Jackson, Wyoming

We arrived in Jackson the afternoon of July 16 and checked into our condo at the Aspens.  Sarah, Miles, Elle and Beck were already there and staying not far from us.  We got to keep all four grandkids that night and went out for a walk after dinner.  Above, Elle, Ally, Beck and Aidan.

 These girls were so happy to see each other and told us they wished they were sisters.  Too cute!

Beck showing off his balancing skills

 They all had a ball picking flowers and blowing the puffy dandelions into the air.

 Wyoming cousin of the Aleutian lupine

We've been having a great time and have not had much of a chance to post.  At the moment, we are traveling with Aidan and Ally in my brother's RV and have not had internet at many of our stops. The kids  have been great fun!  Will try to catch up as I can!

A field of lupines and a field of crab pots

Summer Solstice and Rich's Birthday

The 21st was Rich's 60th birthday, the Summer Solstice, AND his day off for the week.  It was also the most gorgeous, sunny, warm day we've had all year so we decided to get out and enjoy it!  We drove part way around the pass, wandered around, soaked up the sun, and took a bunch of photos.  Above, a cute little weasel snout pokes up between the rocks.

May flowers are also in bloom.

We get lots of fog in the summer time.  I love the way it looks hovering over the hills and the water.

 Lupine

 There's so much tiny plant life that's easy to miss if you don't get right down on the tundra and look.

Rich capturing some great shots, I'm sure!

Usually it's a bit chilly up here even if the sun is out but we had absolutely no wind that day and it was nice and warm.

The birthday boy!  I am still finding it hard to believe that we are both now 60!  Rich is not big on making a fuss for his birthday but I think he enjoyed our outing, then out to dinner, and a relaxing night at home.  He had lots of birthday greetings on Facebook and a phone call from his sister.  We've decided 60 is not so bad and I'm happy we're traveling this path together.  Hopefully we will stay young at heart and continue to have many adventures!

 More interesting, tiny plants

Ahhh, what a day!

Climbing the hill to 60

I've never been too obsessed with age or worried much about birthdays but turning 60 has been a bit jarring to me.  I hate to admit it, but 60 sounds a little bit "old."  I don't feel old, and there's nothing wrong with being old, but when I say I am turning 60, it just feels shocking! I don't know where the years have gone, as cliche as that sounds.  I know I have daughters in their 30s and 6 grandkids, with two more on the way, but it doesn't seem possible that I have been on this Earth for 60 years.

Even though I hope to live a whole lot longer, turning this age certainly does make me think more about my mortality and that of my loved ones. With Rich's recent medical adventures (he's fine now, thankfully), friends having surgeries, medical issues, and taking care of ailing parents, plus the sudden death of someone we knew, there are a whole lot of thoughts to ponder.  Rich and I were talking about the fact that most people do not know which day is the last day of  life.  You don't usually get up in the morning and realize that this is it. I'm going to wash the dishes and then collapse on the floor.  I'm going to go to bed and never wake up. I'm going to get in my car and get killed in an accident.  And yet it is very hard to live each day as if it's the last. We get so caught up in the daily routine that we don't stop to appreciate all of the people in our lives and all of the experiences we could have if we got up from the computer or the TV or didn't spend so much time at work or whatever.  I'm definitely not a workaholic but I am a time-waster, which seems ironic when I feel that I am running out of time!

Hiking up Bunker Hill a few nights ago

 Rich asked me how I felt turning 60 and I said it's a little bit scary.  He assures me it's just a day, just a number and everything is going to be great, we have lots of years still ahead of us to do everything we want to do.  I want to feel that confidence but I do have some fear in me that maybe it won't turn out that way.  Perhaps that's because my father died at the very young age of 42 and never got to do the fun things he wanted to do in retirement.  He didn't have any grand plans, just the simple idea that he wanted to buy an RV and travel around the country visiting his old Air Force buddies.  When he had cancer, he was still going out looking at RVs.  To this day, it makes me sad that he never got to do that small thing that would have made him happy.  On the other hand, my mom is still going strong at 83 and her mom lived well and independently into her early 90s so I count on the idea that I have tough genes and longevity on my side.  :)

Because we don't need a thing and not everyone is so fortunate, we are asking family and friends to donate to a needy classroom on DonorsChoose instead of doing something for our birthdays (Rich's is the 21st).  I posted a link on Facebook about two weeks ago and I have been so honored and touched by those who have chosen to donate. To date, we've raised over $2600 for 24 classrooms, supporting over 900 students!  It has really renewed my faith in humanity that people have joined in this effort.  THANKS to my mom, Betty, my daughters and sons in law Sarah and Miles and Bonnie and David, cousins Kris and Susan, high school friends Anna and Hughe, Texas friends Karen and Casey, Alaska friends Tammy, Melanie, Sonia, Steve, Lynn and Lauren, Texas/Mississippi friend Susan, our Australian cruise friends Linda and Martin, Mary, Kandy, and Anne, and four anonymous donors whose names we know but we will respect their wish for privacy.  You are all amazingly wonderful humans and I love each and every one of you!

If you'd like to get in on the fun, click here for the link to Rich and Jane's Online Birthday Give-Back Bash on DonorsChoose.  There are several classrooms on our list still needing help.  One of my favorites only has one day left to meet its goal. :(   The teacher is trying to purchase graphic novels about Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi to engage some of her male students in reading.  I would love to see this project get finished, so if you are inclined, click here for the link.  And thanks!

While I am pondering the age of 60, our sweet grandson  Luke, is turning 2! Wishing the happiest of days to my little birthday buddy!  We love and miss you lots and can't wait to see you this summer!

I do kinda like it that my birthday is on Friday the 13th this year, AND it's a full moon, also called the Honey Moon.  The last time we had a full moon on a Friday the 13th in June was in 1919 and the next time it will all come together in June will be in 2098.  Hmmm, guess I will probably not be around for that one.  :)

Okay, friends, get out there and live your lives. Time's a-wastin'.

Oh, July!

Seems like we spend most of the year in great anticipation of the fleeting Aleutian summer.  Yes, there are plenty of things to keep us busy year-round, but for someone who's not crazy about cold weather, a day in the 60s is pure heaven!  Last night we went to the deck BBQ at the hotel, a Friday night tradition, and we actually got to sit outside on the deck.  :)

We've been out and about a couple of times lately--first a hike up the front side of Bunker Hill, where we searched and searched for the elusive lady slipper, my favorite of the summer flowers, but found none. That's the Aleutian version of a paintbrush above--different from the red-orange "Indian paintbrush" I remember in Texas.

 Heading up the front side facing the road

 Old WWII remnants

 Bog orchid

 I soaked up the sun while Rich walked around taking photos

 That's our house in the corner

Looking down on the small boat harbor and UniSea complex--the red roofed building is the Grand Aleutian Hotel where Rich is the Executive Chef.

 Dock and Captain's Bay

Today we drove out to the pass and wandered around the landscape looking for photo ops.  We were not disappointed.

 Lupine, Aleutian cousin of the Texas bluebonnet

 Aleutian heather

 Lousewort

 May flowers

 More lupine and blue sky

 Fleabane and purple irises

 Aleutian Cotton