Friday, April 30, 2010

The Dogs Have It...

A drippy couple of days.  I took Amanda to the doc on Wednesday - she's battling a nasty bug that looked a lot like the flu - fever, body aches, sore throat.  The whole nine yards.  She snoozed on my couch most of the day.  I whipped-up some homemade chicken soup and by Thursday morning she was feeling much better.  The soup was pretty good if I do say so myself...

Yesterday was much more sedate.  Went to Costco and got a bunch of stuff for the elders.  Then a good long workout.  Last evening I got caught-up on the HBO miniseries The Pacific... the story of several U.S. Marines who fought in WWII.  It's produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks who also brought us Band of Brothers - the series that told the story of the war in Europe from the GI's perspective.

The Pacific is pretty graphic - jungle fighting at its most bestial and horrific.  And if the notion of Marines prying gold teeth out of dead Japanese soldiers is too much for you to contemplate - then you should give it a pass.

Meanwhile, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico looks to dominate the news for many days (perhaps months) to come.  I would think that oil coming ashore on the coast of Louisiana with it's shallow bays, inlets, and swamps has the potential to make the Prince William Sound disaster look like a picnic.  Remember the pics of folks hosing down the Alaskan beaches?  Don't think that strategy will work so good in a mangrove swamp.  Stay tuned for pics of untrained volunteers attempting to rescue oiled alligators... 

And of course the impact of the spill on the upcoming debate on a national energy policy is fascinating to contemplate.

On a lighter note, I leave you with today's Los Angeles Times story with the headline "One Third of Married Women Say their Pet is a Better Listener than their Husband, Poll Finds."   For the record, eighteen percent of married men felt the same regarding their pets and wives.
When pets become the therapists, the dogs have it. Twenty-five percent of dog owners said their canines listened better than a spouse, while only 14% of cat owners chose the feline.

Ron Farber, 55, of Hoxie, Kan., said it's easier to talk to his dog Buddy than his wife because "the dog doesn't have an opinion."

"I think better out loud. He doesn't care what you say or do. He looks at you, pays attention, you walk through the problem in your mind and eventually, the answer comes. It's not as easy when other people are offering opinions," he said.
Have a great weekend everybody!

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Beef and Reef

Another busy couple of days.  Monday was beef and reef night at the elders - I cooked filet mignon and scallops accompanied by  rice and carrots.  Mom made a great chocolate cake.  The groceries were well received.

Guests were auntie and cousin Sandra and daughter Amanda.  Amanda had a nice visit with the folks and appeared to enjoy the company.  On the way home she asked me if Aunt Emilie knew how funny she was...a question I was not sure how to answer.  Auntie is one of a kind...

Amanda and Cousin Sandra at supper at the folks.
 Dad mows through supper.  Living large at 95.  Beef and reef and a cocktail before supper.  Life is good.

Amanda is going to take the fast ferry to Sitka next week for a couple of days.  There is a really good job opening at Mt. Edgecumbe High School next fall for which she may apply - running the after school activities program for the kids.  Since Mt. Edgecumbe is a residential boarding school there are lots of activities to organize including outdoor recreation kind of stuff.  Sounds right up 'Manda's alley.  

Amanda will head south on May 11th.  A few days in the Great Northwest and then back to Southern California and the Painted Turtle Camp for medically needy kiddos.  Wish she had room in her suitcase for me...

Meanwhile in Portland, Leah started her new job on Monday.  Haven't heard yet how it's going...but I know she was very much looking forward to a salaried job with benefits.

Yesterday I finally got up to Auntie's to do some yard work.  I cleaned-up pretty good last fall so the flower beds were in fairly decent shape.  I dug out a number of perennials that had become infested with grass and transplanted a few things.  I also planted some phlox that I had divided at mom's earlier in the day.  The lawn looked pretty mangy - green in some areas and brown in others; but I gave it a quick mow so it at least looks presentable.  It was big time fun to be working in the garden.

