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.