Happy Belated 4TH

 I've got to get ready for work soon...and cook for Ivy Rose.

 here is what her canine now looks like, much shorter, but will hopefully heal up and keep the upper jaw stable.  he said it was pretty bad in there.  dogs tolerate much more than we do. 

 she is doing well, she is still on a soft diet but she doesn't seem to feel that any more of a break from tennis balls is needed.  the vet did not specify about tennis balls and i forgot to ask about it.  have tried to keep her at less tennis ball time the last few days.

 I'll cook up some more rice and burger for tonight and tomorrows meals.  then i mix it with canned dog food.

 we have just done the dog park the last two days.  crazy hot out there.  i guess the sun angle and time up here does make it feel hotter.  my friend was telling me about an article that explains why 80 up here feels much hotter than 80!

 regardless, i am totally adapted to cooler weather and this feels pretty miserable.  hate to complain about heat....happy there are no big fires and bad air to contend with though.

 above is the cabinet style and color that i have selected.  need to get those door/drawer pulls as well.  so the photo is the exact look i am going for.  now i need to select the back splash and counters.  as well as sink and lighting. 

 also purchased this fridge so i need to clear a space in the garage for it as well.  put the pool table on next door and have also placed the drums up for sale on facebook.  i have a deadline now so i better work a bit harder to part with them.  bummed as i like them both, but don't use them enough to justify the space they take up in my life at this point. 

 need to declutter life.  too much crap has built up.  i do love a good purge. I'm sure my neighbors do as i place items outside for free.

 these are from Homer.  on the spit and then a drive out of town a bit.

 these are the harbor

 i am finally done looking at my pictures from Valdez. 

 back to work tonight.   tried to nap, but it wasn't successful.  oh well. 

 typical, Ivy sitting on top of Tusker.

 they fared pretty well last night.  i shut the window and then put dvd's of "big bang" on extra loud to block out the sounds of illegal fireworks in the area.  they don't seem scared they just want to bark at the noise.

 hopefully, they do okay tonight while I'm at work. 

 i suspect the fact that the holiday was on a Wednesday may have helped keep the noise level down. maybe this weekend people will go play with all the fireworks they didn't play with last night.

 joined friends at a bbq last night.  chill day.

 these are on the spit.  love to stop and take photo's here, as do most other folks who like photography.  especially when the lupine is out.

 lots of hiking on these pretty days, enjoy seeing all the trails via the facebook hiking page.

 it was a sad day yesterday on the trails though. 

 at Byron Glacier Hike a 32 year old woman was with family on the hike and they stopped to snap pictures in the snow caves.  sadly, the cave collapsed and it sounds like it crushed her.  cpr was attempted and all but she did not survive according to reports.  we do lose quite a few folks on their Alaskan adventures.

 a 5 year old was lost at Worthington glacier on a hike with his family.  a rock fell and hit him in the head.  he did not survive either.

 a couple was found to have died in Wrangel/St Elias park.  they missed their plane pick up and upon searching their packs were found by a creek/river edge just a few miles from where they had initially been dropped i think.  their bodies were found down river.  it's assumed they got swept away and drowned.

 it can happen to any of us at any time. 

 still we go out into those woods. 

 one of our hospitalists was attacked by a bear a few weeks ago while camping.  all reports say he will recover fine.  these are always good reminders to be cautious out there.

 the lupine just always looks so cool with these old wooden boats.

 their sea faring days are over.  now they at least get to see the oceans they once rode proudly.

 looked cool to be out there riding horses at low tide

 this boat is on land

 took a hike inland.  this sign posted directions to the meadow...the arrow pointed to the outhouse..made me laugh as once when i was a kid my dad announced he was going to go "view the meadow".  i did not get the meaning and wanted to join him.  i was then mocked endlessly for wanting to join my dad when he went to pee.  just another time i attempted to chill with my dad that went off course.

 the state flower, forget me nots

 views of Kachemek bay from the trail i was on.

 quite a few flowers out that day...just getting started really.

 trail made of dandelions

 saw a few moose along the way.

 this one was pretty protective of her baby so this is as good as i got of them

 more views

 the end of the bay.

 guessing this was caused by drunk driving. the big bear in the front seat was holding an empty bottle of vodka.

 old cars.

 more of the bay

 a few photo's taken by my boat mate on the Valdez glacier trip.  looked cute.

 thankfully, we did not have any life threatening incidences on our trek. 

grateful for: 1. warm summer days  2.  purging 3.  crunch times...it's when i actually get stuff done.  i need to call the construction guy and let him know i ordered cabinets so he can really start to plan to fit my project in.