Category Archive:Alaska

Light Bars and Fog Lights and Aged Eyes, oh, my

April 17th, 2017 / Categories: Alaska, Hear Me, Moose Nuggets / Comments Closed

We are saying goodbye to the long winter dark here in Kenai. Yes, we are thankful the ice and snow have (mostly) faded away to only a few blackened lumps around town. Yes, we are grateful the icy roads are (for the most part) a thing of the past.

But, as my early morning drives to the gym are gradually getting lighter, there is one thing I am really looking forward to: no longer needing to flip off on-coming drivers. No, not THAT kind of flipping off, sillies. I’m talking about using my dimmer switch.

What? You didn’t know there was such a thing? I’m afraid you are not in the minority. It would seem several people do not know that particular switch is installed in their rigs.

Although I use the thing rarely, I would be thrilled to not have to use it at all.

It depends on you, dear early morning drivers. I would not have to flip you off if you would be courteous enough to turn off your fog lights and light bars when meeting on-coming traffic. Like me. Driving to the gym in the early morning hours.

I try to be courteous enough to make sure my brights are dimmed while you are still down the road. I figure if I can see your lights you can see mine and take appropriate action.

Yes, those light bars are great fun – and it shows you have some status, well, cash to put into such toys. And, I know they are useful for those long hauls to Anchorage in the dead of night. And, they are even useful on the street-light-less roads between Kenai and Soldotna.

But, please, take into consideration those of us who have aging eyes. If you are close enough to me that I am blinded by the lights (two points for lyrics!) then you are causing both of us possible harmful reaction time.

Now, go on . . . go play with your toys on the escape route. Please dim your lights and turn off the light bars and fog lights when in traffic.

God’s blessings

May 30th, 2015 / Categories: Alaska, inspiration, Moose Nuggets, praises, WOW! / 4 Comments »

A few weeks ago hubbymoose came home and found a man near our house who had sunk his truck (u-haul van) up to its hubs in soft mud. He offered to help. It took a few tries – hubby has an explorer – but eventually there was success. The man, who was down from Anchorage to work on a trailer, was grateful and offered to pay. Hubby shook his hand and said, that’s what neighbors do.

About a week later the man came down to our house to talk to hubby. “I see your house needs painted. I’m going to do that.” Hubby said we didn’t have the money to do that and the man shook his head. “I didn’t ask for money. I’m going to paint your house.”

And that was that.

We had about two weeks of drippy, rainy weather. We went about our normal work schedules and forgot about the offer.

A week ago Dexter showed up with a helper and began to scrape the house. They talked together and laughed – oh, how they laughed. That, in turn, caused hubby and me to laugh. We looked at each other and said, “at least they’re having fun.”

Two days ago they came back, armed with ladders, paint and equipment they would need. The taping began. More talk. More laughter. “Can we treat you to a pizza?” “No, Ms. Barbara. We fine. We fine.” The painting began. It met the neighbors approval. They came back yesterday and got the trim finished. We did treat them to Burger Bus and shared laughter around our table last night.

There is still a bit of finish work to be done. It will get done in due time.

We are humbled and blessed by these two men.

The sign on the side of their truck – GDEW. Hubbymoose asked the meaning . . . God Does Excellent Work.

Yes, yes he does. We are thankful.

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state of the house BEFORE Dexter showed up . . . last paint about 20 years ago.

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and, how it looks today. They even painted the bunkhouse behind the house!

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I spent this morning washing windows and curtains. Hubby asked me to make sure people know that you just never know people. You just never know how your kindness might be repaid. It is not why we do such things, but it is always a blessing when such things happen. I asked one of the men if they were believers. He said, “yes, Ms. Barbara.” I then told him how much he was blessing my husband’s heart by what they were doing.