The weather forecast is for rain showers the next few days but MAYBE a couple of nice days early next week.  I need two nice days in a row to hit auntie's yard with liquid moss killer and then 24 hours later I will rent the thatching device. Will thatch the Rickey/Elgee yard and maybe mom's at the same time.  Something to look forward to...

I have CSPAN on at the moment at the Democrats just failed again to break the Republican filibuster on the financial reform bill.  Yesterday's oversight hearing featuring the Goldman Sachs bandits was quite amusing.  Wonder how long this will drag on...

Later gang. 

Monday, April 26, 2010

Outdoor Weekend

Quite a fun weekend.  Lots of outdoor exercise in the sun.  Saturday Dougie, Alison, and I went out to the Jensen Arboretum to look around.  It's on the shores of Pearl Harbor - just north of the shrine.  A southern exposure on the beach - a very different climate than, say, out by the glacier.   

The property was previously owned by Carl and Caroline Jensen.  Carl was a great friend of my dad - a good hunting buddy.  He ran a shipyard down where the city shop is currently located by the Gastineau Channel bridge.  I dimly recall going down there with dad when I was just a young whipper-snapper.

Caroline was a master gardener before such a title existed.  I also dimly recall visiting the Pearl Harbor property many, many, many years ago.  I remember walking through the garden with Grandma Newman.

In any event, Carl died quite a few years ago and Caroline passed away around 2005 or so.  Caroline gave the property to the City and Borough of Juneau in trust - to be open to the public as an arboretum.  I believe the bequest also included a substantial piece of coin, although I read in the paper last year that the value of the trust took a big hit in the recent financial meltdown.  I think the city is struggling to keep the place running without a general fund subsidy.

Lots of primroses and bulbs were in bloom and the grass was green. I look forward to visiting again later this year when the garden is at its peak.

The house and garden at the Jensen Arboretum

The primroses and bulbs were cheerfully blooming away

Alison and Dougie soaking up some rays

After our visit to the garden we went and hiked the trail to the Boy Scout Camp.  It was beautiful.  No wind and the sun was warm.  Saw a number of Mountain Bluebirds on the wetlands but unfortunately I was not able to get any decent pics of them.  Very pretty birds.  They are rare in Southeast Alaska.  Also a fair number of geese and ducks.  And there was a HUGE flock of seagulls working some sort of feed off the beach.  A very pleasant afternoon indeed.

Yesterday I walked around out by the glacier visitor center.  Walked the shores of Mendenhall Lake and then the moraine ecology trail.  The beavers have been busy in that area too.  I saw four kingfishers on one beaver pond - there were lots of fish flipping in the pond so no mystery why the kingfishers had staked the place out.  Another bust in the pic department however. 

Went to the folks after my walk and stacked a cord of wood alongside the fence.  That's #4 for the season.  No room for any more until we burn all last year's wood - there's at least six weeks or so left in the shed.

Tonight is steak night at the elders.  Cousin Sandra and Aunt Emilie will be there as well as Amanda.

Cheers!

Saturday, April 24, 2010

New Shoes

A beautiful Friday in Juneau.  Sunny.  Temperature in the mid-50's.  Me and my new hiking boots put in quite a few miles at Dredge Lake and then on the Airport Dike Trail.  With a two hour workout at the club in the middle.  In total (including the treadmill) I'm guessing that would be a dozen miles or so...

My new boots are great!  No blisters or sore footsies today.  Amazing.

To my surprise there were not many waterfowl on the lakes by the glacier.  There were a number of mating pairs of mallards and buffleheads but nothing exotic.  So...I switched gears and followed a beaver around Chrystal Lake for an hour or so. 

