Monday, August 12, 2019

Crazy Summer of 2019

Hot....I am so hot! Not right! This is Alaska.

There will be more whining about weather through out this post.

Less than two weeks after our summer guests left we had a septic issue. We all assumed it would be related to the earthquake but turns out is was improper installation...which would explain a few problems from the moment we moved into the house. 


Miraculously, my landscaping from last summer was not sacrificed.
 A hole at least 12 feet deep came within inches of my rock work. 

I always have new landscaping projects but this year I am using the rocks in my yard instead of importing them from a quarry. Below is an area at the entrance of our driveway. Lots of snow and gravel gets pushed around this area in the winter time so I am keeping that in mind as I work.


I am planting perennials and ferns I have transplanted from other parts of my yard. 

Below is a close up of the round rocks I've been trying to layout to mimic a flowing stream. I'm going to try filling with a sand used in patio work that you wet and it turns into a grout. I'll let you know how that goes.


We had one more adventure planned for this summer, a trip to Washington state to pickup the tools my son inherited from my dad. My husband drove his truck down to Seattle where he picked me up at the airport. The next morning we bought a trailer and loaded up all the tools. My parents home is in Randle, Washington, a remote logging town. We didn't have any luck hiring strong men to help us but hubby and I did it! 


It was the first time I had ridden on the Alcan Highway. I think it will be my one and only time. Gorgeous scenery every bit of the way but roads, especially in Alaska, were rough.

It took us four days with 15 hours on the road for three of those days. We had to get home so my husband could get to work so no time to site-see. Below is a fun sign at a gas station in Kitwanga, British Columbia. 

It is 2,363 miles from Randle, Washington to our home in Eagle River, Alaska.


I didn't do any of the driving since our heavy trailer intimidated me too much to offer to share that responsibility. I did bring a small quilt for some handquilting.  I got almost half of the white stitching done. 


I got all of the cross stitching done on a South American Santa ornament.


Once home, it was back to the heat.

Normally...August is a cool, rainy month. This August the temperatures are near 80 most days with lots of sunshine. I do hate to complain but my garden is absolutely exploding. I was gone 6 days. I tried to harvest everything that was ripe before I left but I came home to a squash explosion. I made four loaves of zucchini bread before I left town. 


More bread and other recipes in my future.

And though some of my potted plants are fried from all the heat, the liatris or gay feather, in my perennial garden is doing better than ever. Usually it is September when it finally starts blooming and I am always worrying a killing frost will take it before I can enjoy it. 


Before our road trip, I  finished the stocking front for Snow Princess 


and got started on the Snowman Family 3-D Project. 



Just no time for quilting with all this hot weather. If I'm not watering plants I am harvesting, trimming or cooking food for the freezer. At some point I would like to get educated about dehydrators but that will have to be a winter project. 

7 comments:

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

my husband is always saying he wants to take the motorhome on that drive and I keep resisting. I would like to see it but yet it is remote from what I hear with gas stations few and far between. I don't know if I would want to take the chance - did you see a lot of motorhomes and other RV's on it? Those squashes are huge!

Ramona said...

The year I was in Alaska (14 years ago), it was in the 90's for a good part of the trip. We went up to Prudhoe Bay and it finally cooled down up there. We did not expect that heat in Alaska at all. Your stocking and ornament are so cute! And I love the snow family. I really need to get a kit going here...it's been too long!

Calicojoan said...

I drove my son up the Alcan when he moved up there 17 years ago. It as one of the most incredible drives I've ever been on. We too drove at warp speed because he had to get up there for work. One of these days I would love to do it again at a more leisure pace. On a side note, when he moved back here 7 years ago, we packed up his things and took the Alaska State Ferry back. That was really incredible too. Nothing but peaceful beauty for days on end. It's not very often you can just vege out for days and really enjoy things.

Rebecca said...

When my zuch gets away from me I use it to make pickles and relish.

Sally said...

It sounds as though you've had a busy summer. Those zukes and squash look amazing. Mr. Wonderful planted cukes and tomatoes this year..and we are finally getting a harvest. For the past 2 years, he's planted but all the produce has been eaten by deer! This year he posted an electric fence all around the garden and we have had no intruders get to his crops. We canned tomatoes this past weekend and will do so again later this week....Be well, my friend.

Mary said...

So glad that your landscaping was not damaged. I know you put a lot of work into this and everything looks beautiful. It has been awfully hot and humid here on the NE but it seems more humid than usual.
I have always wanted to take a drive on the Alcan highway but the distance between services makes me a little bit nervous.
I like the quilt with the red embroidery. Nice project for a long road trip.

Donna quilts said...

Well, we must be getting your August weather here in Fort McMurray. It's been cool and rainy - so unlike the usual hot and sunny summer weather typical for August.
I would love to drive north through the Yukon and into Alaska. The scenery would be beautiful.
You still manage to stay busy with your projects, even while on the road! Love the red quilt that you hand stitched. So festive!