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

June 11

Oh my goodness, this has been a couple of very busy days. We dropped off my new friends Diana and Mark, then picked up the new clients from Florida. There are 4, a grandpa, his son and daughter and his granddaughter who is 7. This is truly becoming a very different hunt than any of the previous ones. For example, they leave their crap everywhere in the main living area, makes it very difficult to have places for people to sit or relax and with this many people on board that's tough. THEN, listen to this scenario. I told everyone last night that breakfast would be served close to nine but if they got up earlier to help themselves to yogurt in the fridge or cold cereal in the cupboard. So, about 8:15 this morning I walk towards the galley and smell something cooking. WHAT THE HECK? Did Brad get a wild hair and decide to cook breakfast? On the stove is my big flat griddle with sausages rolling around on top, sizzling. I turned and looked at Brad and one of the hunters (the son about 30 - lets call him Bothersome), so Bothersome says to me, "we were hungry" then walked away. Brad says, I already told him not to do that again. Apparently, Bothersome was cooking at the stove before Brad was even up and then asked Brad how to turn the stove up higher to get the sausages to cook faster. Brad was shocked he was even in the galley then when he looked at the temp, Bothersome had it turned up so high, it would have blown the hot water alarm and that would not be good. So, he informed Bothersome that the diesel stove was something that only him and the cook should be working with as it is very quirky and tempermental - I think he meant the stove but in this case it would work for me too. For crying out loud......what did Bothersome think he was doing? But he has been fairly bossy since he arrived and a know it all. My frustration level has sky rocketed to unbelievable heights and I need to let it go, let it go, let it go.....still working on it friends. Took a dinner break and guess what I heard? Oh.,...this isn't going well at all. Bothersome is planning on making crab cakes tomorrow...in my galley, didn't ask, just told. Oh man, oh man, someone is going to get slapped. BUT WAIT, they left, everyone has left in the skiffs, even the little girl. I have the boat to myself....I might do a dance, sing a song, clap my hands....geez, I'm not sure what to do. Already have soup cooking and I think I'll make a ding dong cake. I always feel better after I've baked something. Okay, life is good, ding dong cake is on the table ready to be devoured. Should have thrown some crab meat right in the middle of it......hahahahahahahahahahahaha....okay, maybe I'm losing it just a little, tiny, insie winsie little tiny bit! Going to post this now so I don't keep rambling. Wish me luck or maybe you should wish Bothersome luck. (I had other names picked out but they were inappropriate). Good evening to all......dj

Blog June 8

Hello friends and neighbors, family and friends. We are doing just fine out here in Alaska's wilderness. I have a new friend, Diana from Hookstown, PA. She went out hunting this afternoon with the guys but stayed here this evening. We have a ton of fun, sharing stories about our lives. We have the same sense of humor, that's right people, there is another one like me out there! I made an apple pie for their last evening on the boat. I have chili in the crock pot to cook all night for our first evening with the new clients tomorrow. I also made strawberry scones with Gayle's recipe, thanks Gayle, they turned out tasty. Now I'm making us some chip dip for our evening snack before the guys get home. Some Rotel and velveeta, yumm yumm. Seriously going to have to change my ways when I get home, dang it. But for now, I have one more hunt and then I'm home. Boys are still out hunting, hoping beyond hope they come home with a bear. We will be getting up earlier than usual tomorrow in order to make the switch of clients. I will need to find the little grocery store in Kake, we need ice and fresh produce. Minnie told me about this little store and how querky it is, can't wait to see it. Also need to switch laundry, empty garbages and vacuum, good grief, what a day ahead of me. But it puts me one day closer to going home. :-)

