Well, so far every day has been one of those days. HOT, HOT, HOT and Mosquitoes, Mosquitoes, Mosquitoes. I have not had the energy to do anything except sit around inside listening to radio or watching a movie here and there. Even going for a ride seems to be a chore with the heat and Mosquitoes. I don't enjoy spraying myself down with repellent. I did resolve my Mosquito problem at the town cabin. I recovered my eaves and I built a screen door and that did the trick. I have photos but, I forgot to download them.
I was suppose to have a ride up to my remote cabin to take supplies and it was all set up and my pilot had to cancel out. He fly's for UPS and got called up for a long haul. I'm thinking my best choice now is to find a reasonable air taxi and pay the rate. Things are not working very well in that category. Seems my whole schedule is not working so well. I almost think, I would be better off waiting for Winter, haul all my supplies to the cabin, dig the snow out and build my addition. If I didn't have bad luck, I wouldn't have any at all as they say.
Funny thing is, when I went to Lowes, Home Depot and a few other places, they were all out of screening, fans and even the air conditioners were just about out. I swear, if I could find one that my generator could handle, I would have bought one, LOL. I have been running the air conditioner in my car just to feel the cold air. Talk about desperate.
Anyway, I am going to spend some time re evaluating everything and approach from a different view. Everything will work out in the long run. Have a fun 4th of July.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Friday, June 21, 2013
Heat relief and more work
It would seem we are finally escaping the heat wave that has plagued us for awhile and hopefully we won't have to go through this again. I for one can't stand high temps. I am comfortable with daytime highs around 68 degrees, 70 tops. These are the temps I have had to endure.
This next one was the temperature this past Monday. the most brutal of all.
Not only was the temperature brutal, the mosquitoes didn't help any. Although, when it got to 104, the mosquitoes went away and I was able to open my door to the cabin. It didn't take them long to come back though. It was impossible to do any outdoor work without dousing yourself with repellent and wearing a head net. During this time I decided to put a roof over my deck with the idea of enclosing it and have an Arctic Entry. Then, put a deck on the front of the cabin being accessible from the Arctic Entry. My neighbor came over to help. He installed the roof supports and roof.
As usual, my projects don't happen without some kind of mishap. Yep, fell off the ladder again. LOL
Caught this little fella on my window screen
And this guy on my door window
For the news on going to my remote cabin. It should be happening in a couple of days depending on the weather. We are expecting rain and you never know what conditions it can cause. My first trips is to take food and stock the cabin for the rest of the Summer and the beginning of Winter. These containers of food are representative of about 6 more boxes that are ready to go.
I have lots of canned stuff and tons of rice, beans, dry milk and powdered eggs. I am starting to feel the great effects of finally getting started on my move to my remote cabin. Guess you can say, I'm giddy as a child. Finally, I can start, hopefully exciting everyone with great new photos. Anyway, stay tuned for the next phase of AlaskaJohn's adventure.
This next one was the temperature this past Monday. the most brutal of all.
Not only was the temperature brutal, the mosquitoes didn't help any. Although, when it got to 104, the mosquitoes went away and I was able to open my door to the cabin. It didn't take them long to come back though. It was impossible to do any outdoor work without dousing yourself with repellent and wearing a head net. During this time I decided to put a roof over my deck with the idea of enclosing it and have an Arctic Entry. Then, put a deck on the front of the cabin being accessible from the Arctic Entry. My neighbor came over to help. He installed the roof supports and roof.
As usual, my projects don't happen without some kind of mishap. Yep, fell off the ladder again. LOL
Caught this little fella on my window screen
And this guy on my door window
For the news on going to my remote cabin. It should be happening in a couple of days depending on the weather. We are expecting rain and you never know what conditions it can cause. My first trips is to take food and stock the cabin for the rest of the Summer and the beginning of Winter. These containers of food are representative of about 6 more boxes that are ready to go.
