Carolina to Alaska

Blizzard and Packing Almost Done

2011-12-12T14:38:00.001-05:00

We had a blizzard warning here in Anchorage last night. Tons of beautiful snow was dumped on us. It's quite beautiful! And it's still snowing.

You can click on any of these pictures and see a much larger version of it with more detail.
They even closed the schools today. Wow. Alaska closing school for a snow day. That's rare.

Yes, Bonnie is watching Harry Potter... again....

Thursday is our moving day. It won't be long now.

I've got all of our clothes packed in the suitcase.

Most of my craft items are packed. :( I left out my Cricut Expression and paper so I can play up until the last minute if I need a break from packing.

Most of the kitchen is packed except for the pots and pans (which I shall get to after posting this).

For the rest of the week it's paper plates and sandwiches.

Any food we have left in the pantry is going to charity. Tom's work is collecting food for those in need. I love being able to help out in this way.

Our neighbor has agreed to take any foods we have in the frig and freezer. I'd much rather give it to someone who will use it than just throw it in the garbage and waste it.

Bonnie is ready to go! She wants to see her brother and sisters again, and her nephews.

We were going to surprise my parents, but I'm weak, I ended up telling them last week. Mama is glad I told them. Plus I was worried they would get worried if they couldn't reach me by phone for several days. (We usually turn our phones off while in Canada instead of paying for that extremely expensive service.)

Tom is going at lunch today to get tire chains even though we already have snow tires on the truck.

We are trying to take every precaution. It's rather dangerous to drive on the Alaska Highway in the winter if you aren't prepared. And absolutely no night driving for us since the animals use the roads more in the winter and because of the little to no visibility with snow blowing.

Please say a prayer of safety for us. I'll be so happy to re-enter into the United states and get on an Interstate again.

Here is our plan. This is just a plan - it may take a lot longer than we've put in this schedule.

Google Maps Anchorage, Alaska to Columbia, South Carolina

If anyone is interested, you can go the the link below and see where we are on our trip.

http://www.spotadventures.com/user/profile?user_id=79142

I'll check back in when we get home and get internet hooked back up.

Have a Merry Christmas and a very fun, creative day!

:) Janis

South Carolina In Our Forecast

2011-12-08T12:47:00.000-05:00

We have so enjoyed being back here in Alaska and the beautiful snow that has been showering down so often. I just don't remember it snowing this often the last time we were here. Next Thursday, December 15th, we will be moving back to South Carolina. Our 3 month vacation here has been simply awesome, but it's time to get back to the south and most of our family. We hope to make it back by Christmas. Driving in the winter on the Alaskan Highway is not ideal, but doable. It will take us a few days longer on this trip since Tom will not be driving at night on the Alaskan Highway - that's just too dangerous with "white outs" and all the animals using the roads during the winter instead of staying in the snow filled woods and byways.

We are excited that we will be spending Christmas Day at our daughter, Keri's, home with her family. Watching our grandson opening his Christmas presents is going to be a blast!

Have a Merry Christmas, everyone!

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center Adventure

2011-11-10T13:57:00.003-05:00

Last weekend we got 10 inches of snow! LOVING IT! This week it has continued to snow on and off almost every day. This morning it's very white outside because the snow falling is so thick and heavy. For me, this snowfall and scenery just doesn't get old.

This is the bridge beside our apartment that leads to the park, pond, and connects to one of the many walking trails around town. Bonnie's favorite thing to do is drag her hand along the railing while walking so that the snow falls down. LOL

On Sunday we visited the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. They've started a new deal-e-o where if you have a Museum Membership (which we do) you can get in free the first Sunday every month. We really enjoyed it and are already planning on going again the first Sunday in December!

As you can see below... there are tons of animals to drive around and see. Of course there is also lots of pull off parking places to get out and get a closer look. But be sure and NOT touch the fence around the bears or you'll get a nice large SHOCK! (No, we didn't touch it.)

We took lots of pictures and videos. Here are just a few of them we wanted to be sure and share with you.

WOW! That's some DEEP Snow!!

Of course they have an awesome Gift Shop. I liked this carving!

Too much moola for me though.

Okay, so the below is a terrible picture, but these cats (Lynx) were large and beautiful. Probably shouldn't try to pet them though. Just sayin'.

Bonnie's favorite part of the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center was looking at the owls. They were beautiful! And so much bigger than I thought owls would be. We decided to take a couple of stuffed ones home with us. She's been watching the owl movie "Legend of The Guardians" and playing the Wii game.

Okay, before I go, here's a short video of the big, fluffly snowflakes blanketing us this morning. Notice how the driveway is clear? It's heated. How cool is that?

SNOW!

2011-10-31T16:41:00.000-04:00

What a fun weekend! Our football team, South Carolina Gamecocks, WON! We went shopping ... that's always FUN! And Sunday we woke up to a snow covered ground with the white stuff floating down. Beautiful!

We had a lot of fun playing in the snow and just watching it come down. It's been snowing all morning too. I love it! Even though it's cold and snowing, Tom is still riding his bicycle to work. What a trooper! Of course, it's really not unusual here to see a lot of people commuting by walking, bicycling and even skiing to work. This is such a cool place to live. Unlike any other place we've lived before... and you know how often we move around to check out new places. :)

Enjoy the following video and pictures. Thanks for stopping by!

A short video from Tom's work this morning:

Our weekend fun:

Have a fun Monday. Happy Halloween! BOO!

:) Janis

Whittier, AK & Kincaid Park

2011-10-24T15:46:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, we went to Portage Glacier for lunch on Saturday, the a quick trip to Whittier, AK, and on Sunday to a part of Kincaid Park.

Lunch was enjoyed at PORTAGE GLACIER CAFE. Bonnie had a cheeseburger & fries; Tom had Reindeer Chili, and I had a blueberry muffin (and some of Bonnie's fries & burger). As we were eating, we decided to go ahead and pay the toll to drive through the tunnel to Whittier since we've never been there before.

The above picture is the Portage Glacier off in the distance.

The above picture is kind of gloomy, but I was trying to get a picture of the pieces of the Portage Glacier that are floating in the lake. These chunks of ice are white with a shining Aqua color on the inside. It's really fascinating to see this color aqua almost glowing from the inside of the glacier.

The tunnel goes through a mountain (I think it's 3 miles long), and is just 1 lane wide. Traffic travels one way to and from Whittier on a set schedule with breaks inbetween to clear out the exhaust. This same 1 lane is also shared by the train, so we were riding along the railroad tracks in the tunnel. Something from childhood about not walking on the train tracks kept echoing in my mind as we were driving on them. LOL The tunnel has about 7 areas along the way with Emergency Exits and Safe Houses in case of an emergency. The brochure states to leave your car with the keys in it and go to the nearest Safe House if the lights turn red in the tunnel. There are also rules about how fast you can go and the spacing between vehicles in the tunnel.

Googled picture of inside of tunnel.

This looks like a house, but it's actually the entrance to the tunnel. See how the vehicle traffic lane and train tracks are all the same lane?

Once in Whittier, we drove around to the campsites and Eagle Nesting Areas with the waterfalls. Tom got out a few times and walked around. Bonnie & I just rolled our windows down and listened to the waterfalls.

On Sunday we drove around looking at houses for sale and rent just for fun. Man! Houses here are EXPENSIVE! Then we rode to a part of Kincaid Park and walked along the water and down the trail lining the airport for a while. Didn't see any moose... which is probably a good thing. Didn't see any bears either on our walk... which is most definitely a good thing.

I'm still waiting on the snow to blanket us. What is taking so long? The average first snowfall is mid October. It's almost the end of October. I'm ready for the snow already!

