OUR BEST TRIP EVER…HANDS DOWN…

  Our VERY favorite trip ever, and we did it BEFORE we ever owned an RV…was driving to….

                                     ALASKA!!!!

In 2002, we drove 11,000 miles in one month…leaving August 18th, getting home Sept. 18th..I thought I would give you a little thumbnail of our trip… I cannot begin to put every picture on here…

We had talked about going to Alaska, and finally decided we shouldn’t wait any longer… We drove up the Alaskan Highway in our pick up (not diesel, and not extended cab), went all the way to Prudhoe Bay, and came back through British Columbia on the Cassiar Hwy…My mouth was open the whole way (imagine that)..It was a dream come true…and I kept a journal that I made into a 62 page book…

In this case, clicking on the photos to see them larger is a GREAT idea!!

OBVIOUSLY, WE WERE HAVING A GOOD TIME AT THE WOOD CARVER’S ON THE KENAI PENINSULA….




THE WILDLIFE WAS FABULOUS…THE CARIBOU WERE SHEDDING THEIR VELVET FROM THEIR ANTLERS…WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO SEE THE TOP OF DENALI.. THE GRIZZLY BEARS WERE FAT AND SASSY, FORAGING FOR FOOD FOR THEIR LONG  WINTER’S “NAP”

I WAS IN 7TH HEAVEN THE WHOLE TIME…..CAN YA TELL??

WE SAW MUSK OX ON THE “HAUL ROAD” ON THE WAY TO PRUDHOE BAY…AND THE PIPELINE FOLLOWED RIGHT BESIDE US, SOMETIMES DIPPING BELOW THE RIVER AND BACK ABOVE GROUND ON THE OTHER SIDE …







WE STAYED ONE NIGHT AT COLDFOOT CAMP, ON THE WAY TO THE BEAUFORT SEA AND THE OILFIELDS (THAT’S THE ONE AND ONLY STOP, AND IT IS TRULY A CAMP!) OUR ROOM WAS IN A LONG MODULAR SECTIONED UNIT…TWIN BEDS, A SHOWER, SINK AND STOOL..$140 A NIGHT…. WORTH EVERY PENNY!





WE HAD FINALLY REACHED OUR GOAL…MILE ZERO AND THE BEAUFORT SEA…WE HAD TO TAKE A BUS TOUR TO SEE IT…IT WAS 2002, AND NO ONE WAS ALLOWED LOOSE IN THE OIL FIELDS AFTER 9/11….ON LEFT IS OUR “HOTEL”….RIGHT, TWO HAPPY ADVENTURERS AT THE ARCTIC OCEAN….
 


ON OUR WAY BACK FROM DEADHORSE, WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO SEE A GRIZZY ALONG THE ROAD, FORAGING FOR FOOD…A “BEAR ASS” , SO TO SPEAK….

ABOUT 60 MILES NORTH OF FAIRBANKS WE CAME ACROSS A WOMAN AND HER MOM WITH CAR TROUBLE…LET ME JUST SAY THAT THERE IS USUALLY NO ONE IN SIGHT ON THIS ROAD…MCGUYVER HOOKED THEIR CAR TO OUR TRUCK WITH OUR TOW STRAP, PUT THEM IN THE CAB OF THE TRUCK WITH US, AND PULLED THEIR CAR UP THE HILL TO A PLACE WHERE WE COULD GET THE CAR OFF THE ROAD…(THAT IS THE ROAD GRADER FOLLOWING US, BELOW, RIGHT)…WE THEN GAVE THEM A RIDE  TO A “STORE”  (LONG TRAILER WITH AN OUTHOUSE)…TO USE THE PHONE…PRICE FOR THE TOWTRUCK….$5.00 A MILE..HMMMM…5 x 60=$300 SMACKERS…

 

WE SPENT A COUPLE NIGHTS IN HAINES, WHICH IS FAMOUS FOR THE BALD EAGLES….IT IS A CRUISE SHIP STOPOVER…THAT SIGN MCGUYVER IS POINTING TO COMING OUT OF THE OUT HOUSE SAYS “BEARS SPOTTED IN AREA RECENTLY”….OK, LET’S GO!






