whoa bear

Sorry about all my ranting about bear in the area, but there is an article/video of a grizzly bear killing a baby moose. I think it might be the one with the injured mom (in the video the mom is a different color, but it's not straightening its leg like the injured one we've had around here). 

The bear is a brown with two cubs, apparently, and it killed the moose within 500 ft. of our house! When Mark showed me the video, I couldn't believe it! The video opens up looking up the street, and to the left (exactly to the left of where the scene is) is our house! Holy smokes. 

Go here if you want to see the National Geographic-worthy video. You might have to do a search for Jennifer McLendon or bear in Eagle River; there wasn't a directly link to the video. It's sad, but hey, it happened.... I just feel really bad for the mom-moose. A lot of mother moose have to just watch while their calves .. well.. you know.

On a lighter note, work is going swell! They think I'm doing fabulous, so with each vote of confidence comes even more responsibilities! Monday night it sure seemed daunting, but I'm training in back before I start out front so I can understand why we do what we do. It's really interesting and I think I'll really like working here with all the nice people and interesting patients. 

heigh-ho, heigh-ho

It's off to work I go.... *whistle*

Wish me luck! Only 6 more classes and I'll be graduated with a degree in Healthcare Administration and more of an asset to this clinic. *more whistles*

Even still, on the way home I'll be singing this version:

seriously?

Thought I should put an additional closing onto this moose-tracked-dog-damaged yard. After threats from the landscaper to Mark over the phone (saying he'd punch Mark in the mouth), we still forked over $350 to have the yard fixed, even though they are over there right now fixing only what the warranty covers.  Seriously?

The story, if you dare:

Since the moose walked in through the yard, essentially covering the dog prints, we have been at ease, and the landscaper never contacted, or showed up on the day she could fix it (Tuesday, she was a no show). Yesterday we got a call asking us to pay for it. 

Seriously?

We go over to talk to the only nice neighbor, and we started talking situations. Mark said, "If this were our yard and moose tracks walked through it, I don't think I'd ask anyone but the landscapers to fix it." She replied with a "yeah, me neither." 

Seriously? 

This morning we went to the temple to do baptisms with the youth, got home at 9:30, and got ready to paint the front room. Yes! We decided on some colors! hurray! We were very tired, so we took a nap on the couch and was awaken by the phone call from the "nasty landscaper-lady's" husband. It started somewhat civil. If anyone has met Mark, they know he doesn't raise his voice, and he certainly never swears. This man started accusing Mark of swearing at his wife, Inga... yea, she's white, when it all first happened. Then he said to Mark, "You know what happens when someone yells at a man's wife? He gets punched in the mouth!" 

Seriously? Maybe in a bar.

Mark then said we can pay 1/2 of the total cost today(because there's another party at fault here who shares the responsibility - oh wait, besides the moose who obviously don't know where the property lines are). They said they'd come out next week, but then said, "We are coming in one hour. Have the money." We were courteous (at least, I thought), and said we'd have our half ready and the other guy's phone number when they got here. 

The man showed up, pony tail (with blonde highlights in his dark brown hair), smoking a cigarette and all, on our driveway with the nice neighbor's husband (who really is a nice guy). When he kept telling Mark off, not letting my polite, gentleman of a husband get a word in, I start piping up. Uh-oh. A lot of people outside my family rarely see the fire spark in me. Then when Mark gets the chance to speak he brings up the threat, telling him that's not the best way to do business. The guy says, "Leave that outta this conversation." I pipe in, "Hey, you brought it into this whole ordeal when you threatened him on the phone!" So anyway, me and Mr. Ponytail have a little one on one stare-down. He throws in the towel and says, "I'm done!" I totally won. Not that this is a contest or anything. Just a thing of honor and defending the spouse without threats. Hm. I just realized maybe he doesn't know how that's done. Then while he's storming off, waving his cigarette around, he said the nice neighbor should sue us for not paying twice our contracted amount (meaning the other guy's share). 

Seriously?

So after we discuss it with the nice neighbor, Mark and I decide that the best solution is for us to play "Banker," write the check for $350 dollars and be done with it. Mr. Nice Neighbor takes it over while Mr. Ponytail is fixing the warranty-spots, and brings it back (while we're prepping for more painting) saying his business only takes cash... shady. 

Seriously? 

