It's the holidays... and the sweets are being prepared

The kitchen has a white hue, chocolate everywhere, measuring cups scattered around and, time for some patting oneself on the back!

Christmas, Cold, Must Be Minneapolis!

Well, seemed like a good time to visit with Halley and Dan since they will not be coming to Tacoma for the holidays.... only thing is, just one week ago they had about 18 inches of snow dumped on the city. The Metrodome caved in from the snow, the city actually sorta shut down, and for them, that means there was too much snow, much too fast.... plus they had had blizzard conditions. We arrived with little problems, as the city had time to get back on it's snowy, but able to function feet. And, Jerry and I are just loving looking at all this white stuff....

Halley was rewarded for paying her bills appropiately... like on time... so we went shopping and got her and Dan a pretty nifty surprise.... they were a bit shocked, but happy.

Tonight we go out and celebrate Jerry's birthday early (the little Christmas Baby he is) and tomorrow we return to our little burg....

Pike Place Market November Birthday, Anniversary and Turkey Day!

So this year, we decided to spend the Turkey Day holiday in Seattle.... My birthday was the 25th (a year closer to turning 60, but I'm not there yet kids!) which was also Thanksgiving. Our wedding anniversary is the 29th... so we made a fun three nights of it. The northwest had just had a wonderful snowfall the previous Monday, frozen fountains, etc, very pretty. Things started to thaw out Thursday so we could walk lots of places. Our hotel was right in the middle of Pike Place Market... and our view... look at the slide show.... awesome.... We got carried away with pictures of the famous 'gum wall' at the maket. ewwwww... but at the same time... really quite something...

Came home on Saturday, and I spent Sunday making the Turkey Dinner tradition. We ended up with the best of both worlds....

Had to reduce the picture quality in the slide show, but I think you will get the drift of the fun time we had....

It's been a long time...

Yeah... but life has been busy. We've logged about 8000 frequent flyer miles, but, also, the trips were not heavily photo worthy (Went to a wedding in Miami , which WAS photo worthy, but my camera was not in the best of shape, so not too many photos... Our last trip to Minneapolis.... A beautiful snowy day all day on the Saturday while we were there (11-21). Hoping we have some good stuff like that here in our local burg.
So, just dropping a note to let you know we are still around and will blog as our journey's get going again!

Figured the trip should end the way it started...

with Halley and Dan sleeping...
We spent the morning at the Capilano Suspension Bridge. It's a fancy park now, but the charm and nice feature is that it is so close to the city, yet feels so far. The whole of the grounds is very, very peaceful. As for the bridge, it's about the height of the Statue of Liberty and the width of two airplanes, put wing to wing. And, boy did that bridge sway and wiggle as folks walked on it.... We had to hang onto the sides. Ms Halley skipped the journey across as she doesn't like heights... Her unsteadiness was a big question in my mind too...



after a couple hours there...we started for the border...decided to go the Blaine Station since the Peace Arch was so busy before...figured it would be quicker...wrong...three hours to go 7 miles.... it was ugly.... once across, traffic was fine.
So, here we are at home... Laundry to do, bills to pay, all that fun stuff that we call reality!

Griffin.... all we could see were the dorsal fins!

All the whales we saw were Orca's. They swam in Pods and really didn't jump out of the water alot, rather, they just splashed around.... I wish I had more exciting pictures!

The Deadliest Catch!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Zmsp60sdMk

Wondered how we could top the Glaciers yesterday…. Well, we equaled the experience doing something totally different. We arrived in Ketchikan about 9:30 in the morning… All of us got off the boat and did the obligatory walk around town… Ketchikan has a population of about 15000, but we hung out mostly near the tourist traps…. Stores everywhere, just like Skagway, Juneau, St Marten… we found a couple ‘local’ shops’ and a local restaurant for lunch. Also, we got to see an Eagle and a Hawk up close and personal! Then, our fun really began!
We went on a trip on the Aleutian Ballad, a boat from Season 2 of Deadliest Catch. Obviously its been retired…. And then retrofitted just a bit for us tourists. The captain and the staff (5 of them) have all been crab, etc fishermen (well, and women) from the Bering Sea. They had put some crab pots out about 2 hours from Ketchikan (which they do bait for us tourists) and we saw how the whole thing works. We even saw some crab that the evil octopus in this area chowed down on. Three large crab came up DEAD in the pot… you could see where the ‘beak’ of the Octopus pounces on the poor crab main shell. Was something! These guys were good men besides also being good entertainers. Tomorrow they will be taking disabled Vet’s out on the boat on a special trip! Like I said, good guys! Also saw “The Time Bandit” at hook in the bay… You know, I thought these boats were way bigger than they really are. They are not that large… makes the whole show and what goes on even scarier!
Oh yeah… got to see Bald Eagle nest, and the mom and dad, and the dad came down and grabbed a fish from the water…. I tried to catch a picture…. No such luck… It was so awesome! We hear the chicks in the nest all excited when that tasty dish came to them.

