ARIZONA TO ALASKA

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOT MOM!!

Posted by: joealaska, 7:48 AM GMT on May 30, 2012

Yes, yesterday, MEMORIAL DAY , we gad a gale. There was snow and sleet and wind. Just like most days in Dutch. But it slowed down later in the day.

Today was calmer and a bit warmer. Low 40's.

I had to go into the warehouse today on my day off. ISSUES. Too bad I can not tell you about them, pretty interesting stuff. Right now all is good. And it all should make for a good second book when and if I ever leave. The first book is still in process, but I am in no hurry. Recently I cut the manuscript in half. And now I rewrite that.

This evening GNU and I took a ride to check out the roads I last checked in December. We went out Summer Bay Road. It was open past the landfill, a definite improvement. The road is hard by the bay, with steep cliffs to one side. The avalanches from that side are the issue. They clog the road and block it. The city plows it when it seems doable, but it is not plowed as of now. It is open for a mile or so past the landfill. For now.

Then we turned around and headed back. And we headed for Overland Pass. Up past the quarry, which was last blocked. But we did not get far. Drifts. It is almost June. I predict Overland Pass will be open in at least 3-4 weeks. Happy July 4th!

Long term forecasts call for tougher winters ahead.

Tonight is a great evening. Calm, mild, and sunny. Perhaps our two weeks of summer has begun!

DOTMOM has a big birthday Thursday. Happy Birthday Mom!!

Updated: 9:38 PM GMT on May 30, 2012

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ONE LAST DUSTING?

Posted by: joealaska, 5:20 PM GMT on May 28, 2012

36 degrees. 30 mph wind. Sleet covering the windows. And blowing snow. Must be Memorial Day!

The ground is dusted. The hills are white, again.

Pictures and film will be posted.

Happy Holidays.

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LET'S RECAP

Posted by: joealaska, 1:29 AM GMT on May 24, 2012

There have been no fox sightings since I returned, although there were two possible glimpses. A couple of nights ago I glanced out the window and saw a large bushy tail being retracted and leaving the area. Possibly a fox, although I like to think it was the rarest of rare, the Tundratic Ice Beaver. Never heard of it? Well, I told you it was rare.

My recent vacation is just a blurry memory. Was this the one in Death Valley? Maybe The Cascades in Washington? Does not matter, I am sure it was fun. Already thinking of the next one in a few months featuring The West. I will be tying together some old favorites as well as some yet-to-be-seen destinations on my bucket list. Cannot wait!

Even you non-golfers may remember Payne Stewart. OK, maybe not. He was the guy who was flying from Florida to Texas about 10 years ago and his Lear Jet had an air pressure failure. The plane started flying on its own, heading northwest. Air Force jets checked it out as it flew and saw fogged windows indicating some sort of air leak. Well the jet got to South Dakota where it ran out of fuel and crashed in a field near MINA, a small town west of Aberdeen.

I have wanted to drive by there at some point just to do it. Evidently there is a small monument there. Payne Stewart was a top golfer at that point, and was famous for his old-fashioned golf attire. As I have always said, my life is driven by FASHION. So I just checked a map a couple days ago to see where MINA was. OOPS. Drove right through it a couple weeks ago! Well, there are more trips ahead.

Some of you may question my desire to see North and South Dakota, as well as Nebraska and Kansas. (I have a rare cake pan that is actually in the shape of Kansas…) Well I still say the states have some great scenery. But it is all at the western half of these states. I saw the eastern parts this last trip. Just a bit too flat and redundant. Fargo? Right in the middle of it all. Plus I saw Fargo in heavy rain, not good. It will be awhile before I return to that area. I did enjoy Michigan!

Weather in Dutch is on the cusp. Summer is in sight. We are approaching June (as YOU are) and it looks like the passes may still be closed for awhile. I will be taking a ride later this evening to check the status. There is still snow at elevation. Temps are in the low forties. Only a bit of sun since I returned, more likely RAIN. But there has been no wind. Dead calm.

