"My oh My, Look How the Time Flies..."

No, we're not dead.

Yes, it's been a while since the last post; I guess I must have overestimated the spare time on my hands. But here we are once again.

Here's a little review of what's been happening:

I'll start from the more recent stuff, all the way back to where we left off in July (in a brief sort of way)

Before the snow came, we went on a little boat trip around the back of the island carrying some fish totes for a friend.

We had fortune cookies for lunch and this was what Johnny's said.

...you never know...
:)

Looking back on the ol' Town

We anchored up in a bay along the way. A few of us took the skiff to the shore where there was a log jam. Some of the curious inhabitants came over to check us out.

We had crab for dinner on the second day. Yum, yum.

This is how us Alaskans hang out.

Don't worry;

we only left him up there till he promised to be good for the rest of his life

:)

On our way home we stopped by Bell Island.

It was one of the most amazing, creepy places I've ever been.

A little ghost town with an outdoor swimming pool and steam from the hot spring rising all around...

Our amazing flying skiff.

Before that trip, we took the boat up to Wrangell to get hauled.

Jo turned 17 while we were at it.

Oh, what an adorable bunch! :)

It gives a new meaning to living 'high' on the hog.
We had a blast as always.

The last part of our summer was beautiful as well;

We took a trip out to Bailey Bay Hot Springs with some family and friends;

Another amazing part of Alaska

The trail up to the spring was an adventure in itself.
There were many obstacles to had to brave.

There was a lake we had to cross.

A waterfall we had to climb.

And rivers we had to ford.

Sammy and Dober became fast friends along the way. :) (Sammy's the one on the right)

The family decided to climb Deer Mountain before the summer completely faded away.

One of the best places in the world.


There's just some things you can't completely capture in pictures or words...
Sometimes the end of the world is closer than you think.

It's always more fun to play in the snow in shorts and a tank top.


All 8 of us!

On the edge of the mountain.

Looking down on our LEGO sized home.

We had a wonderful 4th as well.

...even though it did rain quite a bit that morning...

Well, it just wouldn't be the 4th if didn't rain on the parade. :)

So, that's a sum of the last few months.

Coming up Next:

Palm Desert, and

HAWAII!!!!!

A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words

Summer at Last

Our sunsets have come back, finally, after a long winter and spring of ice blue skies.

Our skiff rides made their way back as well.

During a spell of amazing weather we decided to boat out across the channel and just spend the day having fun on the beach and the water.

Blue, blue, blue.

We pulled up onto the shore of long rocky beach, and proceeded to unpack the skiff.

Yikes - Scary.

FYI - this is the "what to do when cornered by a bear and the skiff has drifted away and everyone else in the family has longer legs than you, face"

We had a rock tossing contest to see who could land a small rock on the target rock without it bouncing off. Paul got a little aggressive. But Jo won.

After a lunch of bugs and sand mixed with a little tuna-fish, crackers and fruit, all of the girls wanted to walk along the beach while the boys skiffed along the shore.

The Easy Part...

Somebody isn't too fond of his life-jacket.

The Harder (but much more fun) Part.

Emma decided she'd had enough walking and joined the crew in the skiff while Paul took her place on the shore.

Something about this picture gives me the feeling that Someone is about to get wet -I wonder who...

And she didn't even let me count to 3.

I wonder what she's thinking right about... now.

This is the precise second where someone from the boat is supposed to scream: Shark!

And the hero returned triumphant! You're amazing Emma. :)

Meanwhile, the rest of us are scaling sheer cliffs, mere footholds away from tumbling jaggedly to a watery grave.

Oh how very brave we are!

Fortunately none of us fell into the perilous waters below - But something else did!:

Noooooo!


And while I rushed down the barnacly bank to scour the foreboding, murky reef for my pour sunglasses, Mom held my camera and laughed at me from her high and dry perch.

(and now I must stop and confess. To make the pictures of our beach story flow - was I really cheesy enough to take a picture of my sunglasses in a staged fall later when we got home? Yes, I must admit I am, for even I don't have reflexes quick enough to snap a photo of the unexpected downward flight of my unreliable shades)

But escape they did not! They had fallen an arm and shoulder length down into the water and had snagged on a piece of seaweed almost shrouding them from view.
I somehow managed to pull them out - and they are surviving still- lying on the desk beside me.

Ah- what a satisfying end to such an adventurous story!

So, until our next escapade. Enjoy this lovely summer while it lasts!