packing again...

 there is apparently a fire closer to Tok.  may have to pass by and hope it doesn't change direction and trap me.  still thinking of heading towards Chicken tomorrow. i have Sat and Sun night to wander a bit before i get to Hunter cabin for a few nights, then home.  should be a fun little excursion.

 these first are from the Valdez trek still.  quite a few hikes between then and now. 

 weather was looking pretty decent out Chicken way.  spent the day trying to get errand stuff done before heading out tomorrow. 

 admittedly, I'm pretty ready to crash for the night.  my stretch is over.  ended up with 2 nights in RCU and a last night in ICU. 

 had one patient i haven't had for some time but that patient is still there.  i had the patient right after their original surgery....some people cant' catch a break.  also got to check in on another patient i had in the ER last week.  the patients family was so excited i stopped in and just way impressed with nurses and doctors at this point. 

 we are pretty cool.  for all the strangeness and gross stuff.  i have to admit i have ended up really enjoying being a nurse for the most part. it's not an easy job and it can be both frustrating and terrifying.  i really love that in those 12 hours i can really be impactful  on the lives of those i come in contact with. 

 we get paid to do a job but you aren't as good of a nurse if all you are doing is the basics of nursing.  you must infuse kindness, compassion and sympathy in there.  some days it can be tough to treat all the same, to show dignity and kindness to those who are undignified and unkind.  the truth is, you just never know what impression you will make on these patients lives and peoples lives can change just by someone seeing them and being kind. 

 this is a pretty rough life some times.  everyone doesn't live some perfect life, surrounded by happy times and love.  many struggle with pain and loneliness and doubt.  it would be great if more folks could just take a breath, relax and try to help one another. thankfully, i am in a position as a nurse, to be there for folks who are experiencing great pain and emotional upheaval. 

 this ice chunk looks like a big fish...see the eye and the mouth? 

 you also get to laugh. you have to laugh.  some of these folks will make you nuts other wise.  two nights i hit the IV on a co-workers patient first try, that patient had zero appreciation for my mad skills...oh the whining!! 

 my little old, and i mean old, guy had a unique way to take a dump...we always laugh with each other...you really can't make up the stuff we see at work.  it's nuts.  people really are queer...

 for me...as i look back at my career as a nurse, i can see that this job has had a profound impact on me as a human.  it's made me better...it's made me want to fight for what is right for the humans i share this earth with. 

 don't want to destroy capitalism...but how much money do these folks need.  how many huge boats and homes and all of that.  how is it right that some have so much while others have so little.  how is this the plan? how is this humane? how is this what God would want from us?  i can't fathom a universe where a kind and just God would encourage the few to hoard it all and sit in their castles while the masses struggle and falter.  it's not about a hand out...but more about giving a hand up. 

 at some point it just becomes so grossly unfair that it hurts all of us.  a nation cannot sustain itself for very long when the money is hoarded by a few while the masses suffer.  you just create a world of anger and frustration and hate...it boils up and then over. 

 it just seems like common sense to have a healthy and well educated population. that is not to say that we must all have college degrees...quite the opposite.  we need folks willing to do all the various jobs to build a community.  if we could make sure that all who worked, felt their work was valued, we would no doubt have more who worked.

 love these hues above.

 rain yesterday, today we hit the dog park. 

 can't say i slept too well yesterday.  the city guys were at the house.  guess there is some issue with the pipes?  not sure.  anyway, i think the issue is in my back yard. i told them the dogs and i will be gone Monday and Tuesday so they could work dog free out there.  hopefully, i do not come home to some mess and a sink hole in the yard.

 more packing to do, but at least I've gotten it started. throw crap in the car, gas up and hit the road. 

 looks like 405 miles from Anchorage to Chicken, with stops probably 7-8 hours...depends on what there is to see.

 could just take the Richardson Highway up to Fairbanks and back down to the cabin or do the Denali Highway crossing. as usual i do not have any sort of absolute plan. Paxson Lake campground is really pretty...or Tangle Lakes...hmm...could even try for Paxon lake then explore north a ways the next day and come back to Tangle lakes and then do the cross over on Monday on the way to the cabin...it's been a while since I've been to Chicken. 

 there is a party going on in the neighborhood. seems to be one in the neighborhood behind as well.

 still clearing out the old fridge.  freezer done the other day between shifts.  nice when i actually get stuff done.

 we are approaching this glacier.  once you pull up closer you can no longer see the glacier above that winds its way back up into the mountain ranges.

 those dark area's in front of the glacier above are seals.  there were quite a few seals chilling on ice closer to the glacier...closer than we got.  so not the best photos of the seals, but still fun to watch all of them out there.

 there is the face. 

 the rest are more cell phone shots i think from mine and other friends phones on various hikes around Anchorage.

 these are again at Reed Lakes trail system

 nice reflections.  we got lucky and got some sunshine.

 this is out powerline pass with friends.

 right after these it started to pour.  strange as it sounds i enjoyed that walk in the rain...

 with KR and LS.  i think Karen has forgiven us for taking her up the mountain a bit.  she did great and I'm guessing she recovered pretty fast!  :-)

 other friends headed south to the Kenai. always fun.  it's great to explore to me though.  i love a nice drive, see what i can see.  catch different places at different times of the year.