blog June 7

That's right folks, I missed a day of blogging. Totally my fault, I thought about it last night around 11pm and much as I love you guys, I was going to bed. The hunter's wife, Diana, stayed on the boat last night instead of joining the two guys hunting. It was rainy, cold and windy, I didn't blame her for staying here. We read books, made dip for chips, visited and totally enjoyed ourselves. So I'm not saying I was choosing her over you but, well, I guess I did. We moved to a new area today, have not been here before but I love the scenery. Hoping they are successful tonight but I think it's getting too late in the hunt to try and hit Baranoff Hot Springs. That's sad, it would have been fun to go back there. This time we would have walked up to the actual hot springs and spent some time there. Oh well, we are in a beautiful spot and bears have been seen in the past few days so maybe, just maybe. We have bbq hamburgers, corn casserole and roasted potatoes tonight. Going to make peanut butter and jam bars pretty soon. I'm roasting a few more potatoes to use for breakfast so have to wait until those are finished. The wind is blowing, not bad but just enough for the boat to swing around and give me a different view every few minutes, pretty nice. We are out of cell range this evening but when I talked to Byron earlier he said McMinnville temp was 94. Good grief, that is pretty unusual for June. And it's supposed to stay warm the rest of the week. Hope everyone takes care and watches for sunburn, drink lots of water. Listen to me, the person that hates water but will drink a can of Arnold Palmer Ice tea/lemonade mix at the drop of a hat. :-)

June 5th

Good evening family and friends. How are things in your neck of the woods? I heard the weather is great in Oregon, so glad there was good weather for graduations. Hard to believe school is out down there, I'm sure the kids are all excited. Looking forward to spending time with the grandkids while school is out, I'm sure we can find something to do. I've seen ALOT of water lately but I still see a trip to the beach for sure. Oh and there's always shopping to do. Byron and I did some shopping for gifts when he was here but that was only one store, I'm losing my shopping mojo. And dare I say my desire to shop? Living on a boat in a very small space changes your attitude about stuff and obtaining more stuff. At least for now I'm pretty content with what I have. Although, (you knew that was coming) I will be leaving some of my clothes up here when I come home for a month so may need to add to the wardrobe a little bit. :-) Tonight I made sweet n sour chicken for dinner using the right recipe. The previous time I made it there wasn't enough sauce, well come to find out, there were two recipes in the Recipe Box and I made the wrong one. So anyways, today's was much better. Also had rice and stir fry veges. Now I'm trying to make spanish rice soup and I may have made it a tad too spicy. We'll see if they like it or toss it overboard. Me and my experiments. I have the chocolate pudding dessert so that will make up for the spicy soup. The weather is much better today. Calm with no wind. Still overcast but no rain so that makes it nice for the hunters. They are out there now searching the shoreline for that darn bear. Hope they get one tonight, that would make the rest of the trip relaxing. We might even head over to the Hot Springs if the bear hunt is successful early. One more thing on the shopping idea, I haven't had a chance to look for a new bracelet and I'm pretty sure there's room on my wrist for another one. Has to be just right though and have significance to Alaska and my time here. I tried to get Mark to give me one of his bear's claws but that was a no go. Maybe it was because I called them nails instead of claws. Picky, picky. Then I offered to paint the bear's nails and he poo-pooed that idea too. Ya try to be helpful and it doesn't get you anywhere. The crab pots are out so will check those tomorrow. Might be having crab tomorrow night, we'll see. I've decided that crab tastes okay, it's just alot of work to get the meat out of the shell. So I might have leftover chicken instead and leave the crab for the hunter and his wife. Brad doesn't care for crab either, he can have leftovers too. He's okay with that though. Just went and got all comfy, those that know me understand what I mean, especially the women. Guys just don't get it. Most women I know shed their bra as soon as they come through the door at the end of the day. It's just one of those things we do that signifies we have conquered what we set out to do for the day and we are now home for the evening. Plus we also pull out the sweatpants or yoga pants for additional comfort. Now I realize this isn't the attire men were used to back in our parents generation. A wife was expected to reapply her makeup, put on a clean dress and meet her man at the door with a gin and tonic. Can you see that happening now? hahahaha. Things have changed dramatically since then. If you are a wife that is home before the hubby, whether or not you were home all day or just got back from work, I'm pretty sure the makeup has already been scrubbed off, the clean dress is actually the sweatpants and one of his old t-shirts and the drink, well that's either a diet soda or ice tea for her. Plus, one of them has to start dinner in order to get everyone fed before sports practice, music lessons or school functions. It takes a team effort to rally the troops and see to it that the house is clean, the cars run, kids are acknowledged, work is attended and good, quality time is spent on each family member. A big order but I see it being accomplished by alot of young families everyday. I remember thinking as my boys were growing up, were we doing things right, did they get enough attention, were our priorities in the right place? I can honestly say that we screwed up alot of times and our boys probably felt the brunt of our bad decisions. But they have each grown up to be Godly men with big hearts, warm souls and hard working, only by the grace of God. I'm proud of each one of them, not because of what we did but because they have made their own decisions as adults to live positive lives with purpose and goals. And to think, I never really knew if I wanted kids when I was younger. In fact, after Travis was born and we put him in the car to bring him home as a newborn, we looked at each other and said, "now what do we do"? Bless his heart, he survived his childhood and became big brother to two more Johnson boys. I'm so blessed. Looking forward to some hugs from the oldest to the youngest of the entire family. Wow, so sorry, I got to yapping away and took way too much of your time. Thanks for sticking through to the end. Have a great evening......dj

