I went into the office for a couple of hours Thursday just to certify time cards, then started my weekend. When I got home my daughter and two granddaughters were already here and had raked the front yard and bagged all the leftover leaves from fall.
The girls helped me fill the bird feeders. I keep them up year-round and am rewarded by the company of a number of small birds. Right now there are redpolls and white-crowned sparrows out here, and I hear the black-capped chickadees calling so I expect they will stop by soon. The raven who likes my spruce tree is already up there chatting with the dog, who lies by the screen door sending out quiet little "woofs" every now and then when the raven squawks.
After the girls left Thursday, my friend and I went to lunch, then drove around the area enjoying the sun.
Friday I went to Chena Hot Springs with my friends Mae and Cindy. We had breakfast (ok, but not great) at the lodge, then wandered around the resort. It was bright and sunny and about 60 degrees - perfect weather.
The resort consists of a main lodge with gift shop and restaurant/lounge; several larger buildings with rooms; several small cabins; the frame for the ice hotel and (of course) the bathhouse and hot springs spa. Around the grounds are old rusting vehicles, many from the old gold-mining days.
In the summer, this car becomes a planter, filled with colorful flowers.
I love this old snowmachine. It looks like it got plenty of use!
The hot springs spa and fountain -
The frame of the ice hotel. In winter the ice blocks go up. Everything inside is made of ice - beds, bar and stools, glasses.
The resort's owner is experimenting with alternative sources of energy and has hosted several symposiums there.
Located about 60 miles from Fairbanks, Chena Hot Springs is a popular destination for many visitors and locals alike. Busloads of tourists from Japan visit it in the winter to see the northern lights. There are a number of outdoor activities for guests, including skiing, hiking and dogsled rides. And there's always the obligatory soak in the spa.
Saturday meant a visit to the Farmer's Market, my first this year. It's still a little too early for many of the vegetables we'll get later this year, but the baked goods and crafts were plentiful.
After the market, we headed to the movie theater to see "Star Trek." As a fan of the original series, I wasn't too sure how I'd feel about new people playing Kirk, Spock, Scottie and McCoy. Having seen the movie, I will probably buy the DVD when it comes out. I think it was perfectly cast and the actors nailed their predecessors. It was nice to see Leonard Nimoy playing Spock again.
After the movie we went to our favorite local greenhouse and bought flowers for our yards. I bought mostly petunias (they're hard to kill), but this year added two begonias. I love the showy blooms, and wanted to see if I can get them to grow well. I also bought zucchini plants. They had only the yellow zucchinis and something called an 8-ball zuke. I'd never seen them, but thought I'd give them a try. When I googled them, recipes said they are great for stuffing with rice or other foods. I'm excited to see how they turn out.
Sunday Mae, Cindy and I went to the Tanana Valley Kennel Club dog show. Our friend Nancy from Anchorage raises golden retrievers and shows them every year up here. This year she showed Logan, 1 year old, in his first outing. It's always good to see Nancy and her dogs, and I enjoy watching the other dogs as well.
Logan
When we left the dog show Mae and I headed up the Elliot Highway to Olnes Pond where my daughter and her family were camping. It's a pretty little pond, off the road, but it had attracted a lot of campers. They were staying in tents, fully contained RVs and tow-behind trailers. We visited for about an hour then headed back to town.
When I got home I planted my flowers and zucchinis, then decided it was time to call it a day. Temperatures were over 70 (and that's getting real close to TOO hot for me) and I was worn out. I sat on my bench in the yard, enjoying the shade of my birch tree and the pretty colors of the flowers. Buddy did his numerous trips around the yard sniffing everything, then joined me on the bench.
I may grill some salmon, but that's about as hard as I plan to work today.
Later this morning I'll go to one of the several Memorial Day services. Every Memorial Day, I remember our small Pennsylvania town's observance of the day. We had a parade, and I was part of that as far back as I can recall - first with my Sunday School class, later as a Brownie and Girl Scout. We carried handfuls of flowers from our yard, usually iris or narcissus, and placed them on veterans' graves at the cemetery where the parade ended. Someone would read a roll call of the town's veterans of all wars, back to the Revolutionary War. It was a very solemn affair, and was far more than just another long holiday weekend. Please join me today in special thoughts of those we've lost in wars over the years, and in a prayer for the safe return of those who are deployed to war-torn areas.
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