Until our next post.... Smiles :) Janis

MOOSE on the LOOSE

2011-10-18T21:33:00.000-04:00

Bonnie & I walked outside today to go to the truck and came face to face with this big boy....

You can click on the picture to see a bigger version.

Bonnie had 1 more step to go down before I looked up and saw him. Huh... he saw us though. He was facing us and looking right at us. I said, "Bonnie! Turn around! Turn around!" I got her back inside the door while I stood there with the door open waiting on him to leave. That took forever. He kept eating the bushes for a while. Walked a few feet. Stopped. Turned his head around to look at me again. He did this several times. I kept talking to him. Saying, "Yes, I'm still here. You need to leave now." As if he knows English. LOL

Scared the poopie out of me!

Other than that, we had a fun day! We went to the library and got some horse movies. She loves horses. She also got about 5 picture books. One is Mother Goose The Cow Jumped Over The Moon.

We also went to Tom's work to pick him up for lunch. We had THAI food at THAI TOWN (Authentic Thai Cuisine Bangkok Style). It was yummy!

http://www.thaitownak.com/index.html

And we stopped at REI to get a new bike bag for Tom to put his laptop and other goodies in during his bicycle ride to work. He left for work on his bicycle this morning while it was still dark outside. Yikes!

Snow update! The snow on the mountains is much heavier now and the snow line is lower. That is good news! I'm still watching the weather forecast every day. And every day it's changed. I can't wait for the snow showers to begin!

Smiles! :) Janis

Hatcher Pass

2011-10-17T17:02:00.000-04:00

Our Sunday adventure....

Tom says, "Are you ready? Let's go!" And Bonnie & I jump in the truck. We play this game that I have to guess where we are going or just be surprised when we get there. All I knew was that he brought me his Xoom for the car ride saying I may want to play with it on the trip. Hmm... must be a destination that's more than just around the block or across town. Then he told me it was somewhere we haven't been before, but somewhere he's been wanting to go. And he said it was an hour away. Our surprise destination was Hatcher Pass.

As we began to climb the mountain and gain elevation, we got closer and closer to the snow line on the tops of the mountains. The rain was pretty steady all the way from home during our ride there.

About 5 minutes after passing this part of the river, the rain turned to heavy snow showers. It was beautiful!

I don't know why I get so excited and giggly about snow. It just makes me happy. We love the snow!

We all got out and just jumped around and threw a couple of snowballs too. I loved it.

On the way back down the mountain, Bonnie rolled her window down so the snow would land on her arm. She giggled the whole time, which made Tom & I giggle too.

I love our weekend adventures! I love that Tom takes Bonnie & I off to places we've never been. We were gone all day doing all sorts of fun stuff. We got some groceries at Sam's (which is always fun!). Bonnie & I got some new boots rated to -40 degrees F and waterproof with heavy tread so we can walk and not slip or get wet feet in the snow. We had lupper (lunch / supper) at Gallos Mexican Restaurant. Yummy-ness!

I love my new boots! Do you like me BLUE shoestrings? Bonnie & I got the exact same pair in the same color. We took out the brown shoestrings and lace up the blue ones. Pretty!

Until our next adventure... or until the snow comes....

Smiles! :) Janis

Kencaid Park & Potter Marsh

2011-10-12T15:40:00.000-04:00

Last weekend we had so much fun walking at Kencaid Park & Potter Marsh. These first 2 pictures are very large. If you click on them, they will open in a new window. Why? Because you need to find TOM in these pictures. Can you find him?

It was very peaceful, and beautiful here. The air was a bit cool, but the sun was so warm on our faces, it was very pleasant. And the next few pictures show Tom climbing back up to where Bonnie & I are sitting on the top of the hill / mountain.

All a kid needs is the outside and a stick. They will entertain themselves. :)

The climb back up was VERY steep. Tom decided to take a little break in Bonnie's lap.

On the other side of this nice look-out point, is a very cool dirt bike track. We stayed for a while in the stands watching the boys jump and ride.

Then off to the Swan Walk.

Bonnie & Tom were watching the fishes in the water.

Until next weekend! Enjoy your week with friends & family. Smiles! :) Janis

Saturday Adventures

2011-10-09T14:27:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we visited a few different places... First we went to the mall and had lunch. Always a fun thing to do. :) Then we went to the Oxygen & Octane Winter Sports Expo. Honestly, I wasn't as impressed as I was the last time I went. Tom said it should have been called the Snow Mobile Show because that's what we saw most there... one after the other... row after row.... After that we went to the Anchorage Museum. There is a special limited exhibit there of Mammoths and Mastodons. That was way cool!

Tom went off a little in the afternoon window shopping for Mountain Bikes and drove by Cook's Inlet... here are some beautiful pictures of Cook's Inlet he took....

And check this out.... a little later in the afternoon... what a gorgeous view we have from our apartment!

I was looking forward to the possibility of rain turning to snow during the night and back to rain the next day.... but yesterday was so clear. The skies were more clear than they have been in a while. So no snow, no rain. :( I'm keeping my fingers crossed though. It's October now, and that's when the first snowfall usually begins here. Yeah!

Today we are going to Kincaid Park and watch the guys enjoy the Motorcross Park on their dirtbikes. Have a fun Sunday!

Walking in the Leaves

2011-10-07T17:27:00.000-04:00

Look what the Beaver did to this tree!

Bonnie loves walking in the leaves on the side of the trail.

Hope all of you have a fun, family weekend!

:) Janis

Evening Walks

2011-10-05T13:01:00.000-04:00

Bonnie took this picture yesterday as we all went for a walk in the evening. (Me, Bonnie, Tom) You can barely see the snow topped mountains behind the trees in this picture, but let me tell you in person, the view is breath-taking.

Okay, so I took this picture of Bonnie. Sorry it's blurry. She was smiling and laughing and moving around.

Tom loves to make this bridge bounce while we are walking across it. The water was rushing by. Soon it will be partially frozen.

Have a warm day! :) Janis

First Snow in 10-Day Forecast

2011-10-02T13:45:00.000-04:00

Today is the First time SNOW has shown up in the 10-day forecast! Now, that doesn't mean it will actually snow, but at least the possibility is there. Woo-Hoo! Can't wait!

Snow....

2011-09-30T16:14:00.000-04:00

Every morning I check the 10-day weather forecast looking for snow in our future. I also check the mountain tops to see how much snow they are getting. I was very happy to get up this morning and see all the snow on the mountains! Woo-Hoo!

MOOSE on the LOOSE

2011-09-29T16:10:00.000-04:00

Look who visited our apartment this week. This picture does not do justice of how large moose are. Their heads are humongous!

:) Janis

Cook Inlet Weekend Adventure

2011-09-26T17:22:00.000-04:00

Guess what!? The temperatures here are dipping into the 30's every night now. Oh how I love it! Tom woke up to ICE on his windshield this morning. :)

We visited COOK INLET this weekend....

While at Cook Inlet, we were on the shore and the airplanes were taking off across the street behind us, and flying overhead. Very powerful feeling to watch.

It's hard to see in this picture, but the mountains across the bay are WHITE with SNOW!

The beach is covered with rocks worn smooth from the water. We picked up a few and brought them home.

Here's Bonnie!!

There is Tom - he's such the climber and adventurer!

Bonnie got cold after a while and thought this would be a good idea.

Tom is watching the tide come in..... very fast too!

Beached white tree log wedged in the rocks.

More pictures and adventure stores to come! Stay tuned! Follow us with NETWORK Blogs and each new post here will show up in your FACEBOOK newsfeed.

Snow on the Mountain tops!

2011-09-20T15:36:00.000-04:00

I love the snow... you guys know that. So everyday I check the 10-day forecast to see if SNOW is popping up yet. Not yet. :( Last night, Tom said he was going to make a prediction that there would be snow on the mountain tops by the weekend. Today we woke up to SNOW on the mountain tops! Yeah! That's the first sign that the snow is on the way. Now we will watch it as it slowly moves down the mountain until it finally starts snowing here. So excited!!

