Friday, May 31, 2013

JB and Alaska


Alaska for almost two weeks.  JB went with her sister and without me. She was only partially impressed with the Princess Cruise, "food too bland and too much gold decor" and there was alot of transport from one place to another.


 But the glaciers. Oh my. They are crystal blue. See for yourself. 





They traveled by river boat


And dog sled


And train


And foot



They saw salmon smoking


And from years past, protective doorways: short and small enough that no enemy, man or bear, could enter without the disadvantage of being bent over


And meanwhile, back at home, JB's partner--that would be me--nursed a damaged knee, faced the necessity of putting her Mother in a nursing home, worried about their very pregnant daughter and her family moving to a new house; all the while texting hellos and how-are-you's? to a traveler who arrived home happy and tired and ready to step into summer.

love
kj


37 comments:

  1. well glad she is back safe and sound. Someone should tell those Salmon that smoking isn't healthy.

    HAHAH,

    xoxo

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    1. You are so right, Mim! No smoked salmon, no smoked anything :-)

      Hee her
      Love
      kj

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  2. Happy about the holiday- sorry about the knee. Bet Chase kept you company. Hey you- the move will be great and you will love your new home. Big hugs to your mommy.

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    1. Thanks joss. Jess and mike and the kids are moving. Not JB and me. And we will like THEIR new home alot-- a grand Victorian

      Love
      kj

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  3. I am not sure I would want to see the glaciers melt and fall . . . too sad (although a necessary feature of changing geologic happenings).
    Especially among a boatload of fatcats drinking wine and eating rubber chicken day after day. Give me a canoe, if anything.

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    1. Goat man, there will be no repeat of a cruise; maybe a windjammer somewhere. jB saw the glaciers from a canoe. She said it was pretty spectacular . She also said some of the folks on the cruise may have fit your description....

      Love
      kj

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  4. Your new header made me say OOOOOOooooOOOOOOOo. JB's glaciers made me say BRRrrrrrrrrrr. Really beautiful though. I love the shot of the moss covering the trees. I always wanted to grow moss when I had my shade garden, but apparently more humidity is required than the desert can provide. In my mind, the rocks were moss covered. I think JB was Oh So Brave to go on a cruise with all the negative publicity lately. Glad you are a family again. Schedule that knee surgery, and take your daughter on a bumpy car ride and get that labor going!!!

    LOVE the picture of you! You look content and relaxed. Would you believe I had that same dresser for 34 years!!! Passed it on to Bad Alice; no room at the inn...the mirror casing was flat instead of rounded on mine. The actual dresser has a curve to the middle, yes? I cried giving it away.

    **kisskiss**
    Deb

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    1. aw deb, it's my special favorite bureau. yes a curve to the middle. i bought it as a birthday present to myself one year when i felt alone in the world. it was in the middle of a farm i passed and i offered $ 40 for it; bought it for $ 60. i always thought it was the deal of the century. i like knowing you loved yours too.

      JB went on this cruise because her sister asked her to. her bil has progressive aphasia and this would be his last trip to somewhere he had always wanted to go to. it was not an easy trip in that regard. JB liked the land parts alot more than the cruise parts.

      the baby: should be coming in three weeks or less. I hope i am hopping around again by then.
      love
      kj

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  5. Those glaciers must be just amazing in person. Wow, lots of cool places she visited. I would love to go to Alaska one day, but not on a cruise, they scare me.
    Sorry you had to stay home and nurse a sore knee (I so sympathize with that, having always had "bad" knees), among all the other stresses you are dealing with in life.
    Treat yourself well.

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    1. barbara, i always thought i would love a cruise but JB was not enthusiastic about the experience. she loved spending time with her sister though, so that part was the best.

      damn my knee. sometimes it hurts too much :^( i see the surgeon on tues and hopefully we'll get the surgery scheduled fast.

      love
      kj

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  6. Looks like fun! I've never seen a glacier up close and personal, but I agree with JB about cruises. Sorry about your knee! It's amazing how much we use those things. You don't realize until the part starts to fail you. Glad she's back safe and sound.

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    1. annie! where have you been? i've missed your words and rhythms. i am going to try to blog more not less. i'm less creative when i don't blog.

      i could handle and like a small cruise with less than a dozen people and plenty of good food and drink.

      love
      kj

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  7. Oh my goodness...what kind of knee surgery? Hope you are up and about soon. I love the new photo on the header. Are you disapointed about not going on the cruise? I went to Donali state park...I dont think I could tolerate a cruise. But I hear from everyone that they are fun and filled with activity... I would rather strike out on our own Still... Feel better...Happy babying ( soon it sounds like.) How is your Mom adjusting to her new place? Hoping all is well... a friend-Z

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    1. Hi Zoe, it's a meniscus year with the possibility of worse . I will know what to expect on Tuesday

      The Alaskan trip was planned a year ago. I opted not to go because I was concerned about a potential emergency with my mother and being too far away. It turns out I was right.

      JB spent four days on land before the cruise began. And there were day exclusions when the ship hit harbor. She took a canoe trip to the glaciers and rode a dog sled, visited totem poles etc. as for the cruise, the food was a disappointment and that alone would discourage me!

