A Stitch In Time

Busy with my RV rambles this summer, I haven’t written much about spinning or knitting. It was enough to just keep busy. To keep my mind off Covid-19, other health concerns, finances, relationships, work and the future in general. Call it escaping, denial, or whatever you like. Everyone finds their own ways to cope.

I put in a lot of time this summer behind the wheel of my RV, which I find remarkably enjoyable. I love driving down the highway, listening to the radio and singing along. Fortunately, the dachshunds don’t seem to mind. 😉

🎵🎶🎵 “I got to keep rollin’ …

Those windshield wipers slappin’ out a tempo,

Keepin’ perfect rhythm with the song on the radio,

But I got to keep rollin’ …

Ooh, I’m drivin’ my life away, lookin’ for a better way for me

Ooh, I’m drivin’ my life away, lookin’ for a sunny day …” 🎵🎶🎵

Song by Eddie Rabbitt

Have I mentioned I have a terrible singing voice? Alone in a big RV is about the only time I can really belt ‘em out. 🎵🎶🎵

I honestly haven’t done a lot of spinning since finishing my “Sky Blue Pink Turning Yellow in the Moonlight” yarn last spring. This colorful sport-weight, 3-ply yarn has yet to tell me what it wants to become, so it sits, skeined and resting, in a box in my bedroom – carefully stored out of cat AND dog reach.

Everyone knows that cats like to play with yarn … but dogs? Really? Who knew?

Remind me to regale you sometime with the story (from many years ago) of how our dachshund, Baxter (currently age 10, in spite of his antics), chewed up, destroyed and partially ingested an absolutely lovely skein of hand-spun, lace-weight Qiviut yarn. Seriously, if I hadn’t been so worried about him dying from swallowing the yarn – I might’ve just killed him myself! Ack!

The guilty party and what was left of the qiviut yarn after I pulled it out from the back of his kennel.

But I digress …

This spring and summer, during my rambles, I did find plenty of time for knitting. I always do. It relaxes me and is the perfect accompaniment to a good Audible book.

I had fun working in fits and starts last May on a scarf out of some funky, bouncy, acrylic-mix yarn someone gifted me with. I’m hoping one of my grandchildren (or great-grands?) will decide the bulky-knit rainbow is a fun accent piece. We’ll see. At least it’s washable. 😉

Next, I knitted Jerry a charcoal-colored ribbed sock hat from Shetland wool I had in my stash. I’d include a photo, but he seems to have already managed to LOSE it. Sigh. Note to self; IF I knit him anything else, it will be very bright, primary colors! Again … Ack! (It’ll probably show up somewhere. Maybe I should check Baxter’s kennel?)

In the mood by mid-summer for knitting something that simply felt good in my hands, I went through my stash and found several skeins of a thoroughly luscious, 50% Alpaca, 50% Peruvian wool blend yarn.

I really like how the reversible pattern turned out – and it’s wonderfully soft. 💙 I think this is my favorite side. What do you think?

In fact, I enjoyed knitting this [admittedly simple] pattern so much, I pulled out a couple of skeins of the same alpaca blend in different colors and am working on (probably) a Christmas gift. 💜

Rhonda enjoys “helping” me knit. At least she doesn’t eat the yarn! Almost done with this reversible soft purple and heather-gray smoke ring.

I’m debating what project to start next … and a little bummed that I’ll likely be knitting it stationary, since my allotted travel time is, by necessity, coming to an end with the changing of the seasons.

Or maybe it’s time to set the spinning wheel back up and dream of next summer while I spin this winter’s yarn.

Autumn Golds, Reds … and the Blues

I left home last Wednesday with the firm intention of driving north until I found the beautiful golds, yellows, oranges and reds that herald fall in Alaska. Fall would, hands down, be my favorite season of the year – IF it wasn’t invariably followed so darn closely by a cold, dark, often dismal winter.

There were only light touches of yellows and golds in the trees around the Mat-Su Valley where I live, but I found myself becoming depressed every time I glimpsed a bit of gold among the otherwise green branches, or noticed yellow leaves beginning to carpet the forest floor.

I’m not ready for winter, and these little signs of fall were taunting harbingers of what is coming. It was time to become proactive. I just wanted to get it over with. Besides, face it – fall is beautiful! 🍁

So I headed north, intent on courting the very thing I’d been both looking forward to and dreading here at home. FALL COLORS!

I’d heard it had snowed in Denali already and one look at the weather forecast showed there had been sufficient nights below freezing (32F) to have the change in season we’ll underway at higher altitudes.

I’d been following my weather apps closely, waiting until the last possible moment to decide when and which direction to head. I wanted at least a fair chance at blue skies to best contrast with newly snow-dusted mountain tops. Sunshine would also offer the best photo ops for brilliant yellow and gold foliage.

