Another day on the road.

Peggie took her bus to Whitehorse today for some alignment and tire work.
I had another day on the road.
We stopped to take photos at the Yukon border sign. We had our photos (only six people) and were leaving when somebody asked what those birds were across the road. They were ptarmigan. Six or seven coming out of the shrubs and pecking at some squashed road kill. Then they all rushed into the shrubs again. So we turned to go again. But as we did, I spotted a bald eagle about 200 feet above us, soaring in our direction. So I pointed it out. (One of the ladies wanted nothing from the day, but to see a bald eagle.)
You know how birds soar. Wings spread wide, tail twisting slightly to adjust yaw. She (he?) slowed to a stop above the highway, nearly overhead, then slowly turned counterclockwise as we all turned to follow her progress. She turned 180, came back over, blinding us as she passed the sun, then completed the circle and landed on a rock face across the road. Briefly. She spread her wings and dropped off the rock, soaring again counterclockwise right over our heads, now maybe 30 feet above us. She slowed to a stop across the road where the ptarmigan hid, pinned her wings back, dropped toward the shrubs, extended talons, spread wings. We (at least I,) held our breath. She was going to grab a ptarmigan! Nope. She flapped her wings and lifted up and away. Another counterclockwise spin, even lower over our heads. Hover, pin wings, drop, extend talons, abort the raid three feet off the ground. (Now look out your front window, imagine this is happening across your street.) Again. This time over our heads so low we all remarked that we could feel the wind from her wings. Really, we all swore we could. This time, she finished the swoop, grabbed the road kill that the ptarmigans had been after and took it first to a tree, then immediately up to the rocks.
Wow. What a treat. I got the idea she was showing off for us. Look what I can do. And you can't.
I briefly considered grabbing my camera, in case she caught a ptarmigan, but I didn't want to miss anything while I did it. So I didn't.
Another day on the road.

The trouble with coins....

....is that they have a flip side.
Friday night I realized I was getting Peggie's cold, just as she is getting over it. Yesterday, I needed to go to Whitehorse to find a ranch. On Monday, I am to drive a tour of horseback riders for the TV show "Best of America by Horseback." I have done so twice before, but that was to the ranch where we regularly took riders just outside Carcross. I have never been to the ranch outside Whitehorse, and even with Google and Mapquest to help, I felt the need to drive the road and get the timing figured out. So Peggie drove us while I fought the cold. Today, I intend to sleep a lot. Hopefully, tomorrow I will feel up to the drive.
We saw a bald eagle fly low over the truck. We saw a blacktail doe by the road on the way home. That is only my third deer, and Peggie's first up here.
Rainy season is in full swing. Temperatures are cool again. Every time the clouds part I am surprised there is no new snow on the upper peaks. Leaves are yellowing rapidly.

A mixed bag.

Today, Peggie stayed in bed. She has caught a baaad cold and can hardly breathe. She cannot drive and blow her nose at the same time, and talking makes her throat sore, so she decided she needed rest. And she did. She slept most of the day. She expects to work tomorrow.
But I had a great day. Working for tips is pretty cool. Frequently, somebody tells you what a good tour it was and gives you a great tip. Sometimes the tip doesn't matter at all. Like today.
I had an old Russian/Israeli couple who spoke not a word of English and their Russian/American daughter. Both through the daughter and by observing them, I could see that they were having a good time. But my day was made when they stepped off the bus. The old man (70 something) held out his hand, looked me in the eye and said, "I don't speak English. That was a great tour." While his wife smiled and gave me a thumbs up. The daughter said over his shoulder, "He has been practicing that all day."
Yeah.

So, how was my birthday?

I got "Happy Birthday" greetings from my passengers as they got on the bus. I thought it was because Peggie had picked them up at another dock and told them when she brought them over to my dock. But then it became obvious that that wasn't it. Then I discovered that she had taped a "Happy Birthday,  Bill" sign in my bus where they would all see it. So that was cool.
Then I got to Caribou Crossing and got "Happy Birthdays" from people there. Then, I was eating lunch when from behind me I heard "Happy Birthday to you......" and I turned to see half the crew singing and bringing a piece of cake with a candle on it. Peggie had gotten there before me. Then, I got hugs from all the pretty girls. So that was cool.
When I returned to the shop after tour, there was an envelope for me. A gift certificate at my favorite coffee shop from the rest of our crew. So that was cool.
We had previously decided to have king crab for dinner for my birthday. It is expensive, but you only turn 65 once. It isn't like 39. We started with Dennis' famous marguaritas. Then Casey called to tell me she had sent me an Amazon gift card and suggested some music we might like. So that was cool.
We had finished dinner and were on our second round of marguaritas when our boss and his wife came in for dinner. They bought the next round for us, while they had their dinner, then invited us over to enjoy a bonfire and more marguaritas. Well, after two marguaritas, nothing sounds as good as a third. So, sure. When we tried to settle our substantial tab, we were informed that it had been taken care of. Nice gift. So that was cool.
At 1:30 we decided it was time to go home. Luckily it is only a three block walk. Next day we got to sleep until 11:00. So that was cool.
Then Greg and Julian skyped with us for a while. Julian didn't say much. But, still, that was cool.
(Just fyi, Tomoko and Ariana were sleeping off some jet lag having just returned from Japan.)
So I had a good birthday.
Good thing, too, 'cause I'm nearly old.

Happy Birthday, Bill

I remember falling in love with a young 20-year-old boy who, it seems, turned 65 just a few short years later! Still love that "boy" and looking forward to celebrating many more milestone birthdays.

Happy Birthday, Bill

I wish myself a happy 65th.
This is the last birthday with significance attached to it from outside. Only because of Medicare, since I already retired and I already get Social Security. So from now on birthdays will just be what they are: celebrations of living another year. Well, if I live to be 100, that will be significant.
Tomorrow Peggie is taking me out for king crab. Fresh Alaskan King Crab. Served up hot and buttery right in Alaska. And the next day is off, so we might have an adult beverage or two.
Today, I took a jeep to Whitehorse for a new windshield and saw two bears on the way home. Peggie took her regular tour and saw another moose in Tormented Valley. That's two in two days. Both in places where I have not heard of moose being before. It is fun having her doing tours and getting to see these things.
Yukoners are celebrating my birthday, also. They call it Discovery Day and take a three day weekend. (The klondike gold was discovered on Aug. 16, 1896.)

What I didn't see.

Yesterday was a good animal sighting day. I saw a mountain goat, I saw two bears, one of them was a long look. What I didn't see was a big, bull moose, with a large rack of antlers swimming across Lake Bernard, climbing out and shaking like a big dog, and walking away as if it owned the place. But Peggie did. With a busload of pleased tourists.  I also did not see two cubs up a tree. I didn't see the mama bear shake the tree, then climb 15 feet up and swat a cub, then climb 5 more feet and grab the second cub and shake it, then shinny down, followed by two chastised cubs. But Bryan did. I did not see a bald eagle in a dead tree so close you could walk up to it. Which then took flight right overhead displaying a five foot wingspan, while a professional photographer took pictures (which will be emailed). But Peggie did.
On the other hand, I did not see 100+ on the thermometer. But Casey did.