Johnny's girlfriend, Brittany, had this posted on myspace and i stole it because George was always right on!

"The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom".

-George Carlin

Christmas Letter 2008

Dear Family and Friends,

Wow! 2008, what a year, right? An election that seemed to go on and on and on, plus the financial mess we are in - severest/longest recession since the Great Depression - really makes for a jolly holiday season! HA!

It would be easy to just wring our hands and rant - give in to the depression and mistrust/anger at our poiticians and financial moguls. I refuse to do that though, instead, I plan on being proactive/positive.

Yes, we all are suffering due to this meltdown, but why not use this time to revert back to those simpler times and ways - isn't Christmas season a great place to start?

Christmas is about giving, but I don't think when God gifted us with his only son's life, that he wanted us to translate that into giving each other flat screen tvs, diamond rings, Rockband, and Wii. He didn't say hey, go forth and multiply your credit card debt!

Maybe when we give each other Christmas gifts, we should remember this quote by Kahlil Gibran: "And when we give each other Christmas gifts in His name - let us remember that He has given us the Sun and the Moon, the Stars, and the Earth with its forests, mountains, and oceans. All that lives and moves upon them...He has given us all green things and everything that blossoms - bears fruit. All that we quarrel about and all that we misuse. And above all else to save us from our own sins, He came down to earth and gave Himself".

What better way to put things in perspective than to remember: what we hope for, pray for, live for - comes as a gift! Put God first in our lives and appreciate all we have!

We are going to cut bk on what we usually spend this holiday season, enjoy more time with family and friends, help out our neighbors/perform random acts of kindness, and work to make our lives more financially sound. .

What we are grateful for in the past year/08:

Rocky, Tiffany and I enjoyed two weeks in Alaska (June-July) with the kids and Hannah Banana. It was Tiffany's first visit and it was fun showing her the sights! She also met her two stepbrothers (had already met Kim), and my sons' wife/girlfriend. I am grateful that our two families have melded together so well. Everyone gets along and likes each other - we really like each other!

Speaking of the kids...as I said Tiffany was able to take a little time from her busy schedule at UF to come with us on that trip. She has a full load, plus volunteers several times a week at the Womens' Crisis Center here in Gainesville. She made the Dean's List and is working on two degrees: Psych and Economics with the thought to do premed next. Tiff is actually in her junior year, but is classified as a senior, because she has done summer semesters as well. She is dating Jordan. Great guy and treats her well.

Chris (egads! he will be 30 this May) and Kassy are good. They have been enjoying their new home in Palmer, Alaska. Palmer is a tiny town right next door to Wasilla (of Sarah Palin fame). Kassy is still an RN at Alaska Native Hospital and Chris was fortunate to get hired by Schlumberger (oil field svc company). Chris works up on the North Slope. The work is hard - can only stay outside on the job for a few mins at a time due to the negative temps! He loves the $$$ and the two wk on two wk off schedule. Because they have that two wks off, they have been able to travel a bit. They have enjoyed trips to Belize, Vancouver, etc...Chris still has his video production company on the side. No kids yet, sob.

For those of you who don't know we lost Timmy in Oct. of '07. We think of him everyday and carry him in our hearts always...He would have been 27 in Feb. He is in Heaven and HEALED!!

Kim and Scotty are well! They are busy with work and school. Hard year for them, since Scotty's mom, Ginny, is sadly losing her battle with lung cancer. Please keep her in your prayers - we are thankful, however, that she has lived two years since her diagnosis. Two years in which she got to spend time with her kids and Hannah. Good enough health to take a cruise with her husband.

Scotty is the senior photographer at CBS and is working on his second degree. Kim (who is 25 now) works full time at the airport and takes a class here and there when she can. She has her hands full with work and Hannah. They have an apt at present, decided with the economy the way it is, to hold off on buying a house for the time being. Scotty has decided to teach when he gets this second degree, so the plan is that Kim will have to work full time until Scotty gets done with his student teaching, and then Kim will finish her degree in Elementary Ed. While writing this, Kim called and they will be coming for a visit in May!

My little ladybug, Hannah, turned three in November. She is at that fun age and we enjoyed our time with her this summer. We managed to all go camping (except for Chris and Kassy - due to their wk schedules) and I enjoyed taking Hannah exploring. We picked her first dandelion and I showed her how to blow off those wispy seedy things. We had blown bubbles a few days before that, and when she saw the little pieces blowing away - she exclaimed: "Bubble flowers!". I love that baby!

Johnny (will be 24 in 09) is doing fine. After dating for 7 or 8 years, Katie and Johnny broke up. Broke all our hearts, since they were together ever since jr/sr high. Plus, we love Katie! They are friends still and will continue to see each other as friends. John has started dating Brittany and Katie is seeing someone too. No matter what, Katie will always be a part of our family.

Johnny is still foreman at Alaska Rubber Co. He loves, loves, loves that job and the company in general. They are very good to their employees and are great about giving John the time off he needs to travel for his sponsors - compete and make trade show appearances. He has recently traveled to Phoenix, LA, Minneapolis/St. Paul. Was supposed to come to Tampa this week, but trip was cancelled. We were disappointed, because we had planned on visiting him there.

Rocky is still working as a stock trader. He has done ok, even with the instability - rollercoaster ride the mkt is on. He has had some health issues as well, so if things don't turn around by spring - I will probably have to go bk to work.

We are enjoying the winter weather here in Florida! After years of shoveling or blowing snow, scraping ice off my car and changing out studded tires - it is nice to enjoy the mild Florida winter and sunshine! As I write this, Rocky, Snoopy and I are sitting on the sunporch, soaking up some sun/listening to the birds sing.

I do miss my beloved snow-covered, aspen glowing Chugach Mtns! Most of all I miss living close to the kids and Hannah...Don't know when we will be able to visit again - expensive to fly to Ak! I am hoping that Chris and Kassy can make it down this February for a visit. (Just found out they are coming in Feb for sure)

We have so much to be thankful for: the kids are all healthy and happy, Dad will celebrate his 80th birthday in March of '09. He misses mom, but keeps busy with volunteer work. Was named deputy commander of the Knights of Columbus and was honored a few days ago - named aide de camp to the VFW national commander. Dad is such a dynamo, but we warned him to slow down a bit, he broke is hand several wks ago on one of those volunteer jobs! He ain't 30, but works like he is! His hand is healing nicely by the way!

My brother, Glenn, made it back safely from months in Afghanistan. No easy feat! He had some close calls while there. My sister, Crystal, is enjoying her marriage of almost one year. They just came back from a trip to Cozumel, Mexico - they were married there last January and decided to revisit. Mark and Reese are good. Mark is as hard working as ever and balances his demanding job with raising Reecie. Mark scheduled a week off and took Reece on a Carribbean cruise .

