Good Vittles

Busy, busy, busy.  Lots of errands this week - physical therapy for mom, some hauling of stuff for Joan, yard work and some house cleaning  for auntie etc. etc. etc.  Yesterday I met with a mortgage guy - there should be a pre-qualification letter at State Farm for me.  Looks like a price of $350,000 would be a no-brainer although I'm sure I could go higher if need be.  Apparently I am regarded as eminently credit worthy.

Last night I went to Zephyr for supper with Joan and her dad.  A very good meal by Juneau standards.  I had a seafood stew in a light tomato broth.  It was a little spicy and quite tasty.  Also a good curried carrot soup.  Thanks, Joan!

I've also been walking with Finnegan the Yorky.  Took a few bird pictures which are not too bad if I do say so myself.

Lots of Song Sparrows around

My neighborhood Stellar Jay

Not sure about this guy...looks immature...but sure early for fledglings...

Have a great weekend everybody!

New Roomie

A pretty fair weekend.  Lots of walking with my roomie, Finnegan the Yorky, who motors right along real good despite his stature.  Yesterday we walked out to the Boy Scout Camp with Alison and Dougie.  Very nice - although pretty much a bust on the bird front.  Lots of what I have concluded are Song Sparrows but not much action otherwise.

Ditto on the Airport Dike Trail this morning.  Song Sparrows to beat the band.  I was hopeful for lots of waders; but they apparently have not shown-up yet.  Most migrants have come and continued on their way.

Last evening was quality supper and fire pit time.  Doug and Alison made fried chicken.  The chicken was brined and then double-dipped with buttermilk and a very light batter.  Wonderful!  I believe the recipe is from the world-renowned French Laundry in northern California wine country.  Definitely a keeper.

Tonight is the first "serious" Republican Presidential campaign debate in New Hampshire.  I may watch it.  It appears that Mitt Romney is beginning to take on the aura of front-runner.  On the one hand this is not surprising.  He is hands-down the most rational, experienced, and qualified of what can charitably be described as a diverse group.  On the other hand, Republican primaries are not necessarily known for placing a premium on rationality, experience, or qualifications.  So we'll see.

One also gets the sense that the real money in the Republican Party is getting nervous about the freak-show aspect of their candidates' behavior thus far.  Again, Romney is the safe haven for the traditional monied elite of the party.

Still, there is that pesky cult thing.  Will the rank and file really plump for a practicing Mormon?  Last go around the answer was clearly "no" as far as much of the evangelical Christian right was concerned.  Will they hold their collective noses and go along this time?  Hard to say.

I for one, find the continued suspicion of Mormons appalling.  This is not to say I have any regard for their beliefs which I find preposterous; but certainly no more preposterous than the beliefs of Christians or Jews.  And I have known a fair number of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to be fine and estimable men and women their religious views notwithstanding.

The LDS crew just suffers from the fact they are a new outfit - there is actually an accurate secular historical record of their origins - which is a distinct disadvantage when one is pitching the supernatural or defending the character of the founders of one's religion.

On the other hand, Christians have had over 2000 years and the services of some of mankind's best and brightest to polish and hone their dogma, myths and beliefs and the Jews even longer. However at the end of the day there is little in my mind to distinguish between golden plates and seer stones, virgin births and rising from the dead, and Yahweh's instructions written to Moses in stone.  It's all nonsense.

On a lighter note, I received the pic below taken from a recent trip to Minnesota from Mr. Greely.  And while I do not claim any close relatives in that neck-of-the-woods I am sure that the town must have contained some distant cousins at one time.  I am not in the market for more relations however...

My good buddy Marla looks amused

Wracked by Indecision

A busy week.  Adam returned home to PDX on Tuesday.  I think he enjoyed the week.  I certainly enjoyed the company although it reminded me, once again, how unsuitable my small apartment is for playing host.  I REALLY need another bedroom.

I have actually been toying with the idea of looking for a place to buy.  But I am so torn by the concept that I have not been able to take even the first step - like getting pre-qualified for a loan at a bank.  Part of me rejects the whole notion of buying in Juneau - I REALLY thought I would have ditched this burg by now - while the more pragmatic part of me says it's time to face reality.  I'm going to be here for the foreseeable future.

At a minimum I need a two bedroom place with a separate office or study.  Could be a condo or a zero lot line.  On the other hand, I would like a yard.  And I need the same amount of sunlight that I have here at my apartment - a good southern exposure is critical to sanity.  This rules out a whole lot of real estate since it basically precludes Douglas Island and almost all of the valley. Mountainside Estates and Auke Bay come to mind.

We'll see...

In other news, auntie fell day before yesterday and thus yesterday was devoted to getting her to the doc and doing some cleaning at her place.  She is bruised but not broken.  She fell outside while hosing-off her front steps. I had just finished mowing the lawn and she had asked me to leave the hose outside so she could water the flowers.  Apparently she was on the ground for over twenty minutes before the neighbors came home and heard her pleas for help.  Her "help I've fallen and can't get up" button was in her bedroom where it had been parked several weeks earlier.  Not a good situation...

She was somewhat chastised yesterday and said I could start coming-up to keep the house in order a couple of times a week.  But we'll see.  She has a habit of waiving help off on any given day.