BEFORE WE GOT OFF THE ALASKAN HIGHWAY, I WANTED TO RECREATE A PHOTO MY AUNT AND UNCLE .  UNCLE WALT WAS IN THE AIR FORCE AND HELPED BUILD THE ALASKAN HIGHWAY…THIS PHOTO OF THEM ON THE LEFT WAS TAKEN IN APRIL, 1948.(.ONE MONTH BEFORE I WAS BORN)..THIS PHOTO“RECREATION” WAS ONE OF MY GOALS ON THIS TRIP…





WE HAD A GREAT LITTLE LOG CABIN AT NORTH BEAVER POST, YUKON TERRITORY..AND THEY DIDN’T CHARGE EXTRA FOR THE MOSQUITOS…




OUR LAST STOP IN ALASKA WAS THE TOWN OF HYDER…IT IS THE SOUTHERN MOST SPOT YOU CAN BE IN ALASKA…VERY MUCH LIKE A MISTY FIORD..THE GLACIER IS CALLED BEAR GLACIER…YA SEE WHY , RIGHT???


WELL, I SURE SHORTENED THAT TRIP UP…WE HAVE A BUNCH OF PHOTOS…AND  2 VIDEO TAPES OF OUR TRIP…OUR HOPE IS TO GO BACK AGAIN…TAKING OUR TIME….AND TAKING OUR HIKER….SEEMS TO ME LIKE WE BETTER “GET AFTER IT”…MCGUYVER AND ME …WE’RE BURNING DAYLIGHT!!!!

“There is one word of advice and caution to be given those intending to visit Alaska…If you are old, go by all means, but if your are young, wait.  The scenery of Alaska is much grander than anything else of it’s kind in the world, and it is not wise to dull one’s capacity for enjoyment by seeing the the finest first.”

…..Henry Gannett, Harrison Expedition 1899

REMOVING STAPLES 101….THE CORRECT TOOLS AND LOTS OF ALCOHOL…

  Last night was a little reminder for Dennis NOT to hit his head on our Hiker again!  At the ER, the nurse numbed up Den’s head with an anesthetic before the Doc stapled his scalp closed…(.Den’s head doesn’t require much numbing…It is normally pretty numb, as is my own) ….No anesthetic here at the Cave Dwellings… except Busch Lite, so that would have to do.  Dennis decided to take the dose internally, fearing that there could be some wasted, dripping off his scalp and onto the floor….

 

First of all, the correct equipment is instrumental for this undertaking (bad choice of words). 

I had assembled all of the necessary tools that I thought might be required….(and some that I FEARED might also be needed! )   Making  sure we had a sterile environment was not a problem…both McGuyver and I had THAT procedure done years ago.

 

I had to make sure we had enough alcohol  for all of the cotton swabs, so I stocked up….

 

Everyone has been anxious to see  a photo of McGuyver’s stapled scalp, so I begged  him to pose for me before they were removed..He thinks I am really warped, wanting to gaze at the carnage…..I totally cop to being a “card carrying sicko”, and am proud to “hang out” with any of you who are  also so inclined…So…..here it is ….the “before the staples were removed” photo..

 

 

…Yeah, I know….pretty gross.. For those of you wimps who get queasy, I advise NOT enlarging this photo…To you other blood suckers, have at it!  You should have seen this “Grand Canyon” wound before the ER Doc closed it up!!! You could see clear to the bottom of the canyon!!

 

 

 

Kelly and Cindy showed up about 6:30PM…cocktail hour…What a lovely way for them to spend an evening together…

 

 

I tried talking them into letting me help…..but they found my “technique” a little sketchy…..

 

  Cindy preferred her own little tool to “de-staple” McGuyver…. It was a fairly fast process..

THEY MADE SURE I STAYED AWAY….MAYBE IT WAS MY LONG HANDLED CUTTERS THEY FEARED….?

 

 

 

 

 

I managed to sneak in and get close enough for a final photo….

 

…So , after our personal medical team left, I put one of my home made pizzas in the oven….Mine isn’t even close to the great looking ones  Sam and Donna build. I was so excited by the staple removal that I forgot to take a picture of  the pizza…or maybe I was “over served”.…(sucking on all those cotton swabs can do that to a girl)….