Rocky's mom, Dixie, is in good health and quit smoking! Hurrah! I am lucky to have such a sweet and caring mom-in-law. Rocky's sisters are all well and we see them fairly often. As I said, we have visited two of them (Tina and Terri)in North Carolina and Tammi - who lives in Pensacola has come here a few times. We love it when she visits!

Oh, and my ex, John, and his wife, Ronda, moved here to Gainesville as well! John grew up in Lake City, Florida which is just 30 mins from here. I am thrilled to have them so close by, because that means the kids can visit us all at once! No having to figure out who to see this time, etc...I am so happy about that!

That is all our family news...hope this catches you up - sorry we don't write more often.


I found this quote attributed to Nadine Stair: Thought it was good advice - we can start over! 2009 is just around the corner:


"If I had my life to live over, I'd dare to make more mistakes next time. I'd relax; I'd limber up. I would be sillier than I have been this trip. I would take fewer things seriously. I would take more chances. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I'd have fewer imaginary ones.
You see, I'm one of those people who lived sensibly and sanely hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I had my moments, and if I had to do it over again, I'd have more of them. In fact, I'd try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after the other, instead of living so many years ahead of each day. I've been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat, and a parachute. If I had it to do over again, I would travel lighter than I have.
If I had my life to live over again, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would go to more dances; I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I would pick more daisies". -Nadine Stair

Wishing each of you a safe, healthy and simpler- happier 2009!

Know that you are loved and cherished!
Happy Holidays,

Rocky and Barb

Hannah Grace!

My adorable granddaughter, Hannah, turned 3 on Nov. 9th! Hard to believe she is 3 already. This means it is time for Scotty and Kim to have another one - right you two?!! hint, hint photo of Hannah a couple of days before Halloween tried on her costume

Home 3 08

Home 2 08

Home 08

Neighbor John

We were living out at Mirror Lake - in Peter's Creek (about a 45 min. drive north of Anchorage). Our family had just settled in, when our next door neighbor, John Pex and his wife, Patty stopped in to welcome us to the "lake" community. Now, Patty looked like any other housewife in America, but John was - as I had pictured in my verdant imagination, what an Alaskan man should look like - a cross between Grizzly Adams and a Lynryd Skynrd band member! A burly, intimidating looking fellow with a long red beard. I must admit, I was a bit fearful of him at first, but he proved to have the temperament of a big ol' teddy bear. Both our neighbors were friendly and welcoming, but Patty was more lively, John was on the laid bk side and more quiet in nature.

Since we were new to Alaska, John and Patty were helpful in answering questions we had regarding our new home. One of the topics that most fascinated our children(and us adults as well) were stories/facts about bears and bear attacks. My husband and I wanted to be thoroughly informed before we ventured out into the back country and the kids just wanted all the hair raising, gooseflesh-making horror stories !

At the time, John was the head surveyor with the State of Alaska, and it was his job to survey 150 acre native tracks of land out in the bush. He regaled us with many stories of his adventures including bear encounters. One day, as we sat on the Pexs' deck overlooking the lake/drinking one of John's homemade brews, Patty mentioned that John had won a medal/citation from the Department of the Interior for bravery. We asked her to tell the story and this is what we learned about our sweet and laid bk friend:

John was out surverying for the summer. I believe it was over in the Lake Clark Nat'l Pk area. Anyway, he was accompanied by two other surveyors/survey assistants - one male and one female. Evidently, the two had hiked up the trail ahead of John. (Most bear attacks occurr when a bear is surprised - either when it is feeding on a moose kill, or traveling along with young cubs). In this case, the two unfortunate surveyors surprised a brown bear- maybe they weren't making enough noise, or this could have just been a more aggressive bear - the bear proceeded to grab the man by the head. The woman, seeing this play out before her started screaming in terror and shock. The bear dropped the guy and honed in on the woman. He attacked. John, hearing their screams came running...he pulled up his rifle - took aim and the bear charged at him. I was so caught up in Patty's story, can't remember if it was three shots or four - before that bear fell. Patty said when it did, its massive body lay very close to wear John was standing! Patty made that statement and matter of factly added the info that John had fired his last round/bullet! He then in turn, carried each one of those surveyors out to a pt where they could be picked up by helicopter and airlifted to the hospital.

This trek was of some distance and made more difficult by the bush terrain. The ground is hard to traverse, due to frost heaves and vegetation. As John carried the badly injured hikers, he had to tend/apply pressure to their wounds to prevent severe bleeding! Can you imagine the physical and mental
fortitude this task required? I believe they both survived - at least the woman did for sure.

After hearing this story, we looked at John in a whole new way. This unassuming man had the strength/bravery to stand his ground and save his friends/coworkers. In all the time he had been regaling us with stories of the bush and bear encounters he never mentioned his amazing act of courage! He was flown to Washington D.C., where he was cited for his bravery.

(Several yrs after this, when my ex and i were still married, he had the opportunity to go with John on one of his surveying trips. My ex husband had just retired from the Air Force and was waiting to start a new career, John and John, smile - had become great friends and so he was invited to go along that summer. Normally, I would have been extremely worried, but because I knew John was such a fearless and knowledgeable Alaskan - my fears were at a minimum.

Note: Our friend John also held the title of "Best beard in Alaska" awarded at the annual Miners and Trappers Ball! He won so many times they retired the trophy and gave it to him for keeps. see photo

Alaska Vocabulary

Cheechako - anyone who is new to the 49th state

Sourdough - an old timer: anyone who has lived in the a-k a lonnnnnnng time.

Bullchitna - you guessed it: "BS" (Chitna is a town on the Copper River)

Up Ship Creek without a paddle - meaning out of luck, helpless, etc... (Ship Creek is an actual creek in the middle of downtown Anchorage)

Termination Dust - the first snowfall that dusts our mountain peaks. This snowfall signals the end of summer/fall - usually occurs in August (yes, August!)

Outside - lower 48, or just anywhere outside of Ak

Going Outside - leaving ak for any reason

Lower 48 - the 48 continuous states

Bear "Fast Food" - tourist in sleeping bag or tent

Bear "Insurance" - your trusty .44 / other weapon, or the friend you can outrun!

Cache - hiding place or stash...in Alaska it is a small log house built on stilts to prevent wildlife - both human and animal from accessing

Permanent Fund - money we get for living in the Last Frontier (like we need to be paid!)

The "Bush" - no, not those long, unsightly beards! anyplace in Alaska accessible only by plane or boat - ok, ok, pretty much all of Alaska except for Anchorage, grin

Mosquito Dope or Bug Dope - any product used to kill/repell mosquitos which are so big here we consider them the State Bird!

Mukluks or the modern version the "Bunny boot" - mukluks are fur- lined boots that keep your tootsies toasty used by the native population and the bunny boot rubberized to keep those same tootsies warm at -50 plus!

