Alaska's fires

As Jill, Adrienne, and I were traveling to Fairbanks for the inauguration this weekend, we wondered what the weather would be like and if the fires that have plagued the interior would be a problem. As we grew closer to Fairbanks we began to see smoke plumes. The photographer in me could not resist stopping in a couple of places and capturing a few photos of this beautiful but destructive part of what makes Alaska unique. Please enjoy my photos but pray for the men and women who are fighting these fires, and those whose homes and livelihoods may be in harm's way.

Photo from the Eddie Burke show

Adrienne and I were on the Eddie Burke radio showon July 27, as I mentioned before. Adrienne had taken a pic, but she just emailed it to me, so I wanted to post it here.



It was a blast and I hope I get to do it again!

Happy Birthday Josh!

Josh turned 22 today! I tell you, it's been such a long road for him but I am so incredibly proud of that kid. He has had challenges in his life, and there were times that I wondered if he would ever be able to be out on his own. Josh has Aspergers, which is a high functioning form of autism, but here he is - 22, living on his own, working, being productive, and a really good kid. I am so proud of him. Enjoy some pics of my boy Josh.

Gardening, Alaska style (continued)

So, if you've read back a bit in my blog, you've seen that I have a garden. Well, I woke Saturday morning and was busy getting ready for the road trip to Fairbanks for the inauguration. My husband was going to run errands and so we said our goodbyes, and I watched him walk out the door. I started to go back to what I was doing when I noticed him walk toward my garden. I knew what that meant - carnage. Yes, that's right - the moose got into my garden. I didn't need to look because I could tell by Tony's expression it was not good. I couldn't look. I told him I refused to look, and went back to getting ready for my trip.

I haven't blogged about it because I was so upset, and was just now this evening able to actually photograph some of it so that you can see. I think I can salvage the onions and carrots, but the cabbage, beans and peas are a total loss. The zucchini is questionable. I'll let you look and decide for yourself.


BEFORE....


AFTER (UGH)



BEFORE...

AFTER (UGH, AGAIN)


On an up note, my topsy turvy tomatoes are doing quite well. Our summers are so short it's going to be a race to see if they get any size to them and start to turn red before the snow flies, but hey, gotta look on the bright side, right?? Here is my son Josh, whose 22nd birthday is today, next to my tomatoes.



A baby tomato - grow baby grow!!!!

Obamacare: It's Even Worse Than You Think

From the Weekly Standard. This is important stuff folks. Please read this carefully.

A comment from a former Hillary Clinton supporter

I was checking my mail and found a note from an individual who was responding to the story about Roses for Sarah. Please read what he had to say:

" I haven't been on this site since before the Democratic primary ended. I think the roses were a wonderful gesture, and they looked beautiful. I'm a Democrat who voted for Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary in Florida. Once Barack Obama became the nominee, I was tremendously disappointed with the Democrats. Sarah Palin was then introduced as the Republican's VP choice so I decided to listen to her at the Republican convention and I was impressed with her. I had the opportunity to attend three of her election rallies in Florida, and I admire her greatly. If she runs for office in 2012, I will (be) on board. All of the vitriol that has been thrown at her since her VP nomination must be disheartening to her, but I believe that she is a strong person, and her decision to leave office was the right one for her and for us. America needs to see more of her, not less, so I hope that Sarah Palin saturates the airwaves in the next couple of years and vanquishes her political opponents. Thank you for your support of Sarah Palin. I appreciate it."

Now, that is the power of Sarah Palin, and her message. Sometimes it's just not about right or left - it's about right or wrong.

American Thinker: Palin's Commencement Address

Here is a great article by Pamela Gellar. Pamela is the editor and publisher of the Atlas Shrugs website and former associate publisher of the New York Observer.

American Thinker: Palin's Commencement Address

Bear tales

So Adrienne and I were driving back from Fairbanks to Wasilla. Denali is about 2 hours south of Fairbanks and we had just entered the park area. We pulled over to look at some of the tourist shops, but decided to trudge on to Wasilla. As we pulled away from the tourist area, and rounded the bend near the park road, we saw a couple of vehicles pulled over.

