Sept 29th (last one, I think)

Hello everyone! Bet you've been wondering what happened to my blogs....well, I was out of touch long enough that I wasn't even writing. My bad. But now it's time to update all of you on the latest happenings. Our last hunt was full of rain, wind, cold weather and more rain. The hunters had to endure some terrible downpours while they hiked the creeks looking for the elusive brown bear. And almost all the bears they saw were sows with cubs. Which means there was no shooting of any bears. Sad to say. The final evening was calm with no rain but that still didn't bring out the boars. They were well hidden apparently. So we ended the season without a bang.....get it, no bang! hahaha, I still crack myself up. Now, I'm home and getting used to being on solid ground again. What a change to look out and see green grass right outside my door, plus I can go for a walk whenever I want. Except for I have a sore throat, (thank you to the guy behind me on the plane that was sneezing all the way to Seattle) and Byron woke up with a kidney stone last night. Aren't we the awesome pair? Hopefully he will pass that thing sooner than later so he can get busy in his shop. He's chomping at the bit to set everything up and get started on projects. His new shop is outside of Mac about 5 minutes, so no noise ordinance or permits to worry about. Hoping this works out well for him. My job will be to set up a website for him, which I haven't done before but I've been doing lots of things this year that I've never done before so there ya go! How do I describe this past 6 months? Those of you that have followed along already know a lot of what happened and how the trip evolved. I appreciate all of you that took the time to read my blogs and comment whenever possible. It truly made me feel less alone at times. And I was never really alone just without familiar surroundings. My galley became my home kitchen. My bunk room became my master bedroom. The dining area became my living room (sort of). The back deck became my back yard with a compost pile (the ocean). Just one year ago I was working at home as a Transaction Specialist, which means I was in front of my computer for 10 hrs a day, processing insurance payments to patient accounts and determining correct payment amounts via appeal processes. I had very little people contact which wasn't good for me. So, when Byron was offered the position as a cook on the boat Bear in Alaska, I stuck my hand up and said "pick me, pick me". He doesn't like to cook anyways and was getting his woodworking business off the ground so the job was much more suited for me. However, I had never done anything remotely close to cooking on a boat, for hunters, bear hunting, in SE Alaska. However, when an opportunity comes along to change the direction of your future, in a good way, how can you turn it down? Even though it meant walking into something totally foreign with people I had never met before in an area I had never been before. What was I thinking? I don't know, but it was the best decision I could have made for me and for us. I learned that I could think fast on my feet, I could cook on a diesel stove and actually have things come out edible, I could sleep on a boat in choppy waves rolling me from side to side, I could learn to operate a skiff without beaching it or blowing up the motor (only after the captain shot his rifle off to stop me). I met the most interesting people along the way, men and women with a taste for adventure but as down to earth as the guy next door. One guy (Bothersome) that wasn't down to earth at all but I only had to put up with him for 8 days so thank the Lord for that! And one out of all the people I met, that's pretty good odds, I think. I found an Alaskan sister, Minnie, my partner in crime, my mentor, my co-conspirator, my calm voice in the midst of a storm. She took the time to show me all the ins and outs of the boat and it's inner workings. What to do when and how to fix this. Why this needed done and how come I should do that. When I sent her the text that said....."get me off this $&@# boat", she understood, completely. I could be brutally honest and she knew exactly what I was feeling. Love that woman for the rest of my life. And then there's Brad, her husband, my captain. The big dog on the boat. The one that knows every square inch, every tiny nut and bolt, how to avoid seasickness, how to get the diesel stove running after the wind blew it out, (3 times in an hour), how to avoid the whales trying to ram the boat, how to be calm when his cook was ready to slap Bothersome right upside the head. He knows all that stuff and more. But he is also an engineer which means his personality is sometimes "hidden". :-) He's got one but you have to pull it out and engage him in something interesting to talk about before he'll open up a conversation. Plus he's a "little" bit chauvinistic.......hahaha, I know what all of you are thinking, how on earth did we even get along?? Well, I prefer to think that I enlightened him on a few subjects, got him to see that women were the best thing to happen to men since the beginning of time.....okay, maybe I wasn't that convincing but I tried pretty hard. We had some great discussions and I respect his drive and determination as a sea captain as well as his skills. He still needs some work but between Minnie, their daughter Holley and myself we might get him to come around. If they will let me help, that is. As for the future, well, I'm open to just about anything. I haven't decided on my return next Spring but they have invited me back so the possibility of returning for another season is high. I have a few months to make that decision. I plan to spend time with my family who, by all accounts seemed to miss me. And I'm pretty sure the grandkids each grew several inches while I was gone. Can't wait to spend time with them over the winter. My husband, bless his heart, is not letting me out of his sight for now. He was so encouraging and support over the entire season but even he has his limits. :-) We both agree it was a fantastic way to broaden our horizons and open our eyes to new things. We now know that we can do way more than we thought we could 6 months ago. But we also know that it wouldn't have worked without complete faith in each other and a belief that God gave us this opportunity to grow and experience life. Knowing my support group at home had me in their thoughts and prayers daily, kept me going when all I wanted to do was get off the boat. :-) Thanks to all of you again for following me on this journey. I would love to continue a blog as writing is one of my passions and this has been a total blast for me. Let me know if you are interested in hearing any more from me. Who knows what the future holds? I don't and I like it that way. Keeps me on my toes. Take care and God bless! love ya.....dj

Sept 19th

We are going to be in cell coverage very soon so thought I would give you all a quick update. The hunt started on the 15th with our hunters spending some very cold and wet evenings hunting the elusive grizzly bear. And yes, they are still hunting. We were successful getting shrimp which will be our evening meal. Byron caught a halibut and we enjoyed that two nights ago. So the water "hunting" has been pretty good. Today has been a day of travel and the hunters will hit the ground running again right after dinner. Also, today is Brad's birthday so I made him the one dessert that he seems to like from my recipes, the Tom Selleck. :-) Also known as Pudding Nut special. Minnie was nice enough to send along a birthday card with an enclosure for him, a completed application to the Pioneer Home in Sitka. She's awesome. Anyways, he took it in good fun and the hunters enjoyed a laugh at his expense. Byron and I engaged him in a retirement talk but not sure how far that went. Of course Byron "retired" 3 years ago and hasn't stopped working since so what do we know about retirement? This has been a great trip, the hunters are from North Carolina and just as nice as they could be. Love their accents and they are so polite. Haven't been called ma'am so much in my life. And yes, I know they reserve that title for people older than themselves, thank you very much. They've still been great to have on board. Lucky for us we also have Luke back as the assistant guide for this trip. He is so efficient and good to have around plus he's just a great guy. Such a welcome change from the last assistant guide I was working with. Enough said. The weather has definitely changed to a colder temp. The Spring hunts were fairly warm and dry which isn't the norm apparently but I got used to great weather. Now, however, I'm cold when I get up in the morning and cold when I go to bed. Will have to remember that next year if I return. Still contemplating my choices in life. :-) Hope all is well with everyone.....should see you in a week or so......dj

Sept 19th

We are going to be in cell coverage very soon so thought I would give you all a quick update. The hunt started on the 15th with our hunters spending some very cold and wet evenings hunting the elusive grizzly bear. And yes, they are still hunting. We were successful getting shrimp which will be our evening meal. Byron caught a halibut and we enjoyed that two nights ago. So the water "hunting" has been pretty good. Today has been a day of travel and the hunters will hit the ground running again right after dinner. Also, today is Brad's birthday so I made him the one dessert that he seems to like from my recipes, the Tom Selleck. :-) Also known as Pudding Nut special. Minnie was nice enough to send along a birthday card with an enclosure for him, a completed application to the Pioneer Home in Sitka. She's awesome. Anyways, he took it in good fun and the hunters enjoyed a laugh at his expense. Byron and I engaged him in a retirement talk but not sure how far that went. Of course Byron "retired" 3 years ago and hasn't stopped working since so what do we know about retirement? This has been a great trip, the hunters are from North Carolina and just as nice as they could be. Love their accents and they are so polite. Haven't been called ma'am so much in my life. And yes, I know they reserve that title for people older than themselves, thank you very much. They've still been great to have on board. Lucky for us we also have Luke back as the assistant guide for this trip. He is so efficient and good to have around plus he's just a great guy. Such a welcome change from the last assistant guide I was working with. Enough said. The weather has definitely changed to a colder temp. The Spring hunts were fairly warm and dry which isn't the norm apparently but I got used to great weather. Now, however, I'm cold when I get up in the morning and cold when I go to bed. Will have to remember that next year if I return. Still contemplating my choices in life. :-) Hope all is well with everyone.....should see you in a week or so......dj

Sept 19th

We are going to be in cell coverage very soon so thought I would give you all a quick update. The hunt started on the 15th with our hunters spending some very cold and wet evenings hunting the elusive grizzly bear. And yes, they are still hunting. We were successful getting shrimp which will be our evening meal. Byron caught a halibut and we enjoyed that two nights ago. So the water "hunting" has been pretty good. Today has been a day of travel and the hunters will hit the ground running again right after dinner. Also, today is Brad's birthday so I made him the one dessert that he seems to like from my recipes, the Tom Selleck. :-) Also known as Pudding Nut special. Minnie was nice enough to send along a birthday card with an enclosure for him, a completed application to the Pioneer Home in Sitka. She's awesome. Anyways, he took it in good fun and the hunters enjoyed a laugh at his expense. Byron and I engaged him in a retirement talk but not sure how far that went. Of course Byron "retired" 3 years ago and hasn't stopped working since so what do we know about retirement? This has been a great trip, the hunters are from North Carolina and just as nice as they could be. Love their accents and they are so polite. Haven't been called ma'am so much in my life. And yes, I know they reserve that title for people older than themselves, thank you very much. They've still been great to have on board. Lucky for us we also have Luke back as the assistant guide for this trip. He is so efficient and good to have around plus he's just a great guy. Such a welcome change from the last assistant guide I was working with. Enough said. The weather has definitely changed to a colder temp. The Spring hunts were fairly warm and dry which isn't the norm apparently but I got used to great weather. Now, however, I'm cold when I get up in the morning and cold when I go to bed. Will have to remember that next year if I return. Still contemplating my choices in life. :-) Hope all is well with everyone.....should see you in a week or so......dj

Sept 15th

Morning everyone. We are leaving Sitka harbor and headed to our first hunting ground. Weather forecast is not the best but I'll hang on tight if I need to. Also found out we will be out of cell range for most of the trip. Which means I won't be able to post everyday. I will however, blog as much as possible and then post once we have coverage. Sorry about that, its way more fun to keep you updated on a daily basis but not much I can do about it. Just posted a pic of us that Minnie took as we were leaving. Going to lose coverage soon, take care and be safe everyone.

