You Have Discovered...

We Are the World 25

2010-03-15T06:00:00.005-08:00

Raise your hand if you remember the original "We Are the World" video!

I have vivid memories of singing along with

Michael Jackson, Cindy Lauper and Tina Turner back in my big bangs days.

A new version of the same song recently debuted on the 25th anniversary of the first, with many of the current top artists taking part
to raise money for Haiti Relief.

It is fully awesome!

Check out the video below.

Leave a comment and tell us what you think of the video,

the auto-tones in the new song, or memories you have of the old song.

And here's a YouTube link to the original song and video for those in need of a blast from the past.

Out With the Old In With the Newer

2010-03-08T06:00:00.008-09:00

It was my truck. I found it in Juneau and Cliff agreed to

buy it for me because I had my mind set on it.

We paid $1500 cold hard cash for it and our friend Clark

sent it over on the ferry, complete with a "smelly good."

That was 4 years ago and we recently sold our old reliable

1987 Toyota pickup - the time had come.

Believe it or not (wait til you see the pictures!)

it was a sad day for me and I even wrote it a little note

thanking it for its good service over the 4 years that we owned it and

recalling some of the fun times we had enjoyed while driving it.

I left the note hidden down in the seat, but took a picture of it first!

Click image to zoom.

Pathetic, isn't it? I don't know what to say - I can't really explain why I would

be attached to such a hunk o' junk, but I was!

We received several calls after Cliff placed this funny ad in the paper.

Everyone wanted to see the custom rust job I guess!

I took the next picture of moss growing in the rear-view mirror,

not because it was unique to our old truck, quite the contrary,

we've found that when you live in a rain-forest, this is all too common!

Right before we sealed the deal on the sale, the "Gray Ghost" had a flat tire!!!

I couldn't believe it! Sweet Cliff changed the tire right there in the elementary school

parking lot and this was the last image I had in my mind as I walked Christy back home,

leaving Cliff to take care of the details. He always does. Good man.

Notice the fine work my husband did wiring up the gas tank nozzle!

So, here is our new (2002) Toyota Tundra pick up truck!

Whew! It's pretty slick, don't ya think?! We've had it for a few months now and I've done my part breaking it in. I backed up into a really big rock one morning while I was out at garage sales and put a nice little dent in the bumper. Christy hasn't quite found her niche inside yet and bumps around quite a bit unless we hold her. It hasn't earned a name yet, so for now, I think I'll call it, New Faithful. So far, so good. Cliff drives it a couple times a week, he still prefers to ride his bike or walk to work, but I know that he feels better anyway,

knowing that I'm warm, safe and comfortable inside.

The best feature?

Definitely the intermittent wipers!

I had no idea what I was missing and can't believe I lived in a

rainforest for 5 years without them! They come highly recommended!

Question of the week: what are you driving these days and what is your favorite feature?

8 Color Afghan

2010-03-01T06:00:00.003-09:00

All of my crafting energy lately has been funneled into crochet projects. Crochet is fun and portable and once you get in a rhythm with a pattern, it doesn't require much attention. This was an especially sweet project to work on with my mom. She came up to visit last May and we bought all the yarn on a whim when we saw the afghan pictured on display at Jo-Ann's. She had to teach me how to read the pattern at first. We later worked on it for hours as we made a road trip together in July from Indiana to Kansas. I finished the afghan at home and finally surprised her with the afghan as her Christmas present.

I really like the colors we chose for the afghan. I keep thinking that they are so "seventies" but then I remember that they are also on trend with current colors. I remember giggling to myself while I was working with the olive, pea green, burnt orange and turquoise and thinking, "I'd better hurry up and get this afghan completed before the colors go out of style again!"

I hope the lap quilt keeps Mom warm for years to come!

Click here for the 8 Color Afghan Crochet Pattern.

Happy Birthday, Cliff!

