After Denali

We spent the last many, several, too many days

 without electricity, sewer, internet, telephone, radio,

 and gasp, TV!

We met up with The Linda's...

our daughter Melinda and her great travel friend Linda.

They brought Trader Joe goodies.

We love them.

The weather was, in a word, iffy!

Goopy, rainy, muddy, and OHMYGOD pot-holey, as we traveled to the farthest point we could in Denali...Teklaneeka River.

Then we set up our camp.

It then snowed.

IT SNOWED on us!

That isn't dandruff on Annie!

 Our second day saw us all on the day long bus ride deep into the wild....bears.... Mama bears with spring cubs, males eating blueberries...oh, and did you read?  The first ever bear mauling death in Denali!! Tragic, but stupid.

Bill was in Heaven.

  He kept our windows cleaner than any other bus!

 Clean windows so we could photograph the bears.... 

 Who cooperated famously!

 The scenery was fantastic!

 We missed summer this year,

but we got a great taste of Autumn and Winter!

Our group at the foot of Mt. McKinley.

After we boogied out of Denali,

Bill & Annie headed for the lower 48,

 The Linda's headed toward the Kenai,

and we hit the Alaska State Fair!

While Jim admired the 961 pound pumpkin,

I was taken by the purple pom-pom on this duck.

Loved the Canine All-Star Show!

 Look who was also captivated by the frisbee catching dogs....

Tomorrow we head out!

McKinley Madness

Or you can call it Denali Dreams...

We are in the teensy town of Talkeetna,

 awaiting daughter Melinda and her friend Linda to join us. 

 They are renting a Winnebago Chalet

 (one of the 400 million rentals we have seen throughout Alaska),  then we will all head up to spend the week in Denali.

Meanwhile...

our view as we approached Talkeetna...

 It kept getting bigger....

still more than 100 miles away at this point!

 We HAD to pose...

 And present the view!

Ta Da!

Energy Usage Issues.

A heads up for all summer absent Sandpeeps.

New "Smart" meters have been installed and a few Peeps are having problems with out-of-control bills from CP&L.

Toodles,

From 'The Great Land'



Anchorage

We've spent several days in Anchorage, playing tourist, seeing the sights, doing laundry and grocery shopping.

But we managed to squeeze in an animal sanctuary....

Orphan moose calves.

 Elk

 Musk Ox

 Also did the Anchorage zoo, then caught a Greek festival

 at a Greek Orthodox church,

 for Gyros...Yum!

 And Loukoumades....

 Which are delish! 

Heavenly, hot honey puffs, sprinkled with cinnamon and nuts.

Major yum!

At the zoo I snapped this pic on how to handle a bear if you are (un) lucky enough to face one.

I'm still analyzing the info.

The major bone of contention, as I see it, is "don't run" if attacked.  Yeah, right! 

Bares in the Woods

Lovely lazy day in Cooper Landing.

Princess (I think they own Alaska) RV park.

The Kenai River is a unique shade of opal blue/green...

just gorgeous!

as are all the little lakes....

 We all went for a jeep ride today..

hither and yon...

lots of yon.

Gorgeous scenery, as usual.

Ho-Hum...we get so blase'! 

  We spiced it up a bit with a bare over-look.

So, last time we did this was at Big Bend!

This could get to be a signature moment!

BEARS!

Annie & Bill had the experience of a lifetime.

They flew over to Kodiak,

 to Katmai National Park,

to see..

BEARS!

Bears in the river...eating salmon....  

 Bears playing with their lunch....

Close enough for you?

 They have tons...

loads...

a bazillion...

terrific pictures.

When we get home I expect you'll see a lot more!

Yesterday they went for a short stroll and saw more bears.

They are just a couple of bear magnets! 

More Homer

Look what was sauntering around our campsite the other morning.

A Sandhill Crane, just out for a morning stroll.

 Yesterday Jim & I went on a little cruise out of Homer's harbor...

 Past Gull Island...

 guess how it got that name...

 to the quaint isolated town of Seldovia,

 where we had a terrific lunch, and walked the (very) small,

 but charming, village.

Bill and Annie meanwhile....

well, jeepers, not to spoil the surprise, but golly-gee!

Bill & Annie took a flight-seeing trip over to Kodiak,

to Katmai National Park,

 to have lunch with hundreds of

GRIZZLIES!

Pictures on their way!

Homer

We've landed in Homer for the week

and are we ever seeing the sights! 

There are museums and shops, boat rides, and plane rides to see bears, ice cream to lick, halibut and salmon to consume...

and we've discovered wineries, breweries, and meaderies...

well, one of each anyway.

 The scenery is, of course, wonderful!

And last night? 

Last night was magical.

  We met up with Les & Janet for a halibut cookout on the beach.

 As a fog bank drifted on the far shore

Bill & Les made a fire on the beach.

While we waited for Janet's halibut packs to cook

 we drank wine and local beer,

 told stories and had a fine old time!

 An eagle watched us from the roof of a nearby house. 

Then we feasted! 

 Told more stories...shivered a bit....drank more,

just to keep warm dont'cha know?!

Engrossing stories of moose, and Alaska. 

 They were way down the beach....

thus the blurry photo....

but these kids were swimming.

SWIMMING! 

It was oh, maybe 56 degrees with a little breeze,

and the water is glacier fed. 

 THEY WERE SWIMMING!

 We, on the other hand, huddled by the fire.

Terrific evening!  Thanks Janet & Les, It was a real hi-light!