it's raining and i need to get motivated..

 so i'm delaying the day by writing a blog entry.  once i'm out in the rain i do fine..it's getting there that is not the easiest.  these are still from my trek north to Fairbanks/Denali/Nenana.

 the boys of Denali were sparring and from what i hear they are starting to spar a bit down here in Anchorage as well.

 i head back to work tonight so i'll save the bigger hikes for next stretch off.  hoping to hit a few of my favorites.

 guess one of the Miss America contestants is a nurse and for her talent she just did a monologue of a story about her interaction with a patient.  she didn't become Miss America but she did find many nurses who related to her story and a few talk show hosts that didn't.  they made fun of her and her "doctors stethoscope" that she wore around her neck.  it's not the first time someone has been misinformed about nurses and stethoscopes.

 one day i was walking with a friend of a friend.  she began telling me that she'd gone to her doctors office and this nurse was, "listening to her heart with a stethoscope like she knew what she was doing"...she was mocking and rude about it.  i gently reminded her that i too was a nurse and that i own several stethoscopes and that i use them quite often during my 12 hour shifts and do have a clue what i am listening to.   the hosts of "the view" are currently being slammed by nurses across America.  perhaps they will learn a lesson...or perhaps one day they will find themselves or a loved one in a hospital dependent on a nurse for their care, for the evacuation of their bowels and bladder, for the ability to turn side to side, for nutrition via a tube in their nose, they will find themselves or a loved one dependent on nurses for their very breath and heart beat via tubes and drips...may they be so lucky as to avoid this, but eventually, it seems, we all will come face to face with a nurse in one way or another.  a nurse is rarely appreciated until that day comes.

 so i will head back to work tonight with my scrubs and stethoscope in hand....

 in sad news, i am hearing news of a small otter crashing outside of Illiamna.  while it sounds like most of those aboard survived, some with serious injuries...a few have passed away. tourists i believe.  always very sad to hear of these small planes crashing and my heart goes out to the families of those lost and to the survivors who must have been terrified and no doubt continue to be traumatized by the events of this morning.

 small planes are a risk at times. i prefer them to the big jets...in many ways that is an irrational concern.  the small planes do  fly lower and seem to have more places or opportunities to land so there seems to be more of a chance of survival.  the big planes go down and hundreds are killed instantly.  flying is still an easy way to travel.  i'm not keen on flying plus i also know that those big planes use a great deal of fuel to get from place to place so not the most environmental mode of transportation.

 these are in Nenana.

 in other sad news...apparently, National Geographic has sold off 73% interest in their company.  this also changes Nat Geo from a non-profit, which it has been for 127 years to becoming a for profit corporation.  even worse is that they sold out to a company owned by the Rupert Murdoch family...deniers of global warming and clearly not the most environmental of groups.  the fox corporation had already taken over the running of the Nat Geo channel and the programming there has deteriorated....will the essence of Nat Geo be destroyed?

 i already noted a disturbance in my last Nat Geo magazine.  they are changing and adding "investigative reporting" this sounds lovely...get the back guys, but Nat Geo has always  been a trusted source for information. will this change now?  will their reporters and photographers be as welcome in the worlds most remote and beautiful places if they are deemed suspicious and out to get people rather than just teaching and informing.

 the world keeps changing and not always for the good.

 this is the old train depot in Nenana...liked the sepia for these shots.

 loved the tin ceilings too...although the truth is the original design had no such thing apparently, but they thought it would look nice...it does, it's just not historically correct, though i had already snapped the photo's before chatting with the guy who worked there.

 hopefully i will get myself motivated and pop over to the post office. i have 3 packages to mail.

 the victim of the bear mauling was sent down to Seattle.  rumors are he will need a new face.  sounds bad.  that is like 5th hand though, but we generally don't send too many folks south so it must be pretty bad.  or it could be the guy just wanted to go south and has lots of cash.  who knows.

 a few hunters are said to be missing up north...these are two different situations.  the weather is not good, with snow and cold temperatures so not sure that there will be a good outcome.  at least one of the hunters was reportedly not really prepared for the weather and temperatures.

