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.
Its not every day at the lodge that a cabover camper pulling a homemade meat trailer pulls up to check in. Drove all the way from Colorado, too.
Took this picture the other day from upstairs in the lodge. Where the campers will be staying this week. Last week of King fishing on the Kenai. It closes the 31st.
Thats Mt. Redoubt across Cook Inlet and a moose that made a visit to the lodge today.
The freezers are filling up here at Jimmie Jacks crew's quarters. The freezer up top is halibut proccessed by Snug Harbor Seafoods. The one below holds bait and red salmon fillets vacuumed packed by one of the guides.
Next year I will have my canning equipment here and can Kenai River reds. They're not Copper River but a reds a red. I will find the time! 
If I was a registered Kenai voter I would cast my mayoral vote for Mr. Superman!
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.
This is how they launch halibut fishing boats in Cook Inlet...with loaders. I am pretty sure that is Mt. Augustine in the background. Took these pictures from the beach near the Anchor River.
My friends' new farm kitty resting on an Arctic Cat snowmachine runner was just too cute to resist!
My Norton anti-virus subscription ran out and prevented me from going on-line. Sounds to me like Norton is the virus. With no bank account and not being able to go on-line I went to Walmart and bought Norton and woolah! Back on-line!
Took this picture the other day, out the window, downstairs at the lodge. Its always an awesome day when you can see what Mt. Redoubt, an active volcano, is doing.
So far July has been as jammed packed as you can get it. When I am not flipping the lodge, greeting new guests/saying goodbye to old, cooking, making lunches and shopping I am going FISHING every chance I can get. Which happened the day after the 4th of July weekend.
It was the most beautiful day yet. A little foggy near land where they launch the boat near Deep Creek. It is really cool how they do it. A loader backs the stern of the boat while on the trailer into the water til the jet engines are started for take off to the fishing grounds. NO DOCK!
Everybody climbs on board up the ladders. With us this trip with Capatain Frank and his deckhand Charlie were my boss Jimmie Jack and his wife Rosy, 2 guests at the lodge from Brazil who are filming a documentary on Alaska and me.
Here is Jimmie Jack pulling up an 100# halibut all caught on camera.
Jimmie Jack ruled the boat that day with the 2 biggest fish when he added a 70 pounder to the box as the last fish caught. My two were much smaller like the one at their feet.
This is the Brazilian reporter talking to his cameraman while holding the halibut. Quite dramatic but it makes for good tv. 
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.
Fish are jumping on the Kenai and Jimmie Jacks Lodge has a full house booked through July. The white board below shows who goes where and when on any given day. My idea. Helps me a lot because even though guests are given a folder with their itinerary (and most questions answered) when they arrive I guess most don't actually read them and there is no way I'm going to remember. Heck, by the time they leave I remember their name. If they tip I'm 100% sure of it.
The boss took the whole crew out for Mexican food and gave us cool new jackets. I had the chili relenos. They asked if I wanted it beef or chicken. I always thought they were just cheese and a sauce. I chose beef and it hit the spot.
The lodge is getting busier. Will have 16 guests by Tuesday. 9 arrived today. 4 for breakfast at 3:30 am leaving for halibut fishing at 4am to get to Ninilchik by 5. 2 for breakfast at 6:10 for a 7am check-in on the Kasilof and 3 for an 8am breakfast for a halibut charter leaving at 10:30 for an 11:30 check-in. Means I'm up at sunrise at 2:30am or will that be sunset?
The view from upstairs at Jimmie Jacks Lodge. There is a fire pit out there with neatly stacked wood with fire starter in bins in the old boat. Nice place to sit and watch the sunset. With summer solstice almost upon us I am asleep well before the sun sets. Since I'm the breakfast cook I'm up rattling pots and pans in the kitchen at 4am. Easy to do since its light out. Hard part is going to bed when the sun is shining.
Photo taken by David Drake
One of the guides took this picture today floating a drift boat down the Kasilof river. I've taken this trip before. No motors allowed. Quiet and peaceful with lots of wildlife and King salmon!
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.
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!
This is my all time favorite sushi. When I think of all the salmon skin I have thrown away and I could have just fried it to a crisp and snacked on it all day long. This is a plate of salmon skin sushi from I Luv Sushi in Anchorage. I treated myself, my niece and grand-nephew to sushi on my way down to the Kenai. Jimmie Jacks' wife Rosy makes sushi and hers was the first salmon skin sushi I tried 2 years ago. Been addicted ever since!
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.
At the end of Knik River road is the Knik River Lodge. Their restaurant is a yurt with a view.
On the way we passed by this. I thought the van was on fire at first then thought maybe the van was a smokehouse. I really have no idea what it is.
Stopped and asked this guy if he was catching any Dolly Varden and watched him fish for a bit. They were only taking his bait...not his hook. 