September 20, 2011

Have a fun day! :) Janis

Time Flies!!!

2011-09-14T21:57:00.004-04:00

It's been WAY too long since I've updated this blog. So much has happened. Let's see, the last time I posted we were living in Houston, Texas.

From there we moved back to South Carolina.

From there we moved back to Anchorage, Alaska.... which is where we are now. We are so happy to be back in Alaska!

I've got tons of pictures and adventurous stories to tell you. It's a little overwhelming to get it all lined up in a chronological order. So I say BLTZZZZ to that! I'll just jump right in and throw it all at you at one time. :)

This was filmed August 21, 2011 while we were in the process of traveling from South Carolina to Alaska. This video shows Bison on and around the Alaska Highway we were traveling on.

My hubby, Tom, loves to hike the Alaskan mountain trails. He's already been on several hikes. Luckily he takes lots of photos and sometimes even does a short video so I (and all of you guys too) can see what he sees while he's out discovering Alaska.

This next video was taken 2 weeks ago on August 28th, 2011. He hiked up Wolverine Peak which I believe is his favorite hiking trail... so far.... I really like the way he points out where things are. I loved that. He even says, "Hey, Janis!" to me during the video. Awww....

If you just want to look at some pictures.... here you go....

Yep, he had not even started the hike yet, and there's a BEAR ALERT! Gee whiz. Luckily, that section of the trail was in a different direction than his planned route.

Pa, Ma, and Baby moose....

I hope there's not a bear in dem dar woods since you have to walk right in the middle of all that. :)

A couple weekends ago, Tom hiked Crow Pass. In this next short video, Tom is at the top of his hike and its SNOWING! I love snow so much, and am anxiously awaiting the first snowfall. That's why you'll hear him say, "Sorry, Janis," because he got to enjoy the snowflakes, but I didn't. :(

And here's the last video of Crow Pass when he stopped for a little break after heading back down the mountain.

Last weekend we went to Seward, Alaska and visited Exit Glacier. This is the first time I've seen a Glacier up close and personal. I was thrilled that Bonnie & I were able to make the short and easy trek up the mountain to the viewing area. Here are some pics of that....

This is the glacier at a distance....

Love that there's a warning sign to stay on the trail and Tom is on the other side of that rope. LOL Actually, he's on the trail, it just loops around.

Didn't really have a good perspective of how massive this glacier is, did you? It's HUGE!

Okay, so I snuck a picture of me in here. Just to let you know I really was here....

This is a close-up of the gorgeous aqua blue inside the glacier. It almost glows. It's so beautiful! It was COLD with the wind blowing off that ice into our faces.

Welp, this was a very long post, but I think you guys are mostly caught up now. Just 2 more pictures....

Cool, huh? Until our next road trip or hike or adventure..... Smiles! :)
Janis, Tom, & Bonnie

Time to Catch You Up...

2011-05-10T13:51:00.000-04:00

The last time I posted we had just made the move to Houston and were living in a hotel. A few weeks of hotel living became an apartment search. We've been here in Houston for 7 months and next week we move back to our home in South Carolina. Can you believe that? We were planning on moving back to Alaska, but you know, plans tend to change and evolve over time... especially with us. I love that about us.

Our home in South Carolina is a project in progress. It was built in the late 1800's and was the original schoolhouse for the town we live in. We bought the home from my husband's grandparents several years ago. A year or so after that we stripped it down to the studs to start all over.

As of today, it has drywall and plywood floor with one functioning bathroom. No paint, no doors (except to the bathroom), no trim, no flooring, no functioning kitchen. When we get back, our first goal is to get the kitchen functional as soon as possible. While Tom is building cabinets in there, I'll be busy priming and painting the entire interior.

One day when this house is done, it's going to be breathtakingly beautiful. I hope that day is not far away.

Until the next update...

:) Janis

MOODY GARDENS

2011-05-10T13:50:00.000-04:00

December 2010

Galveston, Texas

GOOD MORNING, HOUSTON!

2010-11-04T08:42:00.002-04:00

TEXAS!

2010-11-02T10:13:00.002-04:00

Here are some photos from our move - Augusta, Georgia to Houston, Texas. We will be moving back to Alaska next year probably sometime between March and May. We like it here in Texas so far. I love all the USA flags flying all over the city and the Texas flags. People are really super nice. I have good feelings about being here!!

Welcome to Mississippi

The picture above and below is an elevated highway we rode on going over the swamps. This elevated highway was 18 miles long.

Welcome to Louisiana

I just thought this was a really cool bridge. I can't remember what port we were passing, but the boats in the water here were very cool.

The bridge that disappears into the heavens

Texas state line

Texas Welcome Center

Welcome to Texas! Yee-Haw, y'all!

Notice the speed sign. The white speed sign is for day driving.

The black speed sign is a different speed limit for night driving.

At night, you can't see the white day speed sign because it's non-reflective.

How cool is that?

Houston! Notice the large USA Flag. They are everywhere in Houston. I love it!

Gosh another bridge. That's different. NOT!

We have a few of these spaghetti bridges in Columbia, but here in Houston, these things are everywhere! And some of them are so very high.

Downtown Houston, Texas

UPDATE

2010-10-26T08:21:00.000-04:00

I know it's been a while since we've posted.

We moved from Anchorage, Alaska back to South Carolina last July. There were some family matters that needed us closer.

We were in South Carolina just a few weeks before moving to Georgia to be closer to my hubby's work.

Now we are moving to Houston, Texas this month. We will be there on a contract job through the same Alaska Company hubby worked for before.

Then some time between March and May will be moving back to Anchorage, Alaska! Yeah! We are so excited and can't wait to get back to Alaska.

Anchorage, Alaska taken in the Office Depot parking lot December 19, 2009

We will be posting pictures of our travels on the way.

Smiles to you all!

:) Janis

BACK TO SOUTH CAROLINA :(

2010-06-28T10:25:00.000-04:00

After 9 months of what felt like a VACATION in Alaska, we have moved back to South Carolina. :(

One day, we will be back to Alaska. We sure did love living there. It's beautiful; the temperatures are more to our liking; the wildlife is amazing... I could go on and on.

Here are some pictures from our ride home. It took us through 11 States and 3 Canadian Territories; 6 days; thousands of miles; gorgeous scenery; spectacular views; numerous wildlife sitings..... Not to mention the herd of wild buffalo on spread across both sides of the highway we had to travel through - now THAT was interesting!

Alaska
Yukon, Canada
British Columbia, Canada
Alberta, Canada
Montana
Wyoming
Nebraska
Iowa
Missouri
Illinois
Kentucky
Tennessee
Georgia
South Carolina

Alaska is GREEN!

2010-06-01T00:47:00.000-04:00

Here are several pictures from our trips to parks, walks, and enjoying Anchorage. There is still a little snow left on the mountains, but all around us here in the Anchorage bowl, it's GREEN!!

WE'RE BACK FROM VALDEZ!

2010-05-09T22:20:00.000-04:00

The annual May Day Fly-In in Valdez, Alaska was fun! Here are some of the pics we took. I won't bore you with all of them. LOL We took some video too, but I won't edit and upload those until tomorrow.

The event included competition for the shortest distance to take off & to land. The same guy won both of those. He was able to
take off in just 49 feet
and
land in just 60 feet.
I don't know anything about piloting a plane, but even being uneducated in flight, that was impressive.

Some guys then got out their "toy" planes and helicopter and showed us some of the neatest tricks they could make them do with their remotes. And those planes are HUGE even for toys.

