Ground House

There is this house in Palmer on Alaska Street. I asked around and all I could find out is its been there a long time. My guess is they built the basement first and never finished building up.

The entrance is on back side with an above ground garage.

Whats really cool is this beautiful greenhouse area they built last summer right next to their in the ground house.

Hay!!

Spring time hay in bales that were stored in breathable bags for the winter.

Time is Hopping Along

I leave for Yakutat in less than a week now. I'm glad I will be here for Easter Sunday. My roomie is having a big Easter Egg hunt. I've been busy helping him get the house and yard ready, planning the menu and coloring the eggs. Grabbed this post/picture out of the Archives from over 4 years ago.

One Man Show

This guys been hanging out on the corner of the Palmer/Wasilla and Glenn Hwy for the past week. He's a one man show.

Ice Chest "Alaska Style"

Til the Cows Come Home

I got an exciting new job for the summer! I will be living, working, fishing and blogging from Yakutat!

Its a fishing town on the North Gulf Coast of Alaska. I fly out from Anchorage on the 26th of this month. I'm leaving my van at a friends house in Anchorage with my studded snow tires on. No sense in changing them over since I won't be back til October.

I'm glad I got a job and will be off on a new adventure! Come along for the ride!

Palmer Mowers

With spring upon us its time to spruce up the yards. These guys are every where doing a damn good job!

$Beautiful Bowl$

I rented a room in an old house close to downtown Palmer (with indoor plumbing) and made the salad for dinner in this beautiful hand-carved wooden bowl. The artist engraved his name on the bottom so I did a little research on him.

From the Modern Times website:

George W. Federoff Inlaid Wood Bowl

USA c. 1950s

This unique hand carved wood bowl has inlays of walrus and mastadon ivory in the handles and ladels. It was made by George W. Federoff b. 1906 St. Petersburg, Russia.

In 1947 George moved to Sitka, Alaska as an artist employed by the Dept of Interior assigned to reinvigorate the interest of native craft. His work there inspired him to the forms and materials of the culture, and after six years he resigned his position and became an independent craftsman, working from his home in Sitka. His tools were mostly handmade, keeping with the historical tradition. He did also use power tools, but sparingly.

"The subtle variations of form and surfaces are often destroyed by pure mechanical process."

Aside from the distinctive forms, his inlay of walrus and mastadon ivory was a unique revival in native handmade woodware. By the late 1950s his work was shown in several permanent museum collections, the Museum of Contemporary Craft, NY and a prize winning exhibition at the Walker Arts Center in MN.

This beautiful bowl is priceless and museum quality. The salad was a simple head lettuce, tomatoes, Best Food mayo and black ground pepper variety.

"Buy Pie"

Across from the Alaska State Fairgrounds outside of Palmer on the Glenn Hwy sits the Noisy Goose Cafe. I've passed by here many times and finally today stopped in to have a burger. I wasn't dissappointed. The burger was great and the beer-battered fries complimented the jalapeno burger well. I like dipping my fries in a side of tartar sauce. The decor is Alaskana with friendly waitresses. One said "no pictures allowed" as I was snapping pictures then laughingly said she was joking. My only regret was after my delicious burger and fries I had no room for pie. I will have to go back another time for a sampling of their homemade pies and desserts. Just like the bear in window says "Buy Pie".

Last Day Cabbing

Got fed up and called it quits today. Jumped ship before I went down with it. Can't make a living when I'm having to pay for gas out of pocket. I did enjoy driving taxi, met a lot of cool people and learned my way around the valley. No regrets. I will change my header tomorrow after my job interview.

Will Work For French Fries

I bet this guy made more money than I did today. I thought I was doing bad at +$17.00 (after a 12 hr shift) when another cabbie told me she was at -$13.00!

One good thing about not moving around much today is I didn't need a lot of gas to fill up. And since its warmer I shut the car off instead of idling.

Fishtaxi's Coffee Unit

This is my makeshift galley in my one room cabin. Got me a hotplate to boil the water to pour over the fresh ground whole beans. I chose the Outhouse Blend (for some reason) roasted by the Alaska Coffee Roastery. On work days I make my first mugup to go right in the cup. While cabbing around I fill up my mug at the Tesoro station. They give cops and cabbies their coffee for free if you bring your own mug.

Take A Ride To Wal-Mart In My Cab With Me

Duck Walk

Snapped this pic today of Mallard ducks crossing a field. Beautiful, gorgeous spring day in the valley. Actually, all weekend was nice. They are calling for snow late in the week but it will be a wet snow with highs in the upper 30s. My 30th Alaskan winter is about to be in the past. Made it through another one!

