Mother Goose Revisited

Rock-A-Bye Baby in the Treetop
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock
When the bough breaks…….
The branches come crashing on the Renter’s Car!!

1, 2, Buckle your shoe
3, 4, Slam the door
5, 6, Pick up sticks
7, 8, Lay them straight (on the trailer)
Repeat 3rd and 4th lines MANY times
9, 10 A big fat Motrin Backache !

The Chugach winds of Alaska have been in full force a couple of times this year. Our house in Chugiak has had lots of branches break off and one tree break. That does not compare to the Eagle River house. The last storm broke two large branches off the tree on the corner of our back yard. They crashed onto the roof of our tenant’s already wrecked car; but the tree itself was leaning very close to our neighbor’s house (the red one) as well. Our renter was really good about the situation; all he was saving the car for was the engine and transmission, the rest was to be sold for the metal.
We spent about 7 hours systematically tying off the tree parts and sawing off sections. It was a tight fit, so Fred could not use the chain saw. God certainly blessed us – one near miss when he sawed and section and it broke off just missing me! 1,060 later, off we go to the landfill.

“The Eagle has landed.” Those words have a new meaning here. There were around 250-300 eagles at the landfill. About half of them were immature, but just as beautiful as the adults. We have to go back to the Eagle River house and take out another tree. With the freeze/thaw cycle here, the tree has cracked from the ground up to the 12 foot mark or more. It’s good for another couple of weeks. We just need to get back there while the ground is still frozen; it just makes it easier to pull out pieces with the
4-wheeler.

There was an old Woman who lived in a shoe
She had so many daughters she didn’t know what to do
She fed them some broth without any bread
Then spanked them all soundly – and she went off to the Theatre!

In another 25 years, my daughters may understand this musical. Last Thursday a group of about 17 of us from work went to the Atwood Center where “Menopause the Musical” was playing. Of course this was preceded by a warm-up dinner at Bennihanas. The movie was 95 minutes of non-stop singing (tunes were from the 60s and 70s) but all the works were words for us older ladies – Hot flashes, night sweats, weight gains, mood swings, you get the message. We laughed so hard our cheeks hurt for hours after we left. If it plays in a theatre near you, it is worth the cost of the ticket.

The only other excitement is our life is the celebration of having filed our taxes last weekend. I am sure that we are the last ones in the family to do this. We put it off as long as we could because we had to calculate all of the taxes on the investments we used as the down payment on the house. We feel somewhat like Robin Hood – we have robbed from the rich and given to the government.

The North wind doth blow,
And we shall have snow
And what will the “Lehmans” do then?

As I look at Bear Mountain, it is shrouded in a snow storm. It’s melting on the driveway now, but that won’t last long. The Northern Lights have started making early morning appearances. I missed them on Thursday when they were really dancing; but ADN caught them just over the LDS temple. (Yes, Jennifer, I saved the picture for you.) Fred was mad ‘cause I did not call and tell him to look out the window. With the snow fall this evening, I am sure we will see them tomorrow!

Alyeska Beauty

It’s early evening and the sun is setting on Alyeska Glacier. I am enjoying the scene of skiers deftly floating downhill on four inches of fresh powder and younger want-to-be skiers traverse the short runs below our window. It has been a beautiful weekend; soft snow falling all day yesterday creating the feeling of solitude and then an early morning brilliant sunrise daring people to come out and enjoy the day!

We arrived late Friday night after Fred completed a private flying lesson on Elmendorf AFB. We devoured an Italian spicy sausage and cheese specialty pizza from Moose’s Tooth on our way out of town. It has been several years since we ate there – and it is still incredibly popular! It was dark and the roads bumpy and icy once we arrived in Girdwood. It’s amazing how quickly one can wish for paved and snowplowed streets of larger cities when visiting small towns with limited street lights and snowfall limiting visibility.

Saturday was warm and cozy as the snow fell in large flakes. We slept late and then ventured out to the local Bake Shop. The owners, husband and wife, make and serve great breakfasts and lunches. She is German and always has a great hearty soup. Saturday’s special was a tomato based Hungarian sausage and horseradish with a side of fresh sourdough bread. They are known for their fresh cinnamon rolls – so we just had to share one of those as well. After breakfast we ventured next door to the Visual Arts shop. It is co-op of local artists of various talents. We found a couple of small prints (5x7) to add to our Alaskan themed living room. It was back to the room to enjoy a movie or two. For dinner we tried a new place – Jack Sprat – they cook all organic food. It was good food, but we filled our bellies before the plates were clean!

Sunday morning we awoke to brilliant sunshine streaming through the window and a very quiet Mount Alyeska. The trail groomers on snow machines had not yet broken the silence and the mountain just could not hold back the glow and warmth of the day. The silence did not last long and soon the valley rang with shouts of children and children on their last day of Spring Break Fever. We decided on just fresh, hot sourdough bread from the Bake Shop as we took off on our adventure for the day. We headed to Whittier. For the first time ever, we saw the door of the tunnel closed. But our timing could not have been more perfect. Just as we arrived, the light turned green and we proceeded through the tunnel – at $12 a car! Whittier is definitely friendlier in the summer. The cold wind swept icy cold snow down the mountain and against our skin as we opened the doors. We decided it was better to see the town via the Jeep and just make Fred get out and take pictures. We found lots of large snow piles, cars buried in snow drifts, roads that had only been plowed by other vehicles trying to maneuver through and businesses boarded up against the cold winter. There was one mother who braved the cold to give her small children a sled ride. It was time to head back through the tunnel. It was 28 degrees in Whittier, 35 degrees in the tunnel and back to 28 degrees at Portage Glacier.