  This morning the head wound looks good…definitely a scar is involved….And McGuyver has found yet another project to injure himself on….Our fireplace screen has come loose and has been a pain in our butts for quite a while now…Apparently, Dennis was getting tired of at least ONE of the pains in his butt, (the other one has yet to be addressed)..so he is working on the  fireplace screen as we speak….

Should I be concerned Den is using his pocket knife as a mini crowbar?????

NO WORRIES, I HAVE MY OWN WAY OF HANDLING THINGS NEXT TIME!

……SEND GOOD KARMA OUR WAY……AND THANKS FOR VISITING OUR INSANE ASYLUM….

WHERE WOULD BE A GREAT PLACE TO BE TODAY??

   I know, I am in Illinois, trust me, I DO know that…and that is the COLD , hard truth….I’m not dealing with it very well…suffering bouts of profanities when trying to walk in 20 degrees and winds swooping down off Lake Michigan…Where would I LOVE  to be???

…Thank you for allowing me a moment of reflection…Actually, these photos make me realize how selfish I am to feel deprived…After all, we are darn lucky to have done this traveling stuff at all, right??   So now I will SHAKE OFF THIS NEGATIVITY!!!   GET OVER IT, YOU SELFISH OLD BEAR!!..YOU WILL GET BACK ON THE ROAD AGAIN!!! 

MY MIND IS NOW CHANGING FROM COLD, GRUMPY….

…..AND PRICKLY…..

….TO A MUCH MORE PLEASANT PLACE…..

  I refuse to go back into my dark place (even though I AM a Cave Dweller)…I will do some projects, keep busy, bundle up in layers, face the wind head on, create some new recipes, tell a few jokes, maybe even relax and read a good book….

 

 

 

 

OK….SO MY CHOICE OF READING IS SLIGHTLY SKEWED…. A GIRL’S GOTTA HAVE A GOAL..AND KEEP THE FAITH!!

 

 

 

 

 

  I’m just sayin’ that it is colder than a witch’s boob around here today, and I’m pretty sure McGuyver won’t care if I broil our steaks INSIDE, instead of sending him out on the deck..Out there, absolutely ANYTHING could freeze and disappear in moments…and Hey, a fire in the ‘ol brick fireplace is working for us….(I need to back up to that fire and get one going under my ass, this cold weather is making me lazy).

  McGuyver gets his staples out tomorrow…Oh yeah, I’ll be posting photos, don’t worry….Hey..another excuse for a party…A “HEAD WOUND STAPLE REMOVAL” PARTY!!!!! WHO’S IN????

A “HAPPY NEW YEAR” IN THE “ CAVE”…..

 

We had a great New Year’s Day at the Cave Dwellings, even though the poor Hiker sat outside in the cold on it’s sorry little pad….

Obviously, our one and only granddaughter has her Grandma Cave’s sense of humor….

…the coat that remains on her body is apparently an apparel  “ statement” popular with 12 year old girls….

There was no shortage of food, fun or drink…

…Kelly had to pull duty at the Oswego Fire Station, so Cindy came over with 2 of their 3 grandkids, Zachary and Caitlyn….

 

 

 

Terrie got a hairdo makeover from her daughter…now she looks like Pocahontas, except with bigger ta ta’s…

 

 

 

Taylor, the hairdresser, had been to a girls New Year’s Eve slumber party the night before, and she faded fast….

 

 

 

About 6PM, our neighbors, Deb and John came over to add to the festivities….Deb is “the chandelier queen” who has provided us with 2 fabulous chandeliers for our Cave Dwellings….Ya gotta have lots of light in the Cave….

 

 

 

 

By 8PM, Dennis and I were eating left over pizza, sliders and nachos…..stepping over cookie crumbs, ground in pizza sausage and Lincoln Logs….and we were in bed by 9PM….Thank God the new year happens only ONCE a year….