2010-02-25T07:19:00.003-09:00

Today is the day! Cliff is at an early morning meeting so I thought I'd take this chance to blog about him! We had our fancy birthday dinner last night at the Channel Club. At Cliff's request, I made peanut butter pie with an oreo crust. I just pulled some egg, sausage and cheese biscuits out of the oven for breakfast. He wanted this new bike seat and the Bushnell binoculars are from the J.Crew! As you can see, the cards are coming in also! I praise God for you, Cliff!

Valentine's Day Cupcakes

2010-02-22T06:00:00.000-09:00

My nieces and I made cupcakes for Valentines Day this year and shared them at church! Yummy and fun to do together!

Superbowl XLIV (44)

2010-02-16T18:51:00.000-09:00

Pickle Delights by Cliff

Pizza On A Stick by Betty

Cliff and I had fun making appetizers to take to our friends' superbowl party this year. I made Pizza On a Stick and Cliff made his popular Pickle Delights! Our friends are always generous to host the party and we look forward to going every year. Cliff created the Pickle Delight as a child and over the years has successfully transformed this man-treat into tasty perfection. Click Here for Pizza-On-A-Stick Tutorial. The Pickle Delight Recipe is not for sale at this time.

The hosts with the most!

Charting everybody's picks.

Cliff and Betty

Happy Birthday to David, Happy Birthday to "Me!"

A Full House!

2010 Valentine's Day Mantle Decor

2010-02-11T16:50:00.004-09:00

A collection of special things adorn our mantle this month. The highlight this year includes several vintage Valentines that were passed down to me by my Grandma. The metal white bird on its own stand is very heavy - made of cast iron and was a gift from Cliff's Mom for Christmas a couple years ago. The willow tree angel is a gift from my friend Karin. Jennifer & I found the little carved white bird, the red candle sticks, the silver "Be Mine" heart and the lovely red plate at recent garage sales and the cherub that sits over the mantle's edge was a gift from Priscilla. Click on the image to zoom in.

Brayden's Baby Shower Cake

2010-02-08T06:00:00.000-09:00

I recently volunteered to make a baby shower cake for precious new baby Brayden's baby shower. This was my first cake endeavor and it was fun to do. My friend, Yvonne, master cake decorator extraordinaire, walked me through every step of this easy to make cake. In an effort to remember how to do this next time, I documented the event in pictures!

First I found a font that I liked on my computer's word processing software and enlarged the letter "B" to the size of a piece of paper.

Then I flipped the B to a mirror image

and printed it!

I put the paper on the counter and taped a piece of wax paper over it.

I melted Chocolate flavored almond bark in a double boiler,

and admired the 16" cake that had come out of the oven!

Using the classic make-shift pastry bag of a ziplock bag with a corner cut off,

I piped chocolate onto the wax paper following the lines from the computer print out. I actually made 2 of these so that I could choose the best one when it was time to decorate the cake. After piping the B's with chocolate I put them on a cookie sheet and into the fridge to chill & harden.

Then I got to work making the frosting and coloring it baby blue.

Yvonne instructed me to use slips of parchment paper under the cake while frosting to keep the platter clean. I pulled them out when I was done frosting - what a great tip!

I frosted the cake,

Inverted the hardened chocolate B on top,

and wrapped a brown polka-dotted ribbon around the edge . . .

Voila!

Now it's your turn! Tell me about a cake you have decorated!

Happy Birthday, Jackie!

2010-02-01T21:24:00.004-09:00

Today is Jackie's birthday! Everyone that knows Jackie loves her and I praise God for blessing my life with her friendship. I enjoyed making this special tag to adorn her gift bag. You can't tell it from the picture, but the letters are embossed in white and have a fabulous texture. I recently discovered that I can easily adhere buttons to my tags with double stick tape, so I no longer need to wait for my school glue to dry! I used Mary Engelbreit tissue paper just for Jackie and tied a big red bow from a spool of ribbon Cliff once gave me as a gift when he went on a trip to Juneau. Inside? A 3 piece set of Boss Lady brand cowgirl cream, bath gel and body wash scented lightly of honeysuckle.

