North to Alaska

Halloween

2007-11-01T12:42:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to post a few pictures of David as a NERD. He came up with this costume about 6:30 on Halloween night. Everything is right out of his own closet. Haha... He was so proud of this costume and couldn't wait to get out and trick-or-treat!

The glasses are the ones the Air Force issues you for free! Affectionately known as the Birth Control Goggles.

I truly do not have love for blogger. These are the only 2 pictures I can get on right now. Enjoy a good laugh and I will try again later!

Incredible Journey 2, Doggie Daycare, and Glaciers

2007-10-09T18:26:00.000-07:00

After an incredibly long day of anxious waiting, we finally picked our animals up at the airport. The airport scene was chaos so very few pictures were taken there. After a short ride home, Fern was instantly back to her favorite activities:

PLAYING (with her new cow toy - yes Daddy Mark, it squeaks, and we will bring it home for Christmas!)

and BEGGING (learning how to beg Alaska style)

The cats were also soon back to their normal activities: Girl Girl hiding (look UNDER the table) and Vader lounging on HIS furniture.

They wasted no time getting some love!

We missed them so much, and we are so grateful to everyone who helped take care of them and get them back to us!

Since Fern has gotten here, she hasn't wanted to spend much time outside. It's really too cold for her, and she doesn't have anyone to play with during the day! So.... against Mike's wishes, we started exploring doggie daycares. We were soon to discover that there are waiting lists at the 'good' doggie daycares in town. However, Arctic Tails told us that although there was a waiting list, we could come in for an 'evaluation' to see if Fern would fit in well. OH MY... So, one day last week, after work, I loaded Fern up in the car and drove her to Arctic Tails. I should have known it would not go well when I had to PUSH her through the door! She acted like an idiot! She would not play with another dog, sniff another dog, would not even look at another dog! She tucked her tail and rolled her eyes all around. She also had what I call 'tense lips'. If you've ever had a Boxer - you know what I mean! The owner of the daycare threw some toys for her, and Fern pretended she didn't see them. A little pug ran up to play, and Fern started trembling! Like I said, it did not go well. So they told us they would 'see if they had room' and call us. So, I guess they felt sorry for us, and our 'single layer coat' dog, and they called to offer her a Monday space. So, we get to go on Monday, and I'm assuming if her behavior improves she can come other days as well!

We spent a lot of time over the weekend talking about daycare and about all the fun she would have playing with other dogs. Monday morning, I saw this, and knew things might not go so well....

We talked, we sang "Good Morning to You", we even scratched her back... but she would not get up! So, finally a big push from Mike:

The push prompted this, and after the final stretch, she was out of bed:

On our way to doggie daycare, Fern got to see her very first moose! There are actually 2 moose, a baby on the left and mom on the right. Fern growled very quietly, but she had her nervous eyes on!

Well I've been trying to post this for over 12 hours and blogger won't let me post any more photos - so more to come when it cooperates! By the way, it's 26 degrees this morning!

Incredible Journey--Texas to Alaska

2007-09-29T18:32:00.001-07:00

After being in Texas with Memommie, Buddy, Daddy Mark, and Nanny, it was time for the remaining members of the moose nugget family to join the humans in Alaska. The really are no words to adequately tell the three day story/saga, but here is a synopsis. Thursday's chore was to catch the animals, aka manhandle Girl-Girl, and take them to Paris to the vet to secure a health certificate. That was accomplished without any trouble at all and pretty much lulled Nanny Nugget into a false sense of security!

After school on Friday, Graham and Fern said their goodbyes. Now Graham really wanted no part of seeing his sister leave as the responsibility of entertaining the humans now falls solely on him!

Buddy shares a brownie with Fern and promises to see her at Christmas. "Buddy, thanks for taking such good care of me and letting me eat your fried chicken. "

Memommie got home from school and had her hands full with Vader who couldn't begin to understand why all the food had been removed from the dryer. He had no idea that he was about to ride 250 miles to Houston. His feeling were hurt as he has found his way into Memommie's heart and couldn't imagine that his needs were being ignored.

Vader and Girl-Girl in the traveling cage telling Memommie goodbye. This follows us gathering up Girl-Girl from behind the toilet! She was wise today about what was going on and had no intention of getting back in a cage! Memommie, thanks for taking such good care of us. We will see you this summer!

"Sarah, you won't believe what happened on the way down. We had been riding forever, and Nanny was driving really fast. All of a sudden, Terri was jostling our cage, telling us to create a ruckus. It seems that Nanny had been stopped for driving too fast and was hoping that we would distract the nice policeman. It seems to have worked because he didn't give Nanny a reward like the nice Kansas officer gave Mike. " The travelers were really glad to get to Sarah's as everyone was really tired. We would have done just as well to have gotten here hours later as there was very little sleep to be had. Fern could not get settled. Girl-Girl hid under the bed. Vader patrolled as if he had been hired as a security officer. During the night, after Fern had gone out 3 or 4 times, Vader began to call for Girl-Girl to come out of hiding. Everytime she ventured out from under the bed, Fern jumped down scaring her back under. Nanny finally threatened to lock Fern in the car if she got up again. Vader was finally successful in getting Girl-Girl to eat a bite and potty. They all finally went to sleep around 7 a.m. and at 9 Fern was snoring so loudly that she woke everyone up! OH WHAT A NIGHT!

It was finally time to get all the animals into their crates and head for the airport. Girl-Girl had a really different idea. Seems she had scratched a hole in the box springs lining and was hiding in the springs themselves. No amount of coaxing could get her out. Vader called her and called her, but she refused to budge.

