packing and coughing...

 the coughing is improving a bit i think though.  not taking as many drugs, though i did have to leave a few rooms at work for coughing spasms.  above is at the dog park.  these are cracks made during the earthquake. 

 spent both my shifts in the ER.  lots of ambulances. steady not crazy bad though i think.  just managed the dog park between shifts. 

 liked the sun through the tree bark.

 the larch have got baby needles on them.  one of the few in the needle bearing family that shed those needles each year.  the buds are pretty red/pink color.

 we are set to head out for a paddle in Prince William Sound Thursday.  early.  a few of us work the night before.  may not even be worth sleeping.  maybe just walk the dogs and finish packing and try for a second wind.  maybe just plan on crashing hard that night..on the ground in tents not always the most comfy sleep.

 so i was packing and just getting things together.  have camped a lot in my day so you sort of just go through what you need.  right now i opened the Yakima,which is still in the garage, and I'm using that as the staging for packing. so much stuff needed...just remembered fuel.

 could be chilly, especially at night so will have to pack extra layers...rain?  not sure what the weather is looking like...as long as it's not blowing I'll be happy. tossed in my 4 season tent...may take a minute to remember how to set it up.

 living in Alaska i find i have several types of everything....maybe that just goes with the active life.  i have a backpacking tent.  small and lightweight, the 4 season tent and then a car camping tent for space and comfort.  lots of variety of packing bags since each trip seems to have it's own requirements....back packs, dry bags, duffles, rollers. this one is dry bags.  always amazing how much crap can fit in a kayak.  you see a huge pile of all the gear on a beach and somehow you have to make it fit.  i think the tent will get bungee'd on to the deck. 

 we will paddle Harriman Fjord.  it's been several years since I've been there.  always interesting to see how far the glaciers will have receded. i know the Cascade, Cox and Byron Glaciers are no longer tide water..or at least that is what i heard.  i also heard the camping area around those was destroyed by a wash out...major.

 the rest of these are more of the Mayan Ruins from Mexico.  always fun filling in gaps with old photo's that never got to share previously. 

 we have to leave Anchorage early enough to hit the tunnel right for our water taxi out of Whittier. i also will need to pick up my friend, who is in from Hawaii so bike dependent...and then head to our other friends to load up one kayak on my rig.

 we just missed these crowds at both of the sights we visited.  as soon as they arrived we were already heading out.  we got lucky in both places.

 still working out my footwear for this trip.  mostly just the boots...should grab some camp shoes as well. 

 termite homes....looks like lots of termites in Mexico

 Happy Mothers Day.  grateful to my Mom for all she did and sacrificed for us.  my memories are mostly of her singing and happy.  our childhood was pretty carefree...that is a great gift.  we were always safe, secure and able to explore and develop.  we got lots of beach time in Laguna.  we weren't well off, but honestly, as a kid we had no clue really.  we had it pretty good. 

 lots of great Mom's out there.  doesn't look like an easy job.   I'm not a Mom....not by choice really, just how life went. i think my 20's i was more about exploration and figuring out my path.  i think at the time i felt like i was looking for a partner, but i pretty much drove them off....lots of fun was had, but never felt like i met the keeper...having kids on my own was a passing thought at times. being single is not always easy, but being a single parent looks really tough. 

 some do it...some plan it that way and they do great, but it is a lot. the world needs great humans and great parents are the best hope for that i think.  it takes a lot of patience, love, sacrifice, time and money.  people often bag on big families, but it was more fun growing up with a crowd i think.  we don't all get along now, but at least i have some spare siblings to help share the load.  what a drag if there are only two of you and you don't get along. 

 in this world some are really great parents and they should be supported and appreciated for helping bring good humans in...others, well I've met some pretty lousy parents through my work.  being a parent is not required. not everyone has what i takes to do it well.  some just should not do it at all. 

 when I've dealt with kids/babies who were abused so badly they died, a part of me feels some relief for the little one....saved from a live of torture from horrible people.  i guess for me our bodies are simply a carrier for our souls. I'm grateful that i was given a healthy body overall to pass my days with.  many struggle with health their entire lives.  life is not fair for sure.  everyone has their own trials, be they mental, physical, financial, drugs, alcohol...we all have lessons to attempt to learn.  some do better than others i guess finding their way.

 good Moms, good Parents...help us have the tools to accomplish the most we can with this short life we are given.

 those who don't have kids, like myself, do have a role in parenting.  i think all adults can "parent"...in the it takes a village idea.  you never know, even as my role as a nurse, when something you say or do will have a positive impact on someone, young or old, who is struggling.  i try not to feel "less than" because i did not bring children in to this world or raise others.  i try to have a positive impact on those around me.  try to support others and i always figured the singleton in the family is somehow a built in back up plan.  i am thankful  i haven't been needed...my family have been healthy and vibrant and able to carry out their task as parents.

 most of them would not have wanted to utilize me in this way anyway due to the religion thing i suspect...but still, i felt that was my back up role and would have done whatever was needed.

 i have been very proud of all my siblings in their roles as parents.  they seem to have followed my Mom in how easy they have been with their love, laughter and embracing their roles as parents. 

 heading to the other Ruin, well back to our van.

 after a few more stops to see some art on the Mayan Ruins

 he was telling us what these were depicting, of course, i can't recall.  he did say they would add right over the top of the structure every 50 years of so. so many are layered with art underneath.  new leader, new art i guess.

 plants and weather so different from AK.

 wouldn't mind some warm weather while we are paddling.  just looked at Whittier forecast, looks like rain every day.  :-(  hope that doesn't turn out to be true. 

 we loved these big pink flowered trees. they were all over the place

 driving to the next place.

 just scenes along the way.

 I'm sure i should be packing more right now, but you gotta take a break.  i need sleep.  hope to work more on it over the next few days so i can just load and go

 more pink trees

 my furs are sleeping.  i do miss them when i have to leave them.  such cuties.  the weather in Anchorage looks like it will be nice while we are gone.  haha. of course.

 kids playing some soccer

 thatched roofs. i guess they last longer than i expected...still think strong wind or a big quake would greatly reduce the longevity

 arriving at the next ruin.

 it looked more jungle like here. 

 i shall dream of packing but i shall head to bed for some much needed sleep.  i also "cleaned" out the car a bit.  it doesn't look at all clean but at least it's less caked with grime.  it's a dog car for sure.  loaded with mud and sand and whatever else it has run into over the past 10 plus years I've had it.

 check out the spikes on this tree trunk.  ouch!!

grateful for: A.  my Mom, her Mom before her and so on.  i think we've had a long line of good parents.  i have benefited from a long line of wonderful mothers raising the next generation of wonderful Moms.  B. all those mothers out there who love, sacrifice and give their all to help the next generations of humans  C.  animal Moms too...it's easy to forget how much Moms in the wild do for their young.  they often have a short time to teach survival skills and have many dangers to protect their littles from.  D.  that I've been able to raise some really good dogs....i know it ain't kids, but a good dog, well behaved, is a good thing in society. :-)