 Alaskan cotton in Glen Alps.  always a favorite.  it looked a bit different all matted down with the rains on the way back.

 attempting yoga poses. I'm not all that good at the balancing. i really need to get back to my yoga and swimming.  my body needs me to

 a few photo's of ceiling tiles in the peds units.  these were super cool.  they are having them painted and putting them up.  i think it's totally fun.

 they do need a walrus though.  :-)

 i haven't made it to Seward for a bit as well.  always just so much to see each summer.  need to just buy the RV and take off on all my days off.  haha.

 Ms Breezy Chatterbug snuggles in with Ivy Rose.

 well, i shall head to bed.  tomorrow will be a long day of driving.  hopefully a safe one.  no moose incidences please. 

thankful for : a.  sleep and a comfortable bed.  b.  happy pups to greet me when i awaken c.that i have time and the ability to wander about exploring. 

calendar and cards on order!!

 nothing like a sales deadline to get you motivated.  Shutterfly is a spendy place so i always try to hit the sales.  plenty of them this time of year.  these pics are the last of July!!  i am still behind, but it doesn't feel as far behind as it did. 

 no more flowers out here now.  today we hit the dog park again and then looped around to various side trails. the pups were goodly tuckered out.  or Tuskered out as i say. 

 these are from the return trip from Valdez and a stop at the glacier outside town.  also is a hike on the reed lakes trail.  flowers a plenty

 i had some errands to do and i really wanted to get the calendars and cards ordered.  had to order all at one time to get the free shipping...shipping is where Shutterfly will nail you if they can.  those grocery bags i buy for WARIS are super light but they would charge hundreds for shipping if i don't plan it right.  have been trying to figure out if they have a work around that for bulk but haven't had much luck yet.  i know they are always donating stuff so why not right?  gotta be a way.

 we did stop at Michael's...a dangerous place to shop i find.  I'm not even all that crafty...i am trying to learn. it does come in handy for gifts, WARIS and also for Skelly.  yes it's past time to get Skelly revamped for Thanksgiving. 

 sadly...there was not a thing there for Thanksgiving.  it's all Christmas. i had to improvise so i wandered a bit and ended up with construction paper.  the super cold temps may foil my artwork and i may need to find a better way to tape the paper outside.  will know more in the morning after Skelly has been outside for the night.  i thought his pilgrim outfit came out pretty nice, especially considering my lack of craft skills.

 i still need to set up the scene and I'll wait until i have daylight and relative warmth tomorrow. 

 do i want to make bonnets for some of the crew or turkey hats...don't want to put them all in bonnets and make Skelly look like some sort of polygamist. 

 maybe a few bonnets and hats and turkeys.  won't risk the whole political correct thing with the native Americans.  I'll stick to pilgrims. 

 wanted to work on greetings with the pups at Bass Pro, which is right by the Michaels store.  we go so stores on a regular basis. i don't usually take them together. i  have survived a few times, but going with just one dog does help me focus on that one dogs training.  they say that is a good idea anyway if you get siblings.

 both pups did really well.  Tusker was a wee bit excited when he first walked in but he was able to hold it together. lots of greetings without jumping by Ivy Rose.  so proud.  no loose squirrels in the store so that is a bonus.  haven't looped the leashes around my wrist. 

 wrist feels a bit better today as well as the shoulder.  still some tenderness but i feel good that it will all heal.  i suspect it is best it i avoid future dog walks turning into flights.  i am not getting any younger.

 it happened that Santa was at Bass Pro doing photo ops and these are free so...why not! Santa and the elves seemed game and the pups were super friendly with them all and all the kids who were there to play and meet Santa as well.  Alaska is dog friendly place.  everyone has them and everyone loves them...well not everyone but mostly.   i can assure you at no time was i treated like i was odd for having the pups pose with Santa. 

 below is another Cairn i made for the dogs of the past.  so many beautiful places up here.

 ended up using many of these memorials on the cover of the calendar.  hopefully people like them.  those i don't give as gifts i will do the drawing again for WARIS i think.  we haven't raised much money this year...really i just need enough to keep us afloat, but it would be nice eventually to fund a small project on the island from time to time.

 can't say i was born to raise money.   i really hate asking people for money.  i could never be a sales person. 

 got out of Valdez just in time, the weather was coming in it seemed.  i think i had debated extending this to a drive out to Chicken.  it's been a few years.  the weather really had turned by the time i got back to Glennallen so it became and easy choice to just head home to warmth rather than think of setting up a tent in the driving rain.

 i have my limits and it's on days like that when i really like the idea of a camper. 

