Life – Page 6 – Dust Bunnies and Dog Toys

A Mini-Date at Alyeska

Published on December 23, 2014 by Jenna2 Comments

I had a photo session scheduled over the weekend out at Alyeska Resort, which is a well-known Alaskan ski destination and when I found out that the hotel was offering free tram rides up the mountain that day I asked the hubs if he wanted to make a day trip out of the booking. Game to spend his day off with me, he agreed to come along.

Although we’ve lived in the area for almost 2 years, I hadn’t been up to the hotel until recently when I was asked to shoot an elopement there this fall, but I didn’t get a chance to explore the area so I was excited to have an opportunity to check it out. The hubs had last visited the hotel about 10 years ago, but that was before the tram was installed so there was plenty of new things for him to see too.

It was foggy down by the hotel, but we heard that there was fresh powder up on the mountain which is why the hallways of the hotel were crowded with skiers and snowboarders waiting to head up the mountain when we first arrived. Luckily, most of them were already up top by the time we finished my session and headed up ourselves.

Just like when we rode the tram in Juneau we climbed into the fog bank hoping for the best. The view on the way up made me feel all Christmasy inside!

The fog started to clear as we approached the tram terminal at the top.

This was the view as we stepped off the tram! Sorry for the glass reflections, but it was the only spot to get the shot.

The view got even better as we headed out of the tram area and passed a small café which was PACKED with folks trying to catch a quick meal before getting in some more time on the mountain before the limited daylight hours passed. We hung out in a ski lift chair at the end of the walkway that was set up as a swing for a while just enjoying the experience.

We visited the little gift shop/museum called the Round House which is the octagonal building seen in the photos above. They were having an end of year inventory sale and I found a pretty scarf that was super soft on sale for just $16! The view from the walkway of the Round House was absolutely stunning and just required a panoramic shot to capture the whole scene.

I spotted another photographer on the walkway around the shop and asked if he would take a photo of the hubs and I with the beautiful background, which resulted in this shot. Notice that new scarf!? 😉

Next we headed over to the Seven Glaciers restaurant where we sat in a corner with windows on both sides so we could see the tram as well as the people coming down the slopes. Check out the amazing view! Even the hubs had to do a panoramic picture!

But I mostly enjoyed checking out this view…
As we waited for our food we spotted the same photographer who had taken our picture working with a bride and groom out on the edge of the slopes! Seeing him work, I felt bad that I’d set the camera to auto before handing it to him to take our photo! Oh well. While we were eating I spotted these cool bells hanging from the ceiling. I’m not sure what they were from but they were obviously made by a crafted by a skilled artisan or two as the bells themselves had etchings and the collars they were attached to were quite intricate.

We enjoyed our lunch, watching the tram come and go as the light started to fade and the number of people out on the slopes dwindled.

We decided it was time to head back down the mountain and start the journey home. Although the tram deck looked empty when we first arrived from the restaurant, it soon filled with folks carrying their snow gear and ready to head back to the hotel for the evening, which made our tram back down much fuller than our tram up had been.

As we descended, we entered the fog once again and slowly the hotel appeared as we approached. It was definitely an entirely different weather experience on the ground than it was at the mountain top.

We headed back through the hotel pausing to warm up by the large fireplace where a moose mount sported some festive cheer.

And as we left the hotel we spotted this polar bear who unlike the moose, didn’t look too excited about being dressed up for the holidays. Maybe his scarf was a little too tight.

We don’t have a lot of down time with our busy schedules, so I’m grateful we were able to fit some in around other activities. It was a perfect winter mini-date to get us excited for Christmas.

The Most Wonderful Time of Year?

