All About Me

This is all about me.
Yesterday was one of those days I have been waiting for since I retired. I got up at 6:00 am and met my friend Dana, who is the Ward Canning specialist, and went to the Cannery with her and Sister McVey on the monthly canning assignment. We got there at 8:05 and canned rice for the cannery and picked up the Ward's order for the month and returned home by 11:00. My job at the cannery was ripping open boxes the size of a crock pot and empting the boxes in a big bin so the rice could be put in #10 cans and then readied for shipment to where ever the need may be in the world. Then at 12:00 I went to Dana's house and we started canning peaches. I stayed until 5:00. (I am not as young as I used to be. I was exhausted.) We canned about 50 quarts of peaches. What fun. I wanted to keep going but just couldn't do it. Dana did. Grandma Joyce would have. Maybe I will be up to it in the future. But for today I am just thankful to Heavenly Father for another chance to be where I wanted to be, doing what I wanted to be doing, feeling what I wanted to be feeling. It was wonderful. I am truly blessed.
And on top of all that while I was gone the big elf did all the vacuuming, dusting, bathrooms, and fixed dinner. The little elf folded the clothes, cleaned up after dinner, and rode the bike. Life is good.
Love to all.

Makes Our Hearts Sing

We had a little voice on voice mail yesterday that said "She's not there!" and hung up. So we returned the call to that phone number and Hayden answered. He knew the call was from our house and he said "Hello Grandma. Please take me to Sea World again." What could we say but, but "Of course." After we talked about it for a bit and decided next summer was OK he said we could take Carsen too. It was a really tender conversation.

For some reason Nana forgot to post this 2 years ago. It happened and still makes our heart sing.

Training for Errant Boys

If this works it is Derek reeling in the 40lb fish (Carsen). I guess they have to find something to do when they are locked up.

Second Edition to Alaska Vacation

Well if the first rendition of chapter 1 didn’t put you to sleep Part 2 just might! Friday night we left Skagway late as there was some type of medical emergency. Skagway has only a Physician’s assistant in their medical clinic. If he/she can’t deal with the issues then they rely on the cruise ship doctors to render all aid. We were 3 hours late in departing. The person in need was airevac’d out and we left Port at high speed to make up the time.

It is easy to tell when your are at high speed (about 22 knots/25 mph) the ship shudders and rolls this way and that, up and down left and right etc., etc., etc. If you are not accustomed to it you will probably be sea sick, unless of course you prepared yourself with the appropriate patches. After day one, most of us had sea legs and really did not notice very often the pitching and yawing of the ship. Sometimes it was easier to go to bed, to read or sleep. On this night Grumpaw found himself tossed nearly out of bed by the ships action.
Some Tylenol and back to sleep.

Saturday morning, August 25th, we found ourselves getting ready to enter Tracey Arm to visit the Glacier there.
Some background first. 500 years ago the glacier reached clear out to sea about 25 miles further out than today. When it began retreating it left a gravel bar where it stopped. This pile of moraine blocked the entrance to the fjord for years as the sea washed an opening through it. At present the passage is about ½ mile wide and 50 ft deep. The ship needs 30 feet of water under the keel to pass safely. The opening is marked with buoys. Once through the opening, the water goes to 1000-1200 feet deep. The mountains rise about 2000 ft above the water. Thus as you go in it gets colder and colder as the sun is blocked at times, and the water and mountains work to keep the cold in. For each mile into the fjord the temperature drops off quite a bit.

