Procrastination

Dragging my feet this morning. There is a LARGE pile of gravel mixed with dirt sitting in the parking lot - and it needs to be spread in the ruts that have been worn into the driveway. The landlord and neighbor have already made hacks at it the past couple of days and as the third primary user I am feeling morally obligated to lend a hand. Shovel, wheelbarrow and rake work - my forte actually - but for some reason I'm feeling lethargic this morning. And I'm not even hung-over.

It rained like hell yesterday morning; but actually cleared-off in the afternoon and I had a nice walk on the dike trail after a workout at the club. The birdies were uncooperative - must have been tweety siesta time; but I did survey the wildflower situation.

It's truly amazing how quickly the wildflowers shot-up in the recent warm weather. The lupine is already largely bloomed-out and the beach peas, shooting stars, chocolate lilies, silverweed, and other June bloomers are all at or just past their prime. And...ominously... the fireweed is growing taller by the moment. Only five days 'til the solstice. YIKES! Then the 4th of July. And then, as my mom is fond of saying, "It won't be long 'til Christmas." Son-of-a-bitch. The middle of May through the midde of June is the best time of year in Juneau...

I also made chicken soup for the elders yesterday. Will take it over this afternoon...mom is going to the hairdresser and I will stay with dad while she's gone - there's plenty of firewood to chop. Dad freaks-out if mom or I are not readily available in case his urostomy pouch starts to leak...

I'm looking forward to tomorrow. I'm going to act as tour guide for a couple I met on my cruise - they're on another cruise to Alaska along with their daughter, son-in-law and a couple of kiddos. I was hoping to take them on a hike after the obligatory glacier and city tours; but the weather may not be too good - so we'll see how it goes. If all else fails there's always the Red Dog...

Yesterday morning I got a call from my old friend Jay Hogan. We had a good visit. He's sending "thank you" cards for the messages of condolence he received when his wife, Kay, passed a little over a month ago and he needed my snail-mail address. It's clearly been tough on him as you would imagine. He's trying to sell their house in Tucson and plans to move back to Colorado where he and Kay lived before they moved to Alaska. He has family in Colorado. He told me to give his regards to all our mutual friends. I have added Colorado the "must visit" list.

Leah is hot on the trail of a job with the Eaglecrest zipline. It sounds encouraging - she would drive their van - but the job doesn't start until the 3rd of July. She hasn't been offered the job yet but is clearly optimistic. She will continue with the catering job on a part-time basis in the meantime - she has a gig tonight, in fact.

Boy...this is pretty dull stuff. Nothing amusing in the papers this morning either. Guess I better get to gettin'. At least all the wheelbarrow action is downhill...

Another Exotic Bird

If you're not interested in aircraft...this will bore you to tears...so feel free to ignore me.

But...last week I was sitting on the porch when there was a roar and two jet fighters flew down the center line of RW 26 and then did a fighter break entering a left downwind to land. I ran and got my camera. The first jet touched down and then the second one did another go-around for some reason which is when I took the pic below.

I ASSUMED it was an F16 - but when I photoshopped it this morning - it was not.

After a fair amount of googling...I have concluded it is an Israeli-built Kfir (Lion Cub) fighter.

The plane has an interesting history. It is a knock-off of a French Mirage 5 - the Israelis stole the plans for the Mirage back in the late 60's from a Swiss company that was building the plane under license. The Kfir served as a front-line fighter and then fighter-bomber for about 20 years in the Israeli air force; but has now been retired.

The U.S. Navy operated 25 Kfirs in the mid to late 80's as "adversary" aircraft in combat training.

I am pretty sure the plane I saw is operated by some outfit called "ATAC" which according to wikipedia is "a civilian company that provides fleet tactical aircraft and services to the US military. ATAC provides airborne tactical training, threat simulation, and research & development. They are based in Newport News, VA and also operate the Saab 35 Draken"

The Juneau flight identified themselves as "Dragon 11" (Draken is dragon in Swedish) which bolsters the ATAC connection.

I saw in the Anchorage paper yesterday that there are some military exercises going on this week in the Interior - so I reckon these boys are participating.

In other news...it's pouring down rain this morning. It was drippy yesterday and I did some cooking - made chicken stock (will make chicken noodle soup for the Old Coot today) and also a big batch of bolognese sauce. The folks actually like the spaghetti sauce although I do have to make it with sweet, as opposed to hot, Italian sausage.

Later kids...

Welcome Home Leah

Picked Leah up at the airport yesterday afternoon. We went downtown and met Joan at Zephyr for a good supper. Leah is boarding at Joan's place. Today I expect she is beginning a job hunt - so if anyone has any summer employment opportunity for a smart 25 year old gal don't keep it a secret.