Published on December 18, 2014December 18, 2014 by Jenna1 Comment

Christmas is my favorite holiday and I always look forward to the fun traditions it brings. Unfortunately, the past week or so I feel like I’ve been hurtling through December, with an impending face plant into the brick wall of reality that Christmas is just ONE WEEK away. It’s been non-stop at work with 5 separate holiday parties to plan, I crafted for two holiday bazaar booths this month and of course this is the one of the busiest times of year to be a photographer! Even though I was moving at light speed and constantly crossing things off my to-do list, everywhere I looked I saw signs that I was failing:

That laundry basket of sheets on my counter which needs to be folded and stored in the vacuum seal bags I got for items on the top shelf of our master closet. FAIL.
The large box filled with smaller empty boxes left over from shipping Christmas presents out, still sitting next to the bar wall. FAIL
The dust bunnies that swirl in my wake as I hustled down the hallway to and from our bedroom. FAIL
The kitty litter I feel beneath my feet on the laundry room floor as I put on my boots each morning. FAIL
The pile of supplies sitting on counter for Christmas craft projects that will likely not happen before Christmas. FAIL
The box of holiday décor items by the front door that was left out to because I had grand plans to do some more decorating on the porch, but haven’t. FAIL
The photos I took for the blog that I haven’t had time to edit for posts. FAIL
The outfits for family pictures which I haven’t taken for our Christmas cards that also haven’t been designed yet. FAIL
The pile of ‘stuff’ to go through on the side table by my chair which has been there for over 6 months. FAIL
The set of classic Christmas movies I haven’t had time to watch yet this year even though it’s one of my favorite traditions. FAIL
The spare room full of stuff that is waiting for other projects to be done so they can be stored or displayed. FAIL
The coupon for the photo book I was supposed to order weeks ago for my grandmother’s Christmas present. FAIL
The funky looking stem of our Christmas tree that I had planned to hide with a tub or crate this year but didn’t. FAIL
The empty spots in our pantry because I haven’t gone grocery shopping. FAIL

The list goes on and on. Each item added another layer of guilt, coupled with a major lack of sleep, which made me feel overwhelmed and downright Grinchy. I was in need of some serious grace. That’s when God led me to this post and this post (two of my favorite blogs) to remind me we all have our flaws and self-criticisms, it’s part of being human. And then to reassure me that he made me strong and capable of handling any struggle he drew my attention to two presentations on Lifetime (The Red Tent and Women of the Bible) that highlight the important, yet often overlooked role women play in his plans.

It all gave me a revised perspective and made me notice the blessings I’d overlooked recently.

The hubs planned meals for the next week and went grocery shopping for all the ingredients.
Despite this being the first Christmas with us or ever for three of our fur children there has been no damage to our tree or ornaments.
Although there isn’t a ‘family’ picture for the Christmas card yet I was able to capture a great group shot of the dogs that I absolutely adore.
I found personal and thoughtful gifts for most on my list and all have been shipped in time to be opened on Christmas morning, plus I’ve come up with a plan to still get my grandmother her photo book in time.
We’ve accomplished a lot of projects around the house since we moved in this time last year and have plans to complete the next few soon.
The hubs recently got a job offer for a new position which comes with a substantial raise that will help us pay down our debts.
I received an exceptional compliment on my work ethic and success from the President of the company I work for, which was followed up with multiple comments in agreement from several senior managers.
And most importantly, we are all in good health and in need of no life basics.

It’s not a complete 180, but my mood has shifted. I’m taking time to enjoy a little bit of Christmas each day starting with watching A Charlie Brown Christmas last night surround by my fur babies as I sat in my chair by the fire. It was just another message from above. Watching Charlie Brown’s desire to celebrate the season with a heart of joy was like looking in the mirror and when Linus remind everyone what the real reason for the season was it drove the nail home. And I’m so glad it did.

Feathered friends

Published on November 19, 2014November 18, 2014 by JennaLeave a comment

We’ve had some pretty feathered guests in our yard recently, including this beautiful spruce grouse who I originally thought was a ptarmigan. I’ve seen him several times, but wasn’t able to get close enough for a picture thanks to my rambunctious children. So this time I left them in the house and slowly made my way down the driveway where he was foraging on the seeds and cast off by the trees during fall. He didn’t seem concerned that I was getting closer and when I sat on the bench by the garden he actually moved even closer.

Eventually he moved into the woods and flew up into a tree where I couldn’t see him anymore. But while looking for him, I spotted this guy pecking away at our birch trees.

I think this is a downy woodpecker, the same species of bird I saw in the back yard of our rental in Anchorage last year but can’t be certain. Whatever he is, he was pretty darn cute and very industrious. He worked his way up to the top of one tree and then flitted to the next to repeat his peckish ways.

