Category Archive:WOW!

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.

I recently took a trip to Boston to meet my “imaginary” friends as hubbymoose calls them. This is not my first such trip to meet folks I’ve known online. I trust it will not be my last. It is so much fun to meet face to face and to hear the voices of those folks who have shared many milestones through blog-dom and facebook over the years.

I love brick and I love quirky architecture – this post will show some of the great buildings in and around Boston. Many thanks to Ms. Shelley for sharing her lovely city.

A couple of things of note . . .
I crossed the FINISH line of the Boston Marathon several times while there. Each time brought my thoughts to the victims of that senseless tragedy.

Fenway Park – for all my baseball lovers out there.

The taped sign . . . in Alaska that would be Duck (TM) Tape, of course – and the pineapple of welcome (spotted also in Rhode Island later in the week)

Some of these pics were taken while driving around the city with Ms. Shelley. Others were taken while I traipsed around on foot getting lost in the city. 🙂

I fell in love with that chipped tooth. He called it his “toof” and it drove all the girls crazy. Separated by continents, we were doomed not to meet. I loved him still.
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photo of Peter Noone, aka Herman of Herman’s Hermits, from sodahead.com. Part of the British Invasion, and oh, so lovely to look at – AND – he could sing, too. What was not to love?

Written for Trifecta’s request for 33 words on TOOTH.

It is that time of year in small town ‘laska . . . dipnetting season. For less than three weeks hordes of ‘laskans head to my end of the state. They come with old clothes, waders, huge nets, coolers, and an enormous appetite for spending hours standing in frigid water up to their ‘pits seeking the ever elusive red salmon.

At the same time they seek reds local setnetters are, well . . . setting their nets and driftnetters are . . . drifting in Cook Inlet. The “sport” fishing guides are guiding their clients up and down the Kenai River in search of king salmon, but will take their share of reds as well.

And, I? I, whose hubby dislikes anything that swims (gasp!!) being offered to him on his dinner plate? I, who grew up with and LOVE eating fish (good old catholic background – fish on Fridays – to be blamed for that)? I, am relegated to watching from above . . . watching and taking pictures.

You can find them at my facebook home, but I will share a few with you here also.

click for larger view, of course

And . . . for your viewing pleasure . . . Mt Redoubt in my rearview

Hooves clash and nostrils flare
The color purple is everywhere
The question looms – whatever to do?
PurpleMoose comes to the rescue

Hip hip hooray!
We live in Alaska
we make our own fun

Picture borrowed from Seattle Mariners page for the weekend Super Hero challenge at Trifextra.