Alpenglow - is an optical phenomonon. When the sun sets, a horizontal red glowing band can sometimes be observed to the east. In mountainous areas, like we have in Alaska, this can be caused by snow, moisture or ice, on the mountain sides which receive the scattered red light from the setting Sun.
When there are no mtns present, the aerosols in the eastern portion of the sky themselves can still be illuminated in the same way by the remaining red scattered light straddling the border of the Earth's own shadow. This back-scattered light produces a red band above the darkness rising in the east. In simpler terms: the sky is a pretty pink color just above the mountain tops!

Ice Fog - Dense fog of suspended ice particles that sparkle in the air on a sunny/partly sunny day.

Moose nuggets - moose droppings: will surprise you because moose scat is not large like in the size of cowpies or horse manure...instead, looks like a pile of walnuts! We sell dried moose dropping to you tourists in the form of earrings, swizzlesticks, necklaces, keychains, etc...proving anyone on a vacation will buy just about anything...

Musher - person who drives sled dog team...yells gee and haw (left and right) and mush, mush -sometimes runs/races in the Iditarod (the Last Great Race)

Ulu - Knife used by native Alaskans (OO-loo) is a versatile cutting tool crafted by the Native Alaskan people thousands of years ago. The knife was used by Eskimo women for skinning and cleaning fish. It has played an important role in the survival of the Arctic people. Blades were originally made of polished slate and given a bone, ivory or wood handle. The handles were often inscribed with distinctive drawings or markings exclusive to the maker of the knife.
Today, we still use the ULU as a cutting tool. We also display ulus as collector items.

Cabin fever - light -deprived Alaskans who don't go out and take advantage of winter activities i.e. drinking, skiing, snowboarding, ice fishing, snowmobiling, may become crazy with the cabin fever

Three Dog Night - so cold that huddling up with two dogs doesn't do the trick

Combat fishing - fishing shoulder to shoulder during height of season with hundreds of tourists, yelling "fish on" - weaving and ducking under other peoples' poles to get fish...usually occurs on the Kenai Peninsula especially near the confluence of the Kenai and Russian Rivers.

Moose Gooser - similar to cattle catcher on the front of a train - see this on the Alaska Railroad

Spenard Divorce - Spenard used to be the seedier part of Anchorage and a divorce there included a lot of hollering, brawling and gun totin

Permafrost - below the surface, ground is frozen for two to five feet. Makes it unbelievably hard to do any kind of burying or road work.

Break-up - see story posted below...

Sun Dog - a large circle seen around the sun on very cold days

Fireweed - see post below, but the weed commonly growing all over ak - especially southcentral, (no! not that weed)!


Ice Worms - minute worms that hang out in glacial ice

An old blog posting that i thought i would share again

When I was about eight years old, some friends of my parents sold us an Alaskan Malamute puppy. Mom asked us to name it and when we couldn't come up with anything, she suggested we pull out a map of Alaska and choose a name for our new family member. Scrunching my eyes shut, I pointed my finger downward and pressed it firmly onto the map. It landed on a strange sounding place called Sitka, Alaska.

We named our puppy "Sitka" and from that moment on, I was fascinated with the state that had such strange sounding town names like: Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka, Kenai, Talkeetna, Ninilchik -mountains named Denali and Chugach - people named Yupik, Innuit and Tlingit... I dreamed of one day visiting/living in this faraway place - it appealed to my adventurous spirit and when we were given that opportunity years later - I was so excited! I remember driving the Alaska Hwy through Canada and its beautiful Yukon Territory - traveling through Alaska and arriving in southcentral...You know how sometimes you have this feeling of belonging and you don't know why? I knew right away that this is where I belonged. We settled in to our new home and never left - raised four children there. Now, I live "outside", but my heart is still "up top" with the people and place I love so dearly! My blog is really an homage to my home state, but I share family info on here as well. Check it out!

Living in Alaska or vacationing in Alaska

I will be glad to answer any questions anyone has regarding living in Alaska or vacationing there. I lived in Alaska for many years and worked in both the medical and professional recruiting fields. We raised for children up top as well. Three of my children still live in Alaska and I visit frequently.

We're Ba-ack!

Note:

We arrived home Wednesday afternoon about 4:30 pm! Tired, jet-lagged, but glad to have arrived safely! Flying bk and forth from Alaska to Florida, can't be compared to flying to a foreign country (except maybe England, because Alaska is actually farther away from the lower 48), but it still makes for a long and seemingly neverending flight!

Our trip:

We left for Alaska on Wednesday,June 25th. Drove to Orlando at 3am to catch our 10:30am flight to Miami. Then a four and a half hour wait in bustling Miami airport for our plane to Houston. Two hours to get to Houston and then a seven hour flight to Anchorage. Luckily, on that last portion,the third seat in our row was empty, so Rocky and I could spread out a bit.

When we arrived at 10:30pm Alaska time, Kim and Hannah were waiting at the gate for us! It was thrilling to see how much Hannah had grown in physical size and personality! Kim drove us over to the other terminal, so we could pick up our rental car. Said goodbye to Hannah and Kim, we had to drive out to Chris and Kassy's house in Palmer, Alaska. Got to Palmer about 12:30am Thursday after making a quick stop for some supplies!

This was our first visit out at Chris and Kassy's new home. Last year, we stayed at their townhouse in Anchorage. They have a lovely new place with a gorgeous view of the Chugach Mountains - the highlight of which is the view of magnificent Pioneer Peak from their front porch! Palmer, Alaska is a small town - about 5,000 people. It lies in the verdant and scenic Matanuska Valley (a large agricultural region). Most of the folks who live here commute to Anchorage for work. Palmer's claim to fame is this is where the Alaska State Fair is held and the ginourmous veggies grown here from the long hrs of sun in summer!

We did our sightseeing around the kids' work schedules. When they were off we spent time with them and when they were working - Rocky, Tiffany and I went sightseeing. Tiffany took a different flight and arrived on Friday, the 27th. It was her first trip to Alaska, so we were excited to show her all the wildlife, wilderness and atmosphere that made us fall in love with our adopted home state! The only disappointment was the weather = it was unusually cool and rainy - sad, because I can't remember a summer like that in all my years there. We ignored the weather, as most Alaskans do and plunged into our adventures!

In between visiting with the kids, we drove up to Denali National Park and took the eight hour bus trip into the heart of the park. We were lucky to see grizzlies, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, ptarmigan, eagles, etc...It was cloudy of and on, so no clear view of Mt. McKinley/Denali (The Great One), but many, many gorgeous vistas lay spread out below us as we traveled through Polychrome Pass. We took the late afternoon tour (they tend to be less crowded) had the bus to ourselves except for another man and woman! This was my first bus experience in the park - in the past, our family put in for the Denali drive lottery. In July, you put in your chances for a shot at driving your own vehicle thru the park in September. We won the lottery a couple of times and drove ourselves.