This verse from the Bible is a blessing for Jackie on her special day:

"All you who fear God, how blessed you are!

How happily you walk on his smooth straight road!

You worked hard and deserve all you've got coming.

Enjoy the blessing! Revel in the goodness!"

~ Psalm128:1,2

The Message

Cookie Exchange!

2009-12-21T14:06:00.009-09:00

We had a cookie exchange on Saturday that was so fun! Four of us got together, enjoyed visiting over hot cider and harvest fruit compote and then we made laps around the table exchanging the cookies that we had contributed. Each person left with a lovely assortment!

The next day, I pulled out and washed the silver platters that I got at Yvonne & Karen's garage sale last fall and had stored away in the shed until now. I had fun fussing over the platters and filling them up with the delicious cookies that we had all exchanged. I added in an extra batch of peanut butter cookies with red M&M's to fill in on the larger plates and I made sure to save the biggest platter (on the pedestal in the picture below) for Cliff & I to eat at home.

Last night, Cliff and I went around town delivering the trays to our neighbors and friends and wishing them each a Merry Christmas. It was sweet and fun and I think I'll do it again someday!
This was sort of a last minute venture, so I sent my invitations out via email - it was fun and easy! Click on the image below to see my invitation.

As this was the first cookie exchange that I have been a part of, I got most of my information about cookie exchanges from this Cookie Exchange website. The website was quite exhaustive and a bit exhausting as well. :) As you can see, my cookie exchange was simple and small, which is what made it so sweet and fun.

What sorts of goodies are you making this Christmas?

Huckleberry Scones

2009-11-16T06:00:00.001-09:00

Huckleberry season was great this year! We picked our berries in Totem Park and had fun doing it.

I used Adrian's scone recipe and added in a cup or so of our ripe red huckleberries. Adrian made his "scons" for us when he and Kelly came to visit this summer and they were oh so good!
We had enough scones to enjoy, share and freeze. We are saving some in the freezer for Matt & Holly's visit at Thanksgiving.
"O taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed are those that trust in him." ~ Psalm 34:8

2009-11-09T06:00:00.000-09:00

My friend, Candice, recently had a birthday and I gave her this gift! I had so much fun wrapping it that I decided to take a picture of it! Kelly will notice the re-used dress pattern that we found at a garage sale - it was her idea to use it as tissue paper in a gift bag. Kelly has so many creative ideas! Making gift tags is one of my favorite little things to do. My friend Monica and I first learned how to dye tags with coffee and tea about 8 years ago. I now use RIT dye in various colors as well. The Happy Birthday stamp was custom designed through a vendor on etsy and the "found art" birds nest drawing is mounted on a page from a vintage dictionary that I picked up at the White Elephant and painted with water colored stripes. All of these little steps are things I do over time. I only dye tags every couple years, I have only painted dictionary pages 3 or 4 times and so on. I enjoy the process as much as the product, which makes this little hobby perfect just for me.

Inside? Smartwool socks. A gift I only give to people I love.

Just for you, Cliff.

2009-11-02T06:00:00.002-09:00

I made a pan of brownies last week JUST for Cliff. When he got home, he asked what the brownies were for and I told him, "They are for you." "Oh really?" he asked suspiciously. "Which part is for me?" "Any part you want, sweetie." I heard him snickering in the kitchen and later went in to find this:

That fella always finds a way to put a smile on my face ~ I laughed out loud when I saw these brownies!

Betty's Homemade Granola Recipe

2009-10-26T06:00:00.001-08:00

Granola is a staple in our home. I eat it with Nancy's plain honey yogurt, Cliff goes for it with Yoplait's Harvest Peach. Last year I made it and gave it away in cute windowed coffee bags for Christmas gifts. There is no wrong way to make this granola - try it and let me know what you think!

1) Combine Dry Ingredients in a large bowl:

4 c. old fashioned oats

2 T cinnamon

1 c. all bran

2 c. corn flakes

(opt) 1 T each: sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, wheat bran, brown sugar

2) Warm wet ingredients on stove top:

1/3 c. oil

1/2 c. honey

3) Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients.