Puppy Love

A fellow cabbie raises and sells pure bred Jack Russell Terriers. He's got the mom and the dad. I would love to have a dog but with my lifestyle I choose not to. Also, at $600 a whack way out of my price range. Still, the puppies are adorable and he's finding good homes for them. Check them out on AlaskaList.com. He's the guy in Palmer.

Cabbies need to have a second income lately. Pickings are poor, too many drivers on shift and the meter reads the same as gas prices soar.

I'm sticking with it while job hunting. Summer is coming and opportunities are bound to arise.

Gas today: $3.98 a gallon

Slow the "?\~/#@*\|" DOWN

I like how bluntly this sign says it.

OL'55

Sarah McLachlan's version of Tom Waits "OL'55".

This is the City

Sunrise this morning driving into Wasilla. It was my Friday today!

Cute Couple

Road Home

Took these pictures at around 7:30pm before day-light savings time took effect last night. With the day light getting longer 5-6 minutes a day there is no need to spring ahead in Alaska. I wish my state would do away with it like Hawaii and Arizona.

Moose Breakfast

Early this morning I went back to the yard to trade cars because the one I was driving the rear view mirror fell off. I must be getting stronger from splitting and hauling wood in. All I did was adjust it. Some windshield glass came off with it. On my way I spotted this fat calf eating breakfast. I knew the momma had to be close by. And there she was on the other side of the road.

She sure looked lean and skinny. While her calf looked fat and happy.

All the cars were gone from the yard so I drove the rest of day with no rear view mirror. Just used my side mirrors and the eyes in the back of my head.

Goodbye Snow, Hello High Gas Prices

Two trips to Palmer on this beautiful spring like day. No wind! It was time to remove the piles of snow in the old Carrs/Safeway parking lot. A new store opened across the street.

Today was my Monday and in my last 2 days off gas went up 4 cents a gallon. This is starting to be old hat.

Where the Pavement Ends

After driving a cab all day I do not mind a leisurely drive home. Past this point there isn't a lot of traffic. Just beautiful scenery. The 15 minutes it takes me to get home, at 25mph, is relaxing.

On my day off today I scrounged up some egg cartons to make Girl Scout firestarters. I already had a bag of chips leftover from last summer so all I needed was parrafin to buy. These are lifesavers for inside or outside fires. All you do is pour the melted wax in the chip filled egg cartons and let cool.

Happiness is a full woodbox. I'm learning the tricks of heating with wood. I've got a cord of mixed spruce, dry and green birch. Also have lots of birch bark available as the landlords sell wood ($200 a cord) and have a hydraulic splitter.

The firestarters save me from chopping kindling. Once I get the fire started with the starters, some birch bark and spruce I add a couple green birch logs and close the damper down. This banks the fire for 6-8hrs. I bank it full when I leave for work in the morning and 14 hrs later I come home to a semi-warm cabin with a few coals still burning.

Many Moons

Notice the moon shining through the trees and the solar powered lamp. Handy at night.

The Real McCoy

This guy has a good show. A real CABOOSE in his yard!

Empty Nest

A little over a month ago this nest was active with 3 mature eagles guarding and feeding their young. Certainly a sign of spring now that they are gone.

New York Drivin'

As I was leaving the Wasilla HS pool tonight a fireworks show was going on in the distance on the lake. A lot is happening in the valley Sunday. Saw many Iditarod mushers transporting their dogs on the Parks Hwy today. The official restart, after the cerimonial start in Anchorage Saturday, is in Willow Sunday. Last year 17,000 people showed up and most will drive right through Wasilla to get there. Sunday is going to be a lot of fun being a cabbie. I'm going to have to do some New York drivin'.

Later Days

Took this picture on my way home tonight about 7:15pm. Over 11 hours of daylight now!

Came home and started a fire and got this little place toasty warm in no time. In fact I'm thinking about cracking a window. Come on spring!

Sticker shock at the pumps today: $3.84 a gallon!?!?!

Across the Little Su

Found me a little cabin in the woods across the Little Susitna river. Its a dry cabin meaning no water. The rent is cheap and electricity is included. Heat is a cute little woodstove and theres an outhouse of my own. My GCI mobile wireless works here as well as my AT&T iPhone. I now live about 20 miles from the taxi yard on a farm with cattle, horses, a hundred birds, 3 dogs and 2 cats. Nice folks that sell fresh eggs. Did I mention chickens?

Gas Hurts

I think I make pretty good money til I go to the pumps. Gas has gone up 2 bits since I started cabbing Jan 18th. OUCH!!!