Burkhart's Bucket: July 2008

Beautiful Alaska, Chalmers Bay 2008

As many of you know, I came to Alaska in the summer of 2007 for two weeks, and stayed for two months! I fell in love with the spectacular scenery of the Chugach mountains and was totally captivated by the Prince William Sound. Even more lasting are the bonds made with my sister, Wendy Tueller, who was only 6 years old when I married, and moved, hence this was the first opportunity we have had to really connect as adults. But, I have to admit that after 30 years of mothering, for the first time I was put on time-out, and Wendy took over the mothering for the summer. She took complete care of me. So this summer I've taken the course of payback and have come to Girdwood, Alaska for three months to help Wendy with the birth of her third child, Jedadiah Pacific Tueller.

Baby Jedi, not too happy yet! Aunt DeAnn, Lily, Eli and baby Jedi
Oh, I think we got the best one! Daddy Lyle reading to Lily and Eli

Wendy and baby Jed

Here's a sample of the wildlife you can see in Alaska. A moose in Hope, a little mining town across the Turnagin Arm from Girdwood. We have seen a few moose in the front yard also.

This not so little black bear is trying out the garbage at Our Lady of the Snows, the Catholic/Mormon Church in Girdwood. The Catholic Diose has been very generous and let the Latter Day Saints meet Sunday mornings while Catholic services are Sunday evenings.

At a certain spot in the Sound the Porpoises come to surf the wake of the Moonlight Maid. Lyle and I love to play with them by banging on the side of the boat. This one has turned to the side to check us out! We have also seen whales spouting and dancing in the ocean. One almost rammed the boat when Wendy was driving. It dove barely in time off the port side.

"THE MIGHTY GATOR"
The day before Jed was born Nathan picked up a little fishing boat. He has been patiently training his crew to fish with mixed success! I hear there have been a few cases of man/women overboard! Lyle was able to spend a couple of weeks in Alaska also. Here he is fulfilling a lifetime dream, catching a fish! And not just any fish, a halibut! It weighed 24 lbs. They call that a chicken up here, but anyone knows the small ones taste the best!

While we are on the Moonlight Maid, we actually work, I cook and clean and Lyle drives and does odd jobs the Captain assigns. We both love it on the water. The only time we have trouble is when we get off the boat and the ground will not stop moving!

Grant is also in Alaska working on the Moonlight Maid as a deck hand. He is having the time of his life! The entire crew has gone overboard, but Grant has the singular distinction of taking his camera with him. Unfortunatly it did not dry out as well as Grant did. Here's Grant with a King Salmon. (It could be a Dog, I'm not sure)

On Lyle's last day the clouds broke enough for us to take a Helicoptor ride out of the Girdwood Airstrip over the Chugach Mountains. We landed on a glacier! It was spectacular!!!