We took the side trip to Portage Glacier Visitors Center, but were disappointed to find that funding had been cut resulting in no more weekend hours over the winter. It is truly a scenic place in the winter – no tourists you know. J The small Portage Day Lodge was open for business, so we browsed the gift shop, shared adventure stories with other local travelers and then made our way back to the car. Next stop, Alaska Wildlife Center – now known as the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center – to see the rescued and adopted animals. Fred was on a special mission to see if they managers had installed a plaque recognizing Safari Club International for their donation of $40K for a loading and isolating chute for large animals, specifically Wood Bison, and the assistance in acquiring a herd of over 30 Wood Bison from Canada. The plaque was there, very small and on the back side of the game preserve; not near the exhibit. My guess is he will be discussing the location with fellow board members at there next meeting. We enjoyed the sleepy brown bears basking in the warm sun, Sitka deer hiding in the brush, moose shivering off the magpies wanting to find a warm place to rest, and black bears scurrying along the fences chasing unknown dreams. Just as we were leaving the preserve, we spotted three, three-year Kodiak Bear Cubs wrestling in the snow-covered grass. They appeared to be performing just for our benefit, enticing us to stay another 15 minutes.

We headed once more for Girdwood and the warmth of our room. Fred had a good book to read and worked a couple of crossword puzzles. At 4:30, we headed for on the favorite restaurants of the area for dinner – The Double Musky. Seated in the glassed in sun porch, we enjoyed the scene as the sun dipped between the spruce trees casting odd shadows against the snow. Fresh Halibut, beer battered and deep fried, served with a Belgian dark beer – Trois Ponteles (sp?) – started our fare. This was followed with fresh spinach salad. Fred had lamb made in an Italian tomato sauce with just a hint of hot spices; a side of garlic mashed potatoes and seasoned veggies. I had braised beef in Italian wine sauce mixed with onions, celery and cranberries and fresh steamed broccoli. All meals are served with fresh cheese bread with jalapeño spices. Even though we were satiated, the dessert tray proved to inviting. Fred took a piece of fresh pineapple carrot cake topped with sliced almonds to go.

Ho-Hum, a full tummy and a soft bed, I could be tempted to curl up and fall asleep. I decided to share the weekend events. I hope this entices everyone to come and share Alaska in the winter! We head back to Chugiak in the morning. Fred will drop me off at work to finish a letter that my boss requires by late afternoon. He has to be at home working in the afternoon as well. Happy St Pats Day to those that celebrate the GREEN!

Blogged Out!!

To my great family -You will be proud. I spent most of my day catching up on my blog, learning new tricks (thanks jessica) and reading up on all you guys! I have to look over some work papers and watch Forrest Gump with Dad.

Bibio-Tag

OK Jennifer (Jessica, too) - I did "get it" on this tag; and as usual I am late in the scheme here! Besides with my late entry into the current century of electronic mail, my friends are still not caught up! So I did what Jessica did - I grabbed the two books I am currently reading and a couple more I just finished. (When I get some more friends - I will do the game right :-) . So here are 5 books, each with three sentences. You girls know the authors I like, so I guess this is easy.

The Rescur Society's shabby hansom creaked into motion. This is the first time you've combed your hair in a month. You are sitting up and your dead brittle hair covers the floor. The horrible dread of being trapped again in her groom's malevolent clutches quickly prodded her to her senses and she whirled away, frantically trying to avoid his outstretched hand. His fingers caught in her lon, loosely swirling hair, but in a desperate quest for freedom she snatched free, in the process sacrificing more than a few meager strands to his unrelenting grasp. She race onward with frantically beating heart, all too keenly aware that her life was in serious peril. They used skateboards, in-line skates and bicycles for their activity and they attracted Toby's attention at once. His mouth opened into an "O" , his steps faltered, and he paused to watch, unmindful as always of the odd sight he presented: a little boy wearing too-large jeans, a life ring round his waist, and trainers that were closed with duct tape. The skate bowl comprised three levels ascending one of the hillocks, the easiest level being on the top and the most difficult and steepest at the bottom. He sits and opens the tackle box, and takes out a freezer bag full of special sand, the small vials of pale violet glue. With the flashlight, he illunminates what he's doing as he squeezes the glue over the palmar surfaces of his hands. He plunges them one at a time into his bag of sand. That's because home ownership is not only good for individuals, it's also good for the national economy. It creates wealth, lends stability to communities, increases the tax base and stimulates businesss activity. And don't think government housing programs are just for poor people.

Tag - If they play -

1. Jennifer
2. Jessica
3. Patrice - just gave her my blog address
4. Kathy - shared the address with her, too
5. One of Jen's sister-inn-laws

Lazy Sunday !

