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Alaska Excursion

North to Alaska continued….    by my Daddy

This past Monday we flew back into warm and dry country – up to 100 degrees in the shade. It didn’t take long to wish we had some of that Alaska Weather that got up to 72 in the sun. (We only had one day in the sun. The rest of the time there was a cloud and fog covering).

In Seattle we met Betty from California, Donna Marie, her daughter, Linda, and Son in Law, Tom, from Wyoming. We rode a bus about 60 miles to Vancouver. Donna Marie was a talk guide. She had been raised near Seattle. Later she and Russ went to Vancouver. One time they flew up to parts of Alaska.

We boarded the tour boat at Vancouver and the first day we sailed along the Canadian coast until we reached the lower parts of Alaska, 600 miles north of Puget Sound. Our first stop was at Ketchikan which sits under steep mountains with a waterfront about ½ mile wide. Ketchikan might be as big as Big Timber. We went to a Lumber Jack show where an American and a Canadian Lumberjack put on a contest for us – chopping spruce logs in two, riding spinning logs in the water, carving with a chain saw and climbing tall poles. I think that 20 years ago Bee could have climbed at about the same speed. Then we took a tour bus through the mist and rain to Bligh Park about ten miles up the inlet where we saw numerous totem poles and a tribal meeting house. Our bus driver told us that one out of six adults in Alaska had a pilot license, and that the automobile drivers knew how to drive in rain and fog, but they couldn’t handle sunshine. The sun came out on our way back to town, and sure enough, there was a car wreck ahead of us and we had to take a detour.

Lumberjack
Ketchikan

The next day we stopped for a daylong visit of Juneau. My daughter and son-in-law took a cable tram to the top of the mountain ridge. Betty, Donna Marie, and I took a gander at the Juneau Alaska Museum which covered history, government, mining, fishing, wildlife, Indian, Russian and American culture, and all sorts of clothing, kayaks, sleds, hides, and furs.

Skagway

The next day was spent at Skagway where Betty and I took a train through Dead Horse Canyon and on to White Pass where the Yukon miners lost horses and lives on the way to the Yukon gold fields. (I think that Barney Brannin hauled dynamite to mines out from Juneau and not from Skagway.) There were lots of clouds and fog on the west side of the pass, but the east side – where we entered Canada, was free of the clouds and fog.

We spent two days touring through the glaciers on Glacier Bay and College Glacier Bay. Saw whales, sea otters, sea lions and three dots that moved on the narrow shore two miles away. People said they were bears. But I have had dots in front of my eyes that moved faster and were called floaters. (However, they didn’t eat berries.)

Sea Lions
Bald Eagle

We told our tour boat good-bye at Whittier – where all the town’s population live in one large high-rise apartment house. Then we rode the train past Anchorage and on toward Denali Park where we would stay two nights. A big part of the way had a bay inlet on one side and mountains on the other. We got a close-up look at some Dahl Sheep.

Receding glacier

For miles we traveled through forests of white spruce, black spruce, birch, and quaking aspens. Any homestead along the route with a few houses was given a name. One place was named Montana. It was a bare open patch of about two acres that looked like the remains of a junk yard. About a mile further on a woman stood beside a cabin clearing and waved at us – Welcome to Montana. We didn’t stop.

from Montana, Alaska

When we entered the region of Denali Park, we couldn’t see Mount McKinley (Denali – “THE BIG ONE”) because of clouds and fog. As we got further north the trees were smaller. Some places the forest was Black Spruce, twelve to twenty foot tall – or shorter. In higher region the forest gave way to tundra.

On our tour of Denali Park, we got pictures of moose and caribou and visited some Athabaskan women who were selling their handmade jewelry. From Denali we went to Fairbanks. It is in a lower climate and has a wide variety of trees, gardens, etc. A river boat tour stopped at an Indian settlement where we saw a Native American salmon water wheel catching fish. A young lady was hanging them up on poles to dry. We saw reindeer, and dog teams, and fur tents. Some Eskimo girls modeled Eskimo clothing.

getting off the boat in Fairbanks

Flying back from Fairbanks to Anchorage at 30,000 feet, we got a good view at Mount McKinley. WHAT A MOUNTAIN THAT IS!
July 11, 2010

