moving on...

I've been away. Now, I am back. A quick update...

1. Mom and Dad arrived safe and sound, ready for our trip to SE Alaska.
2. Mom, Dad, Leah and I boarded a jet plane for Juneau...
3. Spent a day in Juneau and boarded a ferry for Sitka...
4. The ferry was awesome, luxurious...we saw wales, played cards, took naps, and I caught up on work...
5. ...we hung out with our very dear friend Shanna Tadic...and her husband Danny...and her bean...
6. We boarded a plane for Skagway...
7. We rode the White Pass & Yukon Route train, ate wonderful seafood, and hiked...
8. We hopped back on the plane and enjoyed spectacular views on our way back to Juneau...
9. ...we checked in to the Silverbow Inn; tasted wine; ate the most delicious, best tasting, user friendly crab legs I have ever eaten; and then headed for the Alaskan Hotel & Bar "the most local bar in town" for a drink...
10. ...left the bar at 9:00 PM (we were exhausted)...
11. ...went to Taste of Juneau, which was actually in Douglas. Honestly, it was a below-average taste of "some" of Juneau...
12. ...headed back to the Silverbow Inn for more wine tasting (this was a free event each night)...went up to my room to grab my camera off the end table to find it was not there...I looked in my backpack, nothing...looked in everyone's purses/bags, nothing (it was at this point I realized I left my camera on the back of my chair at the Alaskan Hotel & Bar)...went back to the Alaskan Hotel & Bar, nothing...
13. ...ate dinner at a great pizza place in Douglas...
14. ...went back to the Alaskan Hotel & Bar to check with a different bar tender, nothing (my camera was stolen)...
15. I left Juneau feeling sour, disappointed, guilty, sad...

Therefore, I have no pictures of our trip to South East Alaska. Sad, yes, but luckily we have memories in our minds that will last forever.

Upon our return to Anchorage, I had loads of work to do and loads of work to complete during the week. Mom and Dad stayed four more days before leaving back for Iowa. I worked, they played.

When I completed my project on Sunday afternoon (after more than 82 hours in the office all week...I'm anal...I counted), I "celebrated" with the purchase of a new camera...a Nikon...and a new lens. I LOVE it so far and am looking forward to becoming very familiar with the camera this week while in Portland. I am here for work (thrilled about the opportunity to meet with the individuals in Oregon that directed the state in becoming smoke-free) and am staying and spending time with Eric, Tauni and Eliza....

and Leah. She came, too. 

To a happy Solstice, learning about tobacco policy, a sunny week in Portland and a bit of relaxation...

Cheers!

Why I am excited...

My parents are coming to visit tomorrow (Friday)!!

They have not been to Alaska since the summer of 2009. 

I am very excited. 

They will be here for two weeks.

This makes me even more excited.

I love these two people very much...and can't wait for them to get here!!

Condo gardening...

I had the itch to garden on Sunday. 

It was sunny, it was warm and I had to take advantage of an extended weekend.

However, because Leah and I live in a condo with only a small deck patio out the back door, my gardening opportunity is quite limited.

I decided to focus on a flower pot, herb plants and green onions.

So...I went to a garden shop in town and purchased soil, two starter herb plants, flowers, a few pots and green onion seeds.

I love cooking with cilantro and oregano so I could not help but purchase two plants that had already began growth. How easy?! I guess how well these plants continue to grow is yet to be determined...but, I've heard (and witnessed) that the extended sun in Alaska can produce some exceptional crops.

I decided to plant the herbs in the two terra cotta pots for I purchased at the gardening store. I poured plenty of soil around the plants...

...and then watered kindly for two reasons: 1) Terra cotta is porous and absorbs more moisture and water than typical pots and 2) the directions said to water the plants liberally upon initial planting.

The extra soil was dusted and swept into...

my large pot for the green onions.

When Matt and I were in Kansas, Matt's grandpa gave us some green onions for snacking. They tasted so good so we decided we would plant some onions when we arrived back to Alaska.

Never being too fond of onions growing up (okay, I actually HATED onions and would have nothing to do with any food that touched an onion - cooked OR raw), but when I moved to Alaska and met Matt, I learned to appreciate onions, especially because Matt loved them and cooked with them very occasionally.

I went with a popular organic variety that is specifically designed for the growing climate in Alaska. Very convenient.

The seeds were planted with a few inches separating each seed. 

I anticipate great things with my herbs and onions (nothing wrong with high expectations, correct?) and will keep you posted on how well they grow throughout the summer.

Happy gardening!

A cabin on Horseshoe Lake

Laurie and Gordie Siemens have a cabin on Horseshoe Lake...65 miles northwest of Anchorage. I had the good fortune to spend Saturday at this cabin...and because it was 80 degrees outside (among many other reasons), the day was wonderful.

Leah and I had to make a quick trip to Fred Meyer in Wasilla...

Horseshoe Lake is a residential community of about 250 properties with, according to alaska.gov 157 homes and other structures. The community is located within the larger, unincorporated community of Big Lake, Alaska. The area first began attracting recreational development in the form of small cabins.

The Horseshoe Lake area was heavily impacted by the 1996 Miller's Reach Fire (as you can tell from the trees below). Many residents lost their homes and much of the surrounding forest was burned to the ground.

When we approached the cabin, Justin (Gordie and Laurie's son) had gotten the lawn mower stuck in the sand. It was funny watching him try to get the mower out of the sand. He succeeded...eventually.

After everyone arrived, we enjoyed great conversations.

Horseshoes were played...

and so was Badminton...

as well as Bocce Ball.

We grilled hamburgers and brats....

and boiled sweet corn.

With only about 20 minutes of slight winds and overcast skies, most of the day was sunny with high 70 degree temperatures...a rarity for Alaska during the month of May.

Leah and I agreed it sort of felt like May in Iowa.

Four dogs enjoyed the day as well...and kept the humans quite entertained.

Canoeing and kayaking...

After a long day in the sun, my day at Horseshoe Lake was complete. 

Thank you Laurie and Gordie for the invitation.