Lots of Stuff Today

First, the news...

I've been talking to Leah the past couple of days and it looks like she will be coming to Juneau a week from today. She is hugely frustrated with the lack of employment opportunities in Portland...so is going to give the ol' hometown a whirl - at least for the summer. I am selfishly delighted, of course, for the opportunity to enjoy her company. I suspect she has much more mixed feelings - but a paycheck is needed... She has a couple of lines on tourist season opportunities and is also scouring the State's job postings.

Meanwhile, Amanda had a little excitement yesterday on an L.A. freeway - was in a little accident. Fortunately nobody was hurt. She is loving her camp job...

And from the road - Doug and Alison are now on their way up the West Coast from San Francisco to Seattle. They spent a few days in San Francisco, then a few more at a great resort in wine country and night before last at the Benbow Inn just south of the Redwoods. I will let Dougie speak for himself:

The town we like best is definitely Healdsburg. I think we could actually live there. The size and feel of the place just seemed right to us. It also doesn’t hurt that the main drag is littered with tasting rooms and good restaurants. I had the best restaurant meal in some years in Healdsburg on Thursday night at a place called Cena Luna. A superb dinner from start to finish. Linguini carbonara washed down with a couple of glasses of good pinot from a local (Russian River) winery named Davis Bynum. Damn it was good.

The Benbow is just how I remember it from 20 years ago. We have a nice room with a terrace overlooking the back lawn and the Eel River. We just finished a cocktail in the lounge and will be heading up for dinner soon. Various members of a wedding party have been posing for photographs on the grounds. We think they are getting married and holding a big outdoor reception at the Eel River recreation area across the road. We walked the area earlier and it’s a beautiful spot. Saw some kayakers on the river and they looked to be having a good time.

Meanwhile back here in Juneau - yesterday was clear as a bell. And after stacking a half-cord of wood at the elders I walked up Perseverence Trail until the snow got too deep to continue in sneakers. I parked at Aunt Emilie's and walked the flume and Basin Road to get to the trail head.

The flume from Evergreen Avenue up Basin Road is a wonderful walk

There must have been thirty cars parked on Basin Road. Tons of hikers - many accompanied by hounds. Everybody smiling. Everybody having a good time.

A literacy problem or a serious Constitutional dispute?

No pointy-headed tree-hugger at the City and Borough of Juneau is going to stop REAL Alaskans from exercising their Second Amendment rights. No sirree. What the hell good is it to have a right to pack heat if you can't actually shoot something?

The backside of Mt. Roberts on May 31st.

At one point I spent about 20 minutes trying to get a good picture of a Chestnut-Backed Chickadee. There were several in a thicket by the trail and we did quite a dance. The little fuckers were taunting me. Didn't get one good pic. I am tempted to "go Cheney" on them. Get me a pellet gun...maybe if I wing-one the others will be more cooperative...

I started getting into a couple feet of snow once passed the Granite Creek turn-off. As you can see there is still plenty of snow on the north face of Mt. Roberts - big cornices and lots more snow to come down. Sure was pretty though...

Well, time to get moving. Gonna sweep the folks roof today - I've been waived-off on this project a couple of times already due to wind. Then maybe a little walk out to Outer Point. And this evening I've volunteered to help set-up the Juneau Golf Club's putt-putt golf course at Centennial Hall in preparation for tomorrow nights high school graduation soiree. A community effort to keep kids safe and sober. But with clear skies and temperatures in the high 70's I suspect it will be a challenge to keep them indoors...

Later gang.