Today we saw the "Flour Bombing". All weekend I thought people were saying, "flower". hahahaha

The pilots had a certain number of feet they had to fly above sea level and drop a bag of flour (not flowers) from the plane. The one that landed closest to the target would win. It was like watching orange balloons drop from the planes and then explode when they hit the ground. Exploding flowers would have been prettier. I'm just sayin'.

During our weekend travels, we also saw some mountain goats or rams or something white with four legs up high on the side of the mountain. Man! I keep thinking we need to get binoculars.

We also saw a para-sailer today. That looks like so much fun. I would LOVE to do that.

And for just $35 you could go on an airplane ride. The next opening was at 1pm and we were planning on leaving around 10am, so maybe next time for that.

We viewed a couple of glaciers, visited the marina, ate at the Totem Inn Restaurant, enjoyed watching lots of massive and small waterfalls, drove down Thompson's Pass..... so many eye viewing pleasures this weekend.... and that does not include the dude who sat beside us yesterday on his skateboard flaunting his crack. NOT pretty. I know, you wish I had gotten a picture of that, don't you. You're so silly.

Hope all you mother's had a special day. I know I did! What a great weekend. I love our get-aways!

Hugs, Janis :)

(Part of the Alaska Pipeline)

VALDEZ, ALASKA 2010 MAYDAY FLY-IN

2010-05-07T14:05:00.000-04:00

Yeah! My husband surprised me with a weekend get-away planned.

We are going to Valdez, Alaska which is about 6 hours from where we live in Anchorage.

This weekend is the 2010 MayDay Fly-In event there.

Click here to see the Valdez Event Calendar for details.

Or click here to go to the MayDay Fly-In site.

Don't worry, I'm charge the camera batteries now, so I'll be sure to update you guys with pictures when we get back! I can't wait!!

Zoom Zoom,
Janis

DAILY FAMILY WALKS

2010-05-07T01:24:00.000-04:00

Our family goes for walks almost every day. Here are some pictures from today's walk. Enjoy!!

These chairs remind me of the ones on the Starship Enterprise... minus the fish heads of course.

Sitting on her favorite bench eating a pop tart.

The river is rising!

Several etches in the concrete under a bridge down the path.

Yes, there is still some snow in ice in places.

Beautiful day! 57 degrees!

PICTURES UPDATE & BLOG AWARD

2010-05-03T00:53:00.000-04:00

First of all, thank you, Catherine, from Paper Addict! Click here to visit her blog.

She has given us this blog award:

(loosely translated, 'Your blog's a Charm')

So sweet! Thank you so much! I love fairies, so this award picture is perfect!

Here are some pictures from some of our latest adventures around Alaska.

You'd be surprised how loud these birds are.

On our walk today in 40's weather.

This fox has been spotted behind our apartment a couple of times. At least I assume it's the same fox. Maybe not.

Such a ham. LOL

And this was on our drive Saturday, May 1, 2010, up the mountain. And yes, it was actually snowing. I love Alaska!!

HOPE, ALASKA

2010-04-26T20:14:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures from our travels last weekend from Anchorage to Hope, Alaska. We saw a gorgeous bald eagle soaring above the river (I assume fishing), but wasn't quick enough to get a picture of that.

Moose!

2010-04-04T00:39:00.000-04:00

Tom was out walking today and gave me a call about a moose sighting. Tom was walking across the bridge at our apartment and said he heard a noise. When he turned around, there was a massive moose.

Bonnie and I hurried and got our boots on and met Tom at the bridge with the camera.

Check this out!

Petersville & Talkeetna

2010-03-29T21:28:00.000-04:00

We went to Petersville and Talkeetna last weekend. Do you remember the pics I uploaded the last time we went to Talkeetna? All the beautiful hundreds and hundredes of smooth rocks? I was so excited to go this time and see the rocks again. LOL on me - they were all covered with snow. D'uh.

When going to Petersville, we had to stop in the parking lot because the rest of the road was closed for the season. The very detailed sign warned that only ATV's and Snowmachines were recommended beyond this point. To make sure you had Survival Gear with you when traveling beyond this point. To TELL SOMEONE WHERE YOU ARE GOING FIRST. Oh my gosh! Ok, I guess we won't be going down that road in the truck. hahahaha You should have seen all the trucks parked with trailers in the parking lot and all the snowmachines having a field day out there. Amazing. Reminded me of our days of going to watch Tom and his buddies ride their dirt bikes.

Weekend Review

2010-03-22T20:22:00.003-04:00

Please read about our fun weekend and see Alaska pictures on my other blog here:

http://pausedreamenjoy.blogspot.com/2010/03/weekend-review.html

Here's one of my favorite pictures from the weekend just to give you an idea. Click the link above to see more pics!

Sorry, I just didn't feel like loading all the pictures again over here.

Enjoy!

Janis

Alyeska, Alaska

2010-01-30T17:22:00.000-05:00

Some photos from our trip today. We ate breakfast at The Bake Shop, and drove up the mountain passing the Iditarod trail pass-thru, and observed the ski lift that goes up the very, very tall mountainside. We are discussing spending a skiing weekend here before March.

Ice Sculptures & Volcanoes

2010-01-26T13:07:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I've posted, but that doesn't mean we haven't been exploring Alaska and enjoying every minute of it.

Did you know Alaska has active volcanoes? I didn't know that until right before moving here. Tom has done lots of research on it and we've taken some pics of some of the Volcanoes around us.

Check out these ice sculptures that are displayed downtown in Town Square. Aren't they cool? Get it? Cool? hahahahahaha

Enjoy the pictures! Hugs!

We found this view from a place in Anchorage called Bear Valley. That's Anchorage in the bottom left of the photo.

From left to right: smooth mountain is Mount Spurr, the jagged one right beside it is Mount Torbert and the one on the right is Hayes Volcano. All of them are around 10,000' elevation and about 80 miles away.

Daily Picture

2009-12-21T18:36:00.000-05:00

Here was Tom's view driving back to work after lunch today. Awesome.

Saturday Pictures

2009-12-20T18:22:00.000-05:00

We didn't make it to the museum yesterday. It was so COLD outside. I could hardly stand it! We went to Office Depot (got me some binding rings to craft with making mini albums) and the library.

I took lots of pictures outside of the beautiful scenery. Here they are:

This is a moose laying down behind the library parking lot. He has some snow on his face and he is chewing on something. Tom took the picture with my iPhone and he looks so far away, but he really was very close.

Look at this car! We thought that was so funny. I was wondering how long he must have been parked there to build up that snow on top, but Tom said, no he drove here like that. What's really funny, when we got back home, we saw it in our parking lot. LOL So, I guess he really was driving around like that.

Here's a snow pile on one side of the parking lot.

I thought this was an awesome sight. Tom and I couldn't figure out why the sun ray is going up. This was taken about 3:00 in afternoon. It was looking like sunset.

Here's another snow pile. That's what they do here. They bulldoze the snow into one big pile when clearing parking lots.

I just thought this tree was beautiful.

Snowy tree lined street on the way to Office Depot.

And isn't this cool? You can see the icicles forming on Tom's truck. He also has icicles hanging under the bumper and wheel wells. (Is wheel wells right?... You probably know what I mean.)

Brrrr

2009-12-18T13:29:00.000-05:00

Today it's getting all the way up to 1! Wooo-Whooo! It's -2 right now. Day 5 of the snow coming down.

The pictures above and below were taken at 9:25 this morning. Sunrise isn't until 10:12 today and sunset today is at 3:41 this afternoon.

Tomorrow we are planning on going to the museum! They have dolls and toys displays right now with carousel horses.... you know Bonnie is going to LOVE the carousel horses!!

Jingle Bells,

Janis

December Snow!

