more teller road/nome

 in a way this days drive was stressful.  i found myself getting freaked out.  not sure if it was all the open space or the drop offs on the road between miles like 40-55.  i have grown more and more leery of heights.  freak.  some are from that evenings stroll on the beach.  loved this simple star fish shot.

 trying to get ready for this weekends fun.  headed to seward with friends for a night there and then a 24 hour backpack into lost lake and the cabin out there.  have never been so should be fun.  right now weather is back to hot, hot, hot.  amazing how intolerant one becomes to heat after living here for several years.

 teller in the distance.

 rio is even more intolerant to the heat. just a few treks to the dog park this week between shifts.  blossom can play in the lake and rio can wade.

 around teller.

 it was funny today as a family had one of those electronic boats on the water.  blossom kept swimming towards the thing.  she was quite curious about it all.  thankfully she didn't eat the thing.

 saw a few friends out there as well.  the float pool is nice in that i am meeting new people in the different units.  fun group last night in the ccu.  it was just me and two travel nurses.  when i got there i was asked if i'd do charge.  i've only worked there a few times and haven't done charge anywhere for years.  i just laughed.  they had the acc charge be charge over us as well.  it was fine.  good crew.  we had a pretty decent night and got to laugh a bit.

 have gotten quite a few things accomplished today.  some of it is avoidance.  i got my days off for kaktovik so i need to make a few calls tomorrow and see if there is a room available in the fancy hotel and if there is a seat left for those days on a plane.  hopefully, the plane is less of a dive than the hotel.  fingers crossed.  i just figure if all the stars line up i'll be seeing polar bears in a september...if not, i won't.  i also am off for fishing....thanks benita!!  so much to love about the float pool.  i never would have even asked in my old position.

 it's also great to listen to people complain and be able to just listen and not have a care.

 good for me as well as this does put me on my toes a bit more.

 a few shots of downtown nome.

 the clouds were pretty cool that night as well.  

 no idea if these pictures did it any justice.

 got a package together for natalie.  she's headed to south america someplace to help with a spay and neuter clinic there.  there is a great nurse in the er who salvages medical supplies that would be trashed and distributes them to various volunteer groups.  so i was able to get them all connected.  had to get that shipped off.

 made a few cairns. always fun

 enjoyed lunch with a friend today and am getting ready soon to join another friend for dinner.  then i gotta come home to pack for this weekend.  get stuff ready for scott to crash here and keep an eye on rio catalina. this hike would be far too difficult for rio.

 kept meaning to go inside and check out the new hospital in nome, but this was as close as i got.

 worked in the emergency department my other 2 night, one night i got floated to peds icu half way through.  always takes me a few minutes to get back into er mode.  it's just a different pace.

 just some scenery shots from the road.

 stopped and got lots of flower pictures.  so beautiful.

 there is such variety out there on the tundra.

 you just have to wander around a bit and there will be a new patch of a totally different flower.

 got my yakima off the car myself and put a bunch of bumper stickers on that i have been collecting. i hadn't thought i could remove and replace it myself, but it went pretty easily really. i got pretty dirty.  gotta get changed before i meet anita for dinner.  great to have so many friends from all the different places and parts of my life.  some friends just become a part of you and despite how long it's been since you've seen them you are right back where you were.

 great to have people know you so well....and still actually like you.  haha

 not sure why it's so easy for me to avoid things like planning and packing for trips...i enjoy the trips, but it just seems like the planning and packing are a job.

 the chickweed is starting to take over the backyard again. the garden is not pretty.  oh well.  there was a  thought of putting out the bucks and getting it looking nice.  nome and kaktovik may wipe out the garden budget and house budget.  in the end...i'm chill having a less than perfect yard and enjoying a few cool trips.

 these are always one of my favorites...so pretty and delicate. the colour helps too.

 so dinner and then pack the backpack.  the tent is in the car for camping in seward and a few chairs.

 guess that is a start.

 haven't really read the news, kept falling asleep before i got past page two.  maybe i'll catch up a bit tomorrow.  it could be i don't catch up til next week though.

 getting close to finished with these nome shots, then i can try and catch up with the various local hikes and this weekends backpacking.  summer is busy and i will always be behind.  there is always winter to catch up and relax.  i will be so ready for a break from summer by then.

 patches of pretty blue flowers!!

 these are another favorite. never made it out to see the wild irises near eklutna.  every year you do what you can.  there is so much up here that you will always miss some stuff. then you just try to catch it another year.  summers fly past.  the weather this summer is pretty fabulous. i know i complain of the heat but it really is a fabulous summer with all this sunshine.

 it's human nature to complain i think. i do try to avoid it overall.

guess i better get ready for dinner and then i have that to do list to try and tackle.  have a good one and hope you are enjoying nome...i know i did!!