4) Bake at 300 degrees for 60 minutes in a 9x13 Air Bake pan.

5) Stir every 20 minutes

6) cool - it doesn't get crunchy until it cools.

After the granola has cooled completely, pour it back into your big bowl and add your choice of granola ingredients.
My typical add-ins are unsweetened flaked coconut, craisins, raisins, slivered almonds and dried strawberries.
Add some fresh fruit and yogurt and enjoy a yummy breakfast or a great anytime snack!

Twins!

2009-10-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

Our friends, Dale & Marcella, were blessed with twins this year! Are they precious OR WHAT!? I had the opportunity to go for a visit shortly after they were born and it was so wonderful to be with their dear family. The girls are named Millie Ann & Elatia Grace. Lovely names, aren't they? Tomorrow is their 6 month birthday. Happy Birthday you two, sweeties!

Ice Your Cell Phone

2009-10-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

I read the following article in O Magazine and thought it was a great idea to share...

If an accident leaves you unconscious or unresponsive, paramedics and emergency room doctors will first look through your wallet for your emergency contact number and medical history. "But only two out of ten people carry a medical card," says Matthew Levy, national director of the International Association of EMTs and Paramedics. The next place a medic might look? Your cell phone's address book: for ICE - which stands for In Case of Emergency.

First used in the UK, ICE has been catching on across the pond, as well. "It's simple, and it costs nothing." says Levy. Just put contact information for the person you want making medical decisions under ICE in your cell phone. If your phone allows it, include a text memo about any special conditions or allergies. iPhone owners can download an ICE program that stores contacts, special concerns, and the names of any drugs they may be taking.

Love on the Rocks

2009-10-05T06:00:00.005-08:00

I was Plan B. My friend, Connie, had intended for someone else to turn these lovely Sitka beach rocks into miniature works of art to grace her daughter's wedding reception tables. As it turned out, their original plan fell through and I was happy to step in and help my friend with her well scrubbed beach rocks. My nieces and I spent the afternoon together writing one word sentiments on these rocks and I couldn't believe how well they turned out! Connie sure had a vision for this project! I like them all. I was especially pleased with the lettering on "Family" but the ones that I couldn't help giggling about were the rocks that said, "Love" and "Marriage." I couldn't help it! I could just picture our favorite GAP advertisement featuring Will Ferrell as Neil Diamond. The funniest line from the ad is, "My first love, Love on the Rocks." Enjoy the pictures . . . and . . . the Will Ferrell GAP ad below.

Surprise Chairs!

2009-09-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

I recently went to Anchorage for a one day conference for work. When I returned, Cliff had these two lovely lawn chairs waiting in the yard! It was super fun for me to find them because we had been looking at them in the lawn & garden section of True Value for a couple of months. It was fun to see which colors he chose, I like the orange & the lemon.

The Anchorage trip that I made (2 days, 1 night) was right about 2000 miles. Tell me about a fast and furious trip that you have made.

I'm a Little Teapot, Orange & Bright...

2009-09-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

Cliff's parents gave me this new orange LeCruset teapot for my birthday and I love it! It fits in perfectly with our new orange kitchen! Cliff's favorite feature is that the new teapot whistles. We drink tea almost every evening. My favorite is Good Earth Tea and Cliff's is Double Bergamot Earl Grey. What is your favorite tea?

Shout in the bathroom!

2009-09-14T12:37:00.000-08:00

I've recently discovered that storing a small bottle of stain remover where we usually change clothes, makes a lot of sense! Why didn't I think of this sooner? I'm usually in such a rush when I'm actually doing the laundry (before work or over my lunch break) that I don't take the time to treat stains then, but if I do it one piece at a time when I'm changing clothes, its a piece of cake! What cleaning or laundry tips do you have? Does anyone have a tried and true recipe for homemade stain remover?

