I had been scouting out places to shoot the rising Flower Moon. I decided to go back to the Eveline State Recreation Site, I was hoping to catch the sun rising over the Portlock Glacier, the angle was just a tad off to the left of the glacier. I was able to get a few good pictures of the rising moon and later the eclipse.
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| This is the sunset from the Eveline Recreation Site. |
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| Flower Moon rising over the Kenai Peninsula |
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| Total Eclipse of the Moon |
Started the day by packing all of my camera gear in the truck and headed out.
I took a drive out the Sterling Highway toward Anchorage, I turned off on Diamond Ridge Road. I headed up into the hills to seek wildlife. I did not find anything up there. I headed back toward Homer.
Decided that, as long as, I was passing Safeway I would purchase the few items I needed. Grabbed my camera and my canvas camera bag, okay, where is my camera bag. Back on the kitchen floor with my wallet. Drive back home, get camera bag, head back out.
I stopped at a store to check out their products. Grabbed the camera and go to attach it to my, Cotton Carrier Vest. Left it at home when I took it off to use the bathroom, no, I am not making another trip to the house. Homer Truffle is across the street, need chocolate. Checked out a couple of stores, stopped at Safeway, then headed to the Spit.
I drove out to the end, there was no action. Drove back down the Spit and stopped when I spotted some eagles hanging out. I sat for there for about 2 hours. I was rewarded with some nice shots of a Golden Eagle. This was courtesy, unknowingly, of another photographer who was taking pictures at the water's edge. He got too close to a Golden Eagle and it flew off, headed in my direction. I aimed and held the shutter release until the cache was full. I hung out for awhile longer and then headed home.
Arrived home to find a couple of puddles on the floor. The roll of paper towels has two pieces left on it, text my sister "Where are the paper towels?" She writes back they are in the basement, though at the bottom she states the "garage" not the "basement". That part is not showing on my screen, so I head to the basement. this involves lifting a couple of plywood doors in the floor of the garage and then removing the slats the that keep the the floor secure when walking on the doors. On the way down you have to be careful or you will (ouch) bang your head, which is exactly what I did. Found them in the garage, after texting her they were not in the basement "why didn't I read her full text". Why didn't she delete the reference to the basement before sending the text????? I don't know.
My pump guy came back with all the parts needed to get water back in the house.
After letting the hot water heater heat the water I was able to take a shower and do all the dishes. I am now doing two weeks of laundry.
It also means I can bake again, so a loaf of bread and a batch of brownies.
Had a fabulous sunset the other night.
Awoke with a bit of energy this morning. Less smoke in the air, I can actually see Santa Fe, though it is still hazy.
Did the morning chores. I am now making a loaf of bread and a tray of chocolate brownies.
Today was a cooking day, made some wings for lunch and snacking on.
Very lazy day, had to drag myself out of bed. Sore back, need to reheat the hot tub and climb in.
Fed the birds and did the watering.
Made some breakfast and discovered that my food delivery person forgot the eggs.
Just heard that Lisa made to Alaska at about 9:30am.
Update: Lisa made it to Alaska. She had to get up at 4am to make to the border by 9am. They only give you 24 hours to cross the Yukon. They had made a mistake on her paperwork when she entered, it showed her having to leave the same day she entered. It did not turn out to be an issue.
She went to US customs and sailed right through, the dogs even got a treat for the agents. They reviewed her paperwork and gave her a bunch of paperwork, which she threw on the seat on drove off.
I believe she said that she pulled over around 10 am to feed the dogs, which she hadn't had time to do before. Each dog wears a harness, a leash is attached. the leashes are then secured to a carabiner that is attached to the car. She went to get their food and bowls from the back. As she came around the car she saw and animal int the road, then she thought that it looks like a beagle. She thinks someone else has a beagle out here. Then she looks down and sees that "Houdini" aka "Lola" has once again slipped her harness.
