Alaska – Page 4 – Dust Bunnies and Dog Toys

A Weed by Any Other Name

Published on September 16, 2015 by Jenna2 Comments

Although weeds are usually something you don’t want in your garden, sometimes waiting to see how they turn out is worth the risk. Case in point is this lovely Jewel Weed (aka Touch Me Not) I found blooming in my gifted garden. I’m not sure where it came from, but I love the delicate yellow flowers that bloomed late this summer. After a bit of online research, I’ve learned that it’s actually a very useful plant, being both edible and a natural remedy for skin irritations because it contains both an anti-inflammatory and fungicide.

I’ve decided to leave it alone and see what it does next year, which I hope is return bigger and fuller. I’m certainly game for a 0 maintenance plant that not only fills my garden with lovely flowers but has a host of beneficial uses!

The other ‘weed’ in my garden this season were some pretty German Impatiens our neighbor gave us. I didn’t know anything about them other than her instruction that they needed to be planted very soon. I had some empty holes in my front flowerbed at the time so that’s where I put them.

They started out as 4″ tall sprouts, but within a few weeks they were chest high without an ounce of effort on my part! Once again I turned to the internet for information, where I learned they can be invasive – not surprising given their super-fast growth rate. They are also another variety of Jewelweed (Himalayan Balsam) so they have similar skin irritant remedy properties and are edible.

I knew they wouldn’t work in the space where I had planted them, so I moved them to the hillside near the rain garden where they have plenty of unused space they can fill. Now that we have these helpful plants I’m thinking there’s a good possibility that raspberry sangria, with basalm and fireweed garnish will be the signature drink on our deck next summer! Do you have common weeds in your garden that you love? Tell me about them with a comment below!

Fun at the Fair

Published on September 3, 2015 by Jenna2 Comments

Fall is harvest season and that means it’s the typical time for county and state fairs. The hubs and I won tickets to a country concert at the fair which included fair admission so we made a night of it. I’d never seen this FAIR photo spot before but it was pretty cool. The hubs didn’t want to play the I but agreed to get a shot of me doing so. I have no idea why my jeans look like high waters, so just ignore that part!

The weather was absolutely perfect with blue skies and there was plenty else to see beyond the FAIR sign, from old historic barns to the traditional ferris wheel at the carnival.

We sampled the classic hand dipped ice cream, toured the art exhibits, wandered along the rows of vendors where we purchased specialty jams and syrups for ourselves and as gifts for friends and family. Then decided to head to the livestock barn, because as former 4-H and FFA members that’s what the fair is really about for us. On the way to the barn I spotted this awesome garden figures made completely of living plants. It was the best kind of art!

At the livestock barn we watched baby chicks hatch in an incubator, including this cute little fluff ball.

And as a previous goat owner you know I stopped to say hello to this sweet face! Those ears just made me want to open the gate and take her home!

And just down the row these two kids were enjoying their dinner, in more ways than one. Seriously, does it get any cuter? Yes, but only if those were Nubian kids with big floppy ears. Can you tell I’m a bit biased?

I have to share this competitor’s stall because they went all out to decorate. From a hand-made wooden sign and fabric bunting to a collage of all their livestock next to a thank you to their buyers from the previous year it was absolute perfection!

Across the aisle were the pigs, who were apparently catching up on their beauty sleep. But they were pretty darn cute doing it.

We wandered past the sheep, which I will never own again!, to the cows and then on to this single reindeer. At first I thought it odd to see a reindeer in the market barn, but it is Alaska and I’m well aware of just how tasty Rudolph can be so it makes sense after all!

Beyond the barn there was some local produce for sale at phenomenal prices considering most were extra large. The Mat-Su valley is well known for growing monster vegetables thanks to our unique summer climate. We didn’t go far enough to see the competitors for the largest pumpkins and other categories but they often take up an entire flatbed semi to be transported to the fair!

We never did make it to the concert, but since it was at an open-air amphitheater we still heard most of it. Ready for a break we got some raspberry topped funnel cake – my fair food must have and rested our feet at a picnic table next to the face painting and crazy hair booth which produced a pretty entertaining batch of both their trades. Although we had dessert first with the ice cream and funnel cake we wanted something that qualified for dinner before we headed home so we stopped by a local meat processing company’s food stand and ordered Caribou Steak Sandwiches. For those that don’t know caribou and reindeer are the same, except one is wild while the other is domesticated, so I was probably eating the cute reindeer above’s long lost wild cousin. But he sure was mighty tasty! 🙂

We came, we saw, we walked, we tasted and we had fun. It was a great fair experience!