The Denali bus tour ended at 10pm, we headed farther north to Fairbanks - spent the night there. Besides visiting Fairbanks, we stopped at Eielson Air Force Base and went to North Pole, Alaska. The interior - where these cities are located is vastly different in geography, climate and atmosphere than southcentral (Anchorage area). More extreme in temps for one example - can reach the 100s in summer, and the -40's and -50's in winter! We had more rainy and partly sunny weather while we stayed in Fairbanks overnight. We enjoyed North Pole, Ak especially - where the street lamps look like candy canes and streets have monikers like Santa Lane! We visited Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus at their home and even had our picture taken with them! ( I have been to these places before, but it was fun to see them thru Rocky and Tiff's eyes!).

Leaving North Pole, we headed down the Richardson Hwy. Kassy and Chris actually recommended this drive. It takes you west and then south to Glenallen, Ak. where you can head bk down to Palmer/Anchorage area. I had not been on the Richardson before and i have to say this is probably some of the most remote and dramatic/aweinspiring scenery I have had the pleasure to view and photograph. You can also get a close up of the Alaska pipeline as it winds it ways over this rugged and beautiful terrain - encircling and protecting the precious oil inside, on its long journey to the port town of Valdez.

The trip from Palmer to Denali, Fairbanks to Glennallen and bk to Palmer - we basically made a huge circle covering the whole interior area of the state. Well worth the miles we acrued on the rental and gas was between $4.50 and $5 a gallon!

Katie's dad, Tony, took Rocky and all the guys (Chris, Scotty, Johnny) on a fishing trip in Prince William Sound. Rocky was thrilled to get to go Halibut fishing for the first time! Beginner's luck took hold and he caught five halibut to everyone else's two! He also caught a tom cod and a huge skate! I will post some photos shortly! While the guys and Katie were fishing, the rest of us headed into Anchorage for a day at the Saturday Market and some shopping downtown. Kim, Kassy, Tiff, Hannah and I had lunch at The Glacier Brewhouse where we enjoyed some delicious food and Lemon Drops!

Our plans also included some time in Seward, Ak. We wanted to take Tiffany on a wildlife cruice and glacier viewing thru the unbelievably pristine and wildlife rich Kenai fijords. We decided to go camping as a family and it ended up including: Rocky, me, Tiff, Kim, Scotty, Hannah, Johnny and Katie (Chris and Kassy couldn't make it at the last minute due to work). Fun time was had by all - and it was really great to see how tiff handled her first camping trip! She was a trooper even tho it was cold and the weather didn't cooperate most of the time. We hiked down to Kenai Lake which was close to our campsite, made s'mores and told jokes around the campfire. Rocky and Tiff had a hard time sleeping due to the "noises" they weren't accustomed to i.e. moose walking thru campsite!

Rocky made reservations our first day in Seward for him and Tiff to go on a cruise, but I ended up going too since our plans with Chris and Kassy fell through.
We left on the cruise the last day of our camping adventure. Another bout of luck - we were inspired by views of calving glaciers, humpback and orca whales, stellar sea lions, puffins, etc...It was well worth the $$$! We always use Major Marine Tours - our family and friends have all had great experiences on their line. They even have a park ranger on board who can answer all your wildlife and geography/history questions.

During our camping time, the whole camping troupe, visited the Seward SeaLife Center for a close up look at the wildlife that lives in Kenai Fijords National Park.
Hannah hadn't been here before, so it was fun to see her enjoy the seals, birds and sea life close up!

Our trip went by so fast that even though we drove down the Kenai Peninsula to Seward, this year we didn't make it to Homer - Just not enough hours and days! Rocky went there for his first time last year and I wanted to take tiff, but time just wouldn't allow - will have to save Homer for her next visit. We spent the rest of our time going out to eat with the kids, cooking out at chris and Kassy's and shopping, smile. We stayed up playing cards, watching movies and competing in kareoke on Chris's xbox.

Hope this catches you up on our trip. It was a blast and the best part was spending time with family! Took about 1200 photos and I will post a few here.

You can definitely go home again!

It is 11:40pm and I can't get to sleep! We leave tomorrow 3am, so in just a few hours, to catch our flight from Orlando to Miami, on to Houston and then Anchorage!
I am so excited to see the kids and my adorable Hannah banana! Gone two wks and then bk here...I will write more on our return and post photos. My stepdaughter, Tiffany is following us up - she is taking a flight out on Friday pm. It is her first trip to Alaska and I can't wait to show her my home.

Kandahar Chronicles

Glenn's latest email to Dad: Everything OK here so far. Nightly attacks have tapered off pretty well. Nothing in a few days again. I'm doing well. How's everyone there ?

Here's some photos for ya………. The shrapnel is one of the larger pieces from the rocket that missed me by about 20-25 feet. Can you forward the pictures to my brother and sisters.

Love you…….. Glenn

Kanadahar Chronicles - email from Glenn

Hi Everyone....... apparently it's no secret that we are here anymore,
so here is a link that talks about the plane that I'm working on with
some photos. I'll send you more current photos from Kandahar soon.

Glenn

>http://www.defense-update.com/products/p/predatorB.htm

Kandahar Chronicles - Glenn's latest email

Still safe here everyone..... thanks for the prayers.

Thinking about family....... Glenn

My sister, Crystal's, email in reply to below from Glenn

am writing and calling all of my friends and family today to wish them a safe Memorial day. I would like everybody to remember all of those men and women who are putting their own lives on the line so that we can be free and safe. I got a letter from my brother, Glenn, today and they were almost hit by a rocket last night! I am asking everybody to say a prayer for him and his troops to keep them safe. They are not in Iraq and I am not at liberty to say where they are but they are under attack almost constantly. Please say a small prayer for them and for all our men and women that are putting themselves in the line of fire so that we can be safe and free here at home. Thanks and love to all, Crystal

Most recent email from Glenn: Hi....... We sure could use all your prayers here. They narrowly missed us
last night. Real real close. I am thinking about all of you and love you
very much.

Glenn

Memorial Day

On this Memorial Day I would like to give thanks and honor to everyone in the military. All the active duty Air Force, Army, Marine Corp, Navy, Coast Guard and National Guard members - plus their family members who serve their country as well.

I am proud to be the granddaughter, daughter, niece, daughter in law, sister, sister in law, ex wife, wife and mother of military men! Most of these men were career military men and gave years of committment and honor to their chosen service. Many years of moving from base to base, separation from family during peace time and war time and countless hours of volunteerism besides the military service.

Today as we spend time with our family - at picnics, barbeques, beaches, etc... let us give thanks and praise to all the service members who have given their lives - the greatest sacrifice - remember that we can enjoy all the many blessings we have here in the United States of America because of there selflessness and courage.

