Fred and Barbara as we wait for the Whittier tunnel to open for us to go through. 

Here we are at the start of our Glacier tour in Prince William sound. Beautiful trip. 

Restaraunt we went to. Awesome hamburger joint. This little gravel beach is dinning area right on Campbell Creek. We are standing on a deck that looks over the creek watching Salmon. 

Hatcher and Lexie. Hatcher is much larger than Lex. Part shepard/Huskie, part Great Dane. 

Oh yeah life goes on, Long after the thrill of livin is gone...

Well, Don passed away last night. Betty called a little after 10:00 to let us know. Yesterday was PattyAnn and Don's 23rd wedding anniversary. PattyAnn, Amy, and Johnny were all there. Karen is being a great shoulder for PattyAnn. -- Light and fluffy, light and fluffy, down amygdala, down boy! All right then... I've changed my mind about the silicone ear plugs. Besides not liking the lack of sound, water got in anyway. So, back to the right legged hop after swimming. -- Back to work. Since TT has gone it was decided to rotate the responsibility of mail, so off to sorting, stamping, highlighting, stapleing, adding, copying, sorting again. -- This weekend we stayed up at the Thicket. Frank watched and listened Sunday morning as a deer snorted and made it's way past the house.

Word(s) of the day: RUBY THROATED FINCH

Lexie log: I miss her. Weekends rock! Daddy is teaching her to say, "You Rock!". -- This week we are going to try to get over to Inidan Hills and let her practice on her trike. -- Grammy has her work cut out for her when she returns. Lexie had a total fit when we started heading down their driveway this weekend. She only calmed down after she realized they wern't there. -- She spent the better part of Saturday evening transferring millet from a bowl in the back to a bird feeder. A little project we devised for her. Earlier Saturday we hiked up to the top of the drive to cut back blackberry branches, got all the way up there only to find that I had brought up the dull clippers. Back down the hill, then clippity clip clip clip. All the leaves and branches were covered with a layer of dirt/dust from the road. The temperature was in the eighties, and by the time we were through, we were covered in dirt. Lexie had fun splashing around in the tub later. She also enjoyed watching chipmunks and squirrels.

Today I'm grateful for Frank and Lexie, Patty, Rapsberry mocha, Carrie, and fun stuff.

First day in Alaska. Fred takes us on a five minute drive to a trailhead and viewpoint in the Chugach Mountains. 

Chugach. 

Moose poop. 

Where's Waldo, the moose? Actually there are two, mama and youngster. Not a very good moose picture, but we could see them well enough. 

Campbell Creek. 

Lexie and Fred get a little ahead of Frank and I. They are almost to the bridge over Campbell Creek. 

Lexie and Fred and Chugach 

Almost the end of the walk, Almost Lexie asleep. 

End of the walk, Lexie asleep as Fred carries her back to the truck. 

Yes sleeping on the hood of the car. Why, you ask???? 

Lexie Sleeping on the hood of Fred's truck as we wait for Barbara to arrive to rescue us. Keys in ignition, door locked. 

Pretty in Pink. 

Fish face. Alaska Sea Life Center, Seward. 

Help me sing it, ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa, Ma ma se, ma ma sa, Ma ma coo sa...

One thing I really wish we'd seen more of in Alaska is Magpies and Ravens. I love both those birds. -- Lexie's Uncle Don has been in hospital for the past week now, the last couple of days in ICU. It looks pretty grim. Kindey problems, liver problems, fluid in the brain. Lexie has only met him a couple times, he's pretty much a loner. Lexie's cousins Amy and Johnny are taking it pretty hard, and our thoughts and prayers are with them. -- Right now I'm sitting in limbo land. I'm on the phone with Steve Sherman from Cerner support (have been for about 20 minutes now) and he is reviewing my report logic because I can't get two elements of data that I know exist to show up correctly on the report. One of my application screens is tied up running the report again in the foreground and I can't really do much of anything. So, I sit here and type as I listen to Mr. Sherman mumble to himself as he looks over my work. -- It's supposed to get up to 90 degrees today. Whew, I hope it's cooler up in the Thicket. Time for a new mantra.


Word(s) of the day: RELAX TWINKLE TOES

Lexie log: She is learning how to catch. She has an excellent overhand throw, but she has always just laughed as things fell on or in front of her. When I came home from work yesterday, Daddy and Lex showed me that she learned to catch. Of course until she gets a little more coordination, we play catch with a large, lightweight stuffed bear full of beanbag material. Oh she just loves it! -- We are thinking about some swim lessons this fall at the Aloha swim center. -- Her sentences are growing everyday. -- She watched ScoobyDoo last night and loved it. -- She is going to town with her camera. She is getting better (practice, practice, practice) at aiming at an actual subject.

Today I'm grateful for Frank and Lexie, four senses, movies, coffee, tea, trees, cool breezes on a summer day, friendly people, and Tigger.

Rocks? Well, the one on the the left is a Salmon. See the eye? There were tons and tons mulling about in this little piece of water in Seward between the campground and downtown. We spotted them on our walk into town. 

Grammy in front of Exit Glacier. 

Exit Glacier, Seward. 

Exit Glacier. In the distance, closer to the glacier is a little yellow dot, that's Frank, and Grammy is a ways to the left. 

Seward, Resurecction Bay 

Lexie and Grampa with downtown Seward in the Background. 

Lexie and another little girl (21 days younger) look on as a Sea Lion swims by at the Alaska Sealife Center in Seward. 

And as I float along this ocean, I can feel you like a notion that won't seem to let me go...

I have this disorder today where I keep thinking it's Friday. I really don't like that. At least it cooled down a bit yesterday and today. Once again, I flaked on the swim. Bad mama jama.

Word(s) of the day: AMYGDALA ROUSING

Lexie log: Lexie inherited Grammy's old Olympus digital camera after Grammy witnessed how neat it was for Lexie to be taking pictures with the disposables. So far her pictures are 97% blur or the floor (or even a blurry floor), but the other 3% are so cool. It's fun. I'll keep her Kodak prints in a little album and copy her digitals to a CD for her. She has a little difficulty with the akward size and weight of the digital, and she hasn't got the concept of aiming at a subject. These things take time.

Today I'm grateful for Frank and Lexie, Chipotle, coffee, cameras, weirdness, and relaxation.

Portage Glacier visitor center.