I have lots of canned stuff and tons of rice, beans, dry milk and powdered eggs. I am starting to feel the great effects of finally getting started on my move to my remote cabin. Guess you can say, I'm giddy as a child. Finally, I can start, hopefully exciting everyone with great new photos. Anyway, stay tuned for the next phase of AlaskaJohn's adventure.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
My weekend, part 2
On Sunday, I decided to take a trip to Talkeetna, hadn't been there in about 22 years. Loaded up the car and away I went. The Spur road leading there isn't really photo worthy until you get to the overlook.
Got a picture of this guy, a little fuzzy
After sitting at the overlook for awhile, I drove into town. I didn't take any photos as I was very disappointed. Talkeetna was jammed packed with tourists and not a place to park. I know it is their bread and butter but, way, way, to many people for me. So, I drove to the end, turned around and headed back out of town. As I was headed down the Spur road back to Parks Highway, I spotted this sightseeing air service and pulled in. This is a very nice place just to spend some time resting.
There is a young gal working there who is really fun to talk to and very friendly. I just may go back with snacks and spend time there just enjoying the view. Anyway, on the way back, stopped at Subway and then, back to the cabin and lounged around.
Got a picture of this guy, a little fuzzy
After sitting at the overlook for awhile, I drove into town. I didn't take any photos as I was very disappointed. Talkeetna was jammed packed with tourists and not a place to park. I know it is their bread and butter but, way, way, to many people for me. So, I drove to the end, turned around and headed back out of town. As I was headed down the Spur road back to Parks Highway, I spotted this sightseeing air service and pulled in. This is a very nice place just to spend some time resting.
There is a young gal working there who is really fun to talk to and very friendly. I just may go back with snacks and spend time there just enjoying the view. Anyway, on the way back, stopped at Subway and then, back to the cabin and lounged around.
My Weekend
Hi everyone, as everyone knows, I hate this heat and try to work in it but, it just isn't working out. So, I have been working mornings {sometimes} and evenings {also sometimes}, LOL. Quite frankly, I have been finding it a problem getting motivated in this heat and losing interest with this town cabin and am pretty much tired of doing it. It seems pretty much like having a full time job and that is not why I retired, as a matter of fact, that is why I retired, so I don't have to work. I am at the point of taking everything to my remote cabin and selling this one. Plus, it seems where my town cabin is, people are moving in all around me. Time for a change.
Todays Blog isn't about that. I decided to take the weekend off to travel a bit and very glad I did. On Saturday, I took a trip up Hatcher Pass road which goes up to an old mining claim which is now a tourist attraction. You can go there from Willow and Palmer. It was a beautiful day, hot and sunny so, it made for a good day to get away. I stopped at Willow Townsite and got drinks and snacks for the trip.
It is about 17miles up to the first gate going to the mine. The road is paved for a few miles and then it is gravel and dirt. It was breezy that day so dust everywhere inside the car and on me. Well worth the trip. I got some great photos and one special photo that I really enjoy. So, let me take you on the abbreviated tour.
Going up the road
I saved the best photos For last, I am sure you will feel the wait is well worth it, I stopped for some lunch and to get water out of the creek and when I looked up and to my surprise! enjoy
This gal wondered out, nibbled a bit and kind of checked me out for a bit. I guess she figured I wasn't a threat and decided to cross the creek. What a shot.
Starting to cross
Then low and behold, another surprise, this youngin appeared
I gotta say, this was the best part of the whole trip.
This by far, is the best shot
This is the end of the trip, time to head back
The blue sign on the bridge is a notice of a mining claim.
Approaching the Parks Highway
I hope all of you enjoyed this post, this is one of my very favorites.
PLEASE REMEMBER: NOT TO COPY THESE PHOTOS WITHOUT MY PERMISSION, THANKS
Todays Blog isn't about that. I decided to take the weekend off to travel a bit and very glad I did. On Saturday, I took a trip up Hatcher Pass road which goes up to an old mining claim which is now a tourist attraction. You can go there from Willow and Palmer. It was a beautiful day, hot and sunny so, it made for a good day to get away. I stopped at Willow Townsite and got drinks and snacks for the trip.
