back from Denali National Park and headed to Denali State Park...

 back from a fun trek into Denali with friends. still looking at photo's but here is a teaser with other photo's tossed in. i knew i was going to miss my furs so i took some pictures to carry with me...not that i don't already have thousands of photo's of them in the phone, but hey. they are cute.

 lingered in bed a bit before getting my day started. who wouldn't linger with these cute snugglers?

 i took them for a stroll in the dog park at U-Lake before i settled them in and took off. 

 i think they had a nice stroll.  didn't want them amp'd up before i left them for the week.  i don't leave my dogs very often.  in case it's not obvious I'm somewhat of a home body.  i love the idea of travel but i know that i am not all that keen on it...just hate leaving my crew. always easier to leave home if the heart of it, these critters, gets to come with me.

 wrote their names on mushrooms.  we strolled the back trails to check on the mushrooms.

 my friend TO arrived and after we loaded up we took off to LM place to pick her up.  it's a 5 hour drive to Denali.

 we made it in time to set up camp without much rain, go get dinner in "town" up there and then come back for a campfire and wine. there was a mist coming down and i must say, not many campers out.  lots of RVs of course, packed with campers who are fair weather and apparently don't like to do campfires in the rain, haha.

 i got to test out my new car camping tent.  i like it.  it's pretty big though.  two rooms.  i think we were all cozy...maybe me a bit more since i had my blow up mattress. 

 my iphone pics never load in any order so this is day two in Denali at Wonder lake.  we got lucky with an afternoon trip down to Wonder Lake...the entire range came out so we got the official Denali/Wonder Lake photo's.

 the next morning after a good sleep we packed up the camp and headed out for a walk at Horseshoe Lake.  figured it was a good idea to get some walking in before we sat on a bus for hours getting back to the Kantishna Roadhouse Lodge.

 this is our adorable bar keep at the lodge, he's been there for over 20 years.  totally remembered our drink order preferences. 

 the weather improved a bit through the day.  we had breaks in the rainy weather.  eventually Denali graced us with just the top of the mountain. 

 along the way we saw caribou, a moose and even a pack of wolves.  they were pretty far off but still cool to watch them on the move below the road.

 we saw lots of bear activity.  much of it fairly far off.  we did have a rather exciting bear encounter.  i was just looking at some of those pictures.  hoping to get through this round of photo's before i head back out tomorrow.

 we watched a sow with cubs grazing on blueberries no doubt.  we were about to roll on when i spotted a second large bear in the distance headed towards the area the sow and cubs were in.  so we opted to stay and see what happened.  that big bear was sneaking up to the sow and cubs.  eventually he did surprise her.  we all wanted to warn her as she didn't seem to notice for a long time...not possible though. 

 she charged the big boar and he ran, but pretty quickly he stopped and spun around and chased her.  he chased her for over a mile we figured down the hill. the cubs high tailed in up the hill. they crossed right in front of the buses and then just kept running. 

 eventually the boar stopped chasing the sow, but she kept running for a bit before turning in a big loop back in the directions of her cubs. 

 this is my new tent at Riley Campground

 we never got to see if the mama reunited with the cubs.  we will just have to tell ourselves that they did and that the big boar was not able to do any harm to the cubs. 

 we were getting pretty hungry by the time we arrived.  i was trying to sort out the details as our reservations had been all screwed up.  I'd originally wanted one room for us all, when i booked it wouldn't let me put the names all in one room. when i tried to call the number was not really active as it was non season so then i forgot about the screw up.  it got more messed up with our switching of MW to TO...not sure why this got all messed up but it did.  so i got into a bit of a scuffle right off with the manager guy who was pretty rude and condescending. 

 went back and forth through our meal with him, eventually he did take the time to sit at the computer and see how screwed up it actually was and that i was not a nut case.  so we all ended up in one room....though i still think we need to all look at our charges closely and i still wonder if we were charged too much. 

 aside from that glitch all went smoothly and i think we all had a great time.  the next morning the weather, which had been rainy off and on that night, improved until we ended up with the full range views and Denali view in the afternoon.

 the rest of these pictures are on the way to chicken.  these are the sunrise at the campground.

 we signed up for the moderate hike, it was a lot of up hill  but only 4 miles.  great views from the top and again the mountain graced us with the top view.

 after we got back from the hike we caught the bus to Wonder Lake...that was when the skies really cleared up. we chilled there and then planned our walk back to the lodge so we would be back in time for dinner.  it was a 3.5 mile walk...though i think we all think it was a bit more.

