Summertime in Alaska

Although it's not officially summer, this is it. The weather has been so beautiful of late, and it's particularly enjoyed as the writer is recovering from double knee transplant surgery. Walking up and down the halls of my condo in the sunshine is a sure cure for any aches and pains left . .. and believe me, I had plenty. Now I feel mostly recovered and glad to have it over.
The tourists abound, even tho' the numbers are down. Fishing is so good, they're raised the limits on your catch most places. The two local baseball teams, the Anchorage Bucs and Glacier Pilots, are at it again, with the 4 other teams of the Alaska Baseball League, and the visiting players are strong.
This is a great time to visit the great state, so come on down!

Anchorage Hosts Bearded Men

Anchorage is hosting the international beard contest tomorrow, and all around town today there are these bearded guys from the whole world struttin' around. I went to the Chamber of Commerce Business Exchange, and they gave us all $20 tickets, so I guess I'll go, altho' the Pioneers are really working all weekend, getting the Downtown Cemetery ready for Monday's ceremony.
Of course, there will be the usual trail out of town, but there is plenty to do here. The American Legion is having their anual bar-be-cue, and there is a half-marathon run coming up, too.

Addendum: These characters have been parading around town, and it's such fun to watch them in their 'costumes', which adds interest to the beards and moustaches. I liked Robert E. Lee best, as I get nostalgic to my Texas days. I'll try to find a shot of him, to post here. Guess I could even get out my Nikkon Cool Pix and snap a shot myself . . .

The weather has been so beautiful the past weeks, that I'm reminded why I live here. Plan your next holiday in the great state, and you'll see what I mean. .. . .

Beautiful Alaska

The tourists are arriving, and they are lucky to share the beautiful weather we've been having . .. while the Florida folk are seeking cooler spaces, we Alaskans are enjoying beautiful sunny, windless days, and it's perfect for outdoor exercise, and everything else. The downtown market opened last week, and it was pretty crowded, as it will be thru September.

The potholes caused by the fierce winter weather are being repaired 24-7, and the down side is that so many streets are closed for repairs, too. That's pretty minor compared to views such as the image above, which was taken by a local fellow, which you can see exactly from downtown. Mt. Susitna is nicknamed "Sleeping Lady" and a well known view west of Anchorage. Hard to improve on sitting in a downtown restaurant at dusk, viewing such sights.

We have so many events this week that I can only mention a few. The Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau is hosting a "Business Exchange" at the Wild Berry Farm, which is always a highlight of the season. Complimentary food, drink, entertainment, promotions. To describe this place, it's a short drive (or complimentary bus ride) from downtown, and the campus includes the Sourdough Mining Company (great ribs), Gen'l Store (great British licorice), outdoor patio, theatre, reindeer viewing, etc.
Another big one is the Open House at the Alaska Backpackers Inn, which is the only Alaska member of Hostelling International. This place is only blocks from downtown on Eagle Street. (The North-South streets are alphabetical, so it's 5 blocks from town - E is the 5th ltr. of the alphabet . .. . get it?)

Okay, I'll admit I'm cutting this short as my flowers are calling me for some attention . .. I'll be attaching some our the great flowers bloomin' around here soon. So check back!

The Sun Shines on Alaska

Just when you think you can't take any more winter, spring arrives. Seems like overnight, we're planting our flowers, going outside without coats . ... well, you know, it happens every spring. One of the first signs of spring is the culmination of the raffle for the Nenana Ice Classic. It's a silly old tradition that you guess the time of the right day that the stake in the ice at Nenana will fall over. The pot is around $300,000, and I was counting on it to go out this week, as I bought several tickets for myself and friends, but it fooled me, and fell on Friday night.

So, the next sign is the arrival of birds in my bird feeder. Maybe they've been hibernating with the bears.

Next, comes clean-up. City-wide, groups, clubs, and singles have been filling large orange plastic bags with trash. Our church had the big clean-up on Saturday, and 'they' did a great job. I mean, without me. Guilt was written all over my face when I went to services on Sunday, but I had a good excuse, which we won't go into.

Alaska puts little feelers out around the world, and this week, we witnessed an Alaska son become an overnight hero at the Kentucky Derby. Local business man (and therein lies a long story), Bill Allen, has a son in New Mexico, who drove his horse to the races, and was a 50 to 1 bet. It wasn't long until everyone knew Mine That Bird and his rags to riches story. Hurray for him. Let's have another Mint Julep on that one.

Speaking of Mint Juleps, do you realize that Cinque de Mayo is on the cusp, and there are enough celebrations going on without this, but let's just add this to our list. The Petroleum Club is recognizing this independence day, and the Pioneers of Alaska have an unusual party, as the men are supplying the food and drink after the regular business meeting. So that's where we're at, right now, with a long, social list set for May.