Feeling Fallish

Published on September 2, 2015 by JennaLeave a comment

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ThriftDCreationsFall is my favorite season. I love seeing the colors change and the crisp feel in the air. It makes me want to grab a cup of cocoa, light a fire, snuggle up in a cozy sweater and watch the leaves fall as I start to plan for the upcoming holidays. But fall is also usually one of my busiest seasons so it’s pretty rare when that actually happens. This time of year I’m prepping for the holiday bazaars, creating family portraits for client’s holiday cards and preparing our home for winter, which will be here before we know it. Fall4

I will admit that I did attempt to ignore the initial signs of fall. Alaska’s amazing summers are hard to give up and those first few cooler days are not well accepted because we know it means our days of endless sunlight and amazing landscapes will soon be replaced with darkness and cold. But once I accept it I always fall in love with this wonderful transition season.

Now that I’ve conceded that summer has passed, I’ve embraced fall and carved out a bit of time to get out and photograph it’s beauty with my photography Meetup group. We went up into the foothills of the Chugach mountains where the colors are more pronounced due to cooler temperatures.

I love the vibrant colors seen in the plants, which are offering the last of their harvests and one last burst of beauty before the first frost arrives.

And our beautiful fireweed has now released it’s seed to blow in the wind and begins to display a variety of colors including green, red, orange and even purple on it’s leaves. This was one of many I spotted along the trail recently.

In fact a colorful autumnal fireweed is one of my favorite shots to date. It literally screams fall every time I see it.

I took Friday off to make the long holiday weekend even longer so I can wrap up a few outstanding projects around the house, like getting the deck prepped for cooler temps, cleaning up the garden, reclaiming the garage for parking and of course decorating for fall! I’ll also be updating my Etsy shop inventory, revamping my photography marketing and testing out new designs for the holiday bazaar I’ll be selling at after Thanksgiving. But I’m determined to squeeze in a little fall relaxing too. In fact I already purchased all of the s’more making materials needed for our firepit’s fall debut, and I can’t wait!

A Garden Update

Published on June 10, 2015 by JennaLeave a comment

I’ve been planning to share a little update on my Gifted Garden and Rain Garden for a week or so now, but by the time I edited the photos I took to share things had changed some more. So before that can happen again, let’s get to it. First up is the Rain Garden, which looked pretty dismal for weeks even when the warmer temps arrived. Then one day I was driving up the driveway and noticed a good amount of green had suddenly appeared. Upon closer inspection I saw that 90% of what I’d planted last season is coming back in, which makes me pretty darn happy. And now that the cat mint has returned Luna is quite happy as well!

I mean like seriously happy. As in she won’t leave the poor plant alone! She’s in love with the darn thing!

Even a robin on the branch above the garden can’t tear her attention away for more than a glance through the leaves!

But I digress…. Elsewhere in the garden, the iris that I rid my friend’s lawn of are growing tall and strong. I haven’t seen any buds yet, but they didn’t have any last year either since they spent most of the season sitting in clumps in a pot waiting for a permanent home. I’m excited to find out what color they will be. I’m betting it’s purple like the wild iris around Alaska, but I’d be happy with any color if they just bloom.

Three of the freebie Craigslist lilacs are showing small signs of life with some new leaves, although two are still just bare twigs. I’ll let them be until the end of the summer before I give up on them. They have a mystery neighbor that popped up. I’m thinking it’s yellow yarrow, since the leaves look very similar to the other yellow yarrow I have a few feet away, but we’ll see what it grows up to be when the small yellow bud at it’s top develops.

Another mystery arrival is this grouping of spouts. It’s in the area where I had mint last year and the leaves look about right for that, so I’m guessing that’s what it is. For now I’m going to leave it alone and see what we get.

The clematis on either side of the garden are showing momentum after looking dead for months and are even touting a few blooms. One is certainly bigger than the other, but hopefully they will both take over the tires and provide a lovely natural background for the garden over the next few years.

One of the vincas from the box store came back and is even flowering already. The other didn’t fair so well. At first I thought the green was new growth, but it’s been the same for a while now so I’m classifying it as a gonner. I haven’t decided what to replace it with yet, so for now it can hold the space.

