Turning 70

I never planned on being this old, truly.  Some kids think what it must be like to be 30 or 50 or 70. I was one who just was interested in my next activity, would that be shooting marbles, playing with paper dolls or reading a book.  All were favorites of my childhood.

I am in relatively good health, and I do take a little credit for that, much of it is genetic.  But, in my 20’s seeing my parents in their 50’s and 60’s I could see some of what might happen.  I eliminated salt quite effectively from my diet so I would not have high blood pressure. It messed with my thyroid instead so I now take pills for thyroid and high blood pressure. Ha, the universe has a sense of humor.

Looking forward to this year of adventures has made me very happy.  I am still in some level of control of my life. The separation I have forced on myself by moving away from everyone and everything I knew has given me new time for reflection.  I have lost some dear people in my life in the past few years and know that some are on that brink even now. I can only keep them in my prayers and hope for the very best for them.

I sometimes think the noise of the world gets into our heads and we no longer listen to our own thoughts.  This trip has changed that for me.  I truly have time for reflection and learning.

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Today I Am 70

I was going to get sappy, but I’ll save that for later.

The best gift ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   My grandson and I went up in a 1947 model Piper, 1 propeller, 3 people, so unbelievably awesome. Pilot in the front seat, the two of us, with one seat belt, on the bench in the back.  Too much fun.

The door of the plane is open as we are taking off from Lake Hood in this float plane.

Flying over a place in the mountains where 3 glaciers come together.  Beautiful.

Door open again as we have landed in this small lake with icebergs larger than our airplane floating in the water.  The most beautiful thing I have ever seen this close and personal. We even held a piece of the ice that broke off from one.  I just do not have enough good words for this.

Hard to see but there is a mama moose and baby down there.  On this trip we saw sheep and goats all over the mountains, mama and baby moose on the trails and swans serenely floating on a small lake.

When you hear the advertising that this is the only way to truly feel Alaska, believe it.  Our pilot was amazing, skilled and very knowledgeable about all things Alaska and should have been on his honeymoon.  He was married 2 weeks before, we met his lovely bride as well, and they decided to wait until Alaska is cold and dark to go on that honeymoon.

I could not stop smiling for hours, even as sick as I was.  I will never forget this trip.

 

We flew with Trail Ridge Air Inc, and it was a well thought out trip to maximize our safety as well as our viewing possibilities.  I will do this again before I leave here.

 

 

Salmon Fishing – Anchorage

This title conjures up pictures many anglers have seen, man on one side of the bank, bear on the opposite and tons of fish in the water. Not exactly downtown Anchorage.

Ship Creek is a waterway in downtown Anchorage where the salmon come every year and many varieties of salmon.  One day when I was there the King were running and there must have been 200 fisher-persons in about a 4 block stretch. Using all variety of bait and poles and lures, sadly that day, no fish. About 3 days later, the fish were biting.

Anchorage, Alaska. Ship Creek Fishery supports Chinook Salmon and Silver Salmon runs in the heart of the city.

It is a short walk from the downtown area, about 6 blocks, mostly downhill going. There is a bait shop near the water to buy bait if you choose.

You can get a license several places in town, everything from a one day to a yearly for a very nominal fee, plus purchase a salmon tag for your license. You can purchase a pole and lures at several fishing or sporting goods or big box stores.  You can also rent a pole from a company right downtown.

Because there are so many people in such a small area, it becomes like a ballet.  One person casting over the next and not as far as the person on the opposite bank.  You become in tune with all those strangers after the same thing.

What a great way to spend a day, doing something many can only dream about.

 

Alaska Zoo Revisited

I really wanted to do a section mainly on the birds in the zoo.  I must say the placement and layout of the zoo is also delightful.  The zoo is in a highly wooded area and the paths are not concrete sidewalks like you find in the city.  The walkways are natural mulch type material and curve along the hills and have small bridges over waterways.  Very pleasant to have shade on a sunny day.

Obviously not a bird, this was in the orphaned animal section. A special area for newly injured or orphaned animals to heal and adapt before moving to exhibits in this or other zoos.  This face was too cute not to show you.

Not all are exotic birds, they had Magpie, Ravens, Golden Eagle and Bald Eagle and quite a few different types of Owls.  It was fun to see the Magpie and Ravens since those birds along with a Bald Eagle live in my neighborhood of Anchorage.  I hear them and see them as I walk around. The Bald Eagles were just a majestic as in the wild, but these had missing or damaged wings so would never survive in the wild.

The zoo also has the required gift store and food available as well as a picnic type area and a children (or adult) petting zoo section. There is a fee for entrance, but I believe small children are free.  Open long hours in the summer 9 AM to 9 PM, this coupled with the free bus should make this a stop on most visits to Anchorage.

Summer Solstice

Summer Solstice arrives this next week, but was celebrated today in Anchorage.  The longest day of the year and here they say we will have 22 hours of functional daylight.  Other places celebrate in a variety of ways, here there was a street faire in downtown.