Glacier Bay....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuboVxJYgkc

Sorry the quaility of photos is not the best..... I had to reduce it in order to get it to upload quicker....

A Whale of a Tale Griffin

Griffin…. Boy did we see something really interesting! A whale died about a month ago and the carcass was pushed on the shore. The animals have been eating the carcass ever since and I got some pictures of a bear munching down. It was something!
We were in one part of Glacier Bay… and then moved to other parts to see Glaciers. I will post pics of that later. Griffin, some of the Park Rangers are on our boat telling us all about this National Park here in Alaska. Have ever been interested in being a park ranger? They shared so much interesting information, like there are seals that bring their pups on the little ice flows… we didn’t see any so we just had to take her word for it!

We got to Skagway sometime in the early morning hours…. That’s the thing with cruising; you go to bed in one spot and wake up in a new one! Skagway is right on the water, up an inlet, surrounded by the mountains…. It’s all so beautiful… I seem to use that word a lot, but it is the only one that seems right! We all went into town in the morning…. Skagway has about a normal population of 800 most of the time, BUT, when the cruise ships come in… and they come in more than one at a time, today there were four of them…. The town size grows by a few thousand… some hanging around, some taking excursions, some hiking… on it goes. After shopping, at lunch time we took the White Pass Summit Scenic Train…. A narrow gage train built during the gold rush days. It was quite the trip and filled with gorgeous views. The one picture, that shows a narrow path on the steep hillside, that was the original path the gold rush folks and their packs took. It was filled with lots of travellers.... most of which did not make their 'fortunes'.... oh Nice, nice day especially compared to yesterday…. Meaning my funky mood, etc….
Halley and Dan opted to have dinner on the “Lido” deck in the evening, so Jerry and I had the table all to ourselves. Was nice…

Meltdown... and I'm not talking about a Glacier!

Alright… just announcing… I am human… I am woman… I did not roar…. I had a meltdown…. So stupid in the big scheme of life…. But… I had one.
When in Juneau, we were suppose to go on a float plane trip to ice fields, etc. The weather was overcast, pretty low ceiling, then the shore excursion concierge called and said the pilots could not fly…she had some other suggestions, and would call back in 10 minutes for our decision. She had more folks to call and said we would probably not be able to get through if we tried calling back with our decision., hence she would call us.
So, after, some spirited conversation on the other trips we might like, Jer and I came to an agreement. So we wait for the call, and wait, and wait, and wait…. Decide to go to the concierge on our floor and he couldn’t really help cuz the shore excursion phone he couldn’t get through to either…. Back to our room… tick tock tick tock… MELTDOWN… POOR ME…. I do all this work… no one cares, they just sit around and wait… no one is proactive…. Woe is me….. I eventually left the room for a walk around the ship on the 3rd floor. The ship is EMPTY mostly cuz most folks are out on their shore excursions. Called one of by sisters so I could share my feelings… then, I had an aha moment… I’ll have a glass of wine (time is about 2:30)… since we are at shore… ALL Bars are closed…. Egads…. So, my next idea, cuz I am wound up tighter than a tick… A neck, back, foot massage and a facial…………… AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, they’re not busy (cuz most folks are ashore)….at 3:45 they got me in and I finally relaxed…. Mary… My muscles were a mess!
Meantime, while I was gone, Jerry, Halley and Dan went to town on foot. So, in the end we all ended up in a good place. Had a fabulous dinner in the Pinnacle Grill, a super waitperson, FLO, who made it all the more enjoyable… Champagne and then Wine…..Life was again good!

Tracy Arm Slides....

Tracy Arm

Woke up early to see the Tracy Arm Fjord….. Overcast… a bit of a drizzle…. But very, very grand! We even saw a bear on an area called Mud Flat…. Course, you can barely (get it) see him in the photo, even on zoom. With the binoculars’ it was great…. Oh well…

This big ship was so close to the walls… hard to believe. Had to go very, very slow and no overhead announcements: just trying to keep the area as pristine as they can. Was a little chilly out, but not too bad. Nice to be in your cabin, on the deck and see it all. Dang it... this internet on the boat is soooooo slow.... I had a movie to upload.... it won't even budge.... I'll try later.... But trust me, this is all sooooo beeeeaaaaauuuutiful!