Eventually he did visit my nearby suet feeder, which I was glad to see getting some use. I think offering a few feeding stations encourages the birds to visit and eat those pesky insects who are almost the same size as they are! Which is why I’ll be keeping the feeders stocked all winter, because if they know there is a reliable food source they will hang around and nest here, creating another generation of eaters to battle the insect population that is bound to return after winter.

All gave some, Some gave all

Published on November 11, 2014 by JennaLeave a comment

I had the privilege to photograph a soldier’s homecoming last night and it was the perfect way to start Veterans Day. Yes, I drove an hour and a half each way in the middle of the night to be there when he came home, but that’s nothing compared to the sacrifices he, his family and thousands of others who have served have paid.

We have a long history of service in our family, including my grandfather who served in WWII, my brother-in-law who put in 20 years with the Navy, his two sons who carry the torch in ROTC – one of whom will soon be attending Navy flight school, my retired Coastie hubby and his Pop who served as a Navy fighter pilot and performed several of the flight scenes for Top Gun! And we have friends in just about every other branch of the military, as well.

It takes a different kind of person to serve. I knew I wasn’t suited for military service, but I support those who do, regardless of the politics. And I thank them, sincerely. To me, they are the backbone of our country, not those who call the shots in DC.

America has many problems, and one of our biggest is forgetting our veterans. They endure hardships and trauma in the name of our freedom and return changed in ways they can’t even explain. Many are able to find their own way to cope with the help of friends and family, but unfortunately thousands don’t and end up suffering even more once they are home. There are many programs out there to help, although they are often overwhelmed with demand and not enough resources. So I encourage you to think about small things you could do to serve those who have served and are still serving for you. They don’t expect a hand out, but they will truly appreciate the small things such as:

Visit a local veterans nursing home and talk with the residents. You will be amazed at the stories they have to tell.
Invite a local military family to join your holiday celebrations. Often times they are stationed far away from family and miss having a large group to gather with.
Cook a meal for those staying at a Fisher House. They are often consumed with the details of their loved one’s treatment that they forget to take care of themselves.
Offer to babysit so an active duty member can an enjoy a little alone time with his or her spouse – or so that spouse of a deployed member can have a break from the constant demand of parenting solo.
Tackle a few home maintenance tasks for a disabled veteran who is unable to perform them. But let him or her help if they want – it will make them feel useful and capable despite their injury.
Have a yard sale and donate the proceeds to programs like Wounded Warrior, Fisher House, Honor and Remember. Even if it’s a small amount, it helps.
Help organize, fund raise or donate airline miles for local veterans to take an honor flight. If you live in the areas of the memorials they visit offer to cook a meal for the group or host them if you have room.
Raise or help train a service dog for a veteran. The programs that do this will support you in doing so.
Foster a single service member’s pet while they are deployed. It will give them the peace of mind they need to focus on the tasks at hand.

These are just a few ideas. You could also contact local organizations like the USO, VFW and VA to ask what specific needs might exist in your community. But perhaps the easiest thing to do is to thank active and retired military members and their families for their service when you see them in the community. They may only briefly acknowledge your comment because they see their service as normal every day life, but I promise that taking the time to acknowledge them resonates on a deeper level and they do appreciate it.

Juneau: Part I (The Red Dog Saloon)

Published on September 30, 2014October 1, 2014 by JennaLeave a comment

When I sat down to write about our trip to Juneau I realized that we’d actually done so much it would make for a very long post if I shared it all at once, so I’ll be doing several installments, documenting each activity we did over the next few days.

One of the first things we did was visit the world famous Red Dog Saloon. Established during the territorial gold rush days, the saloon has been a part of Juneau for decades. Although it’s been housed in several different locations around downtown over the years, it still has that saloon feel with swinging doors and sawdust floors.

Just about every visitor to the saloon has left a mark, literally. Names and dates are carved and written on every surface in the place. No surface is safe, even the emergency lights.

Local artifacts such as Wyatt Earp’s gun and souvenirs from visitors also cover the walls and ceiling, including life preservers from each of the Coast Guard ships that have docked there – including my hubby’s old boat, the Mustang. My personal favorite was the bear chasing ‘someone’ up the pole in the middle of the room.