Now back to our efforts.
We got up early about 6AM to view this whole process. It was quite interesting to observe our little group of Eskimos trying to stay warm and have a good time. Jeanne looked like Nannuk of the North in her many layers of clothing including her fur rimmed parka hood. Eric was in hooded sweat shirt and other warm(?) gear, sitting on deck. He would later be found hiding in his bed trying to get warm. (We have picture proof!) We were well into the fjord before we saw our first ice. The more ice the colder it got. Soon there were ice bergs the size of small cars and getting larger. The walls of the fjord are marked heavily with signs of the glacier’s grinding action. Everywhere there were water falls signs of ice beached on the shore. As we drew closer to the glacier the water filled with more and more ice. It began to appear that someone had dumped a giant bag of ice cubes into the fjord. However these ice cubes were often as big as cars and trucks with trailers. This was something interesting as 65-90% of each iceberg is under water.
Finally, the Captain announced that he was turning the ship around as the potential for damage to the ship’s propellers was to high to proceed. So our trip to see the glacier was cut short about a mile and a bend in the fjord short of the glacier. It was very disappointing for the four of us who had not seen this particular glacier and the possibility of it “calving”. On the return trip out we got to see the other side of the fjord which was just as spectacular with steep cliffs and cascading waterfalls.

After crossing the bar into the open sea we began our trip to Victoria, BC.
This part of our voyage proved very exciting and led to us being able to see many whales. For some of us this meant we saw lots of water blows (spouts) and tails dipping into the ocean waters. For others it meant seeing whales swim by the side of the ship, cross in front of the ship causing the ship to come to a sudden stop to prevent injury to these behemoths of the sea. At one point there was an Inland Ferry stopped with many whales spouting and diving all around and even one which breeched. (This means it threw itself out of the water indicating it had enough of our peeking into its life. It was angry and wanted us humans to move on.) Most of the whales were Humpbacks, some Grey whales, and up in the Sitka area Grumpaw and others saw some Orcas. The animal which seemed to dominate the Alaska scene is the Bald Eagle, they are everywhere. But whales are plentiful as well.

I will digress here for a moment. There were plenty of animals on the ship of all sizes, shapes, ages and dispositions. The six of us were the perfect cruisers. If you have trouble with that, tough!! But we have the pictures of us at the formal dinners and here and there on the ship. We did use the game room for games from time to time, when not in staterooms reading. Also Jeanne was a leader in the game area gathering up the trivia games each morning before breakfast and the Trivia responses were interesting even when we might be wrong, which was less than 50% of the time.

Now back to page whatever.
Sunday after breakfast, we had our own church meeting on the joint balcony between us and the Willyerds. Mary Ellen and Eric had their 40th anniversary on Friday night or was it Saturday? Who cares they were weird any way and even got up in the early AM to see the eclipse of the moon. They also met some LDS folks on board and invited them for church but they were no shows.
Sunday was quiet after that and between meals. Sleeping, reading, sorting trinkets and ???

Monday AM found us arriving in Victoria, BC.
We arrived in Victoria, BC in the early morning with shore tours starting at 8 am.
All 6 of us were off to the Butterfly and Butchard Gardens. The Butterfly garden is a tropical spot with all air temperature and humidity controlled in the building to provide the best climate for all the butterflies to hatch and live as long as they possibly can. The garden receives about 1000 chrysalis each week from all over the world. These are hatched and the butterflies released inside to fly around among the visitors. Also in the garden are tropical birds and plants some of which the butterflies draw nectar to eat.
This place is very low profile and people miss on their way to Butchard Gardens just up the street.
Initially Nana Carlys thought we were wasting our time being in such a small place for an hour. In the end she and we could have spent several hours here.
Inside we found butterflies that were bigger than grumpaw’s hands and some that were smaller than a quarter. The biggest had the figure and colors of a cobra on its wings to help protect it from predators. The smallest had wings that are transparent like window glass. Some were iridescent blue and black. Others were black and yellow, orange and black and many other color combinations.
In addition the birds were of many beautiful colors and combinations thereof.
Time passed all too quickly and we had to leave, Nana wants to go back soon.