In other news, our nice weather continues... though not quite as nice as last week - yesterday it was in the low 70's and partly cloudy. A few more clouds this morning but still warm enough for me to enjoy morning coffee on the deck. Just like in the REAL world.

Yesterday I mowed auntie's lawn and did some weeding. The ol' gal actually set outside for an hour or so and plucked spent flowers off the annuals. She seemed to enjoy it.

Mom also spends a lot of time wandering around the yard admiring and deadheading her flowers. She's certain her yard is the nicest in the trailer park - which is probably true although that is not setting the bar real high. Now if I could only come-up with something to amuse dad...

Mom did inform me of another chore yesterday. She thinks the place would really look much better if I could spread a couple of cubic yards of new gravel in the back of the place. I told her I couldn't think of ANYTHING I'd rather do...

Well, think I'll have another cup o' Joe on the porch and then mosey over to you-know-where...

A Sunny Weekend

An absolutely fabulous weekend...Juneau was into summer recreation in a BIG way. It's been near 80 degrees for five days. Indeed, I'm feeling a tad sun dried - was outside doing yard work or walking around all week. I actually have the beginning of something that could be mistaken for a tan...or at least freckles run amok.

Yesterday I finished my contribution to the fence repair project at the elders. Mom and Linda will do the painting. I believe this completes mom's "to do" list - for the moment at least although I'm sure piles of wood will show-up in the driveway periodically. But I am hopeful I can now turn my attention to other outdoor activities.

I helped Joan Kasson with a little yard work on Saturday and earned a reward of a wonderful Mediterranean dinner. A great egg plant and garlic spread with pita chips for dippin', Greek salad, pork kebabs, tasty baked tater bits, and green beans. Very yummy. We dined outdoors which is always a treat in this neck-of-the-woods. After supper I zipped-out to the airport and collected Dougie and Alison. They had a wonderful vacation.

Leah will arrive on Wednesday. She is booked into Joan's spare bedroom at least through the end of the month. She's looking for summer employment...and my sense is she won't have any trouble finding it. I am delighted at the prospect of her company and hope she's willing to tolerate me on a few hikes. Stay tuned...

Savannah Sparrow. On your mark...get set...

...go!

Kayakers at Outer Point on a sunny spring day.

Not sure of the identity of this bad boy.

Contact Amanda Krafft - For all Your Snake Wrangling Needs

An interesting post on Amanda's blog this morning. She's still in training at camp and among the skills being taught are archery and snake wrangling. Rattlesnakes. YIKES! I suggested that she might want to apply for next season's "Survivor."

It's another drop-dead beautiful day in Juneau. Got up to 80 degrees or so the past two days. Toasty. Another scorcher today. I've been busy...

Monday was roof sweeping and gutter cleaning day at the elders. On Tuesday there was wood to stack. Wednesday I demolished most of the fence on one side of the folk's place and hauled the debris to the dump. Then a trip to Home Depot to purchase replacement timbers and lumber. Yesterday was post-digging day capped-off with hauling and stacking more firewood which had been dumped in the driveway the evening before. I thought I was going to be hiking all week - but it hasn't worked out that way...

This morning I have to head to town to help load the Juneau Golf Club's miniature golf course at Centennial Hall and then unload it at Nugget Mall. It was part of the safe graduation party on Tuesday night. I haven't read of any multiple-vehicle pile-ups in the paper - so I guess graduation went off without a hitch.

After wrestling the putt-putt course, it's back to the elders for some nail pounding. The perimeter fence should be secure by mid-afternoon. Sentries will be posted. Trespassers will be violated.

NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS: AFTER THE FENCE IS BUILT I BELIEVE ALL MAJOR SPRING ELDER PROJECTS WILL BE COMPLETED. Yippee!

Meanwhile Dougie and Alison continue their trek:

Made our way up 101 yesterday from Florence. We really like our time there -- played at a nice course (Sandpines), and had a very good meal at the Sidestreet Bistro. Not much action in the casino on a Tuesday night, but Alison enjoyed playing a slot machine that featured dancing pigs dressed like Elvis.

Yesterday we stopped in Newport and walked around the waterfront. This is a real fishing community and the docks and the smell of the seafood plants reminded me of Alaska. Adjacent to one of the working docks there are some old half-submerged planks that migrating male California sea lions use as a haulout. There were probably 8 or 10 of them laying there, barking loudly together every time one them moved or for whatever reason reason they bark. You could hear them for blocks, and they don't seem the least bit bothered by their close proximity to all the gawking tourists.