June 4th

Welcome to rainy Alaska, my very first rainy, windy and stormy day in Alaska. The other wind storms and high waves we went through didn't include any rain. There might have been a couple other days on one of the earlier hunts where it was raining but I don't think so. It has rained all day long with high winds. One moment I'm looking out at the island to the left of the boat and the next moment that island is gone and I'm looking at a totally different island. Good thing the anchor is holding. Guess this is truly more like SE Alaska spring weather but I've been lucky enough to only see sunshine. If I took pictures now, all you Oregon people would think I was taking pictures of home, so I won't bother. The hunters are out in this nasty stuff though. Have to admire the wife that went out as a spotter with her hubby. Pretty sure I would have said, have at it buddy and I'll see ya when you get back. Plus they are sitting in a metal boat with no blankie or book along. Nope, makes no sense to me whatsoever. Tonight we had stuffed pasta shells, salad and pecan tarts. Everybody was happy and full. Soup is on the stove now, sorry, can't put a name to it or if I did it might be.....taco tortilla soup, yeah, let's call it that. :-) I sort of want to bake something else but haven't decided what. This kind of weather makes me think I need to bake. The problem is with only four people on the boat, if we have too much dessert around, yep, you get the picture. Plus, the hunter already said he isn't a big dessert eater and Brad, well, he's just Brad. Did I mention that he isn't a "foodie"? To him, there is no such thing as good food, it's just food. Now I suppose if he was getting really awful food served to him then he would see the difference between good and bad food. He even said, food is food, that's all. Well, excuuuse me but I beg to differ Captain! A meal prepared by someone with intentions to warm the soul and please the palate is not just "food", it's an offering by the cook to bring happiness and comfort to those eating the meal. I'm well aware that alot of meals are cooked with the only goal is to fill the stomach. Some people don't like to cook but are in the position of having to provide meals for family or for work and in those cases, the food put on the table may very well be "just food". But for people like me, cooking and/or baking is not only fun but it allows me to be creative and find new ways to make people happy. I love creating new recipes and then sharing them at a dinner party or potluck. So with all that being said, cooking on the boat has been fun but in a different way. I'm serving a purpose, not making history as they say. And I'm okay with that. Cripes, how on earth did I get on that rant? Sorry, see this is what happens when I am left alone with a keyboard and no one to visit with. The weather is still nasty out there and I'm looking for the skiff but it's no where to be seen. And I'm betting a dollar that those guys won't bring Diana back if she gets too cold, pretty sure that isn't allowed. Another reason I'm happy right here looking out. Okay, that's all for tonight. Sure is nice to be able to blog in real time and get it posted before day's end. Love ya.....dj