In Alaska, those of us who live here sometimes get frustrated over the amount of traffic and slow moving RV's. I had been stuck behind this guy for a while now, and was getting a little irritated because I just wanted to get us home. He, however, was enjoying meandering through the park area, so when he slowed to a near stop, I was miffed. He pulled over to the right side of the road, but then oncoming traffic pulled over as well. Then I saw a brown mass and said to Adrienne, "must be a moose." No sooner had I said that, we both realized it was a very large brown bear. I have seen brown bears in Alaska, but always from a distance (thank goodness). This one was pretty darn close. As I pulled over, Adrienne was bouncing up and down going "where's my camera?!!!!" She was so excited it was hard not to chuckle, but I have to admit I was excited too.

This bear was busy eating cranberries and just didn't care that no less than a dozen cars had stopped to watch. I explained he did not feel threatened and would stay there as long as he felt safe, so we were able to watch him for a good 5 minutes, eating his way along the side of the road. Adrienne finally got her camera ready, and I attached my zoom lens and snapped away. Here are a couple of pics to show you what beautiful animals these are. I just wish I could tell you how big this thing was! You'll have to take my word on that. Clicking on the photo to show it's actual size will help.

Weekend thoughts

Today is Tuesday. The days have gone by like a wild and wonderful blur. I just couldn't wait for Friday so I could go to the Wasilla Picnic, then I had the opportunity to stand in the audience as Sarah Palin gave her final speech before the swearing in of Sean Parnell as Governor of Alaska. So many amazing things happened.

I had been asked by Mario from Team Sarah, quite a while ago, if I would be interested in contributing photos to the Team Sarah newsletter. I never confirmed anything with him because our republican club was busy, as was I, and I just didn't think I would have the time to commit to it. Sarah announced her resignation on July 3 and the next day our club participated in the 4th of July parade. What an honor to have the Heaths and Palins march with us in the parade. It was a moment of solidarity, of union. I felt so proud, because everyone was speculating about Sarah's next move (as they continue to do) but I just knew then, as I know now, that better things are to come and this was a GOOD thing. I am so proud of her, proud of her as a constituent should be. She made a wise choice. I have an article that I have written for Team Sarah that I wish I could post here, but it needs to come out there first. Once it does, I will bring it over or link it. I will remember this July 4 as one of the best, as it was a step in the right direction for our state and our country.

On July 3, I met Adrienne of Motivation: Truth. What an experience it has been to get to know her, and I am proud to call her a friend. I am so in awe of Adrienne. She is willing to stand up to people of her own race and tell them what she believes and why she believes it. She is like Sarah Palin. She has chosen the right path, but not the easy one. It cannot be easy to have her position, and actively (and I mean actively) stand up for what she believes in. We have no reason, no excuse, not to do the same - none of us.

I saw Sarah's parents in Fairbanks, as well as her brother Chuck Jr. They are such wonderful people. Sally is so nice, and warm. But I saw an interesting side to her that day. I have never seen her do this before, not to say that she hasn't. We were standing there talking and someone came up and told them it was time to leave and meet up with Sarah. As Chuck Sr. and Jr. started toward the picnic area, Sally saw a hater that had been walking around with a sign that said "once a quitter, always a quitter." It was almost on queue - both the Chucks went one way and Sally went the other. Sally walked right up to this guy with the sign and started challenging him - not in a bad way, but she certainly let him know how she felt about his sign. I loved it! The day of the parade Sally was really being hounded by the press and we were trying to divert them somewhat because Chuck just really has this demeanor about him like "I'm not gonna give you what you want so you can turn it around." Sally always tries to be so accommodating, but not this day. It was great to see her, in her way, tell this person that he needed to rethink things. I loved it!

What is it about Sarah Palin? Everyone asks that question. I have never seen someone so genuine. She has a presence. It's her eyes. She looks right at you when she speaks to you. She has empathy and expression. She means what she says. I can't see how those who have been in her presence cannot see this. The Katie Courics and Janine Garofalos of the world are blind. They are blind to their own agendas, tainted by the world they live in. They don't live in our world, our hard-working world.

I was on Eddie Burke's radio show yesterday and the topic of feminism came up. Women have been sold a bad bill of goods for too long. Women were objects for so many years, and still are. Those airbrushed images you see on the covers of magazines aren't real women. But neither are the women who believe that in order to be successful, you have to push aside the things that women traditionally represent. It's okay to be pretty and have a brain, that has been their motto. What do they think Sarah Palin is? She is smart, very smart. Why do they have to rake her over the coals? Any woman who feels that she has to make tons of money to be successful needs to redefine her definition of success. There is nothing more admirable than being a wife, and a mother. What a job that is. And to me, there is no greater purpose in life, no greater thing a woman, or any parent, can do than to raise good decent human beings. Look at our world right now, with all it's ills. Why should a woman not be commended for choosing to put her family first, for choosing to defend her family, for putting aside her desires so she can take care of things at home. That is feminism. That is what makes a woman a woman. Not making 100K+ a year and shoving everyone aside, including your family, on your way up the ladder.