Our family as most families in America, have stories about loved ones who have served. Dad who spent two tours in Vietnam, Jack (my ex father in law) who was trapped for two wks behind enemy lines in Korea, my brother, Glenn (career Navy retired) working for the Air Force in a war zone as we speak...Below you will find an excerpt from Wikpedia about my Uncle Footsie. Above photos of some of my family in military uniform...


Maurice Lee "Footsie" Britt, Jr. (June 29, 1919–November 26, 1995), was an American professional football player, World War II hero, businessman, and Republican politician from Arkansas. He played for the Detroit Lions, was awarded the Medal of Honor, and later served from 1967-1971 as Lieutenant Governor of his home state during the administration of Governor Winthrop Rockefeller. Rockefeller and Britt were the first Republicans to have served in their state's top two offices since Reconstruction.

Contents [hide]
1 Biography
2 Medal of Honor citation
3 See also
4 Notes
5 References



[edit] Biography
Born in Carlisle to Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Britt, Sr., Britt was reared in nearby Lonoke. He graduated as the valedictorian of Lonoke High School and then entered the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where he was supported by an athletic scholarship in both football and basketball. He received a bachelor of arts degree in 1941 and played football with the Lions during the 1941 season. He was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Britt immediately entered the United States Army as a second lieutenant. He saw action in French Morocco, Sicily, and Italy. He landed at Casablanca and was jokingly said to have chased German General Erwin Rommel across all of north Africa.

In February 1944, Britt was fighting in Italy. He was part of the initial invasion at Anzio, where he won a battlefield promotion to captain. On October 10, 1943, Britt did calisthenics to draw German fire at the battleground of Mignano, Italy, which his fellow soldiers referred to thereafter as "Britt's Junction". He managed to repel the Germans, but he lost his right arm. He was awarded the Congressional Medal Of Honor for his heroism. He also received the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart. Britt was the first recipient of the top three combat decorations in a single war.[1]

After the war, he briefly attended the University of Arkansas Law School but left to enter business. He spent twenty years working at a furniture manufacturing company and then running the Beautyguard Manufacturing Company, a producer of aluminum building products.

In 1966, he was elected lieutenant governor.[2] He was re-elected in 1968 but did not seek a third term in 1970, having deferred to his friend and Little Rock neighbor, Sterling R. Cockrill, a Democrat turned Republican. Britt barely defeated the Democratic nominees, James Pilkington in 1966 and Bill Wells in 1968. He was an original Arkansas Republican, having been active in his state's Young Republicans in college. After leaving office, he was appointed by the Nixon administration as district director of the Small Business Administration. He served in that capacity from 1971 to 1985.

In 1986, Britt came out of political retirement to seek the Republican gubernatorial nomination. He polled only 3,116 votes (13.9 percent) to 13,831 ballots (61.9 percent) for former Governor Frank D. White. A third candidate, Wayne Lanier, received 4,576 votes (20.5 percent) in a low-turnout primary. White was thereafter defeated in the general election for a second time by future U.S. President Bill Clinton.

Britt was a leader in civic affairs too. He was past state chairman of the Crippled Children's Hospital, Easter Seals, and the Federal Executive Association. He was a member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and received the National Collegiate Athletic Association Sports Achievement Award.

Britt died of heart failure in the John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital in Little Rock. He was the only lieutenant governor in state history to lie in state at the State Capitol Rotunda. The coffin was open, and Britt's military coat hung from the back of his favorite rocking chair, which was placed next to the body. His medals and a military cap were placed on a nearby table. An Army Sergeant stood at the head of the casket throughout the six hours that Britt lay in state.

Services were held in the Calvary Baptist Church of Little Rock, where Britt was a member. Burial was in the National Cemetery in Little Rock.

Britt had three daughters, Andrea Schafer and Nancy McDurmont, both of Lonoke, and Patricia Anne Britt of Falls Church, Virginia; two sons, Maurice Lee Britt, III (born ca. 1950), and his wife, Dee Britt, of Royal, Arkansas, and Timothy Watson Britt (born ca. 1955) of Little Rock; one brother, B.A. Britt (born ca. 1925) of Carlisle; twelve grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. His obituary does not mention his wife because she died around the same time that he did. Britt was a distant cousin of the late Henry M. Britt of Hot Springs, the 1960 Republican gubernatorial nominee against Orval Eugene Faubus.


[edit] Medal of Honor citation
His Medal of Honor citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Disdaining enemy hand grenades and close-range machine pistol, machinegun, and rifle, Lieutenant Britt inspired and led a handful of his men in repelling a bitter counterattack by approximately 100 Germans against his company positions north of Mignano, Italy, the morning of 10 November 1943. During the intense fire fight, Lt. Britt's canteen and field glasses were shattered; a bullet pierced his side; his chest, face, and hands were covered with grenade wounds. Despite his wounds, for which he refused to accept medical attention until ordered to do so by his battalion commander following the battle, he personally killed 5 and wounded an unknown number of Germans, wiped out one enemy machinegun crew, fired 5 clips of carbine and an undetermined amount of M1 rifle ammunition, and threw 32 fragmentation grenades. His bold, aggressive actions, utterly disregarding superior enemy numbers, resulted in capture of 4 Germans, 2 of them wounded, and enabled several captured Americans to escape. Lt. Britt's undaunted courage and prowess in arms were largely responsible for repulsing a German counterattack which, if successful, would have isolated his battalion and destroyed his company.[3] - piece on Footsie from Wikkipedia

Kandahar Chronicles - newest email from Glenn

Hi Everyone....

Nothing new to report. This place reminds me of "Ground Hog Day"
movie. Wake up everyday and nothing different ever happens. Ha ha ha.
Anyway, still here and still keeping my head down. I will write you
guys more and send pictures when I get the Internet hooked up in my
room.

Love ya....... Glenn

got this letter - my response is posted below it...

Hi Barbara,

The average gas price in Florida is $3.83 per gallon -- prices in Newberry might be even higher. So what is Big Oil's solution? Not cutting into their record multi-billion dollar profits to reduce your pain at the pump. Instead, oil execs testified before Congress Wednesday that their solution is to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. Please act now to protect the Arctic Refuge»

Our own government estimates that drilling in the Arctic will only affect gas prices by two pennies per gallon ... in twenty years. But our polar bears could be extinct in less than 50 years.

Barbara, if you believe polar bears and their Arctic Refuge home are worth more than two cents per gallon, tell your senators to protect the Arctic Refuge permanently»

Thank you!

Rebecca Young,
Care2 and ThePetitionSite Team




Polar Bears Are Worth More than Oil


Known as America's Serengeti, the stunning Arctic Refuge teems with wildlife such as caribou, snow fox, polar bears and millions of migratory birds.
Forwa

Letter I wrote in response to above

Dear Rebecca,

Tell me about yourself. Do you live in or have you visited Alaska? As an Alaskan, I am very concerned about my home state's resouces and preservation - one reason: my children and grandchildren still live there.