      My mom is doing better than my worries :-)

      Take care, Zoe
      Love
      kj

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  8. ..........and took good care of my boy Chase, I sincerely hope so :-)
    What a beautiful place to be, Alaska. I can imagine that JB is still jumping up and down from pure enthousiasm.

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    1. Wieneke, I've done my best with our boy chase! He has a miuth infection and continues to risk losing all his teeth-- his corporate owners fed him only harmful mush :-( chase is an odd dog in many ways: he doesn't get up to greet us when we come home; he will not take food or treats from our hands; he will not come when called no matter if we try to bribe him with chicken! I have to say we wonder sometimes if he is happy with us, without other greyhounds as companions for him. We are being patient ...

      JB came home happy and exhausted. This weekend she is to care for one partner with a very painful knee and three little boys under 6 (Jess' mother in law is coming too) (thank god)
      Jess is due this month and they moved Friday--they need help! Meanwhile, here I am bewildered by it all :-)

      Love
      kj

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  9. Wonderful images... you can feel the cold looking at them.
    Sorry to read about your knee and hope it will be back working well for you again soon.
    Lovely you have another grandchild on the way.. exciting times when new life arrives.
    Hope your Mum has settled into her new home without too much suffering for you all.
    Nurture yourself well x Robyn

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    1. Hi Robyn, I am SO glad you are back ! Alot going on here as we begin summer. Give me a bit if time but I will be a faithful follower of your blog. Yay

      Love
      kj

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  10. Kj,

    Alaska is 3rd on my travel list of places I most want to go. Paris and London are 1 and 2. I think I would take a car and travel around though. So Beautiful.
    Sending hugs and kisses to your knee and your mom and daughter.
    xoxo

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    1. Hi Annie, a writing friend of mine retraced her grandfather's Alaskan journey when he went to help his brother, who had won a gold mine in a poker game (all true). She is a rugged soul and I think it was a long and a bit dangerous journey for her by car.

      I think if Janet and I went back a cruise would not be part of it

      Love
      kj

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  11. What can i say---the glaciers are blue because the compacted snow that forms them is thousands of years old. Unfortunately though the reason the blue can be seen is larger and larger pieces are calving off and more of the shouldn't be exposed interior is now the exterior. *sigh*

    You can drive to Alaska--The AlCan highway.

    Too many worries kj...let time unfold like petals on a lotus blossom.

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    1. Our poor planet, mark. Why do we not learn our lessons?

      Thanks for your encouragement . Damn I am trying to be bigger than this pain. Some minutes easier than others

      Love
      kj

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  12. Lovely photos. I remember being struck by the blueness of glaciers in the Alps. I definitely want to visit Alaska.

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    1. cs, JB would not recommend this cruise but she says the trip was spectacular. I have no doubt you will see for yourself!

      Love
      kj

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  13. wow..alaska... the mountains of ice made me shiver ... awesome beautiful and yet so scary....

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    1. And colder than a tropical island!!!

      Love
      kj

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  14. I've always wanted to do an Alaskan cruise - remembering the photos of Lori's travels up that way not too long ago. The blue of those glaciers is unreal.......sounds like you were able to hold down the fort in JB's absence - between taking care of your dear momma and daughter you have your hands full. Undoubtedly you will be needing your own vacay soon! :))

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    1. Oh yes my own vacation, Amanda! What a crazy way to stop work!

      Lori's curcumstances made her trip no doubt more leisurely than JB's !

      Love love
      kj

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  15. Hey, get well sweetheart. But really, don't you know that worrying isn't going to help? OF COURSE you know that. Now you MUST get better. What did you do to your knee?

    Sorry about your Mom, but if it is a good one, well, she could feel stimulated and happy there.

    Sending love and a magical elixir to abolish worry,

    S

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    1. Sharon, my knee hit itself in trouble all on its own- snap! Pop! Just like that. I got the news yesterday it's the worse injury: I need a total knee replacement. That is extensive surgery and recovery and rehab :-( but will I see you in Maine in August? I do hope and think so !!

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  16. Did I read "windjammer" up above? Ok, that sure happens out of Camden, Maine, which means you'd be close enough for us to see each other. We're planning on August. You?

    S

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  17. I would consider a cruise just to get to see Alaska... and the 'Northern Lights'...

    Those photos are wonderful!

    ~shoes~

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    1. Hello shoes, no northern lights for JB: I understand the colors are spectacular--imagine pinks and greens in a glistening sky

      Love
      kj

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  18. Peggy went to Alaska without me, but she went her boyfriend. They had a wonderful time, and I got to stay home, so it worked out wonderfully for all concerned.

    If people still take freighters, that would be what I would like to do were I to travel.

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    1. Snow, you crack me up

      Love
      kj

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    2. Be that as it may, I was serious. They even had their own Christmas tree which was a living blue spruce that stayed in a pot in his yard when it wasn't Xmas. When they broke up, he brought it over here, and damn if she didn't make me plant it. By the way, he was my best friend.

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    3. I know you were serious. And these additional facts crack me up even more!

      Love!
      kj

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