No Doubt that's Mt. Redoubt

It was a wear your pajamas outside kind of day!

Big RED

Nice spawning Kenai Sockeye caught & released by a Jimmie Jack fishing guide. Almost looks fake.

Kenai Edge

The mouth of the Kenai River

The picnic table only has bench seats on the safe side.

Erosion, earthquake or shakey legs...I wasn't getting close to the edge. Nice view from a little out of the way park I found in Old Town Kenai.

One Last Breakfast

After 88 days in a row cooking breakfast & making lunches and all the other things a lodge momma does I HAVE A WEEK OFF!!!

A week to go to the valley to visit family & friends!

The job isn't over til the end of the month tho. The last guests left this morning and a group is coming in the 18th so I need to get a jump on that. Plus we are already improving for next year. And I want to wrap the lodge up since I will be the one unwrapping.

I am looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow. Then taking a leisurely road trip off the Kenai with frozen halibut, sockeye and cohos on board.

Come along for the ride!

Caribou, Eagle & Ducks

Hung out with a few Common Mergansers, G-U-11s and the American Bald Eagle on the Kenai River this afternoon fishing for silvers. Two days in row I caught fish!

This is the last week of semi-busy at the lodge. Its been a great summer, and now there is time for me to go fishing, too.

The leaves are starting to turn and the caribou are on the move. Great time to be silver fishing and stock up for the winter. I believe September 1st, the limit goes up to 3 a day, on the Kenai.

Sunday Fly-In

7am check-in at the float plane dock as it was just getting light. This was a trip our guests enjoyed all summer. So today we all went on the trip with Alaska West Air.

Jimmy Jack, his wife Rosie, Jacob behind me, Catdaddy and Big Jim. The plane is a 1958 Otter.

The pilot got to where we could see this BIG bull moose out the plane window.

Bears like to fish, too. We gave this guy lots of space!

On the way back from being dropped off for the day to fish for silvers our pilot flew us over the glacier.

I certainly enjoyed this trip and now I know why our guests came back so wide-eyed and humbled by our great state of Alaska.

And yes I tipped!

Fish Fests

The Kenai Peninsula is all about the FISH!!!

River Scenes

That is Mt. Redoubt in the distance. The volcano you can see directly across from the lodge.

This puppy was having too much fun on the river.

This was a spawned out king salmon still swimming up the river to die at his place of birth.

Silvers Anyone?

Here is my first silver of the day. Everyone on board limited out. Not only was the fishing great the weather was perfect. Thanks boss for taking me fishing!

Waiting for our boats to pick us was this little girl dressed and ready. Shortly after we got our poles in the water I saw her hook in to a coho (silver) salmon and fight it to the end! I was too happy for her to pull out my camera. We all clapped & cheered when her grandpa netted her first SS of the day.

Bountiful day on the Kenai river!

Becky's Garden

I am so lucky to have my friend Becky down here on the Kenai. She used to live in Valdez when I met her and we have been friends since. She is an awesome artist and her house and yard are amazing.



The perfect place for me to go unwind from the lodge.

Her pool shows how much rain we had in the last few days. It has been one wet August so far.

These are her white delphiniums she planted years ago for her daughters wedding.

And here is Becky with her humongus cauliflower.

Camper Power

"Funny River or Bust"

There really is a Funny River. Its a tributary that empties into the Kenai River.

It wasn't a bust!

Do Not Wash

Mt. Redoubt showing through the clouds.

This guest was sporting his lucky fishing shirt today. Another nice group of fisherpeople staying at the lodge from Colorado, Washington state, California and St. Louis. Happy to be catching halibut, Kings and Sockeye salmon.

Good time of year to be in Alaska.

Gary Superman for Borough Mayor

If I was a registered Kenai voter I would cast my mayoral vote for Mr. Superman!

Alaskans Dipnetting the Kenai

Any Alaskan resident with 2 arms and 2 legs AND that can get off work will be hitting the Kenai this week. With a record run of sockeye salmon this year there will plenty to go around the state's table and the world. A half a million fish are estimated to have stampeded the Kenai River in the last 48 hours. The run could last a week. So throw down your pole and pick up a dipnet. If you are an Alaskan resident that is.

Feather Beach

The beach out in front of the lodge. Some friends who came to visit found agates. I found a seagull feather sticking up out of the rocks.

Million Dollar Pool

Out the north road on the Kenai Spur Hwy in the small town of Nikiski is a beautiful pool. When they built it back in the early eighties it cost a million dollars. Well worth every penny in todays dollars. Bought a punch card and went swimming in it for the first time today. No, I didn't go down the slide. One of these days I'll get a wild hair. Maybe.

Halibut in the Raw

One of the guests of the lodge this week is fishing all day then cooking, or not cooking his catch I should say. The above plate is halibut cheeks, freshly caught today, sliced thin with a little wasabi paste for a delectable treat. Halibut sushi at its freshest best.

No Moose is an Island

Letting off some Steam

The clouds cleared this morning for a bit and showed a clear view of Mt. Redoubt. Looks like she was spewing some steam, too. The lodge has been busy and I'm getting in the swing of things again. I am happy to have help this year and Jimmie is very organized. The clients are catching fish and having a real good time. Lots of fathers and sons, of all ages, having the time of their lives catching fish, bringing it back to the lodge and grilling it. I make them breakfast and send them off with a lunch but they are on their own for dinner. Which is nice for me as well as for them and the local restaurants. I have not had a chance to go fishing yet but I'm sure I'll be able to wet a line soon!

Kenai Moose

I've relocated to the Kenai Penninsula for the summer again. Got my old job back as Lodge Momma at Jimmie Jacks Fishing Lodge. He called me the other day so thats why I haven't blogged in a few days. Packed up and headed down to the Kenai. Got here last night and stayed with a friend and she told me about this cow moose that looked part pinto/albino like. First thing this morning, driving out the the lodge, I spotted the strange colored cow with her normal hued calves. My friend was happy to hear she was still alive and had twins with her. She hadn't seen her since early spring.

I'll be changing my header soon now that I'm no longer in Palmer. I'm looking forward to a fun summer of fishing, taking pictures and cooking on the Kenai.