What she could do was howl and hold onto a spring for dear life!

Nanny's wounds! Girl-Girl really didn't intend to get back in a crate. OUCH! Seems that Nanny was feline-handled.

"The humans at Continental Airlines were so nice. They put my crate together. I'm really ready to see my family! Nanny says that they are going to be waiting for me right after I take a nap. When I wake up I will be with my mommy, daddy, and David. I have missed them a lot. Nanny's house is nice, but there's no place like home!"
"Bye, Nanny. See you Christmas!"
Vader, Girl-Girl and Fern say a big thank-you to Terri and Sarah for helping us today! Alaska, HERE WE COME."

Incredible Journey Part 1

2007-09-29T14:21:00.000-07:00

Just a couple of pictures of the departure. More to follow!! Just saying, Sheila Burnford had a better idea. Her two dogs and a cat hiked their way.

Sarah and all three crates. Trust me, if there was audio you would hear Girl-Girl's complaints.

"I love you, Mommy! I was really scared at the airport. Have something good for me to eat when I get to Alaska."

Hiking, Horseback riding, and Home

2007-09-28T15:40:00.000-07:00

Well, the moose nuggets are finally starting to feel settled here in Anchorage. It is somewhat hard to feel settled with winter coming soon - and with no clue how to live with the snow! The more I see studded tires, snow boots, and snow blowers, the more nervous I become. Just pray that Mike doesn't deploy during this first winter. David and I might never figure out how to leave the house!

Although this is the rainy season in Anchorage, we did have a beautiful, clear night last Friday. We decided to take advantage of the weather and hike a 'mountain' that is only a 10 minute drive from our house. Along this hike, Mike and I got separated (he took the steep, short path, I chose the longer, more flat path), so we didn't get many pictures, as it took us about 45 worried minutes to reconnect! We saw this family of Mom and twins on the way to the trailhead:

This was the view from the halfway point. This is the view overlooking Anchorage and the Cook Inlet at sunset.

It was an amazingly beautiful hike, and we feel so fortunate to have these opportunities right out our back door!

Speaking of our back door, here is a picture of our house!

As you might be able to tell, we have almost NO landscaping in our yard. Trees are very slow to grow here, so most people have shrubs and hanging baskets - we don't even have that yet. But, we do have this one, tiny, pitiful, little tree.

Those of you who have lived near us or visited us know that we do not enjoy raking our leaves. In fact, we usually just let them blow into our neighbor's yard for their raking pleasure. So, this might work out well for us, even if not aesthetically pleasing! Also, if we did have trees, we might not have this amazing view from our back yard:

The above picture was the view approximately two weeks ago, and this is the view today! I'm sure you'll notice the colors in the trees and the SNOW! This week the snow has been moving further and further down the mountains. It's beautiful really, David said yesterday that it looked like a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Last Saturday, David and I began horseback riding lessons. It's something we've wanted to do for a while, and we saw that the Air Base offered riding lessons at the stables. One more reason we love the Air Force: we get a two hour lesson for a GREAT price! Here is a picture of David and his assigned horse, Casper.

We spent lots of time learning to groom Casper and put on the saddle and bridle. We also practiced leading the horses, and at the end, David got to ride for a few minutes.

Casper is a great teaching horse, and our teacher, Ms Tammy is awesome with David! Speaking of DAVID, he is running for student council treasurer at Kasuun Elementary! He turned in a campaign poster on Wednesday, and today was his SPEECH. We are so excited that he wanted to participate in the elections. Here is his picture dressed for his speech.

Notice how dark it was at 8:20 this morning! Keep checking up on us - our animals are 'moving' to Anchorage this weekend via Continental. We are all so excited and can't believe it's finally happening. Our whole moose family will be under one roof! We can't wait to be together so we can make our own memories. Hehehe...

Denali Road Lottery 2007

2007-09-16T21:28:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, the Moose Nuggets were very fortunate to win the Denali Road Lottery this year. We even managed to win before leaving Arkansas! The Denali (also known as Mt. McKinley) park road is closed to personal vehicles past mile 15. You have to take a tour bus or hike/backpack through the park. Each September, for one weekend, 1600 vehicles, chosen by lottery, are allowed to drive the entire park road (92 miles) taking as long as they wish. 400 cars go in each day, and our day was this last Friday!

The drive to Denali was amazing as the fall colors in central Alaska are on full display. It's a very different fall than we are used to in Arkansas and Texas. Obviously, many trees stay green all year, and the black spruce that look like tall black spires. However, the aspen and birch are both a brilliant, golden yellow, and many of the ground covering plants are crimson and purple.

We stayed the night 30 miles south of Denali's main gate in the town of Cantwell. This is a small town of 150 people who fondly reminisce the days when there were no phones (except one at the train station) and the whole town communicated with CB radios.

We arrived at Denali by 7:00 Friday morning eager to begin the trip. After the briefing about what to do if you see a bear or if there is a "wildlife jam", we began our journey of 180 miles on a dirt and gravel road with a speed limit of 35! After the first 15 miles, the forest thins down into land that is known as taiga. Taiga is between the forest and the tundra, and this had a lot more meaning to us as we drove into the tundra! On the taiga, we were able to see a lot of dall sheep, some caribou, ptarmigan, and a showshoe hare! Here is a picture of the taiga.

Showshoe hare - notice the big feet that help them walk (hop) on the snow! These hares change color with the seaons, in winter this hare will be all white.

