Hopping Across the Pond Again

Going to visit my good friends at Kupol before it gets REALLY cold.

New Operating System

In case any of you were wondering what a pre-release version of Windows 8 looks like running on a MacBook Pro shouldered between the base Lion iOS and Windows 7.  Must have been a slow day hitting the books :)

Circus Day at the High School

Here is what an almost 17 year old box of popcorn looks like :)

Morning Lakeview

Its morning a few blocks from the lake front with the construction of the new condos moving right along. I wonder if we will get a discount for losing the view next year?

Geek Stick

Yep, 256 gigs----I can almost fit all the great sci-fi movies on this baby....Geeks rule the known (and unknown) Universe :)

Cukes-R-Us

Had a few older cucumbers and some fresh new ones...



Sliced, split and placed in jars...

Tried a few different configurations....

Heated up the jars for sealing....

And now just awaiting the results from the judges....

The summer looks to give us many more opportunities for canning in the weeks and months to come....

Revenge of the Dorm Sink

While no one fessed up to how the sink in one of the UTM dorm bathrooms "fell" off the wall, a new and hopefully much sturdier, college student resistant sink is now installed and in sporadic use.

Free Roaming Llamas

A small herd of wild(?) llamas at over 10,000 feet of elevation. Not much up here other than this herd and some sparse grass as spring approaches in the southern hemisphere.

Q: What's llama's favourite film? A: Llamadeus 

Q: Who is the llama spiritual leader? A: The Dalai Llama 

And on, and on....

http://gatoringoldcountry.blogspot.com/

Happy Birthday to my Beautiful Wife

I'll take you to the ends of the earth---ok, so it's just seems like that :)

Roadside Assistance

About halfway down from the mine we picked up a sharp rock and had to break out the spare. Fairly routine other than the location and that warm fuzzy feeling knowing there were a couple of more hours of rugged roads with no spare :)

The Mice will play when the Cat is away

These little guys are starting to get all chubby and photogenic---especially when I'm gone!

8 and Counting

Scored some bling at dinner tonight---a new jacket with the 8 countries we have a presence in embroidered into the back.

Springtime in the Andes

View from the base camp

Original Coca-Cola

What miners drink the evening before ascending to 4500 meters! No vino tonight :(

Pimping my Ride for Tonight

The ground support team is readying my ride to the Southern Hemisphere for my friend John and I

Dog Days of August

Somewhere under the clouds lies Little Rock, Arkansas as seen from 34,000 feet. Growing up in the Southeast these storms were an almost daily occurrence during the summers.

Doing a little redefining of the term "deep south" as I go to visit my friends in Chile in the upcoming week!

Move-in Day for UTM Mom!

Dropped of her "little" boy at college today!

Felix Pedro-the Man behind the Gold Rush

Literally just a small rest area well off the beaten path outside of Fairbanks is the monument for the man who got the gold rush going in the Fairbanks area just over 100 years ago.  There also seems to be a larger than normal ratio of pizza restaurants-to-population in the Fairbanks area :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Pedro

Hometown Wood Carvings

Just in case someone didn't realize where they were, a few of the locals---a bear and two eagles, will help out.

McKinley and some friends

First clear day of the week was a good one!

Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude...

Heading back to the Lower 48 today....

Bastion of the Right Wing Commercialization

Anyone wondering where I've been lately would have little trouble guessing from the reading materials on the shelf of a local retailer :)

Now all we need is a Flying Squirrel

Never saw a moose but there is a lot of wilderness to hide in---especially with hunting season opening up in a couple weeks!

Year Round Transportation Style

While the main mode of non-auto transportation appears to be mostly bicycles, an occasional sidewalk skier slides by. I'm assuming that once the snow hits that actual cross-country style skis replace the wheeled versions.

I knew I was close....

Guess I'll stop in to see the big guy and place an order for a couple of presents for Christmas. Any other requests? :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Pole,_Alaska

Sharing the catch with friends

After you dip you can share the catch with friends :)

Dipping Net

One of the summer outdoor activities here in Alaska is dipping for salmon.....which you need a BIG dip net for!

Happy Birthday Dad!!!

To the man who taught me that real men can wear flower necklaces and not look silly :)  Have a great day!!!

Mini Moose

One of my first impressions of our 49th state is that small cars are something of a novelty......

Extended Twilight

While not quite the midnight sun of a few weeks back, there pretty much is no night in Fairbanks right now.

Twin Cities Characters

Changing planes in the Twin Cities on my way to see my friends in Fairbanks, AK. As with most modern airports, plenty of shopping, restaurants and selected art that represents something in the nearby communities.