I am all for drilling in the refuge! Most Alaskans are. That doesn't mean I am not an environmentalist! I am the biggest champion/defender of our state's abundant resources and do not want to damage one of the world's last wilderness areas. We Alaskans, are the steadfast stewards of our beautiful home! We take that responsibility very seriously! I am tired of people from "outside" Alaska (those literally outside and the "greenies" who have moved up from California and Washington State) telling us how to manage those pristeen resouces....
When outsiders concerned about the oil pipeline sent out petitions stating how intrusive and how much damage the pipeline would cause in the refuge, they made some of the following ridiculous statements:

1. Caribou herds will be disrupted.
2. Trees will be destroyed as well as tundra

These well intentioned people did not take the time to get informed! Caribou herds have not suffered due to the pipeline. 19.2 million acres make up the refuge - of this 8 million acres is dedicated as wilderness - caribou travel the coastal plain in June and July (this plain extends from the coastal area to foothills of Brooks Range) this is only a portion of the entire refuge! The oil pipeline that is in place now has had little impact on the herds there! In fact, they use the pipeline - the warmth of the piping heats the ground underneath and this melts snow/ice enabling the caribou to graze.

Trees destroyed? I will admit some trees were destroyed to build the pipeline, but much of this region is treeless.

We need to stop our dependence on foreign oil. This means using the resouces we have in the U.S. I know that studies show that even with the use of Alaska oil - we would still have to acquire 2/3 of our oil from others, but let us use our own first, so we gain some independence from Middle East nations who ban imports from us - yet want us to buy from them!

I am not saying that we don't need to be a vigilant "watchdog" and once these pipelines are in place - keep an unwavering eye on the companies running them. Look what happened with the Exon Valdez! However, the Valdez accident happened once the oil was on board ship. Make shipping regs/captain requirements stricter!

As far as polar bears are concerned - what the heck do they have to do with a gas pipeline? They live in the waters/coast to the west and north of where the pipeline would run. They would not be impacted at all! They are impacted by global warming - and if the U.S. can be ingeniuous enough to send a man to the moon, then we certainly can be proactive and smart enough to come up with strategies/use our own resources in ways that we control the amnt of warming! Before you pick a cause = get informed! Watch Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" - Instead of worrying about a pipeline that would be miles and miles away from where these gorgeous animals live northwest and northern coast and waters, worry about saving our polar ice cap! Save the ice cap - save the bears! Recycle, drive hybrids, use special energy saving light bulbs, etc., etc., etc!

Note: You could say that Alaska's past history serves as an advertisement for American colonialism. In the late 1800's and early 1900's, a colonial economy developed in which much of the territory's natural wealth (minerals, furs, salmon, timber) was extracted from the region and used elsewhere for the profit of absentee business interests. The U. S. Maritime Act of 1920-- referred to as the Jones Act, after its sponsor, Senator Wesley Jones of Seattle--stipulated that all commercial ships travelling between American ports had to be American-owned and American-built. All merchandise entering or leaving Alaska had to be transported by American carriers, which meant that all shipping had to go through (you guessed it) Seattle! The Supreme Court ruled that, because Alaska was not officially a state, the Constitution's provision that one state should not hold sway over the commerce of another did not protect our Alaska. Routing ships through the Canadian ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert would have been much cheaper for Alaskans; nevertheless, under the Court's ruling, the Jones Act allowed Seattle business interests to charge much higher than average prices for shipping. This in turn raised the cost of living in Alaska and funnelled Alaskan dollars out of the territory and into the pockets of Washington businessmen. Another piece of discriminatory legislation, the White Act of 1924, was referred to as the "Magna Carta of fishery conservation" by both federal officials and industry spokesmen. In fact, the White Act favored the big companies' fish traps and worked against the development of small operators in Alaska.

You could argue that this is reason to keep the big oil companies out of our state. There is definitely a precedence for "outsiders" telling us how to handle our states vast resources of minerals, oil, wildlife, etc, etc..etc...we don't want or need misguided "greenies' , oil companies or government sending out misinformation to the general public. Let us take care of our beloved state!

79! and he keeps on going and going and going...

Dad has spent countless hours volunteering at the Catholic churches and Knights of Columbus organizations he has attended over the years. Recently, he was honored to be chosen to advance to 4th degree in the Knights. This ceremony took place in Oklahoma City. Dad was also named Deputy Commander of his churche's chapter of the Knights of Columbus.

Here are some recent pics of dad cooking breakfast (which he does every weekend) and dinner for the families of the First Communion students...

Kandahar Chronicles

Glenn is hanging in there. Says the food is nasty, so he has resorted to eating MREs! meals ready to eat
The food must be bad, grin!

excerpt from his latest email:


"Well been here a week now, only ? weeks to go !!! Yes, I am
already counting.
Don't worry about me eating MRE's...... they are really
pretty good. All the MRE's come with food warmers, you just add about
1/2 ounce of water and it heats the food so hot you can't touch it.
Good choices too, like Chili Mac, Beef Stew, Chicken Ala King, Beef /
Chicken Enchilada, Chicken Pasta, Pork Ribs, and the list goes on and on.
They are not too bad. Heat is really really awful. 111 yesterday
and 114 today. And it is going to get hotter still, up to the 130's
within a month supposedly. Ouch !!!"
I received this pic from him today...looks healthy and is adapting to life there....

Happy 29th birthday, son! Can't believe you are that old! The time has flown by! I love you and hope you have the best b'day ever! Tried to call u - will try later.

Happy 29th Birthday Chris!

John Denver when he was part of the Chad Mitchell Trio

Glenn arrived safely!

Glenn arrived safely - all info i have at present.

Kandahar Chronicles

Pictured: Glenn on mom's lap and me circa 1958


Glenn (my 50 yr old brother), left for Kandahar, Afganistan yesterday, May 11th. He is a civilian employee working for Lear Corporation. He is thinking his tour there will last 4 - 6 months - hopefully - not longer! Pray for him! Any info/news he sends me will be posted on here.

Happy Mother's Day

My protector and champion
Of God's love - a shining, pure light
Tender and gentle in spirit
Heaven graced us with your presence
Ever selfless in your caring
Ready with comfort and wisdom

B. McClain

Johnny - News Flash

My youngest, Johnny, who will be 23 on June 18th called yesterday with some great news! A few wks ago, while competing in LA/Phoenix, he was thrilled to have another company come on board as a sponsor. They are sending him to skateboard competitons here and in Europe. Part of his schedule will be LA again May 30th for a magazine photo shoot, then on to Minneapolis (June) and Amsterdam, Holland (December)! The deal includes: all expenses paid, plus equipment and clothing! He is thrilled and we are so proud of him for following his dream/passion and making it come true!Luckily, his boss at work has sons involved with the Anchorage Aces - they know what it is like to compete in a sport/what it takes, so they have given Johnny the "ok" to miss work and travel to competitions! How great is that?