  I mentioned Rum Balls ….and the fact that I love them…Here is the recipe…

• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 cup dark rum
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 2 1/2 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers
• 1 cup finely chopped, toasted walnuts

Directions

Into a large bowl, sift together 1 cup of the confectioners' sugar, the cocoa powder and allspice. Stir in the rum and corn syrup. Stir in the vanilla wafers and walnuts, and mix well. Place in the refrigerator to firm up slightly, about 30 minutes. (The mixture may appear crumbly and dry; this is O.K.)

Place the remaining 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar in a shallow bowl or dish.

Using a tablespoon, scoop out portions of the chocolate mixture and press into 1-inch balls. Using your hands, roll the balls in the confectioners' sugar, coating evenly.

Place on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, placing waxed paper between the layers to prevent sticking.

  Any resolutions out there???  I have thrown a few at the wall to see  how many will stick…(I’m hoping they all will).

1.  I will not fret or worry so much about stuff that is not in my control…..(I have learned the hard way the stress is bad for your bowel habits.)

2.  I am not going camping  ever again until all of the I’s  are dotted and  t’s are crossed…and all those who NEED TO  see a Doc,  do so post haste……

3.  And finally, I will love life with the wild abandon of a wilder beast,  laugh until the snot runs out of my nose ,and ….cry my heart out if I need to…(Holding back on your feelings only poisons your brain….)

 

…and so another year begins..and we , in the Cave, are braced and ready!!!!

 

A FEW “WANNA BE’S”….EVERYONE HAS THEM….

  I have a few “wanna be’s” in my life…I “wanna be” a piano player, but all I can manage is chopstix , and I do better with the utensils…I “wanna be” a dancer…but all I did was go to dancing school age 4-10, and besides, the tu tu’s scared me…I “wanna be” a poet…and I DID actually win a poetry contest in high school, (have no idea where that poem is)….I also imagined myself to be an artist in my more wistful days….and I have dabbled in some attempts at art (using the term loosely).

  While we were gone this December, I found some idle time to do a little sketching…or attempt to do some..I have used my grandkids as subjects before, but it has been a while since I got out “the ‘ol sketch pad.”  I do not claim to be anything but a “hacker”…but our grandkids liked getting these portraits…mostly because they are done by their dementia driven Grama/Mimi…..

      Taylor Kate Heiser, age 12                                        Peyton Lang Heiser, age10

      Campbell William Ross Heiser, age 6                                 Aiden Kendall Wolff, age 2

Trust me, my brother is the talented artist in the Ross family (my maiden name)….Not me….But it did give me something constructive to do ….

We took our walk this morning in the rainy drizzle…yes, I said rain…

That is fog at the end of our street…

 

 

I think I have mentioned what fabulous, crazy and totally “off the wall” family we have…A perfect example is the photo on the left…

This would be my 2 son-in-laws…They were at the Hampton Inn, Carmel Indiana the weekend before Xmas.  Both families were swimming in the indoor pool…Someone, (and it could have been EITHER ONE of the men), decided to run outside and make snow angels….HMMMMM….Should I be worried about Timothy Heiser and John Wolff???….No, because this is EXACTLY what happens when any parts of our family gets together… total insanity..

Terrie was fast enough to catch this pic on her cell phone and send it to us…trust me, they weren’t out there very long…..

…Makes a mother-in-law proud, eh????

 

 

OK, I have managed to find something to blog about, albeit a bit lame….I also want to thank all of you for your concern when we were so “mysteriously” offline and traveling.  I will tell you that Scott is out of ICU and back at the nursing home..Den and I went up to see him about an hour ago…Also, my brother-in-law, Dar’s hubby, is doing OK, and I think he is glad we are back home…Dennis…well, what can I say about Dennis that hasn’t been said?? He is a stubborn, ornery, curmudgeony old fart, but a cute one at that…and he is ALL mine. At the moment he resembles Frankenstein, but personally I think staples become  him…..More later!!!

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST “WANNA BE”????

THE PLANETS WEREN’T ALIGNED….THINGS HAPPEN FOR REASONS….

  Well, …..where do I begin??? How about 3 big things I love about camping…

1-…Seeing new and different places…

2-…Having campfires and meeting people..

3-…Being able to take your house with you when you travel…

  And ….what are 3 big things I don’t love about camping…

1-…Cold weather and no campfires….

