Sunny Summer

It's beautiful summers like this that keep me in Alaska. It is so beautiful outside and all the flowers are blooming around the city and on my patio! It's hard to choose which events to attend, as there's such a big choice. Last night the sun went down at 11:30 p.m. and came up shortly thereafter. We gave up at the baseball game, as it was in the 21st inning, with no winner yet, and I still don't know who finally won.

One annual event is the Solstice Walk thru the downtown cemetery. It's led by Audrey and Bruce Kelly who lead the pack from tombstone to tombstone, telling stories of the occupants below. It was more colorful when the late John Bagoy did it, as he started a project about 20 years ago to label the unmarked graves, which often times - ahem - were the mistresses buried near the provider and wife. Since the husbands usually died first, their graves were marked, but no one around to do the wive's.

Then we have a small group of storytellers, actually those of us who are good at Lying, so here's a shot of the Liar's Club.
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Anchorage spends big bucks on hanging baskets of beautiful flowers all over town. The farmer's markets abound also, as there used to be one only. Now there are many, and the Spenard Farmers Market in the parking lot of Chilkoot Charlies has grown into a major one. It's in it's fourth year now, and features only Alaska products and crafts. Musical group add a lot to it, too.

The climbers at Mt. McKinley continue to clog the mountain, and there are more deaths than usual this summer. Four climbers, out of a group of five, just fell down a cravasse, and the rescue team is trying to reach them, but have given up. The one survivor tells a grim story of their fate.

There have been several passings of Alaskans recently, and a variety of wakes have taken place, but I'm sure the reader (YOU) don't really want to hear of these. For those of us who live here, it's reunion time at many of these.

The local arts are thriving, and Cyrano's continues to put on old and new and innovative plays. I personally like to attend these, altho' some are much better than others, but you know . . . different strokes for different folkds. Well, it's play time. . . so I'll leave you to your own summer fun

Approaching Anchorage Summer

Talk about action! It's hard to keep up with what's going on indoors and out in our fair city. On a personal basis, I'm volunteering at the American Astrological Conference, which has drawn registrants from all over the world! Looking at the schedule shows that none of the events listed are in either of our three planetariums around the city, but I hope they will be visited anyhow.

One local classy jazz band is Rick Zelinsky's, so here's a shot of them I stole.

This weekend found 4,000 ladies in the Women's Breast Cancer Survival run, and it's become a well known annual event nationally. Of course, it was won by our local heroine, Kikkan Randall. She's a cross country skier of note, which translates to the track too, and the color pink abounds!
The alternative lifestyle community also took over the downtown streets with a parade and trade fair, and the annual Renaissance did not lack for a devoted crowd either.

The Botannical Gardens have a wonderful fair over the weekend, and it has become a great family event, which has a variety of talents including my magician partner.

The National President of Hostelling International also came to town to host an appreciation dinner for the good works we're done in hostelling. We had a great dinner at the Glacier Brewhouse, which is a popular downtown watering hole, besides being advertised on the many cruiseships, so it's the first destination of many cruisers.

Our weather has been cooperating, too, although it is unpredictable as showers appear for a while every now and then, but overall, the sunshine brings everyone out. There are farmer's markets on at least 10 venus that I can name, but my favorite if the Spenard Farmers Market, which is just a few blocks from my condo, but the organizer is a talented gal who bring booths of local color, and one of the clever ones is the "Mobile Mender". If you can't figure that out, it's a gal with a sewing machine that mends stuff you don't want to... great for bachelors, too.

The other event of note is the arrival of the Bore Tide, a unique tide that comes in the width of Turnagain arm, which fights the oncoming winds, so becomes around 5 feet across. . .(smaller ones happen more frequently) this event draws hundreds of cars, doubled by people to Beluga Point and other spots to watch this. It helps if you carry a bottle of wine and toast the tide as it rolls across the arm!

Well, I've finished my report and haven't even mentioned all our golf tournaments, and lakes, fishing, campers, etc. but you have to make time to engage in all these choices.