The beavs are indeed busy in the Dredge Lake area.  A number of the trails are now impassable due to their industry.  Lots of places where there is nothing but gnawed stumps.  The guy (or gal) below was busy - although it was difficult to tell exactly what he or she was doing.  There are lots of beaver dams and lodges in the area that I'm sure require constant repair.  Or perhaps he was just swimming laps. In any event, every couple of minutes he would do the classic beaver alarm...thwack the water with his big beaver tail and then disappear for a minute or so.  I did not get any really good pics; but had fun trying.

Beaver on patrol on Chrystal Lake

Later in the afternoon it was off to the dike trail for a walk.  Lots of people and doggies.  I had waited until low tide for the walk in the hope that there would be a bunch of migrating waders in the sloughs.  Nope.  The wading migrants have yet to put in an appearance.  There were lots of ducks on the ponds, however, although the many doggies insured that the quackers kept a discreet distance from the trail. 

There were quite a few other birds around...a large number of American Robins who were busy collecting stuff for their nests.  Busy.  Busy.  Busy.

The robins are seriously into nest building...

I spent a good hour near the end of the trail circling some alders trying to get a good pic of the gal below.  There were lots of tweeties - at least some of which I am sure were Ruby-Crowned Kinglets.  I saw the orange crown on some. 

These boids are only 4 inches or so from beak to tail.  And they are CONSTANTLY flitting around.  Not easy to get a good pic.  By the time I can get focused (auto focus doesn't work worth a damn when you're in the trees with branches between you and the subject) the tweety has typically flitted away.  It's fun to chase 'em around for awhile.  And then suddenly it's not fun anymore.  Frustrating as hell, in fact.  So...you move on to the next clump of trees and then do it all over again. 

A Ruby-Crowned Kinglet - I think...

I haven't seen Amanda in a few days.  I believe she's been working every day at Annie Kails.  Cousin Sandra is in town and I'm cooking supper on Monday - hope 'Manda can join us.

Time to go to the folks.  The ol' coot's due for a bath...  And if I'm ambitious perhaps I'll mosey up to Auntie's for a little yard work...if I can resist the temptation to go for a walk.

Cheerio!

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

The End of an Era

Well, a quiet weekend.  Back to the regular routine after being laid-low by a cold last week.  Morning visits with the elders, a workout, some cooking, a little TV, and some reading.  I received an order for a large pot of chili from dad and filled the order on Sunday.  He's getting low on cookies, too, so may do some more baking today.

Amanda and I went to Zephyr for supper on Saturday.  It was pretty decent - they have a new menu for the summer season.  'Manda had halibut that she said was quite good and I had cioppino that was decent although I prefer it with lots of mussels and clams while this particular rendition featured lots of fish.  It's fresh halibut season - so it's understandable however.  In any event, the company was most excellent.

Yesterday, I took Amanda shopping for groceries and we made a stop at the Nugget Alaskan Outfitters where she scored a new sleeping bag and a couple of summer tops.  Clothes for working outside in 100 degree weather (which she will soon be doing).  Amazing that they have such togs in Juneau!  I scored a new pair of good hiking boots which were 40% off.  Way cool.

The Nugget Alaskan Outfitters is a nice establishment- they've expanded and the place is now beginning to look a mite like a real department store - something we no longer have in Juneau.  You can still get your Carharts work clothes and Xtra Tuffs; but also nice casual/sportswear for guys and gals.  In fact I spotted a couple of nice shirts which I may have to procure.

Will catch-up with 'Manda later in the week for supper.  She continues to enjoy her stay in Juneau.

Finally, a story in the Seattle Times from last week on the end of an era in downtown Seattle.  The Lusty Lady peep show on First Avenue will be closing its doors after almost 30 years of 24/7 operation.  As a much younger man from the hinterlands, I always enjoyed window shopping on First Avenue when the area was awash in peep shows, adult book stores and the like.  Today, the neighborhood features the Seattle Art Museum, a Four Seasons Hotel, and luxury condos.  A vast improvement in terms of the city's tax base, no doubt, but still...

