Stern-wheeler Tanana Chief

Cruise the Chena River with the Stern-wheeler Tanana Chief, enjoy dinner and a history lesson about the rivers that brought goods and supplies to the interior of Alaska.

On the Job with the Youngest Son

Hi there Son! Thanks for stopping what you were doing to wave to your Momma from the window. You are rock solid and we are so very proud!  Keep up the good work!

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Supermoon ~ Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse

In the US, Canada, and Central and South America, this Total Lunar Eclipse will begin on the evening of September 27, 2015. In Europe, South/East Asia, Africa, the Arctic, and in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans it starts on September 28, 2015. This Supermoon Blood Moon will be totally eclipsed for about 1 hr and 12 minutes. The last one was in 1982 and the next one is in 2033.

Fairbanks Snow Day

Woof to all my Fairbanks people... drive safe and enjoy the first real snow of the new winter!

Peace on Earth Starts within Yourself

Peace on Earth and good will to man, and animals, and plants, and well...peace to all living creatures. There are many aspects of life that each person gravitates to as a focus, as a cause, and if we put them all together and support one another humanity would be well on its way to the next step in a better life for the future generations.

"Peace is the most misunderstood word in the dictionary. Mr. Gandhi noted that most people believe that "peace" means "the absence of war," when in fact, it means "living in harmony with each other." He believes that peace will never be achieved until we all -- each of us -- undergo a personal transformation. He emphasized that nonviolence as a form of conflict resolution is only part of the philosophy -- it is primarily about personal transformation."

From the same post on the chookooloonks blog and something that hits home with me:

"He believes we're not here by accident -- we are here to fulfill a purpose. He talked about "trusteeship," as espoused by his grandfather: we all have talents -- each and every one of us -- but we feel like we own the talent or gift. The Mahatma believed that we don't own them, but rather we are trustees of the talent, and we are called upon to use these talents for the benefit of others."

Peace be with you my friends. Today! Tomorrow! Always!

Peace on Earth for all Creatures

Peace on Earth and good will to man, and animals, and plants, and well...peace to all living creatures. There are many aspects of life that each person gravitates to as a focus, as a cause, and if we put them all together and support one another humanity would be well on its way to the next step in a better life for the future generations.

Peace on earth to all creatures even the farm animals that are our food raised for consumption. I enjoyed a post from Living Cruelty-Free about Cedar Run Farm and the message it sends about how we each can support local, small farms and the families that run them.

If you have the option to purchase local raised foods from your area farmers or farmers market it will be money well spent.

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Living Cruelty-Free web site is - as Terry says herself - not for the faint of heart.  Terry writes to the point on tough topics that I admit are hard for me to read. But the message is something we should hear and think about if we are truly to have peace on earth.

Peace on Earth

Peace on Earth and good will to man, and animals, and plants, and well... peace to all living creatures. There are many aspects of life that each person gravitates to as a focus, as a cause, and if we put them all together and support one another humanity would be well on its way to the next step in a better life for the future generations.

In my adult life I have been about the less is more; in fact I have been saying it so long that I am fairly certain I coined the phrase that we are now hearing so often on the radio or television. The only hitch with the advertisements that you hear touting the less is more is that they actually want you to purchase something or spend your money on their product. But true SIMPLICITY means that you spend less money on STUFF, and that each day you consume even less than you think you needed the day before.

So how does the phrase “less is more” lead to peace on earth? Our Earth has a finite amount of resources and now that our world is a much smaller place than it was 100 years ago we might want to think about what we consume in our daily lives that adds up to our lifetime CONSUMPTION.

High Five Friday for Cool Reflections

High five Friday for cool reflections and a fun evening spent on the deck at The Pump House!

Here's to making every day the day before a weekend!

The Spell is Broken

“In Compiègne at the post-office a great packet of letters awaited us; and the authorities were, for this occasion only, so polite as to hand them over upon application. In some ways, our journey may be said to end with this letter-bag at Compiègne. The spell was broken. We had partly come home from that moment.

No one should have any correspondence on a journey; it is bad enough to have to write; but the receipt of letters is the death of all holiday feeling.”

Robert Louis Stevenson – Inland Voyage - 1878

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Here ends another summer of joyful travel.
I welcome falls color and cool crisp mornings. 

Share the love my friends!

Farewell Ecuador

As adventures go this one was truly something to write home about, and there is a deep meaning in the phrase "It was memories for a lifetime". While on this adventure I experienced a world so foreign to me and at the same time a place that was comfortably familiar. Foreign in the way the sun was directly overhead and tipped ever so slightly to the Northern Hemisphere that it caused my directional gyro to be off center. Which is particularly unnerving to my navigational self. The precision with which the sun rose and set, 6:13 a.m. to 6:12 p.m. each and every day with only the waning and waxing of the moon to guide the passing of time.

The amount of people you would meet on the streets within a short space of time and distance, 2.6 million people call Quito home and there is not an inch of earth in this area that is untouched by man. Quito is a major historic city to its very core.

What was comfortable were the smiling faces of the children, those that are young enough to know not any of the hardships of life. Children who would grin an honest grin at your greeting and cooful hellos.

Traveling opens your heart to the very kindness and humanity in each of us and opens your eyes to plights that have stricken and befall man in his darkest hour. Traveling is a gift, a blessing to partake in, and I am forever grateful each time we head out on an adventure.

May all the world shine bright white against the blue sky as you explore your world near and far.

Our Traveling Companions on the MY Grace

As the Galápagos color fades from my skin I ponder over a summer well spent. It will forever be a grand memory, cherished, and reflected upon with gratitude. We were two of the fourteen traveling companions on the MY Grace the first full week in July and add in the 12 crew members and you have all the elements for a grand adventure.

Left to right: Kennesh from Wisconsin Malaysia, my awesome husband Josh & myself, Peter & Trish from Melbourne Australia, Tatiana & Charles from Madeira Island Portugal, Terry & George from Maryland U.S.A., Alison, Susan from San Francisco U.S.A., Heather from Ontario Canada, Marie-Christine & Thierry from Belgium.

Thank you all for being part of our vacation as we explored the Galápagos Islands. May life treat you well and if it ever brings you to Alaska, please join us for supper.

Farewell Galápagos

Until we meet again!  Safe travels everyone!

The MY Grace

They outdo themselves in kindness and excellence!  Thank you for a wonderful memorable week!

Black Turtle Cove

Mangroves

Galapagos Islands mangrove forests extend along the shores of many islands, there are four species of mangroves in the Galapagos; red, black, white and button. A rich concentration of nutrients and plankton flows in and out with the tides which make mangrove forests important breeding and nursery grounds for fishes, invertebrates and nesting for many birds. Mangrove forests consist of salt-tolerant trees and shrubs that thrive in shallow and muddy saltwater. Mangroves can easily be identified by their root system as these roots have adapted to living on the sea water’s edge. Vertical branches called pheumatophores act as filters, filtering out the salt and allowing the leaves to receive fresh water.

Blue Footed Booby's headed for a feeding frenzy.

Our visit to Black Turtle Cove was our last panga exploring adventure and a peaceful way to end our trip in the Galapagos.