Since we’d already had dinner when we visited we shared a cup of chowder and ordered a couple of drinks. Although the duck fart sounded interesting I opted for the glacier margarita, which was pretty good.

We enjoyed listening to the singer, who often paused mid-lyric to tell a story or chide someone. And I couldn’t help but chuckle at his tip jar – the blind puppie fund, which later changed to estrogen!

The entire place had a truly laid back, Alaskan style, but the best way to sum up the Red Dog Saloon is this sign. In fact it’s so perfect they offer it on t-shirts and other merchandise in their gift shop.

So if you find yourself in Juneau with a few hours to kill this is a good place to do so. Kick back, read the writing on the walls, marvel at the odd collection of items and definitely enjoy a cup of chowder. 🙂

The Fruits of Our Labor

Published on September 1, 2014September 1, 2014 by Jenna2 Comments

After my recent visit to Hatcher Pass I couldn’t wait to go back and pick berries, so I invited a friend to join us recently, loaded up the dogs and hit the trail. I had a local’s tip for a spot that was supposed to offer “copious amounts of berries,” but it turned out to be a bust, so we traveled further up the road and checked a few more spots before we finally found a great little patch just below a parking pull-off.

Unlike the high brush blueberries we’d had in Kodiak, these were low brush, which meant they were harder to spot and pick. We all ended up with purple splotches on our knees and rears from unknowingly sitting on a patch while working a group we’d spotted nearby. They were also smaller than their high brush cousins, except the couple of patches we found shaded by other vegetation.

We chatted as we picked and the dogs ran amuck exploring – sometimes right through the patch we were working on, nearly toppling the harvest bucket! They occasionally got to sample the harvest and we took them to the nearby creek for a drink several times. Several times they barked warnings at the paragliders who rode the breeze overhead, in case they got any ideas about trying to land in our berry patch! 🙂

There were also periods of focused picking, where the only sound was the waterfall a few yards away and an occasional chirp of a bird. That’s usually when I’d look around to see where the kiddos had gone since it was too quiet and not see anyone until I called and then heads would pop up out of vegetation.

It got chilly as the day wore on and the clouds started to move in so we decided it was time to call it quits before it started to rain. Before we left I took a few minutes to capture a few portraits of the fur babies, who were plum tuckered and ready for a nap. Two of the three were asleep by the time we got we got halfway home.

We came away with berry stained hands and harvests big enough to make some yummy treats. The hubs used ours – after a lengthy stem removal process – for some lemon blueberry bread, which is the perfect complement to my new indulgence, berry frozen yogurt.

Taking the Plunge In Honor of a Friend

Published on August 26, 2014 by JennaLeave a comment

We recently lost a dear family friend, Dick Ossey, after a long battle with cancer. Although I was sad to get the news, I was so glad we’d gotten the chance to visit with him on our recent road trip. The hubs and I have decided to honor his memory by participating in the 2015 Seward Polar Bear Jump Off, which benefits the American Cancer Society. The event takes place in January and is a spectacle of participants dressed in wacky costumes plunging into the near freezing waters of Resurrection Bay in Seward, Alaska. Luckily another good friend lives there and as the local Assistant Fire Chief, he oversees the safety of all the jumpers. And the local Coast Guard unit where the hubs was once stationed will be on hand, so I feel pretty confident that I’ll survive the experience.

Although I’m not looking forward to the moment of being submerged in icy water, I am excited about some costume ideas I’ve already conjured up. Of course there will be something purple involved, but I don’t want to give away the surprise just yet.

But there won’t be any costumes unless we raise enough sponsorships to be eligible to jump. As a team of two, we each have to raise a minimum of $750, $500 of which has to be turned in by November 30! That means the clock is ticking! We will be asking friends and family to support us in this adventure to honor the amazing fight that Dick made. If you would like to donate to our team please leave a comment below with contact information or message me on the DB&DT Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/DustBunniesAndDogToys.

Discovering Hatchers Pass

Published on August 18, 2014August 15, 2014 by JennaLeave a comment

Our new home is a stone’s throw from the amazing Hatchers Pass, but we haven’t gone farther than this first riverside pull off since moving in. That gave me a great reason to plan a photo walk there with my photography Meetup group. I’d heard the historic Independence Mine at the top of the pass offered great panoramas and had interesting old buildings, so I was excited to see it for myself. I wasn’t disappointed.

