AIR SHOW

Several weeks ago Elmendorf hosted an airshow, which had all the military planes, and the blue angels. We headed down there with some friends, and it was an awesome day with beautiful weather.
The plane that Josh is standing in front of is the 22 Raptor, which is the one that he works on...and trust me it wasn't easy getting josh to pose there...so you better enjoy it! They also had a memorial for the C-17 pilot and the others that were on board.

TheKnot-Our Wedding Website

TheKnot

Putting the Salt DOwn

Goodbye Summer...

August in Alaska feels like a cool fall night in Florida. Crisp clean air falls upon Alaska as the sun finally takes a rest from the sky. WE are heading into 13 hours of light, for these next two months we will have some kind of 'normal' feel of time, until the winter darkness fully takes over.

We experienced a very wet, cold, Alaskan summer this year. But there were a handful of beautiful days that we were able to get a feel for truly what an Alaskan summer holds, and why so many people live for the summers. We were able to go Salmon fishing down by Seward, take a road trip along the Cook Inlet, BBQ in the midnight sun, hike along glacier filled rivers, dine at some amazing local restaurants, and take a break from the harsh cold.

But as all the kids in the neighborhood head back to school, and the night sky brings colder weather, you can't help but start to miss summer...even an Alaskan one.

How much do we play for freedom

This is a really long video, but every time I watch it I tear up. And of course now it hits so close to home.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSMlIM9zLio

Viva Las Hot

So I finally left Alaska, and it felt so...warm! Saturday I took a trip to meet some of my girl friends from Florida. It was so nice to relax by the pool, shop, go to shows and eat at wonderful restaurants. I didn't realize how 'Alaskan' I am now, it was strange to see people out of jeans and hiking boots.

I wore shorts and sandals on the plane home, and the couples sitting on both sides of me asked if the weather had changed. "Nope, my iPhone says 53"...wait weird, I wearing shorts in this weather and only a couple of months ago 53 degrees would mean long pants, long sleeves, vest, socks and boots just like these people. I told them that I am living here now, and for the next five hours I answered a variety of questions from; do the moose attack you, is it bright out, are their Eskimos walking around.

Summer Love Happened So Fast

Well I have always hear of the term summer romance, and I knew they never lasted long...but I did;t know that literally my summer was going to be short as well!

It is almost August and I still have that feeling as if I am waiting for summer to begin. We had maybe 5 "warm" sunny days...but the rest are cold,cloudy, and rainy about 50 degrees. So when I hear our friends saying that there is a possibility for snow next month I felt like I was in a nightmare and couldn't wake up. I mean whats the point of trying to make your grass grow in your yard? I just don't fully understand people who invest a ton of money into something that will just have snow dumped on it.

Summer in Alaska is like going to the movie theater and watching the coming attractions or trailers. Your sitting in the theater waiting for your movie to start and u see this awesome preview for an upcoming movie, your smiling, and laughing...I mean its the best two mins of your life, you even grab for some popcorn because you have really started to enjoy yourself...and then...cuts to black screen with Fall 2050...back to reality...your not watching that movie. Well that's what summer is, a short preview that you'd actually rather not see because truthfully it makes you less excited about the movie that you came to watch.

Well Alaskan winter is our movie, and we watched a preview of summer...and now I am just really not looking forward to staying and watching the winter.

I also posted a picture of how bright it is at 10pm when I and driving home from class...oh and it had a moose in it so it was a win-win picture.

Hello My Name Is:

Brett...well mom you should have know this would have turned into a blog story sooner than later. Well 21 years ago my mother gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, as she looked down at those bright blue eyes and blonde hair the name...Brett...came to mind...keep in mind this is still the 80's and drinking durning pregeancy wasn't as frowned apon as it is now.

Now if my mother was reading this behind your sholder this is what you would be hearing, "I had no idea that people wouldn't consider that a girls name, because you know after all it is both boys and girls name...just like Kerry ( My sister )."

