these circumstances just make it a big deal both for the body, mind, and spirit.  The way all life seems to come to a standstill during the winter, and the arrival of all kinds of birds, water fowl, greenery....people.  It just brings a sense of life back to the months of daylight, of life!

 The annual return of mama moose with this years two new calves out at the end of the drive.

Speaking of life, I have never in my life seen someone who is such a magnet to law enforcement as is our son.  After reaching like his ....I lost track, 4th or 5th traffic violation (he definitely didn't get his driving skills from me),  he has been ticket free now for about a year.  Mind you he is still slowly doing his time with points on his driving record as they slowly start to peel away as ticket less time passes.  But to no avail, the boy managed to have yet another run in with the State Troopers the other day.  This time however it was not a traffic violation that John was hammered for.  It was a fish!  A 24 inch long King salmon that was caught between his friend and he on the river.  Now, there is still some unclarity as to who truly caught the fish.  Two young men and a boat, drifting the Kenai river, enjoying a day in the sun and relishing the lifted restrictions that Fish & Game had placed on the King salmon fishery for most of the month of June due to low counts coming in.  Caught from the boat on the river this day would be a Rainbow trout allegedly bigger than the King or Chinook salmon also caught,  that was 24 inches long.  As the boys pulled into the docks and began to empty their boat, they were approached by a State Trooper, who was very interested and energetic about how the boys' day had gone.  So, happily, they began to enthusiastically share their fishy tales of their day with him, upon which he turned from friendly spectator, to the stern enforcer of the "law".  Deputized by the Fish & Game to monitor and enforce river fishing activities this day, he asked the simple question, "who caught the King?"  This is where all communication and sense of the matter went awry.  As the story would go, since it was Matt's boat and he was backrowing when the King found the end of Matt's fishing line, Johns' immediate response was..."Matt caught it".  To which Matt quickly responded, "no I was rowing and you had to pull it in".  To which John interjected on cue, "but it was your pole".  The Trooper standing there with his head gyrating back and forth at the rambling between these two kids and having finally had enough, told them both very frustratedly, to "shut up!"  Reminds me of a scene out of Abbott and Costello.  After the details where hammered out and verified, it was John who got the ticket....as it was John who caught the fish.  But he was not ticketed for catching the fish.  He was ticketed because he failed to record the length of the fish as soon as the fish was reeled in.  Even if this means making sure a pen is hanging around your neck....being on a boat is no excuse to not record it!.  Being a little beside himself with the awkward interrogation and a bit of a knucklehead for not knowing the law, John, and Matt not only failed to record it, but both failed to make note of the actual size.

In any event of the matter, John walked away with a $100.00 fish!  I was in my pottery studio when Maryann came raging in, shattered my chi, and proceeded to tell me that John just got ticketed for not recording a King!  Flabbergasted, I replied with one simple question....."why didn't he record it?"  If he is going to fish he should know and abide the law.  Frankly, our son has a reputation of failing to run on the radar at times, and in my opinion, Karma caught up with him.  Obviously he has never watched "My Name Is Earl".  Maryann was about distraught with the whole thing and went back in the house bent for hell to get to the bottom of things with the Trooper who ticketed him.  Which apparently, she did!  20 minutes later John calls her back and simply asks her, "what did you do?"  She says, "what do you mean what did I do".  He says, "did you show the Trooper your boobies or something??"  Laughing and somehow not surprised at the boys comment, she proceeds to tell him she called the Trooper on his cell and crawled all over him for picking on two good boys out fishing for the day.  Apparently, her cry did not go unheard.  Whatever she said to him caused him to question the circumstances and re-examine the citation.  Upon doing so he went back to John who was still at the docks, still befuddled, and told John to rip up the ticket, that the Trooper was not going to cite him due to some kind of misinterpretation of the laws requirement, on the side of the Trooper.  The boy barely staved that one, and no thanks to mom coming to the rescue...or whatever it was she actually did....?  Will we ever know!?

Whom we believe to be the same mama moose that has returned yearly to drop her calves somewhere on the property, she returned to do the same this summer.  It seems that for the last two summers she will drop her brood, presumably somewhere near or on our property, and will stay within the immediate vicinity of the house for a week or so with her new babes.  This year has been no different!  On a couple occasions she allowed us to watch her and her calves and she shared them for us to view and take pictures.  I think, if I dare to think, that she seems pretty comfortable of the fact that we will not do her or her babies any harm.  Mind you, I will be making no early attempts to walk up to her and pet them!  She has a sheer stoic immensity about her that could make a strong man cry!!  We do have confirmation that one baby is a male and one is a female.  Apparently, little boy moose's are horny at birth seeings how there was a little humperific happening in the bush before my eyes the other morning!  Also, I never realized it but the babies do make little honking noises for chat!  Tonight I watched what I would think is the little boy romping around back and forth between the bush and the back of the garage, making these cute little honking noises.  I think he was entertaining himself, or showing off in front of me as I stood on the back deck watching this tomfoolery!