Pass it on, folks. Pass it on.

come down to the water

August 18th, 2014 / Categories: Alaska, I wanna go home!, poetry, Velvet Verbosity, words / 3 Comments »

Come down to the water
My true love sang to me
Come see the sailing ships
And watch the tide with me

Come down to the water
I called back to my love
Let’s seek shells and toss
Pebbles, and rescue starfish

Come down to the water
Let’s watch the sun sink
‘neath waves turned golden
With its waning light

Let’s sit together at the wharf
Dangling our feet and laugh
As waves tickle our toes
And crust them with salt

Oh, do come down
To the water with me
It is there life begins and
Where our love remains
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
written for Velvet Verbosity’s 100 word challenge WHARF. Photo is from a day trip my love and I took to Homer over the weekend. I belong in Homer – someday – someday I shall live there.

July? What?

July 6th, 2014 / Categories: Alaska / 2 Comments »

I find that the busier I am, the less time I spend here in my little corner of the world. Sorry if you came by and found the corners a tad dusty. Once upon a time I was here on a daily basis. I wrote vignettes about small town Alaska living and offered daily peeks into my world. Hi there, won’t you come in and sit a spell?

Then I began to answer writing challenges and the pieces you could find hereabouts were fictional or poetic looks into my imaginary world. Sadly one of those challenges is no more. Even more sad, the one challenge left that I choose to write for, well – I write pieces and never get them uploaded. Trust me, it’s not them – it’s me.

Someone asked me on the 4th of July as hubbymoose and I visited her Dad – do you have enough visitors to your website to make it worth having? Hmmmm – well, I have no clue how many people might stop by here. I gave up looking at those stats a looooooong time ago. Basically, this little corner of the world is still just my hangout. I love when people stop by and drop a note as they leave. Too many times, however, they never leave a comment. So, if you are peeking in? I’m over here on the other side of the screen waving to you.

I am still doing some writing . . . am in the newest issue of Alaska Women Speak with a poem, a short piece and two photos.

United 1425

March 15th, 2014 / Categories: Alaska, I wanna go home!, Moose Nuggets / 1 Comment »

First World problems . . .

Big excitement in small town Alaska . . . a United Airlines jet had to land in Kenai because of weather problems in Anchorage. Kenai does not see many large planes, but is a designated landing zone when there are problems in Anchorage. Our landing strip accommodates the BIG planes from Elmendorf on a sometimes daily basis as they practice touch and go landings. We also host large fish cargo planes every summer.

The excitement comes because some of the passengers contacted the Anchorage news station to tell them the pilot had left them on the tarmac for hours before they were allowed to deplane. THEN? The pilot left them at the airport and went to a hotel. They were not allowed to take their luggage off the plane. That is most likely because we do not have TSA at our little port so bags cannot be scanned.

I was recently in Juneau and my flight home was grounded for mechanical reasons. I was given a voucher for a night at a hotel near the airport. This only happened because the problem was mechanical – if it had been a weather related incident we all would have been on our own. Also, we would not have been able to stay in the airport overnight as that is not allowed. We would have had to find a hotel and pay for it on our own.

The folks here last night could have gotten rooms in one of four local hotels – one within walking distance and the other three a short taxi ride. It would have been on their nickel, unfortunately. Many/all decided to stay in the airport. Airport personnel went to Walmart and purchased blankets for them to use. They didn’t have to do that, but that is what small town Alaskans do.

This morning the restaurant onsite opened up and fed them all. This, we are told, was paid for by United, which was generous.

The plane left Kenai shortly after 2 p.m. I’m sure there were cheers both on take-off and on landing in Anchorage. Feelings and clothes might have been a bit rumpled, but folks were safe, the pilot was rested, the experience was behind them.

Life can be experienced in many ways. We can be joyous. We can be grumblers. We can “make our own fun,” as my motto says. I choose joy. I choose to make my own fun. I always pack extra underwear in my carry-on and a toothbrush. I also carry a credit card when I travel. I’ve never purchased flight insurance, but I may reconsider that the next time I fly.

Anything can happen. But we are such whiners. In the midst of all this – our first world problems – the family members of 200+ people are wondering if their loved ones have crashed somewhere or if they are being held prisoner by some lunatic somewhere . . . simply because they were on a plane – in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Sort of puts it all into perspective, doesn’t it?

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