Living in Alaska - Life in the Last Frontier

(PHOTO HEAVY!)

Steve and I had the most wonderful trip to NC and GA (and Seattle) last week. It was a long flight, but thanks to frequent flier miles, we were able to upgrade to First Class. It sure made traveling much more enjoyable, with the wider and more comfortable seats, the free Digi-player to watch movies, free drinks, and much better food. It’s going to be difficult to go back to coach traveling again, but since we don’t have a money tree in our back yard, nor do we have a glut of airline miles, you’ll find us being herded like cattle on future flights.

Traveling First Class does have its privileges, but unfortunately is not immune to rough-handed baggage crews or TSA agents who like to paw through your dirty laundry. The airline broke a wheel off my duffel bag, cut a zipper pull totally off the same bag (there was an unlocked lock hanging from it, but apparently they were too blind to see it wasn’t latched), and I found a TSA card in my bag indicating that a stranger’s hands touched my clothes. I always feel so violated when I find that card.

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We left Fairbanks at 1am on Wednesday morning and arrived in Atlanta at dinnertime. We were exhausted from the long day of travel, and worried that it would take us some time to collect our bags, pick up our rental car, and make the drive to our hotel northeast of the city.  But we were so wrong! The transportation system at the ATL airport has improved greatly since the last time we traveled through in the late 1990s. A quick train took us from baggage claim to a centralized car rental center, where it only took us 10 minutes to get our car. Before long, we were on the highway heading out of the city.

Steve and I have been in Alaska too long. We no longer know how to drive in east coast traffic. Although the speed limit was 55 on the interstate, and Steve was doing a respectable 65mph, cars were whipping by us as if we were in a Nascar race. We were so happy to leave the traffic behind and settle into our room in Suwannee. We were asleep by 9pm.

The next morning (Thursday), we were on the road by 10am. The drive from Suwanee to Statesville NC is about 275 miles via interstate.  We settled into our room and then called Kayla to let her know we had arrived. She, Robby, and Colt met us at our hotel, and we all went out to dinner, and then back to their house to visit with each other. Colt didn’t really remember us, but within minutes he was climbing all over (Steve) Paw Paw’s lap and snuggling with him on the sofa.

Robby and Kayla just moved into a new house (also with a dairy) a couple of months ago and they’ve been busy doing some renovations (new wood floors, painting, etc). Their home is lovely - and spacious - and their property is beautiful. We took a tour of the dairy facilities, and had a short lesson in milking. We also met the newest additions to the family - tiny little furball puppies born three weeks ago to Kayla’s Corgi, after a tryst with a Labrador! We later discovered that there’s actually a name for this cross-breed: Corgidor! Puppy cuddling is so relaxing, and if they would have been able to leave mama, I might have tried to smuggle one home to AK.

We visited until nearly midnight and made plans to go back at 9am for a home-cooked country breakfast.

Here are some photos from our first night in town:

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Kayla took the day off from work on Friday, and we arrived bright and early for a delicious breakfast of home made cream chipped beef on toast with scrambled eggs. Kayla is such a good cook, and everything was delicious - and filling.

The sun was shining, but the wind was really blowing strong. The temperature hovered in the 30s and low 40s, and the cold was more bone-chilling than what we’re accustomed to here in Alaska.

Steve and I watched Robby do what has to be done on a dairy farm: feeding the cows, cleaning up the stalls, and a long list of other things. Then Steve and I followed Kayla on the four-wheeler (we were on a golf cart) to see the rest of their land and meet the baby calves. Their property is beautiful, with wide open pastures and fields for planting.

Later we watched the milking in progress. It was interesting to see all of the preparation that goes into milking cows. Herding the cattle into the milking stalls, disinfecting the teats, hooking them up to the machines, herding them out of the stalls (they walk through a medicated foot bath on their way out, to prevent foot rot and other ailments), and repeat with the next group.  When you have 100+ head of cattle, this is a time consuming procedure. It’s done twice a day, so you can imagine the work involved.