Dad is back to golfing, even after I have left. Keep it up Big Guy. He and Mom have some brutal matches.

Tsunami debris is landing on Alaskan shores, but none in Dutch that I am aware of, yet.

I heard UK is getting a new car...

Updated: 1:30 AM GMT on May 24, 2012

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WAS IT JUST A DREAM?

Posted by: joealaska, 4:45 PM GMT on May 18, 2012

Wednesday I played golf with The Punk and 2 other guys. They are much better at golf than I am, and they played the tees farther back than I would normally play. It made a tough course tougher. But we had a great time. It got interesting when it started raining, then pouring, during the middle of the round. At one point the clubs and our hands were wet, so it was hard to hold onto the club. That was all I needed, a CHALLENGE. Just as it became unplayable (Oh yes, we kept playing) the rain stopped, the day turned into a sunny perfect Kentucky afternoon.

But it was by far the worst round I played on the trip.

Next day I played one last round with the folks at the home course. My troubles continued on the front nine, and it got a bit frustrating. But I dutifully counted ALL the strokes and finished with a 60 for the front nine. Mom and dad did a LOT better.

But something happened when we started the back nine. Somehow I started with a rare par. Then a miracle as I birdied the next hole. It was the only birdie I had the entire trip. (Back in the good old days I tried to have one birdie every round.) The rest of the round went OK and I ended up shooting 44. 60, then 44. Pretty much says it all. That was the only nine I shot better than Joekentucky. We are not really trying to beat each other, but I feel I should somehow be able to beat an 89 year old guy. Not true. Pretty cool for JK!

That afternoon I flew out to Chicago. My connection was pretty tight in the first place to catch the next flight to Seattle. When the Louisville plane left a half hour late, it became very tight. About 20 minutes. But the next gate was very close and I had no trouble. I took off into the setting sun and headed west over much of the land I drove through just a week or two earlier. As I have seen in the past, I saw the sun pretty much set as I headed west, then come back a bit as I continued.

Landed in Seattle at 10 PM, found a hotel near the airport, and just went to bed. I had a 10 AM flight to catch to Anchorage. No overnight at the airport! Back to the airport early. The flight to Anchorage was awesome. Usually I take it at night. Make a note... SIT ON THE RIGHT SIDE if you fly this flight during the day. If the sky is clear, you get a great view of the Alaska coast as you fly north. The plane usually stays about 10 miles off shore, and you get great views of mountains and glaciers. This was the case Thursday.

I got many pics, hope to post some soon. Pics from a plane are not usually very good, but I think I got a few worth showing.

The first half of the Anchorage - Dutch flight was just as awesome. Great views of Knik Arm and the mud flats at low tide. Then it got cloudy and the view was gone. Must be getting near Dutch! It was very cloudy on final approach, with only a short period where we could see anything at all. When the plane was over the runway, it floated a bit and did not touch down. This is a short runway, with little room for error. I even felt we were going to go around for a second try. But they got the wheels on the ground and hit the brakes. We were now pretty well down the runway. When the plane turned right into the parking area, we were still moving pretty well. But it was all OK.

It was raining steadily. The snow is mostly melted at sea level. There are still patches on the mountains, and some small piles here and there in protected areas. That 15 foot pile in my driveway is gone. That truck across the street that was almost completely buried? Unburied.

Today it is in the low forties and cloudy. Light rain

The cats are fine. Dutchie came right out to me to say Hello. Fluff was semi-feral as usual and hid under the bed. I got her out a couple times, but she went back. Today she is fine. Early this morning they both went outside. I saw Dutchie chase a much bigger neighborhood cat back across the street. She probably was waiting a couple weeks to do that.

No sign of foxes yet.

Gotta go to work.

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HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

Posted by: joealaska, 12:58 AM GMT on May 15, 2012

Not a lot to tell you about. Talked to GNU a few days ago. Even though it is “slow” the gang was busy a few days, including a near all nighter. They continue to get snow there , but no real accumulation. Today it is rain and near 40.