The internet has changed the face of the adult entertainment business and apparently the last straw for The Lusty Lady was the demise of Washington Mutual Bank and the subsequent lay-off of a large number of employees who worked nearby - many of whom apparently preferred both their mortgages and women subprime.

So...the Lusty Lady will soon close and the always slightly naughty marquee which amused or irritated passers-by for almost 30 years will soon be gone.
More Seattleites will remember the Lusty Lady for its marquee with the double entendres than ever frequented it.

Remember going downtown for Christmas? The Lusty Lady's pink-lettered holiday message was: "Merry XXXmas."

Easter?  "Our chicks say, peep, peep."

Not to mention, "Happy nude year," "Porn on the 4th of July" and "Happy Spanksgiving."
The full story is available at:  http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011591933_lustylady13m.html

Later gang!

Friday, April 16, 2010

Bring Out Your Dead

Just a quick post while I decide whether or not to go for a dike trail walk.  It's pretty breezy and clouding-up fast...  The wind has switched to the southeast - which is never a good thing.

Had a half-assed workout at the Club and may just call it good.  Still sniffling...

A classic in the Anchorage Daily News today.  The legislature is poised to pass a bill that will allow the estates of the recently  deceased to file for and collect a permanent fund dividend on behalf of the dearly departed.  This has all the classic earmarks of a bad law resulting from a handful of sad situations...  How about allowing pregnant women to file for the soon-to-be-living?  Seems to me that what's good for the cooked goose ought to be good for the soon-to-be-hatched gosling...

But I digress.  The good part of the story is the quote from our tongue-tied Representative John Harris: 
"I've had six or seven people in my district that have died just in the last year that wanted to qualify and couldn't. They'll be very pleased that this bill passes," said Valdez Republican Rep. John Harris.

The Oregonian picked-up on this story with the headline "The check could soon be in the mail for Alaska's dead"

The writer for the Oregonian, Kimberly A.C. Wilson, also enjoyed the above quote following it with the comment "So many verb tenses, so little time."

Hah!

Have a good weekend everyone!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Ah-Choo!

Two days of sticking close to the nest.  Serious cold.  I feel much better today although I'm still hacking and sniffling...  Such it is...

Tuesday was one of those classic feverish, in-and-out of consciousness days.  Before beaching myself on the couch for the duration, however, I sortied to the book store for reading material.  My author of choice for feverish days is Carl Hiaasen, in this instance the farcical mystery "Basket Case" which somehow I missed when it was published a number of years ago.  Without going into detail, the novel involves a journalist's investigation of the death of a has-been rock star - the leader of the band "Jimmie and the Slut-Puppies." Hiaasen's books are a quick read and I finished the tome by about 11 PM which still allowed ample time for multiple naps and periods of semi-consciousness during the course of the day.

By Wednesday morning my fever had broken and I had moved into the more phlegmatic stage of the viral infection.  Lots of coughing - and schnoz blowing.  Still felt like crap, although I did manage to wash the windows both inside and out and do a little house cleaning. And picked-up the second volume from my recent trip to the booksellers "Patton, Montgomery, Rommel - Masters of War" by Brit historian, Terry Brighton.

Although the book does not break any new ground, it is well written, or at least easily read.  The lives of these three gentlemen are inextricably linked in the major battles of the European theater in World War II from North Africa, Sicily, through the Normandy campaign.  All three were representative in many respects of their nation's cultural identities and yet all three were also very much nonconformists.  And all three were made heroes by the war time press and propagandists of their respective countries - something very much encouraged and enjoyed by their super-sized personalities.

And each could be his own worst enemy.  For example, Montgomery, a divisional commander during the Battle of France, almost missed the battle due to an order he issued during the "sitzkrieg" of the fall and winter of 1939-1940 in an attempt to reduce the prevalence of V.D. among his troops - who had taken to romancing the local population in the beetroot fields that surrounded the division's encampment.