The water iris are slower growing than the other iris, but hopefully they’ll provide some pretty yellow blooms this season.

The speedwell in the back of the garden has some dense growth, so I’m thinking it won’t spread much this season. The Aluetian speedwell I put around the front of the garden has some pretty delicate purple flowers, but is a slow grower. I planned for it to be a ground cover on the hillside leading to the garden but if it doesn’t pick up the pace by mid season I’ll be looking for something else for next season.

The ornamental onion, yellow lily and campanula are all showing good starts. I’m thinking they will hit their stride when the warm weather returns next week and start to really fill out.

The columbine has a good amount of growth but no signs of flowers yet. I don’t remember if this one is yellow or purple, but either would be nice.

In front of the columbine is a forget-me-knot, that I ironically forgot about. I think this one came from some seeds I got at one of the holiday weekend giveaways at the box store and let sprout in the little cup they came home in before planting just to give it a shot. Maybe it will continue to surprise me and spread a bit to come back next season even more.

The thing I’m most excited about in this garden is the lady slipper orchid that I acquired on our trip up the Alcan last year. It seemed to go dormant soon after I got it home, although it had been on the road for several days at that point so I thought it wouldn’t come back. I’m so glad it proved me wrong and surprised me!

I remember planting things on the hillside above the rain garden, but for the life of me can’t remember what they were. Some were bought and others were freebies, but I wrote them all off when the builder’s contractor came to do our final grade and bulldozed them even AFTER we’d told him not to go in this area… sigh. But they’ve poked back up without any water or feed from me so I’m thinking they are my kind of plant. Feel free to leave ideas in the comments below if you think you know what they are! 🙂

Ok Luna, are you ready to leave your cat mint and head over to the other garden? I’ll take that as a no. Well, you know where to find me….

Over in the gifted garden there are small signs of life. In the corner near the back door I replaced something that didn’t come back with a hydrangea and finished off the far corner that never got any plants last year with a lilac. Both are from local nurseries so I’m pretty confident that they will establish and come back year after year. This is the first hydrangea I’ve ever had so I’m excited to watch it grow, especially after seeing 5 buds on it the other day! The lilac had a bud on it when I bought it – hence the reason I picked this one over the others – so we should get some color out of it this year.

When I went to plant the lilac I found something strange just under the surface.

You guessed it. That’s one of the dogs’ balls! Apparently someone decided to bury it here for safekeeping at some point! Kids….jeesh!

Although some of what I was gifted didn’t return, what has is showing good signs that it will stick around for the long haul.

The wild geranium is doing the best out of all the returning gifted plants, and is covered in tiny buds! Although it’s native cousins in the surrounding woods already have sporadic blooms, it looks like the special attention this one gets will result in multiple blooms!

Now if I can just keep the momma moose and her yearling calf who have been frequenting the easement near the back yard away from my unfenced sprouts I stand a chance of having a pretty yard this summer! For something so big they sure do blend in well! Luckily, the dogs tend to keep them at a distance, but that’s only so efficient for things outside the fence. Wish me luck!

Fun in the Sun

Published on June 3, 2015 by Jenna2 Comments

Now that summer has arrived we’ve been out riding in our side-by-side just about every weekend. Our favorite spot to ride is the Knik Public Use Area which is part of a massive glacier fed river delta. Because the river is constantly changing its course across the large open space, it’s a different experience every time we visit. It’s not uncommon for the beach we stopped at last time to have become a sandbar in what is now the middle of the river, or for a route we’ve previously used to be cut off by a newly formed stream, but that’s what makes it such an interesting place to ride.

There are a variety of terrains, including wooded trails, bluffs, meadows and sandy areas. My favorites are the black sand beaches along the river’s edge with fantastic views of the mountains.

That’s where we usually stop to let the kiddos play. They weren’t too sure about getting in the water at first, which I can understand because the water is not only cold, it’s very silty making it difficult to judge just how deep it really is.

I enjoy wandering the shoreline looking for driftwood to collect for various projects I want to do while the dogs race back and forth on the sand like greyhounds.

Driftwood

And if it’s warm enough, I ditch my shoes for a black sand exfoliation. I call it the Alaskan pedicure.

Eventually the dogs find a shallow spot where they pretend to walk on water until we find a stick to throw for them.

Tequila prefers bigger sticks which she retrieves from the water and digs at until they are hidden by the crater she’s created in the sand. Then she bounces and barks to show the giant stick who’s boss. When her siblings try to assist her, she quickly tells them she doesn’t need help.

