2016 - A look back

The saying “Stop and smell the roses” – with a few changes – could be used to describe this year.  For us it was “slow down and enjoy the rhododendrons.” 

Winter

We are alternate year snowbirds (leaving AK for a warmer climate) and Sept 15-April 16 was our winter to be in Oregon.  Scott likes to say the snow is easier to shovel in Waldport.

Ibis

We kicked off the new year with a trip to Napa to see Gretchen’s parents.  On our way we visited one of our favorite birding sites – the Sacramento Wildlife Refuge. 

In addition to the snow geese and ducks we expected to see, we were surprised to find flocks of ibis and white pelicans and a rare Eurasian Widgeon. 

As we were leaving some folks were excited about an eagle in the tree... for us it is routine to see eagles, but in California it is a treat.

Green winged teals

Spring

Scott celebrated the arrival of spring by getting a trolling motor for the boat.  Of course that required a test drive.













Out on the bay we saw lots of birds – including a new one for us, the surf scoter. 

surf scoter

the spit at the mouth of Alsea Bay

One of the fun things about Waldport is the gathering of seals on the sand bars just inside the bridge.  Every day at low tide, they gather by the hundreds.

After braving snowstorms on our last trip north, this year we did not start off until the end of April.  This meant we actually got to enjoy our Oregon backyard in bloom.  The rhododendrons were incredible – in some areas the plants are 20 feet high.

Summer

our gourmet conducts her pre-planting inspection

Arriving back in Alaska, we jumped right into projects to get the cabins ready for the summer season.  The biggest was a replacement floor in Moose’s Tooth cabin, and we had the sore knees and aching backs to prove it.  While that work was going on, our friendly, neighborhood "gourmet" moose wandered through the garden checking to see what we’d planted.  (We call her the gourmet, because this is the one that ate our broccoli, chard, and kale the past few years -- we're sure it's the same one because we watched her check out the cold frame to see if anything good to eat was there.) 

This year we fooled her and only planted potatoes in the cold frame. One morning we found moose prints through the potato bed.  Apparently she doesn't like potato plants.  But she did get a treat -- a friend had given us a few broccoli and cauliflower plants, which we put in a bed behind the greenhouse.  The trail of hoof prints went from the potatoes straight to them.... she nibbled all right down to the ground. 

Business was brisk at The Laughing Moose all summer.  We ended up with lots of fish because three fishermen from Washington could only carry back two 50-lb fish boxes.  They left us 15 lbs of sockeye and 20 lbs of coho!

As summer wound down, Scott’s niece Tammie and her husband Brian came for a visit.  We took a couple of days off and explored, renting public-use cabins at Byers Lake in Denali State Park and Chena River Rec Area.  After soaking in the Chena Hot Springs and watching the northern lights over our campsite, we took them to Fairbanks where the sand hill cranes were gathering before heading south.

Fall

Our September trip – house sitting in Maui – was nearly put in jeopardy when, two days before departure, Gretchen fell in the garage and broke her pelvis.   The orthopedist gave his OK, so, with wheelchair assistance at the airports, we made the trip. 

Vitamin D therapy (sitting in the sun reading and hydrotherapy (slow exercises in the pool), and  did the trick. 

Haleakala crater

Friends from AK visited, too, and we had fun showing them the island.  We took them to the top of Haleakala, to Lahaina and to Makena Beach.  (It is amazing how far one can go with a walker... although a long nap was required to recover from each trip.)

"Frick" (one of two mynahs

who entertained us

The highlight of their visit was a special lunch at Mama's Fish House in Paia. 

We came back to AK via the beach house in Oregon… to one of the rainiest Octobers on record.  When the weather cleared we finally got to do some crabbing using our boat – our first effort yielded five crabs in only a half hour of having the pots in the water.  Not bad for us amateurs.  We got nearly 2.5 pounds of crabmeat -- at the current market price of $39.95 a pound, we more than covered our costs of licenses, fuel, etc.

While we were gone, our dogs were being cared for by a team of dog sitters.  We found out that they were becoming local celebrities... we kept seeing pictures of them posted on Facebook. 

They went to the office with April...

Moore Hardware's new security team!

watched TV...

and became the unofficial cheerleaders for Kaitlyn's volleyball team.

With cold weather (-15^o) and snow on the ground, it is beginning to feel like Christmas.  Scott’s favorite day of the year (December 21^st ) is coming.  He looks forward to the solstice—it's when we start gaining daylight.  We'll celebrate it with a bonfire and outdoor potluck at our friends' house. 

The bonfire is a vertical burn -- also known as a Norwegian candle.  You cut the logs lengthwise (but not all the way through), then coat them in kerosene, stand them upright, and light them.  It makes a tall, long lasting fire.




We’re all busy getting ready for the holidays.   

As we look back at the year, we are thankful for many things.  We have our aches and pains, but we manage to muddle through.  We are grateful for close friends and family who love us and support us.  

We wish you all health and happiness in the new year.

Merry Christmas!