Greetings Blog, Do you remember me? I started you long ago and have neglect you this summer!

Excuses for neglecting my blog are many but mostly . . . I was getting hits from a rather ugly source full of porn and gross crap to be honest which just pisses me off to no end!  I am not sure what the rest of you do when this happens but really those sites need to go away and the exploitation of women NEEDS TO END!

I will admit to falling for Instagram!  I enjoy that venue of social media an awful lot---it is rather addicting just the way social media wants you to be addicted. . . on the good side is it isn't full of politics or at least the people I follow aren't about politics.  I find the people I follow motivating, creative, interesting, and just fun!  

The blog . . . I always debate about moving it to WordPress.  The reason being is for better control, and Blogger doesn't really seem to be all that supportive at times or current.  Then Blogger is free and I know the format so I just stay.  Enough on this topic as I either need to say goodbye to the blog or just accept it as is . . .

Summer was fun, warm, not hot as the last few years, a real normal old fashion Montana summer.  Cold to cool mornings, warming up the to high 70s and low 80s, some rain to keep everything green!  It was delightful! I did a good amount of hiking once I got my boot figured out.

Boots took a bit of time but luckily I bought my 2nd pair at REI and although they didn't work out I could return them.  My 3rd pair of boots have been awesome for my feet!  This whole boot thing is important as I am leaving to go to Mont Blanc and to trek around this huge European mountain in a few weeks!  UGH!  I am a bit worried over my knees and all the verticle DOWN one has to do on this trip.  In Montana, it wasn't an issue getting out and hiking both up and down.  Here back on the tundra there just isn't the vertical to use for training.  We do have hills but to get in the vertical I need would be hiking up and down all day long! Then it has been typical August here rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, and more rain!  Belly aching I know but it is a muddy world!

Photos are in no order at all . . .

Oh, just fun crisp ginger snaps and a great cup of constant comment tea!

One of our tree/shrubs in our yard.  I love the leaves, the various green in the leaves and the bright red berries!

Miss Sadie in the yard and she loves!  Oh, on green grass and not rocks and a bit of grass like up north.

Summer trail flowers---always a treat!

One of the many hikes to help get ready for TMB!

You just have to love all the small gems of Montana!

Train dog and my buddy cooling off in a creek!

Treat did you say treat and a swim!

Paddling at home such a wonderful treat!  I didn't do nearly enough of this due to my May rib injury.

Sadie swims as I paddle but she does get rides on the kayak too.

My 140 Hurrican which I love!  A great boat and totally functional, comfortable, and easy to handle.

On the road north which has to be a bit of a stressful drive for the dogs.  They do get swimming breaks and dog walks but it is a lot of car time.  I do think it is better than being in a hold on a plane from MT to AK.

Back on the trail taking a snooze during one of our breaks. Sadie is carrying her water and dog snacks.

Trailside selfie!

Looking north into Canada.

Two key ingredients for a successful trek around Mont Blanc for me---poles and boots that are comfortable!

A 1950s book on Mont Blanc region.  A friend lent this to me but I was in a great used book shop in Pullman, WA and was able to purchase one that is almost brand new!

Summertime porch life---I love eating outside as much as possible always a treat to sit outside and enjoy a slow relaxing lunch.

Beargrass and then the photo dropped into a watercolor App.

The berries arrived!

While in Pullman and I wanted to check out the library and low and behold they had a knitting group meeting up.  I was invited right in and had a blast.  I had my knitting with me, they even had a name tag I could borrow and tea!  Gosh, what a blast!

My dearest friend!  It is always such a treat to have some time with Lynnatrix!

BLISS!

Never ever enough berries!

Our little dream boat Miss Tally!

My favorite berries!

Huckleberries arrived!

Back home on the tundra my northern latitude home!

PS This blog will be going away at some point . . . for now this is my last post.  If you are interested in following me please look me up on IG.  My account is private but you can request to follow.  knit ski nancy all together.