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North to Alaska

Many of my adventures in life included my daddy. When I was just a kid, we talked about going to Alaska, along with my sister of course. He talked about us making the drive. It was quite a challenge to make such a trip but, nevertheless, we dreamed of the day when we could make it happen. As the years passed, time narrowed and it looked like that dream would never come to reality. Daddy got to where he wasn’t getting around as well and had to have assistance with a cane. I knew time was short. One day I told my husband I wanted us to fulfill that Alaskan dream. I approached Daddy and told him my plan. As usual, he was ready for an adventure. When I asked my Aunt to go with us, she said she would. Then Cousin Donna Marie got on board along with her daughter and son-in-law. I made the necessary travel arrangements for our Alaskan cruise and four-day inland tour. All they had to do was meet us in Seattle. What an adventure! 

Here is part of my Daddy’s recounting of our Alaskan trip from 2010:

I went to Alaska with my daughter and son-in-law, my 81-year-old sister-in-law, Betty, and my 82-year-old cousin-in-law from Wyoming and her daughter and son-in-law.  Luckily, I was on a tour boat, bus, or train most of the time because that 82 year-old-woman with long legs could have walked me to death.

Daddy & Cousin Donna Marie

We boat toured about the three hundred miles of islands an inlets and mountains that hang down from the main part of Alaska like a dog’s tail. In some of the inlets we saw huge glaciers dropping small icebergs into the Pacific waterways.  This made me wear two flannel shirts and a warm jacket and wish it would warm up to 60 degrees.  

Skagway

Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway are small towns huddled on narrow water fronts along some three hundred miles of bays and inlets surrounded by straight up and down steep mountains. This is part of the Tongass National Forest which is the largest National forest in the USA. It stretches from below the Alaskan border below Ketchikan to Yakutat Bay. This may be the wettest place under the American flag, a place where annual rainfall is measured in feet and not just inches. It is a place of mountains, rain forest, 1,200-pound brown bear, and fish – salmon so plentiful the Haida people live well and find time to carve their legends and history on large cedar poles. This is still a place where tall cedar and spruce poles are carved with their stories of flying birds, animals and big nosed ancestors.  

I was raised in Montana, but I’ve been interested in Alaska. One of my aunts – the one who dropped me on my head when I was a baby – raised her five children in Alaska. My Aunt Tooie raised her five children along the waterfront in Juneau. The house they lived in has been dredged away to make a place where large boats can anchor.  Cousin Beth used to work in a courthouse there (she is now 87 years old and lives in Idaho.)  Betty and I ran through the rain and fog trying to keep up with long legged Wyoming Cousin and took in a very good museum.

One of the snap shots shows a house built at the waterfront on what looks like a wharf itself. Sid Brannin, my bronc riding uncle, traveled from Alaska to Montana like a yo-yo on a string. His two oldest girls, Sydney and Margaret, near 90 years old, are still in Alaska.

We had about six hours in Ketchikan and saw a lumberjack contest between a Red shirted Canadian and an Alaskan as they chopped trees in two, rode spinning logs in a pond, and climbed long poles resembling the White Spruce and  Sitka Spruce of the Alaskan rain forest which their lumberjacks topped off for their gin poles in their logging and skidding operations.  

I was raised at a sawmill and timber operation in Montana where one year my uncles rode saw logs floating down the Sweet Grass along the Rein meadow. They fell off just like the Alaskans did in their lumberjack contest.  Guest Author, my Daddy

To be continued…..

Uncle Ed & company, 1910
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Saturday Night

My mother was not a tv person, but Saturday nights in the ’60’s were an exception. She loved Lawrence Welk. When Saturday rolled around, there was no question as to what would be on tv – The Lawrence Welk Show. She liked the band, the accordion being played, the champagne bubbles that floated through the air, the Lennon Sisters, other special singers and the dancing. I wonder if she imagined herself gliding over the dance floor, her full skirt twirling as her partner spun her around. 

Mama always liked music, not all kinds of course. She had a few favorite albums she played occasionally. It seemed she really liked artists that whistled or yodeled. I can still hear the smooth falsettos of Slim Whitman, the country yodeling singer, coming from the record player.

We often heard her singing, humming or whistling. I can assure you that we didn’t always appreciate it, especially early in the morning when it was time to get up.

