WE ARE HOME!

We arrived home about four yesterday afternoon, stiff and sore and tired. That is a long trip! We found our driveway had the neighbor's truck in it, and the camper parking spot had a dumpster in it. So we parked on the street and are still there! So you kinow the job for today....unpack, laundry, grocery shop, and hopefully a hair cut!


I'm posting a few images from the last couple of days.

Campground in Canada.....huge beds of petunias that really clogged up my sinuses!

The newest crop in North Dakota! Oil!

This was a huge herd of buffalo....doesn't look so big with only this many showing.

Another crop in North Dakota, wind generators.

And my favorite crop, sunflowers. You can tell by the blur that this was also at 65 MPH. We seldom stopped the last couple of days. Someone was in a big hurry to get home! We did stop for gas once, and I walked around a bit to work out the cramps in my legs. The sky was a beautiful blue with puffy white clouds; the fields so green, and the building so white...... Minnesota is beautiful!

We're home. This is the road heading into our little town. We left the trailer parked on the street, cleaned up a bit, and headed off to dinner at Kari's . I was so glad to get an invitation so I didn't have to cook! Thanks bunches!

GRAND FORKS TOMORROW NIGHT

We have survived our long hours driving through Canada, and are just about to the North Dakota border. I just called our son and told him we'd be there tomorrow night. This was another loooooong day and the fuses are getting short! (Hey, two months in a truck or a camper make for a lot of togetherness......too much togetherness!) The highway was bad. Very bumpy, although I'll admit there were a lot of construction crews out there trying to fix the worst parts. There is beginning to be a lot more traffic which is something we did not miss when we were in Seldovia.
We also did not miss traffic jams, traffic lights, sirens, malls, big box stores, trains going by the campground six times during the night............and we didn't miss the big crowds of people, the rush, rush, rush to get wherever it is that you're going so when you get there you can rush some more. Yes, we have come to really like the quieter life, the more slow paced life, where people are the important things, not the things you own. I want to go back!

We did see some pretty scenery though; many huge farms, lots of cattle, peaceful little ravines crossing between the green hills, and the beautiful golden grain fields.

The picture below is another taken out of the truck window at 65 miles per hour, so it's a bit blurry. But I think this farmer must be doing something right, uh? I think there were 24 grain bins on his farm!

Today's news on Gail is a bit better. Corey said she was much calmer today, carried on a conversation, and was not combative. She got out of bed and stood for a few minutes, and was more like her own self. She's still sedated and sleeps a lot, but seems to be coming out of it better today. I pray that continues.

JUST AN UPDATE

Just a quick update. We are in Medicine Hat, Alberta. I'm sitting at the campground host's table on her patio, just checking email and giving you a short update.

Some have asked about Anna. She is well, went home from the hospital as soon as her mom got home from her conference, and has been causing havoc ever since. She is over her pneumonia!

Gail, on the other hand, isn't doing well. She had her surgery a week ago, and it went according to plans. She seemed to be doing well at first, but now is back in ICU. I talk to her husband in the mornings and again in the evenings. This morning he said he wanted to talk to her doctors. When I called him tonight, he had talked to the doctors, but his news was sobering. She has become very combative, very angry, and is pretty out of it. She pulled her IV's out today and tried to hit one of the nurses. The doctor said that the meds in her system are acting like the alcohol used to act, and now she is going through withdrawal again. I feel so bad for her. I'm sure she'll not remember any of this when she does get well. But it's hard to think of her going through all that again. Corey is getting pretty tired, too. I hope he can get away from the hospital for a little while, just to regroup and relax. She probably won't remember if he was there or not. We should be home and able to see her the first part of next week.

The highway was very bumpy today, and my shoulders, upper arms, and upper chest are very sore. FMS and bumpy roads do not go well together. I can't wait to get to Grand Forks where we will stop to visit Lenny and his family and will not drive for two days!

WE MADE IT!

We made it to the end of the Alaska Highway. It's actually called the beginning of the highway, but because we were coming from the other end, it was the end for us! This is what the Garmin has looked like for three days. Just the highway. No side roads. No cross roads. No choices to make. Just drive. Follow the road. Pretty easy to follow! But lots and lots of bumpy roads.


The roads seem to go on forever........

and ever.........

and ever.......... and ever!!!!!

Do you notice that there aren't other cars in those photos? There is no traffic......just occasionally a camper, but nothing to worry about. Beautiful scenery and no traffic. What more can you ask for?

Tuesday morning was filled with packing up, rearranging the contents of the trailer, and getting everything travel ready.
Our trip home begins with the ferry, the Tustemena, which is a part of the Alaska Marine Highway system. The trip from Seldovia to Homer takes about an hour and a half.

Chris and Amy came to see us off, and handed us a box from the garden gnome, potatoes, carrots, beets, kale, lettuce, and cabbage. And I roasted the root vegetables tonight for dinner, and they were delish! We also have a freezer filled with salmon and halibut. Thanks for everything kids! We had a wonderful visit, and enjoyed meeting so many of your fellow Seldovians. Miss you already and love you bunches!

And there is Seldovia, fading off into the distance.

After unloading we drove off the spit, and were off to Soldotna, and the Fred Meyer parking lot. There was no beautiful scenery there, but the next morning we found

some lovely spots on our way to Anchorage.

