The Blues are in!

See! It doesn't rain all the time. And sometimes theres a rainbow.

I'm on my sister Judy's laptop here at Tangle River Inn. (its not Tangle Lakes Lodge like I thought) After I get done posting I am going to order me a new laptop and send it to Fairbanks to my sisters house and she's going to bring it down here for me.

She came down for the weekend to go blueberry picking. We are the mecca for blues. The crans will be ready after the first frost in a couple of weeks. The low bush cranberries are as abundant as the blues on the Denali Highway.

My job is great. Its a busy Inn with tourists, locals and hunters. Caribou hunting going on now with moose hunting starting the first of Sept. Theres never a dull moment around here and now I got to get busy and order my new laptop then play my sister some crib.

Will be back posting regularly again soon!

Poor Paddleboat Patty

Its after midnight and the last thing to pack up is my computer. Instead of waiting for the morning and going through my regular routine of checking the PIO, the ADN, Craigslist and who knows what else I'm unhooking tonight. This way I'll concentrate on the road ahead.

As much as I want to take Paddleboat Patty with me to Tangle Lakes I won't since its not my trailer she's high centered on let alone being illegal for the open road.

Paddleboat Patty has to stay here in Valdez and be a wading pool.

Next checkpoint for the FishTaxi will be from "Where the pavement ends and the wilderness begins".

Adios Amigos ~ FishTaxi

Bear Bread Stump Action

Got a hit on my geocache Bear Bread Stump the other night when a cacher left an interesting travel bug I had to check out. A retired NASA engineer left a Columbia Space Shuttle medallion that needs to find its way back to Cape Canaveral. I hope a travelling cacher takes it on its way south before the snow flys. Otherwise it could be dogged down for the winter. I took a picture of it and while I was there I checked out the log book. Since 2003 its half full of visitors from around the world. A special log entry to me was the one pictured from the original homesteader's wife. Click on the picture and you can read the entry.

Spent this pouring down rain day getting ready to head up north. There was a short break of torrential downpour where I heard a plane fly in. Took that opportunity to check out my cache. My new boss-lady called when I got back. She wants me to pick up fresh halibut from Peter Pan Seafoods and some booze from Three Bears. I'll have room because I don't need to bring any camping equipment.

I'm not leaving yet and the last thing I'll pack up is my computer. Will blog one more entry from home for old time sake. I still have to get my absentee ballot from city hall, dog food for Roxy and my last paycheck (vacation pay!) from the college before I take off.

I'll have no problem posting from http://www.tangleriverinn.com/index.htm with wireless internet connection. woot!

Gainfully Employed!

Yippie! I got the job! Got hired over the phone when I called on it today. I'll be working at a real Alaskan Roadhouse up north off the Denali Highway. Roxy is welcome to come with me! The owner lady was real nice and she won't be dissappointed for hiring me. I've worked at lodges before and know all the work involved. I'll be helping in the kitchen as well as cleaning cabins. She didn't have a lot of time to talk to me about the job today but said "yes you are hired. Get here as fast as you can."

I met Mr. FishTaxi at the Club after work and told him the good news. He took me out for a steak dinner where our daughter works. He's looking forward to moose hunting season and will be up in the area where I'll be so he can come and see me. Its all good.

They will give me room and board which is a cabin and family style eating. Salary wasn't discussed yet but its probably the going rate starting and go up from there. I don't care as long as I get 5 weeks pay that is as much or more of my weekly unemployment benefit amount I can collect once I get laid off at the end of the season. That will get through the winter.

Its going to be so beautiful where I'm going with the fall colors. Of course I'll be bringing my camera and computer. I've been to the lodge before and am looking forward to working there. I can handle six weeks anywhere! woohoot!

I'm going to get packed up and leave Wed night. Theres a couple loose ends I want to take care of tomorrow which I'll blog about before I tear down my computer.

I'm so happy to be going on an great Alaskan adventure!

FishlessTaxi Speculations

I've resigned to the fact that I probably won't be putting up any fish this year. At this point it seems highly unlikely. Its a good thing I have some canned sockeyes left from last years bounty. I put up a lot of fish last summer. Which is the whole point of putting fish in the can in the first place. Its good for 7 years.

Scoped out jobs all over the state today (thanks to the internet). Found one position thats right up my alley. Talked to Mr. FishTaxi about it tonight and he said "go for it!" I'll call them tomorrow and if they let me bring Roxy with me I'm ready, willing and available.

It will be a fun job for about six weeks, til the end of blueberry picking season, so I hope I get it. I should be able to get internet there and will bring my computer with me. I wish I would have got a laptop instead of a desktop for times like this. Maybe I should order one if I get the job. hmmm It's only 4 hours away from home so I could come back, visit Mr. FishTaxi and pick up my new laptop!

Its all speculation at this point. A term used with reference to business transactions to signify the investing of money at a risk of loss on the chance of unusual gain.

FishTaxi Logo1

Stayed up all night watching movies. First up was Walk the Line and that was great. Liked it so much I watched the whole directors cut where he talks through the whole movie. First time I've got to do that and loved it. Felt like I was in the directors chair. All this took about five hours and I still had 2 more movies to watch. Next up was The Contest Winner of Defiance, OH and what another great movie. I loved every minute of it (except for when my butt got sore). I laughed, I cried, I ate pizza and ice cream. The third movie was crap and I fell asleep. Which was good because it was getting light out.

