Day 1 at the Store

 Awoke to clear blue skies and a forecast of snow in the evening.

Went back to the Gear Shed to try on a pair of boots I tried yesterday. I brought different socks and gel inserts to see if I could adjust them to fit. Ended up with a size ten and my thicker socks. These will replace the North Face Boots that fell apart. They are good to -40 so I should be able to stand and take photos without my feet getting cold. Combine that with my Coyote Hat I and should stay very comfortable while here in Alaska and back home.
At the counter, the salesperson, who helped me was very nice and said he had many different boots over the years and when he bought a pair of these, they were the last he bought. Loves them, went on and on about them. Always, appreciate, an unsolicited review on a product I am buying, makes me feel I have selected the right item. 
Then he scanned them, BONUS, they are on sale.

Only Picture I have today.
My new boots.

I opened. Captain's Toy Chest, on time and then waited for customers to come. The eventually started to wander in. Since the store is out of the way, when people come they are buying. For a Wednesday and the amount of traffic the store had a pretty fair day. Even had one customer return and purchase another item. Ken, sold another of my books over the weekend, that leaves only four left, in the whole state of Alaska. You better hurry in.

Drove home under overcast skies. Fed the dogs and myself, then they all needed lots of loving and petting.

Looked out the window and the snow has started, time to curl up and veg for awhile. Back to the store tomorrow.

A Good Day for Eagles

 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.

I posted a number of photos to my site you can see them here:

ALASKA PORTFOLIO

Sunshine and Blue Skies

 Sunday was a total bust, cold, rain alternating with snow. I curled up and watched TV, read and ate chocolate.

Today, Monday, I awoke to sunny, blue skies and twenty-seven degrees with a bit of wind. Loaded, ALL, of my camera equipment in the truck with high hopes of spotting some wildlife.

Threw the trash in the back of the truck and headed to the dump, a good place for scavengers and foragers. I guess this was not their day to frequent the dump. Drove back to the scenic overlook, where I had passed a few Eagles soaring. They had scattered, probably to the dump.

I went back through town and drove out to the Homer Spit. Drove past numerous Eagles soaring down the beach. Of course, they were where I was unable to pull over to the side of the road.

I parked at the end of the Spit and walked around for a bit. The sun was hot, but the wind was finding its way through every layer of clothing. I was able to catch an Eagle posing and a shot from Land's End across Kachemak Bay. From, May 5-9 they will have the 29th annual Shorebird Festival. Looking forward to that and the return of the Sandhill Cranes, some flying in from New Mexico.

I ordered a sandwich from, Mike's, and went to pick it up. I went part way out the Spit to a picnic area, the closest I could park to the Eagles I saw earlier. They never came close to me.

I was debating whether to check out some of the shops in town, decided not to.

I drove down East End Road looking for wildlife, it was not my day. Took a couple of scenic shots and drove home.

Now, I am going to rest a bit and then watch the NCAA Final game. I will be rooting for Gonzaga.

Click here for More Picture of Alaska.

East End Road

iPhone12promax

East End Road

iPhone12promax

Homer Harbor on the Homer Spit

iPhone12promax

A Day of Rest

 I didn't intend for this to be a day of rest. I had planned to drive around and take some photographs during the day and return in time for the UCLA/Gonzaga game.

The dogs and I awoke, in the dark, at around 6am. I feed them and made myself some breakfast.
I then did the blog that I neglect to do the night before.

The dogs had retired, one to the couch, one to a dog bed and the third grabbed a chair. I took the other chair to check my e-mails, social site, etc. The dogs were asleep, I feel asleep.
I believe that after flying here and running around all week and then playing snake in bed last night. This involves twisting your body around the various dogs who are strategically positioned to make your body contort into a snake like position. The humans body is not really made for this.
My body gave out and I crashed. The dogs were nicely curled, while I was now contorted in a chair.
I am still not sure if my body has straightened out yet.

Tomorrow I will be going out to get some pictures. Plus, I have to go fill out some paperwork at the store.

In case you are interested in the, UCLA/Gonzaga, game. It was tight from start to finish, at the end of, regulation, play the score was tied. 

They got ready to play a five minute overtime.

With seconds left, in overtime, the scored was once again, tied.

Gonzaga, has the ball out of bounds on the UCLA side, the ball is thrown in, after advancing a few feet into Gonzaga territory, the shot is made. It arches high, the clock shows "0:00" as the ball reaches its apex and starts falling toward the basket. It strikes the backboard, within the square above the basket and banks into the basket.

GONZAGA WINS. THE CROWD GOES WILD!!!!

Hope to have some pictures for you tomorrow.

To all who have been following, THANK YOU, for your comments, support and re-Tweets.

Lisa Departs

Sorry no pictures today.

Lisa made her finally preparations to depart on her trip.

While doing that the, blind men, came to install the blinds. Of course the ladder they brought with them was too short to reach the higher windows. they installed the lower windows and then went to get their scaffolding to reach the upper windows. They look great and should help in keeping the house warm.
Add to my "leaving the house duties" raise the blinds so the dogs don't destroy them trying to look out the windows.

I went  out to pick up my lunch at the airport, it was being flown in from Seldovia. I had ordered it earlier in the work after seeing a post on facebook. There is a food truck in Seldovia that makes the food and on Fridays they will sent your meal to Homer by plane. this weeks offering was Cioppino.

Lisa, my sister, and I split this for lunch and we were both full.

Amazing amount of really good food.

Looking forward to next weeks selection.

It was only $12.00 total, unbelievable price for what you receive.

