happy earth day

Happy Earth Day!

Can you believe how beautiful our Earth is? Sometimes I'm just blown away by how many varying types of breathtaking beauty there are across the many different parts of the planet. The mountains, the oceans, the dunes, the plains, the canyons, the deserts, the swamps, the marshlands, the forests - they're all amazing in their own ways.

I just love this Earth and want to do my part to treat it right. Did you make any Earth Day goals this year?

Riggs celebrated Earth Day by playing with his new truck toy out in the yard. It was supposed to be in his Easter basket but it was a little late getting here (one of the downsides of living in AK, things can take a long time to get here!).

Also, I just had to share these two pictures I took from this weekend, so much cuteness I just couldn't stand keeping them to myself:)

introducing the Alaska Blog Network

I am so excited to reveal a project I've been working on like crazy for the last couple of days, the Alaska Blog Network. This is something that is very near and dear to my heart, because, well, I created it! I've had the idea floating around in my head for months, but never really took the time to really stop and think about it.

Now it's here and it's very new and basic, lots of improvements will need to be made in the coming days and weeks, but I'm pretty dang happy with it anyway. If you're wondering what-the-heck this whole thing is about, here's an excerpt from the 'about' tab on the new website:

The Alaska Blog Network is an online community for Alaskans who write blogs and for everyone else who reads them. Come here to connect with other bloggers from all over this great state, and to read weekly guest posts from Alaska Blog Network members. We also post regular updates with information about upcoming events in a variety of communities across the state.

You can also find information about how and where to get out all over the state, with links to some of our favorite Alaska websites and retailers as well.

If you would like your blog to be added to the Alaska Blog Network, please submit an email with a link to your blog and a short description of who you are, where you live, and what you blog about to alaskablognetwork@gmail.com.

Head over and check it out, and if you have any suggestions or comments or whatever, please let me know! I've looked over the page about 100 times - I need some fresh eyes over there! Thank you so very much in advance:)

the butte

Yesterday we climbed the south face of the Butte. I am seriously loving having Steve home and all to myself - it's so so so fun to do things like this as a family rather than just me, Riggs and Tutka.

The sun was out, there was no wind to speak of, and so we grabbed some water and drove the 3 or 4 minutes to the southside parking lot. Steve carried Riggs in the little backpack, I love seeing his little legs hanging down and his little eyes peeking out from Steve's back, it makes me smile every time:)

It was definitely a work out, and we stopped four or five times to catch our breath and have a sip or two of water. Tutka could have ran all the way to the top without stopping in like, five minutes. He kept running ahead and then coming back and giving us this impatient look with his head cocked to one side. Sorry buddy! We don't have four legs;)

The view was beautiful, as usual. I don't think I could every get sick of looking at Pioneer Peak. It was definitely different from the summer view though.

I loved having my new camera along to take lots and lots of pictures. And Steve was even nice enough to take some pictures of me too. It's always hard as the 'photographer' of the family because I never show up in pictures! It's like I was never there lol.

My thighs and lungs were burning like crazy by the time we reached the top, I'm thinking I need to make this a weekly habit to help with my half-marathon training and just because it's a fun, beautiful and relatively quick hike.

I always get a kick out of the fact that you can easily pick out our little house from the top of the Butte, and we point it out every time we climb up there. It's funny too because I often look out my window at the Butte on a beautiful day and think, "I wonder who's up there right now, soaking in the sunshine and the beautiful view." It always makes me smile to think of people enjoying themselves up there.

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Trip Details - Bodenburg Butte

Trails | there are two different trails to reach the top of the Butte. I personally like the southside trail better, but there are definitely some steeper parts of the trail that might be too much for some hikers. I like that it's always in the sunshine and it's a faster route too. Not sure on the mileage of this trail, but I would guess it's about 2-3 miles roundtrip at the most. This trail dries out sooner and would probably be mostly dry by the beginning of April (unless it snows a foot in April, like it did this year - ugh).

The west/north side would be the best choice for young children and people who need a bit of an easier trail. It is very well maintained and has lots of switchbacks and little spots with benches and spots to rest along the way. Last summer trail-managment crews did some upgrades on this trail including some more wooden staircases. This side is also much more green and lush, but it can also be very muddy and buggy. This side of the trail is about 3 miles roundtrip. This trail is probably very snowy and muddy until at least mid-May.

Directions & Parking | there are two separate parking lots at the base of the Butte, one on the westside and one on the southside.

From Anchorage:  for the westside parking lot, you take the Glenn Highway north from Anchorage, and then turn on the Old Glenn and follow it about 13 miles, past the blinking light and past the Butte itself, and turn left on Bodenburg Loop (it's the second Bodenburg Loop). Then you turn left on Mothershead Drive and you'll see the parking-lot up on the right. I think it's something like $3 or $5 to park at this parking lot. It's often full on nice days in the summer, but there's a bit of overflow parking along the side of the road.
For the southside parking lot, you take the Glenn Highway north from Anchorage, then take the Old Glenn exit and follow the Old Glenn about 12 miles, then turn left at the blinking light on Bodenburg Loop (this is the first Bodenburg Loop). Just before the road turns to the left you'll see the parking lot on the right. It's a recommended donation of $3 to park at this lot.