However, there is a down side to all of this. One is the announcement of the discontinuance of Norwegian Cruise Lines coming this year, and the cutting back, sizeably, of Carnival, Holland-America, Celebrity, etc. cruises. . . this could be the downturn of the economy, but more likely our State Legislature imposing a $50/head tax on all cruisers. This is going to hurt the businesses in Southeastern especially.
One last word . .. following up my travel insurance pitch, I want to report that my friend was reimbursed for the expense of hotel and other for the delayed flight last month en route from Anchorage to Portland. It's worth the extra buck to be covered when you travel because more things are happening than in the simple days of the past.

Swine Flu Has Not Reached Alaska!

I hear from some of my faithful followers that they're tired of reading about our volcano, Mt. Redoubt. I don't blame them. Now the big scare is this swine flu starting from Mexico City, but it's not here. Don't forget to get travel insurance, especially if you leave country! We have only beautiful springtime days and it's so great to go outdoors coatless. I'd post some pictures of flowers, but it's a little early, so you'll have to visualize some of Georgia O'Keefe's great art. We have our fair share of artists here, too, and one of the best (watercolor and sumi-e) is my magic partner. The Anchorage Museum of History and Art is being renovated, and a multi-million dollar extension promises to make it a visitor's destination when it reopens late May. Until then, the first Friday Art Walk continues to draw art lovers, and wine sippers, too.

The bike trails continue to grow, and as the bears come out of their hibernation, we read daily about encounters with bikers and runners. Another of our year-round attractions is Kinkaid Park, which is a huge 40 (?) acres park with cross-country ski trails, a popular chalet, etc. It's just south of the Anchorage International Airport as the crow flies, but a longer drive to reach it. The bike trail goes from Kinkaid Park all the way to downtown, and it skirts the inlet, Earthquake Park, Turnagain Subdivision, and Westchester Lagoon. Pull out your GPS or Mapquest, and you can enjoy viewing from above.
As April fades away, I'm trying to post my Midi version of "I'll Remember April" but I have to figure out how to get my piano hooked up again. Lots of visualizing needed on this blog, eh? Well, after you picture the flowers, picture the music. Til then . .. cheers.

Springtime in Alaska

Moose are all over the place this time of year. They come into Anchorage to feast off of the trees, growth, and anything else happens to be within reach. However, you can enjoy seeing them from a distance, but not so great when they come out on your route home. I just avoided a cow moose with her newborn recently driving home in the evening. Now, I only live 2 miles from downtown, and you would not expect to see them on a main road . . . but I would. I've had friends who have hit a moose with their cars, and it's totalled in most cases.



Aren't you glad I'm not talking about the volcano anymore. I've had enough of it, too, but I am thankful in a way that it had helped promote my travel insurance business. I won't go into the horror stories any more, but you know there are many more reasons to take out insurance for your forthcoming trips. See why!

Anchorage is bustling with trade shows, promotions at the new Dena'ina Center and the Performing Arts Center with it's three theatres filled most evenings. Right now, Spamalot is playing with John Hurley in person, and a good review in the local skinny newspaper helped promote this already popular attraction. On a personal note, the Godmothers of Magic are performing a magic show, today, in fact!

Add to this the attendance at funerals and wakes keeps the locals pretty busy. We did lose a giant in the news writing line this week, and Bill Tobin's popularity with all will be sorely missed. He was also a 'closet magician' . . . my term for those who dabble in illusions.

Breakup is not the prettiest time of year in Alaska, but soon we'll have beautiful gardens again. I promise to post some of the best ones. So check back.

Springtime in Alaska

Looking over my recent blogs, I realize I never shared this image above . . . quite out of date, but it's so beautiful I had to share it with the reader. It was sculpted in Fairbanks, not Anchorage, but I have to give them credit for their challenges.

If you saw my last blog were posted, you would know that I recently returned from a trip to Oregon and California. It's springtime down there in reality, and here in Alaska, it's just on the calendar. The hardest time of the year here, as the snow is all dirty, and the eruption of Mt. Redoubt hasn't helped a bit. It's like dirt and soot all over your car, lawn, flowers (joke) . . well, I'm exaggerating, because it's still winter, and breakup is a messy time. However, we have plenty of indoor sports in Anchorage, and a fairly new addition to the city is "The Dome" which is a bubble the size of two plus football fields. It's been a boon for the school's sports programs, as they can start practicing track and field early.

So I'll sign off here check my other blog . . . I know Google would not like for me to tell you that wordpress dot com has my other blog and they have a few advantages . . . my name there is alaskab4udie. My next blog I'm going to write up some stories about the travel insurance I'm selling now and how it hasn't covered volcanos. It was a lesson in futility, but it's still wise to take it out. You never know. I ran into a girlfriend, Pam, who was returning to Anchorage from N.J. and was stranded in Seattle four nights, waiting for flights to resume. She couldn't even get her checked bag, so had to buy the usual necessary things, all at her own expense. Don't you know she would have benefited from having insurance. Why not buy, just in case.