So instead, they come snuggle with mom and dad until they are ready to run some more.

In between all this activity they sometimes agree to pose for pictures….

And sometimes they don’t….

Then when they are ready to ride again they load up in the side-by-side, as if to say “hey, let’s go!”

Although sometimes they try to sneak in and ride shotgun, which never works. 🙂

And once we’re on the trail, I watch them play lookout for the next spot to stop and explore.

One trip, we spotted some fan boats going up the river. The dogs weren’t sure what to make of them, or the waves they created on the river bank.

We’ve also spotted small planes in the area, since there is an airstrip nearby and the Palmer municipal airport isn’t far.

And sometimes we find signs of Alaska’s wildlife, usually in the form of tracks or droppings, but occasionally you’ll come across a more glaring example of the life cycle.

Back at the truck after riding, the dogs watch from the tailgate while daddy loads up their favorite toy until the next time we go riding. Can you say spoiled? 🙂

Eklutna in the Spring

Published on May 5, 2015May 6, 2015 by Jenna2 Comments

The hubs and I took advantage of the beautiful weather over the weekend and headed out to Eklutna Lake for a ride in our side-by-side. This was the first time either of us had been out on this trail so we weren’t sure what to expect, but the view from parking lot gave us a pretty good indication of what we were in store for.

As soon as we had the side-by-side off the trailer the kiddos loaded up to ride and somebody apparently thought she was supposed to ride shotgun.

That lasted all of about two seconds before I relegated her to the back with her siblings and took my seat next to the hubs so we could head down the trail.

The first part of the trail was a little narrow and riddled with puddles left over from the melting spring snow.

As the trail opened up we came to this cute little bridge, which took us over a creek that feeds the lake.

I had fun playing with the mirrors the hubs recently installed when the trees blocked the view of the lake.Including giggling at these two goofballs watching the scenery go by with total excitement.

Eventually the trees gave way and we were blessed with this view.

We continued down the trail, occasionally encountering other riders as we traveled along the shore for several miles. At the end of the lake we found this charred forest with beautiful views of the mountains. We continued on for a bit before we decided to head back after a quick stop to eat a snack and give the dogs water.

As we loaded the dogs back up to get going Bacardi seemed pretty tired, so I held her on my lap, where she tried desperately to sleep despite the bumpy trail. She stayed there all the way to the parking lot, where she was suddenly wide awake again.
It was a good first trip out for the season. Hopefully there will be many more to share in the coming months!

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.

Juneau: Part III (Mount Roberts Tramway)

Published on October 10, 2014 by JennaLeave a comment

Sorry for the delay since my last post – that little thing called life threw a few curve balls at me and I was so busy swinging away at them that I didn’t get back to sharing the rest of our Juneau adventures. But I’m back now and I’m going to wrap up the story of our adventures this weekend. So without further ado- here’s the next installment!

This was my third trip to Juneau and I was determined to ride the tram up the hillside before leaving. Although I originally planned this activity for my day off so we could enjoy lunch at the Timberline restaurant at the top of the hill, I discovered they would be closed for a private event that day. Since visiting the restaurant was a main part of my desire to experience the tram, we decided to go after I finished my work events and have dinner instead.

I’m not sure if it was the foggy/drizzling weather or the fact that it was the end of the tourist season, but there was no crowd and we had the entire tram to ourselves except for one other person.

Once we climbed into the fog bank the view of town was gone, but that made specifically aware that we were at tree top level. We arrived at the top terminal and made our way down the hallway to the gift shop. It wasn’t until looked out a window at where we’d come from that I realized just how impressive the structure really was.

We browsed the gift shop where several pieces of local art were displayed, including this amazing beaded river, which hung from the ceiling!

Once we’d finished in the gift shop we headed outside on the trail around the building to catch a few sights before the light faded. Just outside the terminal was this amazing overlook, which provided a stunning view now that the fog had parted.

A nearby outbuilding had this massive tree slice on display. Those rings depict a LOT of history – 168 years worth to be exact. The sign next to the slice noted major events in Alaska history coordinating with different rings.

The trail was pretty slick and we weren’t dressed for hiking, so we wandered the well traveled areas around the buildings. Several of the trees had this amazing bend in their trunks, which signs explained was from heavy snowfall when they were young.

We spotted several native carvings in the trees along the path. There were no descriptions of what they symbolized, but they were still pretty cool.