From Palmer:  for the westside parking lot, take the Old Glenn south about 7 miles and turn right on Bodenburg Loop (the first one from this direction). Then take a left on Mothershead Drive and you'll see the parkinglot up on the right. $3-5 for parking.
For the southside parking lot, follow the Old Glenn south about 8 miles and turn right at the blinking light on the second Bodenburg Loop. Before the road turns to the left you'll see the parking lot on the right. $3 for parking here.

Have Fun!

Homer Trip Part 3 - Kayaks and Old Friends

Sometimes I have such a hard time writing down my thoughts. It's such a struggle to accurately transform my feelings into words. Our Homer trip was so relaxing, so therapeutic, and just so enjoyable. Everyday we were there, the serenity and slowness of it all just soothed my soul. And once again, as I sit down to write this post, I find that words can't begin to do justice to how I felt waking up everyday, looking out over the water softly lapping at the rocky shore and hearing the calls of the wildlife right outside the door. To say that I felt happy is such a pathetic understatement, but it's true. Each day I felt so wholly, solidly happy.

Saturday we kayaked over to the spring for some water, and it was Riggs' first time in a kayak. Kayking is somewhat of a family legacy for Riggs, although he doesn't know it yet. Steve and his brother basically grew up in these kayaks - tagging along with their parents and guests for guided tours. At sixteen, Steve was guiding groups of guests himself - giving them the official tour of the islands, pointing out the various types of wildlife, responsible for their safety as they paddled around the bay. 

little Stevie and his dad Rick

It was beautiful blue skies and sunshine when we went out in the afternoon on the water run. Riggs went in the kayak with Oma and Opa on the way there, and then rode back with me and Steve. He did so well for not being able to move with all the layers and the bulky life-jacket, I think he's going to be a natural:)

You can't even begin to imagine how peaceful it was that afternoon in the back lagoon, literally no sounds except for a bird here and there and the whisper of the paddles in the water. I breathed it in deeply, and then quietly told Steve that I felt like we were the only people in the entire world. I can feel the stillness in my heart when I close my eyes and try hard enough. 

{It's actually one of my favorite things about our new house, the quiet stillness. We live on a dirt road in a quiet area outside of Palmer, and in the summer I can sit on our front porch and just soak up the peace and quiet and the sun. Usually all I can hear are the sounds of dragonflies buzzing by and sometimes the neighbors chickens clucking and pecking around.}

Steve paddled me over to this group of Harlequin so I could get some closer pictures of them, but they startled and flew off just as we were approaching. I did manage to get these beautiful pictures of them taking flight, their movement is so graceful for how quickly they move.

When we got back to the spring in the back lagoon where Steve's dad gets his drinking water, we all got out to stretch our legs and enjoy the sun. I love the back lagoon, there's never any day breeze like there tends to be on the beach in front of the cabin. It was probably about 35 degrees that day, but back in the lagoon it felt like it was at least 50 degrees, so warm!

On the way back to the cabin Riggs got a paddling lesson from daddy and then played around with me in the front for the rest of the trip back. Riggs found some sea lettuce to eat - he loves it, I'm not really a fan. It was such a nice way to spend the afternoon, and I can't wait to go back this summer so he can paddle around some more without quite so many layers.

Steve and his dad came up with the idea to make some sort of a swing in the house for Riggs. First they toyed with the idea of a buoy, then they tried to rig up some old net and ropes. Finally they grabbed an old dipnet and attached some rope and bungee and called it good. I was a bit skeptical that he would actually get any enjoyment from it, but judging by his huge smiles and squeals of delight I think he liked it;) He played in it quite a bit over the weekend, and nearly fell asleep in it on Sunday before naptime.

Monday we went over to Greg and Sandy's, who live next door to Rick. They've lived there forever but recently built a new house, which is just so lovely and filled with beautiful things that they've hand picked and collected over the years. I swear I could have just sat in their warm, sunny living-room listening to everyone talk and catch up for forever, content to just be there soaking up the beauty of the surroundings and the friendships.

It was such a lovely day, and Riggs even took his first steps there in Greg and Sandy's living room. Of course I didn't manage to catch that on camera, even though I tried the rest of the afternoon, watching him like a hawk with my iPhone camera ready. Sandy had given him a big exercise ball to play with, and he was standing up, pushing the ball in front of him. Then it rolled a bit further away then he expected and he just walked on over to it, about four or five steps. We were all so shocked and it excited, I think we scared him with our loud exclamations.  

Now that we're home he hasn't seemed too interested to try taking more steps, but you can bet I've been watching his every move, ready to see it when it eventually does happen again.  

part one of our trip

part two of our trip