Sept 14th

Well hello long lost friends and family. Where have all of you been? haha. I know it might seem like I dropped off the face of the earth but not so, I'm back. I did go home for about a week for some much needed rest, which also meant I didn't get to see everyone that I would have liked too. My apologies. The stream survey kicked my hiney and I was glad to go home for a while. Byron and I are now both in Sitka and getting ready to leave tomorrow morning for the final brown bear hunt. Grocery shopping, cleaning and packing the boat were today's activities. All done in the pouring rain. Much, much different weather than at home. In fact, Byron got me out on the golf course while I was home and I only made it officially 7 holes, had to take a break, then I golfed a little bit more but it was stinking hot. Guess I'm a pansy but what can I say? I've gotten used to Alaska weather which is quite a bit milder than what Oregon has been having lately. Nothing mild about it today though and Minnie said they had 3" in 24 hrs several days ago. Good grief. The hunters are in town and will be boarding the boat in the morning. I will make breakfast for them and we will get on our way. Hoping for a successful hunting trip and looking forward to seeing some more Alaskan sights while we are out. It's wonderful to have Byron with me again and he can't wait to fish for halibut and throw out some crab and shrimp pots. We should be in some great areas to bring home the goodies. I loved seeing the family and made me realize just how much I missed all of them. Maddy informed me that she doesn't want me to leave and go anywhere for the next 5 years. She wants me to just stay home. That warmed my heart, it's not practical but it still made me feel good. Especially since Byron is taking me on a little vacation for a week after we get home, don't think I told her about that! :-) Anyways, I don't have plans to be gone during the summer like that again, way too long to be away while all the kids are all out of school. Missed some great play days with them. Sure loved the hugs I got from all of the grandkids though. Even got some mushy kisses from Asher which was a wonderful surprise. He has gotten so big and is absolutely adorable. Well, all the grandkids are adorable, he just happens to be the baby right now. Alex has started 6th grade and seems to really be enjoying middle school, answer to prayers right there. Such a hard time for kids that age. Maddy, the big 8th grader said she would be a "good" big sister to Alex at school, that remains to be seen. hahaha. Maddy has started cheer again, can't wait to see some of her competitions. Got to watch one of Alex's soccer games too. And little Miss Peyton started 2nd grade in a new (to her) school. First day not so good, everything was much better after that. Proud of the little one, takes a lot of moxie to make a move like that and be successful. She's a smart one and has lots of charm, should be a piece of cake for her. She and I got to bake together while I was home, that was a ton of fun. Then there's Ryder who started preschool with his momma today and got to wear pajama's to "school". What a deal. He's a quick learner and will certainly do well with whatever lessons she has planned for him. Not sure if Asher will be much help though. Sorry about that guys but a grandma has to brag every now and then. Going to sign off for the evening. Glad I'm getting back to business with all of you and will keep you informed on how things go. G'night......dj

Aug 31

Happy Monday, I think. Yep, just checked it's Monday. The crew attempted to survey another creek at Saginaw this morning but there were no fish so they returned to the boat early enough for a noon departure. We are getting ready to go around Pt Gardner at the southern tip of Admiralty Island, usually one of the more troublesome spots to sail. The wind and waves are almost always churned up and wreaking havoc. Coffee pot and skillet are on the floor and both sinks are full of counter items. Better safe than sorry. We are rocking side to side pretty good but so far nothing has broken except a light fixture did come down from the ceiling. Minor detail. So Aaryn and I fixed it.......we duct taped it back to the ceiling. :-) I must have conveyed a negative message in my post yesterday as I have received several inquiries from worried friends. Sorry about that guys. I'm fine really. Nothing to worry about. All part of the journey and experience. Learning more about myself everyday which isn't a bad thing at all. I've been asked what I want to do after I return home. Good question. Haven't thought much about it but first thing will be to take a nice long walk, anywhere and for sure longer than 50 feet, (the length of the boat). Then I may make my hubby a well deserved home cooked dinner, although he has been treated very well by the boys and their wives along with several wonderful friends. Thank you so much for remembering him and having him over for dinners. He enjoys getting out of the house and not being lonely, plus he's not fond of his own cooking. And to think, this job was offered to him first. hahaha.....guess that might not have been the best use of resources. Now, if they wanted something built or the boat refinished then Byron's the dude they want. He's magical with wood. His woodworking business is taking a new turn with finding new shop space. A possible space has been located and he will finalize the spot soon which will give him a much nicer environment to create his projects. Looking forward to getting a website started to showcase his work. I am hoping to market some of his things once he has time to make a decent supply of things.

Aug 30th

Okay, here we go after taking 10 days off from blogging, the chum crew has requested that I resume my blog. They completed their survey and returned to the boat, drenched and freezing cold. Now after a change of clothes and some hot chocolate in their systems, they seem to be returning to normal. Oh, they also had to pop their Vitamin I, (ibuprofen) too. Now it sounds like we will be staying in this same spot tonight and then they will attempt another creek survey tomorrow. I apologize for missing days on the blog. It seems like everyday has been the same therefore nothing to share. Bad weather, rolling waves, tilting boat, miles upon miles of travel, creek to creek, tired and sore chum wenches and day after day of the same thing. Another thing learned while on this survey is just how bad chum smell, these are the rotten fish that the crew catches and remove the otilith bone for further research. When they return from their survey and walk through the dining area, the stench is unbelievable. Truly, something you've never smelled before and don't desire to smell again. And I'm so glad I only get the returning smell, being up on the creek with them and hundreds of dead fish does not sound interesting. So this evening we will have taco soup, bean dip and salad. No campfire but possibly a movie night. Depends on how tired all the wenches are after dinner. Sometimes they head straight for their beds and we don't see them the rest of the night. Although they do head back up later for dessert, usually after I have headed towards my room for the night. But I see the remnants in the sink the next morning; ice cream scoop, bowls and cups that weren't there when I went to bed. Never sure what I might find in the galley sink in the morning. Keeps me on my toes. Do any of you know the phrase "stove up"? Cuz, I sure don't and have never heard it. Apparently it means when your body is stiff or sore. So I just looked it up on google and sure enough, that's what it means. Also made dessert, Tom Selleck is making his 3rd appearance for the chum crew tonight. They are all eagerly awaiting his arrival. I must say, Tom is always welcome on this boat. :-) This has been a very long and tiring journey. Certainly not the same type of trip as the hunts. The stream survey has been constant travel, bad weather and maybe even a few personnel issues. Imagine meeting new people and then spending the next 6 weeks with them in close quarters with little or no breaks. It takes a special effort by everyone to keep things positive and on an even keel. Little things can sometimes become big things but have to say we've all done a fairly good job of working together and trying to stay on the bright side. That being said, I am more than ready to end this session and return to the hunts. I am missing my family so much. All the grandkids are tugging at my heart as I think about them and what they are doing right now. The girls all got their school haircuts which is always fun to see. I even got to see Maddy do a small fashion show with some of her new school clothes. Asher is crawling all over the place and Ryder just doesn't understand where Grandma Debbie has been, other than "on the boat". Hard thing for a little guy to wrap his head around. And I know Peyton and Alex could use a grandma hug too. We won't even talk about Byron. We have never been apart for this long at any point in our marriage. And you know all that crap about "absence makes the heart go fonder?", well, that's just plain crap. I miss him after one day or 10. And this has been 42 days so far.......much, much too long. He has been stellar through this whole journey and so stinkin supportive. Could never have attempted or completed this without his encouragement. I am a lucky girl but I already knew that. Could sure use one of those big hugs that he delivers. Love those! Well, I think I've caught you up pretty well at least from what I can remember. I will try to update daily instead of waiting so long. It's hard to recall all the "special" things that happen along the way. Love you all......dj

Aug 20th

We made it to Petrof. Took us long enough to finally get there and we are already headed back to Whitewater. The crew surveyed the stream this morning and were back on the boat early enough for us to get started back up north and arrive before dark, we hope. Chatam Strait is cool, calm and collected. A perfect day at sea mateys! Corny, I know. I got to do something fun this morning after Brad took the crew to the stream. He came back and picked me up in the skiff to go see a black bear along the bank. I got some great pics and will post them on Facebook. Also got to see a ton of pink salmon getting ready to go up the stream and spawn. We spooked them and you should have seen the water fly. I have never seen wall to wall salmon ( gill to gill or fin to fin) like this before. Hoping you can see them in the pics too. Very impressive. And the bear was awesome. She had been fishing and curious about us in the skiff, even walked out towards us. I have to tell you though that Brad's description of the bear was somewhat disconcerting. Now, I have to remember that he's a guy and he's a hunter so he had no idea that what he said could be taken as offensive. So here it is, "see, you can tell it's an old sow, look at her short legs, kind of a humped back and she's fat" ......ummmm, gee Brad, I hope you are only describing the bear in front of you and not the old sow sitting in the boat!!! Anyways, I chuckled to myself and didn't say anything. He was being so helpful in helping me understand the difference between a boar and a sow. :-) Also thinks the sow was 15 - 20 yrs old, that's getting pretty old, I think. I really enjoyed getting to see things up close and personal. We got about 20 yds from the bear, she decided to leave after she got a good whiff of us. Going to cook dinner now, bacon cheeseburgers, potato salad and beans. Still have Kevin left over so didn't bake today. However, tomorrow is Foghorn's birthday so I will need to do something special. Need to think on that a bit. Dinner is over and was a success according to the groans and sighs. Now they are reading, playing chess and relaxing. No TV so have to be creative when it comes to activities. One of them mentioned playing dodgeball on the top deck with rotten cantaloupes. Doesn't that sound like fun? Not sure Brad would go for that besides the fact that someone would definitely fall off the boat. Which isn't a good thing. Before dinner we saw a lot of whales feeding. Got a few pictures so will see if any of them turned out. And by a lot, I mean 30+ for sure. All within a mile or so radius. Pretty cool. Today was wildlife day for sure. Also saw lots of sea otters floating around. They are funny, they float on their back with their head and feet sticking out of the water. If they happen to have a crab for dinner, they eat it while floating around like that. The momma's let the babies ride on their tummies so it looks like a two headed otter. Plus, I learned that the older ones have light colored faces which make them look like a teddy bear, at least to me. Sort of cute little faces but they are real nuisances to the fishermen up here. Hope everyone is having a great day......yak again soon....dj