Larkspur Cafe

2009-09-07T16:16:00.001-08:00

While Kelly & Adrian were in town we went to a super cute cafe in Sitka called The Larkspur. They serve fresh local seafood, homemade soup & bread, paninis, baked goods, espresso & coffee. Adrian took this picture of his Mediterranean Board. They are open for lunch and dinner & are closed on Monday's & Tuesdays. If you are in the area, check it out and enjoy the porch on a sunny day!

Move Over Leaner, Now There's Bacon!

2009-08-31T12:11:00.001-08:00

We recently took the plunge and upgraded our camera! I'm having a blast using my new full frame Canon 5D with my 24-105 f/4 Canon L-series lens too! We launched a photo business last November and since then, have made enough money to swing the upgrade.

Old Faithful, the Canon Rebel Xti.
The new kid on the block, she's large and in charge!

Ted & Diane's Golden Anniversary

2009-08-24T10:10:00.004-08:00

Three cheers to my Aunt Diane & Uncle Ted who celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary this past summer. Their annivesary party was a grand time and a fitting celebration for two lovely people that have been such a big part of my life. Ted is my Dad's brother and I always enjoy seeing the two of them together. While they certainly have their own ways of going about pretty much everything they do, I don't think anyone would question that they are, without a doubt, brothers. They are faithful to each other, their children, their wives and the Lord. Thank you, God for "The Ted's" and for the heritage of faithful marriage that Cliff and I both come from. (Click the image to see an larger version.)

Adrian & Kelly Visit Southeast Alaska!

2009-08-17T08:45:00.000-08:00

Our friends, Adrian & Kelly, came to visit us this summer from steamy Dallas, Texas. We enjoyed getting to know each of them better. Their ten day trip whizzed by and we look forward to spending time with them again sometime. Hopefully sooner than later! Click the collage to zoom in!

1. On the last night of Adrian & Kelly's visit we hiked around on top of Harbor Mountain where we also had a church service with communion, prayers and singing. We sang five songs, but I only remember these three: This is My Father's World, The Lord's My Shepherd & Prince of Peace.

2. Kelly at Ludvig's Bistro on my birthday

3. Adrian the shutterbug

4. Kelly on Harbor Mountain

5. Adrian & Kelly on a Bike and Hike excursion. We biked down Sawmill Creek Road, hiked the Thimbleberry Lake Trail & rested/snacked at Heart Lake which is pictured below.

Thanks for coming to visit, Adrian & Kelly!

Kayak Trip!

2009-08-11T08:45:00.001-08:00

This past spring Cliff & I joined Jack, Andy, John & Dave W. for a great kayak trip! Bart & Ginny loaned us their kayak and it was a sweet ride! Jere & Jayson shared their cabin with us and we all appreciated the good night's sleep we got while we were there. It was Andy's first trip to Sitka so we enjoyed sharing our hometown with my brother while he was here. Click on the collage to enlarge.

The Three Bears

2009-08-07T09:36:00.014-08:00

Cliff and I went to bed early last night. Cliff wanted to take me out for breakfast and an early morning drive before he went to work. He set the alarm for 5 a.m. and I knew he was serious when I heard the shower running at 5:15. We got our breakfast "to go" and headed out toward the Starrigavan Recreation Area, one of our favorite spots in Sitka. It was a great breakfast and the scenery was gorgeous. My second favorite part of the morning was getting to see and take some photographs of these three amazing bears. Mama Bear and her two yearlings! Wow! God is good! Seeing them run around and hunt for fish in the wild was spectacular! Click on the collages below to enlarge them.

The three bears! Mama Bear struck a pose for us once. I think she smelled us - yikes!

One of the baby bears tried her hand at fishing. It was so fun to watch! Cliff and I were sure giggling when we saw her go hard after fish and whiff several times in a row. She would dive in hard core and come up looking confused with nothing to show for her efforts. She finally caught the fish shown above and cliff and I both instinctively cheered (very quietly). It was awesome!