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My Grandma Wears Spy Glasses

It seemed like it took forever but I finally got the packet I ordered in the mail. I had sent away to Trailways for brochures and other information. Vacation tours. Bus schedules. Destinations all over the country. Travel bargains. Sightseeing tours. Adventures. I grabbed my treasure, ran up to my room, and soon had a map and brochures lined up on my bed as I dreamed of seeing all of those places. I was only 9 years old, but had big dreams. My mind traveled the country as I organized trips and made a list of places to see. 

Little did I realize at the time that I would do just that – plan trips with family and friends, and go on adventures near and far. I have been able to take some of those trips I dreamed of as a little girl.

Apparently, my four-year old granddaughter knows I like adventures, too! This story was illustrated and written by her. She knows her grandma pretty well! How about those pink spy glasses?

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Pair of Shoes

One day at work, I couldn’t figure out why my feet felt so tired. My toes felt pinched, and the muscles in my legs ached and jerked with occasional spasms. Something just wasn’t right. I went through the usual steps of the day and was glad when it was time to go.

I couldn’t wait to get home, take my shoes off and get into something comfortable. My toes were screaming, demanding to be released from their hot prison. As I walked out the door to leave work, I took a deep breath and let out a big sigh. I glanced down at my tired feet and froze mid-stride. Blood rushed to my face and my cheeks flushed. I looked around to see if anyone was watching. There was no one around. I walked to the car quickly. 

As soon as I got home, I put my bag on the table, sat down and threw my shoes off – one black shoe with a two-inch heel and one blue shoe with a three-inch heel.  I had another pair just like it in the closet, for opposite feet of course. I don’t think I’ll wear either pair again.

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New Beginnings

The night was cool, crisp and clear. Stars smiled and the waning crescent moon cast soft light through the barren trees that caused shadows to dance on the ground. We backed up to the fire to keep warm as we kept vigil, waiting for the new life to be born. 

A stall had been prepared with clean dry straw. An occasional “moooo” was heard as the cow paced. Little hooves could already be seen emerging into the cool air. The mother lay down and her muscles tightened as she urged the little one on. She got up, paced some more, and soon a head with little ears began to wiggle. The process continued as she pushed a bit more. Another push and the calf dropped from its mother’s womb to the ground. I shivered, wondering if words could explain being taken from a mother’s warm womb and dropped into the world wet and cold. 

  • the head and ears of the calf emerge
  • mother licking off the birth fluids

Immediately the mother started licking and cleaning off the birth fluids from the new-born calf. We all watched in amazement as she continued licking the calf until it was shiny and clean. The inborn nature to survive was evident as the little one struggled to get up. After several attempts, the calf was up on all four wobbly legs. 

The mother lowed softly, “maaa,” “maaaa,” as she gently licked her calf and nuzzled it toward her bulging ripe udders, encouraging it to latch on and nurse.  It was important for the calf to get the first milk, the colostrum, to give it vital nutrition it needed and to bond with one another. 

  • the calf is all clean
  • having a snack after giving birth

We watched because of the fascination and miracle of birth, the miracle of life. It is the most commonplace of miracles, happening since the beginning of time. It is familiar yet phenomenal, timeless yet new. We also watched with apprehension because just days prior, the mother prolapsed and had to be stitched up. No one knew if the pressure of birth would make her prolapse again or if she and the baby would be in danger.

Though just one day old, born before the eve of the new year, the new-born calf is evidence of the gift of life, the hope of a new beginning. May your year be filled with new beginnings and the miracles life brings.

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Cousin Donna

One of my fondest memories from the trip my sister and I took across the country in 1975 was our visit with Cousin Donna Marie. We pulled up in her yard in our old beat up jalopy and she ran out to meet us. Though she was close in age to my mother, she had the energy of a teenager. We immediately knew we were kindred spirits and would have the time of our lives.

Donna Marie was always ready to head out on an adventure. First, we explored the area where she lived in Brookings, Oregon. We rode to the coast and climbed down the cliffs and explored tidal pools teeming with life. Waves of the Pacific Ocean crashed onto the beach and showered the rocky pinnacles just offshore. The wind whistled through natural bridges created by years of water and wind pounding the rugged cliffs. We wandered up and down narrow trails in awe of the wonder of creation. It was like walking through an ancient wonderland of sagious Sitka Spruce trees. Moss draped from low hanging branches and over open archways like whiskers hanging from an old man’s chin. The sound of the ocean was hypnotizing. We had to pull ourselves away from the scenes and sounds that drew us like a magnet.