We also noticed a cross on the hilltop beyond the trees. It was interesting to consider the difference in these belief systems and how they’ve finally found a peaceful mix – which has not always been the case in these parts.

As the light faded we spotted the sign pointing out the trail back to town. Obviously for those more adventurous and prepared, so we decided to head inside and test out the restaurant.

Inside we visited the theater, which shows a short film on the history of the native people of Juneau and the many settlers who came to the region before it became a state. After that we checked out some of the hunting displays. The CEO of the company I work for is from Juneau and has many ties to the community, so it wasn’t that surprising to see that several of the trophies were donated by his brother!

We ordered crab nachos and watched the fog roll back in as we waited for our meal. I’m sure on a clear day this is one of the best views in town!

Although the nachos weren’t the best we’d ever had, they were massive. Literally, a pile of chips, cheese, tomatoes, and onions topped with crab meat. Needless to say, we didn’t finish the entire plated.

It was almost closing time we we moseyed out to the tram terminal and took the last tram of the night back down. As we walked back to our hotel through the drizzle I looked back and realized the entire building on the hillside had been cloaked in fog once again, making it appear as if the cables disappeared into the clouds.

It certainly wasn’t the experience portrayed in the brochure, but it was still one I’d recommend to those who visit Juneau, even if the weather isn’t perfect.

Juneau: Part II (Mendenhall Glacier)

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

Our second adventure in Juneau was visiting Mendenhall Glacier. We first viewed it on a wonderfully partly cloudy day from a picnic area on the far side of the lake that the glacier has formed. The massive Nugget Falls is just to the right of the glacier, and being able to see it across the massive lake gave me a sense of just how big it really was. It was an amazing location for a portrait session – trees, stone buildings, glacier, lake and a sandy beach. Sigh.

We only had a brief time to sit and enjoy the view before I was needed for work activities, but we agreed that it was worth checking out the trail we’d heard would get us right up next to the glacier when I had my day off during the trip. So despite a light drizzle, we found the park where the trail head was located. There was a great view from the pavilion next to the parking lot. Notice the icebergs in the lake?

But I’d heard the trail would take us right to the foot of Nugget Falls and I wasn’t leaving until I’d at least attempted it, so off we went. The trail was pretty well maintained and fairly level although there were a few puddles we had to avoid. At one point it looked like the trail led directly to the glacier itself!

Along the way we had a better view of the ice bergs, which turned out to be a perch for a lone eagle – at least for a while.

There was a fork in the trail a little ways in, with one way leading to the falls and the other leading to a photo view point. We decided to head to the falls first since that was the longer route and we weren’t sure how long the rain would hold off. Along the way we spotted this plaque dedicated to a local wolf. I don’t know Romeo’s story, but can take a pretty good guess based on this tribute.

The sound of the falls got louder as we approached and we caught glimpses of it around several bends. Then we rounded the final bend and saw this!

I walked out on the little beach to photograph the falls head on. The falls were so strong it produced a strong breeze, which directed a constant spray of mist right at me. I could only get in one or two shots before the entire lens was covered. The people standing next to the falls give you a perspective on size.

From here I looked back out at the lake and realized just how far away those ice burgs were! It didn’t seem that far when we saw them from the viewpoint, but the great Alaskan wilderness is always larger than it seems.

After I took a few pictures the hubs and I sat and took in the wonder of it all for a bit. The area was pretty much deserted besides the other couple you see in the photo above, but soon groups of people started arriving in a steady stream, signaling the arrival of a tour bus, so we decided to head back up the trail before the crowd became overwhelming. Back at the fork, the hubs took a break to rest his knee and I proceeded out to the viewpoint, which offered a nice vantage point to see the glacier, falls and ice bergs!

There was also an interesting sign showing just how much the glacier had receded and how the falls used to flow through the glacier.

The viewpoint also gave a different perspective to the size of Nugget Falls, as I could see the crowd of tourists now gathered on the sandy beach where we’d just been.

I snapped a few photos for some solo tourists who wanted the scenery in the background and then headed back to the fork to reconnect with the hubs. By then the clouds had rolled in and we decided to move on to another adventure, which turned out to be the right decision since it started to pour just as we pulled out of the parking lot! WordPress won’t let me post the video I took at the foot of the falls so check it out on my Facebook page instead! And if you’re not a fan already go ahead and click “Like” while you’re there! 😉

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. 🙂