Journey of a Lifetime

A NYE Challenge that was "Sew" Easy!

2012-01-20T20:16:00.000-08:00

Jan. 20:
Okay, here it is, the first update since I made my official New Years Challenge to try something new once every two weeks.
I need to start by saying that I've also decided that my parents should participate along with me, since I'm living with them, they might as well expand thier horizons!

So, let's start with dad....he qualifies by trying dessert pizza for the first time. (crazy I know, but he's pretty traditional when it comes to food!)

Moving onto mom: She rocked Wii fit! (especially the hulla hoop game - LOL!) Watch out Super Mario Brothers - You're next!

As for me: I openend the sewing machine I got 3 years ago for Christmas for the first time and (without a pattern) made a few aprons!
I should probably explain that I wanted to get one for mom's birthday (which is today), but couldn't find one I liked AND could afford (still unemployed!) So, I turned to the web for ideas thinking I could create one out of something I had here at home.

The handkerchief apron was my first atempt, and, although it looks pretty sassy in the photo, I wasn't overall pleased with it. So, I dug through drawers of mom's old fabric pieces and used an apron I got for Christmas to model the next two creations after. It only took me 5 hours to make them but I think they turned out fabulous!
The floral apron ended up being mom's birthday gift.
Check out the pictures below!

Until next week...
~Sharon

Attempt #1: Apron using 2 handkerchiefs and gossgrain ribbon

Attempt #2 - Now were cook'n!

Mom and I in the aprons!

New Year's Challenge - Part 2

2012-01-12T19:24:00.000-08:00

Last year about this time, I found myself in some very unhappy situations and working through a time of unemployment....surprise, surprise, I seem to be in that same spot again at the beginning of 2012, with the exception that instead of being in scenic Leavenworth, I'm in Jackson, MN! Oh well, at least I have family and friends close!

That being said, last year, to help cheer me up and get me out of my funk, my cousin proposed a challenge to do one new thing a week for 16 weeks...... As it turned out, I did a whole bunch of new things, and not just for 16 weeks, but for all summer long. In the end, it was the best New Year's Challenge ever and I ended up having a ton of fun and experiencing a lot more than I may have otherwise. That being said, I want to continue the challenge for 2012! (albeit a few modifications....) This year, I challenge myself to do or try one thing I've never tried/done before once every two weeks and then blog about it! This could prove to be somewhat of a challenge, as I've lived around here for half my life, but we'll see. Even a half effort will result in good things, I'm sure of it!

Since we are into the 2nd week of January already, I should catch you up on what I've done so far:

Week 1: Jan 1-7th: Mom and I made scarves out of old t-shirts! We got the ideas from my new favorite website: Pintrest! I made three and they turned out great! (Sorry - no pictures, guess you'll have to take my word for it!)

Week 2: Jan 8-14th: I'm working part time at Reed & Brinkman Accounting downtown Jackson. (okay, basically I just help mom out doing her grunt work during tax season. But hey, I need the money and the hours are flexible!) So, for the first time in my life I have used a plethora of computer programs and tax software to print tax forms I've never heard of before! 941s, 1099s.......and the list goes on! (Again, no pictures....but this is pretty boring stuff, so really, I'm doing you a favor here!)

Can't wait to see what's next.....

~Sharon

2012: New Year's Eve

2012-01-12T19:08:00.000-08:00

The perfect way to ring in the new year, is spending the evening with good friends, food, and having a lot of laughs!
This year, the party was hosted by Aaron and Amanda Strommer in Hugo, MN. We had a "rainbow" themed party - meaning eveyone was to wear a specific color of the rainbow and then bring food to match. It turned out to be a lot of fun and it was wonderful to catch up with some of my friends whom I haven't seen in several years! All-in-all, a great way to start the new year!
~Sharon

Top 10 of 2011

2012-01-12T19:01:00.000-08:00

Sharon's Top 10 of 2011!

As a scrapbooker, I collect and compile memories. It's always fun to look back through old photo albums and scrapbooks that I've made in the past and it's especially fun at the end of the year to remember the best parts from the prior 12 months. (Which was somewhat easy, as I'm busy scrapbooking those memories now!)

So, I thought I would share my favorite moments with the photos below (in no particular order.)

Enjoy -

Sharon

My little sister gets Married! (September 3)

I learn to Cross County Ski and love it so much that I brought a pair back to MN with me!

I spent at least one day a week for most of the winter at Steven's Pass in WA working on my snowboarding skills!

I was given the opportunity to manage and buy for The Mercantile/Gift Shop at The Sleeping Lady Resort in Leavenworth, WA! What a fabulous job!

White Water Kayaking! I still can't believe I was crazy enough to do this!

What would the top 10 be, without including some of my wonderful friends from Leavenworth, WA!

Zac Brow Concert in Minneapolis with my favorite concert buddy - Jenn! What a great way to say "welcome back!"
It was a great concert and I'm looking forward to our next one!

I got my first puppy at the end of October - meet Huxley!

Rock Climbing lessons in Leavenworth (September)

My Dad returned home in June from a yr-long deployment to Afghanistan!

Christmas at the Wimmers

2012-01-12T18:39:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! (yeah, I know, I'm posting this about a month late, just keep reading, it will be okay....)

I wanted to share this photo with you, as it was taken with my Aunt Brenda's Camera the weekend we were in Mapleton, IA, for the Wimmer Christmas. Each year we all bring food to share, or special treats. This year was no different, as Lance brought smoked Oysters and Hoot Wine from Huron's Hutterite Colonies near Huron, SD.
After a fabulous Christmas dinner, we decided to break open the home-made "grape" wine and have a Christmas toast. At first smell, it was pretty awful, but as long as you don't breath while you drink, it tasted great. Anyway, here we are before sampling the wine!

~Sharon

Jackson's Lighted Parade

2012-01-12T18:29:00.000-08:00

December -

Since I'm in town for the foreseeable future, I might as well take part in some community activities - such as the lighted parade and fireworks held downtown Jackson during the Christmas season. This year, it was held on the first Sat. in December, and wouldn't you know, it started snowing! Which made for a beautiful setting! Check out the pictures below.

~Sharon

Yes, only in the Midwest does Santa's sleigh get pulled by a tractor!

Huxley

2011-11-12T16:34:00.000-08:00

Meet my new best guy: Huxley! He's a 7lb Bernedoodle puppy! (1/2 Bernese Mountain Dog and 1/2 poodle - a new dog hybrid that will get to about 70 lbs, be lazy and lovable and best of all - non-shedding!)

Aunt Leah and cousin Gavin bought him this snazzy sweater so he can keep warm with the weather gets cold!

He's been busy making new friends everywhere he goes - from Pet Smart for a bath, to all the neighbors down the street!
House training has been going good as well - he's a very smart puppy! So far, his favorite game is to fetch my slippers!
However, dad is his favorite buddy - probably because he gets treats and played with a lot!

~Sharon

Jusin & Ashton's Wedding

2011-11-12T16:19:00.000-08:00

Jusin (my cousin) and Ashton's wedding, held October 15th in Denison, IA:

My family, at the reception!

Leavenworth Friends

2011-11-12T16:14:00.000-08:00

Some photos of me and my favorite girls in Leavenworth on one of my last nights out before moving back to Minnesota!Miss you ladies and thanks for the great memories!

Amanda and Len's Wedding: 9/3/11

2011-09-25T22:20:00.000-07:00

The Bride - showing up for pre-ceremony pictures at Fort Belmont in Jackson, MN

Lance, with the girls, Katherine, Mindy and Lindsay

Lance and I!

All of the guys, goofing around with the old-time tools for the photo-shoot

It's the girls' turn to goof around....

Amanda and Len's first dance!

Gavin and I hanging out at the reception.

Leah and I

Father/Daughter Dance

The wedding party, line dancing to Boot Scoot'n Boogie!

Manda Jo's Bachelorette Party

2011-09-25T21:55:00.000-07:00

August 27-28th

As Maid of Honor for my sister's wedding it was my job to plan a rock'n bachelorette party for her, a job I took very seriously and started planning sometime in May. The details, were kept strictly confidential, with the exception of dad, whom I would tell about my plans and ask for advice. (Hey, he was in Afghanistan at the time, who could he tell?) The girls were told the barest of details in the invite, only where to meet, what time and what to wear (which was based on a cowgirl theme).

Curious yet? Check out the pictures below and see what we did:

The Theme: Cowgirls: " A bunch of girls, look'n for a good time, break'n hearts, turn'n heads and look'n so fine."

The adventure began at 9:30 am. We met at Grandma and Grandpa Kuehl's house in Mapleton, and started with a toast before loading the 15 passenger van and heading off to our fist destination. Mom was our designated driver.

Here we are, with the van. We're just waiting for two gals before heading out!

I had to sit on a tiny work stool in the middle of the isle the whole day so I could conduct the games and activities as we drove.

Mom, the designated driver... off we go!

Our first stop, was Lucky Lanes in Denison, IA, where we completed a game of Crazy Cowgirl Bowling complete with "An Electric Slide" frame and a "Sexy dance move" frame! Prizes were awarded for best and worst bowlers!
After bowling, we were picked up and taken out to a local park where we noshed on pizza, cookies & bars. We also made sure to hydrate with beers & cowboy lemonades!

On the way to our next stop, Amanda opened her gifts. Since this is a PG rated blog, this is the only photo I am able to post!

Our third stop of the day was Dale Valley Vinyards in Stuart, IA. Here we listened to a blue grass band and sampled all of the local wines! De-licious! As you can see, the winery's tasting room was a converted old school house.

Stop #4: Dance-A-Cross in West Des Moines, IA, for line dance lessons! Here we learned 4 different line dances that we will all hopefully remember and can do at the wedding next weekend!
Phew....I'm getting a bit tired. Next stop - The hotel for a short rest and change of clothes before continuing our adventure!

Dinner was down-home-cook'n without the work. We dinned at The Machine Shed at The Living History Farms in West Des Moines. We had steak tips, pork, baby red potatoes, green beans, coleslaw, rolls, and I'm sure I'm forgetting something. It was super delish and oh, so much food! We were also spoiled with awesome cocktails, like my bacon bloody mary!

Amanda, practicing up for the next stop....

Buck's Bar in West Des Moines. Not only did we get to ride a mechanical bull, but Amanda was given a free t-shirt, bottle of Boone's Farm wine, we had a campaign toast and didn't have to pay cover - Yee Haw!

Katherine's turn on the bull!

Cowgirl Up Mindy!

Amanda, arrested for bad dance moves! JK - Love ya Sis!

Book Em' Danno!

Even Mom was thrown behind bars!

Public Intox!

But, Amanda could spring us all from the clink by spinning the Wheel 'O Shots! Jager Bomb! Thanks for taking one for the team Manda!

Last stop of the evening - Blue Moon Dueling Piano Bar! For oldies, sing-alongs, and much more!

On Sunday, the only stop was for coffee before heading back to Mapleton. I ended up with a migraine headache that morning and because of it, was the only one who got sick! LOL!
Overall - a great bachelorette party!
Can't wait to see everyone again at the wedding!

~Sharon

Yummy!

2011-09-12T20:51:00.000-07:00

September 12, 2011

Not sure what this is called (maybe: pesto, veggie, pizza/tortilla?) but thanks mom, for letting me tear this page out of your Taste Of Home magazine while I was back home last week!

Not only was it delish! But it was a great way to use some of my garden veggies and things from the Farmer's Market!

Bon Appetit
~Sharon

Floating The Icicle - Take 2

2011-08-19T19:27:00.000-07:00

I got to spend another great day on the river with a friend! Check it out:

My friend, Evelyn

Self-portrait!

~Sharon

Floating the Icicle River

2011-08-15T19:55:00.000-07:00

What: Floating the Icicle River with friends and enjoying a (rare) day-off
When: August 10th

One of the most popular summer activities in Leavenworth is to do a "lazy" float down either the Wenatchee river (getting on at the bridge, just down from my house), or the Icicle River (getting on at the fish hatchery, just 2 blocks down from my house). Most of the locals own a min. of 2 tubes per person, and on a busy Saturday, I've heard 500+ people spend the day relaxing on tubes in the rivers. So, naturally, I had to buy a tube and try this! (If you aren't a local, and still want to join the fun, you can call Tube Leavenworth, a local company, that will rent you a tube, give you paddles (read: Frisbees) and shuttle you to a drop-off location and then pick you up at the beach when you are done!)
I went with some friends, Laura & Quinn from The Sleeping Lady, and Jason, a friend I met through Laura, Quinn and Jess.

Check out my day, and please forgive some of the photos. Evidently, my photo-taking abilities are inversely proportionate to my Margarita consumption.

At the put-in. We're waiting on the boys....

Here they come - Quinn and Jason.

A view from the river

My friend Laura!

Self-portrait!

I'm willing to bet this beats Margaritaville....but, where's the salt.....?

just relaxing on the river...

Got my toes in the water, ass in the sand....oh, wait, I got my ass in my tube, toes in the air.... not a worry in the world (including that this doesn't rhyme), a cold drink in my hand!

Quinn - you're so talented - you can balance a beer on your stomach while Kayaking!

Till Next time.....

Hope you are all having as much fun as me!!