Aug 18th

Hello, I'm still on the planet. Been dodging the storm up here going between islands and finding calm(er) channels. Gale force winds predicted, heavy rain and flooding. Yep, that's the forecast up here guys. Just found out areas in Sitka flooded today, some that have never flooded before, at least as far as Brad knows and he's been there over 40 years. The crew took a look at a stream today but it was flooded so unable to walk it or find fish. We are now headed out to Chatam Strait to see how high the waves are this afternoon. The outside seas are predicted at 12-16 ft waves, we don't do those in this boat, thank goodness. But what happens on the outside affects the inside so we have to check our surroundings before heading out. Brad has been glued to the weather channel and has kept us out of the worst of the storm. We need to get across the strait in order to survey some of the streams on that side. And you guys just thought I was up here having so much fun I forgot to blog. Well, no, not hardly. I've been cooking, watching the weather, cleaning, watching the weather and cooking some more. Maybe a nap thrown in there once in awhile. The crew had an early start but soon realized the stream was not walkable so after returning to the boat and watching the movie Brave on the laptop, they are all taking their naps. It's a little too early to be making dinner but I will start pretty soon. Probably do stir fry vege's/sausage and rice. Made banana bread earlier. They are starting to want repeats of the desserts, I heard a request for Kevin today. Funny crew that's for sure. Found out they are not jello fans, I have made it twice and both times have had to toss it. That is the only thing I've found that they turned their noses up at so guess that's pretty good. Everything else has had a thumbs up and a request to have it again sometime. We have 15 days left of the survey, have completed 28 days, we are on the downhill slide now. Looking forward to changing things up with a bear hunt. Have two scheduled in Sept. and then I'm home for the winter. They have invited me back for next spring and fall, just haven't decided what I'm going to do yet. I appreciate that they are pleased with my work and want to have me return, makes me feel like I accomplished something while I was here. Byron & I will decide if I will come back or not. This separation thing is hard, that's for sure. But, on the other hand, I feel stronger and more capable than when I first arrived up here. So that's saying something right there. Just found out that Sitka has had some flooding and landslides, not something that occurs there very often. Four people are missing as well. Very sad. Minnie is good though. Going to post this now since we have coverage at the moment. Not sure how long that will happen so need to strike while the iron is hot. All is well at the moment, hoping we get through the channel before the wind picks back up. Take care...dj

Aug 15th

Happy Birthday Happy - she turns 30 today and is sharing her special day with all of us. So as my tradition goes, she got to pick the menu for tonight. After much deliberation all she requested was chicken, either a pot pie or parmesan, lots of vege's and maybe potatoes or stuffing. Final menu is parmesan chicken, I know I just made it but that was on the 4 hour delay dinner so I'm thinking this time will be better. Bacon wrapped asparagus, stuffing and corn. For dessert, we are having white cupcakes with buttercream frosting, again, her request. She told me her mom was making a chicken pot pie in her honor and I didn't want to compete with her memory of mom's homemade dinner. Better to let that one alone. They are all still out in the field, it's 5 pm, dinner will probably be close to 7. We have to move to another creek tonight but it's not far so shouldn't be too bad. Our trip last night was a rocky one. We are on the west side of Baranof island, the ocean side and we felt it last night. That was the very closest I came to tossing my cookies. Actually sat up in the wheelhouse with the outside door open until 12:30 or 1 am. Brad was guiding us through the narrows by instrument only and it was scary. Obviously, he knew what he was doing but I was still nervous. All I could see were large, dark land masses sticking up out of the water and we were headed directly for them. I'm sure he tired of me saying, we seem to be heading straight for the beach, you see that island up there?, is that an island right ahead?, are you sure you know where you're going?. After awhile, I just shut up and kept my head out the door to feel the cool (cold) breeze. We left Sitka around 6 last night in order to beat the huge storm that is headed here on Tuesday. There are two streams to do here and then we can go south and inland, hopefully avoiding the storm. Last night's waves were 7-8 feet, the prediction on the Tuesday storm is 8-12 ft waves. Not interested in going through those. The crew just returned from the stream and had a great day. They got over 300 samples of otolith bone from chum salmon, they are pumped. Now they need to finish their computer work and we will travel to the next stream. Chicken is still cooking which works out just fine. Will eat along the way I imagine.

Aug 13th

Happy day to you! We are in Ushk Bay and the sun has come out bright and warm. It's been a nice day. Got the crew out the door this morning with McMuffins for breakfast. Then I started on a strawberry rhubarb pie. Been wanting to make one for awhile so hope it turned out. It looks yummy but looks can be deceiving, right? Meatballs are in the crock pot and pasta shells filled with a ricotta/spinach and cheese mixture are ready to pop in the oven. Will do a mandarin romaine salad and garlic bread to finish out dinner. Once they get back, Brad will be getting the boat moving towards Sitka, another schedule change. But no one is complaining, we like Sitka. The crew wasn't able to fly to Petrof yesterday due to the weather so they may fly out of Sitka on Saturday. Not sure what that means for the boat but we'll see. Thought I would share some of the crew's check-list they go through every morning before leaving the boat. I'm sure some of the items will make sense but there are others that I still don't know what they are or how they are used. Sampling trays, knives, cutting board, beads, tablets, measuring tape, the Bird, tooshi-kushees, gaff, fishing pole, tally whacker, tweezers, scanners. Now, these are just a few of the goodies they need in order to complete the stream survey of dog salmon. I'm not going to explain them, just use your imagination, that's what I do! Part of their safety gear includes a GPS, In-reach, first aid kit, bear spray, throw bag and survival bag. Again, these people have to be prepared for just about anything thus the survival bag which has the necessary items they might need for an overnight stay. Minus the dinner I'm cooking for them of course. They always have extra snacks in their packs as well. I'm amazed at how much stuff they have to have with them each time they leave the boat. And again, glad it's them and not me. Although it would be nice to see some of Alaska from the land, mostly it's a boat view. But I got some great pics today so will go through them and see what I can post. I don't like being out of touch but it's only been a few times over the past couple of weeks so guess it could be worse. Okay, we are in Sitka now so will post this one. Have no idea where we head off to next or even when, the schedule is truly nuts right now. It's a beautiful day in Sitka though so will be headed out on a walk. Need to be able to walk more than 50 feet one way. :-)

Aug 11th

Greetings from Kake. We made a pit stop here for water and groceries and then it's on to Saginaw Bay. The following day the crew will be picked up by float plane and taken to Petrof Creek for a survey day while Brad and I take the Bear up north somewhere. Then the plane will bring the crew up to meet us at the next survey spot. Last night was a carnival ride most of the time. Winds blowing at 20 knots and the waves were slapping up against the front of the boat like your mama hitting you for cussing. Cripes, I was elbow to elbow bracing myself in the bunk with my little tootsies pressed up against the bottom of the bunk just to ensure I wouldn't find myself on the floor. Not sure how I went to sleep cuz I was seriously considering coming out to the dining area and sleeping on a cushion when I finally dozed off. I didn't get sick though which keeps my record at zero of not throwing up. Sure hope that record stays. Have been out of cell range for the past several days plus I didn't blog during that time so this one is a catch up. We have been crossing and criss-crossing the channels and islands like you wouldn't believe. Get into a cove for the survey crew, off they go and maybe return by 6ish, then the boat starts up and Brad heads out to the next stream, might be a 3 hour or a 7 hour ride. Get up the next day, crew heads out again, returns to the boat and off we go again for another long distance ride. Seriously, I am all screwed up and never know if I'm coming or going. Some of you would say that is a common scenario for me but this takes it another step further. The other evening I made a fairly nice dinner with Chicken parmesan, mashed potatoes with cauliflower and zucchini pizzas. The crew thought they would be "home" by 5ish so I was planning dinner for around that time, well wouldn't ya know it, they decided to catch and survey every last stinking fish in or around the creek that day so they didn't bother coming home until 9:15pm! Now, I can understand how things change and I need to be flexible but seriously guys? I was starting to think someone had gotten hurt but nope, they just decided to stay longer. Okay, just so you know, I placed all the food on the table and went to bed. I did not want to stay up and visit as it turned out to be a long day for me too and I wasn't sure if I could be civil. Now, before you judge me and say I need to relax, cut me some slack. They do have a radio so yes, they could have radioed and said we are going to stay up here several extra hours, was that out of the realm of possibility? I don't think so. And it wasn't that I was mad. First, I was glad no one was injured, that was my first concern. And then I realized that my dinner was not going to be all that appetizing after being kept warm for 4 hours. Which kind of ticked me off or maybe it was a slow burn during the 4 hours, I don't know. Whatever, I slept on it and woke up with a "who gives a rip" attitude and started over on a brand new day. All is well and no grudges. Except the next two nights they got crock pot meals which can stand the test of time. :-) Tonight they are getting chili dogs which they seem to be perfectly happy about. Haven't decided on side dishes yet, I'll get around to it. We are headed out to Saginaw now so want to get this posted before I lose coverage. Hope all is well down there and everyone is happy, happy, happy! later.....dj