Johnny on Youtube

Below you will find some video of Johnny skateboarding...there are several here, just click replay or on one of the first pics and you will see him....the first 3 or 4 are him and the rest just came up when I embedded this youtube video. ...if video pauses on its own stop it and start it over!

johnny sellers

johnny sellers

johnny sellers

johnny sellers

Poor Tiffany!

Tiffany pictured on right in light blue shorts

We arrived bk safely from the mtns of northern Georgia. On our return, Tiffany was complaining about her jaws hurting. Turns out her wisdom teeth were impacted, so I called and got her an appt with an oral surgeon this am. He took a look at them and they were out in 15 mins! She is recuperating at our house as we speak. Luckily, her finals were finished (all A's) and she doesn't start the summer classes she is going to take until next wk! Because she has been taking summer courses the past two years - she has enough credits to be considered a senior, but I think she is keeping her junior status for now. She told me this pm that she is planning on continuing with her school once she gets her Bachelors - double majors in Finance and Psychology. Plans on entering the grad program when her Bacherlors' degrees are completed.

George (her boyfriend) is arriving today from St. Augustine to spend the next few days (his b'day is Friday. We were planning a surprise cookout/party for him tomorrow night, but I think Tiff will have to stick to yogurt, mashed potatoes, and ice cream!

Travelin again!

Rocky's sister, Tammi, rented a cabin up in the mtns about a six hr drive (northern Ga. - Talking Rock, Ga. to be exact) from us. They invited us to come up tomorrow and stay thru Sunday. We decided to go, since Rocky's mom is coming down from North Carolina - as well as another one of Rocky's sisters, Terri. We are going to get up early am and head up. Just wanted to let you know that we are going to be out of town - fishin, swimmin, and eatin!

love ya!

Barb

alaska photos IV

alaska photos III

McClain family photos

more of my alaska pictures

More family photos: my kids, parents, siblings, me, grandparents, etc

Old Family Photos

Rocket Man!

Last night the University of Florida's O'Connell Center rocked out to the sounds of "Rocket Man", "Philadelphia Freedom", and "Saturday Night"! Elton John and his band put on their usual all out show and we were there to enjoy it! The Gator Nation did their famous "Gator" support clap to "Crocodile Rock" - complete with a brightly lighted green gator in the background!

back from North Carolina!

We spent the last week in Asheboro, North Carolina at my mother-in-law, Dixie's home. Had a wonderful visit! Rocky's mom not only lives in Asheboro, but just one town over (Ramseur) lives his youngest sister, Tina and her three sons. Not much further - in the country near Sanford, N.C. is Rocky's oldest sister, Terri and her family.

Rocky's dad passed away several yrs ago, and Dixie has started dating - A. J. is a great guy and we visited him at his home in Siler City as well! These are all small towns and Siler City's big claim to fame is Francis Bavier ("Aunt Bea" from the old Andy Griffith show) lived here when she retired from show business. She bought her house sight unseen in 1972 and lived here until her death in 1989. It was fun to see her home (which is actually next door to the house Tina used to own! They are both large, lovely places!

I truly enjoyed visiting these small towns having grown up as a military brat - moving from place to place every few years...it is pure pleasure to visit a place where everyone knows everyone else and life moves along at a slower pace. Sitting out on A. J.'s porch, at his place in the country - watching the squirrels scamper thru the woods, kids gettin off the school bus and walking up a dirt/gravel road makes you long for simpler times and you forget the crazy, fast-paced world we deal with on a regular basis.

The folks in all these towns are friendly and hospitable. Most talk centers around what you are going to plant in your garden this summer....tomatoes? okra? , or the Mayflower Restaurant's special this wk - a huge fish, shrimp, chicken dinner with all the trimmins for - wait til ya hear this - an astounding $5.99! Unbelievable! and...the cute waitress with a voice moving as slow and sweet as an overturned jar of the local honey actually smiles at you! When your husband remarks on the huge portions and how delicious the food is- that our family will definitely return - she says in those honeyed tones: " you'all come bk anytime now, we are here everyday"!

It isn't just that waitress either! Rocky's family is just as warm, welcoming and lovely! I truly have never seen a family that cares and loves each other so much! The bible says "Honor Your Father and Mother" and these grown brother and sisters certainly have taken that to heart! Dixie is well taken care of and rightly so! She is the "center" of that family - a loving, warm and gracious lady!

Also had the opportunity to meet one of A. J.'s daughters: Tammy. She is a doll - felt like we have known her for years!

Had some severe weather on Sunday. Mom (Dixie) and I were out shopping and the heavens opened up! Started pouring down rain accompanied by pea size hailstones! I remarked to mom that the thunderclouds had those little hooks on them - the ones that turn into tornadoes! No sooner did we get bk to the house, then we heard a tornado hit in Franklin, N.C.! When we left Asheboro yesterday am, the sky looked ominous again....we were lucky - the weather cleared and we had sunny skies once we hit the North Carolina/South Carolina border. Arrived home by 6:30pm As everyone of you all know - it is good to go, but it is always, always good to be home!

Cook inlet - Turnagain Arm

Cook inlet - Turnagain Arm

Cook inlet - Turnagain Arm

cook inlet - Turnagain Arm

Cook Inlet - Turnagain Arm

cook inlet - Turnagain Arm

Cook Inlet - Turnagain Arm

Most Alaskans live in the Anchorage area which is part of southcentral Alaska. One of the most interesting geographical/physical features of this area is Cook Inlet. Cook Inlet is actually an estuary - 180 miles long, which starts at the Gulf of Alaska and stretches all the way up to Anchorage. When it reaches this "northern" area, it branches into Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm. This whole body of water (the inlet, Knik, Turnagain) almost completely surround Anchorage!



The watershed from this body of water covers much of southern Alaska. - from the Aleutian range in the east to the Alaskan range to the south. The inlet receives water from its numerous tributaries: some of the main ones are the Little Susitna, Susitna, Matanuska and Knik Rivers. Mt McKinley/Denali drainage adds to this watershed.



The watershed/Cook Inlet are the lifeblood of Anchorage/southcentral. They provide navigable access to the large port of Anchorage and also the smaller southern port of Homer, Alaska. Approx. 400,000 people live in the watershed area. Most of the population is located within the Anchorage area with another significant population on the Kenai Penninsula. The western side of the Inlet is remote - no road system - home to the isolated town of Tyonek and several oil camps.



The watershed is also of special interest because it contains several of our national parks, and historically active volcanoes. Huge oil and gas deposits are located here. Numerous oil and gas pipelines encircle and go under the inlet. Approx. 16 drilling platforms are located in this body of water. Half the coal reserves of U.S. are found in Alaska and there is an abundance in and around the inlet. There is a proposal to start a coal mine near the town of Tyonek.