 also, even though we'd been told there would be no shuttle back to the lodge for us and we'd have to walk, the others that took the bus out apparently were told a shuttle was coming to get them.  we were later asked why we never showed up for the bus and  also told they had looked for us.   thankfully, it was a beautiful afternoon...so we got a lot of walking miles in that day and we were totally ready for dinner when the time arrived.

 after dinner we went to a lecture they were having about adaptations in animals in the area.  the girl did a really great job on her lecture i must say.  the lodge then offered a shuttle back to the lake for the evening.  not much of a sunset and the mountain was clouding back in when we arrived.

 it rained pretty solid all night and all the next day....and all the next night too.  happy we got that one beautiful day out there.

 we were going to do a chill tundra walk but we bagged on that and instead took the shuttle once again to wander around Wonder Lake.  not much of a view but still pretty. 

 the other two had arranged massages for the afternoon.  i hadn't really wanted to commit myself to a massage in case the weather turned nice. it didn't.  i took a little stroll with TO around the lodge before she headed off then i took another stroll while they were gone.  that stroll was all uphill so i came back and jumped onto a little tour they offered.  it got me to the end of the road there for a photo op. 

 we met loads of nice folks on the bus who made our stay even more enjoyable.  everyone at the lodge was super nice...other than that first nights issues.  i think the desk clerk went out of her way, after witnessing her managers behavior, to be super nice to us. 

 we skipped the lecture the second night and just chatted and laughed with the many new friends we had met in our time out there. 

 our wake up call would be super early the next morning.  we had to have our gear outside our doors for pick up by 0520...that is am!! some body's alarm went off at 4:30 though.  i had no idea it was that early so i just got up and started brushing my teeth and getting ready...then i was informed it wasn't 5 am but 4:30.  don't think i really got back to sleep.

 our drive out was rainy and foggy for the first bit.  we did see some caribou and a bear but nothing as dramatic as on the drive in.  the termination dust had settled pretty far down the mountains but not far enough to bother the buses.

 thankfully, the drivers of those buses have a lot of experience and the park must pride itself on this. our driver wasn't the most exciting but i was very happy to see her caution in the wet conditions we found ourselves in.  i was never concerned.

 one of our new friends was very anxious about the steep bits of Polychrome Pass.  this helped me to forget my concern over the heights...she had said the night before she was counting on our antics keeping her calm and getting her over the scary bits.

 that road is not really wide...just a few feet wider than the width of two buses.  the bus drivers have signals and chat as they pass often.  there are rules for who stops their bus and allows the other bus to pass.  there are signs to let each other know there are animals for sighting.

 my one friend loves her Denali bus drives.  I've never been on the official bus, but we were on lodge bus all the same.

 these are at the campground in the morning before we headed out.  figured I'd let them swim and get some of their excitement out.

 don't believe anyone is joining me for tomorrow night at the cabin...maybe not either night really...so i figure i can take my time getting there and crash when i want.  no hurry really.  perhaps I'll stop a lot along the way.  maybe hit Talkeetna finally.  haven't been there all summer.

 the fall colors will just be getting better and better.

 this was a lake along the way towards Tok. the reflections were just beautiful that morning.

 i better crash so i can get myself moving again for tomorrow. 

 still a lot of  photo's to look through. hopefully i can get those knocked out before i crash.  still some laundry to fold as well. 

 i love a good reflection.

 caught up on the news...mostly just saw a few of the eulogies for Senator McCain.  he planned his funeral back in the spring it seems.  he had called Obama and Bush to request they each speak.  interesting i thought.  figured he'd ask his buddy Graham.  i do hope he gave him instructions to not be such a follower. 

 the iitoo was requested to not attend.  he was so disrespectful to McCain.  guess he pulled the White House flag up way too early...so petty and small minded.  only cares about himself.  so jealous really.  pathetic.  i guess he was spotted out golfing while the service was going on.  also told not to attend was Sarah Palin...found that interesting.  bill and hill were there so that says something as well. 

thankful for:  A.  fun trek to Denali with friends.  always so great to get out in nature and enjoy all that was created.  B.  safe travels C.  that he pups and cat were okay when i got home.  the pups were pretty excited to see me.  good to be loved by pups...

another beautiful day...

 loved this one of Tusker above.  such a handsome pup.

