Alaska - 2009 - A video!

Again, it was a GREAT trip!!  Enjoy!

A Random Dropping

I noticed my last post was entitled "Busy, busy, busy!"  And was done while on our Alaska trip.  A month already!!  Really???  Yep, busy seems to be the right phrase.

Since the trip our local group of concerned citizens have held their first public forum on our country's direction.  Emphasis was given to the economy, healthcare, national defense and small business.  It was a genuinely interesting evening.  You can read the results of our group at: 

http://notwithoutourconsent.blogspot.com/2009/07/results-of-our-first-meeting-june-23.html 

if you have any interest.

Preparation for a scouting trip to the Boundary Waters has been fast paced this past weekend with our shakedown paddle, trip planning, defining the individual groups (3 groups, 21 scouts and dads).  This week will be food shopping, repackaging and packing and then we hit the road at 5AM on the 11th.  Again, coming too fast!!

Have had lots of conversations with my daughter about her economics class.  Pretty interesting chats and a fun process to watch.  She is driven to get an "A" while pushing to learn everything she can but is saddled with a prof that just seems happy to do the minimum.  I feel her frustration and really admire her extra efforts and extra reading.  She will make a terrific school administrator some day!

Work has been nuts - even closed two deals on our Alaska trip!  I really like that feeling.  The follow on work is really intense with installation, training and the initial startup.  We have completed over a dozen training's in the past month - busy, busy, busy.  Not that I am complaining.  In an economy when many businesses are struggling we are fortunate to offer a product that can save hospitals tens of thousands of dollars each year.  Enough to get their attention and to move.  As a business, we are truly blessed.

And so it goes.  There are honestly days I feel truly harried - yet that is how I have lived my life and am not sure I would be satisfied were it any other way.  Next week, while in the Boundary Waters, my crew wants to paddle a bit and fish allot.  Sounds good to me!  Though not a big fisherman, it should provide ample time to enjoy the scenery, listen to the loons and allow my body and mind to slow a bit.

I have also taken time to create a 10 minute video of our Alaska trip.  It's processing even as I type!  When it's complete, I will post a link so you can see what we saw and enjoy it along with us.

So ends a random dropping update.  Enjoy the day!!

Busy, busy, busy!!

Can’t believe how busy this trip is and how fast it’s going.

We are at Icy Point today.  Had a wild life search trip today.  Saw one brown bear and very pretty country.  Yesterday was Skagway.  Nice bus/train tour of Whitehorse Pass.  No wild life but stunning country side.

Only downer is that Phyllis got sick with the Norwalk virus (along with dozens of others).  Barfies and diarrhea last night and today.  She’s hoping to recover for our formal dinner tonight.

Ketchikan tomorrow and then a day of sailing and home on Friday.

Going fast, fast, fast!!!

On the boat

Well we got on the boat yesterday.  Good trip down.  Saw a really cool grizzly just entertaining the folks along side the road!

Meal last night was great.  Good weather today.  And, expensive internet -  $.53 per min.  Will do mini updates and phone calls on shore during the day.

Love you all – from both the Kellers and McKees

Yet another busy day!

Drove to Denali today.  Got there in time for lunch and then a couple mile walk in the woods and around a meadow. 

For supper there was a very nice dinner theater.

Early day tomorrow with a 5 hour tour of the park and then an 8 hour train ride back to Anchorage.

Day 3 – there’s gold in that there stream!!

 

These folks sure keep you hopping.  Headed out about 9AM for a gold mining operation.  Rex and Phyllis were dropped at the museum that the fellow who went with Rex’s dad acted as a procurer for.  They had a great time there while the rest of us went to the mining operation.  We were shown how they used water too look for gold and taught how to pan for gold.  Then, we were given bags of “pay dirt” and off we went.  Susie beat me with $33 and I found $9.  Enough for her to get it made into a nice pendant and a pair of ear rings.

After that we went on a river boat cruise, visited a native village, visited the late Susan Butcher’s new dog kennels and just had a nice leisurely afternoon.

That was followed by a great supper and a visit with Rex’s compounding friend from “North Pole” – yep, that is truly the name of his town.

For me, it was back to the room.  I had an urgent email from a prospect  that she HAD TO HAVE A DEMO TOMORROW AT 8AM!!!  Geezz, that’s 5AM here!!  Ah well, money is money!  So, at 5AM local time tomorrow, I’ll be ready!!

So ends another day.  Tomorrow – Denali!!

Alaska – Day 1

What a long day! Alarm set for 4:45 AM!!!!!! This is vacation for Pete’s sake!! Anyway, breakfast and on the bus by 7AM and off to Fairbanks. Lot’s of gorgeous scenery! Mountains, rivers, marsh lands. Very beautiful. Saw Moose, sheep, reindeer – very cool. Saw a moose plunge out of the forest right into the side of a truck hauling a trailer just in front of us. She bounced off, fell on her butt, got up and ran back into the bush. Took the mirror off the side of the truck and dented it a bit. We finally got to Fairbanks around 7:30PM. Had supper and made it to the hotel around 9PM. End of a very long day!!! But, lots of fun! Tomorrow – gold mine, paddle boat trip. Should be a good day. Will try to post some photos tomorrow.