Twenty Nine Blissfully Mine

October 17, 2009
I have been married to the love of my life, my best friend and the person with whom I would rather be, for Twenty Nine blissful years. From time to time, in my quiet time, I think back to the miracle of our marriage. Back to the day I asked Julie to marry me. I marvel. I truly marvel at the events of that summer in 1980 leading to the day, August 8th when I scared myself and shocked Julie with a proposal that would change my life forever for the better. I still cannot understand why I thought I could ask and even more baffling is that she, this wonderful, gorgeous woman would consent to marry me. In my fright upon asking her the big question, the question that came to me just a minute before she left that night, I stopped her from answering then. What would she say? I couldn't believe I was actually asking her to marry. To marry ME! You know, she never did say yes to my proposal, yet from that moment we knew we were to marry. We started planning from that time. How? How? How did that happen? Gratefully, though she never did answer me she did say "yes" to the question asked of her as we knelt, dressed in white, across the alter from each other in the Idaho Falls Temple.

My beautiful Julie. How you have changed my life. I am so much a better person because of you my Dear. Thank you for 29 years of joy, sadness at times, worry at others but above it all... happiness, contentment and love. I will forever, always, remember our hug that momentous August night just before you got in your car to go home. A hug never felt so good, so warm, so right. Have I ever told you how nervous I was? How unsure I was? How afraid.... to kiss you? I asked you to marry me yet I couldn't get up the nerve to kiss you. Can you believe that? I was way over my head. I don't even remember our subsequent first kiss (I know we had one, it began our life of sweet, soft kisses), but I'll never, ever forget that first time I held you in my arms. Thank you Sweetheart for Twenty Nine Blissfully Mine. I love you.

Julie's parents- Don and Georgia Rogers


Eight boys I grew up with in Anchorage were able to be at our wedding.
Gordon Dean, Lance Pettijohn, Rick Owen, Guy Hudson(kneeling), Brad, Jay Marquiss, Clark Wolverton, Darryl Welling, Doug Kenley.







My family, minus Dad.

Julie loves crab.
The poor little creatures are her favorite meal.
We celebrate our anniversary each year by dining at
The Sea Galley, eating crab.





There are a lot of crab still in the sea.
Let's do this again a year from now and forever, whadda ya say?

Alaska

Lindsay recently gave a reason she loves Alaska. A very good reason I must add. Her thoughts got me to thinking, again, about this place and why it is we live here. Perhaps I'll share a few of my thoughts along with a some photographs of Anchorage and areas close by.


The Cook Inlet from Anchorage hillside.

I know this land is a mystery to many. It is a cold place to live much of the year and it is very far away from most of our family. Julie and I usually travel outside of Alaska during the summer months to places that are warmer and pretty and appealing. Upon returning to Anchorage, we often wonder why we live here. Long, cold, dark winters. Summers that cannot be counted on to be decent for any stretch of time.


The Anchorage skyline- solarized.

Anchorage is home to us. Both Julie and I were raised here. We attended elementary school here. We graduated from the same high school. We know a lot of people in the church here. Old timers. It is sad to see some of our friends leave the state because of one reason or another, usually work.


Fireweed in bloom overlooking the Knik River.

Where our children would live as adults has always been a concern. The likelihood of them staying in Alaska was 50-50 at best. Most likely we thought they would meet someone from out of state and would settle where they lived. Who would want to move to a place far from home and family. Between Alaska and elsewhere in the United States, we figured the chances were that Alaska would always lose out.


Knik River in the Matanuska Valley.

We've wondered what we would do if all our children settled outside of Alaska. We would want to be close to them. And to our grandchildren. Not down the street you understand, but close.


The Matanuska Valley

But it wouldn't be easy. Among important considerations would be our work, our network of friends and the deep roots we have here that would make it very difficult to leave. Julie's parents live here and are such an important part of our lives.


Canyon Creek bridge on the Seward Hwy near the Hope junction.

Don't forget the truism that the grass is always greener on the other side. We would wonder- and worry- would we REALLY like living somewhere else? If we moved, we'd be starting over. We'd be cutting root and trying like crazy to get something to grow in a new place. To make it worse, Julie and I are not the adventurous type. We don't have a rambling spirit. We're happy to stay in one place... forever. We've lived in this house for 23 years. We have friends that seem to have to move to a different house every five years. mmmm...not us. I hate to move.


Canyon Creek in summer.

And Alaska IS pretty. It is gorgeous.


Chugach Mountains from Anchorage.

Okay, almost anywhere one chooses to go has its gorgeousness-es! God was pretty even handed in the creative process. But Alaska is unique. Everyone is always interested when told we're from Alaska. Ooooooo, Alaska. What's it like there? Do you live in igloos and eat muktuk?


Anchorage hillside.

This year we have been given a most wonderful blessing! One of our children and her husband have moved to Anchorage. We are so excited to have Lindsay & Michael here. Our first GRANDCHILD is due in November! And she will ALSO be living here! Due to Michael's work we don't know how long they'll be able to stay but for the near future THEY ARE HERE! Hmmmmm... another very good reason to live in Anchorage.


Flattop Mountain seen from Anchorage.

For now, in spite of our ever present conflicting desires, I think we'll stay.

Missing our family living in Idaho and Utah.

For the time being.


Driving up Abbott Road to our home just a mile away.


Anchorage skyline from the hillside.


Anchorage and the Turnagain Arm from the hillside.


Kenai Lake.


Kenai Lake.


Summit Lake


The Turnagain Arm.


The Turnagain Arm.


Resurrection Bay


Thumb Cove on Resurrection Bay


Thumb Cove on Resurrection Bay


Engineer Lake


Engineer Lake

Hidden Lake

Hidden Lake

Exit Glacier River

This is our home. We'll be here for a while longer.

Are There Moose?

WHEN WILL I SEE A MOOSE?
(click on the photos to enlarge)

I work with quite a few manufacturer reps when they come up from the States. They are always interested in seeing a moose. For some reason few actually do even though there are hundreds of moose living in Anchorage.

When I left for work on September 23rd (to pick up a rep) what to my wondering eyes did appear, a moose at the end of our street! We had seen a mama and two calves a few times lately up and down the roads near our home. I had noticed a pile of you-know on the grass in our front yard a few days before.


Well, on this particular morning while turning from our street I saw a mama moose. I had to get some photos.


Then as I went to turn around I saw the two calves down by the corner. I had to get some photos.





The baby moose were doing their best to keep eating and ignore my car. After a few seconds though it got to be just too much to bear. They ran for mama.



I have never seen before what I saw then. Take a look.


They are pretty big and are weened to a point since they are foraging, but running to mom and nursing might be a fright and flight reflex. I wonder how many people have a photo or a video of nursing moose calves in the wild. I wanted a still shot of them nursing so I stopped the video.


Immediately I wished I'd kept the video going. Mama was not happy about them latching on and broke things up right after I took the photo. It would have been neat to have that on video. She wasn't mean or anything like that. She was just very firm in shaking them off and making some grunting noises while she did. These two photos are of right after she packed up breakfast.


I started the video again. Mama still seemed irritated and I thought that maybe I was pushing my luck, particularly when she started coming toward me. If you listen closely you can hear her tisking me for being so rude.


Here are a few parting photos as I graciously let them resume their breakfast undisturbed.