Aug 7th

Good evening. The crew has not returned from the stream yet. They told me the earliest they would be back was around 4, it's now 5:30 and I don't see them anywhere. I don't believe there is a cause to worry, I didn't hear any gunshots so they didn't have to shoot a charging bear. However, that doesn't mean there weren't ANY bears causing them problems. We shall see once they arrive back to the boat. This makes it pretty hard to figure out dinnertime. For now, the mac n cheese is sitting on the stove ready to go in the oven. Salad and homemade rolls are made and we are having leftover rib meat which will go great with everything. They were looking for the rib meat this morning to take in their lunches but I told them hands off, that's for dinner. These kids have strange eating habits. They won't let me toss any leftovers, they want them for their lunches. I'm talking just about anything too. Eating cold leftovers doesn't faze them at all. It would me that's for sure. We have about 8 hours of travel once they get on the boat so it will be a late night for the captain. Have to cross the strait also which means it might be rough going. Byron and I were talking about some sort of vacation and the word cruise came up. My thoughts on that.....NO. I've been on enough water this year to fill my quota and then some. We'll have to come up with something that involves sunny weather and LAND. I wouldn't mind being on a beach somewhere and watching the water but sitting on a ship and traveling by water doesn't peak my interest. Actually, just being home on the back porch in our swing chairs would work for me right now. I've heard it's been pretty hot down there. I was able to go up on the deck today and get some sunshine but once the wind picks up it cools down fast. So for now I am inside the cabin watching the waves and keeping an eye out for the crew. Just spotted the two skiffs, must go get dinner in the oven. back later. Okay, everyone is back on board ready for dinner but it will be awhile before it's all ready. They're okay with that, gives them time to relax and unwind. So off we go to the next stream, dinner will be on the road, oh excuse me, dinner will be as we travel on the water. Should get cell service as soon as we are out of this cove. Tomorrow's hike is the really long one, 13 miles total. They come back worn out after that one. Will have to create something yummy for dinner tomorrow, although, last time they were so tired all they did was shovel food in their mouths as fast as they could and head off to bed. Can't blame them. We are now in Chatham Strait, just beginning on our 8 hour ride, will be there around 1 am I think. But the great news is how calm the sea is, there are no waves, smooth as glass and I'm loving it. Could pass for a mirrored lake except much bigger. Will post a picture on Facebook, just so you'll believe me. Hope all is well with you and yours......yak again later.....dj

Aug 6th

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR RYDER, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!! LOVE you so much and hope you had a wonderful day celebrating. Wish I could be at your party but I know Grandpa will be there and will give you hugs from both of us. Hard to believe the little man is turning 4 today. Time has flown by that's for sure. As for me, I'm still floating around the waters in SE Alaska. We are now on our way to Whitewater Creek and then onto Johnston Creek the following day. Weather was good today and the channel we are crossing now is calm with no waves. Love it. Just finished dinner, ribs, pasta salad and artichoke spinach dip. They are still eating the apple crisp from yesterday so I didn't bake today but will come up with something tomorrow. Trying to cut back from overloading them with too much food, although they keep eating right through their complaining. They've come up with a new "fullness" gauge. It has to do with biscuits. Comfortably full is 4 biscuits. Starving is of course 1 biscuit. Five biscuits is like after a Thanksgiving dinner when you need to unbutton the top button of your jeans and lay down. They usually come in from their survey and proclaim they are at 1 or 2 biscuits and what's for dinner? Lately, I've heard a few 5 biscuits grumblings with Sneezy even leaning into a 6 biscuit complaint but the other two stopped him and said there would be no 6 biscuit category. I'm traveling with a strange bunch ladies and gentlemen. Plus they have taken to naming the desserts which started when I served the pudding dessert that I call Tom Selleck and Byron calls Victoria Principal. So far we've had Denzel (chocolate cake), Kevin (pumpkin dessert), Brad (apple crisp). Trust me, they are serious about this naming process and stick to the names until the last crumb is gone. And even after they are gone, there is reminiscing about how much they miss Kevin or how soon will it be before Denzel makes another appearance. Going to have to figure out a new dessert to try on them just to see what they will name it. Well, going to lose cell coverage for the night, will post this now....take care....dj

Aug 5th

Good morning everyone. We are leaving Sitka right now and headed to the next stream. Port day was another one full of grocery shopping and cleaning. I'm so glad to have Minnie there for us when we arrive. She is so awesome and jumps right into whatever needs to be done. She even does my laundry and everything smells so wonderful. Trust me, this boat is not the best smelling place to be after several weeks of chum hunting and stream walking. I'm not saying these kids are smelly but I don't venture downstairs very often that's for sure! They were very helpful unloading groceries and hauling them all over the boat. Such a huge blessing. A little quirky they are but gotta love 'em. Happy asked for meatloaf and mashed potatoes for dinner so will get started on that a little later. Have to get breakfast on the table first but wanted to touch bases with you before I'm out of cell range. Haven't been feeling great so would appreciate your prayers. Thanks much. Not sure if most of you know but I have a thing for bracelets and just acquired several more when we were in Joseph in July. However, I've found an issue that I may have to deal with eventually. Last night, in the dark, I had to get up to go potty, (TMI?), anyways as I got up in my dark cabin somehow, I crossed my arms and lo and behold my bracelets got tangled up. I only have one on my left hand but a few more on my right. So anyways, there I was, needing to tinkle and my hands were basically handcuffed in front of me. Seriously! You know how a simple thing in the day, in the light can be no big deal? Well,at night, in the dark, unable to see what was going on made me a little bit panicky. Plus, I really had to go. So, first things first, I jump on the potty and then I go about trying to uncuff myself. Which bracelet is hooked onto the other one? Nope,not that one, oh dang, it's getting worse, I'm all tangled up now. I finally took a breath and took off the one bracelet from my left arm, still took a little bit to get it loosened but once it was off, I was no longer cuffed. Whoopee, get it? Okay, enough potty talk. We are headed to Chaik Bay and it will take us most of the day to get there. Hope the weather is good and winds are calm. That's my new mantra for the trip. Going to post this for now and hope everyone has a fantastic day......dj

Aug 2nd

Another day, another dead fish. At least that's what these guys are looking for, fish that are done spawning. And I do have some interesting news, I had to learn to drive the skiff today. Got a call on the radio from Brad that he needed rescuing. Yep, that's right, I had to go rescue the skipper. Here's the scoop, high tide came in and he got delayed on his way back to the skiff. So when he got there, the anchor line was farther out than he could get to even though he waded out to his armpits. So, since the other skiff was tied to the boat and I was the only person on the boat, it was up to me to save the day! Grabbed the portable radio and a life jacket, put on my shoes and jacket and headed out to the swim deck. He had given me instructions several days before but I hadn't needed to use them up until now. I remembered that you don't unhook the skiff from the boat until the skiff motor is running, which is what I proceeded to do. However, (you knew that was coming), I didn't have all the directions clear in my head. I turned the key over and the engine started but quit. Turned the key again and it acted like it wanted to start but wouldn't keep going. About that time I hear a gunshot, loud and very loud, like it was super close. Had no idea where that came from but decided to quit turning the key and grabbed the radio, that's when I heard a little tiny voice say....."don't start the engine, don't start the engine" and "turn your volume up". I obediently turned up the volume and could then hear Brad loud and clear, don't turn the engine on yet, there's several steps to do before that. Oops, my bad. He walked me through putting the motor down into the water, turning the key and giving the motor some choke. Waa-laa, the motor was running. Now, to put it into gear, he told me to pull up on the red handle while pushing the gear shifter forward BUT make sure you have the skiff turned to the right! Okay, done and did. So far so good. I'm now out in the middle of a body of water with no clue what I'm doing. He kept directing me to shore, even waving his arms like the airport dudes do when a plane is taxing up to the airport. I managed to get the skiff to him, no harm to it or me and he was pretty pleased. He said by starting the engine while it was out of the water it is the quickest way to ruin it, which I did not do, thankfully. And that was also why he had shot his rifle, to get my attention. Apparently, he was jumping up and down on the shoreline, shouting DON'T START THE ENGINE......wish I could've seen that. But after all is said and done, he said I got an A for my first skiff lesson. I had to take a nap after that harrowing experience at sea......hahaha. No, I really did take a nap. Haven't had very many of those since I've been up there this time, all of ten days. Man, it really feels like it's been longer than that. Wonder why? After baking all day yesterday the crew told me NOT to bake today, so I haven't. And carrying that one step further, guess what's for dinner? No guesses? CHILI.....that's right, I'm giving them good ole Nalley's chili with some of my own that was in the freezer mixed in, just to give it that homemade taste. Unfortunately, they already heard the story about my "better than restaurant chili" so I won't be fooling anyone. I will bake some corn muffins to go along with it though, so I won't be letting a day go by without baking something. It's been a relaxing day that's for sure. One of the nicest days we've had so I sat out on the top deck and enjoyed the sun, might have even got a bit of a sunburn. Will wonders never cease? Left Ralph's Creek and headed to our next spot. Survey crew loved their chili and cornbread now they are working their way through all the remaining desserts. Hopefully, I can bake something new tomorrow. Looks like we have service so going to post this now....dj

Aug 1st

It's Saturday, not that it matters much up here but I know it's the 15th SYL Golf Tournament today, sure hope the weather doesn't knock out some of the teams. Heard it was going to be hotter than hot down there. We had cloudy skies today but no rain at the boat. The survey crew got drenched while out doing their thing though. I spent the day baking, peanut butter cereal bars, blueberry muffins and ding dong cake. We are having fresh caught halibut for dinner with cheesy potatoes and salad. Foghorn caught the halibut yesterday so she is sharing with us. We are all pretty excited, sad isn't it? :-) We are leaving Tenekee and headed to Ralph's Creek again, hopefully for the last time. Then we hit one more creek before heading to Sitka for a port day. That doesn't mean a day off though, just cleaning and grocery shopping for me. So thankful that Minnie is there to help me. We work good together and have fun. But we don't want Brad to know that, we'd rather he kept thinking how hard we were working. Which we are but might as well try to enjoy it. Should be getting into cell range soon, at least I hope so. Want to visit with the hubby and see how the banquet and tournament turned out. Finally have service YIPPEE. Found out the banquet and golf tournament went great. So glad the heat didn't keep people from coming out to enjoy the festivities. I have to say that the water we are crossing right now is perfectly flat, no waves or wind. So different than the last few times. Love it when we aren't rocking and rolling all over the place. The kids all enjoyed their dinner and truly loved all the desserts. Probably won't bake tomorrow, at least I shouldn't have to unless they stay up and devour some midnight snacks. Reminds me of cooking for 3 teenage boys way back when. Couldn't seem to keep food in the house when they were around. Guess that's still kind of true but they have slowed down somewhat. They realize they aren't teens anymore! I'm watching the water outside the boat and it looks like liquid metal, sun is shining on it and the small movements look like the guy in Terminator, remember the one that kept recreating himself from little pools of metal? Anyways, that's what it looks like to me. And no, I haven't been drinking. If you could see it, you would agree with me, I'm sure. Not much to share today. Thanks for checking in and I hope you are all doing well......dj