  • Natural Bridge
  • Donna Marie
  • Sis & me after lugging that piece of driftwood up the cliff
  • Sis looks really small next to that huge tree

We made random stops and explored along the Pacific Coastline as we drove to Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. The park, established in 1929, is named for Jedediah Smith who was the first white man to explore the interior of Northern California in the 1820’s. We pitched our tent on a soft bed of layers of decomposing Redwood needles and camped in the old growth of Redwoods. Our food was cooked over a campfire surrounded by river rocks, the limbs of the Redwood titans far above us reaching into the sky. We met up with other cousins and swam in the cold Smith River.

  • Campfire in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
  • Cousins

Our adventure took us to Crescent City, California where we saw evidence of the Tsunami of 1964. We gathered for lunch, met cousins we had never seen before and made a shaky human pyramid. We visited a sawmill and toured a house made of all kinds of wood. An elaborate staircase led upstairs to several rooms, the walls and floor of each covered with a different kind of wood. My favorite was the room of curly redwood. The rich colors and smells still linger in my memory.

After other adventures, it was time to continue north. We pulled out of Cousin Donna Marie’s driveway a lot richer because of the bond of friendship and family. We knew our paths would cross again.

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Sandy

I must have been a good girl this year because Santa stopped at our house. He brought a guest to stay with us. His name is Sandy. He is short and round and loves to eat. In fact, he eats so much, his little belly gets full and he has to stop and rest. We fixed up his own room to make him comfortable. Sandy is still getting accustomed to the house. I think he finds it a bit overwhelming. He seems to be a bit confused at times. He enters a room, bumps into things and turns around in circles like he doesn’t know if he’s coming or going. After wandering around the house for a while, having a snack, and exploring, he heads back to his bed to rest.

Sandy is supposed to earn his keep by doing some of the cleaning. He seems to really enjoy helping. He zips here and there, humming all the time. His little eyes twinkle sometimes and his big round nose shines. Though he tries his best to help, he sometimes misses a few spots. I guess he’ll get the hang of it once he gets in a routine. 

I think we’ll keep him. He’s more fun than a watching a kitten play with a ball of yarn or a puppy chase a laser pointer. Now where did Sandy the Roomba go? 

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Tasty Treats

I thought I’d share a few recipes for new appetizer favorites I added to my holiday table this year. 

Spicy Pecans
Beat 1 egg white with 1 T. water and ½ tsp. vanilla. Stir in 1 pound of pecans (I use a mixture of pieces and halves). Stir in 1 c. sugar, 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Spread on a baking sheet. Bake 1 hour, stirring at 15-minute increments. These are great to add to a green salad or just for a snack. I made a cranberry salad topped with a cream cheese mixture and topped it with the spicy pecans. It was delish! Warning: these are addictive.

  • Spiced pecans on the left, Cranberry salad topped with spiced pecans in the middle to the left

Snowman Cheese Ball
Mix up your favorite cheese ball but shape it into balls like a snowman. Roll each part in finely shredded white cheese. I used Monterey Jack. Place the snowman on a bed of shredded white cheese. Use toothpicks to hold it in place. Use peppercorns or chocolate chips for eyes and mouth, a baby carrot for its nose, pretzel arms, tin cup hat, ribbon, etc. I served it with crackers and Raspberry Jalapeno Jam which was really yummy.

Raspberry Jalapeno Jam
6 c. raspberries
3 c. sugar
1/3 c. chopped jalapenos
3 T. lemon juice
Stir sugar into raspberries and let set 5 minutes (longer if you use frozen berries) for sugar to dissolve. Stir in jalapenos. Cook to 220°. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. 

  • White grape juice with Berry Sparkling Water, snowman cheese ball

Festive Holiday Drink
I had been wanting a beverage dispenser, so I broke down and ordered one from Amazon. I wanted to prepare a festive holiday drink. The directions for use of the dispenser says “no hot liquids” so my usual hot spiced cider was not an option. 