June 3rd

Hello from Kake, Alaska or thereabouts. We are south of Kake somewhere. Again, I don't really know where I am or where I'm going just that I'm in the boat and on my way. We picked up our hunter and his wife this morning in Kake. They are wonderful to have on board, very friendly and excited to be here. I told her she was the first spotter to go out with earrings on since I've been here. She wants her husband to get his bear in the first couple of days so we can go to Baranoff Hot Springs.....I like the way she thinks. The problem with that is we have to go back the way we came, up through Frederick Sound and may I just say, OH CRAP. I'm hoping and praying the weather is better next time we go through that area. Had a nice dinner and sent them on their way to go find a bear. Since I have cell coverage I'm making phone calls and posting stuff. Liking this part alot. I don't feel so isolated when my phone has at least one bar! I remember the days when cell phones didn't exist....YES, I am that old. We had to find a pay phone to call home and check in, not that anyone was keeping tabs on me, I was so trustworthy no one bothered to ask where I was. Seriously, no joking. Fine, you don't believe me......I might not believe me either except it's true. Getting close to 9 pm, the hunters won't be back until at least 11 pm, their soup is cooking to warm them up from the chilly air. I am enjoying the scenery which is somewhat different from previous hunts. I'm in a very large bay with trees ringing the entire area. A few mountains but not alot. There must be some coves here and there cuz I can't see the skiff anywhere. But it looks like the shoreline is just how the bears like it, some hedgegrass to nibble on and enough room to roam. Funny thing about this bear hunting, I actually know a few things now. Who would have guessed? Got to catch up with a few people today and it was great to hear their voices. Hard to believe that in the short time I've been gone, I feel like a different person but still the same. Not sure what that means except I have an anticipation for the future that I haven't had in awhile. I have come to the conclusion that I won't be taking a desk job again, nope, not gonna do it. I want to pursue some of my other goals and dreams and no, I can't share what those are because I haven't really made any decisions. Only that I will take this opportunity and make some changes. Byron is so encouraging and wants me to achieve whatever I want, the problem has always been, what do I want? Most of you know that I love to write and started a book years ago but never finished it. Might be time to dust it off and see if there is still something there. But I also love to cook for people, so maybe I should look into something along that line. However, I also enjoy quilting and making people happy with a gift of something warm and cuddly. I guess those are the three areas that I should focus on while I decide what to be when I grow up! And darn it, I better hurry up and decide, I'm getting more grown up everyday! Have a great evening and I hope all is well with each one of you.....dj

June 2nd

On the road again, oops, on the water again, just can't wait to get on the water again. No waiting, we're rocking and rolling on the deep blue sea. On our way north to Kake to pick up our next hunters. oops, sorry just had to run and grab some stuff, the melons went rolling across the floor, the diesel stove just "poofed" and the fire went out so all the windows are open. We are going through some very strange water whirlpools, you wouldn't think that they would affect a big ship like this but holy cow! I appreciate the fact that Brad knows what he's doing. It's almost like threading a needle and with my eyesight, we wouldn't make it through here. And I miss Luke already, he won't be with us on these next 2 hunts, we are getting a different assistant guide. Luke would have figured out what is banging around outside, I looked but can't figure it out. Driving me nuts. Oh well, nothing is going overboard so that's good. Weather is again bee-u-tee-full. Hard to believe this is Alaska, I could be trolling along a lake in eastern Oregon, except for all the very tall mountains and of course, the ocean water. That would be hard to come by in eastern Oregon. Cripes, just asked Brad if we made it through and he said and I quote, "didn't hit the rocks, so we should be okay". REALLY.....that's how you gauge success? He and I are gonna have to have a very serious talk sometime about his deadpan humor. But I will wait until my safety is no longer in his hands. And here comes some more fun water........! I think I need some chocolate. False alarm but I got the chocolate anyways. Well, after all that, it was NOT a false alarm. Holy crap. That was an evening to remember or forget depending on your perspective. We had 35 knot winds which made this boat rock front to back, (stem to stern?) whatever, it was stupid crazy. We had just eaten and we hit the waves. I took a Bonine quickly since it felt like maybe I would toss my stomach contents. Then I just sat and looked at the horizon and realized the galley was coming apart. So I made my way over there and taped the cabinets shut, moved the coffee pot onto the floor and prayed for calm. Seriously one of the roughest times while I've been here if not the worst. I ended up sitting out on the back deck so the cold air would keep me from throwing up plus I stared at the horizon. But I ended up getting so cold, I came inside, curled up in a ball and sat in the back of the dining room watching the horizon. Brad was driving the boat and I was the only one else on board. Talk about feeling helpless and lonely. Geez louise, if that would have been my first experience, pretty sure it would have been my last. We finally pulled off into a small bay to let the winds die down. I went to bed and tried to relax which wasn't easy. I heard Brad get up at 3 am to get started again but the winds never died down. We were still pitching and rolling. I just stayed in bed, saw no reason to get up and try to hang onto things when laying in bed was working just fine. I couldn't lay on my side because it felt like I was going to roll right out, so just looked at the bunk above me and hoped for the best. Here's the other thing, my bunkroom is in the bow of the boat, (front), so every wave we hit, I bounced. What an ride. So glad we are on the other side of that experience. Okay, I'm going to close this for now since it's actually Weds the 3rd, will start a new blog for today.....dj