As you can see, the colors of the taiga and tundra in the fall are spectacular!

It was very difficult to take pictures of the wildlife. Before arriving at the park, I imagined the animals being close to the road - not true! Without binoculars, we wouldn't have seen many animals. The landscape is just SO vast, even grizzly bears are tiny specks in the distance. It was very humbling to be in the presence of such grandeur. We were able to see groups of grizzly bears roaming the mountainsides, feasting on blueberries, and bull moose facing each other preparing to spar. To say we were in awe is an understatement. All that to say: I'm sorry there are not pictures of 'big' animals! Next year, when I go back with my (Christmas present) telephoto lens, I hope to have better pictures!

Mike and David at Polychrome Pass

There were blueberries everywhere! Millions and millions, and the bears were enjoying them. We stopped to pick them at the end of the road before turning around. There were also cranberries, but we didn't know what to do with those!

Here is a picture for Buddy.

This is the best view we got of The Mountain. We were on our way home, and we stopped for lunch at a restaurant with views of Denali. The longer we watched, the clearer the sky became, until finally we had a view of the entire mountain.

It was such an exciting and surreal experience. We are already making plans for entering the lottery next year!

In addition - we arrived home to a surprise. The Chugach Mountains which create the eastern border of Anchorage and are right behind our house were dusted in snow! In Alaska, they call this first dusting on the mountaintops 'termination dust'. The locals say that you can expect snow on the ground 3-4 weeks after termination dust. Winter is approaching!

Settling In

2007-08-23T18:20:00.000-07:00

Life is beginning to settle down a bit. Nanny has gone to Texas, David has started to school, Mike has begun orientation on his new base, and Em has started her new job. Now the nuggets wait for their shipment to arrive so they can move into their house. Then comes the fun as we ship the animals from Texas! "I sure hope it's cool enough for me to come to Alaska in a couple of weeks. I don't get very good sleep here. Graham hogs all the covers!"
Happy Birthday, Mike! Hope the year is full of fun and adventure.
Hooray! Full-fledged Alaska residents now.
One can only imagine what these two are planning!
David's new school: Kasuun Elementary
David standing in front of the temporary lodging facility with the mountains in the background. When the sun sets the mountains look like they are made of pink granite.
Who can believe that David is a 5th grader! First day of school at Kasuun Elementary. The secretary warned us that they have moose activity on the playground. The kids have to be warned to not approach a moose. We definitely aren't in Arkansas anymore.

Extra! Extra! Read all About It

2007-08-17T21:56:00.000-07:00

The late evening sun, 9:45 that is, cast some really long shadows. We shadowed danced for a while. Yeah! The Moose Nuggets have a house. Selling point for it, besides a back yard for Fern, is that David can walk to school!!! The elementary, which goes through sixth grade, backs up to the homes across the street. So, as soon as their belongings arrive they will have a home.

Mr. Truck Driver, rest assured that if we are flanked or attacked, we will inform you quickly. Perhaps you will want to head right out and jog to see if anything interesting flies overhead.

The blog tonight is pretty random in chronology. Just some pictures that we wanted to share.
We really thought we were a long way from home!
Good shot of the Smith brothers, Scott and Mike.
A super grin from David. Sarah, hope you like this one!
Random chronology! Just outside of Anchorage we saw this road sign. Would have been nice if this had been our address.
We were so excited to see the African Children's Choir at this stop. The children were so sweet and the volunteers so obviously committed. I can't imagine touring with a bus load of children for 15 months.
This dog seemed to be the friendly greeter at the wagon bridge. His head was bigger than Emily's and David's combined.
Old wagon bridge used during the gold rush with some of the nuggets and a BIG DOG.
Mike and David at Buckshot Betty's. I believe she has the only computer with internet in the town!

Oh Find Me a Home

2007-08-16T23:14:00.000-07:00

The Moose Nuggets are settled in temporary lodging on Elmendorf Air Force Base. Our rooms are very near the flight line. It sure is different listening to fighters jets take off and land rather than cargo planes. An F-15 took off this afternoon fully loaded with full after-burners and it literally shook the windows in our little apartment! I realize now how much I miss hearing the C-130s running on the flightline at night. It's come to be a very soothing sound. Also sorely missed is the base lake complete with geese and ducks. Will have to settle for foxes and caribou.

We have spent the last day looking for houses to rent. The wait for officer housing on the bases is 12-24 months. We have certainly seen some interesting things in the housing market here. There is virtually no zoning - so residential and commercial/industrial areas weave throughout the city. Most homes here are ZLL - duplexes, triplexes, small townhomes. We finally saw a single family home tonight with a yard, but it's definitely at the very top of our price range! Almost every home is at least 2 levels with lots of tri-levels to conserve heat. We hope to make a decision over the weekend - although our shipment isn't expected until September 6th!

On our 10th day of driving, we traveled from Whitehorse to Beaver Creek. This was a change in plans due to the distance and condition of the roads being less than optimal! On the way to Beaver Creek, we stopped at an historic bridge, and who was parked there but - the African Children's Choir! I saw their bus and immediately recognized them from Ellen and American Idol. The kids were outside enjoying a break from the bus. They are currently on a 15 month tour of the US and Canada. You should definitely take time to check out their website (search African Children's Choir) as it is an amazing organization providing incredible opportunities to these children. When we pulled into the hotel in Beaver Creek, we were surprised to see, again, the Children's Choir! The next morning, they sang two songs at breakfast. One of the most moving performances we've ever experienced. Fortunately, the choir is headed to Anchorage, so we will have an opportunity to hear a full concert and find out how to become involved!

