And the Answer (finally) Is........

Alaska!

Yes, it's true (sorry Janet!)--in August B. and I took a trip to that definitely north of Kansas state.  Thank you to those of you who took time to comment and make guesses!

The "really big hint" in the previous post--that was Mount McKinley in the background.  You know--that really big mountain, the one that's the highest in North America.  But it's okay if you didn't recognize it.  I wouldn't have either, before our trip.

So, where do I begin to summarize a fantastic, two-week trip?  Obviously I can't publish all 755 photos!  Guess I'll try to break them down into categories.

Today I'll focus on Family and Friends that we were able to see.

 B's sister, L, lives in Soldotna, on the Kenai Peninsula.  She and her husband graciously picked us up from the airport in Anchorage, let us use their vehicle until we rented one, gave us a place to stay while in their part of the state, and basically treated us like royalty!
THANK YOU, L and C!

 

L went with us on a day cruise from Homer to the fun little town of Seldovia.  You can't drive to get there!

 

She bought a different variety of flower from one of Seldovia's shops right on the bay.....
 

...to add to the MANY she has planted around their place.

One afternoon L's friend, C, had just finished giving a riding lesson, so she let me mount up for awhile.  It had been years since I'd been on a horse.  Thanks, C!

Here's B with the V family.  They lived just a couple of miles from us when the kids were little, but have been living in Alaska for a good number of years now, where they built their beautiful home.  It was so good to see and spend a bit of time visiting with B, J, C, K, and K!  Their other son, B, was away. 

Checking out one of Alaska's amazing rivers up close...

 .....and from far above, another one that had a completely different attitude!

  

L and B at the Soldotna visitor's center a couple of days before we headed home.

The next Alaska post I do (though not necessarily the next post) will include wildlife!

Final Hint--a REALLY BIG one!

If you checked in on my previous post, http://joeks55.blogspot.com/2011/10/big-hint.html , or a few of posts ago, http://joeks55.blogspot.com/2011/09/some-questions-some-answers.html ,  then you know I've been leaving hints about where B and I went on vacation in August. 

This is the final hint.  I'd say that it's a REALLY BIG one.  (hint, hint)

Next time I'll reveal where we went.

A Hint

Here's a hint about where we went on that summer vacation that I still need to blog about.

Chirp, Chirp! #1--Singing Sunshine

Caught this oriole swaying on a branch outside my kitchen window early one May.  Love its color!

For N.Y. Martha : )

Whoops!  I let August get away, but  here's your reminder, Martha!

Better late than never!

Some Questions, Some Answers

Who..... has continued to check in on my blog, even though I have been very lax about posting?  I don't really know, but hope that not everyone has given up on me!

What..... have I been doing all summer?  Well, there's been VBS, cat-sitting, serving free monthly meals with our church project, celebrating birthdays, taking a vacation with B, and trying to get the computer room/office in order, but probably nothing that really justifies my extended absence here.

When..... will I post again?  I would promise a post every week, or every few days, or... but I don't want to make any promises I can't won't keep.  ; )

Where..... did we go this summer?  Hmmm... that sounds like a post (or two) of its own.  I'll just give you this hint for now--it was farther north than Kansas!  (No fair giving it away in comments if you already know.)

Why..... don't I post some pictures?  I don't know.  Maybe I will!

Hey, western Kansas friend, R--this photo of our yuccas in bloom is for you!

Spud, our visitor for half the summer.

T (my brother) and Mom when we celebrated her birthday.

This is just a quilt I saw during our vacation.

See you next post!

One Small Thing After Another

One small thing after another adds up to be......Clutter! Ugh. It seems so never-ending. I'm not sure I'll ever get it ALL conquered, but I keep trying.

There must be hundreds of websites with advice on dealing with it, ranging from elaborate programs to simple daily suggestions. It's nice to be able to pick up an idea here and another there, but of course it all comes down to JUST DEALING WITH IT (one small thing after another), because it sure isn't going to leave the house on its own!

Organizing Junkie--http://bit.ly/lZ8sJu-- is giving away a book called Clutter Rehab today. Who knows, maybe I'll win and get even more inspiration!

Pink Sun Planet

The sun looked like a planet this evening. It was such an unusual color before even getting down to the horizon.

Spring Hodge-Podge

It was fun to see these colorful train engines one day.

A pastor from Papua New Guinea visited our area. M, B, and our pastor showed him around. He enjoyed seeing a Kansas farm first-hand.

Pastor C takes a break!
This is taken at Alcove Springs, a stop along the Oregon Trail.
They also took him to the dairy where T used to work, checked out the calves, and helped with the milking!

Then it was back to our place for kite flying and our first picnic of the year!
Another Spring day in April the director of a day care in a nearby town asked M to come over and fly kites with the kids. Good thing B, B's sister K, and I went along to help. They've mostly gone back inside now, but there were bunches of kids who tried their hands at flying kites!

We celebrated Easter at K and A's, their first time hosting family for a holiday. They did a fine job!

A trunk back of the van full of Spring!

Sarah Circle handed out the pansies after church for May Day gifts.

Yes, though it took its sweet time getting here, Spring has sprung!

A Quest, or Four

I took part in the Kansas Senior Spelling Bee again this year. The sign that greeted us made us smile!


Unfortunately, I didn't make it out of the written round.

But my "Quests" were great support anyway.Thanks for being there K, A, Mom and B.
Maybe next year I can make it to the oral rounds once more!

Winter Wrap-up, a poem

Winter Wrap-up

Winter came.

We ate, we worked.
We slept, or not.
We cried.
We laughed.
We prayed
We praised.
We waited.

Winter stayed.
.......
.....
...

Winter went.

Miscellaneous Winter Pictures

A couple of weeks ago, someone told me it was Spring! What? I didn't get any pictures from winter posted! So, without further ado, this past winter included.....

A caroling party
Celebrating Christmas (A, K, T, and M)
Gathering with family
A new game... ...or two
Starting the New Year out on the right foot
A little snow and a lot of cold

The basement walls finally getting some border, which we bought years ago, before border was "out of style." Isn't that right, Mom? ;)

A Swedish supper with church and neighborhood friends

And adding a "few" more miles to the van!
(if you enlarge the photo, you'll see that's five zeros after the two)

November Mystery Tour

Last Fall our pastor invited anyone who wanted, to go along on a "Mystery Trip". Only two of us took her up on it, and had a nice, relaxing day as she drove us to Omaha.

Our main destination turned out to be Lauritzen Gardens. Beautiful!
This miniature weeping fig is only 35 years old. They had a miniature lacebark elm that was closer to 75.
I absolutely loved this Mexican Bush Sage. It looks and feels like velvet!
(Easier to tell if you enlarge the photo.)
They had a model railroad track built through part of the area. Would have been fun to see it running.
One of many rose bushes.Purple Hyacinth Bean
An Armillary Sphere. Looks like it was almost 1:00.
Crabapple
More Mexican Bush Sage
All that walking made us hungry. Pastor C. took us to one of her favorite places to eat, Bob Monkey's Noodle Zoo.
Szechuan Noodles--"A spicy grill of chicken, carrots, snow peas, sweet pepper and onion served over Linguini with spinach and tomatoes." In other words... YUM!
After lunch, we spent time shopping/wandering around some fun shops in old downtown Omaha.
I'll close with some "Advice From a Squirrel," taken from a t-shirt made by Your True Nature.
-Look both ways when you cross the road
-Plan ahead
-Stay active
-Eat plenty of fiber
-Spend time in the woods
-Go out on a limb
-It’s OK to be a little nuts!