2009-12-16T15:06:00.002-05:00

We are enjoying Alaska very much. This is the 3rd day in a row that is has been snowing and snowing and snowing. We are suppose to get 7 more inches by 4 o'clock this afternoon. It's beautiful.

This was Tom's view driving to work this morning.

It's snowing so heavily today that it almost looks foggy outside because of the dense snow coming down. We don't get much daylight these days.Sunrise is at 10:10 today and sunset is at 3:41 this afternoon. When the air is filled with clouds and snow this heavy, it really doesn't get too bright outside. It's like dusk all day long.

I posted on Facebook that if I were to lay down and make a snow angel now, I'd probably disappear for days. My sister commented, "I'd like to see that! LOL" . hahahahahaha

Here are 2 pictures Tom took after only being at work a few hours this morning.

Jingle Bells,

Janis

Still Loving The Snow!

2009-11-13T16:30:00.000-05:00

It's snowed. And then it's snowed. It's still snowing.

I love it!

I haven't driven in it yet. And may not. Tom doesn't want me to drive in it. I have no real desire to, so maybe I won't drive again until April?

I have spent many, many moments just sitting in the chair with a book and spending more time looking out the window than actually reading.

Not only is the snow mesmerizing to watch, but the people outside in it are a hoot!

The walkers, the walkers with dogs being dragged across the ice, the cars that can't start at the stop lights and spin, the other cars that act like there's no snow or ice on the roads and keep on going as if it's normal, the snow plows you see on the roads and the sidewalks... It's all very entertaining.

This was Tom's view driving home from work yesterday at 4:00 pm.

Fun Playing In The Snow!

2009-11-09T14:33:00.000-05:00

Snow On The Ground!

2009-11-09T11:43:00.002-05:00

It started snowing very lightly yesterday afternoon and continued in through the night more heavily. We woke up to snow on the roads and ground - so pretty. Not a whole lot, maybe a couple of inches, but finally, some snow. :)

Yes, Bonnie and I will be out playing in it when it gets light outside - probably late morning. :)

Weekend In Review

2009-11-08T19:21:00.002-05:00

Nothing much to report from the North today. We saw some very, very light snowflurries for about 10 minutes today. Nothing to stick around. Maybe it will snow this week. Maybe. Who knows?

Yesterday we didn't do any exploring like we have been doing. Instead we stuck to home and went to see the 3D movie A Christmas Carol.

Today Tom was going to take a 20-mile walk, but instead we just chilled here at home.

It's 25 degrees here right now. That sounds so cold. But we are nice and cozy inside. :)

Maybe it will snow this week. Maybe. Who knows?

Update..... it's snowing very, very lightly again. I'm afraid if I stop looking out the window, it will stop.

Duck Feeding

2009-11-06T14:37:00.000-05:00

Bonnie & I went across the bridge that spans the river to arrive at the lake behind our building so that we could feed the ducks this morning.

I just laughed out loud when we got there. The lake is frozen solid.

People have even tossed tree logs on it. I guess either to see if they would break the ice and sink or maybe to see how far out it is frozen. It doesn't look like it in the picture, but it's frozen all the way across.

I have a lot to learn about Alaska. LOL

So we threw the bread in the woods by the lake. I figure something will eat it: birds, moose, bears, etc.

Jingle, Jingle

Janis

Moon

2009-11-03T12:58:00.000-05:00

Moon at 8:55 a.m. out our front window. So pretty.

Sunset today is at 4:51 p.m. That's so odd.

Have a great day!

Wolverene Point - Tom's Sunday Hike

2009-11-02T15:44:00.002-05:00

Temperature in the teens. Deep snow. Quick elevation climb. Majestic views. These are the things that keep Tom hiking every weekend. Here's a quote from Tom from yesterday:

15 degrees. Snow on the ground. 10 miles and 3800' elevation gain in front of me. Can it possibly get any better?

For those of you who don't live in areas where snow and ice are typical (and we are learning so much), these are shoe chains with sharp metal spikes on them for walking / climbing in ice and snow.

Tom said some areas were deeper than this he had to walk through on his climb. I think snowshoes may be a purchase in the near future.

What a handsome man! Yes, that is ice in his beard and he hasn't even gotten to the top yet.

Here Tom is at the peak looking straight down the other side. Wouldn't want to go down this way. Ouch.

This is a bridge over a frozen (mostly) river. The water level on the right is higher than the water level on the left because of how the water froze. He said you could actually hear it gurgling a little.

Southwest View

East View

West View toward Anchorage

Here's a quote from Tom while he was resting at the top and eating a snack:

This is simply majestic, and the Fruit Loops just make it better.

It took him 4 hours to hike up, but only 1.5 to come down. He loves hikes like this. Can't wait to see what's on the adventure list for next weekend. :)

Halloween Winter Wonderland

2009-11-01T13:45:00.004-05:00

We decided yesterday for our Saturday trip we were going to go to Seward (2 hours away) and visit "Exit Glacier".

Once we got about an hour away from home, the landscape was covered with snow and beautiful views.

Upon arrive at Exit Glacier, the road was closed due to winter weather. We were disappointed, but had enjoyed the scenery on the trip, so it was still worth the travel.

We rode around the town of Seward some and enjoyed some of the turn offs to park and view and picture take.

We stopped at one park and just walked and played in the snow. We were a bunch of little kids laughing and crunching snow under our feet.

We had a very late lunch once we got back to Anchorage at the Sea Galley. Good food, good service.

Then we did our weekly grocery shopping and came home to watch the Gamecock football game (we lost).

Our plan was to take Bonnie out to the Zoo where they were having trick-or-treating for the kids. But although she is feeling better from when she had that sore throat a week or so ago, when she spends any time outside in the cold, her cough starts back up. After playing in the snow today and hearing the poor darling cough again and again, I decided a trip to the zoo to walk around outside in weather that was in the teens was a bad idea. So we just stayed home.

IN OTHER NEWS...

On Friday, Bonnie and I took my car to Jiffy Lube to get an emissions test which is required before I can obtain Alaska license plates. It passed (whew), but we ended up waiting in the lobby for 25 minutes which was BORING.

We left there and went to the highway department, got a number, and started filling out forms for new tags for my car, register my car, and for me to get an Alaskan driver's license. The number we pulled was 152, and they were currently serving 132. Oh boy, another wait ahead. I was hoping Bonnie was going to be good and not get restless and loud and yank on me telling me she wants to go eat or go home.

Bonnie was very good. She did say she wanted to eat, and I told her we would as soon as we were done here.

Anyone applying for an Alaskan driver's license from another state, has to take the written test. I was so nervous. As soon as you answer 16 questions correctly, the test is over. If you miss more than 4, you have to try again the next day.

Can you believe I missed the first 2 questions? My heart pounded the rest of the time. I was so worried I wasn't going to pass. The very first question was what was the minimum requirements for insurance in all 3 categories. I had no idea. Tom handles all of the insurance stuff. I made a complete guess, and it was wrong. I did end up passing though. The first 2 questions I had missed were the only questions I missed. Oh, Thank You God.

What I thought was cool, they had a place for Bonnie to sit at a desk right beside where I was taking the test and her TV screen showed cartoons.

So we had to wait again, then sat back down to finish all the paperwork to get our tags.

After all that was done, we didn't leave until 3:00. We were both STARVING.

We went to Sicily's Pizza - a first for us - ordered some mozzarella sticks and an extra large pizza with sausage, pepperoni and steak to go.

By the time we got home to eat, it was about 3:45. And that pizza was the best I've EVER had. Of course, it could be just because I was so hungry. Tom had some for supper too and we still had tons of pizza left over.

So, I guess it's official... I'm an Alaskan now.... right....?

IN OTHER NEWS...