It is about 17miles up to the first gate going to the mine. The road is paved for a few miles and then it is gravel and dirt. It was breezy that day so dust everywhere inside the car and on me. Well worth the trip. I got some great photos and one special photo that I really enjoy. So, let me take you on the abbreviated tour.
Going up the road
I saved the best photos For last, I am sure you will feel the wait is well worth it, I stopped for some lunch and to get water out of the creek and when I looked up and to my surprise! enjoy
This gal wondered out, nibbled a bit and kind of checked me out for a bit. I guess she figured I wasn't a threat and decided to cross the creek. What a shot.
Starting to cross
Then low and behold, another surprise, this youngin appeared
I gotta say, this was the best part of the whole trip.
This by far, is the best shot
This is the end of the trip, time to head back
The blue sign on the bridge is a notice of a mining claim.
Approaching the Parks Highway
I hope all of you enjoyed this post, this is one of my very favorites.
PLEASE REMEMBER: NOT TO COPY THESE PHOTOS WITHOUT MY PERMISSION, THANKS
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Summer, friend or foe?
Good morning everyone, it would seem that Summer has arrived with a vengeance. The sun has been out everyday now and the days and nights have grown warmer. I don't use the wood stove anymore which is nice. The mornings are more pleasant at 40 to 50 degrees in the morning which makes sitting on the deck having coffee and listening to the birds enjoyable. Those first few hours are great.
As the day grows older, the Sun becomes a virtual enemy to me. Let me remind everyone, I am the biggest fan of Winter, I like it cool and cold. I get way more done work wise. The past few days here have been brutal. The temperatures have ridden to the 75 to 80 degrees and no breeze. That to me is unbearable and takes the wind out of my sails. Yesterday was the worse. By 1pm, my thermometer read 80 degrees and a couple hours later it read 86 degrees in the shade. By the time 3:30 pm came around and the sun hit my thermometer read 96 degrees. Yep, you are reading this right...96 degrees. That's crazy hot, now I am inside the cabin, curtains closed, generator running and fan in the window, I need a bigger fan. I have a feeling this is going to be a very hot Summer.
These temps. could interfere with my plans big time, at my remote property, the temps. are usually a bit warmer than here. This means, my workday will start much later in the evening and I will have to sleep during the day which is hard for me to do. I will have to figure it out for sure. I have seen a pattern forming here in Alaska with the Summers increasingly getting
warmer from the old days. I'm not sure about the science end of this but, I do know from personal experience, something is happening whether it is Global warming or Climate change something is causing it. I for one believe, we as a people are a big part of this change. Think about it, all over this world, gases are being thrown into the air and that can't be good. I really don't want to make this political but, I believe we are killing this Environment and that needs to change.
I have a very big task ahead of me and that is to re-evaluate my way of life and do my part living a more healthy lifestyle and keep my polluting the Environment very little to close to no polluting as much as I can. My only hope in this post is to maybe influence others to do what they can to help also. I know we can't do it 100% but, every little bit does help, even 1% is a start.
Sorry, I had pictures but, forgot my camera so, the next time I will remember. I hope everyone had a nice weekend. I want to thank those of you who have stuck with my Blog. Take care, JOHN
As the day grows older, the Sun becomes a virtual enemy to me. Let me remind everyone, I am the biggest fan of Winter, I like it cool and cold. I get way more done work wise. The past few days here have been brutal. The temperatures have ridden to the 75 to 80 degrees and no breeze. That to me is unbearable and takes the wind out of my sails. Yesterday was the worse. By 1pm, my thermometer read 80 degrees and a couple hours later it read 86 degrees in the shade. By the time 3:30 pm came around and the sun hit my thermometer read 96 degrees. Yep, you are reading this right...96 degrees. That's crazy hot, now I am inside the cabin, curtains closed, generator running and fan in the window, I need a bigger fan. I have a feeling this is going to be a very hot Summer.