Green Beans

When I was in Fairbanks I helped my sister pickle fresh green beans she picked up in Washington when they went down for the Tom Petty concert (Stevie Nicks made a surprise appearance!) She gave me a couple of jars and I'm thinking about entering them in the Kenny Lake Fair. Just kidding! I'm thinking about driving up to the fair. My other sister's campsite is right next to the fairgrounds.

Getting out of town and up the road should get me out of my funk. Getting some reds to can would be a bonus!

Have a great weekend! ~FishTaxi out and about

Edited to add that my friend came for an unexpected visit which is probably the reason I've been feeling depressed lately. You'd think by 51 I'd be over this but noooo. So I'm staying home except for walking Roxy. Nik, if you read this call me.

Gray Days

The day before my birthday was sunny and hot. Thats the last we've seen of the sun this week. Nothing but gray, dreary rainy days since. It can get depressing!

What to do? Move? Hardly a chance of that happening when Mr. FishTaxi has a great job that he loves here. I thought getting away to sunny places would help and make me glad to be home but in fact its had the opposite effect on me. I know there are sunny bright places out there!

The job interview got cancelled because of weather (planes not flying) which was good because I wasn't in the best of shape the day after my birthday.

I got a food dehydrator for my birthday, so I'm playing with that, starting with onions. If your depressed chop up a bunch of onions and cry. It does help with the gray day blues.

Even Roxy doesn't want to get off the couch! COME ON SUN!!!

10 Reasons Why I Hate Valdez

:10) NO BOWLING ALLEY!!! Apparrently Old Town had one. Everybody plays darts now. Steel tip.If we had a bowling alley I'd have my own ball, bag and shoes. Probably would work there part-time. As a pro. Now I'm the embarrased Valdez bowler when I go to Anch or Frbks and throw a few strikes and many gutter balls. Trying to find the right bowling ball the whole night.next time your in Valdez ask where the bowling alley is and see what kind of looks you get.



:9) The radio stations.We have 3 to choose from. Commercial(canned), Public & Christian.


:8) Pouring down rain over snow. One big slush puppie. posted by FishTaxi at 3:53 AM 0 comments
Thursday, November 17, 2005



:7) No natural gas pipes connected to our homes! THe oil companies burn it up on THe north slope and waste it. Here we are, at the terminus of the Trans-Alaska pipeline, and NO natural gas available. We get screwed here. Our options for heating are from either bad to worse: Electricity, Propane, Diesel and/or wood. Natural gas is so much cleaner.Prudhoe Bay pumps and Valdez sucks!

I'll think of more.

Full Moon Birthday

photo by David M. Adams "Valdez Harbor Painted With Light"

My sister Niki and I are no longer 50/50! That was fun while it lasted!

We are planning on going paddleboating out of the small boat harbor and riding the breakwater waves again and again. I accidently answered the phone this morning and now I've got a job interview tomorrow at 10:30 AM. I need to bring a completed application, cover letter and resume with me. So I'm working on getting that done before I go out and play. The weather is overcast but its not raining.

David M. Adams photo was taken with a 35mm on a tripod. He's a local professional photographer. This is my favorite photo of his. Thanks Mike for letting me post it on my blog!

Tonsina Camp

Some kids built this tent at Tonsina Lodge where Niki works. We thought it would be funny to post a picture of it here with Niki and Roxy in it like it was Niki's Tonsina Camp.

Its a sweltering 78 degrees here in Valdez today. I set up my screen tent so when I get some fish I can process it OUTSIDE! Still waiting for the call...

Family Feet

Chena River Camp

Two glorious days and nights I spent camping on the Chena River in Fairbanks. My brother-in-law down the street from the river, Bill, loaned me his Cabela Sleep Mattress and boy was it comfortable. I've got to get me one before moose camp. $90.00 well spent for a good nights sleep camping. I could have stayed at their house but they understood me wanting to camp on the river. When they come to Valdez they like to camp on the water.

The Riverboat Discovery came by like clockwork up and down the river. Susan Butcher (RIP) Trail Breaker Kennels, were kittykorner from us, which is a famous tourist attraction on the river. I was sad to hear she passed on in Seattle last night from luekemia.

I wanted to stay another sunny day on the Chena River but I packed up camp and headed down to Kenny Lake and made it in time for my sisters 50th birthday. We are the same age right now. Fifty-fifty. Happy Birthday Niki!

WORKER BEEZZZ!!!

Got home tonight in time for my One Year Wedding Anniversary! Had a great trip. Did everything I wanted to except make it to Talkeetna. Next time I will!

First 3 nights in Fairbanks I stayed in 3 different hotels with my friends who were moving out of the state. We had fun but Fairbanks won't be the same without them. After they flew out I went to my sisters place and camped on the Chena River for two nights. The first night Captain Tanner, my 5 yo grand-nephew, camped out with me. The next day we had a blast until Tanner got stung by a bee! On his chest this time. Earlier this summer he got stung on the lip. Poor little guy.

Bees are bad in Fairbanks this year. Beehives are everywhere. The bottom left picture is of a huge colony in the middle of a field. The one on the right and above (behind Tanner & Roxy) is right by where I camped. Captain Tanner was real brave to camp out with me.

They really need to do something about all the bees in Fairbanks. A 26 yo young man died this summer in Fairbanks from a bee sting. If you roll down your window at a stoplight bees fly in your car. I kept my camp real clean of food because food seemed to attract them.

Thank goodness Tanner wasn't alergic to bee stings. His mother is a nurse and gave him a Benadryl and he slept. In his own bed at home with screens on the windows.