Subaru, Round Two
It was a balmy -18 degrees Friday morning at TrippingOverMoose Ranch. The Subaru started and got me to my place of employment in Anchorage. However my son-in-law forgot to plug in his truck the night before. Long story short, in two hours he couldn't get his truck nor mine to start. He had to call his boss to come pick him up to get to work. Saturday morning, an even nicer -14 degrees, with the trucks plugged in overnight, we got them both to run. But the Subaru, which has no engine heater, refused to start. The Subaru used to live in the garage so I had never got around to putting a engine heater in it. Now that, in car years, she's getting old and having some issues, she's getting tempermental. Sunday morning we moved the trucks, pulled the motorhome out of the garage and dragged the Subaru inside with the Honda 4-wheeler. After 4 or 5 hours of warm garage she started up. By the end of Sunday the cold snap had snapped and we were +14 degrees. We moved the trucks, Subaru, 4-wheeler and motorhome around back to the original configuration. This morning, at +5 degrees the Subaru started fine and delivered my brother and I to our respective places of employment. I am going to call today and make an appointment to get her into see the Subaru doctor to address the progressive breathing-fuel problems she is having.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Friday, December 5, 2008
Responding to an Old Friend
An old friend from my childhood in Juneau asked to see more picture of my dogs, so here you go...
This is Kiska. She was supposed to be a Samoyed but turned out to be a mix. I suspect her father was a golden retriever. But she does have the crazy blue eyes. She's almost 14 years old now and spends most of her time sleeping on an oversized dog pillow next to my recliner.
The Malemute is Shadow. He's 12 years old and still very active. Shadow has earned his name over the years. If I'm home he's always in the same room as me, watching my every move. If I sit down he comes over and sits or lays as close to me as possible. Lately, perhaps sensing my sadness, he's trying to be a lap dog. It's difficult to read a magazine or watch TV with an 75 pound malemute in your lap pressing his face into your face. The last goofy picture isn't actually Shadow but a photo of a look alike lifted from some website years ago.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
The Old Subaru
First Time She's ever let me down.
Tuesday evening, after work, my '95 Subaru with 265,000 miles failed to start. It has been cold for the past few weeks and I haven't put any Iso-heat in the gas tank this year so I thought it might be a frozen fuel line. My nephew, Officer Daniel, gave his father and I a ride home. Wednesday I drove the Dodge Pickup to work and put a couple Iso-heat in the Subaru's gas tank. It did not help and the Subaru sat there in the company parking lot until Friday night. After work on Friday my new Roommate and son-in-law borrowed a trailer and we went to Anchorage to retrieve the car. We got it into Officer Daniel's father's garage about 9:30 pm. This afternoon I provided money for parts and moral support while Roommate Son-in-law figured out the fuel pump wasn't working and replaced it. The Subaru is as good as new, or at least as good as it was before the fuel pump died. Having Roommate Son-in-law around is pretty handy.
Tuesday evening, after work, my '95 Subaru with 265,000 miles failed to start. It has been cold for the past few weeks and I haven't put any Iso-heat in the gas tank this year so I thought it might be a frozen fuel line. My nephew, Officer Daniel, gave his father and I a ride home. Wednesday I drove the Dodge Pickup to work and put a couple Iso-heat in the Subaru's gas tank. It did not help and the Subaru sat there in the company parking lot until Friday night. After work on Friday my new Roommate and son-in-law borrowed a trailer and we went to Anchorage to retrieve the car. We got it into Officer Daniel's father's garage about 9:30 pm. This afternoon I provided money for parts and moral support while Roommate Son-in-law figured out the fuel pump wasn't working and replaced it. The Subaru is as good as new, or at least as good as it was before the fuel pump died. Having Roommate Son-in-law around is pretty handy.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
New "Roomy"
I told him to take his time and enjoy the trip...
No one ever listens to me.
My son-in-law arrived from Idaho at 3:30 a.m. last Friday morning. He made the trip in about 3 1/2 days. I believe he said he pulled over and slept in the truck twice for 3 hours at a time. He arrived in Sarah Palin land in the dark, with everything engulfed in a thick fog. When he stopped at a gas station he wasn't even sure what town he was in. Of course the hallucinations from total exhaustion probably contributed to his confusion.
No one ever listens to me.
My son-in-law arrived from Idaho at 3:30 a.m. last Friday morning. He made the trip in about 3 1/2 days. I believe he said he pulled over and slept in the truck twice for 3 hours at a time. He arrived in Sarah Palin land in the dark, with everything engulfed in a thick fog. When he stopped at a gas station he wasn't even sure what town he was in. Of course the hallucinations from total exhaustion probably contributed to his confusion.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Winter 2008, First Snow
It started snowing this morning...
It's starting to accumulate a little but it's only 33.6 degrees F. If it warms up a little it'll melt away. 
A little over a month ago the fireweed was still blooming. The conventional wisdom is when the topmost buds bloom on the fireweed, winter is three weeks away.
It's starting to accumulate a little but it's only 33.6 degrees F. If it warms up a little it'll melt away. 
A little over a month ago the fireweed was still blooming. The conventional wisdom is when the topmost buds bloom on the fireweed, winter is three weeks away.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Vice Presidential Debate
From Wasilla, Alaska:
It is so interesting to watch a Vice Presidential debate and to see a woman that you used to say "Hi" to in the local grocery store mention "mainstreet Wasilla." I just drove mainstreet Wasilla moments prior to the debate on my way to the auto parts store to buy brake pads for the Subaru.