Our last night on the road had to have been the strangest. I guess we were a little punchdrunk and everything was just funny. We had reservations at Buckshot Betty's but changed our plans when we drove up and there were little huts a lot like the primitive ones at Camp Deer Run. Emily was NOT staying there so we went down the road to a large "lodge" which did have rooms. As Mike was checking in they kept stressing, "We have a TV in the lounge." That didn't seem so significant until we got in the room and there was no TV, no phone, and, of course, no internet. Emily marched into the hallway and declared," Have you been in the room? There is NO TELEVISION!" But the room which might have been 12 x 12 had four mirrors. We did eat dinner at Betty's which is the only place that serves lunch. The "townspeople of 116" are trying to get Betty to stay open this winter as she is the only person that cooks. Nanny Nugget identifies and almost went to the kitchen to help her with dinner. Anyway, we survived the night. Mike was the only one brave enough to shower and it wasn't so much a shower as a mist. Emily stood up to the sink, at a heighth of preschoolers, and said, "As soon as I spit this out, WE ARE LEAVING!" Oh me.

So we are now sitting on a rock in front of Border's borrowing their internet. Yes, they are closed as it is 10:30 - the Moose Nuggets don't feel like it's bedtime when it's not dark! Tune in tomorrow for the rest of the story.

Day 11--Mile 3590 Beaver Creek YT to Mile 4005 Anchorage AK

2007-08-14T23:26:00.000-07:00

Well, once we got close to Anchorage, we just had to drive on in. So, the nuggets have finally arrived. No more gas by the liter at $1.30 or so, no more kilometers and multiplying by .62, and no more ordering lunch meat by the gram!! We really enjoyed Canada, but are glad to be back on home soil. Tomorrow will be spent trying to get checked into base lodging, doing some laundry, and preparing a home cooked meal!

The day had several highlight and I have pictures of some that will be posted tomorrow. The one thing we most wanted a picture of eluded us, although we did actually see a moose and baby. They were quite a distance but there was no mistaking the way they moved.

So, join us tomorrow as we recap the trip and share a few things that we haven't shared before.

Until tomorrow in Anchorage . . .

Day 10 & 11 Mile 3590 - ??? Tok Alaska!!!

2007-08-14T12:42:00.000-07:00

Well, we thought for a while that perhaps we were stuck in a time warp like Groundhog's Day. But evidently we have broken out as we finally crossed the border into Alaska!!! And if we can survive the permafrost heaving on the highway, we will be in Glenallen tonight, another change of plans, which will leave us a relatively short drive tomorrow to Anchorage.

I will say that if you really want to escape civilization, you should consider moving to Beaver Creek, Yukon Territory. Trust me Mr. Truck Driver, there is no Piggly-Wiggly there. We stayed at their nicest "lodge" which also had a dinner theater, miniature golf course, and mosquitoes the size of dragon flies. Town of 116 in the winter and swells to 200 in the summer. Em was up and out of there in fifteen minutes this morning. Will tell more tonight.

So join us later this everning as we wind this trip down.

Happy Birthday Mom!

2007-08-13T07:55:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARIANNE, MOM, AND NANNY! I hope we can find cake in Whitehorse, Starbucks might have to do. We absolutely could not have made this trip without you. Actually, we couldn't have gotten out of Little Rock without you! Thank you so much for tirelessly helping us the last 3 weeks (26 years?). We love you!

Day 9 -- Mile 3310 - mile 3590-- Whitehorse, Yukon Territory

2007-08-12T21:01:00.000-07:00

As Emily worked at booking hotels for the Canada portion of this trip we found an ad in the Milepost for this hotel. The ad bragged of frilly curtains, fluffy bedspreads, and rustic pine furniture. I guess I now know why they didn't brag about their air-conditioner. However, a nice box fan labeled OLD FAN was in the room. How we have wished for Byron or Marsha on this trip as the sites we have seen would only enhance their training!
It seems that the hotels up and down the Alaska Highway are members of a hotel co-op. One thing they share for sure is baby blue paint! Of course, that certainly goes well with the blue bathroom fixtures!!
I honestly think the towels at the hotel came from mine or Mary Louise's garage sale.
About 90 miles outside of Watson Lake we found the Rancheria River Recreation Area and Falls. There is a boardwalk trail up to a natural falls in the river. This is a boreal forest with white and black spruce. We learned that the black spruce holds onto its cones while the white spruce is deciduous. That is one of the only ways for novices like us to tell the difference. The smell of all these trees is incredible.
Mike and David on the hiking trail above the falls.
Just in case you don't know these people by now, that is Mike and Emily at Rancheria Falls.
When we watched the parade in Dawson Creek we met two couples who were traveling from Michigan. Since then we have run into these nice people two other times. Today they were coming up the boardwalk as we were going down. They are headed to Inuvik on the Arctic Coast where one of the couples used to live. It has been fun seeing them again and again.

No picnic lunch today for the moose nuggets. We stopped at the Continental Divide Lodge and Pub. They served the best fried eggs and homemade sour dough toast. These little outposts show up every 30 - 45 miles or so. It seems that the people who own them live in the same building as their business and all have cabins and camping hook-ups. A very unique life-style.
The town of Whitehorse is known for its brewery. This is a little home style brewery that only sells to the surrounding area. The tour was very interesting. They literaly hand pour and seal their canned products but did buy an old Coca-Cola bottler on the internet for their glass bottles.