It seems like almost quit literally on the 21st, the two Terns that migrate to our lake each summer finally brought out their newborns from the nest for a trial flight and 'Insect 101' course out on the water.  About 10:45 that night we were out in the yard and heard a menagerie of sound coming from the lake.  As we rounded the corner of the house we found a flock of about 6 or so Terns flying and diving about the water.  It is quite a sight actually, and is always so passive to watch.

Summer is definately here as life seems to signify by all of the sights and sounds.  We are a little slow on wood cutting this year.  Partially because I was already ahead of the game with a nice pile of logs we skidded up from the lower property last fall and never processed, and also due to the fact that it was a somewhat mild winter and we had leftover  wood in the wood house come spring.  But, nonetheless, with the days of summer slowly slipping by a day at a time, we got on the program the other night and are going to work in, hopefully our usual amount of about 10 - 12 cords by October.  Alot of work ahead of us for sure.  Hope all is well with everyone, and to "ALL" of our family and friends, we do love you!  Yes, now the whole world knows that we love you!

Reflection

Reflection - Raising A Family Blog - Stage of Life - Stage of Life - Rewards for Life's Journey > Stage - Raising a Family > Posts

Following in the foot steps.

We got an interesting phone call from John the other day.  Seems like the our son is following in the foot steps of his parents when it comes to taking a calculated risk!  He is jumping off!!  As some know and as still others may not, our son has been set in the physical sense, to take on a role in the Alaska Division of Forestry.  He has certifications, passed physical agility requirements, has made some connections.  Yet he has been a little weary of making the effort to proceed forward.  Worried about whether or not he would get full time work with the forestry, how it would affect his already good paying full time job, where it would put him with his life, etc, has all been on this poor boys mind, clouding his senses and future visions.

That all may well have changed the other day whether he meant it to or not.  It seems that in one day, John both quit his day job, and landed a job with the Division of Forestry!  'Jump off Johnny' ordered his gear a few weeks back, and after receiving it and trying it on thought he 'fit the suit'.  I guess this stirred something in the boy.  After getting no response from his contacts with Central Emergency Services,  he got frustrated and decided to go out to the forestry department.  He spoke to one of the guys he had dealt with in the past and found out that unknown to him until now, his Red card....not to be mistaken for a Green card....had expired.  The guy found out that he had his gear and Red card and told him that now he has a job with the Division of Forestry, but needed to retake his physical agility test to get his Red card re-certified.  This is where John about lost hope.

You see, last year he was fit, had trained.....was in the best shape of his life!  But being out of school, he has learned how weight seems to find you, it is easier to let that shape your in, lose itself and essentially he has let himself go, thinking he once again had life by the b@!!s.  But in fact, life once again proved to have him by the b@!!s, a revelation that seems to continually present itself to him since he has become independent!  His guy told him right there in the same breath as "you have a job" that he would meet John at the high school the next day to do his agility test.  John freaked because the agility test is a 2 mile run with 60 pounds of equipment on his back in under 20 minutes.  As I have stated before, I do this daily....what is the big deal! (hee hee)  As it turned out, they only made him run a mile and a half in 10 minutes....something I also do daily (wink)....with no equipment on his back.  John amazed himself and the head honcho, as he came in just under time and passed...again!

So here we sit, waiting to see what the new week will bring.  He apparently gave his 2 week notice to work, but was told that they don't like to let people finish out their time when they quit.  Not sure what is up with that, but I guess a few words sometimes speak oodles about a company and where the appreciation of hard and diligent work lies.  We are pretty amazed with his decision to just jump off like he did.  Apparently he was surprised to find out that a kid not much older than he, was out there working the other day and explained to John all that he had done with the Division the past year, and that he has kept on full time.  All of that worry on our sons part was needless, but understood.  Say a prayer for the boy, but it is looking like he is well on his way!

We  had a great visit with our friends Ted and Patty.  They got to see much of the peninsula as well as a good sense of the southeast pan handle during their cruise up here.  I included a few pics to instill a tiny little bit, of the activity we enjoyed with them.  Meantime, last week showed to be the week that many of the cow moose began dropping their calves.  Maryann spotted "all legs" as she put it, wandering through the property yesterday, so it seems like we may have a brood here again this year!

A night at the races!

Ted and Patty!