Lisa calls out to Lola and she turns and starts running back. You can not make a move towards Lola after she is headed to you or she will bolt. Lisa made a slight move when Lola was about 6 feet away. Lola turned, Lisa shouted "LOLA DROP", she did and she peed. Lisa put them in the car and they were not to come out until she got home.
Which she had intended to spend another night in a hotel, as it was a long drive to Homer. Remember those papers she threw on the seat, she read them. Basically it said that you will go straight to the place where you will quarantine , do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars. No gas station stops, No bathroom stops, No food stops, DO NOT LEAVE YOU VEHICLE "PERIOD". GMAFB
Waiting to hear if she gotten home, she figured around 8:30pm.
So, now you get hear about what I ate today.....
Today, I got up and went out to water and check all the mouse and rat traps. The traps had not been checked in awhile, found two petrified squirrels and one snake.
I have refilled the hot tub and will fire it up later for a good soaking.
Came in and made myself some french toast for breakfast.
Contacted my friend, Sammy, sent her a grocery list, since I am in quarantine and can't go out. She will deliver to me tomorrow.
My hand hurts like hell, so I will probably sit inside with the air conditioner on. The skies are filled with smoke from fires in Arizona, Colorado and one that started here yesterday.
Lazy day walked around the yard. Searched through my current food situation and mad lunch from potatoes, from the garden, onion, sliced hot dog, brussel sprouts, with garlic sliced, fresh ground pepper.
Sat and watched a movie. When I needed a snack, I made some chocolate chip cookies.
The sun sets on Day 2 of my quarantine.
Lisa made it from Fort St. John to Muncho Lake.
As you may know my trip was cut short at the Canadian border.
This morning I awoke and loaded the first of three loads of laundry. Because I am solar I have to wait for the sun to hit the panels before starting the machine.
Went out to my garden, checked that the holding tank, I have well water, was full and then started to turn on the drip system. Found a leak where the bunnies had chewed one of the lines, so I had to fix that.
Went to the vegetable garden and found it was overrun with goat heads. So I got my gloves on and my weeding tool and started to pull them up. The gloves didn't work so well, as I got a huge blister that took off a layer or two of skin.
I had a good nights sleep, Lisa not so much, the dogs wandered around and jumped on and off the bed.
We got moving, checked out and went to get some supplies at Walmart in case they would not let us stop in Canada. We were only a couple hours from the border.
We were driving down the road and came across an Antelope stopped in the road, stopped to take a few pictures. If any turn out I will post them later.
We were getting excited about crossing into Canada for the next half of our drive.
We pulled up to the border station and gave them the paper work, we were asked to park the car and come inside. There they again went through all of the paperwork, asked a bunch of questions.
THEN THEY DENIED ME ENTRY.
I was denied entry because I was considered a tourist and they are not allowing tourists in. My sister has a home she is moving to, as well as, a business in Alaska, so she was allowed to transit Canada.
So, then we had to turn around and Lisa drove me to the Great Falls Airport, where I caught a flight to Denver and then back home to New Mexico.
Waiting, in Denver, for my connecting flight to Albuquerque.
Lisa then had to drive back to the border. They had a shift change and they went through the whole routine again.
I got hold of my friend and he came down and picked me up at the airport. As we are driving back to Cerrillos he tells me his partner had bought some cheap clay pipes for when people come over (covid). He then told me mine was in the glove box loaded if I desired. So nice to have good friends.
My trip has ended. I told Alex and Lisa that the maze I was drawing for the trip will turn black at the Canadian border and won't actually work because I never got to Alaska.
Prong Horn Antelope
Last word is that the truck is on the way and should arrive on Sunday evening.
Trying to pack all the odds and ends.
I mailed a bunch of stuff to my house that Lisa has given to me. This includes all of her "vinyl" 45's and 33 1/3 from the seventies and eighties. these should be a good addition to all of mine.
Yeah, my lens was ready, I went to pick it up. Stopped by Best Buy to pickup a new iPad mini for Lisa.
Had a great last Chinese dinner from Lisa's favorite restaurant. Loads of leftovers that need to be gone before we are.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Wakefield, Rhode Island