I leave The Bluegrass late Wednesday, and back in Dutch Thursday. Just in time for the weekend.

It has been a great time seeing the family. Of course I got my golf in. The first three days I played with the folks here at the home course. 89 year old JOEKENTUCKY came out of semi-retirement in order to make me feel right at home and kick my ass as usual. He played three days in a row. I was unable to get out Saturday, but I tried. Sunday it was rainy, then today was Quality Time with a Doctor. Just taking advantage of NOT being in Dutch.

Tomorrow back to “golf” with my old friend THE PUNK. He belongs to a nice local club which will be a fun change. Thursday one last round with the folks, then it is off to the airport.

Tonight we went out for dinner alfresco. We went to The Captain’s Quarter right on The Ohio River. It was all part of The Mothers Day Extravaganza which was interrupted by that Doctor. The weather was perfect and the food was good. I hope MOM enjoyed.

Hope all MOTHERS out there got a little appreciative attention.

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THE CRUISE IS OVER

Posted by: joealaska, 1:20 AM GMT on May 10, 2012

The cruise is over. Still on vacation, just off the road now.

I headed south from Manistee for awhile, but at Ludington I headed inland on RT 10. At RT 37 I was southbound again. There was a nice golf course in Baldwin, so I hit it.

Then I hit the road, knowing Chicago was just over the horizon. Back on the freeway near Grand Rapids, I took 196 and eventually 94 into the metro Chicago area.

I lived in Griffith just after I graduated from college. Griffith is near Hammond, Indiana. I drove around seeing if I saw anything familiar, even going by my old apartment. It looked much the same, just 34 years later.

Next morning I wanted to check out 2 golf courses I used to play. I messed around for some time looking for one, then came to the conclusion it had been plowed over and turned into a housing development with the same name: Lake Hills.

The next course was on the way south out of the area. I took RT 41 south in Indiana, right along the Illinois border. Wide open farmland. All I had on the next course was a general idea where it was and a visual memory of the area. It was out in the middle of nowhere. Unfortunately, I was not even sure of the name, and names change over that period of time.

I noticed the finger of civilization extended far south along RT 41. Farther than I remembered. My guess was the course was there, and just swallowed up in more development. I just kept on going and eventually gave up.

I stumbled on a nice course near Lafayette and played it.

After that I was debating what to do. I was close to Louisville, but I had the rental car for two more days. But, finally I headed home. I got back just a bit too late to turn in the car last night, so we dropped it this morning.

Today Mom, Dad, and myself played the course they live on. It is in great condition, lush green.

Here in Louisville for a week.

Total miles was a bit of a disappointment: 3350.

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MANISTEE, MICHIGAN

Posted by: joealaska, 1:56 AM GMT on May 07, 2012

Saturday morning I stayed in Hurley and played some golf. EAGLE BLUFF.

It is one of those courses that just appears on the horizon, so I checked it out driving into town Friday afternoon. It looked good.

Saturday morning was much calmer and warmer. There was hardly anyone around when I pulled in. The guy who met me when I walked in was very nice. He told me he was training a new person.
I sat back and enjoyed the show. He told me there were only a couple people out ahead of me.

The first tee was awesome. Hit from high up on a ridge straight down.

The front nine ended with a par 3. The back nine began with a par 3. The back nine ended with a par 3. It was a fun course. The golf was marginal.

I finished and headed east on RT 2. Right away I was into Michigan. I was going to see a LOT of Michigan. The road went through deep forest for many miles. I saw the turn off to Green Bay, 100 miles SOUTH. I was getting relatively close to THE BRIDGE, all I needed was to put in a decent drive then pull in when I saw something near the water. MANISTIQUE, Michigan. Right on the lake. Lake Michigan.

Near this point is the MOST northern edge of the lake. This was an historical geographic point, at least for awhile. In the early 1800s the USA was growing westward. This NORTHERN tip of Lake Michigan was set as the westernmost point of USA territories at the time. A line was drawn straight south from there, splitting the lake. Later it moved further west and the whole subject became droll.