Before entering the park around the mine there was this adorable lodge with cabins that can be rented. I’m thinking it might be the perfect spot for the hubs and I to have a little get away. (hint, hint!)

lodge

The mine itself was a mix of restored and deteriorating historic buildings. The amazing textures on the buildings and scenery literally beg or a rustic photo shoot.

I hiked a steep trail that took me up and around the entrance to the actual mine, providing a hillside view of the entire area.

Rusty pieces of mining equipment were scattered about wherever they were forgotten when the mine closed and several signs explained what each building was used for, along with some interesting historical tidbits.

I spotted several prairie dogs on the road and then got an up close view of a group of them along one of the trails I took. They were gnawing on the wood of a collapsed building, making a sound I first thought was the building sliding down the hillside! Once they spotted me they scurried around and took cover. Then this guy took up sentry duty barking at me in an apparent message to his cohorts that there was danger afoot.

We also made a quick drive over to nearby Summit Lake, which I’m told is only 20’ deep at the center. The water was very chilly, but super clear. I could just envision bringing the fur kids up here to play!

Late August into September is prime season for wild blue berries and there are plenty of patches in this area. I’m planning to make a trip back very soon to pick my own batch, which we’ll freeze and save for my hubby’s amazing lemon blueberry bread!

Full Speed Ahead!

Published on August 13, 2014 by JennaLeave a comment

Sorry for falling off the face of the blogsphere after my last post. Things around here have been SUPER busy. There are a million things going on at work, I had five photography clients on Sunday with several more scheduled this week and there are lots of projects in progress around the house.

The hubs has been working hard on the fence for the dogs and the back yard was just hydroseeded so we’ll have a lawn inside the fence. In preparation for winter, we purchased an old plow truck which needs some fixing and arranged for the mechanic neighbor to bring it back to life. We also started installing a closet kit for the guest room that we picked up for a third of the retail cost on a local buy/sell page.

I’ve been trying to wrap up the rain garden installation and get the yard planted so things take root before fall. And we’re sorting all the heirloom china and glassware we brought back on our recent trip. I’m also painting and staining for a couple décor projects that have been on my to-do list for some time. I’ll be sharing pictures of it all soon.

It’s nice to see progress after feeling frustrated recently. It’s definitely gotten me inspired again, even though I have minimal time to make the ideas in my head reality these days. Such is life, right?

The fun part is getting that twinge of pride mixed with happiness when I subconsciously notice those projects that we’ve completed and turned out to be a perfect fit for the space. I have a feeling that there will be many more of those moments in the months to come!

Curbing the Urge to Rush

Published on August 7, 2014August 7, 2014 by JennaLeave a comment

When we moved into the our new home I told myself that I’d take my time decorating, so that the end product was a natural evolution of us creating a home and learning how we use the space. But recently I’ve been struggling with that process.

We’ve been in the house about 8 months now and I thought we’d have a lot more done than we do. Part of the problem is my over-estimating how much I can get done in a day, or two, or even a week with a full-time job, a photography business, an Etsy shop, managing this blog and a little down time with my hubby and fur babies every now and then. Another obstacle is my hubby’s swing shift that contradicts my day-job schedule, making working on projects together quite difficult. And there are some projects that just take two sets of hands.

I think part of my frustration is that I dreamed about the details of our house for years before it became a reality, so when I can’t use a space how I planned because we haven’t done that project yet, I get irritated. It was a blessing and a curse that I had most of the spaces decorated and organized in my head way before they were even digging footers! Now that we’re actually in, it’s a constant balance between time, budget and energy to make all those plans come to life.

But there is a silver lining to the wait. It’s caused me to tweak some of my plans to better suit our needs, budget and the space. And it’s allowed me to incorporate things I forgot to plan for, like my hope chest and the hubby’s grandfather clock. Plus it’s eliminated a lot of ‘extra’ shopping for things I ended up not needing.

So my lessons in patience continue. It’s definitely not an easy course for me, but it’s what the Lord knows I need. And it will make the finished product that much more rewarding. 🙂