July 30th

Here we are in another cove somewhere in Alaska. Since we are changing spots every single day I see no reason to keep track of where we're at or where we're going. Actually, today we are at East of Snug creek, I had to ask someone. The float plane landed right by the boat and delivered the project leader, Ben. He will be staying on the boat for a few days and hiking the creeks with everyone. Just one more mouth to feed but since we dropped off Dave in Kake the other day, we are back to a crew of 7. Which as I've said before, way less people than when I cook for my family. :-0 However, it's a way different story cooking here than at home, which by the way, I have decided my kitchen at home is plenty big enough after spending time in this one butt kitchen. When I was home in July, I marveled at the space I had to work inside the kitchen that I once cursed. Besides, our landlord bought us a beautiful new stove when the other one gave up the ghost so it's enjoyable cooking with such a nice appliance. Tonight, dinner is Cheeseburger soup and vege pizza. Also made a berry cobbler so there should be plenty of eats. Should have made rolls but I'm tired. Well, guess I could have done biscuits but looks like the group is on their way home, I can see the skiffs headed this way so too late. Way too crowded in here once they all show up. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. We are still out of cell range which means all these blogs will be posted at once. Sorry about that. I'm watching my phone for cell coverage, we are traveling around the south end of Admirality Island and may have a few spots of coverage. Will try to post if I get a couple of bars. Haha, we don't actually have bars out here on the water but the way we walk around here when the water is rough might make you think we've been to a bar. Dinner and dishes are done so the crew has set up a movie in the dining area and they've asked for popcorn. Going to wait just a bit, pretty sure they are full from dinner. They've been grazing since about 3 and ate dinner from 5 to 6, again, grazing. We're possibly going back to Baranof Springs tonight. It's about the half way point to our next stream survey. And no, I don't recall the name of that place right at the moment. Just got cell coverage so I am posting that few days of blogs before we get out of range again. Sounds like you guys are enjoying a heat wave down there, good grief. I was feeling blue about the rain and grey skies up here but won't whine about it after hearing about your 100+ heat. Take care and be safe everyone. Good luck on the SYL Banquet tomorrow night. Will be thinking about all of you!

July 29th

Happy Birthday Brother Eddie. :-) I won't get to call you but still want you to know I'm thinking about you and hoping you have a great day. You are officially a year older than me now, which suits me just fine. I'm sitting at the dining room table, on the boat, in Alaska, looking at a table full of chocolate chip cookies. I have a dessert waiting to be finished at the end of the table and some toast I'm making into croutons. Pulled pork is in the crockpot and I will be making a pasta salad and a corn casserole later today. I try to get a bunch done in the morning, take a lunch break (nap if I'm lucky) and then finish up the cooking later. Also need to vacuum, Brad actually vacuumed the other day, wonders of wonders. :-) Told him he did a great job and anytime he feels like pushing that monstrosity around he's welcome to it. Crazy thing has to be adjusted every time it gets used, if the hose has been jostled around at all, the beater bar won't work and there is no floor suction. I hate vacuums. Noisy, dirty things anyways. Got to enjoy the bath house at Baranof yesterday morning. For some reason I woke up at 6 am, after yesterday's blog that's hard to believe isn't it? Decided I might as well beat the rush, so grabbed my things and walked up the dock and the boardwalk to the baths. Met a lady coming back but didn't see anyone else waiting in line. Just walked right in, got the hot water filling the tub and proceeded to soak. Ahhhhh, so warm and cozy, stinky like sulfur but felt wonderful. Got back to the boat and was starting breakfast when Brad said, Let me know when you want to go up to the bath house and I'll pull the swim deck closer to the dock for you. Ummmm, hey Brad, I already went, been back awhile. The look on his face was priceless. First, he didn't know I had gotten off the boat. Second, he knew getting up early was not my favorite thing. Third, he couldn't imagine how I managed to jump off the boat. He said, Didn't you have a hard time going off the side? That must have been a stretch for you. Me - Yeah it was but I made it. Brad - Good thing, you would have gone straight down and there's no way up from there. Yep, I remember Minnie's story well so always try to be cautious when I climb up or down from the side. I've tried to listen to Minnie's experiences and learn from them. She went off the side of the boat, her foot slipped and down she went, right between the boat and the dock. She said it was so black and dark plus she shot straight down fairly deep. By the time she surfaced the guys were there to help her out but if they hadn't been there, she said there was no way she could have pulled herself out of the water. Scary. Really wish she would have started a journal all those years ago cuz she has alot of stories.

July 28

Happy Tuesday people. I missed the blog yesterday guess I was busy doing other stuff. Baking and cooking no doubt. Didn't take a nap but I did today. We've been traveling over Chatham Strait and had to button down the hatches again. This one was a four hour wild ride, one of the surveyors got sick but I think the rest were okay. Finally curled up on one of the cushions in the seating area and took a nap. Guess Brad was back here once and couldn't decide if I was still breathing, I was curled up in the fetal position and not moving at all. That was called self preservation on my part, I blocked out all the rocking and rolling, closed my eyes and let go. Much better than watching stuff fall off the shelves or waiting for the next big wave to hit. I've decided that I liked the spring weather better than this trip and I've only been on the water 7 days. There have been more yucky travel days this time and we still have weeks to go. Crap. Goes with the territory so I'm not complaining just stating facts. Will be in Kake in a few minutes then to the SOS grocery/hardware/auto parts/toy/home goods/clothing store. And it's maybe the size of a Circle K, maybe. Pretty interesting to walk around and find items that may have been on the shelf forever and then others that are current. Have my grocery list and hope to find everything we need. Vege's and produce are two of the biggest needs but I'm sure to have a full cart before I leave. The kids (surveyors) want Honey Bunches of Oats so I'm hoping to find those. That just means I don't have to cook breakfast!! YIPPEE. Those 7 am breakfast times are killer. I know, I know, its not that early to most of you but consider this, my previous job had me at the computer at 6:30 am four days a week. I got up, grabbed a quick shower and was in my chair within 5 mins of waking up. Then my dear, sweet hubby would make me breakfast and a coffee or go and get me a coffee and deliver them to my desk. So I didn't have to actually do anything but turn on the computer and put on my glasses. He took care of the rest, gotta love that man! Anyways, I'm just not a morning person, never have been and probably never will be. One of my first jobs was during my junior year when I worked at the Albany Mennonite home. I was hired for the kitchen (imagine that) and I had to be at work at 5:30 AM.....that's right, AM. And did I enjoy getting up at that hour? NOPE, not then, not now. I did enjoy the old folks though they were sweet. My main job was to make toast, that's right, I perfected the art of making toast. But flash forward 40 years later, (cripes, I'm old) and Brad had to scrape black off his toast this spring because I served it just a little too dark. I happen to prefer it that way but guess not everyone does. Well, we are about ready to dock, will catch up with you later. Sorry, I didn't get this posted yet, we are currently out of cell coverage again. I got my groceries in Kake and the kids were a great help putting things away. Plus I was able to get their cereal and more avocado's, they are happy. We are headed to Baranoff Springs but it will be late when we get there. Hoping to enjoy the bath house while we are there. I will post this when we get back in range........dj

July 26

Good evening! It's 6 pm and I'm waiting for the crew to get back from their survey, probably around 7:30. Dinner is cooking, chicken in the crock pot, rice and stir fry veges. Made a strawberry cake for dessert. Debating on whether or not to make some biscuits. Had an off day today, woke up at 5 with a splitting headache, went back to sleep and got up at 7:30 to make breakfast. Headache was better but still didn't feel great, told Brad I was going back to bed and when I woke up at 11 am, everyone was gone. I'm trying hard not to catch what the crew brought on board with them, sniffles, sneezes and all that crap. Taking some Emergen-C and advil, hoping and praying not to get sick. I've felt really good the whole time I've been up here, would hate to ruin my record. Got a pocket of cell coverage in this cove so enjoyed visiting with Byron several times. He got to go see his mom, who by the way is 94 yrs young. She is amazing, always has been. Her eyesight is failing which has now stopped her quilting, darn it. Over the years, I watched and learned how to put a quilt together from her. However, I never ventured into the hand quilting that she was so good at. My background didn't include sewing get togethers or quilting bee's. So my start came from her and all the blankets and quilts she made for people. I also learned alot of cooking techniques from Gramma J. Every Thanksgiving we would walk in the back door at their house on Hwy 20 in Sweet Home and she would hand me a spoon to try the stuffing cooking in the crock pot on the back porch. Then when dinner was almost ready, she set me in front of the stove and had me make the gravy, good grief, throwing me right into the fire. I had never made gravy before but she was confident I could do it. We canned beans and peaches together, made applesauce and jam. I loved every minute of it. Gramma J also showed me how to make cinnamon rolls and bread and rolls. My own mom was a good cook too and she taught me how to bake an apple pie, which I did my sophomore year of high school. She also taught me one of my favorite dishes to this day, green beans and red potatoes, simmered together and served with butter. Yummm.......simple but yummy. Guess I can thank those two ladies for my love of cooking and baking. We will be heading back to Ralph's Cove tonight, which was our first stop of the survey. They are hoping to be more successful on the second trip. The stream opens up to a gorge with high walls and cliffs on both sides, which is where they encountered the bears and had to wait for them to leave. The problem with that is the bears can only go further up the stream or straight down the stream, right where the crew is trying to catch the fish. I'm hoping today's survey went well, weather was pretty good although it rained here at the boat this afternoon. They don't mind the rain and wind, they stay fairly dry with their waders and rain gear. Well, going to go cut up the vege's so they are ready for stir fry. Headache is coming back, dang it anyways. Would appreciate your prayers for good health, thanks much. Yak at ya tomorrow....dj