A day at sea....

Beautiful Day at Sea…. Gorgeous Vistas…. I think the pictures say it all.
Had our first ‘formal’ dinner in the evening. Yummy food on this ship! Halley and Dan brought the movie “Up” over to our cabin afterwards. Cute Flick!
Griffin…. Well, we saw a lot of Killer Whales, but as soon as you bring out the camera, it seems they all dive and then you can’t tell where they are gonna come up. But, I do have a picture of a Polar Bear…. Well, not really… It’s just a statue they have next to the pool.
I am writing this note the next morning and we are traveling in a Fjord, Tracy Arm…. Just stupendous! Pictures coming later. So, I want to enjoy the view we have today… so, I’ll write later!

Griffin, I just saw a whale and DARN...

I didn't have my camera.... from now on I will always keep my camera with me....

And we are sailing along!

Saturday was a beautiful day in Vancouver, BC! Sun, comfortable temperature and a great day to start a cruise! From looking at the weather reports, I don’t think we will be having the same temperature up north! I put together a little slide show… that way I can show you more, but alas, after a 20 minute download, costing me bucks, it bombed... I will figure something else out!. We came on board about noon after parking our car for the week. We were invited to a special lunch (which meant it was buffet style… that we like!...plus we get waited on!...like that even better!) Anyway, spent some time just walking around the boat, taking some pictures and then, Bon Voyage…. Halley-ism for the day- I asked her to weigh her luggage before she came (it weighed 68lb btw). I asked if she weighed it and her response was “at the airport it always weighs in between 35 and 45 lbs”. I asked the question again, same answer. Finally said “Halley, did you weigh your bag at home on the scale?” Silence…. “well, no” “Why not” “Well, the scale is broker because my friends always weigh themselves on it, and it just couldn’t take the weight…” At this point, I just keep my mouth shut… best thing to do. Had another 'ism' at lunch,but I'm not even going to go into that one... We are learning to look at it for what it is and not always try to correct her way of thinking... it is her way of thinking... we just giggle or shake our heads when we are by ourselves.... Today we will be at sea all day…. All four of us are going to watch a movie here in our room this evening…. It’s partly cloudy out and we have the view out our window and deck so it’s like the best of both worlds! Right now, as I type, I’m looking at a group of islands going by and I just saw some kind of critter come up for some air in the water. God sure has made a fascinating world…. Just hope we don’t screw it up too bad… (sorry bout that political comment!...well, I really am not sorry, it's true! Look at the Gulf!)

Nice evening in Vancouver before the trip!

Picked up Halley and Dan at the airport, grabbed some lunch and then off to Vancouver BC. Really good drive throught Seattle, not much traffic going north, got to the Border, normal small wait, the on to Vancouver.... speeding along and then..........stop.... for almost an hour....right before the tunnel (I forgot the name, maybe Massey?)... And why.... basically 3 freeway lanes become 1, then halfway while that is happening, a two lane freeway entrance is also trying to join the mess... Oh well, we are here now and that is what is important.

Walked around the city for dinner, just in our little area next to the water. I have always loved Vancouver.... so pretty! Walked a bit of the waterfront and then saw the Flame Candles from the Olympics. They weren't lit, but still pretty nice....

Thought I would include one of the pics we always get of H and D when we are on these trips.... Dan took a different poise this time... Also, pics of the views as we walked....

Found a map of our trip!

So here is our journey.... We go up the "inside passage". The tours that leave from Seattle go the outside passage... so, this seemed much more appealing to us. Halley has already called about 15 times the last three days... she is very, very excited.... we all are. The weather, well, it will not be summer.... mostly in l0w 60s... drizzle now and then... maybe some sun... But we are pumped.... more to come. We pick up H and D at the airport and then go on to Vancouver and spend the night before we set sail..... Ahhhh, I hear the "Love Boat" theme...even though we are on Holland America.

Getting Ready for Alaska....

Wow... here we go again.... Busy running around most of this week preparing for the next adventure. Jer has been super busy at work as well as fighting a nasty cough... Found out our phones will work in Alaska so Jer can keep his business humming while one of his cohorts will cover any face to face appointments that may need to happen.
Halley and Dan have been calling frequently as they prepare for this adventure. Its been warm in Minnepolis but the weather will be just a bit cooler on our cruise. After the cruise, they will be staying here in TTown for a bit more than a week. They have to pack for a little of everything.
I'll try to keep up on the blogs while we travel. We are so very blessed and we thank God for that!