Tom is doing his solo, strenuous hiking today. He is off to Wolverine Peak. He just sent a message saying it was 15 degrees, snow on the ground, 10 miles and 3800' elevation gain in front of him. He's like a kid in a candy store.

I'll post pics and his story later on after he gets back and tells me all about it.

I hope everyone had a safe Halloween. Enjoy this day.

Hugs,
Janis

Guess What?!

2009-10-28T12:28:00.001-04:00

Flattop Mountain Hike 2

2009-10-26T13:14:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Tom went for his 2nd hike on Flattop Mountain. It's just so gorgeous up there!

There was a light dusting of snow in some areas... not much at all.

Can you see the 2 moose in one of the pictures? They look far away, but Tom took the picutres with his iPhone, so they were really only about 50 yards away.

Full Day

2009-10-25T14:56:00.003-04:00

Another great Saturday experience.

Here is a view of downtown Anchorage from the front of the Anchorage Museum.

It was a beautiful day!

We visited the museum and learned a lot about Anchorage and Alaska.

We saw a life size piece of the pipe line and read about how it was built, when, and it's purpose.

We saw interesting displays chronicling the history of Alaska.

Bonnie enjoyed it too. They had a kid science area that was hands on. That was fun.

Here is one of the quilts they had on display. The detail was amazing. I took this picture especially for my sister and my MIL. They both are into quilting. I personally would never have the patience for a craft like that.

This is a sun doll one of the local crafters made. I thought it was really cool looking.

After the museum, we went to check out the downtown mall which is 4 stories with a food court at the top.

We walked around on every floor to check out all the stores they had to offer.

Bonnie liked the GameStop. She got a new Wii game - Cars 2.

We had lunch in the food court and then drove around downtown some more.

We went to REI (Tom's favorite store) and he got some new hiking pants and a guide to all the trails in Anchorage.

He plans on hiking today (Sunday) up to Flattop Mountain again and going up 2 adjoining peaks.

We drove up to Flattop Mountain yesterday too just so we could walk the 1/2 mile lookout trail. The wind was calm this time so we didn't feel the need to rush so much like we did last time.

We went to get groceries for the week before getting home to watch the Gamecocks game. We won!

One of the things I was most looking forward to here is the snow. It still hasn't fluttered down here yet. Although there was a dusting of snow on Flattop Mountain yesterday.

We keep checking the 10-day forecast and it keeps changing. It has predicted snow several times, but always changes it when those days get closer. I told Tom I'm beginning to think we brought the South Carolina weather here and maybe it isn't going to snow at all this year.

Think Snow,
Janis

Talkeetna Road Trip

2009-10-18T22:57:00.000-04:00

Today we went to Talkeetna... about 2 hours away from us.

We had lunch at the Twister Creek Restaurant. It was sooooo good! I had skewers of shrimp, chicken, and steak all in different sauces; Bonnie had her usual hamburger; and Tom and beer battered Halibut.

We walked around the small town visiting a little shop with furs, birds, and candy. I picked up 3 postcards.

Then we walked down to a trail that leads to Talkeetna River. There were tons of rocks of all sizes and all of them smooth and round like pancakes. The edge of the river was iced over - so cool.

I have a friend from high school that collects rocks from all over. People send her rocks when they visit different places. I posted one of the rock pictures on her Facebook and told her it was a very good hint of what I got for her today that I would be sending her this week. She is very excited. :)

We got some great pics of the Alaska Range covered with snow.

We stopped at K2Aviation and got some info about flying tours. Our son, James, did this several years ago when he visited Talkeetna and said it was a must do item! The people were really nice and informative. And they said they would give us a 10% Military discount - which is very nice.

Oh, and I almost forgot to tell you...

We saw a dog sled team practicing by pulling a 4-wheeler. That was impressive.

And we saw a moose too. Isn't Alaska great?!

Sweet dreams. Until next time...

Janis

Fun Weekend So Far

2009-10-17T23:38:00.001-04:00

Last night we went to our very first hockey game! It was a blast!! We (Alaska Aces) played Victoria Salmon Kings. WE WON!!

Being it was our first time at a hockey game, we were introduced to many new experiences. First of all, when the DJ would say, "The Salmon Kings are in their full strength." The crowd would respond, "And they still suck!" This was done several times during the game, and it cracked me up each time.

Those guys could skate! We saw a few lose their hockey sticks during play, one broke in two, several players slammed up against the glass (which was hilarious I must say), a few fights break out, a puck going flying into the crowed over the safety net, Salmon fish parts get thrown onto the ice at one point..... it was quite the adventure and so much fun! Bonnie had a blast yelling and clapping. It was fun watching her have so much fun! All day today she swings her hands like she's holding a hockey stick and says, "I want to go." We told her, yes, we will definitely go again.

This morning, we had a delicious breakfast. I made cinnamon biscuits and grits while Tom fried some onions, ham, and seasoned scrambled eggs. Yummy.

Then to our surprise, Bonnie starts saying, "Deer! Deer!" while pointing out the apartment window. Well, no, they weren't deer, it was a family of moose! Mama, Daddy, and Baby. Walking down the sidewalk and crossing into the intersection. One lady who was out walking her dog quickly turned around and jogged in the other direction.

Then we were heading downtown to visit the Oxygen & Octane Expo - which basically is a winter sports show with vendors, snow machines, etc. We talked to a few people at booths who were providing maps for local parks and ski trails; had fun talking to the Nordic ski booth guys getting us educated about different types of skiing; spoke with an Anchorage Police Officer who asked Tom if he was looking for a career change (which was tempting for him) and discussed the new series on NatGeo featuring Alaskan Cops; checked out the clothing booth for 6th Avenue Outdoor Outfitters (ski bibs $15 - no we didn't buy any), and picked up lots of local event info.

After leaving there, we did some downtown site seeing before going to Earthquake Park. Very interesting info and some nice views there. Then it was off to Fred Meyers to get groceries for the week. At the checkout, we met a worker who is also from Columbia, SC and told her we were going home to watch the Gamecocks play on TV. She was so excited to meet other people from South Carolina and who knew who the USC Gamecocks were. :)

The Gamecock game against Alabama was stressful. We lost. :(((

Tomorrow Tom is planning on a longer hike at Flattop Mountain. I have no idea what else we will do. I hope everyone else has a great weekend.

Go Cocks!
Janis

Week In Review

2009-10-16T12:43:00.000-04:00

The mountains here were breathtaking this week.

There have been so many foggy, cloudy, or rainy days since we've gotten here, it's been hard to see the mountains full force. But oh what some beautiful views we got this week.

Tonight we are going to our first hockey game EVER. I'm so excited! It's the season opener for the Alaska Aces vs. Victoria Salmon Kings. Fun, fun, fun.

And for those out there who wanted to see our parking garage, here is a picture of part of it. Bonnie and I were amazed to go to the car yesterday and see the garage practically empty compared to what it has been usually. I wonder where everybody went?

Hopefully we will get to Earthquake park this weekend. I'll be sure and post pics of wherever we go.

Do something fun today!

Janis

Flattop Mountain of Chugach State Park

2009-10-12T13:07:00.002-04:00

Tom went on a hike Sunday morning. This is one of the things he was hoping to do an a regular basis here, and there are so many choices of where to hike! Bonnie and I skipped this one until he could find out if it was something we could handle or not. (Bonnie is not real steady on her feet in uneven terrain.)

He had a great time and took lots of pics during the hike to keep us updated. He'll have to post here or comment below to give you all the details.