We had lunch at Mo's Annex -- not to be confused with the original Mo's across the street. Had some halibut that was pretty good and watched a big ol' gal who was expert with a fillet knife work through a few tubs of catch from one of the puker boats (as my Dad calls them). Some kind of local white fish, probably rock cod or near relative.

From there it was up to Tillamook, where we took a quick tour of the you know what factory. Cheese making on an industrial scale. I don't know what I was expecting, I just didn't think it would be so ... sterile is the best word I can think of. We did get to have ice cream cones, so it wasn't a total disappointment. I have also never seen so fucking many cows. There are 28,000 of them in Tillamook County, according to one of the helpful placards on the cheese factory self-guided tour. We beat a hasty exit.

The coast between Florence and Lincoln City was foggy, so we weren't able to see much during that part of the trip. But the visibility got better the further north we got. We decided to go as far as Cannon Beach, and what a beautiful spot it is. We are staying at one of the places right on the beach (the Ocean Lodge) where we lucked into a great rate on a really nice ocean-front room. The surf just pounds a long sand beach bookended by dramatically large rocks, the most prominent of which is naturally referred to as "The Haystack" (reminiscent of a rock of the same name near Noyes Island that Swanson and I became quite familiar with when we fished on the Osprey). Had razor clams for dinner last night, a bonus.

Today we played a nice course near Seaside, the Gearhart golf links (http://www.gearhartgolflinks.com/), one of the oldest golf courses in Oregon. It was tough course. Lots of trees, and the fairways were too narrow for my style of golf, so to speak. I was behind trees and hitting my second shots from neighboring fairways all day long. Played with a nice guy named Cliff, former longtime lonshoreman from Astoria.

Other parts of Oregon had some severe weather this afternoon, thunder storms and the like, but all it did here was get windy and rain a little- the first we've seen this trip.

Tomorrow we head north again, and it's home on flight 79 Saturday night.

In His Own Words...

Dougie and Alison continue to meander up the coast. Sounds like they're having a great time:

Left the Benbow about 10:30 yesterday morning and pulled into Bandon at about 4:30. Another beautiful drive up 101 – the California/Oregon coast is as beautiful and dramatic as any I’ve ever seen. Sadly, as soon as we transitioned from inland to coast the temperature dropped about 30 degrees. We stayed at the Bandon Inn last night, a nice three-level motel overlooking the town and harbor. Walked down a footpath to the Crow’s Nest bar and had a nice meal (fresh halibut). The woman who owns
the bar (and the restaurant downstairs) is a member at Bandon Dunes and she told us with great enthusiasm how wonderful golf is there. (She also gave us the bad news: $275 per round; although she said if we come back in the winter she’ll take us out for $35). She also suggested that we stop there and climb the hill to the viewing area, which we did this morning. It is a spectacular course, and reminds me of the courses in Scotland that I’ve seen in books and on television. But it was about 50 degrees and at $275 we took a pass.

From there we made our way up 101 to Florence, stopping at various scenic viewpoints to admire the coast. After settling in to our room at the Three Rivers Hotel/Casino, we started to explore the area. First stop: Sand Dunes Frontier, what appears to be family operation specializing in dune buggy rides. Alison and I put on goggles and strapped into a five-seat dune buggy. Our driver (who, for legal reasons, I’ll refer to as “Delbert” – not his real name) then asked whether we wanted the slow and easy or more exciting ride. As she began to respond, Delbert mumbled something about “facing your fears” and off we went, roaring up and down (and sideways) over some SERIOUS sand dunes. At one point we stopped for pictures and Alison asked Delbert if she could take one of him. He responded that it would be okay as long as she didn’t send it to America’s Most Wanted. I think he was only half-kidding (and hours later I’m still hearing banjo music in my head). But it was fun, and the dunes are something to see.

Back in Florence, we stopped in Old Town and walked the gallery walk.Alison became enamored of a Raku fish sculpture which she is having shipped back to Juneau. Florence seems tonier than Bandon or the other towns we passed through on the way here. We came across a restaurant named the Sidestreet Bistro that looks very good, dinner there tomorrow night. Tomorrow it’s golf at Sandpines and more exploration. On Wednesday we’ll restart the trek north. The room here at Three Rivers is nice and roomy, and a good rate. Haven’t been to the casino yet, but I suspect we’ll mosey on down before too long.

In other news - the weather is fabulous in Juneau. Hiking is the order of the week - except today I've got some post-hole digging and fence repair at the elders. Ugh!

Later gang.

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.