The whole area is summer water wonderland. There are many hotels still not open. The season kicks in Memorial Day. Right now it is like a ghost town.

I was the first person to check in Saturday afternoon. The stuck me in the back.

Up early today. Nice sunrise. It would be a good day with a lot of driving by the water. I took a lot of pictures, but still took only 2 hours to get to The Mackinac Bridge. Just as I said aloud WATCH FOR THE BRIDGE it was there in sight.

28 feet short of 5 miles long. I drove around the northern end to see what was there. Looked like all the golf was on the south end. So I just crossed that big boy. $4 toll. Took film and pics. The inside lanes in both directions were perforated steel, so you could look straight down. It was a good ride. The radio had a station that told the history of the bridge. Good stuff.

At the far end I got off and looked for a spot for more photos of the bridge. I went to the edge of the water right by the bridge. I started a short walk when the bugs hit. I assumed mosquitos. Suddenly they were everywhere. When I slowed down to swat, they swarmed my face and head. I only had 50 feet to go, NOTHING stopping me now.... I started to run, and the swarm thickened. They were in my mouth. I stopped again to swat away, and I looked at my chest. There were a few hundred hanging everywhere, including my arms. I made one last step toward the water, and I swear I felt the bugs on my body double. I felt the cloud swirling all around me. Was this the beginning of the end? Would I be found on the beach next day as a small pile of fly leftovers? I could not believe I was unable to get to the water, and I turned back. When I got in the car, I brought a few hundred with me. I drove a half mile away and tried again, same thing. I gave up.

Shortly I talked to a LOCAL about the swarms, he said this was a prime year for the bugs. They are not mosquitos, but they do bite. But the bite is nothing and goes away. If I had known all THIS I may have slogged on to the water.

I saw another guy drive by with his windows UP and he was swatting at some inside with him.

This turned me off from staying around the area. So I headed south along the edge of Lake Michigan on the western edge of the state. I wanted to find a golf course eventually, but now the rain started and continued most of the day. So I enjoyed the ride. There were MANY nice courses I passed. It is golf heaven in the area. Traverse City is a hub. I went a bit further to Manistee, where tonight I lodge.

TOMORROW: I will finally tell you about the TSA incident I had way back in Anchorage, where the TSA showed how much they do not like me bringing a 5 LB sock full of loose change thru the security.

AND: The worst salad spill EVER!!

2675 miles.

RIP Goober.

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HURLEY, WISCONSIN

Posted by: joealaska, 2:58 AM GMT on May 05, 2012

Two days ago I woke up in WINNER, South Dakota. Never heard of it.

Next day was overcast and cool, so I just started meandering. I made a wrong turn and I knew I did it.
I headed northeast, using many rodas. There were several large lakes near Fort Thompson.

Eventually I broke free and headed north using RT 47 to get to Seneca. The sun came out.

I passed near Aberdeen, and I heard it the Pheasant Heaven around there. I saw maybe a dozen pretty quickly. I wanted to take a picture, but they quickly ran away and it did not happen.

When I crossed into North Dakota, I stopped and played a small golf course in Ellendale. It was not a nice course. I should have driven on. Then I headed for Fargo. About an hour outside of town, I ran into that duck.

It was a beautiful sunny evening.

It was raining in the morning pretty hard. I drove around town in the AM just to see what was there. Then I headed north a ways. The rain just got heavier, so there was no big interest to get near the Canadian border.

I turned east, now I was heading home. I cut across a bunch of small roads just south of Grand Forks. I got on Route 2 as usual. I would stay on it all the way to Mackinac traits.

I stopped a couple times at golf courses, as the rain finally stopped. But it was COLD and WINDY. I saw no reason to go.

Super and Duluth were cool cities right on the water, Lake Superior. Boats and docks everywhere.

Now in Hurley east of Ashland on RT 2. Weather will dtermine what happens tomorrow.

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HOW FAR CAN I GO? FARGO.

Posted by: joealaska, 3:12 AM GMT on May 04, 2012

Fargo tonight. Very flat here, but was a nice sunny day.