In this set of pictures, Mama Bear is showing the yearlings how it is done. Sheesh! This is one lady that knows how to put dinner on the table in a hurry. She saw the fish (or smelled it?), charged after it, grabbed that thing on her first strike and brought it back to the shore to share with her yearlings.

In the end, my favorite part of the morning was spending it with Cliff. My dear one.

Cute Girl

2009-08-04T10:17:00.004-08:00

I found this sweet picture of Betty today. Is she cute or what!

Before & After Kitchen

2009-08-03T13:12:00.001-08:00

We are enjoying our newly painted kitchen! Don't you love it!? Double click on the image to enlarge it so that you can read my journaling.

Dave's visit!

2009-08-03T12:39:00.002-08:00

Cliff's good buddy from high school came for a visit recently! We really enjoyed our time spent with him. Cliff & Dave ran together in a 7 mile mountain race together and have the battle wounds to prove it! It was fun for me to get to know Dave better and I could tell that he and Cliff picked up without missing a beat. Thanks for coming to visit, Dave!

Sitka Photography Tours

2009-06-23T13:52:00.003-08:00

One of the fun things that I get to do during my Sitka Summers is to take visitors to Sitka on Photography Tours! Its a great gig - I love meeting new people and sharing our lovely home with them for the short time that I am with them. This morning's tour group is shown in the picture above. There were ten visitors in our group today. My goal for these groups is to position them in picturesque locations, give them a few tips and turn them loose to compose shots using their own artistic ideas. This picture was taken in the Tongass National Rainforest (the largest temperate rainforest in the world!) at the Starrigavan Recreation Area at the north end of town. Come to Sitka, join my tour!

The Fairest of Ten Thousand to My Soul

2009-06-17T11:27:00.003-08:00

I cut these little flowers to bring into the house this morning

and I've been singing "The Lily of the Valley," all day.

Here are the lyrics, perhaps you'll join me in my song...

I have found a friend in Jesus, He’s everything to me,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul;
The Lily of the Valley, in Him alone I see
All I need to cleanse and make me fully whole.
In sorrow He’s my comfort, in trouble He’s my stay;
He tells me every care on Him to roll.
- Refrain:
  He’s the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star,
  He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.
He all my grief has taken, and all my sorrows borne;
In temptation He’s my strong and mighty tow’r;
I have all for Him forsaken, and all my idols torn
From my heart and now He keeps me by His pow’r.
Though all the world forsake me, and Satan tempt me sore,
Through Jesus I shall safely reach the goal.
He will never, never leave me, nor yet forsake me here,
While I live by faith and do His blessed will;
A wall of fire about me, I’ve nothing now to fear,
From His manna He my hungry soul shall fill.
Then sweeping up to glory to see His blessed face,
Where rivers of delight shall ever roll.

Make Hay While the Sun Shines

2008-07-30T15:26:00.004-08:00

The Lord blessed my 32nd birthday with bright sunny skies and 80 degree temperatures! In Sitka terms, this is a scorcher! Thank you, God! Cliff, Christy and I worked in the yard today. I was half done cutting the grass with our old fashioned rotary grass cutter when I took this picture. Christy was trying to stay cool in the shade by the door.

This morning my sweet friend, Yvonne, treated me to a birthday breakfast and gave me a homemade bookmark, The Fiddlehead Cookbook and most importantly, her time. An Ode to Yvonne: Yvonne, her husband and their four dear daughters are moving out of state this Saturday. I am excited for their new adventure but will miss her friendship desperately, the Lord has truly blessed me with Yvonne, who is pictured below with her husband.

My precious friend, Emily, the Russian Dancer, made these beautiful earrings for me and gave them to me yesterday at the SURPRISE birthday brunch that she hosted for me!

Cliff is making steaks for dinner tonight and I can hardly wait! Yay for the big three-two!

The Russian Dancers!