July 25

Happy Saturday! Thinking of Byron and all his volunteers at the soccer camp today. He told me yesterday was possibly the best soccer camp day ever. He has a great coaching staff, volunteers were awesome, food was a hit and the speaker shared his story from the heart keeping everyone's attention. I'm so glad it turned out so well. Hoping today is the same way. Wish I was there but so glad all of you were there to help. Sitting up on the deck again, enjoying the morning. Breakfast was at 8:30 (YIPPEE), so true to my word, Sneezy got his biscuits and gravy. He pronounced it his favorite breakfast so far...out of three.....hahaha. Anyways, they made their lunches and left, I cleaned up all the mess and started dinner. We'll be having BBQ hamburgers, macaroni salad, pork n beans, maybe jello salad and maybe something else, never know what I'll come up with between now and then. That's why a menu doesn't work real well for me, I have to be able to change my mind once in awhile. When I woke up this morning, dinner was going to be rice and stir-fry vege's. But Brad said the weather was going to be warm and I might not want to heat up the galley since it stays warm all the time anyways. That's when I changed my mind. See, flexibility people, try it, you might like it! :-) Or don't, no matter to me. Brad told me where we were but I can't remember. Will go check my map in awhile. Beautiful spot, waters are calm, anchored at the back of a large cove, facing out to the open water. Saw a sow and her cub this morning with my binoculars! That was fun. Still learning how to use them, it's not as easy as just putting your eyeball up to the lens and looking through them, that's for sure. We heard about a different survey crew yesterday that was charged by a sow and she had to be shot in order to stop her. There was also a boar in the same area and they think he got the cubs. By "got" I don't mean saved, if you get my drift. Anyways, that must have been an awful experience. Happy told me that they are so thankful to have the bear guards with them. They work in the stream with their heads down most of the time and can't be watching around them very easily. I think I like my boat job, not interested in walking down stream to catch and measure fish and then worrying about walking up on a bear. But I do want to take the skiff out one of these days, that would be a good skill for me to have. I can see Byron cringe right now, he's seen me try to row a boat and he usually just says, put your oar down and let me do it. But with this skiff, I would have a motor so I bet I could do it. On our way to the next stream survey, Whitewater Creek. We just left Chalk Bay. Weather is still nice, water is smooth and no wind. I love it when a plan comes together. Not that I had any control over the weather. Got to visit with Byron a few minutes ago, he is pleased with the soccer camp and all the volunteers that were there. So glad it went well. Well, guess I better post this before we run out of coverage. See you tomorrow....dj

July 24

Hard to believe we've only been on the water 2 days, feels like it's been way more than that. Today we are at the small village of Tenakee, about 100 people live here. Many of the houses are empty during the year as they are used as vacation homes by Juneau residents. The village is nestled right at the edge of the water and snugged into the bottom of some beautiful mountains. Cell service is minimal, optional, hit & miss, scarce, pick a descriptive word. Met several residents that are helping with the stream survey today. One of the ladies has been here since 1976, the other one came in 2001. I think Nick said he's been here about 25 years. He's originally from Connecticut, how on earth he found his way out here must be quite a story. I am enjoying seeing the vastness of Alaska and the abundance of wildlife but pretty sure Oregon is my home, have no desire to actually live in the back country. I'm quite comfortable with my flush potty, running water and cell service, thank you very much. The weather has cleared! I'm sitting on the top deck in a nice deck chair Minnie purchased. Heck of a way to spend the day, I tell ya. Actually, I was up and had french toast and bacon on the table by 7, AGAIN. Still trying to work on Doc and change breakfast time to 8. Now I've got Sneezy and Happy helping me cuz they asked if I could make biscuits and gravy some morning for breakfast and I said sure enough, just get Doc to change the schedule! I'm crafty that way. I'm thinking of changing Doc's name to Foghorn, truly, I have never heard a woman blow her nose as loud as this chick. I almost thought my grandpa had come back to life and blessed us with his nose blowing talents. Could you all get used to it if I changed her name now? Considering this is a 5 week gig with these Chum experts, now would be a good time. Have decided to make enchiladas and corn casserole for dinner. Just finished a cheesecake so it's in the fridge. The chummies (my nickname for the 3 of them) seem to be enjoying the food, they always grab their dinner spots and start making funny sounds, like oooohhhh, aaahhh, yumm and an assortment of other sounds I can't begin to describe. Then as they are eating, they create some more new sounds. Thankfully, Foghorn waits until she's away from the table to make her sounds! I am also getting a chance to try out my new binoculars, they are Leupold ones, Mojave style. Figured out how to adjust them to my eyes and now I can see things far away. Very, very cool. I've actually been watching Tenakee trying to spot people along the shoreline. Is that considered bad taste? I'm not being snoopy, well, maybe I am. Mostly it's just fun to play with the binoculars. Maybe when I'm on the two hunts in September, I can actually spot a bear too. Everyone returned safely to the boat and enjoyed their dinner. I really boo-booed though. Before they all left this morning, I invited the three Tenakee surveyors to stay for dinner. After they left I realized what I had done. Every evening we have to travel to a new stream which can be a 3-6 hour journey. Which means Brad fires up the boat as soon as they return in order to get to the next spot at a decent time. Oh crap, maybe they won't stay but guess what? Yep, they stayed and visited with Foghorn while the rest of us are, I finally said aren't you guys going to eat? By then I knew Brad was chomping at the bit to get going. Finally they left the boat and I apologized to Brad, I said I forgot where I was and invited them to stay just like it was my own home. He smiled and didn't seem too upset but I felt bad. I hate to be the one to throw a kink in the schedule. Won't be inviting anyone over for dinner anytime soon! Going to try and post this while we have cell coverage. Love ya guys....dj

July 23

Well, welcome back to Alaska Debbie. We've been gone from Sitka 24 hours and the fun has already begun. We anchored in Ralph's Creek Cove last night around 10ish after a fairly uneventful trip. Before going to bed, Doc asked me if I could have breakfast ready at 7 so they could leave the boat at 8, AM! Well, yeah, I guess so, kinda hard to say no when that's my job, so I stayed up late baking muffins knowing there was no way I could get them done in time in the morning. So then.....about 2:30 am I woke up to waves slamming hard against the boat and dragging the anchor. I sleep underwater level in the front of the boat and I hear everything. The noise was incredible and the boat was rocking. I laid there waiting for Brad to come tell me we were under attack or there was a surprise storm. Finally drifted off to sleep figuring if it was important, he would let me know. I pulled myself out of bed at 6:15, that was a lie, the alarm went off at 6:15, I hit the snooze several times. Then I tried to find my hat to cover up the bad hair day and it was nowhere to be found. Just gave up and came out to the galley to get breakfast going. Brad popped around the corner and asked "did ya get any sleep?" Um, no, did you? He ended up sitting in a chair for 2 hours watching the anchor gauge, the wind speeds and how much we drifted. He said he was getting prepared to pull anchor and move the boat when the winds tapered off around 5ish. This storm was not predicted and we happen to be sitting in the right cove if we want all the wind to hit us with full force. Lucky us! Finally got everyone fed, they packed their own lunches and then we got the talk. Brad was very concerned with the wind as it had picked back up and was dragging the anchor again. He didn't want to leave me on the boat and have a problem with the boat being pulled into shore, I wholeheartedly agreed. It was left that if he felt the boat or any of us were in danger, he would cut the survey short and get out of this cove early. But wait, there's more. He took me too the wheelhouse and showed me how to read the computer program that shows us where we are, how deep the water is and where the dangerous spots are located. And if the computer shows "this" spot crossing "this" red line, it was time to get my survival suit on and be ready to board the skiff. WAIT a gol darn minute here, it's way to early in the morning to be hitting me with that kind of serious stuff. And again, we're not done, he takes me to the back of the boat so he can show me how to start the skiff and run it to shore in case I need to get off the boat quickly OR come and rescue them, depending on the tides. HAHAHAHA and good morning to me! Plus, one more thing, he had dropped off the surveyors and the guides so they could start the lower stream then he would join them after he made sure the boat was safe and stable. While he was back here, the group radioed in and said they were not able to continue the survey until a sow and her three cubs left the area but guess what? The bears weren't leaving so the group had to wait them out which meant we got up early for nothing! Dadgummit Conrad Grehbiel. Brad got ready to leave after he also explained the tides and how the water level would drop which would make the shore appear closer so I MIGHT think the boat was drifting and get nervous but he was confident the anchor was holding and would be fine. HOWEVER, if the depth finder goes to 3 or 5, get the survival suit and be ready to put it on. Oh for crying out loud. Enough already. As he left he mentioned that now he had to walk the mile or so up the creek to catch up with the group and since they were running into bears he was pretty sure he would see some also. Well, that puts me even more at ease, thank you very much. I'll beach the boat and the captain with tangle with a bear, all in a day's work I guess. Just checked the computer, everything looks good and the depth finder shows 12.6 so that number is where it should be. So far so good. Will come back to you later and let you know how the survey turns out for the day. The name of the survey program is "Interactions of Wild and Hatchery Chum Salmon in SE Alaska". Okay, they all survived the day and came back for a dinner of Polenta, veges, bread and salad. We are now on our way to the next stream for tomorrow's work day. Remember how I told you about Doc, Happy and Sneezy? These kids are a scream, seriously. We just hit a rogue wave (or the rogue wave hit us) anyways, stuff went flying. Doc and Happy jumped up and tried to grab the coffee pot as it flew across the room along with bread and other misc counter stuff. Sneezy on the other hand, grabbed the two canisters of cookies and the leftover birthday cake. He then promptly sat on the flour and hugged all the containers. What a goof. I happened to be sitting out on the back deck and almost went over backwards, not in the water, just on the deck. So this weather is being unpredictable, annoying and a little scary. Not going down to my room until we anchor tonight and I hope we find a nice little, quiet cove with no wind. That would be nice. Going to post this now since we only have cell coverage for a little longer. Take care and be safe everyone.....dj