What about abortion? Where does that fit into this equation? Again, how in the world did feminism become associated with abortion? A woman has a baby and she goes from being a woman to being a mother. She has created life, and then is charged with insuring that life has a purpose and a goal. How powerful is that?!!!! That is much more meaningful and defines success better than any award in a plaque on a wall, or bonus check from an employer. And don't even get me started on the fact that abortion is taking a life. Children are not disposable. They are not a choice. You exercised choice when you decided to create that child. Life begins at inception. Get scientific for just a moment and look up the definition of life. How can you say a fetus is not a life? You cannot. Scientifically and morally, life begins at inception. Period. Sarah Palin chose life.

But I have digressed. Sarah Palin is the real deal. Words escape me right now, which is not a good thing for a blogger to admit, but it's true. I will have more to tell about the past weekend in future posts. Stay with me, it only gets more interesting.

The week started out like any other...

The week started out like any other, but ended on a high note. I enjoy photography very much, and there is so much in Alaska to photograph. I started out taking pictures of landscapes and wildlife, but lately the subjects have been people in politics. I have had some wonderful opportunities over the past year, ever since Sarah Palin was tapped as the vice presidential candidate. Since then, I have attended picnics and parades, parties and dinners, snapping away and getting ever-so-slowly more comfortable with taking pics of people. So earlier this week when I saw that Team Sarah was going to give 1,000 roses to Sarah on her last day in office, I contacted them and offered my services.

I hadn't originally planned to attend the Inaugural festivities. They were held in Fairbanks which is a 6 hour drive from Wasilla. Things happened very quickly after that. It included conference calls, coordination, and a lot of nerves on my part. I worry about people's expectations of my photography skills, especially when my subjects are people and not landscapes. Also today, I was on the Eddie Burke show, the top radio show in Alaska. It was an amazing experience and I hope I get the opportunity to speak again. So, here I am, back from Fairbanks, writing to you after an exhausting weekend.

What I'd like to do with you now is share some of the photos from the weekend, and write more in depth in the following days. Please, don't be afraid to comment and let me know what you think. If you're new to my blog, this blog is new so stayed tuned - there is a lot more to come!

Here is the original story I wrote for Team Sarah about the delivery of 1,000 roses from Team Sarah and it's members to Sarah on her last day in office, along with photos. Enjoy!

UPDATE:When I first posted this, I had not had the opportunity to share some photos with you. I have added additional photos from Bassett Army Community Hospital, which you will see below. I just received permission from the hospital commander to publish these photos on the web, so I would like to share them with you now. They are photos of two new mothers with their babies, as well as a photo of the husband and children of a woman who was sick and could not be photographed. Again, all families were so happy to receive the flowers.

I want to assure everyone again that Gov. Palin was given a special bouquet (photo below) and was aware that 1,000 roses were donated by Team Sarah and it's members. A card was delivered to Gov. Palin with the flowers, and an envelope with a list of the names of all who donated was also given to her mother who was going to forward it to her. Her staff made sure that Sarah's special bouquet was retrieved and they took it with them. Again, the family was very pleased that the flowers were donated, as is her tradition.

Here is the original article:

Several Team Sarah members met in Fairbanks, Alaska today in order to insure that Team Sarah’s roses were delivered to Sarah Palin. Gale Skaugstad of Fairbanks met with Sally and Chuck Heath (Sarah’s parents), and Chuck Heath Jr. As the governor was serving food to her fellow Alaskans (as is tradition), Gale handed an envelope to Sally which contained a note about the flowers as well as all of the names of the donators, which Sally said she would give to Sarah. As Gale and I spoke to Sally and Chuck and told them about the flowers, Chuck asked what was happening to the flowers after the ceremony. We let them know that we were donating them to Basset Army Community Hospital on Ft. Wainwright (which is where Sarah’s son’s striker brigade is home-based), as well as the Pioneer Home, a home for seniors in the area. Sally and Chuck were very pleased that the flowers would go to these facilities, which has always been Sarah’s tradition in the past.