Here is what Wikipedia has to say about it:

Flattop Mountain is a 3,510-foot (1,070 m) mountain in the U.S. state of Alaska, located in Chugach State Park just east of urban Anchorage. It is the most climbed mountain in the state.
It is usually reached by driving to the Glen Alps trailhead and following a well-maintained 1.5-mile (2.4-km) trail, with an elevation gain of 1280 feet (390 m) from the parking lot to the summit. Since it is the most accessible mountain to Anchorage, Flattop is a very popular location for hiking, climbing, berry picking, paragliding, and backcountry skiing. Campouts are held on the summit at the summer and winter solstices.
Flattop is known for its panoramic views of Anchorage and the surrounding area, including Denali, Mount Foraker, and Mount Spurr.

There was one part of the hike where there was a thick patch of trees. He said it smelled like Christmas in that area!

There is also a part of the hike called "Blueberry Loop" that Tom said Bonnie and I could handle easily and enjoy. So we are going back there next weekend.

Another place I'd like to go is Earthquake Park.

When the "Good Friday" earthquake rocked Anchorage in March of 1964, the area that is now the park was an affluent residential area on the bluffs above Cook Inlet. The 9.2 earthquake dropped these homes into 30-foot crevasses and destroyed this entire area. Developed as a park years later, it carries monuments and reader boards with information on the great quake. The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail winds through the park.

Enjoy the pics from Tom's hike.

Have a great day!

Park & Bay

2009-10-10T21:57:00.001-04:00

Today we went to a part of the Chugach State Park - the Flat Top area.

It was so beautiful! The winds were outrageous though. Wind gusts between 50 and 70 mph! I don't think I've ever been in wind that strong before. But the views were breathtaking.

After we left there, we went driving down the Bay for several miles. I was watching for whales, but didn't see any. This bay is miles and miles and miles... it's HUGE! With the strong wind gusts, the water had some impressive swells and heavy white-capping.

Then we drove around downtown a little to check it out. Now I was hoping to spot a moose - no such luck. I guess wildlife knows better than to lolly-gag around with the wind going crazy. However, Tom did stumble upon REI which he was hoping to find. Yes, we stopped and went in and spent money. He got a rainproof pair of pants to wear over his work clothes for the next time he rides his bike to work. He also got a headlight (which is required here on all bicycles) and a fender to help keep the water from spraying up on his back.

It was a good day.

Hugs,
Janis

Changes, Changes Everywhere

2009-10-09T17:26:00.001-04:00

So this is what metal studded tires look like. Doesn't look like much. But we are told this is what we need to drive in snow here. Sure does sound funny in the parking garage though.

Wow. That's a little painful. Good thing everywhere I want to go is within a couple of blocks. This full tank of gas should last me months!

Tom had to give me a lesson in what to do if coming into contact area of a bear or moose. Probably information I should have heard BEFORE Bonnie and went walking yesterday.

So here's the lesson for all of you out there who need to know:

**When a bear is within your immediate area in nature, make as much noise as you can yelling and screaming and whatever else you can do that's noisy. This will scare the bear away.

**When coming into eye contact with a moose (especially a moose and calf), do not cross between the moose and calf. Do not approach the moose at all. Turn slowly around and walk the other way. Moose are FAST. Noise does not scare them. They will chase you if you interest them.

SO.... you guys may know that my husband, Tom, LOVES to do sporty things outside. Today he rode his bike to work. It was the rainiest day of the week so far. (Is rainiest a word?) But he loves doing things like this, so he went for it. He has been coming home for lunch everyday this week, but today he asked if Bonnie and I wanted to come pick him up for lunch and go out somewhere. You don't have to ask me twice! One of my favorite things to do is LUNCH!

So Bonnie and I scooted on over to his work ( a mere 3 turns to get there - easy even for me). We ate at "The Peanut Farm Sports Bar & Grill".

Waitress: What would you like to drink?

Me: Sweet Tea, please.

Waitress: Why don't I bring you tea and you can sweeten it however you like?

Me: How about Diet Pepsi?

No grits, no sweet tea.... how do these people live?

But on that note.... look what my Mommie-in-Law sent in the mail that we got today!!!

Hehehehehehehe.... I'm set for a WHILE now!

We are hoping to go on some exploring adventures this weekend. I'll be sure and take our camera with us and snap as many interesting photos as I can. I hope everyone has a GREAT weekend! Depending on where you live.... stay warm, stay cool, stay dry....

Hugs,

Janis

A Little Walking Exploration Today

2009-10-08T17:09:00.000-04:00

Just a short walk. Weather is beautiful. Bonnie had fun!

View to Fed Ex

2009-10-06T19:00:00.000-04:00

Had to go to FedEx today. I love living in a town with a mountain view. :)

Just A Little Exploring

2009-10-05T20:53:00.001-04:00

Bonnie and I spent a couple hours out and about today. It was a little scary..... I get lost so easily. But thankfully I followed a blinking light on my google iPhone app that says where I am and where I want to be. I'd be in a whole lot of trouble if I had not have had that available to me!

We went to a local bank to get info on opening an account.

Then we went to the library. Oh my gosh it was HUGE! We are used to a little shoe box size library, but this one has 4 floors! Bonnie had a blast with all the video selections available.

Then I was going to try to find the post office to mail Kati her birthday card (which will be late because her 19th bday is today), but decided I wasn't feeling that adventurous. Funny... when pulling out of the library parking lot, I saw the post office right across the street. Can you believe that? How convenient!

Then we went to Walmart to get a "shake" which is what she calls chocolate milk, some butter sticks so we can make a homemade cake tomorrow, and turn in a prescription request to pick up tomorrow.

Short little update. Gotta go try to straighten out this moving in mess before Tom gets home in a little while. I want it to look like I did something around here today. Which I did, but it sure doesn't look like it. :)

Enjoy your day!
Janis

Alaska Arrival... Finally!

2009-10-05T00:51:00.002-04:00

Hi, everyone! Thank you so much for being so patient while we were traveling and out of touch. We arrived on Friday safe and sound and had the internet hooked up today. It's so nice to get back on line. Only problem is I have so much unpacking and organizing to do, I feel guilty getting on the computer right now.

I have missed all my bloggy friends so much! I can't wait to sit down and get caught up on what everyone is up to!

We had a blessed trip.... God is so good.

Tom drove the entire way. I offered a couple of times (secretly hoping he would say no), but he always wanted to do the driving. We pulled a trailer behind us with everything that would fit into it including my car. Thank goodness nothing else would fit in the trailer, because this apartment is nice, but so very small. I have to do some creative organizing. But I will say, this is my favorite part of moving... unpacking, organizing, everything fresh and new.

We drove 93 hours, 53 minutes in 7 days. No offense to the Canadians out there, but I hated being out of the country for 3 days. I had no idea I was going to feel that way, but I just had an uneasy feeling the entire time we were in Canada. I couldn't wait to get back on American soil. I wonder if my son feels that way while he's in Iraq?

The Canadian scenery was absolutely the most boring I've ever experienced. Nothing but plains, hay fields, windmill farms, and more hay fields. I'm sure Canada has a lot to offer, but our particular route.... BORING! Until we got to the Yukon, that is. The Yukon was breath-takingly beautiful. Snowy mountain ranges. Gorgeous!

When we crossed back into America onto Alaskan soil, we had already been driving through snowfall for 2 hours. This was making Tom a little nervous since we didn't have snow tires on the truck. But once we crossed the border, the snow started to ease up and stop.

I could feel the prayer going up for us. Everything just fell into place the entire trip. When we stopped in Minneapolis to apply for passports again since ours didn't arrive before we left, we were pleasantly surprised that we only had to pay the expedite fees instead of reapplying again and paying all the fees. This was a major deal. We are talking a difference of paying $180 instead of the $460 we had planned on. Yes, I thanked God for that. (Notice pic of empty office room - that was the passport office and we were the ONLY ones there!)