May 30

Hello, sick of hearing from me yet? Hope not cuz I still have 2 hunts left before I come home for a month break. Today the guys decided to travel to a different spot in hopes of finding those darn bears. Which meant tightening down the hatches, taping the cabinets shut again and holding on tight. It actually wasn't too bad this time. However, there was an interesting glitch. We had passed a sailboat while out in the open waters and I took pictures as we passed by. About 15 mins later, Brad came through the dining area and said we are going to perform a rescue on that sailboat. WHAT?? Brad heard a radio message asking for help due to their fuel line was either leaking or the gauge was broken. The captain wasn't sure how far he could make it I guess. So we pulled up into a nearby cove and waited for the sailboat to arrive. Brad and Luke spent over an hour finding out what was wrong, a faulty O ring in the gas line, which means nothing to me but it did to them. So they were able to fix it and the sailboat continued on their merry way. The story of the boat is about a couple in their late 50's or so who left the Netherlands 14 years ago and have traveled all over the world in that crazy sailboat. No thank you, uh-huh, nada, nope, no way in h e double ll, you get my drift. I'm doing good to have been on this boat for 34 days with 18 more to go. I can't even imagine spending that much time traveling on a boat. They truly have had the adventure of a lifetime but talk about taking it to the extreme. To each his own. I have pumpkin dessert in the oven and they are getting packaged soup for their late night dinner tonight. They have been giving me a hard time about making soup from leftovers, trying to figure out which dinner the soup came from, well darn it anyways. I actually worked hard on those soups, I even made clam chowder from scratch which was NOT from leftovers. So tonight I decided they could just have Bear Creek Creamy Wild Rice soup, mix it with water and wa-lah! No mess, no fuss. We are anchored in a new area, the shoreline is very different from previous stops. Now we are looking at alot of beach area between the trees and water. Which should be good for hunting, I think. Sure hope so, the hunters are talking about taking anti-depressants if they don't get something tonight. :-)

June 1

We are now in Sitka, arrived around 4 am. No bears on this trip, hunters are packing their gear and getting ready to leave. Feel bad but as they say, hunting is hunting. I didn't know they said that until I came up here but that's what they say. Today is turnaround day, garbage and dirty clothes off the boat, cleaning to be done, then shopping for groceries and pack it all in again. Then by evening we will go out for dinner together before he leaves tomorrow. Lots of work to complete but I'm so glad he is here to help. Such a sweetie. Will miss him horribly but I come home in a few weeks so that's awesome. Gotta run, lots to do today. Love all of you!