 still beautiful up here no matter the weather.

 the sunlight came out just in time to shine onto the terminus of Matanuska Glacier.

 wouldn't mind doing a winter trip out there...though the road down may scare the crap out of me.  this state is seemingly a non-guardrail state.  i sometimes think they don't put up guardrails for fear that it will cause people to drive more crazy thinking that the rail will save them....

 the river heading off from the glacier.  it really is pretty amazing to live with all these glaciers around...for sure you can see the changes in them over the years when you live here long enough.

 a few moose encounters on the way back.  this stretch between Glennallen and Sutton always seems to have it's share of moose.

 haven't ran into too many moose for a bit...they will start to really head down into town as the winter extends on. more if we get a lot of snow.  i have seen some folks on the trails cross country skiing.

 the pups have been doing great at "hold up" then they "sit" or "sphinx" and then "stay" as the bikes/walkers or skiers stroll past them.  i get many kind words as this happens. 

 Ivy has also been noticed for her still pink hue.  yes, she's pink.

 it works for her sometimes.  this is nearly home...taken from the car while i was driving.  dangerous i guess, but not bad for car shots.

 the rest are on a Reed Lakes trail hike.  i haven't been all the way up the trail.  i really should as it looks amazing up there. went quite a ways but there is a boulder area that i got all freaked about the dogs in the past hurting themselves...or i had Rio, who was blind so that would have been impossible.

 there were loads of flowers out this day.  always so pretty

 above is columbine.

 nothing too exciting in the news....haha.  Alabama GOP and thus a great deal other GOP sorts seem to be nonchalant about the nut job running for Senate there having a bit of a history of possibly molesting children.  women/girls do not speak of most of this stuff or haven't in the past because of exactly how it's received now...can't be proven so the guy must be innocent and the women/girl crazy. 

 one GOP guy even went so far as to comment that when Mary had Jesus she was underage and Joseph was older...i believe that she also remained a virgin...immaculate conception right?  so they are now using the Bible to minimize molesting children...that seems about right.

 i just keep thinking that all these evangelicals that seem to see this iitoo as some sort of savior here to save their religious freedoms???  really.  does anyone believe God would really select these corrupt, greedy and selfish people to save the world and bring light and peace?  seems highly unlikely. 

 none of it makes sense.  i saw that Shannity was defending him as well.  Bannon is at war with America....that is nice.  he's a well spoken nut job really....still a nut job though.

 iitoo used Veterans day to inform the world that he trusts PUt more than any of our security forces here in the states.  still the one person he absolutely refuses to say anything negative about...so odd.  he can totally rip a woman who just lost her husband in Niger. he can send nasty tweets to everyone...but PUt seems to be off limits still. 

 the latest is that this poor soldier was originally found with his hands bound shot execution style.  there will be more to this story. 

 haven't confirmed but i also hear that this potus for the veterans has cut off a program that was matching service dogs with veterans.  this was a positive program that was saving the lives of veterans who have been committing suicide at alarming rates.  no warning, no reason...just cut.

 apparently there was a huge rally in Poland about white nationalism.  i heard 60,000 attended at least. conservatism is married to racism in this current climate and it's up to conservatives to do all they can here to prevent this from happening and to find a way to distance themselves from these nuts.  sadly, the small 35% iitoo supporters also includes the racists so losing this vote could have an even more negative impact in the minds of the iitoo folks. 

 why can't people just get along?  it's baffling. 

 they seem to do pretty well for years and then there are those who can't deal with changes or fall prey to fear...as i always say, fear makes people weak, makes them very vulnerable to manipulation and if you look at history, leads to some pretty horrific results.

 what a sweet face.

 the training walks in stores do tend to wear the pups out a bit more...no complaints.  they love that they get treats...those shops that welcome dogs often have treats scattered about...

 by the way, Santa did mention that he has had his photo taken with cats, pigs, horses...you name it.  I'm only a little crazy.  crazy makes life more fun anyway.

 being too grown up isn't good for the soul.  one should never fully grow up.... once you quit living you are dead.  live it up a bit, relax.  don't worry about what others think of you. silly is good, embrace the silly. 

 that silly Skelly makes me smile every time i come home or leave.  nothing bad in that. no doubt he makes anyone else smile who comes by.  i suspect the UPS folks have smiled and no doubt a few photos have  been taken from time to time.

 so beautiful back on these trails.  this is Hatchers Pass.  always a favorite hiking spot. 

 the pups are almost 2 so i know i need to stop being as protective of them.  it is easing up a bit.  the leash walks are better despite the flight. they are really great dogs...well behaved, sweet to all they meet, fun.  i really have no complaints.  i have been pretty lucky with all my dogs...Butch, Baby Huey, Blossom, Rio Catalina and now these two.  i think they got pretty lucky with me too

thankful for:  A.  University Lake....these dog parks are really great places for the most part.  B.  health....thankful to be out walking as much as i can.  C.  clean water.  so tasty!!