Camping and Mini's

During a recent camping trip to Soldotna, Alaska, I found the inspiration to do a little mini'ng.  While wandering our campsite, I found on the ground a 9mm bullet casing in really good condition and I thought it would make a great miniature vase.  Surrounded by all sorts of small flora, I decided to make a floral arrangement, and here is what I came up with.  The whole thing is about 1.25 inches tall.

 

The fresh flowers have died by now, but I kept the casing and will use it for a more lasting arrangement in 120 Copper Court.  Speaking of Copper Court, I'm making wonderful progress on the exterior and should have some photos coming pretty soon.  It's really looking fantastic!

Road trip to Eureka, Alaska

Jeff and I went on a glorious road trip out east to Eureka, Alaska.  Along the way, we stopped for lunch and were greeted by a friendly old turkey that we shall call Tom; since I didn't get his name.  We continued onward and the views were just breathtaking!  Matanuska Glacier is simply magnificent.  This wasn't the sunniest of days, but it was beautiful nonetheless. 

Moose on the Loose!

We had the most wonderful visitor in our backyard today!  She was only about 15 feet from where I was standing on our back porch.  They gorge themselves on the new, spring foliage.  Gotta love this place!

A Lone Christmas Tree for My Commute

For the past few years, someone (no one knows who) has put holiday lights on a solitary spruce tree near the intersection of the Glenn and Old Glenn highways north of Anchorage. The lights are battery-powered and on a timer.  I get to see this wonderful little tree every morning and evening on my way to and from work.

The world's most beautiful commute (in my opinion, at least;)

These photos are of the Chugach Mountain Range and are what I see everyday during my commute to work.  Well, every day during the summer when the sun is up before I am.  These were actually taken at about noon last Friday.  From about October through March, or so, the daylight hours are 10am to 4:30pm; give or take.  That's why you have to seize these mid-day photo opportunities when you can!  Just breathtaking, aren't they? 

Pioneer Peak

Matanuska Peak

Right out of a fairy tale...

...is this little mushroom I took a picture of while fishing at Big Lake; about 20 minutes from home.  I half expected to see a little fey miss sitting upon it, but no such luck.  Maybe she's shy...

Welcome to beautiful downtown Talkeetna, Alaska!

Today, we decided to take a Sunday drive about an hour or so north of home to Talkeetna, Alaska.  It's a tiny, old Alaskan town that serves as a popular jumping-off point for mountain climbers headed for Denali, as well as those that want to take float plane adventures.  The town sits at the junction of the Susitna and Talkeetna rivers and is one of my favorite places in Alaska.  I used to come here every summer as a kid to partake in the Moose Dropping Festival with the Anchorage Scottish Pipe Band as a dancer and drummer.  Good times!!!  The train tracks you see serve the Alaska Railroad and the last picture is of a wild Alaska rose bush.

We made it!

Well, we drove the Alcan Highway and survived; as the saying goes.  It was an absolutely incredible trip without incident and our four cats did much better than we hoped they would.  We reached my dad's house on May 22nd and I went back to work on June 1st as a Move Coordinator for a local relocation firm.  And now that we're settled and into a routine, I thought I'd post my first batch of photo's.  The photo's below are of the views I have to and from work every day...the Chugach Mountain Range.  I haven't lived in many places, but of the places I have lived, none of them have had mountains that are as "in your face" as the state of Alaska.  It's just so beautiful here and it feels so great to be back home.

Springtime in Alaska

One sure sign of spring in Alaska...the pussywillow catkins start to bloom!  I just love these trees and can't wait to see them again.   Hmmm...I'm wondering if I can't use some in a miniatures project.  Ya think?

WOOT WOOT!

I'm so thrilled!  Not only does my husband have a job waiting for him once we get to Alaska, but now so do I!  I've landed myself a really good job with a relocation firm in Anchorage and I'll be starting with them on June 1st!  It's so wonderful knowing I have this waiting for me...it makes the move so much more relaxing for me since I don't have to worry about finding a job when we get there.  Whew!  Heavy sigh of relief here.

North to Alaska

I wanted everyone to know that it will be a couple of months before I can get back to my miniatures and post pictures of my projects on this blog.  Hubby and I are moving to Alaska in three and a half weeks!!  It's actually going home for me as I was born there, but once we drive across the Canadian border, it will be the furthest north my husband has ever been and I'm looking forward to watching him experience the Great North for the first time.  We're moving up there to be closer to my family; my dad and my brother.  My step-mother is having some serious health issues and they really need our help.  And while leaving Colorado is sad in some respects, I am getting more and more excited about going home as the days go by...there's just no place like Alaska; it's hard to put into words. 

So, we'll be driving the historical Alcan Highway with four cats.  Yes...four.  Four very spoiled and pampered indoor-only cats that have never been further away from home than the vet clinic five minutes up the street.  Eight days driving, seven nights of trying to settle them down in hotel rooms.  Should be interesting, to say the least.

I look forward to being able to share my new Alaska adventures with any of you who are interested in reading about them, so be looking for regular postings here in the near future.  Until then, I have found some glorious Alaska photos online that I really wanted to share here:

Million Dollar Bridge - Cordova, Alaska

Sheridan Glacier

Copper River Delta

Orca Inlet