enjoying the last of the winter trails...

not much happening at this end. taking long walks to enjoy the last of the snow before it turns to total mush/slop/mess out there. it's getting a bit rough and i suspect by next week i'll be avoiding all trails and trading in my winter boots for my brand new xtra tuffs. gotta love cost co...they figure out what the people want and there it is. doubt they sell xtra tuffs in any other state but alaska. if you don't know what they are they are neoprene boots, the fishermen wear them. i bought my first pair in ketchikan. there it is fashionable to roll down the boots for regular wear. you were teased in ketchikan with your new xtratufs....you had to break those so everyone knew you were a local. mine are currently duct taped...which is fine, but for real boat time it's best if they don't have holes in them. the holes showed up along the fold, but hey they lasted a long time and i'm a ketchikan girl when it comes to extratufs so i again rolled em down.

todays walk took me along rovers run to moose meadow to the connector trail to homestead trail to coyote trail to moose track and finally to old rondy trail and back to the trailhead. are you lost yet? i'd guess i did 5-7 miles, not sure. there is a landing strip in campbell airstrip trail area...big surprise with the name and all. we used to walk the strip more. they upgraded it and are less welcoming to foot traffic, though it looks like this year more folks were back out there than in the past few years. our main airport is right on the coast so it's pretty vulnerable if and when we have a big quake. really when...not if. this runway could be used in the event the main airport is shut down. i've only ever seen one plane land there. that was when kelly and i were walking it years ago. it was a plane with ski's on as it was winter.

the first three pictures are from the connector trail between moose meadow and homestead. as you can see it was beautiful out. first is some bird nest. too small for an eagles nest i'd guess. perhaps a hawk of some sort. above is the moss in the tree's. looks like hair up close. kinda cool looking.

i didn't see any moose on the trail today, which is kinda odd for how long i was out. i did see this bald eagle near the creek. i've seen them hang here before and half expected to see one today. so i took a few pics of him.

the dogs are beat. i skipped my swim today as i was a bit sore from yesterdays 33 laps and had a headache which was making me feel a bit nauseated.

i did manage to get outside several times to try and break up snow. there are big piles on either side of the driveway so i kept tossing it onto the driveway so it would melt and drain into the road. we've gotten into the mid 40's all week. the sun shines for longer and longer which is sweet!!

below is where coyote trail crosses the road over to campbell science center and changes to moose track.

my friend scott stopped by. hopefully, he and his wife will be able to join us on the roadie to deadhorse. haven't seen him for a bit so excited to catch up and hear they want to come.

i always love the signs on the trails and roads...watch for aircraft, mushers have right of way. just seems so alaskan.

the next two were also taken on that connector trail.

went through an old photo album last night and put in several pictures of my family. i have then been posting them on facebook...seems the easiest way to give everyone who would want them access. so much easier than how it all used to be...you'd have to make everyone copies. now i'm wondering if i should just bite the bullet and throw out all the old negatives. seems absurd that i still have all of them. i remember my grandpa always saved them all...eventually we just tossed them. i have so much crap and so need to have a serious purge session.

we had our final monday walk this week. just tanya and i. it was again lovely out, but since it'll get sloppy we thought we'd make it the last official walk of the season. we'll start it back up in the late fall. it's been totally successful for 2 years. we thought perhaps we'd try for some big hikes this summer. we'd just announce on facebook when and where to meet. maybe just a few times/month? who knows. we'll see. it would be nice to get in some long hikes with groups so that we can scare off the bears better. i'll have to take rio for short morning walks and then settle her in. she always seems to do poorly in the summers. probably just too many obstacles and it hurts more when she misses the trail. the snow pack is just a soft landing place for her. i think she overheats in our hot summers too. (i use the term hot loosely as hot here is rarely over 70 degrees)

anyway...here is the final monday walk picture. blossom always insists i get the toy out and then the toy is taken by one of the dogs and she just follows them around hoping they will bore of it and drop it for her. she just looks so pathetic and hopeful in this picture with boddhi.

enjoyed playing the guitar as i waited for pictures to load today. my fingers are a bit sore from the steel string guitar, but i do enjoy playing. haven't been as dedicated to my guitar and music writing since i left ketchikan, but i think it's time i turn off the tv more and get back to writing music and lyrics. i'm not great, but good enough. it's something i have enjoyed in the past and no doubt would enjoy more if i just did it. i think living in anchorage has been the cause of my lack guitar playing. there is just more to do and i've never found that place to play that encouraged me to write so i could perform. maybe i'll plan on taking the guitar to deadhorse and that may inspire me to write some related music.

in south dakota i played at a little cafe/coffee place and in ketchikan there was the monthly grind through the non-tourist months.

holy crap it's late again. may pop in my netflix movie and try and at least get a bit watched.