The funny car.

You remember the picture of the funny looking car that I posted several weeks ago? It was on this post. Well, it was in our Golden Days parade and I noticed that someone else had gotten a better picture of it than I had and I "stole" their picture and put it on here so you could see it better. It is so funny, I think. I mean, why would you attach birch trees to a car?? I don't get that. :)

Getting a few things done before winter...

OK, so here's a couple of things to blog about.

First, we have gotten our ugly connex painted so that it matches the shop. Here is a picture of Drew, Thomas and Blaine working on the top. I don't think I have a picture of the finished product.

They still have to put a second coat on, but it looks much better. Andrew will put a roof on it sometime, which will help it look better as well.

Andrew gave the boys the job of filling up that connex with logs that have been cut. Drew got all the boys ready with heavy shirts and gloves and hats. Then he got the skidsteer and they loaded up the bucket and drove it to the connex then unloaded it in the connex. It doesn't look like they got a lot done but they worked for an hour or so and I was really proud of the fact that I really didn't have to push them, I reminded them and they got ready and did the job.

Here is the wood furnace that we are getting ready to set up. This should save us boocoodles of money on fuel this winter.

It's fall. We're having beautiful days... temps up in the 60's and very clear sunny skies.

It pays to live in Alaska... at least once a year. :)

I'm struggling to find something to blog about. I'm sure you could tell that by the fact that I've had Sarah Palin's picture up for a week now. Well, I've been immersed in her campaign, the RNC and all the trash talk for the last week and I'm trying to get myself picked up from all of that and blogging about something different.

Most of you know that every resident Alaskan gets a dividend each year. The unique thing about Alaska is that the constitution says that all of the resources the land produces belong to the residents of Alaska. So when oil was discovered they set up a "savings account" with a payout of the "interest" to the people. (this is not the exact definition, but it is the easy way to explain it)

Today we found out what our dividend is going to be.... $2069....each. Oh my word, that's the most ever. And in addition to that we get a $1200 a piece as an "energy boost" that our awesome Governor, soon to be Vice President, proposed and got approved earlier this summer. Isn't that awesome?

Well, if I have to live in this freezing cold, dark place.... I might as well get paid for it. :)

You go girl!!!! Woooooohooooo!!!

OK folks.... I admit.... I was extreeeeeeemly disappointed when I woke up this morning to find that John McCain is taking our governor away. We voted for her two years ago so that change and "new energy" (one of her campaign slogans) could take place in OUR state!! So, I'm jealous... but what will be a "loss" for the Great State of Alaska, will be the biggest gain in our country to ever happen.

When she was elected, she wasted no time in slashing unneccesary programs... the Bridge to Nowhere, the former governor's unneeded jet that he bought with tax payers money, and the list goes on.

So now I say, let's get behind the ticket... yes, she is inexperienced (where John McCain has experience) and she has expertise that we need... like helping us to get away from foreign dependence on oil. She is strong pro-life, having just given birth to a Down's Syndrome baby in April. She and her husband, Todd, never once gave a thought to aborting!! Wooooohoooo!! I think she should be the next president.... maybe they should change the ticket to John McCain being VP and she being Commander in Chief!!! Yeah!! OK, now I'm rambling. Anyway, an exciting day for Alaskans and Americans.

And, by the way, her name is pronounce "Pay-lin"... and her husband is a snowMACHINE racer, not a snowMOBILE racer. Puhleeeeease!!!

Valdez 2006

If you would like to see what Valdez, AK looks like when it isn't raining, I have posted some pictures of our trip in 2006. They are at the very bottom of this page and they are just beautiful!

Valdez 2008

We had a quick two night trip to Valdez this past Wednesday through Friday. It was cold and rainy, but we really can't complain because most of the time when we go to Valdez we are fortunate enough to get really great, warm days... at least for one day each trip we've made. So we won't fuss too much about getting rained on this time. Here are some pictures of the trip. We met Andrew and Bryan C. in Glenallen... they flew in to Anchorage and rented a car. In Glenallen we ate a quick bite of supper (cold chicken and potato salad) then drove to Valdez together. The picture above is of Drew and Taylor "dancing" in the grass at Glenallen.

The Worthington Glacier, as seen through a dirty windshield. Bridal Veil FallsThis little rabbit is hard to spot in this picture. They keep rabbits all around the hotels and RV parks to keep the grass "short".Grant picked up a 4 ft. long log and dropped it in the puddle... I thought it made a neat picture to see how the water splashed. Out in the bayThe clouds stayed about this low the whole time we were there, so you couldn't see the beautiful mountains. The cutest little sea otter Ahhhh, the clouds lifted for just a few minutes. The twins' favorite thing to do in Valdez. Three little stoogies. (spelling error intended)

Pulling in from a 13 - 14 hour day of fishing.

Lisa and I spent the day walking around Valdez, trying to dodge the raindrops.

Heidi and Emily went on the boat this time and caught a few fish, halibut, ling cod and red snapper. But it was Darryl Q. and Bryan C. (sorry if I misspelled your name) who really "cleaned up". By this time of the night, after having been up for 16 or more hours, Andrew is feeling kinda loopy, as I, his adoring wife, look on. :)

We all got soaked. At the Worthington Glacier

All six of 'em, with a couple of tourists sliding down the glacier morain in the background.

My girls

My boys

Daddy and his sweet girls

The boys climbing onto the Alaska Pipeline

Bryan C. on top of the pipeline, with the boys under it.

The End (oh my word this was a loooooooong post)

Eagle Scout

One of our young men at church just "got" Eagle Scout. (I obviously don't know how to say that) We went to his ceremony last evening. It was very nice and made you realize the accomplishments of these guys who get Eagle Scout. Here are a few pictures.

Our friends, BJ, Mary and Scott D.




Congratulations, Jeremy, you are an awesome guy and you are an awesome Eagle Scout!