On November 15 he issued Divisional Order 179/A:

The whole question of women, V.D., and so on must be handled by the regimental officer, and in particular by the C.O.  My view is that if a man wants to have a woman, let him do so:  but he must take precautions against infection - otherwise he becomes a casualty by his own neglect, and this is helping the enemy.  He should be able to buy French Letters in the unit shop.  If a man desires to buy his French Letter in a civil shop he should be instructed to go to a chemist and ask for a "Capote Anglaise."  The cases of V.D. we are getting are from local "pick-ups."  There are in Lille a number of brothels, which are properly inspected and where the risk of infection is practically nil.  These are known to the military police, and any soldier in need of horizontal refreshment would be well advised to ask a policeman for a suitable address.

This order nearly got Monty relieved of command insofar as it greatly offended the senior chaplain at the headquarters of the British Expeditionary Force who lobbied for Monty's dismissal.  Fortunately for Montgomery, and the Allied cause, cooler heads prevailed.

The reaction of the troops under his command to this order, was quite different, however, as reflected in a ditty composed at the time by a young soldier:
The General was worried and was very ill at ease,
He was haunted by the subject of venereal disease;
For four and forty soldiers was the tale he had to tell;
Had lain among the beets and loved not wisely but too well...
No kind of doubt existed in the Major-General's head
That the men who really knew the game of Love from A to Z[ed]
Were his Colonels and his Adjutants and those above the ruck,
For the higher up an officer the better he can fuck...

...

While the incidence of venereal disease in Monty's division dropped sharply, the true effect was greater still.  The "VD Affair" had much to do with the affection in which his men held him throughout the war years:  a general who concerned himself with sexual diseases, condoms and brothels could be trusted with their lives.
Monty, Patton, and Rommel had turbulent relationships with their superiors both military and political throughout their careers.  Although "turbulent" doesn't quite do justice to being offered the choice between a firing squad or committing suicide - the choice ultimately offered Rommel by Hitler.

A less bloody example of these relationships, however, was Monty's first meeting with Churchill while commanding troops in the south of England after the Dunkirk evacuation.
"Churchill asked me what I would drink and I replied - Water.  This astonished him.  I added that I neither drank nor smoked and was 100 per cent fit; he replied in a flash that he both drank and smoked and was 200 per cent fit."

...

The meal had a yet greater effect, which would prove itself later.  There had been no rapport between the two men of the kind evident between Hitler and Rommel.  On the contrary, the prime minister took a dislike to Monty as a man, while being mightily impressed by him as a soldier.  He felt that Monty was insufferable but right.

Well, enough of this.  As you've probably figured out by the nature of this post - I'm going stir-crazy.  I feel much better today although I'm still sniffling and snuffling.  Think I'll go have a light workout and a shower at the Club.  And this afternoon go for a walk.  It's a gorgeous day.
 

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

All the Print that Fits is News

Almost 10 AM and I'm still sitting here in my bathrobe.  Feeling seriously shit-like this morning.  The second cold in two months.  Damn.  I suspect I got it from daughter 'Manda who had the crud when she arrived last week.  Such it is...just like old times, in fact, when the girls could be counted on to bring pestilence home from school.  Not that the Capitol Building was any slacker in that regard either...

So...I've been collecting various news items the past week or so and guess today is a good day to share them...

And speaking of the Capitol...the Alaska State Legislature is in its final week of the regular session.  And unlike most other states - we're flush with cash.  So the boiz and goils in the House and Senate are busy writing the largest capital budget in Alaska's history.  Governor Parnell is making veto noises - he's running this year and has a serious primary challenge.  It will be modestly interesting to see how this plays out...

As usual, the legislature is a little lite in the public speaking department.  Here's the Speaker of the House justifying the porkfest:
"In the economic times that we're living in, we're concerned about jobs for Alaskans and how do we keep them working through these times. And this is one way that we're able to do that and try to get Alaskans through those times," House Speaker Mike Chenault, a Republican from Nikiski, said Monday.