Widbey Island Adventures

2011-08-15T19:29:00.000-07:00

What: A trip to Whidbey Island (Northwestern corner of Washington on Puget Sound)
When: Aug 3-4
I flew into SeaTac and since I was already on that side of the state, I decided to hang around and make the most of it. So, I drove up to Mukilteo, caught the ferry and headed for Whidbey Island!

Views from Mukilteo where I got on the ferry!

On the ferry....

Anchorage Bed & Breakfast in Coupeville where I stayed the night. I had dinner down the street at a Tavern called Tobys (right on the water). I had steamed mussels from Penn Cove (which is on the Island). They were fantastic!

On the 4th, I went Ocean Kayaking out of the Marina in Langly. (The southern end of the island)

Me and My guide. (We were in tandem/2 person kayaks)

More Kayakers - part of the group we were with....

The pier in Coupeville, where I stopped for an iced latte! Yum! and a local bottle of white wine - yummier!

self-portrait!

Another self-portrait! This time I'm at Ebey's Landing on the beach!

So good to see and walk in the ocean again!

Views off Deception Pass Bridge

The beach below Deception Pass Bridge

Deception Pass Bridge

View from the other side

And then it was time to drive home....back to work, back to reality!
~Sharon

Viva Las Vegas

2011-08-15T19:07:00.000-07:00

Wow - it's been a while since my last post - apologies - however, I have a good excuse - I've been super busy having tons of fun. Doing what you may wonder? Well, I'll use the next few posts to show you.

So, starting from the top:
What: My trip to Las Vegas (I was attending a buying/trade show for work, with a co-worker, Caroline)
When: July 31 - Aug 3rd
Where we stayed: The Flamingo (right on the strip)
I know it appears that we just goofed off, but we really did work, and we had a great show/buying trip accomplishing everything that was on "my list"!

At New York New York, there is a bar called Nine Fine Irishmen - they had a live Irish folk band that played every night and it turned into one of our favorite stops! The second night, we managed to meet 2 Fine Irishmen - HAHA!! (Mr. Guinness and his friend, Mr. Guinness!)

Me and Caroline

The first night in Vegas, we went to "Tony and Tina's Wedding" (an off-Broadway production where you participate in the action) and sat with Tina's mom and brother. Tony's Father, Tina's Mom, and Father are shown behind our table.

Sights along the strip - we had plenty of opportunity for photos as we ended up doing a lot of walking - from one end to the other! Who knew the Mono-rail closed at 2 am?!

Caroline hit it big - $60.00!! (Yep, that's about as high-rollers as we got!)

Hanging out at the Flamingo's Pool one evening after the show

It's 5 O'clock Somewhere!

Me and Caroline!

Caroline, shows off her, hard to get water at Dick's Last Resort. (Honestly, we could NOT get a server to get us water - finally two other customers and then the bus boy brought us some water! I realize they are supposed to be "dicks", but that was a bit ridiculous!)

On the strip....we're walking again - go figure!

As for the rest of our Vegas Adventures.....what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!
~Sharon

Adventures in White Water Kayaking - Part 2

2011-07-29T18:58:00.000-07:00

7-28-11

What better way to spend a day off work than in a kayak on the river?

This morning around 10, I joined a group from Leavenworth Mountain Sports as they did a white-water trip down the Wentachee River. We had 4 other "IK"ers (Inflatable Kayakers) and a raft group with us. Although the water wasn't as high or as fast as the last time I kayaked, there were bigger holes and higher waves since the lower water levels changed the rapids. For example, one of the first rapids, "Drunkerds Drop" was still sporting a 10 foot wall of water. (which is a killer rush to hit head-on!) I'm happy to report that this time I didn't swim at all - even Grannies Panties! Whoop Whoop!!

The guides this time around, were Dan & The Bird Man. Check out my photos:

One of the guides - Dan

Lane - A friend of mine. The first time I kayaked, his wife was with us!

The rafters

The other guide - Bird Man

Relaxing between rapids on the river

Hanging out at an eddie, watching the rafters and other kayakers surf.

'Till next time
~Sharon

SUP at Happy Wave

2011-07-26T22:02:00.000-07:00

July 26, 2011

On Tuesday nights, Leavenworth Mountain Sports supplies boards and gear for anyone who wants to learn SUP (Stand Up Paddle boarding). They also bring along some kayaks so you can practice your river skills. Of course, a lot of the locals turn up too, to do some surfing on Happy Wave, hang out with friends, and have a good time. (It cost just a couple of bucks, kind of a free-will-donation type of thing...)

Since I got off work at 6:30, I decided to check things out. At first, I was not real sure if I wanted to try it (it was cold outside - maybe 75 tops, plus, the water was freezing!), but, I ended up on a board, and of course, loved every minute of it! Guess you know where I'll be every Tuesday night when I'm not working!

~Sharon

Chance, a local, showing off some surfing skills!

Oh my gosh - I'm standing up!

Ok - now I'm getting the hang of this!

Yep...paddling isn't so tough

I met a new friend - Amber. She's from Minnesota too! (Should have known, as she was one of the friendliest people there.)

Practice, practice, practice....next week - Happy Wave!

A Kayaker showing off on Happy Wave

The Sound of Music

2011-07-25T22:43:00.000-07:00

July 21, 2011

Tonight I saw "The Sound of Music" for the first time in my life! It was another of Leavenworth Summer Theater's productions. This time, it was held at the ski-hill outdoor theater.
We're not supposed to take photos during the show, but it was such a pretty setting, I couldn't help but snap a photo before the show started.
The actors and actresses did a great job - the songs all sounded so perfect, just like Julie Andrews herself! Maybe I'll have to check the movie out from the library and watch all 3 original hours worth! LOL!

~Sharon

A weekend in the Midwest

2011-07-20T23:49:00.000-07:00

"My candle burns at both ends, it may not last the night;

but ah, my foes, and oh, my friends - it gives a lovely light."

-Edna St. Vincent Millay

July 15-18th

My crazy, wild, 5-states-in-4-days weekend started Thursday night with a red-eye flight into Sioux Falls where Dad picked me up first thing Friday morning. It was followed with breakfast at Perkins - yum! Then a bunch of little naps until we left for Iowa. (I don't remember a whole lot in there...)

On Sat. we had (in chronological order) Amanda's Bridal shower on the Kuehl side, Grandma Kuehl's Birthday, Grandpa Kuehl's Birthday and their 70th Anniversary celebration. That night, Grandma Wimmer's birthday. Phew!

Sunday was church, then Amanda's Bridal shower that I hosted for her. After that I could actually relax a bit!

Monday, we hit the road for the trip home. Mom and Dad drove me to Omaha, NE to the airport that afternoon and I headed back to Washington. They, on the other hand, were leaving for Hawaii first thing the following morning - lucky ducks!

Anyway, here are some photos from my wild weekend in the mid-west!

~Sharon
P.S. I missed the heat, but not the humidity! Really 110 degrees!! It's been in the low 80s here and 50s over night. When I got home and went to bed I was wearing flannel pj pants and a long sleeve shirt!

Cousins! Leah, Amanda & Mindy

Toilet Paper wedding dresses! One of the shower games we played for Amanda and Ashton's Joint Bridal Shower.

Ashton, with Justin, modeling our designer toilet paper wedding gown.

Gavin! What a little cutie pie!

Dad, and uncle Kenny - taking care of grilling the burgers and hot dogs

Grandpa and Grandma, in the middle of their 4 boys and daughters-in-law. Looks like Grandma still has to keep those 4 rowdy boys in line!

Grandma & Grandpa with me and my family.

Me, my cousin Mindy and my little sister, Amanda. (or should I say younger sister, since I'm obviously the "little" one - as in SHORT!)

Table decor from the 50's/Soda Pop themed shower I threw for Amanda on Sunday.

Friends and Family at the shower.

Leavenworth Summer Theater

2011-07-13T23:07:00.000-07:00

July 13, 2011

I just got back home from seeing the play "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" put on by the Leavenworth Summer Theater. It was an outdoor production located at the Fish Hatchery just down the road from my house. It was a great night for a play, although, cold for July! (I had a sweatshirt, coat, and jeans and could have used a blanket!)
This is one of three plays being produced this summer. The other two are "My Fair Lady" and "The Sound of Music." I have tickets to both and will hopefully get to snap a photo or two next time around.
Until later.

~Sharon

Adventures in White Water Kayaking

2011-07-05T23:06:00.000-07:00

June 5, 2011

I have to make the most of a day off, so since I was done golfing around 1, I made plans to do some white water kayaking in the afternoon.

I was able to rent gear (wetsuit, booties, helmet, PFD) from Leavenworth Mountain Sports. Which is a FABULOUS, locally/family owned business here that really knows their stuff about any, and all, the outdoor sports there are in the area, super helpful staff, and just all-around great people. If you are ever in the area and need hooked-up with anything "outdoor" related, I highly recommend them!
That is actually how this trip came about - I checked out LMS' website and then called and talked to them about a kayaking trip and they hooked me up with Lester.

We hit the river for our first run around 4:30/5 o'clock. It was a short run with rock'n rapids that is really safe should you end up "swimming" (which I did, on multiple occasions.) The river has great conditions this summer, as it's still running at 10,000 cf/s whereas it's normally down around 5,000 by now. (or so I've been told) Which means bigger rapids/waves and fun! We ended up running the river twice, the second time around 6.
As it turns out, several other kayaking friends showed up too, and 4 of the other guys just happen to be experienced rafting guides, so I felt pretty safe!
The key to this, is always have your kayak's nose pointing to the big wave in front of you, should you take the wave to the side of the boat, you flip over. Yup - lesson learned.
It also sounds and looks a whole lot scarier than it really is - in fact, it was a wicked-awesome time!
Check out my pixs:

Susan and Lester. Susan just bought her own boat this year, and loves to run the river every chance she can get. Lester, is the poor soul who said he would watch out for me and be my "guide" on our trip. He did a great job! Kudos! (yes, I would look worried if I were in your shoes too)

Me, at the park before the adventure. I was pretty nervous - I had to take some pepto bismol to get my stomach settled before I left home. After all, this run was pretty scary in a 6-man raft and I'm about to do it in a tiny little, blow up, kayak! All by myself!

Yep - here are those kayaks - getting aired up!

Two of the other guides and Susan. Looks like my camera got a little wet. That must have been because I had just tipped over and made it back up into my kayak before taking this picture.

Lester - who managed to pull me out of the water on numerous occasions, and even had to give me a lift after I lost my boat trying to "surf" one of the waves. (which I totally didn't mean to do!)
Getting back into these boats is a lot like getting back on a tube after tubing at the lake - you are tired, sore, and it's a helluva workout! (only here you have more weight, thanks to your wetsuit and gear!)

Photo taken after swimming "Grannies Panties" (a set of rapids so named because they are big and white). Yes, I managed to flip over - again!

Here we go!

Phew - I made it out alive!

Three of the other guys who ran the river with us. (all are guides for various companies out here.)

Golf Outing

2011-07-05T22:22:00.000-07:00

July 5, 2011.

I actually had a day off (okay, so I went to work for an hour this morning before tee-time, but that doesn't really count, right?) and went golfing with some friends.
We went to the Leavenworth Golf Club, which is right in my backyard (have I mentioned how much I LOVE living here - I am so lucky to have such a great place to call home.) so I walked over to the club house.

I met Laura, Quinn, Jason & Casey at 10, and we played 9 holes before having lunch in the club house. Despite not having golfed in 5+ years, I didn't do all that bad, and I played best ball with Quinn and Laura so I kept up. Funny, it's kind of like ridding a bike, the lessons from high school came right back to me as I was teeing off, chipping, putting, etc...

It was a great time on a beautiful course on a sunny and warm day. Can't ask for more than that!

Here are some pixs:

Laura & Quinn are such a cute couple...I couldn't resist taking this pix!

Jason & Casey (two other friends) who golfed with/behind us

~Sharon

Ohme Gardens

2011-07-03T22:56:00.000-07:00

July 2, 2011 - Photos from Ohme Gardens:

Oh darn! It was a warm afternoon and those ponds looked so nice and cool.....

Well, this has been fun - time to get going now...... catch ya later

Tee Pee For Rent

2011-07-03T22:26:00.000-07:00

Tee Pee for rent:
Are you looking for solitude? Want to get away from your hectic lifestyle? If so, this quaint get-away could be yours for a low monthly rate. Located a brisk (1 hr) hike up a mountain, plumbing is not included, but great views are! (sorry, this location is not accessible by motor vehicles.)

Disclaimer: Tee pee photo was taken during a hike at Peshastin Pinnacle's Park. It is the property of unknown persons and not actually available for rent.

A Day off work:

2011-07-03T22:11:00.000-07:00

July 2, 2011

I don't get many days off work, so when I do, I have to make them count! Today was no exception as I wasn't scheduled to work until 5 o'clock, so I was up-and-at-em at 6:30 a.m.!
My day started with a trip to hike Peshastin Pinnacles State Park. (Thanks Dad, for helping me purchase that State Park pass "on the fly") After which, I ran some errands in Wenatchee (Ugg! Wal-mart!). Then I got to have lunch with the girls - Dewey's sister, Mary, and her two girls, MaKenna and Finnley, at McGlinn's Pug. My last stop was Ohme Gardens in Wenatchee before heading back to Leavenworth and to work waitressing at The Sleeping Lady. Phew - an exhausting day!

