Fresh Air

A warm wind is blowing in some fresh air from the WSW (240 degrees) at 12 MPH gusting to 23 MPH! The fire however is still burning and at anytime we could be in the smoke again.
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It's Back

Smoke drifted back into town during the night and a red glowing sun greeted me this morning at the bus stop.

1.5 miles of visibility at the airport and from the office window I can just make out the edge of the tree line where the airport is located.

The worlds largest firefighting aircraft has come to the rescue, so they say. Evergreen International Aviation converted Boeing 747-100, dubbed the Evergreen Supertanker.

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A Little Relief

We have received a little relief from the smoky skies and can see the mountains today. The layer of dark at the base of the mountains is smoke from the wildfires to the south of town. No rain in sight yet ~ perhaps soon.
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Remember Your First Vehicle

1992 Ford Ranger
Youngest is the second owner
Low miles for a 17 year old truck
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Mid-Summer Sun

Sunrise 4:39 a.m.
Sunset 11:14 p.m.

Moon rise 4:46 p.m.
Moon set 10:25 p.m.

78 degrees Fahrenheit
Hot smoky day.
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Good Morning

3.8 Magnitude
4:13 a.m. ADST ~ Alaska Daylights Savings Time
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Captain Morgan

Every generation will look into the mirror to see just how the hat they are wearing fits. What does it look like? Do I look cool? Does it look better worn backwards? Nope forwards and straight on. All the while the parent watches from a sideways glance. A smile of approval at the final choice.
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Photo of the youngest after his friend and him painted their rival high schools rock with their school colors and a play on words (a yearbook misprint three years back ~ funny to those who have graduated in the past few years and to this years graduating class).
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In The Night

Lip quivers with loneliness

Shoulder aches with longing

Immured in a vacant room

Divest of all my clothing

I am exposed

Senses reel from the vivid

Images of the night’s dream

The vision chroma

The taste satiates

I have breathed you in

You have indulged me

I accept without reluctance

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Written by Julia Mist D'June ~ July 2009

Lunch at Emily's

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New & Finished Projects

Finished Project: Tile Trivet for Mom

Finished Project: Tile trivet for my kitchen made from the
tiles we purchased in the Azores summer 2007.

New Project: A recently acquired old ~ and I mean old ~ trunk from the
land of the Norwegians and the Swedes ~ Minnesota.
I am still pondering how to make progress.
But I think I can do something with this antique.
By antique I mean old & busted.

Thank you Lisa for having a garage sale.
Thank you Uncle John for letting it
ride from MN to IA in the boat.
Thank you Pops for packaging it up
and getting here as excess baggage.
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For the Husband

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Smoke & Weather

Smoky here for the past two day ~ thick choking smoke filled air. Smoke is due to wildfires in the Interior of Alaska. We are seeing a bit of relief with light rain showers.

Today's weather: PAFA 151953Z 36008KT 7SM SCT025 BKN040 OVC080 16/12 A3005 RMK AO2 RAE46 SLP180 FU

Forecast: PAFA 151739Z 1518/1624 35008G15KT 4SM -SHRA FU SCT030 BKN060

Translated: -SHRA FU (light rain showers, smoke)

I totally agree..FU ~ unhealthy smoke!
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Welcome Home

Before
During
After
Goodbye cold winter draft.
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Road Signs

Here's a town road sign.
No population or elevation ... just the town's name
and what a name it is!

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Moments of Worry

I used to worry about myself. It was just me, I was all that mattered. What I wanted, what I needed. Yesterday sitting in the lobby of the local DMV, waiting for the youngest as he was off taking his drivers test. All my worry now is for them ~ my sons and their future.

My youngest is confident, he is strong. His strength has been building for years. He watched and observed with a learning eye. He spent these years listening with a questioning ear. Growing taller, growing stronger.

Moments of worry turn into moments of celebrations. All the steps one must take to complete the journey.

What is your next moment to celebrate along this journey?
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Piece of Alaska History

Shipped from the factory to Seattle.
Traveled on the barge from Seattle to Alaska.
Lived a life in Kotzebue, has caribou hair
stuffed seat cushions to this witness.
To Valdez for a time, then to Fairbanks to have
a bit of life breathed back into it.
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Numismatics

My Great Grandmother and my Grandmother started penny collections back in the day and now I wish to complete them. The following is a list of the coins that I need for the collection.

If you are not a numismatic here is a clue to help you look for just what I need. The 'S' underneath the year is for the San Francisco mint, 'D' stands for the Denver mint and if there is no mark under the year it stands for the Philadelphia mint.

Most of the pennies that I need are from the Philadelphia mint and will only have the year to the right of Mr. Lincoln. Since Alaska is so very far away from the East coast not many coins from Philly make the journey North.

Thanks for keeping a sharp eye out for these particular years of coins and sending them on to me. You can find my list HERE!

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Only Child ~ Again

I was born and raised an only child. I grew up had two children of my own and 20 years later I find myself feeling only childish again. My husband has been out of town working the past week and the boys are both young men with activities of their own which leaves me home alone. Plenty of evening time to fill with what ever activity I choose. Except after 20 years I am not sure what to choose.

So this is what they call empty nest and what it feels like. Interesting. Any advice for managing this next phase is most welcome.
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Unexpeted Gifts

Unexpected gifts cross ones path every day. One fine morning I was someone else's blog (which has now been deleted). This persons family visited Little Falls Minnesota and went to the Charles Lindbergh museum. But then she says something total foreign to me, Charles Lindbergh fathering children from 'secretive women'.

I may live at the edge of nowhere and be a bit unaware of news from the outside but being an aviation person I found this information a shocker too. Given that this information is only a few years old I will cut myself some slack.

My unexpected gifts is that while exploring this new fact I discovered that Anne Morrow Lindbergh has written and published well into 1980. I have read her earlier works ~ North to the Orient and just recently purchased Listen! The Wind on our trip to Minnesota in October of 2008. We found it in a shop in La Sueur that primarily focuses on the history of the Minnesota Canning Company and all things Jolly Green Giant.

At any rate last week I picked up a copy of her book Gift From The Sea first published in 1955 and just recently republished as a 50th anniversary. The gift that I received was reading peaceful words on love and marriage. Solitude and contentment. Wise meditations on how to balance your obligations to family, friends, housework, and work outside the home. I am half way through with the book but wanted to share with you, her words:

“Simplify your life! Spend moments of solitude to refill your cup and restore your energy!” Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Pick up a copy for yourself and enjoy a peaceful summer evening reading.

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Shaken & Rock'in

Sunday May 31st at 9:35 p.m.
3.8 ~ 11 miles West of Fairbanks

Saturday May 30th at 7:29 a.m.
2.8 ~ 11 miles West South West of Fairbanks

Saturday May 30th at 6:16 a.m.
3.2 ~ 10 miles West South West of Fairbanks

Friday May 29th at 8:35 p.m.
3.5 ~ 10 miles West South West of Fairbanks

Alaska Earthquake Center ~ UAF Geophysical Institute.
We feel most of the 2.5 magnitude and above that are
in the central region of Alaska. There have been quite
a few these past two weeks. I wonder what's up?
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