2008-07-30T14:38:00.004-08:00

Today I got to see a performance by Sitka's famed Russian Dancers! The Russian Dancers perform all summer for visitors that come to our town to learn about Sitka and our Russian history. Before the USA purchased the Alaska territory, it was owned by the Russians and during the time that Alaska was a Russian territory, Sitka was it's capital. My friend, Emily, who is more adorable than any one person should be allowed to be, is one of the dancers. In the group picture Emily is on the far right. I think I was able to snap this picture when 10 of the 12 dancer's feet were off the floor! Emily is also a teacher, mountain climber, runner, jewelry maker, banjo player, berry harvester, gravel shoveler, seamstress, kayak guide and friend. Three cheers for Emily and the Russian Dancers!

A Bumper Crop of Salmonberries!

2008-07-29T17:37:00.010-08:00

And we'll have fun, fun, fun 'til the ravens take our berries away! Cliff and I have been up to our elbows in salmonberry jam over the past week or two, and have had a great time harvesting, cooking and canning. Salmonberries range in color from yellow to dark red which makes for a very pretty berry bowl. The turquoise crock pictured here is an heirloom from Cliff's Grandma Bertha and the antique Ball jars were handed down to me from my Grandma Hinds.

The Sitka Bike & Hike

2008-07-25T15:50:00.007-08:00

I wrapped up my summer of guiding for the Sitka Bike & Hike yesterday. The Sitka Bike & Hike is a division of Island Fever Diving & Adventures and is a family owned business. Check out their website at www.islandfeverdiving.com This has been a really fun summer job for me over the past three years. We cater to the cruise ship visitors that come to our town and I lead three different types of tours, depending on the number of people that sign up for each. The trips I am involved with are 1) The Sitka Bike & Hike 2) Tongass Rainforest Hike and 3) Sitka Photography Tours. This was my first year to lead the photography tours and I really enjoyed it. I met some neat folks and learned a lot. My primary interest in photography lies in portraiture, but after leading these tours I am gaining an appreciation for wildlife, landscape and floral photography as well. Pictured above is a Canadian Dwarf Dogwood, which is a pretty little ground cover that grows in our area. Its neat to spend all day with people who are super stoked about visiting your hometown and people are usually in a pretty good mood when they are on vacation. For a lot of the people I meet, this is a once in a lifetime experience for them and most are eager to learn and see all that they can in their short time here. Thank you, God, for the blessing that this job has been to our family. I hope that I have been a blessing to others as well.

America's Favorite Pastime

2008-07-11T13:28:00.005-08:00

Cliff and I are having fun with baseball this summer! We both have our own ways of enjoying it. I mostly enjoy watching him enjoy it and he mostly enjoys keeping up with his favorite baseball team - The St. Louis Cardinals. Last night Cliff was talking to his friend, Marc, who lives in Baltimore, and there was much discussion about their neck and neck race for . . . last place in our fantasy baseball league! We also enjoyed watching our nephews play baseball this summer and and while we were on our roadtrip in June we had the opportunity to catch a Memphis Redbirds game - Cliff knew who a lot of the players were since the team is a part of the Cardinals minor league system.

Srik & Shae's Wedded Bliss

2008-07-07T15:42:00.013-08:00

Cliff and I had the honor of attending Srik & Shae's wedding in May. Shae was my freshman roommate at Harding University and has been precious to me ever since. It was a privilege indeed to stand up for her at their wedding. Srik, Shae and their families were truly gracious hosts. "The best cake decorator in Dallas" did her best work yet for this wedding. The cake pictured here was one of two fabulous cakes that were mainstays in the banquet hall. An ice sculpture as well as 3 buffet lines featuring Indian as well as Southern fare flanked the sides and a dance floor was front and center. It was wonderful to catch up with my girlfriends from college - and to take a moment to build our traditional Bree Pyramid. I was on the bottom row for the first time - yow! My dearest memory from the weekend was the look on Shae's face as she and Srik danced their way out of their wedding reception late that night. She looked back and gave a little wave. I felt like she was looking right at me . . .