Also from the Anchorage Daily News, an article a couple of days ago describing a mishap of two mating eagles down by Homer.
An acrobatic display of passion proved too much for a pair of eagles engaged in a mating dance over Alaska's Prince William Sound.

The female bird is recovering from an injured wing and other injuries sustained when the couple slammed beak-first into a hard snowbank in what her rescuers believe was an aerial courting ritual gone awry. The male eagle died in the impact, which left the birds buried upside down at least two feet in the snow in the town of Valdez.
 ...
"They just lose track of what they're doing and don't know how close they are to the ground," he said. "It's raging hormones or something."
You are likely to meet one as soon as you step off the train, and you will also find them walking the streets and inside the stores, shops and restaurants. Although the local people are used to them, it may take a little adjusting for the casual visitor to feel at ease because their sacred status has made the deer of Nara aggressive.

They may join you in an elevator or inside a public restroom. If they cross the street, the cars will stop and the local police will hold up traffic until they are clear.

The city's main occupation seems to be feeding the thousands of deer, and there are signs and vendors everywhere, not to mention vending machines, as well as countless movable carts, all selling shika senbei, or deer crackers. At the vending machines the deer will push you aside to get at the chute, and they flock to the carts where they can overwhelm the unwary. They will push and head butt, nibble on one's clothes and, as my wife found out, eat a woman's purse in their pursuit of food.

While I was trying to photograph them, two chewed on my camera while another removed the keys from my jacket pocket and chewed them into uselessness. I watched them eat food and the wrappers it came in, plastic, paper -- you name it. When a Nara deer begins to eat, nothing stands in its way.

When my wife and I tried to have a small picnic on a park bench, the deer mobbed us and took our sandwiches and drank our sodas. But they are not ungrateful. Most of them have learned to bow after receiving a treat, as is the local custom. Bowing to show respect is a way of life in Japan, but only in Nara will you see people bowing to deer and the deer bowing back.
Finally, from the April 10, Times of London:
For thirsty brewery workers, it was probably the worst ban in the world.  Hundreds of Carlsberg employees walked out when managers removed their right to drink free beer during the day.

Lorry drivers also joined the lightning strike in sympathy even though their long-standing right to three bottles a day was not touched.

The workers said that they were demonstrating their anger at a lack of consultation before beer was removed from fridges around the plants at Fredericia in mainland Denmark and Høje Taastrup near Copenhagen.

But Carlsberg insisted it would not reverse its decision to scrap the 163-year-old tradition that its workers could enjoy free beers throughout the day, imposing a new policy of drinking only at lunchtime.
You mean I have to stay sober all morning?  Doh!

In personal news, Leah called yesterday with the very good news that she has been hired by an insurance company - with a decent salary, benefits, and the whole nine yards.  She was quite pleased - as she should be.  Portland is still brutal for twenty-somethings looking for work.  And employers can be mighty choosy...Leah had to "pass" a criminal background check, a ten-year work history check, provide numerous references and so forth.   WAY TO GO, LEAH!!!!

Meanwhile 'Manda had a great weekend at the folk festival and yesterday started working part-time at Annie Kails.  She's still feeling a mite ragged with the crud -  but is on the mend and was going to rest-up last evening.  As soon as we both feel better we'll meet-up for supper.  And she's interested in doing some hiking the next nice day.

Well, guess I'll get dressed...  Gonna be a long day, I'm afraid...  I'm tempted to go walk on the treadmill at the Club; but that would probably not be well received by the other patrons.  We'll see.

Later gang...

Monday, April 12, 2010

Sunny Weekend

Clear as a bell all weekend.  Yesterday Joan and I walked out to the Boy Scout Camp.  It was great - although a mite breezy.  Maddie the Dog is getting the hang of these walkies. 

Lots of folks on the trail.  Even three horses - not something you see very often. 

There were lots of Canada Geese and quite a few ducks.  Pretty quiet on the songbird front, however.

