To Alaska with a stop in OR and then WA.

I left Wells today and I will be in Portland tonight. I have a lot to do in Portland and will take off to Puyallup, WA this weekend. I am going to get on the ferry to Juneau Aug 6. I am nervous and excited. I have a tough job in Juneau so I could really screw it up if I read kids, and parents, wrong. I might add that I always start a school year nervous. The chance of screwing the job up is always possible. I am in a good place because I am retired and honestly, I do not have to work for 20 more years to get a regular income.

I might also say that I had a year off and it was great. Remodeling the Wells house was a great learning experience and I got to be an involved Grandpa, which is good. I also found out that I am not ready to really retire yet.

Wishing all well. I do expect to blog regularly now that I am on my way north.



This picture is of the Wells house that Gar and I just got painted. We even have the porch done now but I forgot to get a picture.

Pole Creek, Nevada

Amazing day!

I was supposed to get firewood at Pole Creek but two chainsaws are messed up - No Go.

Then Tricia said she wanted to go to Pole Creek. I remembered I had wood stacked up from fall and we could go get that. We loaded up two grandsons and took the back road to Pole. It is 140 miles each way to Pole Creek and with a V8 engine, it can be spendy.

We took dirt roads exclusively and saved 50 miles each way. I got the wood loaded into the truck and then we took the little boys hiking. Pole Creek is at 8000 feet and it was 90 degrees at 5000 feet, so Pole is cooler. We found new firewood along a road. We only passed two cars on the entire trip. It was like we were on top of the world. Pole Creek is a pretty amazing place. I was in charge of Pole Creek last fall. It has 7 buildings which house various scientists and data gatherers for the Forest Service and Wildlife agencies.

I am back to painting the house, trying to get it done.

Wells

Taking a ferry to Juneau on Aug 6

I have made my reservation on the ferry to Juneau. I will be heading North Aug 6. A month from now, I will be working again. I hear the salmon are running in the streams, bears are out and about and the berries are ripe. I am also getting reports that fresh Halibut is being caught and whales are being seen in the process of catching the salmon.

I am looking forward to being back in Alaska.

Got some firewood

pole Creek is at 8,000 feet and it looks like these pictures but then there are big tree groves in ravines. A Big Fire burned the trees so they are available for fire wood. I sure do enjoy being out trying to get ticks on me.

I went to Pole Creek, NV to get firewood. I went alone and got 1 1/2 cord of wood. It was about 250 miles round trip. I went to Pole Creek because I can get 8 inch dry wood - which is all I want to tackle alone. If I go out with someone else, I go with bigger wood. Pole Creek has bigger wood too. I had a 3/4 ton truck and a trailer and it sure is sweet having a trailer.