~Sharon

P.S. Because of the large number of photos, there is a separate post for Ohme Gardens.

Scenery at Pinnacles State Park (kind of looks like parts of South Dakota!)

Just for Leah - proof I was actually here and not just driving by - my self portrait, made possible by my gorilla pod.

Me again!

Local Flora as seen along the path

A view of the valley looking east, towards Wenatchee.

"The feeling remains that God is on the journey too." -Teresa of Avila

A view of the valley to the west, towards Leavenworth. Check out the Orchards!

A cool view

2011-07-03T18:45:00.000-07:00

Jan, 2011 - I took this photo the other day on my way to work. It was about 3 in the afternoon, and I was turning off Icicle Rd and onto Hwy 2 in Leavenworth. The photo is looking up towards the mountains and Steven's Pass. Not sure what was going on with the weather/atmosphere but it made the sky look a very cool blue that I've never really seen before and it completely covered the mountain.

July, 2011 - This same shot:

Thanks for reading - Sharon

Mud Slide

2011-06-28T19:18:00.000-07:00

Just down Icicle Rd a few miles from my house and past Sleeping Lady there was a mud slide. It happened this spring and the road crews have been working on clearing it. I believe sometime last week they got it cleared away enough to allow hikers and campers to pass. :-)

Grotto Bar

2011-06-20T13:33:00.000-07:00

June 17, 2011

Just hanging out after work with some friends at The Sleeping Lady's Grotto Bar. (Jess, Ashley, me and Laura)

~Sharon

Peonys from the Backyard

2011-06-15T22:46:00.000-07:00

The Bike

2011-06-15T22:44:00.000-07:00

June 14, 2011

This week the weather has been great (low and mid 70s with sun) so I have been riding my bike to work. It takes about 15 minutes to get to The Oil & Vinegar Cellar, or to ride out to The Sleeping Lady. It's a lot more work than I remember though - I swear it's up hill both ways!! Oh well, it's good to get exercise and this way it fits perfectly into my schedule. Plus, I have my ipod for tunes and beautiful scenery and, at this rate, I'll only need to fill up with diesel once a month! Which is definitely a perk since it's still 4.65/gal out here!

A big Thank You to Tom and Lori Payne (the owners of the bike, and the house I'm staying in) for letting me borrow their bike and helmet!

~Sharon

P.S. Did you notice - it's pink!! So perfect.

A Visit from Mom

2011-06-13T14:59:00.000-07:00

On Friday, May 13th I went to SeaTac (the Seattle airport) to pick up mom who came out for a few days to visit me! SO EXCITED!

After I found her wandering around baggage claim (Haha - just kidding mom!) I took her on the scenic route of Hwy 2 over Steven's Pass, back to Leavenworth.
I had so much fun showing her around town, The Sleeping Lady, where I work, the different parks, drives, cute little shops in town, and restaurants, the time went way too fast!

That same weekend she was here, the city was holding their May-Fest Celebration - which took place downtown in the Bavarian Village. There was "Art in the Park," a parade of Bernese Mountain Dogs, dancers in traditional dress who performed ethnic dances and the traditional May-pole dances, as well as live music in the gazebo.

So, of course, we went downtown to walk through all the shops and stores. There were several I had never been into before and mom and I had fun exploring and seeing all the wares. She found raspberry jelly for Lance, purple taper candles for Amanda's wedding, and some fabulous jewelry and a scarf for herself. Then we went to the fudge and taffy shops, the wineries and The CheeseMonger, and it was all down-hill from there. Needless to say, I now make regular, weekly, stops to the Leavenworth Taffy Shop for their "sassy salt-water taffy."
Of course, it rained almost the entire time mom was here so we couldn't sit on the patio, play pickle-ball, or enjoy an evening bon-fire, but we had lots of fun with other stuff - like going to the craft store in Wenatchee and spending hours looking at their craft ideas and deciding which to buy!
Oh, and the Apple trees around Leavenworth were still in bloom while mom was here and we were able to take a short drive to see some of the orchards and all of the trees in bloom - so very pretty!

On Tuesday we went back to Seattle to do some shopping and stay over night as mom's flight left Wed. in the early morning. I don't do much shopping these days as I work most of the time, not to mention, I haven't had someone to shop with in what seems like years - so it was such a treat to have mom beside me in the mall laughing, talking and helping me pick out shirts for work!
We also looked for "mother's" dresses, but didn't have much luck.

When mom had to leave on Wed, it was very hard to say goodbye.....and I feel like I am doing that a lot lately!

~Sharon

Scenes from the Parade - dancers in costume coming down the street.

The May Pole dance!

Bernese Mountain Dogs - part of the earlier parade through town. (So Cute!)

Every morning at 9:30 this guy stands up on the balcony of the Enzian Inn, in full costume, and plays a tune on his horn.

April Showers bring May flowers

2011-06-12T14:10:00.000-07:00

Despite the snow that was still flying early April up in the passes, it was mostly just raining down here in Leavenworth. In April it rained quite a bit - kind of like back home, and we had cooler temps. However, I was promised that after April the rain should stop and the sun and warm weather come for the rest of the summer.
To my dismay, it rained in May - more than they ever thought, and it's now June, and we are still seeing cooler temps and rain. I am so ready for shorts and skirts and to be able to ride my bike to work!!
Oh well, I guess I don't have to worry about watering my plants. Although, you have to wait a few weeks longer to put in your garden out here!
Speaking of, check out my patio garden in the photos below.
I planted tomatoes, green beans, peppers, yellow squash and zucchini.

I've also include some photos of some flowers around The Sleeping Lady and my yard.
Hope all of your gardening back home is going well. I hear it's been hot and muggy. I definitely don't miss the humidity!

~Sharon

Zucchini and Yellow Squash

Beans and Pepper plants

Wild Rose bush outside KOHO Radio (beside my office at The Sleeping Lady)

Bleeding Hearts along the side of my carport at the house I'm renting

Apple Orchards

2011-06-12T14:09:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos of the apple orchards out here from earlier this spring when the trees were blooming. I did some trespassing to get these photos, so don't tell!

There are also cherry and pear orchards in the area, but I don't have photos. (Mainly because I can't tell the trees apart!)

~Sharon

P.S. I've always wondered how they mow the grass in the orchards?....and I thought mowing around the pine trees when I lived on the farm was a pain!

More Updates from April

2011-06-10T13:46:00.000-07:00

More News from April:

About mid-month, Dewey was asked to return to Yes Bay in Ketchikan (a month earlier than expected) as one of the other care-takers was leaving the position to pursue other opportunities. Since Dewey was struggling to get hours in at Steven's Pass (despite a very snowy spring, the ski resort closed mid-April) he jumped at the chance for full-time work and arrangements were made for him to get back to Alaska. By the end of the month, he had packed and caught a ferry out off Bellingham, WA, back up to Ketchikan, AK. It was sad to tell him goodbye, but I know he needed to leave. He's just happier in Alaska. Of course, with his luck, he had some set-backs once he got to Ketchikan and had to stay in town for about a week and a half to do some work on the new Pirate Airworks float plane for Kevin and the lodge. I think he really enjoyed working on the plane but with the constant rain & cold weather in Ketchikan, and the fact that the boat he was staying on leaked, it wasn't very comfortable! He finally made it to the lodge at the end of the month and sounded very happy to have finally made it back "home."
I think that I'm really going to miss spending the summer up there in Alaska - the lodge was a very special place, and again, I feel very blessed to have the memories!
~Sharon

The Sleeping Lady

2011-06-10T13:41:00.000-07:00

The Sleeping Lady Mountain - where our resort got its name! (can you see her laying down - the highest peak is her nose....)

Hey everyone - Sorry its been awhile - guess life took off and got busy on me! Oops. Anyway, here are a few posts from the last few months to get you up-to-speed on what is happening with me, out here in Leavenworth, WA.

First: April 2011

The best and brightest part of April was that I accepted a job at The Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort to Manage and Buy for their Mercantile and Gift Shop. I have been working at the Resort in the Kingfisher Restaurant since January, and Art Woods, my Food and Beverage Manager, recommended me to the General Manager for the position. I was lucky enough to be offered the position, and of course, I said yes! It's my dream job! Are you kidding - shopping/buying/merchandising and working with people all day! Sweet! Not to mention, I have a wonderful boss, Paula, and just about the best co-workers and employees you could ever imagine! I am so blessed!
So, you can now find me on Tuesdays - Friday at the Mercantile (or driving my golf cart back and forth to the gift shop, from the mercantile, at the resort- since the two stores are located in two separate locations), and then Fridays and Saturday nights at the Kingfisher Restaurant!

In addition to buying and merchandising for the two stores, I'm also able to work with local artists, craftsmen and jewelers to consign and display their art and handiwork. This has given me an opportunity to meet many new individuals in the community, but brought some unexpected challenges as well. My newest consigner, is a watercolor artist from Seattle who is displaying 7+ pieces in The Grotto (the resort's bar, and yet another location!).

If you are interested in learning more about the resort, check out the website: www.sleepinglady.com
The resort itself is a very unique property, not only how it is set-up, but I'm proud to say, is also a "B Corporation" which means that it is a recognized "eco-friendly" business. This is a standard that the entire resort lives everyday with each decision we make. (To give an example, Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream is another B-Corp).
Having come from working with these same goals while at The Occasions Group, I was excited to be able to work with a "green" company again.
Needless to say, we carry a lot of recycled, eco-friendly and fair-trade products in our gift shop!

The front of the Mercantile. On the right side of the building is the Mercantile and on the left side is O'Grady's Pantry.

Books and Jewelry are some of our best sellers!

More merchandise

Clothing, hats, scarves and purses in the Mercantile

Inside O'Grady's Pantry, which shares the same building with the Mercantile. They are an all-natural deli & Coffee shop serving the best Vanilla Lattes I've ever had. The wonderful ladies have mine ready each morning when I get to work!

The backyard seating behind the Mercantile and O'Grady's - a great place to have lunch and catch some sun before going back to work!

Another view of the backyard seating. The building in the background is my office, and on the other side, the maintenance shed and maintenance offices.

The Sleeping Lady Front Desk and Gift Shop

Merchandise at the Gift Store

The front of Kingfisher Restaurant and Magpie's Wine Bar where I waitress on Friday and Saturday nights. Next time you are in the area, come out to eat - We feature a gourmet buffet, salad and desert bar, plus approx. 50 different wines! There is outdoor seating in back and much of the food is either grown in our greenhouses or purchased locally!

Grilling Adventures

2011-06-10T12:39:00.000-07:00

Yummy - I cooked up this masterpiece one evening on the grill and was able to sit on my patio and enjoy it with a bottle of wine. (okay-so the monkey bread was baked in the oven because I was having a craving and missing Brenda & Megan's version - mine wasn't as good.)

Unfortunately, a few days later, my attempt at pork chops resulted in a small fire......which I was able to quickly contain....but taught me the importance of keeping your drip trays underneath the grill clean!

Next up - hamburgers.....

~Sharon

Purple Hair

2011-02-27T22:17:00.000-08:00

2-23-11

I finally got my hair fixed! It was getting so long and icky that I felt like an old maid when I would pull it back to waitress (that's right - in a pony tail!!)

I had my hair cut and colored by Ruthie at Studio 511 in East Wenatchee. Not only did she do a great job giving me a fun and fabulous cut and color, but she was affordable too! (Two colors + cut for under $100! Hugs to you Ruthie!) For the most part, I let her suggest the cut and color - just told her I wanted "fun" and since her hair had a big streak of purple in it, she thought it would look good on me too. I would have to agree!

Here are a few photos so you can see for yourself:

Sorry the rest of me doesn't look nicer, but it was a long few days and I was tired when I got home each night! (also the reason this post is 3 days later than I ment it to be!)

You can see more of the purple from this angle....

Although, unless I'm in the right light, it just mostly looks dark brown.

~Sharon

Macy's Fashion Show

2011-02-27T21:59:00.000-08:00

As most of you may have heard, I'm working at Macy's in "Better Sportswear" (A.K.A. Women's Clothing). It's the perfect job for me, as I shop all day long and help people spend money! Of course, I spend some of mine too, because I can never resist a new shirt, pants, or shoes and I love a good sale.

Last week, we had 5 girls who ran for Royalty in the Wenatchee Apple Blossom Pageant, but who were not selected as the Queen and Princesses, model for us during a fashion show. The fashion show not only showcased the girls, but also our new spring line of women's fashions from I.N.C. We also included the newest shoe, handbag and jewelry styles from various lines in the store. The fashion show took place on a Friday night (which I was unable to attend since I was working at the Sleeping Lady), and was MC'd by a co-worker who heads the fashion show and I.N.C. department, Beth Hayes.

Now, the week prior to the fashion show we outfitted the Queen and the two Princesses with a business suit ensemble that included skirt, shirt, jacket, shoes, and jewelry, that they can wear to various upcoming community events. When I say "we outfitted" I mean that Beth and I selected the pieces for the girls and Macy's provided them. So basically, I got to dress royalty - LOL! (No joking aside, this whole "Apple Blossom Festival in Wenatchee is a BIG DEAL - It's a whole month of festivities around town and I'm sure I'll post more about it later.)

I digress....back to the fashion show: The main reason I wanted to share these photos was because I personally dressed and accessorized half of the girls - which was so fun for me!! (each was given two outfits to model), and I think a few of them turned out just super cute!