I just heard the garage door go up. Mark is back from the ATM with the cash in hand. I don't think this Mr. Ponytail is going to treat this as honest money. But that's just between myself, Mark, and all you internet surfing bloggers. 

Seriously, I don't like to use this word, but it kept being repeated in my head over and over and over and over again. So "all together now";SERIOUSLY!? We just paid $350 just to be Christlike, and fix a little neighborhood brawl. Wow. I really am glad I went to the temple this morning, otherwise I think I would be 50 times angrier. 

Seriously. 

jog

Funny word, right? Say "jog" 5 times and you'll agree with me. Want to know what else is hysterically funny? Snow in July. That's right, I found this stuff on my jog this morning up in the hills at the back of the valley. See the 'termination dust?' That is the appropriate name dubbed for this cold, white stuff by my friends' kids. Even the flowers were all torn up over it.  
Looked like they were tearing up, too.
You are all probably thinking why wasn't I expecting this? Well, I sort of was, but this is one weird summer, even for up here. I think I jinxed the whole state of Alaska when I said "I'm so excited for Autumn!" earlier this week. whoops!

Now I'm off to the store for cookie-supplies! I'm craving chocolate chip and Mark loves Snickerdoodles. What better way to be happy than with both of them!? Go on, you want some too... go make some! Or buy a plane ticket and come visit. You choose.

putter one

Puttering around Pier 1 can take me quite a while. Considering it's hard to find stores here that has that pizzaz that can be found most anywhere else. I have to admit something: I can never decided on one style for my home. It's a good thing I have to consider my husband when choosing home decor items. I have so many realms to my design niche that it's difficult to narrow down what I want in my home. I have the world-eclectic that shows my traveling interests, and then I have my girly, froofy side that shows Mark I am still very much a femme person. Then I have my vintage styles that I throw in here and there, showing that I have roots through my mom and dad's parents into the 40s and 50s style. 

This is a typical post on this blog, but here it is for my own interest:

A beautifully warm and caramel encompassed mirror with the flair of the middle east and urban vibe from the US through it's clean corners and square shape. Mark thinks our reed lights should be history in the near future (makes sense, right?). So I'm trying to branch out for a new style I think would fit nicely in our home:
More bright colors!! I love the paint detail around this mirror. I found stencils that I want to do down stairs around the wall moldings. Sort of reminded me of those when I saw this mirror:
I love the blended paints between the blues and grays (around the painted-wood border) with the warm yellow and reds.
Pillows. Oh gosh, don't get me started! Too many choices...
Here's the girly side coming out! I love the burlap-look with the embroidered flowers:
But then reverting back to my traveler-eclectic look, more bright colors!
This is confusing. I'm thinking upstairs it will be my world-eclectic traveler side and then down stairs I will stick to my froofy-vintage girl style. With the help from frequent Mo and Tory tips. You up for that, you two?? 

Hike VIII: Eagle River Walk

Yesterday while the clouds lifted and some weak sunshine shone, Mark and I took Buckwheat down to the Eagle River with us:  There were a LOT of bear tracks. After looking at how to tell black and brown bear tracks apart, I've decided these are brown bear (Grizzly) tracks. There were big bear tracks and little bear tracks - a cub!!!
Since I've had Buckwheat, he's always hated water, either from the hose, or from the bath, he won't get in it if he has the choice. When we walked close enough to the river, he got in on his own! This was after he just walked around in it. But once I took the leash, and gave Mark the camera, he actually did a little swim (I never let the leash go b/c the river was not standing still) on his own! 
He's a lot skinnier than he looks when all his fur is poofy, huh!
Tessa, this picture is for you since you love pictures of this little guy. Here he is after his bath (RIGHT after we got home). He was still sopping, so I picked him up at the door, then put him down in the bath water. He seemed a lot more at ease through this bath. Maybe he should go swimming more often.

Here's proof that the pup likes water now! 

happy things

After weeks of drizzly, comfortable rain, the sunshine is out and Mark is home. I'm going on a hike! 

*this picture was taken on the way to the movie at 9:45 pm. It was not a sign of things to come. ha! Notice the double rainbow?

bear stalker?

No pictures, just a story. Bear with me; no pun intended! HA! My first non-pun pun!! I am never good at those..

Two nights ago, I went to see the new Batman movie (not a happy-feel good movie, but it was very well done, I liked it a lot). I had taken the pup out at 9:30 before I left for it, and when I got home it was around 1:00 am. Buckwheat didn't NEED to go out, but I felt for the little guy, so I was ready to just take him out to the rock in front of our house. His usual quick-go-to spot for me. 

