Living in Alaska - Life in the Last Frontier

I haven’t really done much since Steve and I arrived home on Wednesday evening. The air smelled of wildfire smoke, which isn’t pleasant at all, but is something we’re used to unfortunately.

Fairbanks is currently surrounded by wildfires, and several outlying villages and communities are dangerously close. (You can see the fires on this satellite photo - choose a resolution from the links) The biggest headache of all is, in fact - a headache. With fires surrounding us, no matter how the wind blows, our air smells of smoke. It’s giving me and many others a headache. I’ve been keeping my windows and doors closed and I’ve avoided being outdoors as much as possible.

I was sorting through photos from our trip, and found several that were taken from the airplane. It’s not easy to shoot from a plane. The thick windows distort the view and cut down on light. I had to do some additional work on these images to improve them.

This was as we were leaving Sacramento:

And this was as we were approaching Seattle:

(more…)

(Read Part One here)

The house was lovely, with spectacular 180 degree views from the living area and deck. The deck wrapped almost completely around the house, and there was a doggie door for Eli, even though he wanted no parts of it.

The neatest feature of the house (besides the incredible views) was the hanging fireplace in the middle of the living room. In the evenings, we would open the doors to hear the ocean and smell the salt air, and light a fire in the fireplace to stay warm. It was like having a bonfire indoors.

Once unpacked, we opened the first bottle of wine (of many) and toasted each other and our stay at the beach.  France made some awesome music CDs and we got the stereo cranking almost immediately.  The views from the deck were breathtaking, and we found ourselves spending almost all of our time outside watching the tide change, and the sun move across the sky. France and I wandered around taking photographs. France is also an avid photographer and there was plenty to keep both of us clicking.

There were deer everywhere, and in the morning and late afternoon, they would come out and graze on the lush grasses everywhere. Eli alerted us to the first one, but after seeing a few more of them over the course of the day, he seemed to get used to them.

France prepared dinner for us the first night: savory chicken breasts, with a side of bowtie pasta topped with sun dried tomato alfredo sauce. It was so delicious! After dinner, we retired to the deck sipping wine (Scotch and a cigar for Steve), and watched the sky turn colors as the sun began it’s journey down to the horizon.

After dark, Steve started a fire in the firepit, and we retired to the warmer living room. Periodically, we’d go back out on the deck to gaze at the stars. I took some long-exposure photographs in the dark with the moon illuminating the ocean.

These two photos sum up our time on the coast pretty well:

(more…)

What a fabulous trip we had! It was so wonderful to spend time with family, in such a gorgeous part of the country. The week passed by so quickly, but at the same time was so full.

Steve and I lucked out on all our flights to and from Fairbanks to Sacramento, in that we were able to secure seating in an emergency exit row. The additional legroom is a real treat, especially when you suffer from restless leg syndrome (as I do, when seated for too long), or have long legs as Steve does.

We arrived in Sacramento a little after 6pm. As we approached the escalator that would take us down to where Julie and France were waiting for us, I asked Steve if he thought he would recognize Julie after all this time. He assured me that he would.  Just to be on the safe side though, Steve emailed Julie a current photo of himself before we left, so she’d be able to pick him out of the crowd.

After exchanging hugs and introductions, we gathered our luggage, and made our way to dinner. Julie made reservations for us at Biba Restaurant, owned by award-winning cookbook author and cooking show host, Biba Caggiano. Dinner was outstanding, but the company was the best part. We savored our meal, sipped wine, and had lively and fun conversation. An outsider would have thought that we had known each other forever.

Julie and France’s home is absolutely gorgeous. And their yard is beautifully landscaped, with roses and climbing vines full of blooming flowers. Despite the close proximity of the neighboring homes, when you’re in the yard, you feel like you’re alone.

Julie and France share their lives with three furkids: Eli, Gracie, and Wolfgang. These three are only the latest members of the family, in a long list of rescues that Julie and France have opened their home and their hearts to.

The guestroom where Steve and I slept, is a testament to the care and love that these two women have bestowed upon four-legged *kids* in need of a home.  We shared our room with the ashes of furkids past, lined up on the bookcase in beautiful boxes and urns with their favorite toy or their leash. It made me think about Sedona and how much I love her.  It’s sad that our four-legged family members don’t live as long as we do.

(more…)