Alaska...day 6

At Dawson Creek, we started on the 1,523 mile long Alaska highway. 

I've been adding bumper stickers to Azul the van...and now have one that says "I drove the world famous Alaska highway."

We passed in to British Columbia and ended for the day in Fort Nelson. It was a bit shorter of a day's drive...so we went for a little hike...but we were SO SWARMED by mosquitoes...even with repellant on...that we cut the hike short!! We decided to splurge and go to a pub for dinner....since everyone was getting burned out on the "travel" snack food we had brought.  Our lovely waitress have us an order of "poutine"...for free...because we had never tasted the Canadian delicacy!! French fries topped with shredded mozzarella cheese and then smothered in some sort of brown gravy!!  We had just finished off a huge dinner...and after then eating the poutine...we were barely rolling out of the pub and to the van!!

Alaska...day 6...evening

WOOHOO!!...3,142 miles already on this vacation!!

We've gone from 470 feet above sea level in Waco to 1,350 in Fort Nelson. LOVELY scenery!!

We're really sort of liking lounging in the van in the evenings. I usually go to bed earlier than the other folks...but they play games/cards, read, play video games, do some journal writing, etc. Tonight I'm sleeping in the tent...even though it is overcast.

Alaska...day 5...continued

We started with more farmland scenery...then the landscape started changing.

...a cool wooden trestle railroad bridge....

Every day has some weird cloud scenery...some rain/sprinkles...but driving when it is overcast is the BEST!!

Alaska...day 5...morning

Goooood morning Saskatooooon!! The sunrise this morning at the RV park.  My phone didn't auto update the time zone...so I got up at 4:30am instead of 5:30am!!...AARGH!!!

Like Huntsville has crepe myrtle trees everywhere...so far in Canada...there are lilac trees EVERWHERE!!...even planted in wind breaks around fields!!

Alaska...day 4

We left Winnipeg at 7:30am and arrived in Saskatoon at 4:00pm their time.  We had a bit of a challenge finding the RV park...since both Google and AAA had us right in the middle of a very busy part of town. HOW HAPPY we were to NOT find the park there!!...so Adrienne had to ask for assistance at a nearby pub...and she ended up having to resort to finding the address in a PAPER map/phone book!!  

Finally at the park, we determined Hugo will have the tent experience tonight, since he is bear phobic and there won't be any bears at this RV park by the highway!!

...and then I will take over the tent for the rest of the "nice weather" camping nights.  Since I go to bed much earlier than everyone else...this sounds like a logical plan to me.

What we've learned tonight is...the mosquitoes are too intense to sit outside and eat, visit, play games, etc...so we sat inside the van!!...was that weird or what??!!  We're thinking we may stop at a Walmart and buy one of those screened rooms...if they're not too expensive.

Tomorrow...leaving Saskatchewan...and heading to Grand Prairie, Alberta. Since we left Texas, we've had almost 2,500 miles of farm/ranch land as scenery. Lovely...but now...a bit boring!! We're looking forward to a change of scenery...Rocky mountains...here we come.

Alaska...third evening

Another lovely dinner with friends...dessert of pie with apples from their backyard tree. Beautiful weather...cool...wonderful....

...lovely sculptures along the walking/biking path...pack of wolves for Allyson's wolf pack girls.

Enjoying our Ayurvedic after dinner walk.

Cleaning up the dishes...

...and then chatting by the fire....

Alaska...day 3

...the sights and sounds of Winnipeg!!

Poppies...what I've wanted to grow since I first saw them in Cambridge at age 8!!

Here's the 5 member "Heavy Metal Detox" band...a folk band who wins over heavy metal junkies to their unique brand of North to Alaska folk music.

These geraniums have what I'd call "watercolor" leaves!!

This lake freezes in the winter and is used for ice skating.

...for you Dan...a "prairie" park!!

...hostas...have to grow some....

...thank you lovebirds for showing us your Winnipeg. 

Alaska...evening 2

At the Canadian border crossing...we must have looked VERY suspicious!!...we had to pull over, park, go inside and be interrogated as a group and then individually!! FINALLY, we were released...and on our way to Winnipeg!!

Thank you Elma & Albert for the GREAT dinner and warm, safe beds for a great night's sleep. 

Alaska...day 2

Day one had us going from Texas, through Oklahoma, Kansas and ending in Nebraska. Day two had us continuing from Nebraska, through Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota and then on to Canada.

We saw many miles of the US's beautiful Great Plains farm/ranch land...America's bread basket!!

Alaska...first night

We're enjoying a lovely dinner/evening out with Adrienne's dad...and sleeping at his SWEET loft apartment in downtown Omaha.

Big and little people's slide in the downtown park.

...thank you Ray for sharing this one....

Alaska...day 1

...not 15 mins out we found ourselves driving toward a BLACK sky...thunderstorms for a ways...then in Oklahoma we came up on a line of rare "roll" clouds. QUITE amazing to see this phenomenon!! No rain...just a quick drive under it and off we went to blue skies!!

North to Alaska!!!!...day 1

...so...the van is loaded with people, food and suitcases. Bon voyage...we actually left Texas 15 mins early!!

Bird deterrent?

...put up the pennants to hopefully deter the guineas from flying over into the garden...it seems to have worked for those birds...at least for the moment, but the chickens just fly right through them!! AARGH!!...the best laid plans of mice and men!!....

New potting shed

Extended roof over the potting area allows for a cooler working space...and we can work even in the rain!!....

Rain water

Rain water collection started in the garden area.

Mothers and Fathers

...Happy Birthday MY MOTHER….

Believing My Father--I used to believe my father about everything but then I had children myself and now I see how much stuff you make up just to keep from going crazy.  Happy Father's Day MY DAD!!

Song of the Day….Mine Would Be You

Peanut Blossoms--not vegan--not healthy!!…one of the family's favorites!!

1 ¾ cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup vegetable shortening
½ cup smooth peanut butter
1 egg
2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
48 chocolate kisses

Combine all except chocolate.  Mix on low until dough forms.  Shape into balls using rounded teaspoonfuls for each.  Roll balls in granulated sugar and place on ungreased parchment lined cook sheet.  Bake 10 mins at 375 degrees.  Top each cookie immediately with a kiss and press down firmly so cookie cracks around the edges.

Mimo

I used to think you fall in love once, or maybe twice, in your whole life, & then I met you, & now I fall in love all the time, so I'm pretty sure I'm up to five hundred…High Fall

"We will raise our children to tell the truth. We will do this by encouraging them to speak their minds at every moment. For the child, withholding words is the same as lying.
We will be honest with our children even at the expense of their feelings. The only reason people cannot bear honesty now is because they were not raised hearing the truth about themselves, and they can’t stand to. If children are raised to hear both honest praise and honest criticism, they will not be so fragile as to crumble beneath the scrutiny of their peers. A life of truth makes us strong."  Divergent

…goodbye my sweet garden friend Mimo!!  I loved her…and she loved me…. Drink a beer…Luke Bryan