 yesterday i got a wee bit older.  Birthdays are land mines, like holidays.  you feel emotional when you don't need to..when the truth is it's really just another day.  i just did a loop in Kincaid.  not only was it my Birthday it was Memorial Day.  seems even odder to celebrate a Birthday on a day that is meant to also remember our fallen.  in the end, probably best to just hand it over to those who have lost their lives in service to our nation.  men, women and animals. 

 my friends daughter, MO came by to paint a flower mural on the back fence.  will need another painting session or two to finish it up no doubt, but i like to art things up, make them unique...I've done quite a bit of deck and fence painting....also started on the shed as well. 

 today i took the dogs to South fork trail in Eagle River.  we took a bit of Blossom as well.  she always enjoyed that trail.  the anti-cairners will be pissed and may even ruthlessly knock over my little memorial.  i guess that is what they do...although, i do laugh as one who hates the cairns that others make for unknown reasons admitted she also makes cairns at times...but those are to mark her trail...so clearly that is valuable.  always amazing to me.

 i have gotten some pots filled with flowers.  that is big up here and the garden person i had out last year was all, just plant pots, don't bother with trying to work on all these flower beds.  I've taken that advice to heart.  this is much easier.  we have short summers, I'd rather be out on the trails.  this time of year, May has become a time i really power out the yard stuff, the outdoor projects, then the rest of the summer i can play outside and do light maintenance until the fall comes and it all starts over again. 

 it was really beautiful out there.  we only went to just past the bridge, so that works out to about 5 miles.  doing much more than that, i do like to have someone with me i guess.  talking helps the miles pass more quickly. easier to focus on your aches when you are alone.

 the pups had a great time.  not much for crowds now that the holiday weekend is done.

 the artist!

 Ivy is still a fan of the new chair.  I'm really quite surprised that Tusker has not discovered the chair yet.  he's out on the deck right now.  i just checked on him as he was barking a wee bit. 

 I've done a bit more of the stencils but haven't gotten immersed into the shed painting or the railing for up front. still want to put at least a coat of stain on the wood that i can get to on the front of the house, that will just be plain stain though. that wood is looking rough and my neighbor replaced all hers.  i thanked her and joked that now mine looks like crap...haha. 

 had to put my artist in a cage of sorts, protect her from curious puppies.  i need to go pick up that temporary fencing stuff.  I'll feel better if it's up.  hopefully, the pups will not try to break through it. i suspect the fence guy will come while I'm in Homer kayaking.  hopefully all goes well, no escaped pups. 

 such a difference in color in the walks.  in the city we are all green, as you go up in the mountains though, there are still snow patches and the plants are just starting to bud up.

 this is a "fiddlehead".  it's what ferns do as they are growing.  i guess these fiddleheads are tasty if you fry them in butter.  i have never tried it...i think i always imagine loads of little bugs residing in there.  not a fan of eating bugs.  I'd do it in a pinch but i avoid it on a day to day basis.

 need to clean and pack and prep for the kayak trek...done so many I'm generally pretty quick but that first summer trip always takes some extra time.

 stopped by Lowe's. my deck table had flipped during a wind storm.  the glass had shattered like car glass does.  it was a mess. i had put the glassless table out front but nobody snagged it despite the free sign.  so i opted to repurpose it.  found some remnant bits of pressed board, got it cut to size and then found stick on linoleum.  it didn't really work out perfectly but it should work for a garden table.  I've decided after the fence is in I'll try to put pavers down in the space next to the shed...i can put the table there and use it for garden stuff, or art stuff i guess if i want to do that outside.

 i also finally put a hook on the shed door and hammered in some loose nails in the shed and fence.  so handy!

 there was a bit of a breeze so doing the stencils was not as easy as it should be.

 really this is all being done to avoid planning the big project inside..tomorrow i really need to start getting down to that. 

 people evolve, but not all of them.  some never seem to.  I'm always amazed at how some folks just never really change from who they were and what they believed.

 a moose crosses the trail ahead of me.  good timing.

 the rest are from today's walk.

 a certain actress, last name Bar, made a racist comment on her twitter feed...really what is it about twitter.  can people not control themselves in 140 characters or less.  she couldn't and now the repercussions are falling like rain. 