The other thing I was reminded of last night was the comment of some liberal mainstream media type, right after Sarah's introduction at the Republican convention. The reporter made some snarky remark about the Palin children and their, "sort of hippy names." He mentioned all of the names and when he got to Piper, he made an additional derisive comment about her name as being unfathomable. I bet that nearly everyone in Alaska and outdoorsmen across the country understand the reference. It's eastcoast liberal reporters that are out of touch with America.
It is so interesting to watch a Vice Presidential debate and to see a woman that you used to say "Hi" to in the local grocery store mention "mainstreet Wasilla." I just drove mainstreet Wasilla moments prior to the debate on my way to the auto parts store to buy brake pads for the Subaru.
The other thing I was reminded of last night was the comment of some liberal mainstream media type, right after Sarah's introduction at the Republican convention. The reporter made some snarky remark about the Palin children and their, "sort of hippy names." He mentioned all of the names and when he got to Piper, he made an additional derisive comment about her name as being unfathomable. I bet that nearly everyone in Alaska and outdoorsmen across the country understand the reference. It's eastcoast liberal reporters that are out of touch with America.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Bears in the Woods
Neighborhood Gossip
I heard the other day, from my brother, that a bear had killed a moose in the woods behind my house. I thought, "That explains the smell of rotting moose that I smelled coming from the woods behind my garage."
Yesterday, at the mailbox, I was talking to my next door neighbor (east side). He heard that my neighbor, two lots to the west, had actually seen the bear take down the moose in his yard. That would be around 600-900 feet to the west of my house. He also heard that the moose remains were buried deep with a backhoe to discourage the bear.
So I wasn't smelling that dead moose two days ago. There must be another dead moose behind my garage. I don't think I'll check it just now.
Two years ago I had a dead moose back there. It didn't appear to be a bear kill however, as it was whole and was slowly scavanged by smaller animals.
The neighbor at the mailbox also told me that early last winter he found that someone had poached a cow and calf moose in his *yard. He called the Alaska Fish and Game and they told him they already knew about it. In fact they had caught the poacher. He was one of our other neighbors and he moved the moose meat by sled leaving a trail from the dead moose to his back door. Criminals are so smart.
*For those unfamiliar with the "yards" in my area. I have a 9 acre yard. The neighbor to the east has a 15 acre yard. The neighbor where the bear killed the moose has a 5 acre yard.
I heard the other day, from my brother, that a bear had killed a moose in the woods behind my house. I thought, "That explains the smell of rotting moose that I smelled coming from the woods behind my garage."
Yesterday, at the mailbox, I was talking to my next door neighbor (east side). He heard that my neighbor, two lots to the west, had actually seen the bear take down the moose in his yard. That would be around 600-900 feet to the west of my house. He also heard that the moose remains were buried deep with a backhoe to discourage the bear.
So I wasn't smelling that dead moose two days ago. There must be another dead moose behind my garage. I don't think I'll check it just now.
Two years ago I had a dead moose back there. It didn't appear to be a bear kill however, as it was whole and was slowly scavanged by smaller animals.
The neighbor at the mailbox also told me that early last winter he found that someone had poached a cow and calf moose in his *yard. He called the Alaska Fish and Game and they told him they already knew about it. In fact they had caught the poacher. He was one of our other neighbors and he moved the moose meat by sled leaving a trail from the dead moose to his back door. Criminals are so smart.
*For those unfamiliar with the "yards" in my area. I have a 9 acre yard. The neighbor to the east has a 15 acre yard. The neighbor where the bear killed the moose has a 5 acre yard.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Back at Work
Day 7 of the rest of my life.
Kate's wake-memorial went well, large turn out of friends and family.
Starting yesterday my brother is car pooling with me now and walking at lunch. It helps, gives me a little something to anticipate.
My posts may be sparse again for a while. I don't want to broadcast my feelings. I'll post if and when I have thoughts, observations and or images not related to my emptiness.
Kate's wake-memorial went well, large turn out of friends and family.
Starting yesterday my brother is car pooling with me now and walking at lunch. It helps, gives me a little something to anticipate.
My posts may be sparse again for a while. I don't want to broadcast my feelings. I'll post if and when I have thoughts, observations and or images not related to my emptiness.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Cookie
I am still numb. Everything happened so fast that the whole thing seems unreal and dream-like, (an awful dream.) Personally, I don't know when it's going to hit me that she's really gone.
In my mind I am still composing my next conversation with her, then I realize I am not going to call her on the phone. I am not going to pick her up in the morning to go to work. We are not going to meet for lunch. When I go to her house only her sons will be there.
Her little dog, Cookie, met me at the door to her house yesterday. She rushed me barking, jumping up on me and nipping at my hands. It was far and away the most enthusiastic greeting she's ever given me. I picked her up and cuddled her for a few minutes. When I put her down she when to the other side of the room, sat down and looked at me. When I called to her she would not come.
In my mind I am still composing my next conversation with her, then I realize I am not going to call her on the phone. I am not going to pick her up in the morning to go to work. We are not going to meet for lunch. When I go to her house only her sons will be there.
Her little dog, Cookie, met me at the door to her house yesterday. She rushed me barking, jumping up on me and nipping at my hands. It was far and away the most enthusiastic greeting she's ever given me. I picked her up and cuddled her for a few minutes. When I put her down she when to the other side of the room, sat down and looked at me. When I called to her she would not come.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
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