May 29th - yes, there are missing days

Here we are again people, sitting in the evening enjoying the solitude of the Alaskan wilderness while the hunters are out hunting. I apologize for not blogging lately, I have company with me now so decided to enjoy our time together. But Byron told me that people would be disappointed if I didn't blog so here I am. I find it hard to believe that anyone would miss my blogs but that's what he said. I've been cooking and baking everyday, some of the good old stand-byes and a few new things. I made a strawberry pie tonight, hoping it turns out good. Byron has 4 days left on the boat which means I will miss him terribly. But am grateful that he was able to come up for a visit. He has totally relaxed while being here. Did some fishing, no catching though. We are still waiting for the hunters to bring home a bear, maybe tonight

May 24

The boat is now anchored in Ford Arm and no, I don't know exactly where that is on the map. Guess I should go look but what difference does it make? I'm on the boat and I go where the boat goes. Dinner tonight was Chicken spinach tortilla bake, green salad and a relish tray. Dessert is a blueberry/peach cobbler. Need to get started on their soup too but I have time. Byron is on the back deck fishing, he thinks he's gonna get something.... :-). I will let you know if that happens. The weather is once again absolutely beautiful, sunny and warm. This kind of weather does not encourage the bears to come down to the beach though so for hunting purposes, this weather isn't the best. There are quite a few jelly fish in the waters around here, I can see them bobbing to the surface. Two of the hunters came back for a quick break but they will be off hunting again shortly. I decided on making steak soup for the evening snack. Have no idea how it will turn out, you know how I am with recipes. Oh well, they are usually so cold at that late hour, all they really want is something to warm them up, not even sure if they taste it. Guess a shot of whiskey would do the same thing but we don't have any of that on board.

May 23

Goood evening folks. We have safely landed at our destination, thank you for flying with Bradford Boats......okay, we didn't actually fly but we might have caught some air on a few of those waves. What a ride. No one got sick so that was a huge plus and nothing broke. We are now anchored in a small cove situated on the west side of Chichagof Island. The scenery is different than on the other hunts, the shoreline is very rocky with less meadows for the bears to wander around and eat. So the skiffs are out hunting again until dark. Soup is on the stove and dessert is in the fridge. They had crab for dinner, which they loved. I made some teriyaki chicken for Brad and myself. Neither one of us are big fans of crab. Did I mention how much I love having Byron here with me? He seems to be having a good time too, fished a little bit yesterday, took a nap today, had some crab, he's just a happy camper. I sure miss all my kids. Those sweet grandbabies, well, I realize the girls aren't actually babies but they will always be my sweet grandbabies to me. And the little guys are too funny. The littlest is already trying to sit up, it helps that he has a budha belly in front too. So I am looking forward to the month off when I can come home and enjoy all of them.

May 22

WelI I've been in Alaska one month. Hard to believe. Today we are headed out to the ocean and will be going through 2 hours of rough water. Everything has been taken off the kitchen counters and put on the floor. Fridges are taped shut and so are the cabinet doors. Oh my, oh my. They even brought out a puke bucket for someone to use if needed or if they can get to the back deck they could toss their cookies overboard. Whoowoo.....hang on we're in for a doozy! Will catch you on the flip side. :-) I'm back, we had to turn back thank goodness, Brad made the decision to anchor into a side cove and try again in the early morning when the waves are supposed to be calmer. So we will try again tomorrow. oh boy. The new hunters are out with the guides, we'll see how it goes. One is from Nebraska and the other from Kansas. Alaska is the wild west for them and hunting bear up here is quite the adventure. Fed them a good dinner, have their evening soup on the stove and trying to figure out if I could make some breakfast muffins to have on hand. Not sure when we will be able to fix breakfast so thought maybe something else would be nice to have. Oh and this is the first day with my hubby on board and guess what he's doing? Sitting out on the back deck, feet up on the railing and a fishing pole in the water trying to find a halibut. Seems to be a very happy camper. So nice having him here and he was a huge help yesterday getting the groceries loaded onto the boat and helping Brad do some things. I love him. Okay, all done being sappy. Will let you know if he finds the halibut he's looking for but I'm not holding my breath. I've only seen whales and porpoises in this water soooooo, be ready for the big one!