Only 60 bodies of water worldwide exhibit a tidal bore - Turnagain Arm is one of them! During spring tides, the bore may be 6ft high and travel at 15 miles an hour! On a normal day, Turnagain Arm has tides of more than 30 feet, second in North America to Canada's Bay of Fundy. (see more info on Turnagain Arm and bore tide below.



Turnagain Arm and Knik Arm are well known for their glacier silt. At low tide, these silty bottoms are exposed and make navigation difficult. This is the main reason that cruise ships load and unload passengers in Seward, or Whittier, Alaska. Tourists are then transported to Anchorage by bus or the famous Alaska Railroad. Cruise ships don't venture into the Port of Anchorage, but 95% of freight does come into Anchorage Port. Serviced by container and freight companies.



One important fact is these silty areas, or "mud flats" are extremely dangerous! Over the years many uninformed tourists/hikers have ventured out onto these flats which are quicksand like....limbs and lives have been lost! So take heed. Stay Off the Flats!!!



The inlet's first explorers were promyshelnnik - independent Russian fur traders. Stepan Zaikov, of the Lebedev Lastochkin Company, established Fort Nikolaev, at the mouth of the Kenai River in 1786. This Russian company and Russian independents, worked Siberian and Alaska natives mercilessly in their pursuit of sea otters and other native marine life. The Russians had a trade agreement with China and sent the furs to the port of trade at Kiakhta.

The famous James Cook, explored the inlet during his 1778 expedition in his ongoing quest for the Northwest Passage. Cook gathered maps of Alaska, the Aleutians, and Kamchatka during a visit with Russian fur trader Gerasim Izmailov who resided in Unalaska. Cook combined these maps with those of his own expedition to create the first Mercator projection of the North Pacific. In 1794, George Vancouver, who had served under Cook in 1778, named the inlet after Cook. Another interesting fact: Turnagain Arm was named by William Bligh of HMS Bounty fame. On Cook's third and final expedition to discover the Northwest Passage, Bligh served as Cook's Sailing Master. Upon reaching the head of Cook Inlet, Bligh was of the opinion that both Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm were the mouths of rivers and not the opening to the Northwest Passage. Under Cook's orders Bligh organized a party to travel up Knik Arm, the party quickly returned to report Knik Arm indeed lead only to a river.

A second party was dispatched up Turnagain Arm - it returned to report only a river lay ahead here as well. As a result of this frustration the second body of water was given the disingenuous name "Turn Again". Early maps label Turnagain Arm as the "Turnagain River"!

Turnagain is truly not a suitable name for this dramtatic and beautiful area. The drive from Anchorage to the Kenai Penninsula along the Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet is one of the world's most awe inspiring drives! Only Italy's Amalfi Drive/ the highway along the Rhine south of Coblenz/the 52 miles from Cody to the East entrance of Yellowstone/north loop of Yellowstone, coastal Oregon & Maine are competitive in scenic beauty. The Seward Highway linking Anchorage and Seward is a National Forest Scenic Byway and one of 15 roads in the United States designated as an "All-American Road."


Gorgeous mountain scenery, waterfalls, and wildflowers in abundance! Dramatic inlet views especially at Beluga Pt. Beluga Pt. is also a great place to view Dall sheep (especially early in the am and at dusk). The Dall sheep are usually glimpsed on the Chugach Mountains rising up on the opposite side of the road from the Beluga turnout. However, early in the am and at dusk they sometimes wander down onto the road. Tip: watch for a group of cars/RVs pulled over on the roadside /people gazing up at the mountain tops - good chance they have spotted a group of the sheep. Beluga whales may also be spotted in the Arm. Approx. 350 swim here. You may also catch a glimpse of a bald eagle fishing this area. Watch for the incredible bore tide.

more of my hubbie, kids and granddaugher

my kids and granddaugher also my husband, Rocky

more alaska photos

misc alaska pics

Traveling!

We will be going to North Carolina this Tuesday, April 15th. Visiting Rocky's mom, Dixie and his sisters Tina and Terri and their families. We will be bk the following Monday. It is always fun seeing them!

Computer "Country"

All my friends are talkin
Say it can’t be true
How we emailed and emailed on AOL
and I fell in love with you!
Now my heart is racin
we’re speakin on the phone
how are we gonna get together ?
I’m in Tulsa - your in Nome!

B. McClain

Clown Phobia

I don’t like clowns
With their oil- painted faces
big toothy grins - leering
Hiding their sick fantasies
Behind the bright façade
Seducing with their antics
Power over children
I don’t like clowns



-Barb M.

thoughts from up top

Myspace Causes Graphics

Dad's 79th!

Dad is visiting us this week. We helped him celebrate his 79th birthday on Friday, March 21st! See photos above of his celebration in Panama City Beach!

Thought I'd share some info:

Dad was born in Boston, Massachusetts on March 21, 1929. He spent his formative years riding out the Great Depression with his parents: Roy and Mary Catherine. Also along for the journey were his brothers: Carl, Chet, Roy, Robert and his sisters: Grace, Gladys, Mildred, Marie, Myra, Dorothy, and Thelma. Unfortunately, two other siblings: Alfred and Catherine died in infancy.

Dad had as normal a childhood as one can have growing up with all those brothers and sisters vying for their parents and each others' attention!

To escape the craziness, Dad joined the Air Force. His military career took him all over the world - including two tours in that fun-filled/sun-filled Vietnam. For some reason, the tours in country

helped him make up his mind to retire from the Air Force after twenty two years!

In 1955, while stationed at Norton AFB in San Bernardino, Ca., Dad met mom. She was standing in front of a Catholic church petting a dog. Dad said that he looked into her big brown eyes and thought: "if she can be good to that dog - she can be good to me"! Must have been the truth, because they were married for 50 years! (mom passed on July 28, 2006)

Mom and Dad had the luck to give life to four beautiful, talented and highly intelligent children - I am the oldest of those children and being the oldest, I probably inherited most of the above. (Glenn, Mark and Crystal - I am kidding!!)

As with any marriage of 50 years my parents had their tragedies and struggles. Their marriage remained intact.

After retiring from the service, dad had a whole new career with New York Air Brake Co. He was general mgr for many years and retired with twenty plus years.

Over the years Dad has not only been the main bread winner, but he has also helped out in the community, church and been caretaker to many family members.

Events that occurred in 1929:

1. Martin Luther King was born
2. Popeye made his deput
3. Herbert Hoover inaugurated as 31st president
4. Seeing Eye Dog Association formed
5. St. Valentine's Day Massacre
6. First public demonstration of color tv
7. First Academy Awards presented
8. Black Monday and Tuesday October 28th & 29th stock market crashes!
9. Women are declared persons in Britain by privy council
10. First flight over the south pole