All 5 girls in outfit #1

I put this outfit together, and it was my favorite of the night - the shoes and jewelry were the best part! Oh, the capris are cute too (might have to buy those myself....)

Beth put this outfit together - looks great on the model - she's so tall.

Beth is the associate in the black and teal in the background.

All 5 girls in outfit #2

Thanks for reading ~Sharon

Tearing up the Daisy Run

2011-02-16T07:41:00.000-08:00

Feb. 10th and 15th -

Since I was off work last Thursday and yesterday, I went to Steven's Pass to work on my snowboarding. I spent most of my time on the green runs, but yesterday I was able to try the blue runs a hand full of times. Of course, I snowplowed most of the way which really makes my legs tired, but that's okay. Yesterday I finally started "cutting" which finally made me feel like I knew what I was doing, but I didn't like to go too fast! Steven's Pass has finally been getting snow again after about a month of rain and warmer weather, so yesterday was awesome as it started snowing around noon again. I believe it is supposed to continue like this through the week. With any luck, Leavenworth will even get some. (I've been cut off from cross-country skiing since you can see the grass in some areas!) Unfortunately, I didn't get any good photos from the two days, but when i do, I'll be sure to post.

Thanks for reading!
~Sharon

Just busy working!

2011-02-04T14:38:00.000-08:00

By now, it's been 5 weeks since the start of the new year, and according to my New Year's Challenge, I should have done 5 new activities.
However, it appears that I've only succeeded in doing 4: Snowshoeing, Cross Country Skiing, Snowboarding and Alpine Skiing. I believe the first week I told you about helping out in downtown Leavenworth at The Oil & Vinegar Cellar, so maybe that counts as 5 since I've never done anything quite like this before?
I don't really have any good excuses for my current lack of exciting activities to report other than my knee isn't back to normal yet (damn MCL), and I have, for the first time since I've moved here) been booked each day at various jobs - Finally! Thank God!

Speaking of jobs, here's an update:
I've been made a "Core Team-member" at Macy's. My new home is in "Better Sportswear" or, Women's clothing. It's a part time position, but I try to pick up extra shifts so that I work 5, 7hr shifts a week. This has proven to be a lot of fun for a natural-born shopper like myself, but also VERY dangerous for my credit card! All-in-all, I completely enjoy the job!

On Friday nights, I waitress at The Sleeping Lady Resort, in Leavenworth. It's about a mile down the road from my house and is an up-scale resort with lots to see and do. (The web site is: http://www.sleepinglady.com/ ) The restaurant features food by gourmet buffet, so this is a new kind of waitress experience for me. For the most part, I'm a cocktail waitress with minimal interaction with food service other than "pre-busing." Since the resort offers "packages" that include meals, most of the guests are just paying for drinks or charging them to their room account, so tips are a bit different than in normal waitress situations as well. So far, the people have been great, and it's been easy to catch on. Tonight will be my second night by myself, so hopefully all continues to go well. (Training in a new job always sucks).

Guess that's all for now. Hopefully next week I'll have some new and exciting activity or event to entertain you with. Thanks for reading!
~Sharon

Snowboarding at Steven's Pass

2011-01-20T16:34:00.000-08:00

1-18-2011

Today I headed up to Steven's Pass with Dewey to do some snowboarding. We left around 8:30 and when we arrived 45 min. later, it was snowing on the mountain with temps in the 20s. - a great day to be enjoying the mountain! And testing out all my new gear!

I got to say hi to a few familiar faces from when I interviewed, and then got to check out where Dewey spends his days at work and meet some of his co-workers. I got set up with a Burton Snowboard. Not sure what the specs were - but it was purple - so it matched my outfit. (My insistence that my outfit "match" or "coordinate" has been a constant source of teasing between Dewey and I, so when he grabbed the purple board for me, I just had to smile. Later, when we were on the lift and I commented on the board matching my coat, he just looked at me and said "yeah, I know, that's why I grabbed that one for you.")

Once we had our gear, I insisted on going on the "easiest" run so I could refresh my memory on how to snowboard. We ended up going down the "Daisy" run about three times before Dewey got too bored and went off to harder runs. That was okay, as I just kept ridding the same green runs - practicing.
All together, I did pretty good. I only fell twice. (Which was a good thing, because warmer temps and rain the prior few days made the snow really HARD!)
Once Dewey met me again, he made me go down a few Blue runs with him before lunch. Again, didn't do too bad, and didn't really fall.

After lunch, we decided to try skiing, since neither of us had done that in 5-7 years! This was a BAD idea! First, I was getting tired from snowboarding, second, it's an entirely new set of "rules." Anyway, I made it down the green run, freaked out on the blue run, and then went back to the green. That's when I managed to get off the lift wrong, fall down and twist my knee. (I might have even heard a pop....) After that, a few tears, and a painful trip skiing down the bunny hill, we returned the skis and went home.

I spent that evening and much of the following day on the couch with an ice pack to my knee. I should have just stopped when I was snowboarding and doing good instead of trying something new. Oh well. Hopefully my knee will get better in the next week so I can get back up the mountain. After all, the snowboarding was a lot of fun!

Until next time, thanks for reading - Sharon

I actually look like I know what I'm doing!

Check out my purple goggles! Too fun right!

Dewey, goofing around during a coffee break!

Snowshoeing with Dewey

2011-01-17T21:16:00.000-08:00

1-17-11

Today both Dewey and I had off work. Since the sun was out and it finally stopped raining, we wanted to enjoy the day outdoors. So, we headed up Icicle Road to do some snowshoeing. Check out the photos I took from our walk.

Taking a break at the top of a ridge.

Self-portraits!

We've had a lot of rain in the past few day. This, along with the warm temperatures causing snow to melt, there has been a lot of flooding in western Washington and the water levels in the rivers are up.

This is Icicle River.

Feels Like Home

2011-01-12T12:25:00.000-08:00

The view outside reminded me of home-sweet-home, Minnesota!

Anyone want to shovel my walk?

NYE Challenge: Week 2: Cross Country Skiing

2011-01-12T09:04:00.000-08:00

1-10-11

Today I went Cross-country skiing for the first time. I dressed in my new Under Armor thermals, some fleece pants, a pullover and hat, and headed out. (It was about 24 degrees and overcast here, so a pretty nice day temperature wise to be out and enjoying the snow.)

My first stop was the ski rental shop, Osprey, just up Icicle Road from my house. I explained that I've never skied before and they not only hooked me up with equipment, but gave me a few pointers on what to do and the best places for a beginner to start. If you are ever in the area in the winter, and want to try snowshoeing, cross country skiing, skate skiing, down-hill tubing, snowboarding, etc or if you are in the area in the summer and in the mood for some white-water rafting, I would recommend checking these guys out. Their website is http://www.ospreyrafting.com/

With the equipment loaded in my car, I headed to the Fish Hatchery/Sleeping Lady Resort. This is the best of four different Cross Country ski trails in the area for beginners as most of the track is flat, smooth, and groomed daily. There are a few hills and trails for the more advanced, so perhaps I'll try those next month! There are several other cross-country trails around the area, and, if you are thinking of visiting, you can check them out at http://www.skileavenworth.com/ The link takes you to the Leavenworth ski club with updates on trail grooming, prices, conditions, etc.

After paying the fee to use the trails, I set out. It was a bit awkward at first because your skis are positioned into a narrow divot in the snow to keep you on track, but once I got into a rhythm, it really worked great. There were other people on the trails, so I never felt like I was in the middle of the woods by myself, but not so many that there was "traffic" or anyone in the way, so that was nice. I completed the first 4 KM in about a half and hour and my legs were still feeling fine, so I crossed over the river to enjoy the back 4 KM of trail. By the end, I had gone approx. 8 KM and it took me about an hour and a half. I figured that wasn't too bad for my first time out. This was a handy tid-bit of information to know because both Osprey and the Leavenworth Ski Club offer half-day rates after 1 p.m. This means, next time, I can save money and still get the whole cross-country ski course finished.

Since I was by myself, I didn't have anyone who could take a picture of me in my cute little outfit on my skis, so you'll have to make due with the few photos posted below.

You can see the tracks the Cross-country skiers use.

My feet! LOL!

Thanks for reading - Sharon

NYE Challenge: Week 1: Snowshoeing

2011-01-10T08:17:00.000-08:00

1-10-11

For the first week of my New Year's Eve Challenge I went Snowshoeing. It's something that I've never done before, yet there are trails all over the area special-made for snowshoes. (Of course you can always blaze your own down/up a mountain, but I would need a better sense of direction to do that.)
Instead, I decided to check out a snowshoeing tour at the Leavenworth Fish Hatchery (located about a mile down the road from me). I was thinking this was going to be the cheesiest thing I've done since Maui's "Pineapple Express," but, thankfully, I was wrong.

The tour consisted of about 8 people, plus a hatery employee that was our guide, and lasted 2 hours. I had borrowed Dewey's snowshoes and he helped me fit them to my boots the night before. However, the hatchery provided snowshoes if you needed them, along with poles.
Not only was it a good experience in way of showing me some cross-country trails to check out next week, but I got to meet another lady from the area and learn of a few more snowshoe trails, and of course, I got to see and learn more about the fish hatery - which raises and releases Chinook (King) Salmon. After the tour I visited the Hatchery's Information Center and got to see the baby salmon and trout they will be releasing this spring.

Me, in Dewey's fancy snowshoes:

Sights along the trail, which went up Icicle Creek and intersected with The Sleeping Lady Resort's Cross Country Ski trails. (Can you see the "Sleeping Lady" in the mountain in the first photo?)

More views of snowshoeing

Checking out the baby fish and the holding tanks at the Fish Hatchery.

Until Next time - Sharon

The Oil and Vinegar Cellar

2011-01-06T15:08:00.000-08:00

Hello!

In my "journey" and current job search, I have been able to meet a lot of new and interesting people. One of those people is Taelor Feinberg. I met Taelor around Thanksgiving when I answered her ad on Craigslist for part time help in her store. Taelor (who is younger than I am) was able to bring her love of food and cooking to life in a store here in Leavenworth, and I've been having fun over the past month and a half learning more about the products and the business. Generally I can be found at the store two days a week selling, bottling, and of course, taste-testing! Below are some photos I took at the store, as well as additional information on what the store is all about.

The Oil and Vinegar Cellar opened approx. two months ago and features flavor infused oils and balsamic vinegars. The Olive Oils have been infused with a variety of spices from Rosemary to Garlic, Lemon Pepper and Basil (to name a few), and the Vinegars have been infused with a variety of fruit flavors, such as Tangerine, Cinnamon Peach, Fig and Vanilla. Each bottle is priced at 18.00 and we do ship, so if you are interested in learning more about the products and other flavors available, or ordering a bottle to try, check out the website. http://www.oilandvinegarcellar.com/

Thanks for reading!
~Sharon

New Year's Challenge

2011-01-01T15:39:00.000-08:00

Hiya all -

Well, it's the new year. Time for New Year's Resolutions, new beginnings and a new blog format! Personally, 2010 was okay- guess it was hard to follow 2009. Since it's not as much fun to read about mundane life, I kind of fell off the "blogging" band-wagon. Oh sure, there were a few posts from the winter in Minnesota, this last summer in Alaska, and my new adventure in Washington, but let's face it. If I'm going to be so crappy at communicating with all of you via email, text, facebook, or snail-mail, the least I could do was post to my blog what I'm up to.

Guess I need to start by saying that Washington has proved to be less than what I had imagined. The job market is CRAP, I'm still unhappily unemployed, the unemployment system has been a huge pain/let down for me, and I've self-diagnosed myself with a mild case of depression. Now, before I call the band for my pity party, I have to say that I am hopeful that all of this will change in 2011. I'm working on a new attitude/outlook that I will be the Queen of Part-Time Employment (I even have a few interviews set up for next week), I'm working with the state of MN and AK to fix prior errors, and I have an appointment to see a doctor. I also have the world's greatest cousin/friend/confidant/& councilor who came up with the exciting proposal I'm about to tell you about.

As it's New Year's day, it marks the beginning of a 16 week countdown to May 1st. (May is significant because the rental agreement on the house is up May 31st, and, as plans stand, Dewey will be returning to Alaska and Yes Bay Lodge, while I return to Minnesota.)
The challenge: do/perform/take part in 16 different events/activities (one a week) that are special or significant to this area, and then blog about it.

So, stay tuned for the first event - coming to you, sometime this week!
~Sharon

P.S. Feel free to offer suggestions on activities or things that you would like to see (or read) about me doing!

Home Sweet Home

2010-11-08T12:24:00.000-08:00

11/8/2010

Okay, finally, here are some photos of the Pickle Haus! My Home Sweet Home while in Washington.

The kitchen:

The up stair's living room. (Fireplace is around the corner where you can't see it, but it's been nice to have fires in the evening when it's cold.)

The down stair's living room:

The front of the house, as you drive in.

And of course, the pickle ball court in the backyard:

Hike to Hidden Lake

2010-11-08T09:31:00.000-08:00

11/7/2010

It was a beautiful sunny Sunday and with the chance of snow increasing as we get into the week, we thought it would be a great opportunity to take a hike to Hidden Lake. It was a bit cool for me - 45 degrees, but the hike was still fun! Here are some photos.