While stopping at a gas station within a day of arriving, a trucker noticed bad tire wear on the trailer and approached Tom about it. That was a shocker. One of the tires was not wearing well. So on Thursday, Tom took that tire off and put the spare on. The next day, I had to make one of my frequent stops, so Tom pulled off onto a rest area with potties and checked the tires. The spare was leaking air so fast, he could hear it. Again, thank You God, for me having to make a stop and Tom checking the tires BEFORE it was flat. So Tom removed the spare and put the original tire that was balding back on. Yes, Tom was concerned about the tires the rest of the way.

On Friday, 2 hours from our destination, we stopped at McDonald's (yes, I had to go again - I can't help it), and a man walked up asking Tom about the trailer saying he was looking into getting one. Well, oh my gosh, he bought it. Now remember, this is the trailer we bought for the sole purpose of moving our belongings and my car here. It was cheaper to buy one than to rent a U-Haul or have my car shipped here for us. Our intention the entire time was to sell it after we got here. The guy came by yesterday (Saturday) and paid cash and picked it up. Again, I can feel the prayer going up for us. Things have just worked out like this the entire time we have been planning on moving. I'm so very grateful.

We have gone out a couple of times to the grocery store and to Walmart for things we've needed. Tomorrow Tom starts his new job. Oh, I pray he likes it and that it's a great place to work. I'm intimidated right now about this new town. I get lost so easily no matter where I live, so I'm afraid to venture out on my own. But, I will do it tomorrow anyway, and hope I don't have a panic attack. In fact, just thinking about it kinda makes my stomach hurt. My sister knows about my silly stomach aches. She's had to deal with them while we were growing up. Whenever I get really nervous, the stomach aches start up. It's much better now that I'm grown, but they come back sometimes in situations like this.

Thank you all for thinking of us and being so supportive. I will try to start the posting on a regular basis now, although it may take a while before they become a daily thing again.

Enjoy the pics. I hope I didn't post too many.

Hugs and love to you all!

Janis

Janis

Alaska Bound

2009-09-27T13:41:00.000-04:00

Hi! This is Kati, Tom & Janis' daughter. Mama wanted me to post this for her. They have not been able to post from the iPhone like they thought they could.

Here's what she said:

We left yesterday at 5pm. We reached Knoxville, TN around 11pm and stayed there for the night. Most of the travel time was filled with light rain.

This morning we got back on the road again around 6:45. Tonight we will be staying in Minneapolis and hope to arrive there at the latest around midnight.

The current driving conditions are excellent. Slight clouds, clear, and 63 degrees.

Bonnie is in a great mood. She's been very giggly. She laughed driving through the tunnels and over the really big bridges.

Tom has been the sole driver so far.

I am almost finished with the baby afghan I started crocheting during the trip yesterday.

Our passports never came in before we left, so we have an appt tomorrow to get one while we wait.

Completly off subject, Lizzy, Mama got your card and loves it! She's saving all the handmade ones she's gotten to put in her scrapbook.

That's it for now!

6 More Days Until We Are Alaska Bound

2009-09-22T17:05:00.000-04:00

Was your weekend as fun as ours? We did tons of sorting for the Yard Sale this Saturday, packing for the move, shopping, and planning.

Our passports aren't here yet. Hmmmm..... Hope they get here soon. I'm predicting they'll be here on Wednesday. If they aren't here by Thursday, then I'll have to make another trip to Columbia to get another copy of our long form birth certificates and make an appointment to stop during our travels and apply in person for another passport so our trip is not delayed. They do have offices where you can walk in and get your passport the same day. But we are hoping not to spend the extra dough. It would just save time and money if the passports which are already on order come in this week.

At this point, we're excited and anxious to get on the road. There are still things that have to be done this week: errands, etc. Our plan was to leave first thing Sunday morning, but after discussing the logistics of all that needs to be done, we are now thinking leaving Saturday night would be better.

Tom is getting an enclosed trailer for our move. Our plan is to drive my small car into the trailer and pack around it. He would really like our mattresses at the front of the trailer, so if we slept on the beds Saturday night, we wouldn't be able to do any packing into the trailer until Sunday. Which is why he's thinking load it up Saturday and leave that night instead. It sounds like a good plan.

We are all wondering how Bonnie will handle this 5 day trip. She doesn't really understand what we are talking about when we say Alaska or moving. We've always done a lot of traveling, and she handles that part really well, but we've never traveled somewhere where we had to spend 5 days driving in the truck. That's probably going to confuse her a little. Tom thinks once we get her bed set up in her new bedroom and get her Wii set up, she'll be as happy and content as always and figure out that this is our new home.

We are planning on updating the blog during our travels with pictures, journaling, and videos. Check back often!

Time to get some things checked off of my To Do List. Have a great day!

Janis

It's Official

2009-09-14T22:11:00.001-04:00

It's Official... Tom has turned in his resignation at his current work and officially accepted the offer at his new work.

We spent a lot of time sorting and packing this weekend. There is a room in our house dedicated to a massive yard sale. Yes, we are moving lite.

We will be moving Sunday, September 27, if our passports arrive in time.

The trip will probably take 5 days. We will probably be traveling through Canada 3 of those days.

We plan on taking lots of photos during traveling and hopefully doing some video posting as well. Just don't expect me to have on makeup if I show my face in the videos. :)

There is a lot of excitement in our house. Of course we are going to miss our friends, family, and children here, but as Heather so aptly said tonight, "You're just a Facebook away,"..... or in this case, just a blog away.

My sister, Melody, sent me a list of questions I thought were interesting, so I've included them below with the answers:

Q: Where do you plan to live when you get to Alaska?
A: Apartment in Anchorage for at least a year

Q: How long before you have internet service?
A: I will have uninterrupted internet service through my iPhone

Q: When will you be having an all night summer party?
A: Um..... no

Q: What's the average summer / winter temps?
A: "Average daytime summer temperatures range from approximately 55 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit (13 to 26 degrees Celsius); average daytime winter temperatures are about 5 to 30 degrees (-15 to -1 degrees Celsius)." [from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Anchorage,_Alaska]

Q: Will you send a postcard like photo everyday to me?
A: http://carolinatoalaska.blogspot.com - check it often!

Q: How far away is the public library (she knows me so well)
A: The Anchorage public library is downtown where we will probably be living.
http://www.muni.org/Departments/library/Pages/LoussacLibrary.aspx

Q: Will you learn to eat fish?
A: I eat fish now, so that would still be enjoyable there.

I hope everyone has a restful evening and pleasant night.

Hugs,
Janis

Offer to Move from South Carolina to Alaska

2009-09-11T12:08:00.001-04:00

Wow! What a week this is!

Yesterday, my husband, Tom, received an offer to work for a company in Anchorage, Alaska. Alaska is a place we've been talking about going to for years. Hmmm..... should we go?

Living in the South, we are used to hot, humid days and mild winters. Snow is something we read about and see in movies, but our personal experience with snow is very limited.

When it snows here in SC, everything shuts down. School is out. Banks are closed. The world stops for a holiday filled with anticipation and excitement. Even the mention of the possibility of snow sends people to the grocery stores who quickly run out of milk and bread - a phenomenon I've never quite understood myself.

Average annual snowfall for Columbia, SC is 1.8 inches.

If we are lucky enough to actually have snowflakes fall from the sky, I stand in awe at the window. I know it won't last long. If it doesn't melt immediately after hitting the warm earth, it may last for a few hours. But lasting overnight? Extremely rare. Whatever snow may be left in the morning, is usually now just ice and mud. Not very pretty to look at.

So when I think of moving to Alaska, the first thing I think of is SNOW. I wonder if I'll ever get used to it there? Will I get sick of it? Will it be as normal as late evening summer thunderstorms here?

Average annual snowfall for Anchorage, Alaska is 70.4 inches.

Alaska... just the thought makes my skin prickle with excitement.