2-…Not feeling well when away from home…

3-… and knowing in you heart, that you should GO HOME….

….and so we did.  Long story longer….McGuyver’s back  began to bother him somewhat…Then ,when my sis passed away, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I should be home…Then our nephew, Scotty (who is in a wheelchair, has a trache and can’t talk), ended up in ICU the 23rd of December.…Neither one of us was able to have a good time because our hearts weren’t in it…Sooooo , we left December 26th..and got home yesterday, December 28th, at3PM…

Gloves and stocking cap ready for action…..                Our outside temp was 17 degrees…OH, JUST GREAT!

Yes, that is snow in Missouri…..and it just kept showing up more…all the way back to Illinois….

We called ahead to one of McGuyver’s friends and he plowed out our driveway before we got there….Thanks Conveyor Eddie!!!! It was a bit of a challenge backing the Hiker in our drive…Yes, there were a few profanities, but no helpers or wives were injured or abused in the process….

Can I just say that when you think you things about this trip are beginning to  “chill out”…and we are home safe and sound….one errant sharp edge of a bedroom slide  (sans the little tennis balls) can literally knock you out of the game…And it did McGuyver…He cracked his head good..( and he was wearing his usual baseball cap)…The blood was flowing…So we ran in the house and I had him sit down so I could get a good look at it…NOT GOOD…

  “OK, Den…you definitely will need stitches on this one”…

“No, Donna, I’m fine!!! I just cut my scalp a little..I’ve done it before..I’ll be fine!”

“ I say you need to go to the hospital so they can stitch you up…You have a gash about 2 1/2 inches long  and it is GAPING!!!! YOU CAN’T SEE IT..I CAN!!!”

“ I SAID NO, DONNA..I AM NOT GOING..I AM FINE!!!

(I need to interject that things were getting ugly at the Caves…I was pissed)….

OK, Dennis…WHATEVER YOU THINK!!!”… and I walked away to the kitchen..The next sound I heard was a huge THUD…Oh, Oh…McGuyver down…fainted…I ran in and helped get him sitting up, but still on the floor.  At this point, I told him I was calling 911….About this time, he tried to get up again  …and he went down again..this time he was OUT!! and he fell against me, so we were both on the floor…(Ya had to be there)…Just as I was dialing 911, he came to, and said “Do NOT call the ambulance!”…

..I did manage to get him to allow me to call our son Kelly, (paramedic), and his wife, Cindy, (nurse)….They came right away…and off we all went to the hospital ER…. (Now, I love to do family things, but this was a bit over the top… and by the way, OUR truck was still hooked on to the Hiker!) Unbeknownst to us, Cindy had already called ahead to the ER, and they had a bed with his name on it already..she has some pull up at Valley West ER!!)

  McGuyver ended up with 10 staples in his head ( I asked to the ER Doc to let ME put them in, but he wouldn’t)…He also got IV fluids, a CT scan of his head, an EKG and a tetanus shot.  He even had  his own little cubicle to lie in.  He definitely had a concussion…but there was no bleeding in the brain..and yes, they verified he did, indeed, have one.

Finally, they discharged  him,  reluctantly I think, to my care.  To make sure I didn’t throttle him when we got home, Kelly and Cindy came in our house and had a couple beers with us…I got out the cheese and sausage, mixed a MUCH NEEDED Rum and Coke and we all had a “Let’s celebrate Dad’s stapled head wound” Party.  They left  about an hour later, but only after Kelly helped his Dad hook up our Satellite TV…Cindy will take out  his staples herself in about a week..(unless I feel the need to do it myself!)…JUST KIDDING!!!

Today, McGuyver is fine…We finished cleaning out the RV, got it backed on the pad, and he winterized it AGAIN!!  He doesn’t even have a headache!!!!  So…I didn’t mean to be mysterious when we left…We were just so bummed that I couldn’t bear to put it in writing….But, hey..we are home..and actually very happy to be here….This winter trip was doomed from the start, I think.

LIKE I’VE SAID BEFORE….WE CAVES WILL DO ANYTHING FOR A PARTY!!!