Dust, Grit, Wind, Mud, 8 Paws . . . Spring Time

Dust, Grit, Wind, Mud, 8 Paws . . . Spring Time, this pretty much sums up this time of the year up here for me.  Other than, I should add putting storage wax on about 70 pairs of skis.  The transition from winter to something that resembles spring is rather a bumpy road.  We have snow, rain, winds gusting up to 30 mph, pleasant days, sunshine, and gritty dog paws!  There is green plant life poking its head up across the tundra, and soon with our extended hours of daylight, the tundra will leave its brown coat behind and transform to a magnitude of greens.

Migratory birds are heading north. We get huge flocks passing over but not like the Yukon Delta area.  This is subsistence bird hunting season as well.  This always seems strange to me, but in a traditional sense, I get it.  Cranes, swans, ducks, geese are passing over as they head north to their nesting grounds.

We put storage wax on all our skis which is over 120 pairs! Now they are ready for their long summer's nap!

The beach is opening up, and by this, I mean all the sea ice from the February storms is melting.  Even this morning the difference is amazing from yesterday.  Now we just have spots of snow left on the beach.

Typical wet dog walk. It started out nice and ended up with a south wind blowing in with the rain.  We were all soaking wet! 

The Wooly Lousewort are the first flowers to arrive on the brown tundra.  These bright pink flowers are a treat to see every year.

I love the expanse of the tundra.  It puts life into perspective.

Cozy Spring Days of Rain

Spring arrives out here on the tundra whenever it wants just like the rest of the world.  Seasons come and go on their time and never on human time.  I traveled back east, and it was spring there: trees blooming, fresh flowers were up, green grass, mother nature is just showing off with lacy leaves spreading out under a warmer blue sky.

Here on the tundra, it is still the gritty season, dusty at times, or mucky at others.  The tundra is brown, and the lichen is starting to turn greener.  When I landed here on Sunday, there was a fire burning south of the village across the river.  A person was out on their snow machine on the dry brown tundra most likely bird hunting and started a fire. The story goes something like this that the ski on the snowmachine hit a rock made a spark and started a fire.  Springtime in Alaska is fire season which always seems strange. It is dry here as Alaska waits for the rains.  As the plane came in you could see the fire moving across the tundra.  When we went out for a ski, the wind changed direction and caused a back burn which put the fire out.  They did bring in a crew of smokejumpers to work the fire.

We got in a few more days of skiing, and I think we are most likely done as the rain has been somewhat consistent and day and night temperatures are above +40ºF.  If I lived up in Nome, I would be skiing with all my ski friends up there for some time!  I might be able to get some skiing in once we get back to Montana . . . We will see on that one.

 Look carefully to see the smoke from the fire across the river burning.

The ribbon of groomed snow was still perfect for skiing on Sunday afternoon.  The drainages fill with windblown snow and this is what we groom to ski on through the winter.  The ski trail snow lasts and lasts!

The tundra appears after its winter nap, brown, dry and crisp! Snow covered Nulato Hills in the background.

Christian and his buddy Tally---all loving a great ski under a vast blue northern latitude sky.

Miss Sadie cruising right along.

 Blue sky selfie!

If you are interested I am over on Instagram (which I really am enjoying) I have signed off of WasteBook since the ski team season is over.  I am off of Twitter----less social media is best!

The tundra is tossing off its winter coat and will soon be bursting with new green growth, lichen, and flowers!

I switch from skis to my FatBack Rhino FLT bike which I am LOVING!  The more I ride my Rhino, the more I realize this considerable investment in $$$ was well worth every penny!

The beach is still covered in the jumbled up sea ice mess from the February storms.  The ice is now about 1-2 feet thick instead of the 6 to 8 feet after the storms.

 Beach Walk View

 Dirty Old Sea Ice Mess

Melting ice returning to the sea.

 Endless miles of fabulous beach walking . . .

 This Star was tossed back into the water. 

Yesterday was your basic dreary tundra day: rain, low-clouds, cold, damp. One of least my favorite things in the spring and fall is 8 muddy gritty paws.  The Dragon's Back is still holding snow across the slough. This is where our younger skiers mostly ski.

The cannery is the red building in the distance.  The slough is almost ice-free.