Every now and then I have the feeling to grab the bear spray before I go out later in the evenings, but this was a strong prompting to take it outside with me. So I took it, now really worried. I stepped out the front door onto our little stair landing and stood their listening to the wind blow the flag around on its pole. Other than that, it was dead silent. Eerily silent. Even with how light it is still, the nights have been getting steadily darker and with the cloud cover, it was very much like a normal night at this late hour. It was then that I heard two distinct guttural grunts. LOUD guttural grunts, but they sounded far away for such a quiet night. I popped off the safety on the bear-spray, and continued down the stairs to the second perch, now shaking. Here I noticed little Buckwheat's nose perking up to a new smell. He sticks his head through the rails (like he does on the balconies), growls and starts to bark like mad!! He saw the BEAR!! I am getting chills just writing this. I lunge backward (with poor Buckwheat's head being pulled through the rails at a rate that probably stunned him) and darted up the stairs, through the front door and after slamming it, I stood their shaking and trying to get a grip on myself.  Buckwheat and I were both on edge now, he was still running to the windows, barking and growling and I headed for my room to read scriptures and TRY to go to sleep. Why does Mark have to be away when all the scary stuff happens??

Sunday morning I wake up to get ready for church and think nothing much of the night's happenings, and try go on my weary way. 10 minutes before I leave for church, Buckwheat's at the window barking at something. It wasn't a defensive bark, just sort of a bark for me to know that there's something weird out there. I look out the window and there is a white and red (oh! I have a picture of this one!... see below), and it looked disgustingly like a dead animal with no skin (sorry.. this is where my mind goes when I'm home alone and had a close call with a bear the previous night!). I had no time, so I decided to tell some guys about it at church and see if someone could come over and check it out. I would have felt so stupid if it were a fertilizer bag someone dumped back there or if kids left their pile of toys or something. I warned them of this, so as not to be too disappointed it might not be a dead carcass. 

The Elder's Quorum Pres. and another fellow came over in their truck (no gun, but they said they'd go get one if it was in fact a dead animal and check around for the bear), and I lead them to where I saw it. Me being in heels, just had to point up to the hill where I had seen it and they walked up. Then I heard, "Yeah, it was definitely a bear up here. But no dead animal, just someone's garbage." I was so thrilled that it wasn't that poor baby moose (it was about that size). I decided I'd go out myself to pick it up when Mark got home (Monday night) if no one beat me to it. Before the Elder's Q. Pres. left he reminded me who he was and that he likes to kill things (oh my!), so I should call him if I have any more problems. Ok, I will!

Last night, I was watching Nanny Diaries while Buckwheat took up his usual perch on the couch, looking out the window. While I was comfortable and enjoying my movie, I hear his little growl start to rumble followed by fast-paced defensive barks. I jump up and try to see what it is he saw. Nothing!! This happened two more times, for a total of three. I don't know WHAT was out there, but it was getting to dark to see what Buckwheat's eyes could. Lucky guy. I tried not to think too much of it, and went on watching my movie.

This morning I woke up to see the trash bag again, still there and creepy. I went in to start laundry and make my bed, then I came back out and the bag is GONE. I call my next door neighbor and the little boy, Alex answers and he said he didn't know of any bear around the neighborhood, and that his mom was already at work (so it wasn't her that picked it up). I told him to be careful and to know there's a bear around. 

I went down stairs with my unlocked bear-spray in hand, and left the screen door open in case I had to run through it really quick. I stepped onto the grass and saw bear scat almost instantly. Boy, did it look fresh. I held my hand over it and it still had some warmth. GROSS. and scary. But more GROSS. I continued on to the top of the hill and noticed there was NOTHING there. I don't think the bear would have put all the trash back in the back and taken it elsewhere. So I know someone must have moved it, but then when did that warm-bear-scat get there?

If you have any theories on this long, thrilling story, let me know!! Mark is flying right now, so I can't call him up and get his thoughts. But I am on edge, and will tell him all the details tonight. So is this bear hanging around for a piece of Buckwheat-Jayci pie? or is he just passing through, leaving his presents at MY house?! Why not the mean people's?? 

Oh by the way the night after the moose had walked through, there were bear tracks the next day. AH! But that was last WEEK, so he HAS to be hanging around the area...