Seattle of Bust

2010-11-06T09:38:00.001-07:00

11/4/2010

We are off to Seattle today to do some sight-seeing. I have been there before, but only if you count the airport, and the trip along the coast we took when I was about 14.....so I was excited to see some new things.

Our first stop: The Space Needle:

Here I am at the top, looking out over the city and bay:

A view from the bottom, looking up:

Next stop: Pike Place Market, home to the world-famous flying fish!

And, here we go....heads up, here comes a flying salmon now! (We also got to taste test some smoked salmon, but I have to say - Dewey's is better.)

Below is a view from the outside of the Market. The farmer's market here stretches for several blocks and takes up several buildings. There are also a lot of local artisans selling anything from jewelry to blown glass. There were a lot of beautiful things, but very expensive as well.

The last stop of the day was to the docks and to visit the Fisherman's Memorial, which honors those who have been lost at sea.

We had a great day exploring Seattle, but after battling traffic all day long, I was more than ready to get out of the city and back home!

Lake Wenatchee

2010-11-06T09:27:00.001-07:00

Being from Minnesota and all, I wanted to see the popular skiing/recreational lake in the area. So, we went to Lake Wenatchee (about 15/20 min. from Leavenworth). They had a great campground and beach where we hung out for an hour or so. There are also some fun hikes around the lake/river area.

After we parked, I noticed this sign by the public boat launch: (Seriously??! $7.00 to put your boat in the water, weather it's a tiny fishing boat or a yacht? I've never been so glad to be from Minnesota and the midwest and a place where we don't do this - What is this world coming to?)

Dewey informed me that it is this way all over the state of Washington and Alaska too (that really surprised me since Alaska, as a general rule, doesn't charge people to enjoy nature!)

Hiking along Hwy 2

2010-11-06T09:20:00.000-07:00

Since it's been such a great fall, and it's not like either one of us are working (ha ha ha) we have to get out and enjoy the day. Today I had Dewey show me some of his favorite spots in Leavenworth and then we did some hiking to a past fishing spot. Here are some of the photos that I took along the way. Enjoy!

Leavenworth, WA

2010-11-06T08:58:00.000-07:00

Guten Morgan! (That's German for Good Morning) - So today I thought I would give you a photo tour of Leavenworth: Here we go:

As you come into Leavenworth on Hwy 2, you'll notice that even outside the city limits things start to look a little different...... Once you get to town, everything takes on a Bavarian theme - even national signage such as Starbucks, Wells Fargo, and Napa have changed their logos to fit the town.

One block off Hwy 2 through town, is the Bavarian Village - a tourist attraction of sorts that has kept the town alive.

It's 12+ blocks of Coo Coo Clocks, Nutcrackers and Wiener-schnitzel fun!

When you get tired of the crowds and folks dressed in their lederhosen, you can take a stroll down to the River Park:

A great trail that goes over the river and through the woods......

Hope you enjoyed seeing part of town. Next up: Views from a hike we took last week!

Road Trip Out West - Part 3

2010-11-01T16:47:00.000-07:00

Today we drove from Cody to Bozeman, MT, which may not be far on the map, but it took us all day as we spent it driving through Yellowstone National Park. We entered the park on the East gate and drove the loop to exit from the North gate. Unfortunately, the road through the middle of the park with the waterfall was closed, so we didn't get to see it, but we did see Old Faithful Somehow we timed our arrival just right so we didn't have to wait longer than 10 minutes to watch it. It was also nice to tour the park in the off-season so we didn't have to contend with a lot of other park visitors! The photos attached are of our trip through Yellowstone. We had beautiful weather for the entire trip - and the fall colors were amazing coming through the hills and mountains.

The last day of driving was Bozeman to Leavenworth, WA. I'm not going to do a separate post as we didn't take any photos and there weren't any notable stops. It was about an 8 hour drive and I have to admit we were both pretty sick of being in the car at this point. The Jetta may be great on gas mileage, but it's not made for long road trips! We arrived in Leavenworth around 7:30, so it was the next day before I got to check out any of the scenery. I will have that coming in another post, along with photos of the house we are renting this winter.

Thanks for reading!

Road Trip West - Part 2

2010-11-01T16:33:00.001-07:00

Day 2 of our Road trip took us from Spearfish, SD to Cody Wy.

Our first stop of the day (after breakfast at Perkins) was Devil's Tower, Wy.

Again, wish we had more time as there were some great hiking opportunities around the area. After that, we trekked through the great state of Wyoming. Not a whole lot to see, so Dewey caught up on some sleep.

We stayed at the Irma Hotel in Cody. It's a historical hotel in downtown Cody built by Buffalo Bill himself. The oldest feature of the hotel is the bar in this photo which Buffalo Bill ordered and had shipped over from England.

The hotel was a fun experience even though we didn't have a pull cord on our toilet. (I was looking forward to that!)

The next morning, we had breakfast at the Irma Restaurant which is part of the hotel.

During the summer if you stay here, you can see live re-productions of gun fights nightly.

Road Trip West - Part 1

2010-11-01T16:10:00.000-07:00

Our road trip started from Huron, SD and ended that night in Spearfish, SD. We left early in the morning, as we had lots to see and do. Our first stop was the Corn Palace in Mitchel - as no trip through SD is complete without seeing both the Corn Palace and Wall Drug. By lunch we had made it to Badland's Nat. Park where we had a picnic lunch. (Hey, we were traveling cheap!)

After touring the Badlands, we drove the Needle's Highway. (Thanks for the suggestion Jenn!). This turned out to be one of our favorite places and we had a lot of fun goofing around along the way at the "scenic turn-outs." Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time to do any hiking which we both regretted. Maybe someday we will make it back there and we can spend a few more days! The drive took us through part of Custer State Park and then up to Mt. Rushmore. We made it to Mt. Rushmore about an hour before sunset, which was nice because I didn't have to pay to park, but that also ment that we skipped Crazy horse.

After that, we drove though Deadwood, Lead, and up to Spearfish for the night.

Hope you enjoy the photos from our first day!

Long Time no....post.

2010-11-01T15:35:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone - My apologies for being so terrible at updating my blog. I've had a lot going on lately, but no more excuses, just lots of stories to tell! So here we go.....I'm going to start a few weeks back to catch everyone up:

After getting back from Alaska, end of Sept, I spent the next few weeks catching up with family and friends. I was able to spend a great Homecoming weekend in Marshall at my Almamater: SMSU (Go Mustangs!) and with my wonderful college crew - it was great to see you guys - it's not often enough that I can hang out with all of you and I miss you terribly!

On Oct. 12th, Dewey flew into MSP to spend the week around Minnesota and South Dakota. He wasn't here long, so it was mainly a trip for him to meet my immediate family and a few friends along the way. He was even able to meet Dad via Skype! As promised, we got to spend a morning at the Mall of America where he rode a roller coaster and the log ride with me. He really got off easy as far as shopping though since I didn't drag him into any of my favorite clothing stores!

We also made it to church Wed. night in Mankato, and spent the following two days with mom in Jackson where I crammed as much as I possibly could into the Jetta for the trip west.

Dewey was amazed at how flat the country was and how you could see for miles and miles. Needless to say, he took lots of pictures. Personally, I liked to laugh at how he was "rediscovering" life in the lower 48, after being in the Alaskan woods for 10 years!

On Sat. the 16th we left for Vermillion to spend the day with my sister and her fiance', Len. We went bowling that evening and I kicked Dewey's butt two out of three games!

The next day we went to Huron to see Lance and hang out. We had a good time watching his big screen and shooting the shit.

The photos attached to this post are of Dewey's arrival at MSP and his trip to the MOA the next day.

On Monday morning we left my brothers to start out road tip to Washington.

To be continued.....

Future Plans

2010-09-14T08:40:00.001-07:00

9/16/2010

Now that I am getting ready to end the season, many of you may be wondering where the next stop on my adventure is (since you keep asking)...well...I'm moving to Washington!

I'm planning on being back in the Midwest for about a month. Arriving in MSP on the 23rd at 6:30. From there, mom has most of my weekends already filled with visiting Lance, dress shopping with Amanda, and of course, I squeezed in the SMSU homecoming weekend, so I can visit, see, and catch up with all my college friends. (Can't wait!)

Around the middle to end of Oct. Dewey will be flying in to meet the family and some of my friends, hanging out for about a week and seeing the best of the Midwest.

Then we are planning a road trip out through SD, WY, CO, MT, ending in Washington. (He's never seen Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone, The Royal Gorge, etc.... so I figured this would be the perfect opportunity!)

After that, we will be living in Leavenworth, WA. It's a cute little German town in the middle of the Cascade Mountains/State of Washington. (I'm picturing something a little more "German" and "touristy" than New Ulm, but along those same lines.) I've been hearing a lot of cool things about the town and the fun little shops (a lot of local artist or unique art work is sold there), and how they go completely nuts for the holidays - Christmas especially - how fitting is that for a person who has 7 Christmas trees! Or, about the fun German restaurants in town.

We are renting a house by the golf course, complete with pickle ball court in the backyard. (I'm told this is similar to tennis, but with a smaller rubber ball and ping-pong like paddles.....??? Hum.... What I find more funny is that the house is named "Pickle Haus" and we just happened to nickname Dewey "Do-Pickle" (for no particular reason) last summer.) I've just started to apply for jobs in the area, and since Dewey grew up a short drive from there, he has several connections to help him find work this winter. Ideally, we would both like to get jobs at Steven's Pass, the ski resort 15 min. up the mountain from Leavenworth. (wish us luck).

Anyway, we have a lot more room that we probably need, so if you feel like a visit or trip out west, give us a call! We'd love to see you.

I am planning to continue with the blog. After all, I'm sure inquiring minds will want to see my klutzy self on skis, snowboard, snowshoes, etc.
Not to mention, my Alaska friends will need photographic proof of Dewey in the mall (decked out in his Carhearts and Xtra Tuff Boots.)

Until next time - Sharon

2010-09-14T08:15:00.000-07:00

9/14/2010

Holy Smokes Batman - it's been a whole month since my last blog entry....my apologies!

Things here at the lodge are winding down, as the end of the season is in sight. We have exactly 6 days after today left with guests, and I have only 8 days left at the lodge.

But before I get into my upcoming plans, I need to backtrack and show you what I've been up to in the last month.

First, check out the King Salmon I caught while "Mooching for Kings" with Sean. This wasn't quite as big as the King I got at the beginning of the season, but a lot of fun because the way we fished gave me more to do than just sit back and watch my rod tip bob up and down.

Anyway...here are the photos:

Enjoy - Sharon

More photos from Bailey Bay

2010-08-11T20:17:00.001-07:00

Here are a few more photos from the Bailey Bay hike.

Enjoy - Sharon

2010-08-11T19:45:00.000-07:00

8/10/2010

Today, Dewey and Art returned from their hunting and camping trip at Hooker Lake on Prince of Whales Island. They got to camp in a Forest Service Cabin and, despite a lot of jeering from fellow co-workers, also packed a small generator and coffee pot. (Guess "roughing it" includes waking up to Folgers in your cup.) Besides being away from work and out in the middle of nowhere in the woods (Dewey's personal idea of heaven) they got a deer!

Since I love showing off my boyfriend, I thought I would post a photo of him and his deer.

You should note, that unlike the Midwest, there are no white-tail deer here. Instead, there is black-tail, which is a smaller breed.

~Sharon

Bailey Bay

2010-08-11T12:05:00.000-07:00

8/8/2010

Today we got to hike at Bailey Bay back to the hot springs. I got to hike this last year, and it was a highlight of my summer, so I have been looking forward to doing it again.

This year I hiked with: Guy, one of the guides here; Lara, the house float; Jaimie, the morning server; Brian, the dishwasher (he is a little strange - to say the least); & Michaela, the bosses' 11-yr old daughter.

We got dropped off at 9:30 and were picked up around 2. Even though it was foggy/cloudy, and it started raining in the afternoon, we had a GREAT day!

Attached are photos from the day: The Waterfall; Canoe we used to cross the lake; all of us at the Lean-to after a lunch of PB&Js; all of us in the hot tub. Enjoy!

~Sharon

A Halibut Adventure

2010-08-11T11:27:00.000-07:00

8/7/2010

Well, I finally got a few "official" days off. August 6-8! I slept in, read, worked on a crew & personal digital scrapbook of this year at Yes Bay, got some fishing time in and went to Bailey Bay hiking. It was wonderful to not have anything to worry about. (Then again, the lodge was empty of guests for three days, so everyone was kind of bumming).

On my second day off, I got to go Halibut fishing with a couple of guides: Kicker and Batman. (those are their call names. The guide with me is Kicker.) We went out around 9:30 (we had to sleep in, of course!). We went to Belle Island, to a spot they've dubbed "the corral." It was pretty windy and thus wavy, so I was glad when we finally found calm water. (I was putting the Bownine and Wrist bands to the test with me and my motion sickness!)

After a couple of hours jigging for Halibut I got a bite..... Then, I (expertly) set the hook, and reeled....and reeled....and reeled.....I was hooting and hollering a lot too (I'm sure the other lodge boats around the area could hear me loud and clear without the radio)...and then reeled some more. Finally, we could see my catch - a halibut!! (After all, you just never know what you are going to pull up out of the deep - especially at 308 feet of water!) After that Kicker harpooned it, and it took off again trying to swim away. Eventually, Kicker used a gaf-hook to get it half in the boat. Then I got to beat the sh&*t out of it with Kicker's little bat/fish beater. (I almost popped out one of the eyeballs!). However, Kicker decided I wasn't hitting it hard enough and took over for me. Guess my arms were just too tired. Then we finally got it in the boat and into the box. Phew!