Finally, the weather looking auspicious, I told Jerry to pack his bag – it was time to go! The four of us; me, Jer, Baxter & Rhonda, loaded “Roada” up with food, extra blankets, boots, winter coats and wool hats and headed for Denali National Park to feast on fall colors.

The beautiful views started well before we reached DNP. We were sure glad we’d added our winter coats (1st time we’ve needed them this year). Check out the “termination dust” on the mountains as we neared the foothills of the Alaska Range.

This dusting of snow wasn’t here just a few days ago!

Although skies were blue when we left home, clouds had rolled in, partially obscuring the sun, by the time we arrived at Trapper Creek, where we spent our first night. The forecast indicated it would clear again the following day and *should* be sunny, if not warm, for several days to come. Fingers crossed.

Thursday morning dawned clear and sparkling blue. We were on the road again shortly after 9:00 am, eager for our first glimpses of yellow and orange dappled trees and the signature red underbrush that [partly] makes up for Alaska’s lack of maple trees. It wasn’t long before we were rewarded.

We spent quite a while twiddling our thumbs sitting at a construction zone just beyond K’esugi Ken Campground. I took the opportunity to start teaching our youngest how to drive the RV, much to the flagger’s delight. 😉

Ronni drives during a construction zone break.

Once we actually entered Denali NP and headed up the park road towards our camping destination at Savage River Campground, 17 miles inside the park, the scenery went rather abruptly from really pretty to OMG fantastic. I haven’t been down the Park road in nearly 15 years and had totally forgotten how astounding it was.

Be sure to enlarge these mountain and valley shots – the thumbnail pics don’t do them justice! 🦅

Our single night at Savage River campground was unforgettable. Not only was the drive in beautiful, but it snowed on us while we were camped there! To add a little heart palpitation to our stay, I did not fully anticipate the temps dropping to around 20F and hadn’t topped off Roada’s propane tank … it was blinking under 1/3rd full when we went to bed.

  • The road to Savage River.

To (hopefully) make sure we didn’t run out overnight, we turned the furnace down to 50F and piled on the blankets. The furnace DID go into auto-shutdown when it got below 1/4 tank at 6am, but fortunately it was willing to manually start back up, giving us another couple of hours of warmth. The dachshunds were appreciative.

We were precariously close to empty when we finally found a propane supplier and filled up outside the park later that day. I won’t make that mistake again.

On the way out of the Park, I refocused my camera from the awe-inspiring mountain vistas to the fall foliage closer at hand.

It’s hard to beat autumn in Denali National Park, with its myriad of moods, mountains, flora and fauna. It reminded me how very much I love fall.

But I must say, these last shots of Denali, taken from the small town of Talkeetna, Alaska, were truly breathtaking. It isn’t often you are gifted with a completely unobstructed view of “the Great One“, Denali, along with the entire Alaska Range, even when you live here – much less several days in a row!

Thank you, Mother Nature, for offering me such a memorable four days of sheer beauty. I’m all better now!

  • Denali
  • The Susitna River, Talkeetna, AK

I Should Live By The Ocean

The gently rolling, almost hypnotic motion of incoming waves, even within the boundaries of a quiet (for now) bay, eases my mind and soothes my soul.

It’s morning on Resurrection Bay in Seward, Alaska. Taking Ronni for a morning walk in this setting is anything but a chore.

Morning on Resurrection Bay

To my left, towards the harbor end of the bay, the rising sun silvers the surface of the water, highlighting a small fishing vessel.

To my right is the wide, still fog enveloped mouth of the bay, hiding the mysteries and wonders of the spectacular Kenai Fjords and Pacific Ocean beyond.

I’ve yet to take one of the Marine & Wildlife boat tours – this year doesn’t seem like the best time – but I watch longingly as boat after boat head out to sea for half-day or full-day excursions. Maybe next year.

Listening to the soft wash of wavelets caressing the shore, with the occasional set of robust, white-crested rollers splashing against the rocks due to the wake of passing boats, is relaxing beyond measure.

Add days when sunshine glints off the always moving water like diamonds or a sudden squall sheets across the great expanse like a curtain, leaving rainbows in its wake. The mood of the ocean, even this small bit of ocean, is ever-changing.

Just minutes ago, I watched a good-sized silvery fish break the surface not far from shore, flopping wildly … followed almost immediately by the sleek body of a pursuing sea lion. Wow!

Earlier today, I followed the antics of a pair of sea otters as they drifted with the incoming tide, periodically diving beneath the surface to hunt or play.

I could sit here all day, mesmerized by the sea, but Miss Rhonda is angling for yet another walk, so I guess I’ll finish this up later.

