another week has passed...

 

things move fast.  summer especially.  each day is appreciated though. here i am with my two pups, thanks to SH for photo's. 

my work stretch was all ICU except a few hours one night.  i was in ER that night but eventually i was pulled and moved back to ICU. 

there is lots of financial incentives to work overtime these days.  honestly, i would like to take advantage of it all but the shifts i do exhaust me most days. 

still, when winter comes around i should reconsider picking up some shifts just to help put myself in a better place with bills and all. pay off the summer and nagging leftovers. all in preparation for one day retiring...sooner than later, hopefully. 

i do not have huge retirement plans other than living the life i enjoy without the bother of working full time. something less taxing part time would even be okay for a few more years but this hospital gig is tough for those of us long in tooth as it were, though that phrase makes no sense and i probably have it wrong as i usually do.  the elderly are usually short of tooth. 

my days off are often filled with catch up sleep.  i did meet up with my friend last Sunday for a meal.  he will not be in town again for months so we enjoyed the meal more knowing it will be awhile.  

this past Sunday my friend and i attempted the Kenai Fjords whale watch tour.  it was a down pour the entire drive there.  we had decided that if they offered a refund or re-schedule we would take it.  they did.  it's a rare thing when they are willing to allow you to opt out for rough seas...so if they do.  take it.  anticipating rough seas i had taken a full dramamine, i usually only take 1/2 tab.  it's called less drowsy but i was more tired than i have been in ages. 

as we were in Seward anyway, we did a bit of shopping, something neither of us ever have time for when we are there.  on the way home we got a text from GT offering us some free salmon...not turning that down either.  so we made the stop and i was falling asleep chatting. i dropped into bed as soon as i got home and i slept for 4 hours. 

not much accomplished that day. slowly picking away at things. 

looks like with some help i may have some reliable pet sitters for upcoming visits.  so i may see if i can get one of them to do an overnight while my niece and her family are here and a few more days when a friend comes from CA. she takes her Birthday month off and on occasion she will turn up in Alaska.  :-) so CR will be coming late August to early September.  

SH and i had wanted to get on the Spencer rafting excursion and they do have an opening for the day after she arrives so we are booked there.  then she hasn't been to Kennicott and i've only gone once and not in the fall so they had one hotel room left.  booked.  hopefully, i can get us a little side trip to McCarthy.  she will then just be happy doing local hikes. she hasn't been to Hatchers Pass or Whittier so i'll take her on some hikes there. 

with my niece and crew we will get another happy trek down to Homer. never go wrong there. perhaps a water taxi across for a hike to the glacier lake.  we shall see how weather is and what they are interested in.  so the summer is not over yet.  :-)

lots of mushrooms popping up.  makes me happy.  so i've done a few mushroom walks on the trails near me. 

the last two nights i joined friends out at Dolly Varden cabin in Eklutna.  it's one of several public use cabins out there.  SH got lucky and found it open.  this one you can just drive up to.  only down side was it's a propane over wood stove heat.  imho they should be wood stoves unless the state supplies the propane or kerosene.  these are rented out all winter mostly and if you run out of fuel you could be in big trouble whereas there is wood out there to be found to keep you warm.  there were already comments where people went through their fuel quickly and had to leave early or be cold. 

we had cooler weather and rain so a wood stove would have  been perfect to just take the chill out of the air in the cabin.  we layered up and i think we were fairly comfy without any heat source but the other one they put up in the same area has a wood stove so that may be a good choice next trek if we find ourselves out there again.  that one would require the wagon but the trail is level.  

we had easy access to the lake and due to the wet conditions we just walked back and forth on the beach at this end of the lake. there are several other trail options out there. 

our friends daughter leaves for college in a few weeks so we got to take her with us so that was fun to laugh with her and catch up a bit before she takes off on her life's adventure. 

we played cards and i read until my battery died. 

since the cabin is drive up and fairly close i took the dogs for a walk here and then i loaded and ordered pizza from Moose's Tooth. so we ate a lot and enjoyed ourselves.  

the pups had a great time.  last night after 4 walks on the beach Ivy was limping slightly on her non-surgical leg so i skipped the last walk, even though the sun was finally out.  i played cards in the cabin and both dogs put themselves to bed...they were wiped out!! Ivy sleeps on my bed so i have to beat her.  i prepared and then took them outside for one last potty break then i make a beeline for my sleeping bag to beat Ivy.  she did help keep me warm though so i really can't complain too much. 

these are mostly photos from Independence Mine and local hikes

so now i go back to work tomorrow.  what have i gotten done? oops.  that is life i guess.  will try to do a few things tonight before i crash then it will all be between shift stuff. there are no more on calls. 

the masks have become such a strange battle for some on the right.  they have lost their minds as far as what makes us free in this or any other nation.  it's the sad reality of our days. 

no idea what the future brings.  one of the reasons i have always tried to enjoy each day.  i have all that money in a retirement fund but i have never felt like that is secure.  you just never know....it could all be gone and then i'll be up a creek without a paddle. 

our lives are not just ours.  we are all interconnected and sadly, we are connected to a whole lot of idiots these days.  

caught much of the flowers in Hatchers Pass this day.  they are staggered across the state really, when the flowers pop, as well as fall colors, and mushrooms and everything else.  i just try to chase it around to catch what i can.  

haven't seen too many animals this year.  we shall see what will be in this years calendar. 

it seems like i always have enough pictures though. 

gotta pay some bills this evening and clean up some stuff and do a bit more on the stair rail. 

i'm cooking some chicken noodle soup right now.  i tend to do that if i get one of those cooked chickens at the store...like i did today. 

a shot at Byers Cabin.  with SH and TO. 

love these public use cabins.  great little escapes.

these guys are pretty good posers.  not much changes with them i guess. still love pictures of them

i can smell the soup cooking.  

i suspect i will sleep really well tonight. 

met this little guy out there. so cute. he didn't seem too concerned about me.  he got scared off by some tourists who didn't seem to catch that i was trying to get them to slow down and quiet down...i think they would have enjoyed seeing this little guy, but they scared him off. 

all that green!

when we were out these past few days you could already see some yellows coming in and reds.  not many but it's starting to happen already

it's a long drive to Kennicott but the fall colors will hopefully be great.  

will be good to have a few new petsitters to call on...not that i go away much but it does make it feel more possible.  i haven't left Ivy since her surgery.  

this below is one of my favorites of the season for sure. hopefully i can find a spot for it in this years calendar.  i still have tons of photos to look at from the big camera.  so lazy!!

still some cleaning/clearing to do.  maybe this fall later i can have a few nice days to put out some free stuff.  

pretty purple flowers. 

well i better keep unpacking, cleaning, doing the stairs, cooking and then head to bed.  

thankful for A. public use cabins and friends who invite me! B.  warm puppies on a cold night.  C. simple pleasures like food, cards, reading and laughter.