After that it started to rain, and since I felt bad keeping the guides out in bad weather on their day off, we decided to call it a day and come back to the lodge.

When we got it back, we had it weighed before processing it & also took the picture that is attached. I couldn't believe that it was 51.5 lbs! That is, hands-down, the biggest fish I've ever caught!

Hope you enjoy the photos...more to come!

Love - Sharon

Misty Fijord Flightseeing Tour

2010-08-04T13:31:00.000-07:00

8/4/2010

This morning at 7:30, myself and 4 other crew members got to go on a Misty Fijord flight seeing tour. We flew on the Pirate Airworks plane, with "Huffelpuff" as the pilot. He made sure to poke fun at me (he calls me "streak" because of my hair) when I accidentally fell asleep - due to the Dramamine - mid-flight. The flight was about an hour and 15 min. and we cruised around the mountains, through valleys, and over mountain lakes and streams. It was a perfectly clear and calm morning, so the flight was smooth and the photos were great. I've attached a few.

It's crazy to realize how big the world/Alaska really is, and how many places have never been touched by people.

What a great way to start off the day!

Enjoy!

~Sharon

The Hunt for Goldfish

2010-07-30T20:08:00.000-07:00

July 30, 2010

Today I got to skip out of work for a few hours to go fishing. I went with Jaimie, the morning server, and Captain Al. Our mission - get a yellow eye (A.K.A. A Red Snapper). Al took us out to "the main" (basically out to open water in front of the mouth of Yes Bay). He located his secret yellow eye spot on his GPS and we got to work. We had to fish deep - 530 feet, but it didn't take long for us to get our first bites (I think it took longer to drop our lines down that far!). The first time, Jaimie got a 10 lb yellow eye and I got a huge rockfish. The second cast, Jaimie got a smaller rockfish and I lost my fish. The third cast, I got a 9.1 lb yellow eye and Jaimie got a big rockfish. After that (about an hour of fishing) we decided our arms hurt too bad and we should go back to the lodge and relax!

An interesting fact: A yellow eye that big is probably about 60 + years old!

Hope you enjoy the photos!

~Sharon

YBL Hotties

2010-07-28T20:33:00.000-07:00

7/28/2010

Check out the new inventory of women's YBL Henley's, modeled for you by Nicky Hack, Lara Cleeland and Sharon Kuehl.

Maybe I'm partial, but I think we make these shirts look damn good!

Not to mention I'm taking full credit for the selection and ordering of them (I decided at the start of the season we didn't have adequate women's clothing, and took it upon myself to go shopping with the boss's credit card.)

Cheers!

~Sharon

Octopus Anyone?

2010-07-28T20:04:00.000-07:00

7/28/2010

I have the best news to share - I am so excited......

The sun is out! For the third day in a row! (Really? What did you think I was going to say?)

Holy Crap - I'd better be sure to enjoy it before it disappears. But, before I run down to the Yes Bay Beach (A.K.A The dock) to work on my Alaskan Tan, I wanted to share some photos of an Octopus that Art caught in his crab pot.

This guy was pretty big - a whole lot of slimy, and very heavy to lift (as Lara could attest to).

One photo is of Dewey lifting it, the other is of Lara trying to lift it. (Lara is the house float, so she sometimes gets to help me in the office so I have time off. This week, she is working in the "deep sink" (dish pit) so our regular dishwasher can have a few days off.)

After it's photo op, we tossed this guy back so it could live under our dock.

Enjoy - Sharon

Hansel and Grettel

2010-07-14T15:15:00.000-07:00

July 11, 2010

(I'm actually posting this on July 14th, but it happened on the 11th. It's just taken me a few days to get this online)

When I first arrived in Ketchikan this year, I heard a lot about the local 8th graders "wilderness training" as it was taking place the same weekend I arrived. Here in Southeast Alaska, part of the public school curriculum is to take the kids on a weekend "survival training" session where each child brings one coffee can of supplies and is dumped off a few miles from town in a remote location until they are picked up a day or so later. I remember thinking that I needed to tag along with them, as I could use the pointers. Where else in the world makes survival training a right of passage?

Then again, after the last few days, I'm beginning to think we could all use some pointers. As well as a healthy dose of respect for Mother Nature and the wilds of Alaska.

Yesterday we got a family of guests into the lodge. After arriving, the father, not feeling good, went to bed. The two kids with him, an 18 year old girl and a 14 year old boy, ate dinner and then decided to go exploring. They were last seen heading up the boardwalk toward the Forest Service Trail that leads back to McDonald Lake at 7:45 p.m. (Mom stayed home.) At 11 p.m. the dad wakes up and realizes that he can't find his kids. At that point, he alerts the bartender, who came to get me (since I work in the office, I'm the unofficial firefighter, ambulance, EMT, etc...). I wake up a few more employees and Dewey and we search the lodge and surrounding areas. Keep in mind that it is about 58 degrees, not too cold, but not exactly warm. There is a light rain, and the wind is picking up. It's pitch black outside (yes, it get's dark here - Ketchikan is not anywhere's near north enough for it to stay light out in the summer all night long.) Plus, the kids were reportedly only wearing a sweatshirt and a flannel shirt and their sneakers! After about 10 minutes of checking the area, we had to wake up Kevin, the entire staff, and the entire lodge (to check all of the guest rooms!). Dewey, Art, Johnson, and Guy were sent up several of the trails with flashlights and radios to look for the kids. After an hour and a half, we had found nothing - not even any footprints. By 1:30 Kevin had called the police station in Ketchikan and Search and Rescue. The guys continued looking until they were called back to the lodge around 3 a.m. At 6:30 the following morning Search and Rescue teams began to show up (15 + people) along with a dog team, a helicopter and another float plane. They set up base here and continued the search.

Side note: I'm guessing no one reading this blog has ever done any hiking in SE Alaska or in the rainforest, but here, hiking is an extreme sport. The trails are not marked, narrow, rocky, slick & often with logs covering the path you have to jump. In addition, the remoteness of the area makes it more dangerous, as it is difficult to get an injured individual out. For example, once you get hurt, it takes 40 minutes minimum before you get to the hospital (20 min. for the plane to get here and 20 min. back) and that is once you get back to the lodge. If you are injured on the trail, with temps in the 50's, cold rain, and you are just sitting there, it is entirely possible to go into hypothermia within several hours. Then there are bears and other wildlife I won't even get into.

Finally, at 10:30 - after being lost in the woods for over 15 hours - we got a call that one of the float plane pilots spotted the kids, and we all stopped holding our breath (and watching the river for floating bodies). At that point, the plane was able to land and pick up the two kids and return them to the lodge.

I think everyone was relieved and amazed that they were okay and unhurt.

Kevin pointed out that this was the first time in 17 years something like this has happened and the first he could remember that Search and Rescue was called to the lodge.

Personally, I can't imagine staying out in the woods overnight. Heck, it scares me to walk to the generator shack after dark at the lodge. I would have frozen to death too with just a flannel shirt on. Brave kids. (Stupid! (Really, sleeping under a log is better than a forest service cabin??) but brave).

Guess that is enough excitement for now.

~Sharon

Fishing Adventures....

2010-07-14T14:08:00.001-07:00

July 14, 2010

Yesterday, Nicky and I took the "Mable Derf" to the mouth of the bay to do some Halibut fishing. (The Mable Derf is a small tin, flat-bottom boat, with just a kicker motor on it. God knows what we would have actually done if we caught a big old Halibut! Anything over 50 lbs would have tipped the boat over and swam away with whomever was holding the rod.) Anyways, we got there, dropped our lines down 200 ft, and proceeded to get caught on each other's lines and then on the bottom. We ended up cutting both lines and going straight back to the lodge for different tackle. The worst part, Nicky took my weight and leader off of her dad's (Kevin's) boat. So, I had to tell the boss that I lost his tackle. Oops....good thing he was in a good mood yesterday. Then again, I could have a misc. deduction on my next paycheck!

In happier news, the other night I caught my first trout. We went fishing off the dock at 9:00 p.m. when Nicky and I got off work. We were just using spin rods and herring for bait. Usually, you can see some big trout swimming around down there, especially since they are used to getting scraps from when the guides clean their fish. Anyways, my little trout was smaller than the herring we were using for bait. It was a cute little Dolly Varden and I threw it back. Next time I'll work on catching a keeper.

I've included a photo of Nicky, my fishing partner, running her "Mable Derf".

- Sharon

4th of July at Yes Bay Lodge

2010-07-08T16:32:00.000-07:00

7/8/2010

Thanks to Yes Bay's favorite bartender, Ryan, A.K.A. Flannigan, it's taken me a few days to recover from the 4th (that's my excuse for not posting sooner - LOL!)

Yes, cheers to you Ryan - for the best mixed drinks in SE Alaska.

Okay, now that we are done with my fantasy, I'll tell you about reality (which was entirely too boring.) We had the typical weather - cold and rain. Thankfully it cleared off around 3 or so, and stayed that way, so we could have the fireworks. I worked ALL day long, and a few extra hours that night to keep the office open until 10:30 pm, when fireworks started. I helped with housekeeping, in the kitchen, and in the office.

We had a full lodge that night, and everyone but one couple had to leave the following day, so I was running around all evening with checkout and misc. guest needs. (I've never been so glad to have the 4th over in my life!)

After dark, Art, Dewey and Johnson set off about $600.00 in fireworks to entertain all of us. "Flannigan" poured me one lone glass of wine, which I drank on the dock watching the fireworks, then I went straight to bed. (Must be getting old)

Guess I should run - new guests coming in and lots to do!

Talk to you soon - Sharon

Smoked Salmon

2010-07-08T16:29:00.000-07:00

7/8/2010

Have to brag a moment about my talented boyfriend. When it comes to Smoking Salmon, no one has him beat. Check out his Salmon fillets from the smoke house: (yum!)

Whales

2010-07-08T16:21:00.000-07:00

7/8/2010

Hi all - just a few quick updates for today.

First, A few days ago, we got a pod of killer whales to come right by the dock, I ran outside right away to get a photo or two, so here they are:

It's been awhile

2010-07-01T11:01:00.001-07:00

July 1, 2010

Sorry that it's been so long since my last post. Guess there's just nothing new to tell. Even the weather hasn't changed....it's still cold and it's still raining! The lodge has been busy which keeps me going all day long, and today we completely fill up the lodge, so that should be hectic, but fun.

I guess I do have one thing that is exciting, and I hope by posting I don't jinx it, but Dewey has caught the biggest King Salmon so far - 31.3 lbs. The contest is between most of the guides here at the lodge and there is an $1100.00 pot for the winner. Needless to say, he's been getting up early every morning to go out fishing to see if he can get something bigger and keep the lead. LOL! This Sat. I might get the day off, and I want to try and go fishing with him. After all, two lines in the water is better than 1!

My last thought today goes to Dad and his fellow members of the 734th Agri-Business Dev elopement Team (Iowa National Guard) who had their deployment send-off in Des Moines this morning.

Love you Dad - I'm proud of you!

~Sharon

Fishing Follow-up

2010-06-19T08:41:00.000-07:00

June 19, 2010

Just in case you are wondering how I'm doing today - I have a jammed finger from my big fishing adventure yesterday and will now have to call in a recruit for today's office work, as I can't type.
Bummer. (Oh, ironically, the sun is out and there are hardly any clouds in the sky. Seems like a great day to sit on the dock and work on my Alaska tan.)

Later - Sharon

The biggest fish I ever caught - it's no fish tale!

2010-06-19T08:18:00.000-07:00

June 18, 2010

Since I've been working so hard lately and haven't had much opportunity to goof off, I asked Kevin if I could go out fishing for a few hours this afternoon with one of the new guides who wasn't working. So, I went out with Guy, we call him Capt. Smiley. We started with some Halibut fishing, but didn't have much luck (we missed the low tide by about an hour - we were at the lodge having lunch), so we decided to do some King Salmon fishing. On our second pass around Gedney Island, we hooked a King. It was an exciting 25 minutes of Sharon vs Mr. King Salmon before we got it in the boat, and both Guy and I were so excited we jumped around for about 10 minutes before we realized we should unhook the fish! LOL!
Guy claims it was the best fish-fight he's seen since he's been here, but he's probably just being a good guide and making that up for my benefit. When we got back to the dock around 4 p.m. and weighed it, turns out it was 22.2 lbs! Making it the biggest fish I ever caught! Whoo Hoo!!

The photos attached show me with the fish, Guy with the fish, and then us with the fish on the scale. (Saylor wanted in on that photo too!)

Happy fishing all - Sharon

Learning to Fly Fish

2010-06-19T07:36:00.001-07:00

June 17, 2010 (posting a few days late!)

This afternoon was pretty nice out, weather wise, and the office was slow so I escaped to the dock for a fly fishing lesson from Dewey. Well, I can say that I was no "natural fly fisherman" but I think I got some of the basics (after 3 or 4 hours). Thankfully he took the hook off the fly first, and was very patient with me as I kept stepping on the line. Oops. Maybe tomorrow I can get another lesson...