Before we left this morning I made the grocery store run. The other moose nuggets almost went off and left me as I couldn't tear myself away. $7.09 for a gallon of milk. Made me proud of the Piggly-Wiggly!!!

We still haven't seen a moose. I hope we don't get killed trying to find one. Today I glanced down a river bed and saw four large animals walking across the water. Thinking they must be our elusive moose, I made a quick u-turn but they were gone. We keep pretending to be Harry Potter and pointing at the forest saying "Revealio Moose". I guess Muggles really can't do magic or we are poorly trained spell casters.

After dinner tonight we drove a couple of miles out of town to Miles Canyon. The Yukon River runs through here with a suspension bridge that was built in 1922. We hiked around this area for a while. During the 1898 Gold Rush this was a major thoroughfare for miners eager to get to the Klondike. Interestingly, the "government" at that time issued a decree that only a master pilot could navigate the miners through the rapids in this canyon. Well, there was only one master pilot who must have been well-connected. We could just imagine the bribes paid to get to be one of the first each day to navigate through this stretch of the river.

We have traveled far enough north now to really be able to tell the difference in the daylight hours. Our latitude here in Whitehorse is roughly the same as Anchorage. It is 11:05 and still light outside. The brewery tour was hosted by a man who works for the local school district. He was lamenting the fact that school doesn't start until after Labor Day. They go to school through most of the month of June when it is daylight almost all the time. He preferred starting and ending earlier as the kids are finished when it doesn't ever get dark.

Tomorrow we drive to Beaver Creek to stay at Buckshot Betty's. Only 3 more nights on the road. We have enjoyed the long afternoon in Whitehorse. Glad to have Paige as a reader. I didn't exactly know the proper blog etiquette. Sorry, I should have informed you earlier. Hope you are all caught up!

Until tomorrow and hopefully a moose sighting, goodnight.

Day 8 Mile 2982 - Mile 3310--Watson Lake

2007-08-11T22:05:00.000-07:00

The Tetsa River Campground is located with this store which was located at the beginning of our drive acros British Columbia. The owner bakes fresh bread and cinnamon rolls! YUMMM!! Most of today on the road was spent looking at the rivers and finally seeing the wildlife that we had been promised. Many of today's pictures revolve around how wonderful our world is. Hope you enjoy. We did!!! The highway wound through the northern Canadian Rockies where the forests were vast. We did end up tonight in Watson Lake at the Northern Lights museum. They advertise a one-hour show telling the history of the northern lights. I ended up being a long video of northern lights with synthesizer music in the background. After the first 5 minutes we were pretty tickled as the video was pretty strange. We all wished for David Bean who would have had everyone in the place rolling in the floor.
Caribou family on the side of the road. The mom ran straight up the cliff.
Beautiful elk -- his antlers really were furry. I thought it might be Prancer.
Stone sheep with a look that says, "Is there something you need?"
There were 10 of these stone sheep nibbling on the roadbed. We could have touched them out the car window. They were most unconcerned about our presence.
Stone sheep grazing on the road.
A herd of 40 or more bison sunning and playing on the side of the road. The group included this one enormous male who flopped down on his side and took a sand bath. I could hardly believe that we were seeing that. We have a video--wish Rachel Spencer would help us get it on the blog. We can't figure it out.
I think he wanted us to pay the toll.
This big guy was standing on the side of the road watching the herd in the grass below.
Just David at the river. Buddy, this picture is for you.
The Toad River ran parallel to the Alaska Highway for many miles. The water is the most exquisite shade of turquoise from copper oxides leached from the bedstones. There is rafting on this river but I can't imagine how cold it would have been.
Emily, Marianne and David at Toad River.

Mike, Emily and David at Liard Springs. The flora around these springs is almost tropical with ferns growing everywhere. We walked a quarter mile from the park to the springs and the temperature climbed 2 - 3 degrees Celsius.

Halfway between our two major towns today were the Liard Hot Springs. The water was about 120 degrees. Very relaxing but they advise you not to stay in too long. There are actually two pools and a hanging garden, but the trail was closed today due to "Dangerous Bear"!!! So, we missed getting to see the gardens.
Location signs from all over the world are here in Sign-Post Forest in Watson Lake. There are thousands and thousands. We found one for Gilmer TX, as well as lots of other East Texas signs. David's favorite was Chicken Town, population 27.
Sign from Lockney TX where Marianne was born and where "the girls", Marsha and Charlotte, lived for several years.

We are still waiting to see the animal that we most want to see--a moose. And we are pretty pleased that we haven't seen a bear yet. Now if one wants to reveal himself a long way off, that would be okay. We also think the Canadian Border Services should investigate the trucker who tried to poach his beta. Unsavory activity.

So, don't miss out on tomorrow's adventures as the 4 moose nuggets travel to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory.

Day 7 Mile 2692 - 2982--Fort Nelson, British Columbia

2007-08-10T22:12:00.000-07:00

Dawson Creek has definitely been the surprise "goody" of the trip. The fair was so much fun, but nothing compared to watching the parade in this small town of 14,000. Lots of people were out and we talked to several natives of the area. This is farming and oil and big trucking country. We visited with a lady during the parade who had spent 5 years living on the Arctic Coast. We questioned her extensively about the one subject that perplexes those of us who live 4 blocks from a grocery store. How do you get groceries when you live so far out. She told us interesting tales of ordering for the year. Now, please tell us how do you know how much flour, sugar, etc. you will need for a year. Hardy people!!