 Kentucky County Clerk, Kim Davis, has been released from jail and is apparently back at work...seems nuts to have allowed her back to work after she'd refused to do the job she was getting paid to do.  seems that she should be put on leave until this is settled.  you are free to believe what you will but you can not force that upon others in a government office.  she needs to obey the laws of the land and allow God to do the judging in the next life, if it be so.  i believe that is what is taught in the bible anyway.  she is also free to go through legal means to try and alter the laws or use her own freedom of speech outside of her job.  if she is morally opposed to things going on at her chosen place of employment she is free to choose another place of employment.  that is my opinion on this situation.

 a hunting/reality show that filmed in Alaska is now being hit with poaching charges...if they poached our animals i hope the law can come down on them.  i'm opposed to all poaching and i'm opposed to those who take more than they can possibly use, even if it's a legal catch.  that includes those who fill several freezers only to be heard in the spring saying such things as, "i need to clean out my freezer to prepare for the fishing season".  if you had planned right there should be very little to clean out of said freezer.

 huge fires in California, sounds awful...saw a news piece that showed one small town, i think it was middletown that had been extremely devastated.  fires are horrible, i can't imagine what those poor folks are going through seeing their town be completely destroyed.

 liked this shot through the window...probably would have been cooler if i had not parked my modern car there...oh well.  it's such a cute car.

 old church in town.  always love an old wood church

 old train cars are scattered about as well.

 12 Mexican tourists were killed in Egypt.  they were supposedly not authorized to be in the area they were in and were mistaken for terrorists?  the government bombed the area i think is what happened.  probably won't be great for the tourism trade.  there are places that sound interesting to visit but it's just too unsafe.  i would be anxious...not a relaxing vacation as one would hope.  those poor tourists...again my heart goes out to those left behind who are no doubt devastated as they hear this news.

 moose in Denali National Park.

 always wanting to get a picture of one in the fall colors.  this is close...it will have to do for a bit, until another opportunity arises.

 i'm sure the snow level in Denali has come down since this day..the snow has fallen on our own Chugach Range here in Anchorage.  Termination dust we call it...summer is so over.

 may have to try and head for Seward or something this next weekend off.  see some fall colors on the Kenai.  will see what the weather does and how i feel.

 a grizzly bear was shot and killed outside of Nome and left to die.  wildlife troopers are seeking the person/s who are responsible.  failing to salvage meat is only a misdemeanor charge i guess....personally i think fines and any hunting priviledges should be stiffer. in August 3 young males were caught after killing another grizzly in the area and had to pay fines and go on probabtion.  it's never enough.

 these are out at point worzonof.  blossom and i always enjoy it there.

 a nice article about the Tustemena.  a ferry that has done the Aleutian run for years.  it was commissioned the year i was born, 1964.  apparently, the "trusty tusty" as it is known is showing it's age and one day will be replaced..the new ship has been designed...by the way the Tustemena also has a few other nick names..."rusty tusty" and i think another has to do with the tendency for the runs to be in rough waters and for vomiting to happen.  i rode out on this ship several years back. it was a great trip, one that i would happily repeat.  no vomiting on our ship run.

 Anchorage for Point Worzonof.

 getting through some papers from this week.  seems like i always combine my reading and my writing.  it's a relaxing way to waste time i guess.

 have been noticing that friends of pets has a few large dogs needing homes.  always tempting.  they have a dane and a St Bernard.  anyone looking for a big dog or two?

 King Cove road....i am mixed.  i don't think all that much damage will come from the building of this road, i also doubt much benefit will come of it considering the cost to build and to maintain.  my feeling has also been that when we choose to live remotely we choose to accept the risks of living remotely.  it's annoying to me that people move to remote places and then whine that they are not able to get to a big city fast enough for medical services and such. it's the same for me when people move to places like Alaska, filled with wildlife and then are annoyed that the wild life eat their plants or are in their yards.  it's just seemed silly to me.

 this last few are from Byron Glacier...always a pleasant walk

 guess i should get off this computer and see how busy the post office is...perhaps get Blossom and maybe Rio out for a walk.  we shall see.  nap time is always a good thing as well.

thankful for:  A.  rainy days and lazy days  B.  that i can read...many thanks to those who take the time to teach young kids this skill, many happy hours spent reading and i'm grateful that i can be informed on the events of the world C.  cheese...i love it.