Maddie the Dog.  That's some tail...

Joan and Maddie.  The sun was warm; but the wind was cold!

On Saturday I went out to Fish Creek in the morning.  No wind but a little chilly with skim ice on the ponds.  A bunch of sparrows were hanging-out.  I believe these are Song Sparrows.





Well, I'm going to do my sister's taxes this morning.  Then to the elders.  And then to Auntie's for a little preliminary yard work...

TallyHo!

Friday, April 9, 2010

Nice Weather - and More to Come!

Quite a nice day...a tad chilly this morning but it got into the mid-40's this afternoon and is now mostly clear.  Will be chilly again tonight however...

Got a call from mom this morning.  She had spotted a "large gray bird" in a nearby spruce tree and wanted me to come over and identify it.  No problem.  The bird in questions was a Great Blue Heron and his or her pic is below.


In other news, went to the Island Pub with Amanda yesterday evening and had a great visit.  She ran into an old Sitka high school buddy - a kid who we housed on several occasions.  She went to the folk festival again last night and sampled the South Franklin nightlife - most of the bars have music these week.  I think she's enjoying herself.

I cruised out North Douglas and walked the wetlands by Fish Creek this afternoon.  Lots of birds - particularly ducks.  Tons of mallards.  A large flock of Barrow's Goldeneye.  A pair of Common Mergansers. One Lesser Yellowlegs.  A kingfisher. Quite a few tweetie birds were tweetin' but the lil' buggers were not cooperating with my photography plan.  Better luck tomorrow...it's supposed to be nice all weekend.

Have a great weekend everybody.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Welcome Home Amanda!

Amanda got in yesterday around noon.  She hadn't been to Juneau in almost three years!  Yikes!  Time flies...

I picked her up at the airport and we went to town to get her situated in her friend Kira's apartment.  Kira is in Europe for a month.  It's a cute little apartment in a house on 6th Street.  Then to the Hanger for lunch and out to Fred Meyers for provisions.  Amanda looks great!  And she is in good spirits.

She was going to take-in the Folk Festival last night and tonight we'll go out for supper.  She'll be working temporarily at Annie Kail's, a giftshop downtown where she was previously employed.  Sounds like the owners need to get out of town for a couple of weeks before the tourist season starts and Amanda thinks she'll be managing the place while they're gone.  She'll be here until mid-May at which time she'll up-stakes for Southern California - back to the Newman Foundation's camp for medically needy kids, the Painted Turtle.  Excellent.

Sure nice to have her in town...

Well, gonna fold some laundry and head over to the elders.  Bath day today for dad.  And then a workout.  And the sun is shining this morning.  Life is good.

Monday, April 5, 2010

A Rare Bird

Welcome to Monday - not that it much matters to me.  Heh.  Heh.  Although I do much prefer the weekends insofar as it allows the working kids to come out and play.  After they do their chores, of course.

The weather was halfway decent this weekend.  Not great.  But decent.  We did wake-up to a couple of inches of snow on Sunday morning; but by mid-afternoon it was gone and there were a few sun breaks.

Walked the dike trail yesterday and saw quite a few birdies.  There was a small flock of American Widgeon on one of the ponds and a pair of Belted Kingfishers were chasing each other around.  The sighting of the day, however, came as I neared the end of the walk when a serious birder told me to hustle down the road if I wanted to see a Cinnamon Teal.  I duly hustled.

Cinnamon Teal are not regular visitors to these here parts.  They are what is called an "accidental" species - they show-up in Southeast Alaska at irregular intervals - Juneau is not in their regular range.  This gal (I think) was busy feeding in a dark ditch alongside the dike trail.  She was seriously foraging and didn't seem to pay much attention to the hominids and canids who were ogling her.    

 A Cinnamon Teal forages near the Airport Dike Trail

Never seen a quacker like this before...

Meanwhile, behind my apartment, a number of Dark Eyed Juncos (slate colored subspecies) have suddenly taken up residence.

