sunsets and planes and stuff.

 long day it seems.  got quite a bit accomplished in some ways so all is good.  a little social, a walk or two and a lovely sunset.  cruised over to Point Worzonoff, always a popular spot to head for sunset and plane viewing.

 i'm not always keen on riding inside these big boys, but they are fun to watch take off and land.  that is Denali in the background above.

 Blossom gets on these kicks where she decides she just must pee at 3 am.  i usually take the opportunity once i've dragged myself out of bed to look for northern lights.  no such luck...just a middle of the night wake up.

 then i had to awaken early just to get to that Dr appointment.  i have met my deductible for the year so the out of pocket cost today...$14- he gave me a discount...i suspect that is because i'm a nurse.  very nice!  i have an MRI scheduled for friday.  rule out a possible torn meniscus.  so hopefully i will know more next week.  if it's repairable, surgery i guess.  could also just turn out to need some sort of steroid injection..we shall see.

 Denali again above.

 few email returns today so i emailed a few folks back about our little WARIS project.  looks like some environmental groups have started a bid to protect the walrus further north from encroachment by the oil and gas industry.  Go Team Walrus.  WARIS is for sure about Round Island and the Walrus Islands Sanctuary but i have also always known that we would also be an advocate for Walrus everywhere!!  trying to make walrus cool, one person at a time.  could take some time, but i do have some to spare i guess.

 we all have our little bit to play to make the world a better place.  mine is walrus.

 i suspect that woman who had terminal brain cancer wanted to leave her mark as well, she chose assisted suicide and the right to a planned and dignified death. i responded to a facebook post by a niece.  i'm sure i was a bit harsh in expressing my opinion about it.  did send a consiliatory note to try and smooth it over.  better to back off and let stuff go a bit. which she had done...which i must say i was proud of her as last time she posted something that got heated she ranted back that she had posted it just to put her opinion out there and didn't want to hear any other counter opinions...

 i just feel that people should have the option to plan their deaths from terminal illness.  i see so much death in my work and it could be done so much better.  there are several steps involved in this process going forward and from what i've read the vast majority of people who actually get the prescriptions rarely actually use them.  i suspect they are simply comforted by the fact that they have that option in the event that things go poorly.  it's control

 mostly i suspect peoples pain is adequately controlled overall by their regular prescriptions. people do like control.  i have seen many times in my years of nursing patients who seemed impossible to get control of their pain, i call and get a patient controlled pain method for them.  the funny thing is, often as soon as they have the button and the power to control their own pain, they don't use it, they are now comfortable and fall asleep.  so all along it wasn't the pain, it was the control.

 was just hearing of these fighters who have entrenched in battling ISIS.  they aren't letting them take their city.  it's everyone who was willing to fight, all seen as equals in the battle, men and women.  they know how brutal ISIS can be by reputation and they all carry some way to kill themselves rather than get captured and brutalized by ISIS.  i suspect having this also helps them be braver...they have the option to save themselves from a horrible death and instead take control of their own passing.  not good choices but i have to  say i  revere them for their bravery and courage.  i also want to keep these people in my prayers.

 it was really beautiful out there.  i suspected it may be so i came home from the Monday walk and grabbed Rio so she could walk along the beach with us.  i knew it would be any easy walk for her.

 more tiny waves...so pretty.

 happy i left Rio behind for the Monday walk today though.  it was pretty icy after the Chinook winds last night.  Just Lena and i out walking and braving the ice.  Thankful she has been willing to slow the pace and shorten the walk due to my knee.  want to just get this thing fixed if it can be and get back to my regular walking routine.

 Karen and Katie joined me for coffee...great to have you back Karen and loved the snickerdoodles Katie!!  :-)  the Monday coffee is sometimes my only socializing so i really appreciate it!!

 after the sunset i was able to get a few errands run....sunset was sometime around 4-4:30 i think.  anyway, the oil is changed, the dogs enjoyed a petsmart run and i stopped at the groceries.  need to get a few bills ready to get sent off but i can post those in the am.  it's Veterans Day so no mail tomorrow.

 a big Thank You to those who serve and their families.  we live in a great country, we still have our share of issues, but for all the complaining it's overall peaceful and that is because we have a stellar military that watches over us and protects us.

 not much graffiti in Alaska, but Worzonoff has a bit of it.  i still want to get people to post their natural biodegradable WALRUS ROCK graffiti.

 should have done one today.

 downtown Anchorage....such a lovely city.

 lots of folks out there taking in the sunset today.

 was reading some awful story about Chinese leadership going to Africa somewhere and while there for "meetings" purchased some ungodly amount of illegal elephant ivory.  the price went up while they were there and no doubt there was an increase in the number of elephants killed for their ivory.  so sad and frustrating....found the article. this happened in Tanzania in March of 2013.

 the colors just kept getting brighter after the sun went down.  always lovely.

 spoke to one brother today...always nice to chat with my siblings.  they are having a big gathering down in Texas this year again.  probably will be fun times for all. will have to catch them again one of these years.  travel during the Holidays is a bit manic though.

 no moose sighted along the road by the airstrips.

 nice sky though as i headed away.

 a few from todays walk earlier.

 the light was lovely all day. so strange how warm it gets here with these chinooks.  lots of snow melted off.  still hoping for some good snowfall and cold days.  hope we don't have another mild winter...it's cold and storming in the lower 48, we want it here!!

 thankfully Lena was late today like i was.  after i got back from my Dr appointment it was still early enough that i set my alarm so i could take an hour nap.

 instead of waking to the alarm i must have just went into dream mode.  the dream was that i was at work and all this Christmas music kept playing on my ipod, which i had brought with me to work apparently.  i kept trying to get it to go forward to non-Christmas music but it just kept playing Christmas Carols.  then i woke and my alarm clock was on and the radio was playing Christmas music...seems a bit early.  i think it was like 5-10 minutes to noon...aack!!

 some plane landings.

 lots of folks watching planes land...this one looked like it might want to land on the side road

 it made it to the run way.

 enjoyed our walk along the beach this evening.

 it is getting darker much earlier.  amazing how tired you start to think you are as the sun sets.  then you realize that it's still early and get your second wind.

 loved this one of Blossom.

 these were a bit earlier on with the sunset . switching back and forth between a few cameras.

 my usual

 loved the pink sky headed the other way away from the sunset.

 loved all the folks out and about.  i wasn't the only one out there alone though.  i'm pathetic and a semi-hermit at times, but i'm not alone.

 easier to be alone a lot of the times.  beats some of the miserable relationships i hear about from some folks.  if you get alone with someone and are happy, that is awesome and count your blessings, it's not all that common.

 i always figured it wasn't worth doing the whole marriage thing and being miserable.  far better to be alone than to be miserable with someone.  just always seems worse to be with someone who should be treating you a certain way and they so don't.  far more lonely than being alone i find.  i also find that the most miserable often are the ones that seem to work the hardest to try to convince you to partner up...as they say, misery loves company.

 pink sky at night sailors delight, red in the morning sailors take warning...is that how that goes?  can't remember.  not too many sailors out in these waters.

grateful for....A.  our Military and their families.  B.  sunsets  C.  happy dogs that love to meet and greet everyone and i don't have to worry about with other dogs or people.  good night.