...well the name Kerry is held by 52% girls and 48% boys...Brett on the other hand is only shared by 1.3% girls which to be exact is 23 girls in the whole united states...so yes I think it is fair to say that this is NOT a little baby girls name.

Since I was a little baby I have always gone by Ali, which is short for my middle name Alison.

However, no longer am I ashamed to named Brett...even though the number one question I get it, why is that your name, did your parents want a boy? ...maybe on my moms death bed she will actually tell me the truth behind my name, but my mom's healthy so you all just need to hold on and wait for that blog.

So at both work and school I now go by Brett

Earthquake

Wednesday around 7pm was just another typical Alaskan summer night...bright, with a slight chill added to the air. Kingston and I, both tired from a long day of work were sitting on the couch doing homework. I felt, thirsty...

As I approached the kitchen sink the floor rumbled below me, I grabbed the counter, and then the whole house shook. Kingston didn't even know where to start investigating to find out what had happened...but I knew. Only such a ride as Earthquake at Universal Studios in Orlando could have prepared me for such a moment...minus a bus crashing into my house filled with flames, sun burnt tourists, and a D list college paid actor leading the tour.

Consumed with excitement, I googled to find all out my first Earthquake. Well it happens to be that it was the 4Th one this week, it was a 5.3 and will forever be special to me.

Below is a link to what I experienced

...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJJSyZ3MUAA

To the Russian...finally.

So a couple of weekends ago we headed down south toward Seward to meet some friends at a local fishing spot called the Russian. I think that mostly Josh and I were looking forward to the drive along Cooks Inlet, because we hadn't had a chance to really get out that way.

The drive started off with us following a train along side the water, and mountain goats to our left. It was really just breath taking, and couldn't believe how pretty it was. The temperature was a little bit colder, in the morning it started off in the high 40's and later on got up to the 50's...we really felt like we could do this drive forever.

Well by forever I mean two hours, driving is driving no matter what your looking at. So when Josh and I came up on three hours we were starting to get a little worried. It was only suppose to be about 2-2 and half max. We were going off directions that we had gotten from our friends who are originally from Kentucky, so you have an idea of about how detailed they were. "Drive south, turn right off a road and then call us when your here". Well I really don't believe it but somehow we missed the "turn off", maybe because there were about a million, but we ended up in a town called Moose Pass. This town had a bar, gift shop, a plane and a church.

Long story short, we did make it to the Russian, we went about 75 miles more than we needed to, but the Florida Licences plate really helps explain a lot.

It is hard to tell from the photos, but standing on land looking into the water you could just see hundreds and hundreds of salmon swimming by, and the fishing gets really hostile!

Grrr....

...Said the bear that didn't have time to upload any photos for his readers.

Okay so I am bleeding from the ears hearing myself say how busy I am, but it just seems that every time I want to write and upload photos I just never have enough time.

Today was no exception, and it seems that anchorage is starting to look like Orlando...in a bad way! So I work from 8 to 5, and then go to school from 6 to 10pm. I know this seems crazy but let me just put the cherry on top of this, my class is located in Chugach, Alaska.

Well normally I don't mind this, because the drive is normally about 30 mins and is extremely pretty because it is north of Eagle River (which is north of anchorage). Well today on my voyage I encountered...hold on...wait for it... TRAFFIC! I couldn't believe it, I mean this is Alaska, where only 1% of the whole state is populated....so what am I doing hanging out in traffic? So my 30 min trip turned into 3 hours, lots of back wood roads, and by back wood I mean through the snowy mouhtian, around lakes, and with the moose.

Well I really wanted to upload photos from last weekend because Josh and I headed down south to what the locals call, "THe Russian" for some salmon fishing. SO look out, I am a government employee and I have four days off so hopefully I will get a chance to upload.

OH and a word to the wise, enjoy this 4th of july...because after all Obama does whatever he wants in this country, and I bet next on his plans are taking away holidays.