The floral shop Arctic Florist and it’s owner, Hoa Brickley, did an absolutely fantastic job of preparing the roses. Hoa made several vases with flowers, including a special vase for Sarah Palin. There were also many, many presentation bundles that were available. Sarah Palin’s bouquet consisted of red and black velvet roses with greenery and baby’s breath in a white vase with blue and gold (Alaska’s colors) ribbon.

Gale, Jill Frost and I were allowed into Sarah’s dressing room to place her personal bouquet of roses on her dressing table, along with a card from Team Sarah. We helped to make sure the room looked good and then left, hoping that Sarah would see the flowers when she was changing between the picnic and inauguration ceremonies. The rest of roses in presentation bundles were lined along the fenced walkway that Sarah and the other dignitaries walked along to go to the podium. It was really quite a display, and I heard many people comment on how beautiful all of the flowers were.

After the ceremony, we began to gather the roses in order to donate them. We ran into one of Sarah’s staffers who had been asked to retrieve the roses from Sarah’s dressing room, along with the card, before the rest of the roses were taken away. We were assured by Sarah’s staffer that Sarah did indeed appreciate the flowers, and did read the card. She was making sure that Sarah’s special bouquet was taken with her.

The remaining flowers were loaded, and we headed to Bassett Army Community Hospital on Ft. Wainwright. We met with Colonel Ron Stephens, Commander of the hospital, and Colonel Pearl Krehlan, Deputy Commander of Nursing. Gale and I were introduced to two new, first time, young military moms in the hospital who had just given birth. We also met a mother of 10 children who was sick and her family was so happy to receive the flowers for her. There were many smiles and the families were so appreciative as we presented each of them with a personal bouquet of flowers from Team Sarah and Sarah Palin.

There are so many people to thank for their assistance in this. We saw many, many bouquets that I’m not sure ever made it to Sarah, so we were very pleased that Team Sarah was able to show Sarah how much we appreciate her on such a special day. Thanks to all Team Sarah members for making this possible.

Please enjoy the photos here, and see my page for additional photos from the day.



















See my page for additional photos from the day.

Wasilla, Alaska Governor's Picnic

It has been an amazing month in Alaska. Actually it has been an amazing year. It is just shy of a year ago that Sarah Palin announced her run as the VP. Wasilla has been sort of different since that time. We have seen press come, and go, and come back again. I've been stopped by well-wishers from the lower 48 asking for directions to her house. I have met some wonderful people from our state and outside, and some not so nice people too.

Yesterday was the first of 3 picnics in Alaska that the governor has every year. The first took place in Wasilla, her home town. What a crowd that was! I had offered to take pictures for the Wasilla Chamber of Commerce and was able to speak to some of the staffers and get access to take photos. It was amazing to see the throngs of people, some a bit frantic, trying to inch their way closer to her.

She is quite a woman. You see in the papers how some celebrities deal with paparazzi. It doesn't always end well. I have never been in close proximity when a celebrity was mobbed, until yesterday. It was humbling to see what attention she receives. I just don't know if I could deal with all of that, and it certainly takes a special person to be able to. And think about her staff - I can't imagine there is any staffer in any of the other 50 states (even California with their celebrity governor) that has to deal with what Sarah Palin's staff does. I saw her schedulers and planners and directors holding back throngs of people as the state troopers escorted her from one area of the picnic to the other. To say it is difficult to get to her is an understatement, but that is not why I write this.

The haters have had so many negative things to say about her. I was speaking to a Sarah supporter just this morning and he asked me, "Why do you think so many people have so many negative things to say about her, even her personality? She seems so genuine." He was right on target with that. She is the real deal. So many people have speculated so many times about her intentions, especially most recently with her resignation. Sarah doesn't do anything without thinking it through, I can assure you of that. But that does not mean she has an untoward agenda. She is as warm and bright as she seems. She is real, genuine, just like you and me. She loves her God, her family, her state, and her country. She also loves to serve. I know that is why she is so loved, and hated. Those who do not have that kind of devotion to anything will never understand her. But who is everyone talking about right now? Romney? Huckabee? No, it's Sarah. I can't wait to see what's next!

Please, enjoy my pics from the Wasilla Governor's Picnic. I will be out of touch for a bit as I travel 6 hours to Fairbanks for the grand finale tomorrow, and I will have more pics to show. Thanks and let me know what you think!