 i was never a fan.  i think I've seen a handful of the old shows, never saw the new ones.  her voice was always annoying to me.  then her little National Anthem stunt where she grabbed her crotch.  just gross.  when did this woman become popular with radical conservative types? baffling.  but then i have never understood the appeal of the current iitoo.  he's always been boorish. i really just don't get it.  they are angry at guys kneeling quietly during anthem but they look away at what she did during her National Anthem moment.

 so a lot of folks lose their jobs today because she can't control herself in 140 characters.

 feel a bit badly for them, but then again, it's not like this is new behavior.  it's not like she changed.  it's her. 

 racism is alive in our nation.  people are more emboldened to be arseholes because our current iitoo is an arse to folks.  he is racist.  they hate the whole political correct thing until it is about racism.  racism does hurt us all.  financially as well.  we'd be better off if we lifted up rather than tear down. we'd be better off if we dropped the stereotyping and spoke to the people themselves. we are all a lot more alike than we are different really.

 my Mom had some tendencies towards racism.  we all do really.  you hope each generation we improve, but in our nation we simply fought about it and then stuffed it under the rug like it never happened. the feelings didn't go away they just got wadded up, eventually, those feelings have begun to explode, all it took was someone to give them a place to explore in peace....

 of course, this is how things do go, which is why so many of us keep trying to sound the alarm.  after reading books about the Holocaust and about the killings in Rwanda.  the thing that struck me is that we are surrounding by people who would love to do terrible things but fear of getting in trouble prevents it.  all they need is for someone in power to give them the okay to be terrible people.  it's set up so well for that.  play the victim, blame the others, destroy the others.

 history does repeat itself.  the scenario is different, the faces are different but the hate, the fear, the deaths are not really so different.

 I'm sure my Mom believed her feelings towards others was not like the generation before her and that may have been true.  we all need to improve on how we treat those we share our nation with, our world.  stereotypes are there and they can be tough to battle back on.  facts help though. 

 wish people would speak to each other before just calling the police.  the police are trained to respond to Emergencies.  perhaps we need to have another non 9-1-1 line for minor disputes/concerns.  leave the police to handle the bigger emergencies..you know stuff that isn't 2 black guys sitting in a coffee house or 3 black people leaving a house with luggage (they had rented the house and were waiting for their ride back to the airport), or a woman who'd been studying hard that was napping in a public place.

 we need to treat immigrants and refugees well.  most or many of them have suffered great tragedies in their lives.  many are actually highly educated.  have met many tech, who was a trained nurse or even Dr in their former nation.  i recall when i was doing my testing to pass my boards seeing several fellow test takers looking stressed studying with a translation book right by their study books.  their family depended on them passing this test and supporting them. 

 the misnomer is that only the worst cross over our borders.  more often than not that just isn't the case.  in many ways those who are the worst off have no means to even attempt to escape. 

 the photos do not capture the beauty of the sky out there today.

 the dogs are looking beat. 

 i am looking forward to a good rest.

 not sure what the weather is doing tomorrow but i could use a rain day which will force me inside to do packing/cleaning and prepping for remodel later. 

 there were these few flowers already out. 

 soon flowers will be popping up everywhere.

 omg, apparently, iitoo is trying to save face and get the NKor meeting to happen.  when i heard that i laughed to myself thinking he's going to come back and tweet, "nobody knew how complicated things were in NK" then of course, he'll say only he can fix it.  really he just wants to build the first Trump tower NK complete with a gold club.  that is his real plan...a tower in every non-shithole nation.

 there are these steps and then the trail starts to get more muddy. 

 will have to make the trek back further later this summer when there is green on the trees. 

 so a relaxing weekend was had by all. some friends were having a bbq so i got an invite and they had prezzies and a cake for me. thanks!

 singleton life can come with a bit of a lowering of expectations surrounding holidays.  i do tend to find it's best to just treat those days like the Monday, Tuesday or Whatever day that they are.

 in general i think it's good to try to limit your expectations in life...then you will just be pleasantly surprised when things go great. a movie i saw years ago, "leaving Normal"  these women end up on a road trip to AK.  one is talking to someone she met up here and he asks "why does your friend hate it here" and she says, "i guess it wasn't what she expected", then he asks "why do you love it?" she just says, "i don't know, maybe because i didn't expect anything".  it's this reminder to try and keep expectations at a minimal...i find they tend to lead to disappointment if you keep them too high.

 i do expect the pups to be adorable and they are!

thankful for: A. the gift of another year lived.  B.  the sacrifices made by countrymen and women who did not get to have that next Birthday.  C.  hope