On a lighter note, Maryann finally got a piece of mind for those walks she likes to do with the dog(s).  She has no problem carrying a bear gun, however she is a little apprehensive of the recoil.  As she says, 'she doesn't want to be thrown backwards 18 feet'.  I think she got that idea from the way pops wobbled like a weeble  after he shot it for the first time last year!  In his defense, I had hot loads in the chamber (snicker).  She says when she is with me that she is confident that I have the hand cannon department under control.  So for those times she is walking without me, or has the need to feel self reliant in the face of adversity,  we got her some bear mace!  Proudly displayed by 'Buddy' the bear, our resident bear buddy!!  

 Funny story.  We took Ted and Patty to the glacier in Seward after picking them up from the boat terminal last week.  As we walked the still snow covered trail to the glacier, a couple...not from around here...walked past Maryann and commented to her, "look, she is wearing sandal's in the snow....and what's with that fire extinguisher....?"  I guess that is what you get from city folk who don't understand the essence of self preservation in grizzly bear territory!

Thanks for the kudos on the 'well tutorial' Doug!  It is interesting to appreciate the strife we go through to get our water.  Coincidentally, it is still like being in another world around here with our divine water.  Thanks to everyone who posts comments.  It is nice to hear from viewers, and such.  As of late, our site has begun to be plagued by spammers and people trying to sell their crap, via the comment section.  Apparently this is an ongoing issue with Blogger.  From now on I will moderate comments to weed out the crap and post the good, but always welcome anyone to comment....as long as it's good! lol  In regards to the last post, I am sorry for anyone who has no clue.  This site is a creative outlet.  As well, it is an outlet for expression.  And sometimes, even I need to vent.  Sadly, there are those in this world who can easily talk smack behind peoples backs but have no self dignity to muster up the sense to speak the truth of their minds, to another.  Yet, they will go on like everything is hunky dory.  Well, it aint!  For years, I have watched you walk all over my wifes feelings like they are an expendable pile of nothing to you.   I know in your heart that is not true....they do mean something to you, yet you are afraid of addressing them.  There is no love lost here mind you.  You are still family, even though you try to deny that to yourself and us.  When your ready to talk and open yourself....you have our number.  Until then, quit dragging our name through the mud unless you intend to say it to us yourself!  It is only a descent and human thing to do.  We are human.  For those who are still lost as hell....read the book!  Oh it will be in the book.  It will all be in the book!!

With the sun rising at 4:45AM and setting at 11:30PM.....we are on the prowl here in the great land!  Nite!

Hotel, motel, Holiday Inn....SAY WHAT!?

Greg's going to vent so if you are cleared fear not.....if you are the offender, and I think you know who you are, you have this coming.

I wanted to take a moment to thank all of the family, friends, and otherwise who graced us with the chance to see them during our visit in April.  We realize that not everybody got to see us as long as they may have wanted to.  And we realize that some didn't get to see us at all....some because of time and scheduling...and some because they are the ones who decided NOT to be there when we were visiting.  Unfortunately, time is often little and money to stay a little longer more difficult to come by.  But, we do what we can and love the fact that we were welcomed by 99.98% of whom we wanted to see.  We loved the chance to see everyone who we could, and are sorry for those who CHOSE not to be around so that we could conveniently not see them.

But I have to say this one thing.  Family is family.  There is no reasonable excuse of why family could or would choose to be absent when they know their loved one will be in town.  I mean, it is not like we get down to see family once a month.  In fact I think most would understand because it has been made obvious that not everybody has the ways nor the means to come up here to visit.  We all have our own lives and cannot always drop on a dime to accommodate others.  But where I come from.....you don't shit on family.  So a heartfelt gratitude to those who were there....and to those who CHOSE not to be there, the loss was truly yours.  How can anybody feel upset that they didn't get to see a family member who didn't want to see them in the first place.  Life is short and you aren't getting any younger.  Your misguided interpretations only hurt yourself and steal your chance to be loved.

Oh, we could have visited and still stayed the night at a hotel....so there is really no reason there in that crap, now....is there!  Sorry you feel pissed on.  It hurts us more than it angers us, so if your intention was to deliver pain to your family....you did it....again!  Congratulations.  It seems like a lifetime of pain and punishment for what or why, we know not.  Truth is that you are the one that hurts and instead of figuring out why you hurt so much, it is easier to take it out on someone else, even if it is your immediate family for Pete's sake.  The two of us band together, most especially in a shit storm.  So, if it is meant for her, than it rains on me as well.  The thing of it is that you fail to see is that I will be her umbrella, and she will be my shelter.  Oh we still love you despite the way you have chosen to disown us. 
Forgive them for they know not what they do. (Luke 23:34)

Signs of summer.

