Alaskan Adventure: Day 9

Yesterday we took the bus about 3.5 hours into the park and did a no-trail hike that involved quite a lot of bushwhacking! Total animal count was 11 bears, 1 sleeping wolf, countless caribou, Dall's sheep and Golden eagles, a bunch of marauding ground squirrels, and any number of Arctic hare. Here's the video:

Day 9 - Denali hiking and biking

Today, we're driving back to Anchorage for our last day, and heading either to the zoo or to the Native Heritage Center (depends on whether it's raining in Anchorage; it's raining here in Cantwell where we stopped for the night). Tomorrow morning our flight leaves from Anchorage at 6 a.m., so this will be my last post from Alaska. It's been a great trip but I think we're all ready to head home!

Alaskan Adventure: Days 7 and 8

We spent today hiking Denali, on three different trails. We saw several fox squirrels, two groundhogs, and some Dall's sheep, along with a demo of the (very cute) sled dogs they use in the park. Elias would have been right at home with his long legs, big feet, and Malamute markings. The short coat might be somewhat of a detriment in the winter, however!

Here's the video from Days 7 and 8 - the drive to Denali and our first day in Denali.

Tomorrow is our last day in Denali, and we're taking a bus in 3 hours and will then do some no-trail hiking. We're hoping to see some wolves and bears - from a safe distance, of course!

Alaskan Adventure: Day 6

Another Wifi hotspot, this time right outside of Denali National Park! Who'd have thought you could get Wifi in the middle of nowhere (literally)?

Tomorrow we are off for Denali adventures, and today was mostly a travel day, but here's the video from Day 6, where we went whale and glacier watching in Valdez.

Day 6 - Whale and glacier watching in Valdez.

More to come!

Alaskan Adventure: Days 3, 4, and 5

Here are the latest videos from our family vacation in Alaska:

Days 3 and 4 - Visited Exit glacier and hiked up Russian River.

Day 5 - Visited a Musk Ox farm (so cuuute!) and hiked Matanusca Glacier.

We'll post again as we can. Today we're headed out to see whales and calving glaciers off Valdez, then we're driving to Denali for our last stop of the trip. It's been fabulous so far and if you've ever thought of visiting Alaska, we highly recommend it!

Alaskan Adventure: Days 1, 2, and 3

For the next week or so, we are in Alaska on a family vacation. I didn't expect to have Internet access, but our campground today has Wifi, so I'm making a quick post.

My stepdaughter, who goes by Flitter online, has made two short videos about our trip so far. I'll post pictures when I get home, but for now, enjoy!

Alaskan Adventure: Days 1 and 2 (YouTube video)

Panning for Gold (YouTube video)

UPDATE: Kitteh finds home!

Many, many thanks to LB for adopting the black kitten! Rumor has it he will be going by "Lucky" from here on out, and he certainly is VERY lucky to find such a good, loving home.

In the last week, the little guy went from being quite feral and living in the wood pile in front of the guest house to being a complete love bug and living in our house, much to the disgust of Freya and Bailey (the other cats) and the interest of Elias (our Malamutant). Wednesday he went to the vet for a check-up and to be tested for all the nasties. The vet gave him a clean bill of health, a vaccine schedule, and placed the little guy at only about FIVE weeks.

After a week of nearly constant eating, he's starting to fill out a bit. He still doesn't have a lot of muscle mass but now has a "Budda Belly," since his favorite past-time is eating. In the last two days, he finally became healthy enough to have the energy to play, so we've been making the most of strings and other kitty-toy like objects (although Elias did object when the kitten tried to play with his Kong).

Before he went to his new life, I took a few pictures and a video of Teh Kyoot:

Vanquishing the String of Doom!

Hah! Got it again!

Nomnomnomnom

Kittens are just sooo amusing to watch!

And of course, the obligatory cuddle pictures:

Oooh! Yes! That ear! Scratch that ear!!!

I believe one of the tenants of Being Cute (according to the experts at Cute Overload) is dangling your paw. Here the kitten practices.

And for the money, the cute cuddle shot.

Here's hoping that Mr. Kitten has a great new home and settles in well. Many thanks go to all the folks who helped me find a home for him, especially E. who seems to know everyone who might be susceptible to a cute face. Thanks E.!!!

KEEP OUT! THIS MEANS YOU, REDDUMS!!!

Red has, as far as we can tell, Prehensile Lips. He can open gates and undo latches. The first night here, he decided he was done with the small paddock and let himself and Saga out to munch on the pasture. At our old barn, he managed to let himself out on a few walkabouts, and once let several other horses out to join the fun. In the case of the feed shed here, he's after the 200 or so pounds of feed I keep on hand... for Saga. Red gets a mere handful each night, since he's trying to lose that round-bale look.

Now, in Red's opinion, this is Not The Way The World Should Work. He too should get 3 lbs of feed twice daily, preferably more. Since he doesn't, he must go after the feed himself. To do this, he must open the shed. Last week, he figured out how to remove the (supposedly horse-proof) bull snap that kept the shed closed. So, we got a padlock.

Yes, there is a padlock on my feed shed. To keep Reddums out.

Thusfar, it has foiled him. Let me demonstrate:

Me: Um, Reddums, what exactly are you doing there?

Cute Little Reddums (note the adorable, innocent face): What??? Oh, Hi Mom! Nothing, nothing at all, it's just...

Well, see, (nose wiggle) I'm hungry and all...

...and (clang) Saga gets more food than me...

...and (enh! enh! ENH!) there's food in the shed, so...

...wait a MINUTE!!! You replaced the bull snap with a padlock, didn't you?!?!
(Note the disgusted look on his face. Ha! Foiled him!)
Um, mom? Could you at least tell me the combination? Puh-leeeze? Before I starve?!?!?

Oh, and we debated between a four-number lock and a three-number lock. We're hoping the three-number lock is complicated enough so that he won't figure it out. But, um, don't tell him the combination, OK?

OK???