Spring has sprung!

My view from where I work.  Just yesterday there were no buds on the trees and today WOW.  What green color and the sun shining so bright along with the blue sky!  What an incredible sight to behold!  Amazing!

Crooked Creek

 The log cabin circa 1985.  No electricity except when the generator is on.  Great front porch which over looks Crooked Creek

 Crooked Creek

 Jump off.  This patch of ground would be where people traveling by boat that wanted to visit the hot springs would "Jump off " the boat and then wade across to the other side and walk a trail to the hot spring.  Mind you I am guessing, but the hot spring is at least 10 miles away if not more from this location.  Two of her pups.  One in the water and one that is the speed demon. 

 Another view of Crooked creek.

 Birch Creek, which happens to be a faster flowing creek.  Much wider and is on the other side of the property.

 Looking down Birch creek the other way.

 The view from the front porch of the cabin.

 Another view from the front porch and the original cabin that was on the property.  It is slowly sliding down into the creek.

My tour guides son's part wolf dog named Indy.  

Another site I visited was my tour guides home and property.  Her home sits on two different creeks, Crooked Creek, and Birch Creek.  She built an  amazing log cabin in 1985 and has a wonderful view.

Circle Hot Springs

 The Hot Spring  The water comes in in that far corner by what looks like a little shed. 

 This is a picture looking out from the Hotel at different buildings that I guess used to have various shops and crafts available. 

 The front entrance to the Hotel.  To the right was a little saloon that used to be open.

The front entrance to the Hotel.  To the right was a little saloon that used to be open.


On my day off yesterday along with making it to the end of the road I had the opportunity to visit the old Circle Hot Springs and Hotel.  It is for sale, but is major disrepair.  The Hot Springs itself is in the shape of a pool and is used by the locals, but closed to all others.  It is year around about 101-108 degrees. 

Made it to the end of the road!

 Part of the Yukon River.  As you can see the ice broke up and there are still remnants of it along with the debris that was caught up when the river froze over. 

 Some of the debris left behind after the ice broke up.

An old fishing wheel used on the river.

I had the opportunity to go to the end of the road yesterday. Steese Hwy ends in the town of Circle, dead ending into the Yukon River.  The road is long, winding, and gravel.  It is only about 30 miles, but it takes a good hour to get there.  In 2004, there had been a fire that devastated parts of the land on the way to Circle.  Still many of the trees are bare and look like toothpicks sticking out of the ground. On the way back I had the privilege to see a bear.  Upon first sight as we were in a car on the road and it was in the distance I thought it was a dog.  As we got closer I realized it was just a bear running down the road.  Since my tour guide had her puppies in the car they of course began to bark and the bear took off down the hill.  It was brown or cinnamon in color, so it may have been a grizzly bear.  I was unable to get a picture of it.  Here are the pictures I did take on this trip.  Enjoy.  

Birds chirping

I am sitting in my room and it is 1130 P.M.  Listening to actual birds chirping.  It seems strange to hear such a thing this late at night.  I guess they are just as confused by the daylight as my body seems to be.  I had a friend tell me that because of the longer daylight hours that our bodies surge with energy through the day light.  I guess my uncle was right, I can sleep when I'm dead.  I sure do find it difficult going to sleep and staying asleep.

Firey Sunset

This was the sunset on May 15th at 11pm.  It looks like the sky is on fire!  Some of the sunsets have just been awesome.  As you can see we still have no leaves on the trees or green grass.  The locals say when it does happen it will happen quick!  Like one day its is brown and bare and the next its  green and lush! 

Awesome Sunset Picture

This was the sunset on 5/11/2012  at 1045pm.  Just amazing how late it is in the evening for the sun to be setting.  I am still getting used to the late sunsets and early sun rises.  It seems it never truly gets dark in between. 

Dang Internet

Well once again the internet has been a issue.  Now it has been 5 days since I have last posted, and have see some beautiful sunsets at 1030pm.  I will share them with you all soon.  Once I get the pictures emailed to myself.  Ha..  Anyways, I still hope everyone is enjoying reading as I can post.  Life in Central is just beginning to pick up.  More miners arrive every day!  And the price of gold drops a little more every day.  I guess we shall see who wins that battle.  Good night everyone.  Pictures to follow if I can keep the internet on my side for the next couple of days!

This weeks Post Office quote.

Truer words have never been printed.

America

It's funny the mind of an Alaskan.  When speaking of the "lower 48", they always refer to it as America.  As if they are not a state within "America".  Alaska is its own country to some of these guys.  When I tell them I'm from Texas, I always get the comment made that, " you know Texas would be the third largest state if they cut Alaska in half".  One thing about Alaskans, they are proud of their state, or country if they were to have it their way.

My first wild life picture

On my walk to the Post Office a Grouse was walking in the other direction.  The locals say it good eating!  Earlier in the week I actually saw two grouse chasing each other in the restaurant parking lot.  

Tipping

I am very appreciative of any tips I receive.  It is the thought and practice of some that if they have extra money it is not for a tip, but yet another "drink", but for others it is their thought that if they don't have enough for a tip that they should not drink.  JB, whom I spoke of earlier, says that his father taught him that if he didn't have enough "fun tickets" to leave a tip then he should not drink!  Either way I still treat everyone the same even if they leave a tip or not.

Duck Farts

The shot drink of choice in the bar is a mixture called Duck Farts.  It is 1/3 shot of Kahlua, then carefully down the inside of the shot glass you pour Caroline s Irish (like Bailey's) another 1/3 of the glass and then top it off with Crown Royal. It looks layered in the shot glass.  So one of the regulars we shall call JH, says ducks can't fart!  They don't have a butt hole. If they did they would sink because they would not then be water tight!

Fun Tickets

One of the regular customers, who happens to live next door, comes in everyday for breakfast and either lunch or dinner and of course drinks.  We shall call him JB.  JB loves to drink Crown on the rocks.  He will only drink as long as he has enough "Fun Tickets".  Fun tickets being cash.  He is, in his words, "the only sane one in town!".  Apparently, he is the local apothecary and dispenses the "happy" pills to the locals and makes sure they are taking their "happy pills".  This summer he says he is going to hang his shingle out at his house to do some counseling of the towns people.  This is just one of the many characters that I serve on a daily basis! 

Snow on the first day of May

 The view from outside my building.

 The building I live in.

 Untouched snow among the birch trees!

 Snowy lane.

 Old mining equipment covered in snow.

 The road to Fairbanks.

1045 pm and still light enough outside for a walk to the Post Office

This weeks Post Office Quote

This weeks quote posted in the Post Office in Central Alaska.  Whomever posts them has a pretty good perspective on life!  May 1, 2012.