July 22

Hi everyone. I'm back in the northern United States in the southern part of Alaska. We left Sitka today and have a 10 hour trip to our first Salmon Survey stream, Ralph's Creek. There are 3 biologists on board and one retired guy who will be here for the first week. What a great group to travel with over the next 5 or 6 weeks. Going to give them new names for the purpose of this blog. The retired guy, we'll call him Cookie Monster is fairly quiet except when he wants cookies, then you can feel his presence all over the boat. Since Minnie made me a birthday cake (which is possibly the best cake ever), I wasn't going to make cookies but I could tell by the hang-dog look on Cookie Monster's face that I might want to produce something that looked like a cookie. So now we have peanut butter & jam bars cooling on the table. Next one is Sneezy, only because he carries around a hankie and told me not to touch it. I can take a hint. :-). The remaining ones will be Doc (cuz she bandaged my cut finger) and Happy, cuz I think she is happy and has a nice laugh. I am already enjoying them and will have lots of fun cooking for them. They range in age from 26 to 29, I think. You know the rest of the crew, Brad the captain and Thierry the assistant guide. This trip both of the guys will take the biologists to the creeks and spend the day with them as bear guards. Not an easy job, some of the creeks take 2 hours to hike up before they can start their survey. And all along the way, they have to watch for bears. If they startle a bear it could charge them and they don't want to shoot the bear, just keep everyone safe. It's not something for the faint of heart that's for sure. And yes, that's why I remain on the boat! This trip is so different from the hunting trips, I will have breakfast ready by 8 and then put all their lunch stuff out so they can make their own sandwich and pick what they want for the rest of the lunch. Then they all head out for the day and I won't see them again until dinner time, more or less. As soon as they return, Brad will fire up the boat and we head off for the next destination, which could be 3 - 10 hours away. We won't be in cell service everyday so if you don't see a blog it's only because we are out of range. I have to say being home last month was a refreshing change for me. I walked into my home, which is a small(ish) condo and thought I was living in a mansion compared to the boat. I flushed the toilets with one hand and now I'm back to shifting a '52 Ford in order to flush. The scenery is breathtaking here but also realized that Oregon can hold it's own in the scenery department. Getting to spend time with family and friends gave me a boost in the emotion category which I sorely needed. Really enjoyed our trip to Wallowa Lake with the kids, haven't been back there for many years. And we got to reminisce about all the years we traveled there with many of our friends. We have so many great memories and it was fun listening to Travis and Jake recall some of them. Now Maddy, Alex and Peyton are making their own memories of the same place their dad had so much fun as a kid. Isn't that cool? And Stacey loves it there too, she see's the uniqueness of the area and all it has to offer. Austin and Erika got to enjoy a quick trip to Seattle to finalize Asher's adoption...YIPPEE! Asher Thomas Johnson is a welcome addition to our family and we are so tickled he is our 5th grandchild. Byron and I got to take Ryder birthday shopping, what a kick that was with him. Even got him to try on some jeans, that lasted about 10 mins but it was long enough to figure out his size! We did lunch and then bowling, woowee, what a fun time. So, I tried to enjoy every minute while I was home knowing I would be leaving again soon. Now that I'm here, its bittersweet. I miss everyone already, especially the big guy but just knowing you guys are out there keeping me in your prayers gets me through each day and helps me to enjoy the time here. Well, this needs to end, we are running out of cell range. Hope to visit with you as many days as possible, thanks for joining!........dj oh yeah, thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes. Like Brad said, Happy Birthday, you get a two month cruise!

June 16th

Good evening for the final time! Our boat will be out of internet range tomorrow as we travel back to Sitka so will make this my last blog for the spring season. Wow, so much has happened since I traveled up here. I've met some interesting people over the past 8 weeks and two of my favorites are Minnie and Brad. They have been wonderful to me every step of the way. I can't even begin to name everything that we've gone through but having both of them supporting me has been a game changer. Before I flew to Sitka from home, we had only spoken on the phone. Then Minnie picked me up at the airport and we hugged, it felt like we were long lost friends. And now we are friends, hopefully not lost though. Quitting my job to come up here was a big step and Minnie seemed to know how much that affected me. Sure, I wasn't crazy about my job but I kept hanging on because it was a job and I wasn't sure how to make a career change smoothly. Well, I've done it. I will no longer work behind a desk, not sure what the future holds for me but it will involve more activity and interaction with people, those are the two things I was most missing from my last job. Boy, did I make a big change. hahahaha. And for the most part, it's been great. Had some lonely moments, a few frustrated moments and even a few scary moments. But mostly, I like the changes that have happened in me. I feel more positive about the present and the future. I've worked my tail off (well, it's still there) and I survived, something I wasn't sure I could do anymore. I learned how to cook on a diesel stove, trust me, that's not an easy process. And I've learned how to flush boat toilets, hahaha. I can now peel a shrimp and crack a crab, will wonders never cease? Tomorrow our clients will leave the boat in Kake at 8 am. Then we will hightail back to Sitka which is about a 15 hour journey. Now remember, this is going back through the same spot where we had the rotten weather a week ago. Pray for safety and better weather this time. Brad and I are both ready to get off the boat and live on land for a month, well, I shouldn't speak for him but I think he would agree. During the boat ride to Sitka I will tear apart the beds, vacuum, clean out the fridge and produce tub, then I need to pack my things and clean my room. Woohoo!! I'm going home Thursday morning and I'm so dang excited. As much fun as this has been, I'm missing my family and friends. It's been long enough for this old lady to be away from home, time to get back and do some cooking for my hubby. Of course, I'll only be home for a month and then it's back up here to finish the season but I will enjoy every minute I'm home. Thanks to everyone that took the time to read my thoughts, happy or sad, weird or strange, up or down. I have enjoyed getting the opportunity to put my experiences down on paper and also share my heart with you. Not sure if I should continue when I come back or not, guess maybe you guys should answer that. Or maybe I'll keep writing just for myself, we'll see. Again, it's been fun, take care and I'll yak with ya later......dj

June 15

Hello people to the south of me. How are all of you this beautiful, sunny, rainy day? That's right, while the sun is shining bright there appears to be a dark rain cloud over the boat, yep, not sure what that means except I'm glad for it. With the diesel oven on constantly it gets pretty warm in here so a little bit of rain should cool things down some. Finished with dinner, steak, baked potatoes, greek green salad and zucchini slices. I found the zucchini recipe on Pinterest, it is yummy and too easy. Sliced zucchini in rounds, top with marinara sauce then mozzarella and bake until browned. Try it, you'll like it. The greek salad was romaine lettuce, greek olives (hence the greek salad name), feta cheese, tomatoes, red onions and a vinaigrette. They ate it all gone and they raved about the zucchini! Amazing. The aunt has become more talkative over the past two days, maybe it takes her a long time to warm up but it's been nice to have more conversation flying around. They caught two more halibut and one they had to throw back cuz it was too big but not big enough. Rules, rules, rules. It has to be bigger than this, can't be bigger than that and has to be bigger than whatever to keep. So this one had to go back to his friends, he was about 6 foot and Brad thinks he weighed about 120lbs. Would have been fun eating, right? Got some pictures but it might make you sad to see a big fish like that and not get to keep him. Our new assistant guide, Thierry has been fun to have around. I miss Luke though, he is doing charter fishing trips during the summer. Will see him again in Sept. Thierry is from Europe, somewhere, he may have said but he is a little bit hard to understand. He tries to speak clearly but that accent is still pretty strong. He finished off the ding dong cake this morning with his 6 am coffee, he really likes chocolate. But he also likes the strawberry cake. This evening I'm making the chocolate dessert, you know the one, Better than .....! or Robert Redford or Tom Selleck. Byron calls it Victoria Principal.......bet I just lost anyone under 40....hahaha. If you don't know these actors, look them up, they were hot stuff back in the 70s and 80s. Anyways, I'm sure Thierry will like this dessert too. Not sure what kind of soup for tonight, I'll get around to it later. I probably have 4 hours before I see any boats approaching. Soup is on the stove, Navy bean something or other. I have resorted to using a soup package every once in a while cuz coming up with menu ideas is starting to get old. Plus, all they really want is something to warm them up after coming in from the cold. Just got done visiting with hubby, I just love his voice, so soothing and loving. Sometimes I feel like Sally Fields when she accepted her Oscar that one year... YOU LIKE ME, YOU REALLY LIKE ME! :-) Anyways, I always enjoy our visits. Having a hard time tonight though, we figured out it's probably because I'm worn out. I know, I'm a wuss but this gig has been 24/7 for two months. There are no down days unless you count the few travel days to pick up clients in Kake but even those are consumed with making sure the boat is ready for people and food is prepared. And those turnaround days are killer. Sure, I get off the boat for a few hours but they are mostly spent at the grocery store or Minnie's house picking up my laundry - that's right, she is a sweetheart and does my laundry in between hunts, her daughter Holley even comes over after work and pitches in wherever she can. I will admit I have been able to grab a few hours for dinner out with Byron when he was here and coffee in the morning at the Highliner Coffee shop. But this break is coming at just the right time, I can feel it. I want to sleep in my own bed, potty on my own toilet (TMI?), swing in my garden chair and maybe even cook in my own kitchen. Plus I need some grandkid hugs, lots of them. Okay, have to quit talking about it, now my eyes are watery again. cripes. We are in Port Camden tonight, very pretty. I have a view of a very long body of water that travels out to the channel with shoreline on each side. And the boat is moving constantly, around and around, so I get to see the view from all angles. Some of the shoreline is very rugged, there is no place to land a skiff when the tide is out. Rocky shores go straight up and down, the ones next to me right now are about 10-15 feet high, no way could you get on that shore. Hope they find more hospitable ones down the way. And I know they are hoping to find that elusive bear, so far, what they've seen are either sows with cubs or boars that have been rubbed, neither are a good option. Hope all is well in your neck of the woods.....dj