When we arrived at Butchard Gardens, little did we know that 2 hours would provide little more than a quick glimpse of a place that could, with a little imagination, pass as the Garden of Eden. The Garden area was where Mr. Butchard had developed a lime quarry for his cement plant. As the lime ran out large pits and water ponds were left behind. Mrs. Butchard desiring to restore the land, began planting trees, shrubs and flowers to cover the bare land. Fountains and statuary, and ponds have also been added to enhance the areas. The gardens have grown in size and beauty in the years since. The beauty is maintained on the 30+ acres by some 50 landscapers. There are small gardens representing various gardening types such as Japanese, and Rose, and Hanging. In the rose garden there are about 100 species of roses. Each has a label giving its name, year of development and the original grower. The area is covered with 1000 blooms or more during the growing season. To see and enjoy all there is here you have to move right along with little time just to stand and enjoy the view.
Uncle Eric W. was in his glory and soaked it all in, wishing he had as many gardeners working for him in his parks.
The time passed all too quickly and we only got bus window views of Victoria as we returned to the ship.

Knowing that our cruise was coming to an end we stood on the foredeck to watch our departure from Victoria and to begin the day and ½ sail back to San Francisco.

To night was a formal dinner night so we dressed in our best and went to dinner. Most of us had Lobster tails for our main course. Some had seconds before jumping back on the dessert wagon.

Tuesday was another rest day, just reading, final shopping efforts, games and just trying to digest all we had seen and done over the past week. There were shows on the ship at night, games to be played, books to read, shore sights to review and pictures to review and travel plans and activities to consider for those who still have a ways to travel home.

Wednesday dawned foggy and mournful with the foghorn heralding our entrance to the Golden Gate. I think Nana had been awake since 3am. The fog was quite dense and little could be seen from the balcony. I forgot that Nana got up thinking the sun was up as it was so bright outside but it turned out to be the ship’s lights reflected off the fog. As we passed under the Golden Gate Bridge the fog lifted right at the bridge. The yellow street lights shinning with a halo of fog. Tugboats arrived to push in to the pier and we were home.
Three hours later we debarked and went to Eric and Jeanne’s. After a trip to Taco Bell, Mary Ellen and Eric headed for the California State Fair and Northern California before heading home to Utah and a Service Mission.

Grumpaw and Uncle Eric played in the shop finishing a bowl M.E. started, and later just played lazy.
Thursday, grumpaw and Nana left and headed to Chico a town grumpaw had lived in, in the way back years. Nana began reading 1776 again. After a 2 hour drive we got to Chico. It has really grown from 12,500 to 80,000 in only 52 years. As time was limited we went to find a friends restaurant and our old house. The restaurant is still there but the the Ybanez family is gone, like the house and our old elementary school. We left Chico and headed for Whit and Connie’s in El Dorado Hills near Sacramento. Thursday evening was spent recounting our visit to Alaska.

Friday, Connie took Nana to Sutter’s Fort and Historical area. Grumpaw went to get a haircut at Barber John’s a really strange barber shop. Later Whitney came home early and we all went to Coloma to Sutter’s Mill where gold was discovered by members of the Mormon Battalion on their way back to Utah. This started the Gold Rush of 1849. The last time I was at this place it was a dusty tourist area in a neglected area of California. Now 25 years later it is a well developed tourist site. After Coloma we went on to dinner and to see the play 1776, not the same as the book Nana continues to read to grumpaw.

Saturday we left Whit and Connie’s for home by way of South Lake Tahoe, Carson City, Nevada, Silver Springs where Alan and Nancy once lived, their house is still there, the town is bigger and has it’s own rather large airport. On down US 95 we passed Walker Lake and Hawthorne the site of the Army and Navy Ammunition weapons Storage and Naval Underwater Warfare Command (in the middle of Death Valley. Someone explain that please.) Finally arriving in Las Vegas, we spent the night as Nana did not want to drive home yet.

We ultimately got home Sunday late afternoon, rescued Raelynn, who was packed and standing at the door when we got to Richelle’s. At long last back to our own beds!!!!!

Monday Labor Day we went Wendy and Michael’s for a barbeque and swimming. Michael had rented a two story water air slide and everyone slid for all they were worth. After much eating, swimming and fun off to home and back to “normal”?