Vermont

2008-06-30T19:22:00.004-08:00

"Let us walk in the light of the Lord." ~Isaiah 2:5

Giant City

2008-06-29T16:20:00.001-08:00

While in Illinois in June, we had the distinct pleasure of visiting Giant City State Park, in the Shawnee National Forest. Giant City State Park is known for its huge bluffs of sandstone. While in the park, we hiked the Giant City Nature Trail which is home to the "Giant City Streets" that were formed 12,000 years ago. We went with our family from the area and had a blast hiking, picnicking, playing freeze tag, and enjoying the splendor of God's creation in a new place.

Banff Mountain Film Festival

2008-02-13T08:59:00.021-09:00

Last night Betty and I attended the 2008 Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour in Sitka. We watched over 3 hours of short films dedicated to the great outdoors, wildlife, and extreme sports. My two favorite segments were the attention-grabbing film festival introduction and a comical cartoon about a sleeping badger. For your viewing pleasure, here's the action packed introduction (I'll try to find the badger cartoon for you on another day!). The intro's only 2 min. and 42 sec. long so I hope you will find that it was worth your time. You can imagine that it was even better watching on the big screen. For the longer version w/ commercials from National Geographic, Patagonia, Gore-Tex, and more, click here. Otherwise click on the play button below and enjoy! Jack & the JCrew, I think you will especially enjoy this...

If you liked this one, click on "Menu" for a few similar videos from the Banff Festival people. Also, guys, don't forget that tomorrow is St. Valentine's Day. There's still time to show her how much you care.

Buddies Forever

2008-02-12T10:36:00.003-09:00

A few days after we lost one of our eagles, I noticed this handsome guy hanging around the neighborhood. I could not help but consider that this stoic raptor was the hunting buddy of his fallen comrade paying his last respects...saying goodbye to his best pal...

...but, in reality, there have been lots of hungry eagles perching around Sitka in search of food due to the more than 30" of snow dumped on us in the last 10 days. Today, rain is making quick work of the once humongous snow drifts.

Speaking of buddies, I'd like to take a second to wish a happy birthday to one of my own forever pals Dave Clayton, who yesterday turned one year older than me for the 31st time. There's nothing in the world like high school buddies.

The Eagle Has Landed (Well, Sort Of)

2008-01-31T10:36:00.006-09:00

Betty and I live about 4 blocks from my office and I walk to work every day. This week something unusual happened...A huge bald eagle picked the wrong place to perch on a power line and got zapped!!! Fell down right onto the cross walk that I use every morning on one of the main drags in Sitka. Here are some pics of the famous bird right after its fateful date with destiny.

It was crazy. We called the professionals at the nearby Alaska Raptor Center (eagle rescue foundation) right away in case they could miraculously revive the bird. In impressive fashion, they arrived to the scene immediately only to scoop the eagle into a big black trash bag as if it was a dead possum. I don't know, I guess I was expecting a gurney or something more respectful for our famed national bird. I guess that's how they do things here in Alaska - and, who knows, maybe everywhere else too. Adios.

Here We Go Team

2007-12-07T11:58:00.002-09:00

Welcome to my life. Boom. First step toward 100 million hits per day. This is it. Let the fun begin. Here's my latest web cam picture for your entertainment pleasure...

I'll bet you thought that was gonna be me up there, didn't you. Well, it's not. Sorry. I never said who's webcam photo it would be. It's one thing to upload any only picture on the world wide net web and a whole 'nother to upload pictures of YOURSELF on the web. I'm not that crazy. Not yet, at least. Just give me some time.

Hey, that's too much fun for one day. I think I need a nap. Thanks for checking out the new site everyone. Oh, and I dedicate my first blog post to my lovely wife, Betty. This would not be possible without your support and encouragement every step of the way. p.s. Betty: I don't do scooter!

UPDATE: YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED THAT I HAVE QUICKLY OVERCOME MY GREATEST FEAR AND PUBLISHED MY PICTURE ON THE WEB. CAN YOU SAY IDENTITY THEFT?