Today, it became very apparent to us that spring is officially here.  Love winter, but really elated to welcome the summer months!  Exciting times, so much so that it is hard to sleep.  Like this walk on the beach at 9:30PM the other night.  Working outdoors late into the evening, with no worries about coming in for the night.  Staying up until midnight just because you are too charged to sleep, as has been the norm of late, and the list of events goes on.   There is so much to do and just enjoy so much daylight that it seems almost pointless to sleep.  You actually have an amazing amount of zap from so much daylight!  Currently the sun is rising at 5:37AM and setting at 10:26PM.

Today the ice on the lake completely turned!  It actually happened so fast I could not keep track as shown in  the pics below.

 In the spirit of the failed 'snow cam' during a plow run over winter, I got this cool shot on the lake yesterday with the patented 'ice cam' ....in real time!

With a thin layer of ice lingering yesterday and this pic showing the ice rapidly receding this morning,

by tonight during post, the lake is 96% ice free!  We actually sat out on the deck when the westerly sea breeze kicked in this afternoon, and watched as the breeze blow the current under the ice.  It's westward movement disintegrated the ice that remained before our eyes.  We love the snowy, icy meadow that replaces the lake in the long winter months, but the movement of the water, the life within it's bounds during the summer  months in by far the event of the season.  A ripple in still water! 

This rock tossed on the morning ice, was sunken history a couple of hours later.

With a scream from an eagle on the fly, this lone feather found it's winters home embedded within the ice.   

Seska is seriously debating upon retrieving that rock mentioned above.  For the record, she decided 

 better of it!

Notice the rigidity of the tail and the forward appearance of momentum in Cherokee's butt....  The thought going through his mind here is, "I walked on it without getting wet 2 months ago...?"  Yes, he thought he had it figured out until his ass end broke though the thin ice and his instinct to bolt kicked in!

Not sure here, but I believe her tongue is stuck to the ice....

 There's that whole rigidity/rear momentum thing going on again!  Another one breaks the ice!  These guys seriously had their intelect tested with this whole thawing issue!

Mind you, within hours these dogs would have been swimming rather than walking....er, ah...falling through ice!  The current arrivals are as follows:  We started seeing Terns on the far side of the lake the day before yesterday.  There was only a small section for them to feed in.  This morning a family of ducks arrived and swam north shore most of the day.  Tonight a loon was spotted diving in the shallows.  it is just too exciting!

We got to enjoy Maryann's new patio pit Saturday night.  Reduced from a granite lined fire ring that entertained 8 foot high bon fires in the Sierra's, we are old, empty nesters now with this hot little portable fire pit!  Smores not included.  It is going to be a very nice way to enjoy the cool summer nights.

Publish Post

Moose droppings!  Unbelievable how such  an immensely stoic animal  can have such a proportionately small discharge!  The moose love the trails which I cut on the property last summer....alot.  This is visibly apparent by the many piles of petite poops found throughout the trail system.

This ice shelve hanging off the bluff on our beach walk the other night appears to be small.  However, it was actually about the size of a small house roof....thank goodness for zoom!  All in all the arrival of summer is now in full swing.  With the days getting longer and the energy of life around us becoming so much more apparent, we are like giddy little kids these days.  A good portion of this weekend was spent on yard chores here at home.

 At first impression, it looks as though a piece of a satellite fell out of the sky and landed in our yard.  However, it is the toppled remains of an era.  The old analog antenna that we never used yet was a fixture on our roof came down today!  Believe it or not, since we here on the peninsula are still getting most channels through translators, while most of the country find these old antennas obsolete, many Alaskans still are able to use them!  Had some Alaskans seen this, I would have been chastised for not taking this to Goodwill...by some.....

We also celebrated the anticipated arrival of all of the friendly little bats that invade the compound every single summer since we landed!  You can recollect that segment of our lives on this link.
Kenai Alaska or Bust: Eviction, conviction and.....taxes?

Again, we bolstered our defenses to fend off the cute little bastards by sealing more potential holes, and running a reinforced venting grate down the entire front eve vents which have become increasingly compromised each summer.  PETA would insist they are good little creatures....and any other time I may be convinced of this.  However, PETA is not the ones living with these things pooping up our attic, creeping around our house at night, rendering themselves 'play toys' for the dogs during their misguided daytime blindness as they fall out of the sky onto the lawn.  Yes, we are really trying to keep their eviction in process here.  Maryann said it best today; ever since we got together it seems our destiny and fate is to have to deal with bats every spring and summer.  First the cabin in Arnold, then the cabin in Dorrington, and now in Alaska.  Oye!  Summer's here and the time is right....!