Hike VII: Exit Glacier & Harding Ice Fields

It had been raining for weeks now, and so far we've been lucky with getting fairly sunny days for our planned hikes, but since it had been moved to Thursday, it had been raining all week and it was WET. But we wanted to try it anyway. Seward is about 2.5 hours away from Anchorage, so we set out at 7 am hoping for better weather that far away. When we showed up, it had been raining, and everything was wet and muddy, but it wasn't raining at the moment. So we set on up the mountain! Oh dear...
We found the trail head and the stats: 
Right next to the trail head, there was a big sign warning about bears in the park. I had my bear spray on my belt, but I didn't think I'd need it: 
The elevation gain, 3100 feet (approx.) almost all happens at the beginning. We were joking that a lot of it was like rock climbing. See this? This was just ONE of the many times where the trail just stopped and you start to climb: 
But then the stepping-rocks made up for the rock-climbing strain. I really liked gaining altitude this way (using my arms helped take the strain off my legs!). 
Some dancing trees: 
Even with everything already wet and slippery, we crossed an even more slippery wood-plank over a river. This picture doesn't really show how wide the river was. I sound wimpy, but the river was actually pretty big!
A ways up, we were rounding the trails around rocks, going up a hill and we heard people clapping, saying "hey bear! hey bear!" When we got to the top, we saw the small black bear, and it was right on the trail between us and another group across the little gap between the two hills. See the people in blue at the top of the hill?
My bear spray they were laughing at me for. I had it out within seconds!
The Exit Glacier. Still quite a bit of snow up there: 
I love how blue the old ice is: 
When I turned this bend, I was thinking, "we're going there?!" I was in my "ballet slipper-Sketchers" and jeans!:
The trail up in the snow. Part of it were really steep, but other parts were really fun to run, jump and slide through: 
A bit of a steeper view, there is really weird red stuff that rests on the snow, sort of strange!
Very close to the top, there is a shelter with a book inside to sign your name in. Everyone also writes their name in the wood inside and outside of the cabin. But we had no sharp objects or sharpies.. bummer! Underneath the shelter there were gas cans, I'm supposing for fires to keep warm?:
When we got to the very top and looked down on the ice fields, there was a HUGE sink hole. This is zoomed in all the way (12x), and it was so strange looking. It looked like there was a person next to the snow pile, but using binoculars, we still didn't know what it was. And that would have been a gigantic size person... maybe Sasquatch? 
Where we had just hiked from: 
Our group + another couple resting and enjoying the snow-shrouded view:
I was happy to have made it in my little slippers! 
The way down was incredible; the most fun part! I felt like Bear Grylls from Man vs. Wild how he just shoots down hills. We would all jump and slide down the snow; we each fell about 8 times each, but it was hysterical! Here is a tiny view on the way back down through the snow. If I can get the video from Bonnie, I'll try to post it soon. 

energy

I have none of it. I just got back (2 hours ago) at 10:30 from the 2nd hardest hike, but now my number 1 favorite hike: Harding's Exit Glacier and Ice Fields. Left at 7:00 am and I got home at 10:30 pm! This picture was taken down by the Eagle River, not by the glacier, but I'm tired, and it is pretty and energetic, so you're getting this instead of a rundown on the hike. 

In about 5 minutes I'm dragging my heavy legs into bed and sleeping very soundly until 6:30. I have an interview with an orthopedic office in town. I'm hoping I land this job; I would love working around my favorite field of medicine. woohoo!

ice breaker broken

Last Thursday night, Buckwheat took off down the street to play with a big lab called "Hammer" that he saw. I took off to chase him down (because he LOVES the feeling of freedom). The two dogs (before I got there) chased each other onto a freshly Hydroseeded lot. The people were out there with jaws open and they started to fume. I don't blame them - it was just finished that afternoon! But it had been an hour already and they had no fencing or barriers up, and they thought I was with Hammer's owner who they already don't like. So they started to get really angry at me. If you know me, I cry pretty easily... yea, I started to tear up AFTER I was already upset. I said, "Hand me a rake! I'll FIX it." The nasty landscaping lady (sorry, I'm mad at how mad they got) said, "it's going to cost you at LEAST $350 to get the truck back out here to fix this." Then Mark and I both started to get defensive. "You know this is a natural path for bears AND moose, right? Where's the fence?" "psh, that won't happen." ".. umm.. okay. Well we'll pay for it if animals don't walk through it before Tuesday." Tuesday was the fastest the landscaping lady could fix it. 

