goingson

I have been here over a week. I've been to Whitehorse twice. We are getting vehicles ready. We have a new driver who is learning tour info. We have been up the pass twice for practice.
Three times in the last week the water lines froze overnight. After the first time we learned to fill a pitcher with water for early toilet flushing.
Today we got word of a local disaster. The dock used by the ferry sank. It floats so it can accommodate changing tides. But it floats no more. By the time we got down there the crowd was about a hundred. There was a large crane on a barge lifting a forklift out of the water. I have no idea what will happen next. Or when repairs will be made. What is obvious, is that a lot of people are going to have to find a different way to get here.

The blue ramp ends at the now underwater dock.

You can see bubbles to the left of a small crane and light poles sticking up above the water. The pier supports are at the far left. Broadway dock is in the distance. 

Here I Am

The trip was interesting.  Crowded to Seattle.  A dozen flights Portland to Seattle but 15 or 20 standbys trying for seats. Bigger plane out of Seattle, but plenty of open seats.
In Juneau, I had to wait 4 hours for the ferry. Lightly overcast, but we saw some of the eclipse.  Just two fellow travelers and bored TSA crew. Two brothers building a house in Haines. We shared a cab to the ferry. I got an invitation for coffee or wine when I am in Haines.
I found it interesting that in the two rainy cities of Portland and Seattle, we had to walk on the open tarmac between the plane and the terminal. In Ketchikan it was raining hard, but I stayed aboard.
I ate breakfast on the ferry while at the dock in Haines. Taked to a woman returning to the world following 13 weeks as a visiting nurse Soldotna. She goes to different places all the time. Had been to several Alaskan towns in the last few years. So many jobs I have never heard of.
Tried to take two buses to Whitehorse yesterday, but it is a three day weekend, so businesses were closed. I drove up alone to pick up Bryan from the airport.
We are trying to get ready for the season, but some down time so I have looked up friends. All disappointed Peggie is not here.

OMG

The day is here.
I am actually leaving for Skagway.
Alone.
I decided to look on this as an adventure. I am counting on it being the good kind.
When I arrive, tomorrow, I will try to find time to recount whatever adventures the journey provides.
One thing I am hoping for is clear skies in Juneau, as I will be there, and awake, at the time of the lunar eclipse. Watching the "Blood Moon" will give me something to do while I wait for the ferry.
And, I hope the airport doesn't kick me out too early, as I know the ferry terminal won't be open, and I really don't want to spend three hours outside at 30 degrees.

moved in

Yesterday we moved upstairs.
Showered in our new shower.
Slept in our new bedroom.
Moving is a lot of work. We were sore and tired.
Our new curtains keep it dark in the morning when the sun hits the windows. The bathroom is a lot darker in the middle of the night, which allowed me to notice that the new doorknobs are a different shape. The new window A/C cools the room nicely. The new cabinets give us a lot more storage space so the bedroom can be more wide open. The closet is not as full because we purged when we moved out last year.
It has been a year!
Of course we were gone for six months. But still.
Now, this is us, so we still have four drawers with the wrong fronts. The grab bar in the shower isn't up yet. And the hardware on the pocket door still has to be swapped. But we still love it, and all that will be done soon. What a good word, soon.
Today, WM will pick up the last of the boxes everything came in, so even the clean-up will be complete.
New adventures can't wait. I leave (alone) for Skagway on Monday. When I get back, Peggie will have taken over the entire bathroom. I probably won't have anyplace to put my toothbrush.

Something to Write (Home) About

Eating a late lunch in Willcox, I asked Peggie how the enchilada sauce was.
She answered, "It's ok, nothing to write home about."
I quipped, "Oh, too bad, I was looking for something to write home about."
Then, at the same time, (we have been married a looong time) we both came up with the following topic.
If you read Peggie's facebook you know about our trip to place the trailer in Eagar for her summer heat-avoidance get-aways this summer. I created check lists for all of the outside duties associated with moving and setting up the trailer, and she practiced them and did all the driving from Tucson. She intends to drive to Oregon in September, where I will meet her at the end of the season.
We had time to take the scenic route on the way home today, so we headed south on US 191. It is a beautiful drive, but slow, so we only go that way when we can leave early and arrive late.
So, the topic: we were driving along, looking for wildlife, comparing the condition of the post-Wallow Fire forest to the tour we took in 2011. I noticed light precipitation floating over the cab, not quite hitting the windshield. I thought, "Snow?" So I slowed to a stop (no traffic on the road) so I could look at it. Just as I did, Peggie said, "Elk!" And there she was. A lone cow elk at the edge of the road. She looked at us, trotted 100 feet and stopped to look back. Quite serendipidous for her to be there when I was stopping anyway.
It was snow. Very light. Very tiny flakes. We were looking at the elk, but the snow was falling so lightly that we could have counted the flakes as they hit the hood. And just in time, because within a quarter mile we were out of the snow shower.

The Remodel is done....except for the hem.

The contractor cleaned up and left today.There are four drawer fronts still to be changed out. The guy came to change them, and brought the wrong ones. The electrician has to install the dimmer switches (Monday).
We take the trailer to Eagar tomorrow. Come back Sunday. We will be moving upstairs next week. We can use the shower as soon as we hang the curtain. I used the toilet today. The mirrors are true works of art.
Whew, just in the nick of time
I leave for Skagway on the 14th.
Oh, the tiles came a day late. And two of the fifteen sheets were incorrect. Luckily, we had some of the correct ones from the original supply.
You're all invited to come see the final product.
But call first.

Third setback

See how smart I was to start numbering them?
First, an update on previous setbacks.
We found that the two incorrect vanity cabinets work well to support Peggie's cutting table in  the studio.
Who knew that's where they would end up? Show of hands. Yeah, you guys are all pretty smart.
We also get to keep the incorrect drawer fronts. They will make pretty shelves. Where? You know.
Today the shower floor was going in. The main floor and shower walls are all done, and gorgeous.
We were invited to come up for a look. The shower floor tiles are in 12" x 12" sheets of 1" pieces. Except some of them are not. Some of them are slightly larger, so there are only 11 pieces per row in the square foot sheet. Hmmmm. The lines don't match up. On closer inspection of all the sheets, we actually have four different lots of tiles. Different thickness, different sizes. Whoever filled the boxes didn't look closely enough.
So we went to the tile store. They looked around and found some in Albuquerque. They can be here on Monday. Sure. The tile was supposed to be done and sealed by Saturday. Soooo. We hope the tiles coming are at least all the same size. Doesn't matter which size, just all the same.
Still the carpet is supposed to be done on Saturday, anyway.
The counter top came in and is installed. There are still a few drawer fronts to be changed out. The new ceiling fan works in the bedroom.
We really want to get moved in before I leave. I want to try the new shower.
Stay tuned.