Photographs and scrip editing courtesy of Nana.
Grumpaw

Alaska Report/Vacation Return II

Well it falls to me to update the blog. Carlys shirked her duty so out of frustration I am doing this endeavor. As most of you know we started this vacation by going to Imperial Beach with Carsen and Raelynn aboard. We stopped in Avondale to pickup Hayden to join us but alas and alack when he arrived with his dad he was sick, sick and while his desire to go was strong, his need to do the shooty flooperoopus with the loops was stronger and his dad cleaned him up and went off to the Grandparents Grossarth pending a return home, recovery and possible resumption on the trip later. The rest of us had In-N-Out burgers and were off to beach land, visiting various potty stops along the way, finally getting to San Diego in the early pm. We were met by Ryan, Michelle, Emily and the ever quiet Bella. After pizza dinner Bella and crew were off to Oxnard.

August 12th found us in church with the Imperial Beach Ward. Dinner was from KFC where Grumpaw was dissed by the clerk when she waited on another woman who came in after Grumpaw and was told in Spanish that she was next, as the old white guy could wait, (all in Spanish.) After she was done and left, the old white guy told the clerk that he understood what was going on and she was not too nice, but the old white guy could live with it. A camera would have been nice at that point to get the flapping jaw action.

Much fun was had starting on Monday with a box of donuts and cereal for breakfast. Emily and Carsen began wearing out the beach under the protective coat of sunscreen and Nana Carlys and Grumpaw's supervision. Rae went into the Jobba the Hut routine on the porch. Lunch and dinner were eaten out as the group leaders decided not to cook for the week. This continued till all went home or else where.

Richelle and Derek and Jake and Hayden arrived Wednesday, with the driver all excited about making it to the beach in one piece and zeroed in on the fun. Much beach combing and walking here and there and everywhere for wave hopping, shell gathering and ice cream buying and a trip to Subway etc. Randi arrived on Thursday night to complete the bed switching and car seat switching for the weak.

On Thursday morning Emily went home for birthday fun for Grumpaw and more ice cream at the DQ. (Emily had separation anxiety on the way home. No smiling.) Nana and Grumpaw went to a hotel to rest up for part B.

On Friday, they left OX for SFO and Uncle Erics', Grumpaw drove, Nana began reading 1776 to Grumpaw, a story that has not ended yet. I think there were too many potty stops and naps in the whole trip to get the book read.

Saturday Grumpaw got into bowl turning lessons, as did Aunt Mary Ellen, from Uncle Eric.

Sunday the 19th, Jeanne and Carlys went to SFO to get Jeanne's sister and niece from the ship so they could debrief her and her niece on their trip to Alaska. Eric, Grumpaw, Mary Ellen and Eric went to church and then home to load up for the Limo trip to Pier 35 and the Dawn Princess. We got on board in record time as we were among the last to check in. This seems to be the method to avoid lines and shoving folks who are afraid they might miss the Boat, if they aren't there first. Actually I think they are just in a hurry to get to the food and drink areas, not necessarily in that order.

Once on board and in our Staterooms (cabins) we prepared to go up forward on the bow to watch our departure from "The City". The day was sunny but the breeze was a little brisk, a great summer afternoon to sail away.

It amazes me that as we backed out of our berth there was a lot of horn blowing at some chowder headed sailboat captain who tried to pass astern of us, not allowing that the big ship doesn't stop on a dime, more like a mile or three. Finally we turned to the Golden Gate and began to pick up speed. Passing under the bridge caused more horn blowing and everyone on the bridge waving at the wavers on the ship. People with cameras shooting pictures everywhere and at everyone and everything. A moments digression here............., Thanks to all who gave up hard cash/time to get Dad the DVD Movie camera for the birthday. It is real special and Carlys really appreciates it and spent some of the time from OX to SFO learning to operate and driving Dad nuts with it, "smile for the camera".

When we went to dinner we learned that one woman’s" luggage was sent back to Chicago by the airline, she became Bathrobe Betty for several days. Another woman’s luggage was dumped into the Bay as it was being loaded on so now we have a "Soggy Sue".