Emily, Mike and David at the 0 Mile Post of the Alaskan Highway. The history of this highway is amazing. The road was built in nine months in the early part of WWII. We visited the Alaskan Highway visitors center which is newly opened. There is told the history of the construction. Very interesting for all of us.
Mike waiting for the parade to start.
We aren't sure what his position is with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, but he looked very impressive. He led the parade and believe me, everyone stood when he rode by.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police leading the parade.
Local bigwig in a delightful antique car.
The community band was the highlight of the parade for us! This was not a high school band but actually their community band. Most of the members were 50+. I could just see my daddy marching with a baritone and my mom leading the parade! Don't know how much they practice, but they were pretty good.
David loved the Bowles Family Gospel Group. They were having so much fun riding in the parade and singing.
This community is very proud of their heritage and have found unique ways to capitalize on their rich history.
The floats were very creative. Might give someone an idea for fair parade or Christmas.
This town loves its cowboys!!
The Kiskatinaw Bridge which was built as part of the Alaska Highway during the early part of WWII. I believe that it is one of the longest curved wooden bridges still in use. We detoured from the main highway as it is today to drive over this bridge.

Mike and David at the Kiskatinaw Bridge.

Emily and David "freezing" at our lunch stop.

The mileage was not so long today, but it seemed like a long drive. Most of the highway is two lane and for lots of stretches, we were the only two cars I could see. Most of the vehicles we did see were campers and motor homes of some kind. In addition, we have figured out that the trucking industry thrives here in support of the production of natural gas.

This is beautiful country. The sun sets really late and rises early as here there are three more hours of daylight than at home.
We have missed our riding partner. Poor Fishy.

So, join us tomorrow night as we travel to Watson Lake, Yukon Territory.

Day 6 --Mile 2332 - Mile 2692--Dawson Creek, British Columbia

2007-08-09T16:12:00.000-07:00

It was a sad day on the high plains of Alberta. Fishy had enjoyed all of the cross-continental trip he could bear and went on to better things. Wish we had known about the green pea earlier. Emily would have glady hand fed him that. Lord knows we tried everything else. She contemplated resuscitation, but decided that nature had taken its course. We were sad to see Fishy go, but we also hated to watch him having such a hard time. He was afforded proper respects.

Mike, Em, David and Fishy before the release.

Fishy gently carried to the creek.

Fishy's final resting place in Dawson Creek. A short creek side memorial.

After finishing our business with the fish, we went to the Dawson Creek Fall Fair and Festival. This is a town of 14,000 who definitely know how to have a fair. Lots of people having a really good time. Good food cooked by local church groups. Reminded us of home. Really fun professional chuck wagon races at the Dawson Creek Fair. They have a Canadian Professional Rodeo starting tomorrow. Wish we were going to be here for that. Who knew there was so much money involved in the wagon races. So many rules and out-riders. Horses were incredible and so well taken care of. This was lots of fun.

Mike and David on the Twister!! Mike got quite a workout. Reminded me of the teacups at Disney.

Emily, Mike and David on the Hang Glider at the Dawson Creek Fair and Fall Festival

We left Edmonton this morning in a cold rain. You heard that right--COLD RAIN. The front desk manager assured me that they were thrilled with the sudden cool spell as they have had three weeks of unseasonably warm weather with lots of humidity. She was hoping that the cooler weather would calm tempers . . . The day stayed cool. We were too cold tonight to stay late at the fair for the fireworks at 10:00. Fireworks start that late waiting for it to get dark.

The drive from Edmonton to Dawson Creek was delightful. We enjoyed seeing forests full of poplars, many varieties of spruce and pine. Actually in Dawson Creek Emily and I saw our first aspens. We also saw our first moose, but unfortunately it was road kill. Poor thing!

I did find an interesting food booth at the fair advertising "Texas Taters." I told them I was from Texas and wanted to see just exactly what Texas Taters were. They yelled, "Oh, No! We've been caught." They were very good thinly sliced spirals, deep-fried, of course. The condiments were ketchup or vinegar. I thought they were good either way!

David really made us laugh tonight. He was quite impressed last night at the Courtyard when he read the menu for room service. He would have been glad to stay in the room and just order meals! Well, tonight when we were looking for somewhere to eat after leaving the fair, David suggested that we just call room service. The Traveller's Inn might have 20 rooms. Not sure what they would "cook up" for us!

Bedtime for the nuggets. Join us tomorrow night from Fort Nelson.

Day 5 --Mile 1992 - mile 2332--Edmonton, Alberta

2007-08-08T20:32:00.001-07:00

Emily, Mike and David with the world's largest prairie dog.

Bob's Bar in Neihart, Montana where we stopped for lunch. Gorgeous country!!

The football field in Ryegate, Montana where the bleachers might hold 40 people. We loved this little town!!

The facilities at the field, if you know what I mean. . .

Need I say more?!

Today was a hard drive from Lethbridge to Edmonton. We stopped for gas, which was bought by the liter at $1.05, had our picnic lunch in the parking lot of the gas station and headed on north. We were quite anxious to get to Edmonton, check into our hotel, and visit the largest mall in the world, I think. Mike and David have been looking forward for weeks to going to the indoor waterpark at the mall. Emily and I were simply interested in getting a pedicure. Everyone left the mall happy!!

We did find winter today which has us all in jackets. Seems that we have arrived during an unseasonable cold front. No complaints from us Texans!

