At the cabin and Talkeetna

We spent a couple of days at the cabin which is a little past the turnoff to Talkeetna.  I think of a cabin as a little wooden structure in the woods, rough hewn logs, etc.  (Click on photos to enlarge).

This is the cabin on 9 beautiful wooded acres - a lovely 3 level home. I enjoyed being in the spacious and welcoming  interior and just watching the birds all around us.  I didn't see any larger animals although they were probably nearby.

We took a day trip to Talkeetna, a little town I've heard about on various RV'ers blogs.  Before I first considered buying my own RV I read a blog of an older couple who drove to Alaska pulling a Big Woody teardrop trailer and living in it, and that piqued my interest.  Next one I remember reading was the blog of Fred and Jo Wishnie and the account of their Alaska travels.  I so wanted to see the state, and Talkeetna, Homer, Hope, etc.  I didn't get to Homer or Hope, but maybe next trip!

The bear on the wall is a Kodiak bear.  I recall my mom telling me about one of her cousins who made yearly trips to Alaska to hunt.  It must have been back in the 1950's when he was attacked and mauled by a Kodiak and nearly died.  He lived, but was never the same according to the reports.  I also remember that around this time a sporting goods store in Cincinnati had a stuffed Kodiak bear in front of the store, standing on two legs and waving his front paws.  It had to be 12 or more ft tall!  Beautiful animal, but frightening if you met a live one.

We went into Talkeetna and walked around some - I'm no longer much interested in going in and out of tourist shops or walking about a town that resembles so many others.  I guess it's a sign of my age, becaue I used to love it.  We ate at a fantistic pub that featured Alaskan craft brews, and I enjoyed "a couple of mugs ofMother's Ale" to accompany the best pulled pork sandwich I've ever had.  I bought a t-shirt and will have a photo taken of me wearing it one of these days.  

Some of our party were interested in fishing and made arrangements with a boat's captain for the following day.  Joe caught a good sized fish that was out of season and had to throw it back, and a few of the party caught legal salmon.  I believe pinks, dogfish, and a couple of others are not allowed right now.

I wish I could show more photos but although there are many thumbnail size prints on my computer I can't tell very well what they are or the quality of the photography.

On another subject, I have been wondering whatever happened to "elevator music".  I am so damned sick and tired of rock, which accompanies just about everything.  I quit watching YouTube because of it, but still hear it everywhere.  Yesterday I listened to Pandora music for a while - Easy Listening, Julie London Radio, and Baroque music!  If I ever liked some rock I certainly can't stand it anymore.

Joe trimmed several of the bushes in my yard, and Ed (next door) asked if he could do some of his.  Yesterday Joe obliged, and since I had a bin delivered for disposing of my own green waste, he threw most of Ed's into the bin as well.  The park folks took it away before he was finished so I had it back today and filled it myself.  I had given Joe a tarp to catch the debris, and it was easy to pull it close to the bin.  While I was at it I trimmed some of the heather which is overgrown in my back yard.  Now I need to use the leaf blower and clean up, although I don't like using loud electric devices.  When Mike bought it for me he also bought some headgear to cover the ears, if I can ever find it.  

I registered today for some art classes - one is a free class on painting and I am taking Autumn (my granddaughter) to the class.  I'm also reserved for two paid classes in September - one of Landscape art and one on Seascape.  If I mentioned this before, please excuse the duplication.

One more thing, I received a comment from Marsha on my blog about the musk ox and their fur (quiviut).  I'm copying it here because it is in a past blog post and most folks would miss it:  

Marsha has left a new comment on your post "Animal farms":

We visited the Musk Ox Farm a few days after you did. It was an interesting tour and I indulged in an ounce of the yarn to make myself something REALLY REALLY special. 


My response was:


Gypsy has left a new comment on your post "Animal farms":

I loved watching the musk ox - their eyes are so expressive. I would love to see what you make with the yarn. It is so wildly expensive I don't think I could even afford a small bit of it. The tour guide let us feel her neck warmer that was made from quiviut and it was so soft and warm, unlike anything I've ever felt.
  

I can't believe I'm still a bit jet lagged and on Alaska time (1 hour earlier than CA).  I've been keeping busy so I'm really getting exhausted.  I went to the gym this morning so I could walk on the treadmill, and hoped to maybe walk around the park this evening after the temp drops a bit, but I'm not sure I'll be able to do it.  That is what I want to get to doing though - walking twice a day.

And on a final note, my skin has become so itchy since I'm back.  My legs, arms, the top of my feet, etc., are itching like crazy.  I looked for a remedy at Target today but didn't find anything that I wanted to try.  I wonder if it could be the drier weather?  It never affected me going back and forth to New York though.