We are getting ready to leave for the airport and Lisa tells me to "remote" start her truck, click the top button, so I click, "no hold the top button, so, don't click it, no click it, but hold it. Wait if I am clicking I and not holding, I am either clicking or holding. Who's on first? No Who is....FINALLY got the truck started. Hold; don't click.

Took Lisa to the airport and then got lost attempting to go to Safeway. Made a right when I should have gone left, quick recon (NO I AM NOT LOST) of the town.

I then had to come back home to let the blind men finish. 

After they were done packed up and left, I heard a phone beep a message, not my phone. So, Drew, one of the, blind men, had forgotten his phone, I ran out but they were gone. I was hoping he wouldn't get very far before he noticed it was missing. Approximately, ten minutes later there is a knock on the door, I grab the phone and answer the door. I hand the phone to him, we laughed about it. He left, I went in the house and see his phone on the counter, SHXX, I gave him my phone, I run out the door and almost knock him over, as he is returning. We laughed.

That was when I noticed that the BBQ Grill had returned, they put it in the garage and left, no sound, no word. Couldn't even thank them. It originally came in a box unassembled, which is not how she ordered it.

So, Lola, and I curled up together to watch UCLA beat Michigan and advance to the final four. We will be watching the UCLA/Gonzaga, not sure who to root for. I always rooted for the California team as I grew up there, but I have followed Gonzaga for years and have always rooted for them. Well may the best team win. 

Lola and I, new blinds behind us.

It is just me and the doggies for the next two months enjoying Alaska.

Training Day 2

Yesterday, when we left the house I had forgotten my phone when we went to the store, bummer. Since I had to go back to the house for a delivery I was able to retrieve it. 

So this morning I am searching everywhere for my hat. Gave up and went with another one. When we arrived at the store, Lisa, discovered she had left her keys at home. We had planned to do some work before opening, but since we would have to drive home and back that was not going to happen. At least not before the store opened.
We drove back to the house and as we turn onto her street I spy my hat on the side of the road, by the mail boxes. It must have fallen from my pocket when I checked the mail the night before. Somehow, nobody had driven or walked over it, it was just frozen to the ice.

It was very slow at the store and we were pretty bored. Lisa had an appointment at five to go to. Around four o'clock, being bored, I said let's start a countdown. I then proceeded to countdown the seconds backwards. Lisa, who had just taken a drink of water, lost it. Fortunately the bottle was still at her mouth so the water didn't spew all over the counter.

Then as we are leaving the store, I am searching all over for my hat. Check the stockroom, the counter, all of my pockets. Of course the last place I checked was my head, found it.

That was our fun for the day.

Captain's Toy Chest

345 Sterling Hwy.

Homer, Alaska

Lisa laughing after spitting up her water.

These are some pictures taken on the ride from Homer to the house.

Beautiful blue skies over the mountains, a nice crisp 27 degrees.

I grabbed these out the window with my iPhone12promax.

No throw up or poo on the floor tonight, don't ask.

The other night I was telling, Lisa, about my friend, Trixie Bloom, and her book Facebook Blues. I showed her one of, Trixie's, exercise videos. We had a great laugh, I enjoy her immensely.

A Day at the Toy Store

Before we get to the toy store, there is a bit to catch up on.

A Snow Day for Bea

Bea loves to lay in the snow

here she is with her Top Hat.

After she comes in she loves to snuggle

nothing like a cold wet dog in your lap.

Today I awoke at 5:18am to this view out my window.

I grabbed my iPhone12promax, ran down the stairs

and out onto the porch to grab this. 18 degrees and I

have on light thermals and sandals, I am climbing up

on the seat around the porch sliding on the ice.

Worth it.

The clouds were scattered this morning 

so we had a little pink in the sky at dawn.

I climbed back in bed, Bea and Lola

climbed on to warm me up.

Now on to the toy store.

My sister, Lisa and her, friend Ken, started a toy store, The Captain's Toy Chest, in Homer three years ago. Ken had been running the store until my sister moved up here last August. (the adventures of that trip are recorded below)

Although, my sister retired she is still doing some contract work. This involves a two month trip tagging sharks at sea. While she is away I will be taking her place at the store. This will involve my working the store on her days, Wednesday and Thursday, today was my first day of training on her computer/register system. We also spend time going over all the stocking procedures. Quite a number of customers came in so I got pretty familiar with the system. Tomorrow, I get my second and last training day, next week I get thrown to the Sharks.

Lisa asked my to bring some of my maze books for her to sell and we sold one, YEA. If you want one get there soon. If you come in on, Wednesday or Thursday, I will be happy to sign your copy, though that could reduce the value of it.

Bea accompanied us to the store and barked at every person that did not enter the store.

Display of my books with some colored pens or crayons

you can use to work the mazes.

Heart to Heart Mazes

Each maze contains two Hearts, find the Hearts,

then travel the path from one Heart to the other.

Use a different color each time you hit a dead end.

A few years ago I bought a pair of North Face boots for the winters in New Mexico. Since, the winters haven't been bad, they have been hanging in the back of my closet. I may have worn them a half dozen times at most. I remembered them and dug them out for this trip. I have been wearing them since Saturday, when I left on this trip.

At the store today I looked down and both of the boots have come apart, that sucked.

The good thing is that I saw that a company in town posted on Facebook, yesterday, that they had been cleaning the backroom and had found a bunch of muck/boat work boots that they were clearing out for twenty dollars a pair. I was going to go looking for some for the muddy season here and the price was great.

I got a pair of high slip on boots with steel toes. Perfect for cleaning the backyard of the winter of frozen dog poop. I believe my sister planned this all along so that she wouldn't have to do it. (Any kids in town who want to make some money shoveling a winters worth of poop, hit me up after the snow melts. Just don't tell her.)