Adventure

Much of life seems an adventure.  That is what this is dedicated to and this whole year what I will be striving for.

While talking to a young lady at work the other day, I mentioned that I had spent 6 months in Mexico City, and she said “Wow you are adventurous.”

I guess I never look at it that way.  I do consider myself very curious and wanting to experience many things.  I don’t think I am an X factor sport participant, but I enjoy watching some that others do. I try to keep myself out of harms way and on the safe side.

I believe that when I stop learning and stop trying it’s game over.  I really do want to be that crazy lady  always seeking and searching for what beauty and fun and adventure life has to offer.

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Spring In Alaska

Spring truly has arrived in Alaska.  In some parts of the country spring seems to last for only a week or two, here it develops over a longer period of time.  Which is delightful!  We have the usual spring flowers.

We also have trees filled with flowers.  For people like me who came here from another part of the country that already experienced spring, I get to have allergies all over again.  The kites flying in the park is another sign of spring, and they are glorious.

The other aspect of spring is climbing Mount McKinley in Denali National Park. I had something to do at he airport recently and met my first official mountain climber.  This nice young man is currently living in Iceland and has been climbing for years.  He was arriving for a 3 week stay so he could climb the mountain.

The following week the newspapers announced the first team of the season had made the summit for this year.  There is a lot of preparation involved in this type of climb as well as expense and an element of danger. While it has never been on my bucket list of extreme activities, I can certainly appreciate what goes into this.  I am just grateful if I can see the mountain, I have not on this trip yet, I have however, on past trips to Alaska and will view it with new eyes thanks to this mountain climber.

I can only imagine the joy felt when you accomplish a physical and mental goal like this.

Anchorage Market

This is an open air market in downtown Anchorage, at 3rd and E streets.  It happens in the summer in a parking lot  on Saturdays.

This is the entrance as I walked up to it yesterday. Pretty fitting to see that row of flags just before Memorial Day.  I’m not sure if they do this all the time or just for the holiday weekend.  In any case, what a fun market.  About 6 rows of tents and a combination of a really nice craft show and your favorite county fair.

Always the backdrop of mountains, it never gets old.  Not super crowded at the time I was there which was about  1 1/2 hours before they close. I did not photograph the individual artist’s work because there was so much of it.  Tons and tons of original photography, jewelry, t-shirt designs, quilting, scrimshaw, wood carvings and the list could go on and on.  What a great place for an authentic,  original piece of Alaskan art as a souvenir.

On top of that is entertainment.  Several guitar players and singers throughout the booths as well as a small stage with an eating area in front.  Yes, they have funnel cakes, but so much more. Salmon served in ways you never imagined, caribou and or reindeer in a variety of ways, even some moose cooked up for you.

I selected a Russian baked dough that was filled with beef and rice and carrots and onions and spices, sort of an oversized ravioli.  Very tasty and they have a spicy version as well.

I will certainly revisit this market.  If you are planning a trip to Alaska and will be in Anchorage, add this to your list of places to stop on a Saturday.  Truly those work of art souvenirs that you will want to keep on display forever.

Sorry for all the sidewalk in photos, I neglected to crop them, I will do better next time.

 

 

Moose Walking??

This is an actual photo I took of a man walking his moose.

This is a young moose, but still a moose, not your average household pet.

I had to take several pictures just because.

It was a beautiful day and I was taking a walk near a park to see the kites people were flying.  Because of the almost constant winds, flying kites is a very popular activity, not your Charlie Brown caught in a tree kite, but flying kites that take a great deal of strength to keep them aloft.

Love this shot with the American flag and the mountains as a backdrop.  It’s hard not to get mountains in almost every shot.  But these are some serious kites they are flying.  This was going to be a part of what I was writing about it really being spring in Alaska, but then along came a moose.

Moose 1             Kites 1/2

This last one is not the same moose, but this one seems to be waiting for the right bus.

Quilt Store Happiness

This is from last years Row X Row experience and will be added to my collection.  From right in the heart of downtown Anchorage is this charming shop with AMAZING batik fabric.

So much related to Alaska to add to your stash of fabric…I want some of each!

Fabric like I have not seen with all these Alaskan images.

This is a series of the Matryoshka  dolls on fabric.

Lots of panels with everything you can possibly think of that is Alaska.  Also patterns and die cut shapes.  This shop is participating in the Row X Row this year, so while I may not  collect enough different shop rows to participate, I will go back to find out what this one is here.

I Will Survive!

No that’s not a picture of one of my children or grandchildren, it’s how I felt when I got the correct tools to have this hook-up again.  I promise I will be better at giving you that information about Alaska now.  Wi-Fi here has been spotty at best.  I have been looked at suspiciously  as I sat in a fast food restaurant with my laptop.  I have been looking at arrows spinning in a circle so long they thought I was drunk at the coffee-house.  It has been a bit of a challenge.

Now I can better chronicle what is happening here in a more orderly fashion. I am still loving the experience, at every level, even the non-internet moments.

Just can’t resist one more thought about how happy I am. I can also now chat  via computer with the family who has the urge to see if dear old granny has totally gotten off the tracks.

 

South???

Today  the challenge for the bloggers is to post on the one word, South, which in no way applies to me or does it?  I have lived in the South twice now, I like some Southern food and music and people.  I even have Southern relatives.

At a time when some of my friends are looking to retire in the South, what do I do, I go about as far North as I can.  I am spending the summer in Anchorage, not even on the South side of Anchorage.  There has been a little blurb going around the internet with a comment that nobody retires and goes North…I guess it’s just not so many.

There is certainly much good to be said about the South, but since my drummer led me North I will ride with it.  This is a year of exploration starting with the city of Anchorage which is beautiful in so many ways.  I am taking the time to look at it not just as a tourist and find it even more beautiful.

Now to my Southern family and friends, come play with me on the South side of Anchorage.

 

 

Float Planes.

One of the joys of living in Anchorage is hearing the float planes overhead every day.  Kind of like bees buzzing to get all that pollen into the hive.  There are several locations in Anchorage where these little planes live. Some of them have delightfully decorated little house for storage of equipment (I am guessing at this) or supplies.

 

Not all have the floats on the bottom, some are just small aircraft.

Here is a sample of one of the little storage units.

These also make a great subject for a potential quilt.  All good things in my book.

 

Visit or Live Here?

This graphic wall  is in downtown Anchorage.  Many who pass by daily are not even aware of the iconic artist involved in this vista. 

When you live somewhere, you view everything in a different  way.    I have friends who are not aware of places or of  events in their area. Someone commented that a grandchild was going to a museum and I asked what she thought of that museum.  Well in the 35 years of living in the area,  they never went.  More common than we might think

The moral of this story is visit your town and neighborhood.  I can tell I am looking at Alaska in different ways now than how I did for my first 3 day visit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Proof I’m Here

This morning waiting for my bus, both an eagle and a seagull fly over at the same time. Camera not fast enough to record that moment, but trust me it is forever etched in my mind.

This place is amazing.