Memorial Day in Anchorage

The Pioneers of Alaska honor and remember all the loved ones lost over the past year at services in the downtown cemetery. While we have a tract here, other organizations have similar tracts. The American Legion tract is next to ours, and Post 1 has put out white crosses with poppies at all of their marked graves. It’s a very touching ceremony there and after this comes a pot luck at the Pioneer Hall and a barbecue at the Legion. This marks the start of tourist season and friends have already arrived on some Princess Cruises, which now dock in Whittier. This makes the drive to Anchorage a bit shorter than the former docking station in Seward. The mileage is less, but the trip takes a rather extended time because there is a one way tunnel from Whittier, which changes direction every half hour. This was formerly only a railroad tunnel, and they even have some fun runs thru the three miles, as running is big in the Anchorage area. Downtown in Anchorage has blossomed into a huge flower garden, and local businesses grow every year. The showcase of businesses was held by Visit Anchorage (formerly the Convention and Visitors Bureau) to familiarize locals with where to send our guests. I think the most clever booth at the Spenard Farmer’s Market is the Mobile Mender. If you haven’t figured that out, a lady sits at her sewing machine and does just that . .. great for bachelors and some of us lazy ones. Well, talk to you later. . .

by the way - I posted a salmon painted Alaska Air plane, since the flying butterfly on my other blog didn't fly on this one . . . sob . . .

Signs of a Beautiful Summer in Anchorage

Glad that you found this page, and I hope to update you with the summer activities around my place. Now that the tops are down on convertibles, my choice of a good on is this.

click here I don't know exactly what I've done here -- guess I should study this a little more. Well, I'll sign off faster than I had hoped because this is really a test to see if I can show you the neat red 'car' but it's a pdf file and I can't figure out how to post it, so I'm sending you to my webpage!

Sure enough, this is me making an exit - from the long winter (Note my heavy winter coat>

Beautiful Anchorage

Looking around Anchorage, if you just ignore a few remaining dirty mounds of snow, you’d never know it was a very long, cold winter. Bike races have started and the trails are full of families walking, and running! It’s just great and you’d best come and visit us soon! Oh, the lake pictured here is about 50 miles south of Anchorage on the beautiful drive heading south to Seward. I will let you know that it’s always cold and windy here, but it does make for a beautiful pristine image.
One thing I’m thankful for is that our roof didn’t cave in from the weight of the snow on it . .. many homes could not withstand the heavy weight of over 4 feet, and it’s also dangerous to climb up and shovel it!

I am looking for an image of our Dome to post, as that’s where most of the school sports like soccer and track take place because the ground is still pretty wet. This dome is just huge — picture two football fields, and you get an idea of its size.

Anchorage Springs Spring

We thought it would never come, but it is the beautiful season in Alaska. Trees are budding out, and sun is warm and moods are good. Just remember to not look down, because the puddles this year are bigger than usual, what with the record amount of snow.

Surely we have to accept some sadness along the way, such as some house fires, roofs falling in with the weight of the snow, and the recent find of a missing barista who disappeared two months ago.

But spring is also the season for birthing of new pups for future Iditarod Races, and also the moose calves will be appearing out of nowhere with their offspring, as well as the 'city' bears.

The new baseball season will be upon us shortly, and the Anchorage Bucs are moving their offices to the former gym on the park strip. (City-owned) That will make them lots closer to the Ball Park, and it's a new ball game without the founder/manager with us . . . he passed away over the winter.

One blunder I feel the city made was their choice of a 'statue' outside the newly expanded museum.

Note this picture, oops, it's upside down, too . . .which I scanned from a magazine, so it lacks quality, however, you can see that it is a bunch of blocks sitting on the grass (no foundation), on the far corner of the museum property. You might think it was created by a nursery school in their tinker toy class, but no . .. the half million dollar structure was designed by a Brit, who supposedly had great credentials. Oh, well, it's still a beautiful city and it's MY city. I'll try to update my posts a little more often, really!

Winter Wanes in Anchorage

It’s almost spring on my calendar, but the weather hasn’t caught up yet. As the Iditarod is probably ending today, it completes the big races of Fur Rendezvous, Iron Dog Race, Iron Dog and Yukon Quest.

The weather didn’t deter the arts, which thrive in Anchorage. The performing arts had a full schedule of concerts, symphonies, operas, and Broadway shows. The visual arts are hosted not only galleries, but most downtown restaurants, and First Fridays are very popular, where you can stroll, walk, or run between the galleries.

Outdoor sports draw younger ones even in below zero weather, and the schools have a full program that is seldom cancelled due to temps, and there is also a full schedule if indoor sports to participate in, or view at our many sports bars.

So it’s a good time to “Visit Anchorage”, which is the new name of the Convention and Visitors Bureau. I haven't even mentioned the peripheral pleasures of the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, as they've been putting on a display more beautiful than ever. You have to be patient and hope they are 'out' and it's not to cloudy to obscure your view, but what else is there to do at 3:00 a.m.?