Well, just finished a little yard work at one of mom's neighbors and it's almost time to head downtown.  I have an appointment with my car insurance guy...my windshield got cracked a few weeks ago and I need to have it replaced.  Then up to auntie's for a little more housekeeping.

I leave you with a pic from North Douglas of a few evenings ago.  Beautiful!

Fishing from the beach out North Douglas

Salaam.   

Sitka Redux

Well, another quick trip to Sitka by the Sea.  Searched the ferry schedules for a convenient overnight trip from Juneau to somewhere and Sitka was what worked best.  The fast ferry is the key.  So...on Saturday Adam and I set sail.

Saturday was pretty damp.  It rained most of the ferry ride but by late afternoon it had dried out a tad and we wandered around Sitka.  Then a superb supper at Ludwigs - the crab and scallop appetizers were out of this world and Adam was very pleased with his clam chowder.  Unfortunately we ordered too much food and were panting during the main course.  Although we did manage to polish off a very good creme brulee for dessert.  It's not often once is concerned by the LARGE size of portions these days - but that was certainly the case!

Sunday morning I wandered around the totem pole park.  It was a nice morning.  Then a quick bite to eat and we were back on the ferry Juneau bound.

Cool Totem

Troller in Peril Straits

The sun breaks through - YIPPEE!

Adam is headed back home to PDX tomorrow.  I've enjoyed his company and I think he has enjoyed the trip.

Rod Hours

Well, my friend, Adam, and I went fishing with Eric yesterday...covered a good part of the Taku River approachs - Salisbury, False Point Arden, and over on Douglas around the corner from Marmian Island.  Up until yesterday Eric had been skunked.  Today, he remains bereft of salmon although I do not fault his technique which struck me as completely up-to-snuff.  Just look at him...how could our skipper not know what he was doing...

Captain Eric at the helm

And despite the lack of salmon action I think Adam had a good time - hard not too on a sunny spring day with  lots of whales, eagles, and sea lions around. 

Adam takes in the sights

There was lots of feed everywhere - looked like probably needlefish and the whales were working the Pt. Arden area pretty good.  This bad boy has an odd marking on his dorsal fin - wonder if he was dragging a buoy for awhile...

 Odd scar on his dorsal fin

Looks like maybe he was towing something...

Yesterday was a five boat day in Juneau.  The Norwegian Pearl arrived early in the afternoon.

So...all things considered...an excellent day! 

Haunting Averted Yet Again

Well, happy Memorial Day everyone.  And a right beauteous one here in Juneau - clear as a bell with highs predicted in the 70's.

As previously mentioned, my family is under strict orders from long-since departed Grandma Newman to put flowers on her grave on Memorial Day.  She indicated that if we failed in this simple task, she would come back and give us no end of grief.  So...once again...haunting has been averted.

It is also Dad's first Memorial Day as a resident of Evergreen Cemetery.  He seems to be doing fine...he's been fertilizing the family plot since last September.  Last week the City folks set his headstone.

The family plot's newest resident.  He's settled-in just fine.

Mom and Linda admire their handiwork. 

Dad is sharing a plot with his mom and step-dad as well as Linda's late husband, Russ, and Aunt Emilie's daughter Jan.  I suspect we'll all be planted here sooner or later...

In other news, took a walk on the Auke Lake trail with Joan and the hounds yesterday.  It was cool and misty; but the trail is very nice.  We identified a new (to me, at least) plant.

Caltha palustris subsp. asarifolia "Marsh Marigold"

The hounds were puzzled by my interest in the flora

Mom and I also completed the gravel drill and the place looks pretty good.  She's now reseeded part of the front lawn which looked pretty ratty.  The soil is very acid from constantly falling spruce needles and we have not been attentive to putting lime on it.  Also, there was a pretty hard freeze before we got any snow and I think that also took it's toll.

I also managed to mow Auntie's lawn this week and plant a few more bedding plants.  Her place looks pretty good, too, if I do say so myself.

Well, just about time to head for the airport.  I'm going to have company for a week - a friend from Portland who is hot to go salmon fishing.  If the weather holds I believe Eric is going to take us out tomorrow.

Finally, congratulations to Joan who is poised to become an ex-wage slave for the State of Alaska as of this Wednesday.  Sadly, (for me, not her) she will soon be headed south to Nampa, Idaho where she plans on taking up residence near her dad.

Later, gang!

Lindstrom & Lindstrom

A quick post.

The big remaining task in mom's yard of late has been the acquisition and disposition of a few tons of gravel around the trailer.  I stopped by our friends at AGGPRO today and ordered up a whoop-ass pile o' gravel.  'Bout 6 tons.

The aggregate was delivered around 3 PM.  Half of it was distributed around half of the perimeter of the trailer by 5 PM.  I was the shovel/wheelbarrow man and 84 year old mom was the raker/spreader person.  I was sweating like a lil' piggy.  Mom was cool and collected as usual.  Here we are with the job half-way done.

Lindstrom and Son - a Professional Corporation

We will be back at-it tomorrow morning...assuming we can get out of bed.  I love this kind of work...

Jesus, mom looks younger than I do!.....

Cheers!