Pull Up A Stump

Pull up a stump. That's the phrase my father would use when company came to visit. In other words, get comfortable. You'll be glad you did.

I have no idea why I didn't post about Elijah's football game on Sunday. It was a Jamboree of sorts where you play each team for a few plays. Just something to test each other out. We learned we will not be the champions again this year. That's okay. He had fun.

Wednesday was the first real game. It was 40-0. Not in our favor. I honestly thought it was going to be worse so I was pleased.

Here Elijah is passing off the ball....



...and here he is getting ready to throw. He is an awesome quarterback who got sacked about 15 times and it was awful. Awful for him and awful for the mom watching. Nick also played soccer that night and lost. Bummer deal.

These guys crack me up. They all run to the corner of the pen to greet me in the morning. They love me. Or they just want more food. I am very disappointed that I can't enter them in the fair. It took the hatchery six weeks to fill my order therefore they are four weeks too young. Now we have to wait until next year.

I raked Daisy's pen. Looks so much better when it is done. The tree roots are exposed from the goats we used to have. Looks horrible.

This is one of the ravens that was after the marmot and comes to the pen each morning. I am really afraid he is going to eat the chickens. Today, he just watched me work and then flew away.

While I cleaned the pen, Daisy munched some grass before I moved on to mowing. It was so incredibly humid, from the fires I think, I about died!

Today, I had an opportunity to go to work with my husband. The smoke from a fire 50 miles away has rolled into our valley. The air quality is in the red zone so all sporting activities were cancelled. I took advantage of it and went to Chena Hot Springs with my man.

The beautiful horses were there to greet me. I sat on the edge of a garden for about two hours reading Sense and Sensibility. Yes, there are more comfortable places to sit, but this way I was able to be near where my dear husband was working.

Chena Hot Springs Resort is a tourist attraction year round with the hot spring pools, aurora borealis viewing and endless activities. This is a view towards the offices, laundry and gift shop. Love it!!

An herb garden.

This is the rock pool where a hundred and some degree water comes through the ground. Ya, I forgot how hot Homer told me it was. At the end of the day I realized I should have sat in the soothing waters instead of reading. Gives me an excuse to go with him again.

Look at these amazing gardens. This was one of many.

Isn't the corn fantastic? I have so much to learn.

This is a giant bbq. A large parachute extends from the top of the pipe when there is a major gathering going on. The bottom is made out of half of an aircraft engine. How cool is that?

We had such a great day together....

This is the aircraft my husband is jetting across Alaska in. I met the pilot today and feel a lot better about it. Tomorrow he will be climbing aboard to fly to Prudhoe to check out some scrap metal for the recycling part of the company he works for.

We took a peek at the greenhouse. It is a hydroponic growing operation. The floor is a heated slab from the hot springs and runs all year long even at -50 degrees.

It takes about 30 days from start to finish for a head of lettuce. I wish this was at my house!

Look at the stalks on those tomato plants!

These weren't even the biggest. We ate lunch with the other employees and I can't even describe the taste. They were the best tomatoes I have ever eaten.

Isn't the growth amazing?

This is the Ice Hotel/Museum. Obviously, the front is painted, but inside it is entirely made of ice. It is really something to see (I didn't go in today, but have gone in before). Today, I sat outside while my husband worked on the ammonia chiller that keeps it frozen all summer. It's really a fancy scientific machine that combines the hot springs with cold water with ammonia to make cold air. Think of it as a super air conditioner! :)

I sat on the beam half way down the building and got quite sun burned.

We stopped at Angel Creek on our way back into town (about 50 miles). This sign cracked me up!

The rustic Alaskan lodge complete with board games for the patrons. This is one of the checkpoints for the Yukon Quest.

They are paving 20 or 30 miles of the Hot Springs road and this guy stopped us on the way home. Check out the smoke...you can barely see the hills.

Right after the flagger we saw a moose in a pond, but the photo was crap. Then a little bit further we came along this gal.

I noticed when she ran into the woods she had a horrible gash on her leg.

Closer to town (about 18 miles out) we stopped at Two Rivers Lodge for our Anniversary dinner. Pieces of (whale) baleen on the wall.

Good Lord I love this man and all that he has become to me and the children.

After a complimentary appetizer of a salmon spread to die for and a bowl of outstanding Italian sausage soup we had the all-you-can-eat snow crab.

Look at all that meat! No, we cannot eat as much as we thought we could!

This is the outside of Two Rivers. This restaurant is considered fine dining in our area. I suppose looking at the very primitive building and unkempt grounds diners in New York City LA or Paris wouldn't consider this fine dining, but I can tell you that the food inside the restaurant is.

A few short miles later we came across this little bull moose. Not too often you see a bull.

Look at those lashes!!

Back in town the thickness of the smoke in the air is evident in the red sun.

We were glad to be home as we really missed the children, but I have to say this was a day well spent. I realized that getting away from our home...no matter how beautiful the gardens and how comfortable we are....is good for the soul. I feel renewed energy, and have definitely realized that all work and no play is not good for you! We will be neglecting the work at home to play just a bit more from now on!