Hope all is well back home. Love you all!
~Sharon

Wildlife

2010-06-12T10:07:00.000-07:00

June 12 -

Yesterday, the weather was terrible, fishing just so, so (However, Guy, one of new guides brought in a 106# Halibut! Can you guess what is for dinner tonight?), but the wildlife was out in full force.
I wanted to share some of the photos the guides got while out fishing yesterday.
I thought they were pretty spectacular myself. I almost wish I could have been out there to see it. (Then I remember that it was windy, rainy, and about 50 degrees! Which made me perfectly happy to sit by the warm fire and spend my afternoon reading a good book.)

Enjoy the photos!
~Sharon

Whats a girl gotta do to get a cup of Joe 'round here?

2010-06-11T08:51:00.000-07:00

June 11th

I'm officially registering a complaint (on-line) about my ability to get a cup of coffee around here. It's true that I have to get up early - we all do. Nothing says - "good moring sunshine" like the generator kicking the lights on at 5 a.m. It's also true I can be a bit of a diva - no breakfast until the hair and make-up is done. (thanks for that lesson, mom). However, that usually puts me in the crew room about 15 minutes too late to call dibs on a coffee mug (limited supply out here in the wilderness). Then, to my dismay, when the dishwasher finially gets my favorite mug washed (or any mug, for that matter), the damn coffee is either gone, or I have to scape the bottom of the pot. (I'd make more, but mine just never tastes as good). *sigh* Guess I need to find a new way to get through the morning.....Or a super girly, rhinestone encrusted, no-man-would-ever-drink-out-of-it mug. LOL!

Hope all of you have a great day - may your coffee mugs always be full -
~Sharon

Today's fresh catch

2010-06-10T13:45:00.000-07:00

Our morning excitement was this 33# Halibut caught right off the dock. Dewey and Johnson had a line out while they were working on the dock this morning and caught us dinner.
Can't wait until it's my turn to go fishing!

~Sharon

Friday at Yes Bay

2010-06-04T21:02:00.000-07:00

June 4, 2010
It’s Friday at Yes Bay…not that it feels any different than, say, Monday or Saturday. Weekends don’t mean much up here, as we work every day. I’ve been busy putting the office together for the start of the season. It’s a bit overwhelming, but I’ve made some great progress. I’ve gotten the gift shop set up and looking good – even got to order some new merchandise. (Almost like old times, only I had to contact the vendor and this was a far cry from wedding merchandise!) I’ve almost got the guest files in order too! Hopefully by noon tomorrow……

The Lodge was in for some excitement today, as Kevin’s new plane arrived for the first time. We were all down at the dock waiting for it. For my boss, it was like Christmas. It flew in on Wed. from Seattle and they have been working non-stop to get it ready to fly. Pirate Airworks is officially back in business. The new plane is an Otter (so it holds 6 people). Nicknamed “9 pounds” due to its tail/call numbers. (N9LB) It has leather seats, DVD players in the back of the seats, (although we joke that it would take 3 trips to and from town to watch a whole movie, as it’s a 20 minute flight, one way) and new floats. It’s even painted up in Pirate colors – red, black, and white. I’ve attached a photo. We still need to get the Pirate logo on it, but I think that’s tomorrow’s project.

Speaking of tomorrow, it should be another big day as we are expecting about 7 of the crew to arrive. The rest of the crew will come on the 7th and 8th. I’m a little worried, but I think I need to have a better attitude….you know “strangers are just friends I haven’t met yet”….or some B.S. like that….

Well then, on that cheery note, I’m going to run and get some hot cocoa….it’s a bit cool here and we don’t have the heat on in the lodge. (Burr)

Thinking about all of you back in the warm midwest.
Love you!

This Memorial Day...

2010-05-31T09:31:00.000-07:00

“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.”
Meister Eckhart

For all those who serve or have given their life in service to our country: Thank You

The Finial Inspection

The soldier stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.

“Step forward now, you soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?”

The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
“No, Lord, I guess I ain’t.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can’t always be a saint.

I’ve had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I’ve been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.

But, I never took a penny,
That wasn’t mine to keep…
Though I worked a lot of overtime,
When the bills got just too steep.

And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I’ve wept unmanly tears.

I know I don’t deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears.

If you’ve a place for me here, Lord,
It needn’t be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don’t, I’ll understand.”

There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.

“Step forward now, you soldier,
You’ve borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven’s streets,
You’ve done your time in Hell.”

-Author Unknown

2010-05-28T12:23:00.000-07:00

Friday, May 27th:
Well, after counting down the days, I’m finally back at the Lodge in Alaska. I arrived in Ketchikan on Tuesday morning and worked in the office in town for the day. Then, on Wednesday, I boated out to the lodge with Kevin as he was on his way to the lodge as well.

It’s nice to be back here and away from the hustle and bustle again. Not to mention, having a job again! (I wonder if I’m getting paid? I should ask tomorrow.)

Today was my first day at the office. I spent the entire time cleaning, organizing and getting my files ready for the season. I’m not even half way there, so it will take me a few more days to feel ready.
In the meantime, I’m busy studying up on Water Treatment Systems so that I can take a test and get certified for the lodge this year. Next week, when I go into town, I will need to go to the local college and take the exam. I’m beyond nervous about it – there are entire sections on plumbing and water valves! Suffice it to say that I’m beyond my comfort zone – okay, I’m completely clueless – even after reading the chapter! Wish me luck!

In other news, for those of you wondering how I spent the last 8 months of my life, here is a short recap:

In October, I moved in with my cousin, Leah, and her family (husband, Aaron, and son, Gavin (he’s 16 months old already!)) to help take care of Gavin, run errands, and do whatever else needed to be done as she went through her cancer/chemo treatments. It was a lot of fun to hang out with Leah again – by March we could complete each other’s sentences and it was just like old times! Gavin was so much fun as well – what a sweetie! I am really going to miss him, his little hugs and his “Eskimo” kisses (which I taught him!) While staying there, my Aunt, Cindy, taught Leah and I to knit and I managed to make several scarves and baby blankets! Leah tried to help me with my cooking skills as well, but I think the knitting went better!

In late March I moved back home with mom and dad so that I could spend some quality father-daughter time with Dad before he’s deployed to Afghanistan. We had a lot of fun going to the fitness center together, and I think mom and dad enjoyed the extra help around the house, my mowing, and all of the dinners I would create. (Even if some of them didn’t turn out exactly as planned!)

Throughout the fall, winter and spring I would spend my weekends driving all over to see and visit friends and family that I hadn’t had the opportunity to see since coming to Alaska last summer, and had a blast reconnecting and catching up! I loved meeting all of the new additions to families, and spending time with all of you. Thanks to everyone who let me come to stay and visit, or who came to see me – Miss you and Love you all!

I’ve attached a few photos - One of Leah, Aaron, and Gavin; One of my family at Christmas time with our 185th Air Guard shirts on (in support of Dad of course!);
Talk to you all soon - Sharon

A January Get-Away

2010-02-02T19:41:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been awhile since my last entry, but I am excited to finally have some new photos and stories to share. The following photos are from my trip to Alaska and Yes Bay Lodge on January 10th-21st. I had a wonderful 10 days, very relaxing and, of course, it was so great to see and hang out with Dewey again. It's been hard to be so far away from him from so long.
As you've probably heard on the news, or from my facebook posts, to my great disappointment, there was no snow! In fact we had warmer temperatures of higher 30s and 40's, but I guess that's okay since wood stove is the only source of heat in the cabins. However, the Ketchikan weather didn't disappoint, and it rained almost every day. On the few days we had nicer weather we did get out for a few adventures, and those stories are coming up in a few more posts!

Now, for the photos: the first two are of the scenery surrounding the lodge - looks a lot like it did in September!
The other photos are of Dewey and I just hanging out at the cabin.

Enjoy!
~Sharon

In the meantime...back in Minnesota

2009-11-18T19:32:00.000-08:00

First off, I need to apologize for all of you wonderful people out there who follow my blog, because I haven't given you any updates in a few months. (Shame on me!)
So without further ado....here's something for your inquiring minds:

I arrived safely back in Minnesota on Sept. 26th (a day late due to bad weather in Ketchikan, but that only meant an extra day with Dewey, so it worked out great.) My entire family surprised me by picking me up at the airport and then I got to visit my cousin Leah, in the hospital and have dinner with my aunt and uncle.
For those of you who haven't heard, my cousin, Leah was diagnosed with AML, a type of Leukemia back in July. She was in the hospital until mid October and is home now. Leah is 28 years old and has an 11 month old son, Gavin. She will have several more rounds of chemo, where she will have to be re-admitted to the hospital for a week+ each time, which will stretch through April of 2010.

I spent the next few weeks home with mom and dad, (mostly doing nothing but sleeping and being lazy) and traveling all around the midwest to see and catch up with family and friends. I was able to visit my brother Lance, and see his new house he bought this summer. He's in Huron, SD. As well as my sister's new apartment in Omaha, NE, where she is in school. I made it up to Alexandria, back to Iowa, and around the twin cities too! Oh how I've missed all of you!

As for my next adventure, as it turns out, you don't have to be millions of miles from home to experience something new and wonderful or to learn more about yourself. Currently, I'm in Bloomington living with Leah, her husband, Aaron, and Gavin. (More specifically, in the guest room in their basement!) In exchange for a place to live, I'm taking care of Gavin and helping out around the house. The first lesson was that this "stay at home mom" stuff was WAY harder than it looks! So, I humbly apologize and eat any negative words I may have ever muttered on the subject! Gavin is a wonderful little boy though. Very happy, and for the most part, fun to take care of. He's just starting to walk now, and can say a few words...were still working on "Sharon".
It's also been fun for me to hang out with Leah again. We were very close growing up, and it's been a great experience to get to know her again. I haven't even mentioned yet how great she looks with no hair - she's beautiful!

At this point, I'm not working, nor am I looking for work. I'm pretty content to just help out my family and spend time with friends. Life is so short and so precious, it needs to be cherished every day - even the days that seem like they suck, so that's what I'm trying to do.
It has been a change for me, "Mrs. Planner" to sit back and not have a "plan", but I think that's been a good experience for me too. We all need to step out of our comfort zones every once in awhile.

Now that I say I have no plans, I should mention, that I have been offered (and I accepted) my position back next summer at Yes Bay. Plus, an opportunity to return to Ketchikan/Yes Bay early to get more involved with the lodge bookings. I'm very excited about this opportunity, as I feel I still have a lot to learn from the lodge, Kevin, and the industry as a whole. Not to mention, the novelty of working in Alaska has yet to wear off....and yes, Dewey is going to be there again too! (He's the fudge and oreo center on my double layer chocolate ice cream cake. I would say icing, but those of you who know me, know I don't like icing.) LOL!

Guess that's all for now.
Thanks for reading!

We look better in person!

2009-09-09T20:06:00.001-07:00

Tonight we tried to get a group photo with the '09 Crew. However, Kicker, Sean and Colin left yesterday and of course, we had three people quit a week and a half ago. So, I guess it's a photo of who is left....

The quality isn't great on the photo since my copy was via email. But, I think it will give you an idea of who was working and living with me this summer.

Now, I'll attempt to give you a quick run-down on who's who....(starting at the left)
Jim - AKA "The Professor" - he's been here 3 years and takes care of the website and blogs.
Jim - AKA "Slice" - He's old as dirt and has been here since the beginning of time. But he can sing like Johnny Cash and is an great old guy!
John - AKA "Ax Man" - From Oregon, it's his 2nd year. He's dating Linda (who is standing in front of him.)
Linda - A Ketchikan native and a good friend of mine. She runs the housekeeping dept, and in her spare time helps bartend, serve and drinks Captain Morgan!
Dan - AKA "Slammer" - He's been here for 16 years and is like a big kid!
Joel - Minnesota resident who just graduated college. He's a dockhand.
Kenny - 19 year old who is going to start his Sophomore year this year in WA. Kenny works the kitchen, housekeeping and dock. No job is to shitty for Kenny!
David - AKA Batman - this Floiridian is my favorite fishing partner!
PJ - Minnesota boy who just graduated from college. He's holding Saylor, Kevin's youngest daughter. PJ is the dishwasher and comic relief!
Me!
Dewey - Hum.... you know about him already!
Art - AKA "Shaker" - Kevin's oldest son; lives with Dewey and is in charge of all maintenance.
Kevin - AKA "Blackfly" - The boss!
In front....
Josy - Kitchen prep/baker/server. She's off to Colorado for college this fall.
Nicky - Kevin's oldest daughter; head chef; lives in Hawaii in the winter!
Sean - AKA "Shamrock" and his new wife Ashton who is expecting their first baby! These two got married up here last month. They are from Florida.

In four short months we've all kind of became a family, learning each other's quarks, annoyances, and laughs. In trying to organize this photo, I realize we are just as dysfunctional too! Some people I'm sure I'll see again next year, and others, I will know for only the past four months, but each one brought something to the whole, and taught us something about life and ourselves. I'll always remember and be thankful for the parts they played in this chapter of my journey.

Holy Shit Dewey - there's only 10 days left in the season!