These temps. could interfere with my plans big time, at my remote property, the temps. are usually a bit warmer than here. This means, my workday will start much later in the evening and I will have to sleep during the day which is hard for me to do. I will have to figure it out for sure. I have seen a pattern forming here in Alaska with the Summers increasingly getting
warmer from the old days. I'm not sure about the science end of this but, I do know from personal experience, something is happening whether it is Global warming or Climate change something is causing it. I for one believe, we as a people are a big part of this change. Think about it, all over this world, gases are being thrown into the air and that can't be good. I really don't want to make this political but, I believe we are killing this Environment and that needs to change.
I have a very big task ahead of me and that is to re-evaluate my way of life and do my part living a more healthy lifestyle and keep my polluting the Environment very little to close to no polluting as much as I can. My only hope in this post is to maybe influence others to do what they can to help also. I know we can't do it 100% but, every little bit does help, even 1% is a start.
Sorry, I had pictures but, forgot my camera so, the next time I will remember. I hope everyone had a nice weekend. I want to thank those of you who have stuck with my Blog. Take care, JOHN
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Making progress
Hi everyone, well Spring has sprung or I had thought so. The days were getting sunny and warm and we had quite a bit of rain and that melted a lot of the snow in my yard.
But then, the inevitable happened last Saturday morning, I woke up to this
I suppose you can imagine my reaction, words not necessary,lol. I couldn't believe my eyes. Thought I was in the Twilight Zone. But, this is Alaska where the unusual is constant. Fortunately, it warmed up and was pretty much gone by the next day. It didn't help the drying up process. I was soon back to this
Anyway, I decided I needed a good breakfast to cheer me up, Ham, Sweet peppers and onions sauteed in butter
Add eggs
and breakfast is served, Mmmmmm! Good
This week started out fine and the reports are calling for more rain so, seeing as yesterday was a beautiful day, +68 degrees and sunny, I got motivated and painted the exterior of my town cabin.
BEFORE
AFTER
This is the first coat, I hope to get the deck, door and trim painted this afternoon. I think it will look nice once it is finished. Then, I will start yard cleanup, a newly painted place looks terrible when there is all kinds of stuff laying around. The ground is still pretty wet in places. I hope to get it dried up some so, I can have gravel hauled in and spread around to get better drainage and more even ground.
Sorry for not posting sooner, with all the rain we had, there was nothing to photograph. I am making progress. A friend flew over my remote property and said there is quite a bit of snow on it and my lake isn't open yet. Sheesh, I really wanted to get started up there. Hopefully, it will get so hot, everything will melt.
Hope everyone is doing good, take care.
But then, the inevitable happened last Saturday morning, I woke up to this
I suppose you can imagine my reaction, words not necessary,lol. I couldn't believe my eyes. Thought I was in the Twilight Zone. But, this is Alaska where the unusual is constant. Fortunately, it warmed up and was pretty much gone by the next day. It didn't help the drying up process. I was soon back to this
Anyway, I decided I needed a good breakfast to cheer me up, Ham, Sweet peppers and onions sauteed in butter
Add eggs
and breakfast is served, Mmmmmm! Good
This week started out fine and the reports are calling for more rain so, seeing as yesterday was a beautiful day, +68 degrees and sunny, I got motivated and painted the exterior of my town cabin.
BEFORE
AFTER
This is the first coat, I hope to get the deck, door and trim painted this afternoon. I think it will look nice once it is finished. Then, I will start yard cleanup, a newly painted place looks terrible when there is all kinds of stuff laying around. The ground is still pretty wet in places. I hope to get it dried up some so, I can have gravel hauled in and spread around to get better drainage and more even ground.
Sorry for not posting sooner, with all the rain we had, there was nothing to photograph. I am making progress. A friend flew over my remote property and said there is quite a bit of snow on it and my lake isn't open yet. Sheesh, I really wanted to get started up there. Hopefully, it will get so hot, everything will melt.
Hope everyone is doing good, take care.
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