A great trip home across the straits to Home Sweet Home....

Okay... we are not use to the heat... had to get a fan out our last night... it was a nice little hum that put me right to sleep.... Jerry had a bit more problems, would wake up quite a bit, but fortunately fell back asleep. Had our last get together with the Kairos group and then we were taken to the ferry.... Another fabulous day for a trip on the water.... I hope I don't get any flak for this... but the Pacific Northwest is the one of the prettiest places on earth!
The Dragon Boat races were going on in the inner harbor... got to watch that a bit... Tacoma's Dragon Boat wasn't there, but made the news anyway... It capsized in the Thea Foss Waterway in Commencement Bay in T-Town. Kinda funny.
Anyway... we are home temporarily...till our next venture...

Pics of the inner harbour, our condo was right behind the bridge... and an attempt at our artsy picture of Jerry and me.... Oh yeah... what our car looked like when we returned to Port Angeles.... The Seagulls loved to potty on it.... there weren't even any wires around... weird...

Just as hot here in BC as it is in Tacoma....

Yup, was a warm day here... temps up to 90 ish... We walked up the hill to our meeting, about 7 blocks... it was warm already. The KAIROS meeting was productive and I only needed to stay for the morning session. Was tickled, figured I'd go shopping.........WHAT WAS I THINKING! it was way too warm to go walking about the city and the stores. Ended up staying in the condo for a while. As it got cooler, I did go out for a meal and some pics... This evening is what Jerry calls "a JeanMarie" night on the water.... so smooth and pretty.... Tomorrow we leave early for our last session and then catch the early afternoon ferry home. Pretty excited, cuz that means we are a few days closer now to the Alaskan Cruise we will be going on next week...In the mean time... my camera has been busy!

A cash machine... in a van... who'd a thunk?

We were also right next to China Town....

Love, Love, Love our digs.... had to post pics...

The view from our room..... not too bad, ehhhh? Next picture is the living room... then, obviously the kitchen... and then, the view from our bed which is a 'Captains Quarters' style bed... It really reminds us of the bed on the Alihilani, Jerry's old sailboat.... and of course, a photo with Jerry on the  bed!

Victoria British Columbia.... Gorgeous!

Boy... this month has found us on the road... yup, again and again.... The first few days/weekend of August we were in Seaside, Oregon for not only a foundation meeting but also a family reunion hosted by Joe and Rita (Jer's brother).  Lots of family...Julie and Conrado, Jim, K and HK came with their kids, as did Jamie, Dawn, Kristen, Telma...and even us, Jillian drove down over the weekend. And that was just the Foss decendents.... then there were Breuggers, Johnsons, Byers just to name a few... whew... Came home to Tacoma on Monday, and now today, Friday, we are in Victoria, BC.

  

We caught the express Ferry to Victoria.... Parked our car in Port Angeles and off we went.  Such a nicer trip on the mini ferry.... all passengers, quicker journey and smaller group.  The weather was spectacular.... the Straits were almost like a pond.... That doesn't happen alot... the ocean feeds into the straits and the wind usually blows.  We've got the advantage of an "offshore'' flow so things are pretty nice.  In the background of the picture of me, you see the Olympics.... The Empress Hotel is of course the Grand Dame of the harbor.  We are not staying there, but at a VRBO (Vacation Rentals By Owner) which is right on the water, a fabulous condo.... we love it.  I hope to post some pictures....

Now, why are we here...?  We are attending meetings for the next KAIROS Prision weekend.  The leader of the next weekend is actually from Canada and has recruited several other Canadians, so having 2 of our 4 meetings here made sense.  The next meeting will be in Port Angeles.  The actual weekend is at the end of September, but before there are several meetings one must attend as they prepare.  I, of course, can't go into the weekend like Jerry, but I will be working on preparing names tags, information, scheduling reproduction, packets, etc... all that fun stuff...

Mt Hood.... Just Jean and Julie... a girls getaway!

Spent Sunday through Wednesday at Julie's condo up at Mt Hood.  It was spectacular!  Sunny everyday... Mt Hood right out her deck.... Gorgeous!  Oregon and the Cascades are beautiful.... Just like in Washington State. 
We walked the first morning on a beautiful trail... First half was mostly uphill... and with the thinner air, I was huffin and puffin a bit... but it was all worth it... even the mosquito bite on my pointer finger.... yup, thats where I got bit!
Took lots and lots of pics... only posting a few!  Visited Hood River (that's a town) on Tuesday and saw the newly reopened Columbia Gorge Hotel.... highly recommend it... very very nice!