This one is a strange combination of dark clouds, white clouds, snow, fog, and a bit of rain! We arrived in Anchorage and I proceeded to do three weeks worth of laundry! We had a delicious dinner last night with Ernie's brother Gary and his wife, Gail. We enjoyed our visit, and talked and laughed into the night. Thanks guys! Love you! This morning I had to take a few pictures of the neat mushrooms. This top one is about twelve inches high, looks like a little table.

And I love this polka dotted one!

We had a lovely day for traveling.

Matenuska Glacier.

The rock names and initials covering the dirt on the bank on the side of the road.

Stopped for a potty break at this beautiful spot.

Pretty, isn't it?

Bumpy road and beautiful mountains were the story of the day today. We are now in Tok. I saw a T-shirt at a gift shop that had the state of Alaska on it with the town of Tok highlighted. The shirt read: We've never heard of you either! I thought it was funny!

5 MILES VS 4000 MILES

This is our empty campsite. We packed up and moved out this morning, and are now in town waiting to have lunch with Chris and Amy. It just dawned on me that in the past month we have not been more than five miles away from this campspot. Today we begin the 4000 mile journey home. Weird! Should be able to connect tomorrow in Anchorage, then it may be a long dry spell through Canada before I can connect again, unless we find a campspot with wireless.

ALREADY DREADING TUESDAY

This trailer has been our home since July 1, and this spot our home for more than the last month. We are fond of it!

And we are very fond of the awning that has protected us from the rain probably half of the days we have been here! We build a fire in the rain, and grab a book and sit under the awning, enjoying even the icky weather!

On a nice sunny day, this is our view down the road to the turn around circle and the cliffs overlooking the water. We have watched the eagles in the trees, and have even had a glimpse of the baby eagles in the nest. From here we can see the boats as they go by and turn into the harbor. And we hear and see each and every plane that arrives or leaves, as the flight path is right over the campground.

This is the view behind our trailer, the dark, bear infested, forest primeval.

Off to the right is a bear trail, heading off into the devils club, fireweed, ferns and spruce. Actually, there are several more bear trails leading off from other parts of our campsite. I think these guys are nightly visitors, I'm sure I hear them every night, but they've not bothered us other than the one claw hole in the side of the trailer.

This is son Chris with his sawmill. He has it set up on an individual's property and mills the guy's own trees into lumber for a cabin. Chris is looking forward to taking his sawmill back to his own place and eventually milling up lumber to build a boat shop, then a boat.

Crab pots piled up waiting to be dropped into the depths of the bay to harvest the crab.

A sea otter just floating around, probably sleeping, while the tourists snap pictures and exclaim how cute they are!

The wet muddy road into town. This road is either muddy or so dry and dusty that the foliage along the edge turns into a grayish brown color.

The red poker shaped berries are now ripe on the devils club, and the bears are chomping away on them. They are pretty, but don't look very nutritious to me!

And on Tuesday at about six pm, we will leave on the ferry bound for Homer, where we will begin our journey home. I will miss this place!

PRAYER REQUESTS

The weather has turned again; it's back in the rain, fog, dreary skies mode.

My granddaughter, Anna, has been hospitalized with pneumonia, and maybe more. This alone is enough, but her mom, our daughter Kari, is in Ohio, presenting at a national conference for NACAC. Anna's sister, our granddaughter Katie, is taking care of the kids while Kari and Mike are gone. Needless to say, everyone is a bit stressed! Kari has given her presentation and is flying home as we speak and should be landing in MPLS soon where she will catch the shuttle to our hometown where Aaron will pick her up and deliver her to the hospital. Please pray for Kari's safe travels and for Anna's quick recovery.

Our daughter, Gail, will be having her big surgery on Monday at the University of Minnesota where they will remove part of her pancreas. She will remain in the hospital for quite awhile after the surgery to get everything flowing again. Please pray for her too.

And one final request. We will be leaving here on the Tuesday ferry, spending a couple of days in Anchorage with Ernie's brother, then hitting the Alaska Highway for home. We'll stop for a day or two in Grand Forks, and then should be home for when Gail is released from the hospital. Please pray for our safe travels, too.

So we only have four days left here in this peaceful haven. When the rain stops I hope to get out with the camera and snap pictures of enough of the scenery to hold me over until our next trip up here. I will miss this place immensely. And my heart is already aching just from thinking of saying goodbye to Chris and Amy.

JUST STUFF

What a beautiful setting for some great bluegrass music. This is a deck off the back of an establishment (ok, a bar with really good food!) overlooking the boat harbor. Chris and friends treated us to some great tunes on Saturday night.

Sunday Chris and Amy's friend, Mark, took us on a sailboat ride. What fun that was! No noise, just peace and quiet and a gentle breeze to go along with the skies filled with smoke from the fires up by Fairbanks, hundreds of miles north of us.

The skies were really funny, causing the sun that did come through to be really intense in brightness. It hurt your eyes to look at it.

Last night, at nine o'clock, this guy chattered away while I was looking at the bright sun sparkling on the water.

But at ten, all was quiet and peaceful, bringing to an end another beautiful day in Seldovia.

SELDOVIA ON A SUNNY FRIDAY EVENING

There is a use for everything, even old worn out boots.

Flowers at a home along the slough.

Part of the old boardwalk that remains after the earthquake of 1965.

An apple green barn and two blue homes that still remain on the old boardwalk.

Reflections in the quiet peaceful harbor.