Ronni finds a jellyfish!
I see a sea gull!
Wishing the sea otter would come closer …
Rock hunting?

I seem to spend most of my time focused on the water, but the mountains on the near side of the bay are equally enchanting in their own way.

The waterfront campground is situated between the bay and the small town of Seward, with more of the massive Kenai Mountain range looming behind the town.

My view towards the mouth of the bay. There are advantages to having the very last campsite along the waterfront. No one blocks your view!
Yes! It’s a sea lion!
Living the dream … ⛵️

The sun is setting on my last full day in Seward, Alaska, and with it I am starting to wind down my last “planned” trip of the summer 2020 season (“planned” being a relative term 😉).

I think, more than anything, I’m grateful to have the means to get out and travel safely in what is otherwise a pretty constrictive time.

I have very little contact with other campers, and always at a distance. And yet, in a campground setting, there is a sense of community. I’m going to miss that when the time comes (and it’s going to come way too soon!) to winterize “Roada” and put her to bed for the winter.

Then again, I still have to pack up tomorrow and drive home … it looks like it’s going to be a pretty day for a drive!

Rainy Days and Wednesdays

RV travel suits me right down to the ground. And although I don’t mind rainy days, I’m optimistically hoping for a long “Indian summer” this year. I’m not at all ready to hang my keys up for the winter.

I awoke early this morning to an entirely different view out my bedroom window from what I went to sleep to. The mist-filtered morning light showed fog over the bay and clouds draped in an open, lacy pattern over the shoulders of the mountains on the far side. A fishing boat was drifting by, heading out to sea for the day. What a way to start the day.

As the morning progressed, I caught my first sea otter sighting and something larger slightly further out – probably a stellar sea lion, but I’m not sure.

Ronni and I went for a late morning walk, sticking mainly to the long, winding walkway conveniently provided along the shoreline.

As Ronni cheerfully investigated the grass on either side of the walkway and made the acquaintance of a bouncy, egg-headed bull terrier, I enjoyed watching the mists drop and lift, offering brief peeks of the towering mountains on either side of the bay.

The “ceiling” was rapidly dropping though, so once Rhonda had completed her morning business, we took the hint and headed back to the RV.

As the expected rain started up after lunch, I settled in with my current knitting project and a good Audible book. I’m working on an alpaca smoke ring – a misty blue color that suits my current surroundings and should go nicely with my dark blue down winter coat.

The pattern is a simple one, meant to be reversible. I haven’t decided yet which side I like better. What do you think?

Alpaca smoke ring – about half completed.

Rhonda settled in for an afternoon of people-watching out the front window from the comfort of the swivel passenger chair. She’s proven to be a [mostly] polite and fairly quiet travel companion, even when joggers and dog-walkers pass by. She WILL promptly announce anyone actually approaching the door though, which is absolutely fine with me. 👍🏼

My afternoon was briefly interrupted by a very welcome (appropriately socially distant) visit from a pair of “Internet friends”, Ben and Rebecca Pazdernik, who call Seward home when they aren’t off adventuring in their awesome, big, on-and-off-road 4×4 RV.

I’ve been following Ben and Rebecca’s Outliers Overlander YouTube vlog (video blog) for years, here in Alaska, across the lower 48 and off into other countries, so I feel like I’ve known them for ages. It was fun getting to meet them both “in real time”. Miss Rhonda immediately recognized fellow dog-lovers, of course, and was her usual charming self.

Check out their videos – if you like Alaskan travels (or Canada, Mexico or anyplace in-between), you’ll quickly get hooked on their honest, informative and entertaining escapades. Several of my more off the beaten path Alaskan adventures have been inspired by their videos.

I may not be capable of 4-wheeling off into the wilderness, but within “Roada’s” abilities, I’ve discovered many beautiful and lesser-known camping areas I might never otherwise have seen.

As the rain continues to fall today, I’ve been grateful for my cozy, warm RV. I have plenty of rainy day options; reading, writing, knitting, spinning and working jigsaw puzzles being high on my list.

This 1,000 piece puzzle has proven to be a challenge, but I’m making progress!

While I enjoy indoor activities, I’ve watched entire mountains appear and disappear across the bay, seeming no more substantial than the clouds hiding them from view, fishing boats drifting silently by in the mist, marine life and birds plying the shoreline, and the occasional dog-walker, braving the steady rain in time-honored tradition.

Fortunately, I thought ahead and set up a much-appreciated covered “potty area” for Ronni, just in case the clearly forecasted heavy rains did actually materialize. I don’t mind bundling up in rain gear for dog walking in adverse weather, and the long dog is fine with light rain (she loves a good walk) … but if it’s raining really hard, Ronni has been known to balk.

It’s good to have options. 😉