2009-09-09T20:02:00.000-07:00

Looking for Breakfast

2009-09-09T18:12:00.000-07:00

Look who stopped by Yes Bay this morning....
Normally, we'll see bears from the lodge across the river, or in a tree, but today we got to watch this mama and her two cubs from our side of the river, about 200 yds from the lodge. Guess they wanted some salmon berries for desert after a fish-filled breakfast. After they ate along the berry bushes, they made their way back up the river and away from the lodge.

A hook in the hand is better than two in a bush.....

2009-09-08T14:31:00.000-07:00

Ok, so maybe not, and really, who understood that old quote anyway? Besides, if you were to ask the two guides who came in with hooks in their hands this week, I think they would disagree...and tell you the hook was a lot more painful.

Since we are in the middle on nowhere out here, Boss Hack becomes Doc. Hack (and between you and me, I think he enjoys causing pain while removing hooks!) The first hand/hook was a few days ago - Batman came in with a number 6 (that is a really big hook!) caught between his pinky and ring finger. It was half in, and they had to use wire to pull the hook backwards and a pliers to pull it up at the same time so the barb wouldn't catch more of his hand. Kenny and Doc. Hack worked that surgery! Needless to say it was painful...I can still hear his screams in my head! Then today, John (AxMan) came in with a hook completely buried in his hand. John didn't yell like Batman, but boy did he swear! I felt bad. This time, they had to actually finish poking the hook through, cut the barb off the end, and then pull the hook back out.
I didn't watch, but I had to leave afterwards....I can't handle people being in pain - makes me light headed. (plus, I think I was holding my breath the whole time!)

And to think...at the beginning of the season I had serious doubts we would go through 3 giant containers of peroxide, 5 boxes of band aids, and 3 tubes of Neosporin!

The photos above are from John today. The first one is what the hook looked like....yep, that's right...all you can see is the top inch!
The second photo is Doc. Hack explaining how he is going to perform a "highly technical" procedure using a potato to push the hook through his hand the rest of the way. The third photo is starting the procedure, and the fourth is the barb being clipped off the end of the hook.

Dear God, let's hope I never have to come to see this doctor!

Huckleberry Finn

2009-09-08T14:04:00.000-07:00

Hey - Check out the huckleberries! There were so many of them this year - more than likely due to the warmer weather and sunshine. The lodge has berry bushes all over the place and these bushes were right outside along the boardwalk to the lodge. (That is what you can see in the background of the photo.)
The day after I took this photo I picked a whole bowl full for huckleberry cheesecake.

For anyone who has never tried them, they are very tart tasting and as they get more ripe, they get sweeter.

My Next Adventure

2009-08-28T16:22:00.000-07:00

August 28, 2009

Well, my season at Yes Bay officially comes to an end on Sept. 20 when the last guests leave. After that it's clean up and good-bye. It's so sad that the summer is over already - time has gone so quickly and I'm sad to leave. I've had a great summer here meeting new people, learning new things, and getting to experience and do things I never thought I'd even enjoy before (such as bagging fish or killing crabs!)

Many of you have been wondering when you will see me again, so: My flight back to MN is on Sept. 25th, leaving Ketchikan at 7:30 a.m. and arriving in MSP around 6. Ma and Pa will come pick me up as they seem very excited to see me again. LOL! I gave myself a few extra days in case of bad weather and I can't get out of the lodge, and because I'm hoping to hang out in town for a day or two with Dewey and Linda. (Sept. weather up here can get pretty wicked which makes boating into town dangerous.)

As for my next adventure....I'm still working on it.
I have a few things in mind, ranging from hanging out in MN over the holidays and then heading back up to Ketchikan for a job, to taking a month to travel in Thailand with one of the gals I've met up here. I've also been applying over the western half of the US at various ski lodges and got a call back on one today, so that could be fun as well. Guess we will all just have to wait and see what God has planned!

That's all for now...thanks for reading!
~Sharon

Waterfalls....

2009-08-28T15:55:00.000-07:00

August 27, 2009

Since some of you don't want to look at my big orange fish any longer....LOL!
Here are some new photos! I took these today when I went with Dewey to check crab pots. (After we checked the pots - we got 5 - we decided to goof off and go for a boat ride back into the bay to see the waterfalls.)

Hope you enjoy!

Look Ma! I caught some earrings!

2009-08-07T19:09:00.000-07:00

July 7, 2009

This morning, at 7 a.m. I got to go fishing with "Batman" (David Noble). I had one goal - to catch a Yelloweye (or Red Snapper). I wanted a Yelloweye so that I could have the ear bones in order to make earrings! The ear bones are located in front of the gills and behind/below the eyes on the fish. (The last photo on this post is what they look like.)

Since the tides were going out, and we wanted low tides, we started by trolling for salmon. That's when I caught my first Silver Salmon - or Coho Salmon. What a fun fish to catch! We were fishing by Gedney - a island just up from Yes Bay, in about 35 feet of water, and I was using "cut plug" as bait (That's herring that has had it's head cut off at an angle and it's insides removed so that it will get the proper "spin.") (In the 4th photo, David is holding the Coho.)

Then we were off to find a Yelloweye! You use a different rod and reel for Yelloweye(you use the same rod and reel that you use Halibut fishing. The rod is shorter, and the line is heavier), and you have to fish deep! The deeper the water, the bigger the fish. I was down about 475 feet when I got mine. To catch a Yelloweye, I used 2 hooks with a herring head on each one. Then you attach a weight to your line and drop it straight down. Right after the weight hits the bottom, you reel up two cranks and give it about 10 seconds - then wham! Fish On! Not only are Yelloweye down there, but a slew of other uglies such as Rockfish and Lingcod...but, it was my lucky day as I had hooked my Yelloweye! These aren't big fighting fish, but that's okay since you have to reel the sucker up all 475 feet keeping constant pressure on the line (that means there's no stopping to rest that throbbing arm!)
I can honestly say, that is the hardest I've ever had to work for a pair of earrings! Phew!
(I should mention...that big tongue-looking thing in the fish's mouth (See the second photo), is actually it's stomach, or air bladder. It blows up with the pressure when you pull it out of the water. Cool huh?)

After the Yelloweye was stowed we were off to get a but butt! (That's Alaskan for fishing for a bit Halibut!) We tried another location for the halibut, since we wanted around 250 feet of water. To halibut fish, I used salmon bellies and herring as bait. (At the same time - one on each hook - double your pleasure, double your fun right?!) Then you drop the line all the way to the bottom and jig the weight off the bottom. It took about 20 minutes and I had one! Now this was tougher to reel in since they fight and you're reeling up 250 feet! In the end, it was only about 15 lb halibut. I could have kept it, but I threw it back - I want a big one! (Photo 3 shows my halibut.)
Did you know that halibut swim on their side, so their tops are dark brown, and their undersides are white. And, both eyes are on the top!

All in all, a great morning fishing!
Now it's back to work!
Hope you enjoy the photos!

luv from AK!

Bailey Bay Hike 1 of 4

2009-07-30T12:16:00.000-07:00

Ok - I finally had a few minutes to upload some photos from my hike at Bailey Bay. This was a few weeks ago, but was one of the best days spent up here in Alaska. It was a gorgeous hike with good friends, lots of adventure and a hot springs too!

July 17, 2009

We left Yes Bay around 10 a.m. and it was cold and rainy. There were 7 of us on the hike: Nicky, her boyfriend visiting from Hawaii, Josy, PJ, Joel and me. From here, we took a boat 20 minutes back to Bailey Bay. We also had to bring a raft to row into the bay since it was too shallow for the boat. (See photo 1)

From there, we followed the trail up and around and back. It was a better trail that the one we have around the Lodge, so that was nice. It was also more exciting, as we got to hike through streams and waterfalls. (See picture 3 and picture 4 - where we all posed on the waterfall) Good thing they had ropes tied up so we could hang on.

About 1/2 hour into the hike, you can walk out onto the top of this huge waterfall. (See picture 5 and 6 (with all of us)) This was amazing...we were so far up and even though it was raining and foggy, the view was still amazing.

On the other side of the waterfall was this gorgeous lake. (picture 7) The actual hike takes you all along the bank of the lake and winds you back into another bay where the hot springs are located. However, being the adventurous, or stupid individuals that we are. (We can blame it on being young), we found a canoe and decided it would be faster than walking. Then we proceeded to put all 7 of us, with our packs into the canoe and rowed along the shore instead. (I would guess that we shaved off a good hours worth of walking, which gave us more time at the hot springs, so that is good.) (See photo 8 of all of us in the canoe, and picture 9 is a shot of the lake - beautiful!)

After disembarking from the trip down the lake, we had to hike a bit further (see photo 10) until we got to the lean-to by the hot springs. (Photo 11, 12, 13) Since we packed in a huge lunch, drinks and beer, we decided to have lunch! Joel made us a bon fire (so we could attempt to dry our clothes out a little bit) and we chowed down!
Then we got our swimsuits on and headed for the hot springs. The hot springs were cool because the hot water actually comes down a series of waterfalls until it pools into a rock basin that has been built up on the side with rocks. Then it turns into a hot tub! (See picture 14 of all of us sitting in the hot tub.)
Now, since it's a natural hot spring, it smells like sulfur (i.e. rotten eggs), so, once everyone got nice and hot, we had to run down to the nearby stream and wash off so we wouldn't itch all the way back home. What a shocker that was - the water was freezing cold - worse than the ocean water - take your breath away - toes numbing cold water (I'm sure due to ice melt!) In photo 15 you can see the guys tip-toeing into the water and complaining about how cold it was! Then of course, us gals decided we had to be cool and just run and dive right in! (I mentioned the water was cold, right?)

After drying off and getting our still-wet clothes back on, we headed back. This time it really poured raining! Oh well.

Half way back we decided we wanted to see the bottom of the waterfall instead of the top. (This is stupid move #2) So, we follow Joel and PJ off the path and all the way down to the river. Once we finally made it, the view was great. (See photo 16) Now, the trip back up the hill to the trail (which we were all just PRAYING we would find back again) wasn't so pleasant and there was a lot of complaining going on!
But, we found the path and made it back to the pick-up spot right on time at 4 p.m.
(See photo 17 - the survivors!)

Hope you enjoyed the story and photos!
Luv from AK!

Bailey Bay Hike 2 of 4

2009-07-30T12:05:00.001-07:00

Bailey Bay Hike 3 of 4

2009-07-30T11:51:00.000-07:00

Bailey Bay Hike 4 of 4

2009-07-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

My new tattoo

2009-07-30T10:06:00.000-07:00

July 29, 2009

Yes, I'm posting about my new tattoo...and yes, I realize how incredibly cheesy/tacky it might be. However, I wanted to show all of my family and close friends since I'm a million miles away.

The design was created by PJ - the dishwasher here at the lodge. He majored in art in college and did this incredible watercolor of 3 forget-me-nots for me, which is what the tattoo design came from.

It was done by Angel at Island Ink (Yes, Lance, this is the same place that I could also by my 9 mil. from! LOL)

PJ came with me for moral support and to hold my hand - what a sweetie huh! Plus, I think he got a kick out of me using his art to permanently mark my body!

It wasn't nearly as painful as I expected given that it is placed on the back of my neck, so that is good.

The only downside so far, is that it's hot and sunny here and I can't be in the sun, or go swimming with it for the next 7 days!

Hope you enjoy the photos:
The first, is of me getting ready to get the tattoo....
The second photo is PJ looking scared/nervous for me.
The third photo PJ took during the tattoo; the fourth is when we were all finished, and the fifth is of PJ and I on Creek Street in Ketchikan. (Since we had to walk through town to get ice cream when I was done!)

Luv from AK!

Jumping off the ramp

2009-07-28T18:53:00.000-07:00

July 27, 2009

I didn't realize that I had these pictures, but since I do, I thought I would share. This is how we spent yesterday afternoon. Once again - on the dock - jumping in the water, laying on tubes, and working on our tan. Then, when the tide got a little higher, we jumped off the ramp into the water. VERY COOL! Too bad no one got one of me the couple of times that I did it :-(

Oh well. It was still a rock'n way to spend an Alaskan afternoon.

(This is Joel and PJ - the two guys from Minnesota!)

Luv from AK!

My Alaskan Hottie

2009-07-27T10:52:00.000-07:00

Okay, due to popular demand...here is my "Dewey Post" and photos.

(I'm even in a couple, so you know I'm not making the whole story up! LOL!)

For those of you who don't know....here's the story (the short version):

My side: I arrived, checked him out on the dock and was instantly too nervous to think of anything to say around him (Yes, that's right - ME not have anything to say!). Spent the better half of the next month trying to not look stupid when he was around.

His side: I arrived, he checked me out and was instantly too nervous to say anything to me. (I don't even think he managed to introduce himself!) But, he spent the next month coming in the office 3 times a day to get soda so he could see me!

Then our coworkers caught on, and clued him in (evidently my flirting skills need some work!)

After that we started hanging out and are having a lot of fun! We've even been on a few dates (Yes Bay style, that is). He's taken me to check crab and shrimp pots, and to the back bay to watch the sunset.

Other details:
He grew up in Washington, but has lived all around Alaska over the last 10 or so years. He's worked at Yes Bay for the past 5 years, and spent last winter out here as one of the caretakers. This year, he runs the dock.
He's 100% outdoors/hunting/fishing/Alaska guy who can rock a pair of Carharts. (Jeeze...I can't believe I would ever say that!)

Luv from AK!