A Dark Eyed Junco (slate colored subspecies)

In other news, I eagerly await the arrival of Amanda on Wednesday.  She was in Portland this past weekend and is now back in Olympia.  She's really looking forward to the Southeast Folk Festival which starts this week.  I may even try to take in a few events...

Last night was the traditional Easter supper at the folks.  Mom cooked a turkey breast and we had the typical turkey accompaniments.  My contribution was carrot and sweet potato puree and mom's favourite dessert - chocolate peanut butter pie.  She's the only one who eats the pie and it freezes very well - she'll be snacking on it for months to come.  A little piece goes a long way - it's richer 'n pig shit.

On Saturday morning I hauled and stacked the season's second cord of wood at the elders.  I'm still burning wood from the woodshed, I'm guessing we'll be burning last year's wood until mid-June or so...  So the new stuff will have at least couple of months to cure.

Well, off to the elders and then a workout.  And dad's out of cookies...so will do some baking this afternoon.  And I need to pay the monthly bills...

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Swans 2.0

Went back out to Moose Lake yesterday and got some much improved Swan pics.  The sun was shining and at my back.  I sat down on the bank of the lake and within ten minutes the three beauties paddled over in my direction. 

On the down side, I got my first mosquito bite of the year...  Oh well...

Three Trumpeter Swans on Moose Lake







First time I've ever been mooned by a swan...

Have a great weekend everyone....

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Bath Day Tales

Bath day for the ol' coot today.  And is often the case an opportunity to hear some fascinating stories from days of yore.  Today we sailed the ocean blue on the U.S.S. Princeton Hall - a 65 or so foot boat that was brand spanking new in 1941.  It was built for Presbyterian missionaries in Sitka, commandeered by the U.S. Navy at the outbreak of WWII, and today is a charter boat here in Juneau.  Here's a link to a great pic of the Princeton Hall on the current owner's Facebook page:  http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/photo.php?pid=30551653&op=1&o=global&view=global&subj=538303212&id=1360096667

Dad ran the Princeton Hall for the U.S.Navy as a patrol boat out of Sitka.  They had a 20mm canon on the bow, machine guns, and a rack of depth charges.  Dad previously pointed-out that if they had ever had to drop a depth charge - that would have been the end of them - they never would have got out of the way in time...

But I digress from today's tale...

My father was not particularly fond of the navy.  Dad is famously thrifty - and the navy - not so much.  I think the waste associated with the war seriously offended his sensibilities.

Dad's nemesis while he served on the Princeton Hall was a lieutenant whose sole naval experience up until the time he received his commission was sailing on a houseboat on the Mississippi.  The nicest thing dad can say about him is that he was a real asshole.  Also a stinking drunk.

One day the Princeton Hall got back from Sitka from a patrol and dad discovered a bunch of deer, including fawns and does, hanging in the warehouse by the dock.  Trophies of the aforementioned asshole.  I take it that it was not deer season and this absolutely infuriated dad who marched up to the HQ to give the lieutenant the what for...  Fortunately for dad, an old Chief intercepted him and talked him out of doing anything rash - that would likely result in legal proceedings.

Some time later dad was hauling the lieutenant and some other officers somewhere on the Princeton Hall and the lieutenant decided it would be a great idea to harvest a nice looking brown bear they spotted on the beach - using the 20 mm cannon as the harvesting tool. 

THIS

 
PLUS THIS


EQUALS THIS 


Dad refused to shoot the bear with the cannon.  Again, I suspect it offended his sense of frugality - minced brown bear tartare was not a menu item in his mind.  Another close call with a court martial.

Ultimately the lieutenant got what he deserved when he got drunk and had a run-in with a regular naval officer - he was court martialed and discharged.  An outcome that causes dad to chuckle to this very day.

 Well think I'll take a drive out to Fish Creek and see if anybody's tweetin'.  And then a workout.