More Ninilchik, Alaska

Since it's my last day I took my camera with me on our run to the post office... Today was a "clam tide" (-2) and hundreds of people with buckets and shovels are on the beach

as far as you can see in either direction.

Probably the most photographed church in Alaska... Ninilchick was settled by a Russian missionary and his small flock in 1846. Many descendants of these original settlers still live here and services are still held in the Russian Orthodox Church..

And of course I had to take the obligatory moose photo as they are every where. They are not the least people shy and slowly graze so getting pictures is a snap literally. We saw 9 yesterday on our way to pick up octopus for halibut bait....

Of course my son did not start with a big beautiful lodge... He first had this pseudo lighthouse and 3 small cabins... That's a sand hill crane on the roof...

You can see in this shot from the next bluff over that his property sits high above the beach.. This lighthouse and the small cabins are now used for staff...

And one of the people who always brings great joy to my life is my gorgeous daughter-in-law Vivian... My son is so lucky to have her as his life partner.... besides she "talks pretty". She was born and raised in South Africa and has a delightful accent... She's my favorite scrabble partner and I rarely beat her any more.

Where I'm at

This is my son's fishing lodge. My bedroom is on the lower left. Their living quarters are on the lower floor during the fishing season. The first guests of the season are arriving today and I leave tomorrow.

It is in Ninilchik, Alaska and sits on a bluff on the Cook inlet. The view is incredible as you see all the mountains across the inlet including two active volcanoes. They erupt occasionally disrupting all flights in and out of Alaska.. At this time of year the sky is full of eagles who feed on the low tides and at high tide soar in the air around the lodge... incredible for a bird lover like me... a sand hill crane landed on one of the cabins yesterday.

The guests actually sleep in lovely cottages and this is one pf the room on the main floor which are used for dining and socializing.... Each year they have a celebrity chef and the food is incredible... I used to come in the summers and do a lot of baking...not any more though...they are 18 hour days during season....

Max is the official lodge dog and is about 15 tears old and huge... I couldn't believe how gray he was this year.. I always think I'll never see him again when I leave. He is the most loving, gentle giant...

Progress on RR travel blocks....

I did get a lot done on Lisa's spring encrusted block between planes and enroute... The next step are more daisies and lots and lots of bees.


The last bee skep I made I used gold cording and on this one I used gold elastic cord which I really liked much better... Keep that in mind if you consider doing a skep...

I'll do the bees on the flight home... I have lots of beading left to do but will wait to get home to do that.... She has one bunny and there will be one more....

Since I've been here I've made progress on the hummers for Diane's block... The wings and tails are just one color so that will be a good traveling piece at this point....

How have I survived without these products?

This post is a thank you to my granddaughter Madi for expanding my life experience with tubes, jars and bottles.... When I visit here I stay in her old room... My bathroom has shampoo, one all-purpose lotion, and soap. Her bathroom and shower has numerous large baskets of all sorts of exciting, mysterious things that even when I read the labels I'm not sure where to use it... but at my age and my state if disrepair I can hardly go wrong... Unfortunately there is no manual for the use of all these products.

First some things are labeled "for women" and some are "for girls" so there was an obvious transition going on and not counting on miracles, I opt for the "women" products. I definitely want to try a tube of stuff that promises to restore sexy blond highlights for lustrous impact.. Even though my hair is gray it may help...sexy highlights have to be good at any age... among the other alternatives was a "solar power highlighter" which seemed a little scary.

Under the category of "maybe but what is it" ... a "phyto-marine lusterizer, a tube of "Bright Fun with shimmering sparkles"... hair or body? , or "moistrepair revival creme"... body or hair?.

Then there is the "unbelievable even to me category" which includes things like a "curling balm" which instantly intensifies and creates curls and a container that is labeled a "thickefy styler" and then defined it as "a coiffant epaissisant" which also seems a little scary.. Who makes up these words and can we use them in Scrabble..?

And edible items are represented with all sorts of things such as black cherries, nutmeg, mangoes, pomegranate, peach, papaya, etc. .... plus a gingerbread-scented lotion.

After perusing the baskets I will pass on all products alluding to my non-existent tan and settle on something that actually uses the word "shampoo", a sweet-pea-scented exfoliating body scrub which I needed after sitting next to "Private Itch" on the plane and the most promising tube called "Foot Bliss", a moisturising pomegranate foot butter... I love anything using the word butter that isn't fattening.....and maybe finish with a "take-me-away" tropical dream body mist.....

I have heard that Madi occasionally reads my blog although she has never left a comment.... YGG and thank you sweetie!!!!

Alaska

I made it to my son's in Alaska on 3 planes and a long drive. All went well except for my seat mate on the Seattle/Anchorage part... He had missed his first flight because security found brass knuckles in his luggage... He talked and drank non-stop and kept scratching and adjusting his private parts... The flight was full or I would have asked for another seat..

Barely got here and got an e-mail from DH who is minding my babies....all the sheep had gotten out. Molly and Morris ran away and came home all muddy, Molly got into the chicken food and I missed a kodak moment... Morris lifted his leg to pee for the first time.... I still have the rest of the week to go...