It's a quiet Sunday afternoon and I am trying to redeem myself. Both of my daughters have been reminding that "we" need to keep our blog up. Jessica even walked me through adding a picture today. The one you see will be our wine label, Lehmans Libations. It also reminds us of the moose in our back and front yards the other day. Dad was out there taking pictures, but we have not downloaded them yet. No Alan, I am not talented enough to go straight to the new Photo technology that I got for Christmas. I am still trying to find my way around "windows vista."

By the way, one of my daughters will have to let me know how to allow some of my friends to see our blog. I was talking to kathy Lennartz about this. Since we only talk a few times during the year, it would be neat to share this. Besides Jessica - she asks about you alot.

Dad and I spent the weekend working around the house. It was nice just to kick back and enjoy the weather. It has been melting a lot this past week, so Dad moved the 2 four wheelers and 4 snow machines into the trailer for the season. That was a lot of "muscle" work. I cleaned the main floor and hung lots of pictures and shelves. It has taken a long time to decide where I wanted stuff due to all of the windows and less wall space than we have ever had. I have my kitchen in Uncle Sam. The downstairs bathroom is moose and bear camping scenes. So the colors really blend nicely. We hung the pictures of Independence Mine, Kennicot Mine and the Musher's Cache in the livingroom. I put all of moose sillouettes on the mantle. Over the next month or so, Patrice and I will shop for fabric to accent the the colors and get ready to make window quilts. We will have Denali in the center window and black sillouettes of Alaskan moose, bear, eagles, etc. I really have not decided what to do on the two side window for the kitchen/dining area. Obviously, something very simple since all windows will be seen as you walk in from the front door.

I had approved leave for this next week and we had a great now machine trip planned, but Fred could not get the time off from his job. So I decided to work 1/2 days and spend time in my sewing room. Some cleaning, some mending and then I have summer clothes to sew for my grandkids. I found some cute prints...so I will have to get their measurements! I also want to get the family pictures up. I decided that the stairwell is the best place. One wall dediciated just to the grandkids and the other wall to family pics. That will be a fun project!!

Friday through Monday we will be at Alyeska. It is supposed to be a ski weekend, but depends on the melting and the winds. Upper slopes were closed most of last week due to high winds and this weekend the lower slopes were closed because it was so warm. Maybe we just have to stay in the room, read books, go for walks, and uh.....we'll figure it out!

Work for me will not slow down for the forseeable future. I am really excited about a couple of things. First, I knew that one of my employees was a Christian. She is Penecostal. Shortly after I hired our Administrative Assistant (works closely with me) I found out she is Jewish. Two other employees are also women of faith. One day they asked me to join them in a quiet prayer just before our workday started. It feels wonderful start each like this. Since we pray before scheduled work hours, there is no conflict for me or the workforce. Second, I was nervous about hiring so many new people (9) in a matter of about 60 days. My entire staff is only 13 people in the main office. The staff is really melding as a team. It is a joy to watch this and be a part of it. I have 2 more people that work in the office, supervised by someone else, but I assign their work and pay their salary. (Long story on how that come to happen - the positions were once housing staff.) I have work cut out for me there - one has not shown up for work yet (workman's comp issues from 5 years ago) and the other works when he chooses on the jobs he chooses rather than assigned work. So we have had lots of issues. Beyond that, the workload is heavy. The return of the Brigade from Iraq went smooth, but now we are dealing with all the injured soldiers and their special needs in both family housing and the barracks. We have all the replacements showing up now and through the next two months. Then is will be the routine high summer turnover.

My new mission - take over the management of Barracks. (Called First Sargents Barracks Initiative; FSBI) It will be similar to running dorms, only with Army rules and deployment schedules! The staff and I have been working all the documents, trying to get office space for two 4-man teams and a main office in my building. I am still writing the the contracts for hiring the personnel. We have 3000 sleeping rooms spread across the post. It is really an exciting program!

I have kept up via the phone, so you know that travelled with Command Sargent Major to Fort Hood, TX to inspect and review their FSBI program. After that I spent a few days with Jessica rather than returning to Alaska. I went to Denver for the two weeks - one week was for renewing my property management certification and the second was for the international housing conference. I was back in Alaska for about 5 days. The next trip out was to Orlando for the International Homebuilders Trade Show and associated presentations. It was incrediable - 47 acres - and some companies even buildt houses in the parking lots so they could sell their products. DOD makes has a mini seminar each year to show prospective builders and property managers what we are doig, where troops or offices are moving, and where they can get business. This year the people representing DOD were Army Housing Chiefs and Directors of Public Works from Alaska, Hawaii, Japan and Okinowa. It's the team of professionals I work with each day, so it was awesome to spend time with them. We actually spent an entire day working on issues that jus affect our region.

When I got home in early March, I am ready to stay put. I have one more trip that I know of this year. I will go to DC for a seminar on all the changes for handling General and Flag Officers housing, both single soldier and family housing.

It's a beautiful day - and I want to spend some time out here enjoying it!

My (Mom's) New Car

Check it out!

What a nice hubby!!