For those of you who have worried all day long: Fishy is still with us!

So, tomorrow takes us to Dawson Creek which is having its Fall Fair and Exhibition. Chuck wagon races are tomorrow! So, join us again as the trek to Alaska continues.

Day 4--Mile 1532 - mile 1992--Lethbridge, Alberta

2007-08-07T21:43:00.000-07:00

Mike, Emily and David at the top of the trail. Actually, the trail went a little further but we were too hungry to continue!!
On the trail to Memorial Falls.
See!! There really are jackalopes!!
Honest to goodness tumble weed in WalMart parking lot in Billings!

What a day! We decided early this morning to abandon our scheduled directions and leave the interstate system for some local flavor and culture, after the local flavor of PetSmart. We especially wanted to drive through part of the Lewis and Clark National Forest. I so wished for my brothers, as the signs to enter the park looked just like the ones on Rocky and Bullwinkle, if I remember correctly. Byron and David would have had a lot of funny things to say about that! The drive through the forest was spectacular. We stopped at Memorial Falls, hiked up a quarter-mile trail to a natural waterfall. The rocky stream water was cold on our feet!

We stopped for lunch in Neihart, Montana which is an old silver-mining town. The last silver mines closed in 1931, but the locals still talk about the industry. Fortunately for the local economy, a wonderful ski resort is nearby. So, Bob's Bar, which is owned by Tony and Sherry has a bar, pool table, movie rentals, and great little restaurant. The waitress was personable and knowledgable, reminded us of Anne Evetts, and told us the story of Bob who lost the restaurant in a poker game years ago. The bar changed hands many times until it was bought by Tony. He tried to change the name but the locals declared that it had been Bob's Bar for as long as they could remember and needed to stay that way. So, he consented. She remarked that she worked for Tony for two weeks calling him Bob until she got her first paycheck. "Who is Tony? I've never seen him at work!" Tony had to admit that indeed he was the owner and he pretty much just let anyone who wanted to call him Bob. We loved this place and really wanted to stay. The drive after that was so wonderful. The highway paralleled a rocky-bottomed river that took our breath around every bend in the road.

Next stop was to have been Great Falls, Montana. However, seems that all the falls have been dammed up. The Missouri River runs through here and is wide and beautiful. Not finding the falls was disappointing but we really needed to get into Canada as we have several long drives in the days ahead. We crossed the border without any trouble, although Emily was terrified that Fishy wouldn't get in! He had no identification.

Hope I remember tonight to tell about the football fields in the little Montana towns! Until tonight in Edmonton. . .

Day 4--Mile 1532 - mile 1532-- Billings, Montana

2007-08-07T21:29:00.000-07:00

ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL

Well, we almost never left Billings as the fish required an hour long stop at PetSmart. You should remember that Fishy is a four-year old beta. Seems that he is on a hunger strike. He really doesn't like rough roads and we aren't sure whether or not the plastic Tupperware container is making him sick. He keeps swimming in fast circles and banging his head against the side of the container. We kept the heat light in the bathroom on last night hoping he might feel better. So, Emily, who has great compassion for all creatures, has diagnosed Fishy with mouth fungus and fin rot. These conditions are in addition to his hunger strike. We hoped that some tasty treats might help the situation. So, first he got a serving of frozen blood worms equal in mass to himself. You should know that Fishy hasn't eaten more than a tablespoon of his food in the four years that he has lived with Mike and Emily. Imagine his shock when this big HONK of blood-worms came crashing into his water. Anyway, they began to thaw and were going to muddy up his water, so back into PetSmart went Mike and Emily to buy water treatment or perhaps antibiotics for his other maladies. As it all ended up, he is in the same water he has been in for the past week, still hasn't eaten, but has been rescued, by strainer, from the attack of the frozen bloodworms and is in a new container. Please pray for Fishy and the humans with whom he travels!!

More about day four in the morning. We did finally get out of Montana!

Day 3--Mile 952 - 1532--Billings, Montana

2007-08-07T05:52:00.000-07:00

For my Texas friends and family, IT IS 63 DEGREES IN BILLINGS THIS MORNING!!! Won't stay cool, but what a gorgeous morning.

Leaving Denver and Mike's brother was a little harder than leaving a hotel. It was so good to see the brothers together. Mike's family moved often when he was a child as his dad worked in the oil business. So, Mike and Scott share many interesting experiences of living in Brunei, Australia, Iran, Ecuador . . . It is fun to see them together. So, after our goodbyes there we shopped for lunch, patronized STARBUCKS!, got gas, and headed out of Colorado. Emily is still waiting to actually see a Rocky Mountain.

The first 100 miles of Wyoming made me think its motto might be the Land of Surprise. The land seemed to change every 5 - 10 miles. Each curve in the road revealed a new and amazing sight. We did wonder why the capital, Cheyenne, was so close to the border of Wyoming-Colorado and not closer to the center of the state. Well, by the time we had gone another 100 miles that question was answered. The land is so vast that when we did see cows or sheep grazing, they looked like little plastic toys. For many miles, the only two cars I saw were mine and Mike's. This sparked a lot of conversation about the pioneer days--what it must have been like to cross this country in a covered wagon. We talked about cattle drives and how desperately they hunted for water. After crossing the south, middle and north forks of the Platte, we understood even better. These aren't rivers like the Arkansas!!! I think we could have stepped across each one of them at the points we were. We did giggle when we crossed the forks of the Crazy Woman River, speculating about the circumstances behind the name. The exits on the interstate are few and far between. After stopping at a bustling truck stop in Casper, where we saw many real, honest to goodness, bow-legged, elderly cowboys, we were joined on the road by a black 18-wheeler that would pass us, fall back and pass again. He exited once and then caught back up with us. Eerie! Not sure what that was about.

