gardening is not for wimps...

 i'm bleeding....really makes me more interested in hiring some folks to really work over my yard a bit. gardened in a light sprinkle this morning and then later today in the company of mosquito's.  i used to think i would love gardening...but i really don't!! moose above was crossing campbell airstrip road.

 Blossom enjoying the new carpet.  i'm liking it...good thing cause it ain't going anywhere.  more importantly, Rio is enjoying it.  below sandhill crane off of the coastal trail. heard/saw one while i was out in the garden flying over the bog.  if i was more adventurous today i would have headed out there and looked for the bird.

 actually today was a bit of a bust other than the gardening. Rio was beat.  a few times i worried that she was truly ill and may require a trip to the vet or surgery or something...yes...i see the drama that can be me sometimes. she looked pale though and dry and she lay on the deck all day practically.a few times i worried that her stomach was large...maybe bloat. she ate breakfast but refused dinner.  she did drink water though and tonight i was able to walk her from the front deck to the back yard to do her business.  she hasn't made the trek upstairs tonight though.

 the poor girl is just beat.  these are at westchester....was thinking maybe i'd already put these in but i took these right after my niece and her husband headed off to airport.  we ate at Glacier Brewhouse. that seems like weeks ago.  after i ate with them i met TO out at Westchester. then i just sat a bit.

 thought this tree was pretty.

 Canadian Geese in the bog.

 more of the moose on Campbell Airstrip Road. that is where i went today.  Blossom was not in any mood for serious walking and sat down no matter where i headed.  she really just wanted to be at the creek.  it had gotten hot after the morning rain.  we managed 2 miles but it was pretty pathetic. so apparently Blossom is also pretty beat after our trip to Homer.  i must say, i feel pretty tired too. i sat out on the deck and started a book.  i shall immerse myself in it.

 after ruminating a bit this weekend...i did what i said i would and wrote a note.  all is well in the world again.  i believe this person is not of the less sensitive persuasion and i appreciated the kind response.

 i must be tired...if i sit back this picture above appears to be moving. strange.

 above was in Kincaid..the day Gail and i didn't see the 4 bears thankfully.  after that i headed to the estuary..but saw nothing really..

 well, except this known eagles nest.  there were loads of eagles nests seen as i drove from Soldotna to Homer and back.  seems like they were everywhere.

 i think it's supposed to rain more this weekend. i'll be back at work so that sounds fabulous.

 moose near airport.  always on the hunt.  they seem to be chilling around Anchorage more again...all those new babies.  of course, baby moose bring in bears wanting to eat baby moose. i think a bear got killed up in Stuckagin neighborhood..a grizzly.

 actually..maybe not killed, just shot at actually. it had eaten a baby moose though.  poor moose baby.  they are so cute.  life can be so sad...but it's how the world works.  it's a grizzly eat baby moose kind of world.

 these are out at the airport.  figured i'd better just get things in order before i get too confused.

 always strange up here to share these airport roads with planes..they have the right of way.

 we've had a lot of really lovely and warm days of late.  high risk of fires.

 wood bison bulls are on the way via barge to meet up with the lady bison who were released earlier.  was just at the conservation center briefly..they do have some females still there and several new babies so was happy that there will still be wood bison there and still breeding happening. the place was crazy packed so i did not stay. there were buses and tourists all over the place.  really nuts.

 saw this plate...thought it was cool.  above moose from a trek around little campbell lake last week.

 and back to the trek to Homer.  we stopped coming and going at a pretty glacier fed lake off the portage valley road. really makes the dogs happy, there is the trail right there so we cruise that and it's just a good distance to give the dogs and the driver a break.

 Blossom entertained tourists and got their photo's taken several times.  my car also got photographed at the conservation center.

 these are along the trail of blue ice trail....i think that is the name.  we've walked different sections, usually as a break for the dogs/human on a drive.

 there was lupine all over turnigan arm...really didn't see any blooms south of the arm until i was headed home on Sunday.  should be going nuts by next week.  everything grows crazy fast up here.

 just a short summer and then fall will be here.  guess i missed the date for the Denali Road lottery.  forgot.  dang.

 just missed the Norwegian Kings visit to Homer/Alaska.  he arrived via a regular flight on Alaska Air..pretty low key visit.

 Blossom already looking tired.  it's a long drive for the pups.  she knew right where we were when we got to the Driftwood Inn.  they have the dog rooms. she was so excited to hit the beach.  she would love it if i found a job in Homer and relocated.

 wandered a few different roads on the way down.  found a few cranes and a peeing moose. i'm sure he appreciated my photo op.

 ahh...the beach at last.  this is Bishops beach.  always several other dogs. Rio was really happy i can tell as well to be at the beach. she heads right into the water.  for a while i laughed as she just walked along and waded in the water.

 she had made her way to the bedroom upstairs now so that is good.  hopefully tomorrow she will feel a bit better.

 cuba is no longer on the terrorism watch list.  seems like it was coming.  the cold war ended a few years ago.  Fidel seems disabled enough to not be a threat. he's handed control to his brother i think.  read a really good article in Nat Geo awhile back.  such a strange society it has become out of necessity.

 a 6.7 quake rocked Alaska last week. i think i was busy dancing my way to 10,000 steps. i should be doing that again tonight.  my walk and gardening isn't going to get me there alone.  it was pretty remote. i think a few felt it here but not me.  i was rocking on my own.

 blossom looks so cute out there.  the tides must have been pretty extreme this weekend.  strange to be in Homer and not be going out of there, just chilling.  nice actually though there are lots of fun places to go from Homer.  it's a fun town in it's own right so it's a bummer to skip it when you are in a rush to catch a water taxi out.

 a body was found on the beach in Kincaid this past weekend.  ick.  i think it was male and pretty decomposed.  they don't know if it was dumped there a long time ago or just washed up there.  more to follow i guess.

 always love the cool designs that the tides etch into the sand.

 no matter how good the weather is here it is not necessarily translating to lots of folks topping Denali this season.  apparently there has been a lot of wind that has prevented safe travel.  a nurse i used to work with is up there now.  she moved away and her pictures over the past few years have shown her doing a lot of climbing adventures...i figured she'd return for a denali trip. no word yet on their journey. hope they get lucky and the wind ceases for them.  want to see their photo's!!

 had to have a writing session.

 all that sand can't be wasted!

 growing up in Los Angeles area i was barefoot as a kid all the time.  my mom seemed to never wear shoes.  we had tough feet.  now, living here.  my feet are wimps. i am never barefoot.  was barefoot a bit today, not for long though!! should have been barefoot on these beaches in Homer.  i forgot my keens though.

 views from the path going down to the beach.

thankful for: A. Resolution and apologies.  everyone takes some blame and then there is peace.  B.  that rio is feeling a bit better this evening C.  a get nothing done kind of day.