Put washed and sorted cranberries into dispenser. (I froze some of the cranberries and added them to the mixture to keep the drink cold.)  lime slices. Options are limitless for what goes in next. You can just use water or juice but you can add a little umph to it. Try frozen juice concentrate but mix in sparkling water instead of regular water. I used Berry Sparking Water. Since I used it for Christmas, I wanted a light colored drink so the red and green would shine through. Frozen white grape juice concentrate or lemonade concentrate works great and tastes great. I haven’t tried it with apple juice yet but I’m sure it would be yummy. 
Note: If you use sparkling water, make your holiday drink in small batches. It doesn’t taste very good left over because it goes really flat.

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Grandma Almost Got Run Over by a Running Deer

“Where are we going?” “It’s a secret!” The girls were surprised when my Jeep turned south. I think they were a bit surprised, too, when I pulled into the park of a neighboring town just minutes after our departure. Lunch was already spread out on a picnic table. My daughter had gone ahead of us and had everything ready. After a nice lunch, my granddaughter, Viv, joined us for the rest of our adventure and we were off again. 

We took some back roads to get to our destination – Barnsley Gardens. Santa checked us in at the gate. He was round and jolly with rosy cheeks and a red nose. The only thing missing was his red suit. It must have been at the dry cleaners that day. He asked about our visit and we told him we were on a “destination unknown” adventure. His belly jiggled when he laughed but he must have been impressed because he told us to drive on through, find a place to park and enjoy our visit. So, we did.

After parking, we walked to the office to pay for our tour. I got to the desk to pay and the attendants asked if we had paid at the gate. “No.” They looked a bit surprised and said, “Well, I guess the tour is complimentary. Just enjoy yourselves.” So, we did. We walked around the Manor House Ruins and Gardens. Spike provided our entertainment for the day. She fell off a tree and got slung out of a hammock. Of course, we laughed.

  • Barnsley Gardens & Manor House Ruins
  • The girls
  • Spike fell off the tree
  • Spike got thrown out of the hammock

I had one more surprise for the girls. They followed me to the Outpost. The girls looked at one another nervously when I stepped up to the counter and said I wanted to rent kayaks. The attendant asked if we had paid at the gate. “No. Can we pay here?” “There should be someone down by the lake.” We picked out lifejackets and paddles and headed toward the trail that led to the lake. As we crossed the wooden bridge, all we saw were kayaks and canoes. There were no attendants to be seen, so we called the Outpost to find out what to do and who to pay. They said, “Well, I guess it’s complimentary. Just enjoy yourself and kayak as long as you want.” So, we did. It was fun. We raced, laughed, splashed and enjoyed the relaxing scenery and calm water. Since we were on a schedule, we couldn’t stay as long as I would have liked. We headed to shore. Spike had more entertainment for us. She had an altercation with the kayak when she slipped, fell IN the kayak and busted her nose. When I got out of the kayak, I was soaked. My britches sloshed when I walked. The girls laughed because it looked like I had an accident.

  • Spike resting before busting her nose
  • the bridge
  • successful surprise excursion

With our kayaks secured, we headed back to the Outpost to return our equipment. We had to cross the wooden bridge that was over a narrow part of the lake. Viv was about halfway across the bridge with me right behind her. The other girls were at the edge of the bridge. My granddaughter stopped and said, “Oh my!” Just a few feet in front of her was a deer. It pawed at the wooden bridge and put its head down. The deer was scared and had a crazed look in its eyes. It took a couple of steps closer. All of a sudden, the deer was standing on its hind legs with its front legs swinging madly in the air. I just knew it was going attack my granddaughter.  In one swift movement, the deer jumped. No, it flew! The judge, who had stepped onto the bridge, held her paddle up and slung it toward her daughter to protect her from deer and almost knocked the poor kid’s teeth out! The other two girls backed up out of the way. The deer landed right beside the judge and disappeared into the woods. It all happened so fast, it seemed unreal. We all started talking at once and laughing. Any of us girls will attest that deer really can fly. We all stood in amazement. My first thought was, “Man! I missed the perfect picture.” There was no time for me to grab my camera or my phone.  When we returned the equipment, we gave the animated version of our tale to the attendant then headed to our next destination.

If you have any doubt, let me just say that deer really can fly! I know because Grandma almost got run over by a running deer before it took flight. So Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!