Lots of entertainment, lots of food, lots of people.  Something for all ages, vintage car show for us older models, giant sand box for the younger versions, street skateboarding area for those in-between.  Food trucks galore, crafters paradise, huge variety in the musical entertainment. Dogs were everywhere, truly a family day in downtown.

Alaska Zoo

What a delicious little zoo.  This is a short FREE bus ride from downtown Anchorage.  One of the many nice things about this zoo, is that the animals here mostly were injured or abandoned in the wild and can no longer live in the wild.  There are not the usual monkeys and lions and elephants in this zoo, that you can see in the lower 48.  But, many are species native to this area and/or climate.

Just getting up from a nap.

Where’s my morning coffee?   Oops that would be me.

Seals and otters in a nice habitat where you can see above and below water level.

One of several musk ox.  They also have Yaks. Looks like a cousin to this guy.

The swans were a bit of a surprise to me, but this is where they belong.

Tiger , not Siberian but Amur.

Also Moose and several Bears.  I will add more about this really nice zoo next time.

 

Grandson’s

I am very lucky and have several of the world most handsome and intelligent and all round nice guy’s as grandsons.  Just saying.  So one who has a birthday in June came to visit me this week.  He is turning 20 and we need to do some fun things together.  So just like a grandma, I put him to work…WHAT. It’s not that kind of work, it’s easy things for a strapping young college student to do and a grandma to worry about.

Illustration of a Male College Student Moving into the Dorms

I am only renting my apartment for 6 months, so no painting walls , no holes in the walls etc.  He tells me his first dorm room was larger than this.  I had purchased some black out curtains for the windows, to keep the 20 hours of daylight out and tried hanging the rods with no holes in the walls.  So we use those self stick thing that remove easily.  Again, I hear, oh yeah this is what we use in the dorm.  Way to make me feel old.

 

We have now completed covering both the window and the balcony door and I do not have non-stop sun keeping me awake all night. I also have him sorting out some of the quirky things my laptop does that make me crazy.  It’s a beautiful thing.

He is arriving as I am still fighting off this cold, so not a good thing for him, no energy and I am feeling like a wimp. So I will not be participating in extreme sports this visit. Things are still wonderful in Alaska.

 

 

Cold Part 3

We have now moved on to the coughing phase of this cold.  I’m so happy.  Now everyplace I show my face they look at me as I am a leper who should be living in a fenced off area of the universe.  I am ready to go if that includes a tropical beach.

Illustration coughing granny

That elbow moves only so quick when you are standing in line at the drug store waiting to purchase another round of suggestions.  The worst and most constant suggestion is “Why haven’t you gone to a doctor?”  Are you kidding me.  People this is a cold, not the plague or  some other deadly disease.  If I had gone to the doctor each time someone in my family had a cold, I would have single handedly put 40 children through college and none of them mine. I especially love it when it is a 20 something who has no clue of the journey I have been on in my life.

Just send over a large pot full of chicken soup and a basket with tea and honey and I am sure I will survive this latest onslaught.

Hopefully the next post will find me out and about again.

 

 

 

 

 

j

Recovery…Almost

 

So having a cold when you are over 4,000 miles away from anyone who may have sympathy or bring over hot soup or even your favorite drug store person can be miserable.  This too shall pass.  It’s just a cold, put on your big girl panties and get over it.

This is truly how I felt today, but my second day back at work was better than the first one. Although, this is also how I sounded again today.

So, some of the guests weren’t sure if I was animal, vegetable or mineral today. With a total 13 year old boys croaky voice.

Still drinking the tea and juice, and taking my Zinc and Vitamin C. Next thing you know I will be participating in the People with Walkers 5 K again.

Gotta love it, and we all know that if it doesn’t kill you, it makes you stronger .  One of the joys of living long enough to be a burden upon society.

 

 

Spring Cold

Maxims typically date back many years, but “feed a cold, starve a fever” may beat them all. This saying has been traced to a 1574 dictionary by John Withals, which noted that “fasting is a great remedy of fever.” The belief is that eating food may help the body generate warmth during a “cold” and that avoiding food may help it cool down when overheated.

But recent medical science says the old saw is wrong. It should be “feed a cold, feed a fever.”

I really like the new medical belief, eat everything in sight when you don’t feel well.  That’s what I did today.  I know when I have a cold I can’t taste anything, have no taste for anything, but I do force myself to eat a little each time I think of it, throughout the day.

So after wandering around like this all day, I started to feel a little better.  Between the food , the gallons of tea and juices I drank and a couple of naps  Thank goodness I did not have to go to work today.  I would have really been in a pickle.  On top of that it is the first day I have been in Anchorage where it has rained all day.

I am so glad that in my limited capacity to bring my full wardrobe with me, I have a few things to layer.  A down vest even in the house when you feel like crud is comforting and warm.  I also grabbed one of my favorite wool caps to pulldown over my ears.

Did I say that even though this is my little apartment in Alaska, it sure doesn’t feel like home when you are not well.  No heating pad in the closet, no package of Jello-o to make when nothing tastes good, no stack of quilts to pile around me as I curl up with a book.  Still it is my temporary home so let’s hope this is the worst of it.