So all weekend, Mark and I were crossing our fingers that moose or bear would walk through. Yesterday on my way to the church for the hike, I did my morning-looksey to see if there was more damage. OH MY! There was:    MOOSE TRACKS! Two different moose walked through and COVERED the dog tracks. 

Here's another view. I had taken pictures before and after for 'proof'. This was not a good situation. For them. It was good for us! 
Here's a view from the bottom: 
Then this morning while Buckwheat was staring out the window while partly dozing off, he started to bark like crazy! I thought it was a bear when I looked out the window because all I saw was the big brown bum and the thick thigh. Then he realized it wasn't a bear and stopped barking and continued whimpering like it was on his territory and he wanted to chase it. Then a BABY moose walked out from under our deck. It was adorable! It is the same cow and calf we saw about 3 weeks ago down on Eagle River. She has the hurt front left hoof that can't straighten. But the baby is getting bigger and bigger, so I am happy. Here is a picture of the cute culprits: 
Thank you, moose! We're now off the hook. 

Hike VI: Mt. Alyeska Ski Chalet

I thought this was hike numero siete, but I was wrong-o. It was Monday, so it was the kid hike, but I was pretty nervous. It was a 'moderate' hike in a hard-book done by un-real people. But it was alright. The drive took about an hour, south of Anchorage to the Alyeska Ski Resort again (remember Winner Creek?.. same place, different hike). 
Sometimes from this highway you can see Beluga Whales with their white backs. I still haven't seen any.. but I'm still hoping!
I thought it was going to be green like this the whole way, but I had called earlier to ask "Is the trail open all the way to the top?" and she replied, "Yes, but there's still quite a bit of snow up there." Yeaaah right. It's mid-July! Just shy of half-way up we stopped here to eat our lunch: 
We also saw two different bear-scats. Yuck! Below, we started to see all the snow! And we were getting closer to the clouds. The kids loved throwing rocks and sticks into the big puddles... ponds?
Right when we hit the snow, we started trekking through it and my "ballet slippers" (as they have come to be known through the ward) started to soak through (fortunately they weren't cold). We looked back and noticed that this sign said "Horror Hill". The kids thought it was a bit scary. Me too. 
Then when I was leading the way over the snow, I was right below the brown part where there are 4 people on it.. you see it? I was on the white snow below that and noticed there was a line of water RUSHING below me... I looked back and said, "There's a river under here! Make sure you guys go up to the rock!" That's when I got pretty nervous. I don't like water!! Unless it's a pool. My family knows that all-too-well. 
The snow-part of the hike was about 1/4 of a mile, but then we almost were to the top, I realized I felt just like Mr. Christian Bale in Batman Begins. oo-la-la! Can you see why I felt like Batman? -->
When I got to the top, I realized just how many ways there are you could die (sorry for the positive note). Enlarge the picture below and read the sign and notice the cute little girl SO close: 
I was glad I made it to the top through all the slipper snow with rivers under it. 
One more way to die? BEARS!! At the top we noticed people pointing to us and then to this black dot on the side of the hill RIGHT below the snowy area we were just on. I guess we had walked right by it and never noticed it. It had been on the snow with us! When I got the picture below, it was actually running across the grass to pass over the hill. Then it disappeared. But it was out there while another hiker was out there (about the same distance away, just farther apart), but it was AS BIG as the hiker! It must have been a HUGE black bear. Sorry for the fuzz, it was zoomed in all the way:  
Then we waited for the tram to come take us down the front of the mountain (we had traversed it): 
Mom, don't enlarge this picture, it might make you a little motion-sick. Even if you're standing still: 
This was the lift-employee that took us down. He said he normally lets out a huge scream to scare the passengers about half way down (you're way high), but he said he didn't because he didn't want to scare all the kids. Thank you, Mr.! I would have probably had a nervous break down, then laughed. But the nervous break down first.
When we walked back to the parking lot and looked back up, we saw where we had gone. This is partly zoomed in so my camera could pick up the tram-station. The tram costs to go up, but if you hike up there, it's a free-ride down. Nice!

Ski Chalet Stats: 

Distance: 1.5 - 2 miles (one way)

Elevation Gain: 2000 feet

High Point: 2200 feet

Hike Difficulty: moderate