As most of you know, Emily and I pride ourselves on being "right" most of the time. So, yesterday when Mike beeped me on the walkie-talkie and asked if Jackolopes were real or sort of a fictional joke, I replied "They're real!" Of course, I knew that if he was asking me, Emily had already emphatically stated that indeed jackolopes were real!!! I beeped him back to remind him that we had seen stuffed and mounted ones at the Prairie Dog Town gift shop on Sunday. "Hmmm, I thought they were a joke." I assured him again that they were real but decided to call Mark, who knows better than anyone how gullible Emily and I can be, for confirmation. Well, I'm sure you know how the rest of this story goes. I think that's the most "Awww, Lordy" I have heard from Mark in quite a long time. Score 1 for Mike. We try not to let him be right very often!!!

We really didn't think that Montana was anywhere ahead, but we finally crossed into the state and stopped at The Little Bighorn Battlefield. Sobering to read about this clash of cultures and purpose. I believe that this was David's first trip to a National Monument. He enjoyed reading the timeline in the visitor's center and bravely tromped around the battlefield and National Cemetery. Lots of infant and child graves as well as a lot of unnamed graves. Beautiful location overlooking the valleys.

We are most interested in the fact that in this sparsely populated part of the country you see little sign of the towns or cities that are ahead. The first hint of Billings, which is a city of 100,000, was one little house two miles before the first exit. This is such a contrast to the urban sprawl that we are accustomed to. We are glad that the longest mileage day is behind us and are looking forward to tomorrow.

So, tune in for our next leg of the journey--Billings to Lethbridge, Alberta.

Day 2--Mile 537 -- Mile 952 -- Denver Colorado

2007-08-05T20:26:00.000-07:00

Note to self--always check the alarm clock in a hotel room before going to sleep!!! 6:18 and "Shout, shout, let it all out" was not the way we planned to wake up!

We weren't so sure about Kansas yesterday, but Sruti was right, just give it some time. It will grow on you. We were thinking just flat, but the land west of Salina was incredible! There is something really majestic about land that can feed so much of the world. So, we see corn, corn, corn, corn, tree, corn, corn, corn, grain silo, grain silo, corn, corn, -- you get the picture. And who knew that the world's largest prairie dog is in Oakley, Kansas? We spent an hour trouping around Prairie Dog Town looking at not only prairie dogs, but also injured animals brought here by game wardens for these people to nurse back to health. Pretty neat. Their latest arrival was a six-legged steer. Poor cow had an extra pair of legs sticking out from his hips. As we drove we kept seeing vibrant yellow fields in the distance and couldn't imagine what it could be. Rounding one of the two curves in Kansas, we encountered acres of bright yellow sunflowers. No wonder Kansas is the sunflower state.

After crossing the Kansas-Colorado border we began a new quest:
Spacious skies--check
Amber waves of grain--check
Purple mountains majesties--(in the distance) check
Fruited plains--check.

An added bonus to being in Denver is staying with Mike's brother, Scott, and his wife, Jenny. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner and good visit with them.

Join us tomorrow for the longest leg of the trip--Denver to Billings, Montana.

Day 1 mile 0 - 537 -- Salina, Kansas

2007-08-04T19:48:00.000-07:00

Arkansas held on tight to the moose nuggets. I guess Little Rock knew it would never be the same without us. The day began with anything that should only take 15 minutes to do taking an hour. This included getting a Zip-Loc container for Emily's beta that was a gift from Mike on their first Valentine's. He is along for the ride! Of course, being an Air Force move meant getting signed out of everything you can imagine. And, that's a lot of signing. Last stop was to meet Sarah for a hug and good-bye.

Most of the day rolled by pretty uneventfully. I think we crossed the Arkansas River six different times. Each time Fishy began to fervently swim laps perhaps hoping to escape his four-inch diameter container and swim in bigger waters. No such luck for the fish as he is in the hotel with us. The hotel --hmmm-- a whole story in itself.

I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with Kansas, but let me say, "Toto, we aren't in Arkansas anymore!" I wasn't aware that interstate highways could still be turnpikes and I certainly haven't seen toll tickets handed out since the turnpike between Dallas and Fort Worth was paid for. Anyway, after we paid our last toll and changed highways we were surprised to see that the speed limit had dropped from 75 to 60. Well, actually we were surprised to see it after the Kansas State Trooper kindly stopped to point this out to us. So, day 1 is almost over and Mike has received his first commendation on his new job. Glad it was his turn in the lead.

Now about the hotel. If you have ever watched the Sesame Street Movie "Follow That Bird", then you know about the Don't Drop Inn. Well, I think we may have found it! The sign out front says, "Grand Opening! Under New Management!" We think it was formerly named the "Stab and Sleep Inn". Honestly, getting to our room was like going in the catacombs. I don't think any of us has ever stayed in a room that was a half-basement. But, the beds are comfortable, we are tired, so I'm sure we will all get a good night's sleep. And, we can't wait to see what is prepared for the continental breakfast in the morning. Hopefully, we will discover how to post pictures tomorrow so you can all share in this bit of fun.

So, tune in tomorrow as we continue north and west. Next stop, Denver.