June 14th

It's 11:15 am, we are on our way to new hunting grounds but will stop at the halibut fishing hole along the way. Will see if we catch a legal one this time. Breakfast is over.....let's talk about breakfast. I am running out of breakfast ideas but this morning I decided to use some of the crab that's going to waste in the fridge and I made scrambled eggs with crab, tomatoes and onions, I really thought they would enjoy it. First off, the little one didn't want crab or onions or tomatoes so they were trying to pick just the eggs out of the mixture. Okay, she's 7 years old, I'm okay with that. I was making lil smokies and scrambled eggs for Brad so she could share that if she wanted to. I also had breakfast burritos and english muffins on the table. And what do I hear from Senior Bothersome?? "Is there anything else? I don't think crab in my eggs sounds very good".......ummm......hold your tongue debbie.....then Brad quickly chimes in, there are burritos down the table if you want one of them. SERIOUSLY??? I was pretty tickled with myself thinking of adding the crab to the eggs, have they never heard of a crab omelette? I can't believe how I let that get to me. First time I wanted to cry in weeks, isn't that weird? It's not a big deal but maybe it was the last straw or probably the second to the last straw, I don't know. Anyways, I threw whatever was left off the back deck. We are having bbq hamburgers for lunch and I'm making macaroni salad and if they don't like it......well crap, I might heat it up and serve it as a soup tonight. And then maybe in the morning I'll fry it up and serve it with an egg on top. Have they never heard of the phrase.....don't mess with the cook!? All the previous clients have been pretty fun and when someone would start to tease me, the other one would quickly say.....I'm not saying anything, I know better than to mess with the cook. And that's how it would go, back and forth. But this trip doesn't have that type of vibe, very different and condescending. Oh well, I only have until Weds morning when they leave the boat and we head back to Sitka....hallelujah! No sense in putting too much stock into what they think or how they treat me, see, I'm talking myself out of my mad. :-) Pretty cool trick I've learned as I've gotten older. I'm really not all that good at it though, my fuse is still pretty short. Well, we are stopping to let them fish, will yak at ya later....OKAY, four halibut later we are heading back to the hunting grounds. And the plan changed for tonights hunt. Do you remember when I mentioned Bothersome whining about having to hunt the meadow and having to hike into the hunting spot? Well guess what? Tonight his dad is going hunting in the meadow. Yep, that's right. The 30 year old decided he was NOT going back there as it was too much work so senior Bothersome is hunting the meadow tonight. And I thought I had seen everything. Also remember when I told you earlier that I was making macaroni salad? Well, a funny thing happened, I made it a little differently this time, not sure why but I poured vinegar into the bowl before I added mayo, mustard and the other stuff. I always make my sauce mixture in a separate container before adding to the salad. Anyways, I taste tested it and thought it needed a few things so I kept adding until it tasted pretty good. After dinner the salad had barely been touched, which ticked me off. Seems like I can't cook anything they like. So I took a spoonful and whoops.....the vinegar was overwhelming. I don't remember the last time that's happened, honest. Maybe my subconscious was working without me realizing and wanted to give them something as sour as they are. Regardless, I said nothing, even took another spoonful just to prove I could and then as soon as they all left.....that salad went off the back of the boat! Oh my goodness what a disaster but kind of funny too. I feel bad for Brad and Theirry though, they didn't deserve yucky salad. Well, soup is made, hot water is on the stove, cereal peanut butter bars freshly made and leftover strawberry cake.....anyone think of anything else? Me neither. It's 10 pm and they are all still hunting, looks about 6 pm our time. I will be going to my room as soon as they get back, at least I hope I am. Have no desire to stay up and shoot the breeze with these folks. I need my sleep. See ya soon......dj

June 13th

First, let me start off by saying I promise this post will not be as long winded as last night. You'd think I was writing a term paper or something. Today has been fairly calm. Breakfast of french toast and strawberries and lil smokies. Lunch was Potenza, my own combination of chicken, bacon, potatoes, cheese and white sauce. We actually found the dish at a little restaurant in Lafayette and I sort of adjusted it to our liking. Also had Romaine/Mandarin salad and french bread. Now I have chicken noodle soup on the stove and I made a strawberry cake. I also took the leftover french bread and made soup croutons, figured I might as well try them in another form before I throw them overboard. On the boat, I try to keep anything worth keeping and re-use it once. Sometimes they become a soup base for a different trip. I learned a long time ago that leftovers should only be served one time. Trying to remake something after its been served as an entree, then a leftover can become unpalatable. The rule on the boat is anything that can go into a compost pile gets thrown off the back deck. I have made many trips back there to feed the fishies and I'm now concerned I may continue this behavior when I get home. I don't think the homeowners association would appreciate me stepping outside my kitchen and throwing salad greens, bread slices or fruit onto the greenway. We would be getting a knock at the door very soon. Guess we're going to pull anchor in the morning and go to a different hunting spot, along the way will try halibut fishing again. Would be very nice to get one we could keep instead of that monster one the other day. That was fun to see though. There is another beautiful sunset tonight. I think this spot is one of the prettiest I've ever seen for sunsets. I've enjoyed every single one. I've learned to let Bothersome go about his business and not engage him in conversations unless necessary. I will say that tonight he complimented dinner and said thanks. Have to take what I can get ladies and gents. Oh and another thing, I took the remaining cans of Arnold Palmer tea to my bunk room. :-) No one has asked for them yet......hahahahaha. I figure they can have my creamer, I haven't been drinking coffee the past 2 weeks anyways. I'm counting the days until I can head home and see everyone. So close, so exciting. This has truly been an adventure for me, new surroundings and experiences everyday. The scenery is awesome, I've met people from all over the states and Mexico and I feel like there is more to life than I was letting myself believe. Still not sure what I will do after I'm done in September but I'm excited about the future. See you all soon......dj

June 12th

Good morning everyone although you won't read this until evening when I post it. So last night I told you that the 7 year old girl went hunting in the boat with Brad, her aunt and her grandpa. That tough little nut stayed with them all evening. They did not have to bring her back early. Plus she went on a bear stalk with them. Brad was totally impressed, no whining or complaining (from the girl, not Brad) hahahaha. I crack myself up. Anyways, I was also impressed cuz I'm not sure I could have done that as well as she did. They left around 4:30 and returned about 10:30. crazy. So another turn of events regarding her dad, Bothersome. He and the new guide went to a large meadow where there is a hunter's cabin. They walked in from shore and hunted bear along the way. Well, today, he informs Brad that he doesn't want to do that tonight, "it was too hard on his back, he was dressed too warm, didn't see any sense in it, the bugs were eating him alive".......this from the father of the 7 yr old that never complained, one bit. So Brad said they could hunt from the boat tonight. Geez louise. On to the crab cakes, I decided last night to not have a turf war over the galley, if the guy wants to make his crab cakes then let him. I figured out a menu where all my stuff could cook in the oven, crock pot and top of stove. Already have sausages in the crock pot, will stick mac n cheese in oven and steam vege's on top of the stove. That way, the electric fry pan would be available for him to use. And then this morning he decided he wants to fish, which means we have to move the boat and he would be fishing when it's time to cook the crab cakes. Now he's decided he will make the crab cakes up and have them ready for ME to fry. And guess what? I said no problem, I can do that. Yes sir I can. :-) Life is so fun now, I have learned to let it go, at least some things. Not initially, I have to boil over first, simmer down and then re-evaluate. For this situation, I don't really care what happens. My job is to feed the clients and I will do that, got it all figured out now. And in exactly a week, I will already be home! YIPPEE, so see, it doesn't matter what happens here, I still get to go home and see my friends and family. And that guy will get on a plane and fly home to those that think he is the man who hung the moon. Oh yeah, no bears were shot last night. So they will go out again this evening after dinner. Okay, everyone is gone again, I am by myself for the evening hours....oh happy day, oh happy day. Sorry, my mind does it own thing every once in awhile. So, dinner went fairly well. Bothersome and his crew cracked all the crab while I took a nap.... :-). Then I started my part of dinner, got everything cooking so I could fry crab cakes in the electric frypan. But noooo, Bothersome's sister asked if I would be using the cast iron skillet hanging up next to the stove, I said, no, I will be using the electric frypan. She got the deer in the headlights look and said I better go let Bothersome know...she used his name of course. So pretty soon, here comes Bothersome, "uh, were you going to use the cast iron skillet for the crab cakes, that's what I use". Me: no, I will have something else cooking on the stove so will use the electric frypan. Bothersome, oh, okay, that should work. REALLY? you think so, cuz I've only been cooking longer than you've been alive but if you want to tell me one more time how to do my job, I may forget the decision to take the high road and just gut slam up against the wall, how does that sound to you sweet-cakes??? Alright, that scenario only went through my head but I enjoyed it while it lasted. I got the frypan ready and started adding the crab cakes, to which I was then told to make half of them crispy and the other half regular....................(there goes my mind again)...... so I cooked those suckers until they were crispy critters, that's right, nice and brown (blackish) on both sides......HAHAHAHAHAHA. No comments from the peanut gallery after that, no siree bob. And my captain, Brad just informed me that his wife Minnie gave him the link to my blog so he can read it.......oh crap, now I can't remember if I put anything bad about Brad.......oh crap, I don't think so, he's a decent fellow, I've gotten him to loosen up a bit, a little tight around the collar at first but he's beginning to come around. Of course, my plane ticket to return in July hasn't been purchased yet so these last few blogs may be my last ones, he may not purchase a return flight for me. Guess we'll see what he has to say after he reads them. Geez, I had no idea I was getting this long winded but there has been so much to share. And I couldn't keep all this good stuff to myself. Plus if I didn't share, my mind may explode and no one wants that to happen. Today is Friday which means one week from today I will be relaxing in my own home. Going to go around to every single chair and plant my hiney down in each one, sort of to mark my spot, you know? Then I will visit the kitchen and take a good look around, do I want to enter into that space and begin the chore of cooking some more???? Sure I do, it's one of my favorite things to do and Byron deserves a good home cooked meal as much as these clients do....actually more cuz he puts up with me on a daily basis. Bless that man's heart. Well, I need to come up with some soup for tonight plus I might make another dessert, we'll see. OHHHH, WAIT.....guess who got into my tea??? That's right, Bothersome has helped himself to my Arnold Palmer tea that Minnie bought special for me, previous clients asked first but not him, I just saw the can sitting on the table. And the other thing......he asked for cream for his coffee when he got on board, I showed him where the milk and half-half was but then he saw my special creamer, which I then said I could probably share......yep, you guessed it, the bottle is almost empty. Oh and one more thing, most of the cold food is kept in the fridge on the back deck, which I make trips to about every 3-5 mins sometimes. But Bothersome asked if he could put MY creamer in the little galley fridge (college dorm room size) so he wouldn't have to walk back and forth......I just went and stepped it off.......12 steps people, that's right, 12 measly steps he wanted to save. the answer was no. Love all of you....thanks for listening........dj