only 5 work days til Barrow....

 always lots to do to get the pets ready for me to be gone.  i tend to worry more than i need to, but it only takes one bad experience to make you paranoid.  below is Reflections Lake.  above is an area of the Knik River off to the side...it's where we went to watch Northern Lights one very cold but beautiful night.

 today woke to feed the dogs and the sun was shining.  Rio decided after her breakfast that she really wanted to chill out in the sunshine...couldn't deny her so i put on my shoes and mowed the lawn.  at least until i ran out of gas...will have to put that on my list for tomorrow.

 eventually, i made my way out to Eklutna.  Blossom and i headed up Twin Peaks. the viewpoint is at mile 1.8..it is up, up and more up. it was quite warm out, for Alaska anyway.  no water supply so i eventually gave up my water for Blossom.  she was getting hot.

 we just took our time and anytime she needed to stop, we just chilled..i decided she was a walker union member...breaks required. after we stopped at the bench...she seemed ready to go further on but i knew there was no water above either so we just turned around.

 she was perked up by the downhill travel and her dog treats...and then the lake!!

 so Blossom did a biathalon today...hike-swim!! too bad she can't bike...she'd be triathalon ready.

 the side trail out to the inlet.  always pretty

 chatted with my sis for a bit while i drove out.  was in the conversation and forgot to warn her that i would be headed into a no service zone so i lost her out there.  caught up with her later. lots of no service area's up here on these trails.  many times in an Emergency you can try to hike up and see if that helps, thankfully, so far i've been fine.

 have walked alone more this year.  my schedule is all off i think and my dogs are getting older so i have to be willing and ready to alter plans like today.  we got our 10,000 steps easily today though so i'm happy.  we got to the view.  kept thinking of other trails i want to get to this summer

 of course, summer flies by in these parts. august will be a big hiking month i hope.  also will have to get dog care a few days.  do a long boat out of seward and then hit the exit trail for a bit since i will be dog free.

 moose tracks in the mud

 and of course, still flowers....won't be long before the mushrooms start really blowing up all over.

 have started to notice  a few leaves have given up the green.  rebels!!  we aren't ready for fall quite yet, but the leaves will do as they please i guess.

 still reflections lake area. like adding some new trails to the list of options. some summers i spend a lot of time at Kincaid...trying to just get out and go.  was thinking i should put hikes i want to get to into a jar and draw from it the night before..see what i can get done.

 wasn't too concerned with the bear activity today.  some trails are just more well traveled than others.  there will be some that i will prefer to have a buddy.  TO will be back soon.  she's always up for an adventure.

 a string of seemingly unrelated deaths of homeless folks found dead in a very short time frame. no foul play was suspected...my brain goes to bad batch of heroin or something. one guy's father wasn't happy with his young son being called homeless, but the truth is he was.  i think he figures his son always had a home with them.  he was diabetic and dealing with that...so his death may be related to that.  feel badly for his father though.  obviously he cared for his son.  some kids just take a path and get with the wrong people and then there just isn't much you can do.

 i'm sure it's horrible to see all the potential in someone and be powerless to save them from themselves.

 i was at Reflections Lake chatting with my niece. took these after we hung up.

 fireweed is always such a pretty flower.  makes everything more beautiful.

 i guess 3 of those homeless deaths came within 12 hours and then that other  was within the week.  we've lost 25 homeless this year already.  that seems like a pretty high number to me.

 more flowers....:-)  enjoy them while they last.

 popped in to the walrus cam several times...the boys are back.  so excited.  they seem to be doing more sleeping today and less poking.  tired after several days at sea in stormy weather.

 storm cloud

 these are out Palmer way.

 just was enjoying the reflections and blue skies...a few minutes before this it was raining pretty hard. took some cool pics of old cars in a serious downpour.  they came out pretty sweet.  will post them at some point here.

 really was pretty out there.  of course, the little parking lot area was pretty trashy looking.  seems a Palmer thing.  a bit more of a rough crowd out there some times.  i felt a bit nervous on my own wandering around a few places, which is too bad.

 wasn't nervous here but it just seemed like trashing was acceptable.

 so maybe i got a bit obsessed with the reflections..i always do.

 was getting eaten up by little biting flies out there today.  was funny as i was just thinking and trying not to think out loud that we haven't had a bad bug year...never speak of such things or you will be jinxed

 headed to this waterfall...i think it's called Pioneer? but i really can't remember.  was actually easier to see from the parking lot than from the short little trail to the edge of the falls.

 more pretty flowers though

 well, not overly chatty tonight i guess.  time to turn in anyway.  sun is going down and so shall i.

thankful for: 1. beautiful trails that are so accessible.  2.  sweet pups.  walk with Blossom and snuggle with Rio.  3.  a good walk feels great.  thankful for my health and the ability to be able to get out and enjoy the trails.