Jeep Safari, thyme, church & Bumbleberry pie

It's late autumn in the Denali. Did you know that you can remember you can remember the five species of Salmon easily ? I learned how today! Here goes! Hold up your hand. The thumb stands for CHUM salmon. The pointer finger stands for Sockeye (sock eye - get it??) the middle finger stands for KING Salmon. The ring finger is for SILVER Salmon (silver, gold rings) and the little finger is for Pink Salmon. Ha! Well, that sort of information may seem more important up here. The salmon run is very poor this year and there is concern for the bush families, the native Alaskans who depend on subsistence fishing. It will be a tough winter.

I'm holding Arctic thyme. I'll be bringing it home and using it in cooking! Speaking of cooking, I talked to Rose at Rose's cafe today and I will be making bumbleberry pie this winter. I'm looking forward to it. I practiced today at the cafe, eating some fresh out of her oven with a bit of vanilla ice cream and a cup of coffee. I believe I have it almost down pat now.

How did I get clear through that whole trip up the Stampede Trail in a jeep without thinking to actually take a picture of the jeep? It's been raining here lately and so today the 4-wheeling was terrific!! Our jeeps were MUDDY and fun. I drove - but I was afraid he would think I was an old lady. The others in our line of jeeps were in their 20's and 30's. So I didn't want to be the little old lady who held everybody up. I guess I wasn't. He yelled something while we were traversing a huge mud lake - it sounded like "DON'T! Stop!!"

So I didn't. I kept up my speed no matter what.

Well, that's NOT what he meant!

He meant - STOP!

oh well. I needn't have worried that he'd think I drove like an old lady.


See how beautiful the autumn is?

Just another mudhole - Great for driving!

Ok - I just love these pictures of me fly fishing. I just had to throw this one back in (no pun intended)


Sometimes I write in this blog and then the internet disappears. At those times, so does everything I've written, so I'm closing now.

See y'all soon. I'm flying home on the 18th and Laurie is picking me up at 5:30am

Love,

Barb