Still have bit of a cold, but lots better. Just a bit vtired to mess with photos tonite.

Lots of wild life today, mainly birds. Around Aberdeen they have pheasant everywhere. Beautiful birds with scarlet head. I assume that is the male.

It was hard to miss them in the low bush as well as running across the road.

I was cruising along when I came upon a few ducks right by the road. Just when I was on them one panicked and flew right into my car. It happened so quick, it still pisses me off.

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COLUMBUS, NEBRASKA

Posted by: joealaska, 2:36 AM GMT on May 02, 2012

I am alive and well, 900 miles from Albuquerque. COLUMBUS, NEBRASKA.

Arrived Sunday AM right on time. But there was only time for one round of golf. We had a great day shooting superlative shots. I hit a 25 foot putt that paid some cash. Casa had a RARE birdie. We also both had some very forgettable shots.

The weather was perfect.

When we finished I felt my muscles were sore from the rare golf.

But after starting out very badly, I finished pretty good. We went out to dinner, and it turned into a long day. Meanwhile I had very little sleep the night before. I was READY for a good night sleep, but we had to get up early next morning.

I went to bed, but I had trouble getting to sleep. Eventually I did. At 4 :15 AM I heard one of their dogs barking right below my window. My room is on the other side of the house than everyone else, so nobody heard him but me. He stopped than started back up a couple times. The night was shot.

We got up in the morning and got my rental car. I headed east on I-40. Very soon I realized how tired I was. As I drove my eyes were very heavy. I considered just getting a room and going to sleep. At one point I pulled into a rest area and closed my eyes. Nothing. I seemed to be getting a second wind, so I pushed on, as least for awhile.

At Tucumcari, New Mexico I headed northeast on Route 54. I cut across a corner of Texas. This whole area is pretty stark, with very little that would be considered scenic. Then into Oklahoma. The first town I saw was Guymon. Casa and I played golf there many years ago. I continued across the panhandle and soon was in Kansas. It was about 3 PM, so I pulled over in Liberal, just across the state border. I was surprised I got that far, 400 miles.

I laid down and went right to sleep. Woke up in 3 hours dazed and confused. I felt terrible. I was still sore from the golf. I was still very tired, plus I had developed a sore throat and cough. I watched a little TV, but I was back down at 8 PM. Slept 12 hours. The only food I had for the previous 24 hours was a few bites of a chicken sandwich I could not finish.

When I woke up I felt a lot better. Still not hungry.

I started to actually enjoy the ride. The weather was overcast and a bit cool, which I thought felt good. I drove through Greensburg, Kansas, which was pretty well wiped out by a tornado a few years back. I tried to play the golf course there, but I drove by it twice and saw no entry way. So I moved on. When I got to Pratt, I took off northeast on RT 61, a smaller road. CASA had lent me a GPS unit, so I have it constantly telling me about the courses I am driving near. Finally I bit on one golf option that was bout 15 miles out of my way. I headed to an area just southwest of Hutchinson.

PRETTY PRAIRIE. It was nowhere near a big down, and the area was turning to some nice rolling green hills. I pulled in and it looked good. When I was walking to the pro shop to pay, a big cat walked up. I gave him a good rubbing and he loved it. I went in the pro shop and the cat followed.
There was a nice lady behind the counter. She told me the cat was BOB. He had just shown up one day and took over the place. Besides the meet and greets, he liked to ride the golf carts with the customers. As she was telling me about him he jumped up on the counter and flopped.

She had to get a cart for me from the building next door, when she returned BOB the Golf Cat was in the cart, and went with me to the first tee. Unfortunately something else caught his attention and he was off slinking in the tall grass.

The golf sucked. Even so, I hit a few good shots and enjoyed the day.

Back on the road, I continued west to RT 17, and headed north through Hutchinson. Then Route 61 to I-135 and north. North of Salina I continued north on Route 81. Then it was Nebraska.

I stayed on 81 until I got to Columbus. Then that was IT.

Tomorrow? Who knows?

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