We ordered pizza for dinner so Kayla wouldn’t have to cook, and settled in to watch the Olympics. Steve and I were still adjusting to the time change, and Kayla and Colt both had a cough and weren’t feeling very well, so we called it a night at around 7pm.  We made plans to visit Fort Dobbs the next day.

The perfect end to a wonderful day:

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Steve and I had some light fare at the hotel on Saturday morning (continental breakfast), and made our way to Kayla’s at 11am. Robby had things he had to tend to around the farm, so he wasn’t able to go with us to Fort Dobbs. It was sunny and much warmer, although it was still a bit breezy.

We thought that there was going to be a re-enactment (guns and cannons) at Fort Dobbs, but in reality there were only people in costume milling around and answering questions about the French and Indian War. It was still quite interesting, and gave Colt a chance to run around and work off some energy.  He didn’t like the Indians though, and when one of the soldiers fired his musket Colt jumped.  The drive to and from the Fort was lovely, as we took the back way from Kayla’s house - which took us past farms and barns, cows and horses, and country homes with big porches.

When we got back from Fort Dobbs, I had a maternity photo session with Kayla. Kayla is positively glowing with this pregnancy, and it was such a joy to capture her beauty at such a special time in her life.

Kayla planned a BBQ for Saturday evening and invited both her and Robby’s parents. Steve and I were looking forward to meeting everyone, although a little nervous. I think Kayla was nervous too.  After all, her bio-dad (Steve) would be meeting the dad who raised her (Norman) for the first time. Steve would also be seeing Linda for the first time in many years. I suppose a gathering like this could be awkward for some people, but the evening turned out to be a fabulous one, with much talking and laughter and socializing.

Later, Steve told me that he and Norman went outside for a few moments, and Steve thanked Norman for doing such an awesome job raising Kayla. I believe there were more sentiments expressed in regards to Steve’s presence in Kayla’s life now, but out of respect to both Norman and Steve I won’t share the conversation here.  There is a saying “Any man can be a father, but it takes a special man to be a dad”, and that fits this situation perfectly. We are thankful that Norman has loved and cared for Kayla all these years, and it’s apparent that both he and Linda are fantastic parents, because Kayla is a very special young lady. Steve is so happy to have her back in his life.

All in all, it was a wonderful evening with good company, good food, and a whole lot of love in the house.

Here is a very small sampling of the photos I took of Kayla at our indoor session. She is so beautiful and is absolutely glowing:

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On Sunday, we enjoyed a delicious brunch at Childress Vineyards. After filling ourselves to the brim with good food and dessert, we took a tour of the winery (free).  The grounds of the winery were gorgeous, as was the decor inside the winery itself. I didn’t have my camera (left it in our car - duh!), and missed out on quite a few beautiful photos of the surrounding landscape.

When we got back to Kayla and Robby’s place, Kayla changed clothes and she and I drove out to the back field for part two of her maternity photo shoot.  We took an antique rocker with us, as well as her cowboy hat. While the first photo shoot was much more intimate, part two was quite casual and showed a beautifully pregnant Kayla surrounded by grass and trees while the sun shone down on us. Despite the sun, it was really cold! So cold that in between scenery changes, Kayla had to pull her coat over herself to stay warm. In fact, in some photos - if you look closely at the large files - you can see goosebumps on her skin. Poor girl was freezing to death, but you wouldn’t know it when you look at the photos. She is absolutely stunning and radiant.

Here are a few photos from our outdoor photo shoot:

Steve and I had an early morning ahead of us, as we planned to drive the scenic western part of NC back to Atlanta. Kayla was feeling much worse with her cough and chest congestion, so we didn’t stay too late. It was sad to say goodbye.

I’m glad we were able to visit, and I’m happy that we were able to meet Kayla’s family. They are good people, and our family has grown in knowing them.

Farewell for now, Kayla, Colt and Robby. We love you!

Next up… Driving western NC to GA, and visiting with friends in Acworth.