At dinner we learned that our waiter was Manuel from Portugal and jr waiter was Agnieska(Agnes) from Poland. These two made the dinning effort fun and fattening for all. Let it suffice to say that Carlys, while getting to read the dessert menu never got to choose her dessert after the first night. Manuel just brought her one of each dessert, usually 5-6 of them. He also supplied us all with food and then extras for every course. This included cheese samples as a lead into appetizers and salads and soups (the cold ones were best) again one, two or three helping for some and more for others.

The two servers and our cabin steward, Reinhard from the Philippines, really made the trip special.

The food was nothing special. What can you say about breakfast but that was what it was and nothing special. Dinners were very nice but with the exception of a limited number of items nothing really remarkable. Lunch on the other hand can best be described as ridiculously horrible as well as unfit for more than hog slop. My appraisal, on leaving the ship, was to advise that in 40+ years of scouting I have had many 12 yr old scouts who could prepare and serve better food and lunches than they provided.

Well now having set the stage from Sunday night to Wednesday noon we sailed along, exploring the ship, napping, sleeping, eating, gagging and reading and when really pushed playing Yahtzee.

Wednesday Noon we arrived in Sitka. Grumpaw went salmon fishing, the others went to find Otters, wildlife and to see the country.

Fishing was great, Grumpaw caught the first, the last, the most and the biggest. Only sheer luck allowed this to happen. There were four guys and one lady (she had never been fishing before) in our group. Karen was a hoot and funny running around and cheering for all who hooked a fish. I finally threw her one to hold and she got her picture taken with it. Must of been magic in it. While she didn't land a fish on this trip, she caught 3 large silver (coho) salmon on her fishing expedition in Juneau the next day. It is her camera that provided proof of Grumpaws catch.

The other tours found Otters, whales, Eagles and other life forms. They will have to tell their own stories.

Thursday we arrived in Juneau in the early am and began tours together seeing the state museum, then off to the Mendenhall glacier. This is where Carlys went with Grumpaw to see the bears. She got bored and was about to leave when a momma black bear with 2 cubs went fishing and caught a salmon about 5 lbs and gave part of it to her cubs and then went off to finish it. Nana got some great movies of this and a poppa bear fishing for and eating salmon. The glacier was quite pretty and, except where there was a lot of dirt, was a sky blue color that would be hard to match. Nana will have to show all the pictures. From the glacier we went to a Northern Rain Forest garden and we saw lots of interesting plants. Again Nana has pictures to show.

Finally we went to a fish hatchery that specializes in raising salmon in a natural way and watched the process. We returned to the ship and then went souvenir shopping before the ship sailed.

From our ship in Juneau Eric W. and I watched eagles in the trees above the main road.

Thursday AM we got up in Skagway. We went for a train ride while the others went off on some water activity. The train ride followed the 1898 gold rush trail up White Pass to the Yukon/Canada. The Railroad uses restored rail cars and provides a scenic view for all. The tour people kept trying to get people to go to the front cars but most got in the last cars as they were closer to the ship, ie, no big walk involved here. Nana and Grumpaw went to the second car, not many people, so we got to sit next to the windows where all the good scenery could be seen. We could see the trail that the gold rushers of 1898 had to use to get to the Yukon Gold Fields. Very steep and narrow and a long way to haul 2000lbs of supplies per man to be allowed into Canada. On the way up we passed the new US Customs Station. It is built 10 miles inside the US Border. This is because the normal place for it on the border gets 40 feet of snow on average each winter and it would be buried all winter.

Skagway (Skaguay) is the only city on the inside passage you can drive to, the rest of these places you must fly into or come on a Coastal Ferry or ship. In Skagway near the Railroad tracks there is a small stream maybe 6 feet wide and 2 feet deep that was full of spawning salmon, so many you could probably walk across on the fish and not get wet.Skagway is a dirty old town left over from the gold rush days it is about 7 blocks wide and 3 blocks deep. There is also an old time cemetery with many of Alaska's notorious past citizens buried here.

Enough for this blog, I will bore you more starting with the Tracy Arms Glacier later.

Just the Fish

Only the Fish!!!!